This class is restricted to the structure of electric current switching devices of general application for closing or opening electrical circuits which devices depend upon the heating effect of a current or of the ambient temperature of the surrounding medium for their operation.
This class also includes miscellaneous elements, or subcombinations of elements, restricted for use in and with the class type switches and which have not reached the status of separate classification elsewhere.
This class also includes implements or handling devices specifically adapted for use with the class type switches and not provided for elsewhere in a separate class.
Electrical systems or circuits which include electrothermally or thermally operated switches, comprising the subject matter of this class, are excluded from this class. These systems or circuits are classified in the various electrical or art classes depending upon the type of system or apparatus controlled.
REFERENCES TO OTHER CLASSES
SEE OR SEARCH CLASS
52, Static Structures (e.g., Buildings),
232, for combined building and fuse.
60, Power Plants, 513, 523 and 528 for expansion and contraction type thermoelectric motors.
62, Refrigeration,
132+, for automatic controls utilizing thermostatic devices.
74, Machine Element or Mechanism, appropriate subclasses for mechanical operators of general application particularly
519+, for toggle arrangements and 527+ for detents and related mechanism.
81, Tools,
3.8, for special tools adapted as fuse pullers.
99, Foods and Beverages: Apparatus,
324+, for cooking apparatus with thermostatic control.
102, Ammunition and Explosives, appropriate subclasses for detonators in general.
116, Signals and Indicators, 101+, for thermal alarms and subclasses 216+ for thermal indicators, such as fuses.
122, Liquid Heaters and Vaporizers,
451.1+, for thermally controlled automatic feeders and subclass 504.1 for fused safety devices for liquid heaters and vaporizers.
137, Fluid Handling,
457, for valves with thermostatic cut off.
140, Wireworking,
71.5, for wireworking apparatus for manufacturing space discharge device electrodes.
149, Explosive and Thermic Compositions or Charges, appropriate subclasses for explosive fusible material compositions.
165, Heat Exchange,
200+, for temperature or pressure actuated automatic control devices for heating and cooling.
169, Fire Extinguishers,
23, for alarm or signal devices combined with extinguishing systems and subclass 42 for fusible elements, per se, and subclass 61 for systems having condition responsive electrical controls. 174, Electricity: Conductors and Insulators,
52.1+, for boxes and housings with electric device or mounting means for housings or casings with fuse receptacles.
200, Electricity: Circuit Makers and Breakers,
81+, for fluid pressure responsive mechanical switches where the operating means is responsive to the flow of a fluid as distinguished from those which are responsive to the static pressure of the fluid and those in which the pressure is generated by expansion of the fluid by heat.
219, Electric Heating,
509+, for electric heating devices automatically controlled by thermally responsive switching means.
236, Automatic Temperature and Humidity Regulation,
79, 87, especially 86 and 87 for thermostatic fluid operating motors utilizing expanding fluid and expanding solids and subclasses 91-104 for thermostatic controls generally.
252, Compositions,
70, for thermostatic compositions.
307, Electrical Transmission or Interconnection Systems, 117+, for heat responsive switching systems.
313, Electric Lamp and Discharge Devices, appropriate subclasses, and 314, Electric Lamp and Discharge Devices: Consumable Electrodes, appropriate subclasses for electric space discharge devices designed to pass an electric current (e.g., spark, arc, etc.,) between two electrodes spaced apart in a vacuum or a gas or vapor atmosphere (including in atmospheric air). See Class 314 where the discharge device is provided with an electrode which is consumed during the operation and has means to feed the electrodes together to compensate for the consumption of the electrode. Class 313 is the generic class for space discharge devices. See Class 313,
146+, for discharge devices which are provided with a movable electrode. Some discharge devices are closely analogous in structure to some types of circuit makers and breakers. See section the class definition of Class 313 for the distinction between a space discharge device and circuit maker and breaker.
314, Electric Lamp and Discharge Devices: Consumable Electrodes, see the reference to Class 313, above.
315, Electric Lamp and Discharge Devices: Systems,
56+, and the subclasses specified in the notes to the definitions of those subclasses, for other electric space discharge devices which have structurally combined therewith a circuit maker and breaker. See the reference to Class 200, Electricity: Circuit Makers and Breakers, in the class definition of Class 315, particularly the reference to
subclass 113.5 for the line between Class 315 and Class 337.
318, Electricity: Motive Power Systems,
117, for thermo-electric motors comprising a member which undergoes substantial changes in shape, position and/or dimensions when heated, and means for electrically heating the member, subclasses 471+ for thermally controlled automatic starting or stopping of a motor.
320, Electricity: Battery or Capacitor Charging or Discharging,
166+, for charging or discharging a capacitor, per se.
322, Electricity: Single Generator Systems, 33+, for thermally responsive systems for automatic control of the generator or driving means.
324, Electricity: Measuring and Testing,
106, for testing devices (meters) having means whose temperature is varied in accordance with the electricity being measured.
335, Electricity: Magnetically Operated Switches, Magnets, and Electromagnets,
1, for combined diverse switches where the diverse switch may be of the thermal or thermal current type, subclass 23 for automatic circuit breakers with combined magnetic and thermally actuated latch or trip means, subclass 31 for latching means with thermally actuated resetting or reclosing means, subclass 39 for magnetic tripping means with thermally actuated time delay, subclasses 43+ for thermally actuated tripping or latching means, subclass 66 for electromagnetically controlled switches, with electrothermal delay means and subclasses 141+ for combined electromagnetic and electrothermal actuating means.
338, Electrical Resistors, appropriate subclasses for electrical resistors, particularly
7+, for resistors whose resistance value is temperature compensated and 25+ for resistors whose resistance value is ambient temperature responsive.
340, Communications: Electrical,
593+, for a thermal alarm circuit having a switch-type sensor.
361, Electricity: Electrical Systems and Devices,
161+, for electric circuits for relays with thermal control. 373, Industrial Electric Heating Furnaces,
102+, and 136 for electric furnaces with thermal control means.
374, Thermal Measuring and Testing,
187+, and 201+ for temperature measuring devices utilizing expanding solid or expanding fluid elements respectively.
428, Stock Material or Miscellaneous Articles,
375+, for coated electrical conductors which may include contacts and switches, but which are recited solely as a base with a particular coating thereon, and subclasses 616+ for composite metallic thermostat material having heat-deflectable characteristics.
439, Electrical Connectors, appropriate subclasses for an electrical connector, generally; including a connector for use with an electrothermally or thermally actuated switch. A switch of this class (Class 337) is distinguished from a connector of Class 439 in that, a switch is a "permanent" assembly of component parts fixed together so that each time a contact is brought into mating engagement with a cooperating contact, it moves along the same predetermined path; whereas, an electrical connector is a member that mates with a distinct mating part from which it is physically removed each time the connection is broken.