Patent ID: 6404608
Filing Date: 2002-06-11
Classification: H02H

Abstract:
An overcurrent protection arrangement which comprises a switching circuit which(a) is intended to be series connected in a line of a circuit to be protected, (b) has a conducting state in which it will allow normal circuit currents to pass, (c) has an open state which it adopts when subjected to an overcurrent, and (d) comprises a switching transistor that is intended to be series connected in the line of the circuit, and a control transistor that determines a base or gate voltage of the switching transistor, the switching transistor, the control transistor, or the switching transistor and the control transistor comprising an enhancement mode MOSFET, the arrangement including a pulse generator which takes power from a voltage difference across the switching circuit and which, when the switching circuit is in the open state, will generate one or more pulses, up to a predetermined finite maximum number of pulses, or for a predetermined time, which will reset the switching circuit to the conducting state if the switching circuit is no longer subjected to an overcurrent.