Patent ID: 8702304
Filing Date: 2014-04-22
Classification: G01K,H01H

Abstract:
1. A method for determining when an electrical contact reaches at least one specific temperature, the method comprising: providing at least one electrical contact surface; providing at least one temperature indicator installed in or on the at least one electrical contact surface to indicate at least one specific temperature; providing a trace material within the at least one temperature indicator; allowing the at least one electrical contact to reach the at least one specific temperature at which the at least one temperature indicator is designed to activate in or on the at least one electrical contact surface; causing the trace material to disperse from the at least one temperature indicator into a surrounding environment; and monitoring the surrounding environment to determine when a predetermined quantity of the trace material has dispersed into the surrounding environment, thereby indicating that the at least one electrical contact has reached the at least one specific temperature at which the at least one temperature indicator is designed to activate; and wherein the at least one temperature indicator further comprises a spring loaded penetrator; and wherein the method for determining when the electrical contact reaches the at least one specific temperature further comprises the steps of holding the spring loaded penetrator in a compressed, charged position, and causing the spring loaded penetrator to move to a discharged position, and wherein the step of causing the spring loaded penetrator to move to the discharged position occurs subsequent to the step of holding the spring loaded penetrator in the compressed, charged position, the step of causing the spring loaded penetrator to move to the discharged position occurs in response to the at least one electrical contact reaching the at least one specific temperature, and the step of causing the trace material to disperse from the at least one temperature indicator into the surrounding environment occurs in response to the spring loaded penetrator moving to the discharged position.