Patent ID: 7626483

Claim:
A self-recovering current limiting fuse using a dielectrophoretic force, said fuse comprising solid conductive particles dispersed in a liquid matrix filling in an insulating vessel; and electrodes placed in the liquid matrix in opposition to one another to provide a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) current limiting element in which the solid conductive particles get clumped together between the electrodes under an influence of the dielectrophoretic force generated by an application of an electric potential across the electrodes, thereby bridging a gap across the electrodes to establish a conducting state, while the solid conductive particles get evaporated and scattered away if an excessive current flows across the electrodes, making a high-resistant condition to establish a current limiting or blocking state, thereby making repeated reversals between the conducting state and the current limiting or blocking state possible, wherein: the liquid matrix is made of a matrix composed of at least one material selected from the group consisting of deionized water including pure water, and liquid insulating oil, while the solid conductive particles are permitted in the matrix to migrate freely between getting clumped together and coming apart from each other.