Manual of U.S. Patent Classification
as of June 30, 2000

Class
337
ELECTRICITY: ELECTROTHERMALLY OR THERMALLY ACTUATED SWITCHES

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Subclass definitions may be accessed by clicking on the subclass number, below.

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Subclass		Title
ClassTitle		===> ELECTRICITY: ELECTROTHERMALLY OR THERMALLY ACTUATED SWITCHES
1		WITH DIVERSE ART-TYPE DEVICE
2		WITH SEPARATE DISTINCT DIVERSE ART-TYPE SWITCHING DEVICE (E.G., FLUID- OR MECHANICAL-ACTUATED)
3		. Bimetallic device with other
4		. Fusible element device with other
5		. . Diverse art-type switching device responsive to the condition of fusible element
6		. . With automatic circuit-interrupting device
7		. . . Multiphase of multipole
8		. . Manually operable mechanical device
9		. . . Knife or blade switch
10		. . . Rotary or reciprocating mechanism
11		. . With multiple circuit connector device (e.g., multiple mechanical)
12		WITH DIVERSE ART-TYPE ACTUATOR FOR SINGLE SWITCH
13		. Bimetallic with other
14		ELECTROTHERMALLY ACTUATED SWITCHES
15		. Shunt or short circuit completion devices
16		. . Bimetallic means
17		. . Fusible material combined with gap
18		. . . Gaseous space discharge gap (e.g., air gap)
19		. . Gap with thin film dielectric (e.g., voltage-responsive)
20		. . With significant housing or casing structure
21		. Conductive fluid devices
22		. Fluorescent lamp-starting devices
23		. . With significant heating means
24		. . . With shunt or short-circuiting means (for resistor)
25		. . Electric discharge means (e.g., electron-emissive)
26		. . With significant contact structure or composition
27		. . . Bimetallic element
28		. Space discharge device (gaps, lightning arrester, etc.)
29		. . Plural
30		. . With explosive or combustible material
31		. . With fusible element (e.g., cutout means)
32		. . . With grounding means
33		. . . With common structural elements (e.g., fuse provides support or element of spark gap structure)
34		. . Housing, casing, mounting or support means
35		. Plural diverse similar art-type devices in single switch
36		. With bimetallic elements (i.e., motion takes place in a plane at right angles to its major axis)
37		. . With manual or other mechanical contact controlling means
38		. . . Plural elements combined with single mechanical means
39		. . . . Independently operative bimetallic elements
40		. . . . Individually responsive to diverse conditions or diverse characteristics
41		. . . Multiple contact or plural circuit control means
42		. . . . Plural switches
43		. . . . . With interlocking means
44		. . . . Selectively or alternately actuated
45		. . . . Single multipole or polyphase control device
46		. . . . . With common mechanical actuating or tripping means
47		. . . . . With separate latching or tripping means in each phase
48		. . . . . . With common trip-bar means
49		. . . . . . . Slidable or reciprocal bar
50		. . . . . . . Rotatable
51		. . . Cyclically or periodically actuated
52		. . . With spring or other energy storage device
53		. . . . Snap-action
54		. . . . . With magnetic flux source (e.g., magnetic armature)
55		. . . . . With latching or holding means
56		. . . . . With reclosing or reset means
57		. . . . . With adjusting or calibration means
58		. . . . Compound motion means
59		. . . . . Toggle
60		. . . . . Floating lever
61		. . . . Rotary or oscillatory motion device (e.g., spring motor)
62		. . . . Reciprocating or slidable motion device
63		. . . . . With lost motion coupling means
64		. . . . . With camming or wedging means
65		. . . . . With contact guiding or alignment means
66		. . . . . With push-button actuating means
67		. . . With contact pressure maintaining or adjusting means
68		. . . With direct contact separating means (e.g., plunger camming means)
69		. . . Independently operative (nontrip-free)
70		. . . Latch or latch-release means
71		. . . . Plural or responsive to diverse effects
72		. . . . With reclosing or reset means
73		. . . . . Automatic
74		. . . . Trip-free
75		. . . . Bimetallic element unitary with or comprising latch means
76		. . . . Performs dual functions (e.g., main contact)
77		. . . . With external or auxiliary heater
78		. . . . Utilizing plural bimetallic elements
79		. . . With signal or indicating means
80		. . . With mercury or other conductive liquid circuit completion means
81		. . . Retarded or delayed action type
82		. . . With operating range calibration or adjustment means
83		. . . . Comprising electric shunt or short-circuiting means
84		. . . . Comprising mechanical means
85		. . Bimetallic element unitary with or directly actuates movable contact means
86		. . . Plural contacts or external circuit connection means
87		. . . . Alternately or selectively actuated
88		. . . Retarded or delayed type
89		. . . Snap-action
90		. . . . With magnetic armature or holding means
91		. . . . With reset means
92		. . . Cyclic or repetitively operative (e.g., flashing)
93		. . . . With interval predetermining or adjustment means
94		. . . With operating range, calibration or adjusting means
95		. . . With plural or combined elements
96		. . . . Responsive to diverse conditions or of diverse operative characteristics
97		. . With switch structure protective means
98		. . With contact operation inhibiting means (e.g., meltable or magnetic)
99		. . With voltage or ambient temperature compensation means
100		. . . Auxiliary heating means
101		. . . Bimetallic means
102		. . With external or auxiliary heating means
103		. . . With heater-adjusting, shunting or short-circuiting means
104		. . . Plural heating means
105		. . . With electrical power supply or current control means
106		. . . . Inductive means (e.g., transformer)
107		. . . Significant heating element structure or composition
108		. . . . Arc or spark gap
109		. . Contact composition or structure
110		. . With arc-suppression or blowout means
111		. . Bimetallic structure or composition of material
112		. . Housing, casing or support means
113		. . . With external circuit connection means
114		. Expansible or vaporizable fluid-actuated (e.g., mercury vapor)
115		. . With manual or other mechanical contact actuating means
116		. . . Cyclically or periodically operative
117		. . . Utilizing diaphragm or bellows means
118		. . . With restoring or resetting means
119		. . Utilizing capillary tube or bore means
120		. . With external heating means (external from fluid; may be the container)
121		. . With housing or casing
122		. . With contact or electrode structure or material (e.g., carbon)
123		. With longitudinally expansible solid element (e.g., rod, wire strip, etc.)
124		. . With voltage or ambient temperature compensation means
125		. . With electrical shunting or short-circuiting means
126		. . With manual or other mechanical contact actuating means
127		. . . With delayed action or timing means
128		. . . Latching or tripping means
129		. . . . With adjustment or calibration means
130		. . . . With reset or reclosing means
131		. . . Snap-action (e.g., bistable)
132		. . . . With toggle spring
133		. . . . With stop means (e.g., motion limiting)
134		. . . . With magnetic biasing or holding means
135		. . . . With flexible vane or plate
136		. . . . . With preset deformation
137		. . Contact structure or composition
138		. . Cyclically or periodically operated (e.g., flasher)
139		. . With significant expansible element structure or composition of material
140		. . . Wire or other stranded element
141		. . With external or auxiliary heating means
142		. Fusible element actuated
143		. . With manual or other mechanical contact control means
144		. . . Plural fuses combined with single mechanical means
145		. . . Multiple contact or plural circuit control means
146		. . . . Multipole or polyphase
147		. . . Snap-action mechanical device
148		. . . Reciprocal or rectilinear sliding motion actuating means (e.g., spring loaded plunger or striker pin)
149		. . . Rotary or oscillatory motion device
150		. . . Latching trip or holding means (actuated by condition by fuse element)
151		. . . . Ratchet and pawl
152		. . . . Thin film or resoldering (e.g., eutetic alloy)
153		. . . . With external or auxiliary heating means
154		. . . . Tripping or release means
155		. . . With reclosing or reset means
156		. . . Manually operated shunting, disconnect or load-break device
157		. . . . Mechanical fuse link rupturing means
158		. . Current limiting devices (e.g., high voltage fuses)
159		. . . Comprising significant fuse link or element structure or arrangement
160		. . . . With fusible metal overlay (e.g., alloy-forming)
161		. . . . Plural elements
162		. . . . . With diverse characteristics
163		. . Delayed action (i.e., time lag)
164		. . . Utilizing plural fusible elements
165		. . . With biased direct circuit opening means
166		. . . With heat absorption, conducting or storage means
167		. . Convertible (e.g., fused to nonfused)
168		. . Cutout or disconnect type (an assembly) of a fuse support and fuse holder with or without a fuse link)
169		. . . With kickout means
170		. . . . Fusible element controlled
171		. . . With dropout features (i.e., the fuse tube will be separated, or drop away from, at least on the main circuit contacts)
172		. . . . Utilizing combined mechanical motions (e.g., sliding with pivotal)
173		. . . . Utilizing sliding or reciprocating motions
174		. . . . With holding, latch or trip means
175		. . . . . Combined latch or trip
176		. . . . . Fusible element controlled
177		. . . . . . With fuse link extracting means
178		. . . . . . Spring biased
179		. . . . . . With delayed action
180		. . . Line terminal or contact structure
181		. . . . Directly connected by fusible element (e.g., in line-type fuse)
182		. . With external or auxiliary heating means
183		. . . Resistive heater
184		. . . . Directly in series with or completing controlled circuit
185		. . . Comprising or including heat storage or accumulator means
186		. . Housing, casing or support means
187		. . . With external circuit connection means
188		. . . . Plural conductor connector means
189		. . . . . Distribution or load center type (e.g., plural outputs)
190		. . . . With fuse element tensioning or clamping means
191		. . . . Cable or busbar attachment means
192		. . . . . Socket or thimble
193		. . . . . Line tap, hook or clamp
194		. . . . With relatively movable cooperative elements (e.g., pull out)
195		. . . . . With spring biasing means
196		. . . . . Door or closure controlled
197		. . . . Plural diverse (e.g., male and female connectors)
198		. . . . Prong or blade (e.g., plug-type housing)
199		. . . With electrical ground, shield or barrier
200		. . . Ceiling block fixture type (e.g., Rosette)
201		. . . With plural interfitting or interlocking sections
202		. . . Bushing or insulator
203		. . . With gaseous venting or expulsion means (from the housing)
204		. . . With oil or other liquid
205		. . . With locking, sealing or guard means
206		. . . With operational condition indicating means
207		. . . With external support or attaching means (e.g., hook)
208		. . . With fuse carrier attachment means
209		. . . . Adaptor means
210		. . . . Combined with lockout or other circuit closure prevention means
211		. . . . With pull out or ejector means (for tube)
212		. . . . Door-supported
213		. . . . Peculiarly adapted for cartridge fuse
214		. . . . . With clamping, latch, or other attachment means
215		. . . . . . Spring clip
216		. . . . Peculiarly adapted for plug-type fuse carrier (e.g., fuse block)
217		. . Fuse link extraction or expulsion means
218		. . . Combined with contact structure
219		. . . Spring means
220		. . . Pressure responsive
221		. . With electrical shunt circuit means (may also be fusible)
222		. . With switch protective means (for fuse structure)
223		. . . Against shock or recoil
224		. . . Against corona (e.g., shield)
225		. . With overfusing or tamper prevention means
226		. . . Special adaptor or other selective means
227		. . Fuse link carrier or holder
228		. . . Cartridge or tube
229		. . . . With plural fuse links or elements
230		. . . . . Selectively or successively insertable in common circuit
231		. . . . With fuse link attaching support or securing means
232		. . . . . Soldered or brazed joint
233		. . . . . Rigid bar means
234		. . . . . Locking or clamping means
235		. . . . . Threaded screw or stud
236		. . . . . Wedging or camming means
237		. . . . . Replaceable or readily interchangeable
238		. . . . With fuse link tensioning means
239		. . . . . Spring or other energy storage means
240		. . . . . . With strain member
241		. . . . With indicating or inspection means
242		. . . . . Glow lamp
243		. . . . . Chemical means
244		. . . . . Movable or displaceable element (e.g., plunger or semaphore)
245		. . . . With handle or other manipulating means
246		. . . . Cartridge or tube structure or material of construction
247		. . . . . Plural tubes (e.g., telescoping)
248		. . . . Ferrule, cap or other seal means
249		. . . . With gas expulsion means
250		. . . . . Venting, cooling or deionizing
251		. . . . Contact or terminal structure
252		. . . . . Attaching or securing means (to the tube or to the fusible element)
253		. . . . . . Locking, clamp or wedge means
254		. . . . . . . Knife blade contact with slotted disk
255		. . . Plug
256		. . . . Plural fusible elements in a single carrier
257		. . . . . Selectively or successively insertable in protected circuit
258		. . . . . . Selection means
259		. . . . . . . Rotatable relatively movable
260		. . . . With fuse element attachment or securing means
261		. . . . . Resilient biasing or retaining means
262		. . . . . Particularly adapted for specific fuse element
263		. . . . . . Cartridge or capsule enclosed
264		. . . . . Readily replaceable or detachable element
265		. . . . With indicating means
266		. . . . . Glow lamp or other incandescent means
267		. . . . . Plunger or semaphore type
268		. . . . Contact or terminal structure
269		. . . . . Plural diverse (e.g., male and female)
270		. . . . Structure or composition of material
271		. . . . . Part of or structurally adapted for use with particular socket means
272		. . . . . With venting means
273		. . With arc suppression or extinguishing means
274		. . . Plural (e.g., auxiliary fuse)
275		. . . . With draw-out rod
276		. . . Dielectric filler material or compound (e.g., quartz)
277		. . . . Liquid (e.g., hydrocarbon)
278		. . . . Dielectric gap or barrier means (e.g., wedging dielectric)
279		. . . Deionizing gas or vapor generating material
280		. . . Cooling, condensing or absorbing means
281		. . . Blowout means (e.g., gaseous)
282		. . . Arcing chamber or passage structure
283		. . Plural independent fuses
284		. . . Selectively or sequentially inserted in same protected circuit
285		. . . . Automatic selective means (e.g., repeater type)
286		. . . . . With delayed action selective means
287		. . . . . . Hydraulic or pneumatic
288		. . . . . Transfer or interlock means
289		. . . . Rotary selector means
290		. . Fusible link or element structure or material
291		. . . With strain-relief means
292		. . . Plural series-connected conductive elements forming a single link
293		. . . Plural parallel fusible elements
294		. . . Continuous strand adapted for successive insertion in protected circuit
295		. . . With particular geometrical shape or configuration
296		. . . Composite (e.g., with overlay)
297		. . . With nonconductive core (e.g., printed circuit)
298		THERMALLY ACTUATED SWITCHES
299		. Plural diverse actuating means in single switch
300		. Responsive to plural external conditions (e.g., temperature and humidity)
301		. With mechanical timing means (e.g., clockwork)
302		. . Periodic or cyclically operative
303		. . . With predetermined operative cycle adjusting means
304		. . With predetermined operative temperature range
305		. . . Utilizing cam or eccentric
306		. Expansible or vaporizable fluid actuated
307		. . Plural expansible elements with single switch
308		. . . Individually responsive to diverse conditions or of diverse characteristics
309		. . Multiple contacts or external circuit completion means
310		. . . Plural independent switches
311		. . . Selective, sequentially or alternately actuated
312		. . With manual or other mechanical contact control means
313		. . . Combined or compound motion device
314		. . . Reciprocating or sliding motion
315		. . . . Piston or plunger
316		. . . Rotary or oscillatory motion device
317		. . . With spring or other energy storage means
318		. . . . Snap-action
319		. . . . . With adjusting, calibrating or compensating means
320		. . With diaphragm or bellows structure
321		. . . Combined with capillary tube or bore
322		. . With Bourdon tube
323		. . With operating range calibration or adjustment means
324		. . With auxiliary heater
325		. . With latching, locking or holding means
326		. . Fluid or fluid pressure generating means
327		. . Housing, casing or support means
328		. . . With pressure relief (e.g., venting)
329		. . Contact structure or composition of material
330		. . . With relative position adjustment means
331		. . . Comprising conductive liquid (e.g., mercury)
332		. . With signaling, alarm or visual indicator means
333		. With bimetallic element
334		. . With manual or other mechanical contact control means
335		. . . Plural elements combined with single mechanical means
336		. . . . Individually responsive to diverse conditions or of diverse operating characteristics
337		. . . Multiple contact or plural circuit control means
338		. . . . Plural separate switches
339		. . . . . With interlocking
340		. . . . With contacts selectively, alternately or sequentially actuated
341		. . . With time-delay means
342		. . . With spring or other energy storage means
343		. . . . Snap-action
344		. . . . . With magnetic flux source (e.g., magnetic armature)
345		. . . . . With toggle linkage
346		. . . . . With frictional coupling or lost motion means
347		. . . . . With adjusting or calibration means
348		. . . . . With reset or reclosing means
349		. . . With contact biasing, pressure control or adjusting means
350		. . . Compound motion means
351		. . . Rotary or oscillatory motion means
352		. . . . With frictional clutch drive means
353		. . . . Including cam and follower
354		. . . Reciprocating or slidable motion means
355		. . . Independently operative
356		. . . Latch or latch-release means
357		. . . . Adjustable
358		. . . . With reclosing or reset means
359		. . . . With bimetallic element comprising or unitary with latch
360		. . With operating range calibration or adjustment means
361		. . . Utilizing cam or roller
362		. . Bimetallic element unitary with or directly actuates contacts
363		. . . Multiple contacts or external circuit control means
364		. . . . Alternately or selectively actuated
365		. . . Snap-action
366		. . . . With magnetic flux source
367		. . . . With reset means
368		. . . . With adjustment or calibration means
369		. . . Cyclically or repetitively operative
370		. . . With plural bimetallic elements
371		. . . . Of diverse operating characteristics or responsive to diverse conditions
372		. . . Element attachment or mounting means
373		. . Contact structure or composition of material (e.g., mercury)
374		. . . With position adjusting means
375		. . . . Leaf spring with direct thrust element
376		. . With signal or indicating means
377		. . With auxiliary heating means
378		. . With compensation means (e.g., ambient temperature)
379		. . Bimetallic element structure or composition of material
380		. . Housing, casing or support structure
381		. . . With significant external circuit connection means
382		. With longitudinally expansible solid element
383		. . With plural contacts or external circuit completion means
384		. . With manual or other mechanical contact control means
385		. . . Latching or tripping means
386		. . . Comprising mechanical advantage or force multiplying means
387		. . . Comprising frictional clutch or lost motion means
388		. . . With spring or other energy storage means
389		. . . . Comprising resilient leaf spring
390		. . . . Snap-action
391		. . . . . With flexible vane or plate
392		. . With operating range calibration or adjusting means
393		. . Expansible solid structure or composition of material
394		. . . Rod, tube or cylinder
395		. . . Wire or stranded material
396		. . . Diaphragm, strip or ribbon
397		. . Plural deformable elements in single switch
398		. . Housing, casing or support means
399		. . Contact or terminal structural or composition of material
400		. . . With position adjustment means
401		. With fusible, combustible or explosive material
402		. . With manual, gravity-actuated or other mechanical contact control means
403		. . . Automatic cutout or disconnect type
404		. . . . With fusible element directly connecting contacts
405		. . . . With fusible element opening the circuit (no mechanical contacts)
406		. . . Multiple contacts or plural circuit control means
407		. . . Utilizing spring or other energy
408		. . . . Reciprocating or slidable motion device
409		. . . . . Plunger or piston
410		. . . . Rotatable
411		. . . Latch, trip or holding means
412		. . Plural independent fuse elements with single circuit completion means
413		. . Contact structure or composition of material
414		. . Housing, casing or support means
415		. . . Flexible or resilient
416		. . Fusible, link or element structure or composition of material
417		DETAILS

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Last Modified: 6 October 2000