Temperature Sensitive Tapes, Assemblies, and Methods for Temperature Control - Patent application

Abstract

To provide a temperature sensing device which can be implemented in an electrical device at lower cost and lower complexity.SOLUTION: A temperature sensing tape 10 includes: a flexible electrically insulating substrate 12; a plurality of temperature sensing elements 14 disposed on the substrate, each temperature sensing element including a first electrode and a second electrode arranged in a facing separated relationship so as to define a gap therebetween; and variable resistance material 16 disposed within the gap and connecting the first electrode to the second electrode, where at least one first electrode of the temperature sensing elements is connected to the second electrode of an adjacent temperature sensing element by a flexible electrical conductor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

[Background technology]

[0001] [CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS] This application is a continuation-in-part of, and claims the benefit of, U.S. Non-provisional Application No. 16 / 122,535, filed September 5, 2018, and further claims the benefit of, U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 554,088, filed September 5, 2017, each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. [Technical field]

[0002] The present embodiments relate generally to temperature sensing devices and, more particularly, to a temperature sensing tape having a plurality of integrated temperature sensing elements in the form of a variable resistance material.

[0003] Electrical devices can be damaged by over-temperature and over-current conditions if such conditions are allowed to persist. Therefore, electrical devices are often equipped with temperature sensing devices that can be used to measure temperature changes at discrete locations on the surface of the electrical device. If the measured temperature exceeds a predetermined threshold, the electrical device can be automatically shut off until the over-temperature / over-current condition subsides or improves, thereby mitigating damage to the electrical device.

[0004] Some electrical devices have large surface areas or include numerous interconnected components that may each experience over-temperature and / or over-current conditions. In such devices, it may be necessary to measure the temperature at various discrete locations on the surface of the electrical device, or to measure the temperature on the surfaces of multiple components of the electrical device in a distributed manner. However, conventional implementations of multiple discrete temperature sensing elements in a single electrical device may be prohibitively expensive and / or require an amount of space that is not possible in a given device form factor.

[0005] The present improvements may be useful with respect to these and other considerations. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0007] An exemplary embodiment of a temperature sensing tape according to the present disclosure may include an electrically insulating substrate, a first conductor disposed on the substrate and bounded by a first electrode, and a second conductor disposed on the substrate and bounded by a second electrode, the first electrode and the second electrode being disposed in facing spaced apart relationship to define a gap therebetween, and the embodiment may include a variable resistance material disposed in the gap connecting the first electrode to the second electrode.

[0008] Another exemplary embodiment of a temperature sensing tape according to the present disclosure includes a flexible, electrically insulating substrate and a plurality of temperature sensing elements disposed on the substrate, each temperature sensing element including a first electrode and a second electrode, the first electrode and the second electrode disposed in facing, spaced apart relationship to define a gap therebetween, the embodiment may include a variable resistance material disposed in the gap and connecting the first electrode to the second electrode, and the first electrode of at least one of the temperature sensing elements is connected to the second electrode of an adjacent temperature sensing element by a flexible electrical conductor. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1A] 1 is a top view illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a temperature sensing tape according to the present disclosure.

[0010] [Figure 1B] FIG. 1B is a detailed top view illustrating the temperature sensing element of the temperature sensing tape shown in FIG. 1A.

[0011] [Diagram 2] 1B is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of an electrical device implementing the temperature sensing tape shown in FIG. 1A.

[0012] [Figure 3A] 1 shows the resistance curves and logic state behavior of a PPTC-based sensor with and without extension of the logical "1" state, respectively. [Figure 3B] 1 shows the resistance curves and logic state behavior of a PPTC-based sensor with and without extension of the logical "1" state, respectively.

[0013] [Figure 3C] 13 shows further details of the electrical response of a tape deployed according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] [Figure 4A] 1 depicts different configurations of temperature sensing tape according to different embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4B] 1 depicts different configurations of temperature sensing tape according to different embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4C] 1 depicts different configurations of temperature sensing tape according to different embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0015] [Diagram 5] 1 illustrates an exemplary logic flow. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Exemplary embodiments of a temperature sensing tape according to the present disclosure will now be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Temperature sensing tape may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, the embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will convey certain exemplary aspects of a temperature sensing tape to those skilled in the art.

[0017] 1A, a top view illustrating a temperature sensing tape (hereinafter "tape 10") according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Tape 10 can include an electrically insulating, flexible substrate, shown as substrate 12. Substrate 12 can be in the form of a strip of dielectric material having an adhesive material on one or both sides thereof that allows tape 10 to be adhered to a surface (e.g., the surface of an electrical device). In various non-limiting embodiments, substrate 12 can be Scotch tape, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) tape, Mylar, or the like.

[0018] A plurality of temperature sensing elements 14 may be disposed on the substrate 12 and may be spaced apart from one another along the length of the substrate 12. Each of the temperature sensing elements 14 may include a quantity of variable resistance material 16 bridging a pair of adjacent interdigitated electrodes, as described further below. By way of example, the tape 10 is shown in FIG. 1A as including a total of four temperature sensing elements. In various embodiments, the tape 10 may include a greater or lesser number of temperature sensing elements 14 without departing from this disclosure. The total number of temperature sensing elements 14 is generally determined by the length of the tape 10 and the distance between the temperature sensing elements 14. Although the temperature sensing elements 14 are shown in FIG. 1A as being uniformly spaced apart from one another along the length of the substrate 12, various embodiments of the tape 10 may include temperature sensing elements 14 positioned at irregular intervals along the length of the substrate 12, such as may be determined by the requirements of a particular application of the tape 10.

[0019] The tape 10 may further include a plurality of flexible conductors 18 disposed on the substrate 12. The flexible conductors 18 may extend between and be electrically connected to the temperature sensing elements 14, as described further below. The flexible conductors 18 may be in the form of elongated segments of flexible, conductive material that are adhered to, printed on, or otherwise applied to the substrate 12. Examples of such materials include, but are not limited to, copper mesh, silver epoxy, various types of metal wire or ribbon, conductive inks, and the like.

[0020] 1B, a detailed top view illustrating one of the temperature sensing elements 14 and the surrounding portion of tape 10 is shown. The variable resistance material 16 is shown as transparent for clarity of the following description. It is understood that all of the temperature sensing elements 14 shown in FIG. 1A are generally identical to the temperature sensing elements 14 shown in FIG. 1B, and that the following description of the temperature sensing elements 14 shown in FIG. 1B will therefore apply to all of the temperature sensing elements 14 shown in FIG. 1A.

[0021] The temperature sensing element 14 may include electrodes 20a,b disposed on the substrate 12 in a facing arrangement and electrically connected (e.g., by solder, conductive adhesive, etc.) to ends of adjacent flexible conductors (flexible conductor 18). Each of the electrodes 20a,b may include a plurality of fingers or tines 22a,b. The tines 22a of electrode 20a may be interdigitated with the tines 22b of electrode 20b in a spaced apart relationship to define a serpentine twist gap 24 therebetween. In some embodiments of the tape 10, the electrodes 20a,b may be disposed on an intermediate substrate (e.g., a segment of FR-4), which may then be disposed on and bonded to the substrate 12. In other embodiments of the tape 10, the electrodes 20a,b may be an integral, adjacent part of the flexible conductor 18. For example, opposing ends of adjacent flexible conductors 18 may be cut, printed, or otherwise formed to define alternating interdigitating tines 22 a, b. In other embodiments of the tape 10, the tines 22 a, b may be omitted, and adjacent ends of the flexible conductors 18 may instead terminate in flat edges, or edges having various other contours or shapes, that are spaced from one another and disposed in opposing relationship to define a gap therebetween.

[0022] The variable resistance material 16 may be disposed on the tines 22a,b and may bridge and / or fill the gap 24, thus connecting the tines 22a with the tines 22b. In various embodiments, the variable resistance material 16 may be a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) material having an electrical resistance that increases abruptly when the variable resistance material 16 reaches a predefined "activation temperature". In other embodiments, the variable resistance material 16 may be a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) material having an electrical resistance that decreases abruptly when the variable resistance material 16 reaches a predefined "activation temperature". In a specific, non-limiting embodiment, the variable resistance material 16 may be a polymer positive temperature coefficient (PPTC) material formed of conductive particles (e.g., conductive ceramic particles) suspended within a polymer resin. In some embodiments, the variable resistance material 16 (either PTC or NTC) may be applied to the tines 22a,b as a fluid ink or as a compound that subsequently hardens to form a solid mass that partially covers and / or encapsulates the tines 22a,b.

[0023] It is contemplated that tape 10 may be rolled or stored in the form of a conventional roll of tape and a desired length of tape 10 may be dispensed (i.e., unrolled) and cut from the roll for use in an application.

[0024] Referring to FIG. 2, a schematic diagram of an exemplary electrical device 100 implementing the tape (tape 10) described above is shown. The electrical device 100 may include one or more components (hereinafter "protected components") that may be protected by the tape 10. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the protected component is a battery 110 having a number of cells 112 electrically connected in series. The battery 110 may be connected to a load 114 for providing power thereto. In various examples, the battery 110 may be a Li-ion battery, a Li-polymer battery, a Ni-MH rechargeable battery, etc. The present disclosure is not limited in that respect and contemplates the protected component may be or include any of a variety of power sources and / or electrical devices that may benefit from protection from overcurrent or overtemperature.

[0025] The tape 10 may be adhered to a battery 110 with a temperature sensing element 14 disposed on a surface of each cell (cell 112) of the battery 110. In particular, each of the temperature sensing elements 14 is positioned to be under the thermal influence of each one of the cells 112, such that an increase in the temperature of one of the cells 112 may increase the temperature of each one of the temperature sensing elements 14 disposed therein.

[0026] The electrical device 100 may further include a control element 116 (e.g., a digital control element such as an ASIC, microprocessor, etc.) that may be electrically connected to the flexible conductor 18 of the tape 10 and configured to monitor resistance in the tape 10 as described further below. The control element 116 may also be operatively connected to a disconnect switch 118 (e.g., a FET, relay, etc.) intermediate and electrically connected in series with the battery 110 and the load 114.

[0027] During standard operation of the electric device 100, the battery 110 supplies power to the load 114, and the temperature of the cells 112 may be within a normal operating range (e.g., below 80 degrees Celsius). However, upon the occurrence of an over-temperature or over-current condition, the temperature of one or more of the cells 112 may increase beyond the normal operating range, which in turn may increase the temperature of each of the temperature sensing elements 14 of the tape 10. If the temperature of one or more of the temperature sensing elements 14 increases beyond an activation temperature, the resistance of the tape 10 may increase abruptly (if the variable resistance material 16 is a PTC material) or decrease abruptly (if the variable resistance material 16 is an NTC material). The increase in temperature of the cells 112 may be the result of exposure to an external heat source (e.g., the electric device 100 is exposed to the sun for an extended period of time) or the result of an over-current condition caused, for example, by an internal defect in the battery 110.

[0028] The control element 116 may be configured to monitor the resistance of the tape 10 or, depending on the circumstances, control the function of the electrical device 100. For example, assuming the variable resistance material 16 is a PTC material, if the control element 116 measures a relatively low resistance at the tape 10, indicating that the temperature of the temperature sensing elements 14 is below the activation temperature, the control element 116 may determine that the temperature of the cells 112 is within a standard safe operating range. However, if the control element 116 measures a relatively high resistance at the tape 10, indicating that the temperature of more than one temperature sensing element 14 has exceeded the activation temperature, the control element 116 may determine that the temperature of one or more cells 112 has exceeded the standard safe operating range. If the control element 116 determines that the temperature of one or more cells 112 has exceeded the standard safe operating range, the control element 116 opens the disconnect switch 118, thereby preventing the flow of electrical current in the electrical device 100 and preventing or mitigating damage that could otherwise result if an over-temperature or over-current condition were allowed to persist.

[0029] In further non-limiting embodiments, the protected components may include power tools with battery packs, e-scooters or other electric vehicles, laptop computers, notebook computers, large capacity battery systems, etc. An advantage provided by the flexible tape of the present embodiment is the ability to conveniently position sensors of multiple temperature sensors as well as fuse elements at any suitable location on a three-dimensional object having any arbitrary shape.

[0030] In some variations of the above embodiment, the substrate 12 has an adhesive on the underside of the tape 10 for attachment to the device being protected. In some embodiments, the adhesive is applied only to the section under the temperature sensing element 14 to improve thermal contact to the surface of the device being protected. In certain embodiments, an additive with high thermal conductivity, such as a high thermal conductivity powder, can be placed in the adhesive to improve the thermal conductivity of the adhesive and thus provide better thermal contact between the temperature sensing element 14 and the device being monitored or protected. Non-limiting examples of high thermal conductivity materials include intrinsic (low electrical conductivity) ZnO, Al2O3, AlN diamond paste, or electrically conductive particles with high thermal conductivity, including ceramic, metal or carbon-based particles, fibers, and the like.

[0031] In an additional embodiment of the present disclosure, for further application, setP TM Tape type sensors including temperature sensor devices (setP is a trademark of Littelfuse.Inc) and the like may be employed where permanent disconnection may occur at temperatures above functional material sensing operating conditions. Stated differently, a "TTape" sensor or sensor assembly may be deployed for temperature sensing and temperature protection due to its stable "off" response behavior at temperatures above the temperature range in which TTape materials such as PTC materials stably function.

[0032] Throughout the description, pPTC type materials provide good temperature sensor functionality, including significant current shutoff above the trip temperature. However, pPTC materials suffer significantly from negative temperature coefficient (NTC) resistance behavior significantly above the trip temperature, and long exposure results in failure under short circuit conditions.

[0033] For applications in critical areas, such as temperature sensing for lithium batteries, it is useful that the "off" signal for a given battery pack sent to the control board is maintained for some duration to avoid nuisance tripping phenomena and to ensure that the system "knows" that it is not in the low temperature safety area, but in a high temperature position with aggressive NTC behavior. This case is especially important for sensors that operate in digital response modes "0" and "1", providing the ability to extend the "1" area.

[0034] According to some embodiments, a TTape sensor assembly is provided with a stable "off response" at temperatures above the temperature range of PPTC stability. Figures 3A and 3B show the resistance curves and logic state behavior of a PPTC-based sensor with and without extension of the logic "1" state, respectively. In the example of Figure 3A, a tape 30 is provided with a series of temperature-sensing elements arranged on the "in" line, such as the previously described temperature-sensing element 14. In the example of the resistance curve (dotted curve) of Figure 3A, above point A, unlike the ideal response curve I, the resistance drops sharply due to the NTC behavior of the PPTC material just above the trip temperature. Thus, above point A, the measured resistance no longer indicates a logic "1" state, and if the logic "1" state does not persist for a sufficient duration, the system may erroneously believe that a safe state exists.

[0035] In Figure 3B, tape 40 is provided with series temperature sensing elements disposed on the "in" line, such as temperature sensing element 14 previously described, as well as corresponding fuse elements disposed on the "out" line, where the temperature sensing elements combine with nearby fuse elements to form a sensing area that effectively extends the temperature range of the logical "1" state, as shown in Figure 3B. In this example, tape 40 may melt on point A before the resistance of the PPTC material drops to a point where the overall detected resistance falls below the logical "1" threshold. Thus, detection of the logical "1" state may survive.

[0036] Further details of the function of a tape such as tape 40 are provided with respect to FIG. 3C. The exact temperatures for the different types indicating a logic "0" or logic "1" state are merely exemplary. As shown, during operation, when the tape indicates a temperature below about 57.5° C., a logic "0" state is obtained, where the monitored device is considered to be operating at normal conditions. Thus, the resistance remains low, as represented by a detector that detects the system voltage, Vcc. In the example shown, any voltage value less than 30% of Vcc is determined by the detector or monitor's logic circuitry to represent a logic "0" state. Furthermore, to provide correct identification, any voltage value greater than 70% of Vcc is determined to indicate a logic "1" state.

[0037] In the example of FIG. 3C, the tape may include a PPTC sensor with a trigger temperature of 60° C. Thus, when the tape indicates a temperature above about 57.5° C. and below about 60° C., a transition regime is entered where the logic state is indeterminate since Vcc is between 30% and 70%. Above 60° C., a logic “1” state is entered and the tape resistance increases significantly, in some embodiments by a factor of 10x, 100x, 1000x, 10,000x, etc. This large increase in resistance results in a fairly high Vcc, such as about 85% of full Vcc. Additionally, the resistance may be stable in the temperature range above the 60° C. trip temperature and the logic 1 regime persists.

[0038] At about 85° C., the fuse element may melt, and thus the tape resistance increases further below resistance curve 302 (dotted line), where the resistance is close to 100% Vcc, such as 95 Vcc. If the tape is further heated, for example to 185° C., the resistance remains high, and a logic “1” state is still detected by the monitor. Of note, according to some embodiments, the melting temperature of the fuse element may be selected to be near the “NTC temperature” of the PPTC-based sensor, where the resistance of the PPTC material begins to decrease as a function of increasing temperature. Thus, as shown in PPTC curve 304 (dotted line), the resistance, and therefore Vcc, detected for a tape simply having a PPTC sensor, without the presence of a fuse element that melts at 85° C., may drop sharply at 85° C. At temperatures between 85° C. and 150° C., the PPTC curve 304 shows a drop in Vcc below a logic "1" value, thus creating a false negative where the monitor no longer senses that the tape is experiencing a high temperature. False negatives are avoided by providing a fuse element that increases the resistance of the tape before the PPTC resistance has dropped sufficiently to remain in the logic "1" state.

[0039] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, constructing a temperature sensor with a stable "off" response at a temperature above the PTC stability is accomplished by placing the PTC sensing area near or in close contact with a meltable element that is triggered at a temperature slightly or significantly higher than the PTC trigger response. Examples of such solutions are shown below in Figures 4A, 4B, and 4C. In various non-limiting embodiments, the pPTC trigger response temperature of the TTape is in the range region of 50°C to 100°C, depending on the choice of pPTC material. In various non-limiting embodiments, the meltable element provided near the pPTC material can be composed of a solder element whose composition is tailored to produce a melting temperature of 90°C to 150°C or higher. Control of the temperature triggered on the meltable fuse can be achieved by tuning the fuse alloy composition with known alloy variations such as SnBi, In, InSn, SnPb, and other alloys.

[0040] For generation of an extended logical "1" state, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, a high thermal cutoff (HTX) region may be placed in close proximity to or co-located with the PTC element of the sensor, as shown in Figures 4A, 4B, and 4C. In some embodiments, the PTC material may be placed on the "in" line, while the fuse element may be placed on the "out" line, as shown in Figure 4A. Now, turning to Figure 4A, a tape 50 is shown in an arrangement according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In this example, a sensing region 60 is placed on a portion of the substrate 12, where the sensing region includes a printed temperature indicator (PTI) 62 placed on the "in" line 54 and a high temperature cutoff (HTX) element 64 placed on the "out" line 56. The printed temperature indicator 62 may be placed similarly or the same as the temperature sensing element 14, described above. The separation between the HTX and PTI components in this and other configurations ranges between 75 μm and 1 mm minimum, with no specific upper limit on the maximum separation. Additionally, in some embodiments, the electrode configuration of PTI 62 of FIG. 4A may resemble the configuration of FIG. 2 or may have a simpler configuration with a simple planar gap, depending on resistivity and other requirements.

[0041] However, in some embodiments, simpler temperature sensing elements having opposing electrodes that are generally planar electrodes rather than interdigitated or curved electrodes may be used. The embodiments are not limited in this context. The HTX element 64 may be a suitable meltable fuse element where the melting temperature is designed to an appropriate temperature for a given application.

[0042] In operation, when the trip temperature of the PTI 62 exceeds the sensing area 60, the tape 50 exhibits a sudden increase in resistance, causing a system connected to the tape 50 (see FIG. 2) to generate an off signal to control a component such as a battery pack. If the over-temperature event that triggers the trip temperature of the PTI 62 does not cause the sensing area 60 to exceed the melting temperature of the HTX element 64, the system including the battery pack may be reset when the temperature decreases to a lower temperature below the trip temperature of the PTI 62, generating a logical "0" signal. If the over-temperature event that triggers the logical "1" signal persists to a range where the melting temperature of the HTX element 64 exceeds the sensing area 60, the HTX element 64 melts, causing a permanent break in the conductive circuit including the "in" wire 52 and the "out" wire 54.

[0043] In other embodiments, the PPTC material and fuse elements may be arranged on the "in" line, as shown in Figure 4B. In Figure 4B, tape 70 is arranged similarly to tape 50, except that sensing area 76 is characterized by PTI 62, and HTX elements 64 are arranged in electrical series with one another along "in" line 54. From a functional standpoint, during operation, tape 70 responds similarly to tape 50, as described above.

[0044] In other embodiments, the "in" and "out" lines may be linearly arranged on substrate 12, as shown in tape 80 of FIG. 4C, where sensor areas 82 are arranged as shown and may function similarly to the embodiment of FIGS. 4A and 4B.

[0045] According to various embodiments, the spacing between the PTI and HTX elements in the exemplary tape may be selected depending on the application. For example, in various non-limiting embodiments, assuming a size range of the PTI and HTX elements ranging from 0.1 mm to 10 mm, the spacing ranges from 0.1 mm to 1000 mm.

[0046] FIG. 5 illustrates a logic flow 500 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. At block 502, a temperature sensitive tape is adhered to a protected area of ​​a component to be monitored. In some embodiments, the protected area can be a plurality of different areas. The component to be monitored can be a battery in some embodiments. The temperature sensitive tape can include one or more sensing areas (such as a given sensing area and an additional sensing area), where the given sensing area overlaps with the protected area. The sensing area can include a temperature sensing element disposed in an electrical circuit and a meltable fuse element characterized by a melting temperature. In some embodiments, the plurality of different sensing areas are positioned to overlap the protected area where the temperature sensitive tape is adhered to the component. As such, the sensing area is positioned in good thermal contact with the component.

[0047] At block 504, a safe state corresponding to a logical "0" (or a logical "1") is determined when the resistance of the temperature sensitive tape is less than a first threshold. At block 506, an unsafe state corresponding to a logical "1" (or a logical "0") is determined when the resistance of the temperature sensitive tape is greater than a second threshold. The second threshold may generally be greater than the first threshold.

[0048] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that tape 10 can be manufactured and implemented into electrical devices at lower cost and with less complexity than conventional temperature sensing devices.

[0049] As used herein, elements or steps listed singly and beginning with the word "a" or "an" should be understood as not excluding a plurality of elements or steps, unless such exclusion is expressly stated. Moreover, references to "one embodiment" of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also recite the recited features.

[0050] Although the present disclosure refers to particular embodiments, numerous improvements, modifications and variations to the described embodiments are possible without departing from the scope and scope of the present disclosure, as defined in the appended claims. Under circumstances, it is intended that the present disclosure not be limited to the described embodiments, but rather have its full scope defined by the recitation of the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. an electrically insulating substrate; a conductive circuit disposed on the electrically insulating substrate; a temperature sensing element disposed on the electrically insulating substrate in electrical series with the conductive circuit, the temperature sensing element including a variable resistance material having a positive temperature coefficient characteristic characterized by a trip temperature; a meltable fuse element disposed in electrical series with the conductive circuit and in proximity to the temperature sensing element within a sensing area, the meltable fuse element being characterized by a melting temperature greater than the trip temperature. Temperature sensitive tape.

2. 2. The temperature sensing tape of claim 1, wherein said trip temperature is in the range of 50°C to 100°C.

3. 3. The temperature sensing tape of claim 1 or 2, wherein the melting temperature is in the range of 90°C to 150°C.

4. 4. The temperature sensing tape of claim 1, wherein the meltable fuse element comprises SnBi, In, InSn, or SnPb.

5. 5. The temperature sensing tape of claim 1, wherein the temperature sensing element is disposed on an "in" line of the conductive circuit and the meltable fuse element is disposed on an "out" line of the conductive circuit.

6. 5. The temperature sensing tape of claim 1, wherein the temperature sensing element and the meltable fuse element are disposed on an "in" line of the conductive circuit.

7. The temperature sensing element comprises: A first electrode; a second electrode, the first electrode and the second electrode being disposed in facing, spaced apart relationship such that a gap is defined therebetween; and a variable resistance material disposed in the gap and connecting the first electrode with the second electrode. A temperature sensing tape according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The conductive circuit is a first conductor disposed on the electrically insulating substrate and bounding the first electrode; a second conductor disposed on the electrically insulating substrate and bounding the second electrode, the electrically insulating substrate, the first conductor, and the second conductor being formed of a flexible material.

8. The temperature sensing tape of claim 7.

9. 8. The temperature sensing tape of claim 7, wherein each of the first electrode and the second electrode includes a plurality of tines, the plurality of tines of the first electrode being arranged in interdigitated relationship with the plurality of tines of the second electrode.

10. 10. A temperature sensing tape according to claim 1, comprising at least one additional sensing area, said at least one additional sensing area comprising a second temperature sensing element and a second meltable fuse element, said at least one additional sensing area being disposed in said conductive circuit.

11. A protected component; a temperature sensitive tape thermally coupled to the protected component, the temperature sensitive tape comprising: an electrically insulating substrate; a temperature sensing element disposed on the electrically insulating substrate, the temperature sensing element including a variable resistance material having a positive temperature coefficient characteristic characterized by a trip temperature; a temperature sensing tape including: a meltable fuse element disposed on the electrically insulating substrate proximate to the temperature sensing element in a first sensing area, the meltable fuse element and the temperature sensing element being disposed in an electrical circuit, the meltable fuse element being characterized by a melting temperature greater than the trip temperature; and control elements electrically connected to opposing ends of the electrical circuit. Electrical devices.

12. 12. The electrical device of claim 11, wherein the control element includes a logic circuit that determines a logical "0" when the measured resistance of the electrical circuit is less than a first threshold and a logical "1" when the measured resistance of the electrical circuit is greater than a second threshold.

13. 13. The electrical device of claim 11 or 12, wherein the protected component is a battery.

14. 14. The electrical device of claim 11, further comprising at least one additional sensing area, the at least one additional sensing area including a second temperature sensing element and a second meltable fuse element, the at least one additional sensing area being disposed in the electrical circuit.

15. 15. An electric device according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the trip temperature is in the range region of 50°C to 100°C.

16. 16. An electrical device according to any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein the melting temperature is in the range of 90°C to 150°C.

17. 17. The electrical device of claim 11, wherein the meltable fuse element comprises SnBi, In, InSn, or SnPb.

18. applying a temperature sensitive tape to at least one protected area of ​​a component, the temperature sensitive tape having a temperature sensing element including a positive temperature coefficient characteristic characterized by a trip temperature, and a meltable fuse element disposed within the sensing area proximate to the temperature sensing element, the meltable fuse element characterized by a melting temperature greater than the trip temperature; determining a safe state corresponding to a logical "0" when the electrical resistance of the temperature sensing tape is less than a first threshold; determining an unsafe condition corresponding to a logical "1" when the electrical resistance of the temperature sensing tape exceeds a second threshold; Equipped with How to protect components.

19. the temperature sensing element and the meltable fuse element are disposed in an electrical circuit, and a resistance of the electrical circuit is maintained above the second threshold when the temperature of the sensing area exceeds the trip temperature and exceeds the melt temperature.

20. The method of claim 18.

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