Offering an effective overtemperature protection solution, Bourns® TCO devices, also known as mini-breakers, incorporate existing technology in such a way to enhance their protection capabilities. TCO devices have been proven to protect cables from damage from overheating by acting independently of any controller. Constructed with a bimetal switch and PTC in parallel, the Bourns® TCO family delivers the best features of both. Since a PTC latches and does not have a mechanical contact, it offsets the bimetal switch’s lack of latching providing a significant design advantage. Similarly, the bimetal switch enhances the TCO solution by providing a higher operating current and precise control.
An additional overtemperature protection solution, the Bourns® P-TCO family offers a combination of compact, surface mount packaging and ultra-low resistance delivering optimized thermal protection. It can be specifically calibrated to trip and go into a highly resistive state dependent on ambient temperature