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Circuit protection products provide safety for electronic devices in a number of ways. Traditional fuses and circuit breakers protect from overcurrent or short circuits. Just as important, however, are thermal cutoff devices, which work a little differently. These devices are designed to interrupt the electrical circuit when it is heated to a specific temperature, thus preventing damage from overheating.
Mini-Breakers are Thermal Cutoff (TCO) devices which are used as safety devices to help prevent heat and fires caused by excess current, mainly in lithium-ion batteries, and are very common in notebook PCs, tablets, digital cameras, and smartphones. They are designed to provide safety in ways that conventional fuses might not.
Bourns mini-breakers are rated to UL and TÃœV safety standard certifications. These Mini-Breakers are self-preserving devices designed to stay tripped (operated) during abnormal temperatures, and then recover when power is cut and the temperature returns to a safe level. This allows for protection at lower temperatures compared with polymer PTCs and temperature fuses used for the same applications.