A transient voltage surge suppression system incorporating a current protection device comprised of a voltage sensitive and a thermal sensitive device. The voltage sensitive device has a predetermined voltage rating and increases in temperature as voltage applied thereto exceeds its voltage rating. The thermal sensitive device is responsive to heating of the voltage sensitive device to break an electrical current path if an overvoltage condition sensed by the voltage sensitive device exceeds the voltage rating of the voltage sensitive device.

Circuit protection device

A transient voltage surge suppression device includes a varistor assembly having a compact thickness, and two different disconnect elements responsive to distinct overvoltage conditions to disconnect a varistor assembly prior catastrophic failure thereof.

Compact transient voltage surge suppression device

A thermally-protected varistor (TPV) device that includes a voltage-sensitive body; a first conductive lead frame adjacent the voltage-sensitive body; a second conductive lead frame adjacent the voltage-sensitive body and including a raised pad; a first conducting terminal including an end portion for contacting the raised pad when the TPV device is in a first, conducting position; a fusible material releasably connecting the end portion to the raised pad of the second conductive lead frame when the TPV device is in a first, conducting position; and a biasing element biasing the end portion such that the end portion of the first conducting terminal is configured to move away from the raised pad of the second lead frame when the temperature-sensitive fusible material releases the end portion of the first conducting terminal from the raised pad in response to heat generated by the voltage-sensitive body.

Thermally-protected varistor

The invention relates to an overvoltage protection device for protecting electrical low-voltage installations, which device comprises a lower device part (2) and at least one upper device part (3), wherein the lower device part (2) has input and output terminals (4, 5) for the electrical conductors to be connected and also has contact elements (6, 7) designed in particular as sockets and connected to the input and output terminals (4, 5), and wherein the upper device part (3) has at least one overvoltage protection element (8, 9). A wide variety of models of the overvoltage protection device (1) can be achieved with a small number of different components and a neutral-impedance plugging in and withdrawal of the upper device part (3) by the additional provision of an intermediate device part (10) which at one end can be fitted onto the lower device part (2) and onto the other end of which the upper device part (3) can be fitted. The intermediate device part (10) has mating contact elements (11, 12) corresponding to the contact elements (6, 7) of the lower device part (2) and also has contact elements (13, 14) connected to the mating contact elements (11, 12). The intermediate part (10) has at least one longitudinal element (15) connected between two mating contact elements (11, 12), and the upper device part (3) has mating contact elements (16, 17) corresponding to the contact elements (13, 14) of the intermediate device part (10).

Overvoltage protection device

The subject matter of the invention is a thermal overload protection apparatus (20) for protecting an electrical component (12), in particular an electronic component, which thermal overload protection apparatus has a switching element (22) for short-circuiting connections (14, 16) of the component (12) and for interrupting an electrically conductive connection (24) between at least one of the connections (14) and a power supply element (26) of the overload protection apparatus (20), an actuator apparatus (28) for moving the switching element (22) into a corresponding short-circuiting position or isolating position and a tripping element, which thermosensitively trips the actuator apparatus (28) and is in the form of a separating element (30). The invention provides that the overload protection apparatus (20) has a base element (36), to which the separating element (30) is connected, wherein the base element (36) can be soldered by means of a standard soldered joint (38) on a side remote from the separating element (30). The invention also relates to a corresponding arrangement with a conductor track carrier (10), at least one component (12) arranged thereon and at least one associated overload protection apparatus (20) and to a method for producing a composite comprising a switching element (22), a base element (36) and a separating element (30).

Thermal overload protection apparatus

An overvoltage protection element with a housing, an overvoltage-limiting component arranged in the housing, and with two connection elements for electrically connecting the overvoltage protection element to the current or signal path to be protected, wherein, normally, the connection elements are each in electrically conductive contact with a pole of the overvoltage-limiting component. Reliable and effective electrical connection in the normal state and reliable isolation of a defective overvoltage-limiting component are ensured by the fact that a thermally expandable material is arranged within the housing in a way that, in the event of thermal overloading of the overvoltage-limiting component, the position of the overvoltage-limiting component is changed by expansion of the thermally expandable material relative to the position of the connection elements in a way that causes at least one pole of the overvoltage-limiting component to be out of electrically conductive contact with the corresponding connection element.

Overvoltage protection element

The electrical properties of low-voltage power systems (LVPS) can have a strong effect on the operational behavior of surge protective devices (SPDs) to be used for protection purposes. Besides the right selection, the qualification-testing of SPDs connected these systems has to be carried out under test conditions which meet the real operating conditions of the power systems in which these SPDs should be installed. In this regard, the “class I and Π operating duty tests” according to IEC 61643-11, chapter 8.3.4.3 is an essential test for the qualification of SPDs connected to LVPS. In this test the SPD is stressed with defined surge-current impulses while it is connected to a power system simulating the characteristic of the real LVPS in which the SPD should be installed. The focus of the work presented is laid on class I SPD based on a newly developed “line-follow current free” spark-gap technology. Fundamental aspects, like basic functional principles, construction details, the performance and also the advantages of this new class I SPD technology are presented and discussed in detail. A special focus is set on the performance of this technology in case of use in powerful LVPS with short-circuit currents up to 100 kA rms.

New spark-gap technology with efficient line-follow current suppression for the protection of powerful LV distribution systems

The subject matter of the invention is a thermal overload protection arrangement (40) for protection of an electrical component (12), which is arranged on a mount device (10) having current-carrying elements (14, 16), in particular an electronic component, wherein the overload protection arrangement (40) has a plurality of soldered connections (18, 20), which make electrical contact between in each case one of the current‑carrying elements (14, 16) and an associated connection (22, 24) of an electrical part and melt if the component (12) is overloaded, and a disconnection apparatus (30) for disconnection of at least one of these connections (18, 20). According to the invention, the part is or at least has the component (12), and the disconnection apparatus (30) is a disconnection apparatus which prestresses the component (12) with respect to the mount device (10) at least when it is heated for the physical separation of the component (12) from at least one of the current‑carrying elements (14, 16), which trips when the soldered connections (18, 20) melt. The invention also relates to a corresponding method for protection of a component (12).

Thermal overload protection arrangement

The invention relates to a base element (ST1, ST2, ST3) for accommodating an overvoltage protection module (M1, M2, M3) for use in a bus system, comprising a first bus connection device (BK1) for contacting with a first bus potential (L1), a second bus connection device (BK2) for contacting with a second bus potential (L2), and a third bus connection device (BK3) for contacting with a signal bus (L3), wherein the signal bus indicates the occurrence of an error in a first state and the non-occurrence of an error in a second state, wherein an error indicates a missing or incorrectly accommodated or faulty overvoltage protection module (M1, M2, M3), wherein the first bus potential and the second bus potential should be used to supply devices on the overvoltage protection module (M1, M2, M3), wherein the base element also has an electronic monitoring device (UE1), wherein the electronic monitoring device (UE1) detects if an overvoltage protection module (M1, M2, M3) is accommodated, wherein in the event that an overvoltage protection module (M1, M2, M3) is accommodated in the base element (ST1, ST2, ST3), the second state is signaled via the signal bus, and in the event that an overvoltage protection module (M1, M2, M3) is not accommodated in the base element (ST1, ST2, ST3) or the overvoltage protection module (M1, M2, M3) is incorrectly accommodated or the overvoltage protection module (M1, M2, M3) is faulty, the state of the signal bus is not changed, wherein the base elements (ST1, ST2, ST3) can be locked onto a support rail (TS1, TS2) and the first bus potential (L1), the second bus potential (L2), and the signal bus (L3) are guided in a recess of the support rail (TS1, TS2).

Thomas Meyer

Papers

Overvoltage protection element

Thermal overload protection apparatus

New spark-gap technology with efficient line-follow current suppression for the protection of powerful LV distribution systems

Thermal overload protection arrangement

Base element for accommodating an overvoltage protection module, and modular bus system