Surge protector

A surge protector comprising

• a first spark gap and valve block assembly,
• a second spark gap and valve block assembly,
• a first line lead conductive contact,
• a second line lead conductive contact,
• a third lead conductive contact,
• a substantially triangularly shaped housing supporting and enclosing said first and second assemblies, and said first, second and third contacts,
• at least a portion of said first contact being disposed in a first corner of said housing, at least a portion of said second contact being disposed in a second corner of said housing and at least a portion of said third contact being disposed in a third corner of said housing,
• first means for electrically connecting said first assembly between said first contact and said third contact,
• second means for electrically connecting said second assembly between said second contact and said third contact,
• means for enabling the controlled venting of the hot, highly pressurized gases formed during the discharge operation of said first assembly, said enabling means comprising a planar insulating washer having a centrally disposed aperture, and
• a first expansion chamber for receiving said hot gases.

A surge protector comprising

• a first spark gap and valve block assembly,
• a second spark gap and valve block assembly,
• a first line lead conductive contact,
• a second line lead conductive contact,
• a third lead conductive contact,
• a substantially triangularly shaped housing supporting and enclosing said first and second assemblies, and said first, second and third contacts,
• at least a portion of said first contact being disposed in a first corner of said housing, at least a portion of said second contact being disposed in a second corner of said housing and at least a portion of said third contact being disposed in a third corner of said housing,
• first means for electrically connecting said first assembly between said first contact and said third contact,
• second means for electrically connecting said second assembly between said second contact and said third contact,
• means for enabling the controlled venting of the hot, highly pressurized gases formed during the discharge operation of said first assembly,
• a first expansion chamber for receiving said hot gases,
• a second expansion chamber for receiving the hot, highly pressurized gases formed during the discharge operation of the second assembly and
• means for resiliently loading said first and second assemblies to thereby maintain said first and second assemblies in a substantially stationary condition within said housing, said loading means comprising a generally annularly shaped resilient loading washer having a centrally disposed aperture defining said second expansion chamber.

A surge protector comprising

• a first spark gap and valve block assembly,
• a second spark gap and valve block assembly,
• a first line lead conductive contact,
• a second line lead conductive contact,
• a third lead conductive contact,
• a substantially triangularly shaped housing supporting and enclosing said first and second assemblies, and said first, second and third contacts,
• at least a portion of said first contact being disposed in a first corner of said housing, at least a portion of said second contact being disposed in a second corner of said housing and at least a portion of said third contact being disposed in a third corner of said housing,
• first means for electrically connecting said first assembly between said first contact and said third contact and
• second means for electrically connecting said second assembly between said second contact and said third contact,
• said housing including a planar bottom portion and the components of said first and said second assemblies being generally disposed in a plurality of planes in said housing, said planes being substantially parallel to the plane of said planar bottom portion,
• said first contact including a crimp contact for physically and electrically securely engaging a stripped end of an electrical lead, a spring contact for resiliently engaging said first electrically connecting means and a lead-in electrode for supporting said spring contact and for electrically connecting said spring contact to said crimp contact, said crimp contact and said lead-in electrode and said spring contact being integrally-formed portions of said first contact.

A surge protector comprising

• a first spark gap and valve block assembly,
• a second spark gap and valve block assembly,
• a first line lead conductive contact,
• a second line lead conductive contact,
• a third lead conductive contact,
• a substantially triangularly shaped housing supporting and enclosing said first and second assemblies, and said first, second and third contacts,
• at least a portion of said first contact being disposed in a first corner of said housing, at least a portion of said second contact being disposed in a second corner of said housing and at least a portion of said third contact being disposed in a third corner of said housing,
• first means for electrically connecting said first assembly between said first contact and said third contact and
• second means for electrically connecting said second assembly between said second contact and said third contact,
• said first assembly comprising a spark gap formed by portions of a first gap electrode and a second gap electrode and said first gap electrode comprising a planar conductive plate having a plurality of radially inwardly extending tooth portions disposed substantially entirely within the plane of said conductive plate, said tooth portions forming a centrally disposed aperture in said conductive plate.

A surge protector comprising

• a first spark gap and valve block assembly,
• a second spark gap and valve block assembly,
• a first line lead conductive contact,
• a second line lead conductive contact,
• a third lead conductive contact,
• a substantially triangularly shaped housing supporting and enclosing said first and second assemblies, and said first, second and third contacts,
• at least a portion of said first contact being disposed in a first corner of said housing, at least a portion of said second contact being disposed in a second corner of said housing and at least a portion of said third contact being disposed in a third corner of said housing,
• first means for electrically connecting said first assembly between said first contact and said third contact and
• second means for electrically connecting said second assembly between said second contact and said third contact,
• said first assembly comprising a spark gap formed by portions of a first gap electrode and a second gap electrode wherein said second gap electrode comprises a generally laterally extending conductive plate having an integrally formed upper portion and an integrally formed lower portion and an integrally formed outermost edge, said outermost edge being substantially spaced from both and disposed between said upper and lower portions, said conductive plate including a first, generally annularly shaped, rib portion radially outwardly spaced from the center of said conductive plate and a second, generally annularly shaped, rib portion oppositely directed and radially outwardly spaced from said first rib portion,
• said upper portion comprising the most protuberant portion of said second rib portion and said lower portion comprising the most protuberant portion of said first rib portion,
• wherein said upper and lower portions and said outermost edge comprise generally annularly shaped, planar portions of said conductive plate.

A secondary surge arrester comprising

• means for protecting a low voltage electric circuit from damage due to overvoltage surges, said protecting means including a plurality of components, said protecting means comprising a spark gap and valve block assembly and said plurality of components comprising a plurality of conductive contacts, and
• a housing for enclosing and supporting said protecting means, said housing being formed of a moldable synthetic resin and including an integrally molded externally threaded mounting portion,
• said housing having a generally triangular shape to allow for maximum spacing of said plurality of components of said protecting means internally within said housing while maintaining minimum external dimensions of said housing and for enabling the flush mounting of said housing against a planar surface,
• said maximum spacing being effected by the generally central positioning of said assembly in a single, vertically extending stacked arrangement within said housing and by the positioning of at least elongated portions of said contacts within the vertically extending corners of said housing and alongside said assembly.