Overvoltage protector using varistor initiated arc
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
InventorJohn P. Brainard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Coaxial conductors are protected against electrical overvoltage by at least one element of non-electroded varistor material that adjoins each other varistor element and conductor with which it contacts. With this construction, overvoltage current initiated through the varistor material arcs at the point contacts between varistor elements and, as the current increases, the arcs increase until they become a continuous arc between conductors, bypassing the varistor material.
Claims11
An electrical overvoltage protection device comprising first electrically conductive means for carrying an electric signal subject to overvoltage;
- second electrically conductive means spaced from said first means a minimum distance X for dissipating the overvoltage;
- insulator means forming with said first and second conductive means an enclosure;
- and means within the enclosure for conducting the overvoltage consisting of at least one element of non-electroded varistor material in essentially only point or line contact with and providing a first high impedance current path between said conductive means, said material including no element having a minimum cross-sectional dimension less than 0.2X, and an arc-sustaining gas providing a secondary lower impedance current path between said conductive means when initiated by arcs that form at said point or line contacts.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.