# US 9,000,672 B2 · Connector with surge protection structure

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 9,000,672 B2
- Document ID: US9000672B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/113,381
- Filed: 2012-04-17
- Published: 2014-02-13
- Granted: 2015-04-07
- Earliest claimed: 2011-04-26
- Assignees: Koninklijkle Philips N.V.
- Applicants: Martin Mercier
- Inventors: Martin Mercier
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9000672B2

## CPC

- H05B 45/50: responsive to malfunctions or undesirable behaviour of LEDs; responsive to LED life; Protective circuits
- H05B 47/24: Circuit arrangements for protecting against overvoltage
- H05B 47/25: Circuit arrangements for protecting against overcurrent
- H05B 47/115: by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
- Y02B 20/30: Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]
- H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS

## Abstract

A connector (10) is provided that includes a housing supporting a plurality of individual connection blocks (30, 35, 40) each having a power source input and an electronics output. Surge protection structure (51-54) is embedded within the housing of the connector (10) and is electrically coupled to at least some of the individual connection blocks (30, 35, 40). The connector (10) may be implemented within a lighting fixture (100).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A lighting fixture, comprising:
a light source;
electronics electrically coupled to and powering said light source;
a terminal block connector, said terminal block connector being within the lighting fixture and having a housing supporting a live connection block, a neutral connection block, and a ground connection block;
said live connection block, said neutral connection block, and said ground connection block each having a high voltage power source input and a lighting fixture electronics output; each said lighting fixture electronics output electrically connected to said power source input;
said lighting fixture electronics output of at least said live connection block and said neutral connection block electrically connected to said electronics; said terminal block connector further including a first varistor electrically connected between said live connection block and said neutral connection block, a second varistor electrically connected between said live connection block and said ground connection block, and a third varistor electrically connected between said neutral connection block and said ground connection block;
wherein said first varistor, said second varistor, and said third varistor are inaccessibly enclosed within said housing.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein said electronics include an LED driver.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein said electronics include a step-down transformer electrically interposed between said terminal block connector and said LED driver.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The lighting fixture of claim 3, wherein said electronics include an occupancy sensor.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein said first varistor, said second varistor, and said third varistor may not be physically contacted without destroying said housing.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein said first varistor, said second varistor, and said third varistor may not be physically contacted without disassembling said housing.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein said terminal block connector further includes a fourth varistor electrically connected between said live connection block and said neutral connection block.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein said light source is LED-based.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein said ground connection block (10) is affixed to structure within said lighting fixture.

### Claim 10 (depends on 3)

The lighting fixture of claim 3, wherein said ground connection block (40) is electrically connected to said LED driver (64) through said step-down transformer.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The lighting fixture of claim 10, wherein said live connection block and said neutral connection block are electrically connected to said LED driver through said step-down transformer and said ground connection block is electrically connected to said LED driver independent of said step-down transformer.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein said housing includes a base and said live connection block (30), said neutral connection block, and said ground connection block are all supported atop said base (20).

### Claim 13 (depends on 7)

The lighting fixture of claim 7, wherein said varistors are substantially embedded within said base.