US5393597A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Overvoltage protection element
Assignee: Littelfuse Inc
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Filing: 1992-09-23
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Granted: 1995-02-28
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Expires: 2012-09-23
Abstract
Abstract An overvoltage protection element which comprises a fabric comprising insulating threads or strands of predetermined thickness having interstices extending therethrough and non-linear material filling said interstices.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard K. Childers
- 👤 John H. Bunch
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 11:37
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01C; H01C7/00; H01C7/10; H01C7/105; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T442/00; Y10T442/20; Y10T442/2418; Y10T442/2762; Y10T442/2926; Y10T442/2975
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
127 words
An overvoltage protection element comprising an insulating fabric formed from a plurality of interlaced threads having first and second parallel spaced major surfaces which determine the thickness of the element, said fabric including a plurality of interstices between said threads, and a non-linear electrical switching material filling the interstices and extending between the first and second spaced major surfaces of said fabric, said switching material having an on-state resistance providing for electrical conduction between the first and second spaced major surfaces in response to an overvoltage condition and a high off-state resistance in the absence of an overvoltage condition wherein said non-linear electrical switching material comprises a binder and closely spaced conductive particles homogeneously distributed in said binder and spaced to provide conduction by quantum mechanical tunneling.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
127 words
An overvoltage protection element comprising an insulating fabric formed from a plurality of interlaced threads having first and second parallel spaced major surfaces which determine the thickness of the element, said fabric including a plurality of interstices between said threads, and a non-linear electrical switching material filling the interstices and extending between the first and second spaced major surfaces of said fabric, said switching material having an on-state resistance providing for electrical conduction between the first and second spaced major surfaces in response to an overvoltage condition and a high off-state resistance in the absence of an overvoltage condition wherein said non-linear electrical switching material comprises a binder and closely spaced conductive particles homogeneously distributed in said binder and spaced to provide conduction by quantum mechanical tunneling.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
An overvoltage protection element as in claim 1 including a conductive ground plane on one of said major surfaces in conductive contact with the non-linear material.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
An overvoltage protection element as in claim I in which the first and second major surfaces are spaced a predetermined distance to establish the voltage breakdown characteristics of said element.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
An overvoltage protection element as in claim 1 in which the sheet of insulating fabric is a material selected from the group including natural, synthetic, ceramic or refractory fibers.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
14 words
An overvoltage protection element as in claim 4 in which the fabric is silk.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
An overvoltage protection element as in claim 1 in which the first and second major surfaces are spaced between 0.001 to 0.100 inches.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
An overvoltage protection element as in claim 1 in which the binder is a medium durometer fluorosilicon rubber and the conductive particles are aluminum powder.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
14 words
An overvoltage protection element as in claim 7 in which the fabric is silk.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
An overvoltage protection element as in claim 1 in which the fabric is silk and the nonlinear electrical switching material comprises a fluorosilicon rubber and uniformly distributed aluminum powder.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
119 words
An overvoltage protection element comprising an insulating fabric formed from a plurality of interlaced threads having first and second parallel spaced major surfaces which determine the thickness of the element, said fabric including a plurality of interstices between said threads, and a non-linear electrical switching material filling said interstices and extending between said first and second spaced major surfaces of said fabric, said switching material being positioned between and in electrical contact with first and second conductive members to provide switching between said conductive members in response to an overvoltage condition wherein said non-linear electrical switching material comprises a binder and closely spaced conductive particles homogeneously distributed in said binder and spaced to provide conduction by quantum mechanical tunneling.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
119 words
An overvoltage protection element comprising an insulating fabric formed from a plurality of interlaced threads having first and second parallel spaced major surfaces which determine the thickness of the element, said fabric including a plurality of interstices between said threads, and a non-linear electrical switching material filling said interstices and extending between said first and second spaced major surfaces of said fabric, said switching material being positioned between and in electrical contact with first and second conductive members to provide switching between said conductive members in response to an overvoltage condition wherein said non-linear electrical switching material comprises a binder and closely spaced conductive particles homogeneously distributed in said binder and spaced to provide conduction by quantum mechanical tunneling.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1998-02-27 | 1998-08-29 | 1999-02-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2002-02-27 | 2002-08-29 | 2003-02-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2006-02-27 | 2006-08-29 | 2007-02-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |