Patent ID: 9748063
Date: 2017-08-29
CPC Classifications: H01C,H01H,H01T

Claim:
1. An overvoltage protection element, comprising: a housing, at least one overvoltage limiting component located in the housing, two electrically conductive holding elements for electrical connection of the overvoltage protection element to a current or signal path to be protected, each of the electrically conductive holding elements being in electrical contact with an at least one pole of the respective overvoltage limiting component in a normal state of the overvoltage protection element, and a thermally expandable material within the housing, wherein the thermally expandable material is expandable in response to thermal overloading of the respective overvoltage limiting component, expansion of the thermally expandable material moving the respective overvoltage limiting component to break said electrical contact between at least one pole of the respective overvoltage limiting component and the respective electrically conductive holding element, wherein the two electrically conductive holding elements are isolated from one another in the housing, and wherein the electrically conductive holding elements surround the thermally expandable material in the normal state of the overvoltage protection element, wherein the respective overvoltage limiting component is displaceable relative to the electrically conductive holding elements by expansion of the thermally expandable material due to heating of the respective overvoltage limiting component, and wherein the thermally expandable material is an intumescent material.