Patent Description:
A surge protector is an electronic apparatus that provides safety protection for various electronic devices, instruments, and communication lines. It is intended to protect current or voltage spikes generated in electrical circuits or communication lines due to external interferences.

Because of restrictions of electronic components and so on, existing modular surge protectors are far from satisfactory to constant miniaturization of electronic products. Therefore, size optimization, reasonable spatial arrangement, greater ease of production and assembly, and higher reliability of the surge protector are problems of concern to a person skilled in the art. <CIT> discloses an overvoltage protection arrangement having: a plurality of planar varistors, which are arranged on a first side of a supporting plate; at least one gas arrester; and at least one thermal disconnection device, which is in close thermal contact with at least one of the varistors. The aforementioned components are surrounded by an outer housing, and electrical connection means for soldering to a printed circuit board are also provided on the second side of the supporting plate. The varistors have a parallel stack arrangement, which is delimited on each of two opposing sides by an insulating partition wall which can be attached to the supporting plate. Each partition wall has at least one opening for a varistor terminal, each varistor terminal being connected to a thermal disconnection device, which in turn comprises a spring-loaded disconnecting lever, the respective disconnecting lever being connected at its first end to the respective varistor terminal by a soldered connection and wherein its second end merges into one of the electrical terminals and penetrates through the supporting plate. The thermal disconnection device also has an insulating slide, whose free end acts on the disconnecting lever, wherein the slide runs in recesses in the respective partition wall, and a change in the position of the slide can be seen by means of a viewing opening in the outer housing. <CIT> discloses a surge protector module, comprising line varistors connected in series and a heat detaching unit. The heat detaching unit comprises elastic members, insulating members, alloys having a low melting point, a connecting member, and leads disposed on the connecting member. The insulating members have an opening. The elastic members are disposed in the openings, and the elastic members have a hollow passage. The leads pass through the passages and are connected to the lead varistors via the alloys having a low melting point. The elastic members abut the insulating members at one end, abut the connecting member at another end, and are in a compressed state. The insulating members abut the alloys having a low melting point under a rebound force of the elastic members. A plurality of surge protection devices generate heat and transfer the heat to a detaching solder joint, such that the alloys having a low melting point are disconnected early when a fault occurs in a surge protection device. <CIT> discloses a surge protector. The device comprises a shell, and a first assembly and a second assembly which are arranged in the shell, the first assembly and the second assembly are both of a flat structure. The first assembly comprises a first frame, a first piezoresistor and a first thermal tripping device, the first piezoresistor and the first thermal tripping device are arranged on the two sides of the first frame respectively, the second assembly comprises a second frame, a second piezoresistor and a second thermal tripping device, the second piezoresistor and the second thermal tripping device are arranged on the two sides of the second frame respectively, and the discharge tube set is arranged on the second frame and arranged on the same side as the second thermal tripping device. The first frame and the second frame are arranged in a stacked mode, the first piezoresistor and the second piezoresistor are connected back to back, and a third pin electrode is led out through the discharge tube set.

In view of the defects in the prior art, an objective of the present invention is to provide a modular surge protector, which yields a compact structure and a small size through the modular design.

In order to achieve the above objective, the present invention employs the following technical solutions:
A modular surge protector includes a shell, a discharge tube unit, a first varistor unit and a second varistor unit, where the discharge tube unit, the first varistor unit and the second varistor unit are arranged in the shell. The first varistor unit and the second varistor unit are stacked, the discharge tube unit is provided at a same side of each of the first varistor unit and the second varistor unit, a first electrode is led out from the first varistor unit, a second electrode is led out from the second varistor unit, and a third electrode is led out from the discharge tube unit. The discharge tube unit includes a discharge tube frame; a first slot, a second slot and a third slot are formed in the discharge tube frame, the first slot and the second slot are provided side by side at a side of the discharge tube frame and respectively configured to accommodate the first discharge tube and the second discharge tube; the third slot are provided at a side of the discharge tube frame and cooperate with an end portion of each of the first varistor unit and the second varistor unit; the first varistor unit and the second varistor unit may be horizontally stacked; and the first discharge tube and the second discharge tube may be vertically provided.

Further, the discharge tube unit may include a first discharge tube and a second discharge tube, the first varistor unit may include a first varistor, the first electrode may be led out from a positive electrode of the first varistor, the second varistor unit may include a second varistor, and the second electrode may be led out from a positive electrode of the second varistor;.

Further, the first varistor unit may include a first frame and a first thermal trip, the first thermal trip and the first varistor may be respectively arranged at two sides of the first frame, and the first electrode may be led out from the positive electrode of the first varistor through the first thermal trip;.

Further, the first varistor unit and the second varistor unit may be clamped by a clamping member.

Further, each of the first thermal trip and the second thermal trip may include a spring electrode, a sliding member and a compression spring, the spring electrode may be connected to a positive electrode of a corresponding varistor through a fusible alloy, and the spring electrode may abut against the sliding member and keep the compression spring in a compressed state; and in a failure state, the fusible alloy may be molten, the sliding member may slide along a guide track on the first frame or the second frame under an action of the compression spring such that the spring electrode may be isolated from the positive electrode of the corresponding varistor, and a side of the sliding member may extend outward to form an indication portion.

Further, the shell may include a shell body and an engageable cover plate, and the first electrode, the second electrode and the third electrode may be led out from a side of a cover plate to form a welding plate structure.

Three frames are provided for the discharge tubes and the varistors to form the modular design. With the vertical discharge tubes and the horizontal varistors, the present invention has the reasonable arrangement and compact structure, and meets the requirements of miniaturization applications.

The above description is merely a summary of the technical solutions of the present invention. In order to make the technical means of the present invention understood more clearly and implemented in accordance with the content of the specification, and in order to make the above and other objectives, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and comprehensible, specific implementations of the present invention are described below.

To describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or in the prior art more clearly, the following briefly describes the accompanying drawings required for describing the embodiments or the prior art. Apparently, the accompanying drawings in the following description show some embodiments of the present invention, and a person of ordinary skill in the art may still derive other drawings from these accompanying drawings without creative efforts.

To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the following clearly and completely describes the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Apparently, the described embodiments are some but not all of the embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by the person of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

The present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Embodiment: referring to <FIG>, a modular surge protector includes a shell <NUM>, a discharge tube unit <NUM>, a first varistor unit <NUM> and a second varistor unit <NUM>, where the discharge tube unit <NUM>, the first varistor unit <NUM> and the second varistor unit <NUM> are arranged in the shell <NUM>. The first varistor unit <NUM> and the second varistor unit <NUM> are stacked. The discharge tube unit <NUM> is provided at a same side of each of the first varistor unit <NUM> and the second varistor unit <NUM>. A first electrode <NUM> is led out from the first varistor unit <NUM>. A second electrode <NUM> is led out from the second varistor unit <NUM>. A third electrode <NUM> is led out from the discharge tube unit <NUM>. In the embodiment, the shell <NUM> includes a shell body <NUM> and an engageable cover plate <NUM>. The first electrode <NUM>, the second electrode <NUM> and the third electrode <NUM> are led out from a side of a cover plate <NUM> to form a welding plate structure. The first electrode is a phase electrode L, namely a live electrode. The second electrode is a grounding electrode PE. The third electrode is a neutral electrode N. Two indication windows <NUM> cooperated with an indication portion of an internal sliding member are formed in the shell body <NUM>. Once tripped, the surge protector can give an indication with a corresponding color. Specifically, it turns green normally and turns red once tripped.

For ease of production, the protective circuit includes three modules that are respectively arranged in the discharge tube unit <NUM>, the first varistor unit <NUM> and the second varistor unit <NUM>. As shown by the circuit diagram in <FIG>, the discharge tube unit includes a first discharge tube GDT1 and a second discharge tube GDT2. The first varistor unit includes a first varistor MOV1. The second varistor unit includes a second varistor MOV2. On the first varistor MOV1, a thermal trip is serially connected and the phase electrode L is led out. On the second varistor MOV2, a thermal trip is serially connected and the grounding electrode PE is led out. In the embodiment, the surge protector includes a series circuit for the phase electrode L, the first varistor MOV1, the first discharge tube GDT1 and the neutral electrode N, a series circuit for the first varistor MOV1, the second discharge tube GDT2, the second varistor MOV2 and the grounding electrode PE, and a series circuit for the neutral electrode N, the first discharge tube GDT1, the second discharge tube GDT2, the second varistor MOV2 and the grounding electrode PE.

Referring to <FIG>, the discharge tube unit <NUM> in the embodiment includes a first discharge tube <NUM> and a second discharge tube <NUM>. The first varistor unit <NUM> includes a first varistor <NUM>. The first electrode <NUM> is led out from a positive electrode of the first varistor <NUM>. The second varistor unit <NUM> includes a second varistor <NUM>. The second electrode <NUM> is led out from a positive electrode of the second varistor <NUM>. The first discharge tube <NUM> and the second discharge tube <NUM> are diode discharge tubes and connected through a discharge tube common electrode. The discharge tube common electrode is electrically connected to a back electrode of the first varistor <NUM>, a back electrode of the second varistor <NUM> is connected to a back electrode of the second discharge tube <NUM>, and the third electrode <NUM> is led out from the first discharge tube <NUM>. Referring to <FIG>, the first varistor unit <NUM> further includes a first frame <NUM> and a first thermal trip <NUM>. The first thermal trip <NUM> and the first varistor <NUM> are respectively arranged at two sides of the first frame <NUM>. The first electrode <NUM> is led out from the positive electrode of the first varistor <NUM> through the first thermal trip <NUM>. The first thermal trip <NUM> includes a spring electrode <NUM>, a sliding member <NUM> and a compression spring <NUM>. The spring electrode <NUM> and the positive electrode <NUM> of the first varistor <NUM> are connected at an opening <NUM> through a fusible alloy. The spring electrode <NUM> abuts against the sliding member <NUM> and keeps the compression spring <NUM> in a compressed state. In a failure state, the fusible alloy is molten, the sliding member <NUM> slides along a guide track <NUM> on the first frame <NUM> under an action of the compression spring <NUM> such that the spring electrode is isolated from the positive electrode of the corresponding varistor, and a side of the sliding member <NUM> extends outward to form an indication portion <NUM>. The spring electrode <NUM> extends outward to form a pin electrode, namely the first electrode. The first varistor and the second varistor are arranged between the first frame and a second frame. A clapboard <NUM> is provided between the first varistor and the second varistor. The back electrode of the first varistor <NUM> is led out from a sidewall of the frame to form a welding point <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the second varistor unit <NUM> further includes a second frame <NUM> and a second thermal trip <NUM>. The second thermal trip <NUM> and the second varistor <NUM> are respectively arranged at two sides of the second frame <NUM>. The second electrode is led out from the positive electrode of the second varistor <NUM> through the second thermal trip <NUM>. The second thermal trip <NUM> includes a spring electrode <NUM>, a sliding member <NUM> and a compression spring <NUM>. The spring electrode <NUM> and the positive electrode <NUM> of the second varistor <NUM> are connected at an opening <NUM> through a fusible alloy. The spring electrode <NUM> abuts against the sliding member <NUM> and keeps the compression spring <NUM> in a compressed state. In a failure state, the fusible alloy is molten, the sliding member <NUM> slides along a guide track <NUM> on the second frame <NUM> under an action of the compression spring such that the spring electrode <NUM> is isolated from the positive electrode of the varistor, and a side of the sliding member is formed into an indication portion <NUM>. The spring electrode <NUM> is led out through the second electrode <NUM>. The back electrode of the second varistor <NUM> is led out from a sidewall of the frame to form a welding point <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the discharge tube unit <NUM> in the embodiment further includes a discharge tube frame <NUM>. A first slot, a second slot and a third slot <NUM> are formed in the discharge tube frame <NUM>. The first slot and the second slot are provided side by side at a side of the discharge tube frame and respectively configured to accommodate the first discharge tube <NUM> and the second discharge tube <NUM>. The third slot <NUM> is provided at a side of the discharge tube frame and cooperates with an end portion of each of the first varistor unit <NUM> and the second varistor unit <NUM>. The first varistor unit <NUM> and the second varistor unit <NUM> are horizontally stacked. The first discharge tube <NUM> and the second discharge tube <NUM> are vertically provided.

In the embodiment of the present invention, three frames are provided for the discharge tubes and the varistors to form the modular design. Particularly, the discharge tube unit is provided independently and cooperated with the varistor units. With the vertical discharge tubes and the horizontal varistors, the surge protector has the high assembly efficiency, and meets the requirements of miniaturization applications.

The above descriptions are merely embodiments based on the technical contents of the present invention.

The apparatus embodiment described above is merely schematic, where the unit described as a separate component may or may not be physically separated, and a component displayed as a unit may or may not be a physical unit, that is, the component may be located at one place, or distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the modules may be selected based on actual needs to achieve the objectives of the solutions of the embodiments. The person of ordinary skill in the art can understand and implement the embodiments without creative efforts.

The term "one embodiment", "embodiment" or "one or more embodiments" mentioned herein means that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in combination with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. In addition, it should be noted that the phrase example "in an embodiment" herein does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.

In the specification provided herein, a large number of specific details are described. However, it is to be understood that the embodiments of the present invention can be practiced without these specific details. In some embodiments, well-known methods, structures and techniques are not shown in detail to avoid obscuring the understanding of this specification.

Claim 1:
A modular surge protector, comprising a shell (<NUM>), a discharge tube unit (<NUM>), a first varistor unit (<NUM>) and a second varistor unit (<NUM>), wherein the discharge tube unit (<NUM>), the first varistor unit (<NUM>) and the second varistor unit (<NUM>) are arranged in the shell (<NUM>); the discharge tube unit (<NUM>) is provided at a same side of each of the first varistor unit (<NUM>) and the second varistor unit (<NUM>), a first electrode (<NUM>) is led out from the first varistor unit (<NUM>), a second electrode (<NUM>) is led out from the second varistor unit (<NUM>), and a third electrode (<NUM>) is led out from the discharge tube unit (<NUM>); the discharge tube unit (<NUM>) comprises a discharge tube frame (<NUM>); a first slot, a second slot and a third slot (<NUM>) are formed in the discharge tube frame (<NUM>); the first slot and the second slot are provided side by side at a side of the discharge tube frame (<NUM>), and the first slot and the second slot are respectively configured to accommodate a first discharge tube (<NUM>) and a second discharge tube (<NUM>); the third slot (<NUM>) is provided at other side of the discharge tube frame (<NUM>), the first varistor unit (<NUM>) and the second varistor unit (<NUM>) are stacked; and characterized in that
the third slot (<NUM>) cooperates with an end portion of each of the first varistor unit (<NUM>) and the second varistor unit (<NUM>); the first varistor unit (<NUM>) and the second varistor unit (<NUM>) are horizontally stacked; and the first discharge tube (<NUM>) and the second discharge tube (<NUM>) are vertically provided.