Patent ID: 7417841

Claim:
An apparatus for protecting an electrical circuit from thermal and line level over-current conditions, the apparatus comprising; a) a stand alone housing having an enclosed interior with an open top enclosed by a cover; b) a printed circuit board mounted within the housing, the circuit board having multiple through bores of varying diameters for receipt of electrical components and for providing electrical connectivity to the electrical components at said bores to the printed circuit board and thereby forming a printed circuit assembly of the apparatus; c) a first and second row of metal oxide varistors soldered to the circuit board in bores of suitable diameter, each metal oxide varistor having an internal thermal component; d) at least one surge rated ferrule type fuse having an outer metal electrically conductive surface of the fuse soldered directly to the circuit board as an integral and non-removable component of the printed circuit board in a bore of suitable diameter formed in the circuit board as part of the printed circuit assembly between the first and second row of varistors such that no tubular fuse assemblies, insulating bodies, or fuse clips are employed to attach the at least one fuse to the printed circuit board; and e) an electrical conductive wire connecting the surge rated ferrule type fuse, and thus the entire suppression circuit to the electrical circuit to be protected.