Patent ID: 8766762

Claim:
An overvoltage protection element comprising: a housing; terminals electrical connecting the overvoltage protection element to a current path or a signal path to be protected; two varistors electrically connected in parallel and located within the housing; a middle electrode located between the varistors, wherein: the housing comprises two metal housing halves electrically connected to one another; the middle electrode is electrically insulated from the housing halves; each of opposite sides the middle electrode is electrically connected to a respective first connecting region of each of the two varistors, the two varistors and the middle electrode are sandwiched between the housing halves, at least one temperature-dependent short-circuit switch is arranged within the housing, the short-circuit switch or switches being configured to short-circuit at least one of the two varistors when a given boundary temperature is reached due to an excess heating of the at least the two varistors; the housing halves are each electrically connected to a second connecting region of the two varistors; the short circuit switch includes a shorting jumper, an insulating retaining element, which is mechanically connected to the shorting jumper, at least one spring element, and a retaining metal; in a first state: the shorting jumper is spaced apart from the middle electrode against the spring force of the spring element; the retaining element is supported by a spacer element; the spacer element projects through an opening in the middle electrode on the retaining metal; and the retaining metal is connected to the middle electrode via a solder connection; in a second state: the solder connection is broken due to heating of the varistors; the retaining element and the shorting jumper is at a second position after being moved by the spring force of the spring element, whereat the shorting jumper contacts both the middle electrode and the housing, and the two varistors are short-circuited via the shorting jumper.