Device for diverting surge currents or transient overvoltages

• US 20110188162A1
• Filed: 01/27/2011
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Phoenix Contact GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Phoenix Contact GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: CERNY, Joachim, Bünsow, Björn, FINIS, Gernot, WETTER, Martin, WILKENING, Ernst-Dieter, DURTH, Rainer
• Granted Patent: US 8,605,400 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/57
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 9/041 using a short-circuiting device

Abstract

The subject matter of the invention is a device for diverting surge currents or transient overvoltages (1), with a switching stage (2) and a switching element (3). The switching stage (2) is so designed as to switch on the switching element (3) upon identification of an overvoltage or a surge current. The switching element (3) is a reversible semiconductor switching element, while the switch-on event is achieved by operating of the switching element (3) outside of the specified parameters.

Claims

1. Device for diverting surge currents or transient overvoltages (1), with a switching stage (2) and a switching element (3), such that the switching stage (2) is so designed that upon identification of an overvoltage or a surge current the switching element (3) is switched on,

wherein

the switching element (3) is a reversible semiconductor switching element and the switch-on event is achieved by operating the switching element (3) outside of the specified parameters.

2. Device according to claim 1, where the switching element (3) is switched on in order to divert an identified surge current or an identified overvoltage.

3. Device according to claim 1, where the switching element (3) is an IGBT.

4. Device according to claim 1,

wherein

the switching time for the switch-on is less than 1 microsecond.

5. Device according to claim 1,

wherein

the switching time for the switch-off is less than 1 microsecond.

6. Device according to claim 1,

wherein

the specified parameter for the switching element (3) is a voltage specified for continuous operation in order to avoid voltage breakdowns.

7. Device according to claim 1,

wherein

the device can be provided with the energy needed for switch-on by a current pulse.

8. Use of IGBTs as a switching element (3) in a device for diverting surge currents or transients overvoltages (1), with a switching stage (2) and a switching element (3), where the switching stage (2) is so arranged that upon identification of an overvoltage the switching element (3) is switched on,

wherein

the potential between the gate and the emitter of switching element (3) is 20 volts or more.

9. Use according to claim 8, where the switch-on of the switching element (3) brings about the diversion of an identified surge current or an identified overvoltage.

10. Use according to claim 8,

wherein

the potential between the gate and the emitter of the switching element (3) is only applied in the course of an identified surge current and or an identified overvoltage.