Surge protection device

• US 7,242,566 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2005
• Issued: 07/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Brown, Kenneth J., Yegin, Sural, Loftus, Pieter
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson; Stephen W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Benenson; Boris
• Application Number:
  US11/129,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20060002049A1
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 361/111, 361/124, 361/125
• US Class Current: 361/111
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 9/042 comprising means to limit the absorbed power or indicate damaged over-voltage protection device

Abstract

A surge suppression circuit with a thermal cutoff includes a first surge suppressor in series with a first thermal cutoff device between a phase conductor and a neutral conductor. A second surge suppressor in series with a second thermal cutoff device is between the phase conductor and a ground conductor. A third surge suppressor is in series with a low temperature thermal cutoff device between the neutral conductor and the ground conductor. The thermal cutoff temperature of the low temperature thermal cutoff device is lower than the thermal cutoff temperature of the first thermal cutoff device.

Claims

1. A method of surge protection for an electrical power cord, comprising

coupling a phase conductor and a neutral conductor of the electrical power cord with a first surge protection device;

coupling the neutral conductor and a ground conductor of the electrical power cord with a

second surge protection device; and

disposing a low temperature thermal cutoff device in series with the second surge protection device,

wherein the cutoff temperature of the low temperature thermal cutoff device is lower than the thermal cutoff temperature of a first thermal cutoff device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising coupling the neutral conductor and the ground conductor with a third surge protection device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first surge protection device includes a first surge suppressor, the second surge protection device includes a second surge suppressor and third surge protection circuit includes a third surge suppressor.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first, second and third surge suppressors comprise metal oxide varistors.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermal cutoff temperature of the low temperature thermal cutoff device is less than about 77 degrees centigrade.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermal cutoff temperature of the first thermal cutoff device is less than about 102 degrees centigrade.

7. A surge suppression circuit with a thermal cutoff comprising:

a phase, a neutral and a ground terminal for providing an electrical path between a power source and a load;

a first surge protection circuit electrically connected across the phase and neutral terminals to provide a first electrical path, the first surge protection circuit comprising a first surge suppressor connected in series with a first thermal cutoff device;

a second surge protection circuit electrically connected across the neutral and ground terminals to provide a second electrical path, the second surge protection circuit comprising a second surge suppressor connected in series with a second thermal cutoff; and

a low thermal cutoff thermal cutoff electrically connected in series with the second surge protection circuit,

wherein the low thermal cutoff thermal cutoff has a thermal cutoff temperature that is lower than a thermal cutoff temperature of the first thermal cutoff, the low thermal cutoff thermal cutoff detects when the temperature of the first surge suppressor exceeds the thermal cutoff of the low thermal cutoff thermal cutoff caused by leakage current flowing through the first electrical path as a result of an over-voltage condition across the phase and neutral terminals, and the low thermal cutoff thermal cutoff opens the second electrical path preventing the leakage current from flowing through the second electrical path while still providing the electrical path between the power source and load.

8. The surge suppression circuit of claim 7, wherein the first thermal cutoff is thermally coupled to the first surge suppressor to detect when the temperature of the first surge suppressor exceeds a first thermal cutoff of the first thermal cutoff.

9. The surge suppression circuit of claim 7, wherein the low thermal cutoff thermal cutoff is thermally coupled to the first surge suppressor so as to be able to detect when the temperature of the first surge suppressor exceeds the thermal cutoff of the low thermal cutoff thermal cutoff.

10. The surge suppression circuit of claim 7, wherein the first surge suppressor is a metal oxide varistor.

11. The surge suppression circuit of claim 7, wherein the second surge suppressor is a metal oxide varistor.

12. The surge suppression circuit of claim 7, further comprising:

a third surge protection circuit electrically connected across the phase and ground terminals so as to provide a third electrical path, the third surge protection circuit comprising a third surge suppressor connected in series with a third thermal cutoff having a third thermal cutoff, wherein the third thermal cutoff detects when the temperature of the third surge suppressor exceeds the third thermal cutoff caused by leakage current flowing through the third electrical path as a result of an over voltage condition across the third path.

13. The surge suppression circuit of claim 12, wherein the third surge suppressor is a metal oxide varistor.

14. The surge suppression circuit of claim 7, further comprising a circuit breaker electrically connected in series with the phase terminal to provide over-current protection to the phase terminal.

15. The surge suppression circuit of claim 7, further comprising a fine electrically connected in series with the ground terminal to provide over-current protection to the ground terminal.

16. The surge suppression circuit of claim 7, further comprising a status indicator to provide an indication of the status of the surge suppression circuit.

17. The surge suppression circuit of claim 16, wherein the status indicator is a buzzer to provide an audio indication of the status of the surge suppression circuit.

18. The surge suppression circuit of claim 16, wherein the status indicator is a light emitting diode to provide a visual indication of the status of the surge suppression circuit.

19. The surge suppression circuit of claim 7, further comprising an electrical plug having a phase, a neutral and a ground prong for connecting to the power source.

20. The surge suppression circuit of claim 7, further comprising one or more receptacles each having a phase, a neutral and a ground terminal for connecting to a load.

21. A surge suppression circuit with a thermal cutoff comprising:

a first surge protector coupled between a phase conductor and a neutral conductor;

a second surge protector coupled between the phase conductor and a ground conductor; and

a third surge protector in series with a low temperature thermal cutoff device, wherein said series combination of the third surge protector and the low temperature thermal cutoff device is coupled between the neutral conductor and the ground conductor and wherein the first surge protector comprises a first surge suppressor in series with a first thermal cutoff device;

the second surge protector comprises a second surge suppressor in series with a second thermal cutoff device; and

the third surge protector comprises a surge suppressor and a third thermal cutoff device,

wherein the cutoff temperature of the low temperature thermal cutoff device is lower than the thermal cutoff temperature of the first thermal cutoff device.

22. The surge suppressor circuit of claim 21, wherein the surge suppressors comprise metal oxide varistors.

23. The surge suppressor circuit of claim 21, wherein the thermal cutoff devices comprise thermal fuses.

24. The surge suppressor circuit of claim 21, wherein the thermal cutoff temperature of the low temperature thermal cutoff device is about 77 degrees centigrade.