Surface mount electrical devices and methods
An electrical device can include a body having a shape and including one or more components, and first and second electrodes implemented at respective locations of the body and configured to provide first and second engagements with a mounting surface and to allow a settling motion when the electrical device is positioned on the mounting surface. The electrical device can further include a third electrode implemented at a respective location of the body and configured to allow a limited range of the settling motion such that at an end of the limited range of the settling motion, the third electrode provides a third engagement with the mounting surface.
1 . An electrical device comprising:
a body having a longitudinal axis and including one or more components;
first and second electrodes each having a circular perimeter with a radius with respect to the longitudinal axis of the body, the first and second electrodes configured to allow a rolling motion of the body when the electrical device is positioned on a mounting surface; and
a third electrode with a side between two corners, such that the smallest dimension between the longitudinal axis of the body and the side is less than the radius of each of the first and second electrodes, each of the two corners spaced from the longitudinal axis of the body by a dimension greater than the radius of each of the first and second electrodes, such that the third electrode allows a limited rolling motion of the body when the side of the third electrode is positioned over the mounting surface and one of the two corners of the third electrode provides a third engagement with the mounting surface at a respective end of the limited rolling motion.
2 . The electrical device of claim 1 , wherein the body has a cylindrical shape with respect to the longitudinal axis.
3 . The electrical device of claim 1 , wherein the radius of the circular perimeter of the first electrode is approximately the same as the radius of the circular perimeter of the second electrode.
4 . The electrical device of claim 1 , wherein the third electrode has a perimeter shape that includes the side between the two corners, such that the side is one of multiple similarly dimensioned sides.
5 . The electrical device of claim 4 , wherein the multiple sides are arranged such that neighboring sides of the multiple sides are joined by a respective corner.
6 . The electrical device of claim 5 , wherein each corner includes a corner segment or curve that joins an end of one of the neighboring sides to an end of the other of the neighboring sides.
7 . The electrical device of claim 6 , wherein the perimeter shape of the third electrode has four sides with neighboring sides being joined by a respective corner segment, such that the each of the four sides is capable of being the side positioned over the mounting surface.
8 . The electrical device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second electrodes are implemented at or near two ends of the body, and the third electrode is implemented between the first and second electrodes.
9 . The electrical device of claim 1 , wherein the first and third electrodes are implemented at or near two ends of the body, and the second electrode is implemented between the first and third electrodes.
10 . The electrical device of claim 1 , wherein the body includes first and second components, and the three electrodes are implemented as two end electrodes at two ends of the body and a middle electrode at a mid-location of the body.
11 . The electrical device of claim 10 , wherein the first component is implemented between one of the end electrodes and the middle electrode, and a second component implemented between the middle electrode and the other one of the end electrodes.
12 . The electrical device of claim 11 , wherein the first component is configured as a gas discharge tube (GDT) having first and second electrodes provided by or electrically connected to one of the end electrodes and the middle electrode, and the second component is configured as another GDT or a non-GDT device having first and second electrodes provided by or electrically connected to the middle electrode and the other one of the end electrodes.
13 . A method for manufacturing an electrical device, the method comprising:
providing or forming one or more components;
packaging the one or more components to provide a body having a longitudinal axis;
implementing first and second electrodes each having a circular perimeter with a radius with respect to the longitudinal axis of the body, such that the first and second electrodes allow a rolling motion of the body when the electrical device is positioned on a mounting surface; and
implementing a third electrode with a side between two corners, such that the smallest dimension between the longitudinal axis of the body and the side is less than the radius of each of the first and second electrodes, and each of the two corners being spaced from the longitudinal axis of the body by a dimension greater than the radius of each of the first and second electrodes, such that the third electrode allows a limited rolling motion of the body when the side of the third electrode is positioned over the mounting surface and one of the two corners of the third electrode provides a third engagement with the mounting surface at a respective end of the limited rolling motion.
14 . A surface-mountable circuit protection device comprising:
a first component implemented between a first end electrode and a middle electrode; and
a second component implemented between the middle electrode and a second end electrode, such that the first and second components define a body having a longitudinal axis, two of the first end, middle and second end electrodes configured such that each has a circular perimeter with a radius with respect to the longitudinal axis of the body, and such that the two electrodes allow a rolling motion of the body when the protection device is positioned on a mounting surface, the remaining electrode including a side between two corners, such that the smallest dimension between the longitudinal axis of the body and the side is less than the radius of each of the two electrodes, each of the two corners spaced from the longitudinal axis of the body by a dimension greater than the radius of each of the two electrodes, such that the remaining electrode allows a limited rolling motion of the body when the side of the remaining electrode is positioned over the mounting surface and one of the two corners of the remaining electrode provides a third engagement with the mounting surface at a respective end of the limited rolling motion.
15 . The surface-mountable circuit protection device of claim 14 , wherein the first component is a gas discharge tube (GDT), and the second component is another GDT or a non-GDT device.
16 . The surface-mountable circuit protection device of claim 14 , wherein the middle electrode is a common electrode for the first and second components.