Granted Patent B2

US 12,438,355 · App. 18/579,723 · Granted Oct 7, 2025

Inventors: Bernhard Krauss (Berg, DE); Christian Lang (Greding, DE); Sebastian Haas (Weigendorf, DE); Roland Eichenseer (Neumarkt, DE); Juliane Klose (Georgensgmünd, DE); Richard Daum (Neumarkt, DE)

Assignee: DEHN SE

H02H3/205

Abstract

Claims (30)

1. Overvoltage protection spark gap assembly, having:

a first overvoltage protection spark gap ( 1 ; 101 ; 111 ) which has a first main terminal ( 1 a ; 101 a ; 111 a ) and a second main terminal ( 1 b ; 101 b ; 111 b ), and a second overvoltage protection spark gap ( 1 ′; 1 ″; 1 ″; 1 ″ ″) which has a third main terminal ( 1 a ′; 1 a ″; 1 a ″; 1 a ″ ″) and a fourth main terminal ( 1 b ′; 1 b ″; 1 b ″; 1 b ″ ″);

wherein the first main terminal ( 1 a ; 101 a ; 111 a ) is connectable to a first voltage line (S 1 ) of a supply network via a first terminal contact (A 1 ) and the fourth main terminal ( 1 b ′; 1 b ″; 1 b ′″; 1 b ″ ″) is connectable to a second voltage line (S 2 ) of the supply network via a second terminal contact (A 2 );

wherein the second main terminal ( 1 b ; 101 b ; 111 b ) and the third main terminal ( 1 a ′; 1 a ″; 1 a ′″; 1 a ″ ″) are electrically connected to one another such that the first overvoltage protection spark gap ( 1 ; 101 ; 111 ) and the second overvoltage protection spark gap ( 1 ′; 1 ″; 1 ″ “; 1 ” ″) are connected in series;

wherein the first overvoltage protection spark gap ( 1 ; 101 ; 111 ) has a first electrically conductive probe device (K 2 ; K 21 ; K 22 ) which is introduced into, or in the vicinity of, a wear part ( 38 ; 102 ; 38 a ) of the first overvoltage protection spark gap ( 1 ; 101 ; 111 ) such that, in the event of a specific degree of wear, the first electrically conductive probe device (K 2 ; K 21 ; K 22 ) comes electrically into contact with an arc ( 41 ) in the first overvoltage protection spark gap ( 1 ; 101 ; 111 ), and wherein the second overvoltage protection spark gap ( 1 ′; 1 ″; 1 ″; 1 ″ ″) has a second electrically conductive probe device ( 33 ; K 20 ; K 220 ) which comes electrically into contact with an arc in the second overvoltage protection spark gap ( 1 ′; 1 ″; 1 ′″; 1 ″ ″);

wherein the first electrically conductive probe device (K 2 ; K 21 ; K 22 ) and the second electrically conductive probe device ( 33 ; K 20 ; K 220 ) are electrically connected to one another via an activation device ( 28 ; 4 ″) which is designed to detect a flow of current or a corresponding portion of the flow of current in the current path (IV) between the first electrically conductive probe device (K 2 ; K 21 ; K 22 ) and the second electrically conductive probe device ( 33 ; K 20 ; K 220 );

a disconnecting device (A; 7 , 8 , 11 , 12 ; A′; MS) for disconnecting the first terminal contact (A 1 ) from the first main terminal ( 1 a ; 101 a ; 111 a ) and/or for disconnecting the second terminal contact (A 2 ) from the fourth main terminal ( 1 b ′; 1 b ″; 1 b ″; 1 b ″ ″);

wherein the activation device ( 28 ; 4 ″) is configured such that it outputs an activation signal(S) in order to activate the disconnecting device (A; 7 , 8 , 11 , 12 ) if the detected flow of current or the corresponding portion of the flow of current satisfies a specified criterion.

2. Overvoltage protection spark gap assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first overvoltage protection spark gap ( 1 ) has an electrically isolating, hard gas-emitting material as a wear part ( 38 ) in at least one region, into which material the first electrically conductive probe device (K 2 ) is inserted in such a way that it is located at a fixed distance from an arc region ( 41 ) of the associated arc chamber ( 40 ), encased within the region.

3. Overvoltage protection spark gap assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first overvoltage protection spark gap ( 1 ; 111 ) has an electrically conductive, hard gas-emitting material as a wear part ( 38 a ) in at least one region, in the proximity of which material the first electrically conductive probe device (K 22 ) is inserted in such a way that it is located at a fixed distance from an arc region of the associated arc chamber ( 40 b ) outside the region.

4. Overvoltage protection spark gap assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first overvoltage protection spark gap ( 101 ) has an electrically isolating material as a wear part ( 102 ) in at least one region, into which material the first electrically conductive probe device (K 21 ) is inserted in such a way that it is located at a fixed distance from an arc region of the associated arc chamber ( 40 a ), encased within the region.

5. Overvoltage protection spark gap assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second overvoltage protection spark gap ( 1 ′; 1 ″) has a first and a second diverging electrode ( 21 a , 21 b ) which terminate in a quenching chamber ( 25 ) which has a plurality of quenching plates ( 21 c ) arranged in parallel, and wherein the second electrically conductive probe device ( 33 ) is arranged between two adjacent quenching plates ( 21 c ) or is electrically connected to a quenching plate ( 21 c ).

6. Overvoltage protection spark gap assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second overvoltage protection spark gap ( 1 ″″) has a hard gas-emitting material ( 38 ′) in at least one region, into which material the second electrically conductive probe device (K 20 ) is inserted in such a way that it is located in an arc region ( 41 ) of the associated arc chamber ( 40 ).

7. Overvoltage protection spark gap assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second overvoltage protection spark gap ( 1 ″ ″) comprises an arc chamber ( 40 b ) which is surrounded by an insulator region ( 202 ) and into which the second conductive probe device (K 22 ) is introduced through the isolator region ( 202 ).

8. Overvoltage protection spark gap assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the disconnecting device (A) has a safety fuse device ( 8 ) which is triggerable by the activation signal(S) and is connected between the first main terminal ( 1 a ; 101 a ; 111 a ) and the first terminal contact (A 1 ).

9. Overvoltage protection spark gap assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the disconnecting device (A′) has a mechanical switch device (MS) which is connected between the first main terminal (la; 101 a ) and the first terminal contact (A 1 ).

10. Overvoltage protection spark gap assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the activation device ( 28 ; 4 ″) has a current-limiting resistor ( 28 ) and an indicator fuse ( 4 ″) which are connected in series in the current path (IV) between the first electrically conductive probe device (K 2 ; K 21 ) and the second electrically conductive probe device ( 33 ; K 20 ; K 220 ).

11. Method for operating an overvoltage protection spark gap assembly, having:

a first overvoltage protection spark gap ( 1 ; 101 ; 111 ) which has a first main terminal ( 1 a ; 101 a ; 111 a ) and a second main terminal ( 1 b ; 101 b ; 111 b );

a second overvoltage protection spark gap ( 1 ′; 1 ″; 1 ″; 1 ″ ″) which has a third main terminal ( 1 a ′; 1 a ″; 1 a ′″; 1 a ″ ″) and a fourth main terminal ( 1 b ′; 1 b ″; 1 b ″; 1 b ″ ″);

wherein the first main terminal ( 1 a ; 101 a ; 111 a ) is connectable to a first voltage line (S 1 ) of a supply network via a first terminal contact (A 1 ) and the fourth main terminal ( 1 b ′; 1 b ″; 1 b ′″; 1 b ″ ″) is connectable to a second voltage line (S 2 ) of the supply network via a second terminal contact (A 2 );

wherein the second main terminal ( 1 b ; 101 b ; 111 b ) and the third main terminal ( 1 a ′; 1 a ″; 1 a ′″; 1 a ″ ″) are electrically connected to one another such that the first overvoltage protection spark gap ( 1 ; 101 ; 111 ) and the second overvoltage protection spark gap ( 1 ′; 1 ″; 1 ″; 1 ″ ″) are connected in series;

wherein the method includes the steps of:

detecting a specific degree of wear of the first overvoltage protection spark gap ( 1 ; 101 ; 111 ) by means of a first electrically conductive probe device (K 2 ; K 21 ; K 22 ) which is introduced into, or in the vicinity of, a wear part ( 38 ; 102 ; 38 a ) of the first overvoltage protection spark gap ( 1 ; 101 ; 111 ) such that, in the event of a specific degree of wear, the first electrically conductive probe device (K 2 ; K 21 ; K 22 ) comes electrically into contact with an arc ( 41 ) in the first overvoltage protection spark gap ( 1 ; 101 ; 111 ), as a first criterion;

detecting entry of an arc into the second overvoltage protection spark gap ( 1 ′; 1 ″; 1 ″; 1 ″ ″) by means of a second electrically conductive probe device ( 33 ; K 20 ; K 220 ) which comes electrically into contact with an arc in the second overvoltage protection spark gap ( 1 ′; 1 ″; 1 ′″; 1 ″ ″), as a second criterion;

disconnecting the first terminal contact (A 1 ) from the first main terminal ( 1 a ; 101 a ) and/or disconnecting the second terminal contact (A 2 ) from the fourth main terminal ( 1 b ′; 1 b ″; 1 b ′″; 1 b ″ ″) if both of the first criterion and second criterion are met.

12. Method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the first electrically conductive probe device (K 2 ; K 21 ; K 22 ) and the second electrically conductive probe device ( 33 ; K 20 ; K 220 ) are arranged in a common current path (IV), further comprising the steps of:

detecting a flow of current or corresponding portion of the flow of current in the current path IV); and

actuating an activation device ( 28 ; 4 ″) which is configured such that it outputs an activation signal(S) in order to activate the disconnecting device (A; 7 , 8 , 11 , 12 ) based upon the detected flow of current or upon the corresponding portion of the flow of current in the current path (IV).

13. Method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the activation device ( 28 ; 4 ″) activates a mechanical and/or electrical effect chain.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (22)