Pluggable protector holder for surge arrestor gas tubes

Abstract

This protector holder includes a plurality of double ended spring terminals which are arranged in a row in a housing that is made up of mating body halves. Each spring terminal includes a folded ribbon contact and adjacent-facing folded finger contacts formed on opposite ends thereof which are connected together by a shank. Each body half has a plurality of openings arranged in a row in one side thereof, each opening having a slot extending through the top wall and one side of the body half and having a trough in the one side of the latter body half which extends through the bottom wall thereof. The finger contacts and shanks of spring terminals are located in associated openings and slots, respectively, with the folded ribbon contacts extending above the top wall of a body half in pairs which face each other. A pair of body halves mate such that the slots and openings form slotted compartments in a housing which hold the shanks and finger contacts of the terminals in place. The troughs in the two body halves also mate to form openings through which the holder is plugged onto pins of a connector, with the pins engaging associated finger contacts inside the compartments. A ground strap having fingers extending above the top wall of the housing and between ribbon contacts of pairs of terminals extends around the side and ends of the housing. Cylindrical gas tube type surge arrestors having end and intermediate band electrodes are pressed between associated facing folded ribbon contacts with fingers of the ground strap contacting associated intermediate band electrodes.