The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 05, 1988
Filed:
Dec. 19, 1986
John M Amein, Duluth, GA (US);
Floyd J Garner, Snellville, GA (US);
E Walton Horne, III, Decatur, GA (US);
Raymond A Levandoski, Doraville, GA (US);
Charles McGonigal, Grayson, GA (US);
Robert L Sweatt, Tucker, GA (US);
American Telephone and Telegraph Company, AT&T Technologies, Inc., Berkeley Heights, NJ (US);
Abstract
A protector module (30) for protecting the conductors of a telephone loop cludes a pair of protector assemblies (40-40') which are supported within a common housing (32). A gas tube voltage protection subassembly (42) of each protector assembly is connected electrically to a grounding subassembly (44) for causing current associated with excessive voltage surges to be conducted to ground. A first electrode includes a portion which extends through annular dielectric and metallic members and an opening of an open-ended metallic container (93) to engage a shunting element (62) of a current protection subassembly (41). The superimposed annular members are held in engagement with the first electrode at a substantially constant pressure by axial forces applied by turned-in portions (109--109) of a side wall of the metallic container. The shunting element is supported at one end of the line pin in an initial position by a fusible material. A spring (43) between the container of the voltage protection subassembly and the housing maintains the voltage protection subassembly in engagement with the shunting element. When current flow exceeds a predetermined level that is sufficient to melt the fusible material, the spring is effective to cause the shunting element to be moved to engage the grounding subassembly to establish a fault current path to ground. The excess voltage arcs across the wide gap to ground, or in the event that a gas in the gap has vented, the voltage arcs across openings in the dielectric member to ground in a fail-safe mode.