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:
Jan. 27, 1998
Filed:
Jun. 27, 1996
Jeffrey A Bennett, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
William M Robinson, Palo Alto, CA (US);
John Seymour Mattis, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Chuck F Cooper, Mountain View, CA (US);
Raychem Corporation, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Abstract
A surge arrester includes varistor elements forming a stack and having opposed end surfaces. The varistor stack is electrically connected via the opposed end surfaces to end terminals having circumferential ridges, which, in the event of failure of the varistor elements, are designed to relocate the resulting arc and direct it in a manner which reduces or minimizes damage to the surge attester. The ridges serve as damage-tolerant sacrificial rooting points for an arc in the event of varistor element failure by presenting a substantial metal mass for the arc to erode away.