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:
Jul. 05, 2011
Filed:
Nov. 16, 2007
Chanh Cuong Vo, Keller, TX (US);
Boyd Grant Brower, Keller, TX (US);
Carl Randall Harrison, Decatur, TX (US);
John Joseph Napiorkowski, Irving, TX (US);
Rodger Alan Tenholder, Saginaw, TX (US);
Sean Matthew Arnold, Justin, TX (US);
Chanh Cuong Vo, Keller, TX (US);
Boyd Grant Brower, Keller, TX (US);
Carl Randall Harrison, Decatur, TX (US);
John Joseph Napiorkowski, Irving, TX (US);
Rodger Alan Tenholder, Saginaw, TX (US);
Sean Matthew Arnold, Justin, TX (US);
Corning Cable Systems, LLC, Hickory, NC (US);
Abstract
A hybrid surge protector for a network interface device (NID) is disclosed. The hybrid surge protector includes a fail-safe spring connected to the ground electrode of a three-electrode gas tube. Tabs on the fail-safe spring are held away from the gas-tube end electrodes by a fusible element. The hybrid surge protector also includes metal-oxide varistor elements ('MOVs') in contact with the gas-tube end electrodes and with the ground electrode via an MOV spring. This arrangement provides for two initial paths to ground-one path from the gas-tube end electrodes to the ground electrode through the gas tube, and another from the gas-tube end electrodes to the ground electrode through the MOVs and the MOV spring. The dominant path to ground starts as the MOV ground path but switches to the gas-tube path as the gas tube becomes activated. Another path to ground via the fail-safe spring is also available should the gas tube overheat. A surge protection module that includes the hybrid surge protector is also disclosed.