US 12,033,775 B2
Varistor array including matched varistors
Michael W. Kirk, Simpsonville, SC (US); Marianne Berolini, Greer, SC (US); and Palaniappan Ravindranathan, Simpsonville, SC (US)
Assigned to KYOCERA AVX Components Corporation, Fountain Inn, SC (US)
Filed by KYOCERA AVX Components Corporation, Fountain Inn, SC (US)
Filed on Mar. 11, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/692,284.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/159,514, filed on Mar. 11, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0293306 A1, Sep. 15, 2022
Int. Cl. H01C 7/112 (2006.01); H01C 1/14 (2006.01); H01C 7/18 (2006.01)
CPC H01C 7/112 (2013.01) [H01C 1/14 (2013.01); H01C 7/18 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A varistor array comprising:
a monolithic body comprising a plurality of dielectric layers stacked in a Z-direction that is perpendicular to a longitudinal direction, the monolithic body having a first end and a second end that is spaced apart from the first end in the longitudinal direction;
a first varistor formed in the monolithic body, the first varistor comprising:
a first external terminal at the first end of the monolithic body;
a first plurality of electrodes connected with the first external terminal;
a second external terminal at the second end of the monolithic body; and
a second plurality of electrodes connected with the second external terminal of the first varistor, the second plurality of electrodes interleaved with the first plurality of electrodes and overlapping the first plurality of electrodes at an overlapping area that is insensitive to a relative misalignment between the first plurality of electrodes and the second plurality of electrodes when the misalignment is less than a threshold; and
a second varistor formed in the monolithic body, the second varistor distinct from the first varistor, the second varistor comprising:
a first external terminal at the first end of the monolithic body;
a second external terminal at the second end of the monolithic body;
a first plurality of electrodes connected with the first external terminal of the second varistor; and
a second plurality of electrodes connected with the second external terminal of the second varistor, the second plurality of electrodes of the second varistor overlapping the first plurality of electrodes of the second varistor at an overlapping area that is insensitive to a relative misalignment between the first plurality of electrodes of the second varistor and the second plurality of electrodes of the second varistor when the misalignment is less than the threshold.