US 12,438,355 B2
Overvoltage protection spark gap assembly and method for operating an overvoltage protection spark gap assembly
Bernhard Krauss, Berg (DE); Christian Lang, Greding (DE); Sebastian Haas, Weigendorf (DE); Roland Eichenseer, Neumarkt (DE); Juliane Klose, Georgensgmünd (DE); and Richard Daum, Neumarkt (DE)
Assigned to DEHN SE, Neumarkt i.d.Opf. (DE)
Appl. No. 18/579,723
Filed by DEHN SE, Neumarkt i.d.OPf. (DE)
PCT Filed Jul. 5, 2022, PCT No. PCT/EP2022/068581
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 16, 2024,
PCT Pub. No. WO2023/006355, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 2, 2023.
Claims priority of application No. 102021208076.6 (DE), filed on Jul. 27, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0305087 A1, Sep. 12, 2024
Int. Cl. H02H 3/20 (2006.01)
CPC H02H 3/205 (2013.01) 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. Overvoltage protection spark gap assembly, having:
a first overvoltage protection spark gap (1; 101; 111) which has a first main terminal (1a; 101a; 111a) and a second main terminal (1b; 101b; 111b), and a second overvoltage protection spark gap (1′; 1″; 1″; 1″ ″) which has a third main terminal (1a′; 1a″; 1a″; 1a″ ″) and a fourth main terminal (1b′; 1b″; 1b″; 1b″ ″);
wherein the first main terminal (1a; 101a; 111a) is connectable to a first voltage line (S1) of a supply network via a first terminal contact (A1) and the fourth main terminal (1b′; 1b″; 1b′″; 1b″ ″) is connectable to a second voltage line (S2) of the supply network via a second terminal contact (A2);
wherein the second main terminal (1b; 101b; 111b) and the third main terminal (1a′; 1a″; 1a′″; 1a″ ″) are electrically connected to one another such that the first overvoltage protection spark gap (1; 101; 111) and the second overvoltage protection spark gap (1′; 1″; 1″ “; 1” ″) are connected in series;
wherein the first overvoltage protection spark gap (1; 101; 111) has a first electrically conductive probe device (K2; K21; K22) which is introduced into, or in the vicinity of, a wear part (38; 102; 38a) of the first overvoltage protection spark gap (1; 101; 111) such that, in the event of a specific degree of wear, the first electrically conductive probe device (K2; K21; K22) comes electrically into contact with an arc (41) in the first overvoltage protection spark gap (1; 101; 111), and wherein the second overvoltage protection spark gap (1′; 1″; 1″; 1″ ″) has a second electrically conductive probe device (33; K20; K220) which comes electrically into contact with an arc in the second overvoltage protection spark gap (1′; 1″; 1′″; 1″ ″);
wherein the first electrically conductive probe device (K2; K21; K22) and the second electrically conductive probe device (33; K20; K220) are electrically connected to one another via an activation device (28; 4″) which is designed to detect a flow of current or a corresponding portion of the flow of current in the current path (IV) between the first electrically conductive probe device (K2; K21; K22) and the second electrically conductive probe device (33; K20; K220);
a disconnecting device (A; 7, 8, 11, 12; A′; MS) for disconnecting the first terminal contact (A1) from the first main terminal (1a; 101a; 111a) and/or for disconnecting the second terminal contact (A2) from the fourth main terminal (1b′; 1b″; 1b″; 1b″ ″);
wherein the activation device (28; 4″) is configured such that it outputs an activation signal(S) in order to activate the disconnecting device (A; 7, 8, 11, 12) if the detected flow of current or the corresponding portion of the flow of current satisfies a specified criterion.