Abstract: A surge protection device comprising surge protector having a first terminal and a second terminal, one of the terminals being conductively connected to a first power transfer mechanism, such as a source of electrical power, and another of the terminals being conductively connected to a second power transfer mechanism, such as a sink of electrical power. The surge protector is operable to conduct current form one of the power transfer mechanism to another of the power transfer mechanism in the presence of a prolonged overvoltage surge across the first and second terminals of the surge protector. The surge protection device includes a mechanism for automatically disconnecting one of the terminals from one of the power transfer mechanisms in the presence of a prolonged overvoltage surge across the first and second terminals.

Abstract: An electrical surge protection apparatus is provided with first and second electrical terminals for connection to a first power line and third and fourth electrical terminals for connection to a second power line, a first conductive bus conductively connected to the first and second electrical terminals and a second conductive bus conductively connected to the third and fourth electrical terminals. Each of the conductive buses is sized to have a continuous current-carrying capability of at least about 60 amperes. The apparatus is also provided with a surge protector module having two terminals and a conductor which connects one terminal of the surge protector module directly to the first conductive bus and the other terminal of the surge protector module directly to the second conductive buss.

Abstract: A surge protection system having a plurality of surge protection devices for the protection of a power line. Each of the surge protection devices may be in either a ready state in which the surge protection device provides surge protection or an inoperable state in which the surge protection device does not provide surge protection. The surge protection devices provide a level of surge protection which is based upon how many of the surge protection devices are in the ready state and how many of the surge protection devices are in the inoperable state. The surge protection system includes means associated with the surge protection devices for generating a signal indicative of the level of surge protection, and means coupled to the generating means for displaying a visual indication of the level of surge protection. The surge protection system may also be provided with means for sensing a voltage on the power line and means for generating a visual display indicative of the voltage.

Abstract: A coaxial cable fuse having a central conductor, an outer conductor disposed coaxially with respect to the central conductor, an insulating medium disposed between the central conductor and the fusible outer conductor, and an insulating layer covering the fusible outer conductor. The outer conductor may be composed of fusible conductor for causing an open circuit to be formed in the outer conductor in response to an electrical current passing through the outer conductor. The open circuit is formed prior to any substantial heating of the exterior insulating layer of the coaxial cable to which the fuse is attached to reduce the likelihood of fire hazard due to heating of the insulating layer. The coaxial cable fuse may be used in an electrical interface apparatus adapted to interconnect a coaxial distribution cable and a premise coaxial cable. The electrical interface apparatus has a housing and a coaxial cable protector with a surge protector and a fail-short mechanism disposed in the housing.

Abstract: A surge protector is adapted for a broadband coaxial system in which electrical signals having a frequency range from DC to one gigahertz are transmitted. The surge protector has a pair of coaxial cable connectors, a surge protection device, and a fail-short mechanism. The fail-short mechanism has a first operating condition in which the center and outer conductors of the coaxial cable connectors are isolated from each other and a second operating condition in which the center and outer conductors of the coaxial cable connectors are conductively coupled to each other. The impedance of the fail-short mechanism allows the surge protector to have an insertion loss with a magnitude not greater than about -0.2 decibels and a return loss having a magnitude of at least about -20 decibels, and the fail-short mechanism is adapted to conduct a fail-short current having a magnitude of at least about 30 amperes for at least about 15 minutes when the fail-short mechanism is in its second operating condition.

Abstract: A protector arrangement is disclosed having first and second protector terminals, a gas discharge tube, and a metal oxide varistor. The gas discharge tube is connected to the first and second protector terminals. The metal oxide varistor is connected to the first and second protector terminals so that the metal oxide varistor acts as a backup to the gas discharge tube and so that the first and second protector terminals are automatically shorted in response to a thermal overload condition. The protector arrangement may be mounted in a weathertight housing.