Patents Assigned to Citel
  • Patent number: 12597540
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an overvoltage protection device and a protection device obtained via the method are described. The method includes the steps of (1) electrically connecting a first electrode of a first protection element to a first electrode of a second protection element via a heat-sensitive disconnector device, (2) procuring a pre-assembled arc-extinguishing device that has a cassette, an insulating blade mobile inside the cassette, and at least one elastic element, and (3) moving the arc-extinguishing device until it reaches a final mounting position in which the heat-sensitive disconnector device bears against the insulating blade and pushes the insulating blade in the direction of a retracted position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2026
    Assignee: CITEL
    Inventors: Vincent Crevenat, Vincent Lapauw
  • Patent number: 12592549
    Abstract: A gas-filled spark gap for the protection of an electrical installation includes a gastight casing and two elongate electrodes delimiting between them an inter-electrode space. The inter-electrode space includes successively a striking chamber and an arc-extinguishing chamber for extinguishing the electrical arc. The arc-extinguishing chamber includes mutually spaced divider plates. The gas-filled spark gap also includes two connecting terminals accessible from outside the casing and intended to enable electrical connection of the gas-filled spark gap to the electrical installation. The two connecting terminals are respectively electrically connected to the two elongate electrodes. Finally, the gas-filled spark gap includes an inert gas trapped in the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2026
    Assignee: CITEL
    Inventors: Cong Duc Pham, Yves Gannac, Vincent Crevenat, Vincent Lepauw
  • Patent number: 12573819
    Abstract: A protection device against pulsed currents intended to transmit signals having frequencies lying in a transmission frequency band. The protection device has a signal conduction path and a shielding disposed around the signal conduction path. The signal conduction path has two spark gaps mounted in series and an inductor element linking a portion of the signal conduction path situated between the spark gaps. The inductor element is linked to the shielding. The protection device is configured as a high-pass filter allowing passage over the signal conduction path of the signals having frequencies lying within the transmission frequency band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2026
    Assignee: CITEL
    Inventors: Cong Duc Pham, Vincent Crevenat, Vincent Lapauw, Yves Gannac
  • Patent number: 12259412
    Abstract: The invention relates to a surge protection device intended to be installed on an electrical installation, in parallel with one or more items of equipment to be protected, said electrical installation comprising at least one first phase line (L1), a neutral line (N) and an earth line (T), the protection device comprising a casing; and a current measurement toroid, which is housed in the casing and which comprises a central opening, through which a detection portion passes that is disposed in a surge current diversion path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignee: CITEL
    Inventors: Vincent Mathieu, Dirk Schneider
  • Patent number: 12100537
    Abstract: An overvoltage protection device having a printed circuit board, a varistor having a metal-oxide varistor body that has a face and a conductive metal layer deposited on the face where the varistor is connected to a first electrical connection terminal by a first connection track of the printed circuit board and a disconnection tab is disclosed. The disconnection tab being fastened directly to the metal layer by a thermofusible link and exerting a traction force on the metal layer so that the disconnection tab moves away from the metal layer and disconnects the electrical connection between the first terminal and the varistor in response to melting of the thermofusible link is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2024
    Assignee: CITEL
    Inventors: Vincent Crevenat, Cyril Rousseaux
  • Publication number: 20220189666
    Abstract: An overvoltage protection device having a printed circuit board, a varistor having a metal-oxide varistor body that has a face and a conductive metal layer deposited on the face where the varistor is connected to a first electrical connection terminal by a first connection track of the printed circuit board and a disconnection tab is disclosed. The disconnection tab being fastened directly to the metal layer by a thermofusible link and exerting a traction force on the metal layer so that the disconnection tab moves away from the metal layer and disconnects the electrical connection between the first terminal and the varistor in response to melting of the thermofusible link is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Applicant: CITEL
    Inventors: Vincent CREVENAT, Cyril ROUSSEAUX
  • Patent number: 11217369
    Abstract: An overvoltage protection device having a printed circuit board, varistor, and gas discharge tube, the varistor and discharge tube connected in series between a second and third electrical connection terminal of the circuit board via conductive tracks, wherein the varistor is connected to the first terminal by a third conductive track, the discharge tube is connected to the varistor by a fourth conductive track, the discharge tube is connected to the third electrical connection terminal by a sixth conductive track, and wherein the fourth and sixth conductive tracks have curved portions situated on either side of the discharge tube, having a concavity facing in the same orientation respective to the discharge tube and a thermofusible area able to separate a corresponding track into two parts in response to an overcurrent, a distance between the two parts of each track allowing generation of an arc in response to an overvoltage that activates the discharge tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: CITEL
    Inventor: Vincent Crevenat
  • Patent number: 10965121
    Abstract: An integrated component for protecting against temporary power surges comprises a first conductive lead and a second conductive lead, each of which mounted on an electrical circuit; a gas discharge tube; a thermally protected varistor and a thermal fuse. The thermally protected varistor comprises a varistor body, a first varistor electrode and a second varistor electrode that are positioned on either side of the varistor body. The varistor body rises in temperature when the voltage imposed between the first and the second varistor electrodes exceeds a voltage threshold. An electrical connection is made via the thermal fuse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: CITEL
    Inventor: Vincent Crevenat
  • Publication number: 20200303096
    Abstract: An overvoltage protection device having a printed circuit board, varistor, and gas discharge tube, the varistor and discharge tube connected in series between a first and second electrical terminal of the circuit board via conductive tracks, wherein: the varistor is connected to the first terminal by a first track, the discharge tube is connected to the varistor by a second track, the discharge tube is connected to the second terminal by a third track, and wherein the second and third tracks have curved portions situated on either side of the discharge tube, having a concavity facing in the same orientation respective to the discharge tube and a thermofusible area able to separate the corresponding track into two parts in response to an overcurrent, the distance between the two parts of each track allowing generation of an arc in response to an overvoltage that activates the discharge tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Applicant: CITEL
    Inventor: Vincent CREVENAT
  • Patent number: 10673187
    Abstract: An integrated component for protecting against overvoltages, including a varistor and a gas discharge tube that are connected in series between a first and a second electrical connection terminal and a peripheral coating including a seal-tight and electrically insulating resin, the peripheral coating being arranged around the varistor and the gas discharge tube so as to form a seal-tight and electrically insulating barrier that leaves the first and second electrical connection terminals accessible only at two opposite ends of the peripheral coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: CITEL
    Inventor: Vincent Crevenat
  • Patent number: 10523001
    Abstract: A transient overvoltage protection system to be positioned in parallel with an equipment item to be protected, has at least three lines and includes three conductive branches intended to be connected to the three lines. The first and second conductive branches are equipped with first and second voltage-sensitive protection elements and are able to rise in temperature when the voltage between its terminals is higher than a voltage threshold. A thermally sensitive disconnection device comprising at least one thermofusible element in thermal contact with at least one of the first and second protection elements, is arranged so as to keep the three branches in a connected position, the thermally sensitive disconnection device having an elastic return device exerting a force tending to bring the three conductive branches to a disconnected position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: CITEL
    Inventors: Vincent Crevenat, Wang Hui
  • Publication number: 20190348804
    Abstract: An integrated component for protecting against overvoltages, including a varistor and a gas discharge tube that are connected in series between a first and a second electrical connection terminal and a peripheral coating including a seal-tight and electrically insulating resin, the peripheral coating being arranged around the varistor and the gas discharge tube so as to form a seal-tight and electrically insulating barrier that leaves the first and second electrical connection terminals accessible only at two opposite ends of the peripheral coating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2017
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Applicant: CITEL
    Inventor: Vincent CREVENAT
  • Patent number: 10056217
    Abstract: The invention concerns a device for protection against transitory overvoltages, comprising: a varistor; a discharge tube; a thermofusible soldering securing a first electrode of the discharge tube and a first electrode of the varistor, the thermofusible soldering being a conductor of electricity and being able to melt beyond a temperature threshold when the varistor or the discharge tube heats up; the second electrode of the varistor being designed to be connected to a first electrical line and the second electrode of the discharge tube being designed to be connected to a second electrical line; a restoring element exerting a restoring force tending to move the first electrode of the varistor away from the first electrode of the discharge tube in order to allow a separation between the first electrode of the varistor and the first electrode of the discharge tube during a melting of the thermofusible soldering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: CITEL
    Inventors: Vincent Crevenat, Jacques Joubert
  • Patent number: 6930871
    Abstract: A lightning arrester device for protecting an electrical circuit connected to a low-voltage network against transient overvoltages includes a plurality of gas-type spark gaps each connected directly in parallel with each other across two common nodes. Each of the plurality of gas-type spark gaps individually has a surge current rating below a desired surge current rating of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignee: Citel
    Inventor: Christian Macanda
  • Patent number: 6765777
    Abstract: Overvoltage-protection device, applicable in particular to the low-voltage mains, comprising, between the two lines (1, 2) of the mains, a gas-discharge arrestor (3), a varistor (4) and a thermal-fuse element (5) task with ensuring the thermal disconnection of the device . It includes, in parallel with the varistor (4), a resistor (7) causing, after the short-circuiting of the gas-discharge arrestor (3), the heating of the thermal-fuse element (5) so as to trigger the thermal disconnection of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: CITEL
    Inventor: Michel Cantagrel
  • Publication number: 20040070913
    Abstract: A lightning arrester device for protecting an electrical circuit connected to a low-voltage network against transient overvoltages includes a plurality of gas-type spark gaps each connected directly in parallel with each other across two common nodes. Each of the plurality of gas-type spark gaps individually has a surge current rating below a desired surge current rating of the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2003
    Publication date: April 15, 2004
    Applicant: CITEL
    Inventor: Christian Macanda