Abstract: The invention relates to a horn, spark gap with, a deion chamber (8) with, a non-blowout design having a multi-part insulating housing as supporting and accommodating body for the horn electrodes (1, 2) and the deion chamber (8) and means for conducting the arc-induced gas flow, wherein the insulating housing is divided in the plane spanned by the horn electrodes and forms a first and a second half-shell. According to the invention, the horn electrodes (1, 2) have an asymmetrical form. The arc naming region (11) between the electrodes is delimited in the direction of the deion chamber by a plate-shaped insulating material (20), wherein the plate-shaped insulating material (20) is inserted into a respective first shaped portion of the respective half-shell in a form-fitting manner. Furthermore, the first shaped portions accommodate a ferromagnetic deposit (21) of the are running region (11).

Abstract: A surge protector includes a thermal separating device and an error display, and at least two first protection elements, particularly disk-shaped varistors (7), and at least one second protection element, particularly a gas arrester (9), wherein the first and the at least one second protection elements are switched in a Y arrangement. The surge protector further includes a device housing for accommodating the protection elements, and structure, such as a spring (11), for the mechanical biasing of the thermal separating device, wherein the thermal separating device has a low-melting solder, and the first protection elements (7) are disposed in the device housing such that a connection arm of a protection element (7) is positioned opposite the connection arm of the further protection element (7) at a distance, and the thermal separating device is predominantly positioned in the distance space (13) formed in such a manner.

Abstract: The invention relates to a horn spark gap lightning arrester with a deion chamber (6) for quenching arcs in a housing (1) and controlling the internal gas flow for adjusting a different response of the arc produced in the case of power pulse current loading, on the one hand, and of the arc induced by follow-on current, on the other hand. For this purpose, the distance between the opposite electrode faces of the horn spark gap in the striking region is kept very small and there is only a slight widening of the distance in the direction of the end of the horn spark gap in order to prevent undesired migration of the arc in the event of lightning pulse currents.

Abstract: The invention relates to a spark gap arrangement comprising two preferably flat, opposing electrodes (1) that are held apart in a housing body (13), said electrodes forming an arc combustion chamber, and comprising a gas-cooling and pressure-compensating chamber that is connected to the arc combustion chamber. According to the invention, the housing body (13) is formed from two half-shells (14, 16), each of which has first recesses that lie opposite each other in one plane for electrode connecting limbs (3), said limbs being connected to a connecting terminal (15) on the outside of the housing body. Each of the half-shells (14, 16) has a first space for receiving an insulating material support (11) for the electrodes (1) and a second space for receiving a cooling block (8), which has channels, with a high heat capacity.

Abstract: The invention relates to an overvoltage protection device having one or more parallel-connected voltage-limiting elements which are located in one physical unit, such as varistors, diodes or means of this type configured in the form of a disc, comprising a shell apparatus in order to electrically disconnect the overvoltage-limiting elements when they are thermally overloaded, and means for indication and/or signalling of the fault state which then occurs, wherein the switching apparatus is connected via a means which can be released thermally, such as adhesive or a solder, to a connecting contact of the at least one overvoltage-limiting element, and/or to an external terminal contact or plug contact. According to the invention, the switching apparatus is in the form of a solid U-shaped switching fork, the fork tines of which run essentially parallel to the side surfaces of the overvoltage-limiting element, holding the latter in the space between the tines.

Abstract: The invention relates to a surge arrester which, in a housing (7), has at least one arrester element (3), in particular a varistor, a solder-fixed thermal disconnection point (5), which is connected to the arrester element, and a damage indicating device (11) for displaying the fault state, wherein the damage indicating device also queries the state of a thermal disconnection device, in particular a fuse, and presents the possible fault states of the arrester element and of the disconnection device mechanically in an OR combination in a suitable way. Furthermore the thermal disconnection device comprises a movable component, which is fixed by an indicator wire and is released after the melting or destruction of said wire.

Abstract: The invention relates to a surge arrestor comprising at least one arrestor element, for example a varistor, and a disconnecting device for disconnecting the arrestor element or elements from the grid, wherein the disconnecting device comprises a thermal disconnect point that is incorporated into the electrical connection path within the arrestor, wherein a moving conductor section or a moving conductive bridge is connected to the arrestor element by way of the disconnect point on one side and the conductor section or the bridge is connected to a first external electrical connection of the arrestor on the other side, and comprises a means for generating a pre-stressing force, such as a spring, wherein the force vector associated therewith acts on the conductor section or the bridge in the disconnect direction directly or indirectly by way of a moving disconnection bracket, wherein further a conducting element is disposed in or at the end of the path of motion of the conductor section or of the bridge, said con

Abstract: The invention relates to a rapid disconnect device for surge arrestors, in particular plate-type or flat varistors, comprising at least one element that is maintained under a mechanical stress, and a disconnection point for disconnecting the surge arrestor from the respective power grid upon thermal overload, wherein the disconnection point comprises contacts, the positions of which vary relative to one another, wherein one of said contacts is designed to be fixed. According to the invention, the contacts of varying positions relative to one another are electrically connected without the use of solder in such a way that incident current forces act primarily in the contact force direction and such that the moving contacts of the positionally-variable contacts of a lost element located at the surge arrestor and thermally detachable therefrom can be moved from a closed position to the disconnected position.

Abstract: The invention relates to an overvoltage protection device having one or more parallel-connected voltage-limiting elements which are located in one physical unit, such as varistors, diodes or means of this type configured in the form of a disc, comprising a shell apparatus in order to electrically disconnect the overvoltage-limiting elements when they are thermally overloaded, and means for indication and/or signalling of the fault state which then occurs, wherein the switching apparatus is connected via a means which can be released thermally, such as adhesive or a solder, to a connecting contact of the at least one overvoltage-limiting element, and/or to an external terminal contact or plug contact. According to the invention, the switching apparatus is in the form of a solid U-shaped switching fork, the fork tines of which run essentially parallel to the side surfaces of the overvoltage-limiting element, holding the latter in the space between the tines.

Abstract: The invention relates to a plug-in combination of appliances for protecting against overvoltages, said combination of appliances comprising: a socket-type lower part and at least one plug-in module, which can both receive overvoltage protection elements; contact elements and contact counter elements that are respectively arranged in the lower part and in the plug-in module; and complementary guide rails or guide grooves for inserting or pushing-on and fixing the respective plug-in module. According to the invention, functionally separated, mechanical catch or snap-in elements act between the respective plug-in module and the socket-type lower part independently of the forces which hold together the contact elements and the contact counter elements in a positively fixed and/or non-positively fixed manner when the plug-in module is in use. The catch or snap-in function can be cancelled without any mechanical auxiliary means when the respective plug-in module is to be replaced.

Abstract: The invention relates to a plug-in combination of appliances for protecting against overvoltages, said combination of appliances comprising: a socket-type lower part and at least one plug-in module, which can both receive overvoltage protection elements; contact elements and contact counter elements that are respectively arranged in the lower part and in the plug-in module; and complementary guide rails or guide grooves for inserting or pushing-on and fixing the respective plug-in module. According to the invention, functionally separated, mechanical catch or snap-in elements act between the respective plug-in module and the socket-type lower part independently of the forces which hold together the contact elements and the contact counter elements in a positively fixed and/or non-positively fixed manner when the plug-in module is in use. The catch or snap-in function can be cancelled without any mechanical auxiliary means when the respective plug-in module is to be replaced.

Abstract: A spark gap for use in the power supply of medium voltage and low voltage networks, wherein two rotationally symmetric electrodes are arranged in a housing and an arc space is provided between the two electrodes for the arc which is formed in the event of a spark-over and its follow-on current. The two electrodes are arranged in the direction of the longitudinal center axis of the spark gap one behind the other and at a distance from each other. A disk of an electrically insulating material is positioned perpendicularly of the longitudinal center axis so as to electrically separate the two electrodes from each other. The insulating disk has an opening adapted to the hollow cylindrical inner space forming the spark-over place for the arc. The arc space includes a rotationally symmetric arc chamber arranged concentrically with the longitudinal center axis for the follow-on current. The arc chamber is positioned between the two electrodes.

Abstract: A spark gap arrangement capable of handling lightning includes a first spark gap with a relatively high-resistance insulating layer having a relatively short spark-over path, and at least one second spark gap which, compared to the first spark gap, has a relatively low-resistance insulating layer with a relatively long spark-over path, the second spark gap being electrically connected in series to the first spark gap.