Failure indication module and lightning protection device

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of surge technology protection, in particular to a failure indication module and a lightning protection device.The technical scheme is characterized in that the failure indication module comprises an insulating part and a first electrode, and the insulating part and the first electrode jointly form a containing cavity; the sliding piece is arranged in the accommodating cavity and is provided with an indicating rod; the elastic piece is used for applying acting force to the sliding piece to keep the second electrode away from the first electrode; when the metal piece at the bottom of the sliding piece is in a solid state, the first electrode and the second electrode are conducted and the displacement of the sliding piece is limited; the elastic piece drives the sliding piece to move in the axial direction of the containing cavity, so that the first electrode and the second electrode are disconnected and connected. When the piezoresistor in the lightning protection device is overheated, the conduction state between the electrodes is automatically cut off, visual failure indication is realized through axial ejection of the indication rod, failure identification can be completed without an additional power supply, the structure is simple, the response is reliable, and the safety and the maintenance convenience of the lightning protection device are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of surge protection, and more specifically, to a failure indication module and a surge protector. Background Technology

[0002] Surge protectors (commonly known as lightning arresters) are indispensable devices for lightning protection of electronic equipment. When they deteriorate and fail due to prolonged exposure to surges or abnormal overvoltages, the leakage current of their internal core components (such as varistors) increases dramatically, causing severe overheating and posing a fire risk. Therefore, it is crucial to indicate the failure status of surge protectors in a timely and accurate manner.

[0003] Existing surge protector failure indication technologies mostly adopt an integrated design, meaning the indicating mechanism (such as a mechanical pop-up window, color-changing window, or electronic circuit) is inseparable from the surge protector body. For surge protectors with high current capacity, because the aluminum electrodes inside the surge protector have a huge heat absorption and dissipation capacity, it is not easy to achieve the thermal tripping commonly used in the surge protection industry on the aluminum electrodes to cut off the connection between the protected MOV and the circuit.

[0004] This design has the following obvious defects: (1) Inconvenient maintenance: When the indicator mechanism itself is damaged or needs to be calibrated, the entire surge protector module must be replaced, which increases maintenance costs and time; (2) Poor versatility: Surge protectors of different models and brands need to be matched with different indicator structures, which cannot achieve standardization and universality; (3) Complex structure: The integrated design makes the internal structure of the surge protector complex, which is not conducive to production and high current flow design. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the present invention aims to provide a failure indication module and a surge protector, which can accurately indicate the failure status of the surge protector and achieve the advantages of standardized and convenient replacement of the failure indication module.

[0006] The above-mentioned technical objective of the present invention is achieved through the following technical solution: A failure indication module includes an insulating component and a first electrode; the first electrode is connected to the inner wall of the insulating component and together with the insulating component forms a receiving cavity; A sliding member is disposed within the receiving cavity; the sliding member is provided with at least one indicator rod. The second electrode is abutted against the inner end face of the slider; An elastic element is sleeved on the outer wall of the sliding element and is used to apply a force to the sliding element to move the second electrode away from the first electrode; The bottom of the sliding member is also provided with a metal part; when the metal part is in a solid state, it conducts a connection between the first electrode and the second electrode and restricts the displacement of the sliding member; when the metal part is heated and melted, it releases the restriction on the sliding member, and the elastic member drives the sliding member to move along the axial direction of the accommodating cavity, so that the first electrode and the second electrode are disconnected from the connection.

[0007] Preferably, the elastic element is a spring.

[0008] Preferably, both the first electrode and the sliding member are cylindrical.

[0009] In one embodiment, the upper part of the insulating member is provided with pop-out holes corresponding to the number of indicator rods, so that the indicator rods can extend out of the receiving cavity.

[0010] Preferably, the number of indicator rods is three; the number of pop-up holes is also three.

[0011] In one embodiment, the indicator rod is located on the upper end face of the shoulder of the slider.

[0012] In one embodiment, the surface of the first electrode is provided with external threads, which are threadedly connected to the internal threads on the inner surface of the insulating element.

[0013] In one embodiment, the elastic element is sleeved on the lower part of the slider, and the upper end of the elastic element abuts against the lower end face of the shoulder of the slider, and the lower end abuts against the inner step end face of the first electrode.

[0014] In one embodiment, both the first electrode and the second electrode are copper electrodes.

[0015] In one embodiment, the metal component is an alloy of tin.

[0016] In one embodiment, the insulating element is made of flame-retardant PBT material.

[0017] Another object of the present invention is to provide a surge protector, including a surge protector body and the above-mentioned failure indication module, wherein the failure indication module is detachably installed on the surge protector body.

[0018] In one embodiment, the surge protector body includes a third electrode, a fourth electrode, and a varistor disposed between the third electrode and the fourth electrode; The bottom of the first electrode abuts against the surface of the varistor; the metal component maintains electrical contact with the varistor when in a solid state.

[0019] Furthermore, the third electrode and the fourth electrode are aluminum electrodes.

[0020] In one embodiment, the surge protector body further includes a cover plate for sealing the surge protector body and isolating the third electrode from contact with the fourth electrode; the cover plate is fixedly connected to the third electrode by fasteners.

[0021] The aforementioned failure indication module and surge protector have the following beneficial effects: 1. Reliable fault disconnection and clear isolation. The metal component simultaneously serves as both conductor and fixation in the solid state. After being heated and melted, the fixation restriction is released, and the elastic component drives the sliding component to move axially, thereby mechanically separating the first electrode from the second electrode and disconnecting the conduction. Compared with the indication method that only relies on the degradation of electrical performance, it can more reliably achieve electrical isolation after failure, reducing the possibility of continuous heating and safety risks.

[0022] 2. The indication and disconnection actions are strongly correlated, making identification intuitive. After the sliding component is axially displaced, the indicator rod pops out of the receiving cavity, and the indication state directly corresponds to the internal disconnection state, avoiding the inconsistency problem of "indication changes but not disconnected / disconnected but not indicated". The failure state can be quickly identified on site, which is convenient for operation and maintenance.

[0023] 3. Modular and detachable, low maintenance cost and strong adaptability. The failure indication module can be detached and installed on the surge protector body. After a failure, the module can be replaced separately without replacing the entire surge protector. At the same time, the electrode abutment / threaded connection method facilitates assembly and universal compatibility, reducing maintenance costs. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the failure indication module in this embodiment; Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the failure indication module in this embodiment; Figure 3 This is an exploded view of the failure indication module in this embodiment; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the sliding component in this embodiment; Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the surge protector and failure indication module in this embodiment; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the surge protector and failure indication module in this embodiment; Figure 7 This is a state diagram of the surge protector and failure indicator module after the indicator rod is extended in this embodiment; Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the failure indication after the indicator rod extends in this embodiment; In the diagram: 1. Insulating component; 101. Pop-out hole; 2. First electrode; 201. Inner stepped end face; 3. Receiving cavity; 4. Sliding component; 401. Indicator rod; 402. Inner end face; 403. Shoulder; 5. Second electrode; 6. Elastic component; 7. Metal component; 8. Surge arrester body; 9. Third electrode; 10. Fourth electrode; 11. Varistor; 12. Cover plate; 13. Fastener. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0026] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this invention and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0027] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0028] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows communication between them; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0029] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that they are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0030] A failure indication module, such as Figure 1-3 As shown, it includes an insulating component 1 and a first electrode 2; the first electrode 2 is connected to the inner wall of the insulating component 1 and together with the insulating component 1 forms a receiving cavity 3; the first electrode 2 can form the bottom or lower structure of the receiving cavity 3, so that the receiving cavity 3 has space for the movement and installation of internal components.

[0031] Specifically, such as Figure 2 As shown, the sliding member 4 is disposed within the receiving cavity 3; the sliding member 4 is provided with at least one indicator rod 401. The indicator rod 401 can be integrally formed with the sliding member 4 or fixedly connected, and the indicator rod 401 is used to extend out of the receiving cavity 3 after the failure indication module is activated to form a visual failure indication.

[0032] In a preferred structure, such as Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, a shoulder 403 structure is formed on the sliding member 4, and the indicator rod 401 is disposed on the upper end face of the shoulder 403 of the sliding member; the shoulder 403 structure is used on the one hand to install or support the indicator rod 401, and on the other hand, it can also be used to abut against the elastic member 6 to realize force transmission and limiting cooperation.

[0033] The second electrode 5 is abutted against the inner end face 402 of the sliding member 4. This inner end face 402 can be an annular stepped end face formed inside the sliding member 4 (also called abutting surface or bearing surface). The end of the second electrode 5 abuts against this abutting surface to achieve axial positioning and force support of the second electrode 5 relative to the sliding member 4. The second electrode 5 can be a screw-shaped conductive element, with its upper end used for external electrical connection or remote signaling wiring, and its lower end used for connection with the metal part 7 and to form a conductive / disconnected engagement relationship with the first electrode 2.

[0034] The elastic element 6 is sleeved on the outer wall of the sliding element 4 and is used to apply a force to the sliding element 4 to move the second electrode 5 away from the first electrode 2.

[0035] In this embodiment, as Figure 2 and Figure 8As shown, the elastic element 6 is a compression spring, which is sleeved on the lower outer wall of the sliding element 4. The upper end of the elastic element 6 abuts against the lower end face of the shoulder 403 of the sliding element 4, and the lower end abuts against the inner step end face 201 of the first electrode 2. Thus, it is compressed and stores energy when the metal element 7 has not melted. After the metal element 7 melts, the elastic force is released to push the sliding element 4 to move axially along the receiving cavity 3. The indicator rod 401 extends out of the receiving cavity 3 as the sliding element 4 moves axially.

[0036] The bottom of the sliding component 4 is also provided with a metal component 7; such as Figure 2 and Figure 5 As shown, when the metal part 7 is in a solid state, it connects the first electrode 2 and the second electrode 5 electrically, and restricts the displacement of the sliding part 4; Figures 7-8 As shown, when the metal part 7 is heated and melted, it releases the restriction on the sliding part 4. The elastic part 6 drives the sliding part 4 to move along the axial direction of the accommodating cavity 3, so that the first electrode 2 and the second electrode 5 are disconnected and connected.

[0037] Specifically, such as Figure 1-2 As shown, the upper part of the insulating member 1 is provided with pop-out holes 101 corresponding to the number of indicator rods 401, so that the indicator rods 401 can extend out of the receiving cavity 3.

[0038] In the specific implementation process, such as Figure 1 As shown, the insulating component 1 can be an integrally formed cylindrical structure, with one or more pop-out holes 101 on its upper part for the indicator rod 401 to extend out. The insulating component 1 is preferably made of flame-retardant PBT material to improve heat resistance and flame retardancy, and to meet the safety requirements of the surge protector in the working environment.

[0039] In specific implementation methods, such as Figure 1-4 As shown, there are 3 indicator rods 401; correspondingly, there are also 3 pop-up holes 101. As a key component of the failure indication module, the number of indicator rods 401 can be adjusted appropriately according to actual production needs. It is only necessary to ensure that the indicator rods 401 extend out of the receiving cavity 3 through the pop-up holes 101 during operation to achieve easy-to-visualize failure indication.

[0040] Specifically, the indicator rod 401 is located on the upper end face of the shoulder 403 of the sliding member 4.

[0041] Specifically, the surface of the first electrode 2 is provided with external threads, which are threadedly connected to the internal threads on the inner surface of the insulating component 1.

[0042] In a preferred embodiment, both the first electrode 2 and the second electrode 5 are copper electrodes to meet the requirements for conductivity and thermal conductivity under high current impact.

[0043] In this embodiment, the metal part 7 can be made of tin alloy, which is connected to the lower end of the second electrode 5 by welding or casting, and forms a conductive connection with the first electrode 2. The metal part 7 provides electrical connection and also forms a locking / limiting structure for the sliding part 4 and the second electrode 5. When the temperature reaches its melting condition, the metal part 7 melts and loses its mechanical support and conductive bridging function, thereby triggering the disconnection action.

[0044] The metal component 7 can be made of tin alloy, low-melting-point conductive alloy, or low-melting-point conductive metal, as long as it meets the requirement of timely disconnection of circuit connection when the internal components of the surge protector heat up.

[0045] Specifically, insulation component 1 is made of flame-retardant PBT material.

[0046] For surge protectors with high current carrying capacity, the aluminum electrodes inside the protector have significant heat absorption and dissipation capabilities, making it difficult to achieve the thermal tripping characteristic of the surge protection industry to disconnect the MOV from the circuit. Therefore, to solve this problem, especially for surge protectors capable of withstanding 200kA current carrying capacity, it is necessary to add overcurrent protection devices such as fuses to the front end of the surge protector body 8. When the varistor 11 (i.e., MOV) fails due to a short circuit, the fuse breaks, cutting off the short-circuit current. Otherwise, the short-circuit current would force the main overcurrent protection device on the circuit to activate, causing a system power outage. Since the fuse urgently needs to withstand the surge current of the surge protector (the rated current of the overcurrent protection device must be large) and needs to promptly cut off the short-circuit current when the MOV is short-circuited (the rated current must be small), balancing and matching these two choices in a specific circuit is not easy to achieve, usually sacrificing the current carrying capacity of the surge protector.

[0047] This invention is specifically designed to address this technical problem. While maintaining the good current-carrying performance of the surge protector body 8, it is necessary to consider the need for convenient replacement of the surge protector body 8 and the failure indication module by disassembly.

[0048] This embodiment also provides a surge protector, including a surge protector body 8 and a failure indication module as described in any of the above embodiments. The failure indication module is detachably installed on the surge protector body 8.

[0049] Specifically, such as Figure 5 As shown, the surge protector body 8 includes a third electrode 9, a fourth electrode 10, and a varistor 11 disposed between the third electrode 9 and the fourth electrode 10. After the failure indication module is installed in the surge protector body 8, the bottom of the first electrode 2 abuts against the surface of the varistor 11, so that the first electrode 2 and the varistor 11 form an electrical contact connection; at the same time, the metal part 7 maintains an electrical contact connection with the varistor 11 when in a solid state, so that the failure indication module participates in forming the conductive circuit inside the surge protector.

[0050] In a preferred embodiment, both the third electrode 9 and the fourth electrode 10 are aluminum electrodes.

[0051] In this embodiment, as Figure 5-6 As shown, the surge protector body 8 also includes a cover plate 12, which is used to seal the surge protector body 8 and isolate the direct mechanical contact between the third electrode 9 and the fourth electrode 10; the cover plate 12 is fixedly connected to the third electrode 9 by fasteners 13 to ensure the sealing reliability of the overall structure of the surge protector and the electrical safety clearance requirements.

[0052] like Figure 5 and Figure 7 As shown, when the varistor 11 experiences abnormal temperature rise due to deterioration or failure, the heat is conducted through the first electrode 2 to the metal part 7 (i.e., alloy tin or low-melting-point conductive metal or low-melting-point conductive alloy), causing the metal part 7 to melt and triggering the failure indication module to operate. This causes the first electrode 2 to disconnect from the second electrode 5 and pops out the indicator rod 401, thereby realizing a visual prompt and electrical isolation of the surge protector's failure status.

[0053] Since the failure indicator module and the surge protector body 8 are detachable installation structures, when the module is triggered, the failure indicator module can be replaced or repaired by disassembly, reducing maintenance costs and improving operation and maintenance efficiency.

[0054] In surge protectors (i.e., lightning arresters), the current-carrying capacity of the varistor 11 is often limited due to power consumption and heat dissipation issues. This invention adopts an aluminum electrode design, with specially made upper and lower aluminum electrodes (i.e., the third electrode 9 and the fourth electrode 10) of a certain thickness closely attached to the surface of the MOV (i.e., the varistor 11). Since the thick aluminum electrodes can absorb a large amount of heat, the current-carrying capacity of the varistor 11 can be greatly improved, while keeping the size of the varistor 11 unchanged.

[0055] In the past, the design of aluminum electrodes allowed the varistor 11 to fail due to a short circuit. The third electrode 9 and the fourth electrode 10 were designed as a single sealed and secure unit. When the varistor 11 failed due to a short circuit, the aluminum electrode absorbed heat to prevent the temperature of the varistor 11 from rising sharply. On the other hand, the secure and sealed design prevented the hazards caused by the short circuit of the varistor 11 from spilling out. The secure and sealed design of the cover plate 12 to the surge protector body 8 also ensured that the external environment (humidity, pollution, etc.) could not interfere with the performance of the varistor 11.

[0056] like Figure 5 and Figure 7 As shown, the surge protector body 8 of this invention achieves current-carrying performance while maintaining the heat dissipation advantages and sealed design of the third electrode 9 and the fourth electrode 10. This invention references typical thermal tripping in the industry and optimizes the design based on traditional thermal tripping in conjunction with this application: such as... Figure 5 As shown, by hollowing out the center of the third electrode 9 and the fourth electrode 10, aluminum electrodes are embedded in the failure indication module. While directly obtaining heat from the surface of the varistor 11, the surge protector body 8 remains sealed. Furthermore, the first electrode 2 adopts a threaded connection and can be disassembled and installed in the surge protector body 8, which greatly improves production efficiency.

[0057] Due to the combined design of the varistor 11 and aluminum electrode in the high-current surge protector, the surge protector has a long service life, while the thermal trip device has a limited lifespan. In the use of surge protectors with high current (up to 200kA), the failure indication module of this invention can solve the technical problem of cumbersome replacement of thermal trip devices in the past. It realizes the addition of overcurrent protection devices such as fuses at the front end of the high-current surge protector 8. When the varistor (i.e., MOV) fails due to a short circuit, the fuse breaks, which can cut off the short-circuit current. It also solves the technical problem that even when the fuse urgently needs to withstand the surge current of the surge protector (the rated current of the overcurrent protection device is large), it can also cut off the short-circuit current (the rated current is small) in time when the MOV is short-circuited.

[0058] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of the present invention, and while the descriptions are specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of this patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A failure indication module, characterized in that, include: An insulating component and a first electrode; the first electrode is connected to the inner wall of the insulating component and together with the insulating component forms an accommodating cavity; A sliding member is disposed within the receiving cavity; the sliding member is provided with at least one indicator rod. The second electrode is abutted against the inner end face of the slider; An elastic element is sleeved on the outer wall of the sliding element and is used to apply a force to the sliding element to move the second electrode away from the first electrode; The bottom of the sliding member is also provided with a metal part; when the metal part is in a solid state, it conducts a connection between the first electrode and the second electrode and restricts the displacement of the sliding member; when the metal part is heated and melted, it releases the restriction on the sliding member, and the elastic member drives the sliding member to move along the axial direction of the accommodating cavity, so that the first electrode and the second electrode are disconnected from the connection.

2. The failure indication module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper part of the insulating component is provided with pop-out holes corresponding to the number of indicator rods, so that the indicator rods can extend out of the receiving cavity.

3. The failure indication module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The indicator rod is located on the upper end face of the shoulder of the sliding member.

4. The failure indication module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first electrode surface is provided with external threads, which are threadedly connected to the internal threads on the inner surface of the insulating component.

5. The failure indication module according to claim 3, characterized in that, The elastic element is sleeved on the lower part of the sliding element, and the upper end of the elastic element abuts against the lower end face of the shoulder of the sliding element, and the lower end abuts against the inner step end face of the first electrode.

6. The failure indication module according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the first electrode and the second electrode are copper electrodes.

7. The failure indication module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The metal component is an alloy of tin.

8. The failure indication module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The insulating component is made of flame-retardant PBT material.

9. A surge protector, characterized in that, It includes a surge protector body and a failure indication module as described in any one of claims 1-8, wherein the failure indication module is detachably installed on the surge protector body.

10. The surge protector according to claim 9, characterized in that the surge protector body includes a third electrode, a fourth electrode, and a varistor disposed between the third electrode and the fourth electrode; The bottom of the first electrode abuts against the surface of the varistor; the metal component maintains electrical contact with the varistor when in a solid state; A cover plate is used to seal the surge protector body and isolate the third electrode from contact with the fourth electrode; the cover plate is fixedly connected to the third electrode by fasteners.

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