Overvoltage protection device, terminal block, arrangement and monitoring device

Abstract

The invention relates to an overvoltage protection device (1) having an energy accumulator (11) and a printed circuit board (12), and the printed circuit board (12) can conduct a current from a first terminal (13) to a second terminal (14) by means of at least one protective element (15) to which the terminals (13, 14) are connected by means of at least one solder connection (131, 141). The printed circuit board (12) applies energy to the energy accumulator (11), wherein the energy accumulator (11) can displace the printed circuit board (12) relative to the protective element (15) in the event of melting of at least one of the at least one solder connections (131, 141) in order to disrupt the electrical connection between the first (13) and the second terminals (14).

Description

[0001] Surge protection device, terminal block, arrangement and monitoring device

[0002] The present invention relates to a surge protection device comprising a force accumulator and a circuit board. The circuit board can conduct a current from a first terminal to a second terminal by means of at least one protective element, to which the terminals are connected by means of at least one solder connection. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a terminal block, an arrangement of at least two terminal blocks, and a monitoring device for the surge protection device.

[0003] Surge protection devices exist to protect electrical circuits. When a certain voltage is exceeded, these usually block at least part of the electrical energy, for example, by interrupting the circuit's electrical circuit. DE 196 47 035 A1 discloses a surge protection device with a circuit board on which a component is arranged that establishes a connection between a power source and a load via a pair of solder pads. The component is held under mechanical preload by a spring, so that if the solder connections melt, it is blown off, or separated from the board, opening the circuit.

[0004] The problem with surge protection devices according to the state of the art is that biasing of an individual component on a circuit board is complex to produce, that providing sufficient space to blow up the component from the circuit board increases the space required by the circuit, and that blowing away of individual components is difficult to control, which makes monitoring the surge protection device more difficult.

[0005] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved overvoltage protection device.

[0006] The present invention solves this problem with an overvoltage protection device having the features of claim 1, with a terminal block having the features of claim 15, with an arrangement having the features of claim 18, and with a monitoring device according to claim 21. According to the invention, the overvoltage protection device has an energy accumulator and a printed circuit board, wherein the printed circuit board can conduct a current from a first connection to a second connection by means of at least one protective element to which the connections are connected by means of at least one soldered connection. This enables protection of a circuit connected to the printed circuit board or arranged thereon and / or of corresponding components against unexpected or undesired high voltages (overvoltages) or voltage spikes.The circuit board applies a force to the force accumulator, whereby the force accumulator can displace the circuit board relative to the protective element in the event of at least one of the at least one solder joints melting, in order to disconnect the electrical line between the first and second terminals, thus providing particularly high protection against surges. Furthermore, a corresponding design of the surge protection device can be particularly space-saving, since no space needs to be created for the movement of individual components. Furthermore, the present invention particularly effectively prevents damage to the circuit board or other components, since it enables controlled disconnection of the line.

[0007] The melting of at least one of the at least one solder joints and the resulting displacement of the circuit board by means of the energy storage device constitutes, within the meaning of the present invention, a "triggering" of the surge protection device. Such triggering can also occur, in particular, due to and / or to protect against an overload that may be connected to the surge protection device. Within the meaning of the present invention, an overvoltage is therefore alternatively or additionally understood to mean an overload, or is encompassed by this term.

[0008] For a particularly simple production of the overvoltage protection device, the circuit board can, in a preferred embodiment, have at least two first connection surfaces, which each correspond to the first or the second connection and which are connected to the at least one protective element by means of the at least one solder connection, so that the first connection surfaces are electrically conductively connected to one another by means of the protective element, wherein at least one of the at least one solder connection is separable in the event of an overvoltage.

[0009] An overvoltage within the meaning of the present invention is a voltage that does not correspond to an expected voltage range and / or a working voltage range of the electrical circuit and / or components to be protected. The overvoltage protection device, and in particular the protective element, can prevent and / or limit the transmission of such a voltage or a corresponding current from the first terminal to the second terminal and / or vice versa.

[0010] In particular, the protective element protects against voltages deviating from the expected voltage range of up to 1500 V, preferably up to 600 V, and even more preferably up to 100 V and / or above 25 V before desoldering, i.e., melting of at least one of the at least one solder joints, occurs, in order to enable particularly advantageous overvoltage protection that does not require replacement or reuse of components every time an overvoltage occurs. Alternatively or additionally, the voltage range can also be adjustable. The present invention can thus be designed to be particularly cost-effective.

[0011] Melting or desoldering preferably occurs due to high temperatures of the protective element, which are induced on the protective element, for example, by heating the protective element due to high voltage and / or high current, in particular by Joule heat and / or current heat within the meaning of the current heat law.

[0012] The at least one solder connection particularly preferably melts at a temperature between 130°C and 250°C, and even more preferably below 140°C. Preferably used solder can be, in particular, solder wire and / or solder paste, and can comprise bismuth and / or lead-free solder, resulting in a particularly environmentally friendly embodiment of the present invention. The use of only one type of solder, for example, bismuth, for the circuit board, enabled by the present invention, is a further advantage of the present invention and simplifies recycling of the materials used when disposing of the surge protection device, for example, after it has been triggered.

[0013] In particular, the protective element can be connected to the circuit board using a solder that melts at lower temperatures than optional additional solder connections present on the circuit board. Preferably, the at least one protective element comprises or is a surge protection element and / or a surge arrester, for example, a suppressor diode, a varistor, and / or a Zener diode. This allows the protective element to be selected for a specific voltage and / or application range and to be particularly cost-optimized.

[0014] In another variant, the protective element is a conductive element for electrical current, such as a wire or a circuit board. Alternatively or additionally, the protective element can also be melted in the event of an overvoltage.

[0015] The protective element is preferably a surface-mounted component (SMD) with, in particular, a small-outline diode (SOD), small-outline package (SOP), small-outline transistor (SOT), or quad flat no-leads (QFN) housing, and particularly preferably with a diode outline (DO), even more preferably with a DO-214 housing. This enables a particularly simple and space-saving design of the surge protection device. Alternatively, the protective element can also be mounted on the circuit board by means of a push-fit assembly, wherein the circuit board is arranged such that the push-fit assembly does not block any displacement of the circuit board, which can lead to a particularly robust design. For example, in the case of the use of a diode, the flow of a current between the first and the second connection can optionally be at least approximately prevented.

[0016] Preferably, the protective element is at least partially in direct contact with the circuit board, for example, to simplify the formation of a heat sink using the circuit board. In an alternative variant, however, the protective element can also be mounted on the housing of the surge protection device in such a way that it is not in direct contact with the circuit board, but rather, for example, only via the solder connections. This simplifies the disconnection of the cable between the terminals.

[0017] The connection pads preferably have a rectangular surface with side lengths of 0.1 mm to 1 cm. The resulting size of the connection pads can be adapted to the protective element and, in particular, to its housing in order to optimize the space required by the surge protection device, in particular the size of the circuit board for a required voltage range. The circuit board can, in particular, have at least two circuit board connections, which can, in particular, be at least two second connection pads. This enables easy connection of the circuit board to other electronic components, for example, to a power source and / or a load.The at least two printed circuit board connections can be connected to at least one external line, preferably to at least one busbar and / or to a printed circuit board of a terminal block, via electrically conductive connections, in particular clamp connections for easy assembly, so that the connection can be made particularly easily.

[0018] The terminal connections comprise, in particular, contacts fixed to the external cable, preferably terminal contacts, which can contact at least some of the circuit board terminals in a force-fitting and / or positive-locking manner. To optimize the application, other electrical contact types can be used alternatively or additionally to the terminal connections.

[0019] Preferably, current can be conducted from the at least two circuit board terminals to the first or second terminal, respectively, so that triggering of the surge protection device can lead to a separation of the line between the circuit board terminals.

[0020] In one embodiment, the at least two circuit board terminals conduct current in a different circuit than the first and second terminals. This allows the surge protection device to also isolate circuits that are not directly affected by the surge but only secondarily, or whose shutdown is advantageous in the event of an overvoltage occurring.

[0021] In particular, the electrically conductive connections of the at least two circuit board terminals to the at least one external line can be separated by displacing the at least one circuit board using the force accumulator. In this case, displacing the circuit board leads to a separation of at least some of the circuit board-side terminals (circuit board terminals) and the line-side terminals (i.e., the terminals on the external line, e.g., the terminal contacts). The terminal connections can preferably be designed as spring terminals and / or plug-in connections, so that they can be manufactured cost-effectively and reinserted using simple means after the contacts have been separated.

[0022] Preferably, connections can also be provided relative to which the circuit board terminals can move by moving the circuit board, but in which there is no separation of at least one of the electrically conductive connections with at least one line. This can be achieved, for example, by circuit board- and line-side connection surfaces that contact one another, but in which the displacement of the circuit board by means of the force accumulator leads to a relative offset of the circuit board- and line-side connection surfaces that is smaller than the contact area. This makes it possible to maintain the functionality of an electrical circuit and, at the same time, to reliably separate the electrical line between the first connection and the second connection.

[0023] Alternatively or additionally, appropriate contacts on the circuit board and / or the cable can also be used to connect circuit board-side pads to secondary cable-side pads, or vice versa, by moving the circuit board. For example, by moving the circuit board, a previously open circuit on the cable side and / or a previously open circuit on the circuit board can be closed. This enables a particularly versatile application of the circuit board protection device and can be used, for example, to change a power source in the event of an overvoltage, which increases the redundancy of the surge protection device and, in particular, the protected circuit and / or components.

[0024] The at least one protective element can be fixed in a force-fitting and / or form-fitting manner to at least one stop, which can preferably be a web, by means of the restoring force of the acted-upon force accumulator, such that the force accumulator can displace the circuit board relative to the at least one stop in the event of an overvoltage. Movement of the protective element is thus limited by the stop in at least one direction, such that a force with a component opposite to the direction of the essential component of the restoring force of the force accumulator acts from the stop onto the protective element when the force accumulator displaces the circuit board, such that the protective element cannot move in the direction of the displacement of the circuit board. This enables improved separation of the at least one molten solder connection using simple means.

[0025] For cost-effective production, the at least one stop is preferably fixed to a housing of the surge protection device and particularly preferably formed integrally with the housing.

[0026] Preferably, at least two surge protection devices according to the invention can be arranged in one housing, i.e. share one housing, which leads to increased space savings and reduces the manufacturing effort of the surge protection device.

[0027] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the housing can have a structural part that can be concealed on at least one side with a cover element. Even more preferably, the at least one stop is formed on and / or integrally with the cover element, which is manufactured, for example, as an injection-molded part that encompasses the stop formed as a single piece or integrally as a web. The stop can preferably be part of a contour on the housing.

[0028] The housing may preferably comprise plastic and / or metal, wherein the housing may be formed in one or more parts.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the housing can have at least one indicator recess through which the at least one circuit board can be or will be at least partially pushed by means of the energy storage device in the event of an overvoltage, so that triggering of the at least one surge protection device is recognizable to a user. For particularly easy recognition, the circuit board can have a color that differs from the color of the housing, preferably at least in the area that is pushed out through the indicator recess, i.e., in a display section of the circuit board.

[0030] Preferably, an electronic circuit previously protected by the surge protection device can optionally continue to function without the protection of the surge protection device after the surge protection device has been triggered; alternatively, however, it can also be non-functional after this. In both cases, the indicator section protruding from the housing preferably indicates the need to replace or repair the surge protection device.

[0031] The circuit board material can preferably comprise glass fibers and / or plastic and preferably contains epoxy resin, with an FR4 or FR5 material being used in particular. The circuit board preferably uses metal, in particular copper and / or aluminum and / or iron and / or another metal, to conduct electricity, i.e., for the circuit board-side lines and / or connections. This also applies to the external line, which can be connected to the circuit board connections.

[0032] More preferably, the housing has at least one detection recess through which the triggering of the at least one surge protection device can be detected by means of a detection device. This enables, for example, remote detection of the triggering of the surge protection device, for example via a wired or wireless network.

[0033] The detection device preferably has at least one sensor, preferably an optical sensor, which is even more preferably a light barrier. This allows triggering of the surge protection device to be detected particularly reliably.

[0034] In one embodiment, the force accumulator comprises or is at least one spring. The at least one force accumulator can preferably be arranged on at least one side of the circuit board and is selected such that it can exert sufficient force to move the circuit board.

[0035] The at least one spring may preferably be a compression spring, a gas spring and / or an air spring.

[0036] In one embodiment of the present invention, displacement can also include pivoting the circuit board. In this case, the circuit board is mounted on the housing of the surge protection device, in particular, so that it can pivot about an axis. This simplifies the manufacture of the surge protection device, particularly when only one solder connection is to be melted to disconnect the electrical line between the first and second terminals. For particularly reliable pivoting of the circuit board, its pivoting movement is preferably guided at least partially within a guide on the housing.

[0037] The present invention also relates to a terminal block that can be used in a particularly versatile manner and that comprises at least one surge protection device having a force accumulator and a printed circuit board, wherein the printed circuit board can conduct a current from a first terminal to a second terminal by means of at least one protective element to which the terminals are connected by means of at least one soldered connection. The printed circuit board applies a force to the force accumulator, wherein the force accumulator can displace the printed circuit board relative to the protective element in the event of at least one of the at least one soldered connection melting in order to disconnect the electrical line between the first and second terminals.This enables particularly high protection of a circuit connected to or arranged on the circuit board and / or corresponding components against high voltages, overvoltages and / or overloads.

[0038] A terminal block in the sense of the present invention is in particular a series-connectable electronic device and / or module, which preferably has at least one and more preferably a plurality of conductor track connections, which can be electrically connected to the at least one external line and / or the circuit board connections.

[0039] In particular, the at least one overvoltage protection device is an overvoltage protection device according to the invention according to at least one of the preceding paragraphs.

[0040] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the terminal block comprises at least two surge protection devices, which makes it particularly space-saving and cost-effective to manufacture.

[0041] Preferably, the housing can be plugged into a larger terminal block and the circuit board connections can be connected to a second circuit board of the larger terminal block.

[0042] The present invention also encompasses an arrangement comprising at least two terminal blocks according to the invention. This enables particularly advantageous and versatile surge protection, thus allowing a particularly large number of surge protection devices to be mounted in a space-saving manner.

[0043] The terminal blocks and surge protection devices that the arrangement thus comprises are preferably each designed as terminal blocks and surge protection devices according to the invention according to at least one of the corresponding preceding paragraphs.

[0044] In order to be able to monitor a particularly large number of surge protection devices for a possible triggering using as few components as possible, the at least two terminal blocks preferably each have a housing with at least one detection recess, which can be arranged substantially concentrically to one another, so that a triggering of one of the at least two surge protection devices can be detected by means of a detection device, in particular by means of exactly one detection device, through the at least two detection recesses.

[0045] The detection device comprises, in particular, at least one sensor, preferably precisely one sensor, which is preferably an optical sensor. Even more preferably, the optical sensor is a light barrier whose light beam is directed through the at least two detection recesses. This allows a large number of surge protection devices to be monitored cost-effectively.

[0046] In one embodiment, the two terminal blocks can be connected to at least one cable, which may in particular comprise a busbar, so that they can be installed particularly easily. The cable particularly preferably corresponds to the external cable described above.

[0047] The present invention further comprises a monitoring device for a surge protection device according to the invention, which comprises an electrical circuit having a detection device configured to detect a change in a current flowing in the circuit in the event of an overvoltage and subsequently output a signal. The electrical circuit has at least one mechanical switch actuatable from the circuit board of the surge protection device, by means of which actuation the change in the current can be triggered. This enables particularly simple monitoring, in particular remote-controlled monitoring of the surge protection device. The monitoring device according to the invention can also be manufactured cost-effectively with particularly few parts.

[0048] Preferably, the at least one mechanical switch is a button switch, a microswitch, or a push-button. This allows the monitoring device to be particularly cost-effective and easy to manufacture. In particular, the monitoring device is configured so that the displaced circuit board of the monitoring device according to the invention can press it to change the signal, i.e., in particular, to open or close the circuit.

[0049] In one embodiment, the circuit comprises at least one LED connected in the circuit in such a way that it illuminates when at least one of the mechanical switches is actuated. This allows a user to particularly advantageously monitor the status of the surge protection device.

[0050] Preferably, the monitoring device can detect the change in the current as a drop in voltage due to the circuit being opened by means of the switch or as a rise in voltage due to the circuit being closed by means of the switch, so that it can be monitored particularly easily, in particular remotely.

[0051] In one embodiment, the circuit comprises a first and at least one second mechanical switch, wherein the mechanical switches are connected in series or parallel in the circuit. In this way, the monitoring device can be used for multiple surge protection devices, with one switch per circuit board. Optionally, a circuit can also be provided for each surge protection device to be monitored.

[0052] In a particularly preferred variant, the monitoring device according to the invention is designed with a terminal block according to the invention and, in particular, is plugged onto it and / or latched onto it. In this embodiment, the at least one circuit board of the surge protection device is configured to actuate at least one of the mechanical switches of the monitoring device in the event of an overvoltage and thus trigger the change in the current. The arrangement of the present invention can optionally be designed such that at least one and preferably several or all of the terminal blocks have at least one, but in particular also at least two, of the monitoring devices according to one of the corresponding preceding paragraphs.

[0053] The present invention is explained in more detail below with reference to several drawings. They show:

[0054] Fig. 1 a is an isometric view of an overvoltage protection device according to the invention and a terminal block according to the invention,

[0055] Fig. 1 b is a side view of the surge protection device according to the invention and the terminal block according to the invention,

[0056] Fig. 2a is an isometric view of the terminal block according to the invention with the overvoltage protection device triggered,

[0057] Fig. 2b a side view of the terminal block according to the invention with triggered surge protection device,

[0058] Fig. 2c shows a further side view of the terminal block according to the invention with the overvoltage protection device triggered,

[0059] Fig. 3a is a side view of an overvoltage protection device according to the invention and a terminal block according to the invention according to a further embodiment,

[0060] Fig. 3b a side view of the terminal block according to the invention from Fig. 3a with triggered overvoltage protection device,

[0061] Fig. 4a shows a cross-section of a terminal block according to the invention with an overvoltage protection device according to the invention and a monitoring device according to the invention,

[0062] Fig. 4b shows a cross-section of the device from Fig. 4a with the overvoltage protection device triggered, Fig. 5 shows the terminal block from Fig. 4a and 4b as part of a larger terminal block.

[0063] Fig. 1 a shows a surge protection device 1 according to the invention, which is optionally comprised by a terminal block 2 according to the invention arranged in an optional base 3. In the illustrated case, the optional terminal block 2 according to the invention comprises two surge protection devices 1 according to the invention; however, it is also possible to design a terminal block 2 that has only one surge protection device 1, i.e., to omit the second surge protection device 1.

[0064] The surge protection device 1 has an energy accumulator 11 and a printed circuit board 12, wherein the printed circuit board 12 can conduct a current from a first terminal 13 to a second terminal 14 by means of at least one protective element 15 to which the terminals 13, 14, which correspond to connection surfaces 132, 142, are connected by means of at least one soldered connection, or here by means of two soldered connections 131, 141.

[0065] The printed circuit board 12 applies a force to the force accumulator 11, which is designed as a spring, such that the protective element 15 rests in a force-fitting and / or form-fitting manner against a stop 181 designed as a web, wherein the force accumulator 11 can displace the printed circuit board 12 relative to the protective element 15 in the event of at least one of the solder connections 131, 141 or optionally both solder connections 131, 141 melting in order to disconnect the electrical line between the first terminal 13 and the second terminal 14. The stop 181 is arranged in particular on a housing 18 of the surge protection device 1. In the case illustrated, two surge protection devices 1 share a housing 18, here such that the printed circuit boards 12 partially overlap. Optionally, however, each surge protection device 1 can also have a single housing 18.

[0066] The protective element 15 is preferably a suppressor diode, a varistor, and / or a Zener diode and is surface-mounted and optionally has a DO-214 housing. The solder connections 131, 141 can preferably melt at a temperature between 130°C and 250°C, and more preferably below 140°C, which is achieved by heating the protective element 15, preferably at voltages deviating from the expected voltage range, of up to 1500 V, preferably up to 600 V, and more preferably up to 100 V and / or above 25 V. The printed circuit board 12 is arranged in the housing 18 of the surge protection device 1, which has at least one, here two, display recesses.The circuit board also has at least two circuit board terminals 161, 162, which are connected via electrically conductive connections, in particular clamp connections, to clamp contacts 171, 172, which are connected to at least one external line (not shown), in particular to at least one busbar. Current can be conducted from the at least two circuit board terminals 161, 162 to the first terminal 13 or the second terminal 14, so that the circuit board terminals 161, 162 and consequently the clamp contacts 171, 172 are also connected to the terminals 13 and 14, so that current can be conducted from the clamp contact 171 to the clamp contact 172 by means of the protective element 15.

[0067] The housing 18 of the surge protection device 1 in Fig. 1 a also has a detection recess 183 through which a triggering of the at least one surge protection device 1 can be detected by means of a detection device (not shown).

[0068] Fig. 1 b shows a side view of the terminal block 2 according to the invention, which shows the surge protection device 1 from Fig. 1 a. A projection 184, which limits displacement of the circuit board 12 for applying the force accumulator 11, and a projection 185, which limits displacement of the circuit board 12 by the restoring force of the force accumulator 11, are arranged on the housing 18 of the surge protection device 1.

[0069] Fig. 2a shows an isometric view of the surge protection device 1 according to the invention from Fig. 1a or 1b in the triggered state. The optional second surge protection device 1 is not triggered. The solder connections 131 and 141 have melted and the circuit board 12 has been moved relative to the protective element 15 and the stop 181 by the restoring force of the energy accumulator 11, wherein the web has prevented a movement of the protective element 15 in the direction of the restoring force of the energy accumulator 11. As a result, the first connection 13 and the second connection 14, or the connection surfaces 132, 142, are no longer in contact with the protective element 15, so that no current can be conducted from the first connection 13 to the second connection 14 (and vice versa). At least one display section 122 is shown in Fig.2a is pushed through the indicator recess 182 so that a user can see that the surge protection device 1 has been triggered. The indicator recess 183 from Fig. 1b is covered by the circuit board 12 in this state. The terminal contacts 171 and 172, which were connected to the circuit board terminals 161 and 162 of the circuit board 12 of the triggered surge protection device 1 (cf. Fig. 1a), are separated by the displacement of the at least one circuit board 12 by means of the restoring force of the force accumulator 11, so that the connection between the terminals of the circuit board 12 and the external line (not shown) is severed.

[0070] Fig. 2b shows a side view of Fig. 2a.

[0071] Fig. 2c shows a further side view of the surge protection device 1, which essentially corresponds to Figs. 2a and 2c. The stop 181 is formed as part of a contour 186 integral with the housing 18, which has a structural part 187 and a cover element 188, wherein the stop 181 and the contour 186 are formed integrally with the cover element 188.

[0072] Fig. 3a shows a side view of an inventive surge protection device 1 according to a further embodiment of the present invention, which, like the surge protection device 1 from Fig. 1a, is optionally comprised by a terminal block 2 according to the invention.

[0073] The surge protection device 1 corresponds in the broadest sense to the device from Fig. 1a, however, in this embodiment, the circuit board 12 is pivotally mounted on the housing 18 of the surge protection device 1 about an axis 123. The protective element 15 is also mounted on the housing 18 and connected to the circuit board 12 by means of a single solder connection 141. In this case, the circuit board 12 has the second terminal 14, wherein the first terminal connected to the protective element 15, which is not shown here, is arranged on the circuit board 12 or alternatively on the housing 18 or on an optional additional circuit board.

[0074] If the surge protection device 1 is triggered, the solder connection 141 melts, and the restoring force of the energy accumulator 11 pivots or displaces the circuit board 12 about the axis 123, so that the electrical line between the first terminal (not shown) and the second terminal 14 is interrupted. This is illustrated in Fig. 3b.

[0075] Here, the indicator section 122 of the circuit board 12 is pushed through the indicator recess of the housing, so that a user can see that the surge protection device 1 has been triggered. Furthermore, the indicator recess 183 from Fig. 3a is concealed in the triggered state of the surge protection device 1 in Fig. 3b by the circuit board 12 rotating around the axis 123. The housing 189 has an optional guide 189, within which the circuit board 12 is at least partially arranged and thus guided during pivoting. The terminal contacts 171 are also not connected, or at least partially not connected, to the circuit board terminals 161 in Fig. 3b.

[0076] Fig. 4a shows a cross-section of a terminal block 2 according to the invention with two surge protection devices 1 according to the invention in a housing 18 corresponding to Figs. 1a to 2c and with a monitoring device 5 according to the invention. The monitoring device 5 comprises an electrical circuit having a detection device 51 which, in the event of an overvoltage, is designed to detect a change in a current flowing in the circuit and then output a signal. The electrical circuit has a mechanical switch 52 for each surge protection device which can be actuated from the circuit board 12 of the surge protection device 1 and by means of which the change in the current can be triggered. Optionally, the mechanical switch 52 is a button switch. The electrical circuit also comprises an LED 53 which lights up if the surge protection device 1 is triggered.The circuit board 12 applies a force to the force accumulator 11, and the circuit board terminals 161 and 162 are connected to external terminals (not shown). The monitoring device 5 also includes a housing 58 that is plugged onto the terminal block 2.

[0077] Fig. 4b shows a cross-section of the device from Fig. 4a with the surge protection device 1 triggered. The illustration essentially corresponds to Fig. 2a, 2b and / or 2c. The display section 122 of the circuit board 12 of the surge protection device 1 on the left in Fig. 4a and 4b has passed through the display recess 182 in the housing 18 and presses against the mechanical switch 52 assigned to it. As a result, the monitoring device is triggered and the circuit is disconnected or alternatively closed, so that the LED 53 lights up and the detection device 51 can detect a change in the current and / or voltage in the circuit or detects it and transmits a signal to a user. The circuit board connections 161 and 162 of the triggered surge protection device 1 are disconnected from an external connection. In the embodiment of Fig.4a and 4b, one circuit is used to monitor both surge protection devices 1, optionally with one LED each or with only one LED in total. Alternatively, separate and individually monitored circuits, each with a mechanical switch, can be used for each surge protection device 1.

[0078] Fig. 5 shows a larger terminal block 4, which is also a terminal block and which includes the terminal block 2 according to the invention from Figs. 4a and 4b as a component. The housing 58 of the monitoring device 5 from Fig. 4a, with a detection device 51, is plugged onto the terminal block 2, in particular onto the housing 18 of the surge protection device 1 from Fig. 4a, as shown in Figs. 4a and 4b. The surge protection device 1 and the monitoring device 5 are designed as shown in Figs. 4a and 4b.

[0079] List of reference symbols

[0080] 1 surge protection device

[0081] 11 Energy storage

[0082] 12 circuit board

[0083] 122 Display section

[0084] 123 Axis

[0085] 13 Connection

[0086] 131 Solder connection

[0087] 132 connection surface

[0088] 14 Connection

[0089] 141 Solder connection

[0090] 142 connection surface

[0091] 15 protective element

[0092] 161 PCB connection

[0093] 162 PCB connection

[0094] 171 terminal contact

[0095] 172 terminal contact

[0096] 18 housings

[0097] 181 attack

[0098] 182 Display recess

[0099] 183 Detection recess

[0100] 184 lead

[0101] 185 lead

[0102] 186 Contour

[0103] 187 Structural part

[0104] 188 Cover element

[0105] 189 Leadership

[0106] 2 terminal blocks

[0107] 3 bases

[0108] 4 terminal

[0109] 5 Monitoring device

[0110] 51 Detection device

[0111] 52 switches

[0112] 53 LEDs

[0113] 58 housings

Claims

Claims 1. Surge protection device (1) comprising a force accumulator (11) and a printed circuit board (12), wherein the printed circuit board (12) can conduct a current from a first terminal (13) to a second terminal (14) by means of at least one protective element (15) to which the terminals (13, 14) are connected by means of at least one soldered connection (131, 141), characterized in that the printed circuit board (12) applies a force to the force accumulator (11), wherein the force accumulator (11) can displace the printed circuit board (12) relative to the protective element (15) in the event of at least one of the at least one soldered connection (131, 141) melting in order to separate the electrical line between the first (13) and the second terminal (14).

2. Overvoltage protection device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the printed circuit board (12) has at least two first connection surfaces (132, 142), which each correspond to the first or the second connection (13, 14) and which are connected to the at least one protective element (15) by means of the at least one soldered connection (131, 141), so that the first connection surfaces (132, 142) are electrically conductively connected to one another by means of the protective element (15), wherein the at least one soldered connection (131, 141) is separable in the event of an overvoltage and / or an overload.

3. Overvoltage protection device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the printed circuit board (12) has at least two printed circuit board connections (161, 162) which can be connected via electrically conductive connections, in particular clamp connections, to at least one external line, in particular to at least one busbar and / or to a printed circuit board of a further terminal (4).

4. Overvoltage protection device (1 ) according to claim 3, characterized in that of the at least two printed circuit board connections (161 , 162) current can be conducted to the first (13) or the second terminal (14).

5. Overvoltage protection device (1) according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the connections of the circuit board terminals (161, 162) with the at least one external line are made by moving the at least one circuit board (12) can be separated by means of the energy accumulator (11).

6. Overvoltage protection device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one protective element (15) can be fixed non-positively and / or positively to at least one stop (181), which can preferably be a web, by means of the restoring force of the acted-upon energy accumulator (11), so that the energy accumulator (11) can move the circuit board (12) relative to the at least one stop (181) in the event of an overvoltage.

7. Overvoltage protection device (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the at least one stop (181) is fixed to a housing (18) of the overvoltage protection device (1) and in particular can be formed integrally with the housing (18).

8. Overvoltage protection device (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that at least two overvoltage protection devices (1) are arranged in the housing (18) of the overvoltage protection device (1).

9. Overvoltage protection device (1) according to one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the housing (18) has at least one display recess (182) through which the at least one printed circuit board (12) is at least partially pushed in the event of an overvoltage by means of the energy accumulator (11), so that a triggering of the at least one overvoltage protection device (1) is recognizable for a user.

10. Overvoltage protection device (1) according to one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the housing (18) has at least one detection recess (183) through which a triggering of the at least one overvoltage protection device (1) can be detected by means of a detection device (51).

11. Overvoltage protection device (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that the detection device (51) has at least one sensor, preferably an optical sensor, which is even more preferably a light barrier.

12. Overvoltage protection device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one protective element (15) comprises or is a suppressor diode, a varistor and / or a Zener diode.

13. Overvoltage protection device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the energy accumulator (11) has or is at least one spring.

14. Overvoltage protection device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the printed circuit board (12) is mounted on the housing (18) so as to be pivotable about an axis (123).

15. A terminal block (2) comprising at least one overvoltage protection device (1) having a force accumulator (11) and a printed circuit board (12), wherein the printed circuit board (12) can conduct a current from a first terminal (13) to a second terminal (14) by means of at least one protective element (15) to which the terminals (13, 14) are connected by means of at least one soldered connection (131, 141), characterized in that the printed circuit board (12) applies a force to the force accumulator (11), wherein the force accumulator (11) can displace the printed circuit board (12) relative to the protective element (15) in the event of at least one of the at least one soldered connection (131, 141) melting, in order to disconnect the electrical line between the first (13) and the second terminal (14).

16. Terminal block (2) according to claim 15, characterized in that the terminal block (2) comprises at least two overvoltage protection devices (1).

17. Terminal block (2) according to claim 15 or 16, with an overvoltage protection device (1) according to claim 3, wherein the terminal block (2) has a housing (18), characterized in that the housing (18) can be plugged into a larger terminal (4) and the printed circuit board connections (161, 162) can be connected to a second printed circuit board of the larger terminal (4).

18. Arrangement comprising at least two terminal blocks (2) according to one of claims 15 to 17.

19. Arrangement according to claim 18, characterized in that the at least two terminal blocks (12) each have a housing (18) with at least one detection recess (183) which are arranged substantially concentrically to one another, so that triggering of one of the at least two overvoltage protection devices (1) can be detected by means of a detection device (51) through the at least two detection recesses (183).

20. Arrangement according to claim 19, characterized in that the detection device (51) has at least one sensor, preferably an optical sensor, which is more preferably a light barrier, the light beam of which is directed through the at least two detection recesses.

21. Monitoring device (5) for an overvoltage protection device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 14, which comprises an electrical circuit which has a detection device (51) which is designed to detect a change in a current flowing in the electrical circuit in the event of an overvoltage and to then output a signal, characterized in that the electrical circuit has at least one mechanical switch (52) which can be actuated by the printed circuit board (12) of the overvoltage protection device (1), by means of which actuation the change in the current can be triggered.

22. Monitoring device (5) according to claim 21, characterized in that the at least one mechanical switch (52) is a button switch, a microswitch or a push button.

23. Monitoring device according to one of claims 21 or 22, characterized in that the circuit comprises at least one light-emitting diode (53) which is connected in the circuit in such a way that it lights up in the event of actuation of at least one of the mechanical switches (52).

24. Monitoring device (5) according to one of claims 21 to 23, characterized in that the monitoring device (5) detects the change in the current as a drop in voltage due to the circuit being opened by means of the switch (52) or as a rise in voltage due to the circuit being closed by means of the switch (52).

25. Monitoring device (5) according to one of claims 22 to 24, characterized in that the circuit has a first and at least a second of the mechanical switches (52), wherein the mechanical switches (52) are connected in series or parallel in the circuit.

Images