Modular Overvoltage Protection Device With Intermediary Socket
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing overvoltage protection devices require a large number of different base elements and protective plugs, leading to impedance changes when plugs are inserted or withdrawn, compromising interrupt-free and impedance-neutral operations.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of an intermediate device part with longitudinal components allows the upper device part to be plugged in and out without interrupting the circuit, using mating contact elements and longitudinal elements to maintain impedance neutrality, enabling the use of a single lower device part with multiple upper device parts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple different base elements and protective plugs are used to achieve modular overvoltage protection, then adaptability and versatility are improved, but device complexity increases and impedance neutrality is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The base element is designed as a universal platform that can accommodate multiple types of protective plugs through standardized socket interfaces. The single base element with multiple socket types allows different protective plugs to be connected without requiring multiple specialized base elements, thus improving adaptability while reducing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The socket interface acts as an intermediary between the base element and protective plugs. This standardized connection mechanism enables impedance-neutral insertion and withdrawal of protective plugs by maintaining consistent electrical characteristics throughout the connection, resolving the contradiction between versatility and impedance neutrality.
2Device complexity
If protective plugs are directly connected to base element terminals, then device complexity is reduced, but impedance neutrality is compromised during insertion and withdrawal
Solution Approach 1:
The socket interface serves as an intermediary component between the base element terminals and the protective plugs. This intermediate connection structure maintains impedance neutrality during insertion and withdrawal operations by providing a stable reference point, preventing impedance changes that would occur with direct terminal connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The socket interface is designed to maintain equipotential conditions during protective plug insertion and withdrawal. By providing a stable electrical reference through the socket structure, the system ensures that impedance remains neutral throughout the operation, resolving the reliability issue while keeping device complexity low.
3Adaptability or versatility
If longitudinal elements are integrated into the base element for all protective plug types, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases due to multiple base element variants
Solution Approach 1:
The base element incorporates multiple socket types in a single universal platform, allowing different protective plugs with various longitudinal element configurations to be connected to the same base element. This eliminates the need for multiple specialized base element variants while maintaining adaptability to different protective plug types.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is segmented into two independent functional parts: the base element containing the terminal connections and mounting structure, and the protective plugs containing the overvoltage protection circuits and longitudinal elements. This segmentation allows the longitudinal elements to be configured in each protective plug according to its specific requirements, while the base element remains a simple universal platform, reducing overall device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An overvoltage protection device for protecting electrical low-voltage installations, having a lower device part and at least one upper device part, wherein the lower device part has input and output terminals for the electrical conductors to be connected and contact elements connected to the input and output terminals. The upper device part has at least one overvoltage protection element. An intermediate device part is additionally provided which can be fitted onto the lower device part and onto which the upper device part can be fitted. The intermediate device part has mating contact elements corresponding to the contact elements of the lower device part and also has contact elements connected to the mating contact elements. The intermediate part has at least one longitudinal element connected between two mating contact elements, and the upper device part has mating contact elements corresponding to the contact elements of the intermediate device part.