Limiter for current limiting

US5793278A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Siemens Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventors

• Fritz Pohl · Hemhofen, DE
• Wilfried Jaehner · Wendelstein, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 17, 1996
• Grant date: Aug 11, 1998
• Expiry date: Jun 17, 2016

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01C7/13
• WIPO field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A current limiter with a controllable resistance which assumes a low value during rated service and a high value during a short-circuit disconnect. The current limiter includes a thermoplastic resistive member between two flat, metallic electrodes. Each of the flat metallic electrodes has a surface profile on the side facing the thermoplastic resistive member. The resistive member has a surface profile complementary to the surface profile on the adjacent surfaces of the flat electrodes. The flat electrodes and the resistive member are thereby inseparably connected, with the flat electrodes and the resistive member being pressed together by a pressure force. The interlocking of the surfaces results in an especially rapid readjustment of the limiter resistance from its high-resistance state during a short-circuit disconnect back to the low-resistance state during rated service.