DEVICE FOR PROTECTING AGAINST OVERCURRENTS IN ELECTRIC CIRCUITS AND USES OF SAID DEVICE IN A FUSE LINK AND IN A RELATED LIMITING FUSE AS WELL AS IN FUSES FOR PROTECTING SEMICONDUCTORS

摘要

The invention provides an overcurrent protection device (1), comprising a current input terminal (2); a central terminal (3) for the output of current overshoots (I s ); and a terminal (4) for the output of non impulse currents (I c ) which is outwardly connected to the voltage of the central terminal (3) before the occurrence of the current overshoot (Is) at the input terminal (2); and an electrical conductor element (5) connected between the current input and output terminals (2 and 4); such conductor element showing a reduced self-induction (L) when operating without current overshoots but, which, in case that current overshoots are present at the input terminal (2), produces a high drop of the induction voltage between such input terminal and the output terminal (2 and 4); wherein the central terminal (3) is arranged in the vicinity of the current input terminal (2) at a distance (D) that may be regulated, so that when, as a result of a current overshoot, the inductive voltage drop between the input terminal and the non-impulse current output terminal (2 and 4) exceeds the dielectric strength of the dielectric material present between the input and central terminals (2 and 3), and thanks to the skin effect, an arc is generated between such input and central terminal (2 and 3), thus preventing the flow of current overshoots (Is) through the conductor element (5).