CA1103293A - High current contact - Google Patents
High current contactInfo
- Publication number
- CA1103293A CA1103293A CA303,166A CA303166A CA1103293A CA 1103293 A CA1103293 A CA 1103293A CA 303166 A CA303166 A CA 303166A CA 1103293 A CA1103293 A CA 1103293A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- contact
- fingers
- housing
- spring
- springs
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H1/00—Contacts
- H01H1/12—Contacts characterised by the manner in which co-operating contacts engage
- H01H1/36—Contacts characterised by the manner in which co-operating contacts engage by sliding
- H01H1/38—Plug-and-socket contacts
Landscapes
- Contacts (AREA)
- Coupling Device And Connection With Printed Circuit (AREA)
- Slide Switches (AREA)
Abstract
HIGH CURRENT CONTACT
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A telescoping contact assembly for high current applications includes a center conductor and a coaxial con-tact sheath assembly. The contact sheath assembly comprises a plurality of spring-loaded elongated contact fingers arranged about the inner circumference of a cylindrical housing. Each spring is loaded so as to create a spring force directed along the length of each contact finger in an axial direction with respect to the housing. Each contact finger is urged against a surface of the housing at a point of contact offset from the line of action of the spring force, thereby producing a radial force component creating contact pressure between each finger contact and the housing, and between each finger contact and the inserted center conductor.
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A telescoping contact assembly for high current applications includes a center conductor and a coaxial con-tact sheath assembly. The contact sheath assembly comprises a plurality of spring-loaded elongated contact fingers arranged about the inner circumference of a cylindrical housing. Each spring is loaded so as to create a spring force directed along the length of each contact finger in an axial direction with respect to the housing. Each contact finger is urged against a surface of the housing at a point of contact offset from the line of action of the spring force, thereby producing a radial force component creating contact pressure between each finger contact and the housing, and between each finger contact and the inserted center conductor.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE IN~ENTION
Field of the Invention:
The invention relates generally to electrical apparatus, and more particularly to high-current sliding contact assemblies.
Descri~tion of the Prior Art:
Many devices used in the transmission and distri-bution of electrical energy require sliding contact current transfer members. Such devices include gas insulated or air type disconnect switches, grounding switches, high-current bus switches, and gas insulated transmission bus Joints.
Each of these devices includes two members relatively movable between an open position wherein the members are physically <
-,, ~ , ....
, ' ~: :
~ ~ 3~ ~3 ~7,168 - separated and a closecl position wherein the members are ln mechanical engagement, allowing electrical energy to flow therebetween.
The problem to be solved in all of these devices is that of reducing electrical resistance at the point of mechanical engagement. This resistance produces a joule neating effect as current passes therethrough, thereby limiting the maximum amount of current which can b,e safely transferred. Methods for reducing this resistance include providing a large number of separate points of engagement between the separable members and providing contact pressure urging the two members together. While increasing the contact pressure and increasing the number of points of engagement between the separable members reduces the resist-ance, it also means that the mechanism for moving the members between the open and closed positions must generate considerable force, thereby increasing the cost of the mechanism.
Prior art devices have included a plurality of spring-loaded contact fingers to provide a multiplicity of contact points upon each of which is exerted a spring force in a direction perpendiculr to the direction of relative movement between the separable members. While the contact resistance and therefore the temperature rise was within tolerable limits in such prior art devices~ the resulting force required for actuation of the contacts required a costly high-energy actuating mechanism or was otherwise obJectionable from a cost standpoint.
It is therefore desirable to provide a contact 3 assembly exhibitng minimum contact resistance at a lower ~ 3 47,168 - cost.
SUMMARY O~ THE INVENTION
In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a resilient sliding contact assembly comprising a housing, a contact member adapted for sliding electrical contact with an associated conductor, resilient biasing means acting upon the contact member, and means attached to the housing lor loading the biasing means to produce a spring force along said contact member, the spring force having a line of action generally parallel to the direction of relative motion between the contact member and an associated conductor, thereby urging the contact member against the surface of the housing to produce electrical contact therebetween. The point of contact between the contact member and the housing surface is offset from the line of action of the spring force. The spring force is thus resolved into a component parallel to the direction of relative motion between the center con-ductor and the housing, and a component perpendicular to the direction of relative motion between the conductor and the housing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a telescoping contact assembly employing the principles of the present in- -vention;
Figure 2 is an end view of the contact sheath shown in Figure l;
Figure 3 is a partial sectional view of the contact assembly of Figures 1 and 2, showing the construction of the indi~idual contact fingers; and Ll7,168 - Figure 4 is a partial sectional view similar to Figure 3 of a telescoplng contact employing an alternate embodiment of the present invention, with the center con-ductor withdrawn.
DESCRIPTI~N OF THE PRE~ERRED EMBO~MENT
Throughout the drawings and specifications, llke reference characters refer to corresponding components.
Referring now to Figure 1, there is shown a tele-scoping contact assembly 10 incorporating the principles of the present invention. The assembly 10 includes a movable cylindrical center conductor 12 and a cooperating contact sheath assembly 14. When the conductor 12 is inserted into the assembly 14, the outer walls of the conductor 12 form electrical contact with a plurality of contact finger members 18 arranged around the inner circumference of the housing 16. The fingers 18 are held against a contact surface 19 by a plurality of coil springs 20, one of which is attached to each of the fingers 18. The other ends of the springs 20 are seated in a channel 22 of a metallic ` 20 holder ring 24 and secured by a flexible adhesive.
A retainer ring 26 is seated around the inner circumference of the housing 16 (axially spaced from the fingers 18) and held there by set screws 28 engaging the inner surface of the housing 16. Loadlng screws 30 are threaded into the retainer ring 26 and are tightened against the holder ring 24 to load the springs 20 to provide the de-sired spring force upon the contact fingers 18.
As can be seen more readily in Figure 3, each of - the contact fingers 18 includes an aperture 32 through which extends a circular metallic stabilizer ring 34. The orienta-.
' ~
47,168 ~ion o, the stabilizer ring 3LI can be seen more clearly in Figure 2. During const.ruction of' the sheath assembly 14, the fingers 18 are strung upon the stabilizer ring 34 like beads upon a necklace. The ends of the stabilizer ring 34 are then crimped to sllghtly enlarge them and prevent the contact fingers 18 from sliding off. In addition to aiding in the assembly of the de~ice, the stabilizer ring 34, by maintaining the contact fingers ,L8 in close proximity to each other, provides lateral stability and prevents the fingers 18 from sliding out of place during operation of the assembly 10.
As can be seen in Figure 3, each of the springs 20 is seated in a notch 36, the height of which is indicated by dimension A of Figure 3. The diameter of the spring 20 is greater than the dimension A as indicated by dimension B of Figure 3. Thus, when the spring 20 is inserted from the side by an automated mechanical procedure (prior to stringing the fingers 18 on the ring 34), the spring 20 is compressed across its diameter and elongated in a direction perpendic-ular to the plane of the drawing. The spring 20 is thussecurely retained by the notch 36 and will not fall out or come loose during either assembly or operation of the contact device.
Each of the contact fingers 18 has an end surface 38 and a bottom surface 40 which intersects at an angle C
less than 90. The force of the spring 20 causes the contact finger 18 to bear against the housing 16 at the points 42 and 44. As can be seen the bearing point 42 is offset from the line of action 46 of the spring 20. This causes the force from the spring 20 to be resolved into a component 48 ~ 3 47,168 - parallel to the direction of relative motion between the conductor 12 and the sheath assembly 14 and a force component 50 perpendicular to that direction. A contact pressure is thus maintained between the finger 18 and the housing 16 at the points 42 and 44, and another contact pressure at the point 52 between a protruding surface of the finger contact 18 and the center conductor 12. By ad~usting the offset distance E between the spring force line of action and the engagement point 42, the relative contact pressures can be adjusted in any manner desired. For example, a contact assembly for a high voltage gas insulated dis~
connect switch having a center conductor diameter of 2.36 inches and a total of 56 contact fingers can provide contact pressures between the individual finger members 18 and housing 16 of about 10 pounds and a contact pressure between the center conductor 12 and contact finger 18 of about 3-1/2 pounds. This contact assembly has a capability of handling ~ `
4,000 amperes continuous current and a symmetrical fault current of 63,000 amperes.
The walls 54 and 56 of the holder ring channel 22 are inclined at an angle to the axis of the spring 20. This provides two important advantages. First, the lower angle F
aids in the assembly of the contact device. The upper angle G allows the spring 20 to buckle slightly when the center conductor 16 is disengaged, allowing the contact 18 to move upward. The inner diameter of the holder ring 24 is slightly larger than t;he outer diameter of the center conductor 12.
Thus, proper engagement of the center conductor 12 and sheath assembly 14 is possible not only with a slight axial displacement therebetween, but also with a slight axial :.
47,168 - misalignment; that is, a degree of non-parallelism between the axes of the center conductor 12 and the sheath assembly 14. It is the inward movement of the finger contacts 18 permitted by the angled wall 5'~ of the channel 22 which permits such operation. ~or example, with an angle G equal to 13, the axes of the conductor 12 and sheath assembly 14 can be misaligned by as much as 3. Proper operation under these conditions is especially important since axial mis-alignment is extremely di~ficult to correct, unlike axial displacement which can be more easily corrected by adjust-ment of components.
The use of contact fingers 18 having the disclosed configuration also produces a wiping action at the points ~2, 42, and 44 during operation of the device 10. This is especially important when the device 10 is operated in an air environment which often tends to corrode exposed sur-faces. Such corrosion occurring at the points o~ contact acts to raise the resistance and produce high running temp-eratures.
The individual contact fingers 18 can be formed by either a fine blanking process or a three-step process involving sintering, coining, and annealing to increase conductivity. The disclosed device allows the use of almost twice as many points of contact between the sheath assembly 14 and the center conductor 12 as would a device constructed for the same cost according to the prior art. Performance is thus substantially improved, allowing a reduced total contact pressure between the fingers 18 and the center conductor 12. This allows the use of a less costly operating mechanism to provide motion for the center conductor 12.
~JW~ 47,1~
- Various means of loading the springs 20 can be employed. For example, a unitary member 29 providing the functions of both the holder ring 24 and the retainer ring 26 is shown in Fiæure 4. The spring seat channel 22 and set screws 28 are both included in the single member 29. Other means of loading the springs can also be employed.
The contact fingers cc,uld also be located on the outer circumference of the movable condu¢tor 12 rather than on the inner circumference of the sheath assembly 14. While fewer fingers could be included for the same size contact, this configuration may be desirable in some applications.
It can be seen therefore that the present invention provides a high-current transfer contact assembly exhibiting significant advantages over the prior art at substantially reduced cost.
Field of the Invention:
The invention relates generally to electrical apparatus, and more particularly to high-current sliding contact assemblies.
Descri~tion of the Prior Art:
Many devices used in the transmission and distri-bution of electrical energy require sliding contact current transfer members. Such devices include gas insulated or air type disconnect switches, grounding switches, high-current bus switches, and gas insulated transmission bus Joints.
Each of these devices includes two members relatively movable between an open position wherein the members are physically <
-,, ~ , ....
, ' ~: :
~ ~ 3~ ~3 ~7,168 - separated and a closecl position wherein the members are ln mechanical engagement, allowing electrical energy to flow therebetween.
The problem to be solved in all of these devices is that of reducing electrical resistance at the point of mechanical engagement. This resistance produces a joule neating effect as current passes therethrough, thereby limiting the maximum amount of current which can b,e safely transferred. Methods for reducing this resistance include providing a large number of separate points of engagement between the separable members and providing contact pressure urging the two members together. While increasing the contact pressure and increasing the number of points of engagement between the separable members reduces the resist-ance, it also means that the mechanism for moving the members between the open and closed positions must generate considerable force, thereby increasing the cost of the mechanism.
Prior art devices have included a plurality of spring-loaded contact fingers to provide a multiplicity of contact points upon each of which is exerted a spring force in a direction perpendiculr to the direction of relative movement between the separable members. While the contact resistance and therefore the temperature rise was within tolerable limits in such prior art devices~ the resulting force required for actuation of the contacts required a costly high-energy actuating mechanism or was otherwise obJectionable from a cost standpoint.
It is therefore desirable to provide a contact 3 assembly exhibitng minimum contact resistance at a lower ~ 3 47,168 - cost.
SUMMARY O~ THE INVENTION
In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a resilient sliding contact assembly comprising a housing, a contact member adapted for sliding electrical contact with an associated conductor, resilient biasing means acting upon the contact member, and means attached to the housing lor loading the biasing means to produce a spring force along said contact member, the spring force having a line of action generally parallel to the direction of relative motion between the contact member and an associated conductor, thereby urging the contact member against the surface of the housing to produce electrical contact therebetween. The point of contact between the contact member and the housing surface is offset from the line of action of the spring force. The spring force is thus resolved into a component parallel to the direction of relative motion between the center con-ductor and the housing, and a component perpendicular to the direction of relative motion between the conductor and the housing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a telescoping contact assembly employing the principles of the present in- -vention;
Figure 2 is an end view of the contact sheath shown in Figure l;
Figure 3 is a partial sectional view of the contact assembly of Figures 1 and 2, showing the construction of the indi~idual contact fingers; and Ll7,168 - Figure 4 is a partial sectional view similar to Figure 3 of a telescoplng contact employing an alternate embodiment of the present invention, with the center con-ductor withdrawn.
DESCRIPTI~N OF THE PRE~ERRED EMBO~MENT
Throughout the drawings and specifications, llke reference characters refer to corresponding components.
Referring now to Figure 1, there is shown a tele-scoping contact assembly 10 incorporating the principles of the present invention. The assembly 10 includes a movable cylindrical center conductor 12 and a cooperating contact sheath assembly 14. When the conductor 12 is inserted into the assembly 14, the outer walls of the conductor 12 form electrical contact with a plurality of contact finger members 18 arranged around the inner circumference of the housing 16. The fingers 18 are held against a contact surface 19 by a plurality of coil springs 20, one of which is attached to each of the fingers 18. The other ends of the springs 20 are seated in a channel 22 of a metallic ` 20 holder ring 24 and secured by a flexible adhesive.
A retainer ring 26 is seated around the inner circumference of the housing 16 (axially spaced from the fingers 18) and held there by set screws 28 engaging the inner surface of the housing 16. Loadlng screws 30 are threaded into the retainer ring 26 and are tightened against the holder ring 24 to load the springs 20 to provide the de-sired spring force upon the contact fingers 18.
As can be seen more readily in Figure 3, each of - the contact fingers 18 includes an aperture 32 through which extends a circular metallic stabilizer ring 34. The orienta-.
' ~
47,168 ~ion o, the stabilizer ring 3LI can be seen more clearly in Figure 2. During const.ruction of' the sheath assembly 14, the fingers 18 are strung upon the stabilizer ring 34 like beads upon a necklace. The ends of the stabilizer ring 34 are then crimped to sllghtly enlarge them and prevent the contact fingers 18 from sliding off. In addition to aiding in the assembly of the de~ice, the stabilizer ring 34, by maintaining the contact fingers ,L8 in close proximity to each other, provides lateral stability and prevents the fingers 18 from sliding out of place during operation of the assembly 10.
As can be seen in Figure 3, each of the springs 20 is seated in a notch 36, the height of which is indicated by dimension A of Figure 3. The diameter of the spring 20 is greater than the dimension A as indicated by dimension B of Figure 3. Thus, when the spring 20 is inserted from the side by an automated mechanical procedure (prior to stringing the fingers 18 on the ring 34), the spring 20 is compressed across its diameter and elongated in a direction perpendic-ular to the plane of the drawing. The spring 20 is thussecurely retained by the notch 36 and will not fall out or come loose during either assembly or operation of the contact device.
Each of the contact fingers 18 has an end surface 38 and a bottom surface 40 which intersects at an angle C
less than 90. The force of the spring 20 causes the contact finger 18 to bear against the housing 16 at the points 42 and 44. As can be seen the bearing point 42 is offset from the line of action 46 of the spring 20. This causes the force from the spring 20 to be resolved into a component 48 ~ 3 47,168 - parallel to the direction of relative motion between the conductor 12 and the sheath assembly 14 and a force component 50 perpendicular to that direction. A contact pressure is thus maintained between the finger 18 and the housing 16 at the points 42 and 44, and another contact pressure at the point 52 between a protruding surface of the finger contact 18 and the center conductor 12. By ad~usting the offset distance E between the spring force line of action and the engagement point 42, the relative contact pressures can be adjusted in any manner desired. For example, a contact assembly for a high voltage gas insulated dis~
connect switch having a center conductor diameter of 2.36 inches and a total of 56 contact fingers can provide contact pressures between the individual finger members 18 and housing 16 of about 10 pounds and a contact pressure between the center conductor 12 and contact finger 18 of about 3-1/2 pounds. This contact assembly has a capability of handling ~ `
4,000 amperes continuous current and a symmetrical fault current of 63,000 amperes.
The walls 54 and 56 of the holder ring channel 22 are inclined at an angle to the axis of the spring 20. This provides two important advantages. First, the lower angle F
aids in the assembly of the contact device. The upper angle G allows the spring 20 to buckle slightly when the center conductor 16 is disengaged, allowing the contact 18 to move upward. The inner diameter of the holder ring 24 is slightly larger than t;he outer diameter of the center conductor 12.
Thus, proper engagement of the center conductor 12 and sheath assembly 14 is possible not only with a slight axial displacement therebetween, but also with a slight axial :.
47,168 - misalignment; that is, a degree of non-parallelism between the axes of the center conductor 12 and the sheath assembly 14. It is the inward movement of the finger contacts 18 permitted by the angled wall 5'~ of the channel 22 which permits such operation. ~or example, with an angle G equal to 13, the axes of the conductor 12 and sheath assembly 14 can be misaligned by as much as 3. Proper operation under these conditions is especially important since axial mis-alignment is extremely di~ficult to correct, unlike axial displacement which can be more easily corrected by adjust-ment of components.
The use of contact fingers 18 having the disclosed configuration also produces a wiping action at the points ~2, 42, and 44 during operation of the device 10. This is especially important when the device 10 is operated in an air environment which often tends to corrode exposed sur-faces. Such corrosion occurring at the points o~ contact acts to raise the resistance and produce high running temp-eratures.
The individual contact fingers 18 can be formed by either a fine blanking process or a three-step process involving sintering, coining, and annealing to increase conductivity. The disclosed device allows the use of almost twice as many points of contact between the sheath assembly 14 and the center conductor 12 as would a device constructed for the same cost according to the prior art. Performance is thus substantially improved, allowing a reduced total contact pressure between the fingers 18 and the center conductor 12. This allows the use of a less costly operating mechanism to provide motion for the center conductor 12.
~JW~ 47,1~
- Various means of loading the springs 20 can be employed. For example, a unitary member 29 providing the functions of both the holder ring 24 and the retainer ring 26 is shown in Fiæure 4. The spring seat channel 22 and set screws 28 are both included in the single member 29. Other means of loading the springs can also be employed.
The contact fingers cc,uld also be located on the outer circumference of the movable condu¢tor 12 rather than on the inner circumference of the sheath assembly 14. While fewer fingers could be included for the same size contact, this configuration may be desirable in some applications.
It can be seen therefore that the present invention provides a high-current transfer contact assembly exhibiting significant advantages over the prior art at substantially reduced cost.
Claims (13)
1. A resilient sliding contact, comprising:
a housing;
a plurality of independently movable contact fingers adapted for sliding electrical contact with an associated conductor;
a like number of resilient biasing means, each of said resilient biasing means acting upon one of said contact fingers;
means connected to said housing for loading said biasing means to produce a spring force against each of said contact fingers, said spring forces each having a line of action generally parallel to the direction of relative motion between said contact fingers and an associated con-ductor and urging said contact fingers against a surface of said housing to produce electrical contact therebetween, the point of contact between said contact fingers and said hous-ing surface being offset from the line of action of said spring forces to produce contact pressure forces perpendicu-lar to said line of action.
a housing;
a plurality of independently movable contact fingers adapted for sliding electrical contact with an associated conductor;
a like number of resilient biasing means, each of said resilient biasing means acting upon one of said contact fingers;
means connected to said housing for loading said biasing means to produce a spring force against each of said contact fingers, said spring forces each having a line of action generally parallel to the direction of relative motion between said contact fingers and an associated con-ductor and urging said contact fingers against a surface of said housing to produce electrical contact therebetween, the point of contact between said contact fingers and said hous-ing surface being offset from the line of action of said spring forces to produce contact pressure forces perpendicu-lar to said line of action.
2. A contact as recited in claim 1 wherein each of said contact fingers comprises a protruding surface adapted for sliding contact with an associated conductor and for exerting a contact pressure thereon, the distance between said protruding surfaces and the points of contact between said contact fingers and said housing being related to the offset between said points of contact and the lines of action of said spring forces so as to resolve said spring forces into major components generally parallel to said direction of relative motion and minor components generally perpendicular to said direction of relative motion.
3. A contact as recited in claim 2 wherein said biasing means comprise helical springs seated in said contact fingers, the axes of said springs being substantially parallel to the direction of relative movement between said contact fingers and an associated conductor.
4. A contact as recited in claim 3 wherein said loading means comprises a spring holder attached to said housing and comprising a plurality of spring seats receiving the ends of said springs opposite to those ends seated in said contact fingers, each of said spring seats having a base and a pair of side walls diverging from said base, said side walls being inclined at an angle to the axes of said springs so as to permit angular movement of said springs within said spring seats.
5. A contact as recited in claim 4 wherein each of said contact fingers comprise an aperture therethrough extending in a direction perpendicular to both of said force components, said contact comprising a stabilizer rod extending through said apertures.
6. A contact as recited in claim 5 wherein said loading means comprises a spring holder attached to said housing and comprising a plurality of spring seats receiving the ends of said springs opposite to those ends seated in said contact fingers, said spring seats each having a base and a pair of side walls diverging from said base, said side walls being inclined at an angle to the axes of said springs so as to permit angular movement of said springs within said spring seats.
7. A resilient high current sliding contact assembly, comprising:
a cylindrical housing;
a plurality of independently movable contact fingers arranged in a circle and seated against a surface of said hous-ing, each being adapted for sliding electrical contact with an associated cylindrical conductor;
a plurality of resilient biasing means acting upon said contact fingers;
means attached to said housing for loading said bias-ing means so as to produce a spring force upon each of said contact fingers, said spring forces each having a component in the radial direction and a larger component in the axial direction, said radial components producing contact pressure between each of said fingers and an associated conductor and said axial component producing contact pressure between said fingers and said housing surface.
a cylindrical housing;
a plurality of independently movable contact fingers arranged in a circle and seated against a surface of said hous-ing, each being adapted for sliding electrical contact with an associated cylindrical conductor;
a plurality of resilient biasing means acting upon said contact fingers;
means attached to said housing for loading said bias-ing means so as to produce a spring force upon each of said contact fingers, said spring forces each having a component in the radial direction and a larger component in the axial direction, said radial components producing contact pressure between each of said fingers and an associated conductor and said axial component producing contact pressure between said fingers and said housing surface.
8. A contact assembly as recited in claim 7 wherein the contacting surfaces of said fingers and said housing are nonparallel and the point of contact between said surfaces is offset from the line action of said spring force.
9. A contact assembly as recited in claim 8 wherein each of said fingers comprises a recessed spring seat and said biasing means comprises a plurality of helical coil springs each fixedly secured at one end to the spring seat of one of said fingers, and said loading means comprises a holder ring attached to said housing and comprising a grooved channel formed in a radial surface of said holder ring, said channel receiving the ends of said coil springs opposite said fingers.
10. A contact assembly as recited in claim 9 wherein said channel comprises angled side walls permitting angular motion of said spring with respect to said channel.
11. A contact assembly as recited in claim 7 wherein each of said fingers comprises an aperture there-through centered on an axis perpendicular to both of said spring force components, said assembly comprising a stabil-izer ring extending through all of said apertures.
12. A resilient sliding contact, comprising:
a housing;
a plurality of independently movable contact fingers adapted for sliding electrical contact with an associated con-ductor;
a like number of resilient biasing means each fixedly attached to one of said contact fingers;
means connected to said housing for loading said bias-ing means to produce a bias force against each of said contact fingers; said bias forces each having a line of action generally parallel to the direction of relative motion between said contact fingers and an associated conductor and urging said contact fingers against a surface of said housing to produce electrical contact therebetween, the point of contact between said contact fingers and said housing surface being offset from the line of action of said bias forces to produce contact pressure forces perpendicular to said lines of action.
a housing;
a plurality of independently movable contact fingers adapted for sliding electrical contact with an associated con-ductor;
a like number of resilient biasing means each fixedly attached to one of said contact fingers;
means connected to said housing for loading said bias-ing means to produce a bias force against each of said contact fingers; said bias forces each having a line of action generally parallel to the direction of relative motion between said contact fingers and an associated conductor and urging said contact fingers against a surface of said housing to produce electrical contact therebetween, the point of contact between said contact fingers and said housing surface being offset from the line of action of said bias forces to produce contact pressure forces perpendicular to said lines of action.
13. A contact as recited in claim 12 wherein said contact fingers are circumferentially arranged in said housing and each of said fingers comprises a spring seat notch, and each of said biasing means comprises a helical spring having a diameter slightly larger than the width of said notches, each of said springs being press fitted into one of said notches.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US80112277A | 1977-05-27 | 1977-05-27 | |
| US801,122 | 1977-05-27 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1103293A true CA1103293A (en) | 1981-06-16 |
Family
ID=25180253
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA303,166A Expired CA1103293A (en) | 1977-05-27 | 1978-05-11 | High current contact |
Country Status (6)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| JP (1) | JPS5834890B2 (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1103293A (en) |
| FR (1) | FR2392478A1 (en) |
| GB (1) | GB1603285A (en) |
| IT (1) | IT1107369B (en) |
| NO (1) | NO781732L (en) |
Families Citing this family (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2280791A (en) * | 1993-08-04 | 1995-02-08 | Ab Connectors Ltd | Pin and socket electrical connector |
Family Cites Families (8)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE1002845B (en) * | 1953-06-01 | 1957-02-21 | Voigt & Haeffner Ag | Contact arrangement for movable switch pins |
| DE1137789B (en) * | 1955-07-27 | 1962-10-11 | Sachsenwerk Licht & Kraft Ag | Contact arrangement for circuit breaker |
| DE1179288B (en) * | 1963-05-14 | 1964-10-08 | Licentia Gmbh | Switch contact arrangement |
| JPS5221188B2 (en) * | 1971-12-03 | 1977-06-08 | ||
| DE2220192A1 (en) * | 1972-04-25 | 1973-11-08 | Calor Emag Elektrizitaets Ag | RADIALLY SLIDING CONTACT BOLT |
| DE2265022A1 (en) * | 1972-06-30 | 1976-03-18 | Bbc Brown Boveri & Cie | CONTACT DEVICE FOR AN ELECTRIC SWITCH, IN PARTICULAR SWITCH-DISCONNECTOR |
| FR2266328A2 (en) * | 1974-03-27 | 1975-10-24 | Cem Comp Electro Mec | Conducting ball and socket connector - has spring loaded pins holding ball part and support piece together |
| JPS5132824A (en) * | 1974-09-10 | 1976-03-19 | Asahi Chemical Ind | Horiamidokeiseni no yojuboshihoho |
-
1978
- 1978-05-08 GB GB18217/78A patent/GB1603285A/en not_active Expired
- 1978-05-11 CA CA303,166A patent/CA1103293A/en not_active Expired
- 1978-05-18 NO NO78781732A patent/NO781732L/en unknown
- 1978-05-25 JP JP53061777A patent/JPS5834890B2/en not_active Expired
- 1978-05-25 IT IT41585/78A patent/IT1107369B/en active
- 1978-05-26 FR FR7815831A patent/FR2392478A1/en active Granted
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| IT7841585A0 (en) | 1978-05-25 |
| IT1107369B (en) | 1985-11-25 |
| FR2392478B1 (en) | 1984-11-16 |
| JPS5834890B2 (en) | 1983-07-29 |
| FR2392478A1 (en) | 1978-12-22 |
| GB1603285A (en) | 1981-11-25 |
| NO781732L (en) | 1978-11-28 |
| JPS5434066A (en) | 1979-03-13 |
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