US3462572A - Vacuum type circuit interrupter having contacts provided with improved arcpropelling means - Google Patents

Vacuum type circuit interrupter having contacts provided with improved arcpropelling means Download PDF

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Publication number
US3462572A
US3462572A US583808A US3462572DA US3462572A US 3462572 A US3462572 A US 3462572A US 583808 A US583808 A US 583808A US 3462572D A US3462572D A US 3462572DA US 3462572 A US3462572 A US 3462572A
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United States
Prior art keywords
contact
button
slots
arc
contacts
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Expired - Lifetime
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US583808A
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English (en)
Inventor
Joseph C Sofianek
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General Electric Co
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General Electric Co
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H33/00—High-tension or heavy-current switches with arc-extinguishing or arc-preventing means
    • H01H33/60—Switches wherein the means for extinguishing or preventing the arc do not include separate means for obtaining or increasing flow of arc-extinguishing fluid
    • H01H33/66—Vacuum switches
    • H01H33/662—Housings or protective screens
    • H01H33/66261—Specific screen details, e.g. mounting, materials, multiple screens or specific electrical field considerations
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H33/00—High-tension or heavy-current switches with arc-extinguishing or arc-preventing means
    • H01H33/60—Switches wherein the means for extinguishing or preventing the arc do not include separate means for obtaining or increasing flow of arc-extinguishing fluid
    • H01H33/66—Vacuum switches
    • H01H33/664—Contacts; Arc-extinguishing means, e.g. arcing rings
    • H01H33/6643—Contacts; Arc-extinguishing means, e.g. arcing rings having disc-shaped contacts subdivided in petal-like segments, e.g. by helical grooves
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H33/00—High-tension or heavy-current switches with arc-extinguishing or arc-preventing means
    • H01H33/60—Switches wherein the means for extinguishing or preventing the arc do not include separate means for obtaining or increasing flow of arc-extinguishing fluid
    • H01H33/66—Vacuum switches
    • H01H33/662—Housings or protective screens
    • H01H33/66261—Specific screen details, e.g. mounting, materials, multiple screens or specific electrical field considerations
    • H01H2033/66292—Details relating to the use of multiple screens in vacuum switches

Definitions

  • each contact comprises a centrally-located contact-making button.
  • the slots in each contact extend radially inwardly past the outer periphery of the associated button and are bridged near their inner end by said button.
  • This invention relates to a vacuum-type circuit interrupter, and, more particularly, to contact structure for such an interrupter that is capable of handling very high currents.
  • the invention is concerned with the general type of contact structure shown and claimed in U.S. Patent 2,949,520-Schneider, assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
  • the contact structure of the Schneider patent comprises a disc-shaped member having a plurality of slots therein extending both radially and circumferentially of the disc member. These slots are used to produce an arc-rotating effect that ⁇ forces arcs having a terminal located on the slotted portion of the disc member to revolve about the central axis of the disc member.
  • Centrally of the disc member there is a contact-making region where arcs are initiated during circuit-interrupting operations.
  • Such an a-rc is magnetically driven radially outward off of the contact-making region; and as it approaches the outer periphery of the disc member, it is rotated by the arc-rotating action produced by the slots in the disc member.
  • the arc-rotation that results from the slots has been found to increase the amount of current that can be interrupted by contacts of a given diameter.
  • An object of the present invention is to materially reduce this tendency of the arc to stall and produce excess erosion at the inner end of a rotation-producing slot in such a contact.
  • a disc-shaped contact with slots of the general type described above may be thought of as comprising a plurality of radially and circumferentially extending ngers respectively bounded by adjacent pairs of slots.
  • the amount of arc-rotating force that will be developed on an arc located near the outer periphery of a contact varies directly with the effective length of these iingers.
  • the diameter of the disc-shaped contact can be increased to increase the effective length of the ngers, but typically there are other design considerations that limit the maximum permissible diameter of the contacts.
  • Another object of the invention is to construct the contacts in such a manner that lingers of increased length can be provided in a contact of limited diameter.
  • Still another object is to achieve this increased finger length without detracting from the ability of the contact to cause rapid movement of the arc radially youtward off of the arc-initiation region.
  • I construct at least one of the two contacts of the vacuum interrupter of a disc-shape having a face confronting the other contact on which an arc is adapted to be located during circuit interruption.
  • the arc is rotated on the face of the disc-shaped member by means comprising a plurality of slots in said disc-shaped member extending radially and circumferentially thereof.
  • the contact also comprises a contact-making button joined to said face for engaging the other contact when the interrupter is closed.
  • the contact-making button is generally centrally located with respect to its associated contact and has an outer periphery radially spaced from the outer periphery of the discshaped member.
  • the slots respectively extend from an outer end location located radially outward of said contact-making button to an inner end location disposed radially inwardly of the outer periphery of and under the button.
  • the contact-making button bridges over the slots near said inner end locations.
  • FIG. l is a sectional side elevational view of a vacuum interrupter embodying 4one form of the invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a plan view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.
  • FIG. 3 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 1 showing a modified form of the invention.
  • a vacuumtype circuit interrupter comprising a sealed envelope 10 evacuated to a pressure of 10d4 millimeters of mercury or lower.
  • This envelope comprises a tubular casing 11 of insulating material and a pair of end caps 12 and 13 joined to opposite ends of the casing 11 by suitable vacuum-tight seals 14.
  • the upper Contact 17 is a stationary contact suitably attached to a conductive rod 17a, which at its upper end is united to the upper end cap 12.
  • the lower contact 18 is a movable contact attached to a conductive operating rod 18a, which is suitably mounted for vertical movement. Upward movement of the -contact 18 from its solid line position to its dotted line position engages the contacts and thus closes the interrupter, whereas return movement in a downward direction separates the contacts and opens the interrupter.
  • the operating rod 18a projects freely through an opening in the lower end cap 13, and a flexible metallic bellows 20 provides a seal about rod 18a to allow -for vertical movement of the rod without impairing the vacuum inside envelope 10. As shown in FIG. l, the bellows is secured in sealed relationship at its respective opposite ends to the operating rod 18a and the lower end cap 13.
  • Each of the contacts 17 and 18 is of a disc-shape and has one major surface facing the other contact.
  • Each contact comprises a centrally located contact-making button 25 suitably brazed to the remainder of the contact.
  • Each of these contact-making buttons is provided with a centrally located recess 27 so that contact between the buttons occurs on an annular contact-making area 30 when the contacts are in their dotted-line engaged position of FIG. 1.
  • These annular contact-making regions 30 are of such a diameter that current owing through the closed contacts follows a radially outwardly bowing loopshaped path L, as is indicated by the dot-dash line of FIG. 1.
  • the magnetic effect of current flowing through this loop-shaped path L tends in a well-known manner to lengthen the loop.
  • the magnetic effect of the current through the loop will impel the a-rc radially outward.
  • the arc As the terminals of the arc move toward the outer periphery of the discs 17 and 18, the arc is subjected to a circumferentially-acting magnetic force that rotates the arc about the central axis of the discs.
  • This circumferentially-acting magnetic force is produced by a plurality of slots 32 provided in each of the discs and dividing the discs into a plurality of fingers 33 bounded ⁇ by adjacent pairs of slots.
  • the slots extend from the outer periphery of the discs radially inward by paths that extend both circumferentially and radially of the discs, as is shown in FIG. 2.
  • slots 32 correspond to similarly designated slots in the aforementioned Schneider patent and, thus, force the current flowing to or from an arc terminal on the slotted portion of the contact to follow a path that has a component extending circumferentially of the disc in the vicinity of the arc.
  • This circumferential component of the current path causes the current flowing through the loop L to develop a net circumferentiallyacting force component which tends to rotate the arc about the central axis of the disc.
  • This circumferentially-acting force component is high enough to drive each terminal of the arc across slots 32, thus producing a continuous rotational movement of the arcon the contact surface.
  • This continuous rotational movement of the arc enables higher currents to be interrupted, apparently because it reduces contact-erosion by the arc, thus reducing the quantity of metal vapors generated and thereby permitting more complete condensation of the metal vapors at current zero.
  • the amount of arc-rotating force that will be developed on an arc located near the outer periphery of a contact 17 or 18 varies directly with the effective length of the fingers 33.
  • the diameter of the contact can be increased to increase the effective length of the fingers, but usually there are other vdesign considerations that limit the maximum permissible diameter of the contacts. 'I am able to obtain fingers of increased length in my contact without increasing the diameter of the contact inasmuch as I extend the slots radially-inward past the outer periphery of the contact button 25.
  • a sleeve of high resistance metal such as stainless steel is provided about each of the contact rods 17a and 18a where they are joined to the contact structure. The presence of the sleeve forces most of the current to enter the contact through its central region, thus forcing it to flow radially outward to reach the contact-making area 30.
  • FIG. 2 Another advantage of the contact structure of FIG. 2 is that the central button 25 imparts added mechanil strength to the relatively long and slender fingers 33. Since the button 25 is brazed to all the fingers and to the central region of the disc-shaped contact, it resists any tendency of the fingers to bend in response to mechanical forces incident to an interruption operation.
  • the button 25 is made of material that has a high resistance to contact welding, e.g., the copper-bismuth or copper-lead alloys disclosed and claimed in Patent 3,246,979-Laierty et al. assigned to they assignee of the present invention.
  • the remainder of the contact is preferably made of a dissimilar metal which is easy to process, e.g., pure copper.
  • it is preferred to make the button of a different material from the rest of the contact it is satisfactory in certain applications to use the same material for the entire contact so that the button is integral with the remainder of the contact.
  • the slots 32 in the region outside button 25, extend through the entire thickness of their associated discs and also extend to the outermost periphery of the discs, thereby rendering the :fingers almost completely separate from each other. This separateness results in a stronger arc-rotating force being available since the current flowing to an arc terminal is confined to a path especially shaped to produce arcrotation.
  • suitable vapor condensing shields 50, 54, 56 and 58 are provided.
  • the main shield comprises a tubular member 50 surrounding the arcing gap 52 and located between the insulating casing 11 and the arcing gap. This shield is preferably maintained at a potential substantially midway that of the two electrodes when the circuit interrupter is opened.
  • Additional auxiliary shields 56 of tubular form are also connected to the end caps and are surrounded by the main shield 50.
  • a suitable shield 50a of cup-shaped configuration is disposed about the bellows 20 to protect it from arcing products. This shielding arrangement is described in greater detail and claimed in my copending application S.N. 583,893, filed Oct. 3, 1966 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
  • annular insert 70 of high resistivity metal such as stainless steel
  • This insert is similar to one shown and claimed in U.S. Patent 3,158,719-Polinko et al., assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
  • a small clearance space 72 is provided between the outer periphery of the button 25 and the main body of the contact so that current is substantially prevented from entering the button at its outer periphery and is forced to enter through the central region of the button.
  • the annular insert 70 presents a high resistance to current seeking a vertical path across it, thus further encouraging the current entering the button to do so through its central region.
  • the spiral slots 32 extend radially inwardly well past the outer periphery of the annular insert 70.
  • the insert 70, as well as the body of button 25, bridges the inner end of slots 32.
  • the outer periphery of the stainless steel insert 70 is preferably spaced slightly radially inwardly from the outer periphery of button 25 to reduce the chance for an arc terminal attaching to the insert 70.
  • one of said contacts comprising a generally discshaped member having a face confronting said other contact on which said arc is adapted to be located during circuit interruption
  • said one contact further comprising a contactmaking button joined to said face for engaging the other of said contacts when said contacts are eneased
  • said contact-making button being generally centrally located with respect to said one contact and having an outer periphery radially spaced from the outer periphery of said disc-shaped member
  • buttons have annular portions that engage each other when said interrupter is closed.
  • said button includes a generally annular contact-making portion and current-directing means comprising a generally annular insert of high resistivity material compared to that of the surrounding material located behind said contactmaking portion for forcing current entering said button to enter through its central region, said insert also bridging over said slots near said inner end locations.
  • said button has a contact-making region which has an outermost periphery located radially-outward of said inner end locations of said slots, said slots extending under said contact-making region and being bridged over by said contact-makmg reg1on.
  • said button has an annular contact-making region which has an outermost periphery located radially-outward of said inner end locations of said slots, said slots extending under said contact-making region and being bridged over by said contact-making region.

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  • High-Tension Arc-Extinguishing Switches Without Spraying Means (AREA)
  • Contacts (AREA)
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US583808A 1966-10-03 1966-10-03 Vacuum type circuit interrupter having contacts provided with improved arcpropelling means Expired - Lifetime US3462572A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US58380866A 1966-10-03 1966-10-03

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US3462572A true US3462572A (en) 1969-08-19

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US (1) US3462572A (de)
JP (1) JPS4529935B1 (de)
CH (1) CH471455A (de)
DE (1) DE1640256B2 (de)
FR (1) FR1540090A (de)
GB (1) GB1161442A (de)
SE (1) SE339258B (de)

Cited By (18)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3622724A (en) * 1970-02-24 1971-11-23 Gen Electric Vacuum-type circuit interrupter having contacts with improved arc-revolving means
US3711665A (en) * 1971-02-16 1973-01-16 Allis Chalmers Mfg Co Contact with arc propelling means embodied therein
US3717739A (en) * 1971-04-13 1973-02-20 Siemens Ag Contact arrangement for vacuum switches
US3809836A (en) * 1972-12-21 1974-05-07 Gen Electric Vacuum-type electric circuit interrupter
US3889081A (en) * 1972-06-20 1975-06-10 Westinghouse Electric Corp Vacuum interrupter contacts having energy dissipation surfaces
US3903386A (en) * 1973-02-16 1975-09-02 Meidensha Electric Mfg Co Ltd Vacuum circuit breaker assembly
US4324960A (en) * 1978-08-25 1982-04-13 Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Windmill-shaped electrode for vacuum circuit interrupter
US4387280A (en) * 1978-05-29 1983-06-07 General Electric Company High speed hydraulically-actuated operating system for an electric circuit breaker
US4392035A (en) * 1981-06-03 1983-07-05 General Electric Company Vacuum interrupter
DE3245609A1 (de) * 1981-12-09 1983-07-28 Mitsubishi Denki K.K., Tokyo Vakuumschutzschalter
US4446346A (en) * 1980-10-21 1984-05-01 Kabushiki Kaisha Meidensha Vacuum interrupter
US4659885A (en) * 1983-03-22 1987-04-21 Kabushiki Kaisha Meidensha Vacuum interrupter
US4661665A (en) * 1986-07-10 1987-04-28 General Electric Company Vacuum interrupter and method of modifying a vacuum interrupter
US4695688A (en) * 1986-03-24 1987-09-22 General Electric Company Electrical contact construction
US4999463A (en) * 1988-10-18 1991-03-12 Square D Company Arc stalling eliminating device and system
US5059752A (en) * 1988-11-24 1991-10-22 Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Vacuum switch
US5530417A (en) * 1994-06-06 1996-06-25 Therm-O-Disc, Incorporated Thermal cutoff with floating contact member
US6747233B1 (en) 2001-12-28 2004-06-08 Abb Technology Ag Non-linear magnetic field distribution in vacuum interrupter contacts

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4006331A (en) * 1975-08-27 1977-02-01 General Electric Company Vacuum interrupter for high voltage applications
DE3303659A1 (de) * 1983-02-03 1984-08-16 Vsesojuznyj elektrotechničeskij institut imeni V.I. Lenina, Moskva Kontaktsystem fuer eine vakuumlichtbogenloeschkammer
JPS6388721A (ja) * 1986-09-30 1988-04-19 三菱電機株式会社 真空遮断器の電極構造
DE3724425A1 (de) * 1987-07-23 1989-02-02 Sachsenwerk Ag Kontaktanordnung fuer einen vakuum-leistungsschalter
CN102157850B (zh) * 2010-12-30 2012-12-26 上海航天科工电器研究院有限公司 大电流断路器开关插座

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2949520A (en) * 1958-04-23 1960-08-16 Gen Electric Contact structure for an electric circuit interrupter
US3158719A (en) * 1962-04-03 1964-11-24 Gen Electric Contact structure for an electric circuit interrupter
US3182156A (en) * 1961-09-19 1965-05-04 Gen Electric Vacuum-type circuit interrupter
US3185799A (en) * 1962-12-17 1965-05-25 Gen Electric Vacuum-type electric circuit interrupter in which a main arc is divided into series-related arcs

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2949520A (en) * 1958-04-23 1960-08-16 Gen Electric Contact structure for an electric circuit interrupter
US3182156A (en) * 1961-09-19 1965-05-04 Gen Electric Vacuum-type circuit interrupter
US3158719A (en) * 1962-04-03 1964-11-24 Gen Electric Contact structure for an electric circuit interrupter
US3185799A (en) * 1962-12-17 1965-05-25 Gen Electric Vacuum-type electric circuit interrupter in which a main arc is divided into series-related arcs

Cited By (18)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3622724A (en) * 1970-02-24 1971-11-23 Gen Electric Vacuum-type circuit interrupter having contacts with improved arc-revolving means
US3711665A (en) * 1971-02-16 1973-01-16 Allis Chalmers Mfg Co Contact with arc propelling means embodied therein
US3717739A (en) * 1971-04-13 1973-02-20 Siemens Ag Contact arrangement for vacuum switches
US3889081A (en) * 1972-06-20 1975-06-10 Westinghouse Electric Corp Vacuum interrupter contacts having energy dissipation surfaces
US3809836A (en) * 1972-12-21 1974-05-07 Gen Electric Vacuum-type electric circuit interrupter
US3903386A (en) * 1973-02-16 1975-09-02 Meidensha Electric Mfg Co Ltd Vacuum circuit breaker assembly
US4387280A (en) * 1978-05-29 1983-06-07 General Electric Company High speed hydraulically-actuated operating system for an electric circuit breaker
US4324960A (en) * 1978-08-25 1982-04-13 Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Windmill-shaped electrode for vacuum circuit interrupter
US4446346A (en) * 1980-10-21 1984-05-01 Kabushiki Kaisha Meidensha Vacuum interrupter
US4392035A (en) * 1981-06-03 1983-07-05 General Electric Company Vacuum interrupter
DE3245609A1 (de) * 1981-12-09 1983-07-28 Mitsubishi Denki K.K., Tokyo Vakuumschutzschalter
US4659885A (en) * 1983-03-22 1987-04-21 Kabushiki Kaisha Meidensha Vacuum interrupter
US4695688A (en) * 1986-03-24 1987-09-22 General Electric Company Electrical contact construction
US4661665A (en) * 1986-07-10 1987-04-28 General Electric Company Vacuum interrupter and method of modifying a vacuum interrupter
US4999463A (en) * 1988-10-18 1991-03-12 Square D Company Arc stalling eliminating device and system
US5059752A (en) * 1988-11-24 1991-10-22 Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Vacuum switch
US5530417A (en) * 1994-06-06 1996-06-25 Therm-O-Disc, Incorporated Thermal cutoff with floating contact member
US6747233B1 (en) 2001-12-28 2004-06-08 Abb Technology Ag Non-linear magnetic field distribution in vacuum interrupter contacts

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB1161442A (en) 1969-08-13
FR1540090A (fr) 1968-09-20
CH471455A (de) 1969-04-15
JPS4529935B1 (de) 1970-09-29
SE339258B (de) 1971-10-04
DE1640256A1 (de) 1970-08-13
DE1640256B2 (de) 1976-05-26

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