US3555222A - Vacuum switch with cylindrical guide means and annular field deflector means - Google Patents

Vacuum switch with cylindrical guide means and annular field deflector means Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US3555222A
US3555222A US710197A US3555222DA US3555222A US 3555222 A US3555222 A US 3555222A US 710197 A US710197 A US 710197A US 3555222D A US3555222D A US 3555222DA US 3555222 A US3555222 A US 3555222A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
bearing assembly
insulator portion
tubular insulator
closure structure
envelope
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 - Lifetime
Application number
US710197A
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Julian Camacho
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Thomas and Betts Holdings Inc
Original Assignee
Deutsche ITT Industries GmbH
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Deutsche ITT Industries GmbH filed Critical Deutsche ITT Industries GmbH
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3555222A publication Critical patent/US3555222A/en
Assigned to ITT CORPORATION reassignment ITT CORPORATION CHANGE OF NAME (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: INTERNATIONAL TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH CORPORATION
Assigned to FL INDUSTRIES, INC., A CORP. OF N.J. reassignment FL INDUSTRIES, INC., A CORP. OF N.J. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: ITT CORPORATION, 320 PARK AVENUE, NEW YORK, NY 10022, A CORP. OF DE.
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • 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
    • H01H33/66238—Specific bellows details
    • 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

Definitions

  • a hermetically sealed envelope includes a tubular insulator section sealed to a cylindrical bearing assembly which surrounds the adjacent ends of contact rods fixedly mounted on end cap structures of the envelope.
  • the bearing assembly includes two telescopically mounted cylindrical shells which provide large bearing surfaces for supporting the contact rods in axial alignment.
  • An annular deflector having a convex inner surface is positioned in the insulator portion of the envelope adjacent to the bearing assembly to produce a uniform distribution of the voltage gradient or field over the insulator portion ofthe switch.
  • PATENTEBJAmmsn 3555222 sum 1 or 2 INVENTOR J 0444/? CH0 PATENTED m 1 2 ram SHEU 2 OF 2 AZTOEA/fl/ VACUUM SWITCH WITH CYLINDRICAL GUIDE MEANS AND ANNULAR FIELD DEFLECTOR MEANS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
  • This invention relates to switches and more particularly to high power switches of the hermetically sealed and vacuum types for interrupting electrical currents of large magnitude.
  • the movable contact rod is mounted in an insulated bearing on one of the end plates of the switch one envelope.
  • a metal bellows surrounds the insulated bearing and is fixed at one end to the end plate and the other end to the movable contact rod to accommodate axial displacement thereof with respect to the fixed contact rod of the switch.
  • the insulated bearing is required in this form of switch to prevent welding of the rod and bearing surfaces during high current power interruptions, the welding being caused by the voltage gradient between the bearing and rod which causes a considerable heating efi'ect. While this form of switch is generally satisfactory, it is difiicult to provide accurate axial alignment between the contact rods of the switch and the mechanical life of the switch is limited to a certain degree.
  • What is desired, therefore, and constitutes one object of the present invention is to provide a power switch which is constructed in a manner to provide a higher degree of axial alignment of the contact rods than is achieved in the conventional power switch and which embodies a bearing assembly that eliminates the use of an insulated bearing about the movable contact rod as employed in the conventional power switch.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide an improved switch structure in which means are provided for uniformly distributing the voltage gradient across the ceramic portion of the switch envelope and for minimizing the condensation of vaporized contact metal on the ceramic portion of the envelope.
  • FIG. 3 is a partial section taken through the longitudinal axis of another form of the invention.
  • FIG. I and 2 there is illustrated in FIG. I and 2 one form of the power switch of the present invention, generally designatedlO.
  • the switch comprises a hermetically sealed envelope including an elongated tubular insulator portion 12, preferably fabricated from ceramic, coaxial with a cylindrical bearing assembly, generally designated 14.
  • the respective ends of the insulator portion 12 are metallized in a well-known manner with the upper end being hermetically sealed to a metallic end plate 16 via an annular metallic sealing structure 18.
  • a metallic closure structure 20 hermetically sealed to the lower end of the bearing assembly 14 closes the lower end of the envelope.
  • Coaxially mounted in the envelope are a pair of aligned contact rods 22 and 24 terminating at their adjacent ends in integral contact buttons 26 and 28.
  • the contact rod 22 is fixedly mounted on the end plate 16 while the contact rod 24 is fixedly mounted on the closure structure 20, with the contact buttons 26 and 28 at the adjacent ends of the rods being 36 and 38, all concentrically mounted with respect to each other and with respect to the longitudinal axis of the contact rods 22 and 24.
  • the lower peripheral edge of the shell 32 is shaped to provide a cylindrical flange 40 which is bonded to the lower edge 42 of the bellows 34, while the latter is bonded .to a cylindrical flange 44 formed at the lower peripheral edge of the cylindrical shield 38.
  • the shield 38 is bonded to the outer periphery 46 of the closure structure which is shown in this embodiment of the invention as being a metallic end plate similar to the plate 16.
  • the upper peripheral portion of the shell 30 is shaped to provide a cylindrical flange 48, which is bonded to the upper portion 50 of the bellows 34, while the latter is bonded to a cylindrical flange 52 formed at the upper peripheral portion of the cylindrical shield 36.
  • the upper and lower mating edges of these metal parts are preferably bonded together and bonded to the closure structure 20 by means of heliarc welding so as to provide hermetic seals between the various parts. It can be seen that the shells 30 and 32, bellows 34, and cylindrical shields 36 and 38 are fixedly mounted together in such a manner as to provide a unitary bearing assembly 14.
  • the shells 30 and 32 of the bearing assembly 14 are mounted in telescoping relationship with the inner surface 60 of the outer shell 30 sliding upon the outer surface 62 of the inner shell 32.
  • the surfaces 60 and 62 constitute the bearing surfaces for permitting relative axial movement of either one of the contact rods 22 or 24 toward the other to make or break a circuit through the switch 10.
  • the shells 30 and 32 are deformed inwardly along the axial extent of the shells at circumferentially spaced locations, as indicated at 64, to prevent rotational movement between the shells.
  • the contact buttons 26 and 28 of the switch are positioned in generally axial alignment within the center of the metallic bearing assembly 14, the major portion of the particles and vapor emanating from the switch contacts will strike and condense upon the shields 36 and 38, rather than coating the interior surface of the insulator portion 12 of the envelope.
  • the telescoping shells 30 ad and 32 of the bearing assembly 14 provide the bearing surfaces for allowing axial displacement of the contact rods 22 and 24 with respect to each other, the insulator bearing normally employed for mounting the movable contact rod in the metal end plate of the conventional power switch is eliminated by the present invention.
  • the parts 30, 32, 34, 36, and 38 of the bearing assembly 14 may be inexpensively formed by stamping or otherwise forming appropriate metallic stock and the parts may be bonded together in a manner previously described in a single operation, thus minimizing manufacturing costs. Also, because the bellows is positioned outside of the current path of the switch, relatively high currents may pass through the switch without heating and, hence, causing deformation of the bellows as occurs in conventional switches in which the bellows are in the current path.
  • FIG. 3 and 4 A modified form of the invention l0 is illustrated in FIG. 3 and 4, which is identical to the switch 10 in FIG. 1 and 2 except that the closure structure 20' constitutes a second tubular ceramic section 12 closed at its lower end by a metal end plate 16'.
  • the plate 16' is connected to the ceramic portion 12 by man means of a thin flexible annular metallic sealing structure 8.
  • the lower contact rod 24 is fixedly mounted to the end plate 16'.
  • a second field deflector 54' identical to the deflector 54 is interposed between the upper end of the insulator section 12' and the bearing assembly 14.
  • the field emission characteristics of the switch are identical to that shown in FIG. 1 except that the field is uniformly distributed over the inner surfaces of both of the insulator portions 12 and 12'.
  • the field deflector 54 could be employed in switch structures other than that shown in the drawings; for example, the deflector could be employed in a a switch in which the envelope thereof consists of a coaxial tuthe two sections closed by end caps, with one of the contact rods being fixedly mounted on one end cap and the other rod being mounted for relative axial movement on the other end cap.
  • the deflector 54 need not take the exact form illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3 if it is shaped to provide a curved inner surface such as the surface 72.
  • the deflector could be provideo by a metal toroid mounted concentrically within the insulator envelope or a semitoroid split vertically rather than longitudinally as is the semitoroid 54.
  • a flexible bellows forming a part of said bearing assembly, said bellows being hermetically interposed between said tubular insulator portion and saidclosure structure to accommodate relative axial displacement of said contact rods to make or break a circuit through said switch;
  • a pair of cylindrical shells forming a further part of said bearing assembly, said cylindrical shells being engaged in telescoping relationship with one shell being fixed to said tubular insulator portion and the other shell being fixed to said closure structure, said shells providing the bearing surfaces for supporting said contact rods in axial alignment; and l a pair of cylindrical shields coaxial with said contact rods and interposed between said rods and said bellows forming a part of said bearing assembly, one of said shields being fixed to said tubular insulator portion and the other of said shields being fixed to said closure structure, the free ends of said shields being arranged in overlapping relationship, said cylindrical bearing assembly being metallic and surrounding the adjacent ends of said contact rods, and the remote ends of said shells, bellows, and shields being formed with concentric, axially aligned cylindrical flanges with adjacent flanges being hermetically bonded to each other to provide a unitary bearing assembly.
  • a switch assembly comprising: i
  • a hermetically sealed envelope including a tubular insulator portion, a cylindrical bearing assembly coaxial with said tubular insulator portion, an end plate and a closure structure;
  • a flexible bellows forming a part of said bearing assembly, said bellows being hermetically interposed between said tubular insulator portion and said closure structure to ac commodate relative axial displacement of said contact rods to make or break a circuit throu h said switch; a pair of cylindrical shells forming a urther part of said bearing assembly, said cylindrical shells being engaged in telescoping relationship with one shell being fixed to said tubular insulator portion and the other shell being fixed to said closure structure, said shells providing the bearing surfaces for supporting said contact rods in axial alignment; and
  • annular field deflector means concentrically mounted within the end of said tubular insulator portion which is sealed to said bearing assembly, a portion of said deflector means extending radially outward over said end of said tubular insulator portion, and said deflector means providing a relatively smooth curved surface convex in a direction toward the longitudinal axis of the envelope and extending rearwardly toward said end plate a relatively short distance so that the major portion of the inner surface of said tubular insulator portion is exposed to the field produced by breaking of said circuit, the adjacent ends of said contact rods being positioned within said bearing assembly and being axially spaced from said deflector means, and the ratio of the radial dimension between the inner periphery of said curved surface and the outer surface of the contact rod fixed to said end plate to the axial dimension between the ends of said major ex ⁇ - posed portion of said tubular insulator portion being such as to produce a uniform field distribution over said major exposed portion.

Landscapes

  • High-Tension Arc-Extinguishing Switches Without Spraying Means (AREA)
  • Rotary Switch, Piano Key Switch, And Lever Switch (AREA)
US710197A 1968-03-04 1968-03-04 Vacuum switch with cylindrical guide means and annular field deflector means Expired - Lifetime US3555222A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US71019768A 1968-03-04 1968-03-04

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3555222A true US3555222A (en) 1971-01-12

Family

ID=24853024

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US710197A Expired - Lifetime US3555222A (en) 1968-03-04 1968-03-04 Vacuum switch with cylindrical guide means and annular field deflector means

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US3555222A (de)
BE (1) BE731982A (de)
CH (1) CH522282A (de)
FR (1) FR2003185A1 (de)
GB (1) GB1259501A (de)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4079217A (en) * 1976-07-26 1978-03-14 International Telephone And Telegraph Corporation Vacuum interrupter with bellows dampener
US4310736A (en) * 1969-03-18 1982-01-12 Mitsubishi Denki K.K. Vacuum circuit interrupter
EP0241814A2 (de) * 1986-04-05 1987-10-21 Kabushiki Kaisha Meidensha Vakuumschalter

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE19713478C1 (de) * 1997-03-18 1998-04-09 Siemens Ag Vakuumschaltröhre mit einem zwischen zwei Isolatoren angeordneten metallenen Gehäuseteil
US9147542B2 (en) 2010-04-02 2015-09-29 Alstom Technology Ltd. Vacuum interrupter

Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE663422C (de) * 1935-10-24 1938-08-05 Stotz Kontakt Gmbh Installationsschalter mit Dreh- oder Druckknopfbedienung
US2230277A (en) * 1937-06-23 1941-02-04 Deutsche Waffen & Munitionsfab Circuit breaker
US2979588A (en) * 1958-12-09 1961-04-11 Jennings Radio Mfg Corp Vacuum switch
US3087034A (en) * 1960-06-20 1963-04-23 Ling Altec Electronics Inc Vacuum switch
US3167629A (en) * 1962-02-23 1965-01-26 Gen Electric Movable shield structure for vacuum gap devices
US3209195A (en) * 1961-03-13 1965-09-28 Rca Corp High voltage electron discharge diode
US3328545A (en) * 1963-06-14 1967-06-27 Gen Electric Co Ltd Electrical device having sealed envelope and electrodes containing an absorbed gas
US3355564A (en) * 1966-06-03 1967-11-28 John W Ranheim Vacuum-type circuit interrupter

Patent Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE663422C (de) * 1935-10-24 1938-08-05 Stotz Kontakt Gmbh Installationsschalter mit Dreh- oder Druckknopfbedienung
US2230277A (en) * 1937-06-23 1941-02-04 Deutsche Waffen & Munitionsfab Circuit breaker
US2979588A (en) * 1958-12-09 1961-04-11 Jennings Radio Mfg Corp Vacuum switch
US3087034A (en) * 1960-06-20 1963-04-23 Ling Altec Electronics Inc Vacuum switch
US3209195A (en) * 1961-03-13 1965-09-28 Rca Corp High voltage electron discharge diode
US3167629A (en) * 1962-02-23 1965-01-26 Gen Electric Movable shield structure for vacuum gap devices
US3328545A (en) * 1963-06-14 1967-06-27 Gen Electric Co Ltd Electrical device having sealed envelope and electrodes containing an absorbed gas
US3355564A (en) * 1966-06-03 1967-11-28 John W Ranheim Vacuum-type circuit interrupter

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4310736A (en) * 1969-03-18 1982-01-12 Mitsubishi Denki K.K. Vacuum circuit interrupter
US4079217A (en) * 1976-07-26 1978-03-14 International Telephone And Telegraph Corporation Vacuum interrupter with bellows dampener
EP0241814A2 (de) * 1986-04-05 1987-10-21 Kabushiki Kaisha Meidensha Vakuumschalter
EP0241814A3 (en) * 1986-04-05 1989-09-27 Kabushiki Kaisha Meidensha Vacuum interrupter

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CH522282A (de) 1972-06-15
GB1259501A (de) 1972-01-05
FR2003185A1 (de) 1969-11-07
BE731982A (de) 1969-10-24

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US4614850A (en) Vacuum switch for the low-voltage range, especially a low-voltage contactor
US3185800A (en) Vacuum type circuit interrupter with improved vapor-condensing shielding
US3903386A (en) Vacuum circuit breaker assembly
JPH10505196A (ja) 真空しゃ断器
US3889080A (en) Vacuum interrupter shield protector
US3555222A (en) Vacuum switch with cylindrical guide means and annular field deflector means
US4665287A (en) Shield assembly of a vacuum interrupter
US4143294A (en) Getter support means for television cathode ray tubes
US3777089A (en) Vacuum interrupter
US4020304A (en) Two-material vapor shield for vacuum-type circuit interrupter
US3626123A (en) Vacuum-type electrical device
US4053802A (en) High-voltage vacuum tube, particularly an x-ray tube
US4757166A (en) Vacuum interrupter with ceramic enclosure
US4006331A (en) Vacuum interrupter for high voltage applications
US3979634A (en) Travelling-wave tube with an improved electron gun
US4721882A (en) Cathode ray tube
US3920942A (en) Arc-shield arrangement in a vacuum power circuit breaker
US3590185A (en) Vacuum interrupter with single insulating member having conical exterior attaching surfaces and supporting a floating shield
US3911306A (en) High-voltage vacuum tube, notably an X-ray tube, comprising a metal sleeve
US4478347A (en) Unitary end closure and seal shield member for vacuum interrupter
US3787745A (en) Electron tube for electron-optical image conversion
US4733456A (en) Method of assembling a shield assembly of a vacuum interrupter
US4574169A (en) Bimetallic arc shield
GB1161877A (en) Improvements relating to Electron Discharged Devices, especially Klystrons.
EP0200465A2 (de) Vakuumvorrichtungen

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AS Assignment

Owner name: ITT CORPORATION

Free format text: CHANGE OF NAME;ASSIGNOR:INTERNATIONAL TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:004389/0606

Effective date: 19831122

AS Assignment

Owner name: FL INDUSTRIES, INC., 220 SUTH ORANGE AVENUE, LIVIN

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:ITT CORPORATION, 320 PARK AVENUE, NEW YORK, NY 10022, ACORP. OF DE.;REEL/FRAME:004453/0578

Effective date: 19850629