High voltage compact fusible disconnect switch device with magnetic arc deflection assembly

A compact fusible disconnect switch device comprising:

• a housing having an upper surface configured to accept a least a portion of an overcurrent protection fuse having first and second terminal blades;
• a current path defined in the housing and including fuse terminals connecting to the first and second terminal blades;
• a rotary switch actuator extending from an upper surface of the housing;
• a sliding bar linked to the rotary switch actuator and constrained to move along a linear axis in the nonconductive housing;
• dual mechanical switch contacts in the housing and responsive to a position of the sliding bar between engaged and disengaged positions, the dual mechanical switch contacts connecting in series to the overcurrent protection fuse when the dual switch contacts are in the engaged position;
• and
• a set of magnets imposing respective magnetic fields across each of the dual mechanical switch contacts to safely reduce electrical arcing and intensity in the engagement and disengagement of the dual switch contacts in an energized direct current electrical power system having an operating voltage exceeding 125V.

A compact fused disconnect switch comprising:

• a housing defining a fuse receptacle dimensioned to receive at least a portion of an overcurrent protection fuse, the fuse receptacle including a pair of fuse terminals configured to accept and complete an electrical connection through the overcurrent protection fuse;
• an actuator projecting from the housing;
• a circuit path enclosed in the compact housing and including a mechanical switch, the mechanical switch including dual stationary switch contacts gapped from one another and dual movable switch contacts, the dual movable switch contacts linked to the actuator and to one another for simultaneous movement thereof along a linear axis in a space between the dual stationary switch contacts and the actuator to disconnect or connect the dual stationary switch contacts in series with the overcurrent protection fuse without removing the overcurrent protection from the fuse receptacle;
• and
• a first pair of permanent magnets and a second pair of permanent magnets coupled to the compact housing and respectively arranged about the dual stationary switch contacts to respectively generate magnetic fields of opposite polarity and thereby produce oppositely directed arc deflecting forces across each one of the dual stationary switch contacts to effectively reduce electrical arcing intensity and duration when the dual movable switch contacts are being repositioned under an electrical power system operating voltage of 400 VDC, 600 VDC, or 1000 VDC.