Damper and latching assemblies for electrical switching devices
AssigneeEaton Intelligent Power Limited
InventorsAndrew L. Gottschalk, Robert Michael Slepian, Jayaraman Muniyappan, Santhosh Kumar Chamarajanagar Govinda Nayaka
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electrical switching device, such as a high-speed switching device, has a damper and latching assembly. The assembly is configured to dampen the movement of a moving contact of the switching device as the moving contact translates from its closed position to its open position. The assembly also is configured to restrain the moving contact in its open position. The assembly stores at least some of the energy associated with the damping process, and uses the stored energy to assist in the release of the moving contact during the subsequent re-closing of the switching device.
Claims18
An electrical switching device, comprising:
- a sidewall;
- a first shaft configured to translate between a first and a second position in relation to the sidewall;
- a first contact mounted on the first shaft;
- a second contact, wherein the first contact and the first shaft are configured so that the first contact is in electrical contact with the second contact when the first shaft is in the first position, and the first contact is out of electrical contact with the second contact when the first shaft is in the second position;
- and
- a damper and latching assembly comprising:
- the first shaft;
- a second shaft mounted for rotation on the sidewall, the second shaft being configured so that, during operation, the first shaft rotates the second shaft from a first to a second angular position of the second shaft as the first shaft moves from the first to the second position of the first shaft;
- a first rotating member mounted for rotation on the sidewall between a first and a second angular position, the first rotating member comprising a third shaft, the third shaft being configured to, during operation, engage the first shaft when the first shaft is in the second position of the first shaft and the first rotating member is in the second angular position of the first rotating member, the engagement of the third shaft and the first shaft restraining the first shaft in the second position of the first shaft;
- a second rotating member mounted on the second shaft and configured so that, during operation, rotation of the second shaft from the first to the second angular position of the second shaft causes the second rotating member to rotate from a first to a second angular position of the second rotating member;
- and
- a spring coupled to a third rotating member that is mounted for rotation on the sidewall and also coupled to the second rotating member, the third rotating member being configured so that, during operation, rotation of the second rotating member from the first to second angular position of the second rotating member causes the third rotating member to rotate from a first to a second angular position of the third rotating member, and the third rotating member imparts the energy to the first spring as the third rotating member is rotated from the first to the second angular position of the third rotating member, wherein rotation of the second shaft from the first to the second angular position of the second shaft imparts energy to the spring via the third rotating member, and at least a portion of the energy imparted to the spring biases the first rotating member toward the first angular position of the first rotating member as the first rotating member rotates from the second to the first angular position of the first rotating member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.