Switchgear with overmolded dielectric material

A switchgear apparatus configured for operation at voltages up to 72.5 kV, the switchgear apparatus comprising:

• a vacuum interrupter assembly including a vacuum bottle having an upper portion and a lower potion, and a fixed contact and a movable contact hermetically sealed within the vacuum bottle;
• a sleeve surrounding the vacuum bottle;
• a first terminal electrically coupled to fixed contact at the upper portion of the vacuum bottle;
• an interchange coupled to the movable contact, wherein the interchange includes a groove configured to receive a portion of the sleeve to form a seal between the interchange and the lower portion of the vacuum bottle;
• a conductor electrically coupled to the interchange;
• a second terminal electrically coupled to the conductor;
• a sensor assembly associated with the conductor, wherein the sensor assembly includes at least one of a voltage sensor or a current sensor;
• an actuator assembly operable to selectively break a conductive pathway between the first terminal and the second terminal by moving the movable contact from a closed position in which the movable contact engages the fixed contact to an open position in which the movable contact is spaced from the fixed contact, wherein the actuator assembly includes
• a drive shaft configured to move the movable contact between the closed position and the open position, and
• a magnet configured to maintain the drive shaft in a position corresponding with the closed position of the movable contact;
• and
• a dielectric material molded around the vacuum interrupter assembly.

A switchgear apparatus configured for operation at voltages up to 72.5 kV, the switchgear apparatus comprising:

• a vacuum interrupter assembly including a vacuum bottle having an upper portion and a lower potion;
• a sleeve surrounding the vacuum bottle;
• a dielectric material surrounding the sleeve;
• a first terminal electrically coupled to the upper portion of the vacuum bottle;
• and
• an interchange coupled to the lower portion of the vacuum bottle,
• wherein the dielectric material is molded around the sleeve and around at least a portion of the first terminal or the interchange, and
• wherein the sleeve includes a ridge that forms a seal between the interchange and the lower portion of the vacuum bottle.