Electric connector apparatus and method
AssigneeKearney-National, Inc.
InventorArthur C. Westrom
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electric terminal bushing having a hollow tubular contact engageable with the contact pin of an electric elbow type connector is arranged so as substantially to reduce the arcing time during a switch closing operation and includes means for slidably mounting the hollow tubular contact within the bushing and magnetic means connected in series with the contact for imparting sliding closing movement thereto in response to the striking of an electric arc between the contact pin and the tubular hollow contact.
Claims11
Electric connector apparatus comprising hollow elongated support structure, a tubular electric contact mounted within said support structure and movable longitudinally relative thereto between a normal closed circuit position and an interim position, said interim position being spaced longitudinally from said normal position, and magnetic means interconnected with said contact and operable in coordination with the initiation of the flow of electric current therethrough for moving said contact from its normal position toward its interim position, movement of said contact from its normal position toward its interim position being in a circuit closing direction.
A method of closing a pair of relatively movable electric contacts comprising the steps of moving one of said contacts toward the other of said contacts, quickly moving the other of said contacts from a normal position and toward said one contact to an interim position and into engagement therewith at a velocity of movement which is substantially solely dependent on the magnitude of current in an electric arc struck between said contacts, and finally moving said contacts in unison until said other contact reaches its normal position.
A method of separating a pair of closed relatively movable frictionally related electric contacts comprising the steps of imparting an opening force to one of said contacts thereby causing said contacts to move in unison and causing the other of said contacts to move from a normal position to an interim position, arresting movement of said other contact at its interim position while continuing to impart an opening force to said one contact which is sufficient to overcome the friction force tending to hold the contacts closed to separate said contacts, and finally restoring said other contact to its normal position following separation of said contacts.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.