Rapid electric-arc extinguishing assembly in circuit-breaking devices such as electric circuit breakers
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsFranco P. Pardini, Francesco De Vizzi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rapid arc extinguishing assembly includes an arc chute comprising a large number of essentially parallel deionizing plates each in form of thin magnetically permeable, electrically conductive plates bent in U-shape, with the curve of the U facing the circuit breaker contacts and the arms thereof insulated from each other by a thin insulation sheet. To promote arc extinction by the arc chute and accelerated breaker contact separation, the breaker contacts are flanked by a magnetic assembly comprising opposed columns of parallel, spaced ferromagnetic plates embedded in an insulating material. The columns may be magnetically coupled by a yoke to create a closed slot in which the breaker movable contact travels.
Claims13
A current limiting circuit breaker comprising, in combination:
- first and second contacts;
- first and second elongated current carrying arms respectively carrying adjacent their corresponding one ends said first and second contacts, at least said first arm being movable with respect to said second arm between a closed position in closely spaced, substantially parallel relation with said second arm and with said first and second contacts in engaged relation and an open position with said first and second contacts in separated relation;
- an arc chute positioned in confronting relation with said first and second contacts and including a stack of closely spaced, generally parallel ferromagnetic arc plates arrayed along the path travelled by said first contact during opening movement of said first arm, each said arc plate comprised of a thin metallic sheet of relatively high electrical resistivity formed in a U-shaped configuration to provide a pair of closely spaced arms joined by a curved portion disposed in contiguous relation with said travel path of said first contact at one end, said arms having offset terminations at an opposite end, and including a thin electrically insulative sheet interposed between said arms to force arc current to flow along the U-shaped path created by said metallic sheet;
- and
- arc motivating means disposed in confronting relation with said arc chute and including a pair of columns flanking said travel path of said first contact, said columns cooperating with said arc plates as said first arm moves to its open position to promote rapid movement of a consequent arc drawn between said contacts into said arc chute to be split up and cooled by said arc plates.
A current limiting circuit breaker comprising, in combination:
- first and second contacts;
- first and second elongated current carrying arms respectively carrying adjacent their corresponding one ends said first and second contacts, at least said first arm being movable with respect to said second arm between a closed portion in closely spaced, substantially parallel relation with said second arm and with said first and second contacts in engaged relation and an open position with said first and second contacts in separated relation;
- an arc chute positioned in confronting relation with said first and second contacts and including a stack of closely spaced generally parallel ferromagnetic arc plates arrayed along the path travelled by said first contact during opening movement of said first arm;
- and
- a magnetic assembly confronting said arc chute and including a pair of columns flanking said travel path of said first contact, each said column including a stack of spaced, ferromagnetic plates arranged in parallel relation with each other and in generally parallel relation with said arc plates of said arc chute said plates of each of said column are embedded in an electrically insulative material, said columns providing a confinement zone for an arc drawn between said first and second contacts.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.