Electrical circuit breaker with two vacuum cartridges in series

A medium to high voltage circuit breaker comprising:

• first and second vacuum switches, said first vacuum switch comprising a first pair of arcing contacts housed in a first insulating housing and including a first movable arcing contact, said second vacuum switch comprising a second pair of arcing contacts housed in a second insulating housing and including a second movable arcing contact;
• an electrical connector connecting the first and second vacuum switches to each other in series;
• a mechanical link connected to said first and second movable arcing contacts to open and close the first and second pairs of arcing contacts simultaneously;
• a pair of main contacts electrically connected in parallel to said first and second arcing contacts;
• an operating mechanism connected to said main contacts and to said mechanical link to open the first and second pairs of arcing contacts after the pair of main contacts open and to close the first and second pairs of arcing contacts before the pair of main contacts close;
• and
• a sealed enclosure filled with a high dielectric strength gas and housing therein said first and second vacuum switches, said electrical connector, said mechanical link, said pair of main contacts and said operating mechanism.