Circuit interrupter arrangement
AssigneeGEC Alsthom SA
InventorsRoy Clarke, Carl Christopher Ennis, John Stanley Stewart
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vacuum recloser in which an isolator switch is incorporated in series with the vacuum interrupter and is driven by the same actuator. The isolator must only be operated when the vacuum switch is open and no arc current remains. This is ensured in one of two ways (a) by providing a significant lost motion in the isolator drive, giving, say, 20 milliseconds between opening of the vacuum contacts and opening of the isolator contacts, and (b) by latching the isolator drive against opening, compressing a spring against the latch by the actuator attempting to open the isolator, and tripping the latch by a solenoid responsive to lock-out conditions.
Claims7
A circuit interrupter arrangement, comprising:
- a vacuum interrupter;
- an isolator;
- and an electromagnetic actuator, said interrupter and said isolator being connected electrically in series and being both driven by said actuator such that the isolator can open and close only when the interrupter is already open, said actuator driving said isolator by way of a latching arrangement, said latching arrangement including a latching means, a spring means, a latch-tripping means, and a trip-signal receiving means connected to said latch-tripping means, said latching means in a latched condition preventing the actuator from opening the isolator, said spring means being charged during an open condition of said interrupter and being allowed, upon receipt of a trip signal by said trip-signal receiving means, to drive said isolator into an open condition by operation of said latch-tripping means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.