Electrical switching apparatus with contact finger guide
AssigneeEaton Corporation
InventorPaul Richard Rakus
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A contact guide member extends transversely to the contact fingers on the contact carrier of electrical switching apparatus and has spaced openings through which the contact fingers extend and are held in spaced relation. The contact finger guide member is positioned to isolate the arc toes adjacent the free ends of the contact fingers from the main contacts and the contact springs in order to protect the latter items from the arc gases and debris generated during arcing. The openings in the contact finger guide member are elongated to permit differentially pivoting of the contact fingers, but not axial movement. The contact finger guide member slides in a pocket molded in the end face of the contact carrier and is captured by and moves with the contact fingers.
Claims14
Electrical switching apparatus comprising:
- a housing;
- and
- at least one pole comprising:
- a stationary conductor having stationary contacts;
- a plurality of contact fingers, each having a movable contact;
- a contact carrier having a pivot pin on which said plurality of contact fingers are rotatably mounted in spaced parallel relation;
- first mounting means rotatably mounting said contact carrier for movement between a closed position in which said movable contacts engage said stationary contacts, and an open position in which said movable contacts are spaced from said stationary contacts;
- contact springs mounted in said contact carrier and biasing said plurality of contact fingers about said pivot pin to apply contact pressure to said movable contacts with said contact carrier in said closed position;
- and
- a contact finger guide member extending transversely to said contact fingers and having spaced openings through which said contact fingers extend and are held separated, and second mounting means mounting said contact finger guide member on said contact carrier for sliding on said contact carrier as said contact fingers rotate about said pivot pin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.