Interrupt assembly for a primary circuit breaker
AssigneeCooper Industries, Inc.
InventorsJohn Phillip DuPont, Todd Kim Knapp
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An interrupt assembly for a primary circuit breaker of a distribution transformer includes an elongated housing that is divided into separate chambers for holding insulating fluid that extinguish an arc generated when a high-voltage electrical path between two breaker contacts is broken. The elongated housing includes openings that allow for the rapid exit of the expanding gases generated as a result of the arc. Consequently, the separately held insulating fluid in each chamber presents a strong dielectric property to the arc, causing it to extinguish rapidly.
Claims30
An interrupt assembly for a circuit breaker that breaks an electrical path between a first contact and a second contact, the assembly comprising:
- a housing elongated in a first direction, having detachable housing sections positioned along the first direction, and defining surrounding walls for holding an insulating fluid, wherein each housing section defines a chamber;
- one or more planar dividers spaced along the first direction to divide the elongated housing into chambers corresponding to the housing sections such that each chamber encapsulates a respective quantity of insulating fluid between the surrounding walls and at least one divider;
- and
- a conductive rod that is reciprocally movable along the first direction within the chambers for breaking the electrical path between the first contact and the second contact.
A circuit breaker that breaks an electrical path between a first contact and a second contact, the circuit breaker comprising:
- a first chamber that encapsulates a first quantity of insulating fluid formulated to extinguish an arc generated by breaking the electrical path;
- a second chamber that encapsulates a second quantity of insulating fluid;
- and
- a conductive rod that is movable within the first and second chambers for breaking the electrical path between the first contact and the second contact,
- wherein:
- the first contact is located in the first chamber and electrically isolated from the second chamber when the electrical path is broken,
- the second contact is electrically isolated from the first chamber when the electrical path is broken, and
- the first chamber is detachable from the second chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.