Contact for vacuum interrupter and vacuum interrupter using the contact

A contact for a vacuum interrupter, comprising:

• a hollow cylindrical contact carrier including a center axis, opposed axial end faces and an axial length extending along the center axis;
• a contact plate disposed on one of the opposed axial end faces of the contact carrier;
• a plurality of first slits extending from the one of the opposed axial end faces of the contact carrier and inclined with respect to the center axis of the contact carrier, the first slits having a first height x extending in the axial direction of the contact carrier;
• and
• a plurality of second slits extending from the other of the axial end faces of the contact carrier and inclined with respect to the center axis of the contact carrier, the second slits having a second height y extending in the axial direction of the contact carrier, the second slits cooperating with the first slits to define a coil portion in the contact carrier therebetween which allows a current to flow and form an axial magnetic field along the axial direction of the contact carrier,
• wherein assuming that the axial length of the contact carrier is 1, the first height x and the second height y satisfies a relationship given by the following expressions (1)-(3):
• 0.9≧x (1)
• x≧y≧0.2x (2)
• 1.4≧x+y≧0.8 (3)