Electrical switching apparatus, and ARC hood assembly and chimney therefor

An arc hood assembly for an electrical switching apparatus including a housing and a number of arc chute vents structured to exhaust arc gases from said housing, said arc hood assembly comprising:

• a body including a first side structured to face said housing, and a second side disposed opposite the first side, the first side including a number of apertures;
• and
• a number of chimneys, each of said chimneys comprising:
• a base structured to be disposed at or about a corresponding one of said number of arc chute vents,
• a duct extending outwardly from said base and through a corresponding one of said number of apertures, and
• a plurality of resilient protrusions movably coupling said each of said chimneys to the first side of said body at or about said corresponding one of said number of apertures,
• wherein, when said arc gases are exhausted from said corresponding one of said number of arc chute vents, said duct is structured to receive said arc gases and direct them into said body of said arc hood assembly, and
• wherein said resilient protrusions are structured to bias said base toward engagement with said housing at or about said corresponding one of said number of arc chute vents, in order to resist said arc gases being undesirably discharged between said base and said housing.

An electrical switching apparatus comprising:

• a housing;
• separable contacts enclosed by said housing;
• an operating mechanism structured to open and close said separable contacts, which are structured to create an arc that generates arc gases when said separable contacts open;
• a number of arc chute vents disposed on said housing and being structured to exhaust said arc gases from said housing;
• and
• an arc hood assembly comprising:
• a body including a first side facing said housing, and a second side disposed opposite the first side, the first side including a number of apertures, and
• a number of chimneys, each of said chimneys comprising:
• a base structured to be disposed at or about a corresponding one of said number of arc chute vents,
• a duct extending outwardly from said base and through a corresponding one of said number of apertures, and
• a plurality of resilient protrusions movably coupling said each of said chimneys to the first side of said body at or about said corresponding one of said number of apertures,
• wherein said arc gases are exhausted from said corresponding one of said arc chute vents, through said duct, and into said body of said arc hood assembly, and
• wherein said resilient protrusions bias said base toward engagement with said housing at or about said corresponding one of said number of arc chute vents, in order to resist said arc gases being undesirably discharged between said base and said housing.