Gassing insulator, and arc chute assembly and electrical switching apparatus employing the same

An arc chute assembly for an electrical switching apparatus including a housing and a pair of separable contacts enclosed by said housing, said separable contacts being structured to trip open, an arc and ionized gases being generated in response to said separable contacts tripping open, said arc chute assembly comprising:

• first and second opposing sidewalls;
• a plurality of arc plates disposed between said first and second opposing sidewalls, said arc plates having a plurality of first legs coupled to one of said first and second opposing sidewalls of said arc chute assembly, a plurality of second legs coupled to the other of said first and second opposing sidewalls of said arc chute assembly, first ends structured to be disposed proximate said separable contacts in order to attract said arc, and second ends disposed distal from the first ends for discharging said ionized gases;
• and
• an insulator comprising:
• a pair of insulating members coupled to said first and second opposing sidewalls of said arc chute assembly, each insulating member of said pair of insulating members comprising:
• a first side coupled to a corresponding one of said first and second opposing sidewalls of said arc chute assembly,
• a second side disposed generally opposite said first side,
• a first end disposed at or about the first ends of said arc plates, and
• a second end disposed distal from the first end of said each insulating member and extending toward the second ends of said arc plates,
• wherein said second side of said each insulating member overlays at least one of said first and second legs of said arc plates of said arc chute assembly, in order that said at least one of said first and second legs is disposed behind said second side, between said second side and said corresponding one of said first and second opposing sidewalls of said arc chute assembly, to electrically insulate said at least one of said first and second legs.

An electrical switching apparatus comprising:

• a housing;
• separable contacts enclosed by said housing;
• an operating mechanism structured to open and close said separable contacts and to trip open said separable contacts in response to an electrical fault;
• and
• at least one arc chute assembly disposed at or about said separable contacts in order to attract and dissipate an arc and ionized gases which are generated by said separable contacts tripping open in response to said electrical fault, said at least one arc chute assembly comprising:
• first and second opposing sidewalls,
• a plurality of arc plates disposed between said first and second opposing sidewalls, said arc plates having a plurality of first legs coupled to one of said first and second opposing sidewalls of said arc chute assembly, a plurality of second legs coupled to the other of said first and second opposing sidewalls of said arc chute assembly, first ends disposed proximate said separable contacts in order to attract said arc, and second ends disposed distal from the first ends for discharging said ionized gases, and
• at least one insulator, each of said at least one insulator comprising:
• a pair of insulating members coupled to said first and second opposing sidewalls of said at least one arc chute assembly, each insulating member of said pair of insulating members comprising:
• a first side coupled to a corresponding one of said first and second opposing sidewalls of said at least one arc chute assembly,
• a second side disposed generally opposite said first side,
• a first end disposed at or about the first ends of said arc plates of said at least one arc chute assembly, and
• a second end disposed distal from the first end of said each insulating member and extending toward the second ends of said arc plates of said at least one arc chute assembly,
• wherein said second side of said each insulating member overlays at least one of said first and second legs of said arc plates of said at least one arc chute assembly, in order that said at least one of said first and second legs is disposed behind said second side, between said second side and said corresponding one of said first and second opposing sidewalls of said arc chute assembly, to electrically insulate said at least one of said first and second legs.