Resistance device for high voltage switch assembly
AssigneeHubbell Incorporated
InventorsRobert Victor De France, Daniel David Dobrinski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A resistance device for an electrical switch assembly includes a housing having a base and first and second support brackets extending outwardly therefrom. The base receives first and second conductive blades of the electrical switch assembly. A cam member is movably connected to the first and second supporting brackets. First and second spring members are connected between the base and the cam member and bias the cam member away from the base. The amount of force required to open and close the switch assembly is increased by having to overcome the resistance force imparted by the first and second spring members on the cam member during rotation of the conductive blades.
Claims20
A resistance device for an electrical switch assembly, comprising:
- a housing having a base and first and second supporting brackets extending outwardly therefrom, first and second blades of the electrical switch assembly being receivable in said base;
- a cam member movably connected to said first and second supporting brackets;
- and
- first and second spring members connected between said base and said cam member, said first and second spring members biasing said cam member away from said base.
An electrical switch assembly, comprising:
- a mounting hinge;
- first and second conductive blades rotatably connected to said mounting hinge and rotatable between open and closed positions;
- a tab connected to said mounting hinge;
- and
- a resistance device disposed between said first and second conductive blades including
- a housing having a base and first and second supporting brackets extending outwardly therefrom, said base receiving said first and second conductive blades of said electrical switch assembly;
- a cam member movably connected to said first and second supporting brackets;
- and
- first and second spring members connected between said base and said cam member, said cam member engaging said tab and compressing said first and second spring members during rotation of said first and second conductive blades from said open position toward said closed position to increase a force required to rotate said conductive blades, said first and second spring members biasing said cam member away from said base.
A method of closing an electrical switch assembly, comprising the steps of
- rotating a conductive blade about a mounting hinge from a fully open position in which a resistance member connected to the conductive blade is not engaged with a tab connected to the mounting hinge;
- and
- engaging the resistance member connected to the conductive blade with the tab connected to the mounting hinge to increase a force required to rotate the conductive blade to a closed position when moving the conductive blade to the closed position, thereby substantially preventing accidental movement of the conductive blade to the closed position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.