Floating contact assembly for switchgear

A floating contact assembly for a switchgear assembly, said switchgear assembly including a housing assembly and a circuit breaker assembly including an elongated switching element, said circuit breaker assembly moving between a first withdrawn position and a second inserted position, one of said housing assembly or said switching element including a non-floating contact, said floating contact assembly comprising:

• a first conductive member;
• a flexible conductive shunt;
• a second conductive member;
• said first conductive member coupled to one of said housing assembly or said switching element;
• said flexible conductive shunt coupled to, and in electrical communication with, said first conductive member;
• said second conductive member coupled to, and in electrical communication with, said flexible conductive shunt;
• wherein said second conductive member is floatably coupled to said first conductive member;
• and
• wherein said non-floating contact is a generally circular torus and wherein said second conductive member is a generally circular torus.

A switchgear assembly comprising:

• a housing assembly including a number of hollow contact insulators;
• each said contact insulator including a number of floating contact assemblies disposed on the inner surface thereof;
• a circuit breaker assembly including a number of switching elements, each said switching element including an elongated body with a number of non-floating contacts disposed about each said body;
• each floating contact assembly including a first conductive member, a flexible conductive shunt, and a second conductive member;
• said first conductive member coupled to contact insulator;
• said flexible conductive shunt coupled to, and in electrical communication with, said first conductive member;
• said second conductive member coupled to, and in electrical communication with, said flexible conductive shunt;
• wherein said second conductive member is floatably coupled to said first conductive member;
• and
• wherein said circuit breaker assembly is structured to move between a first, non-engaged position, wherein each said floating contact assembly is not in electrical communication with a non-floating contact assembly, and a second, engaged position, wherein each said floating contact assembly is in electrical communication with a non-floating contact.