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US 9,029,727 B2Granted
Arc runners suitable for DC molded case circuit breakers and related methods
AssigneeEaton Corporation
InventorsCraig Joseph Puhalla, Xin Zhou, James Patrick Sisley, Lance Gula, Mark A. Janusek
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Circuit breakers include an arc chamber and an arc chute comprising a plurality of arc plates in the arc chamber. The circuit breakers also include a line conductor assembly with at least one arc runner attached to a line conductor in the arc chamber. The arc runner can extend below but adjacent to a bottom arc plate to thereby guide a respective arc into the arc chute.
Claims22
A circuit breaker, comprising:
- an arc chamber;
- an arc chute comprising a plurality of arc plates in the arc chamber;
- a line conductor in the arc chamber, the line conductor having a lower body portion and an upwardly extending arm with a free end, the arm residing above the lower body portion;
- a stationary contact held by the arm of the line conductor, the stationary contact residing adjacent to the arc plates;
- and
- a non-ferromagnetic arc runner held by the line conductor in the arc chamber, wherein the arc runner is at least one of (a) attached to the lower body portion of the line conductor and resides forward of the stationary contact with a portion residing under a bottom arc plate so the portion of the arc runner residing under the bottom arc plate has a surface opposed to a bottom surface of the bottom arc plate or (b) attached to the arm of the line conductor and resides at least partially on a substantially common plane as the stationary contact with at least one downwardly extending sidewall that extends down toward the lower body portion of the line conductor a distance forward of and under the stationary contact with a portion residing under a bottom arc plate, whereby the arc runner defines an arc path that leads to an underside of one or more of the lower arc plates.
3 more elements
An arc chamber assembly, comprising:
- an arc chamber having a molded body;
- an arc chute comprising a plurality of arc plates in the arc chamber;
- a movable arm holding a movable contact in the arc chamber;
- a line conductor assembly held in the arc chamber adjacent a portion of the arc chute, the line conductor assembly comprising a line conductor having a lower body portion and an upwardly extending arm with a free end, the arm residing above the lower body portion, a stationary contact held by the line conductor that cooperates with the movable contact and a non-ferromagnetic arc runner attached to the line conductor residing in the arc chamber, wherein the arc runner is at least one of (a) attached to the lower body portion of the line conductor and resides forward of the stationary contact with a portion residing under a bottom arc plate so that the portion of the arc runner residing under the bottom arc plate has a surface opposed to a bottom surface of the bottom arc plate or (b) attached to the arm of the line conductor and resides on a substantially common plane as the stationary contact with at least one downwardly extending sidewall that extends down toward the lower body portion of the line conductor a distance forward of the stationary contact with a portion residing under a bottom arc plate, whereby the arc runner defines an arc path that leads to an underside of a bottom arc plate;
- and
- a non-conductive line conductor cover residing over the line conductor lower body portion.
3 more elements
A line conductor assembly, comprising:
- an elongate line conductor having a lower body portion and an upwardly extending arm, the line conductor holding a stationary electrical contact on a forward end portion of the arm for a direct current (DC) circuit breaker;
- a non-ferromagnetic, conductive arc runner attached to the elongate line conductor, wherein the arc runner has forward extending segments that define a gap space therebetween, the segments sized and configured to reside on opposing lateral sides of the line conductor and/or stationary contact;
- and
- a non-conductive line conductor cover residing over the line conductor lower body portion.
1 more element
A method of directing arcs in an arc chute of a bidirectional direct current circuit breaker, comprising:
- providing a circuit breaker with an arc chamber comprising an arc chute with arc plates and a line conductor with a stationary conductor and least one arc runner;
- and
- directing an electrical arc to travel along an arc path that extends to an underside of a bottom arc plate of the arc chute inward of an outer edge of the bottom arc plate using the arc runner.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.