US3632930A - Electric switches - Google Patents

Electric switches Download PDF

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Publication number
US3632930A
US3632930A US20559A US3632930DA US3632930A US 3632930 A US3632930 A US 3632930A US 20559 A US20559 A US 20559A US 3632930D A US3632930D A US 3632930DA US 3632930 A US3632930 A US 3632930A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
carrier
contact
switch
electric
complementary
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US20559A
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English (en)
Inventor
Marcello Parini
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3632930A publication Critical patent/US3632930A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H9/00—Details of switching devices, not covered by groups H01H1/00 - H01H7/00
    • H01H9/30—Means for extinguishing or preventing arc between current-carrying parts
    • H01H9/38—Auxiliary contacts on to which the arc is transferred from the main contacts
    • H01H9/383—Arcing contact pivots relative to the movable contact assembly

Definitions

  • An electric switch comprising a carrying member movable along a predetermined path between switch-opening and switch-closing positions; a first current-conducting carrier mounted on said member and having a first electric contact and exposed end and lateral surfaces; a second current-conducting carrier mounted on said member for movement relative to said first carrier and having a second electric contact, said second carrier at least substantially surrounding said surfaces of said first carrier; first and second complementary electric contacts respectively located in the path of said contacts on said first and second carriers during movement of said member toward said switch-closing position; and resilient means operating between said second carrier and said member to maintain the contact of said second carrier in such position with reference to the contact of said first carrier that the contact of said second carrier engages the second complementary contact prior to engagement between the contact of said first carrier and said first complementary contact during movement of said member toward said switch-closing position.
  • this invention relates to electric switches which include means to reduce arcing as the switching is opened and closed. Such arcing is probably the most serious .course of trouble in electric switches which are comparatively heavily loaded.
  • an electric switch includes a first switch member which in use of the switch is movable for the purpose of opening and closing the switch, a first contact carrier carrying adjacent one end a main contact, a second contact carrier carrying adjacent one end an arcbreaking contact, said ends of the first and second contact carriers being adjacent one another and the second contact carrier including two portions which extend respectively from said end of the second contact carrier adjacent two opposite sides of the first control contact carrier, the first and second contact carriers both being pivotally mounted on the first switch member so that in use of the switch the arc-breaking contact makes before and breaks after the main contact.
  • the switch also includes a second switch member which in use of the switch is fixed and which carries a further main Contact and a further arc-breaking contact which cooperate respectively with the main Contact and the arcbreaking contact of the first switch member, the arrangement of said contacts being such that when the switch is open the spacing between the adjacent surfaces of the two main contacts is greater than the spacing between the adjacent surfaces of the two arc-breaking contacts.
  • Switches in accordance with the present invention can be made to small dimensions, so enabling protection against arcing to be provided in switches which although comparatively small are heavily loaded.
  • FIG. 1 is a side view, partially in cross section, of the essential parts of the switch
  • FIG. 2 is a plan view, partly broken away, of a switch member forming part of the switch.
  • the switch comprises a fixed contact carrying member 1 and a movable Contact carrying member 4 which is pivotable by a shaft 5 between switch opening and closing positions.
  • the shaft 5 can be suitably driven by some known means (not shown).
  • the member 1 is formed by a copper plate which is connected to a terminal of the switch, and which carries a main contact 3 and an arc-breaking contact 2.
  • the arc-breaking contact 2 projects further towards the member 4 than does the main contact 3.
  • the member 4 includes two spaced-parallel strips 6 which carry adjacent their outer ends a pivot pin 7.
  • a first contact carrier 19 mounted on the pin 7 in the space between the strips 6 is a first contact carrier 19 in the form of a small copper bar of large cross section which carries adjacent the outer end a complementary main contact 22 aligned with the main contact 3.
  • a second contact carrier 8 which comprises a loop-shaped portion including two parallel strips 9 and 10 which extend closely adjacent the two exposed opposite lateral surfaces or sides of the contact carrier 19 and at their outer ends 9 and 10' are closed together closely around the exposed outer end surface of the contact carrier 19. Where the ends 9' and 10' join they form an ear 11 which carries an arc-breaking contact 12 aligned with the arc-breaking contact 2.
  • the inner ends of the strips 9 and 10 are connected by a bridge 13 in which is a slot 14.
  • a pin 15 passes through the slot 14 and also through an aperture 16 in the top of the member 4.
  • the projecting part of the pin 15 is encircled by a helical spring 17 which is lightly compressed between a head 18 and the top of the member 4. The action of the spring 17 is therefore to tend to urge the arc-breaking Contact 12 in the direction of the complementary arc-breaking contact 2.
  • the contact carrier 19 Near the outer end of the contact carrier 19 rs a recess 20 which locates a helical spring 23, more powerful than the spring 17.
  • the spring 23 is lightly compressed between the recess 20 and the underside of the top of the member 4, so that its action is to tend to urge the main contact 22 in the direction of the complementary main contact 3.
  • the inner end 21 of the Contact carrier 19 is connected to a lead 21' which is preferably flexible.
  • a flexible lead 24 connects the contact carriers 8 and 19, and also has the effect of retaining the contact carrier 19 in the position shown in FIG. 1 such that when the switch is open the arc-breaking contact 12 projects beyond the main contact 22. In other words. the spacing between the adjacent surfaces of the arc-breaking contacts 2 and 12 is less than the spacing between the adjacent surfaces of the main contacts 3 and 22.
  • the main contact 22 and the arc-breaking contact 12 are aligned lengthwise of the member 4, although in an alternative embodiment the contact carrier 19 could be duplicated and with it the main contacts 3 and 22, etc. Both such contact carriers 19 would be disposed within the contact carrier 8.
  • the switch can be made with quite small dimensions, and also that the member 4 can readily be disassembled for the purpose of replacing the contact carrier 8 or 19.
  • An electric switch comprising a carrying member mova ble along a predetermined path between switch-opening and switch-closing positions; a first current-conducting carrier mounted on said member and having a first electric contact and exposed end and lateral surfaces; a second current conducting carrier mounted on said member for movement relative to said first carrier and having a second electric contact, said second carrier at least substantially surrounding said surfaces of said first carrier; first and second complementary electric contacts respectively located in the path of said contacts on said first and second carriers during movement of said member toward said switch-closing position; and resilient means operating between said second carrier and said member to maintain the contact of said second carrier in such position with reference to the Contact of said first carrier that the contact of said second carrier engages the second complementary contact prior to engagement between the contact of said first carrier and said first complementary contact during movement of said member toward said switch-closing positron.

Landscapes

  • Arc-Extinguishing Devices That Are Switches (AREA)
US20559A 1969-04-09 1970-03-18 Electric switches Expired - Lifetime US3632930A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
IT1528169 1969-04-09

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3632930A true US3632930A (en) 1972-01-04

Family

ID=11147786

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US20559A Expired - Lifetime US3632930A (en) 1969-04-09 1970-03-18 Electric switches

Country Status (9)

Country Link
US (1) US3632930A (de)
BE (1) BE745008A (de)
BR (1) BR7017845D0 (de)
CH (1) CH519234A (de)
DE (1) DE2005742A1 (de)
FR (1) FR2038325A1 (de)
GB (1) GB1260274A (de)
NL (1) NL7005057A (de)
ZA (1) ZA702197B (de)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4421959A (en) * 1982-04-19 1983-12-20 Eaton Corporation Bridging contactor with main and arcing contacts
US4847455A (en) * 1987-03-25 1989-07-11 Asea Brown Boveri Ab Electric switching device
US5122625A (en) * 1989-09-18 1992-06-16 Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Circuit breaker
US11562867B2 (en) * 2019-01-15 2023-01-24 Jianping Zhao Movable contact mechanism of double-breakpoint circuit breaker

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4453053A (en) * 1981-07-21 1984-06-05 Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Circuit breaker with arc restricting device
US4871889A (en) * 1988-09-21 1989-10-03 Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc. Arcing contact assembly for a circuit breaker

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2664479A (en) * 1951-09-19 1953-12-29 Ite Circuit Breaker Ltd Blow-on contact structure
US3218428A (en) * 1963-12-19 1965-11-16 Gen Electric Adjustable contact pressure switch mechanism
US3345485A (en) * 1964-12-30 1967-10-03 Fed Pacific Electric Co Circuit breaker having improved arcing contact structure

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2664479A (en) * 1951-09-19 1953-12-29 Ite Circuit Breaker Ltd Blow-on contact structure
US3218428A (en) * 1963-12-19 1965-11-16 Gen Electric Adjustable contact pressure switch mechanism
US3345485A (en) * 1964-12-30 1967-10-03 Fed Pacific Electric Co Circuit breaker having improved arcing contact structure

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4421959A (en) * 1982-04-19 1983-12-20 Eaton Corporation Bridging contactor with main and arcing contacts
US4847455A (en) * 1987-03-25 1989-07-11 Asea Brown Boveri Ab Electric switching device
US5122625A (en) * 1989-09-18 1992-06-16 Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Circuit breaker
US11562867B2 (en) * 2019-01-15 2023-01-24 Jianping Zhao Movable contact mechanism of double-breakpoint circuit breaker

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
NL7005057A (de) 1970-10-13
BR7017845D0 (pt) 1973-01-16
ZA702197B (en) 1971-01-27
BE745008A (fr) 1970-07-01
DE2005742A1 (de) 1970-10-15
CH519234A (it) 1972-02-15
GB1260274A (en) 1972-01-12
FR2038325A1 (de) 1971-01-08

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