Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Bernd Adam

Michael Hahn

A device for detecting wear of switching contacts in an electric switch appliance is disclosed, the wear of the contacts being caused at least at a pair of switching contacts appliance. The device includes a lightwave guide and a detector. A light exiting from at least one light source is capable of being injected into the lightwave guide and guided by the lightwave guide up to the detector. The lightwave guide is arranged relative to the pair(s) of switching contacts, such that the intensity of the light injected in the lightwave guide, which is measured by the detector, decreases in the switching appliance as the number of wear particles of contacts generated by the wear of the contacts increases.

Device for detecting contact wear in switching appliances

A contact arrangement for low-voltage circuit breakers comprises a fixed and movable main contacts and fixed and movable burn-off contacts. With the burn-off contacts, arcing horns as well as an arc quenching chamber are associated. Upon heavy stress of the contact arrangement, partial arcs occurring at the main contacts are taken over by arc pieces and conducted to the arcing horns. Also in case of a larger number of main contacts, a relatively narrow arc quenching chamber can be used.

Contact arrangement for low-voltage circuit breakers with main contacts

A contact arrangement for a low-voltage circuit breaker comprises a movable part having several contact levers. For preventing undersirable deflection of a joint pin going through the contact levers, support levers are arranged between the contact levers, which include openings for the joint pin of the contact levers and a coupling pin which serves for introducing a driving force by coupling members. Between the contact levers, there are furthermore spacers which are supported tiltably within limits at the support levers and which ensure low-friction mobility of the contact levers relative to each other.

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Berlin, Germany

Bernd Adam