Allen-bradley Company, LLC

Ellen Boehmer

Christopher John Wieloch

Jeffrey R Annis

Mark A Kappel

David J Benard

Gernot Hildebrandt

A circuit interrupter provides a conducting path between two conductors and interrupts the conducting path in response to overcurrent conditions in the conductors. The interrupter includes a magnetic core around which the conductors are disposed. Each conductor is electrically coupled to an arc runner and a spanner is biased into contact with the arc runners to compete a conducting path between the conductors. A secondary response mechanism is provided adjacent to the core and includes arms extending around the core and a magnetic body. In response to overcurrent conditions of a first magnitude the body of the secondary response mechanism is attracted to the core causing the arms to displace the spanner out of contact with the arc runners. In response to overcurrent conditions of a second magnitude, such as due to direct short circuits, the spanner is repelled rapidly to a non-conducting position and the secondary response mechanism is attracted to the core to hold the spanner in the non-conducting position. The core shapes an electromagnetic field due to current in the conductors and the field causes extremely rapid expansion of arcs generated during movement of the spanner, resulting in very fast extinction of the arcs and a very brief turnoff time.

Apparatus for interrupting electrical power between two conductors

A method for interrupting electrical power between two conductors is provided, including biasing an electrically conductive element into a conducting position between two contact regions of the conductors. The contact regions are preferably portions of arc runners coupled to the conductors. The conductors surround a magnetic core that generates an electromagnetic field due to current in the conductors. The conductive element is repelled to a non-conducting position by the electromagnetic field in response to an overcurrent condition in the conductors. A secondary response mechanism is moved in response to the overcurrent condition to maintain the conductive element in the non-conducting position. For more gradually occurring overcurrent conditions, the secondary response mechanism is attracted toward the core, displacing the conductive element to the non-conducting position. Arcs generated by movement of the conductive element are rapidly expanded under the influence of a magnetic field, thereby rapidly increasing the voltage opposing the fault current.

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Thousand Oaks, CA, United States of America

Ellen Boehmer