Schneider Electric Sa

Joel Devautour

Jean-Pierre Guery

Jacques Olifant

Raymond Plumeret

Michel Rapeaux

Juan Aymami-Pala

Herve Lefebvre

The device includes two breaking areas formed at each side of a contact bridge carrying main contacts that can be separated from fixed contacts located in the breaking areas and fixed to main conductors. The main conductors each have shaped extensions in the break areas that are configured to cooperate with shaped extensions associated with arc collection parts positioned nearby. The shaping of the extensions and the spacing therebetween encourage a particular direction of arc migration relative to arcs created when the moveable contacts carried by the contact bridge are separated from the fixed contacts. Further, arc migration control is provided in the form of magnetic fields provided in each breaking area. Each arc collection part is connected through a shunt conductor and a single direction of current flow establishing component to make a direct electrical connection to the main conductor associated with the other area.

Electrical device with double AC breaking contacts

An electrical switch device with separable contacts is provided with a shunt conductor adapted to receive one end of the arc that is struck when the contacts separate after it has jumped a dielectric gap. The shunt conductor determines an interim arc current path in which is a current limiter device.

Electric switch device with separable contacts including fixed contact

An electromechanical switch of the contactor or circuit-breaker type with adjacent contacts, which are provided on respective mobile and fixed contact parts. This arrangement defines a narrow ionization slot which is maintained at the start of contact opening in order to cause a secondary arc to fire substantially perpendicular to the contact opening direction constituting a shunting arc to eliminate the time duration of the contacts and switch legs.

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Saint Germain-en-Laye, France

Joel Devautour