Eaton Corporation

Eaton Intelligent Power Limited

Wangpei Li

Xin Zhou

Eric D Smith

Li Yu

Louis Grant Campbell

Ganesh Kumar Balasubramanian

Stephen David Mayo

Jun Yan

Yucheng Li

Xuefei Chen

Martin Leusenkamp

Martin B J Leusenkamp

Somasundara Rao Matu

Brad Robert Leccia

Francois Jean Marchand

Benjamin Alex Rosenkrans

Darron Robert Mohr

Franklin Willis Freeborn

Shaojie Ye

Kesong Xie

Mrinalini Pathak

Martin BJ Leusenkamp

François J Marchand

A vacuum interrupter has a toroidal portion at one or both ends that achieves higher dielectric levels and hence higher interruption levels.

Toroidal encapsulation for high voltage vacuum interrupters

A vacuum interrupter having a structure to trap running cathode tracks is disclosed. The interrupter includes a first electrode assembly and a second electrode assembly, at least one of which is moveable. The interrupter also includes a sidewall having a longitudinal axis. One or more trench structures are formed in at least one of the electrode assemblies. Each trench structure has an opening that faces the other electrode assembly in a direction that is parallel to the longitudinal axis, to trap the running cathode tracks to prevent them from getting close to the sidewall.

Vacuum interrupter with trap for running cathode tracks

A circuit breaker includes at least one moveable contact. The moveable electrode is operably connected to a Thomson coil actuator that can separate and open the contacts of the circuit breaker. A sensor senses current or voltage in the circuit breaker. When a condition exists that triggers an opening action, a controller will use select a current level to apply to the Thomson coil actuator. The selected current level will vary based on the sensed current or voltage level. The controller will cause a driver to apply the selected current level to the Thomson coil actuator, and it will cause the contacts to separate and open. If the circuit breaker is a vacuum interrupter, the vacuum interrupter may employ a multi-section bellows in which each section has unique structural characteristics as compared to the other sections, so that different sections will dominate as the Thomson coil's speed of operation varies.

Variable-speed circuit breaker and switching method for same

An electrode assembly for a vacuum interrupter includes a contact plate, an electrode coil, an inner support, a lower support, and at least one support member. The electrode coil includes a base for attachment to a terminal post of the vacuum interrupter. The electrode coil also includes at least one arcuate arm between the base and the contact plate extending along a curved path in a plane substantially perpendicular to a direction of travel of the electrode assembly. Each arcuate arm includes an aperture that is positioned to align with a corresponding aperture of an adjacent arcuate arm or the base of the electrode coil. Each support member is partially positioned within aligned apertures to maintain a gap between the arcuate arms and the base. The support members and the lower support may be slotted to decrease the current flowing through the supports.

Coil-type axial magnetic field contact assembly for vacuum interrupter

An electrical contact for a vacuum switching apparatus. The vacuum switching apparatus includes a second electrical contact. The electrical contact includes a hub portion and a plurality of petal portions each extending from the hub portion. Each of the plurality of petal portions has a first surface and a second surface. The first surface faces in a first direction and is structured to engage the second electrical contact. The second surface faces in a second direction generally opposite the first direction. At least one of the plurality of petal portions further has a grooved portion extending inwardly from the second surface toward the first surface.

Vacuum switching apparatus and electrical contact therefor

A contact assembly is for a vacuum switching apparatus. The vacuum switching apparatus includes a vacuum envelope. The vacuum envelope has an interior. The contact assembly includes: a number of electrical contacts located in the interior of the vacuum envelope, at least one electrical contact having a hole; and a number of electrodes each engaging a corresponding one of the number of electrical contacts, at least one electrode including a base and a protrusion. The protrusion extends from the base into the hole of the electrical contact in order to secure the electrical contact to the electrode.

Vacuum switching apparatus, and contact assembly and method of securing an electrical contact to an electrode therefor

The disclosed concept relates to vacuum interrupters having an electrically floating arc-enduring center shield component made out of an alloy of copper (Cu) and chromium (Cr), with or without additional minority alloying element or elements, and contact assemblies positioned in a vacuum envelope. In an open position, the contact assemblies include a contact gap formed there between. In accordance with the invention, contact assemblies are axially positioned such that the axial position of the contact gap aligns with a portion of the wall of the Cu&#x2014;Cr alloy-based center shield component that has a maximum thickness and outer diameter.

Maximizing wall thickness of a Cu&#x2014;Cr floating center shield component by moving contact gap away from center flange axial location

An electrical contact is for a vacuum switching apparatus. The vacuum switching apparatus includes a second electrical contact. The electrical contact includes a body having a center point and a periphery, the body including a plurality of arcing surfaces structured to face in a first direction toward the second electrical contact and structured to move into and out of engagement with the second electrical contact, and a plurality of arc spinning portions each defining a slot extending inwardly from the periphery generally toward the center point, the plurality of arc spinning portions generally separating the plurality of arcing surfaces from one another. At least one arc spinning portion narrows from a corresponding pair of adjacent arcing surfaces of the body to an interior thereof in a second direction opposite the first direction.

An electrode assembly is provided for a vacuum switch, including a vacuum envelope, a fixed contact assembly including a fixed contact disposed within the vacuum envelope, and a movable contact assembly including a movable contact disposed within the vacuum envelope and movable between a closed position in electrical contact with the fixed contact and an open position spaced apart from the fixed contact. The electrode assembly includes at least one electrode bundle having a plurality of electrodes coupled to a corresponding one of the fixed contact assembly and the movable contact assembly. The electrodes extend from at or about a corresponding one of the fixed contact and the movable contact toward the closer of the first end of the vacuum envelope and the second end of the vacuum envelope.

Vacuum switch and electrode assembly therefor

A hybrid switch assembly is provided for a vacuum switch, such as for example a vacuum interrupter. The vacuum interrupter includes a vacuum envelope, a fixed contact assembly partially within the vacuum envelope, and a movable contact assembly partially within the vacuum envelope and movable between a closed position in electrical contact with the fixed contact assembly and an open position spaced apart from the fixed contact assembly. The hybrid switch assembly includes at least one radial magnetic field generating mechanism, such as for example a spiral contact or cup member, and a number of axial magnetic field generating mechanisms each comprising a ferromagnetic or ferrimagnetic member, such as for example, a horseshoe plate assembly. Each axial magnetic field generating mechanism is disposed within the vacuum envelope proximate a corresponding radial magnetic field generating mechanism.

Vacuum switch and hybrid switch assembly therefor

A vacuum switching apparatus includes a vacuum envelope; a fixed contact assembly partially within the vacuum envelope; a first movable contact assembly partially within the vacuum envelope; a second movable contact assembly partially within the vacuum envelope; a first bellows within the vacuum envelope and cooperating with the first movable contact assembly to maintain a partial vacuum within the vacuum envelope; and a second bellows within the vacuum envelope and cooperating with the first movable contact assembly and the second movable contact assembly to maintain a partial vacuum within the vacuum envelope.

Vacuum switching apparatus including first and second movable contact assemblies, and vacuum electrical switching apparatus including the same

A contact is for a vacuum interrupter. The contact includes a contact member having a generally planar mating surface with a planar contact plane and a plurality of purposely introduced undulations therein. The undulations are structured to contact a plurality of purposely introduced undulations of another contact member. The undulations are in a dimension perpendicular to the planar contact plane. The planar contact plane has a diameter. The undulations have a depth substantially smaller than the diameter of the planar contact plane.

Contact member including purposely introduced undulations and vacuum interrupter including the same

A vacuum switch includes a vacuum envelope; a fixed contact assembly partially within the vacuum envelope; and a movable contact assembly partially within the vacuum envelope and movable between a closed position in electrical contact with the fixed contact assembly and an open position spaced apart from the fixed contact assembly. The vacuum envelope includes an insulating body having a number of transparent portions made of a single crystal alumina for viewing the fixed contact assembly and the movable contact assembly within the vacuum envelope.

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Horseheads, NY, United States of America

Wangpei Li