The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 10, 1979
Filed:
Apr. 07, 1977
Joseph G Gorman, Murrysville, PA (US);
Richard L Hundstad, Wilkinsburg, PA (US);
Roy E Voshall, New Alexandria, PA (US);
Paul O Wayland, Montour Falls, NY (US);
Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Abstract
A vacuum circuit interrupter contact being generally cup-shaped with a radially inward extending lip with slots formed through the lip and side wall for directing current flow and including a flat annular contact cap attached directly to the lip portion. The annular contact cap extends from the side walls radially inward to a position inside of the lip-shaped portion. At the inner diameter of the annular contact cap an arcing ring is formed which extends downward along the inner diameter of the lip portion. The annular contact cap can be formed from a material having good arc interrupting properties, such as chromium copper, while the rest of the contact can be formed from a material which is easy to fabricate and has good electrical conductivity properties, such as copper. In another embodiment of the invention, the lip portion and the annular contact cap are formed as one member but any slots formed in the lip-shaped portion do not extend to the contact making surface. Thus the contact making surface is still in a continuous annular contact area. The contact structure is shaped so that when an arc is formed during circuit interruption the arc is moved radially inward and around the arcing rings of the pair of contacts. The disclosed contacts provide high current interrupting ability with little arc-seasoning.