Vacuum interrupter

Abstract

A vacuum interrupter comprises a pair of electrodes separably arranged within a vacuum vessel and mounted on conductor rods respectively. Each of the electrodes includes a coil electrode and a main electrode. The coil electrode is adapted to branch the current in the conductor rod in different radial directions with respect to the conductor rod for generating magnetic fields in axial direction of said conductor rod in such a manner as to offset each other at points near to the conductor rod. The main electrode is electrically connected with the coil electrode for carrying an arc. The main electrode includes a plurality of first current paths for passing the current in different radial directions, a plurality of second current paths for passing the current from the coil electrode to the first current paths, and a plurality of third current paths for passing the current therein in opposite directions to the current in the second current paths. Magnetic fields are generated in the main electrode in the same axial direction as those generated in the coil electrode, with the result that the arc is extinguished quicker when compared with the case where only one of the main and coil electrodes generates the axial magnetic field, thus improving the current-interrupting performance.