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:
Aug. 11, 1998
Filed:
Nov. 01, 1996
Stephen David Mayo, Horseheads, NY (US);
Paul Graham Slade, Ithaca, NY (US);
Michael Bruce Schulman, Ithaca, NY (US);
Eaton Corporation, Cleveland, OH (US);
Abstract
A vacuum circuit interrupter has a coil for generating an axially oriented magnetic field to maintain an electric arc in a diffuse rather than columnar mode upon opening of the interrupter. At least one of two electrodes having abuttable disc shaped contacts is movable along an axis relative to the other and can be forced by an external mechanism to open. The electrodes are carried in a housing with an electrical insulator between opposite end mountings that support the electrodes with the contacts in an evacuated enclosure. One of the electrodes is an assembly including a rigid supporting member attached to one of the contacts and extending a length along the axis. A coil is wrapped circumferentially around the supporting member along this length, providing a conductive path to generate the axial magnetic field. The supporting member comprises a less-conductive path (e.g., a stainless steel sleeve) and the coil is more conductive (e.g., copper), providing a durable and inexpensive structure.