Low profile blow-on force automatic switch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10163585-B2
Application number	US-201615331660-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2016
Priority date	Oct 23, 2015
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

Systems of automatic transfer switches (ATS) are disclosed herein. One apparatus includes at least two automatic transfer switches coupled together. Each automatic transfer switches has contacts to couple a power source to a load. For each switch, an electromagnetic force biasing the contacts to each other is present if an electrical current flows through the switch. The automatic transfer switches may be on separate cassettes or on a single cassette. The power source of each switch may be the same or different.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system of coupled automatic transfer switches, the system comprising:
a first automatic transfer switch and a second automatic transfer switch coupled in a parallel configuration, each of the first automatic transfer switch and the second automatic transfer switch comprising:
a first source bar structured to connect to a first power source;
a second source bar structured to connect to a second power source;
a stationary bar with a front end and a back end;
a first movable bar electrically coupled and rotatably connected to the stationary bar at the front end, wherein the first movable bar contacts the first source bar to provide power from the first power source, wherein the first movable bar is subjected to a first electromagnetic force biasing the first movable bar towards the first source bar, and wherein the first electromagnetic force is induced by current flowing through the stationary bar and the first removable bar; and
a second movable bar electrically coupled and rotatably connected to the stationary bar at the front end, wherein the second movable bar contacts the second source bar to provide power from the second power source, wherein the second movable bar is subjected to a second electromagnetic force biasing the second movable bar towards the second source bar, and wherein the second electromagnetic force is induced by current flowing through the stationary bar and the second removable bar;

wherein the back end of the stationary bar of the first automatic transfer switch is connected to the front end of the stationary bar of the second automatic transfer switch;
wherein the first source bar of the first automatic transfer switch is connected to the first source bar of the second automatic transfer switch, and wherein the second source bar of the first automatic transfer switch is connected to the second source bar of the second automatic transfer switch.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein one of the first automatic transfer switch or the second automatic transfer switch maintains power transmission upon failure of the other of the first automatic transfer switch or the second automatic transfer switch.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first automatic transfer switch is coupled to the second automatic transfer switch via clusters.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the back end of the second automatic transfer switch is structured to connect to an electrical load.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a cassette upon which the first automatic transfer switch and the second automatic switch are disposed.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a first cassette upon which the first automatic transfer switch is disposed and a cassette upon which the second automatic transfer switch is disposed.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first automatic transfer switch or the second automatic transfer switch comprises a spring structured to increase compression between the first movable bar and the first source bar in a closed position to prevent contact bounce.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the first automatic transfer switch or the second automatic transfer switch further comprises a movable linkage, a T-shaped linkage, and a cam with a hex bar, wherein the first movable bar is linked to the cam through the movable linkage, wherein the spring is wound around the T-shaped linkage and coupled to the cam, wherein the hex bar is structured to rotate the cam from an initial closed position to an ultimate closed position, wherein at the initial closed position the first movable bar contacts the first source bar the spring is substantially not compressed, and wherein at the ultimate closed position the first movable bar is pressed against the first source bar and the spring is compressed.

9. A system comprising:
a first automatic transfer switch and a second automatic transfer switch coupled in a parallel configuration, each of the first automatic transfer switch and the second automatic transfer switch comprising:
a first source bar structured to connect to a first power source;
a second source bar structured to connect to a second power source;
a stationary bar with a front end and a back end;
a first movable bar electrically coupled and rotatably connected to the stationary bar at the front end, wherein the first movable bar contacts the first source bar to provide power from the first power source, wherein the first movable bar is subjected to a first electromagnetic force biasing the first movable bar towards the first source bar, and wherein the first electromagnetic force is induced by current flowing through the stationary bar and the first removable bar; and
a second movable bar electrically coupled and rotatably connected to the stationary bar at the front end, wherein the second movable bar contacts the second source bar to provide power from the second power source, wherein the second movable bar is subjected to a second electromagnetic force biasing the second movable bar towards the second source bar, and wherein the second electromagnetic force is induced by current flowing through the stationary bar and the second removable bar; and

a generator coupled to at least one of the second source bar of the first automatic transfer switch or the second source bar of the second automatic transfer switch and structured to transmit electrical power over the at least one of the second source bar of the first automatic transfer switch or the second source bar of the second automatic transfer switch;
wherein the back end of the stationary bar of the first automatic transfer switch is connected to the front end of the stationary bar of the second automatic transfer switch.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the first source bar of the first automatic transfer switch or the first source bar of the second automatic transfer switch is structured to connect to a utility grid.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first source bar of the first automatic transfer switch is connected to the first source bar of the second automatic transfer switch, and wherein the second source bar of the first automatic transfer switch is connected to the second source bar of the second automatic transfer switch.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein one of the first automatic transfer switch or the second automatic transfer switch maintains power transmission upon failure of the other of the first automatic transfer switch or the second automatic transfer switch.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the back end of the second automatic transfer switch is structured to connect to an electrical load.

Assignees

• Cummins Power Generation Ip

Inventors

• Zhou Wangwei
• Hanson Nicholas O

Classifications

• H01H1/42

  Knife-and-clip contacts · CPC title

• H01H2300/018

  Application transfer; between utility and emergency power supply · CPC title

• H02J4/00

  Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as AC or DC; Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks combining AC and DC sections or sub-networks (arrangements using intermediate DC-AC-DC conversion H02J1/002; arrangements using high-voltage DC [HVDC] links H02J3/36) · CPC title

• H01H3/222

  using electrodynamic repulsion · CPC title

• H01H9/40

  Multiple main contacts for the purpose of dividing the current through, or potential drop along, the arc · CPC title