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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10283288-B2
Application number	US-201715484160-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2017
Priority date	Nov 17, 2014
Publication date	May 7, 2019
Grant date	May 7, 2019

Abstract

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of securing an electrical contact to an electrode in a vacuum switching apparatus, said vacuum switching apparatus including a vacuum envelope having an interior, said electrode comprising a base and a protrusion extending from said base, said electrical contact having a hole, said electrical contact being disposed in the interior of the vacuum envelope, said method comprising the steps of:
inserting said protrusion into the hole of said electrical contact;
deforming said protrusion in order to secure said electrical contact to said electrode,
wherein the deforming step further comprises:
providing a tooling apparatus comprising a component, a body portion, a cap having an extended position and being coupled to said component, and a housing coupled to said body portion, said component extending through said body portion, said cap extending through said housing and being movable with respect to both said body portion and said housing comprising an element and a flange portion extending radially outwardly from said element, said housing comprising a cylindrical-shaped portion and a lip portion extending radially inwardly from the cylindrical-shaped portion, the lip portion being structured to overlay and engage said flange portion in order to prevent said cap from moving beyond the extended position;
moving said component into the hole of said electrical contact toward said base of said electrode; and
pushing said component into said protrusion in order to deform said protrusion.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said body portion has a thru hole; and wherein the method further comprises:
inserting said component through the thru hole of said body portion; and
securing said cap to said component.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said tooling apparatus further comprises a coupling member; wherein said component has an aperture; and wherein the securing step further comprises:
inserting said coupling member into the aperture of said component.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said cap has a thru hole; and wherein the method further comprises:
inserting said coupling member into the thru hole of said cap before inserting said coupling member into the aperture of said component.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein said housing has a number of thru holes; and wherein the method further comprises:
placing said housing on said cap, said cap extending through one of the thru holes of said housing.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:
inserting a number of other coupling members through a corresponding number of other thru holes of said housing, each of said number of other coupling members engaging said body portion.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein said tooling apparatus further comprises a spring; wherein said spring extends from said body portion to said cap; wherein said component extends through said spring; wherein said spring exerts a force on each of said cap and said body portion; and wherein the pushing step further comprises:
moving said cap toward said electrical contact, thereby increasing the force exerted by said spring on each of said cap and said body portion.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said electrical contact has an internal ledge; wherein said protrusion has a cavity; and wherein the pushing step further comprises:
driving said component into the cavity, thereby forcing a portion of said protrusion to substantially overlay said internal ledge.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:
providing said base with an engaging surface engaging said electrical contact, said engaging surface being disposed in a first plane; and
disposing said internal ledge in a second plane parallel to the first plane.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
providing said electrode as a single unitary component made from a single piece of material.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said tooling apparatus further comprises a spring; and wherein said body portion at least partially extends into said spring.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said tooling apparatus further comprises a spring; and wherein said spring engages each of said cap and said body portion.

13. A method of securing an electrical contact to an electrode in a vacuum switching apparatus, said vacuum switching apparatus including a vacuum envelope having an interior, said electrode comprising a base and a protrusion extending from said base, said electrical contact having a hole, said electrical contact being disposed in the interior of the vacuum envelope, said method comprising the steps of:
inserting said protrusion into the hole of said electrical contact;
deforming said protrusion in order to secure said electrical contact to said electrode,
wherein the deforming step further comprises:
providing a tooling apparatus comprising a component, a body portion separate and distinct from said component, a cap having an extended position and being coupled to said component, a housing coupled to said body portion, and a spring, said body portion at least partially extending through said spring, said cap comprising an element and a flange portion extending radially outwardly from said element, said housing comprising a cylindrical-shaped portion and a lip portion extending radially inwardly from the cylindrical-shaped portion, the lip portion being structured to overlay and engage said flange portion in order to prevent said cap from moving beyond the extended position;
moving said component into the hole of said electrical contact toward said base of said electrode; and
pushing said component into said protrusion in order to deform said protrusion.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said spring engages each of said cap and said body portion.

15. A method of securing an electrical contact to an electrode in a vacuum switching apparatus, said vacuum switching apparatus including a vacuum envelope having an interior, said electrode comprising a base and a protrusion extending from said base, said protrusion having a cavity, said electrical contact having a hole, said electrical contact being disposed in the interior of the vacuum envelope, said method comprising the steps of:
inserting said protrusion into the hole of said electrical contact;
providing a tooling apparatus comprising a component having a distal portion, a cap having an extended position and being coupled to said component, and a housing structured to engage said cap, said cap comprising an element and a flange portion extending radially outwardly from said element, said housing comprising a cylindrical-shaped portion and a lip portion extending radially inwardly from the cylindrical-shaped portion, the lip portion being structured to overlay and engage said flange portion in order to prevent said cap from moving beyond the extended position;
moving said component into the hole of said electrical contact toward said base of said electrode; and
pushing said distal portion of said component into said cavity of said protrusion in order to deform said protrusion.

Assignees

• Eaton Corp
• Eaton Intelligent Power Ltd

Inventors

• Li Yucheng
• Li Wangpei
• Yan Jun
• Chen Xuefei

Classifications

• Y10T29/49908

  Joining by deforming · CPC title

• H01H1/58

  Electric connections to or between contacts; Terminals {(for high tension switches H01H33/025; for electromagnetic relays H01H50/14; for circuit breakers H01H71/08)} · CPC title

• H01H33/662

  Housings or protective screens · CPC title

• Y10T29/49938

  Radially expanding part in cavity, aperture, or hollow body · CPC title

• Y10T29/49943

  Riveting · CPC title