Contact assembly for electrically and mechanically connecting a first terminal of a first apparatus to a second terminal of a second apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10522303-B2
Application number	US-201816149228-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 2, 2018
Priority date	Apr 11, 2016
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

A contact assembly for connecting electrically and mechanically a first terminal of a first apparatus to a second terminal of a second apparatus, wherein at least one of the first and the second apparatus is movable with respect to the other along a connection/disconnection direction, includes: a plurality of electrically conducting contact-finger-elements, each including a main contact portion configured for engaging the second terminal and an auxiliary contact portion for engaging the first terminal, wherein the finger-contact-elements are supported by a support frame of the contact assembly connectable to the first terminal or are configured for being directly connectable and supportable by the first terminal; one or more spring elements configured for acting on the contact-finger-elements so to urge the main contact portions against the second terminal when the first and the second apparatus are connected. The main contact portions of at least two of the plurality of contact-finger-elements are shifted one relative to the other in such a manner so to engage the second terminal in subsequent moments when the first apparatus is being connected to the second apparatus by a relative movement thereof along the connection/disconnection direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A contact assembly for connecting electrically and mechanically a first terminal of a first apparatus to a second terminal of a second apparatus, wherein at least one of the first and the second apparatus is movable with respect to the other along a connection/disconnection direction, comprising:
a plurality of electrically conducting contact-finger-elements, each comprising a main contact portion configured for engaging said second terminal and an auxiliary contact portion for engaging said first terminal, wherein said finger-contact-elements are supported by a support frame of the contact assembly connectable to said first terminal or are configured for being directly connectable and supportable by said first terminal; and
one or more spring elements configured for acting on said contact-finger-elements so to urge said main contact portions against said second terminal when the first and the second apparatus are connected,
wherein the main contact portions of at least two of said plurality of contact-finger-elements are shifted one relative to the other in such a manner so to engage the second terminal in subsequent moments when the first apparatus is being connected to the second apparatus by a relative movement thereof along said connection/disconnection direction,
wherein said support frame comprises a first plate developing circumferentially around a central axis and forming first radial protrusions alternating with first radial slots, a second plate developing circumferentially around said central axis and forming second radial protrusions alternating with second radial slots, and a plurality of rods connecting said first plate and second plate, said at least two contact-finger-elements comprising a first resting seat to be engaged by one of the first radial slots and a second resting seat to be engaged by one of the second radial slots, and
wherein said second radial slots comprise primary second slots and secondary second slots alternating with the primary second slots, wherein said primary second slots are shifted relative to the secondary second slots along the central axis, wherein the at least two contact-finger-elements first resting seat is elongated with respect to the second resting seat, and the second resting seat is configured and dimensioned to match both the primary second slots and the secondary second slots dimensions, such that the second resting seat can be engaged by both the primary second slots and the secondary second slots, and the first resting seat can be engaged by the first radial slots in different positions depending on which of the primary second slot and the secondary second slot engages the second resting seat.

2. The contact assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said at least two contact-finger-elements of said plurality of contact-finger-elements are differently shaped and arranged such that their main contact portions are shifted one relative to the other due to their shapes.

3. The contact assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said contact-finger-elements of said plurality of contact-finger-elements have same shapes and same dimensions and are disposed shifted one relative to the other.

4. The contact assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said contact assembly is a tulip-contact-assembly, wherein said plurality of contact-finger-elements are arranged side by side circumferentially around a central axis, wherein the main contact portions of said at least two of said plurality of contact-finger-elements are shifted one relative to the other with respect to said central axis.

5. The contact assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said second plate comprises a first auxiliary plate having radially lower slots alternating with radially higher slots, and a second auxiliary plate having radially lower slots alternating with radially higher slots, wherein the first and the second auxiliary plates are bonded together such that the radially lower slots of the first auxiliary plate correspond to the radially higher slots of the second auxiliary plate, and the radially higher slots of the first auxiliary plate correspond to the radially lower slots of the second auxiliary plate.

6. The contact assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the main contact portions of all the contact-finger-elements are shifted one relative to the other in an alternating manner.

7. The contact assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said contact assembly is a gripper-contact assembly and comprises a first group of said contact-finger-elements and a second group of said contact-finger-elements, wherein in each of the first and the second group the contact-finger-elements are placed side by side parallel oriented according to a gripping axis, and wherein the first group of finger contact elements is arranged opposite to the second group of contact elements, such that the main contact portions of the contact-finger-elements of the first group face the main contact portions of the contact-finger-elements of the second group.

8. The contact assembly according to claim 7 , wherein in each of the first and the second group of contact-finger-elements, all the main contact portions are alternatively shifted one to the other along said support gripping axis.

9. The contact assembly according to claim 7 , wherein in each of the first and the second group of contact-finger-elements the main contact portions are aligned, the main contact portions of the contact-finger-elements of the first group being shifted along said gripping axis relative to contact-finger-elements of the second group.

10. The contact assembly according to claim 2 , wherein said contact assembly is a tulip-contact-assembly, wherein said plurality of contact-finger-elements are arranged side by side circumferentially around a central axis, wherein the main contact portions of said at least two of said plurality of contact-finger-elements are shifted one relative to the other with respect to said central axis.

11. The contact assembly according to claim 3 , wherein said contact assembly is a tulip-contact-assembly, wherein said plurality of contact-finger-elements are arranged side by side circumferentially around a central axis, wherein the main contact portions of said at least two of said plurality of contact-finger-elements are shifted one relative to the other with respect to said central axis.

12. A system comprising:
a circuit breaker;
wherein said circuit breaker includes:
a contact assembly for connecting electrically and mechanically a first terminal of a first apparatus to a second terminal of a second apparatus, wherein at least one of the first and the second apparatus is movable with respect to the other along a connection/disconnection direction comprising:
a plurality of electrically conducting contact-finger-elements, each comprising a main contact portion configured for engaging said second terminal and an auxiliary contact portion for engaging said first terminal, wherein said finger-contact-elements are supported by a support frame of the contact assembly connectable to said first terminal or are configured for being directly connectable and supportable by said first terminal; and
one or more spring elements configured for acting on said contact-finger-elements so to urge said main contact portions against said second terminal when the first and the second apparatus are connected,
wherein the main contact portions of at least two of said plurality of contact-finger-elements are shifted one relative to the other in such a manner so to engage the second terminal in subsequent moments when the first apparatus is being connected to the second apparatus by a relative movemen

Assignees

• Abb Schweiz Ag

Inventors

• Belloni Francesco
• Farina Andrea

Classifications

• H02B11/04

  Isolating-contacts, e.g. mountings or shieldings · CPC title

• H01H2001/5872

  including means for preventing incorrect coupling · CPC title

• H01H33/025

  Terminal arrangements (for vacuum switches H01H33/6606) · CPC title

• H01R13/187

  with spring member in the socket · CPC title

• H01H1/38

  Plug-and-socket contacts · CPC title