Single bottle interrupter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10600592-B2
Application number	US-201414575088-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2014
Priority date	Dec 18, 2013
Publication date	Mar 24, 2020
Grant date	Mar 24, 2020

Abstract

A vacuum interrupter for interrupting a voltage. The vacuum interrupter including a vacuum bottle, a bi-stable mechanism, and a bellows assembly. The vacuum bottle having axially seperable contacts, wherein at least one of the contacts is a moveable contact. The bi-stable mechanism including an actuator, and a cam pivotable by the actuator, the cam moving the moveable contact. The bellows assembly reciprocating the moveable contact to prevent arcing between the contacts. The bellows assembly including a spring biasing the contacts apart from each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vacuum interrupter for interrupting a voltage, the vacuum interrupter comprising:
a vacuum bottle having a single pair of axially separable contacts, wherein at least one of the separable contacts is a moveable contact;
a jacket encasing the vacuum bottle, wherein the jacket has a ribbed outer surface;
a housing, having an inner surface and a circumferentially ribbed outer surface, wherein the housing encases the jacket such that the inner surface of the housing interfaces with the ribbed outer surface of the jacket;
a bi-stable mechanism including,
an actuator, and
a cam pivotable by the actuator, the cam moving the moveable contact; and
a bellows assembly positioned above the vacuum bottle and coupled to the housing, the bellows assembly including an outer cylindrical shell surrounding an opening spring, a spring plate, a contact spring, and a bellows, the bellows assembly reciprocating the moveable contact to prevent arcing between the pair of contacts and biasing the pair of contacts apart from each other.

2. The vacuum interrupter of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum interrupter interrupts a voltage of at least approximately 69 kV.

3. The vacuum interrupter of claim 1 , wherein the housing is comprised of a polymer epoxy.

4. The vacuum interrupter of claim 3 , wherein the polymer epoxy is a cycloaliphatic polymer epoxy.

5. The vacuum interrupter of claim 1 , wherein current flows through the contacts in the closed position.

6. The vacuum interrupter of claim 1 , wherein a flow of current through the contacts is stopped when the contacts are apart from each other.

7. The vacuum interrupter of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is a conductive operating arm.

8. The vacuum interrupter of claim 1 , wherein the actuator includes a pair of bumpers.

9. The vacuum interrupter of claim 1 , wherein the cam is a pair of pivotably connected links.

10. A vacuum interrupter for interrupting a voltage, the vacuum interrupter comprising:
a housing, having an inner surface and a circumferentially ribbed outer surface;
a vacuum bottle within the housing, the vacuum bottle having,
a fixed contact, and
a moveable contact;

a jacket encasing the vacuum bottle, wherein the jacket has a ribbed outer surface, wherein the ribbed outer surface interfaces with the inner surface of the housing;
a bi-stable mechanism within the housing, the bi-stable mechanism having a first position and a second position;
a bellows assembly within the housing, the bellows assembly positioned above the vacuum bottle and coupled to the housing, the bellows assembly including an outer cylindrical shell surrounding an opening spring, a spring plate, a contact spring, and a bellows, the bellows assembly movably connected to the bi-stable mechanism and the moveable contact, the bellows assembly biasing the moveable contact away from the fixed contact when the bi-stable mechanism is in the second position.

11. The vacuum interrupter of claim 10 , wherein the bi-stable mechanism includes an actuator and a pair of pivotably connected links, wherein movement of the actuator moves the pair of pivotably connected links.

12. The vacuum interrupter of claim 11 , wherein the pair of pivotably connected links are connected to the moveable contact, wherein movement of the connected links moves the moveable contact toward the fixed contact.

13. The vacuum interrupter of claim 12 , wherein the pair of pivotably connected links and the moveable contact are connected via a clevis of the bellows assembly.

14. The vacuum interrupter of claim 10 , wherein the vacuum interrupter interrupts a voltage of at least approximately 69 kV.

15. The vacuum interrupter of claim 10 , wherein the housing is comprised of a polymer epoxy.

16. The vacuum interrupter of claim 15 , wherein the polymer epoxy is a cycloaliphatic polymer epoxy.

17. The vacuum interrupter of claim 10 , wherein current flows through the moveable contact and the fixed contact when in the closed position.

18. The vacuum interrupter of claim 10 , wherein current does not flow through the moveable contact and the fixed contact when in an open position.

19. A vacuum interrupter for interrupting a voltage, the vacuum interrupter comprising:
a housing, having an inner surface and circumferentially ribbed outer surface, formed of a polymer epoxy;
a vacuum bottle within the housing, the vacuum bottle having a pair of contacts including:
a fixed contact, and
a moveable contact;

a jacket encasing the vacuum bottle, wherein the jacket has a ribbed outer surface, wherein the ribbed outer surface interfaces with the inner surface of the housing;
a bi-stable mechanism within the housing, the bi-stable mechanism including, a pivotably moveable cam moving the moveable contact between a first position and a second position, wherein the moveable contact touches the fixed contact when in the first position and the moveable contact is separated from the fixed contact when in the second position; and
a bellows assembly within the housing, the bellows assembly positioned above the vacuum bottle and coupled to the housing, the bellows assembly including an outer cylindrical shell surrounding an opening spring, a spring plate, a contact spring, and a bellows, the bellows assembly biasing the moveable contact away from the fixed contact.

Assignees

• Power Products Llc
• Hubbell Inc

Inventors

• Rhein David A

Classifications

• H01H2033/6623

  Details relating to the encasing or the outside layers of the vacuum switch housings · CPC title

• H01H33/66207

  Specific housing details, e.g. sealing, soldering or brazing · CPC title

• H01H33/666 Primary

  Operating arrangements · CPC title