High voltage compact fused disconnect switch device with bi-directional magnetic arc deflection assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10636607-B2
Application number	US-201715855367-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2017
Priority date	Dec 27, 2017
Publication date	Apr 28, 2020
Grant date	Apr 28, 2020

Abstract

A fused disconnect switch device includes a housing defining an interior volume, and a current path. An arc interruption assembly is located in the interior volume and includes a shell, and a conductor in electrical communication with the current path. At least one arc plate is located between the magnets and the conductor. The magnets cooperate to generate a magnetic field facilitating an interruption of a first arc between the conductor and the first side of the arc chamber and a second arc between the conductor and the second side of the arc chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fused disconnect switch device comprising:
a housing defining a first interior volume;
a current path defined in the housing for connection to a removable overcurrent protection fuse;
and
an arc interruption assembly comprising:
a shell residing in the first interior volume of the housing and defining a second interior volume and at least one barrier defining opposing arc chambers in the second interior volume;
a movable conductor selectively positionable in the housing and relative to the shell, the movable conductor switchably connecting or disconnecting the current path in each of the opposing arc chambers;
arc plates located between the first or second magnet and the movable conductor in the respective opposing arc chambers; and
at least first and second magnets generating a magnetic field across the shell to effect arc deflecting magnetic force that does not depend on polarity of connection to a protected circuit;
wherein the current path does not involve or include a resettable circuit breaker element.

2. The fused disconnect switch device of claim 1 , wherein the current path further includes a stationary switch contact including a stationary turn-back conductive structure in the opposing arc chambers.

3. The fused disconnect switch device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one barrier includes overlapping barriers respectively defining the opposing arc chambers in combination.

4. The fused disconnect switch device of claim 3 , wherein the arc plates are U-shaped arc plates.

5. The fused disconnect switch device of claim 4 , wherein the arc plates each having a leading edge defining a channel in the respective opposing arc chambers, and the at least one barrier extending adjacent the leading edge of the arc plates.

6. The fused disconnect switch device of claim 1 , wherein the shell has opposing lateral sides and opposing longitudinal sides, the first magnet and second magnets arranged on the lateral sides of the shell such that the movable conductor is located approximately equidistant from the first magnet and the second magnet on the respective lateral sides.

7. The fused disconnect switch device of claim 1 , the arc interruption assembly further comprising a ferromagnetic shroud.

8. The fused disconnect switch device of claim 1 , wherein the movable conductor includes switch contacts on opposing ends thereof, and wherein the first and second magnets are arranged to deflect a first arc and a second arc in the opposing arc chambers when the movable conductor is being selectively positioned.

9. The fused disconnect switch device of claim 1 , wherein the arc interruption assembly is designed to interrupt an electrical arc and dissipate electrical arc energy while the current path conducts a direct current load of about 600 VDC to about 1000 VDC.

10. The fused disconnect switch device of claim 1 , wherein the current path further comprises a first fuse contact member and a second fuse contact member configured to receive respective terminal blades extending from a common side of the housing of the removable overcurrent protection fuse.

11. A fused disconnect switch device comprising:
a nonconductive housing configured to accept an overcurrent protection fuse;
a current path defined in the nonconductive housing, the current path comprising a first fuse contact member and a second fuse contact member, the first fuse contact member and the second fuse contact member configured to complete an electrical connection through the overcurrent protection fuse;
the current path further including a mechanical switch having a movable conductor but not including a resettable circuit breaker element;
a switch actuator selectively positionable between first and second positions to electrically connect and disconnect the movable conductor in the current path; and
an arc chamber assembly disposed about the movable conductor and separately defined from the housing, the arc chamber assembly comprising at least one pair of magnets, a first plurality of arc plates in a first arc chamber, and a second plurality of arc plates in a second arc chamber, the at least one pair of magnets establishing a magnetic field across the arc chamber assembly to effect arc deflecting magnetic force that does not depend on polarity of connection to a protected circuit;
wherein the first and second pluralities of arc plates respectively comprise aligned arc plates having a leading edge defining a channel through which respective ends of the movable conductor pass.

12. The fused disconnect switch device of claim 11 , wherein the arc chamber assembly further comprises a shell that is formed to include:
the first arc chamber and the second arc chamber;
magnet receptacles for receiving the at least one pair of magnets;
arc plate receptacles for receiving the first and second pluralities of arc plates in the first arc chamber and second arc chamber; and
at least one barrier separating the first arc chamber and the second arc chamber.

13. The fused disconnect switch device of claim 12 , wherein the at least one barrier comprises overlapping barriers extending adjacent each of the arc plate receptacles.

14. The fused disconnect switch device of claim 13 , wherein the at least one barrier is off-centered in the shell and extends beneath a floor of at least one of the arc plate receptacles.

15. The fused disconnect switch device of claim 11 , wherein the overcurrent protection fuse comprises a pair of terminal blades insertable into the nonconductive housing along an insertion axis, and the first fuse contact member and the second fuse contact member receiving a respective one of the pair of terminal blades.

16. The fused disconnect switch device of claim 11 , wherein the movable conductor carries first and second movable switch contacts on the respective ends thereof and wherein the current path includes first and second stationary switch contacts having a stationary turn-back conductive structure.

17. The fused disconnect switch device of claim 11 , wherein the at least one pair of magnets comprises a first and second magnet located proximate the first plurality of arc plates and a third and fourth magnet located proximate the second plurality of arc plates, the first and second magnets cooperating with the third and fourth magnets to establish the magnetic field across the first and second pluralities of arc plates.

18. A fused disconnect switch device comprising:
a housing defining an interior volume;
a current path defined in the housing, the current path including a first fuse contact member, a second fuse contact member, and a mechanical switch having a first stationary switch contact and a second stationary switch contact and a movable conductor member carrying first and second movable switch contacts on opposed ends thereof, and wherein the current path does not include a circuit breaker;
wherein the first fuse contact member and the second fuse contact member are configured to complete an electrical connection through an overcurrent protection fuse and wherein the first stationary switch contact and the second stationary switch contact each have a stationary turn-back conductive structure; and
an arc chamber assembly comprising:
at least first and second magnets cooperating to generate a magnetic field therebetween;
a plurality of arc plates located in the magnetic field; and
a shell in the interior volume of the housing and comprising a first arc chamber, a second arc chamber and a plurality of receptacles in the first arc chamber and in

Assignees

• Eaton Intelligent Power Ltd

Inventors

• Zhou Xin
• Theisen Peter John
• Rollmann Paul J
• Darr Matthew Rain

Classifications

• H01H85/0241

  Structural association of a fuse and another component or apparatus (switches with built-in fuses H01H9/10, spark-gap arresters H01H85/44, transformers and inductances H01F27/402, capacitors H01G2/14, lamps H01K1/66, semiconductors H10W20/493 or H10W42/80) · CPC title

• H01H85/203

  for fuses with blade type terminals · CPC title

• H01H9/443

  using permanent magnets · CPC title

• H01H2085/386

  with magnetic or electrodynamic arc-blowing · CPC title

• H01H33/182

  using permanent magnets (H01H33/187 takes precedence) · CPC title