Circuit breaker enclosure having integrated pass-through

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11430623-B2
Application number	US-201917418890-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2019
Priority date	Dec 31, 2018
Publication date	Aug 30, 2022
Grant date	Aug 30, 2022

Abstract

An enclosure of a circuit breaker that includes an interior region and a pass-through. The interior region can be sized to house a circuit interrupter and a dielectric insulating medium. The pass-through can include a pathway having a first open end and a second open end, the first and second open ends being in direct fluid communication with each other through the pathway. The first and second open ends can be secured to the enclosure such that the pass-through is integral to the enclosure, such as, for example, being part of a monolithic structure or constructed to form a unitary body. Additionally, the pathway may not be in direct fluid communication with the interior region of the enclosure. Further, the pass-through can be offset from, or extend directly into, the interior region of the enclosure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An enclosure for a circuit breaker, the enclosure comprising:
a first end and a second end, the first end and the second end being at opposing ends of the enclosure;
a wall that defines at least a portion of an interior region of the enclosure, the interior region sized to house a dielectric insulating medium and a circuit interrupter; and
a pass-through extending through at least a portion of the wall, the pass-through having a pathway that includes a first open end and a second open end, the first open end being adjacent to the first end of the enclosure, the second open end being adjacent to the second end of the enclosure, the first and second open ends being in fluid communication with each other across the pathway, wherein the pathway is not in direct fluid communication with the interior region.

2. The enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the wall further defines a pair of openings, the pair of openings each sized and positioned to receive portion of an electrical conductor of a pole assembly.

3. The enclosure of claim 2 , wherein an inner side of the wall defines at least a portion of the interior region, and wherein at least a portion of the pass-through extends through the enclosure beneath the inner side of the wall.

4. The enclosure of claim 2 , wherein an inner side of the wall defines at least a portion of the interior region, and wherein at least a portion of the pass-through sits within the interior region along a portion of the inner side of the wall.

5. The enclosure of claim 2 , wherein opposing ends of the pass-through are coupled to the enclosure at locations about the wall of the enclosure such that a portion of the pass-through therebetween is suspended within the interior region.

6. The enclosure of claim 1 , further including a first end cap and a second end cap, the first end cap sized for selective coupling to the first open end, the second end cap sized for selective coupling to the second open end.

7. The enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure extends between the first end and the second end along a first central longitudinal axis, and wherein the pass-through extends along a second central longitudinal axis, the first central longitudinal axis being parallel to, and offset from, the second central longitudinal axis.

8. The enclosure of claim 1 , wherein an inner side of the wall defines at least a portion of the interior region, and wherein a portion of an outer side of the pass-through provides a portion of the inner side of the wall of the enclosure.

9. The enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the pass-through comprises a tubular body that is coupled to the enclosure, the tubular body extending between a first cavity and a second cavity in the wall of the enclosure, the first cavity being adjacent to the first end of the enclosure, the second cavity being adjacent to the second end of the enclosure.

10. An apparatus comprising:
an enclosure extending between a first end and a second end along a first central longitudinal axis, the enclosure having an interior region and a pair of openings, each of the pair of openings sized to receive an electrical conductor of a pole assembly;
at least one end cap, the at least one end cap coupled to at least one of the first end or the second end of the enclosure; and
a pass-through having a pathway, the pathway having a first open end and a second open end, the first and second open ends being in direct fluid communication through the pathway, the first and second open ends secured to the enclosure such that the pass-through is integral to the enclosure, the pathway not being in direct fluid communication with the interior region.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein at least a portion of the pass-through extends through the enclosure beneath the interior region of the enclosure.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein at least a portion of the pass-through extends through the interior region of the enclosure.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein opposing ends of the pass-through are coupled to the enclosure such that a portion of the pass-through therebetween is suspended within the interior region.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 , further including a first end cap and a second end cap, the first end cap sized for selective coupling to the first open end, the second end cap sized for selective coupling to the second open end.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the enclosure extends between the first end and the second end along a first central longitudinal axis, and wherein the pass-through extends along a second central longitudinal axis, the first central longitudinal axis being parallel to, and offset from, the second central longitudinal axis.

16. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein a portion of an outer side of a pathway wall of the pass-through defines a portion of the interior region of the enclosure.

17. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the pass-through comprises a tubular body that is coupled to the enclosure, the tubular body extending between a first cavity and a second cavity in a wall of the enclosure, the first cavity being adjacent to a first end of the enclosure, the second cavity being adjacent to a second end of the enclosure, and wherein a portion of the tubular body is positioned within the interior region of the enclosure.

18. A circuit breaker comprising:
at least one pole assembly having a first electrical conductor, a second electrical conductor, an enclosure, and a circuit interrupter,
wherein the enclosure includes an interior region and a pass-through, the interior region sized to house the circuit interrupter and a dielectric insulating medium, the pass-through having a pathway having a first open end and a second open end, the first and second open ends being in direct fluid communication through the pathway, the first and second open ends secured to the enclosure such that the pass-through is integral to the enclosure, and wherein the pathway is not in direct fluid communication with the interior region.

19. The circuit breaker of claim 18 , wherein at least a portion of the pass-through extends through the enclosure beneath the interior region of the enclosure.

20. The circuit breaker of claim 18 , wherein at least a portion of the pass-through extends through the interior region of the enclosure.

Assignees

• Hitachi Energy Switzerland Ag

Inventors

• Vladuchick Paul Jason
• Aristizabal Mauricio
• Cuppett Matthew D

Classifications

• H01H33/53 Primary

  Cases (for switchgear H02B1/26); Reservoirs, tanks, piping or valves, for arc-extinguishing fluid; Accessories therefor, e.g. safety arrangements, pressure relief devices · CPC title

• H02B13/045

  Details of casing, e.g. gas tightness · CPC title

• H01H33/56 Primary

  Gas reservoirs · CPC title

• H01H9/52

  Cooling of switch parts (cooling of contacts H01H1/62) · CPC title

• H01H33/562

  Means for avoiding liquefaction or for disposing of liquefaction products · CPC title