Vacuum switching device for a circuit having a main current path and an auxiliary current path

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12159763-B2
Application number	US-202017773142-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 2, 2020
Priority date	Oct 29, 2019
Publication date	Dec 3, 2024
Grant date	Dec 3, 2024

Abstract

A vacuum switch device has a housing body, a stationary electrical contact and a moving electrical contact, which is arranged within the housing body. With a movement of the moving contact towards the stationary contact, the contacts form an electrical contact. With a movement away the electrical contact is interrupted. A sliding bearing provides sliding support for the moving contact for its movement towards and away from the stationary contact. The sliding bearing has an electrically conductive material and at least partially electrically insulates the housing body. A spring element is supported on a spring support and presses the moving electrical contact in the direction of the stationary electrical contact. There is also provided a circuit with a main current path and a parallel auxiliary current path. The vacuum switch device is arranged in the auxiliary current path.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vacuum switching device, comprising:
a housing body formed with an electrically insulating material;
a stationary electrical contact, which is spatially fixed relative to said housing body and within said housing body;
a movable electrical contact, which is movably arranged relative to said housing body and within said housing body, wherein, when said movable electrical contact is moved toward said stationary electrical contact, an electrical contact is established between said stationary and movable electrical contacts and, when said movable electrical contact is moved away from said stationary electrical contact, the electrical contact is interrupted; and
a sliding bearing connected to said housing body and supporting said movable electrical contact for a sliding movement toward and away from said stationary electrical contact;
said sliding bearing having an electrically conductive material and being configured to at least partially electrically shield said housing body; and
said sliding bearing having a spring support configured to support a spring element disposed to press said movable electrical contact in a direction toward said stationary electrical contact;
said movable electrical contact having a contact section, an axial shaft section connected thereto, and a shaft spring support;
said spring element being seated coaxially on said shaft section and being pretensioned between said spring support of said sliding bearing and said shaft spring support of said movable electrical contact;
said sliding bearing having a tubular sliding section that is seated so as to slide coaxially on said shaft section of said movable electrical contact, and a shielding section that extends radially externally from said sliding section and at least partially electrically shields said flange of said housing body; and
said shielding section of said sliding bearing being formed with at least one slot extending in a spiral shape.

2. The vacuum switching device according to claim 1 , wherein said housing body has an axial end with a flange that comprises an electrically conductive material and said sliding bearing at least partially electrically shields said flange.

3. The vacuum switching device according to claim 1 , wherein said sliding bearing is attached to said housing body by way of a connection selected from the group consisting of a bayonet connection, a snap-in connection, an adhesive bond, and a thread.

4. The vacuum switching device according to claim 1 , wherein said sliding bearing is attached to said housing body by way of a connection selected from the group consisting of a bayonet connection, a snap-in connection, an adhesive bond, and a thread provided on said sliding section of said sliding bearing.

5. The vacuum switching device according to claim 1 , wherein said shielding section of said sliding bearing is inclined axially toward said housing body.

6. The vacuum switching device according to claim 1 , wherein said shielding section is arranged on an axial end of said sliding section.

7. The vacuum switching device according to claim 1 , wherein said shielding section of said sliding bearing has a stop that is configured so as to center said sliding bearing in an installed state thereof.

8. The vacuum switching device according to claim 1 , wherein said shielding section is elastically deformable in an axial direction thereof.

9. The vacuum switching device according to claim 1 , further comprising a bellows arranged coaxially around said spring element and coaxially around said tubular sliding section of said sliding bearing, and wherein said bellows is connected between said movable electrical contact and said housing body.

10. The vacuum switching device according to claim 1 configured as a vacuum switching tube.

11. The vacuum switching device according to claim 1 , wherein said movable electrical contact has a shaft section that protrudes axially beyond said sliding bearing and an axial end with a coupling section, and wherein said coupling section is configured for connecting an external actuation element for moving said movable electrical contact toward and away from said stationary electrical contact.

12. A vacuum switching device, comprising:
a housing body formed with an electrically insulating material;
a stationary electrical contact, which is spatially fixed relative to said housing body and within said housing body;
a movable electrical contact, which is movably arranged relative to said housing body and within said housing body, wherein, when said movable electrical contact is moved toward said stationary electrical contact, an electrical contact is established between said stationary and movable electrical contacts and, when said movable electrical contact is moved away from said stationary electrical contact, the electrical contact is interrupted; and
a sliding bearing connected to said housing body and supporting said movable electrical contact for a sliding movement toward and away from said stationary electrical contact;
said sliding bearing having an electrically conductive material and being configured to at least partially electrically shield said housing body;
said sliding bearing having a spring support configured to support a spring element disposed to press said movable electrical contact in a direction toward said stationary electrical contact;
said movable electrical contact having a contact section, an axial shaft section connected thereto, and a shaft spring support;
said spring element being seated coaxially on said shaft section and being pretensioned between said spring support of said sliding bearing and said shaft spring support of said movable electrical contact;
said sliding bearing having a tubular sliding section that is seated so as to slide coaxially on said shaft section of said movable electrical contact, and a shielding section that extends radially externally from said sliding section and at least partially electrically shields said flange of said housing body; and
said shielding section being elastically deformable in an axial direction thereof.

Assignees

• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Hohmann Stefan
• Ratka Martin
• Schumann Holger
• Schuemann Ulf

Classifications

• H01H33/6661 Primary

  Combination with other type of switch, e.g. for load break switches (H01H33/143, H01H33/6662 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01H33/664

  Contacts; Arc-extinguishing means, e.g. arcing rings · CPC title

• H01H33/125

  comprising a separate circuit breaker (H01H33/122 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01H1/50

  Means for increasing contact pressure, preventing vibration of contacts, holding contacts together after engagement, or biasing contacts to the open position · CPC title

• H01H33/66207

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