ARC extinguishing chamber for an electric protection apparatus and electric protection apparatus comprising same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9362070-B2
Application number	US-201414259697-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2014
Priority date	May 17, 2013
Publication date	Jun 7, 2016
Grant date	Jun 7, 2016

Abstract

The present invention relates to an arc extinguishing chamber of an electric protection apparatus comprising an arc formation chamber containing a stationary contact and a movable contact which, when they separate, form an arc between them, said arc formation chamber communicating with the inlet of a second chamber, called arc extinguishing chamber. This chamber comprises a wall called balancing wall, substantially solid at least on its central part, said wall being located downstream from the arc extinguishing chamber and being formed and arranged with respect to the arc extinguishing chamber in such a way as to slow down the exhaust flow of the breaking gases on the side of the arc extinguishing chamber where the gases go first, and enhancing flow of the exhaust gases on the opposite side, the exhaust gases being stopped by the central part of the wall and escaping via the edges of the wall.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An arc extinguishing chamber of an electric protection apparatus comprising
an arc formation chamber containing a stationary contact and a movable contact which, when separated, form an arc therebetween, said arc formation chamber communicating with the inlet of an arc extinguishing chamber; and
a balancing wall substantially solid at least at a central part, said balancing wall being located downstream from the arc extinguishing chamber and being formed and arranged with respect to the arc extinguishing chamber in such a way as to slow down the exhaust flow of exhaust gases on a side of the arc extinguishing chamber situated opposite the stationary contact, the exhaust gases being stopped by the central part of the balancing wall and escaping via the edges of the wall,
wherein said central part of the balancing wall is a solid central part having a variable width being maximum on the side of the arc extinguishing chamber where the gases flow first, and being progressively reduced as an opposite side of said chamber is approached.

2. The arc extinguishing chamber according to claim 1 , said arc extinguishing chamber comprising a stack of cooling elements extending in substantially parallel manner to one another, wherein the balancing wall is adjacent to the arc extinguishing chamber on the side and moves progressively away from said arc extinguishing chamber as a distance from the side of the chamber increases.

3. The arc extinguishing chamber according to claim 2 , wherein the arc extinguishing chamber comprises cooling elements that are inclined with respect to a base of the electric protection apparatus, and the balancing wall extends in substantially parallel manner to the base of the electric protection apparatus.

4. The arc extinguishing chamber according to claim 2 , wherein the balancing wall extends forming an angle comprised between 3 and 15° with the direction of alignment of the cooling elements.

5. The arc extinguishing chamber according to claim 1 , wherein the balancing wall is moulded with the case or the cover of the electric protection apparatus.

6. The arc extinguishing chamber according to claim 2 , wherein said arc extinguishing chamber comprises means for securing the cooling elements with respect to one another, the balancing wall forming an integral part of the means for securing the cooling elements.

7. The arc extinguishing chamber according to claim 6 , wherein the balancing wall forms an integral part of a back wall of the means for securing the cooling elements, said back wall comprising slits, around said balancing wall, extending in substantially parallel manner to the cooling elements and having a length which varies from one end of the wall to the other.

8. An electric protection apparatus comprising
at least one polar unit fitted in a case, said polar unit comprising an arc extinguishing chamber including an arc formation chamber containing a stationary contact and a movable contact which, when separated, form an arc therebetween, said arc formation chamber communicating with the inlet of the arc extinguishing chamber, and
a balancing wall substantially solid at least at a central part, said balancing wall being located downstream from the arc extinguishing chamber and being formed and arranged with respect to the arc extinguishing chamber in such a way as to slow down the exhaust flow of exhaust gases on a side of the arc extinguishing chamber situated opposite the stationary contact, the exhaust gases being stopped by the central part of the balancing wall and escaping via the edges of the wall,
wherein said central part of the balancing wall is a solid central part having a variable width being maximum on the side of the arc extinguishing chamber where the gases flow first, and being progressively reduced as an opposite side of said chamber is approached.

9. A low-voltage circuit breaker comprising at least one polar unit fitted in a case, said polar unit comprising a breaking chamber including an arc formation chamber containing a stationary contact and a movable contact which, when separated, form an arc therebetween, said arc formation chamber communicating with the inlet of an arc extinguishing chamber, and
a balancing wall substantially solid at least at a central part, said balancing wall being located downstream from the arc extinguishing chamber and being formed and arranged with respect to the arc extinguishing chamber in such a way as to slow down the exhaust flow of exhaust gases on a side of the arc extinguishing chamber situated opposite the stationary contact, the exhaust gases being stopped by the central part of the balancing wall and escaping via the edges of the wall,
wherein said central part of the balancing wall is a solid central part having a variable width being maximum on the side of the arc extinguishing chamber where the gases flow first, and being progressively reduced as an opposite side of said chamber is approached.

Assignees

• Schneider Electric Ind Sas

Inventors

• Moreau Luc
• Rondot Loic

Classifications

• H01H33/08 Primary

  Stationary parts for restricting or subdividing the arc, e.g. barrier plate · CPC title

• H01H9/342

  Venting arrangements for arc chutes · CPC title

• H01H9/345

  Mounting of arc chutes · CPC title

• H01H33/00 Primary

  High-tension or heavy-current switches with arc-extinguishing or arc-preventing means · CPC title