Circuit interrupters with masses in contact spring assemblies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9679708-B2
Application number	US-201514678038-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2015
Priority date	Apr 11, 2014
Publication date	Jun 13, 2017
Grant date	Jun 13, 2017

Abstract

Devices and assemblies are provided for operating circuit interrupters. A circuit interrupter assembly includes a circuit interrupter and a contact spring assembly. The circuit interrupter is located within the housing and includes a moving contact and a stationary contact. Contact spring assembly includes a mass, a plunger, a ferrule, a spring, and a dielectric drive rod. The mass defines an inner bore with a first diameter at a first portion of the mass and a second diameter that is larger than the first diameter at a second portion of the mass. The plunger has a flange portion and a body portion. The flange portion is located within the inner bore at the second portion and has a flange diameter that is larger than the first diameter. The spring is disposed within the inner bore between the plunger and the ferrule.

First claim

We claim:

1. A circuit interrupting device, comprising:
a circuit interrupter having a moving contact and a stationary contact, wherein the circuit interrupter includes a closed position in which the stationary contact and the moving contact are in contact at an interface; and
a contact spring assembly comprising:
a dielectric drive rod having a drive rod length,
a mass attached to the dielectric drive rod, wherein a distance between the mass and the interface is less than the drive rod length, and
a plunger attached to the moving contact and configured for engagement with the mass in response to actuation of the dielectric drive rod.

2. The circuit interrupting device of claim 1 , wherein the plunger has a flange portion and a body portion, and wherein the flange portion opposes the mass and the body portion is engaged for sliding translation with the mass.

3. The circuit interrupting device of claim 2 , wherein the mass has an annular shape that defines an inner bore, the inner bore having a first diameter at a first portion of the mass and having a second diameter that is larger than the first diameter at a second portion of the mass, and wherein the flange portion of the plunger is disposed within the inner bore at the second portion and has a flange diameter that is larger than the first diameter, and wherein the body portion of the plunger is received for translation through the inner bore at the first portion.

4. The circuit interrupting device of claim 3 , wherein the flange portion of the plunger is separated from the first portion of the mass by a lost motion distance when the circuit interrupter is in the closed position.

5. The circuit interrupting device of claim 1 , wherein the contact spring assembly further includes a ferrule fastened to the mass and to an end of the dielectric drive rod.

6. The circuit interrupting device of claim 5 , wherein the contact spring assembly further includes a spring disposed between the plunger and the ferrule, and wherein the spring biases the moving contact against the stationary contact in the closed position of the circuit interrupter.

7. The circuit interrupting device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a solid insulation housing that defines a first cavity;
a first conductor disposed in the solid insulation housing and having a first external coupling; and
a second conductor disposed in the solid insulation housing and having a second external coupling, and
wherein the moving contact is electrically coupled with the first conductor and the stationary contact is in selectable electrical communication with the second conductor.

8. The circuit interrupting device of claim 7 , further comprising a flexible conductor electrically coupled with the first conductor and with the moving contact of the circuit interrupter.

9. The circuit interrupting device of claim 7 , further comprising a disconnect electrically coupled between the stationary contact of the circuit interrupter and the second conductor.

10. The circuit interrupting device of claim 1 , wherein the mass of the contact spring assembly is disposed proximate to the moving contact of the circuit interrupter.

11. The circuit interrupting device of claim 1 , wherein the mass has rounded outer edges that are configured to limit concentration of electric charge.

12. The circuit interrupting device of claim 1 , wherein the circuit interrupter is a vacuum interrupter.

13. The circuit interrupting device of claim 1 , wherein the contact spring assembly further includes a threaded rod that is fastened to the plunger and to the moving contact of the circuit interrupter.

14. A circuit interrupter assembly, comprising:
a solid insulation housing that defines a first cavity;
a first conductor disposed in the solid insulation housing and having a first external coupling;
a second conductor disposed in the solid insulation housing and having a second external coupling;
a vacuum interrupter disposed within the first cavity and including a moving contact and a stationary contact, wherein the moving contact is electrically coupled with the first conductor and the stationary contact is in selectable electrical communication with the second conductor, wherein the vacuum interrupter includes a closed position in which the stationary contact and the moving contact are in contact at an interface;
a mass disposed within the first cavity and having an annular shape that defines an inner bore, the inner bore having a first diameter at a first portion of the mass and having a second diameter that is larger than the first diameter at a second portion of the mass,
a plunger having a flange portion and a body portion, wherein the flange portion is disposed within the inner bore at the second portion and has a flange diameter that is larger than the first diameter, and wherein the body portion is received for translation through the inner bore at the first portion and is attached to the moving contact of the vacuum interrupter, and wherein the flange portion of the plunger is separated from the first portion of the mass by a lost motion distance in the closed position;
a ferrule fastened to the inner bore of the mass,
a spring disposed within the inner bore between the plunger and the ferrule, and wherein the spring biases the moving contact against the stationary contact in the closed position of the vacuum interrupter, and
a dielectric drive rod fastened to the ferrule and having a drive rod length that is longer than a distance between the mass and the interface.

15. The circuit interrupter assembly of claim 14 , wherein the mass has rounded outer edges that are configured to limit concentration of electric charge.

16. The circuit interrupter assembly of claim 14 , further comprising a disconnect electrically coupled between the stationary contact of the vacuum interrupter and the second conductor.

17. A contact spring assembly for a circuit interrupting device, the contact spring assembly comprising:
a mass defining an inner bore, the inner bore having a first diameter at a first portion of the mass and having a second diameter that is larger than the first diameter at a second portion of the mass;
a dielectric drive rod;
a ferrule fixed to the inner bore of the mass, the ferrule fastened to and configured to receive the dielectric drive rod;
a plunger having a flange portion and a body portion, wherein the flange portion is disposed within the inner bore at the second portion and has a flange diameter that is larger than the first diameter, and wherein the body portion is received for translation through the inner bore at the first portion and is configured to attach to a moving contact of the circuit interrupting device;
a threaded rod fastened to the plunger, wherein the threaded rod has a length that is less than a length of the dielectric drive rod; and
a spring disposed within the inner bore between the plunger and the ferrule.

18. The contact spring assembly of claim 17 , wherein the mass has rounded outer edges that are configured to limit concentration of electric charge.

Assignees

• S & C Electric Co

Inventors

• Benson Iv Keith W
• Kowalyshen Henry W

Classifications

• H01H33/666

  Operating arrangements · CPC title

• H01H3/60

  Mechanical arrangements for preventing or damping vibration or shock · CPC title

• H01H3/001 Primary

  Means for preventing or breaking contact-welding · CPC title