Air break electrical switch having a blade toggle mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9991072-B2
Application number	US-201514818285-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 4, 2015
Priority date	Jan 19, 2011
Publication date	Jun 5, 2018
Grant date	Jun 5, 2018

Abstract

An electrical switch includes a pivotally supported blade, a toggle mechanism, and an operating mechanism. The operating mechanism is drivable in a first direction to pivot the blade about a first axis and toward a closed blade position. When pivoting toward the closed blade position, the toggle mechanism inhibits the blade from pivoting about a second axis. Upon reaching the closed blade position, continued motion of the operating mechanism in the first direction causes the toggle mechanism to pivot the blade about the second axis toward a closed contact position. In the closed contact position, the blade contacts at least one blade contact to electrically connect the blade and a first electrical terminal.

First claim

I claim:

1. An electrical switch, comprising:
an electrical terminal including a terminal contact;
a blade support rotatable about a first axis; and
a blade having a blade contact, supported by the blade support, and rotatable about a second axis,
wherein the blade support rotates about the first axis to engage the blade with the electrical terminal and the blade rotates about the second axis to engage the blade contact with the terminal contact and rotation of the blade about the second axis is inhibited prior to the blade engaging the electrical terminal and a toggle mechanism inhibits rotation of the blade prior to the blade engaging the electrical terminal and the toggle mechanism includes a first toggle member and a second toggle member wherein the first toggle member includes a first set of points and the second toggle member includes a second set of points that interdigitates with the first set of points.

2. The electrical switch of claim 1 , wherein an operating mechanism is operatively connected to the blade.

3. The electrical switch of claim 1 , wherein the blade support and the electrical terminal are positioned on a frame.

4. The electrical switch of claim 3 , wherein the blade support is connected to a first insulator and the electrical terminal is connected to a second insulator.

5. An electrical switch, comprising: an electrical terminal including
a terminal contact;
a blade support rotatable from an open blade position to a closed blade position; and
a blade supported by a blade support having a blade contact and rotatable from an open contact position to a closed contact position,
wherein the blade contact engages the terminal contact in the closed contact position and a toggle mechanism inhibits rotation of the blade until the blade support is in the closed blade position and the toggle mechanism includes a first toggle member having a first set of points and a second toggle member having a second set of points that interdigitates with the first set of points.

6. The electrical switch of claim 5 , wherein the first toggle member moves relative to the second toggle member as the blade rotates from the open blade position to the closed blade position.

7. The electrical switch of claim 5 , wherein the blade is rotatable between the open contact position and the closed contact position only in the closed blade position.

8. The electrical switch of claim 5 , wherein a latching mechanism inhibits movement of the blade support from the from the closed blade position to the open blade position.

Assignees

• Hubbell Power Systems Inc
• Hubbell Inc

Inventors

• Rhein David A

Classifications

• H01H31/28

  with angularly-movable contact · CPC title

• H01H2031/286

  wherein the contact is rotatable around its own longitudinal axis · CPC title

• H01H1/52

  Contacts adapted to act as latches · CPC title

• H01H31/026 Primary

  Movable parts and contacts mounted thereon · CPC title

• H01H31/30 Primary

  actuated through the movement of one or more insulators · CPC title