High-voltage switches with arc preventing or extinguishing devic – Arc preventing or extinguishing devices – Arc chute assembly
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-13
2001-09-11
Donovan, Lincoln (Department: 2832)
High-voltage switches with arc preventing or extinguishing devic
Arc preventing or extinguishing devices
Arc chute assembly
C218S151000, C218S156000, C335S201000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06288354
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a switching device including a fixed and a moving contact point and an arc extinguishing device having an arcing chamber surrounding the contact points and constructed as a pack of arc splitters stamped out in a U shape, the arc splitters being kept apart at their ends facing away from the contact points and being held together to form a subassembly.
A generic switching device having an arc extinguishing device is disclosed in European Patent EP 0 556 109 B1. In that switching device or protective device, an arc occurs at opening contact points when an electric current is being disconnected. That arc causes wear at the contact points, that is to say burning away of the contacts, and delays the disconnection of the circuit, since the current continues to flow until the arc is extinguished. The electric switching device is equipped with the arc extinguishing device in order to restrict the damage caused by the arc. That includes an arcing chamber, runner plates and diverse components which, inter alia, also fulfill flow-related tasks.
In that case, the arcing chamber is a pack of arc splitters which are stamped out in a U shape, are disposed in parallel and kept apart. Runner plates are disposed at the upper and lower ends of the arcing chamber. The fixed contact point is connected to the upper runner plate.
The above-described arc extinguishing device functions in the following way: when the contact point is opened, an arc occurs between the contact points moving away from each other. That arc is moved outward in the direction of the arcing chamber by electromagnetic forces. In the process, arc root points migrate away from the contact points along the runner plates that are electrically connected to the circuit. Once the arc reaches the arc splitters, it is subdivided into partial arcs and cooled down by the arc splitters. That leads to the partial arcs being extinguished and to the current flow being stopped.
The electromagnetic forces which move the arc away from the contact points toward the arcing chamber become greater with increasing length of the branches and bases of the arc splitters, that is to say with a more pronounced the U shape of the arc splitters. Long bases, in particular in the case of filigree layouts of arc splitters, entail problems in fixing the arc splitters. In that case, it is not possible to rule out the branches or bases or base tips of the arc splitters coming into contact with one another and welding together.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a switching device with an arc extinguishing device, which overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of this general type and in which even filigree layouts of arc splitters combined in a subassembly can be mounted and fixed in an operationally reliable manner without additional outlay.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, in a switching device having a fixed contact point and a moving contact point, an arc extinguishing device, comprising an arcing chamber surrounding the contact points, the arcing chamber having a pack of arc splitters stamped out in a U shape, the arc splitters held together to form a subassembly and having branches, bases and spaced-apart ends facing away from the contact points; an arcing chamber insert separating the moving and fixed contact points from the branches of the arc splitters; and spacers integrally molded or formed on the arcing chamber insert, the spacers keeping the branches and bases of the arc splitters spaced apart in the vicinity of the contact points.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the arcing chamber insert has an outer surface, and the spacers are grooves formed in or integrally molded in the outer surface of the arcing chamber insert for form-lockingly receiving the branches of the arc splitters.
In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, there is provided an insulating strip surrounding the ends of the arc splitters facing away from the contact points, keeping the arc splitters apart and holding the arc splitters together to form the subassembly.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a switching device with an arc extinguishing device, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
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Niebler Ludwig
Schreckinger Christian
Donovan Lincoln
Greenberg Laurence A.
Lerner Herbert L.
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
Stemer Werner H.
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