Contact arrangement for vacuum switches
First Claim
1. An electrical contact arrangement for use in a vacuum switch having two coaxially disposed contacts having an air gap therebetween when opened, said contact arrangement comprising:
- a contact disk forming one of said contacts;
a contact carrier having side walls forming a chamber therein, said side walls having slots spiralling about a central axis of said chamber and extending therethrough forming a coil for generating a magnetic field, and supporting said contact disk so as to span said chamber, anda profiled element consisting of ferro-magnetic material received in said chamber and having a face adjacent said contact disk with a cavity therein shaped for minimizing concentraction of said magnetic field in said air gap after said contacts are opened thereby substantially evenly radially distributing said magnetic field over said contact disk.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electrical contact arrangement for use in a vacuum switch having two coaxially disposed contact as a contact disk which forms one of the contacts, a contact carrier having side walls forming a cylindrical chamber and having slots spiralling therein about a central axis forming a coil for generating a magnetic field, the walls also serving to support the contact disk so as to span the cylindrical chamber, and a profiled element of ferro-magnetic material contained in the chamber and having a face adjacent the contact disk with a cavity therein for evenly radially distributing the magnetic field substantially over the entire contact disk. The profiled element may have a spherical, conical, stepped or rectangular cavity therein, when seen in cross-section, and an additional supporting element of non-magnetic material may be provided within the cavity.
14 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An electrical contact arrangement for use in a vacuum switch having two coaxially disposed contacts having an air gap therebetween when opened, said contact arrangement comprising:
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a contact disk forming one of said contacts; a contact carrier having side walls forming a chamber therein, said side walls having slots spiralling about a central axis of said chamber and extending therethrough forming a coil for generating a magnetic field, and supporting said contact disk so as to span said chamber, and a profiled element consisting of ferro-magnetic material received in said chamber and having a face adjacent said contact disk with a cavity therein shaped for minimizing concentraction of said magnetic field in said air gap after said contacts are opened thereby substantially evenly radially distributing said magnetic field over said contact disk. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An electrical contact assembly comprising:
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a contact element forming an air gap in said assembly in one switching position; means for generating a magnetic field supporting said contact element and having a chamber therein spanned by said contact element; and means received in said chamber having a selected profile shaped for minimizing concentration of said magnetic field in said air gap thereby substantially evenly radially distributing said magnetic field substantially over the entire contact element. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. An electrical contact assembly comprising:
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means for generating a magnetic field having a rim surrounding an opening therein; a contact element supported on said rim covering said opening; and a field distributing element disposed in said opening having a surface adjacent said contact element selected for substantially evenly radially distributing said magnetic field over said contact element. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification