Cutoff structure for circuit breaker

• US 5,635,886 A
• Filed: 12/20/1994
• Issued: 06/03/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric China (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Electric China (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Pichard, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): DONOVAN, LINCOLN D
• Application Number:
  US08/356,308
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• Field of Search: 335/131-132, 335/202, 335/6, 335/14, 335/20, 335/16, 335/147
• US Class Current: 335/132
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 73/045 Bridging contacts

Abstract

The cutoff structure for a circuit breaker comprising, for each pole, a contact bridge (17) lodged in a push button (20). The push button is guided in a fixed cage (21) mounted in the box of the circuit breaker, the cage being fitted with passage windows (24) for the contact bridge and with an upper stop (26) for the bridge, so as to constitute a telescopic sub-assembly.

Claims

1. A cutoff structure for circuit breaker comprising a box in insulating material having at least one partition wall separating at least two polar current paths, each current path comprising:

a mobile contact bridge associated with fixed contacts and urged against said fixed contacts by a contact pressure spring, said bridge being pushed against said spring by a push button which is secured to a mechanism for opening and closing said contacts,

a cage in insulating material removably fixed in said box and comprising means for guiding said push button, passage windows for said contact bridge, enabling displacement of said contact bridge under the effect of said mechanism and in the case of electrodynamic repulsion, and insulating lateral wings delimiting an arc confinement volume enclosing said contact bridge.

2. The structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fixed cage has a stop for said contact bridge in the direction corresponding to the springing back of said spring.

3. The structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said push button bears said contact bridge and comprises at least one port dimensioned to allow introduction of said contact bridge into said push button and an angular clearance of said bridge in relation to said push button.

4. The structure a claimed in claim 1, wherein said insulating wings are embraced by open areas of finned arc extinguishing assemblies.

5. The structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fixed cage comprises a base wall positioned on the mounting base of said box.

6. The structure as claimed in claim 5, wherein there is provided, between said base wall of said cage and said mounting base of the box, a flat deflector connecting the cutoff chambers to one another.

7. The structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the material of said fixed cage differs from that of the neighbouring areas of said box of said circuit breaker.