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Vacuum switching device

  • US 6,479,779 B1
  • Filed: 10/05/2001
  • Issued: 11/12/2002
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/02/1999
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A vacuum switching device, comprising:

  • a stationary contact electrode and a movable contact electrode, the electrodes being engaged or disengaged to close or open a circuit in which the device is connected, the electrodes being housed in an evacuated insulating envelope of cylindrical form, at least one of the electrodes comprising a coil defining means for generating magnetic fields to control arcing when the electrodes are disengaged while current is flowing through the electrodes, each electrode having a contact member for contacting the other electrode, the contact member being provided on an end face of the electrode, each contact member having an electrical resistance, and a member of lower electrical resistance than the resistance of the contact member interposed between at least one of the contact members and the coil defining means to provide a low resistance electrical path extending underneath the contact member, the low resistance electrical path being effective to cause the current to flow from the coil defining means into the member of lower electrical resistance from a peripheral region thereof towards an inner region thereof to feed the arcing towards a center region of the contact member.

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