Tap changer switch

• US 8,153,916 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2008
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Lindsey, Kurt Lawrence, Malliet, Randal Vernon, Rachwal, Rick Alan, Pride, Patrick Harold
• Primary Examiner(s): Leon, Edwin A.
• Application Number:
  US12/191,761
• Publication Number:
  US 20100038221A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,335 Days
• Field of Search: 200/11.TC, 200/571, 200/275, 200/61.54, 200/504, 200/11.G, 218/147, 333/107, 333/262
• US Class Current: 200/11.TC
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/0016 Contact arrangements for tap changers
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/0044 Casings; Mountings; Disposition in transformer housing

Abstract

A transformer switch, such as a dual voltage switch or a tap changer. The switch includes a cover, a housing, and a rotor sandwiched between the cover and the housing. The cover and housing are molded from a non-conductive plastic. An interior space of the cover includes at least one pocket within which stationary contacts are disposed. Each stationary contact is electrically coupled to one or more windings of a transformer. The rotor extends within a channel of the housings from a top of the transformer switch to an interior surface of the cover. The interior surface includes a protrusion about which the rotor and at least one movable contact coupled thereto can rotate. The movable contact is configured to be selectively electrically coupled to at least one of the stationary contacts. For example, different stationary contact-movable contact pairs can correspond to different voltages of the transformer.

Claims

1. A transformer switch, comprising:

a cover comprising

a base member,

a protrusion extending from a surface of the base member and configured to receive a notch of a rotor,

a wall member extending from the surface of the base member and defining an interior space of the cover, and

a plurality of pockets extending from the wall member, within the interior space of the cover;

a plurality of stationary electric contacts coupled to the cover, each of the stationary electric contacts being disposed within one of the pockets of the cover;

a rotor coupled to the cover and rotatable about the protrusion of the base member; and

at least one movable contact coupled to the rotor and configured to be selectively electrically coupled to at least one of the stationary electric contacts.

2. The transformer switch of claim 1, wherein different couplings of the at least one movable contact and the stationary electric contacts correspond to different voltages of a transformer electrically coupled to the stationary contacts.

3. The transformer switch of claim 1, wherein the cover further comprises a snap feature coupled to the base member and configured to removably couple the cover to a housing of the transformer switch.

4. The transformer switch of claim 1, wherein the transformer switch is a tap changer.

5. The transformer switch of claim 1, wherein the cover is molded from a non-conductive plastic.

6. The transformer switch of claim 1, wherein the base member of the cover comprises at least one hole configured to allow ingress of dielectric fluid within the transformer switch.

7. The transformer switch of claim 1, wherein the transformer switch is devoid of metallic fasteners.

8. The transformer switch of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a plurality of ribs, at least one of the ribs being disposed along a length of the transformer switch, at least another of the ribs being disposed substantially perpendicular to the length of the transformer switch.

9. The transformer switch of claim 8, wherein the ribs form at least one reservoir configured to be at least partially filled with dielectric fluid.

10. A transformer switch, comprising:

a cover comprising a plurality of pockets within each of which a stationary electric contact is disposed;

a housing coupled to the cover, the housing comprising a channel;

a rotor extending between the housing and the cover, the rotor configured to rotate substantially within the channel to thereby move at least one movable contact relative to the stationary electric contacts; and

the at least one movable contact coupled to the rotor and configured to engage at least one of the stationary electric contacts,

wherein each of the cover and the housing is molded from a non-conductive material.

11. The transformer switch of claim 10, wherein different couplings of the at least one movable contact and the stationary electric contacts correspond to different voltages of a transformer electrically coupled to the stationary contacts.

12. The transformer switch of claim 10, wherein one of the cover and the housing comprises a snap feature configured to removably couple the one of the cover and the housing to the other of the cover and the housing.

13. The transformer switch of claim 10, wherein the transformer switch is a tap changer.

14. The transformer switch of claim 10, wherein at least one of the cover and the housing is molded from a non-conductive plastic.

15. The transformer switch of claim 10, wherein the cover comprises at least one hole configured to allow ingress of dielectric fluid within the transformer switch.

16. The transformer switch of claim 10, wherein the transformer switch is devoid of metallic fasteners.

17. The transformer switch of claim 10, wherein the housing comprises a plurality of ribs, at least one of the ribs being disposed along a length of the transformer switch, at least one other of the ribs being disposed substantially perpendicular to the length of the transformer switch.