EP0058519A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electrical junction of high conductivity for a circuit breaker or other electrical apparatus
Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
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Filing: 1982-02-11
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2002-02-11
Abstract
Abstract Vacuum electrical circuit breaker apparatus with a cylindrical movable terminal stem which is to be interconnected with a fixed terminal by way of a flexible conductor which is nevertheless relatively stiff and self supporting, using interlayered elongated rectangular plates or sheets between the two terminals. Connection to the circular stem is made by utilizing off set tabs around the periphery of a central hole at one end of each of the sheets, the offset allows the tabbed opening to be inserted over the stem, after which the tabs are sandwiched or compressed to lie in the planar surface of the sheet thus causing the edges of the tab to flow around the stem reducing contact resistance. Flat planar flexible conductors are connected in parallel between the stem and a fixed terminal. The planar members are self-supporting except for the flexibility associated with a particular shape.
Inventors
- 👤 Stanislaw Adam Milianowicz
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 14:02
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01H; H01H33/00; H01H33/60; H01H33/66; H01H33/6606; H01R; H01R35/00; H02; H02B; H02B11/00; H02B11/02; H02B11/04; H01H1/00; H01H1/58; H01H1/5822; H01H2001/5827; H01H2033/6613
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
164 words
A circuit interrupter system, comprising: circuit interrupter means including separable contacts one of which is interconnected with an external terminal, where said terminal is a stem having a predetermined cross sectional shape, an external conductor connected to said external stem, said conductor having a substantially flat planar portion with an opening therein which is of the same cross-sectional shape as said stem but slightly smaller in cross sectional area, said periphery of said opening having a slit therein which provides a peripheral tab which is offset from the plane of said flat planar surface when said opening is initially disposed around said stem to thus initially accommodate for the difference in area; and compression means cooperating with said external conductor means and said terminal to cause the material of said conductor to flow in the region of said interface between said external conductor means and said terminal when the force of compression is applied with a substantial component normal to the plane of flow.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
164 words
A circuit interrupter system, comprising: circuit interrupter means including separable contacts one of which is interconnected with an external terminal, where said terminal is a stem having a predetermined cross sectional shape, an external conductor connected to said external stem, said conductor having a substantially flat planar portion with an opening therein which is of the same cross-sectional shape as said stem but slightly smaller in cross sectional area, said periphery of said opening having a slit therein which provides a peripheral tab which is offset from the plane of said flat planar surface when said opening is initially disposed around said stem to thus initially accommodate for the difference in area; and compression means cooperating with said external conductor means and said terminal to cause the material of said conductor to flow in the region of said interface between said external conductor means and said terminal when the force of compression is applied with a substantial component normal to the plane of flow.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
65 words
A circuit interrupter system as claimed in claim 1, in which the compression means disposed upon said stem in a disposition for causing said tab to substantially realign with said plane of said planar portion, the material of said tab assuming a flowed state in the region of the interface between said tab and said stem after compression to accommodate for the difference in area.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
161 words
A circuit interrupter system as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which said stem is substantially circular in cross section, the conductor connected to said stem, said conductor having the flat planar portion with the opening therein, said central opening having a smaller radius than the radius of the cross section of said stem, said periphery of said central opening having radial slits therein that allow the formation of peripheral tabs which are offset from the plane of said flat planar surface when said opening is initially disposed around said stem to thus initially accommodate for the difference in radii, and the compression means disposed upon said stem in a disposition of axial compression for causing said tabs to substantially realign with said plane of said planar portion after compression, the material of said tabs assuming a flowed state in the region of the interface between said tabs and said stem after compression to accommodate for the difference in radii.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
A circuit interrupter system as claimed in claim 3 including a plurality of said external conductors and a plurality of said compression means interdisposed upon said stem in a disposition of common compression.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
A circuit interrupter system as claimed in claim 4 wherein said interdisposition is one of alternation between said compression means and said external conductors.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
148 words
A circuit interrupter system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 including metal clad switchgear comprising metal cabinet means, cabinet terminal means disposed in said cabinet means, the circuit interrupter means including the separable main contacts one of which communicates electrically with an external circuit interrupter terminal, the external conductor means connected between said external circuit interrupter terminal and said cabinet terminal means, said conductor means being characterized by the opening therein which is deformable to accommodate placement of said external conductor means on said circuit interrupter terminal, and the compression means cooperating with said external conductor means and said circuit interrupter terminal to cause the material of said conductor to flow in the region of said interface between said external conductor means and said circuit interrupter terminal when the force of compression is applied with a substantial component normal to the plane of flow.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
105 words
A circuit interrupter system, as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, in which are provided movable electrical terminal means movable in a given direction in relationship to a desired electrical function, fixed electrical terminal means, and the electrically conducting member fixedly attached to both said movable electrical terminal means and said fixed electrical terminal means and interconnecting both electrically, said electrically conducting member being characterized as being substantially self-supporting in the span between said movable electrical terminal means and said fixed electrical terminal means but nevertheless being flexible in a cantilever manner for accommodating the movement of said movable electrical terminal means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
47 words
A circuit interrupter system as claimed in claim 7 wherein the length-to-thickness ratio of said conducting member is sufficient to allow said movable electrical terminal means to move through a predetermined distance in said direction without incurring significant. mechanical resistance to said movement from said conducting member.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
32 words
A circuit interrupter system as claimed in claim 8 wherein said span is shorter than said length, said conducting member having a lengthwise undulation therein to accommodate said length within said span.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
43 words
A circuit interrupter system as claimed in claim 8 or 9 including a plurality of said conducting members stacked in the direction of said movement, the surface of each being relatively movable in the lengthwise direction to accommodate the flexible movement of each.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
A circuit interrupter system as claimed in claim 10 including an electrically insulating spacer between two adjacent conducting members in said stack to prevent arcing therebetween.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
A circuit interrupter system, constructed and adapted for use, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
21 words
A circuit interrupter system, constructed and adapted for use, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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