Electric current switch/circuit breaker, has mobile and arcing contacts, spring and compression chamber arranged to prematurely separate contacts when current equal to/greater than ninety percent of breaking capacity reaches peak value

• Main Authors: DUFOURNET DENIS, SILVANT SEBASTIEN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 01.02.2013
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; ELECTRIC SWITCHES; ELECTRICITY; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES; RELAYS; SELECTORS

The switch or circuit breaker has a fixed contact (4) fixed in an envelope (6), and a mobile contact (2) sliding in the envelope. A piston (8) is secured to a semi-mobile arcing contact (7) that is surrounded by a permanent contact (5) of the fixed contact. The piston delimits a gas compression chamber (V1) with variable volume. The mobile contact, the arcing contact, a spring (9) and the chamber are arranged to prematurely separate the arcing and mobile contacts when current equal to/greater than 90 percent of breaking capacity of the circuit breaker reaches peak value. The contacts are separated when the arcing contact is abutted on the envelope and the mobile contact continues operation independently. An independent claim is also included for a method for opening an electric current switch or circuit breaker. Un interrupteur ou disjoncteur comprenant un contact mobile (2) et un contact fixe (4) composé d'un contact permanent (5) immobile et d'un contact semi-mobile d'arc (7) coulissant dans le précédent et normalement en butée sur le contact mobile (2) exploite les forces électrodynamiques de répulsion pour forcer la séparation du contact d'arc (7) et l'apparition de l'arc (14), en vainquant la force d'un ressort (9), à l'instant où le courant est à une crête, ce qui permet à l'arc d'exercer sa puissance de chauffage plus longtemps et d'accroître la surpression du gaz de soufflage (V2) et donc le soufflage de l'arc (14).