Claims
- 1. A contact coil assembly for an axial magnetic field vacuum interrupter which includes a vacuum envelope, first and second terminal posts for connecting to an a.c. circuit and first and second separable contacts within the vacuum envelope electrically coupled to the first and second terminal posts each having a longitudinal axis, respectively, the contacts each including a front side confronting the front side of the other contact and a back side spaced from the front side, the contact coil assembly comprising:
- a generally annular-shaped member including a plurality of slots extending from an interior surface to a peripheral surface and oriented substantially in parallel with said longitudinal axis of said first and second terminal parts, said slots defining a current path extending in a substantially circumferential direction less than 360.degree. around the generally annular-shaped member:
- first means for electrically coupling a first end of the annular-shaped member to the first contact; and
- second means for rigidly coupling an annular second end of the annular-shaped member to the first terminal post said annular second end of the annular-shaped member comprising a substantially cylindrical inner surface coupled to a substantially cylindrical outer surface of the first terminal post, said second means being substantially solid between said terminal post and said annular-shaped member, said annular-shaped member having an axial length, said second means having a radial dimension, said axial length being substantially larger than said radial dimension.
- 2. The contact coil assembly of claim 1, wherein said slots comprise a first slot at a first polar angle and extending in an axial direction from the first end to a first axial position located between the first and second ends, and a second slot at the first axial position extending in a circumferential direction from the first polar angle to a second polar angle spaced from the first polar angle, wherein the first and second slots define a first coil that includes a free end.
- 3. The contact coil assembly of claim 2, wherein the contact coil assembly further comprises a tubular support having an electrical resistance significantly greater than the electrical resistance of the first coil, including one end for coupling to a portion of an interior surface of the member between the first axial position and the second end of the member, and an other end for rigidly fixing to the back side of the first contact.
- 4. The contact coil assembly of claim 3, wherein the first means includes a conductive connector post projecting in an axial direction from the free end of the first coil and connecting to the first contact.
- 5. The contact coil assembly of claim 3, wherein the second means includes structure defined by the interior surface, comprising an annular shoulder providing a stop surface for the first terminal post at a second axial position located between the first axial position and the second end of the member.
- 6. The contact coil assembly of claim 3, wherein the first coil includes an arc segment that is significantly greater than 180.degree..
- 7. The contact coil assembly of claim 3, wherein said slots comprise a third slot at a third polar angle spaced from the first polar angle and extending in an axial direction from the first end of the annular-shaped member to the first axial position, and a fourth slot at the first axial position extending in a circumferential direction from the third polar angle to a fourth polar angle spaced from the third polar angle, wherein the third and fourth slots define a second coil that includes a free end.
- 8. The contact coil assembly of claim 7, wherein the first and second coils each extend through an arc of almost 180.degree..
- 9. The contact coil assembly of claim 8, wherein the first means includes first and second conductive connector posts projecting in an axial direction from the free end of the first and second coils, respectively, and connecting to the first contact.
- 10. The contact coil assembly of claim 8, wherein the second means includes structure defined by the interior surface, comprising an annular shoulder providing a stop surface for the first terminal post at a second axial position located between the first axial position and the second end of the member.
- 11. A vacuum interrupter, comprising:
- a vacuum envelope;
- first and second electrode assemblies defining a common longitudinal axis within the vacuum envelope;
- first and second terminal posts each having a longitudinal axis electrically coupled to the first and second electrode assemblies, respectively, for coupling the first and second electrode assemblies to an a.c. circuit;
- first means permitting movement of at least one of the electrode assemblies axially of the other between an open circuit position and an in series closed circuit position;
- wherein each of the first and second electrode assemblies include:
- a contact having a contacting surface confronting the other contact and a rear surface spaced therefrom;
- a generally annular-shaped electrode coil member defining a current path extending in a substantially circumferential direction less than 360.degree. around the generally annular-shaped electrode coil member, comprising a first end proximate the contacts, an annular second end proximate the terminal post, a peripheral surface, an interior surface, and oriented substantially in parallel with said longitudinal axis of said first and second terminal parts, and extending in an axial direction from the first end to a first axial position at a first polar angle .phi.1, a circumferential slot at the first axial position extending radially between the interior surface and the peripheral surface and extending in an angular direction form .phi.1 to a second polar angle .phi.2 substantially spaced from .phi.1, said annular second end being substantially solid between said terminal post and said interior surface, said region between said terminal post and said interior surface having a radial dimension, said annular-shaped current member having an axial length which is substantially larger than said radial dimension, wherein the axial slot and the circumferential slot define a circumferential first coil extending from a first end at about .phi.2 to a second end at about .phi.1;
- second means for electrically coupling the rear surface of the contact to the second end of the first coil; and
- third means for electrically coupling the terminal post to the electrode coil member at a second axial position proximate the annular second end of the electrode coil member and spaced from the first axial position, said annular second end of the annular-shaped electrode coil member comprising a substantially cylindrical inner surface rigidly coupled to a substantially cylindrical outer surface of the terminal post.
- 12. The vacuum interrupter according to claim 11, wherein each of the first and second electrode assemblies include a tubular support having an electrical resistance significantly greater than the electrical resistance of the electrode coil member, located within a central space defined by the interior surface for supporting the contact.
- 13. The vacuum interrupter according to claim 12, wherein each tubular support comprises one end for rigidly coupling to a portion of the interior surface between the first axial position and the second end of the electrode coil member, and an other end for rigidly fixing to the rear surface of the contact.
- 14. The vacuum interrupter according to claim 12, wherein the electrode coil member, the second means and the third means are fabricated from a single, machined piece of metal.
- 15. The vacuum interrupter according to claim 12, wherein the first and second electrode assemblies are structured to cooperatively generate a magnetic field being substantially axially directed in a region between the contacting surfaces when the contacts are separated.
- 16. The vacuum interrupter according to claim 12, wherein each electrode coil member further comprises a second axial slot extending radially between the interior surface and the peripheral surface and extending in an axial direction from the first end to the first axial position at a third polar angle .phi..sub.3, a second circumferential slot at the first axial position extending radially between the interior surface and the peripheral surface and extending in a circumferential direction from .phi..sub.3 to a fourth polar angle .phi..sub.4 substantially spaced from .phi..sub.3, wherein the second axial slot and the second circumferential slot define a circumferential second coil extending from a first end at about .phi..sub.4 to a second end at about .phi..sub.1.
- 17. The vacuum interrupter according to claim 16, wherein each of the first coil and the second coil extend through a polar angle of almost 180.degree..
- 18. The vacuum interrupter according to claim 12, wherein the first coil extends through a polar angle of almost 360.degree..
- 19. The vacuum interrupter of claim 14, wherein the second means comprises a connecting post axially projecting from the first coil proximate .phi..sub.1 and connecting to the rear surface of the contact.
- 20. A method of producing a circumferential electrode coil for electrically coupling a terminal post with a longitudinal axis to a contact in a vacuum interrupter defining a current path extending in a substantially circumferential direction less than 360.degree. around the circumferential electrode coil, fabricated by the steps of:
- providing a generally cylindrical metal tube that includes first and second ends, a peripheral surface, and an interior surface having a first radius;
- boring the interior surface a bore length to a third radius from the first end to a first axial position;
- boring the interior surface to a second radius from the second end to a stop surface at a second axial position between the second end and the first axial position for insertion of the terminal post up to the stop surface, the difference between said second radius and said third radius being substantially less then said bore length;
- cutting a first circumferential slot at about the first axial position from a first angular position .phi.1 to a second angular position .phi.2 and from the peripheral surface to the third radius; and
- cutting a first axial slot which is oriented substantially in parallel with said longitudinal axis of said terminal part from the first end to the first circumferential slot from the peripheral surface to the third radius at the first angular position .phi.1.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/340,578, filed Nov. 16, 1994 now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (12)
Non-Patent Literature Citations (2)
Entry |
Slade, P. G., "The Vacuum Interrupter Contact", Mar., 1984, pp. 25-32. |
IEEE Transactions on Components, Hybrids, and Manufacturing Technology, vol., CHMT-7, No. 1, Mar. 1984. |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
340578 |
Nov 1994 |
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