Claims
- 1. An electrical switch for opening a current path which includes the switch, the switch comprising:
- a series of alternating first and second switch cells, wherein
- each first switch cell comprises
- a first conductive body having a first insulated bore therethrough, and
- a first insulative body normally conformally located in the first bore and conformally movable therethrough; and
- each second switch cell comprises
- a second insulative body having a second bore therethrough, the first and second bores having substantially the same cross-section, and
- a second conductive body having an insulative layer thereon and being normally conformally located in the second bore and conformally movable therethrough;
- means for mounting the alternating series of cells end-to-end so that the first and second bores align;
- severable metallic means for electrically interconnecting the second conductive body of each second cell to the first conductive body of each first cell adjacent thereto; and
- means for conjointly moving the first insulative bodies and the second conductive bodies to simultaneously sever the severable means, arcing between the first and second conductive bodies being constricted between either the first and second insulative bodies or the insulated bore and the insulative layer.
- 2. An electrical switch, comprising:
- X switch cells of a first type and Y switch cells of a second type, X or Y being greater than one, wherein,
- each first type of cell comprises
- a first conductive member having a first bore therethrough between the end thereof, and
- a first insulative member conformally located in and movable through and out of the first bore; and wherein
- each second type of cell comprises
- a second insulative member having a second bore therethrough between the ends thereof, the first and second bores having substantially the same cross-section, and
- a second conductive member conformally located in and movable through and out of the second bore;
- means for mounting the cells end-to-end in an alternating series so that the bores align to form a continuous passage, all but the terminal cells of the series having at both ends an adjacent cell of the other type;
- severable or shearable conductive members for electrically interconnecting the conductive members of adjacent cells;
- force-applying means for simultaneously
- (a) moving each first insulative member and each second conductive member in a given direction through the passage so that each first insulative member moves both conformally out of its first bore, and, if there is an adjacent cell in the given direction, conformally into the second bore of such adjacent cell; and so that each second conductive member moves both conformally out of its second bore, and, if there is an adjacent cell in the given direction, conformally into the first bore of such adjacent cell, and
- (b) severing or shearing the severable or shearable conductive members so that a first gap is formed between each second conductive member and the first conductive member of any adjacent cell opposite to the given direction, the first gaps so formed being electrically insulated by the conformal reception of the first insulative member in the bore of the second insulative member; and
- means for forming, simultaneously with the formation of the first insulated gaps, second electrically insulated gaps between the second conductive members and the first conductive members of adjacent cells in the given direction.
- 3. A switch as in claim 1, which further comprises:
- circuit-connectable means for connecting the conductive members of the terminal cells of the series to opposed points of an electric circuit.
- 4. A switch as in claim 1, wherein:
- the one terminal cell opposite to the given direction is a cell of the first type.
- 5. A switch as in claim 4, wherein:
- the first conductive member and the first insulative member of the one terminal cell define an enclosed chamber; and
- the force-applying means comprises
- ignitable means in the chamber, ignition of which pressurizes the chamber to rapidly move the first insulative member of the one terminal cell into the second bore of the adjacent second cell.
- 6. A switch as in claim 4 in which the other terminal cell in the given direction is a cell of the second type and which further comprises:
- a third conductive member having a third bore therethrough;
- and being mounted by the mounting means to the free end of the other terminal cell so that the third bore and the second bore of the other terminal cell are in contiguous alignment, the second conductive member of the other terminal cell being conformally movable into the third bore; and
- a second severable or shearable conductive member for electrically interconnecting the third conductive member and the second conductive member of the other terminal cell, movement of the second conductive member of the other terminal cell rendering the second conductive means discontinuous.
- 7. A switch as in claim 6 which further comprises:
- means for forming simultaneously with the formation of the first gaps, a third electrically insulated gap between the third conductive member and the second conductive member of the other terminal cell.
- 8. A switch as in claim 7, wherein:
- the second-gap-forming means comprises
- an electrically insulative layer lining the first bore of each selected first conductive member, and
- an electrically insulative layer covering the conformal portion of each selected second conductive member; and
- the third-gap-forming means comprises
- an electrically insulative layer lining the third bore, and
- an electrically insulative layer covering the conformal portion of the second conductive member of the other terminal cell,
- the layers including an ablative, arc-extinguishing material.
- 9. A switch as in claim 8, wherein:
- the first conductive member and the first insulative member of the one terminal cell define an enclosed chamber, and
- the force-applying means comprises
- ignitable means in the chamber ignition of which pressurizes the chamber to rapidly move the first insulative member of the one terminal cell into the second bore of the adjacent second cell.
- 10. A switch as in claim 1 in which the terminal cell in the given direction is a cell of the second type and which further comprises
- a third conductive member having a third bore therethrough and being mounted by the mounting means to the free end of the terminal cell so that the third bore and the second bore of the terminal cell are in contiguous alignment, the second conductive member of the terminal cell being conformally movable into the third bore; and
- a second severable or shearable conductive member for electrically interconnecting the third conductive member and the second conductive member of the terminal cell, movement of the second conductive member of the terminal cell rendering the second conductive means discontinuous.
- 11. A switch as in claim 10 which further comprises:
- means for forming, simultaneously with the formation of the first gaps, a third electrically insulated gap between the third conductive member and the second conductive member of the terminal cell.
- 12. A switch as in claim 1, wherein:
- the second-gap-forming means comprises
- an electrically insulative layer lining the first bore of each selected first conductive member.
- 13. A switch as in claim 1, wherein
- the second-gap-forming means comprises
- an electrically insulative layer covering the conformal portion of each selected second conductive member.
- 14. A switch as in claim 1, wherein
- the second-gap-forming means comprises
- an electrically insulative layer lining the first bore of each selected first conductive member, and
- an electrically insulative layer covering the conformal portion of each selected second conductive member.
- 15. A switch as in claim 12, 13 or 14, wherein
- the insulative members and the insulative layers include an ablative, arc-extinguishing material.
- 16. A switch as in claim 11, wherein
- the third-gap-forming means comprises
- an electrically insulative layer lining the third bore.
- 17. A switch as in claim 16, wherein
- the electrically insulative layer includes an ablative, arc-extinguishing material.
- 18. A switch as in claim 11, wherein
- the third-gap-forming means comprises
- an electrically insulative layer covering the conformal portion of the second conductive member of the terminal cell.
- 19. A switch as in claim 18, wherein
- the electrically insulative layer includes an ablative, arc-extinguishing material.
- 20. A switch as in claim 11, wherein
- the third-gap-forming means comprises
- an electrically insulative layer lining the third-bore, and
- an electrically insulative layer covering the conformal portion of the second conductive member of the terminal cell.
- 21. A switch as in claim 20, wherein
- the electrically insulative layers include an ablative, arc-extinguishing material.
- 22. A switch as in claim 1, 12, 13 or 14, wherein
- the first severable or shearable conductive members are rendered discontinuous by the shearing action between the first insulative members and the second insulative members in the given direction and by a shear action between the second conductive members and the adjacent first conductive members in the given direction.
- 23. An electrical switch for opening a current path in which the switch is included, comprising:
- a first tubular contact having a first bore therethrough;
- a first tubular insulative member having a second bore therethrough and being adjacent at one end to the first contact so that the first and second bores are aligned, the first and second bores having substantially the same cross-section;
- a second tubular contact having a third electrically insulated bore therethrough and being adjacent to the other end of the first insulative member so that the second and third bores are aligned;
- a second insulative member normally conformally located in the first bore and conformally movable through the first bore and conformally into the second bore, the second member defining an enclosed chamber with the first contact;
- a third contact with an insulative layer thereon, the third contact being normally located in the second bore and being conformally movable through the second bore and conformally into the third bore;
- means for moving the third contact from the second bore into the third bore in response to movement of the second member from the first bore into the second bore;
- severable metallic means for electrically interconnecting the first contact and the third contact when the third contact is in its normal location;
- severable metallic means for electrically interconnecting the third contact and the second contact when the third contact is in its normal location; and
- ignitable means in the chamber for rapidly moving the second member from the first bore into the second bore upon ignition thereof to sever both severable means, any arc forming between the first and third contacts being constricted between the first and second members, any arc forming between the second and third contacts being contricted between the insulative layer and the insulated bore.
- 24. The switch of claim 23, wherein:
- the first and second members, the insulated bore and the insulative layer all include an ablative, arc-extinguishing material.
- 25. The switch of claim 23, wherein:
- the conformal relationship of the second insulative member to the first and second bores isolates the third contact from ignition products of the ignitable means after ignition thereof.
- 26. The switch of claim 23, wherein:
- both severable metallic means comprise shearable metallic members, shearing thereof occurring when the third contact moves.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 179,367, filed Aug. 18, 1980, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (11)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
662342 |
Jul 1938 |
DE2 |
1119395 |
Dec 1961 |
DEX |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
Product Catalog published by A. B. Chance Co., Centralia, Mo., Section 1005, p. 3, "The Saf-T-Gap Interrupter", dated Jul. 1976. |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
179367 |
Aug 1980 |
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