Claims
- 1. In a gas insulated puffer-type interrupter;
- an insulating elongated hollow cylindrical envelope charged with an arc-extinguishing insulating gas;
- means sealing the ends of said envelope;
- an insulating elongated hollow cylindrical housing within said envelope in coaxial relationship therewith, the exterior diameter of said housing being less than the interior diameter of said envelope, the arrangement defining a first and second chamber;
- a plurality of stationary contacts within said housing and disposed in equidistant spaced-apart relationship;
- a nozzle associated with each of said stationary contacts;
- a movable contact within said housing associated with each of said stationary contacts;
- a plurality of movable pistons within said housing, each piston being associated with one of said stationary contacts and operable when actuated in a switch-opening movement to force gas through an associated nozzle to blast the arcs established between the associated ones of said stationary and movable contacts to extinguish the arcs;
- connecting means operably arranged to connect said movable contacts and said pistons together for simultaneous movement;
- actuating means including an energy-storing device within the gas sealed atmosphere of said housing and operable to effect the movement of said connecting means to thereby effect the simultaneous movement of said pistons and said movable contacts in switch closing and opening operations; and,
- operating means connected to said actuating means without breaching the gas-sealed integrity of said envelope and extending outwardly thereof, said operating means when moved in a first direction being operable to effect the movement of said actuating means and thereby move said movable contacts into engagement with said stationary contracts and to move said pistons into a gas-puffing ready position, and when moved in a second direction to indicate disengagement of said movable contacts from said associated stationary contacts and to initiate the movement of said pistons in a puffing operation and also to charge said energy-storing device, additional movement of said operating means in the second direction serving to release said energy-storing device to effect a rapid separating movement of said movable contacts and the rapid advancement of said pistons to force a blast of gas through said nozzles.
- 2. A gas insulated puffer-type interrupter according to claim 1 wherein there is further provided within said housing, displacement means connected to be actuated by said operating means to effect bodily movement of said displacement means, said displacement means being operably connected to said energy-storing device in a manner that the movement of said operating means in a first direction effect the bodily movement of said displacement means which, in turn, moves said energy-storing device bodily to a switch opening ready position without effecting its potential characteristic; said displacement means being connected to effect the movement of said pistons and said contacts to switch closed positions when said displacement means is moved by the movement of said operating means in the first direction;
- releaseable retaining means operably connected to maintain said displacement means and said stored-energy device in the position that they have been moved to by the operational movement of said operating means in the first direction; said displacement means being operated by the movement of said operating means in a second direction to effect the charging of said stored-energy device, said displacement means being further operable after the charging of said stored-energy device to effect the release of said retaining means;
- whereby said energy-storing device operates on said actuating means to effect a separation between the contacts to interrupt the circuit and said pistons are operated to force a blast of gas through the nozzles to extinguish the arcs drawn between the separating contacts.
- 3. A gas insulated puffer-type interrupter according to claim 2 wherein said energy-storing device is a compression spring and displacement means includes first and second plates connected in spaced-apart relationship, said compression spring being captured therebetween;
- means operated by the movement of said operating means in the first direction to effect the bodily displacement of said first and second plates and thereby said spring within said housing, said movement being effected without changing the existing potential of said spring; and,
- said release means includes a third plate located between said first and second plates and connected to be moved by said operating means, said operating means when moved in the first direction effecting the movement of said third plate which thereupon effects the simultaneous movement of said first and second plates to move said spring to a switch-opening ready position without compressing said spring and wherein said releaseable retaining means operates to retain said first and second plates in switch-opening ready position; and,
- said third plate being operable upon movement of said operating means in the second direction to effect the compression of said spring between itself and said second plate and thereafter to effect a displacement of said releaseable retaining means;
- whereby the second energy in said spring is expended in switch-opening operation.
Parent Case Info
This is a division of application Ser. No. 754,574, filed Dec. 27, 1976, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,123,637, issued Oct. 19, 1979.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
754574 |
Dec 1976 |
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