Patents by Inventor Lukas Zehnder

Lukas Zehnder has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6100492
    Abstract: A wreath of contact fingers (4) directed radially toward a switching axis (1) presses in the closed position against the circumferential surface of a contact pin (2) with consumable heads (5) fitted on the ends. At an angle of approximately 90.degree., the contact fingers (4) adjoin webs (6) which are guided in the closing direction up to a housing part (7) at which they are permanently anchored and via which they connect the contact fingers (4) to an electric terminal. The webs (6) and--with the exception of the consumable heads (5)--the contact fingers (4) are produced in one piece from springy material of high conductivity. The contact with the contact pin (2) radially deflects the consumable heads (5) in the closing direction with elastic bending of the webs (6). The length (R) of the radial contact fingers and the length (L) of the axial webs (6) are selected such that the attraction of the parallel component currents through the latter approximately compensates the contact repulsion forces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2000
    Assignee: Asea Brown Boveri AG
    Inventors: Lukas Zehnder, Robert Anderes, Christian Dahler, Kurt Kaltenegger, Thomas Schoenemann
  • Patent number: 5929409
    Abstract: This power breaker has at least one quenching chamber, which is filled with an insulating medium, is of cylindrical design, extends along a central axis (2) and has a power current path, having two stationary consumable contact arrangements (5, 6) which are arranged on the central axis (2), are at a distance from one another in the axial direction and are arranged in the power current path. In the connected state, the consumable contact arrangements (5, 6) are electrically conductively connected by means of a moving bridging contact. An arc zone (24) is provided between the stationary consumable contact arrangements (5, 6). A rated current path, which is provided with moving rated current contacts, is arranged in parallel with the power current path. The bridging contact is arranged in the interior of the consumable contact arrangements (5, 6) extended along the central axis (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignee: Asea Brown Boveri AG
    Inventors: Lukas Zehnder, Robert Anderes, Christian Dahler, Kurt Kaltenegger, Bodo Bruhl
  • Patent number: 5925863
    Abstract: The power breaker is provided with a contact arrangement which is equipped with erosion-resistant contact members and has a stationary contact member (4), a contact member (4) which can move along a central axis (6) and an insulating nozzle (6) which concentrically surrounds the contact members (3, 4) and has a constriction (6). The insulating nozzle (6) is manufactured from an erosion-resistant plastic and is structured such that erosion channels which are formed run at right angles to the direction of the electrical field load. This insulating nozzle emits gases during disconnection, which particularly effectively support the production of blowing pressure in the arc zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1999
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Lukas Zehnder, Kurt Kaltenegger, Lorenz Muller, Lutz Niemeyer
  • Patent number: 5905243
    Abstract: This power breaker has an arcing chamber which is filled with an insulating medium and extends along a central axis (2). This arcing chamber is provided with a power current path which has two erosion contact arrangements (5, 6) which are arranged on the central axis (2), are at a constant distance from one another in the axial direction and bound an arcing zone. The arcing chamber also has a heating area (13), which is connected to the arcing zone, and a bridging contact which electrically conductively connects the erosion contact arrangements (5, 6) in the connected state. The bridging contact is arranged centrally in the interior of the erosion contact arrangements (5, 6). An annular gap (36) is provided between the erosion contact arrangements (5, 6) and opens directly into the heating area (13). In this power breaker, the flow behavior is significantly improved in the region between the arcing zone and the heating area (13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 18, 1999
    Assignee: Asea Brown Boveri AG
    Inventors: Lukas Zehnder, Kurt Kaltenegger, Benedikt Lopfe, Lorenz Muller, Manfred Seidel
  • Patent number: 5902978
    Abstract: This power breaker has at least one quenching chamber, which is filled with an insulating medium, is of cylindrical design, extends along a central axis (2) and has a power current path, having two stationary consumable contact arrangements (5, 6) which are arranged on the central axis (2), are at a distance from one another in the axial direction and are arranged in the power current path. In the connected state, the consumable contact arrangements (5, 6) are electrically conductively connected by means of a moving bridging contact. An arc zone (24) is provided between the consumable contact arrangements (5, 6). A rated current path is arranged in parallel with the power current path. The power breaker is provided with at least one source for a highly pressurized insulating medium. The medium passes from this source directly into the arc zone (24), through at least one injection channel (62, 63). This high-pressure injection considerably improves the breaking capacity of the power breaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1999
    Assignee: Asea Brown Boveri AG
    Inventors: Lukas Zehnder, Robert Anderes, Bodo Bruhl, Christian Dahler, Ion Gavrilita, Joachim Stechbarth, Kurt Kaltenegger