Abstract: In a vacuum interrupter comprising a disc-shaped stationary electrode and a disc-shaped movable electrode arranged in an evacuated envelope in opposed relationship. A main electrode is in electrical contact with a coil electrode having arm parts and coil parts to establish predetermined current flows when the stationary and movable electrodes separate.

Abstract: A vacuum interrupter comprising each electrode assembly of a pair of electrode assemblies having substantially the same structure and arranged in an evacuated envelope in opposed relationship adapted to be connected with or disconnected from each other. Each electrode assembly includes a coil electrode having a plurality of arms extending outwardly from a center ring shaped holding part and a plurality of arc-shaped coil parts formed substantially along the same circumference of the coil electrode and connected to respective ones of the arms, a main electrode including an arc-shaped arm electrically connected to each arc-shaped coil part of the coil electrode, the coil parts being in contact with corresponding ones of the arc-shaped arms along entire surfaces thereof, and a first arm connected to each of the arc-shaped arms of the main electrode and extended substantially toward a center of the main electrode in the radial direction.

Abstract: In a vacuum interrupter comprising a disc-shaped stationary electrode and a disc-shaped movable electrode arranged in an evacuated envelope in opposed relationship, a slot or a salient part is formed on the surface of both the electrodes and thereby a path of an arc current in disconnection operation of both the electrodes is formed along the circumference of the disc-shaped electrode. The shape and position of the slot is selected so that the arc current flows uniformly along the entire circumference of both the electrodes.

Abstract: A vacuum switch tube has a pair of windmill type electrodes and a pair of electrode bars located within the tube. Each windmill type electrode includes an auxiliary electrode that includes a central hub portion having an axis, and a plurality of arcuate arms. Each arcuate arm has proximate and distal ends, and is attached at the proximate end to the central hub portion and extends in a spiral direction along a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the hub portion. Each arcuate arm also has a connecting portion formed on a top side of the arcuate arm near the distal end. Each windmill type electrode further includes a ring-shaped electrode having top and bottom sides, the bottom side being connected to the connecting portions of the plurality of arcuate arms. Each one of the pair of electrode bars has a top end upon which is mounted the hub of one of the pair of windmill type electrodes so that the hub axis is coincident with an axis of the electrode bar.

Abstract: A high voltage vacuum insulating container includes a cylindrical insulating tube and sealing metal members sealingly fitted to both ends of the cylindrical insulating tube which receives therein a pair of opposing electrodes to be applied with a high voltage, wherein a metal ring is provided at each end of the cylindrical insulating tube so as to surround the each end in an annular form wherein the metal ring has a plurality of portions bulged out with a radius of curvature toward the insulating tube wherein the top of each of the bulged out portions is in contact with an imaginary line extending at an angle of 45.degree.-30.degree. to the outer surface of the insulating tube.

Abstract: An electrode for a vacuum breaker includes a central flat part having a contact function, peripheral tapered parts having a current-breaking function, and spiral slots formed in the electrode that are inclined with respect to the radial direction. The maximum and minimum widths of the spiral slot L (mm) are given by the formulae:L.sub.min (mm)=0.0608(mm/kA).times.I(kA).times.0.8andL.sub.max (mm)=0.0608(mm/kA).times.I(kA) .times.1.2whereI=(rated circuit breaking current).times. (1+DC component fraction)(kA).The width of the spiral slot L is optimized for the required breaking current which makes it possible to further improve the breaking performance. The spiral slot may have a maximum width on the outer circumference of the electrode, which gradually becomes more narrow toward the center, and reaches a minimum width on the inner extremity. By making the slot width L gradually decrease toward the center, a stable operation is possible over a wide range of breaking currents.

Abstract: A vacuum circuit interrupter comprising in a vacuum vessel at least a pair of a separable stationary electrode and a movable electrode, and a main shield concentrically surrounding the electrodes. The main shield has a large-diameter portion at the central portion and a small-diameter portion at opposite ends. The axial length L of the large-diameter portion of the main shield is the length expressed by: ##EQU1## where, .PHI..sub.2 =inner diameter of the large-diameter portion of main shield, and .PHI..sub.1 =outer diameter of the electrode. The taper angle from the large-diameter portion to the small-diameter portion is selected to be 80.degree..about.100.degree..

Abstract: A vacuum circuit interrupter comprising in a vacuum vessel at least a pair of separable stationary electrode and a movable electrode, and a main shield surrounding the electrodes. The axial length L of the main shield is greater than T.sub.1 and smaller than (T.sub.1 +T.sub.2 tan 45.degree.), where T.sub.1 is the distance which is the sum of the gap length between the electrodes when the electrodes are separated and the thicknesses of the electrodes, and T.sub.2 is the shortest distance between the main shield and the electrodes.

Abstract: A bellows device having a plurality of recesses and ridges in the direction of expansion and contraction is used for a movable part of a vacuum switch tube. The thickness of an middle part in the direction of expansion and contraction is 1.2 times or more than the thickness of a part placed adjacent the middle part. The middle part has three or more ridges.

Abstract: A contact material for use in a vacuum circuit interrupter which simultaneously provides superior current interrupting performance and breakdown voltage. The contact material of the invention includes components of copper, tantalum and at least one of cobalt and iron. Cobalt or iron should be present in an amount of 50 wt % or less, while the combination of tantalum and cobalt or iron should be present in an amount of at least 10 wt %. A fourth component of at least one of titanium, zirconium and aluminum may be added. Also, there may be included a fifth component containing at least one of a low melting point metal, alloys of a low melting point metal, intermetallic compounds of a low melting point metal, and oxides thereof, with the low melting point metal being at least one of bismuth, tellurium, antimony, thallium, lead, selenium, cerium and calcium in an amount of not more than 20 wt %.

Abstract: The disclosed electrode composition for a vacuum switch comprises copper, as a principal ingredient, a low melting point metal such as Bi, Pb, In, Li, Sn or any of their alloys, in a content not exceeding 20% by weight, a first additional metal such as Te, Sb, La, Mg or any of their alloys and a refractory metal such as Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Ti, W or any of their alloys in a content less than 40% by weight.

Abstract: The disclosed electrode composition for a vacuum switch comprises copper, as a principal ingredient, a low melting point metal such as Bi, Pb, In, Li, Sn or any of their alloys, in a content not exceeding 20% by weight, a first additional metal such as Te, Sb, La, Mg or any of their alloys and a refractory metal such as Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Ti, W or any of their alloys in a content less than 40% by weight.

Abstract: The disclosed electrode assembly used with vacuum circuit interrupters has a disc-shaped electrode including four coil sections defined by four short radial slots extending radially inward at equal angular intervals from its periphery, four circumferential slots extending in a common circumferential direction from the inner ends of the radial slots and terminating short of the adjacent radial slots to define base ends of the coil sections between the ends of the circumferential slots, and a short-circuiting member including a connecting ring connected to an extremity of an electrode rod, and four L-shaped radial arms extending radially outward at equal angular intervals from the connecting ring and perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the ring with their free ends connected to the end portions of the coil sections remote from the base ends. The circumferential slots may have a radial slot extending radially inward toward the center of the electrode.