Polyphase Patents (Class 218/119)
  • Patent number: 11860230
    Abstract: A testing system includes a truck carrying a circuit breaker, a fixed contact, and an actuator piston connected to a movable contact. A test platform supports the truck in a contact testing position and includes a sensor circuit mounted on the test platform and positioned under the truck and aligned with the circuit breaker when the truck is on the test platform in the contact testing position. The sensor circuit is configured to acquire displacement data of the actuator piston when the movable electrical contact is moved between the open and closed positions. A controller is coupled to the sensor circuit and configured to receive the displacement data and determine electrical contact erosion within the circuit breaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: JST POWER EQUIPMENT, INC.
    Inventors: Patrick R. Fischer-Carne, Matthew Polk
  • Patent number: 10163584
    Abstract: An electrical contact apparatus having low silver content and defined thickness and length geometry. The electrical contact apparatus has a contact body made of a silver-containing alloy having SC?60 wt. %, and having L/T?5.4, wherein L is a longest contact length dimension of the contact body, T is a maximum contact thickness dimension of the contact body, SC is the silver content in wt. %, and L/T is a contact dimension ratio. Electrical contact assemblies, circuit breaker electrical contact subassemblies, and methods of operating a circuit breaker electrical contact subassembly are disclosed, as are other aspects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Siemens Industry, Inc.
    Inventors: Hai Chen, Mario Munoz, Jesus Hernandez
  • Patent number: 8982538
    Abstract: A guide assembly for a switchgear assembly is provided. The guide assembly includes an elongated support member and a passage. The support member is coupled to and extends from a housing assembly rear sidewall. The support member extends in the circuit breaker assembly direction of travel. The passage is disposed on the circuit breaker assembly base and also extends in the circuit breaker assembly direction of travel. The support member is substantially aligned with the passage. In this configuration, as the circuit breaker assembly moves between a withdrawn position and an installed position, the support member moves between a first position, wherein the support member is not disposed in the passage, and a second position, wherein the support member is partially disposed in the passage. When the support member is in the second position, the support member bears a portion of the weight of the circuit breaker assembly base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Brad Robert Leccia, Steven Castelein, Francois Jean Marchand
  • Patent number: 8946581
    Abstract: The switchgear includes a vacuum circuit breaker that is disposed in a circuit breaker chamber compartmented by a grounded metal plate, a busbar that is disposed in a busbar chamber and connected to the vacuum circuit breaker through a conductor, a cable that is disposed in a cable chamber and connected at one end to a load side, and a grounding device that is operated by a grounding device actuator disposed in a grounding device actuator chamber, connected to the vacuum circuit breaker through a conductor, and connected to the other end of the cable. The busbar is formed by a solid-insulated busbar. The conductor connecting the vacuum circuit breaker to the busbar and the conductor connecting the vacuum circuit breaker to the grounding device are both formed by a solid-insulated conductor. The circuit breaker chamber and the grounding device have a sealed structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masato Yabu, Kenji Tsuchiya, Ayumu Morita
  • Patent number: 8913370
    Abstract: A spout assembly is provided. The spout assembly includes a spout and a spout base. The spout base has a cross-sectional area that is smaller than a spout sized to enclose an electrical switching apparatus electrical coupling. That is, the spout base includes a CT support surface with a cross-sectional area that is smaller than the spout cross-sectional area. Current transformers are disposed upon the spout base CT support surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: James E. Smith, Brad Robert Leccia, Steven Z. Chen
  • Patent number: 8896988
    Abstract: A system having electrical equipment integrated on a structure is provided. The system includes at least one electrical equipment located at a spaced apart relationship and mounted on at least one structure. A method is provided for isolation of electrical equipment. The method includes opening and closing a contact by engaging or disengaging one or more terminals of the electrical equipment correspondingly with a supply line or a distribution line by a mechanism for isolation. The mechanism can be a handle or a moving mechanism which is associated with a movement in a vertical direction or horizontal direction or with a movement that provides isolation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Dukkaiappan Subbaiahthever, Ramesh Viswanathan, Balachandra Narayan Varade, Maheswaran Chandrasekaran, Satish Baburao Bhalerao, Kishor Bhikaji Wadhe
  • Patent number: 8658930
    Abstract: An embedded pole part is provided with an isolating housing made of thermoplastic material. The housing embeds an interrupter as well as the electric terminals of the pole part. At an outer surface of the housing, horizontal and/or vertical aligned three-dimensional structures joined by material engagement are implemented into the thermoplastic material, to achieve a higher mechanical stiffness as well as higher creepage length of the pole part. The mechanical and dielectric parameters of the pole part are thereby strengthened, for example, in the case of a short circuit current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventor: Wenkai Shang
  • Patent number: 8440929
    Abstract: A vacuum switch includes a vacuum envelope; a fixed contact assembly partially within the vacuum envelope; and a movable contact assembly partially within the vacuum envelope and movable between a closed position in electrical contact with the fixed contact assembly and an open position spaced apart from the fixed contact assembly. The vacuum envelope includes an insulating body having a number of transparent portions made of a single crystal alumina for viewing the fixed contact assembly and the movable contact assembly within the vacuum envelope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Benjamin A. Rosenkrans, Wangpei Li
  • Patent number: 8420971
    Abstract: A switching chamber insulation arrangement and a circuit breaker having such a switching chamber insulation arrangement are provided. The switching chamber insulation arrangement provides improved heat dissipation in the area of the contact areas of switch contact poles. The switching chamber insulation arrangement includes a strut arrangement having a plurality of struts. Each strut has a first foot area, a second foot, area and a center area which is located between the first foot area and the second foot area, respectively. The struts are arranged along a circumference around a longitudinal extent axis of the strut arrangement. The strut arrangement has a first mechanical coupling area on a side of the first foot areas for coupling to a first pole of a circuit breaker, and a second mechanical coupling area on a side of the second foot areas for coupling to a second pole of a circuit breaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Roland Würgler, Arben Sabani, Vincent Tilliette, Walter Holaus, Markus Keller, Diego Sologuren-Sanchez, René Kallweit
  • Patent number: 8237076
    Abstract: A vacuum switch means a unit switch section comprising a pair of vacuum main circuit switches, an earth switch, operating rods for operating movable conductors of the main circuit vacuum switch and earth switch, and a molding case covering the main circuit switch, earth switch and the operating rods, wherein the operating rods are connectable with an operating mechanism, and the fixed conductors of the main circuit switch and earth switch are connected with bushing conductors. The main circuit vacuum switches are disposed in separate vacuum chambers. The movable conductors of the main circuit switches and electrically connected to each other via a transition conductor, and the movable conductors are operated synchronously by means of a transition rod connected to the transition rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Sato, Kenji Tsuchiya, Ayumu Morita
  • Patent number: 8008594
    Abstract: A vacuum insulated switchgear has a busbar compartment, in which phase-segregated double-break, three-position vacuum circuit breakers are disposed; and feeder compartments disposed at both sides of the busbar compartment respectively, in each of which phase-segregated double-break, three-position vacuum circuit breakers are disposed. The busbar compartment and the feeder compartments are aligned in a row, and a second-phase insulated busbar is provided to connect one of the fixed contacts of a second-phase breaker in the busbar compartment to a fixed contact of a second-phase breaker in one of the feeder compartments. A first-phase insulated busbar is provided to connect one of the fixed contacts of a first-phase breaker in the busbar compartment to a fixed contact of a first-phase breaker in one of the feeder compartments adjacent to the busbar compartment, and the second-phase insulated busbar and the first-phase insulated busbar are disposed in different positions in height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takuya Kurogi, Kenji Tsuchiya, Daisuke Sugai
  • Patent number: 7910852
    Abstract: A medium voltage circuit interrupter includes a circuit interrupter housing and a plurality of poles. Each of the poles includes an encapsulated pole unit. The encapsulated pole unit includes a first unit having a first conductor, a second conductor, a vacuum interrupter electrically connected between the first conductor and the second conductor, and a first housing housing the vacuum interrupter. A removable second unit includes a third conductor, a fourth conductor having a first portion electrically connected to the third conductor and a second portion removably electrically connected to one of the first conductor and the second conductor, an electronic device structured to sense a characteristic of the pole, and a second insulative housing encapsulating the third conductor, the first portion of the fourth conductor and the electronic device. An operating mechanism is structured to open and close the vacuum interrupter of each of the poles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Steven Z. Chen, James J. Benke, Zachary R. Jenkins, Xin Zhou
  • Patent number: 7761989
    Abstract: A method for repairing a gas turbine engine component includes the steps of repairing one of a suction side or a pressure side of the component; repairing internal geometry of the component after one of the suction side or the pressure side of the component is repaired; and repairing the other of the suction side and the pressure side of the component after the internal geometry of the component is repaired, wherein a backing material is utilized to preserve the internal geometry of the component when the other of the suction side and the pressure side of the component is being repaired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew J. Lutz, John Finn
  • Publication number: 20090200270
    Abstract: A medium voltage circuit interrupter includes a circuit interrupter housing and a plurality of poles. Each of the poles includes an encapsulated pole unit. The encapsulated pole unit includes a first unit having a first conductor, a second conductor, a vacuum interrupter electrically connected between the first conductor and the second conductor, and a first housing housing the vacuum interrupter. A removable second unit includes a third conductor, a fourth conductor having a first portion electrically connected to the third conductor and a second portion removably electrically connected to one of the first conductor and the second conductor, an electronic device structured to sense a characteristic of the pole, and a second insulative housing encapsulating the third conductor, the first portion of the fourth conductor and the electronic device. An operating mechanism is structured to open and close the vacuum interrupter of each of the poles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2008
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Inventors: Steven Z. Chen, James J. Benke, Zachary R. Jenkins, Xin Zhou
  • Patent number: 7545245
    Abstract: A manual opening device is for an electrical switching apparatus, such as a synchronous circuit breaker, including a housing having an opening, a plurality of pole mechanisms each comprising separable contacts, and at least one operating mechanism including a number of actuators adapted to open and close the separable contacts. The operating mechanism is supported by the housing and includes a corresponding pole shaft. The manual opening device comprises an operating handle, a cam assembly, and a drive assembly. A first end of the operating handle protrudes through the opening of the housing and the second end is coupled to the cam assembly. The drive assembly couples the cam assembly to the corresponding pole shaft of the operating mechanism and cooperates with the corresponding pole shaft and actuators to simultaneously open the separable contacts when the operating handle is moved from a first position to a second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Xin Zhou, Brad R. Leccia, Paul J. Rollmann
  • Publication number: 20090020507
    Abstract: A vacuum insulated switchgear has a busbar compartment, in which phase-segregated double-break, three-position vacuum circuit breakers are disposed; and feeder compartments disposed at both sides of the busbar compartment respectively, in each of which phase-segregated double-break, three-position vacuum circuit breakers are disposed. The busbar compartment and the feeder compartments are aligned in a row, and a second-phase insulated busbar is provided to connect one of the fixed contacts of a second-phase breaker in the busbar compartment to a fixed contact of a second-phase breaker in one of the feeder compartments A first-phase insulated busbar is provided to connect one of the fixed contacts of a first-phase breaker in the busbar compartment to a fixed contact of a first-phase breaker in one of the feeder compartments adjacent to the busbar compartment, and the second-phase insulated busbar and the first-phase insulated busbar are disposed in different positions in height.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2008
    Publication date: January 22, 2009
    Inventors: Takuya KUROGI, Kenji Tsuchiya, Daisuke Sugai
  • Publication number: 20080110738
    Abstract: A three-pole apparatus to be installed in a cubicle of an electric substation, comprising: i) an air-insulated three-pole disconnector performing functions of isolating an electric line leaving the cubicle, and ii) a three-pole circuit breaker performing line protection functions, characterized in that: a) the three-pole apparatus further comprises a casing which is made of insulating material and houses internally, at least partially, said three-pole circuit breaker, wherein said casing is not sealingly closed and contains air; b) the circuit breaker comprises three vacuum circuit-breaker modules and the disconnector comprises three single-pole disconnector devices, wherein each of the single-pole disconnector devices in turn comprises a contact movable linearly from a service position into a disconnection position; c) wherein each of the contacts, when it is in its service position, projects at least partially from the casing; and d) the three-pole apparatus is configured for cooperating with an earthing
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: VEI T&D S.r.I.
    Inventors: Alberto Vaghini, Armando Rossi, Giorgio Perli
  • Patent number: 6930271
    Abstract: A power circuit interrupter includes a housing having an opening, one or more vacuum interrupters including separable contacts, and an operating mechanism, supported by the housing, adapted to open and close the contacts. A linear actuator cooperates with the operating mechanism to open and close the contacts, and is responsive to a close signal to close the contacts. A pivotable trip member protrudes through the opening of the housing and cooperates with the operating mechanism and the linear actuator to open the contacts when pivoted from a first position to a second position. A close circuit includes an input inputting the close signal. A micro-switch includes an operator and a contact electrically connected in series with the input of the close circuit. The operator is engaged by the pivotable trip member to open the contact in response to partial pivoting thereof from the first position toward the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel E. Palmieri, Robert N. Krevokuch, Brad R. Leccia, John J. Hoegle, Henry J. Remic
  • Patent number: 6335502
    Abstract: In order to provide a vacuum switch suitable for a distribution and transformation system compatible between structural simplicity and reliability and a vacuum switchgear using the vacuum switch, the vacuum switch comprises switching portions installed in a grounded vacuum container; and a breaker, a grounding switch and an isolator as things having the switching portions, wherein the vacuum container is divided into at least two chambers, and the switching portion of the breaker is disposed in one of the chambers and the switching portions of the grounding switch and the isolator are disposed in the other of the chambers through an insulation body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2002
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuichi Kikukawa, Tooru Tanimizu, Minoru Kanoi, Makoto Tazawa, Takuya Miyo
  • Patent number: 5920052
    Abstract: A multi-circuit switch gear includes a main body filled with an insulation gas, main bushings mounted on a front portion of the main body, a plurality of three-phase input/output units connected to the main bushings, multi-position switching devices disposed inside the main body for switching between a turn-on state, a turn-off state, and an earthed stated, automatic contact devices disposed at a front surface portion of the main body, earth bushings mounted on the respective side portions of the input/output units, moldcone connection members coupled to the earth bushings, and earth terminals connected to the moldcone connection members. The multi-circuit switch gear allows a current discharge operation to occur in the insulation gas provided in the main body during the earthing operation, thereby increasing workers' safety and facilitating an insulation test via the connection members with regard to the underground insulation cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1999
    Assignee: LG Industrial Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Seok Won Lee
  • Patent number: 5852266
    Abstract: According to the present invention there are provided a highly reliable electrode of high strength which undergoes little change even with the lapse of time, and a method for making the same, as well as a vacuum valve using such electrode and a vacuum circuit breaker using such vacuum valve. The vacuum circuit breaker has a fixed electrode and a movable electrode, each comprising an arc electrode, an arc electrode support member for supporting the arc electrode, and a coil electrode contiguous to the arc electrode support member, the arc electrode, the arc electrode support member and the coil electrode being formed as an integral structure by melting, not by bonding, particularly the arc electrode support member and the coil electrode being constituted by a Cu alloy containing 0.05-2.5% by weight of at least one of Cr, Ag, W, V and Zr.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1998
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Komuro, Yoshitaka Kojima, Yukio Kurosawa, Yoshio Koguchi, Toru Tanimizu, Yoshimi Hakamata, Shunkichi Endo
  • Patent number: 5521348
    Abstract: A multi-pole vacuum switch has an insulation assembly for each pole, which is composed of shell-like insulating elements. In addition to a space provided for receiving the vacuum interrupter, chambers are formed by wall sections, which are provided for receiving mechanical and electrical components of a pole unit. In particular, these electrical components are a loop-shaped, flexible strip conductor, a lever arrangement, contact springs and current transformers. Tensioning bolts which penetrate all the pole units connect the pole units to a pole block. The invention is suitable for use in vacuum power switches, in particular for low operating voltages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1996
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Klaus-Gunther Berndt, Detlev Schmidt, Kathrina Marek, Johannes Banghard, Michael Hahn
  • Patent number: 5508486
    Abstract: A gas-insulating switching unit includes a gas-filled housing containing a multi-pole vacuum switch and a three-position circuit breaker arranged below it. The vacuum switch is arranged so that the longitudinal axes of the horizontally positioned vacuum switching tubes are perpendicular to the front wall of the housing. The switch shaft of the circuit breaker is parallel to the front wall of the housing. Actuating rods are sealed against the front wall be bellows and can be used to operate the vacuum switching tubes. The circuit breaker is operated by a drive device via two pivoting levers that can be coupled by means of a fork opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 16, 1996
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Helmut Spack, Gerhard Simon