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CA1146199A - Electric control device with improved arc extinguishing means - Google Patents

Electric control device with improved arc extinguishing means

Info

Publication number
CA1146199A
CA1146199A CA000359956A CA359956A CA1146199A CA 1146199 A CA1146199 A CA 1146199A CA 000359956 A CA000359956 A CA 000359956A CA 359956 A CA359956 A CA 359956A CA 1146199 A CA1146199 A CA 1146199A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
contacts
contact
arc
stationary
electric control
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA000359956A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
John P. Conner
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
CBS Corp
Original Assignee
Westinghouse Electric Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Westinghouse Electric Corp filed Critical Westinghouse Electric Corp
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1146199A publication Critical patent/CA1146199A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01HELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H33/00High-tension or heavy-current switches with arc-extinguishing or arc-preventing means
    • H01H33/02Details
    • H01H33/04Means for extinguishing or preventing arc between current-carrying parts
    • H01H33/18Means for extinguishing or preventing arc between current-carrying parts using blow-out magnet
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01HELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H9/00Details of switching devices, not covered by groups H01H1/00 - H01H7/00
    • H01H9/30Means for extinguishing or preventing arc between current-carrying parts
    • H01H9/44Means for extinguishing or preventing arc between current-carrying parts using blow-out magnet
    • H01H9/443Means for extinguishing or preventing arc between current-carrying parts using blow-out magnet using permanent magnets

Landscapes

  • Arc-Extinguishing Devices That Are Switches (AREA)

Abstract

48,231 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
This invention is related to the problem of eliminating high carrying arcs at the contacts of electric control devices that causes pitting at the contacts, reduces contact life, and limits current interrupting capabilities. The object of this invention is to elimin-ate current arcs at the contacts by using permanent magnet means to pull the arc or stress the arc away from the contact thus eliminating it. This invention uses a novel approach of utilizing multiple magnetic arrangements with magnets placed on a movable member which moves with the movement of the contacts as they go from one operating po-sition to another, thus changing and varying the strength of the magnetic field across the axis of movement of the contacts thereby pulling and stretching the arc away from the contact and thus eliminating current arcs that reduce contact life.

Description

48, 231 13LECTRIC CûNTROL DEYICE~ WI~H
IMPROVED ARC E~TINGUISHING ME~S

:~ !

Electric control de~ric~ for~ swltch~n~ heavy electric loads ~nd m~a~s ~or~ ~liminating curren* arc: at th~ cont~cts.

~e E:Lecl;ric ~ trol device d~o}osed herein i9 the type o~ control de~lrice disclo~ed in th~ e~pplication o~
J~ :P. ~o~er and Kurt A~ Grunert, now U.S. P~tent No.
3, 296 ~ 5~7 .
For y~ar~ hi~ &urrent arca at the contact3 o~
electric control devices wh~ ~witching hea~ry ele~tric ~:load~ha~e~caused conslderable problems. ~me~ arc~ at the ~;conl;acts reduce~ co~tact li~e ar!d e~ectlve load circult 15 ~ lnterrl;lption.; It 1~ old ~o combat this: problem by placin~ :
~: magnets in ~close proximi-ty to contaots u~in~ a D~agnetic field: ~raated~-to blow:~ out the arc. :Thi~ reduce~ pitting at the con~a~t~ by the arc alld ensure~ longer contact ~ :
e. ~ e: i~8: provided by th~s lnvention an ~proved :
ZO ~ method o~ qllenehln~g arcs created ~at the contact~ by int~n-ying the magne~ic ~ield with the: contact3 .in the closed pos~tlon ~d changlng the ~lux o~ the îield a~ the contact rnove~ Irom ~he closed to the open po~ition.
S~Y OF T~ INV~ION
~. ~
~: 25 Thl~ vention relate8 generally to electrio :~ :: control devices ~ d more particularly to electric control
2 48,231 devices such as contactors, or relays that are operated by electromagnetic operating means. The object of this invention is to eliminate high current arcs at the con-tacts that cause shorter contact life and less than opti-mum low circuit interruption capabilities. Disclosedhereinafter is an electric control device comprising an insulating base, a control mechanism supported generally upon the base, the control mechanism comprising a set of contacts, and operating means disposed to operate the contacts between the open and closed position. Permanent magnets are placed in a position along the length of the contact structure and mounted on a movable member of said operating means whereby the magnetic field is intensified with the contacts in the closed position and the magnetic ; 15 flux changes with the movement of the contacts from the closed to the open position thus extinguishing the arc by ` pulling it away from the contacts.
~' BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure l is an isome-tric view of an electric control device constructed in accordance with principles of this invention.
i Figure 2 is a sectional view taken generally along the line II-II of Figure l;
Figure 3 is a side sectional view of the arc ~ ,, , 25 taken generally along the lines of III-III of Figure 2.
-l DESCRIPTIQN OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

: , _ Referring to the drawings, -there is shown in Figure l, an electric control device or contactor l0 .
comprising a metallic baseplate 2 and a contactor struc-ture comprising a lower base 3 and an upper base 4 of molded insulating material. The lower base 3 is secured to the baseplate 2 by means of two screws 26, which con-nect the lower base 3 to the baseplate 2 as shown in Figure 2 in a manner to be hereinafter specifically de-scribed. As can be seen in Figures l and 2 the mountingplate 2 comprises a sheet metal plate member bent over at the four sides thereof to form four leg portions that support the generally rectangular upper supporting plate ~ r~
3 48,231 part of 2. The upper plate part comprises a generally planar supporting surface having a depression whereupon a supporting pad 9 is mounted that serves to support the core member 7, which is generally a U-shaped magnetic core comprising a plurality of laminations forming ~wo leg parts that extend upward to provide two pole faces. The coil structure 1 has two openings therein which receives the two legs of the generally U-shaped magnetic core member 7. During assembly of the contactor 10, the shock lo absorbing pad 9 is first placed in the depression of the plate 2. The magnetic core member 7 is then set down on top of the pad 9. Thereafter, the insulating housing part 3 is placed down over the core 7. The L-shaped supports 11 are then placed in position and the screws 26 are ~ 15 passed up from the bottom of the plate 2 through suitable :~ openings in the insulating housing part 3 and threaded -~; into tapped openings in the lower legs of the supports 11 in the manner disclosed in Figure 2. Thus, the screws 26 draw the supports 11 and the insulating housing part 3 , ~0 toward the plate 2. This movement pulls the magnetic core . member 7 against the resilient pad 9 to thereby mount the ~:,: core 7 in a depression portion of the plate 2.
Referring to Figure 2 the uppper part of the contactor structure 10 comprises an upper housing part 4 ., 25 of molded insulating material, a molded insulating contact carrier 5, a generally U-shaped magnetic armature 8 and an insulating arc hood device 6. As seen in Figure 2 a pair of conducting straps 18 are secured to the insulating housing upper base 4 by means of two screws 51. A sepa-rate terminal. plate 16 is connected to the outer end of the conducting straps 18 by means of said terminal screw . 51. A stationary contact lS is brazed or otherwise suit-: ` ably secured to the inner end of each of the terminal plates 16. A separate bridging contact member 13 is provided to bridge each pair of separated stationary contacts lS. As can be seen in Figure 2, each of the bridging contact members 13 has two stationary contacts 1.4 : secured to the opposite ends of the conductor 13. As can " ~
.

.
~ : , , . . .

6 ~ ~
4 ~8,231 be seen in Figures 2 and 3, the insulating contact carrier
5 has window openings therein so that each of the bridging contact members 13 is supported on the contact carrier 5 in a separate one of the window openings for each pole.
The contact arrangement shown in Figure 2 is typical for ; each pole of the electric control device. In each of the openings a separate compression spring 21 biases spring support 40 against the associated bridging contact member 13 to retain the member 13 in place and to provide for - 10 resilient contact engagement. As can be seen in Figures 2 and 3~ the insulating contact carxier S has an opening therein and a generally U-shaped laminated magnetic arma-ture 8 is supported in the opening on the contact carrier ; 5 by means of a supporting pin 12 that passes through a suitable opening in the bight portion of the U-shaped armature 8 and is supported on the ledges on a surface of the insulating contact barrier 5. A generally resilient shock absorbing pad 9 is mounted between the armature 8 ~; and the contact carrier 5. During assembly of the upper base part 4 of the contact structure 10, the insulating contact carrier 5 and the magnetic armature ~ are moved up through an opening from the bottom of the insulating housing part 4 and, thereafter, the bridging contact mem-bers 13 are mounted in a position in the window openings of the contact carrier 5 to thereby secure the insulating contact carrier 5 and the armature 8 along with the bridg-, ing contact members 13 in a position on the upper housing ~ part 4. Two screws 27, shown in Figure 3 are then passed .~ down from the upper insulating base 4 through suitable openings in the insulating housing and threaded into tap openings at the upper plate part of the baseplate 2. Two springs 22 which are mounted on L-shaped support 11 engage ~ the contact carrier to bias the contact carrier 5, the :~ armature 8 an~ the bridging contact member 13 to the upper ~ 35 unattracted position seen in Figure 1.
;~ Referring to Figure 1, the contactor 10 is shown therein with the contact carrier and the armature biased to the upper unattracted position by means of the springs ~, .: ~ , , ~8,231 22. When the contact carrier 5 is in this position, the bridging contact members 13 are in the upp.er position separated from the stationary contacts 15 so that the poles of the contactor are normally open. Upon ener-gization of the coil 1, the armature 8 is pulled, againstthe bias of the springs 22, into engagement with the generally U-shaped magnetic core member 7. This movement is limited by the two pole ~aces of the generally U-shaped ~ armature 8 with the adjacent two pole faces of the gen-: lO erally U-shaped core member 7. During this movement, the . springs 22 are compressed and charged and the bridging ~ contact members 13 are moved down into engagement with the .: . contacts 15 whereby each of the bridging contact members 13 closes a circuit between the associated stationary ~ 15 contacts 15. Each of the springs 21 is compressed slight-: ~ ly during the closing operation to provide contact pres-~` sure between the closed contacts. With the armature 8 in engagement with the magnet yoke 7, and with the contact carrier 5 in the l.ower position charging the springs 22, n when the coil 1 is deenergized, the charged springs 22 ~` : will expand moving the insulating contact carrier S upward into the position seen in Figure 2 to move the armature 8 and the bridging contact members 13 upward to the un-attracted position. The contactor can again be operated in the same manner by energi~ation of the coi~ l.
' 'l , :~,: Referring again to Figure 1) it will be noted that the insulating housing part 4 and the insulating arc hood device part 6 mate and cooperaté to form the insulat-: ing housing structure of the contactor structure lO. As can be .seen in Figure 2 permanent magnets 17 are mounted ~: in the arc hood device and cemented thereto in such a position that they are located opposite the contact struc-ture. In addition, as can be seen in Figures 2 and 3 a ~l magllet is placed in the openings of the insulating contact ;, 35 carri.er 5 in such a fashion that they cooperate with the '~;, magnets located in the housing to create intensified magnet field with the contacts in the closed position.
When the contacts are in the closed position the magnets . ' . :

, ~?~
6 48,231 cooperate in such a fashion that when the contactor is : deenergized and the contact moves from the closed to the open position the magnet located in ~he insulating contact carrier 5 moves with the contact carrier 13 so that the magnetic flux created at the contac~ is changed and in cooperation with the magnets located in the insulating arc hood device the arc is pulled and stretched away from the contacts thus eliminating serious arcin~ between the movable contact 14 and the s-tationary contact 15. The polarity of the magnets is such that the magnetic field when the contacts are in the closed position is perpendic-ular to the line of movemen-t of the contacts with the flux lines going from the magnet in .the arc hood devi.ce across the line of the movement of the contacts to .the magnet located in the insulating contact carrier 5. As can be seen in Figure 2 as the contacts move from the closed -to the open positions an arc is created between the contacts ~ 14 and 15. Using the right hand rule with the arc current -.I flow moving vertically between contacts 14 and 15 the magnetic field of the arc is perpendicular to the magnetic fields created between the magnets in the housing and the magnet located on the contact carrier. Thus, the magne-tic field of arc and the magnetic field of the blowout ar-rangement repel each other which causes the arc to length-en and extinguish. The magnet mounted on the contact carrier maintains the intensity of the blowout magnetic field for as the contacts open and the arc follows the , movable contact 14 the magnet follows the arc. From the :~ foregoing, it will be understood that there is provided by this invention an improved electric control device with ; the unique arrangement of permanent magnets in such a fashion that electric arcs are eliminated at the contacts and thus providing longer contact life and greater current interrupting capabili-ties. This inven-tion also embodies any other arrangements of permanent magnets in the insu-lating arc hood device in a different position as hereto-fore described that creat magnetic fields which cooperate w:ith a magnet located in the insulating contact carrier or ~, .
~' ~ .
~:
7 4~,231 other movable member whereby the magnet field changes with ~he movement of t:he contacts to create an arc quenching effect.

,~ :
. ` ` .

` ' ~' ~ '~

,~

- . . ~ .

Claims (2)

48,231 The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:-
1. An electric control device including at least one set of cooperable contacts comprising a pair of spaced stationary contacts and a bridging contact member cooper-able therewith, a movable contact carrier having a contact carrying portion which supports said bridging contact mem-ber for movement thereof into and from bridging engagement with the spaced stationary contacts upon contact closing and contact opening movements, respectively, of the contact carrier, and arc blowout means for quenching electric arcs drawn between the cooperating contacts upon separation thereof, said arc blowout means comprising stationary per-manent magnets mounted adjacent the respective stationary contacts at the outer sides thereof so that the stationary permanent magnets are aligned in series magnetic relation-ship with each other across the gaps formed between the cooperating contacts upon separation thereof, and a movable permanent magnet disposed in said contact carrying portion of the movable contact carrier such as, upon contact open-ing movement of the latter, to be moved, between said sta-tionary contacts, into alignment and series magnetic rela-tionship with the stationary permanent magnets.
2. An electric control device according to claim 1, including an insulating arc hood covering said co-operable contacts, wherein said stationary permanent magnets are mounted on said insulating arc hood interior-ly thereof.
CA000359956A 1979-09-10 1980-09-09 Electric control device with improved arc extinguishing means Expired CA1146199A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US7436279A 1979-09-10 1979-09-10
US074,362 1979-09-10

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1146199A true CA1146199A (en) 1983-05-10

Family

ID=22119150

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA000359956A Expired CA1146199A (en) 1979-09-10 1980-09-09 Electric control device with improved arc extinguishing means

Country Status (8)

Country Link
JP (1) JPS6334178Y2 (en)
KR (1) KR830002551B1 (en)
BE (1) BE885172A (en)
BR (1) BR8005752A (en)
CA (1) CA1146199A (en)
ES (1) ES8200789A1 (en)
GB (1) GB2058463B (en)
NZ (1) NZ194794A (en)

Families Citing this family (18)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2523764B1 (en) * 1982-03-19 1986-05-09 Alsthom Atlantique MEDIUM VOLTAGE CURRENT CURRENT CURRENT APPARATUS
DE3750513T2 (en) * 1986-06-06 1995-05-04 Mitsubishi Electric Corp Switching device.
DE60019912T2 (en) * 1999-10-14 2006-01-12 Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd., Kadoma contact device
KR20020069727A (en) * 2001-02-27 2002-09-05 엘지산전 주식회사 Arc extinguishing structure of magnatic contactor
JP2004311389A (en) * 2003-02-21 2004-11-04 Sumitomo Electric Ind Ltd DC relay
JP2007305468A (en) * 2006-05-12 2007-11-22 Omron Corp Electromagnetic relay
JP2011150983A (en) * 2010-01-25 2011-08-04 Kawamura Electric Inc Dc switch device
CN102157295A (en) * 2011-03-12 2011-08-17 贵州天义电器有限责任公司 Control element of direct current high voltage loop system
JP5085754B2 (en) * 2011-03-14 2012-11-28 オムロン株式会社 Electromagnetic relay
JP5585550B2 (en) * 2011-07-18 2014-09-10 アンデン株式会社 relay
EP2597664A1 (en) * 2011-11-24 2013-05-29 Eaton Industries GmbH Switch for direct current operation with at least one switching chamber
JP6043173B2 (en) * 2012-12-07 2016-12-14 富士通コンポーネント株式会社 Electromagnetic relay
JP2016012505A (en) * 2014-06-30 2016-01-21 富士電機機器制御株式会社 Contact mechanism and electromagnetic contactor using the same
PL3144950T3 (en) * 2016-06-10 2019-09-30 Gorlan Team, S.L.U. Method and device for cutting off an electric current with dynamic magnetic blow-out
FR3060194B1 (en) * 2016-12-09 2021-01-15 Socomec Sa ELECTRICAL CUT-OFF DEVICE EQUIPPED WITH A MAGNETIC MODULE FOR BLOWING THE ELECTRIC ARC
DE102017106300B4 (en) * 2017-03-23 2023-07-27 Schaltbau Gmbh Switching device with improved permanent-magnetic arc quenching
KR102578555B1 (en) * 2020-03-13 2023-09-14 엘에스일렉트릭(주) Air circuit breaker
GB2624720A (en) * 2022-11-22 2024-05-29 Eaton Intelligent Power Ltd Switching device with terminal contacts

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS606771B2 (en) * 1976-09-10 1985-02-20 恵和商工株式会社 Plate masking method
JPS5930527B2 (en) * 1977-12-08 1984-07-27 恵和商工株式会社 Method for protecting the surface of thin metal plates

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
KR830003796A (en) 1983-06-22
JPS6334178Y2 (en) 1988-09-12
GB2058463B (en) 1983-11-23
JPS5672421U (en) 1981-06-15
KR830002551B1 (en) 1983-11-12
NZ194794A (en) 1983-05-31
GB2058463A (en) 1981-04-08
ES494876A0 (en) 1981-11-01
BE885172A (en) 1981-03-10
ES8200789A1 (en) 1981-11-01
BR8005752A (en) 1981-03-24

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