SWITCH APPARATUS FOR CONNECTION WITH A DC CIRCUIT

摘要

A switch apparatus usable in a DC circuit employs a rotatable shaft having conductors that are removably connected with two or more pairs of contacts that are situated on line conductors and load conductors and that are connected in parallel by the conductors on the shaft. In rotating the shaft to open the switch, one pair of the contacts is electrically disconnected prior to electrical disconnection of the other pair of contacts. Further rotation of the shaft causes the other pair of contact to eventually become disconnected. Electrical arcs thus form only at the air gaps between the other pair of contacts and the conductor. Magnetic field elements in the form of permanent magnets are situated in the vicinity of the air gaps of only the other pair of contacts and apply Lorentz forces to the arcs to extinguish them.

主权项

1. A switch apparatus that is structured to be connected with a DC circuit, the switch apparatus comprising:
a conduction element comprising a conductor portion and another conductor portion separated from one another; a first pair of contacts, one of which being electrically connected with the conductor portion, and the other of which being electrically connected with the another conductor portion; a second pair of contacts, one of which being electrically connected with the conductor portion, and the other of which being electrically connected with the another conductor portion; a shaft; an elongated first conductor apparatus mounted to the shaft and connectable at its ends with the first pair of contacts; an elongated second conductor apparatus mounted to the shaft and connectable at its ends with the second pair of contacts; the shaft being pivotable about a pivot axis among:
a first position wherein the ends of the first conductor apparatus are electrically connected with the first pair of contacts, and the ends of the second conductor apparatus are electrically connected with the second pair of contacts,a second position wherein the ends of the first conductor apparatus are electrically connected with the first pair of contacts, and the ends of the second conductor apparatus are electrically disconnected from the second pair of contacts, anda third position wherein a pair of air gaps exists between the first conductor apparatus and the first pair of contacts, and the ends of the second conductor apparatus are electrically disconnected from the second pair of contacts; and an arc extinction apparatus comprising a pair of magnetic field elements, one magnetic field element of the pair of magnetic field elements being situated adjacent one first contact of the first pair of contacts and being structured to generate a magnetic field oriented parallel with the pivot axis, the other magnetic field element of the pair of magnetic field elements being situated adjacent the other first contact of the first pair of contacts and being structured to generate another magnetic field oriented parallel with the pivot axis, the magnetic field and the another magnetic field having their north poles pointed in the same direction.