| 摘要 |
Apparatus and methods for reducing the risk of flashover during loadbreak operations of insulated separable connectors. In one aspect, the flashover distance for an electrical connector assembly is increased by supplementing exposed conductive portions of the male connector with insulated portions such that energized points on the energized connector are placed a greater distance away from the nearest ground plane on the complimentary connector. The additional insulation compensates for reductions in dielectric strength of the air occurring during separation of the male connector from the female connector. Also, the semi-conductive ground shield of the bushing is supplemented by an insulating sleeve. The insulative sleeve effectively removes a common ground plane to which an arc might tend during a flashover. In another aspect, a substantial airtight seal is prevented between elastomeric seals of the female connector and the probe of the male connector. The connection being thus vented, the available volume of air surrounding the energized components of the connector assembly is increased. In described embodiments, the probe portion of the elbow is configured to prevent substantial sealing between the connector components. An annular reduced diameter recess is located between the probe's metal rod and its arc follower and is elongated to prevent substantially airtight sealing between the elbow and bushing during the initial stages of the loadbreak operation itself. In alternative embodiments, the probe may be hollow and vented or include a groove disposed along its length.
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