Bypass contactor for solid state motor starters.

摘要

A bypass contactor usable in a solid state motor starter for shunting current around a fully-conducting solid state switching device (12, 14) comprising an electromagnetic contactor (30) housed in a molded insulating enclosure ( 32, 34, 36) having a plurality of bridging contacts (54) movable into and out of engagement with a pair of stationary contacts (46, 48) to provide plural parallel current paths within the contactor, the stationary contacts having rigid terminal portions (46b, 48b) projecting externally of the insulating enclosure connectable to the heat sinks (6, 8) of the solid state motor starter in a preferred manner to suspend the contactor above the panel (FL), permitting other components (20, 24) to be mounted below the bypass contacts. Alternate embodiments have the contactor mounted to the same support (FL) as the starter power pole component assembly (2) and electrically connected thereto by rigid preformed connectors (68) or flexible braided straps (74). Also contemplated is increasing the rated current handling capacity by mounting a pair of the bypass contactors (30, 30') to the heat sinks in parallel to double the parallel current paths.