An improved breaker for high current or voltage applications, for instance industrial and/or railways applications, is provided wherein a high current must be switched on/off or interrupted with high efficiency and extremely fast intervention times. The breaker may include a base portion including an activating mechanism including a holding mechanism and a release mechanism, an intermediate switching or breaking contact portion, including fixed contacts and movable contacts, and a top arc chute extinguishing portion covering the intermediate switching or breaking contact portion. The arc chute extinguishing portion of the breaker is moveable with respect to the switching or breaking contact portion and is provided with external polar expansions that are coupled on both main sides of the breaker. Further polar expansions may be electrically coupled to the external polar expansion and linked to the intermediate switching or breaking contact portion.

An improved breaker for high current or voltage applications, for instance industrial and/or railways applications, is provided wherein a high current must be switched on/off or interrupted with high efficiency and extremely fast intervention times. The breaker may include a base portion including an activating mechanism including a holding mechanism and a release mechanism, an intermediate switching or breaking contact portion, including fixed contacts and movable contacts, and a top arc chute extinguishing portion covering the intermediate switching or breaking contact portion. The arc chute extinguishing portion of the breaker is moveable with respect to the switching or breaking contact portion and is provided with external polar expansions that are coupled on both main sides of the breaker. Further polar expansions may be electrically coupled to the external polar expansion and linked to the intermediate switching or breaking contact portion.

The present disclosure relates to an arc extinguishing chamber base of a molded case circuit breaker and, more specifically, to an arc extinguishing chamber base of a molded case circuit breaker, manufactured using a thermoplastic resin. The present disclosure enables an arc extinguishing chamber base for forming a molded case circuit breaker to be manufactured using an aromatic polyamide-based thermoplastic resin, thereby enabling an increase in productivity, a decrease in component weight, a reduction in component production time, an eco-friendly effect, and recycling. Furthermore, component lifespan increases.

The present disclosure relates to an arc extinguishing chamber base of a molded case circuit breaker and, more specifically, to an arc extinguishing chamber base of a molded case circuit breaker, manufactured using a thermoplastic resin. The present disclosure enables an arc extinguishing chamber base for forming a molded case circuit breaker to be manufactured using an aromatic polyamide-based thermoplastic resin, thereby enabling an increase in productivity, a decrease in component weight, a reduction in component production time, an eco-friendly effect, and recycling. Furthermore, component lifespan increases.

An electrical contact system includes a static contact having a static contact point, a movable contact having a movable contact point, a rotating member on which the movable contact is mounted, and an arc extinguishing device having an arc extinguishing sheet. The movable contact is rotatable with the rotating member between a switch-on position and a switch-off position. When the movable contact is rotated to the switch-on position, the arc extinguishing sheet is rotated beyond a contact area between the movable contact point and the static contact point, allowing electrical contact of the movable contact point with the static contact point. When the movable contact is rotated to the switch-off position, the arc extinguishing sheet is rotated into the contact area between the movable contact point and the static contact point, electrically isolating the movable contact point from the static contact point and cutting off an electric arc.

An arc chute includes a pair of opposing side walls and a non-magnetic body. The side walls are formed of an electrically insulating material. The non-magnetic body includes an open area and a plurality of slots through which to facilitate gas flow. The arc chute also includes a back wall arranged on a back side of the non-magnetic body and including at least one first insulator and at least one magnet. The at least one first insulator is arranged between the at least one magnet and the open area and configured to electrically isolate the magnet from the non-magnetic body. The magnet is configured to generate a magnetic field to redirect an arc in the open area toward one of the side walls.

Systems and methods for tripping open circuit interrupters based on the detection of an arc flash using an accessory arc flash detection module are disclosed. The housing of the arc flash detection module is structured to be installed within the frame of a circuit interrupter. The detection module communicates with light sensors structured to detect light from arc flash events, and includes a controller configured to communicate with an electronic trip unit of the circuit interrupter. In one embodiment, the detection module is configured to alert the electronic trip unit that light indicative of arc flash conditions has been detected such that the electronic trip unit can determine whether or not to initiate a trip after determining the magnitude of current flowing through the circuit interrupter. In another embodiment, the detection module is configured to directly actuate a trip of the circuit interrupter based on the detection of light.

Systems and methods for tripping open circuit interrupters based on the detection of an arc flash using an accessory arc flash detection module are disclosed. The housing of the arc flash detection module is structured to be installed within the frame of a circuit interrupter. The detection module communicates with light sensors structured to detect light from arc flash events, and includes a controller configured to communicate with an electronic trip unit of the circuit interrupter. In one embodiment, the detection module is configured to alert the electronic trip unit that light indicative of arc flash conditions has been detected such that the electronic trip unit can determine whether or not to initiate a trip after determining the magnitude of current flowing through the circuit interrupter. In another embodiment, the detection module is configured to directly actuate a trip of the circuit interrupter based on the detection of light.

The present disclosure relates to an arc extinguishing unit of a molded case circuit breaker with a barrier provided between a fixed contact and a movable contact when a circuit is cut off, including fixed contacts fixed to part of a base assembly case; movable contacts that come contact or are separated from the fixed contacts; and an arc extinguishing part that extinguishes an arc generated when the movable contacts are separated from the fixed contacts. The arc extinguishing part includes a pair of side plates; multiple grids installed at a fixed interval between the pair of side plates; and arc barriers each installed on a base assembly case in a slidable manner, and configured to be in an open state of being separated from the movable contacts when a normal current flows on the circuit or is cutoff, and to close when a fault current is cutoff.

The present disclosure relates to an arc extinguishing unit of a molded case circuit breaker with a barrier provided between a fixed contact and a movable contact when a circuit is cut off, including fixed contacts fixed to part of a base assembly case; movable contacts that come contact or are separated from the fixed contacts; and an arc extinguishing part that extinguishes an arc generated when the movable contacts are separated from the fixed contacts. The arc extinguishing part includes a pair of side plates; multiple grids installed at a fixed interval between the pair of side plates; and arc barriers each installed on a base assembly case in a slidable manner, and configured to be in an open state of being separated from the movable contacts when a normal current flows on the circuit or is cutoff, and to close when a fault current is cutoff.