A circuit breaker includes a vacuum interrupter. The interrupter includes a first movable electrode to which a first contact is connected and a second movable electrode to which a second contact is connected. The interrupter is operable between an open state and a closed state. In the open state, the first contact and the second contact are separated by a contact gap distance. In the closed state, the first contact and the second contact touch each other. The circuit breaker includes an ultrafast actuator operatively connected to each of the first and second movable electrodes. The ultrafast actuator is configured to change the vacuum interrupter from the closed state to the open state by simultaneously moving the first contact in a first direction along a first distance portion of the contact gap, and the second contact in a second direction along a second distance portion of the contact gap.

A bi-stable mechanism for a vacuum interrupter. The bi-stable mechanism includes an actuator; and a cam pivotable by the actuator, the cam moving a moveable contact. Wherein a bellows assembly is positioned above a vacuum bottle and coupled to a housing. The bellows assembly includes an outer cylindrical shell surrounding an opening spring, a spring plate, a contact spring, and a bellows. The bellows assembly reciprocates the moveable contact to prevent arcing between a pair of contacts and biasing the pair of contacts apart from each other.

An electrical connector includes: a housing including a mechanical interface, the mechanical interface configured to mechanically connect the electrical connector to a bushing; a current path in the housing, the current path including: an electrical conductor; and a switching apparatus electrically connected to the electrical conductor, the switching apparatus associated with operating states, the operating states including at least a first state that closes the current path and a second state that opens the current path; a switch control apparatus in the housing, the switch control apparatus configured to control the operating state of the switching apparatus; and a power apparatus in the housing, the power apparatus configured to obtain electrical energy from the current path and provide electrical energy to the switch control apparatus.

A guiding pull ring member for guiding a unit top contact in a switch assembly into a mounting contact. The guide ring member includes a mounting ring defined in a first plane, a grasping ring coupled to one side of the mounting ring and being defined in a second plane perpendicular to the first plane, and a V-shaped guide piece coupled to the mounting ring at a side opposite from the grasping ring and extending perpendicular to the first plane. The guiding pull ring member has particular application for a solenoid operated vacuum interrupter recloser switch mounted to a utility pole.

A vacuum interrupter including a vacuum bottle, a fixed contact extending through one end of the vacuum bottle and a movable contact positioned within the vacuum bottle relative to the fixed contact so that a gap is defined between the fixed contact and the movable contact when the vacuum interrupter is open and the fixed contact and the movable contact are in contact with each other when the vacuum interrupter is closed. An insulated drive rod is rigidly coupled to the movable contact opposite to the fixed contact and a circular flexible conductor is coupled to the movable contact and flexes when the movable contact is moved by the drive rod. The flexible conductor can be, for example, a laminate structure including a plurality of stacked conductive laminates each having a plurality of spirals separated by gaps or a linear spring trampoline conductor.

An interrupter unit includes a vacuum switch tube and an insulating housing. The insulating housing has an inner surface. The vacuum switch tube is bordered at least partially by an electrically insulating structure material having an outer surface. The insulating housing at least partially surrounds the vacuum switch tube. In operation, inner surface of the insulating housing and outer surface of the vacuum switch tube are separated by an adhesion layer. The inner surface and the outer surface are provided at least partially with an electrically conductive layer such that, in a boundary region between vacuum switch tube and insulating housing, the following layer sequence is directed radially outwards from a switch axis: structure material of vacuum switch tube; outer surface of structure material; conductive layer on outer surface of structure material; adhesion layer; conductive layer on insulating housing; inner surface of insulating housing; volume material of insulating housing.

A vacuum interrupter has a toroidal portion at one or both ends that achieves higher dielectric levels and hence higher interruption levels.

Described herein is a switch pole for a low voltage switching device including an insulating casing defining an internal space with a contact area and an arc-extinguishing area of the switch pole, a fixed contact assembly and a movable contact assembly positioned in the contact area and including, respectively, one or more fixed contacts and one or more movable contacts, which can be mutually coupled or uncoupled, and an arc chamber positioned in the arc-extinguishing area that includes a plurality of parallel arc-breaking plates. The insulating casing includes an insulating wall partially separating the contact area from the arc-extinguishing area and a channel connects the contact area to the arc-extinguishing area. The switch pole further includes an additional arc-breaking element anchored to the insulating wall, passing through the channel of the insulating wall and arranged in electrical connection with a terminal arc-breaking plate of the arc chamber.

A bellows assembly for a vacuum interrupter. The bellows assembly including an outer cylindrical shell surrounding an opening spring, a spring plate, a contact spring. The bellows assembly further including a bellows. Wherein the bellows assembly reciprocates a moveable contact of the vacuum interrupter to prevent arcing between a pair of contacts and biasing the pair of contacts apart from each other.

A switching apparatus includes one or more electric pole units, each electric pole unit comprising a fixed contact, a movable contact, a first pole terminal, a second pole terminal, and a motion transmission arrangement to reversibly move the movable contact. The motion transmission arrangement includes a conductive motion transmission member coupled to the movable contact. The first pole terminal is in electrical connection to the fixed contact while the second pole terminal includes a first coupling region in electrical connection with a second coupling region of the conductive motion transmission member. Each electric pole unit further includes a shielding element formed by a conductive hollow body and arranged in a relative fixed position with respect to the second pole terminal and the motion transmission member. The shielding element is arranged to at least partially surround the first coupling and the second coupling region.