An apparatus is disclosed comprising a vacuum interrupter; an upper insulating shield forming part of a support structure to mechanically support the vacuum interrupter in a mounted position; a top portion of the vacuum interrupter seated in the upper insulating shield; a first lower insulating shield forming part of the support structure to mechanically support the vacuum interrupter in a mounted position; and a lower portion of the vacuum interrupter seated in the first lower insulating shield, wherein the upper insulating shield and the lower insulating shield are mechanically coupled with one another independent of the vacuum interrupter.

In accordance with certain embodiments, an improved switching mechanism and related components are provided.

In accordance with certain embodiments, an improved switching mechanism and related components are provided.

A vacuum circuit breaker includes: a plurality of vacuum valves each of which includes: a cylindrical vacuum container; a fixed electrode fixed inside the vacuum container; a movable conductor that protrudes from the inside of the vacuum container to the outside of the vacuum container and is movable in a direction of a center axis of the vacuum container; and a movable electrode that moves together with the movable conductor inside the vacuum container to be capable of being separated from the fixed electrode and coming into contact with the fixed electrode, the plurality of vacuum valves being connected in series with each other; and a cylindrical tank that accommodates the plurality of vacuum valves. The plurality of vacuum valves include at least two vacuum valves adjacent to each other in a direction intersecting a center axis of the tank.

A pivot supporting structure for a circuit breaker and a circuit breaker. The pivot supporting structure includes: a supporting body having a supporting hole for receiving and pivotally supporting a pivot pin connected to an actuating mechanism of the circuit breaker, wherein at least one strain gauge are mounted to the supporting body for sensing the force acting on the pivot supporting structure by the actuating mechanism. This pivot supporting structure can accurately sense the characteristic force applied, such that the contact force and mechanical characteristics of the circuit breaker can be on-line monitored.

A vacuum valve includes: a vacuum vessel; a cylinder; a partition wall separating an inside of the vacuum vessel from an inside of the cylinder; a movable conductor penetrating the partition wall being movable in an axial direction; a fixed contact fixed inside the vacuum vessel; a moving contact integrated with the movable conductor and being capable of separating from the fixed contact and coming into contact with the fixed contact in association with movement of the movable conductor; a lid that covers an end of the cylinder, the end being on a side opposite to the partition wall; a connecting rod penetrating the lid and coupled to the movable conductor via an insulating rod as an insulator; and a holder that holds the connecting rod while preventing movement of the connecting rod toward the fixed contact in a state where the moving contact is separated from the fixed contact.

A system for adjusting a length of an insulating rod of a high voltage circuit breaker includes a clutch and a fitting. The clutch includes a thread with a given thread pitch, and the fitting includes a thread with a given thread pitch formed in coordination with the thread of the clutch. The fitting is adjustably coupled with the clutch by means of the threads and the fitting is configured to be fixedly coupled with the insulating rod such that with respect to an assembled state of the system with insulating rod and with respect to a longitudinal axis the length of the insulating rod is adjustable due to rotation of the clutch relative to the fitting.

A switching device includes: two interrupter units connected in series; at least one drive unit for moving at least one contact; and two control capacitors, each of which is connected in parallel with the interrupter units. At least one control capacitor has mechanically movable components for changing the capacitance, and at least one of these components is mechanically coupled to the drive unit.

A power switch includes a vacuum interrupter held in a pole shell including a fixed contact and a moving contact, and a drive rod embodied in an electrically insulating fashion in order to apply a driving movement of a switch drive to the moving contact in order to open and close the contact system of the vacuum interrupter. Furthermore, a method is disclosed for avoiding incorrect orientations of the drive rod of such a power switch. A guide and/or centering element is proposed, connected to the drive rod and provided radially between the drive rod and the pole shell to bring about independent axial orientation of the drive rod in the pole shell.

A switch assembly including a vacuum interrupter having a fixed contact and a movable contact, an actuator operable to move the movable contact, and a drive rod assembly coupled to the movable contact and the actuator. The drive rod assembly includes a male part and a female part where the male part is inserted into and coupled to the female part. One of the male part or the female part includes a conductor that provides an electrical connection between the male and female parts and one of the male part or the female part includes a locking ring that snap fits into a groove in the other male or female part.