CIRCUIT BREAKER

Abstract

The invention relates to a current breaker in which a busbar (18) passes through a cavity (25) in which a piston (14) can be moved. By moving the piston (14), a circuit board (19) is broken out of the busbar (18), thus interrupting the current flow. The current breaker has at least one metal filter element (16) which, according to the invention, extends up to the cavity (25). This ensures that the disconnected circuit board (19) touches the at least one filter element (16) during tripping. After the circuit board (19) is separated from the busbar (18), an electric arc is formed which, due to the filter element (16) being touched by the circuit board (19), switches over to the metal filter element (16) when the circuit board (19) continues to move, as a result of which the energy from the system inductance is converted into heat loss in the filter element (16). When suitably designed, there is only a moderate increase in pressure in the current breaker and thus practically no external effect. Additionally, an extinguishing agent, e.g. a silicone oil or a silicone-containing grease, may be provided. The housing can be sealed and the filter elements (16, 16′) can be insulated from the exterior.

Claims

1. A disconnect comprising: a housing defining a cavity; a busbar fixed in the housing and extending through the cavity; a piston movable in the cavity past the piston for breaking a piece out of the busbar; a plurality metallic filter elements exposed in the cavity below the busbar and electrically connecting with the piece on activation of the disconnect; and means for displacing the piston in the cavity into engagement with and past the busbar so as to break the piece out of busbar and displace it past the filter elements such that an arc created by breaking out the piece is drawn by the piece away from the busbar and energy of the arc heats and is dissipated in the filter elements.

2. The disconnect according to claim 1, further comprising: dielectric insulation between the filter element and the busbar when the disconnect is not tripped and the piston has not broken the piece out of the busbar.

3. The disconnect according to claim 1, wherein the filter elements are metallic and on both sides of the piston below the busbar, so that the piece electrically connects the filter elements when tripped.

4. The disconnect according to claim 3, wherein the piece remains between or leaves the filter elements after it has been tripped.

5. The disconnect according to claim 1, wherein an extinguishing agent is additionally provided in the disconnect.

6. The disconnect according to claim 5, wherein the extinguishing agent is a silicon compound.

7. The disconnect according to claim 6, wherein the extinguishing agent is a silicone oil or a silicone-containing grease.

8. The disconnect according to claim 1, wherein the housing is formed with recesses opening into the cavity in the housing between the busbar and the filter elements.

9. The disconnect according to claim 1, wherein the housing is sealed.

10. The disconnect according to claim 1, wherein the filter elements are insulated from the outside environment.

11. The disconnect according to claim 1, wherein further filter elements flank the busbar.

12. The disconnect according to claim 1, wherein the filter element is formed of stainless-steel filaments.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The present invention is explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings where:

[0015] FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section through a disconnect according to the invention in a non-tripped state in a plane containing the busbar;

[0016] FIG. 2 is a section along the line II-II of FIG. 1;

[0017] FIG. 3 is a section along the line III-III of FIG. 1;

[0018] FIG. 4 is a section along the line IV-IV of FIG. 3;

[0019] FIG. 5 is a view like FIG. 1 of the disconnect where the disconnect in the tripped state; and

[0020] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the disconnect.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0021] The housing of the disconnect is formed by an upper part 11 and a lower part 12. The lower part 12 is supported by a lower support ring 20 that holds and reinforces the lower part 12. The upper part 11 and the lower part 12 are fixed to each other, for example screwed together. The upper part 11 is reinforced by a reinforcing cap 24. A busbar 18 extends between the upper part 11 and the lower part 12. In order for the busbar 18 to be securely fixed in the housing even after being tripped, it has on both sides holes into which projections 26 and 26′ of the upper part engage. The busbar 18 is thus fixed in a solidly in place.

[0022] In the upper part there is an igniter 13 that, when ignited, applies pressure to a piston 14. This piston 14 is movable in a cavity 25. This cavity 25 is located partially in the upper part 11 and partially in the lower part 12. To start with, the piston 14 is completely in the upper part 11, that is to say above the busbar 18. If pressure pushes it downward, it moves at least partially into the cavity 25 in the lower part (see FIG. 5), punching a piece 19 out of the busbar 18.

[0023] Two filter elements 16 and 16′ are provided below the busbar 18. An insulating plate 15 therebetween ensures that there is no electrical contact between the busbar 18 and the filter elements 16 and 16′.

[0024] The predetermined fracture lines formed by thickness reductions of the busbar 18 are overmolded by an encapsulation 17 that forces the arc produced during the current interruption to only extend from the predetermined fracture lines to the piece 19. In contrast, in the known disconnects, the arc extends from the lower face of the busbar 18.

[0025] A further filter elements 21 and 22 that serve as a stop and as a heat sink, are located at the lower end of the cavity 25. A braking element 23 is provided above this or around the latter and slows downward movement of the piece 19 or piston 14, thereby affecting the change in current and the induced voltage resulting therefrom.

[0026] Further filter elements 16″ and 16′″ (see FIGS. 3 and 4) serve as an additional heat sink and are located laterally next to the busbar 18.

[0027] The disconnect according to the invention functions as follows: First, short-gap arcs form between the busbar 18 and the piece 19. Then, the piece 19 moves downward and these arcs are stretched. This elongation takes place first along the insulating plate 15, then along the metallic filter elements 16 and 16′. The arc then enters the filter elements 16 and 16′ and the flow thus passes through the filter elements 16 and 16′ to the piece 19.

[0028] The purpose is to use the filter elements 16 and 16′ as load resistors and to thereby convert the inductive energy of the current in the filter elements 16 and 16′ into heat.

[0029] The piece 19 stops moving downward at the level of the lower edge of the filter elements 16 and 16′ and remains in contact with the filter elements 16 and 16′. Since the filter elements 16 and 16′ are galvanically separated from the residues of the busbar 18 by the insulating plate 15, the circuit is nevertheless reliably separated after the arcs have been extinguished. However, as in the exemplary embodiment, the piece 19 can also travel further downwards. ?In this case, after the piece 19 has left the filter elements 16 and 16′ again, two further arcs are formed that are cut to length by the movement of the board 19.

[0030] If the inductive energy is consumed, the arcs are extinguished by clamping between the overmolding 17 and the piston 14. In this state, there is no conductive connection between the two connections of the busbar 18.

[0031] The filter elements can have a connection to the surroundings, as shown in the illustrated embodiment, and can thus be used for filtering and cooling an escaping excess pressurized gases. In a particularly preferred embodiment, however, they have no connection to the outside in order to reduce the external effect. The overpressure is then absorbed only by the filter elements 16, 16′, 16″ and 16′″ and the further filter elements 21 and 22.