Patent · US Expired

Electrical switch having arc-protected contacts

US4616112A · kind A · utility

14Cited by
8References
23Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 3, 1985
Grant dateOct 7, 1986
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 3, 2005

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01H9/38
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An electrical switch comprises a dielectric base member having parallel stationary contact assemblies provided with aligned contact segments, each of the contact segments including an exposed contact section and a dielectric section. A spring-biased movable contact assembly is disposed between the stationary contact assemblies and includes cantilevered arcuate contact sections springably engaging respective aligned contact segments. The exposed contact sections have parallel projections and the dielectric sections have a projection along which the arcuate contact sections move, one of the parallel projections being longer so that, when the arcuate contact sections move from the contact sections onto the dielectric sections or vice versa, the arcuate contact sections engage the longer projection last or first so that an electric arc, if it occurs, will occur therebetween rather than between the short projections and the arcuate contact sections.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.