Gas shield for loadbreak cable termination

Claim 1

A voltage-grading termination module comprising an insulating housing having an electrical conductor mounted therein to form an electrical circuit through the housing from a first point adjacent one end thereof to a second point adjacent another end thereof, means defining a recess in said housing around the electrical conductor at said one end thereof, an annular flange of insulating material disposed entirely around the outermost peripheral edge of said recess and projecting outwardly and away from the end of said conductor in the recess thereby to form a gas confining shield around said end of the conductor, and a coating of electrically conductive material mounted on the outer surface of said housing to cover substantially the entire area thereof up to but not including the outer surface of said flange, said recess being generally frustoconical in shape with its large diameter end abutting the innermost end of said flange thereby to form a gas confining chamber and shield arrangement that operates to direct arc-generated gas in a direction away from said coating, said end of said conductor being operable to engage and disengage a second electrical conductor and to form a gasgenerating arc between itself and said second conductor during such engaging and disengaging operations, said gas confining shield being effective to prevent such arc-generated gas from forming a conductive path between either of said conductors and said coating.