Circuit breaker

Claim 2

A circuit breaker comprising: at least two electrically series connected breaking units each comprising at least a pair of contactors performing arcinducing breakage or detachment, compressor means for compressing an arc-extinguishing gas, and nozzle means for blowing a highly pressurized arc-extinguishing gas compressed by the compressor means against the arcs generated between the pair of contactors; a single electromagnetic driving means including a primary coil and a shorting ring or shorting coil electromagnetically coupled to the primary coil; current diverting means adapted to be operated by an external operating means in accordance with a breaking instruction for diverting a current to be broKen into the electromagnetic driving means; and connecting means for electrically insulatedly connecting the electromagnetic driving means and movable portions of the breaking units so that the moving portions of the breaking units can be driven.

Claim 3

A circuit breaker according to claim 1, in which the primary coil of the electromagnetic driving means is fixed to a fixed member, and the shorting ring or shorting coil of the electromagnetic driving means is connected to the connecting means.

Claim 4

A circuit breaker according to claim 1, comprising an operational rod capable of collectively operating the diverting means and the breaking units and having a connection portion capable of operating the diverting means prior to the operation of the breaking units at the breaking time.

Claim 5

A circuit breaker according to claim 3, in which the connection portion comprising a support mechanically connected to the breaking units, an axial portion of the operational rod slidably penetrating the support, and a stopper fixed to the operational rod for restricting the shift of the support to a predetermined extent.

Claim 6

A circuit breaker according to claim 3, in which the breaking units, the diverting means and the electromagnetic driving means are arranged coaxially; the current diverting means is disposed adjacent to the operational rod at a mirror position to the operational rod and the breaking unit which is the nearest of all the breaking units to the operational rod.

Claim 7

A circuit breaker comprising: at least two electrically series connected breaking units, each comprising at least a first pair of contactors performing arc-inducing breakage or detachment, a first compressor means for compressing an arc-extinguishing gas, and a first nozzle means for blowing a highly pressurized arc-extinguishing gas compressed by the first compressor means against arcs generated between the first pair of contactors; a single electromagnetic driving means including a primary coil and a shorting ring or shorting coil electromagnetically coupled to the primary coil; current diverting means adapted to be operated by an external operating means in accordance with a breaking instruction for diverting a current to be broken into the electromagnetic driving means, said current divering means including at least a second pair of contactors which perform an arc-inducing detachment, a second compressor means for compressing an arc-extinguishing gas, and a second nozzle means for blowing highly pressurized arc-extinguishing gas compressed by the second compressor means against arcs generated between the second pair of contactors; and connecting means for electrically insulatedly connecting the electromagnetic driving means and movable portions of the breaking units so that the moving portions of the breaking units can be driven.

Claim 8

A circuit breaker comprising: at least two electrically series connected breaking units, each comprising at least a first pair of contactors performing arc-inducing breakage or detachment, a first compressor means for compressing an arc-extinguishing gas, and a first nozzle means for blowing a highly pressurized arc-extinguishing gas compressed by the first compressor means against arcs generated between the first pair of contactors; a single electromagnetic driving means including a primary coil and a shorting ring or shorting coil electromagnetically coupled to the primary coil; current diverting means adapted to be operated by an external operating means in accordance with a breaking instruction for diverting a current to be broken into the electromagnetic driving means, said current divering means including at least a second pair of contactors which perform an arc-inducing detachment, a second compressor means for compressing an arc-extinguishing gas, and a second nozzle means for blowing highly pressurized arc-extinguishing gas compressed by the second compressor means against arcs generated between the second pair of contactors; and connecting means for electrically insulatedly connecting the electromagnetic driving means and movable portions of the breaking units so that the moving portions of the breaking units can be driven.

Claim 9

A circuit breaker according to claim 6, in which the second compressor means comprises a first piston, a second piston spaced apart by a predetermined distance from the first piston and pressed by pressing spring means in the direction opposite to the direction in which the first piston is operated, and a cylinder constituting a compressor chamber together with the first and second pistons.

Claim 10

A circuit breaker comprising: at least two electrically series connected breaking units each comprising at least a first pair of contactors performing arc-inducing breakage or detachment, a first compressor means for compressing an arc-extinguishing gas, and a first nozzle means for blowing a highly pressurized arc-extinguishing gas compressed by the first compressor means against arcs generated between the first pair of contactors; a single electromagnetic driving means including a primary coil and a shorting ring or shorting coil electromagnetically coupled to the primary coil; current divering means adapted to be operated by an external operating means in accordance with a breaking instruction for divering a current to be broken into The electromagnetic driving means, said current divering means including at least a second pair of contactors, one of the second pair of contactors being inserted in a hollow portion of the other of the second pair of contactors, the outer wall surface of the one contactor and the inner wall surface of the other contactor being provided with insulating layers, respectively, in such a manner that at the breaking time the insulating layers are opposing each other with a minimum interstice therebetween into which an arc is pushed to be extinguished; and connecting means for electrically insulatedly connecting the electromagnetic driving means and movable portions of the breaking units so that the moving portions of the breaking units can be driven.

Claim 11

A circuit breaker comprising: at least two electrically series connected breaking units each comprising at least a first pair of contactors performing arc-inducing breakage or detachment, a first compressor means for compressing an arc-extinguishing gas, and a first nozzle means for blowing a highly pressurized arc-extinguishing gas compressed by the first compressor means against arcs generated between the first pair of contactors; a single electromagnetic driving means including a primary coil and a shorting ring or shorting coil electromagnetically coupled to the primary coil; current divering means adapted to be operated by an external operating means in accordance with a breaking instruction for divering a current to be broken into The electromagnetic driving means, said current divering means including at least a second pair of contactors, one of the second pair of contactors being inserted in a hollow portion of the other of the second pair of contactors, the outer wall surface of the one contactor and the inner wall surface of the other contactor being provided with insulating layers, respectively, in such a manner that at the breaking time the insulating layers are opposing each other with a minimum interstice therebetween into which an arc is pushed to be extinguished; and connecting means for electrically insulatedly connecting the electromagnetic driving means and movable portions of the breaking units so that the moving portions of the breaking units can be driven.

Claim 12

A circuit breaker comprising: at least two electrically series connected breaking units each comprising at least a pair of contactors performing arc-inducing breakage or detachment, compressor means for compressing an arc-extinguishing gas, and nozzle means for blowing a highly pressurized arc-extinguishing gas compressed by the compressor means against arcs generated between the pair of contactors; a single electromagnetic driving means including a primary coil and a shorting ring or shorting coil electromagnetically coupled to the primary coil; current diverting means adapted to be operated by an external operating means in accordance with a breaking instruction for diverting a current to be broken into the electromagnetic driving means, said current diverting means including at least a pair of contactors the wiping distance between which is larger than that between the contactors of each of the breaking units; and connecting means for electrically insulatedly connecting the electromagnetic driving means and movable portions of the breaking units so that the moving portions of the breaking units can be driven.

Claim 13

A circuit breaker comprising: at least two electrically series connected breaking units each comprising at least a pair of contactors performing arc-inducing breakage or detachment, compressor means for compressing an arc-extinguishing gas, and nozzle means for blowing a highly pressurized arc-extinguishing gas compressed by the compressor means against arcs generated between the pair of contactors; a single electromagnetic driving means including a primary coil and a shorting ring or shorting coil electromagnetically coupled to the primary coil; current diverting means adapted to be operated by an external operating means in accordance with a breaking instruction for diverting a current to be broken into the electromagnetic driving means, said current diverting means including at least a pair of contactors the wiping distance between which is larger than that between the contactors of each of the breaking units; and connecting means for electrically insulatedly connecting the electromagnetic driving means and movable portions of the breaking units so that the moving portions of the breaking units can be driven.

Claim 14

A circuit breaker comprising: first and second end terminals; a plurality of breaking units electrically connected in series between said first and second end terminals, each of which breaking units comprises a pair of contactors between which an arc is generated upon separation thereof, compressor means for compressing an arc-extinguishing gas, and nozzle means for blowing a highly pressurized arc-extinguishing gas compressed by said compressor means against the arcs generated between said contactors; an electromagnetic driving means, separate from said breaking units, but being electrically and mechanically coupled thereto, and including a primary winding and a shorting winding electromagnetically coupled to said primary winding; current divering means, coupled to said electromagnetic driving means and at least one of said breaking units, for providing a series current path between said breaking units and said first and second end terminals during the closed conditions of said circuit breaker, and for electrically inserting said electromagnetic driving means into said current path in response to a breaking instruction, thereby actuating said electromagnetic driving means; and connecting means electrically insulatedly and mechanically connecting said electromagnetic driving means to displaceable portions of said breaking units, for effecting the mechanical separation of the contactors of said breaking units in response to the actuation of said electromagnetic driving means by said current diverting means, thereby breaking the current path between said first and second end terminals.

Claim 15

A circuit breaker comprising: first and second end terminals; a plurality of breaking units electrically connected in series between said first and second end terminals, each of which breaking units comprises a pair of contactors between which an arc is generated upon separation thereof, compressor means for compressing an arc-extinguishing gas, and nozzle means for blowing a highly pressurized arc-extinguishing gas compressed by said compressor means against the arcs generated between said contactors; an electromagnetic driving means, separate from said breaking units, but being electrically and mechanically coupled thereto, and including a primary winding and a shorting winding electromagnetically coupled to said primary winding; current divering means, coupled to said electromagnetic driving means and at least one of said breaking units, for providing a series current path between said breaking units and said first and second end terminals during the closed conditions of said circuit breaker, and for electrically inserting said electromagnetic driving means into said current path in response to a breaking instruction, thereby actuating said electromagnetic driving means; and connecting means electrically insulatedly and mechanically connecting said electromagnetic driving means to displaceable portions of said breaking units, for effecting the mechanical separation of the contactors of said breaking units in response to the actuation of said electromagnetic driving means by said current diverting means, thereby breaking the current path between said first and second end terminals.