Patent US4229631A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4229631A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Vacuum-type circuit breaker
Assignee: Hitachi Ltd
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Filing: 1978-07-06
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Granted: 1980-10-21
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Expires: 1998-07-06
Abstract
Abstract A vacuum-type circuit breaker comprising an evacuated container, and a pair of contacts disposed in the container and adapted to be moved between an open position and a closed position to permit a circuit breaking arc to be generated across the contacts, the contacts being made of a copper alloy containing manganese. The vacuum-type circuit breaker provided with the contacts of the aforementioned type has a higher dielectric strength than conventional vacuum-type circuit breakers.
Inventors
- 👤 Hideo Arakawa
- 👤 Takashi Namekawa
- 👤 Keiichi Kuniya
- 👤 Hiroyuki Sugawara
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 12:00
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01H; H01H1/00; H01H1/02; H01H1/0203
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
123 words
A vacuum-type circuit breaker comprising an evacuated container, and a pair of contacts disposed in said container and adapted to be moved between an open position and a closed position to permit a circuit breaking arc to be generated across the contacts, said contacts consisting substantially of a copper alloy which is cast from a melt, said alloy containing an intermetallic compound of manganese and a metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, silicon, zirconium, nickel, titanium and chromium, such that said contacts have a high initial dielectric strength, which dielectric strength is not substantially reduced as said contacts are repeatedly moved between an open position and a closed position to permit a circuit breaking arc to be generated across the contacts.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
123 words
A vacuum-type circuit breaker comprising an evacuated container, and a pair of contacts disposed in said container and adapted to be moved between an open position and a closed position to permit a circuit breaking arc to be generated across the contacts, said contacts consisting substantially of a copper alloy which is cast from a melt, said alloy containing an intermetallic compound of manganese and a metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, silicon, zirconium, nickel, titanium and chromium, such that said contacts have a high initial dielectric strength, which dielectric strength is not substantially reduced as said contacts are repeatedly moved between an open position and a closed position to permit a circuit breaking arc to be generated across the contacts.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
A vacuum-type circuit breaker as claimed in claim 1, wherein the proportion of said compound is 50% by weight or less, the proportion of manganese being 2% by weight or over.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
A vacuum-type circuit breaker as claimed in claim 1, wherein said copper alloy contains 50% by weight or less manganese plus silicon, the proportion of manganese being 2% by weight or over.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
A vacuum-type circuit breaker as claimed in claim 1, wherein said contacts consist substantially of a copper-manganese-silicon alloy, the manganese and the silicon forming Mn 5 Si 3 which is 4 to 50% by weight in proportion.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
A vacuum-type circuit breaker as claimed in claim 1, wherein said copper alloy contains 50% by weight or less manganese plus zirconium, the proportion of manganese being 2% by weight or over.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
A vacuum-type circuit breaker according to claim 1, wherein said manganese and said metal are present in said copper alloy as a solid solution.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
50 words
A vacuum-type circuit breaker according to claim 1, wherein said copper alloy further contains a metal having a property for enhancing the value of chopping current, said metal consisting of at least one of lead, bismuth, tellurium and antimony, and being present in an amount less than 5% by weight.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
A vacuum-type circuit breaker as claimed in claim 7, wherein the amount of said metal is sufficiently high that at least a major part of the manganese is fixed as a manganese compound.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
33 words
A vacuum-type circuit breaker as claimed in claim 8, wherein said metal is silicon, said silicon is in the form of a compound with manganese, and said compound is a silicide of manganese.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
34 words
A vacuum-type circuit breaker as claimed in claim 9, wherein said silicide of manganese is selected from the group consisting of Mn 5 Si 3 , Mn 3 Si, MnSi, and MnSi 2 .
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
A vacuum-type circuit breaker as claimed in claim 9, wherein the amount of silicon is sufficiently high that all of the manganese is fixed as a manganese compound.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
A vacuum-type circuit breaker as claimed in claim 8, wherein the amount of said metal is sufficiently high that all of the manganese is fixed as a manganese compound.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3783212A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1983-10-21 | 1984-04-21 | 1984-10-21 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1987-10-21 | 1988-04-21 | 1988-10-21 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1991-10-21 | 1992-04-21 | 1992-10-21 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |