Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
75 words
A vacuum interrupter comprising a pair of electrodes at least one of which comprises a contact electrode and a longitudinal magnetic field generating coil electrode provided behind the contact electrode to generate a magnetic field parallel to an electric arc between said electrodes, and means for closing and opening said electrodes within an electric insulating hermetic vacuum vessel, wherein said at least one contact electrode is made of a material comprising at least 90% chromium.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
75 words
A vacuum interrupter comprising a pair of electrodes at least one of which comprises a contact electrode and a longitudinal magnetic field generating coil electrode provided behind the contact electrode to generate a magnetic field parallel to an electric arc between said electrodes, and means for closing and opening said electrodes within an electric insulating hermetic vacuum vessel, wherein said at least one contact electrode is made of a material comprising at least 90% chromium.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
The vacuum interrupter of claim 1 wherein said material is comprised substantially of chromium.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
The vacuum interrupter of claim 1 wherein said material is comprised of a chromium alloy including at least 90% chromium.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
The vacuum interrupter of claim 3, wherein said material comprises a chromium alloy including less than 10% copper.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
The vacuum interrupter of claim 3, wherein said material comprises a chromium alloy including less than 10% silver.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
68 words
The vacuum interrupter of claim 1 wherein said magnetic field generating coil electrode is formed with a diameter substantially equal to a diameter of said contact electrode, said contact electrode and said magnetic field generating coil electrode being mounted on an electrode rod within said vessel, said magnetic field generating coil electrode comprising means for generating said magnetic field substantially longitudinally with respect to said pair of electrodes.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
39 words
The vacuum interrupter of claim 6 wherein said means for generating comprises means for converting longitudinal current flowing in said electrode rod to a loop current along a peripheral area behind said contact electrode to generate said magnetic field.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
The vacuum interrupter of claim 7 wherein said means for converting comprises a one-third turn type coil structure.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
91 words
The vacuum interrupter of claim 7 wherein said means for converting comprises at least one loop having first and second arm sections extending radially from a central conductor electrically connected to said contact electrode and mounted on and insulated from said rod, said first arm section connecting said central conductor, and first and second arc-shaped coil sections, said second coil section connecting said first and second arm sections, said first coil section connected to said second arm section and spaced apart from said central conductor and from said first arm section.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
The vacuum interrupter of claim 9 wherein said first and second coil sections are substantially coaxial with said central conductor and with said rod.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
78 words
A vacuum interrupter comprising: an electrically insulating vacuum vessel; a pair of electrodes provided within the vessel, each electrode having a separable contact portion, wherein at least one of the contact portions is made of a metal selected from a group consisting of chromium and sintered chromium alloy, which alloy includes more than 90% chromium alloyed with another metal which has a melting point lower than that of chromium selected from a group consisting of copper and silver.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
78 words
A vacuum interrupter comprising: an electrically insulating vacuum vessel; a pair of electrodes provided within the vessel, each electrode having a separable contact portion, wherein at least one of the contact portions is made of a metal selected from a group consisting of chromium and sintered chromium alloy, which alloy includes more than 90% chromium alloyed with another metal which has a melting point lower than that of chromium selected from a group consisting of copper and silver.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
28 words
The vacuum interrupter of claim 11, wherein each electrode includes an arc-electrode surrounding the contact portion thereof, said arc-electrode held separated from an arc-electrode of the other electrode.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
29 words
The vacuum interrupter of claim 11, wherein the sintered chromium alloy is made of chromium powder and another metal powder selected from the group consisting of copper and silver.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
32 words
The vacuum interrupter of claim 11, wherein the sintered chromium alloy consists of a porous matrix of chromium to which chromium powder is sintered and copper with which the matrix is infiltrated.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
32 words
The vacuum interrupter of claim 11, wherein the sintered chromium alloy consists of a porous matrix of chromium to which chromium powder is sintered and silver with which the matrix is infiltrated.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
25 words
The vacuum interrupter of claim 12, wherein each electrode includes means for inducing magnetic field to turn off an electric arc established between the electrodes.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
35 words
The vacuum interrupter of claim 12, wherein each electrode includes behind each contact portion a longitudinal magnetic field generating coil electrode which creates a magnetic field parallel to an electric arc established between said electrodes.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
42 words
The vacuum interrupter of claim 12, wherein each electrode further comprises circular plate contact means connected to said arc electrode and projecting from a central opening provided in the arc electrode, said circular plate contact means being brazed to said arc electrode.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
29 words
The vacuum interrupter of claim 12, wherein said arc electrode is made of a metallic material having a vapor pressure slightly higher than said metal forming said contact portion.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
35 words
The vacuum interrupter of claim 19, wherein said arc electrode is made of a metal selected from the group consisting essentially of chromium, chromium alloy including more than 90% chromium, copper, iron and iron alloy.