Circuit breaker with current loops assisting development of the arc

Claim 1

A circuit breaker comprising at least a movable contact and a fixed contact placed in a cut-off chamber formed in an insulating case, means for opening and closing the contacts by displacing the movable contact in a predetermined direction for making and breaking an electric circuit having first and second terminals located outside the chamber, an arc deflecting conductor located in a plane passing through the movable and fixed contacts, said deflecting conductor extending into said chamber so that one of the feet of the arc appearing on opening of the circuit may move in said chamber, at least one current loop having portions placed outside the chamber and having a first end portion connected electrically to the fixed contact; a tongue extending from the first end portion and forming the deflecting conductor; a second end portion which is placed in the alignment of the tongue and which is electrically connected to said first terminal; and an intermediate portion connecting the first and second end portions together, wherein the loop is formed by bending an elongate portion of a single flat blank stamped out from a metal strip; the elongate portion is drawn and bent in its own plane.