US 12,394,582 B2
Multi-part moving shaft assembly for ultra high speed actuator used in a hybrid circuit breaker
Jayaraman Muniyappan, Pernambut (IN); Robert Michael Slepian, Murrysville, PA (US); and Santhosh Kumar Chamarajanagar Govinda Nayaka, Moon Township, PA (US)
Assigned to EATON INTELLIGENT POWER LIMITED, Dublin (IE)
Filed by EATON INTELLIGENT POWER LIMITED, Dublin (IE)
Filed on Dec. 22, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/086,891.
Prior Publication US 2024/0212957 A1, Jun. 27, 2024
Int. Cl. H01H 33/666 (2006.01); H01H 33/662 (2006.01)
CPC H01H 33/6661 (2013.01) [H01H 33/66207 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A split switch shaft for use in a pole assembly of a circuit interrupter, the pole assembly comprising a shaft support structure with an axially extending central opening, a stationary conductor with a stationary separable contact and a movable conductor assembly with a movable separable contact, the movable conductor assembly being structured to travel in an opening direction from a closed state during an opening stroke in order to separate the movable separable contact from the stationary separable contact, the split switch shaft comprising:
a head shaft structured to be coupled at its proximal end to the movable conductor assembly, the head shaft comprising:
a first pin receiving opening extending laterally through a distal end of the head shaft;
a sliding pin;
a tail shaft, the tail shaft comprising:
a proximal end coupled to the head shaft distal end, the tail shaft proximal end comprising:
a plurality of spring mount ledges; and
a shaft-coupling opening extending laterally between the spring mount ledges; and
a second pin receiving opening extending laterally through the tail shaft proximal end; and
a reset spring mounted on the spring mount ledges,
wherein the head shaft distal end is inserted into the tail shaft proximal end such that the first and second pin receiving openings are aligned,
wherein the sliding pin is inserted into the first and second pin receiving openings,
wherein the reset spring maintains an initial gap distance between a distal-most surface of the head shaft and a distal surface of the shaft-coupling opening absent any compression forces acting upon the reset spring,
wherein the second pin receiving opening is laterally longer than the first pin receiving opening,
wherein the head shaft is structured to travel the initial gap distance in the opening direction when the movable conductor assembly travels the initial gap distance in the opening direction during an opening stroke, and
wherein the tail shaft is structured to remain stationary when the movable conductor assembly travels the initial gap distance in the opening direction from the closed state during an opening stroke.