Patent ID: 6248971
Filing Date: 2001-06-19
Classification: H01H

Abstract:
A circuit breaker comprising: an insulating case;at least one pair of contiguous pole compartments, the contiguous compartments of said pair of pole compartments being separated from one another by a partition wall and juxtaposed inside said insulating case;an arc extinguishing chamber located in each of the compartments of said pair of pole compartments;a pair of separable contact parts located in each of said pair of pole compartments;means for electrically connecting in parallel each contact part of the pair of separable contact parts located in one of the pole compartments with a corresponding contact part of the pair of separable contact parts located in the other pole compartment;at least one communicating aperture located in the partition wall distributing arcing energy between the two contiguous compartments of said pair of pole compartments;a lower arcing horn located in each contiguous compartment of said pair of pole compartments;the arc extinguishing chamber of each of the contiguous compartments of said pair of pole compartments including an inlet opening outwardly from a side of the compartment where the contact parts are located, the inlet being confined in one direction by said lower arcing horn, said lower arcing horn being located to receive a foot of an electrical arc at its entry into the chamber; andwherein the aperture is located and has dimensions such that the lower arcing horns in the contiguous compartments of said pair of pole compartments are located facing one another on each side of the aperture.