Patent ID: 7217895

Claim:
A movable contact arm for a contact assembly of an electrical switching apparatus, said electrical switching apparatus including a housing enclosing said contact assembly, said contact assembly including a fixed contact and a movable contact separable from said fixed contact in response to a trip condition, said movable contact arm comprising: a first end structured to carry said movable contact of said contact assembly; a second end disposed distal from the first end; a pivot portion proximate the second end, said pivot portion having a first side, a second side, and a first width, said first width being defined by the distance between the first side and the second side; and a moving arm portion generally extending from the first end toward said pivot portion, said moving arm portion having a second width, wherein said movable contact arm has a moment-of-inertia and an angular opening velocity, wherein said second width of said moving arm portion of said movable contact arm is less than said first width of said pivot portion of said movable contact arm, in order to minimize said moment-of-inertia of said movable contact arm, thereby increasing said angular opening velocity, and wherein said pivot portion is substantially devoid of a gap between the first side of said pivot portion and the second side of said pivot portion.