Patent ID: 8415580

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a contact carrier configured to be actuated by a carrier drive link to carry one or more moveable contacts along an excursion between a contact closed position in which the moveable contacts electrically contact corresponding stationary contacts and a contact open position in which the moveable contacts do not contact the corresponding stationary contacts, the contact carrier comprising: a carrier housing configured to house the carrier drive link, the carrier housing further comprising a front face that is positioned within an arc chamber during at least a portion of the carrier excursion: and a carrier link insulator coupled to the carrier housing, the carrier link insulator comprising an electrically insulating material and being located in an arc path between the arc chamber and the carrier drive link, where the carrier link insulator comprises an insulator plug configured to be press fit in an opening in the carrier housing front face, where the insulator plug comprises a plug front face that is substantially flush with the carrier housing front face when the insulator plug is fitted into the carrier housing, and where the insulator plug comprises: notched flat front portion; a U-shaped portion; where the U-shaped portion is positioned midway within a notch in the notched flat front portion; and where the U-shaped portion is configured to be positioned around at least a portion of the carrier drive link.