Patent ID: 7336477

Claim:
A heat sink for an electrical switching apparatus including electrical bus work and a limiting element, said electrical switching apparatus including a line side with line terminal means, a load side with load terminal means, separable contacts electrically connected in series between said line terminal means and said load terminal means, and a housing enclosing said separable contacts, at least said line terminal means being accessible from the exterior of said housing, said limiting element being coupled to said line terminal means, said electrical bus work, said limiting element, and said line terminal means of said electrical switching apparatus contribute to the formation of a thermal dam having a temperature, said heat sink comprising: a heat exchanger structured to be coupled to said line terminal means proximate said limiting element, wherein said heat exchanger is structured to expel heat from said thermal dam in order to reduce the temperature thereof; wherein said heat exchanger comprises at least one conductive member having a first end, a second end, and a plurality of bends therebetween, the first end of said at least one conductive member including a mounting portion structured to be coupled to said line terminal means; wherein said at least one conductive member is a pair of first and second conductive members; and wherein the first ends of said first and second conductive members are connected together, the remainder of said first and second conductive members being spaced apart to create a number of air gaps adapted to facilitate heat convection; and wherein said number of air gaps includes a first air gap and a second air gap; wherein said first and second conductive members each include as said plurality of bends, a first bend and a second bend; wherein between said first and second bends, said first conductive member forms a first angle with respect to said second conductive member in order to define said first air gap; and wherein between said second bends and the second ends of said first and second conductive members, said first conductive member forms a second angle with respect to said second conductive member in order to define said second air gap, said second air gap being larger than said first air gap.