Circuit breaker with a double acting circuit-breaking chamber and an inverted structure

1. A circuit breaker for high or medium voltages, comprising at least the following:

a drive bar movable in translation along an axis (A-A′);

a drive member coupled to the drive bar to move the drive bar in translation along the axis (A-A′);

a circuit-breaking chamber comprising:

a first contact comprising a main contact, an arcing contact, and a blast nozzle for extinguishing an electric arc, all fixed together, the first contact movable in translation along the axis (A-A′);

a second contact disposed facing the first contact and comprising a main contact and an arcing contact that are fixed to each other, the second contact movable in translation along the axis (A-A′); and

transmission means for separating the first contact and second contact from each other during a circuit-breaking operation, and

a column insulator in communication with the circuit breaking chamber, the drive bar extending through the interior of the column insulator;

wherein the drive bar is coupled to the second contact by coupling means to move the second contact in translation along the axis (A-A′) in the same direction as the drive bar, and wherein the transmission means are disposed on the side of the said chamber that is adjacent to the drive bar and are adapted to transmit the motion of the driven second contact to the first contact.

2. A circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein the transmission means are adapted to transmit to the first contact a total stroke (C 1 ) of the first contact that is greater than a total stroke (C 2 ) of the second contact during the circuit-breaking operation.

3. A circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein the transmission of the motion of the driven second contact to the first contact is effected by the blast nozzle.

4. A circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein the transmission means include at least one return lever having two arms, one of which is coupled to a first connecting rod, the other one being coupled to a second connecting rod, the first connecting rod and second connecting rod being also coupled to the first contact and second contact.

5. A circuit breaker according to claim 4 , wherein the return lever is pivoted about a pivot axis fixed to the chamber, the two said arms having different lengths.

6. A circuit breaker according to claim 5 , wherein the pivot axis of the lever is orthogonal to the axis (A-A′) of the said chamber.

7. A circuit breaker according to claim 5 , wherein the pivot axis of the lever intersects the said axis (A-A′).

8. A circuit breaker according to claim 4 , wherein the two said arms of the same return lever are aligned with each other.

9. A circuit breaker according to claim 4 , wherein the two arms of the same return lever are obtained by forming a cranked member of the boomerang type facing the drive bar in order to retard, during a circuit-breaking operation, the displacement of the first contact relative to that of the second contact.

10. A circuit breaker according to claim 4 , wherein the point of articulation of the first connecting rod to the corresponding arm, or the point of articulation of the second connecting rod to the corresponding arm, comprises an axial eccentric that serves to retard, during a circuit-breaking operation, the displacement of the first contact relative to that of the second contact.

11. A circuit breaker according to claim 4 , wherein the transmission means comprise at least two identical return levers that are disposed symmetrically relative to the axis (A-A′), each of them having two arms, each said arm being coupled, respectively, to a first connecting rod and to a second connecting rod, with each connecting rod being itself also connected, respectively, to the first contact and to the second contact.

12. A circuit breaker according to claim 11 , wherein the coupling means are adapted to couple the drive bar directly to the second contact.

13. A circuit breaker according to claim 12 , wherein the coupling means comprise a coupling pin transverse to the said axis (A-A′), the said coupling pin being inserted through the arcing contact rod and the drive bar.

14. A circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling means are adapted to couple the drive bar indirectly to the second contact.

15. A circuit breaker according to claim 14 , wherein the coupling means include two links, one said link consisting of the second connecting rod, and the other said link being coupled directly, firstly to the drive bar and secondly, directly to the second connecting rod.

16. A circuit breaker according to claim 15 , wherein the transmission means comprise a return lever, having an arm configured to offset towards the contacts the point of articulation of the second connecting rod on the arm, by an angle relative to the point of articulation of the other connecting rod, serving to retard, during the operation of separating the contacts, the displacement of the second contact relative to that of the first contact.

17. A circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein the second main contact comprises a hollow metal tube, the inner diameter of which is substantially equal to the outer diameter of a metal member that is fixed to the blast nozzle, a total stroke (C 1 ) of the first contact and a total stroke (C 2 ) of the second contact being so determined that the metal member projects out from the hollow metal tube at the end of the opening operation, and thereby constitutes a field electrode for reducing the field on the second arcing contact.

18. A circuit breaker for high or medium voltage, comprising at least the following:

a first insulating envelope in which there is mounted a drive bar adapted to move in translation along an axis (A-A′); and

a second insulating envelope that is attached to the first insulating envelope, and in which there is mounted a circuit-breaking chamber comprising a first contact comprising a main contact, an arcing contact, and a blast nozzle for extinguishing an arc, all fixed together, and a second contact comprising a main contact and an arcing contact fixed together;

wherein the circuit-breaking chamber is in communication with the interior of the first insulating envelope, and wherein the arc blast nozzle in the circuit-breaking chamber includes a divergent portion that is oriented towards the first insulating envelope, wherein extinguishing the arc results in hot gases that penetrate into the interior of the first insulating envelope and the interior of the second insulating envelope.

19. A circuit breaker for high or medium voltages, comprising at least the following:

a drive bar movable in translation along an axis (A-A′); and

a circuit-breaking chamber comprising:

a first contact comprising a main contact, an arcing contact, and a blast nozzle for extinguishing an electric arc, all fixed together, the first contact movable in translation along the axis (A-A′);

a second contact disposed facing the first contact and comprising a main contact and an arcing contact that are fixed to each other, the second contact movable in translation along the axis (A-A′); and

transmission means for separating the first contact and second contact from each other during a circuit-breaking operation,

wherein the second contact and the drive bar are coupled together such that they move together in translation in the same direction, and wherein the transmission means are disposed on the side of the said chamber that is adjacent to the drive bar and are adapted to transmit the motion of the driven second contact to the first contact, and

wherein the second main contact comprises a hollow metal tube, the inner diameter of which is substantially equal to the outer diameter of a metal member that is fixed to the blast nozzle, a total stroke (C 1 ) of the first contact and a total stroke (C 2 ) of the second contact being so determined that the metal member projects out from the hollow metal tube at the end of the opening operation, and thereby constitutes a field electrode for reducing the field on the second arcing contact.