Vacuum Interrupter

Abstract

A vacuum interrupter is provided that includes a vacuum bottle, a fixed contact extending through one end of the vacuum bottle, and a movable contact disposed within the vacuum bottle opposite the fixed contact, defining a gap between the fixed contact and the movable contact when the vacuum interrupter is open, and the fixed contact and the movable contact contact each other when the vacuum interrupter is closed. An insulated drive rod is rigidly coupled to the movable contact opposite the fixed contact, and a circular flexible conductor is coupled to the movable contact, the flexible conductor flexing when the movable contact is moved by the drive rod. The flexible conductor can be, for example, a laminated structure including a plurality of stacked conductive laminations, each of the laminations having a plurality of spirals separated by spaces, or a linear spring type trampoline conductor.

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