Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

A shorting plug for a pulsed power system is provided, having a rotator assembly at least partially nested within a cam housing and at least partially rotatable within the cam housing with respect to a cam rail that operably engages the rotator assembly to transition between a shorted mode of operation and an open mode of operation. During the shorted mode of operation, a pair of electrical contacts extend from the cam housing to operably engage the electrical contacts electrically connected to a energy storage device such as a capacitor, while the electrical contacts are retracted and rotated within the cam housing during the open mode of operation. The rotator assembly is connected to a housing cap, which allows the operator to transition the shorting plug between the two modes of operation. The shorting plug also contains a first latch mechanism that operably engages the housing cap during the shorted mode of operation, and a second latch mechanism that operably engages the housing during the open mode of operation. During transition between the shorted and open modes of operation, a vertical load, a horizontal load and a rotational load are applied by the operator to overcome the horizontal load and rotational locking mechanism provided by the first and second latch mechanisms, a downward vertical load applied to the rotator assembly that operably engages the cam rail, and the cam rail that provides a rotational limit of the rotator assembly without an upward vertical load being applied.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim