CONFIGURATION OF AN ARC RUNNER FOR A MINIATURE CIRCUIT BREAKER

An arc runner configured to provide a substantially constant separation between a side surface of a conductive contact carrier and an arc discharge surface of the arc runner during an initial portion of a separation of two contacts. The arc discharge surface is preferably a flat surface oriented perpendicular to an axis of rotation of one contact away from the other. The conductive contact carrier having the side surface is configured to allow the arc runner to repeatedly travel along its side without mechanical interference during repeated openings and closings of the contacts. During the initial portion of the separation of the contacts, an electrical arc generated between the contacts during the separation is desirably transferred off of the contacts to the arc discharge surface after the separation between the contacts exceeds the distance between the side surface and the arc discharge surface.