Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc.

Westinghouse Electric Corporation

David A Leone

Bernard DiMarco

William A King

Clifford A Buxton

Douglas Charles Marks

James O Alexander

James Edward Ferree

W Dale Robbins

Mauricio Rodriguez

Alfred E Maier

Kurt A Grunert

Solomon R Titus

Charles R Paton

Roger E Walker

Robert G Bergman

G Lawrence Moody

Christoph Hamann

Curtis J Ayers

Steve D Still

Mark E Bell

David Curtis Turner

Russell Bryant Green

Louis N Ricci

Bruce D Guiney

Neal B Reeves

John Louis Culligan

Peter P Clickner

James H Leonard

Donald M Boles

Frankie H Allen

Don Quinton

Neil A McCord

James A Tharp

William D Holland

The present invention provides a wire lug arc vent barrier for protecting a wire lug in a molded case circuit breaker, with the circuit breaker having a housing with a terminal for a load connection and a terminal for a line connection. The wire lug/arc vent barrier comprises a body having a first end including a tang, a second end including an elongated finger and a middle portion between the first end and the second end defining a concave space, with an opening at each of the middle portion, wherein the body is mounted in the housing.

Wire lug/arc vent barrier molded case circuit breaker

A circuit breaker ( ) includes a sensing circuit ( ), a control circuit ( ), an actuator ( ), an operating mechanism, and an interlock mechanism ( ). The sensing circuit ( ) is configured to generate the sense signal representative of a power signal flowing through a power circuit ( ). The control circuit ( ) has a frame ( ) and is configured to receive the sense signal and to provide a trip signal on a first terminal ( ). The actuator ( ) is external to the control circuit frame ( ) and has a second terminal ( ) coupleable to the first terminal ( ). The actuator ( ) is configured to receive the trip signal on the second terminal ( ). The operating mechanism is coupled to the actuator ( ) and is configured to open and close the power circuit in response to actuation of a lever ( ). The actuator ( ) is configured to actuate the lever ( ) in response to the trip signal. The interlock mechanism ( ) is coupled to at least one of the actuator ( ) and the operating mechanism and is configured to actuate the lever ( ) when the first terminal ( ) is not coupled to the second terminal ( ).

External actuator interlock mechanism for circuit breaker

A ring tongue lug retainer in a circuit breaker with the circuit breaker having a line bus conductor and a load bus conductor, wherein electrical conductors are connected to the line and load bus conductors. The ring tongue lug retainer comprises a lug body having a throughbore defining at least two interior walls and a threaded screw hole aligned perpendicular to and in communication with the throughbore. A thread portion may be provided in each interior wall of the lug body engages the binding screw configured to threadingly engage the screw hole and the lug body. The binding screw has a ring tongue protrusion configured to engage a ring tongue terminal of the electrical conductors.

Ring tongue lug retainer molded case circuit breaker

The present invention provides a circuit breaker ( ) and a cover ( ) for a molded case circuit breaker having an operating mechanism ( ) and an intermediate latching mechanism ( ) with the cover ( ) comprising a substantially planer member having a central opening ( ) and an accessory compartment ( ) formed in the planer member on either side of the opening ( ) with the accessory compartment ( ) configured to accept a plurality of different types of accessories ( ) and having a plurality of holes ( ) wherein a circuit breaker accessory ( ) is nested in the accessory compartment ( ) and is in contact with one of the operating mechanism ( ) and the intermediate latching mechanism ( ) within the housing ( ).

Molded case circuit breaker accessory system

The circuit breaker ( ) of the present invention is a molded case circuit breaker and includes a molded case ( ) having a main cover ( ), a first terminal ( ) and a second terminal ( ) mounted inside the case ( ) with a stationary contact ( ) electrically coupled to the first terminal ( ) and a movable contact ( ) electrically coupled to the second terminal ( ). The movable contact ( ) is coupled to an operating mechanism ( ) which has a pivoting member ( ) moveable between an ON position, an OFF position and a TRIPPED position. An intermediate latching mechanism ( ) also is mounted in the housing ( ) and is coupled to the operating mechanism ( ). The intermediate latching mechanism ( ) is selectively operated by a trip unit ( ) which comprises a magnetic short circuit release and a thermal overload release. The trip unit ( ) can be reconfigured by the addition of an inner yoke ( ) nested between the flanges ( ) of an outer yoke ( ) and a second magnetic shield ( ) can be attached to the outer yoke ( ) to change the sensitivity of the trip unit ( ) to the currents experienced by the circuit breaker. A particular embodiment of the circuit breaker ( ) includes an interchangeable bi-metal ( ) member of a copper alloy having a chemical composition of CDA &num;19400 and with an electrical conductivity of not more than 40% IACS.

Bi-metal trip unit for a molded case circuit breaker

An energy information system for use with a circuit breaker coupled between a power source and a load, the energy information system comprising: sensing apparatus for sensing at least one of i) a voltage, and ii) a current flowing between the power source and the load through the circuit breaker; detecting apparatus for detecting transitions of a sensed voltage; counting apparatus for counting a number of times the circuit breaker trips and interrupts the current flow between the power source and the load; measuring apparatus for i) measuring the current flow through the circuit breaker when the circuit breaker trips and interrupts the current flow between the power source and the load and ii) determining a plurality of energy related parameters including a measure of at least one of the voltage, the current and the frequency based on an output from the detecting apparatus, between the power source and the load; input apparatus for accepting a user input, the user input controlling at least one of the circuit breaker and a display apparatus; the display apparatus for displaying at least one of the plurality of conditions of the circuit breaker responsive to the input apparatus; and communication apparatus coupled to the input apparatus for selectively communicating at least one of the plurality of energy related parameters to a remote terminal.

Energy information device and graphical display for a circuit breaker

A graphical energy information display system having a menu for user selection of energy related information for an AC load control device, comprising: a device for monitoring AC electrical load usage of a load using a voltage shifter coupled to a sensor to bias the voltage above a ground potential by a predetermined voltage to produce a full-wave biased voltage signal; a graphical display device connected to said device for monitoring AC electrical load usage, said graphical display device adapted so as to graphically display indicia and at least one parameter of the AC electrical load usage of the load said parameters being displayed as a signal representation; menu means for displaying a plurality of selections on said graphical display device, each of said plurality of selections representing at least one parameter of the AC electrical load usage; and menu selection means for selecting at least one of said plurality of selections so as to cause said graphical display device to graphically present the signal representing said at least one parameter of the AC electrical load usage associated with said selections.

Graphical energy information display system having a menu for user selection of energy related information for an AC load control device

A molded case circuit breaker and includes a molded case (,) having a main cover (,), a first terminal (,) and a second terminal (,) mounted inside the case (,) with a stationary contact (,) electrically coupled to the first terminal (,) and a movable contact (,) electrically coupled to the second terminal (,). The movable contact (,) is coupled to an operating mechanism (,) which has a pivoting member (,) moveable between an ON position, an OFF position and a TRIPPED position. An intermediate latching mechanism (,) also is mounted in the housing (,) and is coupled to the operating mechanism (,). The intermediate latching mechanism (,) is selectively operated by a trip unit (,) which comprises a magnetic short circuit release and a thermal overload release. The trip unit (,) can be reconfigured by the addition of an inner yoke (,) nested between the flanges (,) of an outer yoke (,) and a second magnetic shield (,) can be attached to the outer yoke (,) to change the sensitivity of the trip unit (,) to the currents experienced by the circuit breaker. A particular embodiment of the circuit breaker (,) includes an interchangeable bi-metal (,) member of a copper alloy having a chemical composition of CDA &num;19400 and with an electrical conductivity of not more than 40% IACS.

A method for adjusting the calibration of a circuit breaker trip mechanism including a terminal element, a bimetal element connected thereto, and a trip bar. Laser energy is applied to lanced or pre-bent surfaces of the terminal element to thermally induce displacement thereof and thereby modify a trip distance between the bimetal element and the trip bar. Where a laser beam is directed to fall on a middle leg of a lanced or pre-bent section of the terminal element, the bimetal element moves in one direction relative to the trip bar. Conversely, where a laser beam is directed to fall on lateral legs of the lanced or pre-bent section of the terminal element, the bimetal element moves in an opposite direction relative to the trip bar. Thus, laser energy may be applied from the same direction, or to the same side of the trip structure, regardless of whether the trip time is to be increased or decreased.

Method for thermally calibrating circuit breaker trip mechanism and

A method for graphically displaying a menu for selection and viewing of the load related parameters of a load connected to an AC load control device, comprising the steps of: (a) monitoring the load related parameters of the load connected to the AC load control device using a voltage shifter coupled to a sensor to bias the voltage above a ground potential by a predetermined voltage to produce a full-wave biased voltage signal; (b) displaying on a graphical display device a menu of a plurality of indicia representing the monitored load related parameters; (c) scrolling through each indicia on said menu; and (d) selecting an item from said menu thereby causing the load related parameters relating to the said indicia to appear on said graphical display device as a signal representation.

Method for graphically displaying a menu for selection and viewing of

A contact assembly (22) is adapted for use with a circuit breaker (12) that is set to open a circuit above a predetermined current load. The contact assembly (22) is adapted to reciprocate between a closed position to permit the flow of current through the circuit and an open position to prevent the flow of current. The contact assembly (22) is further adapted to resist unintended reciprocation from the closed position to the open position at current loads up to or exceeding the predetermined current load. The contact assembly includes a line side conductor (38) and a load side conductor (54). When in the closed position, a surface (42) of the line side conductor (38) extends proximal to a surface (56) of the load side conductor (54) and current flows in substantially the same direction along the line side and load side surfaces (42 and 56) to generate an electromagnetic attraction between the conductors (38 and 54) in order to resist unintended reciprocation of the contact assembly (22) from the closed position to the open position due to inherent repulsion forces present across the contact points (contact constriction forces). A circuit breaker assembly (10) and an automated control system (300) are also described.

Remote controlled circuit breaker

A circuit breaker housing includes a base having a main portion and a separate subbase portion. The line contact arms for the breaker are mounted on the subbase portion and attached to the main portion which includes the load contact arms. The main portion of the base includes a bottom wall which insulates the load contact arms from the line contact arms along a portion of their lengths. In addition, the bottom wall forms a structural member which rigidly ties the two sidewalls of the main portion of the base. The bottom wall of the main portion of the base includes an opening through which line contacts coupled to the line contact arm make contact with load arm contacts coupled to the load contact arms. Adjacent to the opening, the main portion of the base includes vertical ribs directly tied to the bottom wall which strengthen internal and external side walls in the main portion of the base and reinforce the structural member formed by the bottom wall of the main portion of the base. The subbase may be attached to the base with screws, adhesives, a combination of screws and adhesives or by other methods.

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Lilburn, GA, United States of America

David A Leone