Square D Company

Other

Schneider Electric Usa, Inc.

Eugene W Wehr

Dennis William Fleege

Clark L Oster

Donald R Venzke

Gary W Scott

John M Winter

Randall L Siebels

Thomas A Edds

James V Fixemer

Duane Lee Turner

Matthew D Sortland

Randy L Siebels

James Arthur Heise

Charles H Wagner

Ardean G Schill

Scott A Mickelson

Jon W Oswood

James P Bodin

Terence J Evans

Dallas Sloan

A circuit breaker having an increased interrupting rating without increasing the size of the circuit breaker while maintaining full compliance with UL and IEC standards. An adhesive is applied to a bottom surface near the exhaust outlets of interrupters. The interrupter housing is formed by joining two pieces, and the adhesive is applied across both pieces. The adhesive adheres to a bottom interior surface of a base of the circuit breaker, anchoring the interrupter assembly to the base. The adhesive prevents the two pieces of the interrupter housing from separating during an interruption event, and prevents the interrupter assembly from being lifted away from the base during the interruption event. The adhesive can act as a barrier to prevent interruption gas and pollution that do not escape out of the exhaust ports of the base from entering between the bottom of the interrupter assembly and the interior of the base.

High interrupting rating molded case circuit breaker

A layered mechanism for use in a circuit breaker fabricated by automated assembly operations includes a movable electrical contact mounted on a blade for movement relative to a stationary electrical contact. The major portion of the blade is substantially flat, and a handle is coupled to the blade to move said blade. A toggle spring is connected to the blade to apply a biasing force in the plane of the flat portion of the blade. The handle and blade form cooperating opposed surfaces that allow engagement of the handle with the blade so that movement of the handle can move the blade while allowing pivoting movement of the blade relative to the handle, while opposed surfaces resist upward pivoting movement of the blade when the toggle spring is attached to the blade during assembly of the circuit breaker.

Circuit breaker mechanism to facilitate automated assembly

A reverse deflection prevention arrangement is provided for use in a circuit breaker for preventing a bimetal from bending in a direction opposite its normal thermal deflection. The reverse deflection prevention arrangement includes a tab portion extending from a yoke and a corresponding block member disposed on the inside surface of a circuit breaker cover. The tab portion engages the block member when the bimetal is forced to deflect in the direction opposite its normal deflection. An alternate embodiment of the reverse deflection prevention arrangement includes a reinforcement member secured to one end of the bimetal. The reinforcement member strengthens and supports the bimetal so that it is prevented from bending in the direction opposite its normal thermal deflection.

Reverse deflection prevention arrangement for a bimetal in a circuit

An electrical contact for use in an electrical switching device is provided having low contact resistance, high wear resistance and high anti-weld characteristics. The contact includes a material composition of between 0.2 and 8% by weight Gr, between 10 and 90% by weight W and the remaining mixture consisting of Ag. The contact is manufactured using a process which yields a unique microstructure characterized by not having an interconnected Gr network around the Ag thereby providing a strong Ag to Ag bond. This process includes the steps of adding the appropriate amounts of Ag, W and Gr powder material together, blending together under low shear conditions to provide a homogenous powder mixture while prohibiting the Gr from smearing onto the Ag, pressing the material mixture to form a contact, and then sintering and coining the contact.

Electrical contact for use in a circuit breaker and a method of

A circuit breaker device for interrupting current in a circuit path between a source and a load includes a first contact and a second contact cooperatively arranged in the circuit path so as to provide current from a source to a load. A trip mechanism assembly, which includes an armature, a bimetal and a yoke, is provided for interrupting the current. The armature includes an aperture in which a latch point is provided to engage a latching surface of a trip lever for latching the trip lever thereon. The amount of current that is required to cause the trip mechanism to interrupt the circuit path is determined by the amount of overlap between the latching surface and the latch point. This overlap is adjusted by bending a calibration plate by tightening a calibration screw which extends through an aperture in a circuit breaker housing and a slotted aperture in the calibration plate. A substantially square shaped nut secures the calibration screw tightly against the housing. The calibration plate includes a leg portion bent substantially perpendicular thereto which has a rounded end supported in a v-block formed in the housing. The rounded end provides a pivot for which the calibration plate rotates thereabout. The slotted aperture allows the calibration plate to slide horizontally and bend as the calibration screw is tightened into the square nut.

Improved calibration means for a circuit breaker

A circuit breaker is provided having a stationary contact, a movable contact and a blade which has a first end and a second end. The movable contact is secured to the first end of the blade. The blade is rotatable about a pin between a BLOWN OPEN position and a CLOSED position, wherein the movable contact is separated from the stationary contact when the blade is in the BLOWN OPEN position and the movable contact engages the stationary contact when the blade is in the CLOSED position. The blade further has a protrusion portion extending from its second end. The circuit breaker further includes a catcher rotatably coupled to a pivot pin and having a nose portion for engagement with the blade protrusion portion. A spring is mounted about the pivot pin and engages the catcher for biasing the catcher towards the blade whereby the nose portion rests against the protrusion portion of the blade when the blade is in the CLOSED position and the nose portion overlaps the protrusion portion when the blade is in the BLOWN OPEN position thereby holding the blade in the BLOWN OPEN position.

Current limiting circuit breaker operating mechanism

An improved miniature circuit breaker is provided which is adapted to improved automatic assembly of all components thereof. Key components of the breaker are individually and collectively designed to be susceptible to total Z-axis assembly. In particular, the circuit breaker operating mechanism which operates the contacts thereof to make or break the electric circuit is formed of elements designed to interact in a Z-axis assemblable fashion. The movable contact is defined on a contact carrier or blade assembly which is adapted for Z-axis assembly and also provides increased arc erosion resistance and improved opening of the breaker contacts.

Automatic miniature circuit breaker with Z-axis assemblable contact

An arc suppressing assembly for use in a circuit breaker having at least one pair of separable contacts which includes an arc stack assembly in back-to-back relationship with a baffle assembly with the arc stack assembly in between the baffle assembly and the separablecontacts. The arc stack assembly includes a pair of insulating support legs having a plurality of parallel slots which receive tabs of respective and generally rectangular-shaped arc plates with a recessed front portion of each arc plate facing toward the contacts. The uppermost arc plate is provided with an extending runner portion which attracts an arc formed upon the opening of the contacts under certain current conditions. The baffle assembly similarly includes a pair of insulating side supports with a plurality of parallel slots provided therein to receive tab portions provided on the sides of generally rectangular insulating baffles. The association of the insulating baffles with the metallic arc plates imparts a generally wave-like motion to the venting gases. Each of the plates are at an angle of substantially 22.degree. to the horizontal with the gases first being directed upward by the arc plates and then downward by the baffles. A second set of baffles is provided behind a first column of baffles which are positioned in generally parallel relationship with the arc plates and further assist in the extinguishing and venting of the gases as they are blown away from the contacts.

Arc extinguishing assembly

An anti-rebound latch having a generally U-shaped housing which defines a central blade path opening between first and second side legs. The housing supports a pivotally mounted generally crescent shaped drive-arm which includes a kicker portion at one end positioned adjacent the top of the blade path opening and a pusher portion at its opposite end. The drive-arm is operatively associated with a blade catcher carried by the first side leg which is reciprocally movable between a first position in which no part of the blade catcher extends into the opening and a second position in which the catcher extends across the opening to the second side leg. The catcher is spring biased to its first position. The opposite side leg may carry a pole face which attracts the catcher in response to the blow-open movement of a contact blade within the opening which hits the kicker portion of the drive-arm causing pivotal movement of the drive-arm which results in the pusher portion of the drive-arm sliding the catcher into the blade path opening towards the second side leg. As a result of electromagnetic forces generated, the pole face attracts the catcher toward its second position which prevents rebound movement of the blade to a closed position. The self contained module is provided with ribs on opposite side which are received in grooves provided in the circuit breaker housing to position the assembly within the circuit breaker.

Growing community of inventors

Cedar Rapids, IA, United States of America

Eugene W Wehr