Texas Instruments Corporation

Hans G Hirsbrunner

Carleton M Cobb, Iii

Sepideh H Nott

Richard L Jenne

Edward M Gonsalves

Aime J Grenier

Robert W Peterson

Teuvo J Santala

Roland G Morin

Stephen B Goldman

A circuit breaker device has a chamber in which is disposed a single break contact system using low contact resistance material mounted on movable and stationary supports arranged in a loop configuration in order to direct arcs between the contacts through an arc chute into a remote portion of the chamber. A push-button is connected through a kinematic linkage which transfers motion using minimal frictional engagement to a movable contact to bring the movable contact into and out of engagement with a stationary contact and to latch the contacts in engagement during normal operation. A cantilevered current carrying bimetal transfers motion caused by I R heating of the bimetal to an ambient compensating bimetal connected to the latch mechanism. The kinematic linkage includes a latch surface which engages a rollable cylindrical reaction surface of the latch mechanism to cause the movable contact to come into engagement with the stationary contact upon depression of the push-button. Upon overload, the latch mechanism is displaced with the latch surface moving away from the reaction surface allowing return springs to return the push-button to its unactuated position and separate the contacts.

Miniature circuit breaker with improved longevity

A circuit breaker device has a chamber in which is disposed a single break contact system using low contact resistance material mounted on movable and stationary supports arranged in a loop configuration in order to direct arcs between the contacts through an arc chute into a remote portion of the chamber. A push-button is connected through a kinematic linkage which transfers motion using minimal frictional engagement to a movable contact to bring the movable contact into and out of engagement with a stationary contact and to latch the contacts in engagement during normal operation. A cantilevered current carrying bimetal transfers motion caused by I2R heating of the bimetal to an ambient compensating bimetal connected to the latch mechanism. The kinematic linkage includes a latch surface which engages a rollable cylindrical reaction surface of the latch mechanism to cause the movable contact to come into engagement with the stationary contact upon depression of the push-button. Upon overload, the latch mechanism is displaced with the latch surface moving away from the reaction surface allowing return springs to return the push-button to its unactuated position and separate the contacts.

A circuit breaker device has a chamber in which is disposed a single break contact system using low contact resistance material mounted on movable and stationary supports arranged in a loop configuration in order to direct arcs between the contacts through an arc chute into a remote portion of the chamber. A push-button is connected through a kinematic linkage which transfers motion using minimal frictional engagement to a movable contact to bring the movable contact into and out of engagement with a stationary contact and to latch the contacts in engagement during normal operation. A cantilevered current carrying bimetal transfers motion caused by I.sup.2 R heating of the bimetal to an ambient compensating bimetal connected to the latch mechanism. The kinematic linkage includes a latch surface which engages a rollable cylindrical reaction surface of the latch mechanism to cause the movable contact to come into engagement with the stationary contact upon depression of the push-button. Upon overload, the latch mechanism is displaced with the latch surface moving away from the reaction surface allowing return springs to return the push-button to its unactuated position and separate the contacts.

A remotely controlled circuit control device has first and second load contact assemblies movable into circuit engagement and circuit disengagement positions relative to one another in which one load contact assembly is operatively connected to a solenoid so that alternate forward strokes of the solenoid moves the one load contact assembly between reset and tripped positions through a push-push mechanism having an indexing portion and a latching portion. An overload mechanism cooperates with the latch portion to cause the load contact assemblies to move to the circuit disengaged position upon occurrence of a fault condition. The second load contact assembly includes pivotably mounted contact members which are linked to the first load contact assembly in such a way that circuit engagement during solenoid energization is precluded. The push-push mechanism is operatively connected via a mode switch to either a reset circuit or a trip circuit and in turn to a remotely disposed indicator-control unit (ICU) through an optical coupler. Contact status and coordination between load contacts and ICU contacts are provided by a feedback circuit. An interface circuit allows operation of the circuit control device without discrimination on a power supply of either alternating or direct voltage or both. Life expectancy of the device is enhanced by several features including double break contacts with contact wiping and the provision of a floating output arm for the solenoid.

Circuit control system

Remote control circuit breaker circuit

A circuit breaker has a thermally responsive bimetallic member of substantial resistance properties disposed in the breaker circuit so that it self-heats and moves to trip a mechanism to open the breaker circuit after a selected period of time when a selected overload current occurs in the circuit. Conductors are joined by a thermally separable bond and are disposed in the breaker circuit in selected heat transfer relation to the high resistance bimetallic member to be thermally separated after a selected delay period by heat transferred to the bond from the bimetallic means, thereby to open the circuit in the event that movement of the thermally responsive member is ineffective to open the circuit. Spring means preferably bias the conductors to separate to assure circuit opening when thermal separation of the noted bond occurs. Preferably one of the conductors has a part of reduced cross-section adapted to rupture and open the circuit under alternate circuit conditions.

Fail safe circuit breaker

An electrical contact material comprising a homogeneous, pressed and sintered mixture of from 85 to 90 percent silver metal powder, from 7.5 to 14.3 percent cadmium oxide powder, and from 0.50 to 3.0 percent zinc oxide powder, by weight, and having a weight ratio of zinc oxide to cadmium oxide content in the range from 0.05 to 0.25, is shown to display remarkably improved arc erosion and welding properties.

Electrical contact material

An electrical contact material comprises from about 85 to 87.5 percent silver and from about 0.01 to 0.10 percent cobalt in the form of an oxide, by weight. The material also comprises from about 10.73 to 12.82 percent cadmium oxide, from about 1.6 to 2.0 percent zinc oxide, and from about 0.15 to 1.0 percent lead oxide, by weight, internally oxidized in situ in the contact material in an oxygen enriched atmosphere.

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Attleboro, MA, United States of America

Hans G Hirsbrunner