General Electric Company

Irenaeus S Panus

Robert Allan Morris

Roger J Morgan

Ronald G Pekrul

Thomas Frederick Papallo, Jr

Hamon L Craft

Henry J Tucholski

Roger N Castonguay

James M Mitsch

Yuet-Ying Yu

James I Smith

Edwin J Collin

Paul A Raymont

Edward J Collin

Lloyd G Palmer

An industrial-rated circuit breaker cover is adapted for optimally receiving an advanced electronic trip unit including a keypad and display unit as well as a basic electronic trip unit providing circuit interruption facility without the keypad and display unit. The load terminals electrically connect the current sensing transformers with the external power circuit and receive the same size lugs that connect the circuit breaker with the electrical power distribution circuits.

Molded case circuit breaker with interchangeable trip circuits

Since industrial-rated circuit breakers are often located remote from the associated protected electrical equipment it is often times necessary to monitor the operation of such electrical equipment by observing the condition of the circuit breaker contacts to ensure that such equipment remains operational. When a plurality of such circuit breakers are mounted within a common enclosure, an auxiliary device within each of the circuit breakers readily provides visual indication of the ON-OFF condition of the circuit breaker contacts. With such auxiliary devices, an actuator-reset lever is used to interface between the circuit breaker operating mechanism, the circuit breaker trip mechanism and the auxiliary device to activate the auxiliary device when the circuit breaker contacts are open and closed and to reset the trip mechanism when the circuit breaker contacts are opened.

Molded case circuit breaker combined accessory actuator-reset lever

A compact molded case circuit breaker with increased ampere rating employs a latch assembly for maintaining the circuit breaker operating mechanism in a closed condition against a pair of powerful operating springs. To increase the mechanical advantage required to move the operating handle against the springs, a retractable handle extender is attached to the handle. For higher-rated circuit applications, a lug cover extension is added to the line end of the breaker to assist in extinguishing the intense arc that occurs during circuit interruption and to protect the line lugs from inter-phasal circuit faults. A visual access slot is arranged next to the circuit breaker handle to ascertain and verify the condition of the circuit breaker contacts. The line and load terminal straps are slotted to receive protrusions on the bottom of the line and load terminal lugs and provide anti-turn facility to the line and load terminal lugs under short circuit overcurrent conditions.

Compact molded case circuit breaker having anti-turn terminal connectors

A compact molded case circuit breaker with increased ampere rating employs a latch assembly for maintaining the circuit breaker operating mechanism in a closed condition against a pair of powerful operating springs. To increase the mechanical advantage required to move the operating handle against the springs, a retractable handle extender is attached to the handle. For higher-rated circuit applications, a lug cover extension is added to the line end of the breaker to assist in extinguishing the intense arc that occurs during circuit interruption and to protect the line lugs from inter-phasal circuit faults. A visual access slot is arranged next to the circuit breaker handle to ascertain and verify the condition of the circuit breaker contacts. A rebound cushion is inserted on the interior surface of the circuit breaker cover to deter the return of the movable contact arm during contact separation under extreme overcurrent conditions.

Compact molded case circuit breaker with movable contact arm rebound

A compact molded case circuit breaker with increased ampere rating employs a latch assembly for maintaining the circuit breaker operating mechanism in a closed condition against a pair of powerful operating springs. To increase the mechanical advantage required to move the operating handle against the springs, a retractable handle extender is attached to the handle. For higher-rated circuit applications, a lug cover extension is added to the line end of the breaker to assist in extinguishing the intense arc that occurs during circuit interruption and to protect the line lugs from inter-phasal circuit faults. A visual access slot is arranged next to the circuit breaker handle to ascertain and verify the condition of the circuit breaker contacts.

Compact molded case circuit breaker with increased ampere rating

Compact molded case circuit breaker having external contact condition

An electric circuit breaker enclosure includes a pultruded glass-filled plastic inset for added strength to the line and load terminal straps. The line and load terminal straps are fastened to the inset on the side and receive the corresponding line and load terminal cables on an opposite side thereof. The inset allows connection within a high-rated electrical power distribution circuit without damage to the circuit breaker case upon short circuit interruption.

Molded case circuit breaker with increased ampere rating

A molded case circuit breaker movable contact arm or carrier electrically connects with the circuit breaker trip unit or load terminal without requiring a flexible electrical conducting braid. The contact carrier is pivotally arranged within a contact carrier support to which the trip unit or load terminal lug is attached. The contact carrier pivot pin is supported on a pair of parallel posts extending from the contact carrier and a spring clip is positioned around the parallel posts and the pivoting end of the contact carrier to promote good electric transport without interfering with the rotational movement of the contact carrier.

Method of making molded case circuit breaker contact arrangement

An integrated electronic trip molded case circuit breaker includes a trip unit circuit arranged on a printed wire board contained within the breaker enclosure along with at least one circuit breaker auxiliary accessory. The condition of the integrated circuit breaker contacts is visually ascertained by a color-coded operating handle skirt subjacent indicating windows on the cover of the circuit breaker enclosure. To deter the egress of ionized gas during overload current conditions through the circuit breaker, the handle skirt seals the operating handle opening from the external environment. A groove formed within the external portion of the operating handle cooperates with an edge surface of the enclosure cover to allow the operating handle to rotate between its fully 'OFF' and 'ON' positions.

Molded case circuit breaker with contact status indicating handle

An integrated protection unit is a circuit breaker which includes basic overcurrent protection facility along with selective electrical accessories. A molded plastic accessory access cover secured to the integrated protection unit cover protects the accessory components from the environment. The accessory cover includes means for cooperating with a load center or panelboard circuit breaker enclosure to prevent access to the accessory components within the load center or panelboard interior.

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Forestville, CT, United States of America

Irenaeus S Panus