Square D Company

Square, Inc.

Schneider Electric Usa, Inc.

John M Winter

Matthew D Sortland

Jerry Lynn Scheel

James V Fixemer

Charles H Wagner

Randall L Siebels

Thomas A Edds

Teresa I Hood

Joel L Miller

Dale W Bennett

Neil R Palmer

Gary W Scott

Robert F Dvorak

Willard J Rezac

Duane Lee Turner

Eugene W Wehr

Christopher K Goble

Daniel R Schiefen

Steve DeCook

Rodney J Brune

D Chris Higgins

Alberto Montoya

Antonio Zubieta

Guntis U Strauss

A circuit breaker comprises a housing containing a trip mechanism, a handle coupled to the trip mechanism and movable between on and off positions, and a lock-off mechanism capable of holding the handle in its off position. The lock-off mechanism includes a bracket adapted to be mounted on the circuit breaker housing adjacent the movable handle, and a slide mounted on the bracket for movement parallel to the movement of the handle when the handle is moved from the off position to the on position. The slide projects into the path of movement of the handle for engaging the handle, and the bracket and the slide form openings that register with each other when the projecting portion of the slide is proximate the handle in the off position. The registered openings are sized and shaped to receive the shackle of a padlock for locking the slide to the bracket, and thus locking the handle in the off position.

Circuit breaker with improved lock-off accessory

A circuit breaker lock-off device is side-mounted to a circuit breaker case in a tenacious engagement. The lock-off device has a generally planar body carrying a lock-off arm pivotable in a plane parallel to the body to place an engagement tab extending therefrom into a position for preventing movement of the breaker handle without being physically attached to the breaker handle. The lock-off arm and the body further have complementary rings for accepting a padlock shackle in the locked off position. The invention allows a rugged lock-off accessory which is field installable and which can accommodate various breaker handle geometries.

Side-mounted lock-off accessory for a circuit breaker

A toggle spring for a circuit breaker operating mechanism which provides better performance and reliability is provided. The toggle spring includes a unique spring eye having a back hook portion extending around a spring shank so as to dramatically increase the force supportable by the spring eye. The toggle spring is provided having a body portion having a first end and a second end. A first spring eye extends from the first end of the body portion and a shank extends from the second end of the body portion. A second spring eye extends from the shank and includes the back hook portion which extends around the shank.

Toggle spring for a circuit breaker

A circuit breaker includes a first section and a second section with independently operating pairs of contact assemblies in each respective section. In the first section, at least one of the contact assemblies is constructed and arranged to interrupt the current by moving from a normally closed position to a blown-open position and latching with the contact assemblies separated. The second section has a biasing extension spring for biasing the contact assemblies of the second section so as to permit interruption of the current in response to a blow-open force, which causes the contacts to separate only momentarily and then return to a normally closed position. The first and second pairs of contact assemblies separate substantially simultaneously in response to the blow-open force, and only the first section reacts to lower-level over-current conditions. In addition to the contact assemblies, the second section of the circuit breaker is designed to operate using only a spring which is 'Z-axis' mountable. Other aspects of the invention include one-piece tripping actuator, a screw retainer assembly for securing the line or load terminal, a bimetal arrangement involving an improved calibration process and an associated stress-reducing line terminal.

Circuit breaker having double break mechanism

A blade suspension assembly for a circuit breaker comprises a pivot pin, a torsion spring, an elongated blade, and a blade carrier. The torsion spring includes a lateral middle section, a pair of end legs disposed on opposite sides of the middle section, and a lateral hole extending therethrough. The blade includes an electrical contact mounted thereto, a lower bearing surface, and a lateral circular aperture. The blade carrier includes first and second pairs of bearing surfaces. To assemble the blade suspension assembly, the torsion spring is placed over the blade with the lateral middle section abutting the lower bearing surface of the blade, with the end legs disposed on opposite sides of the blade, and with the lateral hole in the torsion spring disposed in line with the circular aperture in the blade. Next, the pivot pin is inserted through the lateral hole in the torsion spring and through the circular aperture in the blade. The combination of the blade, the torsion spring, and the pivot pin is then inserted into the blade carrier with the pair of end legs abutting respective ones of the first pair of bearing surfaces and opposite ends of the pivot pin abutting respective ones of the second pair of bearing surfaces.

Blade suspension assemlby for a circuit breaker

A circuit breaker includes a first section and a second section with substantially independently operating pairs of contact assemblies in each respective section. In the first section, at least one of the contact assemblies is constructed and arranged to interrupt the current by moving from a normally closed position to a blown-open position and latching with the contact assemblies separated. The second section has a biasing extension spring for biasing the contact assemblies of the second section so as to permit interruption of the current in response to a blow-open force, which causes the contacts to separate only momentarily and then return to a normally closed position. The first and second pairs of contact assemblies separate substantially simultaneously in response to the blow-open force, and only the first section reacts to lower-level over-current conditions. To prevent welding or sticking of the contacts in the second section, a kicker is interposed between the pairs of contact assemblies so as to slightly open the contact assemblies in the second section in response to the contact assemblies of the first section reacting to the lower-level over-current conditions. The circuit breaker is designed to operate using 'Z-axis' mountable components.

Double break circuit breaker having improved secondary section

A high current capacity blade for a circuit breaker, comprises a conductive blade body having front and rear sections connected to one another, where the rear section includes a surface attachment area for fastening a flexible connector of the circuit breaker thereto. A strain relief tang extending from the rear section of the blade body is used to engage the flexible connector so as to stabilize the fastening of the flexible connector to the surface attachment area. A broad conductive lateral section is connected to and extends laterally from the front section, and includes a blade tab for engaging a toggle spring of the circuit breaker. A broad moveable contact is mounted on the broad lateral section and is adapted to interface with a stationary contact of the circuit breaker. A pair of substantially parallel L-shaped blade legs are spaced from one another to permit the toggle spring to pass therebetween. Each of the blade legs has first and second ends with the first ends connected to the rear portion of the blade body and the second ends including respective blade pivots for engaging notches in a handle of the circuit breaker. The assembly accommodates automated Z-axis assembly.

High current capacity blade for a circuit breaker

A blade suspension assembly for a circuit breaker includes a first electrical contact, an elongated contact arm having a second electrical contact adjacent a first end of the contact arm, a compression spring, and an elongated lever. The second electrical contact is movable about a first pivot axis between a contacts-closed position and at least one contacts-open position with respect to the first electrical contact. The lever has a first end adjacent a second pivot axis, a second end supported by the compression spring, and a contoured support surface between the first and second ends which supports a second end of the contact arm. The compression spring exerts a force against the second end of the lever so that the contoured support surface biases the second end of the contact arm about the first pivot axis in the contacts-closed position during normal operation and in the contacts-open position in response to the contact arm moving to the contacts-open position.

Circuit breaker having spring biased blade suspension

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 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 magnetic-yoke and armature which comprise the current response mechanism for the circuit breaker are designed to interact with each other so that the magnetic armature can easily be Z-axis assembled onto the magnetic yoke.

Automatic miniature circuit breaker with Z-axis assemblage current

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 trip mechanism including the trip lever, and the associated activation means, tension means and reset means are defined by elements designed to interact in a Z-axis assemblable fashion. The trip mechanism components are also designed for improved trip action and enhanced breaker performance in repeated OPEN, CLOSED, and TRIP operations.

Automatic miniature circuit breaker with Z-axis assemblable trip

An equipment protection device for a multi pole circuit breaker includes a trip coil, having a plunger with a tang, in an adapter housing that is attached to the breaker housing for tripping the breaker load contacts by means of the tang. The tang extends through an aperture in the side of the breaker. The trip coil is controlled by a toroid that is in a remote housing, displaced from the breaker housing and which includes a sensing winding on the magnetic core of the toroid. A ground fault carrying conductor is passed through the toroid window and connects the neutral of the breaker panel to an earth ground. A test button on the adapter housing completes a circuit for supplying current to a test winding on the toroid to simulate a ground fault condition. The trip coil has two independent windings that are individually connected to the load contacts of the breaker such that either winding can operate the trip coil.

Electrical circuit breaker protection device

A circuit breaker control system includes a motor driven fork assembly, activated from a remote location, for simultaneously opening all of the breaker load contacts and locking them in an open condition. A DC voltage is selectively applied to energize the reversible DC motor. The switch at the remote location can be operated to enable a user-customer to return the breaker to operable condition at the breaker site. This is accomplished with an SCR circuit that is enabled by the remote switch and actuated by the user to operate the motor in a reverse direction to release the load contacts.

Energy management accessory for circuit breaker

Energy management circuit breaker

A circuit breaker having a movable upper blade with a free floating pivot end. The operating mechanism is solidly connected to the upper blade. The contact force is generated by a contact spring which exerts an upward force on the lower blade. No other resilient force acts directly upon the upper blade. As the contacts separate, the force exerted on the upper blade is virtually eliminated, reducing substantially the resistance at the pivot end of the upper blade. The load terminal and pivot end of the upper blade provide a current path parallel to that of the load side flexible connector.

Growing community of inventors

Cedar Rapids, IA, United States of America

John M Winter