Eaton Corporation

Joseph Bell Humbert

Kenneth Martin Fischer

Mark O Zindler

Harry James Carlino

Henry Richard Beck

Erik Russell Bogdon

Roger William Helms

David Edward Little

Teresa I Hood

Lloyd Allen Maloney

Raymond P Gundy

Martha Suryani

Robert Michael Slepian

Lance Gula

Richard Paul Malingowski

Craig Allen Rodgers

Thomas Alan Whitaker

Douglas Charles Marks

Kelly Julia McCarthy

Trent A Chontas

Ronald W Brand

Todd Michael Shaak

Brian Scott Caffro

Ramon Javier Ojeda

Dominic Patrick Martelli

Jonathan Moore Peifer

Yu Wei Chou

Michael McNeil

David C Funyak

Robert Michael Pomaybo

A settings emulator for a circuit breaker trip unit includes a handheld enclosure and a plurality of adjustable rotary switches mounted on the handheld enclosure. The adjustable rotary switches define a plurality of different trip settings for the circuit breaker trip unit. A communication channel is also mounted on the handheld enclosure. A microprocessor is enclosed by the handheld enclosure. The processor reads the different trip settings from the adjustable rotary switches and communicates the different trip settings through the communication channel to the circuit breaker trip unit.

Settings emulator for a circuit interrupter trip unit and system including the same

A trip actuator assembly is provided for an electrical switching apparatus, such as a circuit breaker. The trip actuator assembly includes a trip actuator with an actuating element, which is movable among unactuated and actuated positions corresponding to separable contacts of the circuit breaker being closeable and tripped opened in response to a trip condition, respectively. The trip actuator is disposed at a mounting portion of a frame. An interface assembly is movably coupled to the frame and includes an interface element disposed between the actuating element of the trip actuator and a portion of the circuit breaker operating mechanism. When the actuating element moves from the unactuated position toward the actuated position, it engages and moves the interface element, thereby moving the operating mechanism to trip open the separable contacts. The frame secures the trip actuator assembly in a desired orientation within a corresponding one of the housing compartments.

Electrical switching apparatus and trip actuator assembly therefor

A circuit breaker includes separable contacts, an operating mechanism structured to open and close the contacts, and a trip unit cooperating with the operating mechanism to trip open the contacts. The trip unit includes a sensor structured to sense current flowing through the contacts, a processor structured to output a trip signal responsive to the sensed current, and a trip actuator. The trip actuator includes a housing including a recess, a coil within the recess, the coil having an opening therethrough, a magnet within the recess, a thermoplastic bushing including a conduit therethrough, the thermoplastic bushing being coupled to the housing, and an armature disposable within the opening of the coil and slidably disposed within the conduit of the thermoplastic bushing. The magnet attracts the armature toward the housing. A spring biases the armature away from the housing, in order to cause the operating mechanism to trip open the contacts.

Trip actuator including a thermoplastic bushing, and trip unit and electrical switching apparatus including the same

A trip bar is provided for an electrical switching apparatus, such as a circuit breaker. The circuit breaker includes a housing, an operating mechanism, and a number of accessories installable within the housing. At least one of the accessories has an actuator, such as a stem. The trip bar includes an elongated pivot member having a first end pivotably coupled to the operating mechanism, a second end disposed opposite and distal from the first end, and at least one protrusion extending outwardly from the elongated pivot member between the first and second ends. Such protrusion is actuatable by the stem to pivot the elongated pivot member. A deflecting mechanism, such as a cam surface, is disposed at or about the second end of the elongated pivot member. When such one of the accessories is being installed within the housing, the stem deflects the cam surface to facilitate insertion.

Electrical switching apparatus and trip bar therefor

A circuit breaker including a housing, separable contacts, a cradle rotatably mounted within the housing, an alarm switch mounted within the housing, and an interface lever disposed between the cradle and the alarm switch. The cradle is adapted to rotate about a first axis in a first direction when the circuit breaker moves to a tripped position in which the separable contacts are separated from one another. The alarm switch includes an actuation lever movable in an actuation direction, wherein movement of the actuation lever in the actuation direction causes the alarm switch to activate an alarm device electrically connected thereto. When the cradle rotates in the first direction, the cradle exerts a first force against the interface lever that causes the interface lever to exert a second force against the actuation lever that causes the actuation lever to move in the actuation direction.

Circuit breaker including alarm interface lever

A main valve for an arc chute is formed by a flexible sheet member that is mounted over a gas opening of the arc chamber structure by extensions on arc plates that form guides received in elongated slots in the ends of the flexible sheet member. The force generated by high pressure gas in the arc chamber on the center of the flexible sheet member causes it to bow allowing arc gases to escape laterally as the ends of the flexible sheet member are drawn towards each other. Flaps formed by slits in the flexible sheet member are deflected by lower pressure gas before the flexible sheet member bows outward.

Arc chute with valve and electric power switch incorporating same

A securing member for use in a switch assembly of a circuit breaker includes a support post and a fastener. The securing member assists in mounting an alarm switch onto a bracket of the switch assembly and further resists movement of the actuation levers of a pair of auxiliary switches from moving beyond a first given position and from potentially becoming caught in an operating mechanism that pivots a crossbar. The dual functionality of the securing member is cost effective and occupies only a minimal amount of additional space within the crowded confines of the circuit breaker.

Switch lever captivation device

A circuit interrupter including a housing, separable main contacts disposed in the housing, and an operating mechanism disposed in the housing and interconnected with the contacts. A trip mechanism is disposed in the housing and has an automatic trip assembly that generates a tripping operation. The automatic trip assembly includes a magnetic yoke, an armature, and a plurality of abutment members. The magnetic yoke has pivot supports providing for a rotatable disposition of a head portion of the armature. The assembly also includes a biasing member having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion abutted against a selected one of the plurality of abutment members, the second portion abutted against the armature and applying a force to the armature in a direction to normally rotationally displace a bottom portion of the armature away from the magnetic yoke, wherein selecting a different one of the plurality of abutment members to be the selected one causes the force to vary.

Circuit interrupter with a magnetically-induced automatic trip assembly having adjustable armature biasing

A plunger assembly support structure for a molded case circuit breaker magnetic trip mechanism for aligning a trip mechanism plunger assembly. The plunger assembly support structure includes a base member assembly having a plurality of guide members, and a plunger carriage assembly slidably disposed adjacent to said base member assembly.

Support and alignment structure for magnetic trip device

A circuit breaker mounting assembly comprises an enclosure for holding at least one circuit breaker, with the circuit breaker being mounted within said enclosure; a terminal block mounted within the enclosure at a location remote from the circuit breaker, the terminal block including a plurality of input connections and a plurality of output connections; a plurality of control wires extending from the circuit breaker to the terminal block; and a mounting bracket for positioning the terminal block in a first position within the enclosure and for permitting the terminal block to be moved to a second location outside of the enclosure.

Circuit breaker mounting assembly with moveable remote terminal block

A circuit interrupter including separable main contacts, an operating mechanism interconnected with the contacts, and a housing in which the contacts and the operating mechanism are disposed. A trip mechanism is disposed in the housing and includes a trip bar assembly that, when selectively rotated in a first direction, generates a tripping operation causing the contacts to open. The trip bar assembly includes a groove in which sits a torsion spring for rotationally biasing the assembly in a second direction that is opposite the first direction.

Circuit interrupter with a trip mechanism having improved spring biasing

A circuit interrupter including a housing, separable main contacts disposed in the housing, and an operating mechanism disposed in the housing and interconnected with the contacts. A trip mechanism is disposed in the housing and includes a rotatable trip bar assembly that, when selectively rotated, generates a tripping operation that causes the contacts to open. The trip mechanism further includes an automatic trip assembly for selectively rotating the trip bar assembly upon a predetermined current threshold. The automatic trip assembly includes a magnetic yoke having two arms with a pivot support on the top of each. Each of the pivot supports includes a pivot surface, and one of the pivot supports includes a rear retaining protrusion adjacent its pivot surface. The other of the pivot supports includes a front retaining member adjacent its pivot surface. The automatic trip assembly further includes an armature having pivot portions positioned on the pivot surfaces which provides for rotation of the armature between a first position away from the arms and a second position closer to the arms. A magnetic field is generated upon the predetermined current threshold which causes the armature to rotate from the first position to the second position and to rotate the trip bar assembly. One of the pivot supports also includes a downwardly facing stop. The downwardly facing stop is positioned to abut the armature when the armature is rotated away from the arms, thereby defining the first position.

Circuit interrupter with an improved magnetically-induced automatic trip assembly

The secondary cover of a molded case power switch housing is removably secured in place to enclose cavities in the insulative resin of a primary cover by an attachment assembly which includes metal attachment members or inserts seated in recesses in the primary cover. These inserts have tapped apertures aligned with mounting holes in the secondary cover through which screw fasteners are inserted and threaded into the tapped apertures. Such metal to metal connections can be repeatedly coupled and decoupled without significant wear as the secondary cover is removed and reinstalled to gain access to auxiliary devices mounted in the cavities in the primary cover. The inserts have second mounting apertures through which self tapping screws extend into the primary cover or through mounting holes in the primary cover and into the resin of the base to mount the inserts on the primary cover and to secure the primary cover to the base.

Moulded case power switch housing with removably secured secondary cover

A circuit breaker having a trip unit includes a lock out assembly positioned adjacent the trip unit for controlling access thereto. The lock out assembly includes a base member, a cover member and a slide member received therebetween. The slide member is moveable between various positions for controlling access to settings for the various operating parameters of the circuit breaker as provided by the trip unit.

Trip unit settings lock out assembly

A molded case circuit breaker has modular crossbar members which connect the contact arm carriers of a desired number of poles for opening and closing the separable contacts of all of the poles simultaneously by a single spring powered operating mechanism. The modular crossbar members comprise shaft sections which engage openings in the contact arm carriers of adjacent poles. Bearings support the shaft sections and mount the contact arm carriers for rotation about a common pivot axis. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the modular crossbar member is a single continuous metal shaft overmolded with an electrically insulative resin which also forms the bearing. Alternatively, separate metal shaft sections seat in sockets on either side of the molded bearing. In both instances, the shaft sections are keyed to the openings in the contact arm carriers for transmission of torque. In the exemplary crossbars, the shaft sections are hexagonal in cross-section.

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Monaca, PA, United States of America

Joseph Bell Humbert