General Electric Company

General Electric Corporation Gmbh

Michael C Guerrette

Raymond K Seymour

Dennis J Doughty

David J Lesslie

Andrew Matthew Candelora

Geoffrey H McKay

Henry Hall Mason, Jr

William H Calder

Kevin J Fuhr

Frederick W Glabau

Murali Magham

Roger N Castonguay

James L Rosen

Marshall B Hart

Harold F Larkin

Gary D Magnon

Frederic W Glabau

Douglas B Tilghman

Brenda Zhang

Victor G Fraulo

Fredic W Glabau

Douglas Tilghman

Joseph L Desormeaux, Jr

Anapam Tiwari

An arc fault circuit breaker assembled such that electrical interconnections, i.e., electrical connections between compartments, are made without disassembling any previously assembled compartment. The arc fault circuit breaker comprises housings having compartments within. Electrically connected components having interconnecting components, i.e., components which provide electrical interconnections between compartments, are disposed within the compartments. The housings are assembled together to enclose the compartments. Interconnecting components within an enclosed compartment extend through openings in the housings to provide electrical interconnections to the next compartment to be assembled. Therefore, no disassembly of the enclosed compartment is necessary to make the interconnections.

Arc fault circuit breaker

A stab assembly (,) in which a spring clip (,) and a conductor member (,) define a pair of engagement surfaces for engaging a stab blade (,). The conductor member (,) has an opening (,) to allow for the insertion of an extended surface of the spring clip (,). Once in position, the spring clip (,) and conductor member (,) are frictionally engaged and define a channel (,) that will accept and hold a stab blade (,). The stab assembly (,) is retained within a molded case circuit breaker (,) and provides electrical contact between a bus bar and the circuit breaker.

Circuit breaker stab contact assembly with spring clip

Single pole arc fault circuit breaker

ARC fault circuit breaker

An arc fault circuit breaker (,) conducting an electric current to a protected load is presented. The circuit breaker (,) has a first (mechanical) compartment (,) and a second (electrical) compartment (,). A bimetal resistor (,) is disposed within the first compartment (,) and conducts the current therethrough. The bimetal resistor (,) has a stud (,) extending into the second compartment (,). A single sense line (,) is electrically connected to the bimetal resistor (,) and routed into the second compartment (,). The sense line (,) and said stud (,) conduct a voltage signal indicative of arcing of the current. A circuit board (,) is disposed within the second compartment (,) and is connected to the sense line (,) and stud (,) within the second compartment (,) to process the voltage signal. The circuit board (,) has a first conductive path (,) electrically connected to the stud (,), and a second conductive path (,) electrically connected to the sense line (,). The first and second conductive paths (,) run substantially parallel and proximate to each other such that electromagnetic interference of the voltage signal is substantially reduced.

A mounting assembly for mounting an electronic component to an electric motor starter comprises a mounting bracket and a locating bracket. The locating bracket releasably attaches to the mounting bracket and to the associated motor starter. The mounting bracket comprises light and switch mounting portions for releasably engaging the light and switch modules, respectively. A pair of snap-fit fasteners extend outwardly from the switch mounting portion for releasably engaging the switch module. The light mounting portion includes an aperture and pair of slots disposed therethrough for releasably receiving the socket and legs of the light module. A snap-fit fastener extends from the back side of the mounting bracket for releasably engaging the locating bracket.

Light and switch mounting assembly

A circuit breaker contact position indicator is mounted on the same support platform as the circuit breaker electronic trip unit and contains a micro-switch to provide indication to the trip unit of the status of the circuit breaker contacts. The switch interacts with the circuit breaker operating mechanism crossbar cam by means of a spring-loaded paddle attached to the trip unit support platform.

Circuit breaker contact position indicating unit

The circuit breaker interlock arrangement of the invention utilizes a pair of detector assemblies, one mounted on the rear surface of each one of a pair of first and second adjoining circuit breakers and interconnected by means of an elongated rod. The operating mechanism tripping plunger rod in the first circuit breaker trips the associated first circuit breaker operating mechanism to open the first circuit breaker contacts when an attempt is made to close the first circuit breaker contacts when the second circuit breaker contacts in the second circuit breaker are already closed, and vice versa.

Interlock arrangement for stationary mounted circuit breakers

An interlock arrangement between a pair of industrial rated circuit breakers in adjoining circuit breaker compartments utilizes a pair of circuit breaker interlock units, one mounted on the rear surface of each circuit breaker. A corresponding pair of compartment interlock units are arranged within the circuit breaker compartments for interaction between the two circuit breaker interlock units to open the contacts within one of the circuit breakers when an attempt is made to electrically connect the circuit breaker within one compartment when the circuit breaker in the adjoining compartment is already electrically connected within the adjoining compartment.

Interlock arrangement for circuit breaker compartments

A circuit breaker bell alarm reset mechanism interfaces between the circuit breaker operating shaft and the bell alarm plunger to directly contact the plunger in response to rotational logic provided by the operating shaft. Rotation of the operating shaft to reset the circuit breaker operating mechanism simultaneously motivates the reset mechanism to reset the bell alarm plunger.

Circuit breaker bell alarm reset mechanism

A flux shifter unit with increased magnetic susceptibility for use with a combined bell alarm and lock-out accessory is connected with the electronic trip unit that controls a high ampere rated circuit breaker. The flux shifter unit is configured to eliminate nuisance tripping due to the vibration of the associated electrical equipment.

Flux shifter assembly for circuit breaker accessories

Molded plastic bus covers are attached to the ends of a pair of molded case circuit breakers to isolate the circuit breakers from an electrical enclosure as well as to isolate between the circuit breakers themselves when connected within the enclosure in a double-branch configuration. Molded plastic lug covers are attached to the opposite ends of a molded case circuit breaker when the circuit breaker lugs are connected to power distribution cables to electrically isolate the power cables and the circuit breaker lugs.

Bus cover and lug cover for a molded case circuit breaker

A molded case circuit breaker having a pair of movable contact arms arranged within each pole of a multi-pole arrangement utilizes a shunt clip between the movable contact arms to insure electrical continuity between the contact arms and the contact arm support base. The movable contact arms and the support base are both accurately positioned within the circuit breaker case by means of an interference-fit between the outside edges of the support base and the interior sidewall surfaces of the circuit breaker case.

Molded case circuit breaker movable contact arm mounting arrangement

An operating mechanism assembly used within molded case circuit breakers employing electronic trip units interconnects the operating mechanism with the circuit breaker movable contact arms by means of a slotted-cam arrangement. The slotted-cam optimizes the manual closing of the movable contact arms by controllably over-centering the circuit breaker operating mechanism springs.

Molded case circuit breaker operating mechanism assembly

An operating handle assembly for molded case circuit interrupters is robotically assembled to the circuit breaker operating mechanism without requiring any auxiliary fastening device. A visual access slot in the circuit breaker cover allows the condition of the circuit breaker contacts to be visually ascertained by use of colored indicia carried by the operating handle skirt. A slidably mounted handle shutter cooperates with the operating handle to prevent egress of arc exhaust gases in the event the circuit breaker contacts are closed or opened during overcurrent conditions when the circuit breaker is installed within an industrial power distribution circuit.

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Bristol, CT, United States of America

Michael C Guerrette