Eaton Corporation

Michael F Walz

Paul Jason Rollmann

Edward Louis Wellner

Peter Nerstrom

Thomas Michael Hall

James Michael McCormick

Steven Christopher Schmalz

Peter K Moldovan

Patrick Wellington Mills

Richard George Benshoff

Engelbert Hetzmanseder

Thomas c/o Eaton Corporation Hall

A miniature circuit breaker comprising a non-conductive housing assembly; a pair of separable contacts including a first, fixed contact coupled to said housing assembly and having a terminal extending outside said housing assembly, and a second, movable contact having a terminal extending outside said housing assembly; an operating mechanism coupled to, and structured to move, said movable contact between a first position, wherein said movable contact engages said fixed contact, and a second position, wherein said movable contact is spaced from said fixed contact; a trip device coupled to said operating mechanism and structured to actuate said operating mechanism to separate said separable contacts upon the occurrence of a trip condition; an arc fault trip mechanism having an arc fault detector and a shape memory alloy element; said arc fault detector structured to detect an arc fault on the load side of said separable contacts and to provide an electrical pulse; said shape memory alloy element structured to transform between a first shape and a second shape during the application of an electrical pulse, said shape memory alloy element having a first end and a second end, said shape memory alloy element first end coupled to said housing assembly, said shape memory alloy element coupled to said trip device; said arc fault detector further coupled to said shape memory alloy element and structured to provide an electrical pulse to said shape memory alloy element sufficient to transform said shape memory alloy element from said first shape and said second shape; and wherein when said shape memory alloy element is in said second shape, said trip device is actuated and said operating mechanism separates said separable contacts.

Shape memory alloy trip mechanism for arc/ground fault circuit interruption

The continuity of the coil of the actuating solenoid of an electric power switch is detected through utilization of a signaling device, such as a light emitting diode (LED) that monitors energization of a dc power supply fed from the source side of the coil. A circuit energized from the other side of the coil generates a dc voltage Vthat is applied to the gate electrode of an electronic switch shunting the LED. The voltage Vis greater than the dc supply voltage to bias the electronic switch off so that the LED is illuminated when there is continuity through the coil. If the coil fails, Vwill be zero and the electronic switch is turned on to short circuit the LED to signal the failure of the coil.

Apparatus for detecting coil failure in an actuating solenoid of an electrical power switch

A subminiature circuit breaker is equipped with an arc fault auxiliary switch actuated by the arc fault trip motor through an indicator actuator that also deploys a pop-up arc fault indicator. An additional auxiliary switch actuated by the drive link on the toggle mechanism provides an indication of the open/closed state of the circuit breaker separable contacts. Both the arc fault auxiliary switch and the contact state auxiliary switch are mounted on the outside of the subminiature circuit breaker housing and are operated by an operating member and a pivoted member, respectively, extending through openings in the housing.

Circuit breaker with auxiliary switches and mechanisms for operating same

A circuit breaker includes a housing; separable contacts mounted in the housing; and an operating mechanism for opening and closing the separable contacts. An overcurrent assembly is responsive to selected conditions of current flowing through the separable contacts and actuates the operating mechanism to trip open the separable contacts. A bonnet forms a U-shape which surrounds the separable contacts and which cools and splits an arc when the operating mechanism trips open the separable contacts. A first bonnet piece forms a first leg of the bonnet, and a second bonnet piece forms a second leg and a base of the bonnet.

Circuit breaker

A tester for in situ testing of a plurality of circuit breakers having a range of rated currents and multiple trip functions, includes a plurality of power resistors of known impedance, an electronic switch associated with each power resistor connecting the resistor in series with the load terminal of the circuit breaker under test, and a controller that turns on a number of the switches selected to collectively draw through the associated power resistors a test current that is a function of the rated current and sufficient to trip the circuit breaker within a selected time window. Turn on of the electronic switches is also controlled to generate a current waveform appropriate for the trip function being tested. In a self test mode, the value of each of the power resistors is verified as being within limits.

Tester for a plurality of circuit breakers having a range of rated currents and multiple trip functions

An indicator reset tool is for a movable arc fault indicator of a circuit breaker. The circuit breaker further includes a housing enclosing separable contacts, an operating mechanism for opening and closing the separable contacts, and an operating handle protruding through an opening in the housing. An actuator actuates the movable indicator arc fault indicator and actuates the operating mechanism to trip the separable contacts open. The indicator reset tool includes a reset member having a first end with an indicator engaging portion structured to depress and reset the movable arc fault indicator. The second end of the reset member includes a handle portion for gripping by a user.

Indicator reset tool, and circuit breaker and method employing the same

The toggle mechanism of a circuit breaker is connected at one end to the pivoted contact arm and at the other end to a pivoted latch lever which is engaged to latch the toggle mechanism by a latch member pivoted for movement in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the toggle mechanism. The latch member serves as an armature for a trip motor energized by a trip circuit responsive to an arc fault and/or a ground fault to unlatch the toggle mechanism and trip the circuit breaker open. The latch member is also tripped by a helical bimetal responsive to persistent overcurrents and coupled to the latch member through an ambient compensator bimetal cantilevered from the latch member. A flexible shunt connected between the helical bimetal and contact arm passes through an extension of the magnetic circuit of the trip motor to generate a magnetic field of sufficient strength to trip the latch member instantaneously in response to a short circuit.

Growing community of inventors

Bradenton, FL, United States of America

Michael F Walz