Eaton Corporation

Eaton Intelligent Power Limited

Paul Richard Rakus

Nathan James Weister

Andrew Lawrence Gottschalk

John Joseph Shea

Erik Russell Bogdon

Douglas Charles Marks

Perry Robert Gibson

Thomas Clements Pendrick

Robert Michael Slepian

James Leo Lagree

Craig Allen Rodgers

David Raymond Rohn

Hongfeng Zhu

Jianhua Chen

William Charles Pollitt

Rong Zheng

Yaoming He

Roger James Briggs

William John Jones

David Michael Olszewski

Glen C Sisson

Yun-Ko N Chien

Jeffrey A Miller

Michael B Schulman

Michael Slepian

Thomas Alan Whitaker

Steven Zhenghong Chen

Mark Alan Juds

Henry Anthony Wehrli, Iii

David A Parks

Ronald Dale Hartzel

Daniel Alan Hosko

Zhi Gao

Yuri C Spitsberg

Edward Anthony Prince

Frankie K Ostrowski

Jason Eric Basta

Doel Jafeth Collazo

Patrick Martinez Garcia

Glen Charles Sisson

Kevin Sippel

James Jeffery Benke

John A Wafer

Neal E Rowe

Joseph J Matsko

Michael Howard Abrahamsen

Francois Jean Marchand

Brian John Schaltenbrand

Hongbin Wang

Kelly Julia McCarthy

Phillip L Ulerich

Logan D Weigle

Aaron Thomas Kozar

Norman J Phillips

James Michael Smeltzer

Ronald W Brand

Stanley Ervin Moore

Raymond Clyde Doran

John E Downs

Keith Lynn Mayhood

Wilbert E Lindsay

Sachin Bhimrao Ahirrao

James R Schachner

Robert Frederick Brooks

Lawrence T Connor

Yibo Chen

Randy P Shvach

Suzanne Marie Stewart

Valerie F Odom

Thomas A Hodges

Michael C Watts

Neil E Rowe

Saudamini Joshi

Ravikumar S

Kunal Teli

Perry R Gibson

Sisson Glen C

Jason E Basta

Doel J Collazo

Kelly J Mccarthy

Roger J Briggs

David M Olszewski

Yuri C Spitzberg

Henry A Wehrli

A diagnostic system for monitoring a mechanical trip mechanism of a circuit interrupter provides advanced diagnostics. The trip mechanism comprises a D-shaft that is actuated by the trip unit, an operating mechanism that is actuated by the D-shaft, and a pole shaft that is actuated by the operating mechanism to physically separate the separable contacts. During every opening operation, the diagnostic system determines how much time elapses between the D-shaft beginning to move to its open position and the pole shaft reaching its open position, in order to detect degradation of the trip mechanism as early as possible. This ensures that suboptimal performance is detected even if the trip mechanism is meeting the minimum requirements for acceptable performance. A user is notified once the performance has degraded to a level that is considered concerning before the trip mechanism fails altogether, saving significant time and resources and preventing more widespread damage.

Circuit breaker with advanced health diagnostics

A smart accessory device is designed to be used with a circuit breaker so as to be able to actuate an operating mechanism of the circuit breaker in order to either open or close the separable contacts of the circuit breaker. The accessory device can be one of a shunt trip, spring release, or under voltage release device. The accessory device continually executes diagnostics to determine whether the power being supplied by an external power source is sufficient to enable the accessory device to actuate the operating mechanism of the associated circuit breaker. If the accessory device determines that the power being supplied by the external source is insufficient, the device triggers an alarm in order to notify a user that the power source is not meeting the power requirements of the device.

Smart circuit interrupter accessories applied power diagnostics

A smart accessory device includes an actuator and is designed to be used to actuate an operating mechanism of a circuit breaker in order to either open or close the separable contacts of the circuit breaker. The accessory can be one of a shunt trip, spring release, or under voltage release device. The actuator includes a solenoid and plunger. The accessory determines the operating condition of the actuator based on how much current flows through the coil when the power source provides power to the accessory device, and continually executes a coil diagnostic to determine the operating condition of the coil while power is being provided to the accessory device. If the accessory fails to trip the circuit breaker when required, the accessory can determine whether the failure was due to either of the solenoid or the plunger.

Smart circuit interrupter accessories internal component diagnostics

A stored energy-type circuit breaker includes a sensor that operates as a full open sensor, and that is used to prevent the circuit breaker from closing in response to either a closing signal or a manual operation. The full open sensor exhibits a first output condition when the moveable contact is in a fully open position and a second output condition when the moveable contact begins to leave the fully open position. An electronic trip unit (ETU) is electrically connected to the sensor and, when in a close break mode, blocks the circuit breaker from closing. The ETU does this by, upon detecting that the sensor is in the second output condition, generating a signal that will cause the breaker's opening spring to return the moveable contact to the fully open position.

Switching device with improved closing prevention

A method of determining if a circuit interrupter operating mechanism has an acceptable trip margin includes determining a model trip margin, providing a circuit interrupter, the circuit interrupter disposed in situ, the circuit interrupter including an operating mechanism, determining a circuit interrupter trip margin by: providing an internal sensor assembly, the internal trip margin sensor assembly structured to record trip margin data, providing a transfer function module, providing a computer structured to execute the transfer function module, executing the transfer function module on the computer, utilizing the trip margin sensor assembly to generate trip margin data, transmitting the trip margin data to the transfer function module, processing the trip margin data to generate a trip margin, and determining if the trip margin is acceptable relative to the model trip margin.

System and method for assessing circuit interrupter operating mechanism reliability, and circuit interrupter

A damping and latching mechanism for a Thomson coil-based actuator used to open and close the separable contacts of circuit interrupters in circuit breakers uses magnetorheological fluid to actively control the damping of opening and closing strokes in a circuit breaker in order to decrease wear and tear on components that can result from contact-based damping mechanisms and to maintain the open and closed states of separable contacts in the circuit breaker.

Magnetorheological fluid damping with variable viscosity for circuit interrupter actuator

Disconnect switches include a housing, a fixed main contact in the housing, a movable main contact in the housing in cooperating alignment with the fixed main contact, a first actuator coupled to the movable main contact, and a second actuator coupled to the housing. The second actuator is configured to apply a motive force to the housing that is in a direction opposing a motive force applied by the first actuator to the movable main contact.

Disconnect switches with combined actuators and related circuit breakers and methods

Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to a first trip unit that is configured to be coupled to a power distribution system arranged in a Zone Selective Interlocking (ZSI) arrangement. The first trip unit includes an Input/Output circuit including a ZSI input terminal and a ZSI output terminal, a heartbeat signaling module configured to transmit a second signal to a second trip unit in a lower-level zone than the first trip unit, responsive to the normal condition, a first monitoring module configured to monitor a first signal received by the first trip from a third trip unit in a higher-level zone, responsive to the normal condition, and a second monitoring module configured to detect the fault condition. Related systems, devices, and methods are also described.

Devices, systems and methods to monitor and report wiring status for zone selective interlocking cables

A method involves a circuit interrupter installation having a circuit interrupter with a plurality of poles and an ETU electrically connected with a neutral current sensor situated in proximity to a neutral conductor. The method includes determining that a plurality of fundamental frequency phase current vectors, when summed, are substantially equal to a fundamental frequency neutral current vector, and/or that a plurality of triplen odd-numbered harmonic phase current vectors, when summed, are substantially equal to a triplen odd-numbered harmonic neutral current vector. Responsive to the determining, the method includes outputting a notification which represents a possibility that a neutral current detection apparatus is mis-wired, and/or employing with the ETU a reverse vector that is an opposite of the fundamental frequency neutral current vector in the ongoing monitoring for an event that would trigger the movement of the circuit interrupter from the ON condition to the OFF or TRIPPED condition.

Circuit interrupter installation and associated method

An operating mechanism for a circuit breaker including an opening, first actuator assembly and a closing, second actuator assembly. The first actuator assembly is structured to operatively engage at least one movable contact and is structured to move the at least one movable contact from a first configuration to a second configuration. The second actuator assembly is structured to operatively engage the at least one movable contact and is structured to move the at least one movable contact from the second configuration to the first configuration. The first actuator assembly and the second actuator assembly are split cooperative actuator assemblies.

Vacuum circuit breaker operating mechanism

An interlock system including an actuatable motor control assembly, a movable access door and an interlock assembly. The actuatable motor control assembly is structured to energize and de-energize a racking assembly motor. The movable access door is structured to move between an open, first position wherein the access door does not block access to a manual racking assembly socket, and, a closed, second position wherein the access door blocks access to the manual racking assembly socket. The interlock assembly is structured to detect the configuration of the separable contact assembly and the position of the access door, and, to actuate the motor control assembly so as to energize the motor only when the separable contact assembly is in an open, first configuration and when the access door is in a closed, second position.

Interlock system for a circuit breaker system

A frame module for a circuit breaker includes a first interface structured to connect to a trip unit, a second interface structured to connect to a frame, and a current rating storage unit structured to store a current rating associated with the frame and to provide the stored current rating to the trip unit when the trip unit is connected to the first interface.

Frame module, circuit breaker including the same and associated method

A hinge assembly includes first and second portions. One of the first and second portions includes first and second receptacles and the other one of the first and second portions includes first and second cylindrical members extending in opposite directions along a hinge axis and a thickened portion having a contoured outer surface disposed adjacent the cylindrical members. The second portion is moveable from: a first state wherein the first and second cylindrical members are disposed in the first and second receptacles such that the second portion is coupled to the first portion and generally free to rotate about the hinge axis through at least a predetermined degree range, and a second state in which the second portion is decoupled from the first portion responsive to the second portion being rotated beyond the predetermined degree range and the contoured outer surface interacting with a portion of the first portion.

Break away door, trip unit and circuit breaker assembly including same

A movable contact assembly for an electrical switching apparatus is provided. The movable contact assembly includes a number of shunts, and, a carriage assembly including two sidewalls and a contact arm assembly. The carriage assembly sidewalls are disposed in a spaced relation. The contact arm assembly includes a plurality of contact arms, a number of isolation members, a number of movable contacts, and an axle. Each contact arm defines an opening. One movable contact is disposed on each contact arm. Each contact arm is rotatably coupled to the axle with the axle extending through the contact arm opening. Each isolation member is disposed adjacent at least one contact arm. Each isolation member is coupled to, and in electrical communication with the adjacent contact arm. The shunts are coupled to, and in electrical communication with, the isolation members. In this configuration, no shunt operatively engages a contact arm.

Electrical switching apparatus and clinch joint assembly therefor

A secondary disconnect assembly is for electrically connecting and disconnecting accessories to an electrical switching apparatus, such as a power circuit breaker. The secondary disconnect assembly includes a terminal block assembly comprising a mounting member, at least one terminal block removably mounted on the mounting member, and at least one accessory plug structured to be removably inserted into the terminal block to be electrically connected to the terminal block. The terminal block and the accessory plug each include a plurality of error-proofing features. The error-proofing features prohibit insertion of the accessory plug into the terminal block unless the accessory plug is correctly disposed in a predetermined orientation.

Electrical switching apparatus and secondary disconnect assembly with error-proofing features therefor

Growing community of inventors

Beaver Falls, PA, United States of America

Paul Richard Rakus