Eaton Corporation

Richard A Reiner

Robert J Clarey

John E Swedowski

Kurt R Van Wormer

Loy A Hicks

Brendan Arthur Foley

David M Tallman

John J Siebenlist

David L Vogel

An electrical loadcenter of the kind for utilization in a trailer, mobile home or modular home is taught. The loadcenter is of the kind which has the main body thereof recessed into a wall portion and which has a protective cover which electrically and physically protects parties outside of the loadcenter from the electrical devices disposed inside of the loadcenter. A decorative cover is attached to the top of the primary cover for concealing the utilitarian appearance of the loadcenter cover. This decorative cover is typically flat and may either be painted or wallpapered to match the surrounding environment in which it is disposed.

Loadcenter secondary decorative cover

Wire barriers for separating the load wiring from the hot components of an electrical distribution panel board are integrally molded from an elastically deformable resin with a tapered elongated member projecting axially from a base member. Attachments for securing the barriers to the backpan of the panel board include at least two hook members having hook fingers projecting laterally outward in divergent directions. In one embodiment, the hook members are formed in opposite sides of the elongated member and spaced from the base so that as the elongated member is inserted through an opening in the backpan from behind, the fingers grip the backpan and hold the barrier in place until the base is clamped between the backpan and back wall of the panel board as the backpan is installed. In another embodiment of the invention, a pair of opposing facing hook members and a third laterally facing hook member project axially from the base member. The barrier is tilted while the third hook member is inserted in the aperture in the backpan. The pair of oppositely facing hook members are then squeezed together for insertion into the opening while the barrier is rotated upright, so that they also engage the backpan when released.

Wire barrier for electrical panel board

A U-shaped hinge element used to pivotally mount a door to a cover dead front of an enclosure for circuit breaker handles of a load center. The hinge element has spaced-apart wall members, and is characterized by having a projection formed out of the surface of a first wall member which positively engages a back surface of the cover dead front to partially retain the one wall member when the hinge element is initially inserted into the cover dead front and by having laterally opposed, bendable tab means formed out of the surface of a second wall member which are manually bent after the hinge element is inserted into the dead front cover. Converging slots are formed in the second wall member to form the bendable tab means, and the hinge element is made of stainless steel.

Load center door hinge element

A rigid insulating shield has tabs at a lower end inserted in slots in a case and a press-in fastener at an upper end inserted within a hole in a switch base assembly for securing said shield within the case. A handle pullout has a large flange extending over the shield when inserted in the switch base assembly to prevent removal or displacement of the shield while the handle pullout is inserted in an ON position of the switch. The flange is sufficiently large to block direct access to termination means on the switch base assembly when the shield is removed and the handle pullout is inserted in the switch ON position.

Pullout type electric disconnect switch

An interlock between two main circuit breakers comprises a bracket mounted to the interior panel transversely of the panel and a sliding interlock member mounted on a forward portion of the bracket, which portion fits within the unmodified opening of a panelboard cover and fills the space within the opening between the two main circuit breakers. Padlock hasps may be provided on the interlock member to additionally lock either or both main circuit breakers in an OFF condition. Tabs on the bracket overlie forward facing surfaces of the main circuit breakers to block removal of the main circuit breakers while the bracket is installed.

Panelboard having panel-mounted interlock for two main circuit breakers

A plastic panel has a central row of openings, each having a forwardly facing shelf at one end, a plurality of rearwardly directed posts having forwardly facing shoulders, a plurality of projections proximate the respective openings, each projection having a forward facing shoulder a plurality of resilient latches integrally molded in the panel, and lateral sidewalls extending rearwardly well beyond a main body portion of the panel, the sidewalls being parallel to the row of openings. A bus bar selected from two different width bus bars has a plurality of holes to be disposed over the posts and a plurality of branch circuit fingers extending transversely to the bus bar. Attachment of the bus bar to the panel is accomplished by pressing the bus bar over the posts against the latches to depress the latches and subsequently sliding the bus bar toward the row of openings to engage the distal ends of the branch circuit fingers with the shelves, the leading edge of the bus bar with the forwardly facing shoulders of the projections and edges of the holes with the forwardly facing shoulders of the posts, and to release the latches to engage an edge of the bus bar to retain the bus bar in engagement with the aforementioned shoulders and shelves.

Electrical load center interior panel having molded insulating support

A plastic load center box economically provided by duplicate molded end sections joined by an intermediate section of uniform cross-section which is readily provided in selected lengths in either molded or extruded form. End walls receive metal inserts electrically interconnected to provide grounding when attached to grounded conduit, or plastic inserts where the load center application does not require grounded conduit. Molded end sections have formed knockouts and wire clamping tabs. A metal cover for the box is grounded to the metal inserts or to the interconnection. Additional plastic inserts in the end walls provide forwardly open pockets in which cable may be laid, and closing inserts overlying the pockets to grip the cable and retain it in the pockets.

Plastic enclosure box for electrical apparatus

A neutral connector of a standard three-phase, three-wire panelboard is replaced by a specific multiple termination assembly having a limited number of terminations specifically adapted for connection to ground at the panelboard, for grounding the termination assembly to the panelboard enclosure, and for connecting the multiple termination assembly to the power conductor of the system grounded phase which is also connected to one pole of the main circuit breaker, main switch or main lug of the panelboard. Standard AIC rated three-pole circuit breakers or fusible switches are wired to three-phase loads in the branch circuits and connected to the three bus bars of the panelboard to connect the grounded phase to the load through the circuit breaker or switch, and to open all phases when operated.

Three-phase panelboard using standard rated three-pole circuit

A plastic load center box economically provided by duplicate molded end sections joined by an intermediate section of uniform cross-section which is readily provided in selected lengths in either molded or extruded form. End walls receive metal inserts electrically interconnected to provide grounding when attached to grounded conduit, or plastic inserts where the load center application does not require grounded conduit. Molded end sections have formed knockouts and wire clamping tabs.

One end of an internal barrier assembly is attached to a forward side of a cabinet below a door of the cabinet by bolt and nut fasteners threadably assembled together at the exterior of the cabinet to be readily visible to an observer inspecting similar bolt and nut fasteners for the cabinet door, all such fasteners preferably being disposed on a common face of the cabinet. The bolt and nut fasteners have holes therein through which a wire loop of a lead security seal is wound and the integrity of all seals may be visibly observed without opening the door.

Electrical apparatus cabinet having internal barrier seal visible from

A meter center enclosure (4) is divided into a metering section (8) and service disconnect section (10) by a barrier (6,12,14) which is laterally supported along a back wall of the enclosure by brackets (30) cooperatively engaging slots (22) in the barrier. Grooved insulator supports (24) are slidingly received in the slots (22) and are locked in a forward position by the brackets (30). Bus conductors (26,28) extend from the metering section (8) into the service disconnect section (10) through openings in the insulators (24) and are supported by the insulators (24). In one embodiment, insulator (24) provides the sole support (24e) for a service disconnect circuit breaker, and connectors (44) are provided for the bus conductors (26,28) which may selectively receive either plug-in (CBP) or bolt-in (CBB) circuit breakers. In another embodiment, the insulator (52) cooperates with a reversible bracket (58) to support a selected one of two dimensionally different circuit breakers (CB'). The enclosure ( 4) is provided with a large, continuous wire opening (70) covered by a removable panel (64) which has individual wire receiving holes for attachment to the enclosure after the meter center is mounted in place.

Growing community of inventors

Colgate, WI, United States of America

Richard A Reiner