Square D Company

Richard Marshall

Stanley H Edwards, Jr

Tony R Robbins

An enclosure is for a solid state overload relay mechanism or other device. The enclosure includes a mounting plate (12) defining a pair of upwardly extending flanges (14). A housing includes a lower housing (18) and an upper housing. The mounting plate flanges (14) are received through slotted openings (22) defined by the lower housing (18) and define openings (26) for engaging a tab member (28) defined by the lower housing (18). Each tab member (28) is received within and engaged with a corresponding opening (26) defined by a flange (14). A constant pressure is maintained between the tab member (28) and the mounting plate flange opening (26) such that the relative position between the two is fixed. Mounting profiles are defined by the mounting plate (12) and extend away from the lower housing (18) for retrofitting an existing device. The upper and lower housings (18,20) are held in a conventional snap-fit manner.

Enclosure for a solid state overload relay mechanism or other device

The present invention defines a convertible electrical contact. The convertible contact comprises two pair of movable contacts attached to an actuator which is supported by and enclosed within a housing. The actuator is biased to a first position and is slidably movable to a second position in response to a force applied to the actuator. The movable contacts are attached to the distal ends of a flexible member which is supported at its approximate midpoint by the actuator. The movable contacts are also movable between a first position and a second position as the actuator is moved. A pair of contact cavities are defined by the housing such that the one contact cavity lies on each side of the actuator and the flexible member and movable contacts are contained within the cavities. The housing defines a first pair of access apertures associated with the first position of the movable contacts and a second pair of access apertures associated with the second position of the movable contacts. A convertible stationary contact module which includes a pair of bussing conductors, each with a stationary contact attached at its end is employed to complete the electrical contact. By selectively placing the bussing conductors and their associated stationary contacts in either the first or second pair of access apertures either a normally closed or a normally open electrical contact can be chosen. The contact module is attached to the outside of the housing by a mounting screw.

Contact block having convertible normally open or normally closed

A solid state overload relay mechanism designed for minimizing the forces required to open an electrical contact associated therewith in the event of a current overload in a protected circuit, and further designed for overcoming residual magnetism in a solenoid initiating the opening of the contact. The contact includes a pair of stationary contacts supported by a base and a pair of movable contact supported by a contact carrier. A latch defines a notch which is normally engaged with a lever. When so engaged, the contact carrier is positioned such that the movable contacts are in contact with the stationary contacts. When the lever becomes disengaged from the latch, the contact carrier is moved and contact between the movable contacts and stationary contacts is broken. The latch is provided with a counterbalance weight to aid in minimizing the force required to return the latch to its original position after the mechanism is tripped. A latch arm extends away from the latch into the path of the lever such that as the lever travels to its extent in an arcuate path, the lever imparts motion on the latch to return it to its initial position, if such has not already occurred. An auxiliary stationary contact pair is supported by an auxiliary stationary contact housing and may be selectively installed in either a normally closed or a normally open position.

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Raleigh, NC, United States of America

Richard Marshall