Eaton Corporation

Robert A Kihn

Peter K Moldovan

Mark Allan Juds

Peter J Theisen

Earl T Piber

Richard G Smith

James R Jaeschke

Robert J Clarey

William E Grass

Herbert R Streich

A remote control residential and commercial lighting and appliance branch circuit breaker provides both overload current protection and load management. Structure is provided enabling packaging in a three-quarter inch width case, including a first set of contacts in the case provided by a pair of separable overload breaker contacts, trip structure in the case for causing separation of the overload breaker contacts in response to overload currents therethrough, a second set of contacts in the case provided by a pair of switching relay contacts having open and closed conditions and electrically connected in series with the overload breaker contacts, and an actuator in the case energizable to mechanically actuate the switching relay contacts. Feedback circuitry is included providing status indication of the condition of the switching relay contacts. Structure is provided for reducing actuator and spring requirements and sizes.

Remote control residential circuit breaker

Direct current switching apparatus having two arc extinguishing chambers located in a common transverse plane, one chamber being divided into separate laterally spaced portions disposed below the other chamber, a pair of spaced conductors each having a contact element and an arc runner extending from near the contact, the arc runners being curved and disposed in a convex mirror-imate relationship to each other between the laterally spaced portions, distal ends of each arc runners providing a divergent path into the other chamber, a conductor disposed at outboard sides of the laterally spaced arc chamber portions cooperating with concave sides of the arc runners to provide divergent paths into the spaced arc chamber portions, power supply terminals connected to the respective spaced conductors, magnetic plates disposed in front and in back of the arc chambers having portions providing a magnetic path externally around the chambers, permanent magnets magnetically coupled to at least one of the magnetic plates providing a magnetic field in the plates and across the arc chambers in a forward direction, a movable contact movable normal to the forward direction into and out of bridging engagement with the stationary contact elements, and an electromagnetic drive motor disposed coextensive with the arc extinguishing chambers, coupled at a lower end to the movable contact. Arcs established between the stationary and movable contact elements are moved from the contacts into either arc extinguishing chamber by the magnetic field coacting with current in the arc to generate forces which move the arc.

Bi-directional direct current switching apparatus having arc

Direct current switching apparatus having front and rear arc extinguishing chambers substantially coextensive, the rear chamber being separated into two laterally spaced arc extinguishing chambers, each arc extinguishing chamber comprising rows of non-magnetic parallel splitter plates, a pair of spaced conductors each having a stationary contact element spanning both the front and rear arc extinguishing chambers, power supply terminals connected to the respective spaced conductors, magnetic plates disposed in front of the front chamber and in back of the back chamber having magnetic means providing a magnetic path externally around the chambers, permanent magnets magnetically coupled to at least one of the magnetic plates providing a magnetic field across the respective chambers, a movable contact movable normal to a front to rear direction into and out of bridging engagement with the stationary contacts, and an electromagnetic drive motor disposed coextensive with said arc extinguishing chambers coupled at a lower end to the movable contact. Bifurcated arc runners of the conductors lead from the stationary contact elements into respective front and rear chambers, and a conductor surrounds the laterally spaced arc extinguishing chambers to cooperate with the respective arc runners therein. Arcs established between the stationary and movable contact elements are moved from the contacts into either the front or rear chambers by the magneteic field according to polarity of the power applied to the respective terminals. The electromagnetic motor is readily and inexpensively manufacatured and assembled by utilizing molded housing parts to position and retain elements of the motor. The apparatus is particularly well suited for high voltage, high current applications requiring lightweight, compact apparatus.

Bi-directional direct current switching apparatus having bifurcated arc

Growing community of inventors

Menomonee Falls, WI, United States of America

Robert A Kihn