Sensata Technologies, Inc.

Sensata Technologies Massachusetts, Inc.

Stephen J Bryant

Lucien Paul Fontaine

Keith Richard Washburn

William Bentley

William J Bentley, Jr

Anand Krishnamurthy

William John Bentley

Techniques disclosed herein include a conversion technique that converts an aircraft circuit breaker having male auxiliary connectors (micro switch connectors) to an aircraft circuit breaker having female auxiliary connectors, such as those conventionally used on European-made aircraft. Techniques include adding a barrier to a conventional aircraft circuit breaker approved for U.S. markets. This barrier includes female auxiliary connectors integrated with the barrier, as well as a flexible circuit that connects the male connectors with the female connectors such that the female connectors can still receive separate male connectors in the female receptacles. Such a technique converts conventional aircraft circuit breakers into a European-style breaker without requiring a full European rebuild and re-qualification. Embodiments can include single and multiple phase versions, and configurations for use with high and low amperage.

Integrated en-style auxiliary barrier connector

A thermally activated circuit interrupter () has a cantilever mounted, snap acting thermostatic disc () mounting a movable electric contact () that is adapted to move between a contacts engaged position and a tripped, contacts disengaged position. A pivot member () is rotatably mounted above the thermostatic disc and movably mounts a latch () that is biased by spring arm () against the edge of the free end of thermostatic disc () in the contacts engaged position and is moved under the thermostatic disc when the disc moves to the contacts disengaged position. An arm () of the pivot member transfers motion to a trip indicator button () pushing the button to an exposed position upon rotation of the pivot member when the thermostatic disc moves to the tripped configuration and the latch moves under the disc. The trip indicator button also serves as a reset button so that upon cooling of the thermostatic disc to the reset temperature, the button can be depressed transferring motion to the arm () of the pivot member thereby moving the latch from under the disc allowing the disc to move to the contacts engaged configuration.

Thermally activated circuit interrupter

A switchable thermal circuit breaker () has an automatically resettable, current carrying thermostatic disc () cantilever mounted in a housing () and carries a movable contact () into and out of electrical engagement with a stationary contact (). A disc coupling member () is pivotally mounted above the disc and has fingers () to capture opposed sides of the disc so that the disc coupling member pivots concomitantly with movement of the disc. A radially extending blade () of a pivot member is biased by a spring () into engagement with a stop surface () of the disc coupling member when the contacts are in the engaged position and is movable under the stop arm () when the disc moves to the contacts disengaged position to prevent reengagement of the contacts. Also, mounted on an end of the pivot body is a reset lever and indicator flag () that moves to a position indicative of the contacts disengaged position and can be moved, against to the bias of the spring, to a position in which the blade is moved from under the stop arm to allow the disc to move to the contacts engaged position, assuming the disc is at a suitable temperature. According to a feature of the invention, a pushbutton () can be provided to apply a force to the disc coupling member causing it to pivot in a contacts opening direction to manually switch the circuit breaker to the open circuit position.

Thermal circuit breaker

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Coventry, RI, United States of America

Stephen J Bryant