Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Siemens Industry, Inc.

Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc.

Stephen Scott Thomas

Esteban Sandoval Camacho

Jorg Sizemore

Jan Rojko

Xinhua Chen

Robert P Lawson

Andrew Hall

William McCoy

Ralph Leon Newton

A short circuit indicating alarm module (SCIAM). The SCIAM includes a housing, a latch pivotally mounted relative the housing, the latch including a latching member configured to be contacted by a catch of a trip bar, and a plunger translatable relative to the housing and configured, upon depressing, to contact and trip the trip bar. Modular assemblies of a circuit breaker, trip indicating assemblies, and methods of testing short circuit indicating alarm modules are provided, as are other aspects.

Circuit breaker alarm module accessible for manual testing

An off-stop mechanism for a circuit breaker. Off-stop mechanism includes a handle moveable to an OFF configuration, the handle including a blocking engagement portion, a blocking member pivotally coupled at a pivot location, a linkage coupled between a cross bar housing and a linkage attachment location of the blocking member, the linkage being configured to: position the blocking member in an unblocked orientation when the main contacts are not fused together, and in a blocked orientation when the main contacts are fused together, wherein blocking member in the blocked orientation engages the blocking engagement portion as the operating handle is moved to the OFF configuration wherein the engagement places the blocking member in compression between the pivot location and the blocking contact portion. Circuit breakers including the off-stop mechanism and methods of operating a circuit breaker are also provided, as are other aspects.

Linkage-based off-stop apparatus and methods for circuit breakers

A heater-bimetal apparatus is disclosed. The heater-bimetal apparatus has a heating element having a first portion and a second portion, a bimetal element coupled to the heating element at a third portion between the first and second portions, and a support member coupled to the heating element at the third portion, the support member including registration surfaces adapted to be received in pockets formed in spaced portions of circuit breaker housing. Assemblies including the heater-bimetal apparatus and methods of assembly of heater-bimetal assemblies are provided, as are other aspects.

Circuit breaker heater-bimetal assembly, heater-bimetal apparatus, and assembly methods thereof

A circuit breaker including a trip unit having an internal support and a friction adjustment control system for knob control is provided. The internal support includes a first opening to receive a first rotary knob having one or more first smooth rings and a second opening to receive a second rotary knob having one or more second smooth rings. The trip unit includes a first knob control of the first rotary knob. The first knob control includes a first structural support, a first housing and a first spring installed in the first housing against the first structural support. The trip unit further includes a second knob control of the second rotary knob. The second knob control includes a second structural support, a second housing and a second spring installed in the second housing against the second structural support.

Systems and methods for rotary knob friction adjustment control

A circuit breaker having a positive-off stop feature includes an operating lever rotatably coupled to a side frame, a tension lever coupled to the side frame, and an upper toggle linkage and a stop link each rotatably coupled to the tension lever. The upper toggle linkage may be configured to rotate the stop link. The operating lever may be configured to move rotatably to and from an ON position and an OFF position provided the main contacts of the circuit breaker are not welded or otherwise stuck together. Should the main contacts become welded or otherwise stuck together, the upper toggle linkage may be configured to rotate the stop link to a position wherein the stop link may be configured to prevent the operating lever from moving into the OFF position. Methods of assembling a circuit breaker positive-off stop feature are also provided, as are other aspects.

Apparatus and methods for a circuit breaker positive-off stop feature

A device is provided for use with a circuit breaker that includes a magnetic trip bar adapted to move from a non-tripped position to a tripped position in response to a short-circuit condition, and move from the tripped position to the non-tripped position to reset the circuit breaker. The device includes a slider that has a first position and a second position, and a latch coupled to the magnetic trip bar and the slider. As the magnetic trip bar moves from the non-tripped position to the tripped position, the latch is adapted to move the slider from the first position to the second position to indicate that a short circuit trip has occurred. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Short circuit indicating devices and methods for circuit breakers

A magnetic trip device of a thermal magnetic circuit breaker and a thermal magnetic circuit breaker including such a magnetic trip device, and also a method for adjusting a magnetic field area of a magnetic trip device of a thermal magnetic circuit breaker, are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the magnetic trip device includes at least an armature locator moveable arranged at a pin in order to adjust a magnetic field area, and an armature element fixed on a lower surface of the armature locator in order to interact with a yoke, arranged near a current conductive element for conducting electric energy. The armature locator includes an adjustment element arranged between a spring element and the yoke. The spring element surrounding at least a part of the pin is arranged between the armature element and the yoke.

Magnetic trip device of a thermal magnetic circuit breaker having an adjustment element

A magnetic trip device of a thermal magnetic circuit breaker, a thermal magnetic circuit breaker that includes such a magnetic trip device, and a method for adjusting a magnetic field area of a magnetic trip device of a thermal magnetic circuit breaker, are disclosed. In an embodiment, the magnetic trip device includes at least an armature locator moveable arranged on a pin in order to adjust a magnetic field area, and an armature element fixed on a lower surface of the armature locator in order to interact with a yoke. The armature locator includes a stabilizer element in order to increase a contact area between the pin and the armature locator and/or a recess in order to receive at least an upper end of a spring element in order to space the armature element and the yoke from each other at least partially.

Magnetic trip device of a thermal magnetic circuit breaker having a stabilizer element

A thermal-magnetic trip unit is provided for a circuit breaker. The thermal-magnetic trip unit includes a heater and a translational magnetic system coupled to the heater. The heater includes a first portion, a second portion, and a third disposed between the first portion and the second portion. The first portion has a first surface disposed in a first plane, and the second portion has a second surface disposed in a second plane that is substantially parallel to the first plane. The first surface is separated by a first predetermined distance from the second surface. The third portion has a third surface disposed in a third plane that is substantially perpendicular to the first plane. The third surface has a first predetermined length and is separated by a second predetermined distance from the second surface. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Circuit breaker heaters and translational magnetic systems

Methods, apparatus, and systems are provided for calibrating a thermomagnetic trip unit in a circuit breaker base assembly. An apparatus for calibrating a trip unit includes a calibration nut, an extended armature guide pin having a threaded portion, a spring disposed on the calibration nut and coiled around the extended armature guide pin, and an armature disposed on the spring and adapted to be held by an electromagnet. The calibration nut is threaded on the threaded portion of the extended armature guide pin and adapted to translate up or down depending on rotation of the extended armature guide pin to compress or decompress the spring against the armature. The extended armature guide pin includes a slotted end that is accessible when the apparatus is installed in the circuit breaker base assembly. The calibration nut is also accessible when the apparatus is installed in the circuit breaker base assembly.

Methods and apparatus for calibrating a thermomagnetic trip unit of a circuit breaker

A trip unit is provided for a circuit breaker that includes electrical contacts, a trip mechanism, a bimetallic strip, and an armature. The trip unit includes a first trip bar coupled to the trip mechanism and disposed about a pivot point, and a second trip bar coupled to the first trip bar and disposed about the pivot point. In a first operating condition, the first trip bar rotates about the pivot point substantially independently of the second trip bar, and activates the trip mechanism to open the electrical contacts. In a second operating condition, the second trip bar rotates about the pivot point, causing the first trip bar to rotate about the pivot point and activate the trip mechanism to open the electrical contacts. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Circuit breaker thermal-magnetic trip units and methods

An apparatus for operating a circuit breaker. The circuit breaker includes a housing, a cradle mounted in the housing and coupled to a handle and to a movable contact. The apparatus comprises a latch frame mounted in the circuit breaker housing. A latch roller is mounted on the cradle. A latch member is configured to selectively engage the latch roller and the latch member is rotatably coupled to the latch frame. A latch shaft assembly is rotatably mounted in the latch frame and selectively engaged by the latch member. Upon rotation of the latch shaft assembly, the latch shaft assembly will disengage from the latch member and cause the movable contact to move.

Growing community of inventors

Atlanta, GA, United States of America

Stephen Scott Thomas