Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.

Tomoyuki Sawada

Youichi Aoyama

Akihiko Hirao

Shinji Takayama

Tatsuo Hiroshima

Yukihiro Matsuoka

A circuit breaker includes a compressive turning spring hung between a movable contact arm pivoted at an end to a handle rotatably mounted to a first reference position and a cradle pivotably mounted to a second reference position and disengageably locked to an abnormal current detection and trip mechanism. Under normal operation of the breaker, the turning spring exerts a contact pressure between movable and fixed contacts. Upon detection of an abnormal current, the turning spring is caused to turn so as to open the contacts. With this arrangement, the dispositions of constituent elements and their interlocking assembly can be simplified.

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Kadoma, Japan

Tomoyuki Sawada