Eaton Corporation

Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Eaton Coroporation

Eaton Corporatiion

William Ellsworth Beatty

Lance Gula

Xin Zhou

Richard Paul Malingowski

Kurt A Grunert

Robert William Mueller

Jere L McKee

James Jeffery Benke

James Leo Lagree

Craig Allen Rodgers

Roger William Helms

Javed Abdurrazzaq Mapkar

David Michael Olszewski

Joseph F Changle

Michael Paul Puskar

Glenn R Thomas

Teresa I Hood

Kenneth D Kolberg

H Richard Beck

James P Ellsworth

Kathryn M Palmer

Yu Wei Chou

David Herman Groves

Alaa Abdel-Azim Elmoursi

Roger Eugene Walker

Lawrence J Kapples

An electrical switching apparatus includes a transductor circuit that senses a direct current between at least one input terminal and at least one output terminal and outputs an alternating current proportional to the direct current between the input terminal and the output terminal. The electrical switching apparatus also includes an alternating current electronic trip circuit configured to control pairs of separable contacts to separate based on the alternating current output from the transductor circuit.

Electrical switching apparatus including transductor circuit and alternating current electronic trip circuit

An electrical interface includes a nano-particle layer. The electrical interface also includes a first conductor and a second conductor. The nano-particle layer and the first and second conductors are electrically coupled together.

Electrical interfaces including a nano-particle layer

A crossbar assist mechanism is for a circuit breaker including a housing, a movable contact, a stationary contact, and an operating mechanism. The operating mechanism includes a crossbar, a carrier coupled to the crossbar, and a movable contact arm which is pivotably cooperable with the carrier. The movable contact is disposed on the movable contact arm. The crossbar moves the carrier and the movable contact arm, thereby moving the movable contact into and out of electrical contact with the stationary contact. The crossbar assist mechanism includes an electrically conductive member electrically interconnecting the carrier and the movable contact arm to a load terminal. A spring disposed between the crossbar and the electrically conductive member biases the crossbar from a first position corresponding to the movable contact and the stationary contact being separated, toward a second position corresponding to the movable contact being in electrical contact with the stationary contact.

Crossbar assist mechanism and electrical switching apparatus employing the same

A circuit breaker includes a plurality of poles that are connected with one another in parallel, and additionally includes a mutual connection connecting the poles with one another to isolate the trip units associated with the poles from any imbalance in the current flowing through the poles. Each pole includes a first conductor structured to be connected with a power source, a second conductor structured to be connected with an electrical load, and a pair of separable contacts that disconnectably connect the first conductor with the second conductor. The trip unit of each pole is configured to measure the current flowing through a given point of the second conductor, and the mutual connection connects the second conductors together at a connection point, the connection point of each second conductor being between the separable contacts and the given point.

Multi-pole circuit breaker with parallel current

A circuit interrupter including separable main contacts, an operating mechanism interconnected with the contacts, and a housing in which the contacts and the operating mechanism are disposed. The housing includes a cover positioned on top of a base, the cover including first contact surfaces for contacting and mating with second contact surfaces of the base. The cover also includes a contact region. The operating mechanism includes a support member that is situated within the base and which has an upper surface with a raised region. The raised region is positioned to make contact with and pierce into the contact region before the first contact surfaces fully mate with the second contact surfaces.

Circuit interrupter with improved operating mechanism securement

A molded case circuit breaker has paddles on the trip bar to utilize the arc gases generated during interruption to speed operation of the latchable operating mechanism and to protect the trip mechanism from debris in the arc gases. Alternatively, or in addition, lateral projections can be provided on the crossbar for similar purposes.

Circuit breaker with arc gas engaging paddles on a trip bar and/or crossbar

A circuit breaker includes separable contacts for movement between a closed position and an open position to switch electrical current. An operating mechanism moves the separable contacts between the closed and open positions. A sensor senses the electrical current and outputs a sensed current signal corresponding to the electrical current. A shunt shunts a portion of the electrical current. A trip mechanism employs the sensed current signal to produce a trip signal. A trip actuator trips the operating mechanism to move the separable contacts to the open position. The trip actuator includes a trip solenoid having a coil energized by the trip signal and also includes one or more loops energized by the shunted portion of the electrical current.

Electrical switching apparatus employing twice-energized trip actuator

A switching mechanism interfaces a flexible shaft to a handle of a circuit interrupter which is rotatable in an arcuate path between an on position and an off position. The switching mechanism includes a handle attachment attached to the handle for rotating the handle between the on position and the off position, and a bracket pivotally mounted to the handle attachment and attached to the flexible shaft for movement thereby. The handle attachment may also extend a length of the handle. The switching mechanism may further include a baseplate for securing the flexible shaft thereto and attached to the circuit interrupter. The bracket may have a generally U-shape, two arms pivotally mounted to the handle attachment, and a base which is attached to the flexible shaft. The handle attachment may be generally U-shaped and have a base and two arms which each are pivotally mounted to one of the two arms of the bracket. The two arms of the bracket may be generally oriented at right angles to the two arms of the handle attachment. The flexible shaft may have a linearly movable rod which moves generally tangential to the arcuate path of the handle and in a plane thereof. The handle attachment may have a clamp for clamping the handle attachment to the handle. The base may include a tab for positioning a length of the handle within the handle attachment. Alternatively, the handle attachment may have a base which is screwed to a hole in the handle.

Flexible shaft interface for circuit interrupter

A circuit breaker with improved magnetic trip assembly includes electrical contacts operable between a closed position in which a circuit is completed and an open position in which the circuit is interrupted, a latchable operating mechanism operable to open the electrical contacts when unlatched and a trip bar rotatable from a biased position to a trip position to unlatch the operating mechanism. The circuit breaker further includes a magnetic trip assembly comprising a stationary magnetic structure, a movable armature which is attracted to the stationary magnetic structure by an abnormal current through the conductor to rotate the trip bar to the trip position and a plate means mounted to the movable armature and disposed between the armature and the stationary magnetic structure. The plate means adjusts the amount of abnormal current required to attract the movable armature to the stationary magnetic structure and in turn rotate the trip bar.

Circuit breaker with improved magnetic trip assembly

A molded case circuit breaker is provided with a quick change current transformer assembly. The current transformer is used to sense overcurrent conditions and apply a signal to an electronic trip unit to trip the circuit breaker. The quick change assembly includes an insulated removable plate located adjacent an open cavity in the housing in which the current transformer is located. The current transformer is donut-type disposed about a load-side conductor located in a cavity in the housing rigidly fastened to the circuit breaker frame. In order to replace a current transformer, the insulated backplate is removed. Next the load-side conductor is unfastened and removed from the circuit breaker housing. The current transformer is then removed from the circuit breaker housing. In order to install a new current transformer, the steps are reversed. A force transmitting spacer is disposed adjacent a bight portion of a shunt, connected between a pivotally mounted contact arm and a load-side conductor. The force transmitting spacer transmits magnetic repulsion forces generated between the load-side conductor and the depending leg of the shunt adjacent the load-side conductor to the other depending leg of the shunt. By disposing the force transmitting spacer into the bight portion of the shunt the compression action required between the depending legs of the shunt is eliminated or reduced, thus reducing the blow open time significantly.

CT quick change assembly and force transmitting spacer

A molded case circuit breaker is provided with rubber stop assemblies disposed between the contact assemblies adjacent the outside poles and the cover portion of the housing. The rubber stop assemblies are disposed such that they prevent the contact assemblies from damaging the cover. The stop assemblies include a dual purpose U-shaped bracket having two parallel sets of arms. One set of arms is provided with aligned apertures at the free ends for receiving a pin which defines a pivot point for the crossbar assembly. The other set of arms is also provided with aligned apertures at the free end for receiving a metal pin for carrying a cylindrical shock absorber assembly. The shock absorber assembly is mounted adjacent outside poles above the contact carrier but spaced away from the inside of the cover of the circuit breaker. Thus, when the contact arm is opened, it will stop against the shock absorber and not damage the circuit breaker cover. The center pole is provided with an adjacent shock absorber, mounted between a pair of spaced-apart sideplates, vertically disposed and secured to the frame of the circuit breaker. The center pole shock absorber is spaced away from the operating mechanism to prevent the center pole contact assembly from contacting it.

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Beaver, PA, United States of America

William Ellsworth Beatty