The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 04, 1995
Filed:
Jan. 14, 1994
Perry R Gibson, Beaver Falls, PA (US);
Eaton Corporation, Cleveland, OH (US);
Abstract
A circuit breaker includes a housing; separable electrical contacts; an operating mechanism having a handle arm for operation and also having ON, trip, OFF and reset positions; a trip mechanism for tripping the operating mechanism to the trip position in response to a predetermined electrical condition of the separable contacts; and a blocking mechanism for blocking movement of the operating mechanism, beyond the OFF position and toward the reset position, when the operating mechanism is moved from the ON to the OFF position. The circuit breaker may also have a latch mechanism for latching the operating mechanism when it is not in the trip position, a reset mechanism for resetting the latch, and a cradle mechanism which is latched by the latch. The blocking mechanism may be pivotally connected to a knee-pin of the operating mechanism and the cradle may have a cross-pin cooperating with the blocking mechanism. The blocking mechanism may further hold the cradle when the operating mechanism is moved from the ON position to the OFF position and cam off of the cradle when the operating mechanism is moved to the reset position. The blocking mechanism may also have an arcuate surface for holding the cradle and a camming surface for camming off of the cross-pin of the cradle. The circuit breaker may further include a spring mechanism cooperating with the blocking mechanism to permit blocking operation independent of circuit breaker orientation. The spring mechanism may be connected to a second cross-pin of the cradle. The spring mechanism may further engage an arcuate surface of the blocking mechanism.