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:
Dec. 01, 1998
Filed:
Dec. 19, 1996
Stephen D Cella, Tucker, GA (US);
Rex McColloch, Snellville, GA (US);
Brian T McCoy, Grayson, GA (US);
Lawrence G Navarre, Lilburn, GA (US);
Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc., Alpharetta, GA (US);
Abstract
A circuit breaker mechanism has a contact arm (56) forming a portion of an interruptable load current path through the circuit breaker and mounted with respect to a pivot (110) for swinging motion to break the current path. A spring-loaded, over-center operating mechanism includes a toggle mechanism having an upper toggle (74) and a lower toggle (122) coupled by a spring pin (128) to form a toggle joint about which the toggles can relatively pivot. The spring pin has a circular groove (128b) at which it operatively connects to the toggle joint, and a circular surface (128a) adjacent the groove is disposed in the path of travel of the contact arm as the contact arm swings to break the current path. A V-shaped notch (56a, 56b) in the contact arm, acts between the toggle joint and the contact arm to locate the toggle joint radially of the contact arm pivot and thereby cause the toggle joint to be displaced by the swinging contact arm along an arc such that a principal component of the contact arm force is directed in a sense that fully, or at least approximately, maximizes the effect of the swinging contact arm force on the toggle mechanism.