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:
Jan. 30, 2001
Filed:
Nov. 04, 1997
Gregory Brent Lee, Middletown, OH (US);
Larry Gene Ratliff, Middletown, OH (US);
Square D Company, Palatine, IL (US);
Abstract
An assembly for auotomatically mating a plug terminal attached to the exterior of a circuit breaker with a receptacle terminal attached to the interior of a switchgear cell to provide secondary connections therebetween. The assembly includes a plug having a generally planar body partially defined by a surface and opposing surface. A plug terminal is supported by the opposing surface of the plug. A mounting bracket is slidably affixed to the opposing surface of the plug. The bracket has an aperture to allow the plug terminal to extend therethrough. The bracket is secured in a fixed position to the exterior of the circuit breaker. The position of the plug is automatically adjusted to provide proper alignment between the plug terminal and the receptacle terminal to form an electrical connection between the terminals which can be disengaged. The inventive assembly can also include a receptacle having a generally planar body partially defined by a surface and opposing surface with the above described automatic adjusting with the plug. A method is also provided by the present invention for automatically making secondary connections between a circuit breaker and a switchgear cell by engaging the guide pin of the plug and corresponding surface of the receptacle terminal, automatically sliding the position of the plug terminal relative to the receptacle terminal to provide proper alignment to form an electrical connection between the plug and receptacle terminals which can be disengaged, and mating the guide pin of the plug and corresponding surface of the receptacle terminal in a reversibly affixed connection.