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. 10, 2001
Filed:
Aug. 27, 1999
Mark A. Juds, New Berlin, WI (US);
Teresa I. Hood, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Raymond P. Gundy, Indiana, PA (US);
Eaton Corporation, Cleveland, OH (US);
Abstract
A circuit interrupter including a housing, separable main contacts disposed in the housing, and an operating mechanism disposed in the housing and interconnected with the contacts. A trip mechanism is disposed in the housing and has an automatic trip assembly that selectively generates a tripping operation which opens the contacts upon a predetermined current threshold. The automatic trip assembly includes a substantially planar bimetal, an electrical terminal, and a magnetic yoke. The bimetal has a first cutout region and a second cutout region on opposite sides thereof which form a neck portion and define a head portion. The head portion is connected to an end of the terminal. The magnetic yoke has a substantially planar portion and two arm portions. The bimetal is positioned substantially parallel with the planar portion with the neck portion positioned between the arm portions. The first cutout region terminates approximately just below the arm portions, and the second cutout region is longer than the first cutout region and terminates farther below the arm portions. The bimetal also includes rounded inner corners between the neck portion and the head portion.