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:
Nov. 05, 2002
Filed:
Oct. 11, 2000
R. Prem Anand, Chennai, IN;
Tumkur K. Shachidevi, Bangalore, IN;
Ganesh C. Shankar, Tiruttani, IN;
Patrick Letient, Saint-Quentin, FR;
K. V. Sridhar, Bangalore, IN;
Janakiraman Narayanan, Hosure, IN;
Mahesh J. Rane, Bangalore, IN;
General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US);
Abstract
In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a locking mechanism comprising a blocking member sized to fit within the elongated slot through which a circuit breaker handle extends is disclosed. The blocking member may be seated adjacent the circuit breaker handle within the elongated slot and may snap or otherwise be locked into place to prevent the circuit breaker handle from moving within the slot. Thus, if the blocking member is placed within the elongated slot when the circuit breaker handle is in an OFF position, then the circuit breaker handle will be locked in the OFF position. The blocking member can be converted for locking the circuit breaker handle in an ON position. Then, when the blocking member is placed within the elongated slot when the circuit breaker handle is in an ON position, then the circuit breaker handle will be locked in the ON position. Once the blocking member is made for use in locking the circuit breaker in an ON condition, it cannot be converted back for use as a blocking member for locking the circuit breaker handle in an OFF position.