Circuit breaker with removable trip unit having improved mounting means for terminal strap and thermal responsive means

Claim 1

AN ELECTRIC CIRCUIT BREAKER COMPRISING; (A) A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR INSULATING CASING, AT LEAST TWO LINE TERMINALS CARRIED BY SAID CASING IN SIDE-BYSIDE RELATION AT ONE END THEREOF, AT LEAST TWO LOAD TERMINALS CARRIED BY SAID INSULATING CASING IN SIDEBY-SIDE RELATION ADJACENT THE OTHER END THEREOF AND SUBSTANTIALLY IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE CORRESPONDING LINE TERMINALS, (B) AT LEAST ONE PAIR OF RELATIVELY MOVABLE CONTACTS WITHIN SAID CASING BETWEEN EACH PAIR OF CORRESPONDING LINE AND LOAD TERMINALS AND DISPOSED AND ARRANGED TO CONTROL ELECTRICAL CONTINUITY THEREBETWEEN, (C) OPERATING MECHANISM WITHIN SAID INSULATING CASING FOR OPERATING SAID RELATIVELY MOVABLE CONTACTS BETWEEN OPEN AND CLOSED CIRCUIT CONDITIONS, SAID OPERATING MECHANISM INCLUDING A MANUALLY ENGAGEABLE HANDLE MEMBER PROJECTING THROUGH AN APERTURE IN SAID INSULATING CASING, AND A MEMBBER RELEASABLE TO CAUSE AUTOMATIC OPENING OF SAID CONTACTS, (D) A SEPARATELY ENCLOSED TRIP UNIT MOUNTED WITHIN SAID INSULATING CASING AND INCLUDING A MEMBER MOVABLE TO CAUSE RELEASE OF SAID RELEASABLE MEMBER, SAID TRIP UNIT COMPRISING A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR INSULATING CASING HAVING PAIRS OF LINE AND LOAD TERMINALS DISPOSED AND ARRANGED TO BE CONNECTED IN SERIES RELATION BETWEEN CORRESPONDING PAIRS OF LINE AND LOAD TERMINALS OF SAID CIRCUIT BREAKER, (E) A PLURALITY OF ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS WITHIN SAID TRIP UNIT, EACH OF SAID CONDUCTORS INTERCONNECTING THE MEMBERS OF A PAIR OF LINE AND LOAD TERMINALS OF SAID TRIP UNIT, EACH OF SAID CONDUCTORS INCLUDING A FIRST PORTION FIXEDLY ATTACHED TO THE BOTTOM WALL OF SAID TRIP UNIT, AND A SECOND GENERALLY U-SHAPED PORTION EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID BOTTOM WALL OF SAID TRIP UNIT, AND (F) A PAIR OF SUPPORTING ABUTMENTS AT EITHER SIDE OF SAID CONDUCTOR ADJACENT SAID U-SHAPED PORTION, A BRIDGING MEMBER SUPPORTED ON SAID ABUTMENTS AND EXTENDING ACROSS SAID CONDUCTOR, A CLEARANCE HOLE IN ONE OF THE LEGS OF SAID U-SHAPED PORTION, A CLEARANCE HOLE IN SAID BRIDGING MEMBER, AND FASTENING MEANS PASSING THROUGH SAID TRIP UNIT CASING AND THROUGH BOTH OF SAID CLEARANCE HOLES AND INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OTHER OF SAID LEG PORTIONS, WHEREBY TO COMPRESS SAID OTHER LEG PORTION OF SAID U-SHAPED PORTION AGAINST SAID BRIDGING MEMBER AND INTO FIXEDLY MOUNTED RELATION WITH SAID TRIP UNIT CASING.