Electromagnetic device for circuit breaker trip assembly unit

Claim 2

A multiphase circuit breaker comprising at least the pair of cooperating contacts for each phase; contact operating means for moving all of said contact pairs between an engaged and disengaged position; latch means cooperating with said operating means for maintaining all of said contact pairs in their engaged positions under normal load conditions; a trip unit including a housing substantially enclosing said unit, an individual current sensing means for each phase, operatively responsive to the current flow through the individual phase circuit, and including means for releasing said latch means responsive to a predetermined fault condition in any individual phase; handle means for operating said contact operating means under normal current conditions in all of said phases; said handle means being movable to ''''off'''' and ''''on'''' positions to respectively cause said contact operating means to open and close said contact pairs, and also being movable to a tripped position, intermediate said ''''on'''' and said ''''off'''' positions, by said contact operating means, when said latch means is released; each of said individual current sensing means also including a thermal trip means, a magnetic trip means having cooperating magnet and armature means, support means for mounting said armature means for movement towards and away from the pole faces of said magnet means, bias means for normally urging said armature means in a first direction away from said pole faces, towards a first position whereat said armature means is spaced from said pole faces, means for energizing said magnet means to attract said armature means and move said armature means in a second direction, towards said pole faces, to a second position responsive to an individual phase fault condition, a combined visual indicia means and manual reset means passing through an opening of said housing, operable by said armature as it moves to its said second position and remaining inactive upon actuation of said thermal trip means, whereby said combined means provides a readily discernible indicator portion for indicating the faulted phase armature means movement to said second position, and a manually actuated reset portion for returning said armature means of the faulted phase to said first position.

Claim 3

A multiphase circuit breaker comprising at least the pair of cooperating contacts for each phase; contact operating means for moving all of said contact pairs between an engaged and disengaged position; latch means cooperating with said operating means for maintaining all of said contact pairs in their engaged position under normal load Conditions; a trip unit including an individual current sensing means for each phase, operatively responsive to the current flow through the individual phase circuit, and including means for releasing said latch means responsive to a predetermined fault condition in any individual phase; said current sensing means including a magnetic trip assembly having cooperating magnet and armature means; support means for mounting said armature means for movement towards and away from the pole faces of said magnet means; bias means for normally urging said armature means in a first direction away from said pole faces, towards a first position whereat said armature means is spaced from said pole faces; means for energizing said magnet means to attract said armature means and move said armature means in a second direction, towards said pole faces, to a second position responsive to an individual phase fault condition; a housing substantially enclosing said trip unit; a combined visual indicia means and manual reset means passing through an opening of said housing; said combined means providing a readily discernible indicator portion for indicating the faulted phase armature means movement to said second position, and a manually actuated reset portion for returning said armature means of the faulted phase to said first position; said combined means further including an adjustment surface for adjusting the initial location of said armature means relative to said magnet means in the absence of magnet energization; said combined means being a rotatable member extending outward of said trip unit housing; said combined means including a plurality of circumferentially spaced positions for establishing a selected one of a similar plurality of initial armature locations; means for displacing said rotatable member in the axial direction responsive to magnet actuation and maintaining said rotatable member in the axially displaced location; said reset portion permitting the axial return of said rotatable member to the nonactuated condition; said axial displacement providing a readily discernible visual indication of fault induced magnet actuation.

Claim 4

A multiphase circuit breaker comprising at least the pair of cooperating contacts for each phase; contact operating means for moving all of said contact pairs between an engaged and disengaged position; latch means cooperating with said operating means for maintaining all of said contact pairs in their engaged position under normal load Conditions; a trip unit including an individual current sensing means for each phase, operatively responsive to the current flow through the individual phase circuit, and including means for releasing said latch means responsive to a predetermined fault condition in any individual phase; said current sensing means including a magnetic trip assembly having cooperating magnet and armature means; support means for mounting said armature means for movement towards and away from the pole faces of said magnet means; bias means for normally urging said armature means in a first direction away from said pole faces, towards a first position whereat said armature means is spaced from said pole faces; means for energizing said magnet means to attract said armature means and move said armature means in a second direction, towards said pole faces, to a second position responsive to an individual phase fault condition; a housing substantially enclosing said trip unit; a combined visual indicia means and manual reset means passing through an opening of said housing; said combined means providing a readily discernible indicator portion for indicating the faulted phase armature means movement to said second position, and a manually actuated reset portion for returning said armature means of the faulted phase to said first position; said combined means further including an adjustment surface for adjusting the initial location of said armature means relative to said magnet means in the absence of magnet energization; said combined means being a rotatable member extending outward of said trip unit housing; said combined means including a plurality of circumferentially spaced positions for establishing a selected one of a similar plurality of initial armature locations; means for displacing said rotatable member in the axial direction responsive to magnet actuation and maintaining said rotatable member in the axially displaced location; said reset portion permitting the axial return of said rotatable member to the nonactuated condition; said axial displacement providing a readily discernible visual indication of fault induced magnet actuation.