US3711748A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electric plug-on circuit breaker with means for assuring tripping of the breaker before unplugging
Assignee: Schneider Electric USA Inc
•
Filing: 1971-05-07
•
Granted: 1973-01-16
•
Expires: 1991-05-07
Abstract
Abstract A molded case electric circuit breaker has plug-on jaws at the line end arranged to plug onto edge portions of flat bus bars, stacked in spaced face to face relation, upon movement of the circuit breaker line and foremost along a fixed path on a mounting pan to a plugged position, and to disconnect from the bar upon opposite movement of the circuit breaker along said path. The breaker has a push-to-test pin accessible through a hole in its case for movement by an inserted tool to an operating position in which it rocks a trip bar to circuit breaker tripping position. The breaker has a safety device comprising a settable element spring biased so that when released it moves to an operative position wherein it drives the pin to the pin operating position, and an element, arranged in fixed position along said path, which cooperates with the settable element and holds it in an inoperative position only while the jaws and bus bar are in plugged relation, and which releases the settable element so that the element is moved by its spring to the pin operating position prior to unplugging the jaws from the bus bars as the circuit breaker is moved in an unplugging direction from its plugged position, and at all times while the circuit breaker is removed from the pan.
Inventors
- 👤 R Dietz
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 10:44
CPC Classifications
H; H02; H02B; H02B1/00; H02B1/015; H02B1/04; H02B1/056
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
242 words
A circuit breaker and safety trip combination, comprising: a circuit breaker including a casing; complementary contacts; an external operating handle for opening and closing the contacts; contact jaws for connection to, and disconnection from, bus bars, concurrently; means supporting and guiding the circuit breaker for bodily movement along a predetermined path to a jaw connected position and to a jaw disconnected position, respectively; a trip device operative when moved to one position to trip the circuit breaker; a normally inactive push-to-test device movable, by a tool manipulatable from the exterior of the casing, to an active position, and mechanically connected to the trip device to move the trip device to its said one position when the push-to-test device is moved to its said active position; means to restore the push-to-test device to its inactive condition when it is unconstrained; characterized by: a safety trip mechanism mechanically normally drivingly connected to the push-to-test device, and disconnectable therefrom, and operative, when drivingly connected, to move the push-to-test device to, and to hold the push-to-test device in, its said active position, and operative, when disconnected, to release the push-to-test device; and operator means in fixed position along said path and normally drivingly disengaged from said safety trip mechanism, and drivingly engageable with said safety trip mechanism by said bodily movement of the circuit breaker to its said jaw connected position, and operative, when so engaged, to disconnect the safety trip mechanism from the push-to-test device.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
242 words
A circuit breaker and safety trip combination, comprising: a circuit breaker including a casing; complementary contacts; an external operating handle for opening and closing the contacts; contact jaws for connection to, and disconnection from, bus bars, concurrently; means supporting and guiding the circuit breaker for bodily movement along a predetermined path to a jaw connected position and to a jaw disconnected position, respectively; a trip device operative when moved to one position to trip the circuit breaker; a normally inactive push-to-test device movable, by a tool manipulatable from the exterior of the casing, to an active position, and mechanically connected to the trip device to move the trip device to its said one position when the push-to-test device is moved to its said active position; means to restore the push-to-test device to its inactive condition when it is unconstrained; characterized by: a safety trip mechanism mechanically normally drivingly connected to the push-to-test device, and disconnectable therefrom, and operative, when drivingly connected, to move the push-to-test device to, and to hold the push-to-test device in, its said active position, and operative, when disconnected, to release the push-to-test device; and operator means in fixed position along said path and normally drivingly disengaged from said safety trip mechanism, and drivingly engageable with said safety trip mechanism by said bodily movement of the circuit breaker to its said jaw connected position, and operative, when so engaged, to disconnect the safety trip mechanism from the push-to-test device.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
103 words
The structure according to claim 1 wherein the safety trip mechanism includes: a movable means connecting the safety trip mechanism to the push-to-test device; biasing means normally operative for biasing the movable means from an inoperative position to an operative position wherein the movable means operates the push-to-test device to trip the circuit breaker; and said operator means is cooperable with the biasing means to render the biasing means inoperative while the circuit breaker is in its connected position and to release the biasing means so that it can operate as the circuit breaker is moved along said path to said disconnected position.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
101 words
The structure according to claim 2 wherein the push to test device includes a pin which is drivingly connected to a trip bar of the circuit breaker, and which is movable endwise in opposite directions along a given path in one of which directions it moves to a tripping position wherein it trips the trip bar; spring means bias the pin in the opposite direction to an inoperative position; and said biaSing means is a spring which biases the movable means so as to apply to the pin a force in opposition to, and greater than, that of the spring means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
75 words
The structure according to claim 3 wherein the movable means is movable in opposite directions along a path parallel to the path of the pin and has a part movable therewith; and said pin and part have coacting aligned facing shoulders which engage when said part moved in said one of the directions to a predetermined position and then, upon continued movement in said one of said directions, drives the pin to bar tripping position.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
91 words
The structure according to claim 3 including means movable from an inoperative position by effects produced in response to a load current conducted by a circuit through the circuit breaker to an operative position in which it trips the bar; and spring means yieldably holding the last named means in its inoperative position; and wherein said pin is connected to the trip bar by said last mentioned means so that when the pin is moved to its tripping position it operates said last mentioned means thereby to trip the trip bar.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
82 words
The structure according to claim 1 wherein electroresponsive means are provided and are operative in response to predetermined phenomena caused by currents in the circuit break to operate the trip device; said electroresponsive means include a member movable relative to the push-to-test device, by electroresponsive means when the electroresponsive means are operative, to engage and operate the trip device; and said push-to-test device is connected to said member for moving the member to cause it to engage and trip the trip bar.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
134 words
The structure according to claim 1 further characterized in that a plurality of bus bars are mounted on the supporting means in stacked face to face relation to each other with the edges of the bars facing endwise of the path and aligned with the jaws, respectively, for connection thereto upon movement of the circuit breaker to said connected position; complementary guide means respective to the first mentioned guide means are carried by the support; and said safety trip mechanism includes an operator element in fixed position on the support, and a movable element having a portion disposed exteriorly of the casing and cooperable with, and moved by, the operator element as the circuit breaker is moved and guided along its path to effect said rendering of the safety trip mechanism operative and inoperative.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
The structure according to claim 7 wherein said movable element is movable toward and away from said support, and the operator element is a cam.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3110778A
Cited
US3118034A
Cited
US3346777A
Cited
US3440580A
Cited
US3480890A
Cited
US3526861A
Cited
US3588619A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-01-16 | 1976-07-17 | 1977-01-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-01-16 | 1980-07-17 | 1981-01-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-01-16 | 1984-07-17 | 1985-01-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |