Circuit breaker with improved flux transfer magnetic actuator

Claim 2

A circuit breaker comprising a pair of contacts, a trip actuator, said trip actuator comprising a frame of magnetic material, said frame having an opening therein, a non-magnetic support pin supported in said frame, a tubular shaped magnetic armature supported for movement on said stationary support pin in proximity to said opening, permanent magnet means supported in said frame and supplying magnetic flux that operates in a first magnetic circuit through said support frame and said armature to maintain said armature in an initial position, spring means biasing said armature toward an actuating position, coil means energizable to affect said magnetic flux to thereby effect release of said armature, and upon release of said armature said spring means moving said armature on said stationary support pin through said opening to a tripping position to effect opening of said contacts.

Claim 3

A circuit breaker according to claim 1, said magnetic frame comprising a magnetic generally U-shaped part and a magnetic base part extending across the legs of said magnetic generally U-shaped part, said first magnetic circuit extending through said permanent magnet means in said generally U-shaped magnetic part, and upon movement of said armature to said tripping position said permanent magnet means supplying magnetic flux that operates in a second magnetic circuit through the leg portions of said generally U-shaped part said magnetic base plate and said armature.

Claim 4

A circuit breaker according to claim 1, said magnetic frame comprising a generally U-shaped magnetic part comprising a pair of opposite legs and a bight portion between said opposite legs, said magnetic frame comprising a magnetic base plate part extending across said opposite legs in proximity to the free ends of said opposite legs, a magnetic pole piece on said support pin between said armature and said bight portion, said opening in said frame being in said magnetic base plate part, said coil being disposed between the legs of said magnetic U-shaped part over said pole piece, said permanent magnet piece comprising a pair of magnet members each of which magnet members is disposed adjacent a different leg of U-shaped part with said magnet members being disposed on opposite sides of said armature, said permanent magnet members supplying magnetic flux that operates in said first magnetic circuit through said opposite legs of said U-shaped part, said bight part, said pole piece means and said armature to maintain said armature in said initial position against the bias of said spring means, upon energization of said coil magnetic flux being transferred to a second magnetic circuit through said permanent magnet members, said opposite of said U-shaped part said magnetic base plate part and said armature whereupon said spring means moves said armature through said opening to said second position to effect opening of said contacts.

Claim 5

A circuit breaker according to claim 1, said circuit breaker comprising an insulating housing having an opening therein, an operating handle extending through said opening and being manually operable to open and close said contacts, upon the occurrence of a tripping operation said operating handle being movable to a reset position to reset said circuit breaker, and upon movement of said handle to said reset position said handle structure operating to move said armature back to said initial position.

Claim 6

A circuit breaker according to claim 4, an intermediate reset member pivotally supported in proximity to said armature, said operating handle upon movement to said reset position pivoting said reset member whereupon said reset member operates against said armature to move said armature to said initial position.

Claim 7

A circuit breaker according to claim 3, said circuit breaker comprising an insulating housing having an opening therein, an operating handle extending through said opening and being manually operable to open and close said contacts, upon the occurrence of a tripping operation said operating handle being movable to a reset position to reset said circuit breaker, and upon movement of said handle to said reset position said handle structure operating to move said armature back to said initial position.

Claim 8

A circuit breaker according to claim 6, an intermediate reset member pivotally supported in proximity to said armature, said operating handle upon movement to said reset position pivoting said reset member whereupon said reset member operates against said armature to move said armature to said initial position.