US3851284A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Circuit breaker
Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Co Ltd
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Filing: 1974-04-03
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Granted: 1974-11-26
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Expires: 1994-04-03
Abstract
Abstract A ''''trip'''' indicative circuit breaker having an improved operating mechanism for switching contacts is provided. Respective components of the operating mechanism are all pivoted compactly between two parallel plates, forming a linkage from detected excess-current responsive piece, through engagingdisengaging frame and turning arm engageable at a slidable-pivot end with the frame, to operating plate coupled at rotatable side to intermediate portion of the arm and an external manual handle. The arm is coupled at the other end to carrier member for opening and closing breaker contacts. When the responsive piece is actuated by detected excess-current, the linkage is broken between the frame and the arm to free the carrier member causing the contacts opened and the handle positioned to ''''trip'''' indicative position. The linkage is restored by handle rotation toward OFF position.
Inventors
- 👤 A Yoshino
- 👤 H Imanishi
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 10:05
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01H; H01H73/00; H01H73/36; H01H73/42
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
416 words
An operating mechanism for driving switching mechanism in circuit breaker having trip-indicating means comprising two ground plates connected as spaced with each other and respectively having an arcuate groove opposing one another, an operating plate provided with vertical plates parallel with each other and with two fulcrum means set between said vertical plates, said operating plate being rotatably pivoted between said two ground plates by means of a shaft penetrating through the vertical plates at one end thereof, a turning arm having at one end a shaft fitted movably in said opposing arcuate grooves of the ground plates and at the side part a cam lobe, said turning arm being loosely fitted in the middle part between said two fulcra of the operating plate and contacted in the other with a carrier communicating the operating mechanism with the switching mechanism for driving contacts in the latter so that the side part of the arm will be pressed against one of the fulcra of the operating plate by a returning force of said carrier, a hanging frame rotatably pivoted between said two ground plates so as to engage and restrain said shaft of the turning arm at one end within said arcuate grooves in response to situations of the circuit and a responding piece rotatably pivoted between said two ground plates so as to release the engagement of the shaft of turning arm with the hanging frame upon rotation due to a force transmitted to the responding piece from an electromagnetic device in the switching mechanism actuated when the circuit is in abnormal state, the arrangement being in such that, when the contacts are in ON state, the shaft of the turning arm will be engaged with the hanging frame, the cam lobe of the turning arm will engage the fulcrum of the operating plate and thereby the other end of the turning arm will be pushed toward the ON state of the contacts against the returning force of the carrier, when the contact is in the trip state, the turning arm will be disengaged from the hanging frame and will be stably held in the trip position by the twisting force between the two fulcra of the operating plate and, when the contacts are in OFF state, the shaft of the turning arm will be engaged with the hanging frame, the side of the turning arm will contact the fulcrum of the operating plate and the carrier will remain in the OFF position of the contact.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
416 words
An operating mechanism for driving switching mechanism in circuit breaker having trip-indicating means comprising two ground plates connected as spaced with each other and respectively having an arcuate groove opposing one another, an operating plate provided with vertical plates parallel with each other and with two fulcrum means set between said vertical plates, said operating plate being rotatably pivoted between said two ground plates by means of a shaft penetrating through the vertical plates at one end thereof, a turning arm having at one end a shaft fitted movably in said opposing arcuate grooves of the ground plates and at the side part a cam lobe, said turning arm being loosely fitted in the middle part between said two fulcra of the operating plate and contacted in the other with a carrier communicating the operating mechanism with the switching mechanism for driving contacts in the latter so that the side part of the arm will be pressed against one of the fulcra of the operating plate by a returning force of said carrier, a hanging frame rotatably pivoted between said two ground plates so as to engage and restrain said shaft of the turning arm at one end within said arcuate grooves in response to situations of the circuit and a responding piece rotatably pivoted between said two ground plates so as to release the engagement of the shaft of turning arm with the hanging frame upon rotation due to a force transmitted to the responding piece from an electromagnetic device in the switching mechanism actuated when the circuit is in abnormal state, the arrangement being in such that, when the contacts are in ON state, the shaft of the turning arm will be engaged with the hanging frame, the cam lobe of the turning arm will engage the fulcrum of the operating plate and thereby the other end of the turning arm will be pushed toward the ON state of the contacts against the returning force of the carrier, when the contact is in the trip state, the turning arm will be disengaged from the hanging frame and will be stably held in the trip position by the twisting force between the two fulcra of the operating plate and, when the contacts are in OFF state, the shaft of the turning arm will be engaged with the hanging frame, the side of the turning arm will contact the fulcrum of the operating plate and the carrier will remain in the OFF position of the contact.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
The operating mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said shaft of the operating plate extends at one end out of the ground plate so as to be adapted to pivotally support an operating handle of the circuit breaker.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
124 words
The operating mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said shaft of the operating plate is formed in a U-shape, one leg of said U-shape being the pivot for the operating plate, the other leg of said U-shape sHaft is penetrating through the ground plates and the vertical plates of the operating plate so as to act as one of the two fulcra, and both legs extend out of the ground plate so as to support an operating handle of the circuit breaker in such that the one acting as the pivot shaft for the operating plate will be a pivot shaft for the handle and the other acting as the fulcrum will be a rotation transmitting means between the operating plate and the handle.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
The operating mechanism according to claim 3 wherein said the other leg of the U-shape shaft acting as a fulcrum of the operating plate is provided with a roller mounted therearound at the fulcrum position.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
142 words
The operating mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said force from the electromagnetic device is transmitted to the responding piece with a larger leverage than that of the hanging frame with which the frame engages the shaft of the turning arm for restraining the arm at the one end position in the arcuate grooves of the ground plates, and said engagement of the hanging frame with the turning arm shaft is established at an inclined surface provided in the frame, said inclined surface forming an obtuse angle with respect to moving direction of the turning arm shaft in the grooves, so that said transmitted force to the responding piece is further transmitted to the hanging frame as enlarged by said larger leverage and the restraining of the turning arm shaft is readily released due to the inclined surface of the hanging frame.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3204063A
Cited
US3742401A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-11-25 | 1978-05-27 | 1978-11-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-11-25 | 1982-05-27 | 1982-11-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-11-25 | 1986-05-27 | 1986-11-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |