Circuit breaker with force generating shunt

Claim 1

A circuit breaker comprising: an electrically insulating housing supporting a line conductor and a load conductor; a circuit breaker structure within the housing and between the conductors and comprising first and second separable contacts operable between open and closed positions; a releasable mechanism movable when released to a tripped position to effect automatic opening of the contacts and comprising a trip device for tripping the releasable mechanism when a predetermined current overload effects deflection of the device from a latched position; carrying means carrying the first contact and including a switch arm and a contact arm, the switch arm being pivotally mounted at a first pivot for movement between open and closed positions of the contacts; the contact arm mounting the first contact and being pivotally mounted at a second pivot on the switch arm; the second contact being mounted on one of the line and load conductors; a flexible shunt electrically connected between the other of the line and load conductors and the contact arm on the side of the second pivot opposite the first contact; the flexible shunt comprising turned-back shunt portions spaced to form a loop and between which portions first repulsion magnetic forces occur that exert pressure on the contact arm to hold the contacts in the closed position; and the repulsion magnetic forces of the shunt portions expediting movement of the carrying means about the first pivot to the open position when at least one of the contact arms and the trip device is deflected from a latched position.