Claims
- 1. An auxiliary switch actuator mechanism for a circuit breaker having a breaker mechanism including a manually operable handle, breaker contact means pivotably movable between open and closed positions, collapsible linkage means coupling the handle and movable contact means, means for triggering the collapse of said linkage upon an overcurrent through said breaker, and an auxiliary switch having a contact means movable between normally-open and normally closed positions, said actuator mechanism comprising:
- actuator means coupled to said auxiliary switch and movable between first and second positions controlling movement of said auxiliary switch contact means between said normally-open and normally-closed positions, respectively, said actuator means having a base plate containing an open fork portion at one end extending outwardly in the longitudinal direction of the base plate and an arm portion extending at an angle to said base plate and obuttingly engageable with said movable breaker contact means when said movable breaker contact means is moved to its closed position; and
- locking means having a central portion pivotably mounted coaxially with said movable breaker contact means, and first and second arm portions extending outwardly from said central portion in different directions, said first arm portion having its distal end portion disposed in said open ended channel of said actuator means and having means for engaging said actuator means when said actuator means is disposed in its second position to lock said actuator means in said second position, and said second arm portion extending into the path of movement of said triggering means when said breaker mechanism is tripped, said second arm portion being pivoted by said triggering means to thereby pivot said first arm portion out of locking engagement with said actuator means.
- 2. An auxiliary switch actuator mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said means for interlocking engagement includes a narrow finger portion adapted for abutting engegement with said internal edge of said actuator means and a shoulder for abutting engagement with the top surface of said actuator means when said actuator means is in said second position.
- 3. An auxiliary switch actuator mechanism according to claim 2 wherein said second arm portion of said actuator means is hook shaped.
- 4. An auxiliary switch actuator mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said actuator means further comprises means for pivotably mounting said base plate to said auxiliary switch in overlying engagement with said auxiliary switch movable contact means.
- 5. An auxiliary switch actuator mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising means for normally biasing said first arm portion of said locking means towards said position of locking engagement with said actuator means.
- 6. An auxiliary switch actuator mechanism according to claim 5, further comprising means for normally biasing said actuator means towards its first position.
- 7. An auxiliary switch actuator mechamism according to claim 6, further comprising means for pivotably mounting said base plate to said auxiliary switch in overlying engagement with said auxiliary switch movable contact means, and means for limiting the extent of pivotal movement of said base plate toward said actuator means first position.
- 8. An auxiliary switch actuator mechanism for a circuit breaker having a breaker mechanism including a manually operable handle, breaker contact means pivotably movable between open and closed positions, collapsible linkage means coupling the handle and movable breaker contact means, means for triggering the collapse of said linkage upon an overcurrent through said breaker, and an auxiliary switch having a contact means movable between normally-open and normally-closed positions, said actuator mechanism comprising:
- actuator means pivotally movable between first and second positions for moving said auxiliary switch contact means between said normally-open and normally-closed positions, respectively, said actuator means comprising a base plate, a locking arm housing having a recess therein including a bottom portion and a raised edge portion, and an arm portion extending at an angle to said base plate and adapted to engage with said movable breaker contact means; and
- a locking member having a central portion pivotably mounted coaxially with said movable breaker contact means, and first and second arm portions extending outwardly from said central portion in different directions, said first arm portion having its distal end portion disposed in said recess and having means for engaging said raised edge portion when said actuator is disposed in its second position, to lock said actuator means in said second position, and said second arm portion extending into the path of movement of said triggering means when said breaker mechanism is tripped, said second arm portion being pivoted by said triggering means to thereby pivot said first arm portion out of locking engagement with said actuator means.
- 9. An auxiliary switch actuator mechanism according to claim 8, wherein said means for engaging said raised edge portion is a narrow finger portion adopted for abutting engagement with said raised edge portion of said recess.
- 10. An auxiliary switch actuator mechanism according to claim 9, wherein said second arm portion of said locking member is hook shaped.
- 11. An auxiliary switch actuator mechanism according to claim 8, wherein said actuator means further comprises means for pivotably mounting said base plate to said breaker casing in overlying engagement with said auxiliary switch contact means.
- 12. An auxiliary switch actuator mechanism according to claim 8, further comprising means for normally biasing said first arm portion of said locking member towards said raised edge portion of said recess.
- 13. An auxiliary switch actuator mechanism according to claim 13, further comprising means for normally biasing said actuator means towards the first arm portion of said locking member.
- 14. An auxiliary switch actuator mechanism according to claim 13, further comprising means for pivotably mounting said base plate in overlying engagement with said auxiliary switch contact means, and means for limiting the extent of pivotal movement of said base plate toward said first arm portion.
- 15. An auxiliary switch actuator mechanism for a circuit breaker mechanism including a manually operable handle, breaker contact means pivotally movable between open and closed positions, collapsible linkage means coupling the handle and movable contact means, means for triggering the collapse of said linkage responsive to an overcurrent through said breaker, and an auxiliary switch having a contact means movable between normally-open and normally-closed positions, said actuator mechanism comprising:
- actuator means pivotally coupled to said auxiliary switch and movable between first and second positions for moving said auxiliary switch contact means between said normally-open and normally-closed positions, respectively, said actuator means comprising a base portion extending substantially perpendicular to its pivot axis;
- an actuator arm portion for transferring the movement of said movable contact means to said actuator means, such that when said movable contact means is moved between its open and closed positions said arm portion causes said auxiliary switch contact means to move between said normally-open and normally-closed positions; and
- locking lever means having a central portion pivotally mounted coaxially with said movable breaker contact means, and first and second locking lever arms extending outwardly from said central portion in different directions, said first locking lever arm including means for locking said actuator means in said second position, and said second locking lever arm extending into the path of movement of said triggering means when said breaker mechanism is tripped, said second locking lever arm being pivoted by said triggering means upon tripping thereof to thereby pivot said first locking lever arm out of locking engagement with said actuator means.
- 16. An auxiliary switch actuator mechanism according to claim 15, wherein said actuator means further includes a slot disposed in said base plate for locking engagement with a distal end of said first locking lever arm.
- 17. An auxiliary switch actuator mechanism according to claim 16, wherein the distal end of said first locking lever arm is formed to comprise a narrow finger portion for fitting within said slot in said actuator means and a shoulder for abutting engagement with the top surface of the base plate portion of said actuator means when said actuator means is in said normally-closed position.
- 18. An auxiliary switch actuator mechanism according to claim 17, wherien the second locking lever arm is generally J-shaped.
- 19. An auxiliary switch actuator mechanism according to claim 15, further comprising means for biasing the first locking lever arm towards said position of locking engagement with said actuator means.
- 20. An auxiliary switch actuator mechanism according to claim 19 further comprising means for normally biasing said actuator means toward said first locking lever arm.
- 21. An auxiliary switch actuator mechanism according to claim 20, further comprising means for pivotally mounting said base plate to said auxiliary switch in overlying engagement with said auxiliary switch movable contact means, and means for limiting the extent of pivotal movement of said base plate toward said first locking lever arm.
- 22. The actuator mechanism according to claim 16, wherein said slot is an open-ended channel.
- 23. The actuator mechanism according to claim 15, wherein said actuator arm portion is in abutting engagement with a planar surface of said movable breaker contact means.
- 24. The actuator mechanism according to claim 23, wherein said actuator arm portion is formed integrally with said base plate portion and extends at an angle to said base plate portion.
- 25. The actuator mechanism of claim 15, wherein said base portion of said actuator means comprises a recess for receiving a distal end of said locking lever means, said recess having a floor portion, a rear wall portion, and a step portion defining a raised edge portion disposed generally at the junction of said floor and rear wall portions.
- 26. The mechanism of claim 25 wherein said first locking lever arm is biased toward the rear wall of said recess.
- 27. The mechanism of claim 25 wherein said actuator means is biased generally toward the distal end of said locking lever means.
- 28. The mechanism of claim 25 wherein the second locking lever arm is generally J-shaped.
- 29. The mechanism of claim 25 wherein said actuator arm portion is adapted for abutting engagement with a generally planar surface of said movable breaker contact means.
- 30. A circuit breaker including an auxiliary switch actuator mechanism for a circuit breaker, comprising:
- a frame;
- a breaker mechanism mounted to said frame, said breaker mechanism comprising: a manually operable handle, breaker contact means pivotably mounted to said frame and movable between open and closed positions, collapsible linkage means coupling the handle and movable contact means;
- sear pin means adapted to control the collapsible linkage, means for tripping said sear pin means to collapse said linkage responsive to an overcurrent through said breaker, and an auxiliary switch having a contact means movable between normally-open and normally-closed positions;
- a movable contact arm mounting one of said breaker contacts;
- an actuator arm biased for rotation about a first pivot axis and adapted to be moved between first, free, and second, locked, positions by said movable contact arm to control said contact means within said auxiliary switch, said actuator arm having a recess formed therein, said recess having a step formed in a wall thereof; and
- a locking lever pivotally mounted for rotation about a second pivot axis, said locking lever having a locking arm extending into said recess formed in said actuator arm and biased against the wall of said recess having said step formed therein, said step together with said locking defining stop means, whereby when said actuator arm is moved to a predetermined position, said stop means locks said actuator into its second locked position.
- 31. The circuit breaker according to claim 30, wherein:
- said locking arm terminates in a squared end portion; and
- said squared end portion abuttingly engages said step within said recess in said actuator arm when said actuator arm is in said second locked position.
- 32. The circuit breaker according to claim 30 further comprising a breaker casing, and wherein said actuator arm is pivotally mounted to the breaker casing.
- 33. The circuit breaker according to claim 30, wherein said locking lever is mounted to said frame.
- 34. The circuit breaker according to claim 30, wherein said actuator arm is in abutting engagement with a planar surface of said breaker contact means.
- 35. The circuit breaker according to claim 30, wherein said actuator arm is biased upwardly such that the upward motion of the actuator arm is limited and controlled by the interaction between the end of said locking arm and the bottom of said recess.
Cross-Reference to Related Application
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 815,310, filed Jan. 2, 1986, which in turn is a continuation, filed under 37 CFR 1.62, of Ser. No. 725,486, filed Apr. 22, 1985, abandoned.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to circuit breakers with auxiliary switch mechanisms. More particularly, the invention relates to auxiliary switch mechanisms which indicate the status of the breaker. Still more particularly, the invention relates to auxiliary switch actuator mechanisms which, once set, operate only during an overcurrent condition to indicate an electrically tripped condition of the breaker, and which remain in their set state during normal manual operation of the circuit breaker.
2. Description of the Related Art
Circuit breakers having auxiliary switch mechanisms are known. The auxiliary switch is usually connected in an alarm circuit with an indicating device (e.g., a light, bell, etc.) to provide a remote indication of the condition of the breaker. Some of the more complex auxiliary circuits provide differing outputs responsive to the three basic breaker conditions: manually OFF, manually ON, and electrically tripped. Other common mechanisms provide an indication only when the breaker has been electrically tripped.
More particularly, in some known breakers, the auxiliary switch indicates whether the breaker is on or off, the latter state being indicated whether the breaker has been manually turned off or electrically tripped. Breakers of this type thus do not discriminate between manual operation and overcurrent conditions, and cannot be used effectively in applications which require an alarm signal to be generated when the breaker is tripped by an overcurrent condition occuring in the circuit.
Other known breakers overcome this problem by providing an auxiliary switch actuator mechanism which discriminates between on, manual off, and overcurrent tripped conditions. However, breakers of this type, one example of which is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,742,402, issued June 26, 1973 to Nicol, require a complicated mechanical operating mechanism having a multitude of parts which must be closely fitted into a small space.
These known breakers had the problem that in order to provide a remote indication which distinguished between normal breaker on and off conditions and the electrically tripped condition and provide signals responsive to each, a complicated mechanism was required. The less complicated mechanisms were capable of distinguishing only between on and off positions of the breaker, whether the off position was attributable to manual operation or an overcurrent condition. These problems were partially overcome by the development of a simpler auxiliary switch actuator mechanism that was capable of distinguishing between manual on/off operation and the overcurrent tripped condition of the breaker. An example of such a mechanism is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,593,232, issued July 13, 1971, to Shibuya et al. However, these predecessor actuator mechanisms also have certain disadvantages. Their designs present manufacturing difficulties, particularly in trying to ensure reliability of operation. These mechanisms do not operate reliably leading to increased manufacturing costs and in some cases to excessive numbers of returns. Furthermore, the commercial embodiment of the Shibuya device is unduly complex and would desirably be made using fewer parts.
The present invention is directed to providing a circuit breaker auxiliary switch actuator mechanism which utilizes a simpler, more positive, and less critically dimensioned mechanism than known devices, which provides a signal which indicates whether the breaker is in normal operation (whether the breaker contacts are open or closed) or has tripped.
The invention comprises an auxiliary switch actuator mechanism for a circuit breaker. The breaker has a frame, and a breaker mechanism mounted to the frame. The breaker mechanism includes a manually operable handle, a breaker contact pivotably mounted to the frame and movable between open and closed positions, a collapsible linkage coupling the handle and movable contact, and a sear pin cooperating with the collapsible linkage to collapse the linkage upon detection of an overcurrent through the breaker. The actuator mechanism includes an auxiliary switch having a movable contact and an actuator member coupled to the auxiliary switch movable between first and second positions for moving the auxiliary switch contact between normally-open and normally-closed positions, respectively.
In one embodiment, the actuator member has a base plate including a bifurcated portion at one end extending outwardly in the longitudinal direction of the base plate and defining an open ended channel. Alternatively, the actuator member has a base member including a locking arm receiving recess. The recess has a stepped bottom surface, including a lower bottom portion and an upper raised portion, having a definite edge. In either case, an arm portion extends upwardly from the base member to abuttingly engage the movable breaker contact when the movable breaker contact is moved to its closed position. In this way, closing of the movable breaker contact also closes the auxiliary switch.
The actuator mechanism also includes a locking member having a central portion pivotably mounted directly to the frame, preferably coaxially with the movable breaker contact. This locking member comprises first and second arms extending outwardly from the central portion. The first arm has its distal end portion disposed in the open ended channel or in the recess in the locking arm housing of the actuator member, and is biased thereagainst. In either case, the distal end of the first arm locks the actuator member when the actuator member is disposed in the closed position, locking the auxiliary switch. The second arm extends into the path of movement of the sear pin when the sear pin is tripped. When tripped, the second arm is pivoted by the sear pin to pivot the first arm out of locking engagement with the actuator member, thus releasing the auxiliary switch upon detection of an overcurrent condition. The sear pin does not contact the second arm when the breaker is manually opened, such that the auxiliary switch is not thereby affected.
US Referenced Citations (2)
Continuations (1)
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Date |
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725486 |
Apr 1985 |
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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815310 |
Jan 1986 |
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Patent Grant
4707674
