Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6262880
-
Patent Number
6,262,880
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Date Filed
Wednesday, April 5, 200024 years ago
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Date Issued
Tuesday, July 17, 200122 years ago
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Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
- Picard; Leo P.
- Chervinsky; Boris L.
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 361 627
- 361 622
- 361 628
- 361 631
- 361 641
- 361 643
- 248 49
- 174 60
- 439 64
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International Classifications
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Abstract
A circuit breaker mounting assembly comprises an enclosure for holding at least one circuit breaker, with the circuit breaker being mounted within said enclosure; a terminal block mounted within the enclosure at a location remote from the circuit breaker, the terminal block including a plurality of input connections and a plurality of output connections; a plurality of control wires extending from the circuit breaker to the terminal block; and a mounting bracket for positioning the terminal block in a first position within the enclosure and for permitting the terminal block to be moved to a second location outside of the enclosure.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO A RELATED PATENT APPLICATION
A commonly assigned United States patent application titled “Circuit Breaker Mounting Assembly With Remote Terminal Block” filed on the same date as this application discloses a circuit breaker mounting assembly having an remote terminal block for connection to the auxiliary wiring of circuit breakers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to circuit breaker mounting assemblies, and more particularly to such mounting assemblies having an auxiliary terminal block for connection to the auxiliary wiring of a circuit breaker.
Circuit breakers are generally used to protect electrical circuitry from damage due to an overcurrent condition, such as an overload fault or a relatively high level short circuit condition. Molded case circuit breakers, for example, include at least one pair of separable contacts which may be operated either manually by way of a handle disposed on the outside of the case or automatically in response to an overcurrent condition. In the automatic mode of operation, an electronic trip unit, for example, controls an operating mechanism that opens the separable contacts. In the manual mode of operation, the handle cooperates with the operating mechanism in order to open the separable contacts. Circuit breakers have at least one line terminal for connection to a power source and at least one load terminal for connection to a load, such as a motor. The separable contacts of the circuit breakers are internally connected to the line and load terminals. Circuit breakers may also have one or more auxiliary terminals. Such auxiliary terminals may be utilized as inputs to provide an external signal for tripping the circuit breaker. Furthermore, other such auxiliary terminals may be utilized as outputs to externally indicate the trip status of the circuit breaker. Input auxiliary terminals may include, for example, connections to a shunt trip mechanism or an undervoltage trip relay which trips the circuit breaker whenever the line voltage falls below a predetermined value.
An external auxiliary terminal block can be utilized to provide terminals for connection of the circuit breaker with such external trip mechanisms. Output auxiliary terminals may include, for example, connections to a bell alarm and other external circuits for enunciating or monitoring the open/closed/tripped status of the circuit breaker. An external auxiliary terminal block can also be utilized to provide terminals for interconnection of two circuit breaker status relay contacts having a common reference node with such external status monitoring circuits. Combinations of input and output auxiliary terminals may be provided by auxiliary terminal blocks having plural (e.g., six, nine, etc.) terminals. Circuit breakers having auxiliary terminal blocks are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,483,213 and 5,652,698.
When circuit breakers are mounted in cabinets or panelboards, the auxiliary terminal blocks shown in the above patents may not be readily accessible. There is a need, therefore, for a circuit breaker assembly having an auxiliary terminal block that improves the accessibility for connection to the internal wiring of the circuit breaker.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This and other needs are satisfied by the invention that is directed to a circuit breaker mounting assembly comprising an enclosure for holding at least one circuit breaker, with the circuit breaker being mounted within said enclosure; a terminal block mounted within the enclosure at a location remote from the circuit breaker, the terminal block including a plurality of input connections and a plurality of output connections; a plurality of control wires extending from the circuit breaker to the terminal block; and a mounting bracket for positioning the terminal block in a first position within the enclosure and for permitting the terminal block to be moved to a second location outside of the enclosure.
In the preferred embodiment, the first position is in a gutter area of the enclosure that houses electrical power conductors. Movement of the terminal block out of the gutter area permits easy access to the terminal block connection points and to the power conductors in the gutter area.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A full understanding of the invention can be gained from the following description of the preferred embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1
is an isometric view of a circuit breaker mounting assembly having an auxiliary terminal block in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 2
is an isometric view of a circuit breaker that may by used in the assembly of
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 3
is a top view of the terminal block of
FIG. 3
with the cover shown in phantom lines;
FIG. 4
is an exploded isometric view of a terminal block used in the assembly of
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 5
is an isometric view of the terminal block of
FIG. 3
;
FIG. 6
is an isometric view of the terminal block of
FIG. 3
with the cover shown in phantom lines;
FIG. 7
is another isometric view of the terminal block of
FIG. 3
with the cover shown in phantom lines;
FIG. 8
is an isometric view of the terminal block of
FIG. 3
attached to a hinged mounting bracket;
FIG. 9
is an isometric view of the hinged mounting bracket shown in
FIG. 8
; and
FIG. 10
is an end view of the terminal block mounted on the enclosure.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to the drawings,
FIG. 1
is an isometric view of a circuit breaker mounting assembly having an auxiliary terminal block in accordance with the invention. The circuit breaker mounting assembly
10
includes an enclosure
12
, also referred to as a cabinet, that is capable of housing various electrical devices. The cabinet is constructed in accordance with the prior art, and in the illustrated embodiment includes a pair of doors
14
and
16
covering channels, also referred to as gutters, on either end of the cabinet. A plurality of front panels
18
,
20
,
22
,
24
,
26
and
28
extend between the channels. The panels include openings for exposing the faces of various electrical components that arc mounted in the cabinet. In this sample embodiment, five circuit breakers
30
,
32
,
34
,
36
and
38
are shown to be mounted in the cabinet. A pair of terminal block assemblies
40
and
42
are shown to be mounted such that they extend into channel
44
. The terminal block assemblies provide connection points for control circuitry in the circuit breakers as described below. While only two terminal block assemblies are shown in
FIG. 1
, it should be understood at more or less terminal blocks may be used in accordance with the invention.
FIG. 2
is an isometric view of a circuit breaker
46
that may by used in the assembly of FIG.
1
. The circuit breaker
46
includes a molded cover
48
and a molded base
50
. A plurality of control wires
52
emerge form an opening in the base and are contained within an insulting sleeve
54
. The control wires are used in accordance with the prior art to monitor various parameters associated with the circuit breaker and to control the operation of the breaker. The individual control wires are coated with an insulating layer, but the voltage rating of the control wires is less than that required for exposed wire within the cabinet. Therefore, the control wires are contained within an outer sleeve
54
of insulation having a higher voltage rating. The control wires, within the sleeve pass within the cabinet to one of the remote terminal blocks, for example terminal block
40
. In the preferred embodiment, the outer sleeve insulation is rated at 600 volts, while the insulation of the individual wires within the sleeve is rated at less than 600 volts.
FIG. 3
is a top view of the terminal block
40
with the cover shown in phantom lines. The terminal block
40
includes a terminal strip
56
having two offset rows
58
and
60
of connection points as generally indicated by item numbers
62
and
64
. Control wires
52
are shown to be connected to connection points
62
in row
58
. Insulating sleeve
54
passes through a grommet
66
in an opening in a plate
68
that forms a portion of an enclosure that houses row
58
of connection points of the terminal strip
56
. In the illustrated embodiment, additional control wires
70
are also connected to connection points
62
. These additional control wires are contained within insulating sleeve
72
that passes through another grommet
74
in another opening in plate
68
. These additional control wires can be connected the same circuit breaker as control wires
52
, or they can be connected to another circuit breaker or other device.
FIG. 4
is an exploded isometric view of a terminal block used in the assembly of FIG.
1
. In this figure, terminal strip
56
is shown to comprise two separable components
76
and
78
that contain the rows of terminals
62
and
64
. A mounting bracket
80
is used to mount the terminal strip
56
to plate
68
. A cover
82
having an opening
84
is attached to plate
68
by posts
86
and
88
, and bolts
90
and
92
to form an enclosure that houses connection points
62
. When the terminal block is assembled, connection points
64
extend through the opening
84
in the cover
82
such that connections can be made to connection points
64
without removing cover
82
.
FIG. 5
is an isometric view of the terminal block of FIG.
3
. This figure shows the terminal block with the cover
82
attached to the plate
68
so as to from an enclosure
94
that houses the lower row of connection points
62
.
FIG. 6
is an isometric view of the terminal block of
FIG. 3
with the cover shown in phantom lines.
FIG. 7
is another isometric view of the terminal block of
FIG. 3
with the cover shown in phantom lines.
FIG. 8
is an isometric view of the terminal block of
FIG. 3
attached to a hinged mounting bracket
96
. The hinged mounting bracket includes a hinge member
98
having a pair of flanges
100
and
102
that pivot about pin
104
. A plate
106
is connected to flange
100
and extends generally perpendicularly therefrom. The plate includes an elongated opening
108
that permits an adjustment in the vertical direction when the terminal block is mounted in the cabinet of
FIG. 1. A
pair of projections
110
and
112
, shown in
FIG. 9
, extend from flange
102
for connection to the Terminal block.
FIG. 9
is an isometric view of the hinged mounting bracket shown in FIG.
8
. Holes
114
and
116
are provided for receiving bolts
90
and
92
to couple the terminal block to the hinged mounting bracket. The distance between the holes and the pin
104
is large enough such that when flange
106
is attached to and internal surface of the cabinet of
FIG. 1
, the terminal block can swing out of the gutter area and in front of one of the cabinet panels. This provides improved access to the gutter area, as well as improved access to the connection points in the terminal block.
FIG. 10
shows how the terminal block can be mounted to the enclosure using one or more bolts
118
passing through the elongated slot in plate
106
, and can move from a first position
120
within the gutter portion of the enclosure to a second position
122
outside of the enclosure. To be able to move the terminal block as shown in
FIG. 10
, the control wires, not shown in this view, that would be connected to the terminal block will have to have sufficient slack or flexibility to permit movement of the hinged mounting bracket.
This invention permits easy access to terminal block connection points as well as improved access to line terminal connections on the circuit breakers, which require occasional tightening checks. While specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternatives to those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure. For example, while the preferred embodiment of the invention utilizes circuit breakers, it should be understood that the present invention is applicable to a wide variety of electrical devices which are considered to be equivalent where such devices are connected to the terminal block by auxiliary or control wires. Accordingly, the particular arrangements disclosed are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention which is to be given the full breadth of the appended claims and any and all equivalents thereof.
Claims
- 1. A circuit breaker mounting assembly comprising:an enclosure for holding at least one circuit breaker; said circuit breaker being mounted within said enclosure; a terminal block mounted within said enclosure at a location remote from said circuit breaker, said terminal block including a plurality of input connections and a plurality of output connections; a plurality of control wires extending from said circuit breaker to said terminal block; and a mounting bracket for positioning said terminal block in a first position within said enclosure and for permitting said terminal block to be moved to a second location outside of said enclosure, the mounting bracket including a first flange, a second flange, a hinge coupling the first flange to the second flange, a plate connected to the first flange at a location spaced from an edge of the first flange and extending generally perpendicularly therefrom, the plate defining an opening for attachment to the enclosure.
- 2. A circuit breaker mounting assembly according to claim 1, wherein the opening comprises an elongated opening.
- 3. A circuit breaker mounting assembly according to claim 1, wherein said enclosure includes a gutter area and said first position is in the gutter area of said enclosure.
- 4. A circuit breaker mounting assembly according to claim 1, wherein a portion of said control wires between said circuit breaker and said terminal block is surrounded by an insulating tube.
- 5. A circuit breaker mounting assembly according to claim 4, wherein:said control wires include insulation having a voltage rating less than required for exposed wiring in the enclosure; and said insulating tube has a voltage rating higher that the voltage rating of the control wires.
- 6. A circuit breaker mounting assembly according to claim 1, wherein the terminal block includes two offset rows of connection points and the circuit breaker mounting assembly further comprises:a second enclosure housing a first one of the rows of connection points and having an opening through which a portion of the terminal block extends to expose a second one of the rows of connection points.
- 7. A circuit breaker mounting assembly according to claim 1, wherein:the plate is fastened to an interior surface of the enclosure and a portion of the first flange is positioned adjacent to a portion of a wall of the enclosure.
US Referenced Citations (7)