Circuit breaker with double rate spring
US5910760A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 9, 1998 |
| Grant date | Jun 8, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 9, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01H2009/305
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A circuit breaker includes a housing, an operating mechanism and separable main contacts, and a rotatable crossbar which rotates to open and close the contacts. The crossbar interacts by way of a protrusion thereon with a rotatable, positive off-link. A handle mechanism is disposed in the housing and has a handle protruding from the housing which is normally movable from a closed to open disposition. However, if the operating mechanism has reacted in such a way as to open the separable main contacts but, in fact, they have not opened because, for example, they are welded shut, the protrusion on the crossbar will interact with the positive off-link and prevent the handle mechanism from moving to the opened position thus warning personnel that the contacts have not opened. There is also provided in association with the crossbar a cam which is spring loaded from the bottom against a portion of a cavity in a crossbar which interacts with a movable portion of the movable contact in such a manner as to latch it open when it has independently moved to an opened position relative to the rotatable crossbar. The cam rider reacts in such a way that it seals off or protects the aforementioned …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.