Patent · US Expired

Bi-metal trip unit for a molded case circuit breaker

US6181226A · kind A · utility

8Cited by
7References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 5, 1999
Grant dateJan 30, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 5, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01H2071/168
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A molded case circuit breaker and includes a molded case (12) having a main cover (20), a first terminal (16) and a second terminal (16) mounted inside the case (12) with a stationary contact (44) electrically coupled to the first terminal (18) and a movable contact (42) electrically coupled to the second terminal (16). The movable contact (42) is coupled to an operating mechanism (40) which has a pivoting member (13) moveable between an ON position, an OFF position and a TRIPPED position. An intermediate latching mechanism (52) also is mounted in the housing (12) and is coupled to the operating mechanism (40). The intermediate latching mechanism (52) is selectively operated by a trip unit (60) which comprises a magnetic short circuit release and a thermal overload release. The trip unit (60) can be reconfigured by the addition of an inner yoke (67) nested between the flanges (71) of an outer yoke (66) and a second magnetic shield (70) can be attached to the outer yoke (66) to change the sensitivity of the trip unit (60) to the currents experienced by the circuit breaker. A particular embodiment of the circuit breaker (10) includes an interchangeable bi-metal (62) member of a coppe…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.