GB2288486A - Circuit breaker - Google Patents
Circuit breaker Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2288486A GB2288486A GB9506559A GB9506559A GB2288486A GB 2288486 A GB2288486 A GB 2288486A GB 9506559 A GB9506559 A GB 9506559A GB 9506559 A GB9506559 A GB 9506559A GB 2288486 A GB2288486 A GB 2288486A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- trip
- trip arm
- circuit breaker
- indicator unit
- unit
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H71/00—Details of the protective switches or relays covered by groups H01H73/00 - H01H83/00
- H01H71/04—Means for indicating condition of the switching device
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H71/00—Details of the protective switches or relays covered by groups H01H73/00 - H01H83/00
- H01H71/10—Operating or release mechanisms
- H01H71/1072—Release mechanisms which are reset by opening movement of contacts
Landscapes
- Breakers (AREA)
Abstract
A circuit breaker comprises a trip unit actuator 5 for releasing an opening spring 13 to separate a pair of contacts 32 and an indicator 26 interacting with the trip unit actuator 5 and with a trip arm 6 to return the trip unit actuator 5 to a reset condition after releasing the opening spring 13. The trip arm 6 has a tab 6A which returns a plunger 5A of the trip unit actuator 5 to the reset position when the indicator 26 rotates to a tripped condition. <IMAGE>
Description
CIRCUIT BREAKER
This invention relates to circuit breakers. US Patent 4,001,742 entitled "Circuit Breaker Having Improved
Operating Mechanism" describes a circuit breaker capable of interrupting several thousand amperes of circuit current at several hundred volts potential. As described therein, the operating mechanism is in the form of powerful operating springs that are restrained from separating the circuit breaker contacts by means of a latching system described in
U.S. patent application serial number 08/202,140 entitled "Operating Mechanism for High Ampere-Rated Circuit Breaker" filed on 25 February 1994 (a copy of which is at the annex to this application). An electric trip unit actuator is used to release the circuit breaker latching system, and allow the operating springs (not shown) to separate the circuit breaker contacts. In order to reclose the circuit breaker, and close the circuit breaker contacts, the trip unit must first become reset.
According to the present invention a circuit breaker comprises a circuit breaker enclosure; a pair of contacts within the enclosure; an opening spring arranged for separating the circuit breaker contacts; a trip unit actuator arranged for releasing the opening spring to separate the contacts upon receipt of an electric signal; and an indicator unit interacting with the trip unit actuator and a trip arm to return the trip unit actuator to a reset condition after releasing the opening spring.
The circuit breaker may include a plunger on the trip unit actuator and a trip arm tab on the trip arm, the trip arm tab contacting the plunger to drive the plunger to a reset position when the indicator unit rotates to a tripped position, in which case, preferably, there is included a cam connecting with a circuit breaker operating mechanism by means of an operating mechanism link and connecting with the indicator unit by means of cam pin to rotate the indicator unit when the contacts become separated.
The circuit breaker may further include a trip arm attached to one end of the trip arm and an indicator unit tab on the indicator unit, the trip arm pin interacting with the indicator unit tab to drive the trip arm tab against the plunger, and, preferably, an indicator unit slot within the indicator unit and a trip arm opening within the trip arm, a trip arm pivot pin extending through the trip arm opening and captured within the indicator slot.
In this last embodiment, the indicator unit may be pivotally attached between a pair of sideframes by means of the indicator unit pivot pin and the cam is attached between the sideframes by means of the cam pivot pin.
A reset arrangement for a circuit breaker trip unit actuator, also according to the present invention, comprises an indicator unit interacting with a circuit breaker trip unit actuator and a trip arm to return the trip unit actuator to a reset condition after releasing a circuit breaker contact opening spring; and a plunger on the trip unit actuator and a trip arm tab on the trip arm, the trip arm tab contacting the plunger to drive the plunger to a reset position when the indicator unit rotates to a tripped position. Embodiments of this reset arrangement may have the features described above in relation to the circuit breaker according to the present invention.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention;
Figures 2 and 3 are diagrammatic side views of the reset system of the embodiment of Figure 1 in the tripped and non-tripped positions; and
Figure 4 is a diagrammatic exploded perspective view of the reset system of Figures 2 and 3.
In figure 1, a circuit breaker includes an electric trip unit 5, an indicator 25, an intermediate trip arm 6, a pin 7, a cam 21 and a spring support 23 within an enclosure 34 of the circuit breaker 35.
Figure 4 shows an exploded view of the arrangement along with side frames 16, 17.
The open state of the circuit breaker is indicated by the externally viewable flag 26.
The operation of this reset system uses the state change of the indicator 26 to reset the electric trip unit actuator 5. The operation of the reset system will be by reference jointly to Figure 3 which shows the circuit breaker with the circuit breaker contacts 32 closed and
Figure 2 which shows the circuit breaker with the contacts 32 separated.
With the circuit breaker contacts closed, a plunger 5a of the electric trip unit actuator 5 remains retracted and the indicator 26 is rotated into its full counter-clockwise position by the spring support 23 and an operation mechanism link 24. The action of rotating the indicator 26 into its full counter clockwise position charges the indicator spring 28. The stored energy in the indicator spring 28 can now be used to return the indicator 26 to its rest position and also reset the electric trip unit actuator 5.
When the circuit breaker 37 becomes tripped, as shown in Figure 2, the actuator plunger 5a extends from the trip unit actuator 5 to release the latching system. Opening springs 13 are released to force the counter clockwise rotation of the cam 21 and the spring support 23 about a cam pivot pin 22. The cam 21 rotates until contact is made with a stop pin 27 which stops the rotation and releases the spring support 23 from contact with a tab 26b of the indicator 26. This releases the indicator 26 which rotates clockwise under the force of the indicator spring 28 until tab 26a of the indicator makes contact with pin 7 on the intermediate trip arm 6. When tab 26a of the indicator 26 makes contact with pin 7 of the intermediate trip arm 6 to which pin 7 is attached is forced to rotate the counter clockwise about the trip pivot pin 15 until tab 6a of the trip arm 6 comes in contact with plunger 5a of the trip unit actuator 5. As the indicator continues to rotate to its "reset" position it drives the tab 6a of the intermediate trip arm 6 to depress the plunger 5a of the trip unit actuator 5 into its reset position.
This system ensures that when the circuit breaker becomes tripped, the trip unit actuator becomes reset to allow the circuit breaker contacts to close.
Claims (12)
1. A circuit breaker comprising
a circuit breaker enclosure;
a pair of contacts within the enclosure;
an opening spring arranged for separating the circuit breaker contacts;
a trip unit actuator arranged for releasing the opening spring to separate the contacts upon receipt of an electric signal; and
an indicator unit interacting with the trip unit actuator and a trip arm to return the trip unit actuator to a reset condition after releasing the opening spring.
2. The circuit breaker of Claim 1 including a plunger on the trip unit actuator and a trip arm tab on the trip arm, the trip arm tab contacting the plunger to drive the plunger to a reset position when the indicator unit rotates to a tripped position.
3. The circuit breaker of Claim 2 including a cam connecting with a circuit breaker operating mechanism by means of an operating mechanism link and connecting with the indicator unit by means of cam pin to rotate the indicator unit when the contacts become separated.
4. The circuit breaker of Claim 2 further including a trip arm pin attached to one end of the trip arm and an indicator unit tab on the indicator unit, the trip arm pin interacting with the indicator unit tab to drive the trip arm tab against the plunger.
5. The circuit breaker of Claim 4 including an indicator unit slot within the indicator unit and a trip arm opening within the trip arm, a trip arm pivot pin extending through the trip arm opening and captured within the indicator slot.
6. The circuit breaker of Claim 5 wherein the indicator unit is pivotally attached between a pair of sideframes by means of the indicator unit pivot pin and the cam is attached between the sideframes by means of the cam pivot pin.
7. A reset arrangement for a circuit breaker trip unit actuator comprising
an indicator unit interacting with a circuit breaker trip unit actuator and a trip arm to return the trip unit actuator to a reset condition after releasing a circuit breaker contact opening spring; and
a plunger on the trip unit actuator and a trip arm tab on the trip arm, the trip arm tab contacting the plunger to drive the plunger to a reset position when the indicator unit rotates to a tripped position.
8. The apparatus of Claim 7 including a cam connecting with a circuit breaker operating mechanism by means of an operating mechanism link and connecting with the indicator unit by means of cam pin to rotate the indicator unit when the indicator unit rotates to a tripped position.
9. The apparatus of Claim 7 including a trip arm pin 7 attached to one end of the trip arm and an indicator unit tab on the indicator unit, the trip arm pin interacting with the indicator unit tab to drive the trip arm tab against the plunger.
10. The apparatus of Claim 7 including an indicator unit slot within the indicator unit and a trip arm opening within the trip arm, a trip arm pivot pin extending through the trip arm opening and captured within the indicator slot.
11. The apparatus of Claim 7 wherein the indicator unit is pivotally attached between a pair of sideframes 16, 17 by means of the indicator unit pivot pin 27 and the cam is attached between the sideframes by means of the cam pivot pin 22.
12. A circuit breaker substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB9506559A GB2288486B (en) | 1994-04-13 | 1995-03-30 | Circuit breaker |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB9407281A GB9407281D0 (en) | 1994-04-13 | 1994-04-13 | Reset arrangement for an electric trip unit |
GB9506559A GB2288486B (en) | 1994-04-13 | 1995-03-30 | Circuit breaker |
Publications (3)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
GB9506559D0 GB9506559D0 (en) | 1995-05-17 |
GB2288486A true GB2288486A (en) | 1995-10-18 |
GB2288486B GB2288486B (en) | 1998-02-25 |
Family
ID=26304691
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
GB9506559A Expired - Fee Related GB2288486B (en) | 1994-04-13 | 1995-03-30 | Circuit breaker |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
GB (1) | GB2288486B (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR2988218A1 (en) * | 2012-03-19 | 2013-09-20 | Schneider Electric Ind Sas | TRIGGER BLOCK FOR ELECTRIC PROTECTION APPARATUS AND ELECTRIC PROTECTION APPARATUS COMPRISING SUCH A BLOCK |
Citations (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4301435A (en) * | 1980-06-23 | 1981-11-17 | General Electric Company | Flux shifter reset assembly |
-
1995
- 1995-03-30 GB GB9506559A patent/GB2288486B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Patent Citations (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4301435A (en) * | 1980-06-23 | 1981-11-17 | General Electric Company | Flux shifter reset assembly |
Cited By (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR2988218A1 (en) * | 2012-03-19 | 2013-09-20 | Schneider Electric Ind Sas | TRIGGER BLOCK FOR ELECTRIC PROTECTION APPARATUS AND ELECTRIC PROTECTION APPARATUS COMPRISING SUCH A BLOCK |
CN103325630A (en) * | 2012-03-19 | 2013-09-25 | 施耐德电器工业公司 | Tripping unit for electric protection apparatus and electric protection apparatus |
EP2642502A1 (en) * | 2012-03-19 | 2013-09-25 | Schneider Electric Industries SAS | Trip unit for an electric protection apparatus and electric protection apparatus comprising one such unit |
CN103325630B (en) * | 2012-03-19 | 2017-03-01 | 施耐德电器工业公司 | Trip unit for electric protective equipment and electric protective equipment |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
GB2288486B (en) | 1998-02-25 |
GB9506559D0 (en) | 1995-05-17 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
PCNP | Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |
Effective date: 20040330 |
|
PCNP | Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |
Effective date: 20040330 |