Circuit breaker including rotary handle

A circuit breaker comprising:

• a door arranged to move between an opened position and a closed position;
• an operating switch arranged to move between an ON position and an OFF position, wherein a conductive path is closed when said operating switch is in the ON position and is open when said operating switch is in the OFF position;
• a gear train mechanism coupled to said operating switch, wherein said gear train mechanism is arranged to induce said operating switch to move between the ON position and the OFF position;
• and
• an interlock that is arranged to selectively inhibit said door from moving between the opened position and the closed position, said interlock comprising:
• a plunger arranged to move between a locked position and an unlocked position, said door inhibited from moving to the opened position when said plunger is in the locked position;
• and
• an engagement mechanism coupled to said plunger, said engagement mechanism arranged to move between a first position in which said engagement mechanism is spaced from said gear train mechanism and a second position in which said engagement mechanism is engaged with said gear train mechanism, wherein said plunger is arranged to move to the locked position when said engagement mechanism is in the second position and said operating switch is in the ON position.

A method of manufacturing a circuit breaker, said method comprising:

• coupling a door to an electrically insulative case, wherein the door is arranged to move between an opened position and a closed position;
• coupling a handle to the door to enable an operator to move the door between the opened position and the closed position;
• coupling a gear train mechanism to the handle, wherein the gear train mechanism includes a rack mechanism arranged to actuate an operating switch of the circuit breaker such that a conductive path is closed when the rack mechanism is in an ON position and is open when the rack mechanism is in an OFF position;
• coupling a plunger to the door, the plunger arranged to move between a locked position and an unlocked position, wherein the door is inhibited from moving to the opened position when the plunger is in the locked position;
• and
• coupling an engagement mechanism to the plunger, the engagement mechanism arranged to move between a first position in which the engagement mechanism is spaced from the rack mechanism and a second position in which the engagement mechanism is engaged with the rack mechanism, wherein the plunger is arranged to move to the locked position when the engagement mechanism is in the second position and the rack mechanism is in the ON position.