Circuit breaker including rotary handle
AssigneeABB Schweiz AG
InventorsRoopnarine, Umashankar Shanmugaraj, Sourabh K. Khedkar
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A circuit breaker includes an electrically insulative case and a handle rotatably coupled to the electrically insulative case. The circuit breaker also includes a gear train mechanism. The gear train mechanism includes a drive gear drivingly coupled to the handle and a plurality of pinions engaged with the drive gear. The drive gear is arranged to rotate the plurality of pinions in response to a rotation of the handle. The gear train mechanism also includes a rack engaged with the plurality of pinions. The rack is arranged to translate in response to a rotation of the plurality of pinions.
Claims18
A circuit breaker comprising:
- an electrically insulative case defining an interior portion, the case including a door positionable between an open position to allow access to the interior portion and a closed position;
- a handle rotatably coupled to the door;
- and
- a gear train mechanism comprising:
- a drive gear drivingly coupled to the handle and having a first plurality of teeth;
- a plurality of pinion gears comprising (i) a first pinion gear having a second plurality of teeth engaged with the first plurality of teeth of the drive gear and (ii) a second pinion gear including a third plurality of teeth, wherein each of the plurality of pinion gears is arranged to rotate in response to rotation of the drive gear by the handle;
- and
- a rack including a fourth plurality of teeth engaged with the third plurality of teeth of the second pinion gear, wherein the rack is arranged to translate in response to rotation of the second pinion gear.
A gear train mechanism for a circuit breaker, the gear train mechanism comprising:
- a drive gear to be drivingly coupled to a handle of the circuit breaker;
- a plurality of pinion gears comprising (i) a first pinion gear having a first plurality of teeth and (ii) a second pinion gear having a second plurality of teeth engaged with the first plurality of teeth, wherein each of the plurality of pinion gears is arranged to rotate in response to rotation of the drive gear by the handle;
- and
- a rack including a third plurality of teeth engaged with the second plurality of teeth of the second pinion gear, wherein the rack is arranged to translate in response to rotation of the second pinion gear.
A method of manufacturing a circuit breaker having an electrically insulative case defining an interior portion, said method comprising:
- arranging a door on the electrically insulative case, the door positionable between an open position to allow access to the interior portion and a closed position:
- coupling a handle to the door of the electrically insulative case, wherein the handle is rotatable relative to the door;
- coupling a drive gear to the handle, wherein the drive gear is arranged to rotate in response to a rotation of the handle;
- coupling a first pinion gear to the drive gear, the first pinion gear including a first plurality of teeth,
- coupling a second pinion gear to the first pinion gear, the second pinion gear including a second plurality of teeth engaged with the first plurality of teeth, wherein the first pinion gear and the second pinion gear are each arranged to rotate in response to rotation of the drive gear;
- and
- coupling a rack to the second pinion gear, the rack including a third plurality of teeth engaged with the second plurality of teeth and arranged to translate in response to rotation of the second pinion gear.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.