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US 11,107,646 B2Granted
Circuit breakers with handle bearing pins
AssigneeEaton Intelligent Power Limited
InventorsJames Gerard Maloney, Daniel Quentin Gates
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Circuit breakers with handles having at least one handle bearing pin that contacts an upper end portion of a moving arm and allows the arm to rotate to “OFF”, “ON” and “TRIP” positions, typically about 90 degrees of rotation.
Claims20
A circuit breaker comprising:
- a housing;
- a handle held by the housing, wherein the handle comprises first and second pin channels that are laterally spaced apart and face each other across a contact arm receiving channel, the first pin channel extending on one side of the contact arm receiving channel and the second pin channel extending on an opposing side of the contact arm receiving channel, wherein the first and second pin channels each comprise an outer facing end segment;
- a pin moldably attached to the handle such that a longitudinal axis of the pin is parallel to and offset from a pivot axis of the handle, wherein the pin has a length with longitudinally opposing first and second end portions, wherein the first and second end portions are enlarged relative to a medial segment of the pin, and wherein, in position, the pin extends from the first pin channel, across the contact arm receiving channel, into the second pin channel;
- and
- a moveable contact arm comprising a first end portion in the contact arm receiving channel of the handle that contacts the medial segment of the pin across a width of the first end portion of the moveable contact arm, wherein the medial segment of the pin directly abuts the first end portion of the moveable contact arm and defines a handle/contact arm bearing interface,
- wherein the medial segment of the pin has a length that is greater than a length of either of the first and second end portions, and wherein the length of the medial segment of the pin corresponds to the width of the first end portion of the contact arm.
3 more elements
A circuit breaker comprising:
- a housing;
- a handle held by the housing, wherein the handle comprises first and second pin channels that are laterally spaced apart and face each other across a contact arm receiving channel, the first pin channel extending on one side of the contact arm receiving channel and the second pin channel extending on an opposing side of the contact arm receiving channel, wherein the first and second pin channels each comprise an outer facing end segment;
- a pin moldably attached to the handle such that a longitudinal axis of the pin is parallel to and offset from a pivot axis of the handle, wherein the pin has a length with longitudinally opposing first and second end portions, wherein the first and second end portions are enlarged relative to a medial segment of the pin, and wherein, in position, the pin extends from the first pin channel, across the contact arm receiving channel, into the second pin channel;
- and
- a moveable contact arm comprising a first end portion in the contact arm receiving channel of the handle that contacts the medial segment of the pin across a width of the first end portion of the moveable contact arm, wherein the medial segment of the pin directly abuts the first end portion of the moveable contact arm and defines a handle/contact arm bearing interface,
- wherein the medial segment of the pin has a length that is greater than either of the first and second end portions, wherein the first end portion of the moveable contact arm is sized and configured to reside entirely within the contact arm receiving channel, and wherein an entire width of the width of the first end portion of the moveable contact arm directly abuts the medial segment of the pin.
3 more elements
A circuit breaker comprising:
- a housing;
- a handle held by the housing, wherein the handle comprises first and second pin channels that are laterally spaced apart and face each other across a contact arm receiving channel, the first pin channel extending on one side of the contact arm receiving channel and the second pin channel extending on an opposing side of the contact arm receiving channel, wherein the first and second pin channels each comprise an outer facing end segment;
- a pin coupled to the handle such that a longitudinal axis of the pin is parallel to and offset from a pivot axis of the handle, wherein the pin has a length with longitudinally opposing first and second end portions, wherein the first and second end portions are enlarged relative to a medial segment of the pin, wherein the medial segment of the pin has a length that is longer than a length of either of the first and second end portions, and wherein, in position, the pin extends from the first pin channel, across the contact arm receiving channel, into the second pin channel with the medial segment exposed across the contact arm receiving channel;
- and
- a moveable contact arm comprising a first end portion in the contact arm receiving channel of the handle that contacts the medial segment of the pin across a width of the first end portion of the moveable contact arm, wherein the medial segment of the pin directly abuts the first end portion of the moveable contact arm and defines a handle/contact arm bearing interface.
2 more elements
A circuit breaker comprising:
- a housing;
- a handle held by the housing, wherein the handle comprises first and second pin channels that are laterally spaced apart and face each other across a contact arm receiving channel, the first pin channel extending on one side of the contact arm receiving channel and the second pin channel extending on an opposing side of the contact arm receiving channel, wherein the first and second pin channels each comprise an outer facing end segment;
- a pin coupled to the handle such that a longitudinal axis of the pin is parallel to and offset from a pivot axis of the handle, wherein the pin has a length with longitudinally opposing first and second end portions, wherein the first and second end portions are enlarged relative to a medial segment of the pin, and wherein, in position, the pin extends from the first pin channel, across the contact arm receiving channel, into the second pin channel;
- and
- a moveable contact arm comprising a first end portion in the contact arm receiving channel of the handle that contacts the medial segment of the pin across a width of the first end portion of the moveable contact arm, wherein the medial segment of the pin directly abuts the first end portion of the moveable contact arm and defines a handle/contact arm bearing interface,
- wherein the medial segment of the pin has a length that is greater than a length of either of the first and second end portions thereof, wherein the first end portion of the moveable contact arm is sized and configured to reside entirely within the contact arm receiving channel, and wherein an entire width of the width of the first end portion of the moveable contact arm directly abuts the medial segment of the pin.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.