Actuator assembly for electrical switches housed in an enclosure

An actuator assembly for a circuit breaker housed in an electrical enclosure having a cover, the actuator assembly comprising:

• a handle assembly including a handle to be positioned above the cover, a trip bracket to be positioned below the cover and a shaft connecting the handle to the trip bracket;
• a slider actuator including:
• a first slotted portion in a first upper exterior surface of the slider actuator, a second slotted portion in a second upper exterior surface of the slider actuator and a bridge portion connecting the first slotted portion to the second slotted portion, the first and second upper exterior surfaces being in a first horizontal plane and the bridge portion having a third upper exterior surface in a second horizontal plane spaced above the first horizontal plane, the first slotted portion being configured to receive a first guide and the second slotted portion being configured to receive a second guide, wherein the first and second guides are configured to guide movement of the slider actuator;
• a first recess disposed under the bridge portion and extending along a length of the slider actuator a first distance sufficient to be positioned over a toggle of the circuit breaker when installed;
• a second recess formed within the first recess and extending along a length of the first recess a second distance sufficient to receive the toggle of the circuit breaker, the second distance being less than the first distance;
• and
• a drive link adapted to be engaged with the trip bracket such that rotation of the handle causes rotation of the trip bracket and rotation of the trip bracket translates to linear movement of the slider actuator.

An electrical switch enclosure comprising:

• an enclosure body;
• a cover removably secured to the enclosure body and having a plurality of openings extending through the cover;
• a plurality of electrical switches mounted within the enclosure body, wherein each of the plurality of electrical switches includes an upper part having a toggle movable between an on-position and an off-position, and a lower part for mounting the electrical switch within the enclosure;
• a plurality of actuator assemblies, wherein one of the plurality of actuator assemblies is associated with one of the plurality of electrical switches, each of the plurality of actuator assemblies including;
• a handle assembly having a shaft extending through one of the plurality of openings, a handle attached to an end of the shaft above the cover and a trip bracket attached to an end of the shaft below the cover;
• and
• a slider actuator slidably mounted over the electrical switch by a first guide and a second guide, the slider actuator having a first slotted portion, a second slotted portion and a bridge portion connecting the first slotted portion to the second slotted portion, the first slotted portion being configured to receive the first guide and the second slotted portion being configured to receive the second guide, the first and second guides guide movement of the slider actuator, the bridge portion including a first recess disposed under the bridge and a second recess within the first recess that is smaller in length than the first recess in which the toggle is inserted, the slider actuator having a drive link that extends in a direction towards the cover, the drive link having a top surface, a first surface and a second surface;
• wherein the trip bracket includes a first ear and a second ear that straddle the top surface of the drive link such that the first ear faces the first surface and the second ear faces the second surface, such that rotation of the handle causes rotation of the trip bracket and rotation of the trip bracket translates to linear movement of the slider actuator causing the toggle to move to the on-position or the off-position.

An electrical switch enclosure comprising:

• an enclosure body;
• a cover removably secured to the enclosure body and having a plurality of openings extending through the cover;
• a plurality of electrical switches mounted within the enclosure body, wherein each of the plurality of electrical switches include an upper part having a toggle and a toggle extender coupled to the toggle, the toggle and toggle extender being movable between an on-position and an off-position, and a lower part for mounting the electrical switch within the enclosure;
• a plurality of actuator assemblies, wherein one of the pluralities of actuator assemblies is associated with one of the plurality of electrical switches, each of the plurality of actuator assemblies includes:
• a handle assembly having a shaft extending through one of the plurality of openings, a handle attached to an end of the shaft above the cover and a trip bracket attached to an end of the shaft below the cover;
• a slider actuator slidably mounted over the toggle and toggle extender by a first guide and a second guide, the slider actuator comprising:
• a first slotted portion, a second slotted portion and a bridge portion connecting the first slotted portion to the second slotted portion, the first slotted portion being configured to receive the first guide and the second slotted portion being configured to receive the second guide, the bridge having an upper surface lying in a horizontal plane spaced above the first and second slotted portions;
• a first recess disposed under the bridge portion and extending along a length of the slider actuator a first distance in which the toggle is positioned;
• a second recess formed within the first recess and extending along a length of the first recess a second distance in which the toggle extender is positioned, the second distance being less than the first distance;
• and
• a drive link operatively coupled to the trip bracket such that rotation of the handle causes rotation of the trip bracket and rotation of the trip bracket translates to linear movement of the slider actuator so that the slider actuator moves the toggle extender and toggle to the on-position or the off-position.