US 11,615,933 B2Granted

Safety apparatus having terminal shield with indication circuit, and circuit interruption apparatus

AssigneeEaton Intelligent Power Limited

InventorsJames L. Lagree, Manuel Fernandez, Robert Griffin, Andy Smith, Joseph Williams, Jr., Colby Myron Coates

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A safety apparatus is a terminal shield having an indication circuit incorporated therein. The safety apparatus is usable with a circuit interrupter to overlie one or more terminals of the circuit interrupter that are connected with line and load conductors and to thereby form a circuit interrupter apparatus. The safety apparatus can be employed at the line side of a circuit interrupter, at the load side of a circuit interrupter, or at both sides of a circuit interrupter. The safety apparatus can be provided as part of a new circuit interrupter apparatus or can be provided to retrofit existing circuit interrupters. The indication circuit advantageously outputs from a top surface of the terminal shield one of a visual indication and an audible indication when one or more terminals of the circuit interrupter are electrified, thereby easily conveying to a technician the portions of the circuit interrupter that are electrified.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A safety apparatus usable with a circuit interrupter having a housing and an electrical apparatus, the electrical apparatus having a number of poles situated on the housing, the number of poles having a plurality of terminals, the plurality of terminals being structured to be electrically connected with a number of line and load conductors, each pole of the number of poles being electrically connected with a corresponding pair of terminals of the plurality of terminals and including a set of separable contacts that are movable between a CLOSED state wherein the pair of terminals are electrically connected together and an OPEN state wherein the pair of terminals are electrically disconnected from one another, the safety apparatus comprising:

a terminal shield comprising a first wall that is structured to overlie at least a portion of at least a first terminal of the plurality of terminals;
an indication circuit situated at least in part on the terminal shield and comprising a number of electrical connectors, at least a first electrical connector of the number of electrical connectors being structured to be electrically connected with the at least first terminal, a second electrical connector of the number of electrical connectors being structured to be electrically connected with a second terminal of the plurality of terminals, the indication circuit further comprising at least a first indicator that is structured to output at least one of a visual indication and an audible indication when the at least first terminal is electrically energized by the number of line conductors, the indication circuit additionally comprising a second indicator that is structured to output at least one of a visual indication and an audible indication when the second terminal is structured to electrically energize the number of load conductors.

A circuit interrupter apparatus comprising:

a circuit interrupter;
a safety apparatus;
the circuit interrupter comprising a housing and an electrical apparatus;
the electrical apparatus comprising a number of poles situated on the housing, the number of poles having a plurality of terminals, the plurality of terminals being structured to be electrically connected with a number of line and load conductors;
each pole of the number of poles being electrically connected with a corresponding pair of terminals of the plurality of terminals and including a set of separable contacts that are movable between a CLOSED state wherein the pair of terminals are electrically connected together and an OPEN state wherein the pair of terminals are electrically disconnected from one another;
the safety apparatus comprising a terminal shield and an indication circuit;
the terminal shield comprising a first wall that overlies at least a portion of at least a first terminal of the plurality of terminals;
the indication circuit being situated at least in part on the terminal shield and comprising a number of electrical connectors, at least a first electrical connector of the number of electrical connectors being structured to be electrically connected with the at least first terminal, a second electrical connector of the number of electrical connectors being structured to be electrically connected with a second terminal of the plurality of terminals, the indication circuit further comprising at least a first indicator that is structured to output at least one of a visual indication and an audible indication when the at least first terminal is electrically energized by the number of line conductors, the indication circuit additionally comprising a second indicator that is structured to output at least one of a visual indication and an audible indication when the second terminal is structured to electrically energize the number of load conductors.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/727,229Filed 26 Dec 2019
Published: US 2021/0202201 A11 Jul 2021
Granted: 28 Mar 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification18 codes

H01H 71/04
Details of the protective switches or relays covered by groups H01H73/00 - H01H83/00: means for indicating condition of the switching device
H01H 71/08
Details of the protective switches or relays covered by groups H01H73/00 - H01H83/00: terminals; Connections
H01H 9/0264
Bases, casings, or covers: protective covers for terminals
H01H 71/002
Details of the protective switches or relays covered by groups H01H73/00 - H01H83/00: with provision for switching the neutral conductor