Cradle assist devices and related kits and methods
AssigneeEaton Intelligent Power Limited
InventorsJames Jeffery Benke, Koustubh Dnyandeo Ashtekar, Hongbin Wang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Cradle-assist assemblies attached to the breaker cradle housing and/or base or residing at least partially in the breaker cradle housing and/or base include at least one actuator configured to laterally translate the at least one right and the at least one left lock members from the extended lock position to the retracted unlocked position in response to input from a user. The at least one actuator and/or transverse member(s) can be held in a defined position so that the lock members of the cradle can be locked in the respective retracted or extended positions until the cradle assist (internal) lock is manually or automatically released.
Claims9
A breaker, ground and test device (G&TD), or dummy breaker cradle, comprising:
- a cradle housing having a base comprising at least one right lock member and at least one left lock member configured to be able to retract and extend from the base between a lock position and an unlocked position;
- and
- a cradle-assist assembly attached to the breaker cradle housing and/or base or residing at least partially in the breaker cradle housing and/or base, the cradle-assist assembly comprising at least one actuator configured to translate the at least one right and the at least one left lock members from the lock position to the unlocked position in response to input from a user,
- wherein the breaker cradle comprises upper right and left externally accessible handles and lower right and left externally accessible handles, and wherein the cradle assist assembly comprises upper right and left mounting members that attach to respective upper right and left handles, and lower right and left transverse members that attach to respective lower right and left handles, and wherein the at least one actuator includes a left actuator attached to the upper left mounting member and a second right actuator that is attached to the upper right mounting member.
A method of releasing retractable lock members in communication with laterally translating handles, from engagement with a switchgear, circuit breaker or contactor, comprising:
- manually deploying at least one actuator to pull the lower handles on a breaker cradle laterally inward to thereby release the lock members from engagement with the switchgear, circuit breaker or contactor,
- wherein the manually deploying is carried out by accepting foot depression of an actuator plate in a housing residing externally and on a base of the breaker cradle.
A breaker, ground and test device (G&TD), or dummy breaker cradle, comprising a cradle with an integrated cradle assist assembly residing at least partially internal to a chassis of the cradle, the cradle assist assembly comprising at least one actuator in communication with lock members that engage cooperating lock features or members in a cell or compartment of a breaker, contactor or switchgear, the at least one actuator configured to extend and retract the lock members between locked and unlocked positions,
- wherein the at least one actuator comprises an electrically powered actuator, and wherein the cradle assist assembly comprises transverse members attached to the at least one actuator, the cradle further comprising externally accessible user interface inputs held on a chassis of the cradle in communication with the at least one actuator configured to allow a user to actuate the electrically powered actuator to retract and extend the transverse members of the integrated cradle assist assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.