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US 11,721,497 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.
Claims19
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, and wherein the handle further comprises first and second laterally spaced apart shoulders that reside on opposing sides of the contact arm receiving channel, the first shoulder having a greater inwardly extending length than the second shoulder;
- a pin attached to the handle and oriented such that a longitudinal axis of the pin is parallel to and offset from a pivot axis of the handle, wherein the pin is statically attached to the handle whereby the pin moves with the handle but does not rotate relative to the handle,
- 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 directly contacts a medial segment of the pin across a width of the first end portion of the moveable contact arm and defines a handle/contact arm bearing interface.
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, and wherein the handle further comprises first and second laterally spaced apart shoulders that reside on opposing sides of the contact arm receiving channel, the first shoulder having a greater inwardly extending length than the second shoulder;
- a pin attached to the handle and oriented such that a longitudinal axis of the pin is parallel to and offset from a pivot axis of the hand, wherein the pin is statically attached to the handle,
- 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 a 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.
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, and wherein the handle further comprises first and second laterally spaced apart shoulders that reside on opposing sides of the contact arm receiving channel, the first shoulder having a greater inwardly extending length than the second shoulder;
- a pin non-rotatably 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, 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 a 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
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.