# US 2015/0144597 A1 · Circuit breaker with low-clearance connections > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2015/0144597 A1 - Document ID: US20150144597A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/087,661 - Filed: 2013-11-22 - Published: 2015-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2013-11-22 - Assignees: Eaton Corporation - Applicants: Eaton Corporation - Inventors: James Jeffery Benke; Daniel Evan Palmieri; Zachary Ryan Jenkins; Matthew Eugene Siegfried - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20150144597A1 ## CPC - H01H 33/662: Housings or protective screens - H01H 33/66: Vacuum switches - H01H 33/6661: {Combination with other type of switch, e.g. for load break switches (H01H33/143, H01H33/6662 take precedence)} - H01R 9/26: Clip-on terminal blocks for side-by-side rail- or strip-mounting - H01H: ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES (contact cables H01B7/10; electrolytic self-interrupters H01G9/18; emergency protective circuit arrangements H02H; switching by electronic means without contact-making H03K17/00) - H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS ## Abstract A vacuum circuit breaker includes a frame and a vacuum interrupter supported by the frame. A control wiring harness exits from an opening in a top face of a housing portion of the frame and a terminal block is disposed on the top face of the housing portion and includes first terminals connected to wires of the control wiring harness and second terminals configured to be connected to external wires. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vacuum circuit breaker comprising: a frame; a vacuum interrupter supported by the frame; a control wiring harness exiting from an opening in a top face of a housing portion of the frame; and a terminal block disposed on the top face of the housing portion and comprising first terminals connected to wires of the control wiring harness and second terminals configured to be connected to external wires. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vacuum circuit breaker of claim 1, wherein the terminal block comprises a feed-through terminal block, wherein the first terminals have wire entry locations on a first side face of the feed-through terminal block and wherein the second terminals have wire entry locations on a second side face of the feed-through terminal block. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The vacuum circuit breaker of claim 2, further comprising a DIN rail affixed to the top face of the housing portion and wherein the first and second terminals comprise terminals of a plurality of modular feed-through terminal blocks mounted on the DIN rail. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The vacuum circuit breaker of claim 3, further comprising at least one jumper electrically interconnecting at least one of the first terminals and at least one of the second terminals. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The vacuum circuit breaker of claim 1, wherein the terminal block comprises screw terminal block, wherein the first terminals comprise a first row of screw terminals on a top side of the screw terminal block and wherein the second terminals comprise a second row of screw terminals parallel to the first row of screw terminals on the top side of the screw terminal block. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The vacuum circuit breaker of claim 5, further comprising at least one jumper electrically interconnecting at least one of the first screw terminals and at least one of the second screw terminals. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The vacuum circuit breaker of claim 5, further comprising a DIN rail affixed to the top face of the housing portion and wherein the terminal block is mounted on the DIN rail. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The vacuum circuit breaker of claim 7, wherein the terminal block is mounted to the DIN rail using self-clinching studs. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The vacuum circuit breaker of claim 1, wherein the terminal block extends less than about 2 inches above the top face of the housing portion. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The vacuum circuit breaker of claim 9, wherein the terminal block extends less than about 1 inch above the top face of the housing portion. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The vacuum circuit breaker of claim 1, further comprising at least one jumper electrically interconnecting at least two of the first terminals to at least two of the second terminals. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The vacuum circuit breaker of claim 11, wherein the at least one jumper is configured to allow a lesser number of wires to be connected to the second terminals than a number of wires connected to the first terminals. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The vacuum circuit breaker of claim 11, further comprising an under voltage release (UVR) relay, a shunt tripping coil, a spring charging motor and a closing coil, and wherein the at least one jumper is configured to couple at least two of the shunt tripping coil, the spring charging motor and the closing coil to the UVR relay. ### Claim 14 An apparatus comprising: a vacuum circuit breaker having a frame comprising a housing portion having first side face serving as a front panel of the circuit breaker; a control wiring harness passing through a top face of the housing portion; a DIN rail mounted on the top face; and a terminal block mounted on the DIN rail, connected to wires of the control wiring harness and configured to be connected to external wiring. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the terminal block comprises a plurality of modular terminal blocks mounted on the DIN rail. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the terminal block comprises a screw terminal block mounted on the DIN rail using self-clinching studs. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the terminal block extends less than about 2 inches above the top face of the housing. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the terminal block extends less than about 1 inch above the top face of the housing. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising at least one jumper electrically interconnecting at least two terminals of the terminal block to allow a lesser number of the external wires to be connected to the terminal block than a number of wires of the control wiring harness connected to the terminal block. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a UVR relay, a shunt tripping coil, a spring charging motor and a closing coil, and wherein the at least one jumper is configured to couple at least two of the shunt tripping coil, the spring charging motor and the closing coil to the UVR relay.