Electrical switching apparatus and thermal trip assembly therefor
AssigneeEaton Corporation
InventorsCRAIG JOSEPH PUHALLA, BRIAN SCOTT JANSTO, RICHARD PAUL MALINGOWSKI, JAMES PATRICK SISLEY
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A thermal trip assembly is for an electrical switching apparatus. The electrical switching apparatus includes a housing, separable contacts enclosed by the housing, an operating mechanism for opening and closing the separable contacts, and a number of shunts. The thermal trip assembly includes a load conductor, a bimetal adapted to cooperate with the operating mechanism to open the separable contacts in response to a trip condition, and a bypass heater element structured to be electrically connected to the shunts. The bypass heater element directs the flow of electric current to at least partially bypass the bimetal.
Claims20
(canceled)
The thermal trip assembly of claim 7 wherein the first end extends perpendicularly outwardly from the intermediate portion to form a flange;
- and wherein said flange is structured to be electrically connected to said shunts.
A thermal trip assembly for an electrical switching apparatus, said electrical switching apparatus including a housing, separable contacts enclosed by the housing, an operating mechanism for opening and closing said separable contacts, and a number of shunts, said thermal trip assembly comprising:
- a load conductor;
- a bimetal adapted to cooperate with said operating mechanism to open said separable contacts in response to a trip condition;
- and
- a bypass heater element structured to be electrically connected to said shunts,
- wherein said bypass heater element directs the flow of electric current to at least partially bypass said bimetal,
- wherein said bypass heater element comprises a first end, a second end distal from the first end, and an intermediate portion extending between the first end and the second end,
- wherein said load conductor comprises a first end, a second end distal from the first end, and an intermediate portion extending between the first end and the second end,
- wherein said bimetal comprises a first end and a second end disposed opposite and distal from the first end,
- wherein the second end of said load conductor is directly electrically connected to the second end of said bimetal;
- and wherein the second end of said bypass heater element is disposed proximate the second end of said bimetal and the second end of said load conductor but is not directly electrically connected to said load conductor, in order that said bypass heater element directs electric current to partially bypass said bimetal.
(canceled)
The electrical switching apparatus of claim 17 wherein the first end extends perpendicularly outwardly from the intermediate portion to form a flange;
- and wherein said shunts are electrically connected to said flange.
An electrical switching apparatus comprising:
- a housing;
- separable contacts enclosed by the housing;
- an operating mechanism for opening and closing said separable contacts;
- a number of shunts;
- and
- a thermal trip assembly comprising:
- a load conductor,
- a bimetal adapted to cooperate with said operating mechanism to open said separable contacts in response to a trip condition, and
- a bypass heater element electrically connected to said shunts,
- wherein said bypass heater element directs the flow of electric current to at least partially bypass said bimetal,
- wherein said bypass heater element comprises a first end, a second end distal from the first end, and an intermediate portion extending between the first end and the second end,
- wherein said load conductor comprises a first end, a second end distal from the first end, and an intermediate portion extending between the first end and the second end,
- wherein said bimetal comprises a first end and a second end disposed opposite and distal from the first end,
- wherein the second end of said load conductor is directly electrically connected to the second end of said bimetal;
- and wherein the second end of said bypass heater element is disposed proximate the second end of said bimetal and the second end of said load conductor but is not directly electrically connected to said load conductor, in order that said bypass heater element directs electric current to partially bypass said bimetal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.