US 4,048,607 AGranted

Circuit breaker

AssigneeAmerace Corporation

InventorAdam Smorzaniuk

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A circuit breaker has a bistable snap-acting mechanism including a bimetallic arm which renders the circuit breaker capable of actuation by either ambient temperature changes or temperature changes generated internally, as by an excessive electric current. An electromagnetic arrangement enables essentially instantaneous actuation in response to an electric current of predetermined amplitude greater than the excessive current which otherwise might actuate the circuit breaker thermally. An actuating lever assembly includes an actuating lever coupled to a link which is normally latched and is unlatched in response to movement of the bimetallic arm, and enables manual actuation, as well as manual reset of the circuit breaker.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A circuit breaker for opening a circuit in response to a given temperature change and capable of being reset manually, said circuit breaker comprising:

a frame;
a first contact member affixed to the frame;
an actuating lever assembly mounted upon the frame for pivotal movement between a first position and a second position;
a bimetallic arm carried by the actuating lever assembly for pivotal movement therewith and having a first end affixed to the actuating lever assembly and a second end juxtaposed with the first contact member, the bimetallic arm having a bistable configuration conformable to either one of first and second stable postures such that the second end rests at either one of corresponding first and second locations relative to the first end, the second end being movable in a first direction relative to the first end in response to said given temperature change to effect movement of the bimetallic arm with a snap-action along a prescribed path of travel between the first stable posture and the second stable posture and conform the bimetallic arm to the second stable posture;
a second contact member located adjacent the second end of the bimetallic arm such that the first and second contact members are engaged and the circuit is closed when the actuating lever assembly is in the first position and the bimetallic arm is in the first stable posture, and the contact members are disengaged, and the circuit is open, when the bimetallic arm is in the second stable posture;
resilient biasing means biasing the actuating lever assembly toward the second position;
holding means for maintaining the actuating lever assembly stationary at the first position, said holding means being responsive to movement of the bimetallic arm from the first stable posture to the second stable posture to release the actuating lever assembly for movement toward the second position in response to the biasing means;
and
stop means for precluding movement of the second end of the bimetallic arm in said first direction when the actuating lever assembly reaches an intermediate position between said first and second positions, while permitting continued pivotal movement of the actuating lever assembly to the second position to move the first end of the bimetallic arm relative to the second end and conform the bimetallic arm to the first stable posture, whereby return of the actuating lever assembly to the first position thereof will again engage the first and second contact members.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

A circuit breaker for opening a circuit in response to a given temperature change and capable of being reset manually, said circuit breaker comprising:

a frame;
a first contact member affixed to the frame;
an actuating lever assembly mounted upon the frame for pivotal movement between a first position and a second position;
a bimetallic arm carried by the actuating lever assembly for pivotal movement therewith and having a first end affixed to the actuating lever assembly and a second end juxtaposed with the first contact member, the bimetallic arm having a bistable configuration conformable to either one of first and second stable postures such that the second end rests at either one of corresponding first and second locations relative to the first end, the second end being movable in a first direction relative to the first end in response to said given temperature change to effect movement of the bimetallic arm with a snap-action along a prescribed path of travel between the first stable posture and the second stable posture and conform the bimetallic arm to the second stable posture;
a second contact member located adjacent the second end of the bimetallic arm such that the first and second contact members are engaged and the circuit is closed when the actuating lever assembly is in the first position and the bimetallic arm is in the first stable posture, and the contact members are disengaged, and the circuit is open, when the bimetallic arm is in the second stable posture;
resilient biasing means biasing the actuating lever assembly toward the second position;
holding means for maintaining the actuating lever assembly stationary at the first position, said holding means being responsive to movement of the bimetallic arm from the first stable posture to the second stable posture to release the actuating lever assembly for movement toward the second position in response to the biasing means;
and
stop means for precluding movement of the second end of the bimetallic arm in said first direction when the actuating lever assembly reaches an intermediate position between said first and second positions, while permitting continued pivotal movement of the actuating lever assembly to the second position to move the first end of the bimetallic arm relative to the second end and conform the bimetallic arm to the first stable posture, whereby return of the actuating lever assembly to the first position thereof will again engage the first and second contact members.

6 more elements