Compact three-pole circuit breaker
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsRonald D. Ciarcia, Raymond K. Seymour
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A compact three-pole circuit breaker is modularly constructed utilizing two identical operating mechanisms in controllably articulating three movable contact arms. The operating mechanisms are ganged together for concerted manual operation by an external handle tie and internal means intercoupling the three movable contact arms and the operating mechanisms. Trip units, one in each breaker pole, independently act on an internal common trip bar to simultaneously trip the two operating mechanisms and thereby effect concerted opening movement of the contact arms in quick break fashion under the urgence of mechanism springs and assisting helper springs.
Claims12
An electric circuit breaker comprising, in combination:
- A. an insulative case consisting of a base and a cover,
- (1) said base including opposed sidewalls and two intermediate partitions serving to define longitudinally elongated, side-by-side right, center and left pole chambers;
- B. a movable contact arm situated in each said pole chamber, each said arm mounting a movable contact at one end;
- C. a pair of operating mechanisms respectively positionally mounted in laterally aligned interruptions provided in said intermediate partitions to locate one of said operating mechanisms between said right and center pole chambers and the other between said left and center pole chambers, each said operating mechanism including
- (1) a frame, (2) a manual operating handle pivotally mounted by said frame and protruding through an opening in said cover, (3) a toggle consisting of upper and lower links pivotally interconnected by a knee pin, said upper link pivotally connected to said handle,
- (4) a rod carried by said lower toggle link for transverse extension into the pole chambers to each side of said operating mechanism.
- (5) a spring acting between said rod and said frame in a direction to collapse said toggle, and
- (6) a trigger normally, releaseably retained in a reset position and, upon release, moves to a tripped position effecting collapse of said toggle under the urgence of said spring;
- D. a separate trip unit situated in each said pole chamber for monitoring the current flowing therethrough,
- E. a common trip bar extending transversely through said pole chambers in actuatable relation with each said trip unit, said trip bar carrying a pair of latch members for individually, releaseably retaining said trigger of each said operating mechanism in its reset condition, whereby the response of any one of said trip units to an overcurrent condition actuates said common trip bar to commonly release said triggers for individual movement to their tripped positions;
- F. separate right, center and left pole insulative grommets having central bores for acceptance therein of the ends of said operating mechanism rods extending into said right and left pole chambers, and a hub for receipt in a hole formed in said movable contact arms situated in said left and right pole chambers, said center pole grommet having oppositely directed, blind central bores aligned for acceptance of the ends of the rods of the two operating mechanisms extending from opposite directions into said center pole chamber and a hub for receipt in a hole formed in said contact arm therein, thereby commonly interconnecting the two operating mechanisms and said contact arms;
- and
- G. an external handle tie interconnecting the operating handles of said operating mechanisms.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.