Integral circuit interrupter with separable modules
AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.
InventorsWalter V. Bratkowski, John A. Wafer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An integral circuit interrupter characterized by an assemblage of interconnected electrical units including a circuit breaker, a thermal-magnetic overcurrent detector, an electromagnetic actuator, and a modular sensor; the circuit breaker comprising first and second separable contacts and a releasable lever for releasing the first contact to an open position when the detector trips the lever in response to a first predetermined current condition; the electromagnetic actuator for moving the second contact to an open position; the modular sensor for monitoring current flow and for actuating only the electromagnetic actuator in response to a second predetermined current condition; and the electromagnetic actuator being operable from a remotely controlled source.
Claims5
A circuit breaker comprising:
- an electrically insulating housing;
- a circuit breaker within the housing and including first and second separable contacts operable between open and closed contact positions;
- the circuit breaker including a releasable lever movable when released to a tripped position to effect automatic opening of the contacts in response to a first predetermined current condition;
- the circuit breaker also including a current detector for monitoring said first predetermined current condition and for automatically tripping the releasable lever in response to said first predetermined overcurrent condition;
- the first contact being mounted on a first movable contact carrying armand coupled to the releasable lever;
- the second contact being mounted on a second contact carrying arm being movable between open and closed positions;
- electromagnetic actuating means for moving the second contact arm between said open and closed positions;
- modular sensor means for monitoring current flow and for automatically actuating only the electromagnetic means in response to a second predetermined current condition and the modular sensor means being removably mounted and replaceable by modular sensor means of different current ratings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.