Molded case circuit breaker with movable upper electrical contact positioned by torsion springs

An electrical circuit breaker comprising

• first and second separable electrical contacts and operating means for opening and closing said first and second electrical contacts, said operating means comprising an elongated rotatable member,
• said first electrical contact having a base portion disposed at one longitudinal end thereof and contact means disposed at the other longitudinal end thereof for physically and electrically contacting said second electrical contact,
• said operating means further including spring means for enabling both the rotational movement of said first electrical contact in unison with said elongated member and rotational movement of said first electrical contact independently of said elongated member, said spring means comprising a torsion spring having a first elongated torsion spring arm disposed in contact with said base portion for biasing said base portion into contact with said elongated member,
• said first electrical contact including an elongated stop pin fixedly secured to said base portion, said first spring arm being disposed in contact with said stop pin, said stop pin being movable along the length of said first spring arm upon the occurrence of a high level short circuit or fault current condition.

An electrical circuit breaker comprising

• a first movable electrical contact having an elongated stop pin fixedly secured thereto,
• a second electrical contact capable of being contacted by said first electrical contact and
• torsion spring means for biasing said first electrical contact comprising a fulcrum and a first elongated torsion spring arm disposed in contact with said stop pin at a first distance from said fulcrum when said first electrical contact is contacting said second electrical contact,
• said stop in being movable along the length of said first spring arm as said first electrical contact moves away from said second electrical contact to position said stop pin in engagement with said first spring arm at a second distance from said fulcurm, said second distance being greater than said first distance.

An electrical circuit breaker, comprising:

• a first movable electrical contact movable into and out of a BLOWN-OPEN position;
• a second electrical contact;
• and
• operating means mechanically interconnected with said first movable electrical contact for separating said first movable electrical contact from said second electrical contact by sequencing through a trip operation;
• magnetic repulsion force means magnetically associated with said first movable electrical contact for utilizing magnetic repulsion force from a fault current condition to rapidly separate said first movable electrical contact from said second electrical contact and move said second electrical contact to said BLOWN-OPEN position without sequencing through said trip operation;
• and
• torsion spring means for retaining said first movable contact in said BLOWN-OPEN position.

An electrical circuit breaker comprising:

• a first movable electrical contact movable into and out of a BLOWN-OPEN position;
• a second electrical contact;
• an elongated stop pin fixedly secured to said first movable contact;
• and
• torsion spring means for retaining said first movable contact in said BLOWN-OPEN position;
• said torsion spring means comprising a fulcrum and a first elongated torsion spring arm disposed in physical contact with said stop pin, as said first movable contact moves to said BLOWN-OPEN position, said stop pin moves along the length of said first spring arm away from said fulcrum, said spring arm biasing said stop pin to retain said movable contact in said BLOWN-OPEN position.