Remotely controllable circuit breaker

A remotely controllable circuit breaker comprising:

• a housing;
• a breaker contact comprising first and second movable contacts;
• a first contact arm carrying said first movable contact and movable between an OFF position and an ON position;
• a second contact arm carrying at its end said second movable contact for contact with said first movable contact in said ON position, said second contact arm extending along said first contact arm in generally parallel relation thereto;
• a switching mechanism for opening and closing said breaker contacts, said switching mechanism including a manual handle connected to move said first contact arm between said OFF position and said ON position, said switching mechanism further including trip means acting to forcibly move said first contact arm toward its OFF position from its ON position upon the occurrence of an overcurrent flowing through the circuit of the breaker;
• and L-shaped actuator having a horizontal member and a vertical member and carrying on its vertical member said second contact arm, said actuator pivotally supported in the housing at a portion adjacent the connection between said horizontal member and vertical member for pivotal movement between an operative position where the second contact is allowed to be in contact with said first contact in said ON position and an inoperative position where said second contact is away from said first contact;
• an electromagnet with an axially movable plunger and energizeable by a remote control signal for driving said plunger in its axial direction, said plunger being operatively connected to said horizontal member of the L-shaped armature so as to move the second contact arm between said operative and inoperative positions upon the energization and deenergization of said electromagnet, said electromagnet having length and width dimensions which are respectively parallel to and perpendicular to the axial direction of said plunger;
• said electromagnet disposed in said housing in side-by-side relation to said switching mechanism with said first and second contact arms interposed therebetween;
• said L-shaped actuator being disposed in proximity to said electromagnet with its horizontal member extending over the width of said electromagnet and with its vertical member extending over the length of said electromagnet such that said horizontal member and vertical member have their substantial portions, respectively, within the width and length dimensions of said electromagnet.