Circuit breaker and auxiliary device therefor

A surface-mountable accessory module for a circuit breaker having a breaker housing with a breaker assembly disposed therein for alternately making and breaking contact with a stationary contact via a movable contactor, releasable latch means for automatically operating said breaker assembly to a circuit-breaking position, position-indicating means carried with said contactor for indicating the position of said contactor and including means responsive to a force applied to said position-indicating means for operating said breaker assembly to said circuit-breaking position, said breaker housing having an aperture for providing external access to said position-indicating means, said module comprising:

• a module housing;
• mounting means adapted for mounting said module housing to said breaker housing, said module housing being provided with a module housing aperture disposed to confront said breaker housing aperture when said module housing is mounted on said breaker housing;
• switch means disposed within said module housing and operable between first and second switching conditions for indicating circuit-making and circuit-breaking contactor positions respectively;
• coupling means for coupling said switch means to said position-indicating means when said module housing is mounted on said breaker housing to operate said switch means to said first switching condition when said contactor is in said circuit-making position and to said second switching condition when said contactor is in said circuit-breaking position, said coupling means including a coupling member disposed to pass through said module housing aperture;
• solenoid means disposed within said module housing for urging said coupling member to operate said breaker assembly to said circuit-breaking position when said module is mounted on said breaker;
• and
• connector means for making electrical connection to said solenoid means and said switch means.