US 5,343,179 AGranted

Miniaturized solenoid operated trip device

AssigneeEaton Corporation

InventorsCharles W. Pipich, David W. Fugate, James M. Marks

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Abstract

A solenoid operated circuit breaker trip device has a base defining a guide channel and an actuator that slides in the guide channel and interacts with a contact breaking mechanism having a trip bar operable to make or break electrical contacts. A spring biases the actuator toward the trip bar. A solenoid on the base electromagnetically displaces a plunger along a linear path and is coupled to a trigger having a latching surface that holds or releases the actuator. The guide channel runs parallel to the path of the plunger, adjacent the solenoid. The trigger is L-shaped and pivoted on a pivot pin between two legs of its L-shape, on an axis transverse to the path of the plunger. One of the two trigger legs is coupled to the plunger, and the other has an engagement surface that is moved behind a complementary surface of the actuator to selectively block its displacement. The base can be a slotted frame attached to the solenoid or a molded housing having an interior cavity for receiving the solenoid. A return spring urges the trigger toward the latching position.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A trip apparatus for an electrical contactor having circuit breaker means operable to couple and decouple electrical contacts, the trip apparatus comprising:

a base;
an actuator arranged on the base, the actuator being extendable to contact said circuit breaker means and retractable from said circuit breaker means, for breaking and making the electrical contacts, respectively;
at least one spring coupled between the actuator and the base, the spring being operable to bias the actuator toward the circuit breaker means;
a solenoid having an element that is electromagnetically displaceable upon application of power to the solenoid, and means for returning said element to a home position upon cessation of the power;
a trigger coupled to the actuator and to the displaceable element of the solenoid, the trigger being arranged to release the actuator for movement toward the circuit breaker means upon application of power to the solenoid;
and
wherein the trigger and the actuator each comprise complementary latch surfaces, the trigger being rotatably mounted on an axis for movement by the solenoid between two positions, and wherein in one of the two positions the trigger engages the actuator to block movement of the actuator by engagement of the complementary latch surfaces, and in another of the two positions the trigger disengages the complementary latch surfaces to release the actuator.

4 more elements

A solenoid operated circuit breaker trip device, comprising:

a base defining a guide channel;
an actuator bar disposed in the guide channel for sliding movement;
a contact breaking mechanism having a trip bar, operable to make or break electrical contacts, the contact breaking mechanism being disposed along the sliding movement of the actuator bar;
a spring operable to bias the actuator bar toward the trip bar;
a solenoid mounted relative to the base and operable electromagnetically to displace a plunger along a linear path;
a trigger coupled to the plunger and having a latching surface, the trigger being mounted for movement by the plunger selectively to displace the latching surface between a latching position at which the latching surface is disposed to block the sliding movement of the actuator bar toward the trip bar, and a release position at which the latching surface is clear of the actuator bar along the sliding movement of the actuator bar;
and,
wherein the guide channel is arranged parallel to the linear path of the plunger and adjacent the solenoid, further comprising a pivot pin carrying the trigger, the trigger having substantially an L-shape and being pivoted on the pivot pin between two legs of the L-shape, the pivot pin being oriented transverse to the linear path of the plunger, wherein one of the two legs is coupled to the plunger, and wherein the trigger comprises an engagement surface disposed on the other of the two legs, operable to block the sliding movement of the actuator bar.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.