Two-pole compartmentalized ground fault miniature circuit breaker with a single central electronics compartment

A two pole circuit breaker comprising:

• first and second sets of separable contacts forming first and second poles;
• operating means comprising first and second thermal-magnetic operating mechanisms for operating said first and second sets of electrical contacts respectively, and electronic trip means connected to said first and second poles and having a common actuating member which is actuated when predetermined conditions are detected in either pole;
• and
• a molded housing having first and second compartments on opposite sides of a third compartment, said first set of separable contacts and said first thermal-magnetic operating mechanism being mounted in said first compartment, said second set of separable contacts and said second thermal-magnetic operating mechanism being mounted in said second compartment, and said electronic trip means being mounted in said third compartment, said common actuating means extending into one of said first and second compartments from said third compartment to actuate one of said first and second thermal-magnetic operating mechanisms to open one of said first and second sets of separable contacts, and wherein said operating mechanism includes common trip means extending through said third compartment to actuate the other of said first and second thermal-magnetic operating mechanisms to open the other of said first and second sets of contacts.

A two pole circuit breaker comprising:

• first and second sets of separable contacts forming first and second poles;
• operating means comprising first and second thermal-magnetic operating mechanisms for operating said first and second sets of electrical contacts respectively, and electronic trip means responsive to currents flowing through said first and second poles for operating said thermal-magnetic operating mechanisms in response to predetermined current conditions;
• and
• a molded housing comprising a molded top base having a first cavity forming a first compartment with a first partition forming a wall of said first compartment, a top cover mating with said top base to enclose said first compartment, a molded bottom cover having a second cavity forming a second compartment, a molded bottom base mating with said molded bottom cover and having a second partition enclosing said second compartment and having a third cavity separated from said second compartment by said second partition, and a hollow center base mating with said top and bottom bases to form with said third cavity a third compartment between said first and second partitions and between said first and second compartments, said first set of separable contacts and said first thermal-magnetic operating mechanism located in said first compartment, said second set of separable contacts and said second thermal-magnetic operating mechanism located in said second compartment, and said electronic trip means located in said third compartment between said first and second compartments and having common means actuating said first and second thermal-magnetic operating mechanisms in response to predetermined current conditions in said poles.