US 6,388,858 B1Granted

Remotely controllable circuit breaker

AssigneeEaton Corporation

InventorsKevin Anthony Simms, Wayne Gerald Adamson, David Lee Davidson, Kenneth L. Uhlman

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Abstract

A circuit breaker has a set of remotely controllable secondary contacts connected in series with the main contacts which provide overcurrent protection. The secondary contacts are opened and closed by a latching solenoid having a close coil and an open coil which are separately connected to switched terminals of a first switch. A voltage source, which may be ac, dc or pulsed, is connected to the common terminal of the first switch through a rectifier. The first switch is coupled to the plunger of the latching solenoid which opens and closes the set of secondary contacts and enables the coil which operates the set of secondary contacts to the opposite state. Energization of the enabled coil is completed by additional, remotely located switches connected between each coil and ground. A status line connected to one of the switched terminals of the first switch is energized when the associated coil is enabled to indicate the open/close status of the set of secondary contacts.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A remotely controllable circuit breaker comprising:

a set of main contacts;
an operating mechanism for opening and closing said set of main contacts;
a set of secondary contacts connected in series with said set of main contacts;
a latching solenoid including a plunger latchable to a first position which closes said set of secondary contacts and to a second position which opens said set of secondary contacts, a first coil which when energized operates said plunger to said first position and a second coil which when energized operates said plunger to said second position;
a control circuit comprising;
a voltage source;
and
a first switch selectively connecting said voltage source to said first coil and to said second coil, wherein said first switch has a common terminal, a first switched terminal selectively connectable to said common terminal and a second switched terminal alternatively selectively connectable to said common terminal, said first coil being connected between said first switched terminal and ground and said second coil being connected between said second switched terminal and ground.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.