Circuit breaker with bypass conductor commutating current out of the bimetal during short circuit interruption and method of commutating current out of bimetal

A circuit breaker comprising:

• a pair of main contacts including a fixed contact and a moveable contact;
• a line terminal connected to the fixed contact and a load terminal;
• an operating mechanism for opening the main contacts when tripped;
• a trip assembly comprising a bimetal having a fixed end electrically connected to the load terminal and a free end electrically connected to the moveable contact, the bimetal being deflected in response to an overcurrent through the main contacts to trip the operating mechanism to open the main contacts;
• a bimetal bypass comprising a bypass conductor connected to the load terminal and positioned to commutate current passing through the bimetal to the bypass conductor through deflection of the bimetal in response to an overcurrent sufficient to trip the operating mechanism;
• wherein the operating mechanism includes a moveable contact arm carrying the moveable contact moveable to an open position in which the main contacts are separated, and a flexible shunt electrically connecting the contact arm to the free end of the bimetal, and wherein the bypass conductor extends toward the moveable contact arm to commutate at least some current from the moveable contact arm to the bypass conductor.