Circuit breaker

A circuit breaker comprising:

• a housing;
• at least one set of separable contacts including a set of main contacts;
• an operating mechanism including an operator handle for opening and closing said set of main contacts, said operator handle having a surface, an ON position, a tripped position, and an OFF position, said main contacts being closed in said ON position, being open in said tripped position, and being open in said OFF position;
• a trip mechanism releasing said operating mechanism to move said operator handle to said tripped position;
• and
• a switch including an actuator lever movable between an actuated position and a non-actuated position and adapted to engage the surface of the operator handle of said operating mechanism, said switch also including a contact having a first state corresponding to said actuated position and a second state corresponding to said non-actuated position, the surface of said operator handle engaging and moving said actuator lever to said actuated position in only the ON position of said operator handle, said actuator lever being in said non-actuated position in the OFF position and the tripped position of said operator handle;
• wherein said at least one set of separable contacts includes said set of main contacts and a set of secondary contacts electrically connected in series with said set of main contacts;
• wherein said operating mechanism includes a solenoid moving said set of secondary contacts between closed and open positions, and a control circuit selectively energizing said solenoid;
• wherein said switch is a first switch;
• and wherein said control circuit includes a second switch having a first contact controlling said solenoid and a second contact electrically connected to the contact of said first switch;
• wherein the second contact of said second switch and the contact of said first switch are adapted to receive a voltage;
• wherein the second contact of said second switch has an output adapted to provide a feedback voltage external to said housing when said set of secondary contacts is closed;
• and wherein the contact of said first switch has an output adapted to provide a feedback voltage external to said housing when said set of main contacts is closed.

A circuit breaker comprising:

• a housing;
• at least one set of separable contacts including a set of main contacts;
• an operating mechanism including an operator handle for opening and closing said set of main contacts, said operator handle having a surface, an ON position, a tripped position, and an OFF position, said main contacts being closed in said ON position, being open in said tripped position, and being open in said OFF position;
• a trip mechanism releasing said operating mechanism to move said operator handle to said tripped position;
• and
• a switch including an actuator lever movable between an actuated position and a non-actuated position and adapted to engage the surface of the operator handle of said operating mechanism, said switch also including a contact having a first state corresponding to said actuated position and a second state corresponding to said non-actuated position, the surface of said operator handle engaging and moving said actuator lever to said actuated position in only the ON position of said operator handle, said actuator lever being in said non-actuated position in the OFF position and the tripped position of said operator handle;
• wherein said at least one set of separable contacts includes said set of main contacts and a set of secondary contacts electrically connected in series with said set of main contacts;
• wherein said operating mechanism includes a solenoid moving said set of secondary contacts between closed and open positions, and a control circuit selectively energizing said solenoid;
• wherein said switch is a first switch;
• and wherein said control circuit includes a contact electrically connected in series with the contact of said first switch, a first node electrically connected to the contact of said first switch and to the contact of said control circuit, a second node, a first circuit element electrically connected between the contact of said first switch and said second node, and a second circuit element electrically connected between the contact of said control circuit and said second node.

A circuit breaker comprising:

• a molded housing having a base portion and a cover portion;
• separable contacts;
• an operating mechanism including an operator handle for opening and closing said separable contacts, said operator handle having a surface, an ON position, a tripped position, and an OFF position, said separable contacts being closed in said ON position, being open in said tripped position, and being open in said OFF position;
• a trip mechanism releasing said operating mechanism to move said operator handle to said tripped position;
• and
• a micro-switch including an actuator lever movable between an actuated position and a non-actuated position and adapted to engage the surface of the operator handle of said operating mechanism, said switch also including a contact having a first state corresponding to said actuated position and a second state corresponding to said non-actuated position, the surface of said operator handle engaging and moving said actuator lever to said actuated position in the ON position of said operator handle, said actuator lever being in said non-actuated position in the OFF position and the tripped position of said operator handle, said micro-switch having a first side, which engages the base portion of said molded housing, and an opposite second side, which engages said cover portion of said molded housing.