Redundant pivot trip latch
AssigneeEaton Corporation
InventorsNathan James Weister, Douglas Charles Marks, Mark Allen McAfee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A trip mechanism having a hatchet plate disposed on a pivot pin assembly having a pivot pin member with at least three pivoting surfaces. First and second pivoting surfaces are located where the pivot pin member engages the supporting side plates. Thus, the pivot pin assembly may rotate in the traditional manner, i.e., both the hatchet plate and the pivot pin assembly rotate between the side plates. An additional pivoting surface is located where the hatchet plate engages the pivot pin assembly.
Claims24
A trip mechanism for a circuit breaker, said circuit breaker including a first and second side plate, each of the side plates having a pivot pin opening, said trip mechanism comprising:
- a hatchet plate having an opening;
- a pivot pin assembly having a longitudinal axis and at least three pivoting surfaces, said pivot pin assembly including a pivot pin member with a first pivoting surface, a second pivoting surface, and a third pivoting surface;
- said pivot pin member extending between said first and second side plates and being pivotally coupled to said first side plate at the first pivoting surface and pivotally coupled to said second side plate at the second pivoting surface;
- said hatchet plate pivotally coupled to said pivot pin member with said pivot pin third pivoting surface disposed through said hatchet plate opening;
- whereby said hatchet plate has at least two modes of rotation about a single axis, said modes of rotation including said hatchet plate pivoting about said pivot pin member at said third pivoting surface and said hatchet plate and said pivot pin member pivoting at said first and second pivoting surfaces.
A circuit breaker comprising:
- a housing;
- at least one pair of main contacts disposed in said housing;
- an operating mechanism coupled to said at least one pair of main contacts and structured to separate said at least one pair of main contacts, said operating mechanism including a trip mechanism;
- said trip mechanism having a hatchet plate with an opening, a pivot pin assembly having pivot pin member with a longitudinal axis and at least three pivoting surfaces, a first pivoting surface, a second pivoting surface, and a third pivoting surface, said pivot pin member extending between said first and second side plates and being pivotally coupled to said first side plate at a first pivoting surface and pivotally coupled to said second side plate at a second pivoting surface, said hatchet plate pivotally coupled to said pivot pin member with said pivot pin third pivoting surface disposed through said hatchet plate opening, and whereby said hatchet plate has at least two modes of rotation about a single axis, said modes of rotation including said hatchet plate pivoting about said pivot pin member at said third pivoting surface and said hatchet plate and said pivot pin member pivoting at said first and second pivoting surfaces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.