Motor operator de-coupling system sensing camshaft position

A charging assembly for an electrical switching apparatus, said electrical switching apparatus having a housing assembly with side plates, said charging assembly comprising:

• at least one closing spring structured to move between a charged and discharged configuration;
• a rocker arm assembly pivotally coupled to said housing assembly side plate and structured to engage said at least one closing spring;
• a cam shaft rotatably coupled to said housing assembly side plate and having a distal tip;
• a cam disposed on said cam shaft, said cam having an outer surface with the following features in sequence, a minimal diameter, a maximum, top dead center diameter, a downslope, a stop diameter, and a step back to said minimal diameter;
• a motor assembly having a motor, a motor shaft, and a cutoff switch, said motor structured to rotate said motor shaft in a charging direction, said motor shaft having a distal end, said cutoff switch having an extending actuator and structured to stop said motor from rotating when said actuator is actuated;
• said motor shaft disengagably fixed to said cam shaft so that, when said cam shaft is fixed to said motor shaft, rotation of said motor shaft causes said cam to rotate;
• wherein rotation of said cam causes said rocker arm assembly to engage said cam adjacent to said minimal diameter, then said cam top dead center, then said downslope, then said stop diameter, and as said cam rotates from a position wherein said rocker arm assembly engages said cam outer surface immediately adjacent to said minimal diameter to a position wherein said rocker arm assembly engages said cam at said top dead center, the counter-force applied to said cam shaft increases, and, as said rocker arm assembly engages said cam downslope and said stop diameter, the counter-force applied to said cam shaft decreases;
• a latch assembly coupled to said housing assembly and structured to stop the rotation of said cam shaft when said rocker arm assembly engages said stop diameter;
• a decoupling assembly disposed at the coupling of said motor shaft and said cam shaft, said decoupling assembly including a sprocket, a hub assembly, and a lifter pin assembly;
• said sprocket fixed to said motor shaft and structured to rotate in a charge direction, said sprocket having an outer surface with a plurality of teeth;
• said hub assembly having a pawl structured to move between a first position, wherein said pawl engages said sprocket teeth, and a second position, wherein said pawl does not engage said sprocket teeth;
• said lifter pin assembly having a lifter pin, said lifter pin structured to selectively move said pawl between said first position and said second position;
• and
• said hub assembly rotatably coupled to said sprocket and structured to selectively move with said sprocket when said pawl engages said sprocket teeth and to float on said sprocket when said pawl does not engage said sprocket teeth.

An electrical switching apparatus comprising:

• a housing defining an enclosed space and having a side plate;
• at least one pair of separable contacts structured to move between a first, open position, wherein the contacts are separated, and a second, closed position, wherein the contacts contact each other and are in electrical communication;
• a pole shaft structured to move said at least one pair of separable contacts between said first and second positions;
• a charging assembly structured to rotate said pole shaft and having at least one closing spring, a rocker arm assembly, a cam shaft, a cam, a motor assembly, a latch assembly, and a decoupling assembly;
• said at least one closing spring structured to move between a charged and discharged configuration;
• said rocker arm assembly pivotally coupled to said housing assembly side plate and structured to engage said at least one closing spring;
• said cam shaft rotatably coupled to said housing assembly side plate and having a distal tip;
• said cam disposed on said cam shaft, said cam having an outer surface with the following features in sequence, a minimal diameter, a maximum, top dead center diameter, a downslope, a stop diameter, and a step back to said minimal diameter;
• said motor assembly having a motor, a motor shaft, and a cutoff switch, said motor structured to rotate said motor shaft in a charging direction, said motor shaft having a distal end, said cutoff switch having an extending actuator and structured to stop said motor from rotating when said actuator is actuated;
• said motor shaft disengagably fixed to said cam shaft so that, when said cam shaft is fixed to said motor shaft, rotation of said motor shaft causes said cam to rotate;
• wherein rotation of said cam causes said rocker arm assembly to engage said cam adjacent to said minimal diameter, then said cam top dead center, then said downslope, then said stop diameter, and as said cam rotates from a position wherein said rocker arm assembly engages said cam outer surface immediately adjacent to said minimal diameter to a position wherein said rocker arm assembly engages said cam at said top dead center, the counter-force applied to said cam shaft increases, and, as said rocker arm assembly engages said cam downslope and said stop diameter, the counter-force applied to said cam shaft decreases;
• said latch assembly coupled to said housing assembly and structured to stop the rotation of said cam shaft when said rocker arm assembly engages said stop diameter;
• said decoupling assembly disposed at the coupling of said motor shaft and said cam shaft, said decoupling assembly including a sprocket, a hub assembly, and a lifter pin assembly;
• said sprocket fixed to said motor shaft and structured to rotate in a charge direction, said sprocket having an outer surface with a plurality of teeth;
• said hub assembly having a pawl structured to move between a first position, wherein said pawl engages said sprocket teeth, and a second position, wherein said pawl does not engage said sprocket teeth;
• said lifter pin assembly having a lifter pin, said lifter pin structured to selectively move said pawl between said first position and said second position;
• and
• said hub assembly rotatably coupled to said sprocket and structured to selectively move with said sprocket when said pawl engages said sprocket teeth and to float on said sprocket when said pawl does not engage said sprocket teeth.