Integrated maglatch accessory
AssigneeSiemens Industry, Inc.
InventorSolomon R. Titus
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for indicating a condition of a molded case circuit breaker, with the circuit breaker defining an accessory pocket in communication with an operating mechanism and a trip unit of the circuit breaker, including a mount member operatively coupled to one of the operating mechanism and trip unit in the accessory pocket. A housing coupled to the mount member, with the housing defining a compartment. A magnetic latch device disposed in the compartment and operatively coupled to the mount member. A switch disposed in the compartment and operatively coupled to the mount member. Wherein a condition of the circuit breaker is indicated by a condition of one of the switch and magnetic latch, and the condition of the circuit breaker is operatively transmitted via the apparatus to a remote location.
Claims13
A circuit breaker comprising:
- a circuit breaker housing defining at least one accessory pocket;
- an operating mechanism disposed within the circuit breaker housing and operable to engage and disengage a first contact with a second contact;
- an auxiliary accessory disposed in the accessory pocket and coupled to the operating mechanism, the auxiliary accessory including an accessory housing, and a magnetic latch and a plurality of status switches located within the accessory housing, the status of at least one of the plurality of switches changing in response to a change in state of the circuit breaker, the magnetic latch being activated based on an amount of current flowing through the circuit breaker;
- and
- a mounting member, wherein the auxiliary accessory is coupled to the operating mechanism via the mounting member, and wherein the mounting member is a separate component coupled to the accessory housing and includes a base, and first and second moveable switch actuators rotatably mounted to the base, each of the first and second switch actuators including a switch lever and a switch pad, wherein the first and second switch actuators are coupled to the operating mechanism and moveable by the operating mechanism to cause the switch pads to operate one or more of the plurality of switches and change a status of one or more of the switches.
An auxiliary accessory for a circuit breaker, the circuit breaker having a circuit breaker housing that defines at least one accessory pocket, the auxiliary accessory comprising:
- an accessory housing;
- a magnetic latch located within the housing, the magnetic latch being activated based on a current flowing through the circuit breaker;
- a plurality of switches located within the housing, the switches indicating a change in status of the circuit breaker;
- and
- a mounting member including a base, and a first and second switch actuator rotatably mounted to the base, each of the first and second switch actuators including a switch lever and a switch pad, the first and second switch actuators coupled to an operating mechanism of the circuit breaker to cause a change in the status of at least one of the plurality of switches upon change in status of the circuit breaker;
- wherein the accessory housing is mounted within the accessory pocket via the mounting member and wherein the mounting member is a separate component coupled to the accessory housing.
A method of installing an auxiliary accessory in a circuit breaker, comprising:
- providing a circuit breaker having an accessory pocket and an operating mechanism operable to selectively engage and disengage a first contact with a second contact;
- mounting an auxiliary accessory within the accessory pocket, the auxiliary accessory including an accessory housing containing a magnetic latch and a plurality of switches, the magnetic latch being activated based on a current flowing through the circuit breaker;
- and
- coupling the auxiliary accessory to the operating mechanism such that at least one of the plurality of switches indicates a change in state of the circuit breaker;
- wherein the auxiliary accessory is mounted within the accessory pocket via a mounting member, wherein the mounting member is a separate component coupled to the accessory housing and includes a base and first and second moveable switch actuators rotatably mounted to the base, each of the first and second moveable switch actuators including a switch lever and a switch pad, the first and second moveable switch actuators being coupled to the operating mechanism and moveable by the operating mechanism to change the status of at least one of the switches.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.