Circuit interrupter including a molded case made of liquid crystal polymer

A circuit interrupter comprising:

• a housing comprising a molded case made of liquid crystal polymer;
• separable contacts disposed within said housing;
• an operating mechanism disposed within said housing and being structured to open and close said separable contacts;
• and
• a trip mechanism disposed within said housing and being structured to cooperate with said operating mechanism to trip open said separable contacts, said trip mechanism comprising an electronic trip circuit and a rigid, conductive base providing an aircraft chassis ground to said electronic trip circuit,
• wherein said rigid, conductive base is insert molded to a portion of said molded case, and
• wherein said rigid, conductive base includes a planar portion disposed adjacent said molded case, said planar portion including a plurality of openings, said molded case including a plurality of protrusions disposed through said plurality of openings, in order to mechanically interlock said planar portion to said molded case when said rigid, conductive base is insert molded to the portion of said molded case.

A circuit interrupter comprising:

• a housing comprising a molded case made of liquid crystal polymer, said molded case including a first cavity, a separate second cavity and a wall separating said first cavity from said separate second cavity;
• separable contacts disposed within said separate second cavity;
• an operating mechanism disposed within said separate second cavity and being structured to open and close said separable contacts;
• and
• a trip mechanism disposed within said housing and being structured to cooperate with said operating mechanism to trip open said separable contacts, said trip mechanism comprising a number of printed circuit boards disposed within said first cavity,
• wherein said first cavity is structured as a mold and receives said number of printed circuit boards and a low pressure molding material to encapsulate said number of printed circuit boards within said first cavity,
• wherein said molded case further includes a back portion, four side portions disposed from said back portion and an open front portion, and
• wherein a planar cover is coupled to said molded case at the open front portion to cover, within a single volume enclosed by said molded case and said planar cover and including said first cavity and said separate second cavity, both of said encapsulated number of printed circuit boards within said first cavity, and said separable contacts and said operating mechanism disposed within said separate second cavity.

A circuit interrupter comprising:

• a plurality of poles, each of said poles comprising:
• a housing comprising a molded case made of liquid crystal polymer
• separable contacts disposed within said housing,
• an operating mechanism disposed within said housing and being structured to open and close said separable contacts, and
• a trip mechanism disposed within said housing and being structured to cooperate with said operating mechanism to trip open said separable contacts, said trip mechanism comprising an electronic trip circuit and a rigid, conductive base providing an aircraft chassis ground to said electronic trip circuit,
• wherein said rigid, conductive base is insert molded to a portion of said molded case;
• and
• a plurality of fasteners coupling said plurality of poles together,
• wherein said molded case comprises a first cavity, a separate second cavity, a wall separating said first cavity from said separate second cavity, a back portion, four side portions disposed from said back portion and an open front portion;
• wherein said separable contacts and said operating mechanism are disposed within said separate second cavity;
• wherein said electronic trip circuit comprises a number of printed circuit boards disposed within said first cavity;
• and wherein a planar cover is coupled to said molded case at the open front portion to cover, within a single volume enclosed by said molded case and said planar cover and including said first cavity and said separate second cavity, both of said number of printed circuit boards disposed within said first cavity, and said separable contacts and said operating mechanism disposed within said separate second cavity.