US 9,378,901 B2Granted

Mechanical wear, wipe and stroke measurement system for circuit breakers

AssigneeEaton Corporation

InventorsKoustubh Dnyandeo Ashtekar, James Jeffery Benke, Zachary R. Jenkins

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Abstract

A contact wear indicator assembly for a circuit breaker assembly is provided. The contact wear indicator assembly includes an interface assembly, an indicator drive assembly, and a user display assembly. The user display assembly includes an output device. The output device is structured to produce a visual indication representative of a measurable contact characteristic. The indicator drive assembly is operatively coupled to the interface assembly, whereby the indicator drive assembly moves between a first position and a second position corresponding to an interface assembly first and second position. The indicator drive assembly is measurably coupled to the user display assembly. The user display assembly is structured to convert the position data of the indicator drive assembly into a quantified output such as, but not limited to, contact characteristics. The user display assembly is further structured to display the indicator drive assembly position data on the output device.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A contact wear indicator assembly for a circuit breaker assembly, said circuit breaker assembly including a fixed, CBA first contact assembly, a movable, CBA second contact assembly, and an operating mechanism, said operating mechanism operatively coupled to said CBA second contact assembly, said CBA second contact assembly including an elongated stem and a contact member, said CBA second contact assembly moveable between a first position, wherein said CBA second contact assembly contact member is spaced from, and not in electrical communication with, said CBA first contact assembly, and a second position, wherein said CBA second contact assembly contact member is coupled to, and in electrical communication with, said CBA first contact assembly, wherein said CBA second contact assembly stem moves generally linearly between a first and second position corresponding to said CBA second contact assembly contact member first and second positions, said operating mechanism including a number of movable elements, a portion of said movable elements are coupled to said CBA second contact assembly, said portion of said operating mechanism elements coupled to said CBA second contact assembly move between a first position and a second position corresponding to said CBA second contact assembly first and second positions, said contact wear indicator assembly comprising:

a contact interface assembly, said contact interface assembly coupled to said CBA second contact assembly stem whereby said contact interface assembly moves with said CBA second contact assembly stem between a first position and a second position;
an indicator drive assembly including an elongated, first drive member,
a user display assembly including an output device, said output device structured to produce a visual indication representative of a contact characteristic;
said indicator drive assembly first drive member operatively coupled to said contact interface assembly whereby said indicator drive assembly first drive member moves between a first position and a second position corresponding to said contact interface assembly first and second positions;
said indicator drive assembly first drive member measurably coupled to said user display assembly;
and
said user display assembly structured to display indicator drive assembly first drive member position data on said output device.

4 more elements

A circuit breaker comprising:

a fixed, CBA first contact assembly;
a movable, CBA second contact assembly, said CBA second contact assembly including an elongated stem and a contact member, said CBA second contact assembly moveable between a first position, wherein said CBA second contact assembly contact member is spaced from, and not in electrical communication with, said CBA first contact assembly, and a second position, wherein said CBA second contact assembly contact member is coupled to, and in electrical communication with, said CBA first contact assembly;
an operating mechanism including a number of movable elements, a portion of said movable elements are coupled to said CBA second contact assembly, said portion of said operating mechanism elements coupled to said CBA second contact assembly move between a first position and a second position corresponding to said CBA second contact assembly first and second positions;
said operating mechanism operatively coupled to said CBA second contact assembly and structured to move said CBA second contact assembly between said first and second positions, wherein said CBA second contact assembly stem moves generally linearly between a first and second position corresponding to said CBA second contact assembly contact member first and second positions;
a contact wear indicator assembly including a contact interface assembly, an indicator drive assembly, and a user display assembly;
said contact interface assembly coupled to said CBA second contact assembly stem whereby said contact interface assembly moves with said CBA second contact assembly stem between a first position and a second position;
said indicator drive assembly including an elongated, first drive member,
said user display assembly including an output device, said output device structured to produce a visual indication representative of a contact characteristic;
said indicator drive assembly first drive member operatively coupled to said contact interface assembly whereby said indicator drive assembly first drive member moves between a first position and a second position corresponding to said contact interface assembly first and second positions;
said indicator drive assembly first drive member measurably coupled to said user display assembly;
and
said user display assembly structured to display indicator drive assembly first drive member position data on said output device.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/540,113Filed 13 Nov 2014
Published: US 2016/0141117 A119 May 2016
Granted: 28 Jun 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification17 codes

H01H 1/0015
Contacts: means for testing or for inspecting contacts, e.g. wear indicator
G01R 31/333
Testing of circuit interrupters, switches or circuit-breakers: testing of the switching capacity of high-voltage circuit-breakers ; Testing of…
H01H 9/16
Details of switching devices, not covered by groups H01H1/00 - H01H7/00: indicators for switching condition, e.g. "on" or "off"
H01H 33/666
Vacuum switches: operating arrangements