AU742165B2

AU742165B2 - Improvements in and relating to circuit breakers

Info

Publication number: AU742165B2
Application number: AU58348/98A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Andrew Purdie Baker; Keith Wray Ball
Original assignee: Schneider Electric SE
Current assignee: Schneider Electric SE
Priority date: 1997-03-14
Filing date: 1998-03-12
Publication date: 2001-12-20
Anticipated expiration: 2018-03-12
Also published as: DE69830436T2; EP0865061A2; EP0865061A3; ES2242267T3; DE69830436D1; GB2323480B; GB2323480A; EP0865061B1; GB9705342D0; AU5834898A

Description

1U R'/UU/Ul 28/5/t Regulation 3.2(2)

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Application Number: Lodged: 0 0.

0 1000 Invention Title: IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO CIRCUIT BREAKERS The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us AN ADAPTER ARRANGMENT FOR A CIRCUIT BREAKER FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates generally to circuit breakers and to adapters for circuit breakers, more particularly, although not exclusively, to miniature circuit breakers BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Standard m.c.b's typically have screw terminals for both the incoming and outgoing electrical connections. However, load centres and consumer units for example as disclosed in European Patent no. 0,325,370, have provisions for m.c.b's to plug onto bus bars to provide the incoming electrical connection thereto.

"United Kingdom patent application no 2301940A discloses a simple and inexpensive adapter for converting standard m.c.b's for plug on or plug in usage.

0: Any discussion of documents, devices, acts or knowledge in this 15 specification is included to explain the context of the invention. It should not be taken as an admission that any of the material formed part of the prior art base or the common general knowledge in the relevant art in Australia on or before the S priority date of the claims herein.

cel* "Comprises/comprising" when used in this specification is taken to specify S 20 the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components but does not eoee preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an adapter for converting standard m.c.b's to a plug in type m.c.b which provides a location and support arrangement and is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the invention there is provided an adapter which includes an electrically conductive member formed to be attachable to a circuit breaker of a type having a casing and a cable entry formed in an end wall of the casing, the electrically conductive member including: a central body portion; a first part extending from said body portion to be clamped and electrically connected within the cable entry of the circuit breaker; a second part including an electrical connector portion and extending from the body portion in a direction substantially normal to said first part; and a third part extending from said body portion in a direction opposite to the second portion and adapted to extend in use along the end wall of the circuit breaker casing and to engage the casing so as to provide mechanical support.

The adapter may be formed from a blank of electrically conductive material. The blank may include a generally sheet-form member having a central body portion with: a first portion extending coplanar with said central body portion and which can be bent to lie normal to said body portion to form said first part to be clamped and electrically connectable within a cable entry of the circuit breaker; first and second wing portions extending from opposite sides from said central body portion and which can be bent in a direction opposite to said first portion to lie in a plane normal to both said body portion and said first potion; 15 wherein said first wing portion forming said support portion and said second wing portion can be further accurately bent to form said connector portion.

Parts distal to said central body portion of the first wing portions may be S formed with a nose portion for engagement with the circuit breaker casing, in use.

The adapter may be provided in combination with an electrically insulative S 20 cover member engageable with the casing of the circuit breaker and adapted to cover the adapter when said first part is clamped in said cable entry.

:Said first part joins said body portion at the same end as the third part, opposite to the end to which the second part joins the body portion.

The invention in a second aspect provides an adapter according the first aspect of the invention as set forth above, in combination with a circuit breaker of the type described.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing and further features of the invention may be more readily understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof by way example, with reference to the 5 accompanying drawing, in which:- Fig. 1 shows a plan view of a blank for forming an adapter; Fig. 2 shows a front elevational view of an adapter formed from the blank of Fig. 1; 3 Fig. 3 shows a side elevational view of the adapter of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 shows a plan view of the adapter of Figs 2 and 3, and Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of an adapter of Figs 1 to 4 on reduced scale attachment to a circuit breaker.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawing there is shown a blank 10 for a circuit breaker adapter. The blank 10 includes a generally sheet form member with a central body portion 11, an upwardly extending portion 12 and two wing portions 13 extending upwardly and downwardly from opposed sides of the body portion 11.

Referring now also to Figs 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings portion 12 of the blank is bent upwardly from body portion 11 to lie in a plane normal to the plane of body portion 11.

The two wing portions 13 are bent downwardly from body portion 11 to lie 15 in complanar relationship normal to the plane of body portion 11. The upper arms 13a of wing 13 are each formed with a nose portion 13b extending in the direction of portion 12.

•eee•= S• The lower leg portions 13c of wings 13 are bent in arcuate fashion adjacent extremities 13d to provide plug on contacts, thus forming an electrical 20 connector portion.

Referring now to Fig. 5 of the drawing there is shown an exploded perspective view of an m.c.b. 14 an adapter and an electrically insulative cover Sc 15. The adapter is located with portion 12 inserted into the cable entry of m.c.b.

14 with arms 13a and nose portion 13b abutting the edge of m.c.b. 14 and legs portions 13c depending downwardly therefrom. The cover 15 is located over the edge of m.c.b. 14 to cover the adapter and cable entry.

The provision of the arm and nose portions 13a 13b provide a relatively rigid connection of the adapter to an m.c.b. and formation of the adapter from a blank provides a simple and inexpensive form of manufacture.

Claims

1. An adapter which includes an electrically conductive member formed to be attachable to a circuit breaker of a type having a casing and a cable entry formed in an end wall of the casing, the electrically conductive member including: a central body portion; a first part extending from said body portion to be clamped and electrically connected within the cable entry of the circuit breaker; a second part including an electrical connector portion and extending from the body portion in a direction substantially normal to said first part; and third part extending from said body portion in a direction opposite to the second portion and adapted to extend in use along the end wall of the circuit breaker casing and to engage the casing so as to provide mechanical support. t S•2. An adapter as claimed in claim 1 formed from a blank of electrically conductive material.

3. An adapter as claimed in claim 2, wherein said blank includes a generally sheet-form member having a central body portion with: S. a first portion extending coplanar with said central body portion and which can be bent to lie normal to said body portion to form said first part to be clamped and electrically connectable within a cable entry of the circuit breaker; first and second wing portions extending from opposite sides from said central body portion and which can be bent in a direction opposite to said first portion to lie in a plane normal to both said body portion and said first portion; wherein said first wing portion forming said support portion and said second wing portion can be further arcuately bent to form said connector portion.

4. An adapter as claimed in claim 3, wherein parts distal to said central body portion of the first wing portions are each formed with a nose portion for engagement with the circuit breaker casing, in use. An adapter as claimed in any preceding claim in combination with an electrically insulative cover member engageable with the casing of the circuit breaker and adapted to cover the adapter when said first part is clamped in said cable entry.

6. An adapter as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said first part joins said body portion at the same end as the third part, opposite to the end to which the second part joins the body portion.

7. An adapter as claimed in any preceding claim in combination with said circuit breaker.

8. An adapter for a circuit breaker substantially a herein before described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawing. S* 9. A circuit breaker, adapter and cover substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing. DATED this 25th day of September 2001 SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC SA o WATERMARK PATENT TRADEMARK ATTORNEYS 290 BURWOOD ROAD HAWTHORN VICTORIA 3122 AUSTRALIA RCS/NWM/AXO