GB2288279A

GB2288279A - Circuit breaker

Info

Publication number: GB2288279A
Application number: GB9505984A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Raymond Kelsey Seymour; Paul Thomas Rajotte
Original assignee: General Electric Co
Current assignee: General Electric Co
Priority date: 1994-04-08
Filing date: 1995-03-24
Publication date: 1995-10-11
Anticipated expiration: 2015-03-24
Also published as: GB2288279B; GB9505984D0

Abstract

A bell alarm and lock out accessory unit for a circuit breaker that activates a bell alarm upon tripping and prevents closing of the circuit breaker until the unit has been reset comprises a tripping device 4 having a plunger 5 extending from the bottom of an enclosure 2 and a reset button 11 extending from the top of the enclosure 2 for indicating the condition of the circuit breaker and for manually resetting the tripping device 4. The tripping device 4 is arranged within a recess in an insulating cover of the circuit breaker and is actuated by an electronic trip unit arranged within a recess in the cover. <IMAGE>

Description

CIRCUIT BREAKER The present invention relates to circuit breakers.

Accessories have been provided for circuit breakers specifically a bell alarm device that provides remote indication of circuit breaker tripping and a lock out function that prevents the circuit breaker from being turned until the device is reset and the fault condition is cleared. Historically these devices have been electromechanical in nature providing a single pole double throw switch for customer trip annunciation. Prior art Patent US-A-4,297,663 shows the use of a molded case and a switch to provide the bell alarm function. Some systems use a latching solenoid (Flux shifter) device to provide the electrical energy to change a switch state and therefore provide the same function.

The present invention provides an industrial-rated circuit breaker for high level current protection comprising an industrial-rated circuit breaker for high level overcurrent protection comprising: an insulative base and an insulative cover; an operating mechanism in said base controlled by an electronic trip unit arranged within a trip unit recess in said cover; and a bell alarm and lock-out accessory unit arranged within an accessor recess in said cover, said accessory unit including a reset button extending from a top of said accessory unit to provide indication as to the condition of said operating mechanism and to allow manual reset function to said accessory unit. The units may further include a flux shifter having a plunger extending from the accessory unit at a bottom surface thereof and may include a plate connecting between the reset button and the plunger, the plate being slidably arranged within the accessory unit between a latched and an unlatched position.

A spring may be included to bias the plate between the latched and the unlatched positions.

The circuit breaker may also include a switch interacting with this plate to thereby turn the switch on and off by contact with the plate between the latched and the unlatched positions. The plate may include a protrusion contacting a switch level on the switch to turn the switch on and off.

The circuit breaker may include a printed circuit board connecting between the switch and the flux shifter, the printed circuit board including means for removably connecting with said circuit breaker trip unit.

In one embodiment a pivotal lever is arranged connecting between the plunger and the plate, whereby the plunger extends from the bottom in one direction and drives the plate and the reset button in an opposite direction, thereby extending the reset button from the top of the accessory unit.

The plates may include an elongated slot with the plate being slidably arranged by provision of a screw on one side of the slot received within a spool on the opposite side thereof.

The circuit breaker may include a bell alarm and lockout accessory circuit on the trip unit connecting with the flux shifter providing operating prior to the flux shifter.

The present invention also envisages a combined bell alarm and circuit breaker look-out accessory for use in an industrial-rated circuit breaker as described above.

Variations of the invention variously provide a lockout device that prevents the breaker from being turned on until a manual reset is performed, a bell alarm device that provides remote indication of circuit breaker tripping and provides manual or automatic reset and a combination lockout and manual reset bell alarm device. All three variations receive a trip signal from an electrical trip unit that will not be described.

Embodiments include a modular device using a latching solenoid (flux shifter) to actuate a single pole switch by means of a slide and provides a means of interfacing with mechanical linkages to provide a lockout function or in some cases an automatic reset system further provided with a manual reset means and a trip indication button that visually shows that the breaker has been tripped.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic front perspective view of the modular housing configuration showing the accessory housing and the internal components; FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic internal front view of the device of Figure 1 in the reset position; and FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic internal front view with the device of Figure 1 in the tripped position.

The embodiment of Figure 1 is comprised of a thermoplastic housing 2 that supports the internal components providing capturing and mounting means for said components. The cover 3 is shown removed for clarity.

A latching solenoid flux shifter 4 provides the mechanical energy to operate the device using an internal spring released by electrical energy from an electronic trip unit (not shown). When fired the flux shifter 4 extends a plunger 5 that protrudes through the housing 2 to interface with external mechanical linkages of a cooperating device (not shown).

The plunger also provides motion through a circular collar 6 that is part of the plunger 5. The collar 6 rotates a triangular shaped level 7 around a molded pivot 8. The mating pivot is located in the lower portion of cover 3. The level 7 provides linear motion to a slide 10 through a projection 9 on level 7. The slide 10 moves in an upward motion and provides a button 11 that pops up when the device is actuated.

When used as a bell alarm device, the slide 10 also interfaces with a switch 12 through a bump in the slide that cooperates with a switch lever to change switch states and provide remote indication of a trip condition to the user. The trip signal leads to the flux shifter 4 and remote indication leads from the switch 12 are routed along a printed wiring board 15 for convenience and terminated using a plug-in connector 14.

The device provides logic to mechanical linkages located below the module by the plunger 5 to provide a lockout function where the circuit breaker is prevented from turning ON until the lockout device is reset via the button 11.

The reset position is shown in Figure 2. A manual reset is achieved by pressing downward on the button 11 causing the slide 10 to rotate level 7 pivotally mounted on cover 3 (not shown) that in turn translates the plunger 5 back up in its reset position where the flux shifter device 4 magnetically holds the plunger 5 against an internal spring. In the case of the bell alarm device the switch 12 changes back to the original state when its level 12A is released by bump 13 on the slide 10. The energy to depress the switch level is provided by spring 15. A spool 16 provides a bearing for the slide 10 and holds the printed wiring board 15A in place by clamping means through the use of a thread cutting screw 17 through the cover 3.

When the device is used as a bell alarm device an automatic reset function is provided by an external mechanical linkage that translates the plunger 5 back up in the reset position. The lever 7 is allowed to rotate when the energy of spring 15 is applied through the slide 10.

The slide 10 is allowed to move in a downward direction thus resetting the button 11. The slide movement releases the level 12A when the bump 13 moves out of the way causing the switch to return to its original reset state. Figure 3 shows the device in the tripped state where a signal from the aforementioned trip unit fires the flux shifter 4 extending the plunger 5 rotating lever 7 by collar 6. The lever 7 provides translation to slide 10 overcoming spring 15 extending the button 11 visually enunciation a trip.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An industrial-rated circuit breaker for high level overcurrent protection comprising: an insulative base and an insulative cover; an operating mechanism in said base controlled by an electronic trip unit arranged within a trip unit recess in said cover; and a bell alarm and lock-out accessory unit arranged within an accessor recess in said cover, said accessory unit including a reset button extending from a top of said accessory unit to provide indication as to the condition of said operating mechanism and to allow manual reset function to said accessory unit.

2. The industrial-rated circuit breaker of claim 1 wherein said accessory unit further includes a flux shifter having a plunger extending from said accessory unit at a bottom thereof.

3. The industrial-rated circuit breaker of claim 1 or 2 including a plate connecting between said reset button and said plunger, said plate being slidably arranged within said accessory unit between a latched and an unlatched position.

4. The industrial-rated circuit breaker of claim 3 including a spring biasing said plate between said latched and said unlatched positions.

5. The industrial-rated circuit breaker of claim 3 including a switch interacting with said plate to thereby turn said switch on and off by contact with said plate between said latched and unlatched positions.

6. The industrial-rated circuit breaker of claim 5 including a protrusion on said plate contacting a switch level on said switch to turn said switch on and off.

7. The industrial-rated circuit breaker of claim 5 including a printed circuit board connecting with said switch and said flux shifter, said printed circuit board including means for removably connecting with said circuit breaker trip unit.

8. The industrial-rated circuit breaker of claim 3 including a pivotal lever connecting between said plunger and said plate, whereby said plunger extends from said bottom in one direction and drives said plate and said reset button in an opposite direction thereby extending said reset button -from said top of said accessory unit.

9. The industrial-rated circuit breaker of claim 3 wherein said plate includes an elongated slot and said plate is slidably arranged by provision of a screw on one side of said slot received within a spool on an opposite side thereof.

10. The industrial-rated circuit breaker of claim 7 including bell alarm and lock-out accessory circuit means on said trip unit connecting with said flux shifter providing operating power to said flux shifter.

11. The industrial-rated circuit breaker of claim 7 wherein said printed circuit connecting means comprises a plug-in connector.

12. A combined bell alarm and circuit breaker lockout accessory comprising in combination: an enclosure; a flux shifter having a plunger extending from a bottom of said enclosure; and a reset button extending from a top of said enclosure to provide indication as to the condition of an associated circuit breaker operating mechanism and to allow manual reset of said flux shifter.

13. The combined bell alarm and circuit breaker lockout accessory of claim 12 including a plate connecting between said reset button and said plunger, said plate being slidably arranged within said enclosure between a latched and an unlatched position.

14. the combined bell alarm and circuit breaker lockout accessory of claim 13 including a spring biasing said plate between said latched and said unlatched positions.

15. the combined bell alarm and circuit breaker lockout accessory of claim 13 including a switch interacting with said plate to thereby turn said switch on and off by contact with said plate between said latched and unlatched positions.

16. The combined bell alarm and circuit breaker lockout accessory of claim 15 including means on said plate contacting a switch level on said switch to turn said switch on and off.

17. The combined bell alarm and circuit breaker lockout accessory of claim 16 wherein said means comprises a protrusion formed on said plate.

18. The combined bell alarm and circuit breaker lockout accessory of claim 15 including a printed circuit board connecting with said switch and said flux shifter, said printed circuit board including means for removably connecting with an associated circuit breaker trip unit.

19. The combined bell alarm and circuit breaker lockout accessory of claim 17 including a pivotal lever connecting between said plunger and said plate, whereby said plunger extends from said bottom in one direction and drives said plate and said reset button in an opposite direction thereby extending said reset button from said top.

20. The combined bell alarm and circuit breaker lockout accessory of claim 18 wherein said plate includes an elongated slot and said plate is slidably arranged by provision of a screw on one side of said slot received within a spool on an opposite side thereof.

21. The combined bell alarm and circuit breaker lockout accessory of claim 18 wherein said trip unit includes a bell alarm and circuit breaker lock-out circuit.

22. The combined bell alarm and circuit breaker lockout accessory of claim 21 wherein said circuit includes a storage capacitor.

23. The combined bell alarm and circuit breaker lockout accessory of claim 22 wherein said circuit further includes a transistor switch.

24. The combined bell alarm and circuit breaker lockout accessory of claim 22 further including receptacle means on said circuit receiving said removably connecting means.

25. An industrial-sited circuit breaker substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

26. A combined bell alarm and circuit breaker without accessory substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.