JPS59214126A - Breaker - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to snap action electrothermally operated circuit breakers. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved circuit breaker mechanism for use in a compact snap action circuit breaker that combines switch and circuit breaker functions.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART For a compact snap-action circuit breaker, 1959
No. 2,911,503, issued Nov. 3, 2007, discloses a safety device that in the on, or closed, state forms a circuit through a bimetallic element, a pair of contacts, and a lever. listed for each switch. In this case, when the bimetal element is heated by an overcurrent, it deflects the lever past the center line of the over-center spring. This causes the switch to snap open.

However, bimetallic elements in circuit breakers such as those described in the aforementioned US patents are generally suspended in air. This tends to cause the recoil element to bend the bimetallic element downward in a direction opposite to that required to cause the circuit breaker to drip. Additionally, circuit breakers such as those described in the above-mentioned U.S. patents use separate heaters and heating elements to heat the bimetallic elements; however, conventional circuit breakers typically do not allow accurate adjustment of the circuit breaker. This is done by using a calibration screw that lacks accuracy.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved electrothermally operated circuit breaker mechanism.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a thermal circuit breaker having a low mass thermal element that heats up and cools down quickly without the need for auxiliary heaters and thus has faster trip times than conventional circuit breakers. be.

In the present invention, the thermal element is supported by the insulating housing of the circuit breaker. In the circuit breaker of the present invention, the bimetal element as a thermal element is directly heated by passing the current to be monitored. The current rating of the circuit breaker according to the invention can be precisely adjusted by inserting a bottle through an opening in the circuit breaker housing.

The circuit breaker according to the invention is particularly suitable for low current applications. Since the power is related to the thickness of the bimetallic element, it is advantageous for the bimetallic element of the circuit breaker according to the invention to be thin so that the circuit breaker application can operate accurately and sharply at very low currents.

The thin bimetallic element in the circuit breaker of the invention also acts like a spring that bends against starting friction. That is, such bimetallic elements store mechanical energy that supports temperature-related bending forces in the bimetallic material during dripping of the circuit breaker. Once the starting friction forces are overcome, the circuit breaker opens as if a spring were released.

The compact circuit breaker of the present invention is superior to conventional circuit breakers in that it can be mounted on a P (3 board) together with semiconductor devices.The compact design of the present invention saves space. In addition, the selection of circuit components is no longer critical for PC boards, which require a high amount of space.

A second embodiment of the present invention provides a multi-pole circuit breaker that opens any one of two or more circuits in response to an overcurrent flowing through the circuit. Three examples provide a dual contact circuit breaker arrangement.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention are also apparent from the description of the examples below.

The invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

1-5 illustrate a first embodiment of a snap-acting thermal circuit breaker according to the present invention. As shown in Figure 1,
The thermal circuit breaker comprises a housing 2 made of an insulating material, for example molded plastic. A line terminal 4 and a load terminal 6 are installed within the housing 2. In the illustrated example, the line terminal 4 is a U-shaped conductor. This terminal 4 has short legs 8. It has a long leg portion 1o and a bridge portion 12. The long leg portion 1o is a portion 1 located inside the housing 2.
0a, and a recessed portion 10b extending outwardly from the housing 2 and connected to an external electrical circuit to be protected. As shown in FIG. 2, the line terminal 4 has an elongated slotted opening 14 extending from the long leg 10 across the bridge 12 to the short leg 8. As shown in FIG. The line terminal 4 also has a pair of notches 16 located halfway between the two parallel portions forming the leg portions 10a.

Advantageously, the load terminals 6 are straight conductors. In this example, the inner part 6a of the housing 2 in the terminal 6 is
It is made wider than the portion 6b protruding from the housing. A tab 18 as shown in FIG. 3 is formed approximately in the center of the wide portion 6a of the load terminal 6. As shown in FIG.

The circuit breaker of the invention also includes a movable contact blade member 2o. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the contact blade member 2
o has a pair of (preferably chamfered) tips 22 that sit in the notches 16 of the line terminals 4. The contact blade 2o is positioned to rotate about its tip 22. As is clear from FIG. 4, the contact blade 2o also has an opening 24 on its axis. A spring 26 to which one end 26a of a bias spring 26 is attached is attached to this opening 24.
The other end 26b is attached to the short leg portion 8 of the line terminal 4.

The spring 26 extends through the groove opening 14 in the long leg 1o of the line terminal 4. The spring 26 extends between the point where one spring end 26b and the short leg 8 engage (indicated by A) and the point where the tip 22 of the contact blade contacts the notch 16 (indicated by B). The contact blades 20 are biased in opposite directions as a function of the position of the spring ends 26a relative to the connecting line. The contact blade 20 is rotationally biased downwardly when the thermal circuit breaker is in the contact closed position because the spring 26 is beyond the center position. The contact blade 2o has
A contact pad 28, preferably circular, is attached to the end opposite the pivoting tip 22.

The circuit breaker also includes a bimetallic element 30. As shown in FIG. 1, the bimetal element 3o is L-shaped.
It has a first part 32 which is attached to the load terminal 6. The bimetallic element 3° also has an elongated second part or leg 34, which rests on a heat-insulating tooth face 36 on the inside of the housing 2. Sawtooth surface 36 is formed to support bimetallic element 30 with a minimum contact area. By doing so, the housing 2 no longer acts as a heat sink for the bimetal element 30. The bimetal element 30 is composed of an upper layer and a lower layer. The lower layer is made of a metal having a larger coefficient of expansion than the metal of the upper layer. Therefore, when the bimetallic element 3° is heated, it bends upward as shown in FIG.

The bimetallic element 30 also has a (preferably circular) contact pad 38 attached to the free end of the elongated second portion 34 thereof. When the circuit breaker is in the closed contact position, as shown in FIG. An attached terminal 42 may be optionally provided. The auxiliary terminal 42 has a somewhat hook-shaped conductor portion 43 at one end thereof, as shown in FIG.

This terminal 42 can be connected externally to, for example, an alarm device or another circuit capable of activating an alarm. Therefore, if an alarm or warning circuit is not required, the nozzle 2 is formed so that the terminal 42 is replaced by a stop protrusion or something equivalent thereto.

The circuit breaker of the present invention is suitable for installation on a printer circuit board (referred to as a "PCB").
B is standardized so that the terminal post openings are spaced many times apart by 0.25 inches (1 inch is about 2.54 m).A typical OAD/CAM PC3B post hole is spaced within one row. They are o, ioo inches apart on centers. Adjacent rows are also 0.100 inches apart on centers and 0.050 inches off-center from each other.

Terminals 4, 6 and 42 of the circuit breaker shown in FIG.
It is preferred and advantageous to space them apart by multiples of the 25 inch CAD/CAM PCB standard. In the example of the circuit breaker shown in Figures 1 to 5,
For example, space terminals 4 and 6 a distance of 0.400 inches (16 times 0,025 inches) and terminals 4 and 42 a distance of 0.325 inches (13 times the PCB standard of 0,025 inches). let

The housing 2 is also provided with a reset button 44 whose upper portion extends outwardly from the top of the housing 2. A lower portion 48 of the reset button 44 extends into the housing 2.

The lower portion 48 includes a generally cylindrical shift 50 and a leg 52 extending from the end of the shaft 50. The shaft 5o extends through the grooved opening 14 of the line terminal 4. An opening 54 is provided in the leg portion 52 . The circuit breaker is assembled so that spring 26 passes through opening 54 as shown in FIG.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a load terminal 6 is provided at one end of the housing 2.
An opening 56 is provided to provide access to the bending tab 18 of the holder. The current rating of the circuit breaker, which indicates the current carrying capacity of the circuit breaker, can be adjusted by inserting a bottle through the opening 56 and bending the tab 18 inward. When tab 18 is bent in this manner, bimetal element 3o rotates counterclockwise.

When the circuit breaker is activated, current flows through the contact blades 20° and the contact pads 28 and 38. The current flows through the bimetal element 3° between the terminals 4 and 6. When an overcurrent flows through the circuit breaker, the bimetal element 30 is heated and bent upward, so that the blade member 2o rotates counterclockwise against the bias of the spring 26. The bimale element 30 rotates the blade member 2o sufficiently upward, so that the spring end 26a and the blade member 2o
When the connecting point (indicated by C) is moved upward along the line connecting points A and B, the bias direction of the spring 26 is reversed and the blade member 2o rapidly rotates counterclockwise. This causes the circuit breaker to snap open as shown in FIG. In this case, by providing an optionally constructed appendage as shown, the contact pad 4o on the blade member 2° will come into contact with the terminal 42 in the contact open position, thereby activating an alarm circuit or the like. ``When the circuit breaker trips -H and becomes open, no current flows through the bimetal 30. Then bimetal 30
When the bimetal cools down, the bimetal returns to its original position on the sawtooth surface 36. However, since the spring 26 is up to 1 biasing the blade member 2o counterclockwise, the circuit breaker remains open until manually reset. The circuit breaker is reset by moving the reset button 44 downward. At this time, the spring 26 is pushed downward by the legs 52 until the engagement point C moves to a level lower than the line connecting points A and B. As a result, the direction of the piascus of the spring 26 is reversed again, so that the blade member 20 is pushed downward and comes into contact with the bimetal 30. The circuit breaker returns to the contact closing position in this way◇The circuit breaker is moved upwards to release the spring 2
6 can be opened manually by pushing upward from its central position.

FIG. 6 shows the mechanism of a multi-pole circuit breaker which is a second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, this example includes two thermal circuit breakers having substantially the same construction as that of the first embodiment in a single housing 2'. In the examples shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, which do not correspond to those in the first example, the shy portions are indicated with a single prime sign (in contrast, a double prime sign (〃)). Both poles of the circuit breaker are controlled by a single reset button 44' consisting of a single cross arm 48' and a single cylindrical shaft 50'. Openings 54' and 54'' are provided. The circuit breaker is assembled so that springs 26' and 26'' extend through openings 54' and 54, respectively.

When the circuit breaker in this second example operates (maybe due to overcurrent,
Alternatively, by manually moving the reset button 44' upward, the cross arm 48' is pushed up when either pole of the circuit breaker opens, thereby opening both poles simultaneously. Similarly, moving the reset button 44' downwardly lowers the cross arm 48', thereby simultaneously buttoning both poles of the circuit breaker. Note that this example is clearly not limited to a two-pole circuit breaker mechanism.

FIG. 8 shows the mechanism of a double contact circuit breaker which is a third embodiment of the present invention. The circuit breaker in this example includes a housing 58 of insulating material, within which are a line terminal 60 and two load terminals 62 and 64.
and install. Line terminal 60 may be located in the central portion of the dual contact thermal circuit breaker.

In this third example, the line terminal 60 is constituted by a portion inside the housing 58 having an elongated grooved opening 66 as shown in dotted lines in FIG.

As in the first example, the line terminal 60 also includes a pair of notches 68 on opposite sides of the grooved opening 66.

Load terminals 62 and 64 are straight conductors.

Load terminals 62 and 64 are provided with tabs 70 and 72 having a similar shape to tab 18 in the first example for breaker adjustment.

As with the first embodiment, this third embodiment dual contact thermal circuit breaker also includes a movable contact blade member 74. This contact blade 74 is connected to the notch 1 of the line terminal 60.
A pair of (preferably chamfered) tips 76 seated at 6
The 0-contact blade 74 having a tip 76 is positioned to rotate around υ of its tip 76. This contact blade 74
also has an opening lower 8 on its axis, and one end 80a of a bias spring 80 is attached to this opening lower 8. spring 8
8, the other end 80b of the
It is attached to the extension part 82 of. The spring 80 extends through the grooved opening 66 of the line terminal 60.The spring 80 extends through the grooved opening 66 of the line terminal 60 at the point of engagement (indicated by A) between one spring end 26b and the extension 82.
and the point where the tip 76 of the contact blade contacts the notch 68 (indicated by B).
biasing the contact blades 74 in opposite directions as a function of their position. Contact blade 74 has two contact pads 84 and 86 mounted on each side of the contact blade 74 at its end opposite pivot tip 76 .

The circuit breaker of this example also includes a pair of bimetallic elements 88 and 90 whose profile is in the shape of the housing 58 as shown in FIG. As in the first example, bimetallic elements 88 and 90 have first portions 92 attached to load terminals 62 and 64, respectively.
and 94. Furthermore, bimetal element 88
Contact pads 96 and 98 are attached to each end of elongated portions 100 and 102 of and 90.

The housing 58 has a pair of serrated surfaces 104 on its inner surface.
and 106. In the absence of an overcurrent, the bimetal elements 88 and 90 sit on the sawtooth surfaces 104 and 106, as shown in FIG. Openings 108 and 110 are provided in the nozzles adjacent to the zero load terminals 62 and 64 to support respective bimetallic elements with a minimum contact area. The current rating of the dual contact circuit breaker can be adjusted by inserting the bottle through the appropriate opening 108 or 110 and bending the tab 70 or 72. In this manner, the corresponding metal element 88 or 90 is rotated to achieve the desired calibration.

In operation, the contact blade 74 has two contacts 96 or 98.
to form a closed circuit to the corresponding load terminal. When an overcurrent flows through this closed circuit, the bimetal element in this circuit deforms sufficiently to rotate the contact blade 74 past the center position of the spring 80, causing the contact blade 74 to connect to the contact of the other bimetal element. and switch with a snap action.

As can be seen from the foregoing, the present invention is an improved snap-action thermal circuit breaker mechanism. The thermal circuit breaker according to the present invention has a predetermined set of notches in the housing to speed up the heating and cooling of the bimetallic element, resulting in faster trip times than conventional thermal circuit breakers.

Furthermore, the thermal circuit breaker of the present invention can be compact in size and is superior to the conventional circuit breaker in that it can be mounted on a KPO board together with semiconductor devices. A second embodiment of the invention is a multi-pole circuit breaker which opens all one circuit in response to an overcurrent flowing through any one of the circuits. A third embodiment of the invention uses two bimetallic elements to switch between two individual circuits.

In the modification of the present invention shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the stub member 3
extends inwardly from the inner wall of the housing 2 such that its end 3a lies over a portion of the biasing spring 26. As shown in FIG. 11, the stub member 3 has an upwardly chamfered and inclined bottom portion 3b, and a downwardly chamfered bottom portion 3b.
Alternatively, it has an inclined top surface portion 3C. The stub member 3 is preferably formed integrally with the housing 2;
Moreover, when testing the grototype model PCC port-mounted circuit breaker according to the present invention, it was confirmed that sliding action occurred between the contact pads 28 and 38. cannot be made completely smooth, and when these contacts slide against each other, the current flowing through these contacts will fluctuate due to the irregular shape of the contact surfaces. This is particularly noticeable during the initial stage of the overcurrent condition, such as when the first curve upwards is relatively slow. These current fluctuations can adversely affect the operation of the circuit to which the circuit breaker connects. Given that the circuit is designed to operate at low current (of the order of magnitude), even small current fluctuations due to contact/rad surface mismatch will result in a relatively large disturbance in the current flowing through the associated print circuit. . The stub member 3 provides a simple, low cost and effective solution to the sliding contact problem.

In operation, when an overcurrent condition occurs (in the closed contact position shown in FIG. 1), the bimetallic element 30 begins to heat up and the elongated portion or leg 34 of the bimetallic element begins to heat up along its length. The song begins to play upwards. Without the stub member 3, the upward force exerted on the bending of the leg 34 increases until it exceeds the downward force exerted on the contact blade 20° by the spring 26, in which case the bimetallic element Leg 34 begins to push contact blade 20 upwardly, thereby creating relative sliding movement between pads 28 and 38. If the overcurrent is not large enough to the left culm, the movement of the leg 34 and the blade 20 will be relatively slow, resulting in the undesired current fluctuations described above.

However, as in the preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS.
It is preferred and advantageous to insert the end portion 3a of the stub member 3 into the upward movement path of the spring 26. In this way, the spring 26 will be forced upwardly until the upward force exerted by the heated bimetallic element leg 34 is large enough to exceed the frictional force exerted on the spring 26 by the end portion 3a of the stub member. movement is temporarily suppressed. When the upward bending force exerted by the leg portion 34 exceeds the combined force of the downward bias force exerted by the spring 26 and the friction suppressing force exerted by the stub member 3, the chamfered or inclined surface portion of the stub member 3 3a allows the spring 26 to slide relatively easily over and around the stub end portion 3a.

When the upward bending force exceeds the combined downward restraining force, the legs 34 immediately move upwardly, quickly forcing the contact grade 20 upwardly past the aforementioned over-center position. The direct restraining action of stub end 3a on spring 26 effectively prevents upward movement of leg 34 and prevents relative sliding movement of contact pads 28 and 38.

The rapid movement of the legs 34 when the bending force of the legs 34 exceeds the combined force of the downward piascus of the spring 26 and the restraining force of the stub creates a sliding action between the contact pads 28 and 38. The amount of time it takes to occur is significantly reduced. This minimizes variations in the current flowing through the contacts due to differences in contact pad surfaces, and such variations are effectively negligible.

The chamfered upper surface 3C of the stub member 3 is such that when the reset button 44 is pressed down to close the contacts and reset the circuit breaker as described above, the spring 26 is placed over the stub end 3a and It should be possible to easily slide around it.

Although the stub member 3 has been described only in the first embodiment (FIGS. 1 to 5), it is clear that one or more spring restraining stub members can also be used in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 6 to 8. It is. The stub member 3 can also be positioned such that it applies a direct deterrent force to the leg 34 or contact blade 20 of the bimetallic element.

In short, it is desirable to provide means for temporarily suppressing the bending action of the bimetallic elements and therefore the relative sliding action between the contact pads, thereby minimizing the effects of fluctuations in the current flowing through the circuit breaker contacts. I made sure of that. In the present invention,
This is accomplished by means requiring a bimetallic element that provides a significant contact opening force until a point is reached where the inhibiting force is quickly removed and the contact opens quickly.

The chamfered or inclined surfaces 3b and 3c of the stub member 3 are such that when the upward or downward bending force on the leg 34 exceeds the restraining force provided by the stub member 3, the leg 34 is It can be slid relatively easily over and around the end portion 3a.

It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned examples, but can be modified in many ways.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 81 is a cutaway side view showing a first example of the thermal circuit breaker for snap action PQ board mounting according to the present invention in the contact closed state; FIG. 2 is a front view showing the line terminal of the circuit breaker of FIG. 1; 3 is a front view showing the load terminals of the circuit breaker of FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is a top view of the circuit breaker of FIG. 1; FIG. A broken side view; FIG. 6 is a top view of the second example of the present invention as a multi-pole breaker mechanism; FIG. 7 is a side view of FIG. 6; FIG. 8 is a double contact breaker mechanism of the present invention A cutaway top view of the third example of FIG. 9;
・Side view showing the internal structure of the housing; Figure 10 is a sectional view taken along line 10-10 in Figure 9. Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 11-10 in Figure 9.
0 2... Housing, 3... Stub member, 4... Line terminal, 6... Load terminal, 14... Grooved opening, 16... Notch, 18 ...Tab, 20... Contact blade member, 24... Opening, 26... Bias spring, 28... Contact pad, 30... Bimetal element, 36... Serrated tooth surface, 38.40 ... Contact pad, 42 ... Attachment terminal, 44 ... Reset button, 50 ... Shaft, 52 ... Leg, 54.56 ... Opening, 4
58... Housing, 60... Line terminal, 62.64... Load terminal, 66... Grooved opening, 68... Notch, 70.72... Tab, 74... Contact blade member , 78... Opening, 80... Bias spring, 84.86... Contact pad, 88.90... Bimetal element, 96.98... Contact pad, 104, 106... Saw tooth Surface, 108, 110...opening. ”+ Permission m person Air Hanokuko Corporation - 1/l Fig・9 Fig, 10 2＼ Fi, // Procedural amendment (method) June 29, 1980 Manabu Shiga, Commissioner of the Patent Office 1, Indication of the case Patent Application No. 1981-081.2flS No. 2, Title of Invention: Interrupter 3, Relationship with the Amended Person Case Patent Applicant Airpax Corporation 4, Agent 6-9-5 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107 Japan Hikawa Annex Building 2 405

Claims (1)

Claims: 1) an electrically insulating housing; first and second terminal means extending through the housing for connecting the circuit breaker to an electrical circuit; a bimetal element electrically connected to the first terminal; a first contact member connected to the bimetal element; a second contact member located within the housing and electrically connected to the second terminal; mounting means for mounting a contact member such that the contact member is in and out of contact with the first contact member; coupled to the second contact member to move the second contact member into a first position and a second position; alternately bias in opposite directions between
In the first position, the second contact member is biased into electrical contact with the first contact member, and in the second position, the second contact member is brought into electrical contact with the first contact member. biasing means for biasing the second contact member so as to be removed; and when a sufficient overcurrent flows through the bimetal element, the bimetal element deforms and the second contact member is biased against the action of the biasing means. A circuit breaker, characterized in that it is configured to be moved from a first position toward the second position. 2. The circuit breaker according to claim 1, wherein the electrically insulating housing has a serrated surface on a lower portion of the housing, and when the electrically insulating housing is not in a deformed state on the serrated surface; A circuit breaker 0 characterized in that a bimetal element remains therein. 3) In the circuit breaker according to claim 1, when the circuit breaker moves from the second position to the first position, the second contact member A circuit breaker characterized in that it is equipped with a reset means that can be operated to restore the circuit breaker. 4) The circuit breaker of claim 1, wherein the housing includes access means allowing access to the first terminal for adjusting the trip rating of the first contact member. A circuit breaker characterized by: 5) The circuit breaker of claim 4, wherein the first terminal includes a bendable tab in a portion within its housing. 6) In the circuit breaker according to claim 5, the bimetal element has an L-shape including a first part and a second part, and the first part is connected to the first terminal. A circuit breaker characterized in that the bendable tab is abutted against the bendable tab. 7) The circuit breaker according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of means are constituted by a blade member, and an opening is provided along the longitudinal axis of the blade member. 8) In the circuit breaker according to claim 7, the biasing means is constituted by an over-center spring, one end of the spring is connected to the second terminal, and the other end of the spring is connected to the second terminal through the opening. A circuit breaker characterized in that it is connected to a mounting means. 9.) The circuit breaker according to claim 8, wherein the circuit breaker comprises a reset means operable to return the second contact member from the second position to the first position. The reset means includes a reset member extending within the housing and movable within the housing, the reset member and the biasing means engaging each other to cause the second contact member to 1st position and 2nd position
A circuit breaker characterized in that it can be moved between two positions. 10) A circuit breaker according to claim 9, characterized in that the reset member has an opening therein, and the biasing means is passed through the opening. 11) The circuit breaker according to claim 1, further comprising a reset means capable of returning the second contact member to the first position when the second contact member is in the second position. the electrically insulating housing has a serrated surface on a lower portion of the housing, on which the bimetallic element rests when not in a deformed state; access means for providing access to the first terminal for adjusting the trip rating of the first contact member; the first terminal being bent into a portion within the housing of the first terminal adjacent to the access means; the bimetallic element comprising a first portion and a second portion;
the first portion abuts the bendable tab of the first terminal; the attachment means comprises a blade member, the blade member having an opening along a longitudinal axis; the biasing means comprises: A circuit breaker comprising an over-center spring, one end of the spring being connected to the second terminal, and the other end of the spring being connected to the mounting means through the opening. 12. The circuit breaker according to claim 11,
The reset means extends within the housing and includes a reset member movable within the housing, the reset member having an opening for passing the biasing means, the reset member and the biasing means being connected to each other. A circuit breaker characterized in that the second contact member is moved between the first position and the second position by engaging with each other. 13) In the circuit breaker according to claim 1, means is provided for applying a deformation inhibiting force to the bimetal element, and when the deforming force of the bimetal element exceeds the inhibiting force, the bimetal element is released and the bimetal element is released. A circuit breaker characterized in that the bimetal element is not deformed until the two-contact member is moved toward the second position. 14) In the circuit breaker according to claim 15,
The bimetal restraining means is constituted by a stub member, and the stub member is extended from the inner wall of the housing to the movement path of the biasing means inside the housing to restrain movement of the biasing means. A circuit breaker featuring: 15) A circuit breaker according to claim 1, wherein the first and second terminal means have a diameter of about 0.25 inches.
0635f? A circuit breaker, characterized in that the circuit breaker is spaced apart from each other by a distance that is an integral multiple of ff1), so that the circuit breaker can be mounted on a printed circuit board manufactured by computer-aided design techniques. 16) The circuit breaker according to claim 1, further comprising a third terminal means extending through the housing for connection to the electric circuit □, and a third terminal means within the housing and connected to the third terminal means. and a third contact member electrically coupled; when the second contact member is in the second position, the second contact member is biased into electrical contact with the third contact member. A circuit breaker characterized by: 17) In the circuit breaker according to claim 1, the first. The second and third means are spaced apart from each other by a distance that is an integral multiple of 0.025 inches so that the circuit breaker can be mounted on a printed circuit board prepared using computer-aided design techniques. circuit breaker. 18) an electrically insulating housing; first and second terminal means extending through the housing, the first terminal means being connected to the first electrical circuit and the second terminal means being connected to the second electrical circuit; and a third terminal means; a first bimetal element located within the housing and electrically coupled to the first terminal; a first contact member coupled to the first bimetal element; a second bimetal element located within the housing and electrically coupled to the second terminal; a second contact member coupled to the second bimetal element; a second contact member located within the housing and electrically coupled to the third terminal. a third contact member; a third contact member attachment means for attaching the third contact member so that it alternately contacts and separates from the first and second contact members, respectively; means for substantially biasing the third contact member through a central movement position, the means for biasing the third contact member alternately in opposite rotational directions between a first position and a second position; In the first position, the third contact member is
biasing means for biasing the third contact member into electrical contact with the first contact member and in the second position biasing the third contact member into electrical contact with the second contact member; Further, when a sufficient overcurrent is applied to the first bimetal element, the first bimetal element deforms against the action of the biasing means, and the third contact member position towards the second position; when a sufficient overcurrent is applied to the second bimetal element, the second bimetal element deforms against the action of the biasing means and moves the second bimetal element towards the second position; A circuit breaker, characterized in that the contact member is configured to move from the second position to the first position. 19) In the circuit breaker according to claim 18,
The electrically insulating housing has a K sawtooth surface around an inner periphery of the housing, and the circuit breaker is connected to the first and second
A circuit breaker characterized in that the first and second bimetal elements alternately rest on the sawtooth surface when in their respective positions. 2. The circuit breaker of claim 18, wherein the housing is accessible to the first and second terminals for adjusting the trip ratings of the first and second contact members, respectively. A circuit breaker characterized by comprising an access means. 21) A multipole circuit breaker comprising: an electrically insulating housing; and a plurality of pole units each having substantially the same circuit breaker mechanism; : first and second terminal means extending through the housing and connecting the circuit breaker to an electrical circuit; a bimetallic element located within the housing and electrically coupled to the first terminal; a first contact member coupled to the bimetal element; a second contact member located within the housing and electrically coupled to the second terminal; the second contact member being in contact with the first contact member; a second contact member attaching means for attaching the second contact member so as to move the second contact member upward and away; and means for sufficiently biasing the second contact member through a central movement position of the second contact member; alternately biasing in opposite directions between a first position and a second position, in the first position the second contact member contacts the first contact member;
biasing means biased into electrical contact with a contact member such that in the second position the second contact member is biased into electrical contact with the first contact member; and when a sufficient overcurrent is applied to the bimetal element, the bimetal element deforms and moves the second contact member from the first position to the second position against the action of the biasing means. the multi-pole circuit breaker: when coupled to each of the plurality of circuit breaker mechanisms and the second contact member in the second position, all of the second contact members; A multi-pole circuit breaker, further comprising a reset means capable of returning the circuit breaker to the first position. 2. In the multi-pole circuit breaker according to claim 21, the resetting means is commonly connected to all of the circuit breaker mechanisms, and a sufficient overcurrent is applied to any of the circuit breaker mechanisms. and all of the second contact members are connected to the first contact member.
A multi-pole circuit breaker comprising means for moving the circuit breaker from the first position to the second position. 2. The multi-polar circuit breaker according to claim 21, wherein the circuit breaker includes a reset means that can be operated to return the second contact member from the second position to the first position. and the reset means includes a reset member extending within the housing and movable within the housing, the reset member having a plurality of openings, and a reset member extending into the housing and movable within the housing. The reset member and the bias means are engaged with each other through the bias means, so that the second contact members are moved substantially simultaneously between the first position and the second position. Multi-pole circuit breaker 0