PH26655A - Circuit breaker auxiliary switch assembly - Google Patents

Description

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CIRCULT BHEFKER AUXILIARY SWITCH SA HR 27 P3

ASSEMBLY

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION B oo 1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to circuit breakers and, more particularly, to auxilisry switches therefor. 2. Description of the Prior Art

An auxiliary switch consists of "normally open" and-or "normally closed" contacts mounted in a circuit breaker that ie actuated whenever the breaker is opened or closed. Usually the switches are in the form of small single-pole, double-throw, snap switches providing "normally opened" and "normally closed" contacts within the circuit breaker housing. Auxiliary switches sre connected in control circuits whenever it is de- sirable to indicate whether the breaker is opened or closed. For example, indicting lights are occasionally mounted on switchboards to furnish a visual indication that the circuit is energized.

As indicating light is to be lit whenever a breaker is closed. Or, there are some applications where it is desirable to have an indicating light (red) lit when the breaker is closed and another indi-~ cating light (green) lit when the breaker is open. - 1 - | ~ —

BAD ORIGINAL P

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Auxiliary switches of prior construction were costly because of an excessive number of parts which involved close tolerances that re- quired freguent adjustment,

SUMMARY OF THC INVESTION

In accordance with this invention, a cir- cuit breaker having an auxiliary switch structure is provided comprising an electrically insulating housing, a circuit breaker within the housing and including first and second contacts operable bet- ween open and closed positions: & releasable me- chanism in an initial position and movable when released to a tripped position to effect automatic opening of the contacts; the first contact carry- ing arm being movable between open and closed posi=- ) tions of the contacts; auxilinary switch means in . the path of movement of the arm for opening or closing an auxiliary circuit when the erm is ac- tuated; the switch means comprising a frame, a plunger slidably mounted on the frame, and a switch : on the frame and engaging the plunger: and the switch being actu ated when the arm moves to the open contact position.

Co The advantage of the auxiliary switch of this invention is th:t not only is it comprised of 2a

Ca minimum number of prrts and requires no adjust- ment, but the switch assembly is adapted to plug- in installation.

BRIEF DESCRIFTICON OF THE DRAWINGS

’ 5 F1G. 1 is = fragmentary sectional view through a circuit breaker showing an auxiliary switch mounted in accordance with the invention; and

FIG, 2 is an glevational view of another em- bodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE CREFERNED EMBUDIMENT

The circuit breaker of the type generally in- volved herein is described in U.5. Pat. No. 4,712,504, jssued Dec. 15, 1987, to Alfred E. faier. More par- ticularly, that patent involves a plurality of poles with each pole including a plurality of spaced pa- rallel arcing and main contact arm are described herein.

A molded case circuit breaker is generally indicated at 10 in Fig. 1 and it comprises a housing hase 17 and a cover 14, Tha bass =) othe covaEr Aare assembled at 3 parting line 16 and create an inter- nal compartment in which circuit breaker apparatus is disposed which includes a fixed main contact 18 and a movable main contact 20. fixed «and movable

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Co —————————————————————————————rraeeeeeeeees eee errr ee . 26655 arcing contacts 19 and 21, respectively, are also provided. The fixed contacts 1% cnd 19 are mounted on a conductor 22 to which a bus bar or terminal may be connected,

The movable main contact 20 is mounted on contact carrying arm 26 and the moveble arcing con- tact 21 is mounted on srcing contact carrying arm 26a. These arms &aIf pivotelly mounted on a con- tact arm carrier 28 at pivot 27. The contact arm carrier is pivotally mounted to a base frame 30 at pivot 49. A flexible conductor or shunt 32 extends from the arm 26 to a cond ictor 34 connected to a con- ductor 36 which may be connected to a terminal (not shown). Although a circuit extends from 2 line ter- minal (not shown) through the several parts 22, 28, 20, 26, 32,34 and 36 to + load terminal (not shown),

A the circuit breaker may also operate uhere the current oo direction is reversed, For & more complete descrip- = tion of the circuit breaker operation, reference is : ’ 20 | made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,656,444 which js incorporated herein by reference.

An oper: ting mech: nism generally indicated at 40 is provided for opening and closing the contacts by mecns of a conventional togyle assembly uhich includes a lower toggle link 42 and an upper toygle link 44 which are pivotally interconnected at pivot 48+ ibm 4 - \ AD oRIGINA- d) \

The lower toggle link is pivoted at 27 on a rota- : table bracket 50 which is pivoted at 49.

Opening of the contacts 18, 20 is accom- plished either by a handle 54 of the operating mechanism 40, or automatically by tripping in response to over-current conditions occuring in the circuit. In the contact-closed position, the contact arm carrier 28 is disclosed in the solid line position (FIG. 1). In the tripped position, the contact arm carrier 28 is disposed in the broken-line position 28a. The bracket 50 is connected to a cross bar £6 which is intercon- nected with contact arm carriers in adjacent pole units of multiple pole circuit breaker for opening and closing corresponding contacts similar to the contactc 18, 20, simultaneously. Accordingly, when the operating mechanism 40 actuates the con- tact arm 26 between open or closed positions, the contact arms in adjacent poles of. the circuit breaker are moved correspondingly by the operating mechanism. ln accordance with this invention, an auxil- jary switch 60 is mounted on 2a housing frame mem- ber (not shown) in one of the poles above the con- tact arm carrier 28. The switch includes a frame '62, an actuator or plunger 64, and one or more mi-

croswitchs 66, 68. The frame 62 includes a pair of hook portions 70 which are adapted to engage portions 72 of tne frame of the housing base 12 .

The microswitches £6, 68 are fixedly mounted on the frame 62 and cach switch is provided with a switch button 74 =#nd an actuator or lever 76 which is pivotally mounted at 78 and extends over the depressible switch button 74. The plunger 64 is slidably mounted on the frame 62 and is comprised of a pair of similar notches 79 in which the outer end portions of the lever 76 are disposed. The lower end portion of the ~lunger 64 comprises a oo hook portion having an end portion 80 which is transversely disposed with respect to the direc- a 15 tion of novement of the plunger in its normal con- ) J dition. When the contacts 18, 20 open, the con- . ce tact arm carrier 28 moves to the broken line posi- oo : tion 28a where it strikes the end portion 80 of the ~ plunger and slides the plunger upwardly with the . 20 upper ‘end portion of the plunger moving to broken- line position 64a. simultaneously, the levers 76 move upwardly to depress the switch button 74 to

Co energize or de-energize the microswitches 66, 68 which are either normally open or normally closed.

More particularly, lhe lower end portion of the -6 - a0 ORIGINAL 9 plunger 64 incluring the end portion 80 is par- . tislly flexible and therefore deforms to the broken-line position 28a when the switch arm 28 : moves. Une advantaags of the slight flexibility of the end portion 80 is that it compensates for any over-travel of the switch arm 28 when it ini- tially opens.

Another embodiment of the invention is shoun in Fig. 2 in which similar numerals refer to si~ miler perts. In Fig. 2, the auxiliary switch 60 includes an glongated plunger 82 having spaced notches 84 in which the outer end portions of the levers 76 are disposed. The lover end of the plunger 82 has a semi-spherical surfoce 86 for engagement with the switch srm “B as it rises to the position shown, whereby the plunger B2 rises to move the lever 760. Thus, unlike the louer end portion 80 of the plunger 64 (Fig. 1), the plunger g2 (Fig. 2) hss a non~def lectable end portion and simply moves up and down in response to movement of the switch arm 28.

Accordingly, the device of this invention provides an auxiliary switch assembly having a minimum number of parts which do not require close : 25’ tolerances -nd which do not require adjustment during assembly.

The normally open OI closed mi- croswitches are useful for actuating red or green lights on a switchboard to indicate the opened or closed positions of the circuit breaker.

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Claims (4)

1. AM WHAT 1S CLAlmEy 15 RECESS

   : 1. A circuit braker, comprising: Cent an electrically eulating housings TT a circuit breaker means within the housing and comprising first and second contacts operable between open and closed posi- tions; 5 releasable mechanism in an initial posi- tion and movable when released to a tripped position to effect automatic opening of the contacts; the first contact carrying arm movable between open and closed positions of the contracts; and auxiliary switch means including a plunger

   15. in the patch of movement of the arm for opening or closing an auxiliary circuit when the arm is actuated, said plunger oo having a flexible portion capturing said arm which accommodates overtravel of said arm when said arm is actuated,
2. 2. The switch of claim 1 in which switch means comprises a frame, a switch on the frame, «nd the plunger being movably mounted on the frame.
3. 3, The switch of claim 2 in which the plunger Co 25 is slidably mounted «nd engages @ switch actuator for opening cn closing Lhe auxiliary switch when the «rm is moved.
4. 4. The switch nt cl.oim 3 in wiric the orm actuates the switch when ihe arm maves to the open contact position. Cl Ce MALE pole Dw fia CA 0husS inventors A= BAD ORIGINAL Db) \