Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
HL~'L~ LA'.L'.L 1) A~L L(:/\'1'1()N;,
This inven-tion is related -to -the inver. ion (lisclosed
in -the patents of Edward L. Richards e-t al, U.S. ?aten-t Nos.
3,930,214 and 3,930,213 issued on December 30, 1,7S.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVEMTION
Field of the Invention:
This invention relates to a circuit in errupter
having switch tripping mechanisms responsive to current over-
loads and pushbutton manually operative means.
Descriptioh of thé Prior Art:
Some circuit interrupters of prior construction
have been provided with current overload protective devices
that function satisfactorily in response to abnormal current
such as overcurrents, ground fault currents, and shor-t cir- :
cuits, that occur in an electrical distribution systern. A
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circuit breaker of -that type is disclosed for example in -
Pa-tent No. 3,530,314.. ~ome circuit breakers of that type
are provided with toggle handles by which manual operation
is accomplished. A disadvantage of -the toggle handle is
that it may be accidently operated. Moreover, for some pur-
poses there is a preference for a pushbutton type of manual
operation rather than the toggle handle.
SUMMARY 0~ THE INVENTION
In accordance with this invention it has been found
that the foregoing problem may be overcome by providing a
circuit interrupting device which comprises a switch mechanism -
and an electrically insulating housing therefore, the switch
mechanism comprising relatively movable contact means and
operating means for moving the contacts between open and
closed positlons, the operating means comprising an overcen-
ter toggle and releasable arm movable to effect movement
of the movable contac-t structure, lever means opera-tively `~;~
connected to the releasable arm for moving the operating ~-
mean~s between closed and open positions, said housi.ng having
~ 20 ~an opening, and a pair of pushbuttons extending through the ~ -
opening which are separately operable to move the lever means
between open and closed positions respectively.
Associated with the foregoing, means may be added
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to releasably effect automatic opening of the contact means
in response to an overload condition which may occur in the
line
The advantage of the device of this invention is
that a manually operated toggle mechanism which provides
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` switching control to alternately close and open electrical ~
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contacts is combined with a pushbutton type of manual oper-
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ation which avolds -the problems of accidental operating o~
the conventional toggle handle; and where the device is
combined with an overload relay -to provide for au-tomatic trip-
ping of the manually operated pushbuttons.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a
three pole overload relay and a circuit interrupter, the
latter o~ which is provided with pushbuttons in accordance
with this invention;
; 10 Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the
line II-II of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one o:~ the push- -
buttons; and
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Fig. 4 is a plan view taken on the line IV-IV of
Fig. 1.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In Figure 1 a circuit interrupter is generally
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indicated at 7 and it comprises a manually operated switch
9 and an overload relay 11, both of which are mounted on a
20 ~ supporting base 13. ;
Inasmuch as a detailed description o~ the switch
9 is set ~orth in Canadian Patent 979,961 issued December
16~, 1975 to Edward L. Richards, the descrlption here ~lS
imited to the~part that are essential to the operation
o~ the invention disclosed herein. Suffice lt to say,
the~switch 9~is~a multi-pole, such as a three-pole, switch ;~ `
which includes a palr o~ stationary contacts 17, a pair of ; - i
movable contacts l9, as~well as movable con-tact carrier means~
21. The switch 9 also comprises a manually operated overcen~
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ter toggle mechanism generally indicated at 23 which in turn
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comprises a releasable arm 25 that is pivotally mounted
on a pivot pin 27 that extends between a pair of upright
frames 29 and 31 (Fig. 2). The overload toggle mechanism -
23 is enclosed within a housing 33 of elec-trically insulat-
ing material and includes a pair of manually operated push-
buttons 35 and 36 which extend upwardly through an opening
34 on the top surface of the housing.
The right end of the releasable arm 25 is retained
in a latched position in a manner disclosed in the afore-
mentioned U.S. Patent No. 3,930,213 for which reason the de-
scription herein is limited to the parts that are essential
to the operating of the invention disclosed herein. Suffice
it to say, the trip mechanism comprises a latch lever 37 and
a retainer lever 39. The latch lever 37 is an L-shaped or bell
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crank type lever which is pivoted on a pair of simllar
trunnions 41 extending from opposite sides thereof into
corresponding apertures in the spaced upright frames 29, 31.
The latch lever 37 also includes an opening 43 in which the
le~ft~ end of the arm 25~is seated when in the latched posi-
20~ ~tion~as shown ln Fig. l. The lower end of the latch lever
37 extends to and is engaged by the retainer lever 39 which is a
sub~stantially verticaIIy extending member having similar ~ -
trunnlons 45 extending from opposite sides thereof and seated
n~corresponding apertures ln the spaced upright frame 29,
31. ~A hole~47 is disposed ln the retainer lever 39 below the
trunnion 45 and the lower~end of the latch lever 37 is seated
in the~hole when in the latched condition. The lower end por-
tion of the retainer lever 39 is disposed in an aperture 53 of
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~ a~trip plate 55, which as shown in Fig. 1, extends from the
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overload relay 11. When the trip plate 55 is moved by -the
relay to the left as viewed in Fig. 1, the retainer lever 39
rotates clockwise until the lower extremity of the latch
lever 37 moves out of the hole 47, whereupon the latch lever
rotates counterclockwise~ The releasable arm 25 rotates
clockwise until it s-trikes a stop pin 57 which extends be-
tween the upright frame 29, 31. Movement of the retainer lever
39 and the latch lever 37 in the manner described constitutes
"tripping" of the circuit interrupter 7~and causes the mov-
able contact 19 to separate from the stationary contacts 17. ~ -
Inasmuch as the overload relay is disclosed speci-
fically in U.S. Patent 3,903,~93 issued September 2, 1975 to
E. L. Richards, the description of the relay is limited to
the parts which are essential to operation of the invention ~-
disclosed herein. The relay includes bimetals 71, bimetal
heaters 73, a crossbar 75, a pivoted trip lever 77, and the
trip plate 55. When a current in excess of that for which ';
the heater elements are rated to handle occurs, the heaters -
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73 cause the bimetal to move the crossbar 75 against the lower
end of the trip lever 77 causing the upper end thereof to
~i rotate counterclockwise and pull the trip plate 55 to the left, ~
whereupon retainer lever 39 is rotated clockwise as set forth - --
above. In that manner the switch 9 is tripped automatically
when the current overload occurs in the current supply.
In accordance with this invention, the switch 9
is provided with the pushbuttons 35, 36 as well as two rocker
arms or operating levers 79 by which -the overcenter toggle
23 is actuated to open and close the con-tacts 17, 19. The
operating levers 79 (Fig. 1) are provided in pairs which as
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shown in Fig. 2 are separately mounted on the outer surfaces
of the upright frames 29 and 31. Both levers 79 are similar
in construction, and as shown in Fig. 1 the lever 79 is
pivota]ly mounted at 81 and provided with a pair o~ outurned `
flanges or projections 83, 85 which are disposed in planes
perpendicular to the plane of the lever 79. The flanges 83
are disposed at the lower end of and is ac-tuated by the push-
button 35, and the flanges 83 are disposed at the lower end
of and are actuated by the pushbutton 36. In addition, the
lO operating levers 79 are secured to similar switch levers 87 ~ ~
by similar pins 89, which lever 87 are pivotally mounted a-t ~ -
the pivot point 81. As shown more particularly in Fig. 2
the levers 87 are integral parts by virtue of an intermediate -
member 89.
Both pushbuttons 35 and 36 are similar construction
~; and as shown in Fig. 3 the pushbu-tton 35 includes a head
portion 93 and a pair of spaced downwardly extending;portions
9s and 97, whereby each pushbutton 35, 36 is a generally
U-shaped member. In addition, a shoulder extends around
20~ ~three sldes of the head portion 93 which shoulder (Figa 2)
is~normally seated against a surface 101 of the houslng when
: the~ pushbutton 35 is fully extended as shown in Fig. 1. Thus
~; ~ ; the~ shoulder 99 and the surface 101 coopera-te to prevent the
pushbuttons~from escaplng from the housing 33. In additlon, ~ ;
the pushbutton 35 comprises opposite side surfaces 103, one -
of which is shown in Fig. 3, which ~are in surface-to-surface
contact with inner surfaces of the housing and thereby faci-
litate guiding of the pushbuttons 35 and 36 when they are
depressed. ~ -
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In addition to the foregoing, each pushbutton 35.
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36 includes a vertical projection or tongue-like portion
extending from -the shoulder 99 to the lower end of the
portion 95. A similar projection 107 is provided on the
portion 97 of the pushbu-tton 35, 36. The projection 105
and 107 are disposed in projection receiving grooves 109 ~
and 111 respectively which grooves are disposed in the inner -
wall of the housing 33. Moreover, each pushbutton 35, 36 is ~ ;
likewise preferably provided with a pair of projections 113, ~;
115 which are seated in similar grooves 117 and 119 respec-
10 tively. The combination of the projections 105, 107, 113,
llS and the surfaces 103 cooperate with the inner surfaces
of the housing including the grooves 109, 111, 117, 119 to
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guide the movement of the pushbuttons 35, 36 when they are
~; actuated. A minimum of binding between the pushbutton and ;
the housing exists.
The lower ends of the depending portions 95, 97
are bifurcated to provide spaced mernbers 121, 123, 125, and ;
lZ7. ~As shown ln Flg. 2, the depending por-tion 95 and 97 ;~
extend downwardly~within the housing 33 with the bifurcated
;20 ~ portions~121 and l23 seated over and around one projection ~ :
85 of the operating lever 97. The other bifurcated portions ~
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~ 125, 127 are seated around the~projection 85 of the
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oper~ating lever 79~on the other side of the housing.
Accordingly, when the pushbutton 35, 36 is depressed, a force
s~applled against the projections 83 or~85 in order to tilt
the operatlng lever 97 in~one direction or the other thereby ~ ;
actuat;ing the switch between the open and close positions.
In concl;usion, the combination of the overload re-
lay and the pushbutton switch pFovide protection agalnst~
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inadverten-t operation of the switch as well as against over-
loads in the current. By providing the pushbuttons with
molded projections which extend into grooves in opposite
sides of the switch housing, each pushbutton is more easily
depressed against the corresponding rocker arms whereby a
vector force is applied to opera-te the rocker arms in a
facilitated manner.
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