Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electrical power distribution systems and devices
Patent
1994-02-16
1996-01-23
Tolin, Gerald P.
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electrical power distribution systems and devices
200296, 361675, 439188, 439572, H02B 104
Patent
active
054869790
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
This invention is concerned with improvements relating to the mounting of circuit breakers.
A conventional circuit breaker, hereinafter referred to as being of the kind specified, comprises a generally flat, parallel-sided body provided on the underside thereof with a mounting recess which in use is positioned over and engaged with a mounting rail, with a primary plane of the circuit breaker, extending parallel to the flat sides, extending at right angles to the length of the mounting rail.
A conventionally used mounting rail is termed a "din-rail", being of inverted top hat cross-section, comprising parallel upwardly-facing flanges and narrow outwardly-turned lips.
Conventionally the circuit breaker is provided on the underside thereof with an inwardly-turned lip, providing a fixed retaining formation having a re-entrant surface, an opposite side edge portion of the recess being bounded by straight edges. The circuit breaker comprises a catch assembly, resiliently urged from a retracted position to an advanced position, in which advanced position a retaining element of the catch assembly projects through of one said straight edge a short distance into the recess.
In use, the circuit breaker is engaged with the mounting rail, the retaining formation being engaged beneath one of the lips with the underside of the circuit breaker inclined relative to the mounting rail, and the circuit breaker is moved angularly so as to cause the retaining element to engage the other lip, the profile of the retaining element causing it to be momentarily depressed against the resilient force urging it to its advanced position, as it passes behind the other lip. The circuit breaker is then clamped in conventional manner to a bus-bar, supported in parallel relationship to the mounting rail, with the flat faces of the circuit breaker lying against the flat faces of adjacent circuit breakers.
When it is required to move one circuit breaker from an array of circuit breakers on the rail, the retaining element is manually retracted, and held retracted, and the circuit breaker is tilted within said primary plane to permit movement of the circuit breaker relative to the rail to disengage the fixed retaining formation from the rail. This necessitates a temporary removal of the bus-bar, and this is inconvenient since it involves disruption of the connections of other circuit breakers and/or of other electrical equipment used in relation to the bus-bar.
Numerous suggestions have been made for the provision of a more convenient mounting of circuit breakers of the kind specified to the mounting rail, to enable them to be removed and replaced with minimal disruption. However heretofore all other suggestions have been unsatisfactory in one aspect or other, and/or unduly expensive.
According to this invention there is provided, in combination for use with a mounting rail providing a flat surface against which a circuit breaker may be located, a circuit breaker and a supply assembly comprising a supply member for the supply of electricity to circuit breakers mounted on the mounting rail, wherein: mounting rail; and comprises means to urge a contact member of the circuit breaker against said contact surface, the contact member projecting from an underside of the circuit breaker.
Thus the circuit breaker may be mounted in position by being placed with the recess against the mounting rail and the contact member engaged with the supply member, conveniently such engagement being a surface-to-surface engagement, said means conveniently being afforded by spring means.
Electrical components other than-circuit breakers, including main switches, transformers. RCDs, which need the supply of electric current from the supply member, may of course be mounted on the mounting rail in the same manner as the circuit breakers, being connected to the supply member in a similar manner.
Preferably the supply member extends alongside the mounting rail at a position such as to enable other electrical components, which do not need to be c
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patent: 5172300 (1992-12-01), Morley
Bowen Peter W.
Shotter Darren J.
Coleman Henry D.
Crabtree Electrical Industries Limited
Sudol R. Neil
Tolin Gerald P.
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