Front mounting circuit breaker bracket assembly

Details Front mounting circuit breaker bracket assembly Front mounting circuit breaker bracket assembly

2000-08-25

2001-09-04

Donovan, Lincoln (Department: 2832)

Electricity: circuit makers and breakers

Electric switch details

Cases and bases

C335S202000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06284991

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to the mounting of circuit breakers in panel openings. In particular, the present invention relates to a circuit breaker bracket assembly designed to mount a conventional split case circuit breaker in a panel opening from the front. Conventional circuit breakers are typically mounted on the rear of the panel through small openings designed to receive a boss on the front of the breaker.
Circuit breakers having bracket assemblies designed with resilient wings to facilitate front mounting in panel openings are known. Such wings, typically, are not removable nor do they snap into place. U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,483 issued to Fasano et al. on Aug. 1, 1995 discloses a bracket assembly, for front mounted circuit breakers, which has rearwardly projecting metal wings mounted in a plastic cover plate. Fasteners secure the metal wings to the breaker housing thus securing the cover plate to the breaker. A pair of resilient wings is fixed by tabs with screws, or rivets, on each side of each end of the circuit breaker.
Bracket assemblies similar to adapter plates have been used with circuit breakers permitting smaller circuit breakers to be mounted in panels designed for larger circuit breakers thus eliminating the need for panel replacement. U.S. Pat. No. 4,454,565 issued to Krasij et al. on Jun. 12, 1984 describes an adapter plate for use with a conventional circuit breaker. The adapter plate therein allows a smaller circuit breaker to be used with a panel opening intended to receive larger breakers. The invention of '565 is for rear mounting a circuit breaker in a panel opening, not for front mounting. Although only one screw is used to hold the adapter plate to the circuit breaker, the same screw is used to hold the adapter plate in position relative to the circuit breaker and to the panel opening, and an additional screw is used to secure the adapter plate to the panel opening. This type requires the circuit breaker/adapter plate to be assembled concurrently with mounting the circuit breaker.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a circuit breaker bracket assembly designed to mount a conventional split case circuit breaker in a panel opening from the front. The bracket assembly has a molded plastic cover plate which has a rectangular opening therein for receiving an actuator means, a basal portion which has a length such that the basal portion of the cover plate slides snugly into the panel opening, a top face which has flanges extending therefrom abutting the panel's front face adjacent the ends of the panel opening preventing the cover plate from sliding through the panel's front face, an attachment means which firmly attaches the cover plate to the split case circuit breaker, and a means for retaining the cover plate in the panel's front face.
The object of the invention is to provide a circuit breaker bracket assembly which permits the front mounting of a circuit breaker, which is normally rear mounted, into a panel opening.
Another object of the invention is to provide a bracket assembly which can be used as a front mounting adapter plate permitting circuit breakers which are the same size or smaller to be used in the same panel.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an easily assembled, sturdy circuit breaker bracket assembly for front mounting circuit breakers.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following drawings and specification.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4045650 (1977-08-01), Nestor
patent: 4454565 (1984-06-01), Krasij et al.
patent: 5438483 (1995-08-01), Fasano et al.

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