Electricity: magnetically operated switches – magnets – and electr – Electromagnetically actuated switches – With housing or support means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-10
2001-10-23
Barrera, Ramon M. (Department: 2832)
Electricity: magnetically operated switches, magnets, and electr
Electromagnetically actuated switches
With housing or support means
C174S13800J, C200S304000, C200S305000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06307456
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a terminal cover for a circuit breaker for preventing electrical crossover between adjoining circuit breaker terminals. In particular, this invention relates to a terminal cover for a light industrial rated circuit breaker that can be installed without the use of fasteners and which does not interfere with adjacent mounting of multiple breakers.
Industrial-rated circuit breakers in excess of 600 volt rating, such as described within U.S. Pat. No. 5,150,091 entitled “Bus Cover and Lug Cover for a Molded Case Circuit Breaker,” are often required to become positioned next to similar circuit breakers within a common enclosure. To prevent electrical crossover between adjoining circuit breaker terminals upon the occurrence of a short circuit over-current condition within adjoining circuit breakers, the circuit breakers must be separated by a sufficient distance for electrical over-surface clearance.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,084,689 and 5,049,846, both entitled “Compact Molded Case Circuit Breaker with Increased Ampere Rating,” describe the use of lug cover extensions to the line end of the circuit breakers to protect the line lugs from inter-phasal faults.
The aforementioned U.S. patents describe the use of screws and the like to fixedly attach the separate lug covers to the circuit breaker enclosures at an added expense in materials, time, and labor.
So-called “light industrial-rated circuit breakers,” up to 400 volt rating, are also used within common enclosures and are separated for over-surface clearance. Low costs are achieved by utilizing single pole circuit breakers attached together with a common handle tie for simultaneous ON-OFF operation. Because of the lower costs associated with such light industrial-rated circuit breakers, the added expenses of a lug cover was heretofore unwarranted. The space separation requirement limits the number of circuit breakers used within the enclosure with a resultant limitation in
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Thus, there is a need for a lug or terminal cover to be used with light industrial-rated circuit breakers at a minimum increase in cost to allow several such circuit breakers to be used in adjacent relation within a common enclosure with minimal inter-circuit breaker spacial separation.
In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, an electrically-insulative terminal cover is arranged on the line end of a light industrial-rated circuit breaker to allow a close-fit arrangement between a plurality of such circuit breakers within a common enclosure. The terminal cover is preferably in the form of an integrally formed right-angled piece having a top piece and a perpendicular side piece. The top piece comprises a pair of notches for receiving a pair of electrical conductors connecting with a corresponding pair of circuit breaker electrical terminals. The side piece includes a pair of elongated notches adapted for receiving sides of a pair of adjacent circuit breakers. A center side piece between the elongated notches can be press-fit within a combined slot defined by slots in sides of a pair of abutting side walls of adjacent circuit breakers. The top piece provides electric isolation to a top of the electrical terminals while the side piece provides electric isolation to a front of the electrical terminals.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5049846 (1991-09-01), Morgan et al.
patent: 5084689 (1992-01-01), Morgan et al.
patent: 5150091 (1992-09-01), Hart et al.
patent: 5742008 (1998-04-01), Dalrymple
patent: 6012683 (2000-01-01), Howell
patent: 6120425 (2000-09-01), Endelman
Caggiano Robert J.
MacDonald David D.
Saunders Richard E.
Wood Michael R.
Barrera Ramon M.
Cantor & Colburn LLP
General Electric Company
Horton Carl B.
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