Communications: electrical – Continuously variable indicating – With meter reading
Reexamination Certificate
1997-12-18
2001-01-30
Zimmerman, Brian (Department: 2735)
Communications: electrical
Continuously variable indicating
With meter reading
C361S172000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06181256
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of enclosed fusible switches, disconnect switches and the like and specifically to a remotely operable actuator kit for manually operated switch devices.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Disconnect switches of both fusible and nonfusible types are well known in the industry. These switches are operated manually by means of a lever type operating arm movable between ON and OFF positions. These switches are usually employed to provide a local power disconnect means for a particular machine or electrically operated device such that a general power shutdown is not required for maintenance on the particular machine or device, or for other reasons which might require that power be temporarily disconnected from the particular machine or device. The operating arm is attached to the outside of the switch enclosure and mechanically connected to a switch operating mechanism located inside the switch enclosure. Since the switch operating mechanism and operating arm are mechanically connected together and become a part of the enclosure assembly, they are usually assembled to the switch enclosure at the same time. This has generally been accomplished by sandwiching a wall of the enclosure between the operator arm frame and the switch mechanism frame and riveting or welding this assembly together. As factory automation and central monitoring of machines and equipment increases, it is becoming more desirable to control the ON and OFF operations of these local disconnect switches from one centralized location, and also to monitor the ON or OFF state of the disconnect switch. At present, when remote operation of a local disconnect is required, the customer must employ a circuit breaker with a specially designed remote operating mechanism such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,893,066 or a motor operated circuit breaker, or an electrical contactor in place of the less expensive disconnect switch. If the customer is upgrading an existing manufacturing line or electrical system, he must remove all existing manually operated local disconnect devices and replace them with the specially designed remotely operable local disconnect devices. This is extremely expensive and time consuming. It is therefore desirable to have a field installable inexpensive retrofit kit which can be used to convert an existing manually operated disconnect switch to a remotely operable disconnect switch without requiring removal or rewiring of the existing disconnect switch. This same conversion kit can be used to convert a standard manually operated disconnect switch to a remotely operable disconnect switch at the manufacturing location without requiring any special enclosures, assembly procedures or assembly tools.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a remote switch actuator module which can be used either during the disconnect switch manufacturing process or during a field retrofit of an installed manually operated disconnect switch to change a manually operated switch into a remotely operable switch. The remote switch actuator module is positioned between the switch enclosure and the existing manual operating handle. In some configurations the remote actuating module includes a manual operating arm and can completely replace the original manual operating handle. The remote actuator module includes a module housing which encloses a remotely operable mechanism providing a linear force. The remotely operable mechanism is mechanically connected to a mechanical interface which provides a means for changing the linear force or motion to a generally rotary force or motion. The mechanical interface also provides a mechanical connection between the remotely operable mechanism and a switch mechanism located inside the disconnect switch enclosure and also between the remotely operable mechanism and the manual operating handle. The mechanical interface can also provide activation for a switch status indicating device which provides the ON and OFF status information of the disconnect switch to a location remote from the disconnect switch. The remote switch actuating module is best suited for use with modularized switches of a type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,245 to Cassity et al., which issued Mar. 11, 1997, is assigned to the assignee of the present invention and is incorporated herein by reference. In this modularized switch assembly construction, the switch operating mechanism and switch operator arm are separate modules. The switch operating mechanism module is removably attached to the switch base module and the operating arm module is removably attached to the disconnect switch enclosure. The two modules are mechanically connected such that movement of the operating arm is transmitted to the switch operating mechanism. Conversion of an assembled modularized switch requires only the removal of the operating arm module from the switch enclosure, placing the remote switch actuating module in juxtaposed position with the switch enclosure such that the mechanical interface properly engages the switch operating mechanism, placing the operating arm module in juxtaposed position with the remote switch actuating module such that the operating arm module properly engages the mechanical interface and simultaneously attaching both the switch actuating module and the operating arm module to the switch enclosure.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3445848 (1969-05-01), Goldstein
patent: 3686672 (1972-08-01), Ishizuka
patent: 4410789 (1983-10-01), Story
patent: 5047765 (1991-09-01), Munekata
patent: 5099193 (1992-03-01), Moseley
patent: 5644302 (1997-07-01), Hana
Fitzsimmons George
Greer David Emerson
Golden Larry I.
Square D Company
Stacey David R.
Zimmerman Brian
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