Electricity: magnetically operated switches – magnets – and electr – Electromagnetically actuated switches – Automatic circuit-interrupting devices
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-01
2001-12-04
Donovan, Lincoln (Department: 2832)
Electricity: magnetically operated switches, magnets, and electr
Electromagnetically actuated switches
Automatic circuit-interrupting devices
C335S016000, C218S022000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06326868
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
U.S. Pat. No. 4,616,198 entitled “Contact Arrangement for a Current Limiting Circuit Breaker” describes the early use of a first and second pair of circuit breaker contacts arranged in series to substantially reduce the amount of current let-through upon the occurrence of an overcurrent condition.
When the contact pairs are arranged upon one movable rotary contact arm, such as described within U.S. Pat. No. 4,910,485 entitled “Multiple Circuit Breaker with Double Break Rotary Contact”, some means must be provided to insure that the opposing contact pairs exhibit the same contact pressure to reduce contact wear and erosion.
One arrangement for providing uniform contact wear is described within U.S. Pat. No. 4,649,247 entitled “Contact Assembly for Low-voltage Circuit Breakers with a Two-Arm Contact Lever”. This arrangement includes an elongated slot formed perpendicular to the contact travel to provide uniform contact closure force on both pairs of contacts.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,030,804 entitled “Contact Arrangement for Electrical Switching Devices” describes providing a pair of cylindrical plates on either side of the rotary contact arms and forming elongated slots within each of the cylindrical plates.
When the rotary contacts are used within a range of differing ampere-rated circuit breakers, the size of the contact arms varies in accordance with the ampere rating such that the accompanying cylindrical plates must be sized accordingly.
It would be economically advantageous to have a wide range of rotary contact circuit breakers having provision for reducing contact wear without having to stock and assemble a wide range of slotted cylindrical plates.
Accordingly, one purpose of the invention is to include means for reducing such contact wear in rotary contact circuit breakers over a wide range of ampere ratings with the smallest number of associated contact assembly components.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A circuit breaker rotary contact arm is used within a plurality of single pole circuit breakers ganged together to form a single multi-pole circuit breaker. To provide uniform contact wear among the associated circuit breaker contacts, the rotor carrying the rotary contact arm pivot is slotted to allow the contact arm to provide constant contact compressive forces. The central section of the contact arm is configured to position the contacts within defined CLOSED, BLOW OPEN and LOCK OPEN positions. Interconnection of the rotor assemblies with the operating mechanism is achieved by a single elongated pin.
REFERENCES:
patent: D. 367265 (1996-02-01), Yamagata et al.
patent: 2340682 (1944-02-01), Powell
patent: 2719203 (1955-09-01), Gelzheiser et al.
patent: 2937254 (1960-05-01), Ericson
patent: 3158717 (1964-11-01), Jeneks et al.
patent: 3162739 (1964-12-01), Klein et al.
patent: 3197582 (1965-07-01), Norden
patent: 3307002 (1967-02-01), Cooper
patent: 3517356 (1970-06-01), Hanafusa
patent: 3631369 (1971-12-01), Menocal
patent: 3803455 (1974-04-01), Willard
patent: 3883781 (1975-05-01), Cotton
patent: 4129762 (1978-12-01), Bruchet
patent: 4144513 (1979-03-01), Shafer et al.
patent: 4158119 (1979-06-01), Krakik
patent: 4165453 (1979-08-01), Hennemann
patent: 4166988 (1979-09-01), Ciarcia et al.
patent: 4220934 (1980-09-01), Wafer et al.
patent: 4255732 (1981-03-01), Wafer et al.
patent: 4259651 (1981-03-01), Yamat
patent: 4263492 (1981-04-01), Maier et al.
patent: 4276527 (1981-06-01), Gerbert-Gaillard et al.
patent: 4297663 (1981-10-01), Seymour et al.
patent: 4301342 (1981-11-01), Castonguay et al.
patent: 4360852 (1982-11-01), Gilmore
patent: 4368444 (1983-01-01), Preuss et al.
patent: 4375021 (1983-02-01), Pardini et al.
patent: 4375022 (1983-02-01), Daussin et al.
patent: 4376270 (1983-03-01), Staffen
patent: 4383146 (1983-05-01), Bur
patent: 4392036 (1983-07-01), Troebel et al.
patent: 4393283 (1983-07-01), Masuda
patent: 4401872 (1983-08-01), Boichot-Castagne et al.
patent: 4409573 (1983-10-01), DiMarco et al.
patent: 4435690 (1984-03-01), Link et al.
patent: 4467297 (1984-08-01), Boichot-Castagne et al.
patent: 4468645 (1984-08-01), Gerbert-Gailard et al.
patent: 4470027 (1984-09-01), Link et al.
patent: 4479143 (1984-10-01), Watanabe et al.
patent: 4488133 (1984-12-01), McClellan et al.
patent: 4492941 (1985-01-01), Nagel
patent: 4541032 (1985-09-01), Schwab
patent: 4546224 (1985-10-01), Mostosi
patent: 4550360 (1985-10-01), Dougherty
patent: 4562419 (1985-12-01), Preuss et al.
patent: 4589052 (1986-05-01), Dougherty
patent: 4595812 (1986-06-01), Tamaru et al.
patent: 4611187 (1986-09-01), Banfi
patent: 4612430 (1986-09-01), Sloan et al.
patent: 4616198 (1986-10-01), Pardini
patent: 4622444 (1986-11-01), Kandatsu et al.
patent: 4631625 (1986-12-01), Alexander et al.
patent: 4642431 (1987-02-01), Tedesco et al.
patent: 4644438 (1987-02-01), Puccinelli et al.
patent: 4649247 (1987-03-01), Preuss et al.
patent: 4658322 (1987-04-01), Rivera
patent: 4672501 (1987-06-01), Bilac et al.
patent: 4675481 (1987-06-01), Markowski et al.
patent: 4682264 (1987-07-01), Demeyer
patent: 4689712 (1987-08-01), Demeyer
patent: 4694373 (1987-09-01), Demeyer
patent: 4710845 (1987-12-01), Demeyer
patent: 4717985 (1988-01-01), Demeyer
patent: 4733211 (1988-03-01), Castonguay et al.
patent: 4733321 (1988-03-01), Lindeperg
patent: 4764650 (1988-08-01), Bur et al.
patent: 4768007 (1988-08-01), Mertz et al.
patent: 4780786 (1988-10-01), Weynachter et al.
patent: 4831221 (1989-05-01), Yu et al.
patent: 4870531 (1989-09-01), Danek
patent: 4883931 (1989-11-01), Batteux et al.
patent: 4884047 (1989-11-01), Baginski et al.
patent: 4884164 (1989-11-01), Dziura et al.
patent: 4900882 (1990-02-01), Bernard et al.
patent: 4910485 (1990-03-01), Bolongeat-Mobleu et al.
patent: 4914541 (1990-04-01), Tripodi et al.
patent: 4916420 (1990-04-01), Bartolo et al.
patent: 4916421 (1990-04-01), Pardini et al.
patent: 4926282 (1990-05-01), McGhie
patent: 4935590 (1990-06-01), Malkin et al.
patent: 4937706 (1990-06-01), Schueller et al.
patent: 4939492 (1990-07-01), Raso et al.
patent: 4943691 (1990-07-01), Mertz et al.
patent: 4943888 (1990-07-01), Jacob et al.
patent: 4950855 (1990-08-01), Bolonegeat-Mobleu et al.
patent: 4951019 (1990-08-01), Gula
patent: 4952897 (1990-08-01), Barnel et al.
patent: 4958135 (1990-09-01), Baginski et al.
patent: 4965543 (1990-10-01), Batteux
patent: 4983788 (1991-01-01), Pardini
patent: 5001313 (1991-03-01), Leclerq et al.
patent: 5004878 (1991-04-01), Seymour et al.
patent: 5029301 (1991-07-01), Nebon et al.
patent: 5030804 (1991-07-01), Abri
patent: 5057655 (1991-10-01), Kersusan et al.
patent: 5077627 (1991-12-01), Fraisse
patent: 5083081 (1992-01-01), Barrault et al.
patent: 5095183 (1992-03-01), Raphard et al.
patent: 5103198 (1992-04-01), Morel et al.
patent: 5115371 (1992-05-01), Tripodi
patent: 5120921 (1992-06-01), DiMarco et al.
patent: 5132865 (1992-07-01), Mertz et al.
patent: 5138121 (1992-08-01), Streich et al.
patent: 5140115 (1992-08-01), Morris
patent: 5153802 (1992-10-01), Mertz et al.
patent: 5155315 (1992-10-01), Malkin et al.
patent: 5166483 (1992-11-01), Kersusan et al.
patent: 5172087 (1992-12-01), Castonguay et al.
patent: 5178504 (1993-01-01), Falchi
patent: 5184717 (1993-02-01), Chou et al.
patent: 5187339 (1993-02-01), Lissandrin
patent: 5198956 (1993-03-01), Dvorak
patent: 5200724 (1993-04-01), Gula et al.
patent: 5210385 (1993-05-01), Morel et al.
patent: 5239150 (1993-08-01), Bolongeat-Mobleau et al.
patent: 5260533 (1993-11-01), Livesey et al.
patent: 5262744 (1993-11-01), Arnold et al.
patent: 5280144 (1994-01-01), Bologeat-Mobleu et al.
patent: 5281776 (1994-01-01), Morel et al.
patent: 5296660 (1994-03-01), Morel et al.
patent: 5296664 (1994-03-01), Crookston et al.
patent: 5298874 (1994-03-01), Morel et al.
patent: 5300907 (1994-04-01), Nereau et al.
patent: 5310971 (1994-05-01), Vial et al.
patent: 5313180 (1994-05-01), Vial et al.
patent: 5317471 (1994-05-01), Izoard et al.
patent: 5331500 (1994-07-01), Corcoles et al.
patent: 5334808 (1994-08-01), Bur et al.
patent: 5341191 (1994-08-01), Crookston et al.
patent: 5347096 (19
Bauer Rolf-Dieter
DeVizzi Francesco
Kranz Stefan
Cantor & Colburn LLP
Donovan Lincoln
General Electric Company
Horton Carl B.
LandOfFree
Rotary contact assembly for high ampere-rated circuit breaker does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Rotary contact assembly for high ampere-rated circuit breaker, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Rotary contact assembly for high ampere-rated circuit breaker will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2563322