Heater apparatus, circuit interrupter, and related method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10056214-B2
Application number	US-201615155191-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2016
Priority date	Feb 12, 2013
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

A heater apparatus is structured for use in a circuit interrupter having a thermal trip and includes a conductive device having a terminal and a heater that are co-formed with one another. The terminal includes a base and a support. The conductive device is formed from an individual metallic plate that is bent to form a number of plate elements. The base includes at least one plate element, and the heater includes at least another plate element, with the base and the heater being co-formed. A compression element is threadably receivable on the terminal and is structured to compressively retain an electrical conductor between the compression element and the base.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming a heater apparatus for use in a circuit interrupter having a thermal trip, the method comprising:
bending an individual metallic plate to form a conductive device having a number of plate elements wherein:
at least one plate element of the number of plate elements is a base of the conductive device,
at least another plate element of the number of plate elements is a heater of the conductive device, the heater being thermally conductively connected with at least a portion of the thermal trip, the heater being structured to conduct electricity within the circuit interrupter and to generate resistance heat which is communicated at least in part to the thermal trip, and
at least a further plate element of the number of plate elements is a support of the conductive device, the support extending from the base;

receiving on the support a compression element that is movable toward and away from the base and to compressively retain an electrical conductor between the compression element and the base; and
employing as the plate an individual and generally T-shaped plate-like conductive element having an elongated body and a pair of wings situated at an end of the body, the wings extending in opposite directions away from the end of the body.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming threading on a pair of holes formed in the pair of wings.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising deforming the wings to align the holes with one another, and performing the forming of threading subsequent to the deforming.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising threadably receiving the compression element in the holes.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising as a part of the deforming of the wings, causing a portion of a wing of the pair of wings having formed therein a hole of the pair of holes to overlie a portion of another wing of the pair of wings having formed therein another hole of the pair of holes.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising as a part of the deforming of the wings, causing another portion of the wing to form a lug, and causing another portion of the another wing to form another lug, the lug and the another lug spacing away from the base the overlying portions of the wing and the another wing.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming a bend between the base and the heater.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising employing as the plate an individual plate-like conductive element having an elongated body and at least a first wing, the at least first wing being situated on the body and extending away from the body.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the plate has at least a first hole formed therein, and further comprising forming threading on the at least first hole.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising performing the forming of threading subsequent to at least a portion of the bending.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising threadably receiving the compression element in the at least first hole.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising as a part of the bending, causing a portion of the conductive element to form a lug that spaces the at least first hole away from the base.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the plate has a pair of holes formed therein, and further comprising forming threading on at least a first hole of the pair of holes.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising deforming the conductive element to align the holes of the pair of holes with one another.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising performing the forming of threading subsequent to at least a portion of the deforming.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the forming of threading comprises forming threading on both holes of the pair of holes.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising threadably receiving the compression element in the pair of holes.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the deforming comprises overlying a portion of the conductive element with another portion of the conductive element.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising as a part of the deforming, forming in the conductive element a pair of lugs that space the pair of holes away from the base.

Assignees

• Eaton Corp
• Eaton Intelligent Power Ltd

Inventors

• Turner David C

Classifications

• Y10T29/49083

  Heater type · CPC title

• H01H11/00

  Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture of electric switches (processes specially adapted for manufacture of rectilinearly movable switches having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboards, H01H13/88) · CPC title

• H01H71/08 Primary

  Terminals; Connections · CPC title

• H01H37/52

  actuated due to deflection of bimetallic element · CPC title

• Y10T29/49105

  Switch making · CPC title