Circuit breaker assemblies with changeable orientation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10170263-B2
Application number	US-201715421214-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2017
Priority date	Jan 31, 2017
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

Examples described herein relate to circuit breaker assemblies with changeable orientation. In one example, an apparatus includes a circuit breaker assembly and a circuit breaker housing to receive the circuit breaker assembly. The circuit breaker assembly includes a circuit breaker including a contact, a cover plate attached to a surface of the circuit breaker, and a handle movable between a first position and a second position. The circuit breaker assembly is removably attachable to the circuit breaker housing to change an orientation of the circuit breaker assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a circuit breaker assembly, comprising:
a circuit breaker including a contact;
a cover plate attached to a surface of the circuit breaker; and
a handle movable between a first position and a second position; and

a circuit breaker housing configured to receive the circuit breaker assembly, wherein the circuit breaker assembly is capable of being removed from the circuit breaker housing, rotated, and reinstalled in the circuit breaker housing to change an orientation of the circuit breaker assembly.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the contact includes a load contact and a line contact, and wherein the circuit breaker housing includes connectors to couple with the load contact and the line contact.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the circuit breaker is one of a single pole circuit breaker and a multiple pole circuit breaker.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a circuit breaker label disposed on a surface of the cover plate, the label to indicate a load associated with the circuit breaker, and wherein the label is capable of being rotated with the circuit breaker assembly.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising fasteners to connect input power cord wires to the connectors of the circuit breaker housing.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising mounting screws to attach the circuit breaker housing to a chassis of a power distribution unit (PDU).

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the mounting screws include flush mount screws and wherein the circuit breaker housing is retained in the PDU housing via the flush mount screws when the circuit breaker assembly is removed from the circuit breaker housing.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the handle is movable between an ON position and an OFF position, and wherein the handle is disposed on the cover plate.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the circuit breaker housing includes a connector configured to receive the contact, and wherein the contact is capable of being removed from the connector, rotated 180 degrees, and reinstalled in the connector.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a fastener to removably install the circuit breaker assembly in the circuit breaker housing.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the fastener comprises a captive screw fastener disposed on the cover plate.

12. A power distribution unit (PDU), comprising:
a chassis;
a circuit breaker housing within the chassis; and
a circuit breaker assembly removably installed in the circuit breaker housing in a first installation orientation, comprising:
a circuit breaker having a cover plate at a proximate end and a plurality of electrical contacts at a distal end; and
a circuit breaker handle disposed on the cover plate movable between a first position and a second position; and

the circuit breaker housing comprising:
electrical connectors to couple to the electrical contact of the circuit breaker; and
mounting members to attach the circuit breaker housing to the PDU, wherein the circuit breaker assembly is capable of being removed from the circuit breaker housing, rotated, and reinstalled in the circuit breaker housing in a second installation orientation.

13. The PDU of claim 12 , wherein the circuit breaker assembly is capable of being removed from the circuit breaker housing without removing the circuit breaker housing from the chassis of the PDU.

14. The PDU of claim 12 , wherein the mounting members include flush mount screws to attach the circuit breaker housing to the PDU.

15. The PDU of claim 12 , comprising fastening members within the circuit breaker housing to couple input power cord wires to the connectors of the circuit breaker housing.

16. The PDU of claim 12 , comprising captive screw fasteners to removably install the circuit breaker assembly in the circuit breaker housing, wherein the captive screw fasteners are located on the cover plate.

17. The PDU of claim 12 , comprising a label on the cover plate of the circuit breaker, the label to associate the circuit breaker assembly with a corresponding load segment of the PDU, wherein the label is capable of being rotated to maintain a same orientation as the circuit breaker assembly.

18. The PDU of claim 12 , wherein the PDU is a zero rack unit (0U) vertical PDU.

19. The PDU of claim 12 , comprising a power cord to couple the PDU to a main power supply or a backup power supply, wherein the power cord is located at a top surface of the PDU or at a bottom surface of the PDU, and wherein the circuit breaker assembly is capable of being removed and reinstalled based on the location of the power cord of the PDU.

20. The PDU of claim 19 , wherein the plurality of contacts are capable of being removably installed in a plurality of connectors located in the circuit breaker housing.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Entpr Dev Lp

Inventors

• Stevens Matthew E
• Sparks Tommy S
• Barham Keli

Classifications

• H01H71/0228 Primary

  having provisions for interchangeable or replaceable parts · CPC title

• H01H71/04

  Means for indicating condition of the switching device {(by means of an auxiliary contact H01H71/46)} · CPC title

• H02B1/04

  Mounting thereon of switches or of other devices in general, the switch or device having, or being without, casing · CPC title

• H02B1/32

  Mounting of devices therein · CPC title

• H01H2011/0025

  with provisions for allowing different orientation of the operating part, e.g. turning knob can be mounted in different positions · CPC title