Rotary motion switching apparatus usable with circuit interrupter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10312046-B1
Application number	US-201816154845-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Oct 9, 2018
Priority date	Jan 19, 2018
Publication date	Jun 4, 2019
Grant date	Jun 4, 2019

Abstract

A rotary motion switching apparatus is usable with a circuit interrupter that is situated in a NEMA box or other box and employs an attachment system. An access port that is formed in a wall of the NEMA box or other box permits a shaft having a handle at an end thereof to be connected with the rotary motion switching apparatus. The rotary motion switching apparatus includes a universal joint on a rotational component that enables operation of the handle and shaft without binding on the wall of the NEMA or other box even if the access port in the box is offset from an axis of rotation of the rotational component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rotary motion switching apparatus that is usable with a number of circuit interrupters, each circuit interrupter of the number of circuit interrupters having a housing and further having a switch situated on the housing, the rotary motion switching apparatus comprising:
a base;
an attachment system situated on the base, the attachment system comprising a number of connectors that are structured to engage a housing of a circuit interrupter of the number of circuit interrupters to affix the base to the housing;
a crank apparatus situated on the base, the crank apparatus comprising a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion;
the first portion being pivotable about an axis of rotation between a first orientation and a second orientation, the first portion and the second portion being engaged with one another at a location spaced from the axis of rotation, at least a part of the second portion being translatable along a movement axis between a first position and a second position, the first portion being in the first orientation when the at least part of the second portion is in the first position, the first portion being in the second orientation when the at least part of the second portion is in the second position;
the third portion being connected with the first portion and moving with the first portion between the first and second orientations, the third portion being movable with respect to the first portion in a direction transverse to the axis of rotation, the third portion being structured to be connected with a shaft that has a handle situated thereon; and
the second portion having a number of lugs that are structured to engage a switch of a circuit interrupter of the number of circuit interrupters and to move the switch between a first state and a second state, the at least part of the second portion being structured to be in the first position when the switch is in the first state, the at least part of the second portion being structured to be in the second position when the switch is in the second state.

2. The rotary motion switching apparatus of claim 1 wherein the number of connectors comprise a first connector, a second connector, and a third connector that are structured to engage the housing to retain the housing between the first, second, and third connectors and to thereby affix the base to the housing.

3. The rotary motion switching apparatus of claim 2 wherein the first and second connectors are disposed in a confronting relationship with one another and are structured to retain a part of the housing between the first and second connectors.

4. The rotary motion switching apparatus of claim 3 wherein the third connector and at least one of the first connector and the second connector are structured to retain another part of the housing between the third connector and the at least one of the first connector and the second connector.

5. The rotary motion switching apparatus of claim 1 wherein the base comprises a plate-like support, and wherein the first, second, and third connectors each extend in a common direction away from the support.

6. The rotary motion switching apparatus of claim 5 wherein the base further comprises a platform that extends in the common direction away from the support, the crank apparatus being situated on the platform.

7. The rotary motion switching apparatus of claim 6 wherein the platform is situated at an end of the support, and wherein the third connector is situated at another end of the support opposite the platform.

8. The rotary motion switching apparatus of claim 6 wherein the first and second connectors are situated on the support generally between the end and the another end.

9. The rotary motion switching apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first portion and the second portion are pivotably connected together at the location spaced from the axis of rotation.

10. The rotary motion switching apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least part of the second portion comprises a slider that is at least partially situated in a slot formed in the base.

11. The rotary motion switching apparatus of claim 10 wherein the second portion further comprises a link that is pivotably connected between the slider and the first portion.

12. The rotary motion switching apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first portion is situated on the base, and wherein the third portion is situated on the first portion.

13. The rotary motion switching apparatus of claim 12 wherein the third portion comprises a mount and connection bar, the connection bar being connected to the first portion and to the mount and being interposed between the first portion and the mount.

14. The rotary motion switching apparatus of claim 13 wherein the connection bar is movably connected to each of the first portion and the mount.

15. The rotary motion switching apparatus of claim 13 wherein the third portion further comprises a spring that is interposed between the first portion and the mount and that biases the mount in a direction toward alignment with the axis of rotation.

16. The rotary motion switching apparatus of claim 13 wherein the mount has a receptacle formed therein, the receptacle being structured to receive therein an end of the shaft.

17. An assembly comprising the rotary motion switching apparatus of claim 1 , the assembly further comprising:
a number of circuit interrupters, each circuit interrupter of the number of circuit interrupters having a housing and further having a switch situated on the housing;
the number of connectors being engaged with a housing of a circuit interrupter of the number of circuit interrupters to affix the base to the housing; and
the number of lugs being engaged with a switch of a circuit interrupter of the number of circuit interrupters to move the switch between the first state and the second state, the at least part of the second portion being in the first position when the switch is in the first state, the at least part of the second portion being in the second position when the switch is in the second state.

18. The assembly of claim 17 wherein the housing has a notch formed therein that is structured to receive a rail, a connector of the number of connectors being received in the notch.

19. The assembly of claim 17 wherein the number of connectors comprise a first connector, a second connector, and a third connector, and wherein the first and second connectors are disposed in a confronting relationship with one another and are biased toward one another and into engagement with the housing to retain a part of the housing between the first and second connectors.

20. The assembly of claim 19 wherein the third connector is biased toward at least one of the first connector and the second connector and into engagement with the housing to retain another part of the housing between the third connector and the at least one of the first connector and the second connector.

Assignees

• Eaton Intelligent Power Ltd

Inventors

• Clark John Thomas
• Powar Ramesh Shivaji
• Patwardhan Sujit Subhash

Classifications

• H01H3/10

  Means for securing to shaft of driving mechanism · CPC title

• H01H9/22

  for interlocking between casing, cover, or protective shutter and mechanism for operating contacts {(explosion-proof cases H01H9/045; built-in fuses and interlocking mechanisms H01H9/104; by automatic release of circuit breakers H01H71/126)} · CPC title

• H01H71/56 Primary

  actuated by rotatable knob or wheel · CPC title

• H01H2071/565

  using a add on unit, e.g. a separate rotary actuator unit, mounted on lever actuated circuit breakers · CPC title

• H01H9/282

  and a separate part mounted or mountable on the switch assembly and movable between an unlocking position and a locking position where it can be secured by the padlock · CPC title