Molded case circuit breaker with terminal cover having emboss guides for cable box cover alignment and fixing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11710612-B2
Application number	US-202117320753-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 14, 2021
Priority date	May 14, 2021
Publication date	Jul 25, 2023
Grant date	Jul 25, 2023

Abstract

A molded case circuit breaker configured to protect its ports and cables is provided. The molded case circuit breaker comprises an electronic trip unit (ETU) including communication ports or a thermomagnetic trip unit (TMTU). The molded case circuit breaker further comprises a terminal cover configured to pass cables that connect to the communication ports of the ETU and pass the cables over lugs without touching the lugs. The molded case circuit breaker further comprises a cable box cover that protects the cables of the ETU from external harm. The terminal cover including an emboss fixture having emboss guides for alignment and fixing of the cable box cover. The electronic trip unit (ETU) or the thermomagnetic trip unit (TMTU) and the cable box cover are assembled with one or more screws. The cable box cover is prevented from falling after the one or more screws are taken out from the terminal cover regardless of how the circuit breaker is mounted.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A molded case circuit breaker, comprising:
an electronic trip unit (ETU) including communication ports or a thermomagnetic trip unit (TMTU);
a terminal cover; and
a cable box cover that protects the cables of the ETU from external harm,
wherein the terminal cover including an emboss fixture having emboss guides for alignment and fixing of the cable box cover,
wherein the electronic trip unit (ETU) or the thermomagnetic trip unit (TMTU) and the cable box cover are assembled with one or more screws,
wherein the cable box cover is prevented from falling after the one or more screws are taken out from the terminal cover regardless of how the circuit breaker is mounted,
wherein the terminal cover having a flat surface on one side and on the other side having the emboss fixture that is configured to hold the cable box cover in position, wherein for assembly the terminal cover is flipped to leave the emboss fixture visible and assemble it to the circuit breaker such that the emboss fixture acts as a retainer, and
wherein the emboss fixture is in the form of a pin including a male emboss and a female emboss such that the female emboss on the cable box cover will fit against the male emboss with a metallic insert on the terminal cover or wherein the emboss fixture is in the form of a slider such that the terminal cover comprises sliding rails and the cable box cover comprises sliding rails in that the cable box cover would be positioned on the terminal cover using the sliding rails of the terminal cover and the sliding rails of the cable box cover.

2. The molded case circuit breaker of claim 1 , wherein the electronic trip unit (ETU) or the thermomagnetic trip unit (TMTU) and the cable box cover are assembled with only two screws.

3. The molded case circuit breaker of claim 1 , wherein the terminal cover is to be flipped for assembly of the cable box cover.

4. The molded case circuit breaker of claim 3 , wherein the cable box cover goes over the terminal cover.

5. The molded case circuit breaker of claim 4 , wherein to complete the assembly the one or more screws will tighten both the terminal cover and the cable box cover.

6. The molded case circuit breaker of claim 1 , wherein the emboss fixture is in the form of a snap-fit clip.

7. A method of protecting ports and cables of a molded case circuit breaker, the method comprising:
providing an electronic trip unit (ETU) including communication ports or a thermomagnetic trip unit (TMTU);
providing a terminal cover; and
providing a cable box cover that protects the cables of the ETU from external harm,
wherein the terminal cover including an emboss fixture having emboss guides for alignment and fixing of the cable box cover,
wherein the electronic trip unit (ETU) or the thermomagnetic trip unit (TMTU) and the cable box cover are assembled with one or more screws,
wherein the cable box cover is prevented from falling after the one or more screws are taken out from the terminal cover regardless of how the circuit breaker is mounted,
wherein the terminal cover having a flat surface on one side and on the other side having the emboss fixture that is configured to hold the cable box cover in position, wherein for assembly the terminal cover is flipped to leave the emboss fixture visible and assemble it to the circuit breaker such that the emboss fixture acts as a retainer, and
wherein the emboss fixture is in the form of a pin including a male emboss and a female emboss such that the female emboss on the cable box cover will fit against the male emboss with a metallic insert on the terminal cover or wherein the emboss fixture is in the form of a slider such that the terminal cover comprises sliding rails and the cable box cover comprises sliding rails in that the cable box cover would be positioned on the terminal cover using the sliding rails of the terminal cover and the sliding rails of the cable box cover.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the electronic trip unit (ETU) or the thermomagnetic trip unit (TMTU) and the cable box cover are assembled with only two screws.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the terminal cover is to be flipped for assembly of the cable box cover.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the cable box cover goes over the terminal cover.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein to complete the assembly the one or more screws will tight both the terminal cover and the cable box cover.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the emboss fixture is in the form of a snap-fit clip.

Assignees

• Siemens Industry Inc

Inventors

• Quintana Ramos Luis Fernando
• Espinosa Perez Carlos Andres
• Morales Trevino Ismael Francisco

Classifications

• H01H71/40 Primary

  Combined electrothermal and electromagnetic mechanisms · CPC title

• H01H71/0264

  Mountings or coverplates for complete assembled circuit breakers, e.g. snap mounting in panel · CPC title

• H01H71/08

  Terminals; Connections · CPC title

• H01H71/7463

  Adjusting only the electromagnetic mechanism · CPC title

• H01H71/0207 Primary

  Mounting or assembling the different parts of the circuit breaker · CPC title