Circuit breakers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12567550-B2
Application number	US-202418758111-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2024
Priority date	Dec 28, 2021
Publication date	Mar 3, 2026
Grant date	Mar 3, 2026

Abstract

A circuit breaker can include a moveable electrical contact configured to be moved between an open position and a closed position, and a lever assembly configured to prevent the progressive closing of the moveable electrical contact to the closed position such that the lever assembly is configured to cause snap action closing of the moveable electrical contact at a charged position of a motorized slider.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A motorized circuit breaker comprising:
a moveable electrical contact configured to be moved between an open position and a closed position; a motorized slider configured to move in first and second directions between first and second positions; and a lever assembly configured to prevent progressive closing of the moveable electrical contact to the closed position such that the lever assembly is configured to cause snap-action closing of the moveable electrical contact at a charged position of the motorized slider, the lever assembly including:
a kicker lever having a kicker configured to cause the moveable electrical contact to move to the open position, wherein the motorized slider is configured to push the kicker lever to the first position to cause the moveable electrical contact to move to the open position; and
a catch lever configured to allow the motorized slider to decouple from the kicker lever, hold the kicker lever, and be moved by the motorized slider to release the kicker lever in the second position to cause the snap-action closing of the moveable electrical contact.

2 . A motorized circuit breaker comprising:
a moveable electrical contact configured to be moved between an open position and a closed position; and a lever assembly configured to prevent progressive closing of the moveable electrical contact to the closed position such that the lever assembly is configured to cause snap-action closing of the moveable electrical contact at a charged position of a motorized slider of the motorized circuit breaker, wherein the lever assembly comprises: a kicker lever having a kicker configured to cause the moveable electrical contact to move to the open position, wherein the motorized slider is configured to push the kicker lever to a first position to cause the moveable electrical contact to move to the open position; and a catch lever configured to allow the motorized slider to decouple from the kicker lever, wherein the catch lever is configured to hold the kicker lever and to be moved by the motorized slider to release the kicker lever in a second position of the motorized slider to cause snap action closing of the moveable electrical contact.

3 . A motorized circuit breaker comprising:
a moveable electrical contact configured to be moved between an open position and a closed position; a lever assembly configured to prevent progressive closing of the moveable electrical contact to the closed position such that the lever assembly is configured to cause snap-action closing of the moveable electrical contact at a charged position of a motorized slider of the motorized circuit breaker; and a moveable blade having the moveable electrical contact thereon or attached thereto and configured to make contact with a fixed electrical contact in the closed position, and to be separated from the fixed electrical contact in the open position, wherein the blade is biased to the closed position, and wherein the lever assembly comprises: a kicker lever having or connected to a kicker, wherein the kicker is configured to contact the blade to move the blade to the open position, wherein the kicker lever is configured to move the kicker to move blade to the open position, wherein the motorized slider is configured to move between at least a first position and a second position, wherein the motorized slider is shaped to contact and move the kicker lever in a first direction toward the first position to consequently move the blade to the open position, wherein the motorized slider is configured to move in a second direction away from the kicker lever toward the second position; and a catch lever configured to engage the kicker lever to prevent the kicker lever from allowing the blade to move toward the closed position, wherein the motorized slider is configured to separate from the kicker lever in the second direction when the kicker lever is engaged to the catch lever, wherein the motorized slider is configured to contact the catch lever to move the catch lever to disengage the catch lever from the kicker lever after the motorized slider has separated from the kicker lever in the second direction to allow the kicker lever and the kicker to snap release the blade to allow snap closing of the moveable electrical contact to the fixed electrical contact.

4 . The motorized circuit breaker of claim 1 , further comprising a biasing member configured to bias the motorized slider to the first position.

5 . The motorized circuit breaker of claim 4 , further comprising a motor assembly operatively connected to the motorized slider and configured to actuate the motorized slider in the second direction toward the second position against the bias of the biasing member to place the motorized slider into the charged position.

6 . The motorized circuit breaker of claim 5 , wherein the motor assembly is configured to release the motorized slider in response to an open command to allow the motorized slider to snap to the first position by the bias of the biasing member to move the kicker lever to consequently cause the moveable blade to move the moveable electrical contact to the open position.

7 . The motorized circuit breaker of claim 3 , wherein the kicker lever is rotatably mounted about a first point at a kicker lever base, and wherein the kicker lever includes a kicker extension configured to contact the motorized slider.

8 . The motorized circuit breaker of claim 7 , wherein the kicker lever includes a kicker lever tab extending outwardly from the kicker lever base.

9 . The motorized circuit breaker of claim 8 , wherein the catch lever is rotatably mounted about a second point different from the first point, and wherein the catch lever includes a catch extension configured to contact the motorized slider to be moved by the motorized slider when the motorized slider is moving in the second direction toward the second position.

10 . The motorized circuit breaker of claim 9 , wherein the second point is above and behind the first point relative to the motorized slider.

11 . The motorized circuit breaker of claim 10 , wherein the catch extension and the kicker extension are shaped to extend in the second direction and toward the motorized slider.

12 . The motorized circuit breaker of claim 9 , wherein the catch lever includes a catch tab configured to engage the kicker lever tab when the motorized slider moves in the second direction from the first position to prevent further motion of the kicker lever while the catch tab and the kicker lever tab are engaged.

13 . The motorized circuit breaker of claim 12 , wherein the catch tab and the kicker lever tab are configured to separate at the second position of the motorized slider when the motorized slider is separate from the kicker lever when the catch extension and the catch tab are sufficiently moved by the motorized slider to allow the kicker lever to rotate, thereby allowing snap closure of the moveable electrical contact to a fixed electrical contact.

14 . The motorized circuit breaker of claim 13 , wherein when the motorized slider is in the first position, a gap is formed between the catch tab and the kicker lever tab such that the kicker lever can rotate with movement of the motorized slider in the second direction until the kicker lever tab contacts the catch tab corresponding to an intermediate open position of the moveable blade.

15 . The motorized circuit breaker of claim 13 , wherein the motorized slider includes a slider extension configured to contact the kicker lever extension on a first side and to contact the catch leve

Assignees

• Schneider Electric Usa Inc

Inventors

• Mittelstadt Chad R
• Derby Austin
• Faik Salaheddine

Classifications

• H01H2071/508

  with serial latches, e.g. primary latch latched by secondary latch for requiring a smaller trip force · CPC title

• H01H71/505

  Latching devices between operating and release mechanism · CPC title

• H01H71/70

  actuated by electric motor · CPC title

• H01H71/08

  Terminals; Connections · CPC title

• H01H71/0207 Primary

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