Electrical switching apparatus, and trip assembly and lever member therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9275806-B2
Application number	US-201414310124-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2014
Priority date	Jun 20, 2014
Publication date	Mar 1, 2016
Grant date	Mar 1, 2016

Abstract

A lever member is for a trip assembly of an electrical switching apparatus. The electrical switching apparatus includes a housing, a signaling mechanism, separable contacts, and an operating mechanism structured to open and close the separable contacts. The trip assembly includes a mounting assembly disposed on the housing and a drive assembly. The drive assembly includes an actuator coupled to the mounting assembly and a plunger disposed on the mounting assembly and being cooperable with the operating mechanism. The lever member includes: a pivot portion structured to engage the mounting assembly; a first arm portion structured to engage the plunger; and a second arm portion disposed between the pivot portion and the first arm portion, the second arm portion being structured to engage the actuator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A trip assembly for an electrical switching apparatus comprising a housing, a signaling mechanism, separable contacts, and an operating mechanism structured to open and close said separable contacts, said trip assembly comprising:
a mounting assembly structured to be disposed on said housing; and
a drive assembly coupled to said mounting assembly, said drive assembly comprising:
an actuator structured to be cooperable with said signaling mechanism,
a plunger structured to be cooperable with said operating mechanism, and
a lever member structured to engage each of said actuator and said plunger,

wherein said drive assembly is structured to move between a loaded position corresponding to said actuator being reset and an unloaded position corresponding to said actuator being extended,
wherein as said drive assembly moves from said loaded position to said unloaded position, said actuator drives said lever member into said plunger, and
wherein as said drive assembly moves from said loaded position to said unloaded position, said lever member causes said plunger to rotate without any intermediate components.

2. The trip assembly of claim 1 wherein said plunger has a first receiving portion, a second receiving portion, and an opening therebetween; wherein said lever member comprises an arm portion having a latching portion extending therefrom; wherein in said loaded position, said latching portion engages said first receiving portion; and wherein in said unloaded position, said latching portion substantially extends into said opening.

3. The trip assembly of claim 1 wherein said mounting assembly comprises a frame member, a strap member, and a number of fasteners; wherein said frame member has a receiving portion, said actuator being disposed in said receiving portion; wherein said strap member couples said actuator to said receiving portion; and wherein said number of fasteners couple said strap member to said frame member.

4. The trip assembly of claim 1 wherein said mounting assembly comprises a first frame member, a second frame member, and a number of fasteners coupling said second frame member to said first frame member, wherein said actuator is coupled to said first frame member; and wherein said plunger is disposed on said second frame member.

5. The trip assembly of claim 1 wherein, responsive to said drive assembly moving from said loaded position to said unloaded position, said lever member rotates in a first direction; and wherein, responsive to said drive assembly moving from said loaded position to said unloaded position, said plunger rotates in a second direction parallel to the first direction.

6. The trip assembly of claim 1 wherein said lever member comprises a pivot portion structured to engage said mounting assembly, a first arm portion structured to engage said plunger, and a second arm portion disposed between said pivot portion and said first arm portion, wherein said second arm portion is structured to engage said actuator, wherein said second arm portion has a planar portion and a recessed portion extending from said planar portion, and wherein said recessed portion is structured to receive a portion of said actuator.

7. The trip assembly of claim 6 wherein said first arm portion comprises a planar portion and a latching portion; wherein said latching portion is bent with respect to said planar portion of said first arm portion and extends therefrom; and wherein said planar portion of said first arm portion extends from said second arm portion and is bent with respect thereto.

8. The trip assembly of claim 7 wherein said pivot portion is an elongated hook; wherein said mounting assembly comprises a pin member; and wherein said elongated hook is structured to rotate with respect to said pin member.

9. The trip assembly of claim 1 wherein said lever member comprises a pivot portion engaging said mounting assembly, a first arm portion structured to engage said plunger, and a second arm portion disposed between said pivot portion and said first arm portion; and wherein said second arm portion is structured to engage said actuator.

10. The trip assembly of claim 9 wherein said second arm portion has a recessed portion having a concave surface; wherein said actuator comprises an elongated member having a rounded end portion; and wherein said rounded end portion has an end surface shaped substantially similarly to said concave surface.

11. The trip assembly of claim 9 wherein said mounting assembly comprises a pin member having a cylindrical shaped outer surface; wherein said pivot portion is an elongated hook substantially engaging said outer surface; and wherein as said drive assembly moves between said loaded and unloaded positions, said elongated hook rotates with respect to said pin member.

12. The trip assembly of claim 11 wherein said mounting assembly further comprises a frame member having a number of slots; and wherein said pin member is disposed in said number of slots.

13. An electrical switching apparatus comprising:
a housing;
a signaling mechanism;
separable contacts;
an operating mechanism structured to open and close said separable contacts; and
a trip assembly comprising:
a mounting assembly disposed on said housing; and
a drive assembly coupled to said mounting assembly, said drive assembly comprising:
an actuator cooperable with said signaling mechanism;
a plunger cooperable with said operating mechanism; and
a lever member structured to engage each of said actuator and said plunger,

wherein said drive assembly is structured to move between a loaded position corresponding to said actuator being reset and an unloaded position corresponding to said actuator being extended,
wherein as said drive assembly moves from said loaded position to said unloaded position, said actuator drives said lever member into said plunger, and
wherein as said drive assembly moves from said loaded position to said unloaded position, said lever member causes said plunger to rotate without any intermediate components.

14. The electrical switching apparatus of claim 13 wherein said housing comprises a cover portion for retaining said trip assembly within said housing.

15. The electrical switching apparatus of claim 13 wherein said electrical switching apparatus is selected from the group consisting of automatic quenched break circuit breaker and non-automatic quenched break circuit breaker.

16. The electrical switching apparatus of claim 13 wherein, responsive to said drive assembly moving from said loaded position to said unloaded position, said lever member rotates in a first direction; and wherein, responsive to said drive assembly moving from said loaded position to said unloaded position, said plunger rotates in a second direction parallel to the first direction.

17. The electrical switching apparatus of claim 13 wherein said signaling mechanism is a circuit board; and wherein said drive assembly moves from said loaded position to said unloaded position in response to a signal from said circuit board to said actuator.

18. The electrical switching apparatus of claim 17 wherein as said drive assembly moves from said loaded position to said unloaded position, said actuator drives said lever member into said plunger to trip open said separable contacts; wherein as said drive assembly moves from said unloaded position to said loaded position, said plunger drives said lever member into said actuator to reset said actuator; and wherein in said loaded position, said separable contacts are closed.

Assignees

• Eaton Corp

Inventors

• Stifter Jr Frank Joseph
• Jones William John
• Jansto Brian Scott
• Whalen Thomas Mark

Classifications

• H01H3/38 Primary

  using spring or other flexible shaft coupling · CPC title

• H01H3/04 Primary

  Levers (tumblers H01H23/14) · CPC title

• H01H3/60

  Mechanical arrangements for preventing or damping vibration or shock · CPC title

• H01H71/2463

  with plunger type armatures · CPC title

• H01H71/1054

  Means for avoiding unauthorised release · CPC title