Circuit interrupters and electrical enclosures with rejection features

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9496690-B2
Application number	US-201313963359-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 9, 2013
Priority date	Aug 9, 2013
Publication date	Nov 15, 2016
Grant date	Nov 15, 2016

Abstract

A set of circuit interrupters and electrical enclosures that are configured to permit an electrical enclosure having a current rating to have connected therewith a circuit interrupter having a current carrying rating no greater than the current rating. However, a current interrupter having a current carrying rating less than the current rating of the electrical enclosure potentially may be connected therewith. Such electrical interruption equipment employs threaded studs on bus bars that are of varying sizes and/or are separated by varying distances in order to resist an electrical enclosure having a current rating from being electrically connected with a circuit interrupter having a current carrying rating greater than the current rating. Alternatively or additionally, the circuit interrupter and/or the electrical enclosure may have interference elements that physically interfere with the mounting and/or the electrical connection of a circuit interrupter having a current carrying rating with an electrical enclosure having a current rating less than the current carrying rating.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A circuit interrupter having a current carrying rating, the circuit interrupter being structured to be installable in electrical connection with an electrical enclosure having a current rating at least equal to the current carrying rating and being structured to be non-installable in electrical connection with an electrical enclosure having a current rating less than the current carrying rating, the circuit interrupter comprising:
an electrical interruption apparatus having a current carrying rating and comprising a housing and one or more of:
a receptacle having a dimension, the dimension being structured to enable the receptacle to receive therein an elongated conductor of electrical enclosure having a current rating at least equal to the current carrying rating, the dimension being structured to resist at least one of:
reception into the receptacle of a conductor of an electrical enclosure having a current rating less than the current carrying rating, and
attachment of the circuit interrupter to a conductor of an electrical enclosure having a current rating less than the current carrying rating;

a pair of receptacles that are spaced apart a distance, the distance being structured to enable the pair of receptacles to receive therein an elongated pair of conductors of an electrical enclosure having a current rating at least equal to the current carrying rating, the distance being structured to resist reception into the pair of receptacles of a pair of conductors of an electrical enclosure having a current rating less than the current carrying rating; and
an exterior portion which is structured to be interfered with by an interference element of an electrical enclosure having a current rating less than the current carrying rating and which is thereby structured to resist electrical connection between the circuit interrupter and the electrical enclosure having the current rating less than the current carrying rating, the exterior portion being structured to be non-interfered with and to permit electrical connection of the circuit interrupter with an electrical enclosure having a current rating no less than the current carrying rating.

2. The circuit interrupter of claim 1 wherein the electrical interruption apparatus comprises an electrical terminal, wherein the receptacle comprises a hole formed in the electrical terminal, and wherein the dimension is one of:
a diameter of the hole that is structured to be smaller than the diameter of the conductor of the electrical enclosure having the current rating less than the current carrying rating; and
a depth of the hole that is equal to or greater than the length of the conductor of the electrical enclosure having the current rating less than the current carrying rating that the hole is structured to receive therein.

3. The circuit interrupter of claim 1 wherein the electrical interruption apparatus comprises an electrical terminal, wherein the receptacle comprises a hole formed in the electrical terminal, and wherein the dimension is a transverse dimension of the hole and is of a size that is structured to be:
smaller than a transverse dimension of the elongated conductor of the electrical enclosure having the current rating less than the current carrying rating; and
equal to or larger than a transverse dimension of the elongated conductor of the electrical enclosure having the current rating at least equal to the current carrying rating.

4. The circuit interrupter of claim 1 wherein the electrical interruption apparatus comprises a pair of electrical terminals, wherein the pair of receptacles comprise a pair of holes formed in the pair of electrical terminals, and wherein the distance is a spacing between the pair of holes and is of a size that is structured to:
correspond with a spacing between the pair of conductors of the electrical enclosure having the current rating at least equal to the current carrying rating; and
conflict with a spacing between the pair of conductors of the electrical enclosure having the current rating less than the current carrying rating.

5. The circuit interrupter of claim 4 wherein the spacing is of a size that is structured to be:
equal to the spacing between the pair of conductors of the electrical enclosure having the current rating at least equal to the current carrying rating; and
different than the spacing between the pair of conductors of the electrical enclosure having the current rating less than the current carrying rating.

6. The circuit interrupter of claim 1 wherein the housing is formed of a housing material, and wherein the exterior portion is a region at the exterior of the housing that is devoid of the housing material.

7. The circuit interrupter of claim 6 wherein the region at the exterior of the housing is an indentation that is formed in the housing and that is structured to receive and to be engaged with the at least portion of the interference element.

8. An electrical enclosure having a current rating, the electrical enclosure being structured to receive in electrical connection therewith a circuit interrupter having a current carrying rating no greater than the current rating and being structured to resist electrical connection therewith of a circuit interrupter having a current carrying rating greater than the current rating, the electrical enclosure comprising:
an electrical delivery apparatus having a current rating and one or more of:
an elongated conductor having a dimension, the dimension being structured to enable the conductor to be received in a receptacle of and to permit electrical connection with a circuit interrupter having a current carrying rating no greater than the current rating, the dimension being structured to resist at least one of:
reception of the conductor in a receptacle of a circuit interrupter having a current carrying rating greater than the current rating, and
attachment of the conductor into electrical connection with a circuit interrupter having a current carrying rating greater than the current rating;

an elongated pair of conductors that are spaced apart a distance, the distance being structured to enable the pair of conductors to be receivable in a pair of receptacles of a circuit interrupter having a current carrying rating equal to or less than the current rating, the distance being structured to resist reception of the pair of conductors in a pair of receptacles of a circuit interrupter having a current carrying rating greater than the current rating; and
an interference element that is structured to be engageable with and to thereby resist a circuit interrupter having a current carrying rating greater than the current rating from being electrically connected with the electrical enclosure, the interference element being structured to permit a circuit interrupter having a current carrying rating no greater than the current rating to be received in electrical connection with the electrical enclosure.

9. The electrical enclosure of claim 8 wherein the dimension is one of:
a diameter of the conductor that is structured to be greater than a diameter of the receptacle of the circuit interrupter having the current carrying rating greater than the current rating; and
a length of the conductor that is equal to or less than a depth of the receptacle of the circuit interrupter having the current carrying rating greater than the current rating within which the conductor is structured to be received.

10. The electrical enclosure of claim 8 wherein the dimension is a transverse dimension of the conductor and is of a size that is structured to be:
equal to or smaller than a transverse dimension of the receptacle of the current interrupter havi

Assignees

• Eaton Corp

Inventors

• Maloney James Gerard
• Benson Tony Ray
• Samuelson Eric Alan

Classifications

• H01H71/08 Primary

  Terminals; Connections · CPC title

• H02B1/04 Primary

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

• H01H2300/042

  Application rejection, i.e. preventing improper installation of parts · CPC title