Panel board to circuit breaker positive retention interlock

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9564280-B2
Application number	US-201414449881-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2014
Priority date	Aug 1, 2014
Publication date	Feb 7, 2017
Grant date	Feb 7, 2017

Abstract

An interlock assembly for a circuit breaker prevents inadvertent installation or removal of the circuit breaker from a circuit breaker panel while current is flowing. The interlock assembly cooperates with the circuit breaker panel to physically prevent the circuit breaker from being inserted into the circuit breaker panel until the circuit breaker is put into a tripped state. Likewise, the interlock assembly cooperates with the circuit breaker panel to physically prevent the circuit breaker from being taken out of the circuit breaker panel until the circuit breaker is put into a tripped state. This ensures that the circuit breaker will not be inadvertently installed or removed from the circuit breaker panel while current can immediately flow or is flowing through the circuit breaker.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An interlock assembly for a circuit breaker, comprising:
an interfering member movable between an interfering position and a non-interfering position, the interfering member configured to prevent the circuit breaker from being in, or being set to, an ON state when the interfering member is in the interfering position, and allow the circuit breaker to be in, or be set to, the ON state when the interfering member is in the non-interfering position; and
an actuator movable between a locked position and an unlocked position, the actuator configured to operate in tandem with a circuit breaker panel to prevent insertion of the circuit breaker into the circuit breaker panel when the actuator is in the locked position, and allow insertion of the circuit breaker into the circuit breaker panel when the actuator is in the unlocked position;
wherein the actuator is coupled to the interfering member such that moving the actuator into the unlocked position also moves the interfering member into the interfering position and causes the circuit breaker to trip if the breaker is in the ON state.

2. The interlock assembly of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is coupled to the interfering member such that moving the actuator into the locked position also moves the interfering member into the non-interfering position.

3. The interlock assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a biasing member configured to continuously compel the interfering member toward the interfering position.

4. The interlock assembly of claim 1 , wherein the interfering member includes a blocking arm configured to block an armature of a trip unit of the circuit breaker from engaging a latch of the trip unit to prevent a trip unit reset when the interfering member is in the interfering position.

5. The interlock assembly of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is in the form of a locking pin having a head portion connected to a shaft and a drive post protruding from the shaft, the drive post configured to contact the interfering member and move the interfering member into the non-interfering position when the actuator is moved into the locked position.

6. The interlock assembly of claim 5 , wherein the locking pin includes a retention post protruding from the shaft and configured to block insertion of the circuit breaker into the circuit breaker panel when the actuator is in the locked position, and allow insertion of the circuit breaker into the circuit breaker panel when the actuator is in the unlocked position.

7. The interlock assembly claim 6 , wherein the retention post can be moved to block removal of the circuit breaker from the circuit breaker panel once the circuit breaker has been inserted in the circuit breaker panel.

8. The interlock assembly claim 7 , wherein the retention post is positioned a predefined angular distance from the drive post on the shaft of the locking pin.

9. A miniature circuit breaker, comprising:
a line terminal;
a load terminal;
a trip unit connected between the line terminal and the load terminal, the trip unit configured to interrupt current flow between the line terminal and the load terminal when the trip unit is tripped; and
an interlock assembly coupled to the trip unit and configured to operate in tandem with a circuit breaker panel to prevent insertion of the circuit breaker into the circuit breaker panel until after the trip unit has been tripped, and prevent removal of the circuit breaker from the circuit breaker panel until after the trip unit has been tripped.

10. The miniature circuit breaker of claim 9 , wherein the interlock assembly includes an interfering member movable between an interfering position and a non-interfering position, the interfering member configured to interfere with a set or reset operation of the trip unit when the interfering member is in the interfering position, and allow the set or reset operation of the trip unit when the interfering member is in the non-interfering position.

11. The miniature circuit breaker of claim 10 , wherein the interlock assembly further includes an actuator movable between a locked position and an unlocked position, the actuator configured to operate in tandem with the circuit breaker panel to prevent insertion of the circuit breaker into the circuit breaker panel when the actuator is in the locked position, and allow insertion of the circuit breaker into the circuit breaker panel when the actuator is in the unlocked position.

12. The miniature circuit breaker of claim 11 , wherein the actuator is coupled to the interfering member such that moving the actuator into the locked position also moves the interfering member into the non-interfering position.

13. The miniature circuit breaker of claim 11 , wherein the interlock assembly further includes a biasing member configured to continuously compel the interfering member toward the interfering position.

14. The miniature circuit breaker of claim 13 , wherein the actuator is coupled to the interfering member such that moving the actuator into the unlocked position allows the interfering member to be moved into the interfering position by the biasing member.

15. An interlock assembly for a miniature circuit breaker, comprising:
a blocking arm mounted in the miniature circuit breaker and movable between an interfering position and a non-interfering position, the blocking arm configured to cause a trip and block a set or reset operation of a trip unit of the circuit breaker when the blocking arm is in the interfering position, and allow the set or reset operation of the trip unit when the blocking arm is in the non-interfering position;
a spring coupled to the blocking arm and configured to continuously bias the blocking arm toward the interfering position; and
a locking pin coupled to the blocking arm and movable between a locked position and an unlocked position, the locking pin configured to operate in tandem with a circuit breaker panel to prevent insertion of the circuit breaker into the circuit breaker panel when the locking pin is in the locked position, and allow insertion of the circuit breaker into the circuit breaker panel when the locking pin is in the unlocked position;
wherein the locking pin is coupled to the blocking arm in such a way that moving the locking pin into the locked position also moves the blocking arm into the non-interfering position, and moving the locking pin into the unlocked position also moves the blocking arm into the interfering position.

16. The interlock assembly of claim 15 , wherein the blocking arm interferes with the set or reset operation of the trip unit by blocking an armature of the trip unit from engaging a latch of the trip unit when the blocking arm is in the interfering position.

17. The interlock assembly of claim 15 , wherein the locking pin has a head portion connected to a shaft and a drive post protruding from the shaft, the drive post configured to contact the blocking arm and move the blocking arm into the non-interfering position when the locking pin is moved into the locked position.

18. The interlock assembly of claim 17 , wherein the locking pin includes a retention post protruding from the shaft and configured to block insertion of the circuit breaker into the circuit breaker panel when the locking pin is in the locked position, and allow insertion of the circuit breaker into the circuit breaker panel when the locking pin is in the unlocked position.

19. The interlock assembly claim 18 , wherein the retention post is further configured to engage a catch structure of the ci

Assignees

• Schneider Electric Usa Inc

Inventors

• Mittlestadt Chad R

Classifications

• H01H71/0264 Primary

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

• H01H71/126 Primary

  actuated by dismounting of circuit breaker or removal of part of circuit breaker · CPC title

• H01H73/08

  Plug-in housings · CPC title

• H02B1/056

  Mounting on plugboards · CPC title

• H01H71/02 Primary

  Housings; Casings; Bases; Mountings · CPC title