Cradle assist devices and related kits and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9607784-B2
Application number	US-201414211531-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2014
Priority date	Mar 14, 2014
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

Cradle-assist assemblies attached to the breaker cradle housing and/or base or residing at least partially in the breaker cradle housing and/or base include at least one actuator configured to laterally translate the at least one right and the at least one left lock members from the extended lock position to the retracted unlocked position in response to input from a user. The at least one actuator and/or transverse member(s) can be held in a defined position so that the lock members of the cradle can be locked in the respective retracted or extended positions until the cradle assist (internal) lock is manually or automatically released.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A breaker, ground and test device (G&TD), or dummy breaker cradle, comprising:
a cradle housing having a base comprising at least one right lock member and at least one left lock member that retract and extend from the base between a lock position and an unlocked position; and
a cradle-assist assembly attached to the cradle housing and/or base or residing at least partially in the cradle housing and/or base, the cradle-assist assembly comprising at least one actuator that is external to the cradle housing and that translates the at least one right and the at least one left lock members from the lock position to the unlocked position in response to input from a user,
wherein the base comprises externally accessible right and left handles directly or indirectly attached to the at least one right lock member and the at least one left lock member, wherein the right and left handles laterally travel in respective slots in the base, wherein the cradle assist assembly has an external right transverse member that attaches directly or indirectly to the right handle and an external left transverse member that attaches directly or indirectly to the left handle of the base, and wherein the right and left transverse members are in communication with the at least one actuator to apply a force sufficient to translate the at least one right lock member and the at least one left lock member between the lock and unlocked positions.

2. The breaker cradle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one actuator resides above the base is configured to translate to force the transverse arms to travel and pull or push the handles in response to a force applied thereto by the at least one actuator.

3. A breaker, ground and test device (G&TD), or dummy breaker cradle, comprising:
a cradle housing having a base comprising at least one right lock member and at least one left lock member that retract and extend from the base between a lock position and an unlocked position; and
a cradle-assist assembly attached to the cradle housing and/or base or residing at least partially in the cradle housing and/or base, the cradle-assist assembly comprising at least one actuator that translates the at least one right and the at least one left lock members from the lock position to the unlocked position in response to input from a user,
wherein the base comprises externally accessible right and left handles directly or indirectly attached to the at least one right lock member and the at least one left lock members, wherein the right and left handles laterally travel in respective slots in the base, and wherein the cradle assist assembly has a right transverse member that attaches directly or indirectly to the right handle and a left transverse member that attaches directly or indirectly to the left handle of the base, wherein the right and left transverse members are in communication with the at least one actuator to apply a force sufficient to translate the at least one right lock member and the at least one left lock member between the lock and unlocked positions,
wherein the at least one actuator translates downward and pulls the right and left transverse members attached to the right and left handles inward toward the at least one actuator to retract the right and left lock members to reside at least partially inside the base relative to the lock position.

4. The breaker cradle of claim 3 , wherein the at least one actuator is a single, manually operative foot actuator that concurrently pulls the right and left transverse members inward to move the lock members to the unlocked position.

5. The breaker cradle of claim 3 , wherein the at least one actuator comprises first and second manually operative foot actuators that respectively pull the right and left transverse members inward to move the at least one right lock member and the at least one left lock member to the unlocked position and that respectively push the right and left transverse members outward to move the at least one right lock member and the at least one left lock member to the locked position.

6. The breaker cradle of claim 1 , wherein the cradle assist assembly comprises a housing that holds inner end portions of the right and left transverse members and is releasably attached and/or affixed to at least a medial portion of an upper surface of the base.

7. The breaker cradle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one actuator comprises a plurality of actuators, at least one for the left transverse member and at least one for the right transverse member so that the right and left transverse members are independently controlled.

8. The breaker cradle of claim 1 , wherein the left and right transverse members each have a flat segment that resides against or proximate an upper surface of the base with a respective end portion that engages the respective right and left handles.

9. The breaker cradle of claim 1 , wherein the cradle assist assembly further comprises;
a cradle assist housing with a lower base plate configured to attach to the breaker cradle;
an upper actuator plate residing in the housing above the upper base plate;
a right clevis and a left clevis attached to the base plate residing under the actuator plate; and
a right pivot attachment member pivotably attached to the right clevis and a left pivot attachment member pivotably attached to the left clevis, the right and left pivot attachment members pivotably attached to inner end portions of respective right and left transverse members, wherein the right and left pivot attachment members cooperably engage the actuator plate to pivot in response to movement of the actuator plate to retract and extend the transverse members.

10. The breaker cradle of claim 9 , further comprising a lock held in the cradle assist housing in communication with the actuator plate and/or transverse members and an externally accessible release member, the lock inhibiting the actuator plate from translating until the release member is in a release position.

11. The breaker cradle of claim 1 , wherein inner end portions of the right and left transverse members are pivotably held in a housing to be adjustable laterally and/or resiliently float in a front to back direction on the breaker cradle to thereby accommodate different handle configurations and/or dimensional tolerance variation.

12. The breaker cradle of claim 1 , wherein the cradle assist assembly comprises a housing that holds inner end portions of the right and left transverse members, wherein the housing is releasably attached and/or affixed to the base and/or a front surface of the breaker cradle, and wherein the at least one actuator comprises an upwardly extending handle that is attached to the left and right transverse members and pivots in a right or left direction to cause the translation of the right and left transverse members.

Assignees

• Eaton Corp

Inventors

• Benke James Jeffery
• Ashtekar Koustubh Dnyandeo
• Wang Hongbin

Classifications

• H01H71/32

  having permanently magnetised part · CPC title

• H02B11/167

  truck type (H02B11/127 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01H71/12

  Automatic release mechanisms with or without manual release · CPC title

• H01H9/24 Primary

  for interlocking two or more parts of the mechanism for operating contacts · CPC title

• H02B11/133

  with interlock · CPC title