Disconnect operating handles suitable for circuit breakers and related bucket assemblies and handle interlocks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9859070-B2
Application number	US-201615289435-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2016
Priority date	Feb 6, 2014
Publication date	Jan 2, 2018
Grant date	Jan 2, 2018

Abstract

Disconnect operating handles for circuit breakers are configured with a rotary handle attached to an inwardly oriented shaft that connects to a gear assembly that translates rotational input to linear input. The disconnect operating handles include pivoting lockout levers that can automatically “pop” out to expose the lockout space for a padlock when a user touches the lever in an appropriate location.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A bucket assembly for a circuit breaker, comprising:
a rotary operating mechanism disconnect handle attached to the bucket assembly having a defined ON position and OFF position associated with conduction and non-conduction,
wherein the operating mechanism disconnect handle comprises:
a base fixedly attached to the bucket assembly;
an outer cover with an elongate channel attached to the base;
an elongate lockout lever having a primary body with opposing spaced apart first and second end portions held in the elongate channel of the outer cover, the second end portion of the elongate lockout lever configured to be able to pivot outward from the elongate channel and expose a lockout passage residing under an outer surface of the lever;
a lever pivot pin attached to the elongate lever to pivotably hold the lever in the elongate channel; and
at least one resilient member that extends into the bucket assembly that is in communication with the lever and resides under the primary body of the lever,

wherein, in operation, the outer cover with the elongate lever rotates to the defined ON and OFF positions while the base remains in a fixed position attached to the bucket assembly, and wherein the resilient member comprises a spring held under the pivot pin of the lever that presses outward against an inner facing surface of the lever to force the second end portion of the lever to pivot outward in response to when a user depresses the lever at a defined end portion of the lever.

2. The bucket assembly of claim 1 , wherein the rotary operating mechanism disconnect handle further comprises at least one lockout pin held by the first end portion of the elongate lever, the at least one lockout pin extending inwardly a length sufficient to extend through an aperture in the base to lock the cover and lever in a defined operational position when the second end portion of the elongate lever is pivoted outward in response to when a user depresses the elongate lever, to expose the lockout passage and the first end portion of the elongate lever is pivoted inward.

3. The bucket assembly of claim 1 , wherein the rotary operating mechanism disconnect handle comprises a circular handle core residing between the base and cover, the handle core comprising an outer surface comprising a pair of outwardly extending spaced apart walls, each with a respective pivot pin holder, and wherein the lever resides between the handle core walls with the lever pivot pin extending into the pivot pin holders.

4. The bucket assembly of claim 3 , wherein the handle core further comprises an aperture residing on an outer perimeter aligned with the first end portion of the lever to allow the at least one lockout pin to extend therethrough, a resilient member retention feature or member residing between the walls under the elongate lever, wherein the outer surface of the handle core includes a flat segment between the walls that merges into an adjacent segment that angles inward or down toward the front end portion of the elongate lever, and wherein the pivot pin holders reside above and adjacent a peak that transitions the flat segment to the angled segment.

5. The bucket assembly of claim 3 , wherein the outer surface of the handle core includes a flat segment between the walls that merges into an adjacent segment that angles inward or down toward the front end portion of the lever, and wherein the pivot pin holders reside above and adjacent a peak that transitions the flat segment to the angled segment.

6. A bucket assembly for a circuit breaker, comprising:
a rotary operating mechanism disconnect handle attached to the bucket assembly having a defined ON position and OFF position associated with conduction and non-conduction,
wherein the operating mechanism disconnect handle comprises:
a base fixedly attached to the bucket assembly;
an outer cover with an elongate channel attached to the base;
an elongate lockout lever having a primary body with opposing spaced apart first and second end portions held in the elongate channel of the outer cover, the second end portion of the elongate lockout lever configured to be able to pivot outward from the elongate channel and expose a lockout passage residing under an outer surface of the lever;
a lever pivot pin attached to the elongate lever to pivotably hold the lever in the elongate channel; and
at least one resilient member that extends into the bucket assembly that is in communication with the lever and resides under the primary body of the lever,

wherein, in operation, the outer cover with the elongate lever rotates to the defined ON and OFF positions while the base remains in a fixed position attached to the bucket assembly, and
wherein the at least one resilient member resides under the lever pivot pin in a cavity in a handle core and is configured to be held trapped between a leg extending below the lever in the cavity in at least a partially compressed state while being able to flex angularly in the cavity to move radially inward and outward at a top portion thereof to thereby provide rotational torque for a toggle-assist action of the handle between operative positions.

7. A disconnect operator handle assembly, comprising:
an outer cover having a channel;
a lockout lever having a primary body with opposing spaced apart first and second end portions held in the channel, the second end portion of the lockout lever configured to pivot outward from the channel and expose a lockout passage residing under an outer surface of the lever;
a lever pivot pin attached to the lever to pivotably hold the lever in the outer cover channel; and
at least one resilient member in communication with the lever, wherein the at least one resilient member extends inward under the primary body of the lever, spaced apart from the lever pivot pin.

8. The assembly claim 7 , wherein the lever is an elongate lever that has a transverse channel residing between the first and second end portions and the lever pivot pin resides in the transverse channel, wherein the lockout lever comprises an inwardly extending leg positioned under and adjacent the lever pivot pin, wherein the leg extends through a center of at least one of the at least one resilient member into a cavity, and wherein, in operation, the leg pivots back and forth causing the resilient member to flex angularly to thereby provide rotational torque for a toggle-assist action of the handle between operative positions.

9. The assembly of claim 7 , further comprising:
a handle core with outwardly extending spaced apart walls, each with a respective pivot pin holder, wherein the lever resides between the handle core walls with the lever pivot pin extending into the handle core pivot pin holders; and
a magnetic latch comprising at least one permanent magnet held by the handle core under a second end portion of the lever, the magnetic latch configured to latch the lever to the handle core so that the handle core, outer cover and lever can rotate as a unit when latched.

10. The assembly of claim 7 , further comprising a handle core with outwardly extending spaced apart walls, each with a respective pivot pin holder, wherein the lever resides between the handle core walls with the lever pivot pin extending into the handle core pivot pin holders.

11. The assembly of claim 7 , further comprising at least one light illuminating surface proximate the lever or in the lever that is externally visible and configured to be illuminated from a light path extending within the operator handle.

12. The assembly of claim 7 , further comprising a base that holds the cover with the lever to a housing panel of a circuit br

Assignees

• Eaton Corp

Inventors

• Oneufer Stephen William
• Yee Edgar
• Morris Robert Allan
• Kroushl Daniel Boyd

Classifications

• H01H9/161

  comprising light emitting elements · CPC title

• H01H9/282

  and a separate part mounted or mountable on the switch assembly and movable between an unlocking position and a locking position where it can be secured by the padlock · CPC title

• H01H2071/565

  using a add on unit, e.g. a separate rotary actuator unit, mounted on lever actuated circuit breakers · CPC title

• H01H9/281 Primary

  making use of a padlock (H01H9/287 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01H2219/0621

  Optical fiber light conductor · CPC title