Panelboard breaker compartment with disconnect features

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9876333-B2
Application number	US-201415129441-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2014
Priority date	Mar 31, 2014
Publication date	Jan 23, 2018
Grant date	Jan 23, 2018

Abstract

A circuit breaker may be plugged into a breaker compartment in a panelboard without making a connection to a power bus of the panel board. A tool may be inserted into the breaker compartment to operate movable contacts that connect, or disconnect, the circuit breaker from the power bus without de-energizing the power line network. Inserting the tool into the breaker compartment first causes a trip actuator to trip the circuit breaker.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A breaker compartment for housing a circuit breaker in an electrical power distribution enclosure, comprising:
a housing to electrically connect to a power bus of an electrical power distribution enclosure, the housing having an access side through which to receive a circuit breaker;
a tool interface in the housing to receive an operational tool;
a trip actuator coupled to the tool interface, to trip the circuit breaker when the operational tool is received in the tool interface;
a power connection actuator coupled to the tool interface, to be operated by the operational tool via the tool interface, to electrically connect the circuit breaker to the power bus or to electrically disconnect the circuit breaker from the power bus; and
a guide slot coupled to the trip actuator and the power connection actuator, to provide failsafe prevention of the circuit breaker from resetting its contacts to the “on” position unless the circuit breaker is fully connected to or fully disconnected from the power bus, whether or not the operational tool remains inserted in the tool interface.

2. The breaker compartment for housing a circuit breaker in an electrical power distribution enclosure of claim 1 , further comprising:
the guide slot being further configured to cause the circuit breaker to be tripped by the trip actuator before the circuit breaker is connected to or disconnected from the power bus.

3. A breaker compartment for housing a circuit breaker in an electrical power distribution enclosure, comprising:
a housing to fit in an electrical power distribution enclosure, the housing having an access side to enable insertion and removal of a circuit breaker, the housing including a bus connector to electrically connect to a power bus in the electrical power distribution enclosure, the housing including a conducting rod therein electrically connected via the bus connector to the power bus;
a dielectric carrier mounted on the conducting rod, the dielectric carrier supporting a slideable electrical connector to slide on the conducting rod when the dielectric carrier is driven by a power connection actuator to electrically connect or disconnect the slideable connector from a conductor stab of a circuit breaker housed in the housing, thereby electrically connecting or disconnecting the conductor stab from the power bus when the power connection actuator is actuated by an operational tool;
a tool receiver to receive the operational tool through an aperture in the housing, the tool receiver being coupled by a linkage to a tripping lever to trip the circuit breaker when the operational tool is initially received by the tool receiver; and
a guide slot coupled to the tool receiver and the power connection actuator, to provide failsafe prevention of the circuit breaker from resetting its contacts to the “on” position unless the circuit breaker is fully connected to or fully disconnected from the power bus, whether or not the operational tool remains inserted in the tool interface.

4. The breaker compartment for housing a circuit breaker in an electrical power distribution enclosure of claim 3 , further comprising:
the guide slot being further configured to cause the circuit breaker to be tripped by the tool receiver before the circuit breaker is connected to or disconnected from the power bus.

5. The breaker compartment of claim 3 , further comprising:
the housing including a shutter composed of an insulating dielectric material, pivotally mounted in the housing, to close over the slideable electrical connector when the slideable electrical connector is disconnected from the conductor stab of the circuit breaker, to shield an operator from the conducting rod, the shutter being configured to open to allow passage of the slideable electrical connector to connect to the conductor stab of the circuit breaker.

6. The breaker compartment of claim 3 , further comprising:
the housing including a door hinged on the housing and covering the access side of the housing; and
an interlock lever to block actuation of the power connection actuator while the door is open over the access side, the interlock lever being positioned to be moved by the door when the door is closed, to allow actuation of the power connection actuator.

7. The breaker compartment of claim 3 , further comprising:
the housing including a door hinged on the housing and covering the access side of the housing in a closed position; and
a door lock to lock the door over the access side, when the power connection actuator is actuated.

8. The breaker compartment of claim 3 , further comprising:
the housing including three conducting rods electrically connected via the bus connector to three respective phases of the power bus; and
the carrier supporting three slideable connectors to respectively slide on the three conducting rods when the three slideable connectors are driven by the power connection actuator to electrically connect or disconnect the three slideable connectors from three respective conductor stabs of the circuit breaker housed in the housing, thereby electrically connecting or disconnecting the three respective conductor stab from the three respective phases of the power bus when the power connection actuator is actuated by the operational tool.

9. The breaker compartment of claim 8 , further comprising:
the housing including three shutters composed of an insulating dielectric material, pivotally mounted in the housing, to respectively close over the three slideable electrical connectors when the slideable electrical connectors are disconnected from the three respective conductor stabs of the circuit breaker, to shield an operator from the conducting rods, the three shutters being configured to open to allow passage of the three slideable electrical connectors to connect to the three respective conductor stabs of the circuit breaker.

10. The breaker compartment of claim 3 , further comprising:
a light source in the housing, the light source optically aligned with an observation window in the housing to illuminate the window, to indicate whether the slideable connector has been disconnected from the conductor stab of the circuit breaker.

11. The breaker compartment of claim 3 , further comprising:
a plug-on base that fits within the housing of the breaker compartment, the plug-on base being a platform to hold the circuit breaker and to support the power connection actuator in the breaker compartment housing.

12. A breaker compartment for housing a circuit breaker in an electrical power distribution enclosure, comprising:
a housing to electrically connect to a power bus of an electrical power distribution enclosure, the housing having an access side through which to receive a circuit breaker;
a tool interface in the housing to receive an operational tool;
a trip actuator coupled to the tool interface, to trip the circuit breaker when the operational tool is received in the tool interface; and
a power connection actuator coupled to the tool interface, to be operated by the operational tool via the tool interface, to electrically connect the circuit breaker to the power bus or to electrically disconnect the circuit breaker from the power bus.

13. The breaker compartment for housing a circuit breaker in an electrical power distribution enclosure of claim 12 , further comprising:
a guide slot coupled to the trip actuator and the power connection actuator, to provide failsafe prevention of the circuit breaker from resetting its contacts to the “on” position unless the circuit breaker is fully connected to or fully disconnected from the power bus, whether or not th

Assignees

• Schneider Electric Usa Inc

Inventors

• Dozier Steven W
• Walgenbach Jacob E

Classifications

• H01H2300/056

  Tools for actuating a switch · CPC title

• H02B1/306

  Accessories, e.g. windows · CPC title

• H01H71/0264

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

• H02B1/052 Primary

  Mounting on rails · CPC title

• H02B1/0565 Primary

  by means of an adapter carrying one or more apparatuses (holders with sockets H01R33/00) · CPC title