High-visibility status indicator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9953772-B2
Application number	US-201715477368-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2017
Priority date	Apr 4, 2016
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

Abstract

A visual status indicator for an electrical apparatus is disclosed. The status indicator can be mounted within a lower cover of the electrical apparatus such that various display faces of the indicator are visible through one or more viewing windows of the lower cover. The status indicator can comprise a mounting base with protrusions and at least one wing, wherein the wing comprises at least one display face. At least one swing arm can be attached to the mounting base via the protrusions and the at least one swing arm can comprise at least one display face. The swing arm can be actuated such that either the display face on the wing or the display face on the swing arm is visible through the viewing window to indicate the status of the electrical apparatus.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A status indicator for a recloser, the status indicator comprising:
a mounting base, the mounting base comprising:
a first mounting base protrusion and a second mounting base protrusion extending from a first side of the mounting base;
a third mounting base protrusion and a fourth mounting base protrusion extending from a second side of the mounting base;
a first wing extending from a third side of the mounting base and comprising a first bottom wing display face and a second wing extending from a fourth side of the mounting base and comprising a second bottom wing display face;

a clevis disposed in an internal cavity of the mounting base, the clevis comprising:
a first clevis protrusion and a second clevis protrusion extending from a first side of the clevis;
a third clevis protrusion and a fourth clevis protrusion extending from a second side of the clevis, the second side opposite to the first side of the clevis; and

a first swing arm and a second swing arm, each of the first and second swing arms comprising a bottom member and two side members, the bottom member comprising a bottom swing arm display face, each of the two side members comprising a slot and an aperture, the slots on the first swing arm positioned on the first and fourth clevis protrusions, the apertures on the first swing arm positioned on the first and fourth mounting base protrusions, the slots on the second swing arm positioned on the second and third clevis protrusions, and the apertures on the second swing arm positioned on the second and third mounting base protrusions.

2. The status indicator for the recloser of claim 1 , wherein the clevis further comprises a feature for interfacing with an actuator of the recloser, the actuator of the recloser causing an axial motion of the clevis.

3. The status indicator for the recloser of claim 2 , wherein the axial motion of the clevis causes the first swing arm and the second swing arm to rotate.

4. The status indicator for the recloser of claim 2 , wherein the mounting base comprises top surface apertures on a top surface of the mounting base, the top surface apertures for attaching the status indicator to the actuator of the recloser.

5. The status indicator for the recloser of claim 1 , wherein the first wing and the second wing further comprise one or more side wing display faces.

6. The status indicator for the recloser of claim 1 , wherein indicators are placed on the respective first and second bottom wing display faces of the first and second wings and the bottom swing arm display faces of the first and second swing arms.

7. The status indicator for the recloser of claim 6 , wherein the indicators comprise reflective material.

8. The status indicator for the recloser of claim 1 , wherein in a first position the bottom swing arm display faces of the first and second swing arms cover the respective first and second bottom wing display faces of the first and second wings and in a second position the bottom swing arm display faces of the first and second swing arms do not cover the respective bottom wing display faces of the first and second wings.

9. The status indicator for the recloser of claim 1 , wherein the status indicator is enclosed within a lower cover, the lower cover comprising at least two viewing windows that are above a lowest point of the lower cover.

10. The status indicator for the recloser of claim 9 , wherein the at least two viewing windows are on opposite sides of the lowest point of the lower cover.

11. The status indicator for the recloser of claim 9 , wherein in a first position the bottom swing arm display faces of the first and second swing arms are visible through the at least two viewing windows and in a second position the bottom wing display faces of the first and second wings are visible through the at least two viewing windows.

12. A status indicator for an electrical device, the status indicator comprising:
a mounting base, the mounting base comprising:
a first mounting base protrusion and a second mounting base protrusion, the first and second mounting base protrusions extending from opposite sides of the mounting base, and
at least one wing, the wing comprising a bottom wing display face;

a clevis disposed in the mounting base, the clevis comprising a first clevis protrusion and a second clevis protrusion, the first and second clevis protrusions extending from opposite sides of the clevis; and
a swing arm, the swing arm comprising a bottom member and two side members, the bottom member comprising a bottom swing arm display face, each of the two side members comprising a slot and an aperture, the slots on the swing arm positioned on the first and second clevis protrusions, the apertures on the swing arm positioned on the first and second mounting base protrusions.

13. The status indicator for the recloser of claim 12 , wherein the clevis further comprises a connection feature for connecting to an actuator of the recloser, the actuator of the recloser causing an axial motion of the clevis, the axial motion of the clevis causing the swing arm to rotate.

14. The status indicator for the recloser of claim 13 , wherein the mounting base comprises top surface apertures on a top surface of the mounting base, the top surface apertures for attaching the status indicator to the actuator of the recloser.

15. The status indicator for the recloser of claim 12 , wherein the wing further comprises side wing display faces.

16. The status indicator for the recloser of claim 12 , wherein indicators are placed on the bottom wing display face of the wing and the bottom swing arm display face of the swing arm.

17. The status indicator for the recloser of claim 12 , wherein in a first position the bottom swing arm display face of the swing arm covers the bottom wing display face of the wing and in a second position the bottom swing arm display face of the swing arm does not cover the bottom wing display face of the wing.

18. The status indicator for the recloser of claim 12 , wherein the status indicator is enclosed within a lower cover, the lower cover comprising at least one viewing window that is offset from a lowest point of the lower cover; and
wherein in a first position the bottom swing arm display face of the swing arm is visible through the at least one viewing window and in a second position the bottom wing display face of the at least one wing is visible through the at least one viewing window.

19. The status indicator for the recloser of claim 18 , wherein a drip shed borders the at least one viewing window to inhibit precipitation from collecting on the at least one viewing window.

20. A status indicator for an electrical device, the status indicator comprising:
a mounting base, the mounting base comprising:
a first mounting base connection means and a second mounting base connection means extending from a first side of the mounting base;
a third mounting base connection means and a fourth mounting base connection means extending from a second side of the mounting base;
a first wing extending from a third side of the mounting base and comprising a first bottom wing display face and a second wing extending from a fourth side of the mounting base and comprising a second bottom wing display face;

a yoke attachment means disposed around the mounting base, the yoke attachment means comprising a first yoke connection means, a second yoke connection means, a third yoke connection means, and a fourth yoke connection means;
a first swi

Assignees

• Cooper Technologies Co

Inventors

• Korves Brian Andrew
• Luoma William Robert

Classifications

• H01H2009/0292

  Transparent window or opening, e.g. for allowing visual inspection of contact position or contact condition · CPC title

• H01H9/02

  Bases, casings, or covers (accommodating more than one switch or a switch and another electrical component H02B1/26) · CPC title

• H01H9/0044

  Casings; Mountings; Disposition in transformer housing · CPC title

• H01H75/04

  Reset mechanisms for automatically reclosing a limited number of times (circuit arrangements H02H3/06) · CPC title

• H01H33/66

  Vacuum switches · CPC title