Contact-actuating Means Unitary With Latch Or Trip Patents (Class 335/165)
  • Patent number: 8912870
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, when a switchgear operating state is shifted from a close state to a cutoff state, a solenoid lever is pushed and rotated by a plunger of an electromagnetic solenoid for cutoff so that the solenoid lever rotates in a direction opposite from the direction of the urging of a solenoid-lever return spring. A trigger roller pin and the solenoid lever become disengaged from each other, an eccentric pin and a trigger lever are rotated by the urging force from a latch leading end become disengaged from each other, whereby a latch lever is rotated by the released energy of a cutoff spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Satoshi Marushima, Yoshikata Kobayashi, Yoshiaki Ohda, Masaharu Shimizu
  • Patent number: 8558646
    Abstract: A disconnect mechanism for a power receptacle, which includes a disconnect block, a locking member slidably coupled to the disconnect block, and an electromagnetic device moveably coupled to the locking member. The disconnect block includes two side arms extending outwards. A pressing plate is disposed above the disconnect block, and a disconnect spring is disposed above the pressing plate. The moveable contact arms of the main switch of the receptacle are disposed between the pressing plate and the disconnect block, and the pressing plate pushes the moveable contact arms when the main switch is being opened when a current leakage is detected. The receptacle also includes an auxiliary switch disposed because the disconnect block and the circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Bingham McCutchen LLP
    Inventor: Cheng Li Li
  • Patent number: 8390405
    Abstract: A circuit breaker comprises a latching plate rotatably coupled to a moveable plate, and tensile type latching springs, each latching spring having two ends fixed to the latching plate and the moveable plate, respectively. Time taken for a moveable contact to be lifted up from a contact time point between the moveable contact and a fixed contact may be shortened, and thus a time duration for which an accident current flows may be reduced. Accordingly, the amount of energy applied to the circuit breaker may be reduced, and a breaking function of the circuit breaker may be enhanced. Furthermore, since a contact pressure between the moveable contact and the fixed contact has a constant change, a reliability on a conductive state of the moveable contact and the fixed contact may be enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: LS Industrial Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Seung Pil Shin
  • Patent number: 8350648
    Abstract: A power control apparatus in the form of a standard, toggle, wall-mounted light switch for remote actuation of an electrical load or local manual override. A switch housing supports and retains a latching relay that includes power terminals, a switching terminal for remote actuation by a control signal, and a manual override. A switch lever extends from the body of the switch housing for manual actuation to override the state of the relay. The switch lever engages the manual override of the latching relay upon manual actuation by a person. A centering structure maintains the switch lever in a centered position to allow unimpeded movement of the manual override. The latching relay can be remotely actuated by a signal at its switching terminal to switch a power load connected to the power terminals on or off, or the relay can be manually overridden by actuation of the switch lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Inventor: Gus Cueto
  • Patent number: 8314669
    Abstract: An electromechanical connection system having a current supply device connectable to a current source through current supply contacts. The current supply device has with switching magnets on a magnet carriage. A current collection device has a release magnet and can be electrically connected to a load is connectable to the current supply device. A safety magnet is restored to a rest position by a retaining magnet or a ferromagnetic retaining part if the magnet carriage remains in a live state even if the current collection device is removed to effect short circuit. A non-conducting short-circuit part movably arranged in the current supply device between two short-circuit line parts, holds the safety magnet a distance from the short-circuit line under normal conditions. The non-conducting short-circuit part connects the short-circuit line parts if the magnet carriage does not return responsive to removal of the current collection device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Rosenberger Hochfrequenztechnik GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Axel Botsch
  • Patent number: 8164403
    Abstract: A disconnect mechanism for a power receptacle, which includes a disconnect block, a locking member slidably coupled to the disconnect block, and an electromagnetic device moveably coupled to the locking member. The disconnect block includes two side arms extending outwards. A pressing plate is disposed above the disconnect block, and a disconnect spring is disposed above the pressing plate. The moveable contact arms of the main switch of the receptacle are disposed between the pressing plate and the disconnect block, and the pressing plate pushes the moveable contact arms when the main switch is being opened when a current leakage is detected. The receptacle also includes an auxiliary switch disposed because the disconnect block and the circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Bingham McCutchen LLP
    Inventor: Cheng-li Li
  • Patent number: 8004376
    Abstract: A shunt separator is provided for an electrical switching apparatus including a housing, separable contacts enclosed within the housing, an operating assembly including a trip bar, and a trip assembly. The trip assembly cooperates with the trip bar to trip open the separable contacts in response to a fault condition. The trip assembly includes a number of shunts. The shunt separator includes a molded projection, which extends outwardly from the housing of the electrical switching apparatus. The molded projection at least partially surrounds a portion of the trip bar, thereby separating the number of shunts from the trip bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: James Gerard Maloney, Luis Enrique Betances Sansur
  • Publication number: 20110139772
    Abstract: A domestic appliance (for example, a microwave oven), comprising: a housing; a front door; a retention mechanism (for example including a latch), located within the housing and engageable with the door; wherein the retention mechanism is movable between a first configuration, in which the door is retained in a closed position, and a second configuration, in which the door is non-engaged; an electromechanical actuator (for example a relay), adapted to move the retention mechanism out of said first configuration; and a controller (for example a microprocessor coupled to the relay, the microprocessor being operable in responsive to one or more signals to activate the relay, and thereby release the door from the closed position. Under spring bias, the door thus opens to about 30-45 degrees. The microprocessor-controlled door opening may be operable in three or more modes, including: actuation of a touch switch, remote control, or a microwave end of cooking.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2007
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Applicant: PANASONIC MANUFACTURING UK LTD
    Inventor: Ian Darney
  • Patent number: 7868720
    Abstract: A hermetically sealed relay is provided having two circuits therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignees: Tyco Electronics Corporation India, Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Bernard Victor Bush, Naveen Samuel Jesuraj
  • Patent number: 7623010
    Abstract: An electrical switch for connecting and breaking a circuit including a connecting and breaking mechanism for connecting and breaking the circuit provided with at least a set of movable contacts and stationary contacts; a electromagnetism drive mechanism for controlling the contacts to be actuated so as to realize closed circuit; a housing for accommodating the movable contact and stationary contact; an arc-extinguishing mechanism disposed in the housing and corresponded to the movable and stationary contact; a case connected to a base for accommodating the electromagnetism drive mechanism; a bedplate associated with the case; and a holding mechanism disposed on the bedplate for holding the contacts to connect the circuit, the electromagnetic holding mechanism is electromagnetic and has a set of electromagnetic attracting mechanism in which the movable iron core is made to be a pothook or a baffle mechanism, the movable iron core is attracted so that the pothook or baffle keeps the switch closed by means of hi
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2009
    Inventor: Ping Liu
  • Publication number: 20090167469
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electromagnetic relay that can achieve desired operation characteristics by simple and inexpensive construction even if it has a small thickness. Therefore, a movable iron piece 20 is rotated by excitation or non-excitation of an electromagnet, a movable contact piece 43 is elastically deformed through a card 21, and a movable contact 46 opens and closes fixed contacts of fixed contact pieces. The movable iron piece 20 is provided with a card pressing portion 36 capable of pressing the card 21. The card 21 is provided with a contact piece pressing portion 37 capable of pressing the movable contact piece 43 by being rotated around a fulcrum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2007
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Applicant: OMRON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tetsuya Fujiwara, Yasusuke Takahashi, Hiroshi Matsumoto, Kazuchika Hiroki, Masahiko Tashiro
  • Patent number: 7538646
    Abstract: A relay includes a magnetic system provided with an armature and a contact system provided with a first contact and a moveable second contact. An electrically insulating base plate is arranged between the magnetic system and the contact system and has an opening therein. First and second walls extend from the base plate and are arranged between the opening and the magnetic system or the opening and the contact system. An actuator extends between the armature and the contact system through the opening and transfers movement of the armature to the second contact to move the second contact into electrical engagement with the first contact. The actuator has a third wall that extends toward the base plate and between the first and second walls. The first, second, and third walls extend a leakage path of an electrical leakage current between the contact system and the magnetic system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Austria GmbH
    Inventor: Rudolf Mikl
  • Patent number: 7391289
    Abstract: Certain exemplary embodiments comprise a device comprising: a trip mechanism adapted to engage an operating mechanism of an alternating current circuit breaker, said trip mechanism comprising: a bi-metal element arranged lengthwise into a first end zone, a central zone, and a second end zone, a load bus coupled to said first zone, said second end zone adapted to engage an armature latch that is adapted to trip on operating mechanism of the circuit breaker; and an electromagnetic element coupled to the load bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Timothy McCoy, Thomas William Holland
  • Publication number: 20080088396
    Abstract: A switching mechanism of an air circuit breaker that allows the overall size of the air circuit breaker to be minimal by making the width of the switching mechanism relatively small. The switching mechanism of the air circuit breaker includes both side plates, a main shaft, a main shaft lever, a first link, a closing spring unit, a charging cam, a rotational shaft of the charging cam, a third link, a driving lever, a spring support pin and an end portion supported by the spring support pin, and a third link elastic bias spring having an end portion supported by the spring support pin and an operation portion for providing elastic force onto one surface of the third link to bias the third link to be rotated in one direction. A third link elastic bias spring directly provides the elastic force onto the third link in order to minimize the distance between a pair of driving levers and thus minimize the width of the switching mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2007
    Publication date: April 17, 2008
    Applicant: LS INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kil-Young AHN, Hong-Ik YANG, Sang-Chul LEE, Ki-Hwan KIM
  • Patent number: 7154361
    Abstract: An accessory for providing mechanical communication between a rotatable latching shaft and an actuation device of an electrical circuit breaker includes a lever, a working surface, and a snap fitting. The lever includes an engagement orifice. The engagement orifice is receptive to the rotatable latching shaft. The working surface is in mechanical communication with the actuation device. The snap fitting is securely mated with the rotatable latching shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Triplicane Gopikrishnan Babu, Sapuram Sudhakar, Dileep Mangsuli, Jeffrey Anthony Hughes
  • Patent number: 7064639
    Abstract: A magnetic latching switch. The switch includes a pair of switch terminals, a switch actuator, an electromagnet and a biasing member. The switch actuator is manually moveable from a first position where the switch terminals are in a first state to a second position where the switch terminals are in a second state. The electromagnet selectively applies a magnetic field. Applying the magnetic field with the electromagnet when the switch actuator is in the second position maintains the switch actuator in the second position. The biasing member is coupled to the switch actuator such that the biasing member automatically returns the switch actuator from the second position to the first position when the magnetic field is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: Delta Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Arthur James Harvey, Michael Eric Liedtke, Ted Wetzel
  • Patent number: 6995640
    Abstract: A circuit breaker having a set of electrical contacts, a first actuator in fluid communication with the set of electrical contacts, a second actuator in operable communication with the first actuator, and an operating mechanism in operable communication with the set of electrical contacts and the second actuator is disclosed. Pressurized gas created by separation of the set of electrical contacts acts on and drives the first actuator, which acts on and drives the second actuator, which effectuates tripping of the operating mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jason Harmon, Gary Douville, Jayanath Jayanthan
  • Patent number: 6924720
    Abstract: A circuit breaker includes a movable contact, a fixed contact, a switching device, a switching operation handle, and an over-current tripping device. The switching device has a switching lever connected to the handle, a toggle linkage having an upper link and a lower link for connecting to the movable contact, a tripping mechanism for activating the toggle linkage in response to over-current, and an operation spring tightly stretched between the switching lever and the toggle linkage. A locking member is provided in the switching device for interconnecting the toggle linkage and the switching lever and for restricting a movement range of the switching lever according to an operational position of the toggle linkage. When main-circuit contact points are stuck, the locking member restricts the movement of the switching lever and prevents the handle from moving to the OFF position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignee: Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masao Miura, Mitsuhiro Mitsushige, Koji Asakawa, Yasuhiro Takahashi, Hideto Yamagata
  • Patent number: 5317295
    Abstract: An electronic trip molded case circuit breaker includes components that are designed for high speed robotic assembly. A unitary trip-to-test button is down-loaded within the circuit breaker housing for automatic alignment with the circuit breaker operating mechanism during the circuit breaker assembly process. The trip-to-test button includes an exhaust gas barrier along with a roller actuator for interacting with the circuit breaker operating mechanism during a test function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1994
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: David A. Ferullo, Roger J. Morgan, James L. Rosen
  • Patent number: 4982173
    Abstract: A rotatable trip test assembly unit for molded case circuit breakers consists of a unitary plastic part that cooperates with the internal structure of the circuit breaker cover to provide return spring bias to the trip test button. The trip test assembly unit rotates about a pivot and strikes the circuit breaker trip bar to thereby articulate the circuit breaker operating mechanism and separate the circuit breaker contacts. The interaction between a cam-follower on the assembly unit and a cam-shaped piece within the circuit breaker cover automatically returns the trip test button to its initial position upon release.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 1, 1991
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: David J. Meiners, Roger N. Castonguay, David Arnold
  • Patent number: 4680564
    Abstract: A multipole molded case circuit breaker has a single handle assembly contained in a first pole along with a movable contact arm assembly. A second pole has a movable contact arm assembly connected to the first contact arm assembly by a crossbar member so that the arms move in unison during normal operation. Each pole contains a tripping mechanism for tripping the breaker pole. The breaker mechanisms are connected for uniform tripping of all poles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1984
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1987
    Assignee: Siemens-Allis, Inc.
    Inventors: Bernard DiMarco, Charles W. Stanford
  • Patent number: 4484165
    Abstract: A remotely controlled circuit control device has first and second load contact assemblies movable into circuit engagement and circuit disengagement positions relative to one another in which one load contact assembly is operatively connected to a solenoid so that alternate forward strokes of the solenoid moves the one load contact assembly between reset and tripped positions through a push-push mechanism having an indexing portion and a latching portion. An overload mechanism cooperates with the latch portion to cause the load contact assemblies to move to the circuit disengaged position upon occurrence of a fault condition. The second load contact assembly includes pivotably mounted contact members which are linked to the first load contact assembly in such a way that circuit engagement during solenoid energization is precluded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1982
    Date of Patent: November 20, 1984
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Aime J. Grenier, Robert W. Peterson
  • Patent number: 4401958
    Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for controlling the operation of electrically operated equipment, such as power tools and the like. The apparatus includes circuit connectors, including first and second spaced terminals, in which the first terminal is connected to a source of electricity and the second terminal is connected to the equipment itself so that electricity can be supplied to the equipment by electrically connecting the spaced terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1981
    Date of Patent: August 30, 1983
    Inventor: Kenneth C. Noorigian
  • Patent number: 4376896
    Abstract: A switching assembly to be incorporated in a window-regulator for a motor vehicle and the like, which includes paired units of switching members, each of which is arranged to serve for operating an electric motor in either of two rotational directions in a manual mode or in an automatic mode subject to the displacing amount of a single switching knob, and an electric circuit means including a solenoid for selectively self-retaining and self-releasing the automatic operating mode. The switching assembly is arranged to be capable of selectively energizing and de-energizing the electric motor incorporated in the window-regulator together with operating the solenoid simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 1980
    Date of Patent: March 15, 1983
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai Rika Denki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Takeda, Shigeo Mizuno, Yukio Takaishi, Masaichi Hattori
  • Patent number: 4338583
    Abstract: A switch for controlling an electric circuit has a sealed housing and a slidable actuator mounted therein for external manual operation of the switch through a diaphragm. A switch mechanism, mounted within the housing, has an electromagnet, a plurality of pairs of contacts for controlling external electric circuits, a pair of control contacts for controlling the power to the electromagnet, and an armature movable in response to energizing and deenergizing of the electromagnet. When the actuator is pulled outwardly, a projection thereon closes the control pair of contacts, energizing the electromagnet, and causing the armature to close the remaining pairs of contacts and hold closed the control pair. Pushing the actuator inwardly opens the control contact pair, which deenergizes the electromagnet and thereby opens the other pairs of contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1980
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1982
    Assignee: Hobart Corporation
    Inventor: Raymond J. Mathieu
  • Patent number: 4030053
    Abstract: An oil filled distribution transformer having a secondary circuit breaker utilizing a cantilevered stationary contact which is engaged by a movable contact for completing a series circuit therethrough. The cantilevered exposed stationary contact, which is surrounded by insulating oil, allows the oil in the transformer to rapidly return to the contact area after circuit interruption providing for faster arc extinction. The movable contact can be a bridging contact which forms a circuit between the cantilevered stationary contact and a second stationary contact mounted above a support base. The movable bridging contact is spring biased toward an open position separated from the stationary contact, but with the circuit breaker in the normally closed position is held in engagement with the stationary contact by a latching mechanism which is responsive to a bimetal or magnetic trip to allow the circuit breaker to trip open during overload conditions. The front cantilevered contact is completely surrounded by oil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1975
    Date of Patent: June 14, 1977
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corporation
    Inventors: John F. Cotton, Jack G. Hanks, Raymond E. Wien