Abstract: Embodiments provide a circuit breaker having a relatively low instantaneous current level at tripping. The circuit breaker includes a tripping mechanism coupled to a moveable electrical contact, the tripping mechanism including a tripping unit having a magnet, a bimetal member extending alongside of the magnet and having a moveable end, and an armature including an engagement portion being moveable as a result of motion the moveable end to trip the circuit breaker upon exceeding an instantaneous current level, and either the armature or the bimetal member includes a non-magnetic separating piece preventing a magnetic short circuit. System and method aspects are provided, as are other aspects.

Abstract: A trip assembly for a circuit breaker includes a trip lever and a trip actuator. The trip lever causes electrical contacts, which are in a closed position, to disengage from each other into an open position and interrupt current flow to a circuit, when tripped by the trip actuator due to an overcurrent condition. The trip actuator includes a bimetallic member, a yoke and an armature with an opening in which an end of the trip lever is latched in the closed position. The yoke includes a tab adjacent to the opening. When the trip lever is latched in the opening, the end of the trip lever includes first, second and third surfaces that contact a front surface of the armature, an interior surface of the armature defining the opening, and the tab of the yoke, respectively, to provide a consistent magnetic gap between the back side of the armature and the yoke.

Abstract: A magnetic trip device of a thermal magnetic circuit breaker, a thermal magnetic circuit breaker that includes such a magnetic trip device, and a method for adjusting a magnetic field area of a magnetic trip device of a thermal magnetic circuit breaker, are disclosed. In an embodiment, the magnetic trip device includes at least an armature locator moveable arranged on a pin in order to adjust a magnetic field area, and an armature element fixed on a lower surface of the armature locator in order to interact with a yoke. The armature locator includes a stabilizer element in order to increase a contact area between the pin and the armature locator and/or a recess in order to receive at least an upper end of a spring element in order to space the armature element and the yoke from each other at least partially.

Abstract: A relay device includes: an electromagnet constituted by a metallic core and an electrical winding associated therewith; and a mobile anchor associated with a traction spring and suitable for oscillating around a respective axis of oscillation in response to the combined action of an electromagnetic attraction force, generated by the electromagnet and intended to attract the anchor towards the core, and an elastic recovery force, exerted by the spring and intended to move the anchor away from the core and make it return to an initial position, so as to open or close selectively via the anchor a contact or switch of an external electrical circuit, wherein the anchor has a balanced or equilibrium configuration in which its center of gravity is arranged substantially along the axis of oscillation, and thereby the masses of various portions anchor portions are distributed in a balanced manner around the same axis of oscillation.

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.

Abstract: A bimetal in a circuit breaker can deflect in a first direction or a second direction depending upon conditions. If the bimetal deflects in the second direction it can increase the force necessary to operate a trip mechanism of the circuit breaker. A yoke stop helps to control bimetal deflection forces and thus, the amount of force necessary to operate the trip mechanism. This allows better control, size, and selection of operating parts for the circuit breaker.

Abstract: A fault interrupter and load break switch includes a trip assembly configured to automatically open a transformer circuit electrically coupled to stationary contacts of the switch upon the occurrence of a fault condition. The fault condition causes a Curie metal element electrically coupled to at least one of the stationary contacts to release a magnetic latch. The release causes a trip rotor of the trip assembly to rotate a rotor assembly. This rotation causes ends of a movable contact of the rotor assembly to electrically disengage the stationary contacts, thereby opening the circuit. The switch also includes a handle for manually opening and closing the electrical circuit in fault and non-fault conditions. Actuation of the handle coupled to the rotor assembly via a spring-loaded rotor causes the movable contact ends to selectively engage or disengage the stationary contacts.

Abstract: The invention relates to switching equipment comprising a housing, at least one contact point that has at least one fixed and one mobile contact part and an electromagnetic trip device, comprising a trip coil and a hammer armature. Said equipment is wherein the electromagnetic trip device comprises a snap body consisting of a material with magnetic shape memory properties, which interacts with the hammer armature. According to the invention, when a short-circuit occurs, the snap body is switched between two bi-stable positions by the influence of the magnetic field of the trip coil.

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.

Abstract: This invention discloses a ground fault circuit interrupter capable of detecting its end of life, and is characterized by: a pair of flexible metal sheets connected to the power output end are added on the circuit board of the interrupter, and there is a pair of moving contacts on the metal sheets; there are two pairs of fixed contacts on the power output conductors; the two pairs of fixed contacts on the power output conductors respectively correspond to the moving contacts on the power input metal sheets and the moving contacts on flexible metal sheets, thus forming two groups and four pairs of switches. There is also a tripping apparatus on the circuit board, which can release/trip the interrupter, thus cutting off the power output of the interrupter. An end of life detection circuit has also been added to the circuit board. After the interrupter is energized, various components in the interrupter are automatically detected.

Abstract: An electromagnetic actuator for a circuit breaker having a pair of relatively moveable contacts is disclosed. The actuator includes primary actuator coupled to at least one of the contacts by a link mechanism operable to provide closing and holding forces to the contacts of the circuit breaker and a secondary, faster acting actuator which, on tripping thereof, provides sufficient force to at least initiate opening of the contacts by the configuration of the link mechanism. The secondary actuator includes a stored energy latch which has a permanent magnet flux circuit for providing a holding force and a coil connected to receive a trigger signal to overcome the permanent magnet flux to trip the latch.

Abstract: An overcurrent release device for protection switching devices, in particular automatic line circuit breakers or motor protective switches, with electromagnetic and thermoelectric release, includes a thermoconducting tubular supporting body onto which a coil is wound and which has a striking end and an opposite widened receiving end for bearing contact and radial support of a bimetal snap-action disk with a central bore, a core having a bore defined therein, an armature movable in the supporting body between its striking end and the core, and a slide extending through the bore in the snap-action disk and through the bore in the core in a direction towards the armature. The slide is provided for thermoelectric disengagement by means of the snap-action disk via a thickened portion and for electromagnetic disengagement by means of the armature via a slide actuator. In the operative state, the spacing between the armature and the core corresponds at maximum to the snapping travel of the snap-action disk.

Abstract: An overcurrent trip (1) for circuit breakers or motor safety switches has a very short reaction time. The short reaction time is achieved by connecting a bimetal snap-action disk (8) to the heating device (7) in such a way that its central region is always in contact with the heating device (7), irrespective of creeping movement. This heating device (7) is formed by a ferromagnetic core (5) on which the magnet winding (12) is directly fitted, without a further yoke, which magnetic winding simultaneously serves as the heating winding. The bimetal snap-action disk (8) is held on this heating device (7) with the aid of the electromagnetically actuated rod (21), while a plunger (43) which coaxially surrounds the electromagnetically actuated rod is moved by the bimetal snap-action disk (8).

Abstract: A residential circuit breaker electromagnetic trip unit facilitates the assembly of the trip unit components by use of a pair of braid connectors for connection between the trip unit magnet and the circuit breaker contact arm. The trip unit bimetal is directly welded to the trip unit magnet and the braid connectors for reduction in material and labor costs. The contact arm and the magnet are shaped to present a parallel path connection between the contact arm and the magnet for close fit tolerance. The front surface of the magnet is configured to prevent magnetic adhesion between the magnet and the trip unit armature under intense short circuit overcurrent conditions.

Abstract: A circuit breaker is constructed to maximize the range of current over which it may operate, and to enhance its safety of operation in both single-pole and multipole embodiments. Improved operating means are disclosed for both the manual and automatic modes of operation in single-pole or multipole embodiments.

Abstract: A low voltage circuit breaker has an insulating housing which is split along a parting line into an upper part and a lower part. Disposed in the housing is an electromagnetic tripping device which comprises a fixed magnet yoke and a movably disposed armature. By means of trunnion (pivot) pins of rectangular cross-section the armature is mounted in bearing openings designed in the form of pocket-like cutouts in the wall surfaces of the lower part which limit the pole channels of the circuit breaker. The bearing surface of the bearing openings associated with a narrow surface of each trunnion pin may be composed of two subsurfaces disposed at an angle to each other so that an edge-like bearing results. For the attachment of the magnet yoke there is provided on the lower part of the housing an island-like projection which is spaced from the wall surfaces and against which the central part of the magnet yoke is caused to rest by a spring element.

Abstract: A circuit breaker is provided with a thermally responsive latching member connected in circuit between a load terminal and a movable contact. A mounting member, holding a portion of the latching member adjacent one end thereof, is pivotally mounted in the circuit breaker housing. A U-shaped field piece is affixed to the mounting member with legs of the piece extending at both sides and toward the latching member, and toward an armature spaced on the opposite side of the latching member. The armature has its associated armature spring provided with an annular boss which is adapted to fit within a locating hole in the latching member. The field piece is adapted to intercept lines of flux of a magnetic field created by a predetermined amount of current flowing through the latching member to attract the armature to rotate the latching member thereby disengaging a latching surface of the latching member from a trip arm, releasing the trip arm for movement to a tripped position.

Abstract: A plurality of single pole breakers, each having a nonconductive housing with parallel sidewalls and mechanically operated release means for actuating the trip mechanism are mounted with the sidewalls of adjacent units in direct contact. A rotatable trip bar extends through the sidewalls and links the release means in each of the units. The outer surface of the sidewalls is recessed around the trip bar opening to form a cavity between adjacent units. A trip lever is positioned in the cavity and attached to the trip bar. A solenoid unit has a mounting flange clamped between the sidewalls with the solenoid plunger engaging the lever to actuate the trip bar and trip the breakers when the solenoid is energized.