Abstract: Embodiments provide systems, apparatus, and methods for circuit breaker tripping. Embodiments include providing a circuit breaker with a thermoelectric tripping mechanism, the thermoelectric tripping mechanism including a thermoelectric plate disposed between a current path and a bimetal lever of the circuit breaker; applying a DC current to the thermoelectric plate to heat the bimetal lever; and deflecting the bimetal lever to press upon a trip bar in response to a current overload occurring on the current path. Numerous additional aspects are disclosed.

Abstract: A trip device for a circuit breaker comprises a first terminal; a second terminal; and a bimetal in which a slot with one side opened is formed at one end of the bimetal, the one end is divided into a first end portion and a second end portion, the first end portion is connected to the first terminal, and the second end portion is connected to the second terminal, wherein the bimetal generates heat with a current which flows between the first end portion and the second end portion, and a heating amount of the bimetal is changed based on a length of the slot. Accordingly, a desired rated current can be set, the bimetal can be prevented from being damaged by a fault current, and the fault current can be effectively detected by obtaining a sufficient amount of heat and a bending amount of the bimetal.

Abstract: This current invention is about a switching implement enabled to perform the remote-controlled switching of electric consumers, consisting of multiple electro-mechanical bistable switches, plus at least one actuating element allocated to the bistable switches such that it can selectively change the state of any of the bistable switches from one of its two states to the other and vice versa.

Abstract: An aircraft circuit breaker includes a housing having an opening, separable contacts, an operating mechanism structured to open and close the contacts, and a trip mechanism structured to cooperate with the operating mechanism to trip open the operating mechanism. The trip mechanism includes a first bimetal to trip open the operating mechanism responsive to a thermal fault, a second ambient compensation bimetal to compensate the first bimetal, and an arc fault trip circuit to trip open the operating mechanism responsive to an arc fault. An indicator includes an indicator portion and a leg disposed from the indicator portion. A spring biases the indicator portion. The second bimetal holds the leg of the indicator, thereby holding the indicator against the spring bias. The second bimetal releases the leg of the indicator responsive to the arc fault trip circuit and the arc fault, thereby releasing the indicator to the spring bias.

Abstract: An aircraft circuit breaker includes a housing having an opening, separable contacts, an operating mechanism structured to open and close the contacts, and a trip mechanism structured to cooperate with the operating mechanism to trip open the operating mechanism. The trip mechanism includes a first bimetal to trip open the operating mechanism responsive to a thermal fault, a second ambient compensation bimetal to compensate the first bimetal, and an arc fault trip circuit to trip open the operating mechanism responsive to an arc fault. An indicator includes an indicator portion and a leg disposed from the indicator portion. A spring biases the indicator portion. The second bimetal holds the leg of the indicator, thereby holding the indicator against the spring bias. The second bimetal releases the leg of the indicator responsive to the arc fault trip circuit and the arc fault, thereby releasing the indicator to the spring bias.

Abstract: A thermally actuated device, such as an electrical circuit breaker (10) is provided with an ambient temperature compensation thermostat metal member (38) selected so that it bends when subjected to changes in temperature and compensates for ambient temperature effects on a thermostat metal trip arm for a selected current rating. Movement of such thermostat metal member is directly proportional to the flexivity of the material and to the square of the length of the member and indirectly proportional to the thickness of the member. Since packaging constraints make changes in length impractical, compensation members used to provide temperature compensation for different current ratings of the device typically have been made by using members of different thickness.

Abstract: A thermal protector (1) including two fixed contacts (13A, 13B) provided at the end part of conduction terminal pins (5A, 5B) projecting into a metallic enclosed container (100), a support (6) arranged in a case, an oscillatory heating resistor (8) supported by the support and having two movable contacts (9A, 9B) facing the fixed contacts, and a heat responsive body (10) interposed between the heating resistor and the support and coupled with the heating resistor through a coupler (12). When an overcurrent flows through the heating resistor to generate heat therefrom and the temperature of the heat responsive body reaches a set level, the heat responsive body is inverted. Inverting motion of the heat responsive body is transmitted to the heating resistor through the coupler, and the current path is opened.

Abstract: A thermally tripped circuit breaker contains a functional bimetallic strip and a bimetallic support that fixes the functional bimetallic strip, in particular to an enclosure. The bimetallic support is a compensating bimetallic strip that is bent out in the opposite direction (i.e. a pivot direction) to the functional bimetallic strip. Current flows through the two bimetallic strips, and the strips are connected in series.

Abstract: An overload tripping device includes a temperature-compensating bimetal operating as a tripping lever and interposed between an output lever of a differential shifter mechanism linked with a main bimetal and a latch receiver of an opening-and-closing mechanism section of a circuit breaker. The temperature-compensating bimetal has an intermediate portion journaled on a bimetal holder. An operating arm made of a light molding material is attached to a tip of the temperature-compensating bimetal so as to push the latch receiver. Additionally, a balance weight may be installed on the temperature-compensating bimetal to balance inertial moments on the opposite sides of the bimetal. Thus, the circuit breaker is prevented from being inadvertently tripped due to external stimulus.

Abstract: Improved response in an ambient temperature compensated thermal overload relay is obtained by providing a bimetal element (2) wherein the main bimetal section (4) is coupled through a reversed compensating bimetal section (6) to a heat sink mounting base (8) either directly or through a heat transfer control member (18) and placing the heater (10) that is energized by the overload current only adjacent the main bimetal section (4). With this arrangement, the main bimetal section (4) bends in the switch tripping direction and the compensating bimetal section (6) bends in the subtractive direction in response to temperature change therein to reduce the net deflection for ambient temperature compensation under normal operating conditions and gradual small overload conditions.

Abstract: An over-the-shoulder automotive safety seat belt system having a latch providing a tensionless comfort setting for the belt during use and having remotely operable thermostat metal means to release the latch and permit automatic belt retraction after use is shown to have an improved electrically operable latch release mechanism providing reliable latching and providing fast and reliable latch release operation at low power levels.

Abstract: An over-the-shoulder automotive safety seat belt system having a latch providing a tensionless comfort setting for the belt during use and having remotely operable thermostat metal means to release the latch and permit automatic belt retraction after use is shown to have an improved electrically operable latch release mechanism providing reliable latching and providing fast and reliable latch release operation at low power levels.

Abstract: A temperature and voltage compensated time delay relay includes first and second bimetallic, contact carrying elements chosen to deflect in a similar manner in accordance with variations in ambient temperature for maintaining the contact gap therebetween substantially constant despite ambient temperature changes. A heater coil is wrapped about a first one of the elements (active element) for controlling the deflection thereof toward the second element (stationary element) for closing the contacts of the elements in a predetermined time period. An automotive flasher circuit having normally closed contacts and a flashing rate "on" time which varies inversely proportionally with an increase in supply voltage, is coupled electrically between the supply voltage and bimetallic element heating coil to control and keep relatively constant the rate of heat rise in the active bimetallic element and thus to maintain the time delay period of the relay relatively constant.

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.

Abstract: An electrothermal responsive protective mechanism for an electrically powered load wherein the overload tripping force is provided by the cool, ambient temperature compensating bimetal (12) rather than the hot electrically heated bimetal (6) to prevent over-stress. The bimetal members (6,12) are preloaded by a link actuator (22) having a positive temperature coefficient of expansion to minimize unloading of the bimetal members due to ambient temperature change thereby to prevent tripping motion. A screw (16) adjusts the preload and a screw (24) provides a coupling gap in the tripping linkage to prevent shock or vibration propagation therethrough. An insulating base (2) and carrier (14) provide thermal and electrical isolation of the bimetal members. Identical bimetal members (6,12) are used to prevent any actuator motion under ambient temperature changes.

Abstract: A rapid response thermal switch for isolated load control includes a bimetallic switch electrically connected to a controller and operatively connected to a switch follower which controls the operation of a second switch electrically connected to a load so that the load is electrically isolated from the controller. While energization of the bimetallic switch by the controller causes the bimetallic switch to move away from its switch follower, the switch follower is biased to follow the bimetallic switch. The initial movement of the switch follower allows the load current controlling switch to close, energizing the load. The bimetallic element, heated by the controller currents flexes to cycle itself on and off while maintaining the load controlling switch in the closed position. When the bimetallic element sufficiently cools after deenergization, it returns the bimetallic switch to its closed position.

Abstract: An electrical switch construction having a housing carrying a thermally cyclable switch blade unit and an adjustable set lever switch blade unit cooperable with the cyclable switch blade unit when the set lever switch blade unit is moved relative to the housing to an operating position thereof by an actuator that is carried by the housing, the housing carrying a calibrating unit for calibrating the set lever switch blade unit. The set lever switch blade unit includes a resilient switch blade having opposed ends and an ambient bimetal lever unit having opposed ends, one of the opposed ends of the switch blade and the ambient bimetal unit being secured together and being the part of the set lever switch blade unit that cooperates with the thermally cyclable switch blade unit.

Abstract: A power controller for controlling the intermittent supply of current to a load, such as a cooker hotplate, has a pivotally mounted snap switch controlled by a heated bimetal member which is heated in dependence upon the connected power. A compensating bimetal strip, for taking ambient temperature into account, is arranged on the snap switch and parallel thereto. A control cam acts on the free end of the compensating bimetal strip. The latter is shielded from the heat of the heated bimetal member.

Abstract: An electric time switch mechanism is provided comprising a plurality of units each having an operating thermal expansion member, for example, a bimetallic member. Electrical heating means are provided for the thermal expansion member and a switch is activated by the thermal expansion member. The units are connected in series in such a way that the activation of a switch turns off the heating means of the associated thermal expansion member and turns on that of the following units. The switches remain in the activated state after activation and are resettable by external activation.

Abstract: A thermal relay construction capable of operating a pair of electrical contacts. The thermal relay includes an electrical heater of the self-regulating PTC type which is mounted upon and thermally coupled directly to a bimetal snap disc so that heat generated by the heater causes the bimetal snap disc to overcenter and operate the electrical contacts. The other electrical connection to the heater is made through a compensating blade which bears against the heater to compensate for ambient temperature effects on the thermal relay. An electric range oven control uses temperature sensitive electrical contacts in conjunction with the thermal relay to control the oven heaters.

Abstract: Electric circuit breaker alternately providing overcurrent and/or over temperature protection by means of temperature responsive bimetal elements, whereby an increase in pressure as between electrical contacts is effected as the temperature may be increased up to the point of break, resulting in improved contact life and more effective contact when the device is subjected to external vibration.

Abstract: A power controller for controlling the intermittent supply of current to a load, such as a cooker hotplate, has a pivotally mounted snap switch controlled by a heated bimetal member which is heated in dependence upon the connected power. A compensating bimetal strip, for taking ambient temperature into account, is arranged on the snap switch and parallel thereto. A control cam acts on the free end of the compensating bimetal strip. The latter is shielded from the heat of the heated bimetal member.

Abstract: A power controller for controlling the intermittent supply of current to a load, such as a cooker hotplate, has a pivotally mounted snap switch controlled by a heated bimetal member which is heated in dependence upon the connected power. A compensating bimetal strip, for taking ambient temperature into account, is arranged on the snap switch and parallel thereto. A control cam acts on the free end of the compensating bimetal strip. The latter is shielded from the heat of the heated bimetal member.