Slidable Or Reciprocal Bar Patents (Class 337/49)
  • Patent number: 9111709
    Abstract: A reset rod (43) of a thermal overload relay is configured to be switchable between a manual reset position in which a reversal mechanism (21) is manually returned to an initial state prior to reversal by performing a pushing-in operation, and an automatic reset position in which a pushed-in state is held by a pushing and rotating operation from this manual reset position, and the reversal mechanism (21) is automatically returned to the initial position. In addition, axial runout restriction portions (17b, 17d, 51, 46 and 47), which restrict axial runout of the reset rod (43) when the reset rod (43) is held in the automatic reset position, are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC FA COMPONENTS & SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yukinari Furuhata, Fumihiro Morishita, Takeo Kamosaki
  • Patent number: 8174350
    Abstract: A thermal overload relay has a case, a main bimetal bending upon detection of an overload current, a release lever rotatably supported by an adjusting link and rotating according to a shifter displaced in response to the bending of the main bimetals, and a contact reversing mechanism for change-over contacts responsive to a rotation of the release lever. The main bimetal, release lever and contact reversing mechanism are disposed in the case. The contact reversing mechanism has a movable plate, and a reversing spring stretched between the other side of the movable plate and a spring support. The other end of the movable plate and the spring support is positioned opposite a support point. The release lever has a release lever supporting part, a reversing spring pushing part, a cam contact part, and a displacement input part, in which the release lever supporting part is pivoted on the adjusting link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Electric FA Components & Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukinari Furuhata, Fumihiro Morishita, Takeo Kamosaki
  • Patent number: 6940374
    Abstract: An overload/open-phase tripping device for a circuit breaker includes a plurality of bimetallic elements arranged in a row; a differential shifter mechanism; and a tripping lever for transmitting a force applied by the differential shifter mechanism to a switching mechanism. The differential shifter mechanism includes a push shifter having a plurality of operation ends; a pull shifter having a plurality of operation ends; and a differential lever disposed between the push shifter and the pull shifter. The differential lever is provided with an action end for applying the force to the tripping lever upon an overload, and an action end for applying the force to the tripping lever upon an open-phase. The two action ends face the tripping lever, and the action end for the open-phase is located at a position farther from the tripping lever than the action end for the overload.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Fuji Electric FA Components & Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Isamu Nagahiro, Katsunori Kuboyama
  • Patent number: 6445274
    Abstract: A circuit interrupter including a housing, separable main contacts within the housing, and an operating mechanism within the housing and interconnected with the separable main contacts. A trip mechanism is disposed within the housing that includes a trip bar assembly rotatable about an axis and that, when rotated, generates a tripping operation causing the operating mechanism to open the contacts. The trip bar assembly includes a trip member translatable along the axis. The trip mechanism includes a tripping actuator movable along a predetermined path of travel as a function of electrical current. The tripping actuator contacts a contact area of the trip member at a predetermined location along the predetermined path of travel of the tripping actuator and causes the trip bar assembly to rotate and generate the tripping operation upon a predetermined current threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Richard Paul Malingowski, Craig Allen Rodgers, Lance Gula, Teresa Inez Hood, Raymond Peter Gundy, Jonathan Moore Peifer
  • Patent number: 6014803
    Abstract: A thermal triggering system includes bimetal strips a switching element for triggering a switching operation, and a differential lever which is fastened to the slide and which shortens its distance from the switching element as a result of the movement of said slide in the pushing direction, the mounting of the differential lever on the slide is improved in terms of adaption to the distance. For this purpose, the differential lever is fastened via a bearing point which is designed as a center of rotation and via which the distance can be set at a predetermined distance value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2000
    Assignee: Siemens AG
    Inventor: Rainer Lewin
  • Patent number: 5844466
    Abstract: Thermal triggering apparatus, for a protection device featuring an electrically conductive bimetallic strip and a plate of thickness (e) which supports the bimetallic strip. The bimetallic strip has a first end free that is capable of deforming and a second end or foot which is fitted into a cavity in the plate characterised in that the foot of the bimetallic strip passes through the cavity so that it protrudes below the bottom face of the plate by a length (a) that easily exceeds the thickness (e) of the plate, and the protruding part of the foot has an electrical connection point linked to a conductive part so as to form the direct heating element of the bimetallic strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1998
    Assignee: Schneider Electric SA
    Inventor: Alain Fraisse
  • Patent number: 5825273
    Abstract: Differential thermal tripping device with bimetallic strips for electrical protection appliance such as a circuit breaker. The circuit breaker includes a tripping assembly with two contact strips 30, 40 free to move along the X direction, and for each bimetallic strip, a single adjustment part 15 fixed to a free inclined edge 19 of the bimetallic strip head 13, adjustable along the X direction, in the position obtained after heating of the bimetallic strips for calibration. The assembly 30, 40 may consist of a frame supporting adjustment parts until they are fixed and provided with separable areas 36, 46 to generate two contact strips following cutting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1998
    Assignee: Schneider Electric SA
    Inventor: Patrick Roger
  • Patent number: 5767762
    Abstract: An accelerating mechanism in an overcurrent relay for accelerating the speed of moving operation of a resetting bar or the speed of motion in a normally closed contact caused by the resetting bar. In the application of the relay to any resetting mechanism, which effects resetting with a movement of the resetting bar, the relay can eliminate a very hazardous abnormal operation that a resetting operation is stored in a toggle mechanism, thus improving the safety of the resetting mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1998
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Denki Engineering Kabushiki Kaisha, Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuji Sako
  • Patent number: 4908594
    Abstract: A thermal overload relay comprising a change-over spring mechanism and a contact mechanism that is separated from the spring mechanism. The contact mechanism is actuated by the spring mechanism, which is driven by a bimetallic strip when an overcurrent flows through the strip. The spring mechanism has no electrically conducting portion. The change-over point of the spring mechanism varies only a little, thus enhancing the reliability. The spring mechanism is easy to assemble and adjust.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 13, 1990
    Assignee: Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsumi Akiike, Haruo Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 4891621
    Abstract: A one piece member rests against a cam surface at a first end and against an adjustable pivot at a second end, biased thereagainst by an integral cantilever spring of said member, the distal end of which is interlocked in a deflected position to a hook formed in a housing. One end of a bimetal strip is riveted to the second end of the one piece member, the position of the other end of the bimetal strip being determined by manual adjustment of the pivot and the cam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 2, 1990
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel P. Heckenkamp, Roger J. Briggs
  • Patent number: 4859979
    Abstract: A thermal relay is provided comprising, in a first cavity of a case, bi-metallic strips through which pass currents of a multi-phase network feeding a load through an electromagnetic contactor and, in a second cavity, an electromagnetic sub-assembly including break and signalling switches whose mobile contacts have pivoting axes and actuating points cooperating with a common piece, the whole forming a deformable parallelogram. The second cavity also contains toggle transmission means between the bi-metallic strips and said common piece as well as means for selecting the mode of operation of the switches. Toggle springs are associated with said mobile contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1989
    Assignee: La Telemecanique Electrique
    Inventor: Bruno Jacquet
  • Patent number: 4845455
    Abstract: Disclosed herewith is a thermally-sensible overcurrent protective relay, which comprises normally-closed contact means, operation means, a plurality of bimetals, a communicating plate, a heater mounted on each bimetal and electrically coupled to at least one of main circuit terminals for a power-source side and a load side, a bimetal retainer electrically coupled to the other main circuit terminal, a first groove, a second groove and a heater holder having a pin fitted in a through hole formed in the bimetal retainer. The operation means opens or closes the normally-closed contact means. The same current as flows through a main circuit to be controlled flows through the bimetals. The communicating plate transmits mechanical deforming force of the bimetals to the operation means so as to open the normally-closed contact means. The heater, when generating heat, causes a mechanical deformation on the bimetals. The bimetal retainer secures one end of each bimetal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1989
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuji Sako, Shigeharu Ootsuka
  • Patent number: 4814737
    Abstract: The invention relates to an overload relay with input and output leads provided on opposite side surfaces of the housing as well as auxiliary switch terminals associated with the front side. The break contact terminal (17, 18) are provided here at the same height as the input terminals (3). The end is the fixed contacts for a contact bridge (13) which is held spring-loaded in a slide (10) which can be moved transversely to the front side. The spring (10) has a second contact bridge (19) which cooperates as a make contact with fixed contact parts (21, 22) which can be inserted into the housing (1), where the fixed contact parts (21, 22) are held in an additional block (23) which can be snapped into the housing (1) and in which make contact terminals (24, 25) end. In addition, a switch position indicator (26) and a test slide (30) are provided in the additional building block (23) and can be brought into engagement with the corresponding parts in the overload relay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1989
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Friedrich Ebnet
  • Patent number: 4808961
    Abstract: In an overcurrent protective relay thermally operable by a bimetal, a movable contact mechanism is employed by utilizing a snap inversion mechanism. A normally-closed contact is employed with having an overtravel to achieve the reliable contacting. A manually resettable lever is also employed to open the normally-closed contact after the overcurrent protective relay has been actuated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1989
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuji Sako, Kiyohide Tsutsumi, Shigeharu Ootsuka
  • Patent number: 4806897
    Abstract: In a plural phase overload relay, a pivot lever (12) is mounted to the ambient compensator deflector (9), and a second pivot lever (34) is mounted to both driver and follower slide bars (36 and 38) and driven thereby to engage and pivot the first lever on the ambient compensator deflector to trip a cut-out switch. The ambient compensator deflector adjusts both the three phase current trip threshold and the loss of phase current trip threshold, and also affords ambient compensator of each. A constant ratio relationship between these two thresholds is provided throughout the entire range of current trip threshold settings. The driver bar moves a first distance for three phase trip and a second shorter distance for loss of phase trip. The ratio of these distances is constant notwithstanding adjustment by the ambient compensator deflector changing the length of such distances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1989
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Michael J. Fajner, Edward A. Mallonen, John J. Siebenlist
  • Patent number: 4788518
    Abstract: A thermally-sensitive overcurrent protective relay includes a housing case, a bimetal strip bendable in response to an operating current flowing through a control circuit of the overcurrent protective relay, and a movable contact biased by a spring to form a toggle mechanism operable in response to the bending action of the bimetal. A lever supporting bracket mechanically supports the movable contact at a fulcrum portion and electrically connects the movable contact to a terminal. The terminal is mounted in the housing case to conduct current to the control circuit through a contact spring for electrically connecting the lever supporting bracket. This lever supporting member includes a trip current adjusting mechanism adapted to be rotated at its end portion by turning an adjusting screw for adjustment of the operation current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1988
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuji Sako, Haruhiko Ito, Mineo Sano
  • Patent number: 4785274
    Abstract: A thermally-sensible overcurrent protective relay comprising a toggle mechanism operable in connection with the bending operation of a bimetal bendable in response to current flowing through a main circuit a normally-open contact having a normally-open fixed contact element and a normally-open movable contact element both formed by a resilient conductive thin plate having a contact portion at one end thereof a normally-closed contact having a normally-closed fixed contact element and a normally-closed movable contact element both formed by a resilient conductive thin plate having a contact portion at one end thereof, and a mechanism adapted to be selected to an automatic resetting position and a manual resetting position in such a manner as to contact one surface of the contact portion of the normally-open fixed contact element at one end of a changeover lever pivotally rotatable to displace the normally-open fixed contact element toward the normally-open movable contact element and retain the normally-open c
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1988
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuji Sako, Haruhiko Ito, Mineo Sano
  • Patent number: 4745389
    Abstract: A protection switch, or a circuit breaker, includes a bimetallic element provided with a heating winding to form a portion of a structural unit insertable into an upper housing part, said structural unit further including a carrier connected to the bimetallic unit and having a connecting terminal extending from the carrier. The structural unit also including a terminal element connected to the heating winding and having an arc runner continuation, as well as carrying a contact piece of the switch contact. Continuations are provided for positioning the structural unit in a housing, the continuations engaging into guide grooves rigidly provided in the housing. The terminal element, in the region of the contact piece, is pressed against the housing stop and the carrier includes a fork-like free end embracing a catch rib of the housing. The bimetallic element is correctly positioned upon insertion of the structural unit into the housing so that readjustment is not necessary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 17, 1988
    Assignee: Sprecher + Schuh AG
    Inventors: Willy Feller, Peter Hilfiker
  • Patent number: 4698606
    Abstract: A circuit interrupter responsive to abnormal currents in conductors of an electrical distribution system characterized by a circuit breaker mechanism for opening and closing separable contacts and which mechanism comprises a releasable member operable between latched and unlatched positions, trip means comprising a bimetal element and a trip bar movable to unlatch the circuit breaker mechanism and biased in the latched position, the trip bar having a surface facing and spaced from the bimetal element which surface is slanted at an oblique angle to the longitudinal axis of the trip bar, and manually adjustable knob connected to the trip bar for sliding the trip bar longitudinally to vary the space between the bimetal element and the trip bar surface in accordance with a desired thermal rating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1987
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Stephen A. Mrenna, Michael J. Whipple
  • Patent number: 4691184
    Abstract: A method for calibrating a bimetal releaser for a switch, e.g. a motor protection switch, the releaser including a release bridge and a differential bridge which is movable relative to the release bridge, with the ends of the bimetal strips being disposed between the two bridges through the use of calibrating elements. In order to provide a reliably adjusted bimetal releaser and to reduce the costs involved with adjustment, the free release end of each bimetal strip is equipped with a single calibrating element which, when the releaser is in its calibrated state, is fixed to the bimetal strip and, when seen in the direction of movement of the bimetal strip, lies, on the one hand, at the release bridge and, on the other hand, at the differential bridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1986
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1987
    Assignee: Licentia Patent-Verwaltungs-GmbH
    Inventor: Hans-Jurgen Wulff
  • Patent number: 4670728
    Abstract: A thermal-type overload relay which uses a bimetallic element for sensing overload currents includes a shifter controlled by the bimetallic element to shift a release lever to which is attached a spring. The spring controls a movable board which has two reversible stable positions corresponding respectively to turn off or on a pair of normally open contacts and a pair of normally closed contacts.The movable board is a molding of insulated material carrying a pair of spaced insulated contacts and also includes a segment which is externally visible to display an indication of which pair of contacts is open and which is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1986
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1987
    Assignee: Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsumi Akiike, Haruo Ichikawa, Kanichi Izumi, Tadayoshi Onodera
  • Patent number: 4652847
    Abstract: In the thermal-type overload relay such a construction that a bimetallic strip deforms due to heat produced by an excessive amount of current to actuate a normally closed movable contact which constitutes a normally closed contact, and an operating rod is moved in a predetermined direction to thereby close a normally open contact comprising a normally open fixed contact and a normally open movable contact, there is provided a reset rod moving in the direction perpendicular to the operating rod so that when the reset rod is moved in the direction perpendicular to the operating rod, the normally open fixed contact are caused to move toward the normally open movable contact, whereby the normally open contact is returned to the original position, and the normally closed contact is also returned to the original position by a returning movement of the normally closed movable contact due to the returning movement of the operating rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1987
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuji Sako
  • Patent number: 4635020
    Abstract: A thermal-type over load relay having an improved contact operating mechanism whereby testing of the operation of the relay is made easy, malfunctions due to mechanical shock or the like are substantially eliminated, and the overall size of the relay is reduced. A thermal element is provided for opening normally closed contacts of the relay in response to heat produced by a heater through which a main circuit current flows. An operating rod is provided for closing the normally open contacts in response to the operation of a normally closed contact mechanism when the normally closed contacts are opened by the operation of the thermal element. The operating rod may be operated from the exterior of the housing of the relay for testing purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1987
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuji Sako
  • Patent number: 4528539
    Abstract: A reduced-size thermal overload relay having a housing (2) that includes three narrow compartments (2k, 2l, 2m) in which are mounted three connector brackets (16,18,20) supporting three flat bimetal members (16j, 18j, 20j). Three narrow cassette heaters (6,8,10) are mounted at the upper part of the housing and held in by a snap-in hold-down device (12) that engages pairs of hooks (6b, 7b) at the lower portions of the heaters. A pushbutton (12a) on the hold-down device extends through a hole (3c) in the front wall of the housing for manual depression to release the heaters for removal. Each bracket (16) is H-shaped having legs (16c, 16d) for mounting it in a housing compartment (2k) and arms (16a, 16b) connected by a platform (16e) to which the upper terminal clip (6d) of the cassette heater is clamped with a screw (16q), the small angles of this platform and terminal clip automatically drawing the flat heater element (6c) into desired spacing with the bimetal member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1984
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1985
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Kenneth A. Forsell, Edward A. Mallonen
  • Patent number: 4475098
    Abstract: Each bimetallic element is associated with one phase and is attached with one end thereof to a metallic support mounted at a wall of a housing. Each support comprises two supporting surfaces or faces lying in a plane which extends at right angles to the bending or deflection direction of the free ends of the bimetallic elements. When all the bimetallic elements have the same temperature, the distance of this plane from the bendable ends of the bimetallic elements is the same for all bimetallic elements. The supports are supported at counter surfaces or faces provided at the housing wall via a plate-shaped intermediate layer of the same thickness. The counter surfaces for all supports lie in a common plane extending at a distance, which corresponds to the thickness of the intermediate layer, from the plane defined by the supporting surfaces and in substantial parallelism thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 2, 1984
    Assignee: Sprecher & Schuh AG
    Inventors: Heinrich Hoffmann, Kurt Hanni, Willy Feller
  • Patent number: 4096465
    Abstract: An overload switching relay for a multi-phase electricity supply responds to the value of the currents in the individual phases and actuates a contact-breaking switch in the event of either (i) the mean value of the currents on all phases exceeding a first threshold, and (ii) any differential arising, above a second threshold, between the currents of any two phases: means are provided to increase the threshold to differential actuation as the mean value of the entire plurality of currents increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1977
    Date of Patent: June 20, 1978
    Assignee: Cutler-Hammer, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul Chalfont Fryer
  • Patent number: 4034327
    Abstract: The invention relates to a timing pulse generating switch assembly, particularly for the monitoring circuit of an oil or gas furnace, having at least one snap switch provided with a contact arm which carries the movable contact. The movable contact arm is fixed with respect to the housing at one end and there is provided a snap system which adjusts the contact arm. The snap system possesses a snap arm which is fixed with respect to the housing at one end and is preferably formed by the contact arm. The snap system includes a snap spring which is articulated to the snap arm and, at its other end, is articulated to a slide that is reciprocatable by a bimetallic member. The switch assembly includes and is influenced by a locking element that is actuated by separate means such as the armature of a relay. The locking element functions to block the movable contact in its rest position as well as in its operating position by using a blocking member which is carried along by the slide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1975
    Date of Patent: July 5, 1977
    Assignee: Danfoss A/S
    Inventors: Holger Nicolaisen, Finn Schnoor Andersen, Leif Borge Tandrup
  • Patent number: 3932829
    Abstract: This invention relates to an excess current switch. Such a switch includes a housing, a contact bridge, a bimetal strip for providing a thermal trip, switch actuating means and a slide bar. These components are arranged in a simple and space saving manner to allow the switch to be used as an ON/OFF switch which retain the characteristics of instantaneous switching ON and OFF and trip free release.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1974
    Date of Patent: January 13, 1976
    Assignee: Ellenberger & Poensgen GmbH
    Inventor: Jakob Ellenberger