US2587162A - Circuit breaker with ambient temperature and shock compensation - Google Patents

Circuit breaker with ambient temperature and shock compensation Download PDF

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Publication number
US2587162A
US2587162A US136969A US13696950A US2587162A US 2587162 A US2587162 A US 2587162A US 136969 A US136969 A US 136969A US 13696950 A US13696950 A US 13696950A US 2587162 A US2587162 A US 2587162A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
latch
circuit breaker
guide
ambient temperature
contacts
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US136969A
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English (en)
Inventor
Richard C Ingwersen
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Mechanical Products Inc
Original Assignee
Mechanical Products Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Mechanical Products Inc filed Critical Mechanical Products Inc
Priority to US136969A priority Critical patent/US2587162A/en
Priority to GB31415/50A priority patent/GB709717A/en
Priority to NL89626D priority patent/NL89626C/xx
Priority to DEM8266A priority patent/DE861130C/de
Priority to FR1050169D priority patent/FR1050169A/fr
Priority to CH314125D priority patent/CH314125A/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US2587162A publication Critical patent/US2587162A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H73/00—Protective overload circuit-breaking switches in which excess current opens the contacts by automatic release of mechanical energy stored by previous operation of a hand reset mechanism
    • H01H73/22—Protective overload circuit-breaking switches in which excess current opens the contacts by automatic release of mechanical energy stored by previous operation of a hand reset mechanism having electrothermal release and no other automatic release
    • H01H73/30—Protective overload circuit-breaking switches in which excess current opens the contacts by automatic release of mechanical energy stored by previous operation of a hand reset mechanism having electrothermal release and no other automatic release reset by push-button, pull-knob or slide

Definitions

  • This invention relates to resettable circuit breakers of the type which employs a thermal latch means adapted to hold the breaker contacts in closed position until a predetermined current overload condition is reached, when the latch means is effective automatically to cause the circuit breaker contacts to open and interrupt the circuit controlled thereby.
  • thermal latch controlled circuit breakers In connection with these thermal latch controlled circuit breakers the problem arises that whereas the thermal latch means employed can be finely and closely calibrated to function at a predetermined overload current rating, attention must be given to preventing the latch means from becoming effective to break the circuit due to any other influence than the conducted electrical current. In fact attention has to be given to preventing the thermal latch means from becoming effective to break the circuit due to influences external to the electrical current and such as involves consideration of ambient temperature conditions, as well as undue vibration and shock.
  • the present invention is based upon a full realization of the above problems and circumstances and has for its object to provide a compensation therefor, such that the thermal latch means employed on the circuit breakers will not be efiected by these external influences, to the extent that the controlled electrical circuit is affected and the latch means is left free to handle the current rating before it is rendered efiective to break the circuit.
  • a further object of the invention is to provide a circuit breaker having a thermal latch means which is compensated against influence by changing ambient temperature conditions, as well as by vibration or shock, and which is adapted to function to break the circuit only under the influence of the varying electric current load.
  • Figure I is a schematic view of an electrothermal latch and ledge block assembly, as disclosed in the co-pending patent application, Serial No. 97,356, filed June 6, 1949,
  • Figure II is a similar view to Figure I but incorporating the ambient temperature compensating feature of the present invention.
  • Figure III is an elevational view of one form of circuit breaker incorporating the invention.
  • Figure IV is an elevational view of the movable contact, compensative thermal latch and block structure of Figure III separated from the circuit breaker casing and the fixed contacts therein,
  • Figure V is a perspective view of Figure IV on a reduced scale, with the latch springs removed and the contact ends of the movable contacts removed for ease of illustration, and
  • Figure VI is an end view of Figure IV.
  • the thermal latch is as disclosed in the co-pending patent application, Serial No. 97,356, filed June 6, 1949, and involves a two-sided plate structure which includes a U- shape electro-thermally active strip l0, adapted to have latching engagement with ledge [2 on the insulator block l4, and a separate strip structure It which may be regarded as of double finger formation, as seen in Figure VII of said copending application, and is non-electrically conductive, as to the latch circuit, and serves to guide the latch strip H] with respect to the block 14 by having sliding engagement with respect to one side of the block.
  • the latch assembly is to be regarded as having no temperature and shock (or vibration) compensation and the thermal latch strip I is to be regarded as located substantially in the position which it will occupy under current load prior to snapping away from engagement with the ledge upon the overload condition being reached.
  • the circuit breaker shown therein comprises a two-part insulated casing, one part of which is indicated at E8, and has a pair of fixed electrical contacts 20 therein for operative association with a pair of movable contacts 22 carried at the ends of flexible arm 24 mounted upon a latch structure, indicated generally at 26, and piloted upon the opposite side of a block 28 of insulating material with the interposition of coil springs 30 connected between the flexible arms 24 and ears 32 on an insulator block 34 fixed in a recess 36 in the casing part l8.
  • the latch structure comprises a U-shape latch plate 38 the bridge part 40 of which is adapted to have latched electrical conducting engagement with a wear plate 42 on the block 34, as indicated in Figure VI.
  • the side limbs of the U-plate 38 are bent back at their ends to provide ears 44 and these, together with similar ears 46 on a guide finger structure 48 located on the opposite side of the block 28, serve for the attachment of the flexible arms 24.
  • the latch plate 26 is electrically conductive and constitutes the electro-thermal latch part for automatically breaking the controlled circuit at overload the guide finger structure is rendered nonelectrically conductive, by the interposition of the insulator strip 50.
  • the guide finger structure is adapted to engage the side of the block 28 remote from the latch plate 26 and serves properly to locate the latch plate with respect to this block and the wear plate 42, as well as providing the compensating effect above mentioned by the guide fingers 52 being bi-metallic and having their low-expansion side facing the latch plate, with the result explained with reference to Figure II.
  • An electric circuit breaker with overload protection comprising in combination, fixed contact means, movable contact means in opposed relation to said fixed contact means, structure for supporting said movable contact means for movement toward and from said fixed contact means, said structure including electrically conductive thermally responsive latch means in electrical series with said movable contact means and bi-metallic guide means, fixed guide structure on which said first structure is supported and guided for movement toward and from said fixed contact means, said fixed structure including an abutment with which said latchmeans engages to hold the said first structure in latched position with said contact means closed, and said fixed structure including also a guide surface with which said bi-metallic guide means engage to hold said thermal latch means properly located with respect to said abutment in the latched position.
  • thermo latch means being mounted on said first structure to engage said abutment on one side of said fixed structure and said bimetallic guide means being mounted on said first structure to have sliding engagement with the opposite side of said fixed structure, said bimetallic guide means having its low expansion side on the inside facing said thermal latch means.
  • An electric circuit breaker with electrical overload protection comprising in combination,
  • a pair of fixed contacts a pair of movable contacts in opposed relation to said fixed contacts
  • structure supporting said movable contacts for movement toward and from said fixed contacts
  • said structure including thermally responsive latch means in electrical connection with said movable contacts and bi-metallic guide means insulated from said latch means, fixed guide structure, said structure defining an abutment ledge on one side thereof and a guide surface on the opposite side extending perpendicularly with respect to said abutment ledge, said first structure supporting saidlatch means for engagement with said abutment ledge to hold the movable contacts closed against said fixed contacts and supporting said bi-metallic guide means for sliding engagement with respect to said guide surface, said bi-metallic guide means having the low expansion side thereof facing said guide surface.
  • An electric circuit breaker as claimed in claim 4 comprising spring means connected with said first structure to continuously bias said movable contacts away from said fixed contacts, said spring means being tensioned when the said latch means is engaged with said abutment ledge.
  • An electrical switch having overload protection comprising in combination, two sets of contacts, one set being movable relatively to the other set, said sets of contacts being in opposed contactable relation, a manual actuator connected with said movable contact set to move the said contact set into closed relation with respect to the other contact set, guide structure supporting said manual actuator for movement to close said contacts, said guide structure defining an abutment ledge and a guide surface extending perpendicularly with respect to said abutment ledge, a thermal latch in electrical connection with said contacts in position to engage said abutment ledge to hold said contact sets closed, said thermal latch being movable by said actuator to engage said abutment ledge, and said thermal latch incorporating bi-metallic guide means in sliding engagement with said guide surface and spring means constantly acting to open said contacts, said bi-metallic guide means having a low temperature side and a high temperature side, said low temperature side facing said guide surface.
  • An electric switch having overload protection comprising in combination, fixed contact means, movable contact means, spring means continuously acting to separate the contacts, a thermal latch deflected by overload and arranged in electrical'series with said contacts and associated with said movable contact means to move therewith as a unit, fixed structure including an abutment ledge on one side with which said latch normally engages to hold said contact means closed against the action of said spring means, said fixed structure including also a guide surface on the side thereof opposite said abutment ledge, bi-metallic guide means associated with said movable contact means and movable therewith, said bi-metallic guide means being in sliding engagement with said guide surface, and having its low temperature side facing said guide surface, a manual actuator movable in one direction to engage said thermal latch with said abutment ledge and stress said spring means while maintaining said bi-metallic guide means in engagement with said guide surface, and means associated with said actuating member and engageable with said latch upon movement of said actuator in the opposite direction to move said latch away from said guide means and out of engagement

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  • Breakers (AREA)
  • Thermally Actuated Switches (AREA)
US136969A 1950-01-05 1950-01-05 Circuit breaker with ambient temperature and shock compensation Expired - Lifetime US2587162A (en)

Priority Applications (6)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US136969A US2587162A (en) 1950-01-05 1950-01-05 Circuit breaker with ambient temperature and shock compensation
GB31415/50A GB709717A (en) 1950-01-05 1950-12-27 Improvements in or relating to electric circuit breakers
NL89626D NL89626C (de) 1950-01-05 1951-01-05
DEM8266A DE861130C (de) 1950-01-05 1951-01-18 Rueckstellbarer elektrischer Schalter mit thermischer Ausloesung
FR1050169D FR1050169A (fr) 1950-01-05 1952-02-04 Disjoncteur électrique avec verrou à commande thermique à fonctionnement compensé
CH314125D CH314125A (de) 1950-01-05 1952-02-08 Elektrischer Schalter

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US136969A US2587162A (en) 1950-01-05 1950-01-05 Circuit breaker with ambient temperature and shock compensation

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US2587162A true US2587162A (en) 1952-02-26

Family

ID=22475247

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US136969A Expired - Lifetime US2587162A (en) 1950-01-05 1950-01-05 Circuit breaker with ambient temperature and shock compensation

Country Status (6)

Country Link
US (1) US2587162A (de)
CH (1) CH314125A (de)
DE (1) DE861130C (de)
FR (1) FR1050169A (de)
GB (1) GB709717A (de)
NL (1) NL89626C (de)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2710321A (en) * 1953-04-21 1955-06-07 Ellenberger & Poensgen Protective switch
US2875296A (en) * 1954-06-08 1959-02-24 Weber Ag Fab Elektro Automatic circuit breaker

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1704379A (en) * 1925-04-16 1929-03-05 Aichele Ernest Electrical circuit breaker or interrupter
US2210261A (en) * 1939-02-27 1940-08-06 Colt S Mfg Co Automatic circuit breaker
US2461126A (en) * 1947-05-17 1949-02-08 Overturf William Kendall Resettable circuit breaker
US2485736A (en) * 1945-06-16 1949-10-25 Mechanical Products Inc Switch

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1704379A (en) * 1925-04-16 1929-03-05 Aichele Ernest Electrical circuit breaker or interrupter
US2210261A (en) * 1939-02-27 1940-08-06 Colt S Mfg Co Automatic circuit breaker
US2485736A (en) * 1945-06-16 1949-10-25 Mechanical Products Inc Switch
US2461126A (en) * 1947-05-17 1949-02-08 Overturf William Kendall Resettable circuit breaker

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2710321A (en) * 1953-04-21 1955-06-07 Ellenberger & Poensgen Protective switch
US2875296A (en) * 1954-06-08 1959-02-24 Weber Ag Fab Elektro Automatic circuit breaker

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR1050169A (fr) 1954-01-05
NL89626C (de) 1958-07-15
DE861130C (de) 1952-12-29
CH314125A (de) 1956-05-31
GB709717A (en) 1954-06-02

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