Circuit breaker assembly with inhibitor assembly

• US 6,137,070 A
• Filed: 07/01/1998
• Issued: 10/24/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Montague, Wade A., Reid, David A., Hart, Marshall B., McCuin, J. Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): LUEBKE, RENEE S
• Application Number:
  US09/108,584
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: 200/50.33, 200/50.35, 200/50.32
• US Class Current: 200/50.35
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/26 for interlocking two or more switches H01H13/568 takes precedence; by a detachable member H01H9/28 ; for electromagnetic relays H01H50/323
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/286 making use of a removable locking part acting directly on the operating part H01H9/281 takes precedence

Abstract

A circuit breaker assembly including first and second circuit breakers each having toggle switch assemblies movable between ON and OFF positions. The toggle switch assemblies have connectors coupled thereto for preventing both circuit breakers from being in the ON position at the same time.

Claims

1. A circuit breaker assembly, the assembly comprising:

a first circuit breaker and a second circuit breaker in facing alignment with the first circuit breaker;

the first circuit breaker having a toggle switch movable in a first direction defined as a direction towards the second circuit breaker that is from a first position in which the first circuit breaker is in an OFF position to a second position in which the first circuit breaker is in an ON position;

the second circuit breaker having a toggle switch that is in facing alignment with the toggle switch of the first circuit breaker and that moves from a first position in which the second circuit breaker is in an ON position to a second position in which the second circuit breaker is in an OFF position when the toggle switch of the second circuit breaker moves in the first direction which is in the direction away from the first circuit breaker;

a first inhibitor coupled to the toggle switch of the first circuit breaker and a second inhibitor coupled to the toggle switch of the second circuit breaker, the first inhibitor being out of contact with the second inhibitor when the first circuit breaker is in its first position and the second circuit breaker is in its second position;

wherein when the toggle switch of the second circuit breaker is in its first position and the toggle switch of the first circuit breaker moves from its first to its second position, the toggle switch of the second circuit breaker is movable from its first towards its second position by a contact of the first and second inhibitors.

2. The circuit breaker assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the toggle switch assembly of the second circuit breaker moves from its second position to its first position the toggle switch assembly of the first circuit breaker is movable from its second position towards its first position by way of the contact of the first and second inhibitors.

3. The circuit breaker assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the toggle switch of the first circuit breaker includes a first toggle switch part and a second toggle switch part coupled together by a coupling bar and the toggle switch of the second circuit breaker includes a first toggle switch part and a second toggle switch part coupled together by a coupling bar;

wherein each of the first and second inhibitors include a head and a tail, the tail including a fin engageable with the coupling bar of the respective circuit breaker such that

the first inhibitor is in cooperative movement with the toggle switch of the first circuit breaker when the first circuit breaker moves from its first position to its second position and from its second position to its first position and

the second inhibitor is in cooperative movement with the toggle switch of the second circuit breaker when the second circuit breaker moves from its first position to its second position and from its second position to its first position.

4. An inhibitor assembly for use in a circuit breaker assembly comprising a first circuit breaker having a toggle switch assembly movable between a first position in which the first circuit breaker is in an OFF position and a second position in which the first circuit breaker is in an ON position, the movement of the toggle switch assembly from the first position to the second position being in a first direction, a second circuit breaker in facing alignment with the first circuit breaker and having a toggle switch assembly in facing alignment with the toggle switch assembly of the first circuit breaker and movable between a first position in which the second circuit breaker is in an ON position and a second position in which the second circuit breaker is in an OFF position, the movement of the toggle switch assembly of the second circuit breaker from the first position to the second position being in the same direction as the first direction, wherein the inhibitor assembly comprises:

a first inhibitor coupled to the toggle switch assembly of the first circuit breaker and a second inhibitor coupled to the toggle switch assembly of the second circuit breaker, each of the first and second inhibitors including a head portion and a tail portion, the tail portion including a fin;

wherein the fin of the first inhibitor is in cooperative movement with the toggle switch assembly of the first circuit breaker when the first circuit breaker moves from its first position to its second position and from its second position to its first position and wherein the fin of the second inhibitor is in cooperative movement with the toggle switch assembly of the second circuit breaker when the second circuit breaker moves from its first position to its second position and from its second position to its first position;

the first inhibitor being out of contact with the second inhibitor when the first circuit breaker is in its first position and the second circuit breaker is in its second position;

wherein when the toggle switch assembly of the first circuit breaker is in its second position and the toggle switch assembly of the second circuit breaker moves from its second position towards its first position the first and second circuit inhibitors are in contact.