Door sensing fuse block with side extending rotary disconnect

• US 6,724,291 B1
• Filed: 02/28/2003
• Issued: 04/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Byaliy, Edward, Schmidt, John Henry Jr., Slamka, Thomas A
• Primary Examiner(s): Vortman, Anatoly
• Application Number:
  US10/377,969
• Time in Patent Office: 417 Days
• Field of Search: 337/196, 337/212, 337/142-144, 337/145, 337/146, 337/168, 337/189, 361/104, 361/626, 361/642, 361/646, 361/833, 361/837
• US Class Current: 337/196
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 85/25 Safety arrangements preventing or inhibiting contact with live parts, including operation of isolation on removal of cover
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/22 for interlocking between casing, cover, or protective shutter and mechanism for operating contacts explosion-proof cases H01H9/045; built-in fuses and interlocking mechanisms H01H9/104; by automatic release of circuit breakers H01H71/126

Abstract

A fuse block for cabinet mounting provides a shaft that may exit a side of the cabinet to be received by a handle mounted on that side. A finger attached to the inner cabinet door provides for an interlock by engaging with a bolt communicating with the shaft preventing inadvertent opening of the cabinet when the fuse block is connected to power and/or connecting the fuse block to power when the cabinet door is open.

Claims

1. A disconnect mechanism for a fuse block receiving power connections, the fuse block having a support face for fitting inside of a cabinet and holding one or more fuses accessible on a front face of the fuse block opposite the support face, the disconnect mechanism comprising:

a rotary shaft communicating with the fuse block and extending outward parallel to the rear panel when the support face of the fuse block is mounted parallel to the rear panel, an outer end of the rotary shaft adapted to receive a portion of a handle mounted on a side of the cabinet, the rotary shaft rotating to disconnect the fuses from the power connections;

a bolt operator extending radially from the rotary shaft to rotate therewith and providing a stop surface;

a bolt movable between a lock position where the bolt may engage the stop surface preventing free rotation of the rotary shaft to connect the fuses to the power connections, and an unlock position where the bolt is disengaged from the stop surface allowing free rotation of the rotary shaft to connect the fuses to the power connections; and

a finger mountable on a door of the cabinet to engage the bolt when the door is closed to move the bolt to the unlocked position;

whereby inadvertent rotation of the rotary shaft may be prevented when the cabinet door is open.

2. The disconnect mechanism of claim 1 wherein the bolt operator further includes a bolt-retracting surface engaging the bolt to move the bolt to a door release position;

and wherein the bolt includes a surface engaging the finger to prevent opening of the cabinet door when the bolt is not in the door release position.

3. The disconnect mechanism of claim 2 wherein the bolt-retracting surface engages the bolt only when the rotary shaft is positioned to disconnect the fuses from the power connections.

4. The disconnect mechanism of claim 1 wherein the finger includes a cam surface moving the bolt to the unlock position when the door is fully closed.

5. The disconnect mechanism of claim 1 wherein the bolt is a lever centrally mounted to an axle extending on parallel to the rotary shaft, the lever pivoting about an axis of the axle to move between the lock and unlock positions.

6. The disconnect mechanism of claim 5 wherein the axle is sized to extend through a side wall of the cabinet when the support face is mounted in the cabinet;

whereby the bolt position may be manually overridden to allow opening of the cabinet when the rotary shaft is positioned to connect the fuses to the power connections.

7. The disconnect mechanism of claim 5 wherein an end of the axle extending outside of the cabinet is shrouded by a tube and wherein the end has a head to allow actuation with a standard tool fitting within the shrouding tube.

8. The disconnect mechanism of claim 5 including a spring rotationally biasing the lever toward engagement with the bolt operator.

9. The disconnect mechanism of claim 1 including a handle attachable to the side wall of the cabinet to engage the rotary shaft and further having a means for receiving a padlock to prevent rotation of the handle.

10. The disconnect mechanism of claim 2 wherein the bolt operator is a cam disk having a periphery and wherein the stop and bolt-retracting surfaces are portions of the periphery of the cam disk.

11. The disconnect mechanism of claim 1 wherein the fuse block includes a fuse block shaft extending outward along a side face of the fuse block to be substantially perpendicular to the support face and wherein the fuse block shaft supports a gear having radially outward teeth and wherein the bolt operator further includes a series of corresponding teeth engaging the teeth on the gear of the fuse block shaft;

whereby torque on the rotary shaft may be converted to corresponding torque on the fuse block shaft;

whereby a side extending rotary shaft may be provided for a fuse block having a forward extending fuse block shaft.

12. A kit for a fuse block receiving power connections and of a type having a support face for mounting against a rear panel of a cabinet with one or more fuse sockets accessible on a front face of the fuse block opposite the support face and with a fuse block shaft extending outward along a side face of the fuse block to be substantially perpendicular to the support face and rotating to disconnect the fuses from the power connections, the kit comprising:

a rotary shaft;

a support plate having a first portion receiving the support face of the fuse block and a second portion holding the rotary shaft extending parallel to the support face;

a bolt operator extending radially from the rotary shaft to rotate therewith and providing a stop surface;

a gear fitting on the fuse block shaft to engage the bolt operator to turn therewith;

a bolt movable between a lock position where the bolt may engage the stop surface preventing free rotation of the rotary shaft to connect the fuses to the power connections, and an unlock position where the bolt is disengaged from the stop surface allowing free rotation of the rotary shaft to connect the fuse sockets, the bolt further having an actuator surface; and

a finger mountable on a door of the cabinet to engage the bolt when the door is closed to move the bolt to the unlocked position;

whereby a fuse block with a front facing shaft may be converted to use with a side-facing shaft.

13. The disconnect mechanism of claim 12 wherein the bolt operator further includes a bolt-retracting surface engaging the bolt to move the bolt to a door release position;

and wherein the bolt includes a surface engaging the finger to prevent opening of the cabinet door when the bolt is not in the door release position.

14. The disconnect mechanism of claim 13 wherein the bolt-retracting surface engages the bolt only when the rotary shaft is positioned to disconnect the fuses from the power connections.

15. The disconnect mechanism of claim 12 wherein the finger includes a cam surface moving the bolt to the unlock position when the door is fully closed.

16. The disconnect mechanism of claim 12 wherein the bolt is a lever centrally mounted to an axle extending on parallel to the rotary shaft, the lever having a first end providing the actuation surface and a second end engagable with the bolt operator, the lever pivoting about an axis of the axle to move between the lock and unlock positions.

17. The disconnect mechanism of claim 16 wherein the axle is sized to extend through a side wall of the cabinet when the support plate is mounted in a cabinet;

whereby the bolt position may be manually overridden to allow opening of the cabinet when the rotary shaft is positioned to connect the fuses to the power connections.

18. The disconnect mechanism of claim 16 wherein an end of the axle extending outside of the cabinet is shrouded by a tube and wherein the end has a head to allow actuation with standard tool fitting within the shrouding tube.

19. The disconnect mechanism of claim 16 including a spring rotationally biasing the lever toward engagement with the bolt operator.

20. The disconnect mechanism of claim 12 including a handle attachable to the side wall of the cabinet to engage the rotary shaft and further having a means for receiving a padlock to prevent rotation of the handle.

21. The disconnect mechanism of claim 13 wherein the bolt operator is a cam disk having a periphery and wherein the stop and bolt-retracting surfaces are portions of the periphery of the cam.