Actuator assembly

• US 7,595,460 B1
• Filed: 03/21/2007
• Issued: 09/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Gallas, Gunter, Dodal, Rohit
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams; Neil
• Application Number:
  US11/689,323
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 200/339, 200/553, 200/557, 200/6.R, 200/6.C
• US Class Current: 200/339
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 23/08 Bases; Stationary contacts mounted thereon
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 23/143 having a generally flat elongated shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 23/146 having a generally tubular or conical elongated shape, e.g. dolly
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 23/205 using a compression spring between tumbler and an articulated contact plate

Abstract

An electrical device can include a paddle actuatable from a first position to a second position. An actuator associated with the paddle can be configured to displace when the paddle is actuated from the first position to the second position. A cradle disposed adjacent the actuator includes a trough formed therein. A terminal is in electrical communication with the cradle. Integral cradle support regions are formed in the cradle, with the trough being formed through each cradle support region and each cradle support region comprising an aperture for receiving an actuator assembly.

Claims

1. An electrical device, comprising:

a paddle actuatable from a first position to a second position;

an actuator associated with the paddle and configured to displace when the paddle is actuated from the first position to the second position;

a cradle disposed adjacent the actuator and comprising a trough formed therein;

a terminal in electrical communication with the cradle; and

a plurality of integral cradle support regions formed in the cradle, the trough being formed through each cradle support region, each cradle support region comprising an aperture that receives an actuator assembly.

2. The electrical device of claim 1, further comprising:

a spring, wherein the actuator comprises a paddle end and a switch component end, the paddle end comprising a substantially H-shaped body and being configured to interface with the paddle, the switch component end being configured to interface with the spring.

3. The electrical device of claim 2, wherein the switch component end comprises a cylindrical element comprising a flipper engagement connection configured to engage a flipper and a spring-receiving notch for interfacing with the spring.

4. The electrical device of claim 1, wherein the cradle comprises three cradle support regions.

5. The electrical device of claim 1, wherein the cradle comprises at least one neck extending between the plurality of cradle support regions, the neck comprising a width less than a width of the cradle support regions.

6. The electrical device of claim 1, wherein each cradle support region comprises a substantially rectangular outer shape and a partially oval inner shape, the partially oval inner shape being defined by an inner wall shaped and sized to define the aperture of each cradle support region.

7. The electrical device of claim 1, wherein the terminal comprises a single slip receiver and the cradle comprises a single connecting portion interfacing with the slip receiver to provide the electrical communication, and wherein each of the plurality of cradle support regions is in electrical communication with the terminal through the single connecting portion.

8. The electrical device of claim 1, wherein the cradle comprises a U-shaped body portion with the trough being formed in legs of the body portion.

9. The electrical device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a plurality of cradles and a single terminal, wherein the terminal comprises a plurality of slip receivers and each one of the plurality of cradles comprises a connection portion receivable in a respective one of the plurality of slip receivers to create the slip connections.

10. The electrical device of claim 1, further comprising an electrical slip connection between the cradle and the terminal, wherein one of the cradle and the terminal comprises a connection portion and the other of the cradle and the terminal comprises a slip receiver that slidably receives the connection portion to establish the electrical slip connection between the cradle and the terminal.

11. The electrical device of claim 10, wherein the slip receiver comprises two arms comprising diverging edge portions.

12. The electrical device of claim 10, wherein the slip receiver comprises first and second arms and a bridge connecting the two arms.

13. The electrical device of claim 10, wherein the connection portion is movable along a plane within the slip receiver.

14. The electrical device of claim 10, wherein the cradle is independently adjustable relative to the terminal while the connection portion is disposed within the slip receiver.

15. An electrical device, comprising:

a top housing;

a bottom housing coupled to the top housing, the bottom housing comprising cradle support posts extending transversely within the bottom housing and comprising adjacent levels of a boundary level and a support level;

a mounting strap associated with at least one of the top and bottom housings;

a paddle associated with the top housing, the paddle being actuatable between a first and a second position;

an actuator extending from the paddle, the actuator comprising a paddle end and a switch component end, the paddle end comprising an H-shaped body and being configured to interface with the paddle, the switch component end being comprising a cylindrical element comprising a flipper engagement connection formed thereon and comprising a spring receiving notch formed therein;

a coil spring extending from the actuator, the spring comprising a cross member portion extending into the spring receiving notch;

a U-shaped flipper mechanism comprising

first and second arms connected by a bridge portion, the first and second arms each comprising an oppositely extending protruding portion, each protruding portion comprising a lower cradle interfacing edge,

wherein the bridge portion comprises a spring interface portion extending between the first and second arms, the coil spring being associated with the spring interface portion, the bridge portion comprising a centrally disposed electrical contact;

a switch terminal disposed in the bottom housing and comprising a screw receiving aperture and an electrical contact;

a cradle disposed in the bottom housing, the cradle comprising a body portion, a transition portion, and a connection portion, wherein the body portion comprises a trough, wherein the transition portion is bent from the body portion and extends between the body portion and the connection portion, and wherein the connection portion is a rectangular plate, and wherein the cradle is disposed to interface with the cradle support posts so that the cradle rests on the support level of the support posts and adjacent to the boundary level of the support posts,

wherein the flipper mechanism is disposed in a manner that the cradle interfacing edge of the flipper mechanism extends into and contacts the trough of the body portion of the cradle, and wherein the flipper mechanism is suspended by the trough and is movable in a manner that brings the electrical contact on the bridge portion of the flipper mechanism into contact with and out of contact with the electrical contact on the switch terminal; and

a common terminal comprising a main wall and a slip receiver, the main wall comprising a screw receiving aperture, the slip receiver being connected to and angled away from the main wall, the slip receiver comprising first and second walls connected by an integral receiver bridge, wherein the second wall is directly connected to the main wall and the first wall is supported by the second wall;

wherein the connection portion of the cradle is disposed between the first and second walls of the slip receiver in a manner to complete an electrical connection between the cradle and the common terminal, the connection portion of the cradle being moveable within the slip receiver in any direction of a plane.

16. A method comprising the steps of:

providing a paddle for an electrical switching device, the paddle being actuatable from a first position to a second position;

associating an actuator with the paddle, the actuator being configured to displace when the paddle is actuated from the first position to the second position;

placing a terminal and a cradle within an electrical housing, the cradle comprising a body portion comprising troughs formed therein, the terminal and cradle being in electrical communication; and

aligning the cradle comprising a plurality of integral cradle support regions within the housing, the trough being formed through each cradle support region, each cradle support region comprising an aperture that receives an actuator assembly.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

connecting the spring about a spring interface portion on a flipper mechanism; and

securing the flipper mechanism to a flipper engagement connection on the actuator.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of:

introducing the flipper mechanism to the cradle so that a cradle interfacing edge of the flipper mechanism extends into and contacts the trough of the cradle.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of aligning the cradle comprises the step of orienting shoulder portions on the cradle to fit adjacent boundary levels on cradle support posts.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of introducing a connection portion of one of the cradle and terminal to a slip receiver of the other of the cradle and terminal to establish an electrical slip connection between the cradle and the terminal.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of introducing the connection portion comprises the step of slidably inserting the connection portion between first and second walls of the slip receiver.

22. A method comprising:

providing a paddle for an electrical switching device, the paddle being actuatable from a first position to a second position;

associating an actuator with the paddle, the actuator being configured to displace when the paddle is actuated from the first position to the second position, the actuator comprising a paddle end and a switch component end, the paddle end comprising an H-shaped body and being configured to interface with the paddle, the switch component end being comprising a cylindrical element comprising a flipper engagement connection formed thereon for engaging the flipper and comprising a spring receiving notch formed therein;

placing a switch terminal within an electrical housing, the switch terminal comprising an electrical contact formed thereon;

placing a common terminal within the electrical housing, the common terminal comprising a main wall and a slip receiver, the main wall comprising a screw receiving aperture, the slip receiver being connected to and angled away from the main wall, the slip receiver comprising first and second walls connected by an integral receiver bridge, wherein the second wall is directly connected to the main wall and the first wall is supported by the second wall;

placing a cradle within the electrical housing, the cradle comprising a body portion, a transition portion, and a connection portion, wherein the body portion comprises a trough, wherein the transition portion is bent from the body portion and extends between the body portion and the connection portion, and wherein the connection portion is a rectangular plate, and wherein the cradle is disposed to interface with cradle support posts so that the cradle rests on support levels of support posts and adjacent to boundary levels of the support posts;

slidably introducing the connection portion of the cradle into the slip receiver of the common terminal to create an electrical connection;

introducing a spring to the switch component end of the actuator so that a cross member portion of the spring extends into the spring receiving notch in the switch component end;

connecting the spring about a spring interface portion on a flipper mechanism so that the spring extends from the flipper mechanism to the actuator;

securing the flipper mechanism to a flipper engagement connection on the actuator;

introducing the flipper mechanism to the cradle so that a cradle interfacing edge of the flipper mechanism extends into and contacts the trough of the cradle and so that the flipper mechanism is suspended by the trough and is movable in a manner that brings an electrical contact on the bridge portion of the flipper mechanism into contact with and out of contact with the electrical contact on the switch terminal;

applying a load to the actuator to compress the spring and displace the actuator relative to the flipper mechanism and disengage the flipper engagement connection of the actuator from the flipper mechanism; and

actuating the paddle from the first position to the second position to displace the actuator and the spring such that spring acts on the flipper mechanism to displace the flipper mechanism so that the electrical contact on the bridge portion of the flipper mechanism moves into contact with and out of contact with the electrical contact on the switch terminal.

23. A system, comprising:

means for providing a paddle for an electrical switching device, the paddle being actuatable from a first position to a second position;

means for associating an actuator with the paddle, the actuator being configured to displace when the paddle is actuated from the first position to the second position;

means for placing a terminal and a cradle within an electrical housing, the cradle comprising a body portion comprising troughs formed therein, the terminal and cradle being in electrical communication; and

means for aligning the cradle comprising a plurality of integral cradle support regions within the housing, the trough being formed through each cradle support region, each cradle support region comprising an aperture that receives an actuator assembly.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising means for introducing a flipper mechanism to the cradle so that a cradle interfacing edge of the flipper mechanism extends into and contacts the trough of the cradle.

25. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

means for connecting a spring about a spring interface portion on a flipper mechanism; and

means for securing the flipper mechanism to a flipper engagement connection on the actuator.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the means for aligning the cradle comprises means for orienting shoulder portions on the cradle to fit adjacent boundary levels on cradle support posts.

27. The system of claim 23, further comprising means for transferring electrical current through a plurality of flippers associated with the plurality of cradle supports through a single connection with the terminal.

28. The system of claim 23, further comprising means for introducing a connection portion of one of the cradle and terminal to a slip receiver of the other of the cradle and terminal to establish an electrical slip connection between the cradle and the terminal.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the means for introducing a connection portion comprises means for slidably inserting the connection portion between first and second walls of the slip receiver.

30. A system, comprising:

means for providing a paddle for an electrical switching device, the paddle being actuatable from a first position to a second position;

means for associating an actuator with the paddle, the actuator being configured to displace when the paddle is actuated from the first position to the second position, the actuator comprising a paddle end and a switch component end, the paddle end comprising an H-shaped body and being configured to interface with the paddle, the switch component end being comprising a cylindrical element comprising a flipper engagement connection formed thereon for engaging the flipper and comprising a spring receiving notch formed therein;

means for placing a switch terminal within an electrical housing, the switch terminal comprising an electrical contact formed thereon;

means for placing a common terminal within the electrical housing, the common terminal comprising a main wall and a slip receiver, the main wall comprising a screw receiving aperture, the slip receiver being connected to and angled away from the main wall, the slip receiver comprising first and second walls connected by an integral receiver bridge, wherein the second wall is directly connected to the main wall and the first wall is supported by the second wall;

means for placing a cradle within the electrical housing, the cradle comprising a body portion, a transition portion, and a connection portion, wherein the body portion comprises a trough and a plurality of integral support regions formed in the cradle, the trough being formed through each cradle support region, each cradle support region comprising an aperture that receives an actuator assembly, wherein the transition portion is bent from the body portion and extends between the body portion and the connection portion, and wherein the connection portion is a rectangular plate, and wherein the cradle is disposed to interface with cradle support posts so that the cradle rests on support levels of support posts and adjacent to boundary levels of the support posts;

means for slidably introducing the connection portion of the cradle into the slip receiver of the common terminal to create an electrical connection;

means for introducing a spring to the switch component end of the actuator so that a cross member portion of the spring extends into the spring receiving notch in the switch component end;

means for connecting the spring about a spring interface portion on a flipper mechanism so that the spring extends from the flipper mechanism to the actuator;

means for securing the flipper mechanism to a flipper engagement connection on the actuator;

means for introducing the flipper mechanism to the cradle so that a cradle interfacing edge of the flipper mechanism extends into and contacts the trough of the cradle and so that the flipper mechanism is suspended by the trough and is movable in a manner that brings an electrical contact on the bridge portion of the flipper mechanism into contact with and out of contact with the electrical contact on the switch terminal; and

means for applying a load to the actuator to compress the spring and displace the actuator relative to the flipper mechanism and disengage the flipper engagement connection of the actuator from the flipper mechanism.