Patent ID: 6724284
Filing Date: 2004-04-20
Classification: H01H

Abstract:
A circuit breaker comprising:a housing; at least one set of separable contacts including a set of main contacts; an operating mechanism including an operator handle for opening and closing said set of main contacts, said operator handle having a surface, an ON position, a tripped position, and an OFF position, said main contacts being closed in said ON position, being open in said tripped position, and being open in said OFF position; a trip mechanism releasing said operating mechanism to move said operator handle to said tripped position; and a switch including an actuator lever movable between an actuated position and a non-actuated position and adapted to engage the surface of the operator handle of said operating mechanism, said switch also including a contact having a first state corresponding to said actuated position and a second state corresponding to said non-actuated position, the surface of said operator handle engaging and moving said actuator lever to said actuated position in only the ON position of said operator handle, said actuator lever being in said non-actuated position in the OFF position and the tripped position of said operator handle; wherein said at least one set of separable contacts includes said set of main contacts and a set of secondary contacts electrically connected in series with said set of main contacts, wherein said operating mechanism includes a solenoid moving said set of secondary contacts between closed and open positions, and a control circuit selectively energizing said solenoid, wherein said switch is a first switch, wherein said control circuit includes a second switch having a first contact controlling said solenoid, and a second contact electrically connected in series with said contact of said first switch, wherein the contact of said first switch is a normally open contact, with the first state of said normally open contact being closed when said first switch is actuated and said set of main contacts is closed, wherein the second contact of said second switch is closed when said solenoid moves said set of secondary contacts to the closed position thereof, wherein said control circuit is adapted to receive a voltage and apply the same to the second contact of said second switch, and wherein the contact of said first switch is adapted to output said voltage when said set of main contacts and said set of secondary contacts are both closed.