Patent ID: 7474179

Claim:
A contact spring assembly for an electrical switching apparatus including a movable contact assembly and a stationary contact assembly having a plurality of stationary electrical contacts, said movable contact assembly including a carrier assembly, a plurality of movable contact arms pivotably coupled to said carrier assembly, and a plurality of movable electrical contacts coupled to said movable contact arms and being movable into and out of electrical contact with said stationary electrical contacts of said stationary contact assembly, said contact spring assembly comprising: a first contact spring housing member; a second contact spring housing member coupled to said first contact spring housing member and being disposed opposite said first contact spring housing member; a spring guide including a plurality of spring holes, said spring guide being coupled to at least one of said first contact spring housing member and said second contact spring housing member and being disposed between said first contact spring housing member and said second contact spring housing member; a plurality of sliders; a plurality of springs, each of said springs having a first end received by corresponding one of said spring holes of said spring guide) and a second end coupled to a corresponding one of said sliders; wherein each of said springs and said corresponding one of said sliders coupled thereto is structured to individually bias a corresponding one of said movable contact arms of said movable contact assembly and a corresponding one of said movable electrical contacts coupled thereto towards engagement with a corresponding one of said stationary electrical contacts of said stationary contact assembly; wherein said first contact spring housing member and said second contact spring housing member are substantially identical; and wherein said first contact spring housing member and said second contact spring housing member each comprise at least one protrusion and at least one aperture; and wherein said first contact spring housing member and said second contact spring housing member are positioned in order that said at least one protrusion of said first contact spring housing member engages said at least one aperture of said second contact spring housing member, and said at least one protrusion of said second contact spring housing member engages said at least one aperture of said first contact spring housing member, thereby securing said contact spring assembly together.