Patent ID: 8735759

Claim:
A circuit breaker, comprising: a housing; a trip mechanism positioned in the housing for causing a movable contact to separate from a second contact in response to detection by the circuit breaker of an electrical fault; and a vent channel having an inner wall formed in and integral with the housing and positioned proximate the movable contact to exhaust debris produced as the movable contact separates from the second contact during the electrical fault, the inner wall having a first curved section, the vent channel having a front pressure area proximate the movable contact and a back pressure area terminating at an uncovered opening through the housing, the vent channel having a debris collection groove formed in the housing in the back pressure area of the vent channel such that at least some of the debris is collected in the debris collection groove instead of exiting the circuit breaker, the inner wall having a second curved section connected to the first curved section such that the first and second curved sections form a curved path along which the debris changes directions at least twice along a plane defined by the housing before it exits the uncovered opening, wherein the housing, the debris collection groove, and the inner wall are formed from a one-piece construction, the debris collection groove is a plurality of debris collection grooves formed along the second curved section, and the first curved section corresponds to a first inner wall and the second curved section corresponds to a second inner wall, wherein the plurality of debris collection grooves are formed along the first inner wall of the vent channel and merge into a single groove formed along the second inner wall opposite the first inner wall.