Patent ID: 7696448

Claim:
A closing protection mechanism for an operating mechanism closing assembly in an electrical switching apparatus, said electrical switching apparatus having a housing assembly, operating mechanism, a trip device, and at least one pair of separable contacts structured to move between a first, open position, wherein said contacts are separated, and a second, closed position, wherein said contacts contact each other and are in electrical communication, said operating mechanism closing assembly having a pole shaft and a toggle assembly, said pole shaft coupled to said separable contacts and structured to move said separable contacts between said first position and said second position, said toggle assembly having a first link and a second link, said first link having an outer end and an inner end, said second link having an outer end and an inner end, said first link inner end and said second link inner end rotatably coupled to each other forming a toggle joint, said second link outer end coupled to said pole shaft, said first link outer end coupled to said housing assembly, said toggle assembly structured to move between a first, collapsed configuration and a second, over-toggle configuration, passing through an in-line configuration therebetween, said closing protection mechanism comprising: a sensing switch coupled to said housing assembly and disposed adjacent to said toggle assembly; a sensing switch actuator disposed on said toggle assembly, said sensing switch actuator structured to actuate said sensing switch; and wherein said sensing switch structured to be actuated by said sensing switch actuator when said toggle assembly is in said second, over-toggle configuration.