Patent ID: 7488913

Claim:
A circuit breaker for mounting to an elongated channel rail having laterally spaced oppositely projecting abutment flanges comprising: a circuit breaker housing comprising a first housing member; a second housing member complementary and attached to the first housing member, at least one of the first or second housing members having an elongated linear latch guide formed therein; and a latch member disposed intermediate the first and second housing members, the latch member comprising a base portion, a stem portion extending from the base portion at a junction, wherein the junction establishes a retainer segment having a length at least 75% of the total length of the base portion; a tool receptacle formed in the base portion adjacent the junction of the stem portion, and an elongated linear latch guide formed in the base portion cooperable with the at least one elongated linear latch guide formed in the housing member to establish a distance of maximum travel of the base portion, wherein the circuit breaker housing includes a rail receptacle for removably securing the circuit breaker housing to the elongated channel rail, the rail receptacle at least partially defined by oppositely disposed retainers extending inwardly toward the rail receptacle to at least partially surround the abutment flanges within the rail receptacle, wherein at least one of the retainers is movably positionable away from a biased position to receive the elongated channel rail in the rail receptacle upon application of an applied external force, the movably positionable retainer configured to return to the biased position in the absence of the applied external force, wherein the base portion of the latch member forms the movably positionable retainer and which moves toward or away from the biased position along a path of travel defined by the elongated linear latch guides and wherein the biased position is established by securing an end of the stem portion at a pre-determined location in at least one housing member.