Patent ID: 8295016

Claim:
A circuit interrupter comprising: a first electrical conductor; a second electrical conductor; a third electrical conductor; a planar conductive member comprising: a first contact, a second contact, and a third contact; and an operating mechanism structured to move said planar conductive member toward said electrical conductors to electrically connect said first electrical conductor, said second electrical conductor and said third electrical conductor to said first contact, said second contact and said third contact, respectively, and to move said planar conductive member away from said electrical conductors to electrically disconnect said first electrical conductor, said second electrical conductor and said third electrical conductor from said first contact, said second contact and said third contact, respectively, upon the occurrence of a predetermined condition, such that said electrical conductors are electrically isolated from each other, wherein when one of said first electrical conductor, said second electrical conductor and said third electrical conductor is welded to one of said first contact, said second contact and said third contact, respectively, said operating mechanism and said planar conductive member cooperate to electrically disconnect the other two of said first electrical conductor, said second electrical conductor and said third electrical conductor from the other two of said first contact, said second contact and said third contact, respectively, upon the occurrence of the predetermined condition, wherein said operating mechanism comprises a carriage member; wherein said planar conductive member is pivotally coupled to said carriage member, in order that when said one of said first contact, said second contact and said third contact is welded to said one of said first electrical conductor, said second electrical conductor and said third electrical conductor, respectively, said planar conductive member is structured to tilt to electrically disconnect the other two of said first electrical conductor, said second electrical conductor and said third electrical conductor from the other two of said first contact, said second contact and said third contact, respectively, upon the occurrence of the predetermined condition, and wherein said carriage member includes a spring member having three arms, two of said three arms being structured to bias said other two of said first contact, said second contact and said third contact away from said other two of said first electrical conductor, said second electrical conductor and said third electrical conductor, respectively, upon the occurrence of the predetermined condition.