Patent ID: 7586395

Claim:
A trip actuator assembly for an electrical switching apparatus including a housing having a mounting surface, separable contacts enclosed by said housing, and an operating mechanism structured to open and close said separable contacts, said trip actuator assembly comprising: a trip actuator structured to be cooperable with said operating mechanism; and a planar member comprising a first end, a second end disposed opposite and distal from the first end, a first edge, a second edge disposed opposite and distal from the first edge, and an aperture, wherein said trip actuator is structured to be at least partially disposed within said aperture and further to be disposed between said planar member and said mounting surface of said housing, and wherein the first edge of said planar member is structured to be removably coupled to said mounting surface of said housing, thereby being structured to removably couple said trip actuator to said housing wherein said trip actuator assembly further comprises at least one linking member pivotably coupled to said operating mechanism of said circuit breaker; and wherein said trip actuator and said at least one linking member are both coupled to said planar member of said trip actuator assembly, and wherein said planar member of said trip actuator assembly is a side plate having a first side, a second side, a first aperture, and a second aperture; wherein said at least one linking member is a cradle assembly and a reset lever; wherein said reset lever includes a first end and a second end disposed opposite and distal from the first end; wherein said trip actuator is disposed within said first aperture of said side plate and extends outwardly from the first side of said side plate and the second side of said side plate; wherein said cradle assembly is disposed on the second side of said side plate; wherein said reset lever is pivotably coupled to the first side of said side plate; wherein the first end of said reset lever is cooperable with said trip actuator on the first side of said side plate; and wherein the second end of said reset lever extends through said second aperture of said side plate and cooperates with a portion of said cradle assembly on the second side of said side plate.