Patent ID: 7800478

Claim:
A heater assembly for an electrical switching apparatus, said electrical switching apparatus including a housing, separable contacts, and an operating mechanism for opening and closing said separable contacts, said heater assembly comprising: a heater element structured to be coupled to the housing of said electrical switching apparatus, said heater element including a first end, a second end, an intermediate portion disposed between the first end and the second end, and an aperture disposed proximate to the first end, the first end of said heater element including an upper surface and a lower surface disposed opposite the upper surface; an elongated bimetal including a first end and a second end disposed opposite and distal from the first end of said elongated bimetal, said elongated bimetal being structured to move between a first position corresponding to the separable contacts of said electrical switching apparatus being closeable, and a second position corresponding to the first end of said elongated bimetal cooperating with said operating mechanism to open said separable contacts, the second end of said elongated bimetal being coupled to the intermediate portion of said heater element; wherein, when said elongated bimetal is disposed in said first position, the first end of said elongated bimetal extends beyond the upper surface of the first end of said heater element into the aperture of said heater element; wherein the intermediate portion of said heater element comprises a plurality of bends defining a plurality of segments; and wherein the aperture of said heater element extends from proximate the first end of said heater element toward a corresponding one of the segments of said intermediate portion; and wherein the aperture of said heater element is an elongated slot; and wherein said elongated slot extends through said corresponding one of the segments of said intermediate portion.