Circuit breakers with common trip cams and related trip cams

摘要

Circuit breakers with handles have common trip cams with an integrated spring and trip cam base. The integrated spring directly contacts the armature in lieu of having the trip cam base formed to do so thereby allowing the use of alternative trip cam base configurations and materials from conventional relatively expensive materials.

主权项

1. A circuit breaker comprising:
a housing; a pivotable handle held by the housing; a moving contact arm held in the housing in communication with the handle; an armature held in the housing; a trip cam held in the housing, the trip cam comprising at least one spring with at least one segment that extends outward a distance from an axis of rotation of the trip cam to contact the armature; and a cradle in the housing in communication with the handle and the trip cam, wherein the at least one spring comprises a first arcuate segment that extends a first angular distance before merging into the at least one segment that extends outward a distance to contact the armature, wherein the at least one spring comprises a second arcuate segment that is spaced apart from the first arcuate segment and that extends a second angular distance, and wherein the second angular distance is greater than the first angular distance.