Common Trip Lever for Synchronized Circuit Breaker Tripping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Telecommunication system circuit breakers face challenges with reduced size and increased operating current range, as well as the need for a common trip lever to operatively couple multiple circuit breakers, due to their smaller dimensions and limited trip force, which complicates simultaneous tripping of adjacent circuits.
Innovation Solution
A common trip lever structured to operatively couple two or more telecommunication system circuit breakers, utilizing an inter-phase link that extends through both circuit breakers, allowing the primary circuit breaker's operating mechanism to actuate the secondary circuit breaker's trip device, ensuring synchronized tripping and closing operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If the circuit breaker size is reduced to fit multi-level rack spacing, then the height is reduced to accommodate 1.75 inch spacing, but the trip force becomes limited making common tripping difficult
Solution Approach 1:
A common trip lever is introduced as an intermediary mechanical component that receives the tripping force from one circuit breaker and transmits it to another circuit breaker's trip mechanism. The lever acts as a force mediator, allowing the limited trip force from a compact circuit breaker to effectively trigger simultaneous tripping of multiple breakers without requiring excessive force from any single breaker.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a common trip bar is used to trip two adjacent circuit breakers, then simultaneous tripping is achieved, but the structure becomes infeasible in smaller circuit breakers with low trip force
Solution Approach 1:
The common tripping function is segmented into separate components: a trip lever mounted on each circuit breaker and a common trip bar that connects them. This segmentation allows each breaker to have its own simplified trip lever mechanism while the common bar provides the coordination function, making the overall system feasible for compact breakers with limited trip force.
Solution Approach 2:
The trip lever is positioned at an offset location rather than directly in the path of the operating mechanism, creating a lever arm that provides mechanical advantage. This dimensional arrangement allows the trip lever to be actuated by the operating mechanism's movement while translating that motion into effective tripping force on the common trip bar.
3Length of stationary object
If the circuit breaker height is reduced to 1.75 inches or less, then rack spacing is accommodated, but the operating mechanism space is reduced limiting component robustness
Solution Approach 1:
The trip lever is nested within the compact circuit breaker housing, mounted on the operating mechanism in a space-efficient manner. The lever's pivot point and actuation path are integrated into the existing operating mechanism structure, allowing the robust trip lever component to be accommodated within the reduced 1.75-inch height without compromising its mechanical strength or reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A trip lever for a shared tripping device, wherein the shared tripping device is structured to operatively couple at least two circuit breakers, a primary circuit breaker and a secondary circuit breaker, the trip lever having an elongated trip lever body with a mounting end and a distal end. The trip lever body mounting end pivotally is coupled to a cage in the primary circuit breaker and engages a trip bar in the secondary circuit breaker. The trip lever body distal end is disposed in a path of travel of an inter-phase link body distal end within the primary circuit breaker. The trip lever body distal end is structured to be engaged by the inter-phase link body distal end as the inter-phase link body distal end moves along the path of travel and the trip lever is structured to actutate the secondary circuit breaker trip bar when the trip lever is engaged by the inter-phase link body distal end.