Electrical operator for circuit breaker and method thereof
View Patent ↗An electrical operator for a circuit breaker includes a carriage moving assembly and a solenoid having a reciprocating plunger. The plunger is configured to engage with the carriage moving assembly in response to a pulsating current.
1. An electrical operator for a circuit breaker, the operator comprising:
a housing positionable on an exterior of the circuit breaker, the housing configured to receive a breaker toggle of the circuit breaker;
a carriage system disposed within the housing;
a carriage moving assembly disposed within the housing, the carriage moving assembly operable to move the carriage system; and,
a solenoid disposed within the housing arranged to receive a pulsating current, the solenoid having a coil and a plunger within the coil, the plunger configured to repeatedly reciprocate with respect to the coil in response to the pulsating current and thereby actuate the carriage moving assembly;
wherein a portion of the carriage system is configured to allow passage of the breaker toggle into the housing, the portion of the carriage system engageable with the breaker toggle to move the breaker toggle in opposing directions in response to movement of the carriage system.
2. The electrical operator of claim 1 , further comprising an impulse voltage generator configured to provide the pulsating, current.
3. The electrical operator of claim 2 , further comprising a charge switch, wherein current is delivered to the impulse voltage generator when the charge switch is closed.
4. The electrical operator of claim 3 , further comprising a limit switch configured to prevent delivery of the pulsating current to the solenoid.
5. The electrical operator of claim 4 , further comprising a latching mechanism, an unlatch switch, and an unlatch actuator, wherein the latching mechanism is configured to latch the carriage system when at least one energy storage spring is energized, the unlatch switch is configured to deliver current to actuate the unlatch actuator when the unlatch switch is closed, and the unlatch actuator is configured to actuate the latching mechanism to transmit stored energy from the at least one energy storage spring to the carriage system and breaker toggle.
6. The electrical operator of claim 1 , wherein the carriage moving assembly includes a charging lever, the plunger arranged to engage the charging lever at a frequency of the pulsating current.
7. The electrical operator of claim 6 , wherein the charging lever is configured to be engaged by the plunger multiple times during a single charging operation of the electrical operator.
8. The electrical operator of claim 6 , further comprising a return spring, the charging lever biased by the return spring towards the plunger.
9. The electrical operator of claim 6 , wherein the carriage system includes a carriage plate including a toggle opening for receipt of the breaker toggle, the carriage plate movable to engage the breaker toggle, and the charging lever extends in a direction substantially parallel to the carriage plate.
10. The electrical operator of claim 1 , wherein the carriage moving assembly includes a tensioning cam arranged to engage the carriage system and drive the carriage system in response to the pulsating current.
11. The electrical operator of claim 10 , wherein the carriage moving assembly further includes a main shaft connected to the tensioning cam, and a charging lever having a free end and a pivot end, the pivot end supported on the main shaft, and the plunger arranged to engage the free end of the charging lever at a frequency of the pulsating current.
12. The electrical operator of claim 1 , wherein the carriage system includes a carriage plate, a roller shaft that extends from the carriage plate, and a carriage roller mounted on and rotatable about the roller shaft.
13. The electrical operator of claim 1 , wherein the carriage system includes a carriage plate having a toggle opening, sized for passage of the breaker toggle, and the toggle opening is configured to transmit movement of the carriage system to the breaker toggle.
14. An electrical operator for a circuit breaker, the operator comprising:
a housing positionable on an exterior of the circuit breaker, the housing configured to receive a breaker toggle of the circuit breaker;
a carriage system disposed within the housing and engageable with the breaker toggle of the circuit breaker;
a carriage moving assembly arranged within the housing to move the carriage system, the carriage moving assembly operable to move the carriage system; and,
a solenoid disposed within the housing arranged to receive a pulsating current and including a coil and a plunger within the coil, the plunger arranged to repeatedly reciprocate with respect to the coil in response to the pulsating current and thereby actuate the carriage moving assembly;
wherein a portion of the carriage system is configured to allow passage of the breaker toggle into the housing, the portion of the carriage system engageable with the breaker toggle to move the breaker toggle in opposing directions in response to movement of the carriage system.
15. The electrical operator of claim 14 , further comprising an impulse voltage generator arranged to provide the pulsating current.
16. The electrical operator of claim 15 , further comprising a charge switch, wherein the charge switch delivers current to the impulse voltage generator when closed.
17. The electrical operator of claim 14 , wherein the carriage moving assembly includes a charging lever, the plunger arranged to engage the charging lever at a frequency of the pulsating current.
18. A method of operating an electrical operator mounted to an exterior of a circuit breaker, the method comprising:
passing a breaker toggle through a portion Of a carriage system of the electrical operator;
closing a switch of the electrical operator;
delivering a pulsating current to a solenoid within the electrical operator;
reciprocating a plunger of the solenoid at a frequency of the pulsating current;
engaging the plunger with a carriage moving assembly, the carriage moving assembly moving the carriage system to compress energy storage springs;
engaging the breaker toggle with the carriage system during compression of the energy storage springs; and,
latching the carriage system.
19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising unlatching the carriage system to switch the circuit breaker.
20. The method of claim 18 , wherein engaging the plunger with the carriage moving assembly comprises engaging a charging lever of the carriage moving assembly with the plunger multiple times during a single charging operation.