Trip device for circuit breaker

Abstract

A trip device for a circuit breaker includes: a crossbar rotatably installed to perform the trigger function; and bimetal that is curved upon the occurrence of an abnormal current and presses and rotates the crossbar by means of a gap adjustment member. The crossbar is movable in the direction of a rotating shaft of the crossbar, and the gap adjustment member is attached to and detached from either the crossbar or the bimetal at varying angles so that a contact surface is parallel or at an angle to the direction of movement of the crossbar.

Claims

1. A trip device for a circuit breaker, the trip device comprising: a crossbar that performs a trigger function and that moves in a direction of movement of a rotating shaft of the crossbar; and a bimetal that curves upon occurrence of an abnormal current and presses and rotates the crossbar via a gap adjustment member, wherein the crossbar comprises: a pipe-like body portion; and a contact portion extending from the body portion; wherein the contact portion comprises: a cylindrical contact protrusion protruding in the direction of the tangent to a circular trajectory around the rotating shaft; and a crossbar contact surface formed at right angles to the length of the cylindrical contact protrusion at the end of the contact portion; wherein the gap adjustment member comprises: a coupling part that attaches to and detaches from the bimetal; and a gap adjustment part that is formed on an upper part of the coupling part, the gap adjustment part adjusting the gap between the bimetal and the crossbar; wherein the gap adjustment part comprises: a flat first side that is parallel to the crossbar contact surface; and a sloped second side that is formed on a back of the flat first side, the sloped second side being inclined in a horizontal direction to the crossbar contact surface; and wherein a rectangular shaped recess is formed on a bottom side of the coupling part to receive an end of the bimetal.

2. The trip device of claim 1, wherein length and depth directions of the recess are parallel to the first side.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention.

(2) In the drawings:

(3) FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional circuit breaker;

(4) FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the trip device of FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a trip device according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

(6) FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the gap adjustment member of FIG. 3 mounted turned back to front;

(7) FIG. 5 is an assembly diagram showing the gap adjustment member of FIG. 3 being mounted on bimetal;

(8) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the gap adjustment member of FIG. 5 as viewed from the bottom;

(9) FIG. 7 is an assembly diagram showing the gap adjustment member of FIG. 5 being mounted turned back to front;

(10) FIG. 8 is an assembly diagram showing an example of a variation of the insertion parts of the gap adjustment member and bimetal of FIG. 3;

(11) FIG. 9 is an assembly diagram showing the gap adjustment member of FIG. 8 being mounted turned back to front;

(12) FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a trip device according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

(13) FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the gap adjustment member of FIG. 10 being mounted at a tilt;

(14) FIG. 12 is an assembly diagram showing the gap adjustment member of FIG. 10 being mounted on the bimetal;

(15) FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the gap adjustment member of FIG. 12 as viewed from the bottom;

(16) FIG. 14 is an assembly diagram showing the gap adjustment member of FIG. 12 being mounted at a tilt;

(17) FIG. 15A, FIG. 15B and FIG. 15C are plan views showing the gap adjustment range varying with the angle of rotation of the gap adjustment member of FIG. 12;

(18) FIG. 16 is an assembly diagram showing an example of a variation of the insertion parts of the gap adjustment member and bimetal of FIG. 9;

(19) FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the gap adjustment member of FIG. 16 as viewed from the bottom;

(20) FIG. 18 is an assembly diagram showing the gap adjustment member of FIG. 16 being mounted at a tilt;

(21) FIG. 19 is an assembly diagram showing an example different from that of FIG 16;

(22) FIG. 20 is an assembly diagram showing the gap adjustment member of FIG. 19 being mounted at a tilt;

(23) FIG. 21 is an assembly diagram showing another example different from that of FIG. 16; and

(24) FIG. 22 is an assembly diagram showing the gap adjustment member of FIG. 21 being mounted at a tilt.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

(25) Hereinafter, a trip device for a circuit breaker according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(26) FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a trip device according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the gap adjustment member of FIG. 3 mounted turned back to front. FIG. 5 is an assembly diagram showing the gap adjustment member of FIG. 3 being mounted on bimetal. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the gap adjustment member of FIG. 5 as viewed from the bottom. FIG. 7 is an assembly diagram showing the gap adjustment member of FIG. 5 being mounted turned back to front.

(27) As shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, a trip device NT1 for a circuit breaker according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: a crossbar 170 that is rotatably installed to perform the trigger function and movable in the direction of a rotating 178 shaft of the crossbar; bimetal 150 that is curved upon the occurrence of an abnormal current and presses and rotates the crossbar 170 by means of an reversible gap adjustment member 160 to be described later; and the reversible gap adjustment member 160 that is attached to and detached from the bimetal 150 at varying angles so that a contact surface is parallel or at an angle to the direction of movement of the crossbar 170.

(28) The crossbar 170 includes a pipe-like body portion 172, a contact portion 174 extending from the body portion 172, and a slot portion 176 for moving the crossbar 170 provided on one side of the body portion 172. The crossbar 170 is installed in a case 10 of the circuit breaker to be rotatable by the rotating shaft 178 penetrating the body portion 172 and movable in the direction of the rotating shaft.

(29) The contact portion 174 includes a cylindrical contact protrusion 174a protruding in the direction of the tangent to a circular trajectory around the rotating shaft 178.

(30) The end of the contact portion 174 includes a crossbar contact surface 174b that is at right angles to the length of the contact protrusion 174a, with a rounded edge on one side of the contact protrusion 174.

(31) The bimetal 150 is an object that composed of two different sides made of different materials joined together.

(32) The bimetal 150 has a plate shape, and includes one end 152 supported on a bracket (not shown) and the other end 154 that is curved when heated.

(33) The reversible gap adjustment member 160 includes a side face 162 which is flat, a rear side 164 which is at an angle to the side face 162, and a bottom side 166 which is perpendicular to the side face 162 and the rear side 164.

(34) An insertion slot 168 is formed on the bottom side 166 of the reversible gap adjustment member 160 to attach and detach the reversible gap adjustment member 160 to and from the other end 154 of the bimetal 150.

(35) In this case, the insertion slot 168 is formed in the shape of a long hole to receive the other end 154 of the plate-shaped bimetal 150.

(36) The length and depth directions of the insertion slot 168 are parallel to the side face 162 of the reversible gap adjustment member 160. As used herein, the length direction of the insertion slot 168 refers to the direction along which the long side of a rectangular opening of the insertion slot 168 runs, and the depth direction of the insertion slot 168 refers to the direction of insertion of the other end 154 of the bimetal 150.

(37) As such, the reversible gap adjustment member 160 is reversibly attached to and detached from the other end 154 of the bimetal 150 so that the side face 162 becomes a contact surface which is parallel to the direction of movement of the crossbar 170 or the rear side 164 becomes a contact surface which is at an angle to the direction of movement of the crossbar 170.

(38) By the way, the other end 154 of the bimetal 150 and the insertion slot 168 of the reversible gap adjustment member 160 can come in various shapes, so long as the reversible gap adjustment member 160 can be reversibly attached to and detached from the other end 154 of the bimetal 150 so that the side face 162 becomes a contact surface which is parallel to the direction of movement of the crossbar 170 or the rear side 164 becomes a contact surface which is at an angle to the direction of movement of the crossbar 170. In other words, as long as the side face 162 of the reversible gap adjustment member 160 faces the crossbar contact surface 174b parallel or the rear side 164 of the reversible gap adjustment member 160 faces the crossbar contact surface 174b at an angle, the insertion parts of the bimetal 150 and reversible gap adjustment member 160 can come in various shapes.

(39) FIG. 8 is an assembly diagram showing an example of a variation of the insertion parts of the gap adjustment member and bimetal of FIG. 3. FIG. 9 is an assembly diagram showing the gap adjustment member of FIG. 8 being mounted turned back to front.

(40) In an example, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, an insertion protrusion 256 protruding in the direction of curvature may be formed on the other end 154 of the bimetal 150. In this case, an insertion slot 268 may be formed in the reversible gap adjustment member 260 to penetrate a rectangular part C, one side of which being the side face 162 of the reversible gap adjustment member 160, at right angles from the side face 162.

(41) In another example, although not shown, the length and depth directions of the long hole-shaped insertion slot 168 may be parallel to the reversible gap adjustment member 160.

(42) Moreover, in the trip device NT1 for a circuit breaker according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention and a modification of the trip device NT1, the reversible gap adjustment member 160 and 260 may be attached to and detached from the other end 154 of the bimetal 150. Alternatively, the reversible gap adjustment member 160 and 260 may be attached to and detached from the contact portion 174 of the crossbar 170, and the illustration and detailed description thereof will be omitted because the same technical concept applies except the gap adjustment member 160 and 260 is attached to and detached from the crossbar 170, instead of the bimetal 150 and 250.

(43) In the drawings, the same reference numerals will be given to the same parts as the conventional art.

(44) Hereinafter, the operational effects of the trip device NT1 for a circuit breaker according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described.

(45) As shown in FIG. 3, in the trip device NT1 for a circuit breaker according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the reversible gap adjustment member 160 may be mounted on the bimetal 150 so that the rear side 164 becomes a contact surface which is at an angle to the direction of movement of the crossbar 170. In other words, the reversible gap adjustment member 160 may be mounted on the bimetal 150 to make the rear side 164 face the crossbar contact surface 174b at an angle.

(46) Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4, the reversible gap adjustment member 160 may be mounted on the bimetal 150 so that the side face 162 becomes a contact surface parallel to the direction of movement of the crossbar 170. In other words, the reversible gap adjustment member 160 may be mounted on the bimetal 150 to make the side face 162 face the crossbar contact surface 174b parallel.

(47) When the reversible gap adjustment member 160 is mounted on the bimetal 150 so that the rear side 164 faces the crossbar contact surface 174b at an angle, the reversible gap adjustment member 160 functions to adjust the rated current of the circuit breaker depending on the position of the crossbar 170 on the rotating shaft. In other words, the reversible gap adjustment member 160 functions to implement the circuit breaker as the thermal adjustable type circuit breaker.

(48) More specifically, the crossbar 170 may be moved in the direction of the rotating shaft by turning a knob 180, with one end brought into contact with the slot portion 176 and the other end exposed to the surface of the case 10 of the circuit breaker.

(49) As such, the crossbar contact surface 174b may be shifted in position.

(50) As a result, the gap between the contact surfaces 174b and 164 may be adjusted depending on which part of the rear side 164 of the reversible gap adjustment member 160, which is a contact surface of the reversible gap adjustment member 160, the crossbar contact surface 174b is brought into contact with.

(51) As the gap is adjusted, the rated current of the circuit breaker can be adjusted.

(52) For example, if the gap is small, even a slight curvature of the bimetal 150 can bring the rear side 164 of the reversible gap adjustment member 160 into contact with the crossbar contact surface 174b to trigger a trip operation. That is, a circuit breaker with a low current rating is achieved.

(53) On the other hand, if the gap is large, the bimetal 150 must be curved sharply to bring the rear side 164 of the reversible gap adjustment member 160 into contact with the crossbar contact surface 174b to trigger a trip operation. That is, a circuit breaker with a high current rating is achieved.

(54) Meanwhile, once the reversible gap adjustment member 160 is mounted on the bimetal 150 so that the side face 162 faces the crossbar contact surface 174b parallel, the reversible gap adjustment member 160 functions to fix the rated current of the circuit breaker at a predetermined value regardless of the movement of the crossbar 170 in the direction of the rotating shaft or the occurrence of any scatter diagram of the position of the crossbar 170 on the rotating shaft caused by a distribution or assembly error in the components. In other words, the reversible gap adjustment member 160 functions to implement the thermal adjustable type circuit breaker using the thermal fixable type circuit breaker.

(55) More specifically, the crossbar 170 may be likewise moved in the direction of the rotating shaft by turning the knob 180.

(56) As such, the crossbar contact surface 174b may be shifted in position.

(57) Even with this positional shift, the gap between the contact surfaces 174b and 162 may be kept constant even if the crossbar contact surface 174b is brought into contact with any part of the side face 162, which is a contact surface of the reversible gap adjustment member 160.

(58) Moreover, distribution assembly errors may occur in the components of the trip device during manufacture.

(59) This may cause a deviation in the position of the crossbar 170, i.e., the crossbar contact surface 174b, on the rotating shaft.

(60) Even with this deviation, as described above, the gap between the contact surfaces 174b and 162 is kept constant even if the crossbar contact surface 174b is brought into contact with any part of the side face 162 of the reversible gap adjustment member 160.

(61) Accordingly, the bimetal 150 must be curved sharply to bring the rear side 164 of the reversible gap adjustment member 160 into contact with the crossbar contact surface 174b to trigger a trip operation. That is, a circuit breaker with a rate current fixed at a predetermined value is achieved.

(62) The trip device NT1 for a circuit breaker according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include the crossbar 170 rotatably installed to perform the trigger function, and the bimetal 150 that is curved upon the occurrence of an abnormal current and presses and rotates the crossbar 170 by means of the gap adjustment member 160.

(63) The crossbar 170 may be movable in the direction of the rotating shaft.

(64) The reversible gap adjustment member 160 may include a side face 162 which is flat and a rear side 164 which is at an angle to the side face 162.

(65) The reversible gap adjustment member 160 may be reversibly attached to and detached from either the crossbar 170 or the bimetal 150 so that the side face 162 becomes a contact surface which is parallel to the direction of movement of the crossbar 170 or the rear side 164 becomes a contact surface which is at an angle to the direction of movement of the crossbar 170.

(66) As such, when the rear side 164 becomes the contact surface, the trip device NT1 for a circuit breaker according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention can adjust the gap between the contact surfaces 174b and 164 depending on the position of the crossbar 170 on the rotating shaft. In other words, the thermal adjustable type circuit breaker for adjusting the rated current can be implemented.

(67) When the side face 162 becomes the contact surface, the trip device NT1 for a circuit breaker according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention can keep the gap between the contact surfaces 174b and 164 constant regardless of the position of the crossbar 170 on the rotating shaft. In other words, the thermal adjustable type circuit breaker for fixing the rated current at a predetermined value can be implemented.

(68) Accordingly, the trip device NT1 for a circuit breaker according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention contributes to reducing manufacturing costs by using the same components for the two different types of circuit breakers.

(69) Besides, the trip device NT1 for a circuit breaker according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention can solve the problem of deterioration in the reliability of a trip operation by minimizing a scatter diagram of overcurrent caused by a distribution or assembly error in the components when implementing the thermal adjustable type circuit breaker.

(70) The operational effects of the modification of the above-described trip device NT1 for a circuit breaker according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention are identical or substantially identical to those of the first exemplary embodiment, so a description thereof will be omitted.

(71) FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a trip device according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the gap adjustment member of FIG. 10 being mounted at a tilt.

(72) FIG. 12 is an assembly diagram showing the gap adjustment member of FIG. 10 being mounted on the bimetal. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the gap adjustment member of FIG. 12 as viewed from the bottom. FIG. 14 is an assembly diagram showing the gap adjustment member of FIG. 12 being mounted at a tilt. FIG. 15A, FIG. 15B and FIG. 15C are plan views showing the gap adjustment range varying with the angle of rotation of the gap adjustment member of FIG. 12.

(73) As shown in FIGS. 10 to 15C, the only difference in configuration between a trip device NT2 for a circuit breaker according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention and that of the first exemplary embodiment is that a rotatable gap adjustment member 360 replaces the reversible gap adjustment member 160.

(74) That is, the trip device NT2 for a circuit breaker according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: a crossbar 170 that is rotatably installed to perform the trigger function and movable in the direction of a rotating shaft of the crossbar; bimetal 350 that is curved upon the occurrence of an abnormal current and presses and rotates the crossbar 370 by means of a rotatable gap adjustment member 360 to be described later; and the rotatable gap adjustment member 360 that is attached to and detached from the bimetal 350 at varying angles so that a contact surface is parallel or at an angle to the direction of movement of the crossbar 370.

(75) The crossbar 370 is identical to that of the first exemplary embodiment, so a description thereof will be omitted to avoid redundancy.

(76) The bimetal 350 is an object that composed of two different sides made of different materials joined together.

(77) The bimetal 350 has a plate shape, and includes one end 152 supported on a bracket (not shown) and the other end 154 that is curved when heated.

(78) The rotatable gap adjustment member 360 includes a side face 362 which is flat and a bottom side 366 which is perpendicular to the side face 362.

(79) In this case, an insertion slot 368 is formed in the shape of an indented cylinder on the bottom side 366 of the rotatable gap adjustment member 360 so that the rotatable gap adjustment member 360 rotates at a desired angle, and a cylindrical insertion protrusion 356 protruding in the direction of the bimetal 350 is formed on the other end 154 of the bimetal 150. A plurality of slip-resistant grooves 368a are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical insertion slot 368 in the depth direction of the cylindrical insertion slot 368.

(80) A plurality of slip-resistant protrusions 356a are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical insertion protrusion 356 to get caught in the slip-resistant grooves 368a.

(81) Only one or no slip-resistant protrusions 356 may be formed so long as undesired rotation of the rotatable gap adjustment member 360 can be suppressed. Optionally, the slip-resistant protrusions 356 and the slip-resistant grooves 368a may be omitted.

(82) Moreover, the cylindrical insertion slot 368 and the insertion protrusion 356 may be the other way around. In other words, the cylindrical insertion protrusion 356 may be formed on the bottom side 366 of the gap adjustment member 360, and the cylindrical insertion slot 368 may be formed on the other end 254 of the bimetal 350.

(83) The cylindrical insertion slot 368 and the insertion protrusion 356 are used as the insertion parts of the rotatable gap adjustment member 360 and bimetal 350 so that the rotatable gap adjustment member 360 rotates at a desired angle.

(84) By the way, the other end 154 of the bimetal 350 and the insertion slot 368 of the rotatable gap adjustment member 360 can come in various shapes, so long as the rotatable gap adjustment member 360 can be rotatably attached to and detached from the other end 154 of the bimetal 350 so that the side face 362 becomes a contact surface which is parallel or at an angle to the direction of movement of the crossbar 370.

(85) In other words, as long as the side face 362 of the rotatable gap adjustment member 360 faces the crossbar contact surface 174b parallel or at an angle, the insertion parts of the bimetal 350 and reversible gap adjustment member 360 can come in various shapes.

(86) FIG. 16 is an assembly diagram showing an example of a variation of the insertion parts of the gap adjustment and bimetal of FIG. 9. FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the gap adjustment member of FIG. 16 as viewed from the bottom. FIG. 18 is an assembly diagram showing the gap adjustment member of FIG. 16 being mounted at a tilt.

(87) In an example, as shown in FIGS. 16 to 18, insertion slots 468 and 469 may be formed in the shape of a long hole on the bottom side 366 of the rotatable gap adjustment member to receive the other end 154 of the plate-shaped bimetal 150.

(88) The insertion slots 468 and 469 may include a first insertion slot 468, the length and depth directions of which are parallel to the side face 362 of the rotatable gap adjustment member 362.

(89) Further, the insertion slots 468 and 469 may include a second insertion slot 469, the depth direction of which is parallel to the depth direction of the first insertion slot 468 and the length direction of which is at an angle to the length direction of the first insertion slot 468.

(90) As used herein, the length direction of the insertion slot 468 or 469 refers to the direction along which the long side of a rectangular opening of the insertion slot 468 or 469 runs, and the depth direction of the insertion slot 468 or 469 refers to the direction of insertion of the other end 154 of the bimetal 150.

(91) In this case, the first insertion slot 468 and the second insertion slot 469 may cross each other or not.

(92) FIG. 19 is an assembly diagram showing an example different from that of FIG. 16. FIG. 20 is an assembly diagram showing the gap adjustment member of FIG. 19 being mounted at a tilt.

(93) In another example, as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, a first insertion slot 568 and a second insertion slot 569, the length direction of which is parallel to the side face 362 of the rotatable gap adjustment member 560, may be formed on a lateral side 567 of the rotatable gap adjustment member 560 which is perpendicular to the side face 362 of the rotatable gap adjustment member 560.

(94) The depth direction of the first insertion slot 568 may be parallel to the side face 362 of the rotatable gap adjustment member 560.

(95) The depth direction of the second insertion slot 569 may be at an angle to the side face 362.

(96) In this case, a rectangular insertion protrusion 556 may extend from the other end 154 of the bimetal 550 to be inserted into the first insertion slot 568 or second insertion slot 569 formed on the lateral side 567 of the rotatable gap adjustment member 560.

(97) As used herein, the length direction of the insertion slots 568 and 569 refers to the direction along which the long side of a rectangular opening of the insertion slots 568 and 569 runs, and the depth direction of the insertion slots 568 and 569 refers to the direction of insertion of the other end 154 of the bimetal 550.

(98) FIG. 21 is an assembly diagram showing another example different from that of FIG. 16. FIG. 22 is an assembly diagram showing the gap adjustment member of FIG. 21 being mounted at a tilt.

(99) In yet another example, as shown in FIGS. 21 and 22, the insertion protrusion 256 protruding in the direction of curvature may be formed on the other end 154 of the bimetal 250, and a first insertion slot 668 which is perpendicular to the side face 362 of the rotatable gap adjustment member 660 and a second insertion slot 669 which is at an angle to the depth direction of the first insertion slot 668 may be formed on the rear side 663 of the rotatable gap adjustment member 660 facing the side face 362 of the rotatable gap adjustment member 660.

(100) In addition, in the trip device NT2 for a circuit breaker according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention and a modification of the trip device NT2, the rotatable gap adjustment member 360, 460, 560, or 660 may be attached to and detached from the other end 154 of the bimetal 350, 150, 550, or 250. Alternatively, the rotatable gap adjustment member 360, 460, 560, or 660 may be attached to and detached from the contact portion 174 of the crossbar 170, and the illustration and detailed description thereof will be omitted because the same technical concept applies except the gap adjustment member 360, 460, 560, or 660 is attached to and detached from the crossbar 170, instead of the bimetal 350, 150, 550, or 250.

(101) In the drawings, the same reference numerals will be given to the same parts as the conventional art and the first exemplary embodiment.

(102) Hereinafter, the operational effects of the trip device NT2 for a circuit breaker according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described.

(103) As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, in the trip device NT2 for a circuit breaker according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the rotatable gap adjustment member 360 may be mounted on the bimetal 350 so that the side face 362 becomes a contact surface which is at an angle or parallel to the direction of movement of the crossbar 170. In other words, the rotatable gap adjustment member 360 may be mounted on the bimetal 350 to make the side face 362 face the crossbar contact surface 174b at an angle or parallel.

(104) When the rotatable gap adjustment member 360 is mounted on the bimetal 350 so that the side face 362 faces the crossbar contact surface 174b at an angle, the rotatable gap adjustment member 360 functions to adjust the rated current of the circuit breaker depending on the position of the crossbar 170 on the rotating shaft. In other words, the rotatable gap adjustment member 360 functions to implement the circuit breaker as the thermal adjustable type circuit breaker.

(105) More specifically, the crossbar 170 may be moved in the direction of the rotating shaft by turning a knob 180, with one end brought into contact with the slot portion 176 and the other end exposed to the surface of the case 10 of the circuit breaker.

(106) As such, the crossbar contact surface 174b may be shifted in position.

(107) As a result, the gap between the contact surfaces 174b and 362 may be adjusted depending on which part of the side face 362 of the rotatable gap adjustment member 360, which is a contact surface of the rotatable gap adjustment member 360, the crossbar contact surface 174b is brought into contact with.

(108) As the gap is adjusted, the rated current of the circuit breaker can be adjusted.

(109) For example, if the gap is small, even a slight curvature of the bimetal 350 can bring the side face 362 of the rotatable gap adjustment member 360 into contact with the crossbar contact surface 174b to trigger a trip operation. That is, a circuit breaker with a low current rating is achieved.

(110) On the other hand, if the gap is large, the bimetal 350 must be curved sharply to bring the side face 362 of the rotatable gap adjustment member 160 into contact with the crossbar contact surface 174b to trigger a trip operation. That is, a circuit breaker with a high current rating is achieved.

(111) Meanwhile, once the rotatable gap adjustment member 360 is mounted on the bimetal 350 so that the side face 362 faces the crossbar contact surface 174b parallel, the rotatable gap adjustment member 360 functions to fix the rated current of the circuit breaker at a predetermined value regardless of the movement of the crossbar 170 in the direction of the rotating shaft or the occurrence of any scatter diagram of the position of the crossbar 170 on the rotating shaft caused by a distribution or assembly error in the components. In other words, the rotatable gap adjustment member 360 functions to implement the thermal adjustable type circuit breaker using the thermal fixable type circuit breaker.

(112) More specifically, the crossbar 170 may be likewise moved in the direction of the rotating shaft by turning the knob 180.

(113) As such, the crossbar contact surface 174b may be shifted in position.

(114) Even with this positional shift, the gap between the contact surfaces 174b and 362 may be kept constant even if the crossbar contact surface 174b is brought into contact with any part of the side face 362, which is a contact surface of the rotatable gap adjustment member 360.

(115) Moreover, distribution assembly errors may occur in the components of the trip device during manufacture.

(116) This may cause a deviation in the position of the crossbar 170, i.e., the crossbar contact surface 174b, on the rotating shaft.

(117) Even with this deviation, as described above, the gap between the contact surfaces 174b and 362 is kept constant even if the crossbar contact surface 174b is brought into contact with any part of the side face 362 of the rotatable gap adjustment member 360.

(118) Accordingly, the bimetal 350 must be curved sharply to bring the rear side 164 of the rotatable gap adjustment member 360 into contact with the crossbar contact surface 174b to trigger a trip operation. That is, a circuit breaker with a rate current fixed at a predetermined value is achieved.

(119) The trip device NT2 for a circuit breaker according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include the cylindrical insertion slot 368 and the insertion protrusion 356 as the insertion parts of the rotatable gap adjustment member 360 and bimetal 350.

(120) Therefore, the rotatable gap adjustment member 360 rotates at a desired angle.

(121) As shown in FIG. 15A, FIG. 15B and FIG. 15C, the range of adjustment of the gap between the contact surfaces 174b and 362 can be varied by adjusting the angle of rotation of the rotatable gap adjustment member.

(122) The trip device NT2 for a circuit breaker according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a crossbar 170 rotatably installed to perform the trigger function and bimetal 350 that is curved upon the occurrence of an abnormal current and presses and rotates the crossbar 170 by the rotatable gap adjustment member.

(123) The crossbar 170 may be movable in the direction of the rotating shaft.

(124) The rotatable gap adjustment member 360 may include a side face 362 which is flat.

(125) The rotatable gap adjustment member 360 may be rotatably attached to and detached from either the crossbar 170 or the bimetal 350 so that the side face 362 becomes a contact surface which is parallel or at an angle to the direction of movement of the crossbar 170.

(126) As such, when the side face 362 becomes the contact surface which is at an angle to the direction of movement of the crossbar 170, the trip device NT2 for a circuit breaker according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention can adjust the gap between the contact surfaces 174b and 362 depending on the position of the crossbar 170 on the rotating shaft. In other words, the thermal adjustable type circuit breaker for adjusting the rated current can be implemented.

(127) When the side face 362 becomes the contact surface which is parallel to the direction of movement of the crossbar 170, the trip device NT2 for a circuit breaker according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention can keep the gap between the contact surfaces 174b and 362 constant regardless of the position of the crossbar 170 on the rotating shaft. In other words, the thermal adjustable type circuit breaker for fixing the rated current at a predetermined value can be implemented.

(128) Accordingly, the trip device NT2 for a circuit breaker according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention contributes to reducing manufacturing costs by using the same components for the two different types of circuit breakers.

(129) Besides, the trip device NT2 for a circuit breaker according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention can solve the problem of deterioration in the reliability of a trip operation by minimizing a scatter diagram of overcurrent caused by a distribution or assembly error in the components when implementing the thermal adjustable type circuit breaker.

(130) As for the operational effects of the modification of the above-described trip device NT2 for a circuit breaker according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the angle of rotation of the rotatable gap adjustment member 460, 560, and 660 is more limited compared with that of the second exemplary embodiment.

(131) The range of adjustment of the gap between the contact surfaces 362 and 174b cannot be varied due to limits on the angle of rotation of the rotatable gap adjustment member 460, 560, and 660.

(132) Aside from this exception, the operational effects of the modification of the above-described trip device NT2 for a circuit breaker according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention are identical or substantially identical to those of the first exemplary embodiment, so a description thereof will be omitted.

(133) Other elements and operational effects of a circuit breaker, except for a trip device, according to the present invention are identical to those of the conventional art, so detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

(134) As explained above, a trip device for a circuit breaker according to the present invention includes a crossbar rotatably installed to perform the trigger function and bimetal that is curved upon the occurrence of an abnormal current and presses and rotates the crossbar by a gap adjustment member.

(135) The crossbar may be movable in the direction of the rotating shaft.

(136) The gap adjustment member may be attached to and detached from either the crossbar or the bimetal at varying angles so that a contact surface is parallel or at an angle to the direction of movement of the crossbar.

(137) Consequently, the trip device for a circuit breaker according to the present invention allows for implementing the thermal adjustable type circuit breaker for adjusting the rated current and the thermal fixable type circuit breaker for fixing the rated current at a predetermined value, and solves the problem of deterioration in the reliability of a trip operation by minimizing a scatter diagram of overcurrent caused by a distribution or assembly error in the components when implementing the thermal adjustable type circuit breaker.