摘要:
AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT OVERLOAD PROTECTIVE DEVICE OF THE THERMALLY RESPONSIVE BIMETAL TYPE WHICH CAN BE SELECTIVELY SET FOR EITHER AUTOMATIC OR MANUAL RESET MODES OF OPERATION. OVERLOAD RESPONSIVE UNITS, FOR ONE OR MORE CIRCUIT BRANCHES EMPLOYING STACKS OF BIMETAL DISCS AS THERMALLY RESPONSIVE ELEMENTS, AND ARE MOUNTED WITHIN A HOUSING ON A COMMON BASE. EACH OVERLOAD UNIT HAS AN INDIVIDUAL SNAP ACTING SWITCH WHICH OPENS IN RESPONSE TO AN OVERLOAD CONDITION AS DETECTED BY THE HEAT DEVELOPED IN A HEATER COIL CONNECTED IN THE BRANCH CIRCUIT WHICH SURROUNDS IT THERMALLY RESPONSIVE ELEMENT. THE SWITCHES OF THE OVERLOAD UNITS ARE ALL CONNECTED IN A SINGLE SERIES CIRCUIT BETWEEN TERMINALS PROVIDED FOR CONNECTION TO A CIRCUIT TO BE CONTROLLED. IN A MANUAL TRIP-FREE MODE OF OPERATION A PUSHBUTTON LEVER UPON SUBSIDENCE OF ALL OVERLOAD CONDITIONS IS DEPRESSED INWARDLY OF THE HOUSING TO AFFORD MANUAL RESET OF THE MOVABLE CONTACT MEMBERS OF ANY SWITCH TRIPPED OPEN BY OVERLOAD RESPONSE. ALTERNATELY THE RESET LEVER MAY BE LATCHED IN SUCH DEPRESSED POSITION WHEREIN THE CONTACT OPENING MOVEMENT OF THE MOVABLE SWITCH CONTACT MEMBERS IS SO LIMITED THAT THEY WILL IN DIVIDUALLY AUTOMATICALLY RESET UPON SUBSIDENCE OF THE OVERLOAD CONDITION IN THEIR RESPECTIVE BRANCH CIRCUITS. A MODIFIED FORM OF AMBIENT TEMPERATURE COMPENSATED BIMETALLIC DISC TYPE OF OVERLOAD RESPONSIVE UNIT IS PROVIDED FOR USE WHEREIN THE DEVICE WILL BE SUBJECTED TO HIGH OR WIDELY VARYING AMBIENT TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS.