Richard G Benshoff

US Patent:

7064636, Jun 20, 2006

Filed:

Dec 20, 2004

Appl. No.:

11/016950

Inventors:

Michael F. Walz - Mays Landing NJ, US
Patrick W. Mills - Bradenton FL, US
Richard G. Benshoff - Sarasota FL, US
Peter L. Nerstrom - Sarasota FL, US

Assignee:

Eaton Corporation - Cleveland OH

International Classification:

H01H 83/06

US Classification:

335 18, 337 75

Abstract:

A miniature circuit breaker comprising a non-conductive housing assembly; a pair of separable contacts including a first, fixed contact coupled to said housing assembly and having a terminal extending outside said housing assembly, and a second, movable contact having a terminal extending outside said housing assembly; an operating mechanism coupled to, and structured to move, said movable contact between a first position, wherein said movable contact engages said fixed contact, and a second position, wherein said movable contact is spaced from said fixed contact; a trip device coupled to said operating mechanism and structured to actuate said operating mechanism to separate said separable contacts upon the occurrence of a trip condition; an arc fault trip mechanism having an arc fault detector and a shape memory alloy element; said arc fault detector structured to detect an arc fault on the load side of said separable contacts and to provide an electrical pulse; said shape memory alloy element structured to transform between a first shape and a second shape during the application of an electrical pulse, said shape memory alloy element having a first end and a second end, said shape memory alloy element first end coupled to said housing assembly, said shape memory alloy element coupled to said trip device; said arc fault detector further coupled to said shape memory alloy element and structured to provide an electrical pulse to said shape memory alloy element sufficient to transform said shape memory alloy element from said first shape and said second shape; and wherein when said shape memory alloy element is in said second shape, said trip device is actuated and said operating mechanism separates said separable contacts.

US Patent:

7170376, Jan 30, 2007

Filed:

Dec 9, 2004

Appl. No.:

11/008463

Inventors:

Patrick W. Mills - Bradenton FL, US
Kevin D. Gonyea - Bradenton FL, US
Richard G. Benshoff - Sarasota FL, US

Assignee:

Eaton Corporation - Cleveland OH

International Classification:

H01H 13/04
H01H 9/02

US Classification:

335202

Abstract:

A circuit breaker includes a molded housing, separable contacts, an operating mechanism adapted to open and close the separable contacts, and a trip circuit cooperating with the operating mechanism to trip open the separable contacts. The molded housing includes two molded halves. The trip circuit includes a pair of arc fault printed circuit boards which cooperate with the corresponding molded halves to form an external composite structure. That external composite structure includes the printed circuit boards and an over-molding material, such as, for example, a thermally conductive epoxy coating disposed thereon.

US Patent:

7518475, Apr 14, 2009

Filed:

Jul 24, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/782142

Inventors:

Patrick W. Mills - Bradenton FL, US
Kevin D. Gonyea - Bradenton FL, US
Richard G. Benshoff - Sarasota FL, US
James M. McCormick - Bradenton FL, US

Assignee:

Eaton Corporation - Cleveland OH

International Classification:

H01H 71/40

US Classification:

335 6, 335 7, 335 18, 335 21, 335 22, 335 23, 335 35, 335 37, 361 42

Abstract:

A circuit interrupter includes a housing, separable contacts, and an operating mechanism including a latch. The operating mechanism opens the contacts responsive to actuation of the latch. A trip mechanism cooperates with the latch to trip open the contacts. The trip mechanism includes a thermal overload mechanism actuating the latch responsive to a thermal fault caused by current flowing through the contacts, a solenoid cooperating with the thermal overload mechanism to actuate the latch responsive to the electromagnetic device being energized, and a processor repetitively determining a value of the current flowing through the contacts, determining if the value exceeds a predetermined value for a number of occurrences, and responsively energizing the solenoid, in order to actuate the latch contemporaneous with actuation of the latch by the thermal overload mechanism, in order to decrease the time to trip open the contacts.

US Patent:

7569785, Aug 4, 2009

Filed:

May 16, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/129909

Inventors:

Patrick W. Mills - Bradenton FL, US
Kevin D. Gonyea - Bradenton FL, US
Richard G. Benshoff - Sarasota FL, US

Assignee:

Eaton Corporation - Cleveland OH

International Classification:

H01H 9/00
H01H 1/52
H01H 3/20

US Classification:

200313, 200308

Abstract:

An electrical switching apparatus, such as an aircraft circuit breaker or an aerospace circuit breaker, is for a corresponding aircraft or aerospace panel including a first aperture and a second aperture. The circuit breaker includes a status, such as a health status or trip status, a housing adapted to be coupled to the panel, separable contacts and an operating mechanism adapted to open and close the separable contacts. The operating mechanism includes an operating handle adapted to pass through the first panel aperture and a light indicator adapted to be disposed through the second panel aperture to indicate the status of the circuit breaker.

US Patent:

7570062, Aug 4, 2009

Filed:

Dec 10, 2004

Appl. No.:

11/008067

Inventors:

Patrick W. Mills - Bradenton FL, US
Kevin D. Gonyea - Bradenton FL, US
Richard G. Benshoff - Sarasota FL, US

Assignee:

Eaton Corporation - Cleveland OH

International Classification:

G01R 31/327
H02H 3/00

US Classification:

324415, 324424, 361 1

Abstract:

An arc fault circuit breaker includes a housing, separable contacts, an operating mechanism adapted to open and close the separable contacts, and an arc fault trip mechanism cooperating with the operating mechanism to trip open the separable contacts. The arc fault trip mechanism includes an arc fault test circuit adapted to simulate an arc fault trip condition to trip open the separable contacts. A proximity sensor, such as a Hall effect sensor, is adapted to sense a magnetic target to actuate the arc fault test circuit.

US Patent:

7570146, Aug 4, 2009

Filed:

Jul 25, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/782848

Inventors:

Patrick W. Mills - Bradenton FL, US
Richard G. Benshoff - Sarasota FL, US

Assignee:

Eaton Corporation - Cleveland OH

International Classification:

H01H 83/06
H01H 73/12
H01H 71/22

US Classification:

337101, 337 79, 337 66, 337 78

Abstract:

An aircraft circuit breaker includes a housing having an opening, separable contacts, an operating mechanism structured to open and close the contacts, and a trip mechanism structured to cooperate with the operating mechanism to trip open the operating mechanism. The trip mechanism includes a first bimetal to trip open the operating mechanism responsive to a thermal fault, a second ambient compensation bimetal to compensate the first bimetal, and an arc fault trip circuit to trip open the operating mechanism responsive to an arc fault. An indicator includes an indicator portion and a leg disposed from the indicator portion. A spring biases the indicator portion. The second bimetal holds the leg of the indicator, thereby holding the indicator against the spring bias. The second bimetal releases the leg of the indicator responsive to the arc fault trip circuit and the arc fault, thereby releasing the indicator to the spring bias.

US Patent:

7646572, Jan 12, 2010

Filed:

Dec 4, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/566289

Inventors:

Patrick W. Mills - Bradenton FL, US
Kevin D. Gonyea - Bradenton FL, US
Richard G. Benshoff - Sarasota FL, US
James M. McCormick - Bradenton FL, US

Assignee:

Eaton Corporation - Cleveland OH

International Classification:

H02H 3/00
H02H 9/08

US Classification:

361 42

Abstract:

A system is for an aircraft including a plurality of rows of seats. The system includes a plurality of monitors, a plurality of arc fault circuit interrupters each of which includes three poles having a line terminal and a load terminal. Each of a plurality of electronic enclosures is capable of being energized from a corresponding one of the load terminals of a corresponding one of the poles of a corresponding one of the AFCIs. A panel holds the AFCIs. A single-phase power source powers the line terminals of the poles of the AFCIs. Each of the poles corresponds to one row of the aircraft. Each of the electronic enclosures corresponds to one of a plurality of zones. Three of the rows are disposed in each of the zones. One of the AFCIs is associated with a corresponding one of the zones.

US Patent:

8004283, Aug 23, 2011

Filed:

Jan 25, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/019794

Inventors:

Patrick W. Mills - Bradenton FL, US
Richard G. Benshoff - Sarasota FL, US
James M. McCormick - Bradenton FL, US

Assignee:

Eaton Corporation - Cleveland OH

International Classification:

G01R 31/02

US Classification:

324415, 335172, 200 4302, 200540, 200 5031

Abstract:

An arc fault circuit breaker includes a panel having a first side and an opposite second side, a housing coupled to the opposite second side of the panel, separable contacts, an operating mechanism structured to open and close the separable contacts, and a trip mechanism cooperating with the operating mechanism to trip open the separable contacts. The trip mechanism includes a test circuit structured to simulate a trip condition to trip open the separable contacts, and a proximity sensor disposed on or within the housing proximate the opposite second side of the panel. The proximity sensor is structured to sense a target to actuate the test circuit when the target is disposed proximate the first side of the panel and opposite the proximity sensor.