Board-mounted circuit breakers for electronic equipment enclosures

Abstract

A board-mounted circuit breaker assembly for an electronic equipment enclosure includes a printed circuit board having a plurality of quick-connect terminals and a circuit breaker. The circuit breaker includes a housing and a plurality of quick-connect terminals that are at least partially recessed into a portion of the housing to reduce the overall “z”-height of the circuit breaker. The quick-connect terminals on the circuit breaker are adapted to mechanically and electrically connect to the quick-connect terminals on the printed circuit board.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A circuit breaker-equipped electronic equipment enclosure, comprising:
 (a) an electronic equipment enclosure;   (b) electronic equipment mounted within the electronic equipment enclosure; and   (c) a board-mounted circuit breaker assembly, mounted within the electronic equipment enclosure and utilized in relation to the electronic equipment, including
 (i) a printed circuit board having a plurality of quick-connect terminals disposed on a mounting surface thereof, and 
 (ii) a plurality of circuit breakers, each having a housing and a plurality of quick-connect terminals, wherein the quick-connect terminals are adapted to mechanically and electrically connect to the quick-connect terminals on the printed circuit board, and are each at least partially recessed into a portion of the housing to reduce the overall height of the circuit breaker above the mounting surface. 
   
     
     
         2 . A board-mounted circuit breaker assembly for an electronic equipment enclosure, comprising:
 (a) a printed circuit board having a plurality of quick-connect terminals disposed on a mounting surface thereof; and   (b) a circuit breaker having:
 (i) a housing, and 
 (ii) a plurality of quick-connect terminals, adapted to mechanically and electrically connect to the quick-connect terminals on the printed circuit board, that are each at least partially recessed into a portion of the housing to reduce the overall height of the circuit breaker above the mounting surface. 
   
     
     
         3 . The board-mounted circuit breaker assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the quick-connect terminals recessed into the housing of the circuit breaker are male quick-connect terminals. 
     
     
         4 . The board-mounted circuit breaker assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the quick-connect terminals on the printed circuit board are female quick-connect terminals. 
     
     
         5 . The board-mounted circuit breaker assembly of  claim 2 , wherein each of the quick-connect terminals of the circuit breaker is entirely recessed into a portion of the housing such that no portion of the quick-connect terminals extend past the rearmost, printed circuit board-facing surface of the housing. 
     
     
         6 . The board-mounted circuit breaker assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of quick-connect terminals of the circuit breaker includes four quick-connect terminals. 
     
     
         7 . The board-mounted circuit breaker assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the four quick-connect terminals of the circuit breaker are arranged at ends of the housing. 
     
     
         8 . The board-mounted circuit breaker assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the circuit breaker includes a plurality of circuit breakers. 
     
     
         9 . The board-mounted circuit breaker assembly of  claim 8 , wherein a bracket is disposed between adjacent circuit breakers and is positioned a distance from the printed circuit board by spacers. 
     
     
         10 . The board-mounted circuit breaker assembly of  claim 8 , further comprising a cover extending over the plurality of circuit breakers. 
     
     
         11 . The board-mounted circuit breaker assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the cover is positioned a distance from the printed circuit board by at least one spacer. 
     
     
         12 . The board-mounted circuit breaker assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the cover is fastened to the at least one spacer by a first fastener and the at least one spacer is fastened to the printed circuit board by a second fastener. 
     
     
         13 . The board-mounted circuit breaker assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the cover is fastened directly to the circuit breakers. 
     
     
         14 . A method of installing circuit breakers on a printed circuit board for an electronic equipment enclosure, comprising:
 (a) providing at least one circuit breaker, having:
 (i) a housing, and 
 (ii) a plurality of quick-connect terminals; and 
   (b) installing the at least one circuit breaker onto a printed circuit board, having a plurality of quick-connect terminals disposed on a mounting surface thereof, such that the act of coupling the quick-connect terminals of the at least one circuit breaker to the quick-connect terminals of the printed circuit board both mechanically mounts the at least one circuit breaker on the printed circuit board and electrically connects the at least one circuit breaker inline to the printed circuit board.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising fastening a cover directly to the at least one circuit breaker with mechanical fasteners. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising positioning the cover a distance from the printed circuit board with spacers, fastening the cover to the spacers, and fastening the spacers to the printed circuit board. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the quick-connect terminals of the at least one circuit breaker are male quick-connect terminals. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the quick-connect terminals on the printed circuit board are female quick-connect terminals. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the quick-connect terminals of the at least one circuit breaker are each at least partially recessed into a portion of the housing to reduce the overall height of the circuit breaker above the mounting surface. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein each of the quick-connect terminals of the at least one circuit breaker is entirely recessed into a portion of the housing such that no portion of the quick-connect terminals extend past the rearmost, printed circuit board-facing surface of the housing.