CN1362719A - Auxiliary device of low-voltage circuit breaker - Google Patents

Abstract

An auxiliary device for locking the reset mechanism of a withdrawable or removable type circuit breaker. It is characterized in that it includes: an insulating shell, an actuating rod at least partially protruding out of the insulating shell, a kinematic chain system accommodated in the shell and operable to be connected with the actuating rod, and the connecting rod The rod of the reset mechanism, at least part of the connecting rod protrudes outside the insulating shell and can be connected with the kinematic chain for operation.

Description

Auxiliary device of low voltage circuit breaker

technical field

The present invention relates to an auxiliary device for a low voltage circuit breaker of the withdrawable or detachable type, more specifically, a 'low voltage circuit breaker' should be understood as a circuit breaker for operating voltages up to about 1000 volts.

Background technique

It is known in the prior art that domestic and industrial power circuits generally employ circuit breakers which are considered to provide the required performance in order to ensure the correct operation of the circuit provided with the circuit breaker and to protect connected associated equipment from Destruction or failure occurs during the normal operating cycle.

These circuit breakers and other devices that can be connected together, such as auxiliary devices used to provide additional functions to the basic functions of the circuit breaker, are usually fixed to a support such as a DIN guide and optionally set to be used on the appropriate panel or controller.

Currently circuit breakers can be provided in various structural forms, among which one in the prior art is the so-called pull-out or detachable type. In this embodiment, the circuit breaker is provided in two parts, a fixed part on the support, on which are provided input and output terminals connectable to the circuit in which the circuit breaker is located; and a mobile part, comprising the main circuit breaker. Contacts, contact actuating mechanism, and actuating lever to reset circuit breakers. In addition, the two parts are provided with suitable connecting mechanisms which allow the moving part to be electrically connected to and electrically disconnected from the fixed part.

The technical solution of the pull-out or removable type circuit breaker has the significant advantage of facilitating the operation of replacing the moving part of the circuit breaker or checking the circuit breaker, for example for maintenance. In this case by using the connecting mechanism it is practically possible to extract the moving part from the fixed part by hand without affecting the cables connected to the terminals. So there are just simple and quick interventions. For safety reasons, separating or connecting the two parts must first open the circuit breaker in order to disengage the main contacts and cut off the current. In some cases, this requirement may require that an assembly placed on the same support as the circuit-breaker be out of service. At present, there is no system capable of ensuring the current interruption of the circuit breaker under any circumstances when connecting or disconnecting the two parts, if the operator inadvertently intervenes in the circuit breaker without first disconnecting the main contacts. that is. These interventions can take place under conditions of less than the highest level of safety, so that electrical contact with exposed live parts may occur, mainly with connection mechanisms.

Contents of the invention

The object of the invention is to provide an auxiliary device for a low voltage circuit breaker of the withdrawable or removable type. This circuit breaker guarantees that interventions for the disconnection of moving parts or the connection of fixed parts take place under the highest safety conditions, even if the operator does not first open the circuit breaker and then intervene.

This object is achieved by an auxiliary device for a reset mechanism of a locking withdrawable or detachable circuit breaker, characterized in that it comprises:

an insulating shell;

an actuator rod protruding at least partially out of said insulating housing;

a kinematic chain housed within said housing and operatively connected to said actuator rod;

A rod connected to the reset mechanism, the connecting rod is operable in connection with the kinematic chain and partially protrudes out of the insulating casing.

Description of drawings

Other advantages and features of the present invention will be more clearly understood through the description of preferred but not exclusive embodiments of the auxiliary device of the present invention. The embodiments are illustrated by way of non-limiting examples only in the figures. in,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the auxiliary device of the present invention in a position where the connected circuit breaker can be reset;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the auxiliary device of the present invention in a position where the connected circuit breaker cannot be reset;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of the auxiliary device according to the present invention, the auxiliary device is in a position where the connected circuit breaker can be reset;

Figure 4 shows the auxiliary device of Figure 3 in a position where the connected circuit breaker can be reset; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the auxiliary device according to the invention, connected to the mobile part of the withdrawable or removable type circuit breaker, in the process of being connected to the fixed base.

Detailed ways

With reference to the figures, the auxiliary device of the invention, generally having the reference numeral 100, comprises a housing 1 to be connected to the housing of a low voltage circuit breaker of the withdrawable or removable type, in a manner and purpose which will be described in detail later.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the withdrawable or removable type circuit breaker includes a first part or base part 50 and a second moving part 60, which can be electrically connected or separated from each other. The base body 50 has a shaped insulator 51 that can be placed in a fixed position on a support (not shown, such as a DIN type guide), provided with first connection means 52 and terminals 53 for connection to the power circuit. Said connection means 52 may advantageously be housed within the insulating body 51 , except for an open portion surrounded by insulating material which facilitates the electrical connection to the moving part 60 .

Next, the second part 60 comprises a housing 61 comprising at least one fixed contact and one movable contact which can be connected and disconnected from each other, according to a technique widely known in the prior art and therefore need not be described in detail. , and a mechanism to reset the circuit breaker. Specifically, the reset mechanism includes an actuation mechanism for actuating the movable contact, and a reset lever protruding out of the housing 61 can be connected to the actuation mechanism for manual reset operation of the circuit breaker. In addition, the base body 60 includes a second connection mechanism 63 protruding out of the housing 61 and electrically connected to the first connection mechanism 52 in a detachable manner.

In an embodiment of the auxiliary device according to the invention, the insulating housing 1 which can be connected to the housing 61 of the moving part 60 as shown in FIG. , rear wall, side wall and front wall.

As shown in Figures 1-4, the device according to the invention may advantageously comprise: an actuating rod 30 protruding at least partly from the insulating housing 1, preferably from the rear plate; a kinematic chain generally indicated by reference numeral 20, housed within said insulating housing 1 and operatively connected to the actuating rod 30; and the connecting rod 10 connecting the reset mechanism of the circuit breaker, which is operatively connected to the kinematic chain 20 and from the two side plates One at least partly protrudes outside the insulating casing 1 .

Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1-4, the connecting rod 10 has a special-shaped structural part, one end of which is pivotally connected to the pivot 11 of the housing 1; The linkages 20 interact and protrude laterally out of the housing 1 at least in part, such as pivots (not shown in the figure). The contoured portion is operatively connected to a reset mechanism located within the moving portion 60 and can exert a locking action thereon. A spring 14, also located at pivot 13, is operatively connected to the connecting rod.

Next, the actuating rod 30 has a shaped portion having a first end operatively connected to the kinematic chain 20, and a second end 31 opposite the first end and projecting out of the housing 1; The end 31 can interact with a part of the circuit breaker to actuate the kinematic chain 20 and cause the locking action of the connecting rod 10 to be released in the position where the auxiliary device and the circuit breaker are installed, in a manner that will be described in detail later. .

In the embodiment shown, the actuating rod 30 advantageously has a cantilevered rod-like body, the second end of which is substantially T-shaped, and the wing of the T-shaped end 31 is provided with a groove 34, which facilitates the movement of said wing. Departmental destruction.

The kinematic chain 20 comprises an associated lever 21 pivotable about the pivot 12 of the housing 1 and has a first arm 23 interacting with the link 10 and a second arm 24 angularly spaced from the first arm 23 , the second arm is provided with a shaped end 25 . The profiled end 25 can be painted in any color and when the moving part 60 is connected to the base 50, it can be located in the opening of the housing 1 referenced 2 in Figure 5 to indicate that the circuit breaker can be reset. In addition, in the preferred embodiment in Figures 3 and 4, the associated lever 21 has a third arm angularly spaced from the first arm 23 and the second arm 24 and is connected to the first end of the actuating lever 30; additionally the actuating lever 30 It is also possible to connect directly to the second arm 24 without providing the third arm 22, as in the embodiment of Figs. 1-2.

In both cases, the first end of the rod 31 has a pivot 32 which can enter a hole 33 formed in the rod 21, as partially shown in FIGS. 1-4.

The second spring 26 is connected to the associated rod 21. Specifically, the spring 26 is preferably a coil spring with a pulling effect, which has a first end connected to the pivot 27 of the housing 1 and is fixed on the shaft as shown in FIGS. 3-4. The second end of the pivot 29 of the associated rod 21 shown, or be fixed on the seat 29 shown in Figures 1-2.

The practical use and operation of the auxiliary device according to the invention will now be described.

First, the auxiliary device 100 is connected to the moving part 60 of the circuit breaker, connecting the case 1 to the housing 61 as shown in FIG. Through appropriate holes in the housing 61 and connected to the reset mechanism inside it, the locking action can be exerted thereon. Specifically, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the device 100 can advantageously be fixed on the left side of the moving part 60 relative to the front of the circuit breaker; depending on the requirements of the application, the device 100 can also be fixed on the right side of the moving part 60 ; Depending on the fixed position, one of the two ends of the T-shaped wing 34 can be properly broken off so that other components or devices can be freely fixed near the device 100 .

The assembly thus obtained is then connected to the base body 50 of the circuit breaker in a fixed position on a fixture such as a DIN guide, the terminals 53 being electrically connected to the circuit in which the circuit breaker is located.

Specifically, the length of the actuating rod 30 should be such that the T-shaped end 34 does not act on the wall 54 of the base body 50 during the initial stages of connecting the base body 50 and the auxiliary device 100-moving part 60 until the connection mechanism 63 is almost fully inserted The fixing body 51 is covered by an insulating part. Once this is done, in the final stage of the connecting step, the connection mechanism 52 is electrically connected to the connection mechanism 63, the end 31 is in contact with the wall 54 and the lever 30 exerts a release action and pushes the associated lever 21 through the pivot 31. Under this push, the lever 21 turns about the pivot 12 and pulls the spring 26 . At this point, the spring 14 acts on the rod 10 and turns the rod 10 in the direction indicated by the arrow 3 in FIGS. 1 and 3 , so that the end 13 acts on the arm 23 . Only in this case the lever 10 connected to the reset mechanism of the circuit breaker will be able to actuate the lever 62 and allow the circuit breaker to reset.

When the operator acts on the circuit breaker to extract the moving part from the fixed part 50, the withdrawal action causes the end part 31 to no longer abut the wall 54, which was in contact with the end part 31 during the initial stage of the extraction operation; The stage connection mechanism 63 has not been exposed from the insulator 51 . In this case, the tension-bearing spring 26 pulls the rod 21 , which pushes the connecting rod 10 via the arm 23 against the force exerted by the spring 14 . In this way, the lever 10 is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow 4 in FIGS. 2 and 4 to a position where its pivot is connected to the reset mechanism of the circuit breaker, and the action of the spring 14 releases the contacts in the moving part 60 and Preventing lever 62 from being actuated effectively prevents resetting of the circuit breaker.

In practice it has been found that the auxiliary device according to the invention fully achieves the intended purpose, since it can provide intervention in the circuit breaker in absolute safety. As described above, during extraction of the moving part from the fixed part and during connection, the device 100 effectively prevents current from flowing into the circuit breaker and in this case improper alignment of the rod 62 in the presence of exposed live parts. intervention to avoid resetting the circuit breaker. Thus eliminating or at least considerably reducing the possibility of a direct or indirect connection, the consequence of which would be a considerable risk to the operator. It should not be overlooked the fact that all of the improved functions and aspects of the invention can be realized by very reasonably priced components and materials from ordinary commercial sources.

The auxiliary device thus obtained is susceptible to numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept, eg the shape of the individual rods and elements may be modified as the application permits. All details or elements may further be replaced by other technically equivalent elements.

In fact, the materials used and the dimensions can be selected arbitrarily according to requirements and technical conditions.

Claims (11)

1. An auxiliary device for locking a reset mechanism of a circuit breaker of the withdrawable or removable type, comprising:

an insulating housing;

an actuating rod at least partially protruding out of the insulating housing;

a kinematic chain housed within said housing operatively connected to said actuating rod; and

a rod connected to said return mechanism, said connecting rod being operatively connected to said kinematic chain and projecting at least partially outside said insulating housing.

2. The accessory of claim 1, wherein the insulating housing comprises a bottom panel, a top panel, a rear wall panel, two side wall panels, and a front wall panel; the actuating rod and the connecting rod protrude from the rear wall plate and one side wall plate, respectively, out of the housing.

3. An accessory device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the connecting rod has a portion with a profiled formation for engaging at least a portion of the return mechanism and for applying a locking action thereto; the actuation bar comprises a shaped body having a first end connected to a kinematic chain and a second end projecting outside the housing with respect to the first end, the second end being adapted to interact with a portion of the circuit breaker to actuate the kinematic chain and release the connecting rod from the locking action at the location where the auxiliary device and the circuit breaker are mounted.

4. Auxiliary device as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, characterized in that said connecting rod is pivoted on said casing and has a first portion suitable for interacting with said kinematic chain and a second portion projecting transversely outside said casing and suitable for being connected to a return mechanism of said circuit breaker, a first spring being operatively connected to said connecting rod.

5. Device as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, characterized in that said kinematic chain comprises an associated lever pivotable with respect to said casing and having at least a first arm acting on said connecting rod and a second spring operatively connected to said associated lever.

6. Auxiliary device as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the associated lever comprises a second arm at an angular spacing from the first arm and a profiled end which is adapted to be placed in an opening of the housing in order to indicate that the circuit breaker can be reset.

7. Auxiliary device according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the associated lever comprises a third arm, which is angularly spaced from the first arm and the second arm and connectable to the actuation lever.

8. Auxiliary device according to claim 5, characterized in that said second spring is a traction spring, a first end of which is connected to a pivot formed on said casing and a second end of which is fixed to said associating rod.

9. Assist device as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the actuator lever has a cantilevered rod-shaped profiled part, the second end of which is T-shaped.

10. The aid of claim 9, wherein said T-shaped end has a notch in a wing to assist in breaking said wing.

11. A protection device for low-voltage electronic circuits, characterized in that it comprises a low-voltage circuit breaker of the withdrawable or removable type, said circuit breaker comprising:

a bottom plate which may be located on the support and provided with a terminal connecting the circuit and a first connection mechanism electrically connected to the terminal; and

a moving part which can be connected with or separated from the bottom plate; a housing containing separate contacts and the circuit breaker reset mechanism, the circuit breaker including a reset lever projecting outside the housing and a second connection mechanism projecting outside the housing and electrically disconnectably connected to the first connection mechanism;

auxiliary device according to one or more of the previous claims.

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