EP1241692A1 - Locking device with a padlock for a modular electrical apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The padlocking system has a rotating command arm(1) with two stable positions. The arms extend in the open from the modular equipment. The arm has an internal slide (7) moving lock sections (5,6) providing a position in which the arm can rotate and a position in which the arm is blocked. In the blocked position the padlock can be freed from the modular unit.

Description

The present invention relates to a device allowing the lockout of a modular electrical device, aimed at blocking the appliance in one of its normal operating positions, respectively open or closed contacts.

The installation of a padlock in principle guarantees the positioning of the contacts, for example for security purposes when an operator working on the network wants to be certain that none accidental start-up will not occur during its intervention, or the reverse to prevent a manual circuit break, for example during an essential work phase of a production line etc ...

In many cases, lockout is carried out using a kit external lockout to block the device by application of said kit at the level of the control lever, then fitting a padlock. This kit can be attached to the housing of the electrical appliance by example by means of holes made in the ears arranged on along the opening in which the control lever moves in the facade. The installation of the lockout kit, by joining housing of the device at said orifices, then allows installing a padlock which simultaneously prohibits removing the kit and move the joystick.

In theory, when lockout is carried out, no alteration of the state of the contacts is no longer possible, except perhaps to break the product.

The object of this invention aims to simplify the lockout operation, by free from the kit in order to make the installation of the padlock easier and more immediate. For installers, this solution also has an advantage economical, since it eliminates the use of the additional part made up of the kit.

Finally, this deletion actually increases the level of security, because the implementation lockout operation, clearly simplified clearly more attractive and more natural due to the deletion of any search for a suitable kit, a simple standard padlock making therefore the case to achieve the blocking.

The padlocking device of the invention applies to devices modular electrical systems, comprising at least one joystick rotary control between two stable positions, a first position corresponding to the opening of contacts of said device or of a device to which it is connected, and a second position corresponding to the closing of the contacts, said joystick moving in an opening in the front of the housing the modular device, along the lateral ears.

Essentially, this device is characterized in that the joystick control has an internal drawer sliding parallel to its main plane between two positions, a position inserted in the handle, in which the drawer has no effect on its operation, and an extraction position allowing block the handle relative to the housing by releasing an orifice allowing the passage of the padlock loop.

However, there are already technical solutions that do not use the use of a lockout kit, but they are generally used as independent functions, and with products whose case presents by therefore much larger dimensions than that of the devices standard modular electrics, because said function is managed separately. The device of the invention can on the contrary be applied to any type of device, therefore that it has a joystick. In the devices of the prior art, the padlocking device is not linked to the controller, it must have a space particular person assigned to this function, which is generally not possible in modular electrical devices of the single-phase or two-phase type in which use of the interior space of the housing is optimized and maximum.

The use of the lockout device according to the invention is particularly natural because it is placed in the control handle, which has been always the only organ already accessible for manipulation by operators. At instead of performing the traditional pivoting movement, the operator can also perform - in order to have the functionality of the lockout device - a simple sliding movement on the drawer.

Preferably, the opening allowing the passage of the padlock loop is made in the end of the drawer which is discovered during its extraction from the controller.

It is of course necessary that, in parallel with the extraction of the drawer, there occurs a locking the handle in its stable position, open or closed contact.

For this purpose, the drawer comprises, in a sliding portion inside the housing of the electrical appliance, at least one lateral projection provided for insertion in at least one corresponding housing in the lateral ears bordering the opening in which the joystick moves, the said housing (s) then being arranged at the stable positions thereof, corresponding to the opening and closing of the contacts.

The lateral protuberance (s) in fact allow the handle to be locked relative to the housing.

According to a preferred configuration, the drawer has two protuberances lateral intended to cooperate with housings practiced opposite in the two lateral ears.

The existence of this symmetry strengthens the solidity of the system, making withstand the stresses that may be exerted on the control lever by the two outgrowths, symmetrically with respect to the housing.

According to a possible configuration, the drawer slides between two sides of the handle parallel in appearance, said drawer cooperating with each of said sections for the production respectively from the stop to the insertion and to the extraction.

The rectilinear stroke of said drawer must in fact be functionally limited so on the one hand that the lockout hole is fully accessible at the end of the extraction of the drawer, and so that on the other hand, in the inserted position, said drawer is however accessible for extraction. The relative design of the drawer and sections between which it slides obeys in particular this need for limitation of the straight sliding path. According to one possibility, the drawer carries a body surmounted by a head, which includes the lockout hole and is hidden in position inserted by one of the sides of the lever, which has a similar shape, said head comprising on the side of the other side a shoulder resting on this last at insertion.

In fact, when the drawer is in the insertion position, it is included in the volume a traditional joystick. The insertion stop is carried out by the head support of the drawer on a pan whose dimensions are of course provided for this purpose.

Preferably, the stop in the extracted position of the drawer consists of a tab to unciform end, arranged at the internal end of said drawer, and cooperating with a recess in a section of the handle, the upper side of which blocks the unciform part of the tab during extraction.

Although both solutions are possible, the pan which contains the recess is preferably the one with the greatest length, behind which is hidden the drawer in the inserted position, and whose shape therefore presents also a body surmounted by a head.

Conventionally, the control lever is integral with a pace drum cylindrical, the interior of which has a central shaft free to rotate along the stroke of the controller relative to the housing of the modular device, said controller and the drawer which slides therein extending radially from said drum, and the end internal of the sliding drawer in the volume of the latter and its central shaft.

The fact that the internal end of the drawer is designed to cooperate with the drum comes in particular from the dimensions of the opening in the head of the drawer, which must allow the passage of padlock loops ranging from 3 to 6 mm, and which imposes a certain length.

The invention applies to both single-phase and multiphase, it may be interesting to provide a central shaft and a drum separate and nested one inside the other without possible relative rotation, in particular for multi-phase products.

In use with multipolar products, the padlocking device has the same number of drawers as handles, the outer end said drawers then being secured. A single lockout hole is then preference provided in this case.

Alternatively, always in use with multipolar devices with several controllers, at least one controller is equipped with a lockout drawer. he can therefore be only one, for example equipping the central lever of a tripolar product.

This connecting bar can also be coated with a cover which matches its form, when the lockout function is not required.

• la figure 1 est une vue en perspective d'une manette de commande dotée d'un dispositif de cadenassage selon l'invention, en position extraite ;
• la figure 2 montre ladite manette, avec un tiroir de cadenassage en position insérée, l'ensemble étant figuré dans un boítier d'appareil électrique modulaire ;
• la figure 3 est une vue en perspective de la manette de commande en position de cadenassage, vue selon une perspective opposée à celle de la figure 1 ;
• la figure 4 est une vue en perspective du tiroir de cadenassage ;
• la figure 5 montre, toujours en perspective, la manette de commande telle que modifiée pour loger le tiroir, non représenté ;
• la figure 6 représente en perspective éclatée la manette et le tiroir, ce dernier se trouvant dans l'axe de son insertion dans la manette ;
• la figure 7 est une vue de côté de la même configuration que la figure précédente ; et
• la figure 8 montre un appareil modulaire triphasé doté d'un dispositif de cadenassage selon l'invention.

The invention will now be described in more detail, with reference to the appended figures, for which:

• Figure 1 is a perspective view of a control lever with a padlocking device according to the invention, in the extracted position;
• Figure 2 shows said lever, with a lockout drawer in the inserted position, the assembly being shown in a modular electrical appliance box;
• Figure 3 is a perspective view of the control lever in the lockout position, seen from a perspective opposite to that of Figure 1;
• Figure 4 is a perspective view of the lockout drawer;
• Figure 5 shows, still in perspective, the control lever as modified to accommodate the drawer, not shown;
• Figure 6 shows in exploded perspective the handle and the drawer, the latter being in the axis of its insertion into the handle;
• Figure 7 is a side view of the same configuration as the previous figure; and
• FIG. 8 shows a three-phase modular device provided with a padlocking device according to the invention.

With reference to FIG. 1, the control lever (1) is composed as main of a lever (2), extending radially from a surrounding drum (3) a central shaft (4) ensuring its pivoting inside an appliance housing modular electrical, in particular using internal reliefs fitted to this box (not shown). The lever (2) actually consists of three parts: two sides (5, 6) surrounding a drawer movable in translation (7), which is provided at its end with a orifice (8) allowing the passage of the loop of a padlock.

The pan (5) itself consists of a body (9) surmounted by a head (10). It the same goes for the sliding drawer (7), whose configuration is similar to that of the pan (5), and also comprises a body (11) surmounted by a larger head (12). Said head (12) has a thickness towards the rear of the figure, allowing its support on the upper part of the pan (6), as will be shown more in detail below.

The sliding drawer (7) is here shown in the extracted position. The opening (8) is by therefore completely accessible for lockout. The lower end the body (11) of the sliding drawer (7), which slides inside the handle (1), has two lateral protuberances (13, 14) for blocking of the lever (1) by cooperation with the housing of the device, like this appears in Figure 2.

The housing (B) has on its front (F) an opening (15) in which is moves the joystick (1). This opening (15) is bordered by lateral ears (16, 17) in which recesses are made (18, 18 ', 19) allowing the locking of the lever (1) in the padlocking position. In the latter position, that is to say when the drawer (7) is removed, the lateral projections (13) and (14) shown in Figure 1 go up and are housed in the aforementioned recesses which then operate in pairs (18, 19; 18 ', 19', the latter not appearing on the figure). The insertion of said lateral protuberances (13, 14) in these recesses only done when the handle (1) is in one of its stable positions corresponding respectively to the opening and closing of the contacts of the modular electrical appliance.

Figure 3 corresponds to Figure 1, viewed from an inverted perspective. The pan (6) therefore appears clearly, as well as its upper surface (20) on which rests the extra thickness of the head (12) of the drawer (7), which develops at this effect in that direction. This figure shows that in the extraction position maximum of the drawer (7), the orifice (8) is completely free. In the lower part of body (11), a tab (21) acts as a stop for extraction, like this will be shown in more detail below. Conversely, when the drawer (7) is inserted, it is the upper surface (20) of the pan (6) which serves as a stop for the head (12) of the drawer (7).

The tab fitted to the lower part of the drawer (7) appears clearly in Figure 4. The lower end of this tab (21) is uniform, a beak (22) oriented towards the exterior allowing the drawer (7) to be retained, during extraction, by cooperation with a recess (23) of the pan (5), shown in FIG. 5. This figure also shows the drum (3), without the central shaft (4), which can, depending on the configuration, be made up a separate room. In particular, as already mentioned, when the invention equips a modular multiphase electrical appliance, it can be interesting to use two separate rooms. The peripheral wall of the drum (3) has cutouts (24, 25) allowing passage of the growths lateral (13) and (14), so that they can be inserted into the recesses made in the ears (16) and (17) bordering the opening (15) made in the facade (F) housing (B). The recess (23), the upper face of which retains the spout (22) of the tab (21) of the drawer (7), can optionally be extended in a internal housing in the central shaft (4), as shown in Figure 6. It it appears clearly therein that this recess (23) is well distributed in the inner facade of the pan (5), and in a housing (26) internal to the central shaft (4).

In conclusion, when the drawer (7) is arranged according to a functional relationship with the rest of the lever (1), the upper stop active during extraction is consisting of the upper face of the recess (23), while the lower stop consists of the upper surface (20) of the pan (6).

Figure 7 shows from another angle the arrangement of Figure 6, and leaves also appear the continuity of the recess (23) in two elements which can be distinct, namely the pan (5) and the central shaft (4). The hook (21) protrudes outwards from the front of the body (11) of the drawer (7), and abuts against the upper side of said recess (23). The particular form that is given at the head (12) of the drawer (7) has no other function than to obtain a press on the upper surface (20) of the pan (6). On the other hand, it forms a continuity aesthetic with the head (10) of the pan (5).

Figure 8 shows a three-phase configuration, in which the drawer consists of three bodies (11, 11 ', 11 "), connected by a bar (12') in which is practiced, at center, an orifice (8 '). Lockout therefore takes place only once to lock the all of the contacts in one of the stable positions of the levers (1, 1 ', 1 ") of ordered. To facilitate handling of the assembly, said levers can be coated with a cover (26), making it possible to improve the rigidity of the system and reduce the stresses in particular of shearing and bending during its gripping by a user in order to change the position of all of said levers (1, 1 ', 1 ").

The above examples are not exhaustive of the invention, which encompasses at contrary to the variations of form and configuration which are within the reach of one skilled in the art.

Claims (12)

Padlocking device for modular electrical apparatus comprising at least one rotary control lever between two stable positions, a first position corresponding to the opening of contacts of said apparatus or of an apparatus to which it is connected, and a second position corresponding to closing of said contacts, said lever moving in an opening made in the front of the housing of the modular device, along lateral ears, characterized in that the control lever comprises an internal drawer sliding parallel to its main plane between two positions , a position inserted in the handle, in which the drawer has no effect on its operation, and an extraction position for locking the handle relative to the housing by releasing an orifice allowing the passage of the padlock loop. Lockout device of a modular electrical device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the orifice is formed in the end of the drawer which is uncovered when it is extracted from the lever. Lockout device of a modular electrical appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drawer comprises, in a sliding portion inside the housing of the appliance, at least one lateral projection provided for insert into at least one corresponding housing formed in said lateral ears bordering the opening in which the handle moves, the said housing or said housings being arranged at the stable positions thereof. Lockout device of a modular electrical device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the drawer has two lateral protuberances intended to cooperate with housings made opposite in the two lateral ears. Lockout device of a modular electrical device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drawer slides between two sides of the handle of parallel shape, said drawer cooperating with each of said sides for the production of the stopper respectively. insertion and extraction. Lockout device of a modular electrical device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the drawer comprises a body surmounted by a head, which comprises the lockout hole and is hidden in the position inserted by one of the sides of the handle, similar in shape, said drawer head comprising on the side of the other panel a shoulder pressing on the latter when inserted. Lockout device of a modular electrical appliance according to one of claims 5 and 6, characterized in that the stop in the position extracted from the drawer consists of a tab with a uniform end disposed at the internal end of said drawer, and cooperating with a recess practiced in a pan of the lever, the upper side of which blocks the uniform part of the tab during extraction. Lockout device of a modular electrical appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control lever is integral with a cylindrical drum, the interior of which comprises a central shaft free to rotate relative to the housing of the modular device, said lever and the drawer which slides therein extending radially from said drum, the internal end of the drawer sliding in the volume of the latter and its central shaft. Lockout device of a modular electrical device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the central shaft and the drum are distinct and nested one inside the other without possible relative rotation. Lockout device of a modular electrical device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that , in use with multipolar devices, it comprises the same number of drawers as of handles, the external ends of said drawers being secured, and has only one lockout hole. Lockout device of a modular electrical device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that , in use with multipolar devices with several handles, at least one handle is provided with a lockout drawer. Lockout device of a modular electrical device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lockout hole allows the passage of padlock loops with a diameter ranging from 3 to 6 mm.

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