CN111223713B

CN111223713B - Electrical switch and switch cabinet

Info

Publication number: CN111223713B
Application number: CN201811408757.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: S·田; 张凤莲; C·博恩特; 薛琪伟; 郭晓立; 刘瀚翼
Original assignee: Schneider Electric Industries SAS
Current assignee: Schneider Electric Industries SAS
Priority date: 2018-11-23
Filing date: 2018-11-23
Publication date: 2022-10-28
Anticipated expiration: 2038-11-23
Also published as: CN111223713A

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an electrical switch and a switchgear. The electrical switch (100) comprises: a housing (141, 142); a relay assembly disposed within the housing (141, 142) and configured to turn on and off a circuit connected to the electrical switch (100), the relay assembly including a first relay (110-1); and a control assembly arranged within the housing (141, 142) in parallel with the relay assembly, the control assembly being configured to control the relay assembly, and the control assembly comprising a wireless communication unit (160) configured to receive a signal for remotely controlling the relay assembly. The electrical switch of the embodiment of the disclosure has the advantages of compactness, simple wiring and intelligence, and can be suitable for load control of low current.

Description

Electrical switch and switch cabinet

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to electrical switches, and more particularly, to electrical switches and switchgear cabinets including the same.

Background

Electrical switches, such as contactors, are widely used in various power distribution and utilization applications. Typically, electrical switches, such as contactors, achieve the purpose of making and breaking a circuit by controlling the contacts to close or open. For the purpose of such control, peripheral control elements are required. Furthermore, in general applications, electrical switches such as contactors need to be able to meet both local control and remote control requirements.

Therefore, electrical switches often require additional control devices to control and also require a large amount of wiring to implement local or remote control functions. This makes the electrical switch oversized, complicated to route and not intelligent enough.

Disclosure of Invention

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, embodiments of the present disclosure provide an electrical switch, and a switchgear including the electrical switch.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, an electrical switch is provided. The electrical switch includes: a housing; a relay assembly disposed within the housing and configured to turn on and off a circuit connected to the electrical switch, the relay assembly including a first relay; and a control assembly disposed within the housing in parallel with the relay assembly, the control assembly configured to control the relay assembly, and the control assembly including a wireless communication unit configured to receive a signal for remotely controlling the relay assembly.

A dual module contactor with a control module is integrated into a single module by replacing the switching device of the contactor with a smaller sized relay and using wireless communication to remotely control the relay. The overall volume of the electrical switch of the present disclosure is significantly reduced and its structure is more compact than conventional contactors. The single module structure also allows the distance between the control assembly and the switching device to be reduced, which also simplifies wiring. In some applications, compact single-module electrical switches can be more conveniently mounted directly to circuit breakers.

In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the control component is opposite a first side of a plurality of sides of the first relay, the plurality of sides defining a thickness of the first relay. Through carrying out reasonable spatial layout to electric switch inside, effectively reduced electric switch's thickness, this is favorable to subsequent installation.

In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the electrical switch further comprises: and an incoming and outgoing line assembly disposed in the housing in parallel with the relay assembly, the incoming and outgoing line assembly being opposite to a second side of the plurality of sides of the first relay and configured to electrically connect the electrical terminal provided on the second side with an external circuit. Through arranging inlet wire and outlet wire subassembly in the side of the relay that has electrical terminal for inlet wire and outlet wire terminal are close to electrical terminal of relay, have reduced required wiring, and can not increase electrical switch's whole thickness.

In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, a control assembly comprises: a control terminal unit configured to connect a switching device outside the electrical switch to enable control of the relay assembly by the switching device. In this embodiment, the relay can be controlled by an external switch connected to the control terminal in addition to the remote control, providing more control options.

In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, at least one of the control terminal unit and the housing is provided with a recess for accommodating the busbar. Through setting up the notch, the electrical switch can avoid touching the generating line copper bar that is connected to the circuit breaker, is favorable to electrical switch's installation and insulation.

In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, a control assembly comprises: a first circuit board and a second circuit board arranged opposite to each other, the board faces of the first circuit board and the second circuit board being substantially perpendicular to the first side face of the first relay to carry other components in the control assembly. By providing the double circuit boards, the area occupied in the plane perpendicular to the thickness direction can be reduced, but the overall area of the circuit board remains large, thereby ensuring that sufficient electrical and electronic components can be carried, which improves the space utilization within the module. Furthermore, the circuit board can be completely provided at the side of the relay without increasing the thickness of the electrical switch.

In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the relay assembly further comprises: a second relay, the second relay and the first relay being arranged adjacent to each other. In this embodiment, the electrical switch employing the double relay can be used not only for controlling the single-phase power supply but also for controlling the two-phase power supply.

In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the first relay and the second relay are arranged along a length direction of the first relay and the second relay. By this arrangement, less side space is occupied when mounting the electrical switch to the circuit breaker.

In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the electrical switch further comprises: and the incoming line and outgoing line assembly forms an L shape with the relay assembly and is configured to electrically connect the electric terminals on the relay assembly with an external circuit, the incoming line and outgoing line assembly comprises an incoming line terminal and an outgoing line terminal, and the incoming line terminal faces the inner side of the L shape and is configured to be electrically connected to the circuit breaker in an inserting mode. Through this kind of arrangement, when installing electrical switch on the circuit breaker, inlet wire and the subassembly of being qualified for the next round of competitions are set up in the front of circuit breaker to can not more occupy the side space of circuit breaker again, and more be favorable to the electrical connection between electrical switch and the circuit breaker.

In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the control assembly comprises: a first circuit board, a second circuit board, and a third circuit board configured to carry other elements in the control assembly, the first and second circuit boards being disposed on one side of the L-shape having the relay assembly, and the third circuit board being disposed on the other side of the L-shape having the incoming and outgoing line assemblies. In this embodiment, a plurality of circuit boards may be used to carry the electrical and electronic components for controlling the relay, and by arranging the circuit boards appropriately, the structure of the electrical switch can be made more compact.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first relay and the second relay are arranged along a thickness direction of the first relay and the second relay. With this arrangement, it is possible to form the electrical switch in a square block shape so as to mount the electrical switch integrally on the front face of the circuit breaker.

In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the electrical switch further comprises: and an incoming and outgoing line assembly opposite the side of the relay assembly having the electrical terminals and configured to electrically connect the electrical terminals on the relay assembly with an external circuit, the incoming and outgoing line assembly including incoming and outgoing line terminals, the incoming line terminals configured to be electrically connected to the circuit breaker in a plug-in manner. In this way, wiring between the incoming and outgoing line assemblies and the relay assembly can be simplified, and space for insulation is reduced.

In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, a control assembly comprises: a first circuit board, a second circuit board, and a third circuit board configured to carry other elements in the control assembly and arranged on the same side of the relay assembly as the incoming and outgoing line assemblies. The arrangement mode can further effectively improve the wiring efficiency and the space utilization rate.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the third circuit board has a through hole for the incoming or outgoing terminal to pass through in order to sense the current on the incoming or outgoing terminal through the third circuit board. In this embodiment, the circuit boards may be arranged with a space near the incoming and outgoing line assemblies, and the current is sensed by a current sensor provided on a third circuit board.

In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the wireless communication unit is configured to communicate using Zigbee. In this way, wireless communication has the advantages of being simple, efficient, and low cost.

In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, a control assembly comprises: a key operable by a user to control the relay assembly. In this embodiment, a control option is provided for the user to directly operate the relay.

In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the control assembly comprises: a metering unit configured to measure at least one of an electrical parameter and a temperature parameter of the electrical switch; and a diagnostic unit configured to determine an on-off state of the electrical switch. Through integrating measurement unit and diagnostic cell in the electrical switch, can acquire the real-time status of electrical switch for electrical switch's control is more intelligent.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, a switchgear is provided, comprising the electrical switch described above. The switch cabinet comprising the electrical switch can be suitable for controlling various loads, in particular loads with low current and without frequent switching.

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the disclosure, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the disclosure.

Drawings

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent from the following more particular descriptions of exemplary embodiments of the disclosure as illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numbers generally represent like parts throughout the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure.

Fig. 1 illustrates an external perspective view of a conventional contactor module.

Figure 2 illustrates an interior perspective view of a conventional contactor module with a portion of the housing removed.

Fig. 3 illustrates an external perspective view of an electrical switch according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4 illustrates an interior perspective view of an electrical switch according to one embodiment of the present disclosure after removal of the housing.

Fig. 5 illustrates an exploded view of an electrical switch according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 6A to 6C show an assembly diagram of the first and second circuit boards and the relay.

Fig. 7 illustrates an installation schematic of an electrical switch according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Figure 8 illustrates a comparative schematic of an electrical switch and a conventional contactor module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 9 illustrates an external perspective view of an electrical switch according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 10 illustrates an internal perspective view of an electrical switch according to another embodiment of the present disclosure after removal of the housing.

Fig. 11 illustrates an internal exploded view of an electrical switch according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 12 illustrates a perspective view of an electrical switch mounted on a circuit breaker, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 13 illustrates an external perspective view of an electrical switch according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 14 shows an internal perspective view of an electrical switch according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure after removal of the housing.

Fig. 15 shows an exploded view of an electrical switch according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 16 shows an exploded view of part of the components of an electrical switch according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 17 illustrates a perspective view of an electrical switch mounted on a circuit breaker, according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. While embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure may be embodied in various forms and should not be limited by the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

The term "including" and variations thereof as used herein is intended to be open-ended, i.e., "including but not limited to". Unless specifically stated otherwise, the term "or" means "and/or". The term "based on" means "based at least in part on". The terms "one example embodiment" and "one embodiment" mean "at least one example embodiment". Other explicit and implicit definitions are also possible below.

Fig. 1 shows an external perspective view of a conventional contactor module 100'. The controller module 100' includes a contactor module 101' and a controller module 102'. The contactor module 101 'and the controller module 102' are combined together in a modular manner. The control components in the controller module 102 'may control the contactor components in the contactor module 101'.

Figure 2 further illustrates an interior perspective view of the contact module 100' with a portion of the housing removed. As shown in fig. 2, conventional contactor bodies are bulky, already taking up most of the space within the housing of the contactor module 101'. Meanwhile, the controller module 102' adopts a wired communication mode, and a large amount of space is reserved for the requirements of insulation and wiring. In addition, the circuit board of the controller module 102' is a single circuit board on which all components are laid out, and space utilization is inefficient. Thus, the large size and complex wiring of the contactor module 100' results in a need for more installation space, more effort to perform the wiring, and higher insulation requirements. Such contactors are not practical for low current, low load applications.

The present disclosure presents a novel electrical switch. The electrical switch uses a small-sized relay instead of a conventional contactor body, and the saved space is used for arranging a control assembly. Meanwhile, the relay in the electrical switch adopts a wireless communication control mode, so that the space for insulation and wiring is greatly reduced. In addition, the arrangement mode of the control assembly and the wire inlet and outlet terminal is optimized. Thereby, the electrical switch body and the peripheral components for controlling the electrical switch body are integrated in a single module. The novel electrical switch that this disclosure provided has compact structure, wiring simple and more intelligent advantage.

Fig. 3 illustrates an external perspective view of an electrical switch 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 3, the electrical switch 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is integrated into a single module structure. Compared with the contactor module 100' adopting two modules shown in fig. 1, the structure of the electric switch 100 is simplified, and the volume is obviously reduced.

Referring to fig. 4 and 5, fig. 4 illustrates an interior perspective view of the electrical switch 100 after removing the

housings

141 and 142 of fig. 3 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, and fig. 5 illustrates an exploded view of the electrical switch 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the electrical switch 100 may include

housings

141 and 142, a relay 110-1, and a control assembly for controlling the relay 110-1. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the small-sized relay 110-1 replaces the conventional contactor body, and the relay 110-1 is installed in combination with a control assembly for controlling the relay within the same housing space, rather than being separated in different modules.

As an example, the housing may include a first housing 141 and a second housing 142. The first and

second housings

141 and 142 may be mounted together by a fastening member such as a bolt or any other fastening means. The assembled first and

second housings

141 and 142 form a cavity in which the relay 110-1 and associated electrical and electronic components can be received and secured. The first and

second housings

141 and 142 may form a closed housing together with the incoming and outgoing line assembly 150 and the control terminal unit 130 of the control assembly, which will be described in detail later. The first and

second housings

141 and 142 may also directly form a closed housing to enclose all elements including the incoming and outgoing line assembly 150 and the control terminal unit 130 within the housing.

The relay 110-1 can turn on and off a circuit connected to the electrical switch 100, thereby enabling control of a load in the circuit. As an example, the relay 110-1 may be a bi-stable relay that may have low power consumption and be able to withstand some short circuit current. However, the relay 110-1 may also be a monostable relay or any other type of relay.

The control assembly may include any electrical and electronic components necessary for controlling the relay 110-1. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a control assembly may be disposed within the housing in parallel with the relay 110-1, and the control assembly may include a wireless communication unit 160, the wireless communication unit 160 for receiving signals to remotely control the relay 110-1.

In some embodiments, the wireless communication unit 160 uses Zigbee for wireless communication. However, the wireless communication unit may also communicate using other wireless communication methods, such as WiFi, bluetooth, etc. Thus, the wireless communication unit 160 may receive a signal to enable remote control of the relay 110-1. The use of wireless communication means, such as Zigbee, avoids complex wiring within the control assembly and simplifies wiring further reducing insulation requirements, all of which results in less space being required for the control assembly, as compared to the contactor module 100' using wired communication.

Further, the control assembly may further include a power supply unit (not shown), a control unit (not shown),

circuit boards

121 and 122, and a control terminal unit 130, as an example. A power supply unit, not shown, may provide a power supply for the active components in the control assembly. The control unit, not shown, which may comprise at least a processor (such as a central processing unit CPU, a digital signal processing DSP, a single chip MCU or a field programmable gate array FPGA, etc.), generally controls the operation of the relay 110-1 by the control assembly. The

circuit boards

121 and 122 and the control terminal unit 130 will be described in detail later. It will be appreciated that, since remote control is possible, some of the components in the control assembly may also be located in a location remote from the electrical switch 100 in some cases, thereby further reducing the size of the electrical switch 100.

In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the control assembly is opposite a portion of a plurality of sides of the relay 110-1 (shown as reference character A in FIGS. 5 and 6A) that define the thickness of the relay 110-1. Since the relay 110-1 has a small size, an excessive space can be obtained at the side of the relay 110-1. Such an arrangement takes full advantage of the remaining space associated with the reduced size relay 110-1, while avoiding an increase in the overall thickness of the integrated electrical switch 100.

In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the control components of the electrical switch 100 may include

circuit boards

121 and 122.

Circuit boards

121 and 122 are used to carry other electrical and electronic components of the control assembly. For example, the

circuit boards

121 and 122 may be used to carry at least one of the wireless communication unit 160, the power supply unit, and the control unit. The

circuit boards

121 and 122 may adopt a dual circuit board structure, i.e., the circuit boards include a first circuit board 121 and a second circuit board 122.

As shown in fig. 4 and 5, the first circuit board 121 and the second circuit board 122 may be arranged to be opposed to each other, and plate surfaces of the first circuit board 121 and the second circuit board 122 are substantially perpendicular to the above-described plurality of side surfaces of the relay 110-1, or substantially perpendicular to a thickness direction of the relay 110-1, and extend along the plurality of side surfaces of the relay 110-1. Such an arrangement is advantageous in reducing the space occupied by the circuit board in the thickness direction of the electrical switch 100.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 4 and 5, the wireless communication unit 160 may be disposed on the first circuit board 121, for example. However, the wireless communication unit 160 may also be disposed on the second circuit board 122, and the wireless communication unit 160 may also be disposed at any suitable location on the first circuit board 121 or the second circuit board 122.

As an example, the first circuit board 121 may arrange a control unit and a wireless communication unit as a control circuit board, and the second circuit board 122 may arrange a power supply unit as a power supply circuit board. It is to be understood that the electric and electronic components of the control unit, the wireless communication unit, and the power supply unit may also be mixedly disposed on the first circuit board 121 and the second circuit board 122 as needed, so that the control circuit board and the power supply circuit board are not distinguished.

In addition, the electric and electronic components on the first circuit board 121 and the second circuit board 122 may be disposed between the first circuit board 121 and the second circuit board 122. For example, the wireless communication unit 160 may be disposed on an inner board surface of the first circuit board 121 near the second circuit board 122. However, the wireless communication unit 160 may also be disposed on the inner board surface of the second circuit board 122 near the first circuit board 121. Thus, the space between the first circuit board and the second circuit board can be more fully utilized. It is to be understood that the electric and electronic components on the first circuit board 121 and the second circuit board 122 may also be arranged on the outer side board surfaces of the first circuit board 121 and the second circuit board 122 with sufficient space.

The

double circuit boards

121 and 122 can reduce the area occupied in the plane perpendicular to the thickness direction, but still maintain a large overall area of the circuit board, thereby ensuring that a sufficient number of electrical and electronic components can be carried. The structure of the dual circuit board improves the utilization of the space within the

cases

141 and 142, compared to a single circuit board.

Fig. 6A to 6C show an assembly diagram of the first circuit board 121, the second circuit board 122, and the relay 110-1. As an example, the first circuit board 121 and the second circuit board 122 each have a substantially L-shaped shape, and the shapes of the sizes of the two circuit boards are substantially the same. The relay 110-1 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and has a plurality of sides defining a thickness, which may include a side a and a side B.

Fig. 6A to 6C show steps of mounting the first circuit board 121 and the second circuit board 122 on the side a of the relay 110-1. In fig. 6C, finally, the first circuit board 121 and the second circuit board 122 are placed on the side a of the relay 110-1 where the electrical terminals 111 are not provided. The plate surfaces of the first and

second circuit boards

121 and 122 are substantially perpendicular to the side surface a of the relay 110-1 (or the thickness direction of the relay 110-1), and the L-shaped first and

second circuit boards

121 and 122 are fitted to the side surface profile of the relay 110-1. In fig. 6A to 6C, the arrangement of the L-shaped first and

second circuit boards

121 and 122 makes full use of the side space of the relay 110-1, which facilitates the integration of the control assembly with the relay 110-1 into a single module.

Returning to fig. 4 and 5, in certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the electrical switch 100 may also include an incoming and outgoing line assembly 150. The incoming and outgoing line assembly 150 is disposed in the

housings

141 and 142 in parallel with the relay 110-1, and the incoming and outgoing line assembly 150 is opposite to the other side B (see fig. 5 and 6A) of the above-described sides of the relay 110-1, on which the electrical terminal 111 of the relay 110-1 is disposed. The incoming and outgoing line assembly 150 is configured to electrically connect the electrical terminals 111 disposed on the side B with an external circuit. By positioning the incoming and outgoing line assembly 150 adjacent to the electrical terminals 111 of the relay 110-1, it helps to reduce the routing distance between the incoming and outgoing line terminals and the electrical terminals 111, thereby also reducing the space occupied for line insulation. Meanwhile, similar to the arrangement of the control assembly, the arrangement of the incoming and outgoing wire assembly 150 at the side B of the relay 110-1 avoids increasing the overall thickness of the electrical switch 100. By way of example, the incoming and outgoing line assembly 150 includes incoming line terminals, outgoing line terminals, and a frame and bolts for securing the incoming and outgoing line terminals. As an example, the electrical switch 100 in fig. 4 and 5 has a two-in-two-out configuration. However, the electrical switch 100 can have other numbers of incoming and outgoing lines as desired.

In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the control component of the electrical switch 100 may further include a control terminal unit 130. The control terminal unit 130 is used to connect a switching device outside the electrical switch 100 to enable the relay to be controlled by the external switching device. Specifically, the control terminal unit 130 includes at least a control terminal, which enables a switching device connected to the outside of the control terminal to control the control coil of the relay 110-1. Thus, the relay 110-1 in the electrical switch 100 can be controlled through an external switch connected to the control terminal unit 130 in addition to the remote control through the wireless communication unit 160. As an example, the control terminal unit 130 may further include a frame and a bolt for fixing the control terminal, in addition to the control terminal.

Fig. 7 shows a schematic view of the installation of the electrical switch 100. In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, a notch 131 may be provided on the control terminal unit 130 for receiving the busbar. Specifically, as shown in fig. 7, when the electrical switch 100 is connected to a main circuit in cooperation with a circuit breaker (such as a small circuit breaker MCB) to control a load, a bus bar copper bar connected to the circuit breaker (such as the small circuit breaker MCB) has live and

neutral terminals

201 and 202 arranged alternately.

When the electrical switch 100 is installed, the position of the electrical switch 100 may conflict with the position of one of the live and

neutral terminals

201, 202 that are staggered, resulting in a failure to install the electrical switch 100 in place. In order to avoid the electrical switch 100 from touching the copper busbar, a notch 131 may be provided on the control terminal unit 130 (e.g., its frame).

Further, it is also possible to provide a notch on the

housings

141, 142, or to provide a notch on the control terminal unit 130 and the first and

second housings

141, 142 at the same time. From this, can form the terminal of sunken space in order to hold outstanding generating line copper bar in the position department that electric switch 100 is close to the generating line copper bar for electric switch 100 can avoid opening the live wire terminal 201 or zero line terminal 202 of generating line copper bar.

Returning to fig. 4 and 5, in certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the control component of the electrical switch 100 may also include a key 126. The button 126 can be operated by a user to control the relay 110-1. Specifically, by pressing the button 126, the user can directly control the on and off of the relay 110-1. The housing 142 is provided with holes for the keys 126, through which the keys 126 can protrude from the housing to be touched by a user. In addition to the remote control provided by the wireless communication unit 160 and the switch control provided by the control terminal unit 130, the keys 126 provide a control means by which a user can directly manually operate the relay. In addition, the control assembly of the electrical switch 100 is also provided with an indicator light 125, the indicator light 125 being capable of indicating the status of the electrical switch 100.

In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the control assembly of the electrical switch 100 further includes a metering unit and a diagnostic unit (not shown in the figures). The metering unit may measure at least one of an electrical parameter and a temperature parameter of the electrical switch 100. Specifically, the metering unit may measure the voltage, current, or power of the electrical switch 100 to detect the electrical state of the electrical switch 100. Furthermore, the metering unit may monitor heating conditions in the electrical switch 100 by measuring temperature. These measurements may be provided directly to the user or to other components for control. The diagnostic unit may determine the on-off state of the electrical switch 100. For example, the diagnostic unit may determine whether the electrical switch 100 has successfully performed the opening operation or the closing operation based on the measurement result of the metering unit. Thereby, the control unit or the user of the electrical switch 100 can perform the corresponding operation based on the determination result of the diagnosis unit.

As shown in fig. 4 and 5, the electrical switch 100 may also be provided with a telescopic stopper 191 and a locking clip 192. The electrical switch 100 can be mounted, for example, on a DIN rail by means of a telescopic stop 191 and a locking clip 192.

Fig. 8 shows a comparative schematic of an electrical switch 100 and a contactor module 100'. As shown in fig. 8, the contactor module 100' is assembled from two modules, and the electrical switch 100 is a single module structure. As an example, the thickness d of the electrical switch 100 is only half the thickness d 'of the contactor module 100'. However, the thickness of the electrical switch 100 may also be adjusted as needed for installation. This reduction in thickness may be advantageous in some applications. For example, when a DIN rail is used to mount an electrical switch, an 18mm thick DIN rail mounted contactor module and an additional 18mm thick DIN rail mounted controller module (e.g., contactor module 100') are required in a conventional installation, however, the integrated electrical switch requires only one 18mm thick DIN rail mounted module (e.g., electrical switch 100). Thus, the novel electrical switch according to one embodiment of the present disclosure effectively saves installation space. Meanwhile, since various functions (such as wireless control, temperature control, metering) are integrated, the electrical switch according to one embodiment of the present disclosure has simpler wiring and is more intelligent in function, which improves the user experience.

In some cases, the electrical switches used to control the load may be mounted directly on the circuit breaker. However, if the size of the electrical switch is too large or if multiple modules are required to be assembled to form the electrical switch, the reliability of the installation will be reduced. Further, in the power supply system of some countries, a two-phase power supply system is adopted. For example, a 120V two-phase power supply system is commonly used in the united states, and a load may require a 120V supply voltage, and a single-phase power supply may be sufficient. However, in more cases, the load may require a supply voltage of 240V. In the case of a load voltage of 240V, two phases of simultaneous power supply are required to provide a line voltage of 240V. Therefore, in some applications, there is also a need for an electrical switch that can control two phase power supplies simultaneously. Based thereon, with reference to fig. 9-17, the present disclosure also provides additional embodiments of electrical switch 100.

Fig. 9-12 illustrate another embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 9 illustrates an external perspective view of an electrical switch 100 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 9, the electrical switch 100 is integrated into a single module configuration. Like the electrical switch shown in fig. 3, the electrical switch 100 shown in fig. 9 has a simplified external structure and a reduced volume, and the electrical switch 100 as a whole has an L-shape such that the electrical switch 100 can be mounted on one of the front C and the side D of the circuit breaker 300 (as shown in fig. 12).

Referring to fig. 10 and 11, fig. 10 shows an internal perspective view of the electrical switch 100 after removing the

housings

141 and 142 in fig. 9, and fig. 11 shows an internal exploded view of the electrical switch 100 (without the

housings

141 and 142 included) according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. The electrical switch 100 may include a control assembly and a relay assembly. The relay assembly is mainly composed of a relay, and the relay assembly and a control assembly for controlling the relay assembly are installed in combination in the same housing space.

As an example, the housing may include a first housing 141 and a second housing 142. The assembled first and

second housings

141 and 142 form a cavity in which the relay assembly and associated electrical and electronic components can be received and secured. The first and

second housings

141 and 142 may form a closed housing together with the incoming and outgoing line assembly 150. The first casing 141 and the second casing 142 may also directly form a closed casing to enclose other elements within the casing. The first and

second housings

141 and 142 assembled together may be entirely L-shaped to facilitate side mounting of the electrical switch 100 on the circuit breaker 300. The specific mounting between the

housings

141 and 142 is the same as the housing in fig. 3 and thus will not be described in detail.

The relay assembly may include at least a relay 110-1. The relay 110-1 may be, for example, a bi-stable relay. The relay assembly can turn on and off a circuit connected to the electrical switch 100, thereby enabling control of a load in the circuit. The control assembly for controlling the relay may include a wireless communication unit capable of receiving a signal to remotely control the relay assembly. In some embodiments, the wireless communication unit may communicate using Zigbee. By employing wireless communication, the communication wiring within the electrical switch is greatly reduced, thereby also improving the insulation arrangement within the electrical switch, which enables the control assembly and the relay assembly to be integrated within a single module. In addition, the control assembly may also include any electrical and electronic components necessary for controlling the relay assembly. For example, the control assembly may include a power supply unit, a control unit, and a circuit board.

In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the relay assembly may further include another relay 110-2, and the relay 110-2 and the relay 110-1 are disposed adjacent to each other. The relay 110-2 may be, for example, a bistable relay. The electrical switch 100 employing the dual relay can be used to control either single phase or two phase power supply. For example, in a 120V two-phase power supply system, when a 240V load needs to be supplied with two-phase line voltage, two relays in the electrical switch 100 can control one phase line respectively, thereby effectively realizing load control. However, it is understood that the number of relays employed by the electrical switch 100 may also be one, or more than two (e.g., three), depending on the particular needs.

In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, relays 110-1 and 110-2 may be aligned along their own length. As shown in fig. 10, the relays 110-1 and 110-2 are arranged in a line shape. When the electrical switch 100 is installed on the circuit breaker 300, the relay assembly including the relay 110-1 and the relay 110-2 will be disposed on a side D (shown in fig. 12) of the circuit breaker 300. However, the side space of the circuit breaker is usually limited, and therefore, such a relay arrangement can occupy the side space of the circuit breaker as little as possible.

In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the electrical switch 100 further includes an incoming and outgoing line assembly 150. The incoming and outgoing wire assembly 150 is formed in an L-shape with the relay assembly and is configured to electrically connect the electrical terminals 111 on the relay assembly with an external circuit. Incoming and outgoing line assembly 150 includes incoming terminal 153 and outgoing terminal 151. The line terminal 153 faces the inside of the L-shape and is configured to be electrically connected to the circuit breaker 300 in an insertion manner.

Merely by way of example, the incoming and outgoing line assembly 150 may include two incoming terminals 153, two outgoing terminals 151, a frame (which includes a terminal plate), and a bolt. The frame (which includes a terminal plate) and bolts are used to fix and connect the inlet terminal 153 and the outlet terminal 151. One end of the outlet terminal 151 may be connected to a terminal plate on the frame of the inlet and outlet assembly 150 and the other end may be connected to the electrical terminal 111 of the relay 110-1 or 110-2. One end of the line terminal 153 may be connected to the electrical terminal 111 of the relay 110-1 or 110-2, and the other end may protrude outside the case to be electrically connected to the circuit breaker 300 in a plug-in manner. One relay may correspond to one incoming terminal and one outgoing terminal so that each relay in the relay assembly may be electrically connected to an external circuit to perform a control function. It will be appreciated that the number of inlet and outlet terminals may be selected as desired, and that the frame and bolts may be omitted or otherwise function as desired.

The incoming and outgoing line assembly 150 is in an L-shaped arrangement with the relay assembly such that when the electrical switch 100 is mounted to the circuit breaker 300, the incoming and outgoing line assembly 150 is disposed on a front side C of the circuit breaker 300 (as shown in fig. 12). Such an arrangement does not take up more space on side D of the circuit breaker 300 and facilitates more electrical connection between the electrical switch 100 and the circuit breaker 300.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the above-described control assembly may include a first circuit board 121, a second circuit board 122, and a third circuit board 123. The first circuit board 121, the second circuit board 122, and the third circuit board 123 are configured to carry other elements in the control assembly, the first circuit board 121 and the second circuit board 122 are disposed at one side of the L-shape having the relay assembly, and the third circuit board 123 is disposed at the other side of the L-shape having the incoming and outgoing line assembly 150.

Specifically, the first circuit board 121, the second circuit board 122, and the third circuit board 123 may carry at least one of a wireless communication unit, a control unit, or a power supply unit, for example. The first and

second circuit boards

121 and 123 are disposed adjacent to the relay assembly. Similar to the arrangement of the first and second circuit boards in fig. 3, the plate surfaces of the first and

second circuit boards

121, 122 are substantially perpendicular to the plurality of side surfaces of the relays 110-1 and 110-2 (which define the thickness of the relays), or substantially perpendicular to the thickness direction of the relays 110-1 and 110-2, and extend along the plurality of side surfaces. Such an arrangement may avoid taking up more of the side space of the circuit breaker. Further, the third circuit board 123 is disposed with the incoming and outgoing line assembly 150. A through hole 1231 may be provided on the third circuit board 123 to pass the line terminal 153. For example, a current sensor may be disposed on third circuit board 123 such that current at inlet terminal 153 may be sensed. As an example, the first circuit board 121 may be a power supply circuit board, the second circuit board 122 may be a control circuit board, and the third circuit board 123 may be a microcontroller MCU circuit board. However, it is understood that electric and electronic components of various functions may be mixedly distributed on the first circuit board 121, the second circuit board 122, and the third circuit board 123 as necessary.

Fig. 12 illustrates a perspective view of the electrical switch 100 mounted on the circuit breaker 300, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 12, the electrical switch 100 is mounted to a circuit breaker 300. The circuit breaker 300 is surrounded by an L-shaped electrical switch 100, with one portion of the electrical switch 100 being located on a side D of the circuit breaker 300 and another portion being located on a front C of the circuit breaker 300. The inlet terminal 153 of the electrical switch 100 is inserted into the circuit breaker 300 to make an electrical connection with the circuit breaker 300. Since the wireless communication controlled relay is used to control the load, the volume of the electrical switch 100 is reduced and the structure is simplified, so that the electrical switch 100 can be reliably mounted directly to the circuit breaker 300.

In some cases, when installing the circuit breaker 300 into a switchgear or other switchgear, the side space of the circuit breaker 300 is often very limited and no other devices can be disposed. Meanwhile, the front space of the circuit breaker 300 is relatively abundant. Therefore, in the case where it is necessary to directly mount the electrical switch to the circuit breaker 300, the front space of the circuit breaker 300 can be considered more.

Fig. 13-17 illustrate yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 13 illustrates an external perspective view of an electrical switch 100 according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 13, the electrical switch 100 is formed in a square block shape as a whole. This structure enables the electrical switch 100 to be integrally mounted on the front surface of the circuit breaker 300 in an insertion manner.

Referring to fig. 14 and 15, fig. 14 shows an internal perspective view of the electrical switch 100 after removing the

housings

141 and 142 in fig. 13, and fig. 15 shows an exploded view of the electrical switch 100 according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 14 and 15, the electrical switch 100 may include

housings

141 and 142, a control assembly, and a relay assembly. The relay assembly may include relays 110-1 and 110-2, and the relay assembly and a control assembly for controlling the relay assembly may be installed in combination in the same housing space. For simplicity of description, the same portions as those of the previous embodiment will not be described in detail, and the differences from the previous embodiment will be mainly described.

In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the relays 110-1 and 110-2 included in the relay assembly are arranged along their own thickness direction. As shown in fig. 14 and 15, the relay 110-1 and the relay 110-2 may be supported and fixed by an isolation frame 155 located therebetween. In addition, the isolation frame 155 may also support and secure the incoming and outgoing line assembly 150. Thus, the entirety of the electrical switch 100 is formed in a square block shape, instead of the L-shape in the previous embodiment.

In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the electrical switch 100 further includes an incoming and outgoing line assembly 150. The incoming and outgoing line assembly 150 is opposite to the side of the relay assembly having the electrical terminals 111 and is configured to electrically connect the electrical terminals 111 on the relay assembly with an external circuit, the incoming and outgoing line assembly 150 includes an incoming line terminal 153 and an outgoing line terminal 151, the incoming line terminal 153 is configured to be electrically connected to the circuit breaker 300 in a plug-in manner.

As shown in fig. 14 and 15, the incoming and outgoing line assembly 150 may include an incoming terminal 153 and an outgoing terminal 151, as an example. In addition, the incoming and outgoing line assembly 150 may further include a frame (which may include a terminal plate) and bolts for fixing and connecting the incoming and

outgoing terminals

153 and 151. Fig. 16 shows an exploded view of part of the components of an electrical switch 100 according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. To more clearly show the connection relationship between the incoming and outgoing line assembly 150 and the relay assembly, fig. 16 removes the frame and bolts of the incoming and outgoing line assembly 150. As shown in fig. 16, the inlet terminal 153 and the outlet terminal 151 are near the sides of the relays 110-1 and 110-2 having the electrical terminals 111, and extend toward opposite directions from each other. One end of the outlet terminal 151 is connected to the electrical terminal 111 of the relay 110-1 or 110-2, the other end is connected to a terminal plate on the frame of the inlet and outlet assembly 150 (see fig. 14 and 15), and one end of the inlet terminal 153 is connected to the electrical terminal 111 of the relay 110-1 or 110-2, and the other end protrudes outward to the outside of the

housings

141 and 142 for insertion into the circuit breaker 300.

Since the incoming and outgoing wire assembly 150 needs to be electrically connected with the electrical terminal 111 of the relay, disposing the incoming and outgoing wire assembly 150 close to the electrical terminal 111 facilitates reducing the space required for wiring and insulation, resulting in a smaller volume of the electrical switch 100.

In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the control assembly includes a first circuit board 121, a second circuit board 122, and a third circuit board 123. The first, second and

third circuit boards

121, 122, 123 are configured to carry other elements in the control assembly and are arranged on the same side of the relay assembly as the incoming and outgoing line assemblies 150. As shown in fig. 14 and 15, the first and

second circuit boards

121, 122 may be arranged opposite to each other. The wireless communication unit may be disposed on the first circuit board 121, and the control coils 113 of the relays 110-1 and 110-2 may be connected to the first circuit board 121. However, the wireless communication unit may also be arranged on other circuit boards, and in any suitable location. In addition, the third circuit board 123 may be disposed with the incoming and outgoing line assembly 150, and may be provided with a through hole 1231 for the outgoing line terminal 151 to pass through. For example, a current sensor may be disposed on the third circuit board 123, so that the current on the line terminal 151 may be sensed.

Fig. 17 shows a perspective view of an electrical switch 100 according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure mounted on a circuit breaker 300. As shown in fig. 17, the electrical switch 100 is integrally plugged into the front face C of the circuit breaker 300, which avoids occupying space on the side face D of the circuit breaker 300.

Similar to the electrical switch shown in fig. 3 to 8, the electrical switch 100 shown in fig. 9 to 17 may also include a key (for being operated by a user to control the relay), a metering unit, and a diagnostic unit. The description of the electrical switch and its components of fig. 3-8 applies equally to the electrical switch and its components shown in fig. 9-17, unless explicitly stated otherwise. Furthermore, it is understood that the electrical switch according to the present disclosure is not limited to the number of relays and the number of incoming and outgoing lines used in the above embodiments, and fewer or more relays and incoming and outgoing lines may be selected as needed.

According to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, a switchgear is provided that may include the electrical switch 100. In particular, the switch cabinet may be used to control loads such as household appliances (such as electric heaters, lighting, etc.). The household power environment has the characteristics of light load and infrequent switching. The electrical switch 100 employing the relay as the switching device is well suited for such a household load. In addition, the electrical switch 100 has the advantages of compact independence, remote control, simplicity of wiring, and intelligence (wireless control, temperature protection, metering functions), which enhances the performance of controlling the switching devices of the household appliance.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the disclosure set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the embodiments of the disclosure are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure. Moreover, although the foregoing description and the related drawings describe example embodiments in the context of certain example combinations of components and/or functions, it should be appreciated that different combinations of components and/or functions may be provided by alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In this regard, for example, other combinations of components and/or functions than those explicitly described above are also contemplated as within the scope of the present disclosure. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

Claims

1. An electrical switch (100) comprising:

a housing (141, 142);

a relay assembly disposed within the housing (141, 142) and configured to turn on and off a circuit connected to the electrical switch (100), the relay assembly including a first relay (110-1); and

a control assembly disposed within the housing (141, 142) in parallel with the relay assembly, the control assembly configured to control the relay assembly, and the control assembly comprising:

a wireless communication unit (160) configured to receive a signal for remotely controlling the relay assembly; and

a control terminal unit (130) configured for connecting a switching device external to the electrical switch (100) to enable control of the relay assembly by the switching device.

2. The electrical switch (100) of claim 1, wherein the control assembly opposes a first side (a) of a plurality of sides of the first relay (110-1), the plurality of sides defining a thickness of the first relay (110-1).

3. The electrical switch (100) of claim 2, further comprising:

an incoming and outgoing line assembly (150) disposed within the housing (141, 142) in parallel with the relay assembly, the incoming and outgoing line assembly (150) being opposite a second side (B) of the plurality of sides of the first relay (110-1) and configured to electrically connect an electrical terminal (111) disposed on the second side (B) with an external circuit.

4. The electrical switch (100) of claim 1, wherein at least one of the control terminal unit (130) and the housing (141, 142) is provided with a recess (131) for receiving a busbar of bus bar.

5. The electrical switch (100) of claim 2, wherein the control assembly comprises:

a first circuit board (121) and a second circuit board (122) arranged opposite to each other, the first circuit board (121) and the second circuit board (122) having board faces substantially perpendicular to the first side face (A) of the first relay (110-1) to carry other elements in the control assembly.

6. The electrical switch (100) of claim 1, wherein the relay assembly further comprises:

a second relay (110-2), the second relay (110-2) and the first relay (110-1) being arranged adjacent to each other.

7. The electrical switch (100) of claim 6, wherein the first relay (110-1) and the second relay (110-2) are aligned along a length of the first relay (110-1) and the second relay (110-2).

8. The electrical switch (100) of claim 7, further comprising:

an incoming and outgoing line assembly (150) forming an L-shape with the relay assembly and configured to electrically connect an electrical terminal (111) on the relay assembly with an external circuit, the incoming and outgoing line assembly (150) including an incoming terminal (153) and an outgoing terminal (151), the incoming terminal (153) facing an inner side of the L-shape and configured to be electrically connected to a circuit breaker (300) in an interposed manner.

9. The electrical switch (100) of claim 8, wherein the control assembly comprises:

a first circuit board (121), a second circuit board (122), and a third circuit board (123) configured to carry other elements in the control assembly, the first circuit board (121) and the second circuit board (122) being disposed on one side of the L-shape having the relay assembly, and the third circuit board (123) being disposed on the other side of the L-shape having the incoming and outgoing line assembly (150).

10. The electrical switch (100) of claim 6, wherein the first relay (110-1) and the second relay (110-2) are aligned along a thickness direction of the first relay (110-1) and the second relay (110-2).

11. The electrical switch (100) of claim 10, further comprising:

an incoming and outgoing line assembly (150) opposite a side of the relay assembly having electrical terminals (111) and configured to electrically connect the electrical terminals (111) on the relay assembly with an external circuit, the incoming and outgoing line assembly (150) including an incoming line terminal (153) and an outgoing line terminal (151), the incoming line terminal (153) configured to be electrically connected to a circuit breaker (300) in a plug-in manner.

12. The electrical switch (100) of claim 11, wherein the control assembly comprises:

a first circuit board (121), a second circuit board (122), and a third circuit board (123) configured to carry other components in the control assembly and arranged on the same side of the relay assembly as the incoming and outgoing line assemblies (150).

13. The electrical switch (100) of claim 9 or 12, wherein the third circuit board (123) has a through-hole (1231), the through-hole (1231) being used for the incoming terminal (153) or the outgoing terminal (151) to pass through, in order to sense a current on the incoming terminal (153) or the outgoing terminal (151) through the third circuit board (123).

14. The electrical switch (100) of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication unit (160) is configured to communicate using Zigbee.

15. The electrical switch (100) of claim 1, wherein the control assembly comprises:

a key (126) operable by a user to control the relay assembly (110).

16. The electrical switch (100) of claim 1, wherein the control assembly comprises:

a metering unit configured to measure at least one of an electrical parameter and a temperature parameter of the electrical switch (100); and

a diagnostic unit configured to determine an on-off state of the electrical switch (100).

17. A switchgear comprising an electrical switch as claimed in any of claims 1-16.