CN1237568C - Auxiliary device of low-voltage circuit breaker - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides an auxiliary device for locking a reset mechanism of a withdrawable or detachable circuit breaker, which includes: an insulating casing; an actuating rod at least partly protruding out of the insulating casing; The moving rod is connected for operation; the connecting rod is connected with the reset mechanism, and the connecting rod can be connected with the kinematic chain for operation and at least partly protrudes out of the insulating shell. The invention also provides a protection device for low-voltage electronic circuits, which includes a low-voltage circuit breaker of the withdrawable or detachable type, the circuit breaker comprising: a base, which can be positioned on a support and is provided with terminals connected to the circuit and electrically connected to the terminals. A first connection mechanism; a moving part, connectable to or detachable from the base; including a housing housing the separate contacts and a reset mechanism of a circuit breaker including a reset lever projecting out of the housing and electrically disengageable a second connection mechanism connected ground to the first connection mechanism; the aforementioned auxiliary means.

Description

Auxiliary devices for low-voltage circuit breakers and protection devices for low-voltage electronic circuits

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 on a support such as a DIN (German Industrial Standard) guide. and optionally set on an appropriate panel or controller for use.

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.

In order to achieve the above object, there is provided an auxiliary device for locking a reset mechanism of a withdrawable or detachable circuit breaker, which includes: an insulating casing; an actuating rod at least partially protruding out of the insulating casing; a kinematic chain within the housing, operatively connected to said actuating rod; a connecting rod connected to said reset mechanism, said connecting rod being operatively connected to said kinematic chain and protruding at least partially from said insulating outside the shell.

The present invention also provides a protection device for low-voltage electronic circuits, which is characterized in that it includes a withdrawable or detachable low-voltage circuit breaker, and the circuit breaker includes: a base that can be positioned on a support and is provided with a terminals of an electrical circuit and a first connecting mechanism electrically connected to said terminals; a movable portion, attachable to or detachable from said base; comprising a housing containing separate contacts and a reset mechanism of said circuit breaker, said circuit breaker The device includes a reset lever protruding out of the housing and a second connecting mechanism protruding out of the housing and electrically detachably connected to the first connecting mechanism; and an auxiliary device, the auxiliary device includes an insulating shell, an actuating rod protruding at least partially out of said insulating housing, a kinematic chain contained within said housing and operable in connection with said actuating rod, and a connecting rod connected to said reset mechanism, Wherein the connecting rod can be connected with the kinematic chain for operation and at least partially protrude out of the insulating shell.

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 50 has a profiled insulator 51 that can be placed in 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 moving part 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 50 of the circuit breaker in a fixed position on a fixture such as a DIN (German Industrial Standard) guide, the terminals 53 being electrically connected to the circuit in which the circuit breaker is located.

In particular, the length of the actuating rod 30 should be such that the T-shaped end 31 does not act on the wall 54 of the base 50 during the initial stages of connecting the base 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 connecting mechanism 52 is electrically connected to the connecting 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 32. 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 base 50, this extraction action causes the end 31 to no longer abut the wall 54, which was in contact with the end 31 during the initial stages of the extraction operation; here The connection mechanism 63 is not exposed from the insulator 51 at the initial stage. 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 actuation rod projecting at least partially outside of said insulating housing;

a kinematic chain housed within said housing and operatively connected to said actuation bar;

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

2. Auxiliary device according to claim 1, wherein the insulating housing comprises a bottom plate, a top plate, a rear wall plate, two side wall plates and a front wall plate, the actuation bar and the connection bar protruding from the rear wall plate and one of the side wall plates, respectively, outside the housing.

3. The supplemental device of claim 1, wherein the connecting rod has a contoured structural portion, at least a portion of which is adapted to connect to the return mechanism and exert a locking action on the return mechanism; said actuation bar comprising a shaped body having a first end connected to the kinematic chain and a second end opposite said first end and protruding outside said housing, said second end being adapted to interact with a portion of the circuit breaker to actuate the kinematic chain and release said connecting bar from said locking action at the location where said auxiliary device and said circuit breaker are mounted.

4. Auxiliary device as claimed in one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said connecting rod is pivoted on said casing, said connecting rod having a first portion adapted to interact with said kinematic chain and projecting laterally outside said casing and a second portion adapted to be connected to a return mechanism of said circuit breaker, a first spring being operatively connected to said connecting rod.

5. An auxiliary device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said kinematic chain comprises an associated lever for pivotal movement about a pivot axis of said housing, and having at least a first arm for interaction with said connecting rod and a second spring operatively connected to said associated lever.

6. An accessory device as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that the associated lever comprises a second arm angularly spaced from the first arm, the second arm having a profiled end adapted to be placed in an opening in the housing to indicate that the circuit breaker is resettable.

7. Auxiliary device according to claim 6, characterized in that the articulation link comprises a third arm which is angularly spaced from the first and second arms and which is connectable to the actuation bar.

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. Auxiliary device according to claim 3, wherein the actuation bar has a cantilevered bar-shaped profiled portion, the second end of which is T-shaped.

10. An aid according to claim 9 wherein the wings of the T-shaped end are provided with recesses which assist in breaking the wings.

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 base portion locatable on the support and provided with a terminal connecting the circuit and a first connecting mechanism electrically connected to the terminal; and

a moving part connectable to or separable from the base; 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;

the supplemental device of claim 1.

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