CN210956495U

CN210956495U - Mechanical interlocking assembly, contactor assembly and electrical cabinet

Info

Publication number: CN210956495U
Application number: CN201922444832.3U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 邱启凡
Original assignee: Schneider Electric Industries SAS
Current assignee: Schneider Electric Industries SAS
Priority date: 2019-12-30
Filing date: 2019-12-30
Publication date: 2020-07-07
Anticipated expiration: 2029-12-30

Abstract

Disclosed is a mechanical interlock assembly including: a housing; a first slider slidably disposed within the housing; a second slider slidably disposed within the housing; a lock cylinder rotatably disposed within the housing and at least partially between the first slider and the second slider, the lock cylinder being rotatable between a first locked position in which the first slider is locked and the second slider is slidable, an intermediate position, and a second locked position; in the intermediate position, both the first slider and the second slider are slidable; in the second locking position, the second slide is locked and the first slide is slidable; wherein when the lock cylinder is in the intermediate position, sliding movement of the first slide relative to the second slide urges rotation of the lock cylinder to the second locked position, and sliding movement of the second slide relative to the first slide urges rotation of the lock cylinder to the first locked position. A contactor assembly and an electrical cabinet are also disclosed. A reliable and flexible to apply mechanical interlock assembly is thereby provided.

Description

Mechanical interlocking assembly, contactor assembly and electrical cabinet

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a mechanical interlock assembly, a contactor assembly including the mechanical interlock assembly, and an electrical cabinet including the contactor assembly.

Background

In electrical equipment control, it is often necessary to automatically switch load circuits from one (utility) power source to another (backup) power source in an electrical system to ensure continuous, safe, and reliable operation of critical loads. The interlock apparatus of the automatic transfer switching apparatus ensures that when a load circuit is connected to one of two power sources, i.e., one of the two power sources is turned on, the other power source is always turned off to ensure reliability of the automatic transfer switching apparatus. Typically, the interlock comprises an electrical interlock and a mechanical interlock which together ensure that the two power sources cannot be turned on simultaneously. However, unreliable electrical components in the electrical interlock device (e.g., a malfunction of the micro-switch) can cause power supply position feedback errors, thereby causing the electrical interlock function to fail. In this case, it is necessary for the automatic transfer switching apparatus to include a mechanical interlock device having high reliability and a simple structure.

In addition, existing mechanical interlocking assemblies are often used to achieve interlocking between products of the same size. Or a mechanical interlocking assembly of some type is specially designed for achieving the interlocking function between certain products of different sizes. That is, different mechanical interlock components must be used for different applications, which can be inconvenient and costly. It is therefore desirable to provide a mechanical interlock assembly that can be adapted to different applications.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

The present invention has been made in order to overcome or at least partially alleviate the above problems.

According to a first aspect, the present invention discloses a mechanical interlock assembly comprising: a housing; a first slider slidably disposed within the housing; a second slider slidably disposed within the housing; a lock cylinder rotatably disposed within the housing and at least partially between the first slider and the second slider, the lock cylinder being rotatable between a first locked position in which the first slider is locked and the second slider is slidable, an intermediate position, and a second locked position; in the intermediate position, both the first slider and the second slider are slidable; in the second locking position, the second slide is locked and the first slide is slidable; wherein when the lock cylinder is in the intermediate position, sliding movement of the first slide relative to the second slide urges rotation of the lock cylinder to the second locked position, and sliding movement of the second slide relative to the first slide urges rotation of the lock cylinder to the first locked position. A reliable and flexible to apply mechanical interlock assembly is thereby provided.

Preferably, the sliding directions of the first slider and the second slider are parallel to each other, and when the lock cylinder is in the intermediate position, a sliding movement of the first slider relative to the second slider in the first direction urges the lock cylinder to rotate to a second locking position in which the second slider is locked against movement in the first direction, and a sliding movement of the second slider relative to the first slider in the first direction urges the lock cylinder to rotate to a first locking position in which the first slider is locked against movement in the first direction. Thus, the mechanical interlock assembly can be made of a smaller thickness and can have a larger dimensional fit range.

Preferably, the lock cylinder has a first working surface and a second working surface angled with respect to each other, and when the lock cylinder is in the intermediate position, sliding movement of the first slider with respect to the second slider in the first direction causes the actuating portion of the slider to contact the first working surface and urge the lock cylinder to rotate to a second locking position in which the first working surface does not obstruct sliding movement of the first slider and the second working surface contacts the locking surface of the second slider and prevents sliding movement of the second slider in the first direction, and sliding movement of the second slider with respect to the first slider in the first direction urges the lock cylinder to rotate to the first locking position. Reliable locking can be conveniently achieved by cooperation between the working surfaces

Preferably, the angle between the first working surface and the second working surface is between 80 ° and 110 °. Such an angular range enables a reliable locking.

Preferably, the first working surface and the second working surface are at right angles. Such a configuration enables, in the locking position, the two working surfaces to abut against the surfaces of the respective slides, achieving a more reliable locking.

Preferably, the portion of the lock cylinder having the first working surface and the second working surface is a triangle through which the axis of rotation of the lock cylinder extends.

Preferably, the first slider and the second slider are provided with at least one boss projecting inwardly, and in the intermediate position, the core is provided with a first working surface spaced above one boss of the first slider and a second working surface spaced above one boss of the second slider, in which case the one boss of the first slider will contact the first working surface and urge the lock cylinder to rotate to the second locking position if the first slider is moved upwardly, and the one boss of the second slider will contact the second working surface and urge the lock cylinder to rotate to the first locking position if the second slider is moved upwardly. By providing at least one protrusion, a variety of combinations may be achieved to meet different dimensional differences.

Preferably, each projection comprises a side surface extending away from the inner surface of the slide and a flat surface parallel to the sliding direction at the tip of the projection, the first working surface abutting against the flat surface at the tip of said one projection of the first slide in the second locking position, thereby allowing movement of the first slide, the second working surface approaching or abutting against the side surface of said one projection of the second slide, thereby blocking upward movement of the second slide; in the first locked position, the second working surface abuts against the flat surface of the tip of the one projection of the second slider, thereby allowing the movement of the second slider, and the first working surface approaches or abuts against the side surface of the one projection of the first slider, thereby blocking the upward movement of the first slider.

Preferably, each of the protrusions is a rectangular protrusion with or without rounded corners, so that a rectangular recess is formed between the protrusions, and a side surface of the protrusion is an upper surface of the rectangular protrusion. The surfaces of the rectangular projections and the working surfaces of the triangular portions can be better matched to achieve reliable interlocking.

Preferably, lengths of at least some of the protrusions in the sliding direction are different from each other. Preferably, the distances in the sliding direction between at least some of the protrusions are different from each other. Thereby allowing the mechanical interlock assembly to be able to accommodate a wider variety of applications where differences in the size of the output shaft result in differences in the level of the output shaft.

Preferably, the first and second slides are each provided on their outer side with an operating lever which projects from each side of the housing for connection to the respective device to be interlocked.

According to another aspect, there is provided a contactor assembly comprising a plurality of contactors, wherein at least two contactors have disposed therebetween a mechanical interlock assembly as described in any of the preceding paragraphs to mechanically interlock the at least two contactors.

According to another aspect, an electrical cabinet is provided, comprising a contactor assembly as previously described.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments will be briefly described below, it should be understood that the following drawings only illustrate some embodiments of the present disclosure, and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope of protection, and for those skilled in the art, other related drawings may be obtained from the drawings without inventive effort.

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a mechanical interlock assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 2 shows an exploded view of a mechanical interlock assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 3a shows a schematic view of an initial state of a mechanical interlock assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention when used with a same size contactor;

figure 3b shows a schematic view of a locked state of a mechanical interlock assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention when used with a same size contactor;

fig. 4a shows a schematic view of an initial state of a mechanical interlock assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention when used with a first different size contactor;

figure 4b shows a schematic view of a locked state of a mechanical interlock assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention when used with a first different size contactor;

fig. 5a shows a schematic view of an initial state of a mechanical interlock assembly for use with a second different size contactor according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

fig. 5b shows a schematic view of a locked state of a mechanical interlock assembly when used with a second different size contactor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

List of reference numerals

10 mechanical interlock assembly 25 end surface

11 upper side surface of the

first casing

26, 261, 262

12

second housing

27, 271, 272 end surface

13 slender groove 31 shaft

14 elongate slot 32 triangular portion

16 snap structure 33 support

21 first slide 34 first working surface

22 second slide 35 second working surface

23 control rod

24 upper side surface

Detailed Description

In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure more apparent, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described clearly and completely with reference to the drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure. It is to be understood that the described embodiments are only a few embodiments of the present disclosure, and not all embodiments. For example, one skilled in the art will appreciate that features of the various embodiments of the disclosure can be combined with each other and that the combined embodiments are within the scope of the disclosure. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the described embodiments of the disclosure without any inventive step, are within the scope of protection of the disclosure.

Unless otherwise defined, technical or scientific terms used herein shall have the ordinary meaning as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. The use of "first," "second," and similar terms in this disclosure is not intended to indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but rather is used to distinguish one element from another. The word "comprising" or "comprises", and the like, means that the element or item listed before the word covers the element or item listed after the word and its equivalents, but does not exclude other elements or items. "upper", "lower", "left", "right", and the like are used merely to indicate relative positional relationships, and when the absolute position of the object being described is changed, the relative positional relationships may also be changed accordingly.

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a mechanical interlock assembly 10 according to one embodiment. As shown, the mechanical interlock assembly 10 includes a first housing 11 and a second housing 12 that are connected together by a snap fit to form the housing of the mechanical interlock assembly 10. The first housing 11 has an elongated slot 13 from which elongated slot 13 extends a control rod 23 for connection to the interlocked contactor. The second housing 12 also has a corresponding elongate slot 14 with another lever extending therefrom for connection to another interlocked contact.

Fig. 2 shows an exploded view of the mechanical interlock assembly 10. As shown, the mechanical interlock assembly further includes a first slide 21, a second slide 22, and a lock cylinder disposed between the first slide 21 and the second slide 22. The lock cylinder is elongated and comprises two side supports 33 and a shaft 31 connected between the supports. The shaft 31 is formed with a plurality of triangular portions 32. The support 33 rotatably supports the lock cylinder within the housing of the mechanical interlock assembly 10. In this embodiment, the support member 33 is a circular member, which is received in a circular mounting space formed by the mating of the semicircular seat (not shown) on the first housing 11 and the semicircular seat 16 on the second housing 12, thereby allowing the lock cylinder to rotate. The first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are fixed together by a plurality of snap mechanisms 16 so that they can be easily assembled.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, there are two sets of semi-circular seats in each of the first and

second housings

11, 12. Thus, the first and

second housings

11, 12 can be fixed together to form two positions for mounting the lock cylinder, one above the other, to meet different requirements. A sliding space is formed in the first housing 11, which allows the first slider 21 to be mounted therein and to slide up and down. A sliding space is formed in the second housing 12, which allows the second slider 22 to be mounted therein and to slide up and down. The

elongated slots

13, 14 extend in the sliding direction (up-down direction) of the

sliders

21, 22, allowing the control rods to protrude from the

elongated slots

13, 14 and be connected to the external contactors. Thus, closing of the contactors actuates movement of the respective control rods along the elongated slots, which moves the respective sliders.

As can be seen from fig. 2, the slider 22 is provided with a plurality of protrusions and recesses alternating in the direction of movement, in the initial state the lock cylinder being positionable in a corresponding position in the recesses. Thus, the recessed portions of the first and

second sliders

21, 22 are combined with each other, and three different initial positional relationships can be achieved, which are applicable to the same size contactor (two interlocked contactors output at the same height), the first different size contactor (two interlocked contactors output at the first different height), and the second different size contactor (two interlocked contactors output at the second different height), as shown in particular in fig. 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5 b. That is, the two contactors to be interlocked have different sizes, and the heights of the control levers outputted from the contactors are at different horizontal levels, and the difference in height between the two horizontal levels is the first different height/the second different height (two different height differences).

Fig. 3a shows a schematic view of an initial state of a mechanical interlock assembly 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention when used with an identically sized contactor; fig. 3b shows a schematic view of a locked state of the mechanical interlock assembly 10 when used with an identically sized contactor according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the first and

second sliders

21, 22 are bilaterally symmetrical to each other. The direction in which the first slider 21 and the second slider 22 are adjacent to each other is the inside, and the direction in which they are away from each other is the outside. The first slider 21 includes three inwardly projecting rectangular bosses spaced apart in the sliding direction. The second slide 22 includes three inwardly projecting bosses spaced apart in the sliding direction. In the initial position, the triangular portion 32 of the lock cylinder is disposed above the central boss of the first and

second slides

21, 22. The intermediate boss has upper side surfaces 24, 26 and end surfaces 25, 27 at the top of the boss. Corners or rounded transitions are formed between the upper side surfaces 24, 26 and the end surfaces 25, 27. The triangular portion 32 has generally orthogonal first and second working surfaces 34, 35 that are symmetrically disposed with respect to the sliding direction when in the initial position. The first and second working surfaces 34, 35 are spaced from the respective bosses and are located at least partially directly above the respective upper side surfaces 24, 26. When in operation, either slide is moved upwards by the external contact (the second slide 22 on the right is shown in fig. 3 b), since the second working surface 35 is partly located directly above the upper side surface 26. The upward movement of the boss contacts the second working surface 35, urging the triangular portion 32 (i.e., the entire lock cylinder) to rotate counterclockwise. The movement continues until the second working surface 35 passes over the corner of the boss, abutting the end surface 27, the triangular portion 32 stopping rotating since the end surface 27 is parallel to the sliding direction. The other working surface 32 is now rotated counter-clockwise to a horizontal position, engaging the upper surface 24 of the boss. The core is locked in position against upward movement by the first slide 21 being stopped by the end surface 37 at the second working surface 35. At this time, the core is in the first locked position.

Fig. 4a shows a schematic view of an initial state of a mechanical interlock assembly 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention when used with a first different size contactor; fig. 4b shows a schematic view of a locked state of the mechanical interlock assembly 10 when used with a first different size contactor according to an embodiment of the present invention. In order to accommodate contactors of different sizes, the initial position of the first and

second slides

21, 22 after installation is still as shown in fig. 3a, and then the second slide 22 can be moved upwards with respect to the first slide 21, continuing upwards after the triangular portion 32 has entered the first locking position, until the lower projection of the second slide 22 is aligned with the middle projection of the first slide 21, the triangular portion 32 returning to the middle position under the effect of gravity, when the second working surface 35 no longer abuts against the end surface 27 of the middle projection, into the position shown in fig. 4 a. The mechanical interlock assembly 10 in this case operates in substantially the same manner as described with respect to fig. 3a and 3b, except that the working boss of the second slider 22 is modified from the middle boss to a lower boss, with the working surfaces thereof modified to an upper surface 261 and an end surface 271, respectively. For the sake of brevity, the description is not repeated here. The configuration of fig. 4a can allow the output shafts of the two contactors to be spaced apart in the sliding direction by the sum of the length of the middle convex portion (in the sliding direction) and the length of the recess between the middle convex portion and the lower convex portion (in the sliding direction).

Fig. 5a shows a schematic view of an initial state of a mechanical interlock assembly for use with a second different size contactor according to an embodiment of the present invention; fig. 5b shows a schematic view of a locked state of a mechanical interlock assembly when used with a second different size contactor according to an embodiment of the present invention. The condition of figure 5a is changed from the initial condition of figure 3a by sliding the second slide 22 downwards until the upper projection of the second slide 22 moves below the triangular portion, the end surface 272 no longer blocking the triangular portion 32, and the triangular portion 32 is rotated counter-clockwise to the initial position, as shown in figure 5 b. The mechanical interlock assembly 10 in this case operates in substantially the same manner as described with respect to fig. 3a and 3b, except that the working projection of the second slider 22 is modified from the intermediate projection to an upper projection, the working surfaces of which are modified to the upper side surface 262 and the end surface 272, respectively. For the sake of brevity, the description is not repeated here. The configuration of fig. 5a can allow the output shafts of the two contactors to be spaced apart in the sliding direction by the sum of the length of the upper convex portion (in the sliding direction) and the length of the recess between the middle convex portion and the upper convex portion (in the sliding direction).

In the present embodiment, each sliding member has three convex portions and two concave portions in the longitudinal direction, and the lengths of these portions in the sliding direction are different, so that a plurality of arrangements can be combined to meet the interlocking requirements of contactors having different size differences. This is not essential, however, and the various parts may be provided in the same size.

In the embodiment, the first and

second housings

11, 12 are each formed with a sliding space to allow the first and

second sliders

21, 22 to be mounted therein and slid. This is not essential, however, and virtually any mechanism that allows the slider to be mounted and slid may be used, such as a slide and slider mechanism, or a plurality of hoops conforming to the profile of the slider, etc.

In an embodiment, the support 33 is a circular support. The upper support may be virtually any component that allows the lock cylinder to be rotatably mounted within the housing. For example, the support may be a bearing. The support also need not be circular as long as it can be mounted to the housing and allow rotation of the lock cylinder.

In an embodiment, the first and

second housings

21 and 22 are fixed together by a snap mechanism. This is not essential, however, and the first and second housings may be secured together by other means, such as a threaded connection, ultrasonic welding, etc.

The scope of the present disclosure is not defined by the above-described embodiments but is defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A mechanical interlock assembly, characterized in that the mechanical interlock assembly comprises:

a housing;

a first slider slidably disposed within the housing;

a second slider slidably disposed within the housing;

a lock cylinder rotatably disposed within the housing and at least partially between the first slider and the second slider, the lock cylinder being rotatable between a first locked position in which the first slider is locked and the second slider is slidable, an intermediate position, and a second locked position; in the intermediate position, both the first slider and the second slider are slidable; in the second locking position, the second slide is locked and the first slide is slidable;

wherein, when the lock cylinder is in the intermediate position, sliding movement of the first slider relative to the second slider urges rotation of the lock cylinder to the second locked position, and sliding movement of the second slider relative to the first slider urges rotation of the lock cylinder to the first locked position.

2. A mechanical interlock assembly according to claim 1 wherein the directions of sliding movement of the first slider and the second slider are parallel to each other and when the lock cylinder is in the intermediate position, sliding movement of the first slider relative to the second slider in the first direction urges rotation of the lock cylinder to a second locking position in which the second slider is locked against movement in the first direction and sliding movement of the second slider relative to the first slider in the first direction urges rotation of the lock cylinder to a first locking position in which the first slider is locked against movement in the first direction.

3. A mechanical interlock assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the lock cylinder has first and second working surfaces which are angled relative to each other and when the lock cylinder is in the intermediate position, sliding movement of the first slide relative to the second slide in the first direction causes the actuating portion of the slide to contact the first working surface and urge rotation of the lock cylinder to the second locking position in which the first working surface does not obstruct sliding movement of the first slide and the second working surface contacts the locking surface of the second slide and prevents sliding movement of the second slide in the first direction and sliding movement of the second slide relative to the first slide in the first direction urges rotation of the lock cylinder to the first locking position.

4. A mechanical interlock assembly according to claim 3 wherein the angle formed between the first working surface and the second working surface is between 80 ° and 110 °.

5. A mechanical interlock assembly according to claim 4 wherein the first working surface and the second working surface are at right angles.

6. A mechanical interlock assembly according to claim 3 wherein the portion of the lock cylinder having the first and second working surfaces is triangular, the axis of rotation of the lock cylinder extending through the triangle.

7. A mechanical interlock assembly as claimed in claim 3 wherein the first slider and the second slider inner surfaces are provided with at least one boss projecting inwardly and in the intermediate position the core is arranged such that the first working surface is spaced above one boss of the first slider and the second working surface is spaced above one boss of the second slider, in which case if the first slider is moved upwardly then said one boss of the first slider will contact the first working surface and urge the lock cylinder to rotate to the second locking position and if the second slider is moved upwardly then said one boss of the second slider will contact the second working surface and urge the lock cylinder to rotate to the first locking position.

8. A mechanical interlock assembly according to claim 7 wherein each boss includes a side surface extending away from the inner surface of the slide and a flat surface parallel to the sliding direction at the top end of the boss, the first working surface abutting the flat surface at the top end of said one boss of the first slide in the second locking position to allow movement of the first slide, the second working surface approaching or abutting the side surface of said one boss of the second slide to block upward movement of the second slide; in the first locked position, the second working surface abuts against the flat surface of the tip of the one projection of the second slider, thereby allowing the movement of the second slider, and the first working surface approaches or abuts against the side surface of the one projection of the first slider, thereby blocking the upward movement of the first slider.

9. A mechanical interlock assembly according to claim 8 wherein each projection is a rectangular projection with or without rounded corners, thereby forming a rectangular recess between the projections, the side surface of the projection being the upper surface of the rectangular projection.

10. A mechanical interlock assembly as claimed in claim 9 wherein the lengths of at least some of the projections in the sliding direction are different from one another.

11. A mechanical interlock assembly as claimed in claim 9 wherein the distance in the sliding direction between at least some of the projections is different from one another.

12. A mechanical interlock assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first and second slides are each provided with an operating lever on the outside thereof, the levers projecting from either side of the housing for connection to respective devices to be interlocked.

13. A contactor assembly comprising a plurality of contactors, wherein at least two contactors are interposed by a mechanical interlock assembly according to any one of claims 1-12 to mechanically interlock the at least two contactors.

14. An electrical cabinet comprising the contactor assembly of claim 13.