CN213519830U - Operating lever and circuit breaker comprising same - Google Patents

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an operation lever and a circuit breaker including the same. The operation lever includes: the alarm rod comprises a first body and an alarm trigger piece arranged on the first body, wherein the alarm trigger piece is configured to trigger an alarm when a heating element is in an overheat state when overcurrent occurs in the circuit breaker; and a trip bar comprising a second body and a trip trigger disposed on the second body, the trip trigger configured to trigger tripping of the circuit breaker upon occurrence of a short circuit current in the circuit breaker, the second body comprising a slot adapted to receive at least a portion of the first body of the alarm bar, and at least a portion of the first body of the alarm bar being rotatable relative to the slot. The operating rod has a simple structure, and realizes the function of overload alarm without tripping; the circuit breaker is suitable for single-breakpoint and double-breakpoint molded case circuit breakers; the breaker has simple and compact structure, and the thermomagnetic performance can be adjusted; the circuit breaker is simple in wiring and convenient to use, and risks that moving parts are wound inside the wires and the wires are damaged can be avoided.

Description

Operating lever and circuit breaker comprising same

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the field of circuit breakers, and more particularly, to an operating lever used in a circuit breaker and a circuit breaker including the same.

Background

The circuit breaker is a common safety protection device in an electric circuit and has the functions of overload, short circuit, undervoltage protection and the like. In special places where power supply must be continuously supplied, such as important places related to fire fighting, chemical engineering, medical treatment and the like, when overload occurs to a main circuit load, the circuit cannot be cut off generally, but an alarm signal needs to be output so that a user can make judgment and corresponding treatment according to special conditions of a use site. And when a short-circuit fault occurs to the main circuit load, the circuit breaker must immediately break the circuit. There is a need for a device that has an overload warning but does not trip.

The current circuit breaker with the function mainly adopts the following method.

Chinese patent application CN200710023955.9 discloses a molded case circuit breaker with an overload warning function. In this circuit breaker, an alarm mechanism is separately provided. When overload occurs, the rotating part rotates to trigger the micro switch and send out an alarm signal. In practical embodiments, the signal is output to the outside of the molded case circuit breaker through a wire to provide a user with connection to an alarm source. This increases the structural complexity and cost of the entire circuit breaker, and the structural stability of the circuit breaker is poor and the overall size is increased. In addition, the length of the wire selected for outputting the signal to the outside of the molded case circuit breaker cannot be suitable for all user requirements, so that the mode is inconvenient for wiring of users on one hand, and on the other hand, the risk that the wire is wound on a moving part inside the wire and is damaged in the production, transportation and installation processes can be brought.

Chinese patent application CN201120061423.6 discloses a thermomagnetic molded case circuit breaker with overload alarm and no trip. In this circuit breaker, the microswitch is fixed to the bimetal by a bracket. When the overload occurs, the bimetallic strip deforms to push the microswitch to a draw bar of the tripping mechanism. In this case, in order to avoid the rotation of the drawbar, it is necessary to ensure that the force applied to the drawbar by the microswitch passes through the axial center of the drawbar. This requires an additional mechanism for allowing the rotation of the microswitch, which increases the complexity of the structure. In addition, the weight and volume of the microswitch are large, so that the weight to be pushed by the bimetallic strip is increased, and the sensitivity of the alarm mechanism is reduced. In addition, since one micro switch is required for each phase circuit, the cost is greatly increased. Chinese patent application cn201520107798.x discloses a molded case circuit breaker overload alarm non-tripping device, in which a micro switch is fixed on a circuit breaker middle cover. In a practical embodiment, in an overheat state, the micro switch is actuated to be closed to generate an alarm signal, and the alarm signal is output to the outside of the molded case circuit breaker through a lead to be provided for an alarm source. Because micro-gap switch is fixed and is covered in, in the maintenance process, inconvenient regulation check-up, structural stability is poor moreover. In addition, the patent application is also output to the outside of the molded case circuit breaker through a wire, and similar to the chinese patent application CN201120061423.6, the length of the wire selected for outputting a signal to the outside of the molded case circuit breaker cannot be suitable for all user requirements, so that the mode is inconvenient for users to wire, and the risk that the wire is wound around a moving part inside the wire and is damaged in the production, transportation and installation processes is brought.

In addition, the circuit breaker in the above patent application is all applied to the single-breakpoint molded case circuit breaker with a single function and unadjustable thermomagnetic performance, and can not be applied to the double-breakpoint circuit breaker with more compact structure and multiple functions and capable of realizing thermomagnetic performance adjustment.

Therefore, it is desirable to provide an operating lever and a circuit breaker using the same that can overcome the above technical problems.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

In view of the above, embodiments of the present disclosure provide an improved operation lever and a circuit breaker using the same to at least partially solve the above-mentioned problems in the prior art. The operating rod has a simple structure, and realizes the function of overload alarm but no tripping; the operating rod is suitable for both single-breakpoint circuit breakers and double-breakpoint molded case circuit breakers. In addition, the circuit breaker using the operating rod has a simple and compact structure, and the overall size of the circuit breaker cannot be increased; in addition, the circuit breaker can realize the function of regulating thermomagnetic, has simple wiring mode and convenient use, and can avoid the risk of winding moving parts inside the lead and the damage of the lead in the production, transportation and installation processes.

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, an operating lever for a circuit breaker is provided. This action bars includes: the alarm rod comprises a first body and an alarm trigger piece arranged on the first body, wherein the alarm trigger piece is configured to trigger an alarm when a heating element is in an overheat state when overcurrent occurs in the circuit breaker; and a trip bar comprising a second body and a trip trigger disposed on the second body, the trip trigger configured to trigger tripping of the circuit breaker upon occurrence of a short circuit current in the circuit breaker, the second body comprising a slot adapted to receive at least a portion of the first body of the alarm bar, and at least a portion of the first body of the alarm bar being rotatable relative to the slot.

By such an arrangement, the alarm lever and the trip lever can be compactly arranged and can be rotated relative to each other, achieving the function of alarming without tripping. In addition, the structure also enables the operating rod to be applied to a single-breakpoint circuit breaker and a multi-breakpoint circuit breaker, such as a double-breakpoint molded case circuit breaker.

In some embodiments, the first body includes a first through-hole disposed along the axial direction; the second body comprises a second through hole arranged along the axial direction; and the lever further includes a common shaft passing through the first and second through holes such that the alarm lever and the trip lever are coaxially connected. In such an embodiment, by coaxially connecting the alarm lever and the trip lever using a common shaft, the connection between the two is made more compact while facilitating rotation of the two relative to each other.

In some embodiments, the lever further includes an alarm reset mechanism coupled to the common shaft and the first body and configured to reset the first body when a heat generating element within the circuit breaker is not in an over-temperature state. In such an embodiment, the alarm reset mechanism can be employed to automatically reset the alarm lever in normal operation.

In some embodiments, the alarm reset mechanism includes a reset torsion spring disposed about a common axis and coupled to the first body. In such an embodiment, the alarm lever can be reset in a simple and reliable manner.

In some embodiments, the alarm lever further comprises at least one adjustment member disposed on the first body, the at least one adjustment member having an adjustment hole disposed therein, the adjustment hole receiving an adjustment screw adapted to be triggered when the heating element is in an overheat state upon the occurrence of an overcurrent in the circuit breaker, the adjustment screw being adjustable in insertion depth into the adjustment hole. In such an embodiment, the depth to which the adjustment screw is inserted into the adjustment hole can be adjusted, thereby achieving thermal adjustment of the operating rod in a simple and accurate manner.

According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a circuit breaker is provided. The circuit breaker includes: an operating lever according to a first aspect of the present disclosure; a housing comprising a sidewall; a bracket disposed within the housing and adapted to support the operating rod; the thermal alarm executing mechanism is arranged in the shell and is suitable for triggering the alarm rod; and a magnetic trip actuator disposed within the housing and adapted to trigger the trip bar.

The circuit breaker according to the second aspect of the present disclosure includes the operating lever according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, and thus can provide the same advantages. Furthermore, with the above arrangement, the operating lever can be simply and compactly arranged in the circuit breaker without increasing the overall size of the circuit breaker. In addition, such an arrangement allows only an alarm but not a trip when an overload fault occurs in the line, and an immediate trip when a short-circuit current or a short-circuit fault occurs in the line.

In some embodiments, the thermal alarm actuator comprises at least one heating element, at least one set of bimetallic strips and at least one trigger block corresponding to each other, the two ends of the at least one set of bimetallic strips are thermally coupled with the at least one heating element and the at least one trigger block respectively, and the at least one trigger block is adapted to actuate the alarm lever. In such an embodiment, actuation of the overheating alarm can be achieved with fewer components; furthermore, the individual elements can be manufactured in a standardized manner.

In some embodiments, the magnetic adjusting rod is arranged in the shell; one end of the magnetic adjusting spring is connected with the magnetic adjusting rod, and the other end of the magnetic adjusting spring is connected with the magnetic tripping actuating mechanism; and the magnetic adjusting knob is arranged on the bracket and is suitable for operating the magnetic adjusting rod to adjust the deformation amount of the magnetic adjusting spring. In such an embodiment, the magnetic adjustment of the circuit breaker can be achieved with fewer components; furthermore, the individual elements can be manufactured in a standardized manner.

In some embodiments, a microswitch is also included, connected to the bracket and adapted to turn on or off in response to activation of the alarm trigger; and a wire connection portion disposed within the housing and coupled to the micro switch. In the embodiment, the microswitch is connected to the bracket, so that the circuit breaker is convenient to adjust and check, and the stability of the structure is improved; in addition, the wiring part is arranged in the shell, the length of the wire is not needed to be considered, the wiring of a user is easy, and the risk that the circuit breaker cannot work due to the fact that moving parts are wound inside the wire and the wire is damaged in the production, transportation and installation processes to cause difficulty in installation can be avoided.

In some embodiments, the wire connection portion includes: a first sub-connector comprising a connection pin and a slot, the connection pin being coupled to the micro-switch; and the second sub-connector comprises a pin suitable for being inserted into the slot and a connector port suitable for being externally connected with an alarm device. In such an embodiment, the wire connection portions can be assembled and coupled in a simple and reliable manner, and the presence of exposed electric wires is avoided; in addition, the arrangement of the second sub-connector enables the matched connection port to be replaced according to the needs of different alarm devices.

In some embodiments, the micro switch comprises: the reed is suitable for being triggered by the alarm trigger piece to switch on or switch off the microswitch; and a switch pin adapted to be coupled to the wiring pin of the first sub-connector. In such an embodiment, a simple and standardized wiring scheme can be provided, making assembly and wiring more convenient.

In some embodiments, the wiring portion further includes a PCB board through which the wiring pin is coupled to the switch pin. In such an embodiment, the electrical connection of the microswitch and the connector can be easily and reliably achieved using the PCB board.

In some embodiments, the PCB board includes: the switch connecting hole is arranged on the PCB and is coupled with the switch pin; and a connector connection hole provided on the PCB board and coupled with the connection pin. In such an embodiment, the microswitch and the electrical connector can be mounted to the PCB board in a simple hole connection.

The summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. The summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the disclosure, nor is it intended 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 exploded view of a circuit breaker including an operating lever according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of an alarm lever according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of a return torsion spring according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of a trip bar according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of a micro-switch according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram of a first sub-connector according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 shows a schematic diagram of a second sub-connector according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; and

fig. 8 shows a schematic diagram of a PCB board according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. While the preferred 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 to 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.

The term "include" and variations thereof as used herein is meant to be inclusive in an open-ended manner, 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". The term "another embodiment" means "at least one additional embodiment". The terms "first," "second," and the like may refer to different or the same object. Other explicit and implicit definitions are also possible below.

The structure and operation of the operating lever and the circuit breaker according to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to fig. 1 to 8.

Fig. 1 shows an exploded view of a circuit breaker 100 including an operating lever 5. In general, the circuit breaker 100 may include a case 1, a cradle 3, an operating lever 5, a thermal alarm actuator 7, a magnetic trip actuator 9, a magnetic tuning portion 6, and a wiring portion 8. The thermal alarm actuator 7 includes a heating element 75. The space defined by the housing 1 can be used for accommodating the bracket 3, the operating rod 5, the thermal alarm actuator 7, the magnetic tripping actuator 9, the magnetic adjusting part 6 and the wiring part 8. In this way, the case 1 and the respective components housed therein can be assembled together to form the circuit breaker 100.

Hereinafter, an exemplary structure and embodiment of the operation lever 5 will be described first with reference to fig. 1 to 4.

The operating lever 5 shown in fig. 1 is a schematic view of the alarm lever 51 and trip lever 53 assembled according to one embodiment. Referring to fig. 1, the alarm lever 51 and the trip lever 53 may be coupled together to form the operation lever 5, wherein the alarm lever 51 and the trip lever 53 may be rotated relative to each other without interfering with each other. Wherein, the alarm rod 51 and the thermal alarm actuator 7 are correspondingly arranged, and when the circuit breaker 100 is overheated, the thermal alarm actuator 7 can actuate the alarm rod 51. The trip lever 53 is disposed corresponding to the magnetic trip actuator 9, and when the short circuit current occurs to the circuit breaker 100, the magnetic trip actuator 9 actuates the trip lever 53, so that the circuit breaker 100 is tripped. In such an embodiment, alarm lever 51 and trip lever 53 may be compactly arranged and may enable alarm but not trip functionality. Alternatively or additionally, the operating rod 5 may also comprise a common shaft 55, and the common shaft 55 may extend through the operating rod 55 in the axial direction. Alarm lever 51 and trip lever 53 may be rotated about a common axis 55 to effect relative rotation. In such an embodiment, the provision of a common shaft 55 makes assembly of alarm lever 51 and trip lever 53 easier.

According to one embodiment, referring to fig. 1, the operating lever 5 may further include a warning reset mechanism 57 for resetting the warning lever 51 when a heat generating element 75 within the circuit breaker is not in an overheated state. In such an embodiment, the alarm reset mechanism 57 can be employed to automatically reset the alarm lever 51 during normal operation of the circuit breaker. In one embodiment, the alarm reset mechanism 57 may be disposed about a common axis 55 and may be coupled to the alarm lever 51. In such an embodiment, the alarm resetting mechanism 57 may maintain the alarm lever 51 at the initial position if the heating element 75 is not in the overheated state, and after the alarm lever 51 is rotated due to overheating of the heating element 75, the alarm resetting mechanism 57 may gradually restore the alarm lever 51 to the initial position as heat is dissipated.

As shown in fig. 2, particularly, according to one embodiment, the alarm lever 51 may include a first body 517, and an alarm triggering member 513 may be disposed on the first body 517, for triggering an alarm by rotation of the alarm lever 51 when an overcurrent occurs in the circuit breaker to trigger the heating element 75 (shown in fig. 1) in an overheat state. In one embodiment, the first body 517 may be opened with a first through hole 516 along the axial direction, and the first through hole 516 may penetrate through the first body 517 in the axial direction. In such embodiments, first through-hole 516 may allow common shaft 55 to pass through first body 517 from first through-hole 516, simplifying the assembly steps.

In one embodiment, the first body 517 may define a recess 512 for receiving the alarm reset mechanism 57. The alarm reset mechanism 57 may be coupled to the recess 512 to allow the alarm lever 51 to be held under normal conditions and reset the alarm lever 51 when the overheating dissipates. In such an embodiment, the alarm reset mechanism 57 may be better secured, increasing the stability of the structure. It should be noted that the location of the recess 512 in fig. 2 is merely exemplary, and the recess 512 may be provided at any possible location on the first body 517 as long as the alarm resetting mechanism 57 can be accommodated and does not interfere with other components.

In one embodiment, the first body 517 may further include at least one adjustment piece 511, the at least one adjustment piece 511 being disposed on the first body 517 and including an adjustment hole 515. The at least one adjuster 511 may be disposed on the first body 517 in any suitable manner. The adjustment hole 515 may be used to receive an adjustment screw 519 (shown in fig. 1), which adjustment screw 519 may be configured to be triggered when an overcurrent occurs within the circuit breaker 100 causing the heat generating element 75 to be in an overheat state. The adjustment screw 519 may be engaged with the adjustment hole 515 by a threaded connection and the insertion depth of the adjustment screw in the adjustment hole 515 may be adjustable. In such an embodiment, the length of the deflection stroke of the bimetal in the circuit breaker can be adjusted in a simple operation manner to achieve thermal adjustment. It should be noted that the adjustment screw 519 and the adjustment hole 55 are merely exemplary, and any suitable adjustment member may be adapted for use with the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 2, the alarm triggering member 513 and the at least one adjusting member 511 may be disposed co-planarly in a radial direction of the first body 517. That is, the alarm triggering member 513 and the at least one adjusting member 511 may be disposed on the same side of the first body 517 and at the same distance from the first body 517. In such an embodiment, the alarm lever 51 can be made more compact and easy to manufacture.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic view of a return torsion spring according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. According to one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the alarm reset mechanism 57 may be a reset torsion spring 571, and the reset torsion spring 571 may include a spring body 573, a first pin 575, and a second pin 577. The spring body 573 may be disposed within the recess 512 of the first body 517, and the common shaft 55 may pass through the spring body 573. In such an embodiment, the fixation of the return torsion spring 571 to the first body 517 can be achieved in a simple manner. Of course, the alarm reset mechanism 57 may be other reset mechanisms used in the art, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

With continued reference to fig. 3, according to one embodiment, the first pin 575 may be retained within a retaining groove 33 (described in more detail below) of the bracket 3 as shown in fig. 1 such that the first pin 575 of the return torsion spring 571 is secured to the bracket 3. And the second pin 577 of the return torsion spring 571 may be coupled to the first body 517 in a suitable manner. Specifically, it may be coupled to a cross arm additionally provided to the first body 517. In such an embodiment, the fixation of the return torsion spring 571 in the radial direction of the first body 517 can be achieved in a simple manner. It should be noted that, the disclosure does not limit the specific coupling position and coupling manner, and any manner capable of fixedly coupling the second pin 577 to the first body 517 is applicable.

Fig. 4 shows a schematic view of a trip bar according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 4, in one example embodiment, the trip lever 53 may include a second body 537, the second body 537 may be open with a slot 531, the slot 531 adapted to receive at least a portion of the first body 517 of the warning lever 51, and at least a portion of the first body 517 of the warning lever 51 may be rotatable relative to the slot 531. In such an embodiment, it is possible to make the alarm lever 51 and the trip lever 53 compactly arranged, and to realize the function of alarming without tripping. Further, such an operating lever 5 can be applied to both a single-break circuit breaker and a multi-break circuit breaker (such as a double-break molded case circuit breaker). The second body 537 may be provided with a trip trigger 533, and the trip trigger 533 is configured to trigger the circuit breaker 100 to trip when a short-circuit current occurs in the circuit breaker 100. Specifically, when a short-circuit current occurs in any phase of the line, the magnetic trip actuator 9 acts to push the trip trigger 533 on the trip rod 53, so that the trip rod 53 rotates, and the trip rod 53 releases the holding effect on the trip device of the circuit breaker 100, resulting in a trip action. In the art, a trip unit may also be referred to as a trip unit. In embodiments according to the present disclosure, the trip action may also be referred to as a trip action. Wherein the implementation of the trip operation may be in other manners known in the art or available in the future, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

In an example embodiment, the trip bar 53 may further include a second through hole 536, and the second through hole 536 may extend through the second body 537 in the axial direction. In this way, the second through-hole may allow the common shaft 55 to pass through the second body 537 from the second through-hole 536, thereby simplifying the assembly step.

With the above arrangement, the operation lever 5 is assembled in the axial direction by means of the coaxial connection by the common shaft 55 sequentially passing through the first through hole 516, the spring body 573 of the return torsion spring 571, and the second through hole 536. The operating rod 5 in the embodiment has simple structure, and realizes the function of preventing tripping of overload alarm; the circuit breaker is suitable for single-breakpoint and double-breakpoint molded case circuit breakers; and the alarm lever 51 is provided with a thermally adjustable element so that a thermally adjustable function can be realized.

With continued reference to fig. 1, in the circuit breaker 100 shown in fig. 1, the housing 1 includes a side wall 11, and both ends of the operating lever 5 may be disposed on the opposite side wall 11, according to one embodiment. For example, the opposite side walls 11 may be provided with corresponding mounting holes 13. The common shaft 55 may be connected at both ends to the corresponding fitting holes 13, respectively. The fitting hole 13 may be provided as a through hole or a recess. In such an embodiment, the operating lever 5 is rotatably fixed to the side wall 11. Further, since the common shaft 55 and the fitting hole 13 have a fitting clearance, the heat radiation performance of the operation lever 5 when the circuit breaker 100 is overheated can be improved.

Referring to fig. 1, the operating lever 5 is supported on a cradle 3 located within the circuit breaker 100. The contact surface of the bracket 3 supporting the operating rod 5 is adapted to the outer contour of the operating rod 5. In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, the contact surface is substantially circular. In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, the bracket 3 is fixed in the gap between the thermal alarm actuator 9 and the wall of the housing 1 on which the trip unit is arranged. The bracket 3 can thereby provide support for the operating rod 5. It should be noted that the position and fixing manner of the bracket 3 are not limited in the present disclosure, and those skilled in the art can make any reasonable changes to the position and fixing manner of the bracket 3, for example, the fixing manner may be any other suitable manner such as welding, clamping, plugging into the sidewall 11, directly placing on the base, and the like.

In an embodiment according to the present disclosure, a thermal alarm actuator 7 located within the housing 1 is adapted to trigger an alarm lever 51. In one embodiment, referring to fig. 1, the thermal alarm actuator 7 includes at least one heating element 75, at least one set of bimetal strips 71 and at least one trigger block 73, which correspond to each other. At least one set of bimetal strips 71 is thermally coupled to at least one heating element 75 and the at least one trigger block 73 at two ends. In an exemplary embodiment, the at least one heat generating element 75 is located at a bottom portion of the housing 1, and the at least one set of bi-metallic strips 73 is thermally coupled to the at least one heat generating element 75 at the bottom portion and extends upwardly within the housing 1 at an angle, such as approximately 90 degrees, although any other suitable angle is possible. At least one set of bimetal strips 73 may be thermally coupled to at least one trigger block 73 at a height position of at least one adjusting piece 511 extending substantially to the operation lever 5. Thereby, at least one set of bimetal strips 73 is bent by the heating of at least one heating element 75, causing at least one trigger block 73 to push the alarm lever 51 to rotate. In such an embodiment, actuation of the overheating alarm can be achieved with fewer components; furthermore, the individual elements can be manufactured in a standardized manner.

Referring to fig. 1, according to one embodiment, a magnetic alarm actuator 9 may be disposed on a side of the housing 1 adjacent to the thermal alarm actuator 7 and may be positioned above at least one heating element 75 of the thermal alarm actuator 7. In such an embodiment, the arrangement of the circuit breaker 100 can be made more compact. The magnetic alarm actuator 9 is also adapted to trigger the trip bar 53 to rotate in the presence of a short circuit current, so that the circuit breaker 100 trips to cut off the current. The magnetic alarm executing mechanism 9 may adopt a solenoid structure, and when the current passing through the solenoid is too large, it generates a strong electromagnetic force, and may trigger the trip triggering member 533 through the traction mechanism, so that the circuit breaker is tripped. In such embodiments, the circuit breaker 100 may implement the trip function via electromagnetic induction.

With continued reference to fig. 1, according to one embodiment, the magnetic tuning part 6 may include a magnetic tuning rod 65 disposed within the housing 1; a magnetic adjusting spring 63, one end of which is connected with the magnetic adjusting rod 65 and the other end is connected with the magnetic tripping actuator 9; and a magnetic adjustment knob 61 provided on the bracket 3 and adapted to operate the magnetic adjustment lever 65 to adjust the amount of deformation of the magnetic adjustment spring 63. By arranging the magnetic adjusting knob 61 on the bracket 3, the layout of the circuit breaker is more compact. Of course, the magnetic adjustment knob 3 may also be provided on the housing 1. In fact, any fixing means capable of changing the deformation amount of the magnetic adjusting spring 63 by the adjusting knob is possible, and the present disclosure does not limit this. In such an embodiment, magnetic adjustment of the circuit breaker can be achieved with fewer components; moreover, the individual elements can be manufactured in a standardized manner.

With continued reference to fig. 1, according to one embodiment, the entire electrical connection 8 can be fixed to the support 3, which can be realized by means of hole plugging, splicing or bolting, etc. The electrical connection portion 8 may include a microswitch 81 and a wiring portion 83. The microswitch 81 may be connected to the stand 3 and adapted to be switched on or off in response to the triggering of the alarm trigger 513. When in the on state, the microswitch 81 may issue an alarm signal. Of course, the microswitch 81 can also be provided in other ways, for example directly fixed to the support 3 or attached to the support 3 in any other suitable way, such as by welding, plugging, splicing or joggling. The wire portion 83 may be disposed within the housing 1 and electrically coupled to the micro switch 81. The electrical coupling of the wire portion 83 and the micro switch 81 can be achieved in various ways, such as directly via a wire, coupled by any conductive medium, for example, connected through a circuit board such as a PCB. In such an embodiment, the microswitch 81 is connected to the support 3, facilitating the adjustment and verification of the circuit breaker and improving the stability of the structure; also, the wiring portion 83 is provided in the housing 1, so that it is possible to make no consideration of the length of the wire, so that the user can directly connect the wire to the wiring portion in the housing, thereby making wiring easy. Moreover, the risk that the breaker cannot work due to the fact that moving parts are wound inside the wires and the wires are broken in the production, transportation and installation processes to cause difficulty in installation can be avoided.

The specific structure of the electrical connection portion 8 will be described in detail below with reference to fig. 5 to 8.

Fig. 5 shows a schematic diagram of a micro-switch according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 5, in one exemplary embodiment, microswitch 81 may include a reed 811 adapted to be triggered by alarm trigger 513 to turn microswitch 81 on or off; and a switch pin 813 adapted to be coupled to the wiring pin 213 of the first sub-connector 21 (shown in fig. 6). In this embodiment, spring plate 811 is adapted to contact alarm trigger 513 when at least one set of bimetallic strips 73 is deflected by heat to actuate alarm lever 51. Under normal operating conditions, however, leaf 811 can be in an open position without being affected by alarm trigger 513. In such an embodiment, a simple and standardized wiring pattern can be provided, making assembly and wiring easier. The micro switch 81 may also be any other suitable form of switch to achieve the corresponding function, and the disclosure is not limited thereto.

Fig. 6 and 7 show schematic diagrams of a first sub-connector 21 and a second sub-connector 23, respectively, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In one example embodiment, the first sub-connector 21 may be a female connector, the second sub-connector 23 may be a male connector, and the first sub-connector 21 and the second sub-connector 23 may be mated by plugging. In such an embodiment, the wire connecting portions can be assembled and coupled in a simple manner while avoiding the presence of exposed electric wires.

In other embodiments, the first sub-connector 21 may be a male connector and the second sub-connector 23 may be a female connector. In other embodiments, the first sub-connector 21 can be mated with the second sub-connector 23 in other manners, such as snap-fit, joggle, or post-connection.

As shown in fig. 6, in an example embodiment, the first sub-connector 21 may include a connection pin 213 and a socket 211, the connection pin 213 being coupled to the micro-switch 81. In one embodiment, the wiring pin 213 may be coupled to a switch pin 813 of the micro switch 81. In this embodiment, the outer profile of the first sub-connector 21 is a rectangular parallelepiped structure. In such an embodiment, a simple and convenient wiring manner is realized. Of course, any other suitable wiring and volume configuration is possible and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

As shown in fig. 7, in an example embodiment, the second sub-connector 23 may include a pin 233 adapted to be inserted into the insertion slot 211 and a connection port 231 adapted to externally connect an alarm device. The pins 233 are adapted to be inserted into the insertion grooves 211 of the first sub-connector 21, which facilitates easy assembly. The wire connection port 231 may be provided on another side than the side of the pins 233 that interface with the slots 211, and in one embodiment is a standardized wire connection port. In this embodiment, the outer profile of the second sub-connector 23 is also a rectangular parallelepiped structure corresponding to the first sub-connector 21. In such an embodiment, the wiring of the user can be made easier, and this can also avoid the risk that the circuit breaker cannot work due to the winding of moving parts inside the wires and the installation is difficult due to the breakage of the wires during the production, transportation and installation processes.

Fig. 8 shows a schematic diagram of a PCB board according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The wiring portion 83 may further include a PCB board, and the wiring pin 213 is coupled to the switch pin 813 through the PCB board 831, and in such an embodiment, the electrical coupling may be achieved in a simple manner. In one embodiment, the PCB panel 831 may be bolted or hole/tenon plugged to the bracket 3.

Referring to fig. 8, in one embodiment, the PCB panel 831 may include a switch connection hole 833 and a connector connection hole 835 disposed on the PCB panel 831. The switch connection hole 833 may be coupled to the switch pin 813, and the connector connection hole 835 may be coupled to the connection pin 213. In one embodiment, the process of connecting the pins to the PCB board may be performed by soldering, although any suitable means, such as adhesion and wire bonding, are possible. In such an embodiment, the microswitch and the connector can be made to be implemented in a manner convenient to operate. It should be noted that the PCB 831 is optional, and the micro switch 81 and the wiring portion 83 may be coupled by any other means capable of electrically conducting, such as wire connection.

The operating rod based on the scheme of the disclosure has a simple structure, and can realize the function of overload alarm but no tripping; the operating rod is suitable for both single-breakpoint circuit breakers and double-breakpoint molded case circuit breakers. In addition, the circuit breaker using the operating rod has a simple and compact structure, and the overall size of the circuit breaker cannot be increased; in addition, the circuit breaker can realize the function of regulating thermomagnetic, has simple wiring mode and convenient use, and can avoid the risk of winding moving parts inside the lead and the damage of the lead in the production, transportation and installation processes.

Having described embodiments of the present disclosure, the foregoing description is intended to be exemplary, not exhaustive, and not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen in order to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application, or improvements made to the technology in the marketplace, or to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims (13)

1. An operating lever (5) for a circuit breaker (100), comprising:

an alarm lever (51) comprising a first body (517) and an alarm trigger (513) disposed on the first body (517), the alarm trigger (513) configured to trigger an alarm when a heating element is in an overheat state upon occurrence of an overcurrent within the circuit breaker (100); and

-a trip lever (53) comprising a second body (537) and a trip trigger (533) arranged on the second body (537), the trip trigger (533) being configured to trigger tripping of the circuit breaker (100) upon occurrence of a short circuit current within the circuit breaker (100), the second body (537) comprising a slot (531), the slot (531) being adapted to receive at least a portion of the first body (517) of the alarm lever (51), and the at least a portion of the first body (517) of the alarm lever (51) being rotatable relative to the slot (531).

2. The lever (5) according to claim 1,

the first body (517) comprises a first through hole (516) arranged in an axial direction;

the second body (537) comprises a second through hole (536) arranged in the axial direction; and is

The operating lever (5) further comprises a common shaft (55), the common shaft (55) passing through the first through hole (516) and the second through hole (536) so that the alarm lever (51) and the trip lever (53) are coaxially connected.

3. The lever (5) of claim 2, further comprising an alarm reset mechanism (57), the alarm reset mechanism (57) being coupled to the common shaft (55) and the first body (517) and configured to reset the first body (517) when a heat generating element within the circuit breaker (100) is not in the over-temperature state.

4. The lever (5) according to claim 3, characterized in that the alarm return mechanism (57) comprises a return torsion spring (571), the return torsion spring (571) being arranged around the common axis (55) and being coupled to the first body (517).

5. The operating lever (5) according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said alarm lever (51) further comprises at least one adjustment member (511) provided on said first body (517), said at least one adjustment member (511) being provided with an adjustment hole (515), said adjustment hole (515) receiving an adjustment screw (519) adapted to be triggered when a heating element is brought to said overheated state in the presence of an overcurrent in said circuit breaker (100), the insertion depth of said adjustment screw (519) in said adjustment hole (515) being adjustable.

6. A circuit breaker (100) comprising:

operating lever (5) according to any of claims 1-5;

a housing (1);

a bracket (3), said bracket (3) being arranged within said housing (1) and being adapted to support said operating lever (5);

a thermal alarm actuator (7) arranged inside the housing (1) and adapted to activate the alarm lever (51); and

a magnetic trip actuator (9) disposed within the housing (1) and adapted to trigger the trip bar (53).

7. The circuit breaker (100) according to claim 6, characterized in that said thermal alarm actuator (7) comprises at least one heat generating element (75), at least one set of bimetallic strips (71) and at least one triggering block (73) corresponding to each other, said at least one set of bimetallic strips (71) being thermally coupled at both ends respectively to said at least one heat generating element (75) and to said at least one triggering block (73), said at least one triggering block (73) being adapted to actuate said alarm lever (51).

8. The circuit breaker (100) of claim 6, further comprising:

a magnetic tuning rod (65) arranged in the housing (1);

a magnetic adjusting spring (63), one end of which is connected with the magnetic adjusting rod (65) and the other end of which is connected with the magnetic tripping actuating mechanism (9); and

a magnetic adjustment knob (61) provided on the bracket (3) and adapted to operate the magnetic adjustment lever (65) to adjust the amount of deformation of the magnetic adjustment spring (63).

9. The circuit breaker (100) of any of claims 6-8, further comprising:

a microswitch (81) connected to the bracket (3) and adapted to be switched on or off in response to the triggering of the alarm trigger (513); and

a wire connection portion (83) disposed within the housing (1) and coupled to the microswitch (81).

10. The circuit breaker (100) of claim 9 wherein said wire connection portion (83) comprises:

a first sub-connector (21) comprising a connection pin (213) and a socket (211), the connection pin (213) being coupled to the micro-switch (81); and

and the second sub-connector (23) comprises a pin (233) suitable for being inserted into the slot (211) and a wiring port (231) suitable for being externally connected with an alarm device.

11. The circuit breaker (100) of claim 10 wherein said microswitch (81) comprises:

a reed (811) adapted to be triggered by the alarm trigger (513) to turn on or off the micro switch (81); and

a switch pin (813) adapted to be coupled to the wiring pin (213) of the first sub-connector (21).

12. The circuit breaker (100) of claim 11 wherein said wiring portion (83) further comprises a PCB board (831), said wiring pin (213) being coupled to said switch pin (813) through said PCB board (831).

13. The circuit breaker (100) of claim 12 wherein said PCB board (831) comprises:

a switch connection hole (833) provided on the PCB board (831) and coupled with the switch pin (813); and

an connector connection hole (835) provided on the PCB board (831) and coupled with the wiring pin (213).

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