CN219643427U - Interlocking mechanism and low-voltage cabinet drawer - Google Patents

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an interlock mechanism and a low-voltage cabinet drawer. The interlocking mechanism is applicable to low-voltage cabinet drawer and includes: the bracket is suitable for being fixed in the drawer of the low-voltage cabinet; a handle extension rotatably coupled to the bracket, the first end being coupleable to a handle of a circuit breaker in a low-voltage cabinet drawer, the circuit breaker being switched between open and closed states by rotating between an initial angle and a terminal angle; the rotary piece is fixedly coupled with the handle extension piece and performs rotary motion along with the handle extension piece; a movable member movably coupled to the bracket for linear movement between first and second positions upon rotational movement of the rotary member; the movable member does not block the unlocking member of the low-voltage cabinet drawer at the first position to allow the unlocking member to move so as to release the movement restriction of the low-voltage cabinet drawer, and blocks the unlocking member at the second position to block the unlocking member from moving so as to enable the unlocking member to keep the movement restriction of the low-voltage cabinet drawer. According to the scheme, the interlocking of the operation of the circuit breaker and the drawer of the low-voltage cabinet can be reliably realized, and the electricity safety is ensured.

Description

Interlocking mechanism and low-voltage cabinet drawer

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to the field of electrical equipment, and more particularly, to an interlock mechanism and a low-voltage cabinet drawer.

Background

The low-voltage cabinet drawer (or referred to as low-voltage drawer) is widely used for power transmission, distribution and electric energy conversion. The low-voltage cabinet drawer is internally provided with power control equipment such as a breaker. Low-voltage cabinet drawers are typically in a push-pull format to facilitate maintenance of the power control equipment within them. For safety reasons, it is necessary to limit the movement of the drawer of the low-voltage cabinet. Because, if the circuit breaker is in the switch-on state, remove the low-voltage cabinet drawer, can lead to the wiring end department of primary electric power to produce electric arc, cause the potential safety hazard. It is therefore necessary to provide an interlock mechanism so that the movement of the drawer of the low-voltage cabinet is correlated to the state of the circuit breaker. Certain conditions need to be met to allow the corresponding operation to be performed. For example, the low-voltage cabinet drawer can only be moved if the circuit breaker is powered off, thereby ensuring safe operation.

In the known solutions, the structure of the interlocking mechanism is complex, costly and inconvenient to install and maintain.

Disclosure of Invention

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an interlock mechanism to address at least one of the above and other potential problems of the prior art.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an interlock mechanism adapted for use with a low-voltage cabinet drawer, the interlock mechanism comprising: the bracket is suitable for being fixed in the drawer of the low-voltage cabinet; a handle extension rotatably coupled to the bracket, and a first end of the handle extension adapted to be coupled to a handle of a circuit breaker within a low-voltage cabinet drawer to switch the circuit breaker between an open state and a closed state by rotating between an initial angle and a terminal angle; a swivel member fixedly coupled to the handle extension member and configured to perform a rotational movement as the handle extension member rotates; and a movable member movably coupled to the bracket and configured to move linearly between a first position and a second position under the influence of the rotational movement of the rotating member; wherein the movable member does not block the unlocking member of the low-voltage cabinet drawer at the first position to allow the unlocking member to move to release the movement restriction of the low-voltage cabinet drawer, and blocks the unlocking member at the second position to block the unlocking member from moving so that the unlocking member maintains the movement restriction of the low-voltage cabinet drawer.

In the above embodiment, the rotation of the handle extension member is converted into the linear movement of the movable member between the first position and the second position by the rotary member, so that the interlocking between the operation of the circuit breaker and the operation of the low-voltage cabinet drawer can be reliably realized, and the electrical safety is ensured.

In some embodiments, the moveable member comprises: an engagement portion movably coupled to the bracket and configured to be adapted to move the movable member between a first position and a second position along a first direction as the rotary member rotates; and a stopper configured to not block movement of the unlocking member when the movable member is in the first position, but block movement of the unlocking member when the movable member is in the second position.

In the above embodiment, the engagement portion is movably coupled to the bracket, so that the movable member moves linearly between the first position and the second position along with the rotation of the rotating member, so that the limit portion can block the movement of the unlocking member or allow the unlocking member to move, thereby enabling the operation of the circuit breaker to be associated with the movement of the low-voltage cabinet drawer, and realizing the interlocking, so as to ensure the safety of the operation.

In some embodiments, the rotating member is a cam, and the rim shape of the cam is configured to urge the movable member from the first position to the second position when the cam rotates from the initial angle to the final angle.

In the above embodiment, the rotary member is a cam, and the rotational movement of the cam can be converted into the linear movement of the movable member due to the rim shape of the cam. Thus, the operation of the circuit breaker and the movement of the drawer of the low-voltage cabinet are interlocked by a simple structure.

In some embodiments, the moveable member comprises: a shoulder extending in a second direction that is angled from the first direction is configured to mate with the rim of the cam as the cam rotates to cause the movable member to move in the first direction.

In the above-described embodiment, by providing the shoulder portion on the movable member, the movement of the movable member can be reliably urged by interaction with the cam when the cam rotates.

In some embodiments, a first opening is provided in the bracket; the movable member further includes a guide coupled with the shoulder; the guide portion cooperates with the first opening such that the movable member is guided to move in the first direction when the shoulder portion is pushed by the rim of the cam.

In the above-described embodiment, the movable member is reliably guided to move in the first direction by the guide portion being engaged with the first opening when the shoulder portion is pushed by the rim of the cam.

In some embodiments, the width of the shoulder in the third direction is greater than the width of the guide in the third direction; the first opening includes a first portion at one end in the first direction and a second portion at the other end in the first direction, wherein a width of the second portion in the third direction is greater than a width of the first portion in the third direction such that the shoulder can pass through the first opening through the second portion of the first opening; and a width of the first portion of the first opening in the third direction is smaller than a width of the shoulder in the third direction, and the guide is located in the first portion of the first opening when the movable member is in the first position; wherein the third direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

In the above-described embodiment, by setting the dimensions of the shoulder and the first opening, the shoulder can be made to ensure that the guide is held in the first opening when the guide slides in the first opening.

In some embodiments, the interlock mechanism further comprises: and an elastic member disposed on the bracket and configured to be coupled with the movable member to apply an elastic force to the movable member such that the movable member is pushed from the second position to the first position during rotation of the rotary member from the end angle to the initial angle.

In the above embodiment, by providing the elastic member on the bracket, the restoring force can be provided to the movable member during the rotation of the rotary member from the end angle to the initial angle, so that the movable member returns to the first position to allow the unlocking member to move.

In some embodiments, the engagement portion of the moveable member further comprises: a contact portion configured to abut against one end of the elastic member so as to interact with the elastic member

In the above-described embodiment, by providing the contact portion on the engaging portion, the engaging portion can be made to reliably interact with the elastic member.

In some embodiments, the stent further comprises: a second opening; and a fixing rod extending from one side of the second opening in the first direction; the elastic piece is arranged on the fixed rod, and the contact part penetrates through the second opening, so that when the rotary piece rotates from the end angle to the initial angle, the elastic piece pushes the contact part of the movable piece to move to the first position.

In the above embodiment, by providing the fixing lever in the bracket, the elastic member can be firmly fixed.

In some embodiments, a groove is provided in the contact portion, the groove being configured to cooperate with the securing lever to guide movement of the contact portion along the first direction and to bring the contact portion into contact with the resilient member.

In the above embodiment, the contact portion can be reliably brought into contact with the elastic member by the groove engaging with the fixing lever.

In some embodiments, the engagement portion is provided with a stop slot extending in a first direction, the bracket is provided with a stop member, and the stop member is disposed in the stop slot, wherein the stop slot is configured such that when the stop slot is moved in the first direction to an end thereof abutting the stop member, the movable member is in the first position.

In the above embodiment, by providing the limit groove on the engaging portion, the movement range of the movable member can be limited, ensuring that the guide portion maintains the guide of the movable member.

According to another aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a low-voltage cabinet drawer comprising a circuit breaker and an interlock mechanism according to the first aspect.

In the embodiment, the interlocking mechanism is arranged in the low-voltage cabinet drawer, so that the interlocking between the operation of the circuit breaker and the operation of the low-voltage cabinet drawer can be reliably realized, and the electricity safety is ensured.

In some embodiments, the low-voltage cabinet drawer further comprises an unlocking member configured to hold or release a movement restriction of the low-voltage cabinet drawer; wherein the interlock mechanism is configured to move the movable member to the first position in response to rotation of the handle extension member in the first rotational direction to allow the unlocking member to move in a direction toward the movable member to thereby release the movement restriction of the low-voltage cabinet drawer by the unlocking member; and in response to rotation of the handle extension member in a second rotational direction opposite the first direction, the movable member moves to a second position to block movement of the unlocking member in a direction toward the movable member to maintain movement restriction of the low-voltage cabinet drawer by the unlocking member.

In the above-described embodiments, the interlocking of the operation of the circuit breaker and the moving operation of the low-voltage cabinet drawer is reliably achieved by the movable member being disengaged from the unlocking.

In some embodiments, the direction of movement of the unlocking member toward the direction of approach to the movable member is perpendicular to the first direction.

In the above embodiment, the moving direction of the unlocking member is perpendicular to the moving direction of the movable member, so that the movement of the unlocking member and the movement of the movable member can be correlated with each other, and a predetermined interlocking function can be realized.

As will be appreciated from the following description, the technical solutions implemented by the present disclosure can reliably implement interlocking between the operation of the circuit breaker and the operation of the low-voltage cabinet drawer, ensuring electrical safety.

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

Drawings

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic perspective view of an interlock mechanism according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates another angled perspective view of an interlock mechanism according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of an interlock mechanism in another state according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 illustrates an exploded view of an interlock mechanism according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates an internal structural schematic view of a low-voltage cabinet drawer according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure;

fig. 6 illustrates a schematic view of an interlock mechanism and an unlock mechanism in a circuit breaker closed state according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure;

fig. 7 illustrates a schematic view of an interlock mechanism and an unlock mechanism in a circuit breaker open state according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure; and

fig. 8 illustrates another schematic view of an interlock mechanism and an unlock mechanism in a circuit breaker open state according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

Like or corresponding reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Detailed Description

The principles of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to various exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings. It should be understood that these embodiments are merely provided to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and further practice the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. It should be noted that similar or identical reference numerals may be used, where possible, in the figures and similar or identical reference numerals may designate similar or identical functions. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the utility model described herein.

The term "comprising" and variations thereof as used herein means open ended, i.e., "including but not limited to. The term "or" means "and/or" unless specifically stated otherwise. 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.

As mentioned previously, it is necessary to provide an interlock mechanism so that movement of the low-voltage cabinet drawer is correlated to the state of the circuit breaker. Certain conditions need to be met to allow the corresponding operation to be performed. For example, the low-voltage cabinet drawer can only be moved if the circuit breaker is de-energized. And in the state that the breaker is closed, the drawer of the low-voltage cabinet is not allowed to move, so that safe operation is ensured.

In the known solutions, the structure of the interlocking mechanism is complex, costly and inconvenient to install and maintain.

Thus, there is a need for an improved solution for achieving reliable interlocking with a relatively simple structure.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an interlock mechanism. The interlocking mechanism is suitable for the drawer of the low-voltage cabinet. The interlock mechanism may include a bracket, a handle extension, a swivel member, and a movable member. The bracket is suitable for being fixed in the drawer of the low-voltage cabinet. The handle extension is rotatably coupled to the cradle and a first end of the handle extension is adapted to be coupled to a handle of a circuit breaker within a low-voltage cabinet drawer to switch the circuit breaker between an open state and a closed state by rotating between an initial angle and a terminal angle. The swivel member is fixedly coupled to the handle extension member for rotational movement with rotation of the handle extension member. The movable member is movably coupled to the bracket and moves linearly between a first position and a second position under the influence of rotational movement of the rotary member. The movable member does not block the unlocking member of the low-voltage cabinet drawer at the first position to allow the unlocking member to move to release the movement restriction of the low-voltage cabinet drawer, and blocks the unlocking member at the second position to block the unlocking member from moving so that the unlocking member maintains the movement restriction of the low-voltage cabinet drawer. In this way, by converting the rotational movement of the handle extension into a linear movement of the movable member between the first and second positions by the swivel member, an interlock between the operation of the circuit breaker and the movement of the low-voltage cabinet drawer can be reliably achieved, ensuring electrical safety.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Firstly, it should be noted that the function of the interlocking mechanism of the low-voltage cabinet drawer needs to meet the requirement that the low-voltage cabinet drawer is not allowed to be moved when the circuit breaker is in a closing state, and as mentioned above, the live operation has a potential safety hazard. And when the circuit breaker is in an open state, the low-voltage cabinet drawer is allowed to move. The low-voltage cabinet drawer typically has three designated positions, namely a working position, a test position, and an isolation position. When the low-voltage cabinet drawer is in the specified positions, the circuit breaker is allowed to be operated, namely, the operation of closing and opening the circuit breaker is allowed to be performed. And when the low-voltage cabinet drawer is at other positions, the operation of the circuit breaker is not allowed.

The circuit breaker itself generally has a pull-type handle for closing, opening, etc. operations of the circuit breaker. Circuit breakers may also typically be additionally provided with a rotatable handle structure coupled to the trigger handle for facilitating switching on, off, etc. operations by way of rotation.

An interlock mechanism according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail first with reference to fig. 1 to 4. FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic perspective view of an interlock mechanism according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 illustrates another angled perspective view of an interlock mechanism according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure; FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of an interlock mechanism in another state according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure; fig. 4 illustrates an exploded view of an interlock mechanism according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 1 and 2, the interlock mechanism 100 may generally include a bracket 102, a handle extension 104, a swivel member 106, and a movable member 108.

The handle extension 104 may be used to rotate the handle of the circuit breaker 154. That is, the handle extension 104 may be coupled to the handle of the circuit breaker 154, i.e., equivalent to extending the handle of the circuit breaker 154. For example, the circuit breaker 154 is initially in an open state, and closing of the circuit breaker 154 may be accomplished by rotating the handle extension 104. In this process, rotation of the handle extension 104 rotates the cam, which rotates the moveable member 108 from the first position to the second position. That is, the circuit breaker 154 is changed from the open state to the closed state. At this time, the limiting portion 112 of the movable member 108 blocks the unlocking member 156 from moving, so that the low-voltage cabinet drawer 200 cannot be unlocked. In other words, the low-voltage cabinet drawer 200 cannot be moved at this time. If the handle extension member 104 is rotated in the opposite direction, the movable member 108 moves upward by the return spring until it moves to the original position (first position). The movable member 108 no longer blocks the unlocking member 156 and the unlocking member 156 can move to unlock the low-voltage cabinet drawer 200. That is, the low-voltage cabinet drawer 200 may be moved in this case.

The bracket 102 is adapted to be secured within the low-voltage cabinet drawer 200. For example, the bracket 102 may be mounted immediately inside a panel of the low-voltage cabinet drawer 200 to facilitate manipulation of the handle extension 104 at the panel. Embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto, but may be disposed at other locations.

As previously mentioned, the breaker 154 handle may be operated in a rotational manner by the handle extension 104. The handle extension 104 is rotatably coupled to the bracket 102 and a first end 139 of the handle extension 104 is adapted to be coupled to a handle of the circuit breaker 154 within the low-voltage cabinet drawer 200. The handle extension 104 may be rotated to close or open the circuit breaker 154 by rotating the swivel head 103 of the handle extension 104. For example, the circuit breaker 154 may be switched between an open state and a closed state by rotating between an initial angle and a termination angle. It can be seen that the solution of the embodiment allows operating the circuit breaker 154 at a distance from the circuit breaker 154, whereby the personal safety of the operator can be improved.

In some embodiments, swivel member 106 may be fixedly coupled to handle extension member 104, and may be rotationally movable as handle extension member 104 rotates. In some embodiments, rotating member 106 may be a cam. As shown in fig. 2, the rim shape of the cam is configured to urge the movable member 108 from the first position to the second position as the cam rotates from the initial angle to the final angle. The first position is, for example, the highest position in which the movable member 108 is located. With the moveable member 108 in this first position, the circuit breaker 154 is in an open state. The second position is, for example, the lowest position in which the movable member 108 is located. With the movable member 108 in this second position, the circuit breaker 154 is in a closed (on) state. In the embodiment shown in fig. 1 and 2, the cam is at an angle that is the final angle mentioned above. That is, the final angle corresponds to the circuit breaker 154 being in the closed state. The movable member 108 is in the second position, i.e. in the lowermost position shown in the figures. At this time, the movable member 108 blocks the unlocking member 156 (see fig. 6 to 8), i.e., blocks the unlocking member 156 from moving such that the unlocking member 156 maintains the movement restriction of the low-voltage cabinet drawer 200.

Referring to fig. 3, the cam is at an angle that is the initial angle mentioned above. At this time, the corresponding circuit breaker 154 is in an open state. The movable member 108 is in a first position, i.e. in the uppermost position shown in the figures. The movable member 108 now allows the unlocking member 156 to move while releasing the movement restriction of the low-voltage cabinet drawer 200.

Referring again to fig. 1 and 2, the moveable member 108 is movably coupled to the bracket 102 and moves linearly between a first position and a second position under the influence of the rotational movement of the rotating member 106. The movable member 108 does not block the unlocking member 156 of the low-voltage cabinet drawer 200 at the first position to allow the unlocking member 156 to move to release the movement restriction of the low-voltage cabinet drawer 200, and blocks the unlocking member 156 at the second position to block the unlocking member 156 from moving so that the unlocking member 156 maintains the movement restriction of the low-voltage cabinet drawer 200. This is further described below. In this way, by converting the rotational movement of the handle extension 104 into linear movement of the movable member 108 between the first and second positions by the swivel member 106, interlocking between the operation of the circuit breaker 154 and the moving operation of the low-voltage cabinet drawer 200 can be reliably achieved, ensuring electrical safety.

In some embodiments, the moveable member 108 may include an engagement portion 110 and a limit portion 112. The engagement portion 110 is movably coupled to the bracket 102 and adapted to move the movable member 108 in a first direction between a first position and a second position as the rotating member 106 rotates. The stopper 112 does not block the unlocking member 156 from moving when the movable member 108 is in the first position, and blocks the unlocking member 156 from moving when the movable member 108 is in the second position.

In some embodiments, the moveable member 108 may include a shoulder 124. The shoulder 124 may extend in a second direction that is angled from the first direction and may engage the rim of the cam as the cam rotates to move the moveable member 108 in the first direction. In other words, the linear movement of the moveable member 108 may be achieved by the rotational movement of the cam pushing against the shoulder 124.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 4, a first opening 116 may be provided in the bracket 102. The first opening 116 includes a first portion 117 at one end in the first direction and a second portion 118 at the other end in the first direction, wherein a width of the second portion 118 in the third direction is greater than a width of the first portion 117 in the third direction. It should be noted that although the first opening 116 is shown in fig. 4 as being so shaped, the disclosed embodiments are not limited thereto, but may be variously modified. For example, the first opening 116 may be a rectangular shape.

With continued reference to fig. 4, in some embodiments, the moveable member 108 may further include a guide 122 coupled with a shoulder 124. The guide 122 may cooperate with the first opening 116 such that the moveable member 108 is guided to move in a first direction when the shoulder 124 is pushed by the rim of the cam.

In some embodiments, the width of the shoulder 124 in the third direction may be greater than the width of the guide 122 in the third direction. As mentioned previously, the width of the second portion 118 of the first opening 116 in the third direction is greater than the width of the first portion 117 in the third direction. Thus, the shoulder 124 can pass through the first opening 116 through the second portion 118 of the first opening 116. The width of the first portion 117 of the first opening 116 in the third direction is smaller than the width of the shoulder 124 in the third direction. When the movable member 108 is in the first position, the guide 122 may be located in the first portion 117 of the first opening 116, wherein the third direction may be perpendicular to the first direction. Embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto, and as previously described, the first opening 116 may be one rectangular shape. In this case, for example, the shoulder 124 may be made of a metal sheet, and the edge of the first opening 116 may be caught by bending after passing the metal sheet through the first opening 116 to hold the guide 122 in the first opening 116.

In some embodiments, the interlock mechanism 100 may also include a resilient member 130. The elastic member 130 may be provided on the bracket 102 to be coupled with the movable member 108 to apply an elastic force to the movable member 108. During rotation of rotating member 106 from the final angle to the initial angle, elastic member 130 may urge movable member 108 from the second position to the first position.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 1-4, the engagement portion 110 of the moveable member 108 may further include a contact portion 132. The contact portion 132 may abut against one end of the elastic member 130 so as to interact with the elastic member 130.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 4, the bracket 102 may further include a second opening 126 and a securing lever 128. The fixing lever 128 extends in the first direction X from one side of the second opening 126. The elastic member 130 may be disposed on the fixed lever 128 and the contact portion 132 passes through the second opening 126 such that the elastic member 130 pushes the contact portion 132 of the movable member 108 to move toward the first position when the rotary member 106 rotates from the end angle to the initial angle. Although the second opening 126 and the fixing lever 128 are shown in the drawings, the embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited thereto, but may have various modified structures to fix the elastic member 130.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 4, a groove 131 may be provided in the contact portion 132, and the groove 131 may cooperate with the fixing lever 128 to guide the contact portion 132 to move in the first direction and bring the contact portion 132 into contact with the elastic member 130.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 1 and 4, the engagement portion 110 may be provided with a limiting groove 134 extending along a first direction, the bracket 102 may be provided with a limiting member 135, and the limiting member 135 may be disposed in the limiting groove 134, wherein the limiting groove 134 is configured such that when it moves in the first direction until one end thereof abuts the limiting member 135, the movable member 108 is in the first position.

Referring to fig. 4, the handle extension 104 is further provided with a first detent 136 and a second detent 138. The first positioning member is fixedly coupled to the handle extension member 104 on one side of the bracket 102. The second positioning member is fixedly coupled to the handle extension member 104 on the other side of the bracket 102. Swivel member 106 is positioned between first positioning member 136 and second positioning member 138. Embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited in this regard and swivel member 106 may be positioned on handle extension 104 by other means, such as by a snap spring.

As shown in fig. 4, the bracket 102 is also provided with a circular aperture 144 for the handle extension 104 to pass therethrough and rotate therein. A rectangular aperture 107 is provided in the cam to fit the cam over the handle extension 104. Embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto, but the cam may be fixed by other structures.

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above with reference to fig. 1 to 4, and the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto, but may be variously modified. For example, as for the cams therein, one skilled in the art will readily appreciate that two links may be used instead, taking into account space within the low-voltage cabinet drawer 200, etc. Specifically, the rotation of the handle extension member 104 drives the first link to rotate, and the first link further pushes the second link, so that the second link can drive the movable member 108 to perform linear motion, thereby achieving a similar effect to a cam.

The interlocking mechanism 100 of the embodiment of the present disclosure, by converting the rotation of the handle extension member 104 into the linear movement of the movable member 108 between the first position and the second position by the rotary member 106, can reliably achieve the interlocking between the operation of the circuit breaker 154 and the moving operation of the low-voltage cabinet drawer 200, ensuring the electrical safety.

There is also provided, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, a low-voltage cabinet drawer 200. The low-voltage cabinet drawer 200 includes a circuit breaker 154 and the interlock mechanism 100 according to the previous embodiment. A low-voltage cabinet drawer 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is described below in connection with fig. 5. Fig. 5 illustrates an internal structural schematic view of a low-voltage cabinet drawer 200 according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

As shown in fig. 5, a circuit breaker 154 is included in the low-voltage cabinet drawer 200. One end of the circuit breaker 154 is provided with a handle operating member 165. The circuit breaker 154 handle may be operated to close or open by turning the handle extension 104 (e.g., the swivel head 103 of the particular rotatable handle extension 104). In the disclosed embodiment, the handle operating member 165 is extended in such a way that the handle operating member 165 is coupled to the handle extending member 104 to facilitate operating the circuit breaker 154 outside the panel of the low-voltage cabinet drawer 200.

Also included in the low-voltage cabinet drawer 200 is an unlocking member 156 (see fig. 6), the unlocking member 156 being operable to retain or release the movement restriction of the low-voltage cabinet drawer 200. The interlock mechanism 100 is movable to a first position in response to rotation of the handle extension 104 in a first rotational direction (counterclockwise) to allow the unlocking member 156 to move toward a direction proximate the movable member 108, thereby releasing the movement restriction of the low-voltage cabinet drawer 200 by the unlocking member 156; and in response to rotation of the handle extension 104 in a second direction (clockwise) opposite the first direction of rotation, the moveable member 108 moves to a second position to block the release member 156 to block movement of the release member 156 in a direction toward the moveable member 108 to maintain movement limits of the low-voltage cabinet drawer 200 by the release member 156.

In some embodiments, the direction of movement of unlocking member 156 toward the direction of approach to movable member 108 is perpendicular to the first direction.

In some embodiments, low-voltage cabinet drawer 200 also includes an operating plate 152 for interacting with unlocking member 156 to operate unlocking member 156, as further described below.

In some embodiments, the low-voltage cabinet drawer 200 may also include a drive shaft 150. The driving shaft 150 may drive the cabinet of the low-voltage cabinet drawer 200 to move along the axial direction of the driving shaft 150 through a rotational motion. This is further described below.

The interlock mechanism 100 and the unlocking member 156 are further described below with reference to fig. 6 to 8. Fig. 6 illustrates a schematic view of an interlock mechanism and an unlock mechanism in a circuit breaker closed state according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure; fig. 7 illustrates a schematic view of an interlock mechanism and an unlock mechanism in a circuit breaker open state according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure; fig. 8 illustrates another schematic view of an interlock mechanism and an unlock mechanism in a circuit breaker open state according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

As shown in fig. 6, the driving shaft 150 is alternately provided with the convex portions 161 in the circumferential direction. The unlocking member 156 includes a main body portion 157, a first end 155, and a second end 159. The second end 159 is inserted into the gap 163 between the bosses 161, thereby blocking the rotation of the driving shaft 150. At this time, the movable member 108 is at the second position (i.e., at a lower position corresponding to closing of the circuit breaker), and the first end 155 of the unlocking member 156 is close to the movable member 108, and cannot move leftward, so that the low-voltage cabinet drawer 200 cannot be unlocked.

As shown in fig. 7, the movable member 108 is in a first position (i.e., corresponding to the upper position where the circuit breaker 154 is open), the first end 155 of the unlocking member 156 can be moved leftward, i.e., toward the rack 102, a predetermined distance such that the second end 159 is disengaged from the gap 163 between the bosses 161, whereby the drive shaft 150 can be rotated to drive the low-voltage cabinet drawer 200 to move.

As shown in fig. 8, the moveable member 108 is in the first position. The low-voltage cabinet drawer 200 further includes a second elastic member 164 coupled with the unlocking member 156. The second end 159 remains inserted into the gap 163 between the bosses 161 by the second elastic member 164.

With the moveable member 108 in the first position, movement of the unlocking member 156 is not blocked. A leftward force may be applied to the unlocking member 156 by the operation plate 152 such that the first end 155 can be moved leftward, i.e., a predetermined distance in the direction of the bracket 102, so that the second end 159 is disengaged from the gap 163 between the bosses 161, so that the driving shaft 150 can be rotated to drive the low-voltage cabinet drawer 200 to move.

Briefly, the interlock mechanism 100 of the presently disclosed embodiments enables switching of the circuit breaker 154 between the closed and open positions by rotational movement of the swivel member 106 between the initial and final angles. The release 156 is not allowed to operate when the circuit breaker 154 is in the closed position. The release 156 is allowed to operate when the circuit breaker 154 is in the open position.

In the above embodiments, the description is made with the rotary member 106 in the initial angle corresponding to the circuit breaker 154 being in the open state, and the rotary member 106 in the final angle corresponding to the circuit breaker 154 being in the closed state. The above-described embodiments are merely illustrative of aspects of the present disclosure. The aspects of the present disclosure are not limited thereto, but may be variously changed. For example, in another embodiment, the rotary member 106 may be in a closed state corresponding to the breaker 154 at an initial angle, and the rotary member may be in an open state corresponding to the breaker 154 at a final angle.

Embodiments of the present utility model may switch the circuit breaker 154 between the open state and the closed state by rotating the rotary member 106 between the initial angle and the end angle, and the state of the circuit breaker 154 is associated with the position of the low-voltage cabinet drawer 200, thereby ensuring that the low-voltage cabinet drawer 200 can be moved in the open state of the circuit breaker 154, and electrical safety is reliably achieved at a low cost.

The various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, and the above description is exemplary only of alternative embodiments of the present disclosure, and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present disclosure. Although claims have been formulated in this application to particular combinations of features, it should be understood that the scope of the disclosure also includes any novel feature or any novel combination of features disclosed herein either explicitly or implicitly or any generalisation thereof, whether or not it relates to the same in any claim as presently claimed. The applicants hereby give notice that new claims may be formulated to such features and/or combinations of such features during the prosecution of the present application or of any further application derived therefrom.

The terminology used herein was chosen in order to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application, or the technical improvements in the marketplace, or to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein. Various modifications and alterations of this disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. that fall within the spirit and principles of the present disclosure are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims (13)

1. An interlocking mechanism (100) adapted for use with a low-voltage cabinet drawer (200), the interlocking mechanism (100) comprising:

a bracket (102) adapted to be secured within the low-voltage cabinet drawer (200);

a handle extension (104) rotatably coupled to the cradle (102), and a first end (139) of the handle extension (104) is adapted to be coupled to a handle of a circuit breaker (154) within the low-voltage cabinet drawer (200) to switch the circuit breaker (154) between an open state and a closed state by rotating between an initial angle and a terminal angle;

a swivel member (106) fixedly coupled to the handle extension member (104) and configured to perform a rotational movement with rotation of the handle extension member (104); and

a movable member (108) movably coupled to the bracket (102) and configured to move linearly between a first position and a second position under the influence of rotational movement of the rotating member (106); wherein the moveable member (108) does not block an unlocking member (156) of the low-voltage cabinet drawer (200) in the first position to allow the unlocking member (156) to move to release the movement restriction of the low-voltage cabinet drawer (200), and blocks the unlocking member (156) in the second position to block the unlocking member (156) from moving such that the unlocking member (156) maintains the movement restriction of the low-voltage cabinet drawer (200).

2. The interlock mechanism (100) of claim 1 wherein the movable member (108) comprises:

-an engagement portion (110) movably coupled to the bracket (102) and configured to be adapted to move the movable member (108) between the first position and the second position along a first direction (X) with a rotation of the rotating member (106); and

a limit (112) configured to not block movement of the unlocking member (156) when the movable member (108) is in the first position, and to block movement of the unlocking member (156) when the movable member (108) is in the second position.

3. The interlock mechanism (100) of claim 2 wherein:

the swivel member (106) is a cam, and a rim shape of the cam is configured to urge the movable member (108) from the first position to the second position when the cam rotates from the initial angle to the final angle.

4. The interlock mechanism (100) of claim 3 wherein said movable member (108) comprises:

a shoulder (124) extending along a second direction (Y) that is angled to the first direction (X) and configured to engage a rim of the cam as the cam rotates to move the movable member (108) along the first direction (X).

5. The interlock mechanism (100) of claim 4 wherein,

a first opening (116) is formed in the bracket (102);

the movable member (108) further includes a guide (122) coupled with the shoulder (124);

the guide (122) cooperates with the first opening (116) such that the movable member (108) is guided to move along the first direction (X) when the shoulder (124) is pushed by the rim of the cam.

6. The interlock mechanism (100) of claim 5 wherein,

the width of the shoulder (124) in the third direction (Z) is greater than the width of the guide (122) in the third direction (Z);

the first opening (116) comprises a first portion (117) at one end in the first direction (X) and a second portion (118) at the other end in the first direction (X), wherein the width of the second portion (118) in the third direction (Z) is greater than the width of the first portion (117) in the third direction (Z), such that the shoulder (124) can pass through the first opening (116) through the second portion (118) of the first opening (116); and is also provided with

The width of the first portion (117) of the first opening (116) in the third direction (Z) is smaller than the width of the shoulder (124) in the third direction (Z), and

when the movable member (108) is in the first position, the guide (122) is located in a first portion (117) of the first opening (116);

wherein the third direction (Z) is perpendicular to the first direction (X).

7. The interlock mechanism (100) of any one of claims 2-6, further comprising:

-an elastic member (130) provided on the bracket (102) and configured to be coupled with the movable member (108) to apply an elastic force to the movable member (108) such that the movable member (108) is pushed from the second position to the first position during rotation of the rotary member (106) from the end angle to the initial angle.

8. The interlock mechanism (100) of claim 7 wherein said engagement portion (110) of said movable member (108) further comprises:

a contact (132) configured to abut against one end of the elastic member (130) so as to interact with the elastic member (130).

9. The interlock mechanism (100) of claim 8 wherein the bracket (102) further comprises:

a second opening (126); and

a fixing rod (128) extending from one side of the second opening (126) along the first direction (X);

wherein the elastic member (130) is disposed on the fixed lever (128) and the contact portion (132) passes through the second opening (126) such that the elastic member (130) pushes the contact portion (132) of the movable member (108) to move toward the first position when the rotary member (106) rotates from the end angle to the initial angle.

10. The interlock mechanism (100) of claim 9, wherein a groove (131) is provided in the contact portion (132), the groove (131) being configured to cooperate with the securing lever (128) to guide movement of the contact portion (132) along the first direction (X) and to bring the contact portion (132) into contact with the resilient member (130).

11. The interlock mechanism (100) of any one of claims 2-6 and 8-10,

the joint part (110) is provided with a limit groove (134) extending along the first direction (X),

a limiting piece (135) is arranged on the bracket (102),

the limiting piece (135) is arranged in the limiting groove (134),

wherein the limit groove (134) is configured such that the movable member (108) is in the first position when it is moved in the first direction (X) to an end thereof abutting the limit member (135).

12. A low-voltage cabinet drawer (200), comprising:

a circuit breaker; and

the interlock mechanism (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. The low-voltage cabinet drawer (200) of claim 12, wherein the low-voltage cabinet drawer (200) further comprises an unlocking member (156) configured to retain or release a movement restriction of the low-voltage cabinet drawer (200);

wherein the interlock mechanism (100) is configured to move the moveable member (108) to the first position in response to rotation of the handle extension (104) in a first rotational direction to allow the unlocking member (156) to move in a direction toward the moveable member (108) to thereby release the movement restriction of the low-voltage cabinet drawer (200) by the unlocking member (156); and is also provided with

In response to rotation of the handle extension (104) in a second rotational direction opposite the first rotational direction, the moveable member (108) moves to the second position to block movement of the unlocking member (156) in a direction toward the moveable member (108) to maintain movement restriction of the low-voltage cabinet drawer (200) by the unlocking member (156).