DE102015226004B4 - Insulated housing and electromechanical circuit breaker - Google Patents

Abstract

Insulating housing (10) for an electromechanical protective switching device (1), which has a front side (11), a fastening side (12) opposite this, and narrow and broad sides (13, 14) connecting the front and fastening sides (11, 12), comprising at least one housing shell (20) and at least one cover part (30) which can be connected by first connecting means (4) which act on the broad sides (14) of the housing shell (20) and the cover part (30), the insulating material housing ( 10) has a second connecting means (40) in the area of the fastening side (12), by means of which the housing shell (20) and the cover part (30) can be positively connected to one another by means of a pivoting movement extending from a first position to a second position, characterized in that, that the second connecting means (40) by a first active surface (43) formed on the housing shell (20) and a second active surface formed on the cover part (30) e (44) is formed, the two active surfaces (43, 44) forming an undercut in the second position.

Description

The invention relates to an insulating housing for an electromechanical protective switching device, which has a front and an opposite fastening side as well as narrow and broad sides connecting the front and the fastening side and comprises at least one housing shell and at least one cover part, which is connected by first connecting means which are attached to the broad sides attack the housing shell and the cover part, are connectable. The invention also relates to an electromechanical protective switching device which has such an insulating material housing.

Circuit breakers, such as circuit breakers or circuit breakers, are used in particular as switching and safety elements in electrical power supply networks. Circuit breakers are specially designed for high currents. A line circuit breaker (so-called LS switch) is an overcurrent protection device used in electrical installations and is used in particular in the area of low-voltage networks. Miniature circuit breakers are also referred to in the English-language specialist literature as "Miniature Circuit Breakers" (short: MCB). Circuit breakers and miniature circuit breakers guarantee safe shutdown in the event of a short circuit and protect consumers and systems from overload, for example from damage to the cables due to excessive heating as a result of an excessive electrical current. Circuit breakers and circuit breakers are used in particular as switching and safety elements in electrical energy supply networks and are used to monitor and protect an electrical circuit.

A residual current circuit breaker is a protective device to ensure protection against dangerous residual current in an electrical system. Such a fault current, which is also referred to as differential current, occurs when a live part of the line has an electrical contact to earth. This is the case, for example, when a person touches a live part of an electrical system: in this case, the current flows as a fault current through the person's body to earth. To protect against such body currents, the residual current circuit breaker must quickly and safely disconnect all poles of the electrical system from the line network when such a residual current occurs. In general usage, the terms FI-circuit breaker (short: FI-switch) or RCD (for Residual Current Protective Device) are used equally for a residual current circuit breaker.

Circuit breakers such as circuit breakers, miniature circuit breakers or residual current circuit breakers are designed to automatically switch off the circuit in the event of a short circuit, overload or occurrence of a fault current and thus disconnect it from the line network. For this purpose, they have at least two connection terminals via which the relevant protective switching device is connected in an electrically conductive manner to an electrical line of the circuit to be monitored in order to interrupt the electrical current in the respective line if necessary. For this purpose, the protective switching device has a switching contact with a stationary fixed contact and a moving contact that is movable relative to it. The moving contact can be actuated via a switching mechanism of the protective switching device, whereby the switching contact can be opened or closed. In this way, when a predefined state occurs - for example a short circuit, an electrical overload or a fault current - the switching contact is opened in order to disconnect the monitored circuit from the electrical line network. Such protective switching devices are also referred to as modular installation devices in the field of low-voltage technology and are, for example, from the publications DE 602 09 126 T2 or EP 1 939 912 B1 previously known.

In the electrical equipment of buildings, a large number of protective switching devices is usually required, which are combined and arranged next to one another in a so-called electrical installation distributor, also referred to as a distributor box or for short as a distributor. Since the available space in an electrical installation distributor is not dimensioned arbitrarily, but a large number of protective switching devices must be arranged in it, efforts are made to make the individual protective switching devices as small and compact as possible.

From the pamphlet DE 77 36 430 U An insulating material housing for terminal blocks is known with two housing shells, which are attached to one another and have clamping screw receptacles, and which are locked together in the folded state, at least in the area of the clamping screw receptacles, one housing shell has at least one latching hook and the other housing shell at least one counter-latch that can be grasped from behind by the latching hook exhibit.

Furthermore, from the publication DE 83 26 893 U1 discloses a terminal block with a snap-on bracket and connection elements, a circuit breaker with a magnetic and / or thermal release being arranged spatially between the connection elements in a receiving space of the terminal block housing.

In the case of housings with a shell construction, the housing shell and the cover part are usually held together by means of several rivets which engage the broad sides of the housing shell and the cover part, forming a circumferential joint line. In the case of thermoplastic housing materials, there is also the option of connecting the housing parts to one another, if necessary, by means of a snap / hook / latch connection, or by hot caulking and / or ultrasonic welding. In the case of thermoset materials, which are characterized by a higher dimensional stability, these additional connecting means cannot be used, which is why some other riveted connections are usually used here.

The arrangement of the rivets, however, leads to restrictions in the packaging, i.e. in the arrangement of the individual components inside the housing. Furthermore, the rivets are mostly arranged on the edge of the broad sides in order to hold the housing shell and the cover part securely together in the area of the circumferential joining line. However, this is particularly problematic in the area of the connection terminals, since these are of comparatively large dimensions and must be arranged directly on the narrow sides - and thus in the edge area of the broad sides. The arrangement of the connecting means and the associated allocation of the available housing interior to accommodate the individual components therefore represents a real challenge in the structural design of a circuit breaker.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a compact, alternative insulating housing and an electromechanical protective switching device with such an insulating housing, which at least partially avoids the disadvantages mentioned above and is characterized by greater flexibility with regard to the arrangement of the individual components inside the housing.

This object is achieved by the insulating material housing and the electromechanical protective switching device according to the independent claims. Advantageous configurations are the subject of the dependent claims.

The inventive insulating material housing for an electromechanical protective switching device has a front side, a fastening side opposite it, and narrow and broad sides connecting the front and fastening sides. The insulating material housing comprises at least one housing shell and at least one cover part, which can be connected by first connecting means which act on the broad sides of the housing shell and the cover part. Furthermore, the housing has a second connecting means in the area of the fastening side, by means of which the housing shell and the cover part can be positively connected to one another by means of a pivoting movement extending from a first position to a second position. The second connecting means is formed by a first active surface formed on the housing shell and a second active surface formed on the cover part, the two active surfaces forming an undercut in the second position.

The housing shell and cover part are connected to one another by the first connecting means, for example rivet or screw connections, forming a circumferential joining line. The second connection means is a connection means that differs from the first connection means and does not engage the broad sides, but rather holds the housing shell and the cover together in the area of the fastening side directly on the joining line. The first connecting means originally required there are replaced by the second connecting means. Since this means that less installation space is required inside the insulating material housing, this installation space that has become free can be used more flexibly. In this way, greater flexibility with regard to the packaging, i.e. the spatial arrangement, as well as the structural design of the components to be arranged in the insulating material housing is achieved.

The insulating material housing is open in the first position, which can also be referred to as the assembly position, so that the individual components of the protective switching device can be inserted into the housing shell or mounted there. The second position, on the other hand, represents a closed position in which the insulating material housing is closed. The insulating material housing is closed via a pivoting movement of the cover part relative to the housing shell, during which the cover part is first placed at an angle on the housing shell and then moved from its mounting position to its closed position by means of the pivoting movement. The second connecting means forms a form fit, which acts at least in a first direction, which corresponds to a normal direction of the broad sides when the insulating material housing is closed, between the housing shell and the cover part.

The formation of an undercut, which can be made hook-shaped, for example, represents a simple structural solution for realizing a form fit between two parts to be assembled both active surfaces in the second position are advantageously oriented parallel to one another.

In an advantageous development of the insulating material housing, the housing shell and the cover part can be positively connected by the second connection means by means of the pivoting movement both in a first direction, which corresponds to a normal direction of the broad side, and in a second direction, which corresponds to a normal direction of the fastening side. The security of the second connecting means against unintentional loosening of the connection is thereby further improved.

In a further advantageous development of the insulating material housing, the first active surface and the second active surface are oriented essentially parallel to the broad sides. In this way, a particularly simple assembly of the housing shell and the cover part is made possible with the formation of the second connecting means.

In a further advantageous development of the insulating material housing, the first and second active surfaces are inclined towards the fastening side, so that they have an acute angle to the broad sides. In this way, the housing shell and the cover part can be positively connected to one another by means of the pivoting movement both in the first direction and in the second direction. The security of the second connecting means against unintentional loosening of the connection is thereby further improved.

In a further advantageous development of the insulating material housing, the acute angle is between 10 ° and 30 °. An angle between 10 and 30 degrees has proven to be particularly advantageous in order, on the one hand, to be able to form the second connecting means by a simple pivoting movement, and, on the other hand, to achieve sufficient security against unintentional loosening of the connection.

In a further advantageous development of the insulating material housing, the second connecting means is integrally formed on the housing shell and / or the cover part. In this way, a cost-effective design of the two housing parts - for example in the plastic injection molding process - can be achieved.

In a further advantageous development, the insulating material housing is formed from a thermosetting material. Compared to thermoplastics, thermosets have the advantage that they are less hygroscopic and, moreover, relatively inelastic and dimensionally stable. Since no snap or latching connections, in which the snap hook and / or the matching counterpart must be resilient, are used to connect the housing parts, a thermoset material can be used to achieve the advantages mentioned above.

In a further advantageous development, the insulating material housing has a housing width of one division unit. One division unit corresponds to a width of 18 mm. Especially with such small designs, the "packaging", i.e. the arrangement of the individual components of the protective switching device inside the insulating housing, is of decisive importance, which is why the advantages of the second connecting means are particularly evident here.

In a further advantageous development of the insulating material housing, the cover part is designed as a second housing shell.

The electromechanical protective switching device according to the invention has an insulating material housing of the type described above. With regard to the advantages of the electromechanical protective switching device, reference is made to the above statements on the advantages of the insulating material housing according to the invention.

• 1 eine schematische Darstellung eines Isolierstoffgehäuses für ein elektromechanisches Schutzschaltgerät nach dem Stand der Technik;
• 2 und 3 schematische Darstellungen des erfindungsgemäßen Schutzschaltgerätes mit einem Isolierstoffgehäuses, jeweils in perspektivischer Ansicht;
• 4 und 5 schematische Detaildarstellungen des zweiten Verbindungsmittels bei geöffnetem bzw. geschlossenem Gehäuse;
• 6 bis 9 schematische Detaildarstellungen des Verschlussmechanismus des zweiten Verbindungsmittels.

In the following, an exemplary embodiment of the insulating material housing and of the electromechanical protective switching device will be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures are:

• 1 a schematic representation of an insulating material housing for an electromechanical protective switching device according to the prior art;
• 2 and 3 schematic representations of the protective switching device according to the invention with an insulating material housing, each in a perspective view;
• 4th and 5 schematic detailed representations of the second connecting means with the housing open or closed;
• 6th until 9 schematic detailed representations of the locking mechanism of the second connecting means.

In the various figures of the drawing, the same parts are always provided with the same reference symbols. The description applies to all drawing figures in which the corresponding part can also be recognized.

In 1 is an insulated housing known from the prior art 10 for an electromechanical circuit breaker 1 shown schematically in a perspective view. The insulating housing 10 has a front 11th , one of the Front 11th opposite fastening side 12th , as well as the front 11th and the mounting side 12th connecting narrow sides 13th and broadsides 14th on. In the area of the front 11th instructs the circuit breaker 1 an actuator 2 which is used for manual operation of the circuit breaker 1 serves. In the area of the fastening side 12th instructs the circuit breaker 1 a locking means 3 for fastening, ie for locking the circuit breaker 1 on a hat rail or mounting rail (not shown). The insulating housing 1 is designed in shell construction and has two half-shells, each one of the broad sides 14th have and by means of several rivets 4th that are on the broadsides 14th attack, are connected to each other with the formation of a circumferential joint line. The rivets 4th are particularly in the edge areas of the broad sides 14th arranged to there a gaping of the insulating material housing 10 effectively prevent.

the 2 and 3 show - each in a perspective view - schematic representations of the protective switching device according to the invention 1 , which in turn is the insulating housing according to the invention 10 having. The insulating housing 10 shown in a first position in which the housing is at least partially open. Inside the insulating housing 10 are the individual components and assemblies of the protective switching device 1 - Connection terminals, switching mechanism, trigger, extinguishing chamber, etc. - arranged. The insulating housing according to the invention 10 in turn has a housing shell 20th as well as a cover part 30th on, which are formed as two mutually corresponding half-shells, ie both the housing shell 20th as well as the cover part 30th each have one of the broad sides 14th of the insulating housing 10 so that a joining line that forms when the half-shells are closed along the front side 11th , the fastening side 12th as well as the narrow sides 13th runs.

As part of the device assembly, the individual components and assemblies of the protective switching device 1 in the housing shell 20th inserted and, if necessary, mounted there before the insulating housing 10 by putting on the cover part 30th is closed. Individual assemblies or components of the protective switching device 1 are only made possible by the insulating housing 10 held in their predefined position, which is why the two parts of the insulating housing 10 - the housing shell 20th as well as the cover part 30th - must be connected to each other as firmly as possible. In the case of thermosetting housings, which have a higher degree of dimensional stability, several rivets were usually used for this 4th or similarly acting connecting elements are used (see 1 ).

On the two broad sides 14th of the insulating housing 10 are several receiving openings 19 for receiving first connecting means, which in the present case are rivets 4th are designed, provided. In a closed second position of the insulating material housing 10 grab these first lanyards 4th on the broadside 14th the housing shell 20th as well as the broadside 14th of the cover part 30th and hold them together with the formation of a circumferential joining line on this. In contrast to the in 1 The prior art shown has the insulating material housing according to the invention 10 in the area of the fastening side 12th no more openings for rivets. In order to ensure a secure hold of the housing shell 20th and the cover part 30th to ensure, has the insulating housing 10 a second connecting means in this area 40 on which the housing shell 20th and the cover part 30th holds together there along the joining line.

This second lanyard 40 can be referred to as a kind of "hinged connection". It has a first hook 41 and a second hook 42 which are arranged spatially corresponding to one another. The first catch 41 is in one piece with the housing shell 20th , the second hook 42 accordingly in one piece with the cover part 30th molded. With closed insulating material housing 10 form the two hooks 41 and 42 an undercut, which at least in a first direction x that is a normal direction of the broadsides 14th corresponds, acts and the housing shell 20th and the cover part 30th in this first direction x firmly connects.

In the 4th and 5 are detailed representations of the second connecting means 40 when the insulating housing is open or closed 10 shown schematically. In 4th is the insulated housing 10 shown in an open first position in which the cover part 30th at an angle to the housing shell 20th is put on. 5 however, shows the insulating housing 10 a second position in which the insulating material housing 10 is closed, ie the broadside 14th the housing shell 20th is parallel to the broadside 14th of the cover part 30th oriented.

The one on the housing shell 20th trained first hook 41 has a first active surface 43 on which one corresponds to one on the second hook 42 formed second active surface 44 is arranged. The first effective surface 43 and the second effective area 44 are facing each other and oriented parallel to each other. When closing the insulating housing 10 that is at an angle to the housing shell 20th attached cover part 30th relative to the housing shell 20th around a predefined pivot point D. (please refer 6-9 ) rotated or swiveled until it reaches the in 5 has reached the second position shown. This pivoting movement will be the two active surfaces 43 and 44 brought into engagement with each other so that the two hooks 41 and 42 get caught in each other. This creates the second lanyard 40 than in the first direction x effective, form-fitting undercut of the two active surfaces 43 and 44 or the two hooks 41 and 42 educated.

On closer inspection it can be seen that the two mutually parallel active surfaces 43 and 44 not parallel to the broadsides 14th are oriented, but relative to these at an acute angle α (please refer 6th until 9 ) to the fastening side 12th are inclined. This has the consequence that the second connecting means 40 not just in the first direction x which is the normal direction of the broadsides 14th but also in a second direction y which is a normal direction of the mounting side 12th corresponds, acts positively. In this way, by means of the second connecting means 40 not just a gaping open of the insulating material housing 10 in the first direction x , but also a shifting of the cover part 30th relative to the housing shell 20th in the second direction y Rent effectively.

the 6th until 9 show schematic detailed representations of the second connecting means 40 forming locking mechanism, which when closing the insulating material housing 10 in the area of the fastening side 12th works. It should be noted that the insulating housing 10 due to the high thermal load that occurs when the protective switching device is triggered 1 arises, is advantageously made of a thermosetting material, since these materials withstand thermal loads better. In contrast to thermoplastic materials, however, thermosets are comparatively brittle, which is why they have only very low elastic properties and can therefore hardly be elastically deformed.

the 6th until 8th show a chronological sequence of the various states of the second connecting means 40 when closing the insulating housing 10 . 6th shows the insulating housing 10 in the first position in which the cover part 30th at an angle to the housing shell 20th is placed by means of the pivoting movement relative to the housing shell 20th to be placed in the second position. This pivoting movement of the cover part 30th relative to the housing shell 20th from the first position to the second position technically corresponds to a rotary movement around a predefined pivot point D. . To the housing shell 20th is the first catch 41 molded, the second hook 42 is corresponding to the cover part 30th molded. 7th shows the cover part 30th at a somewhat later point in time, when this is already partially around the pivot point D. was swiveled and the insulating housing 10 only slightly open: the second active surface 44 has already clearly attached itself to the first effective area 43 approximated. 8th shows the final state of the pivoting movement in which the cover part 30th has reached the second position and the two broadsides 14th of the insulating housing 10 are oriented parallel to each other.

Based on the representations of the 6th until 8th it becomes clear that with the help of the second lanyard 40 - although the two active surfaces 43 and 44 around the angle α to the fastening side 12th are inclined - by a simple pivoting movement a positive connection acting in two directions can be achieved: both in the first direction x which is the normal direction of the broadsides 14th corresponds, as well as - due to the inclination of the active surfaces 43 and 44 around the angle α - in the second direction y which is the normal direction of the mounting side 12th is equivalent to. Through the around the angle α inclined active surfaces 43 and 44 is achieved that the hook 41 and 42 "claw" into each other. This can be achieved by using the hook 41 and 42 a defined distance to the pivot point D. exhibit. To reopen the insulating housing 10 and thus a release of the second connecting means 40 to avoid being the two broadsides 12th then fixed to one another by means of several riveted connections.

9 shows, however, an alternative design in which the active surfaces 43 and 44 essentially parallel to the respective broadside 14th are oriented. The fulcrum D. can in this case be closer to the mounting side 12th be placed. However, through a second connecting means formed in this way 40 a positive connection only in the first direction x realizable.

With the help of the insulating housing according to the invention 10 a simple and inexpensive solution can be implemented due to the saving of conventional connecting elements, since the second connecting means 40 forming hook 41 and 42 to the housing shell 20th or to the cover part 30th are molded. As both the housing shell 20th as well as the cover part 30th Can be produced by means of the so-called plastic injection molding process, fall for the implementation of the second connecting means 40 no further costs: the hook 41 and 42 can be integrated into the injection molding tool with no manufacturing costs and are also designed without an undercut, so that simple injection molding production is possible without the use of additional slides.

List of reference symbols

1

Circuit breaker

2

Actuator

3

Locking means

4th

rivet

10

Insulated housing

11th

Front

12th

Mounting side

13th

Narrow side

14th

Broadside

20th

Housing shell

30th

Cover part

40

second lanyard

41

first hook

42

second hook

43

first effective surface

44

second effective area

x

first direction

y

second direction

α

angle

D.

pivot point

Claims (10)

Insulating housing (10) for an electromechanical protective switching device (1), which has a front side (11), a fastening side (12) opposite this, and narrow and broad sides (13, 14) connecting the front and fastening sides (11, 12), comprising at least one housing shell (20) and at least one cover part (30) which can be connected by first connecting means (4) which act on the broad sides (14) of the housing shell (20) and the cover part (30), the insulating material housing ( 10) has a second connecting means (40) in the area of the fastening side (12), by means of which the housing shell (20) and the cover part (30) can be positively connected to one another by means of a pivoting movement extending from a first position to a second position, characterized in that, that the second connecting means (40) through a first active surface (43) formed on the housing shell (20) and a second active surface formed on the cover part (30) he (44) is formed, the two active surfaces (43, 44) forming an undercut in the second position. Insulated housing (10) according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the housing shell and the cover part through the second connecting means (40) by means of the pivoting movement both in a first direction (x), which corresponds to a normal direction of the broad side (14), and in a second direction (y), which corresponds to a normal direction of the fastening side (12), can be connected in a form-fitting manner. . Insulating housing (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first and second active surfaces (43, 44) are oriented essentially parallel to the broad sides (14). . Insulating housing (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first and second active surfaces (43, 44) are inclined towards the fastening side (12) so that they have an acute angle (α) to the broad sides (14). Insulated housing (10) according to Claim 4 , characterized in that the acute angle (α) is between 10 ° and 30 °. . Insulating housing (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second connecting means (40) is integrally formed on the housing shell (20) and / or the cover part (30). . Insulating material housing (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the insulating material housing (10) is formed from a thermosetting material. . Insulating material housing (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the insulating material housing (10) has a housing width of one division unit. . Insulating housing (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cover part (30) is designed as a second housing shell. Electromechanical protective switching device (1), which has an insulating housing (10) according to one of the Claims 1 until 9 having.

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