EP0108022B1 - Circuit breaker with neutral-line disconnection - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates generally to circuit breakers.

It relates more particularly to those of these circuit breakers which, intended in practice for the equipment of multi-phase installations, are able to be able to ensure, not only a phase cut, but also a neutral sectioning.

As is known, such a circuit breaker comprises, overall, two phase contacts, at least one of which, which is movable, is biased by elastic opening means in the direction of a tripped position for which it is separated from the other, an engagement and trigger handle, which is movably mounted between an engagement position and a trigger position, and which is urged towards its trigger position by elastic return means, a control mechanism, which is adapted to ensure, on the one hand, under the control of the latching and tripping lever, the passage and maintenance in the latched position of the mobile phase contact, and, secondly, under the control of a thermal and / or electromagnetic trip member, the release of said mobile phase contact, and two neutral contacts, one of which, which is mobile, is controlled in opening and closing by said engagement and trip lever .

For reasons of convenience, it is advantageous for the phase contacts and the neutral contacts to be arranged within the same housing.

In practice, it is a modular box, meeting well-defined dimensional standards.

With regard to neutral contacts, two difficulties are then to be overcome.

The first relates to their establishment.

In fact, the space available for this purpose is measured, the interior volume of the housing already being essentially filled by the phase contacts, the control mechanism for these, and the arc extinguishing chamber, always relatively bulky, because comprising numerous deionization plates, usually provided for absorption of the arc inevitably arising between these phase contacts on tripping; in the absence of such an arc extinguishing chamber, there was a rapid irreversible deterioration of these contacts due to such an arc.

In the European patent application EP-A-0 054,499 the neutral contacts are arranged in the immediate vicinity of the sole of the housing, that is to say in the immediate vicinity of that of the edges of this housing by which it is adapted to be reported on any support.

In practice, this is the edge of the housing opposite to that on which the engagement and trigger lever projects.

For piloting the neutral contacts, transmission means must therefore be established between the interlocking and tripping lever and these.

Although, by their very presence, these means of transmission encroach on the volume available in the housing, and although, moreover, by their own response time, they are likely to interfere with the performance of the assembly, such a provision is satisfactory.

However, it is only suitable in practice for a well-defined overall architecture for the circuit breaker.

It is not suitable, in particular, for a circuit breaker having an overall architecture of the type of that of the circuit breaker described in the European patent application, EP-A-0,028,958 to which the present invention, although not necessarily limited to such an application, is more particularly intended.

In German patent 960116, which relates to a push button circuit breaker, of very simplified and schematic architecture, the neutral contacts are arranged in the immediate vicinity of the push button and are controlled by the latter, cam means being provided between them and says push-button.

In practice, these cam means are reduced to a chamfer provided at the base of the push button, the neutral contact controlled by the latter further comprising an end bent in a dihedral.

With such cam means, the control of the neutral contacts can only be uncertain, in particular because it depends on their own elasticity.

In addition, the neutral contacts extend entirely next to the push button, and therefore necessarily require the presence, parallel to the latter, of a volume suitable for their location.

Such a volume is not always available, so that, as before, it is only suitable for a particular overall architecture for the circuit breaker, which is not the case for the circuit breaker described in the European patent application. EP-A-0,028,958 mentioned above.

The second difficulty to be overcome with respect to neutral contacts is linked to the need for tripping to ensure a certain delay between the phase cut-off and the neutral isolation, to avoid that the neutral isolation charge.

Indeed, and, as mentioned above, the phase contacts can be protected, by an arc extinguishing chamber, from the effects of the arc which then develop between them, it is hardly the same for the neutral contacts, due to the small volume still available in the modular box concerned.

However, on tripping, the neutral contacts, like the phase contacts, are the object, one compared to the other, of an electrodynamic repulsion effort, which tends to cause it immediately opening.

It is therefore necessary to implement provisions capable of opposing such an immediate opening of the neutral contacts, such opening being premature as long as the corresponding conductors are still in charge, or, in other words, while still exists an arc between the phase contacts.

In European patent application No. 81 402004.6 mentioned above, it has been proposed for this purpose to ensure a temporary locking in the engagement position of the engagement and release lever, to release it only after the phase contacts are opened.

Since the neutral contacts are controlled by the switching on and off lever, a determined sequence is thus assured with complete certainty between phase cut and neutral sectioning, as research.

The same applies to switching on, the closing of the neutral contacts must then take place before that of the phase contacts.

But, for the same reasons as above, these provisions cannot easily be adopted for a circuit breaker having an architecture other than that of the circuit breaker described in this European patent application EP-A-0,054,499 and in particular for a circuit breaker having an architecture of the type of that of the circuit breaker described in European patent application EP-A-0,028,958.

The present invention generally relates to provisions which, on the contrary, are particularly suitable for circuit breakers having an architecture similar to that of the circuit breaker described in European patent application EP-A-0,028,958, while of course also being able to well apply to other circuit breakers if desired, and which, in a very simple manner, makes it possible to overcome in a particularly satisfactory manner the difficulties, succinctly recalled above, relating to the neutral contacts.

More specifically, the present invention relates to a circuit breaker of the type comprising, in the same housing two phase contacts, at least one of which, which is movable, is biased by elastic opening means in the direction of a triggered position for which it is separated from the other, an engagement and trigger lever, which is movably mounted between an engagement position and a trigger position, and which is biased towards its trigger position by elastic return means, a control mechanism, which is adapted to ensure, on the one hand, under the control of the interlocking and tripping lever, the passage and maintenance in the engaged position of the mobile phase contact, and , on the other hand, under the control of a thermal and / or electromagnetic trip member, the release of said mobile phase contact, and two neutral contacts, one of which, which is mobile, is controlled in opening and closing by l adite interlocking and tripping lever, cam means being provided for this purpose between it and the latter, this circuit breaker being, according to a first aspect, characterized in that said cam means comprise a ramp which is formed by the side of a slide that the engagement and disengagement handle has in hollow, in cooperation with return means suitable for returning the neutral contacts to the closed position in response to a movement of the engagement and trip to its engaged position.

Thanks to such an arrangement, it is possible to take advantage, if desired, of the very volume of the interlocking and tripping lever for housing the neutral contacts, this housing being made for example in a recess provided for this purpose in the said interlocking and tripping lever or preexisting therein.

According to a development of this arrangement, the neutral contacts, transversely, are entirely arranged in the overall contour of the engagement and tripping lever. Thus, they do not encroach on the volume of the housing between the interlocking and tripping lever and the sole of said housing, and this volume can be used to the full for the implantation of the other components of the circuit breaker.

However, as a variant, the neutral contacts can also extend if desired in the said volume, under the engagement and tripping lever.

In either case, the movable neutral contact is, according to the invention, in direct contact with the interlocking and tripping lever, so that no transmission element is to be provided between that and him for his piloting.

The performance of the assembly is thereby favored, as well as a reduction in the number of parts to be used.

According to a second aspect, the circuit breaker according to the invention is further characterized in that the movable neutral contact is split into two parallel jaws, which, at one of their ends, are pivotally mounted on a conduction member, and which are subjected to elastic clamping means permanently urging them transversely towards one another, for pinching, by the other of their ends, the associated fixed neutral contact.

On triggering, the two parallel jaws which thus comprises according to the invention the movable neutral contact are traversed by currents of the same direction, parallel to each other, so that they are the object, the one compared to the other, an electrodynamic attraction effort likely to effectively counterbalance the electro-dynamic repulsion effort, each of which individually, they are also the object with respect to the associated fixed neutral contact.

Thus, on triggering, the movable neutral contact advantageously does not systematically tend to open.

It can therefore only be opened as long as, under the stress of the elastic return means associated with it, the engagement and release lever, previously released on release, has moved sufficiently in the direction of its position. trigger.

However, in practice, due to their own inertia and the friction they have to overcome, the response time of these elastic return means is always relatively large compared to the duration of the arc arising between the contacts phase.

As an indication, and without this being able to be considered in any way limiting the present invention, it may be indicated on this subject that the duration of this arc is always less than ten milliseconds, and that the time required for the joystick to trip from trip to trip position is always more than ten milliseconds in circuit breakers of the type concerned.

Thus, according to the invention, advantage is taken of this disparity between the durations and times in question to ensure, very simply, on triggering, the sequence to be respected between the phase cut and the neutral sectioning.

Similarly, upon switching on, the switching on and off lever very simply ensures, according to the invention, a systematic closing of the mobile neutral contact before that of the mobile phase contact.

• la figure 1 est une vue en élévation coupe, avec arrachements locaux, d'un disjoncteur suivant l'invention, dont une partie du boîtier a été supposée retirée;
• la figure 2 est, de manière schématique, une vue en plan, suivant la flèche 11 de la figure 1, de ce disjoncteur dont seul le contour du boîtier, et en pratique seules les extremités de celui-ci, ont été representées;
• la figure 3 est, à échelle supérieure, une vue en coupe transversale du disjoncteur suivant l'invention, suivant la ligne III-III de la figure 1 ;
• la figure 4 est, à l'échelle de la figure 3, et suivant la flèche IV de celle-ci, une vue partielle en plan du disjoncteur suivant l'invention, pour la position d'enclenchement de sa manette d'enclenchement et de déclenchement;
• la figure 5 est, à l'échelle de la figure 4, une vue analogue à celle de celle-ci, pour la seule manette d'enclenchement et de déclenchement, représentée isolément;
• la figure 6 est, à échelle supérieure, une vue partielle en coupe longitudinale du disjoncteur suivant l'invention, suivant la ligne brisée VI-VI de la figure 4;
• la figure 7 est une vue analogue à celle de la figure 4, pour la position de déclenchement de la manette d'enclenchement et de déclenchement du disjoncteur suivant l'invention;
• la figure 8 est une vue partielle en coupe transversale analogue à celle de la figure 3 et concerne une variante de réalisation
• les figures 9, 10 sont des vues respectivement analogues à celles des figures 4, 6 pour cette variante de réalisation.

The characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description which follows, by way of example, with reference to the appended schematic drawings in which:

• Figure 1 is a sectional elevational view, with local cutaway, of a circuit breaker according to the invention, from which a part of the housing has been assumed to be removed;
• Figure 2 is schematically a plan view, along arrow 11 of Figure 1, of this circuit breaker of which only the outline of the housing, and in practice only the ends thereof, have been shown;
• Figure 3 is, on a larger scale, a cross-sectional view of the circuit breaker according to the invention, along line III-III of Figure 1;
• Figure 4 is, on the scale of Figure 3, and according to arrow IV thereof, a partial plan view of the circuit breaker according to the invention, for the latching position of its latching lever and trigger;
• Figure 5 is, on the scale of Figure 4, a view similar to that thereof, for the single engagement and release lever, shown in isolation;
• Figure 6 is, on a larger scale, a partial view in longitudinal section of the circuit breaker according to the invention, along the broken line VI-VI of Figure 4;
• Figure 7 is a view similar to that of Figure 4, for the tripping position of the latching and tripping handle of the circuit breaker according to the invention;
• Figure 8 is a partial cross-sectional view similar to that of Figure 3 and relates to an alternative embodiment
• Figures 9, 10 are views respectively similar to those of Figures 4, 6 for this alternative embodiment.

These figures illustrate, by way of example, the application of the invention to a circuit breaker of the type described in European patent application EP-A-0,028,958 mentioned above.

As such a circuit breaker is thus known per se, it will not be described in all its details here.

Only the elements necessary for understanding the invention will be described more precisely.

In general, such a circuit breaker comprises a housing 10 in the form of two shells suitably facing each other and suitably linked to each other by screws or rivets.

In Figure 1, only one of these shells is visible, the other having been assumed to have been removed.

In the housing 10 are arranged, opposite an arc extinguishing chamber 11 with deionization plates 12 which in practice occupies most of the interior volume, two phase contacts 13A, 13B.

The first, the contact 13A, is fixed, and it consists of a portion of a metal strip 14A which connects it to a connection terminal 15A with clamping screw 16A accessible from the outside.

The second, the contact 13B, is mobile, and, more precisely, it is mounted to pivot on an axis 17.

By elastic opening means 18, constituted in practice by a torsion spring, this mobile phase contact 13B is permanently urged towards a tripped position for which, as shown diagrammatically in broken lines in FIG. 1, it is removed from the fixed phase contact 13A with which it is associated.

By, successively, a bracket 20, the end of which forms its axis 17, a bimetallic strip 21, and a metal strip 14B, the mobile phase contact 13B is connected to a connection terminal 15B with tightening screw 16B accessible from the outside.

The connection terminals 15A, 15B are in practice each disposed respectively at the opposite ends of the housing 10.

For reasons which will appear below, they are off-center with respect to the median plane thereof.

In the housing 10 is also arranged an engagement and trigger lever 23, which is movably mounted between an engagement position, Figures 1 to 4, and a trigger position, Figure 7, and which is continuously stressed towards his trigger position by elastic return means.

In the embodiment shown, this interlocking and triggering lever 23 forms a slide with linear displacement, which is mounted to move longitudinally in the housing 10, from one of the connection terminals 15A, 15B to the other, between, on the one hand, the two side walls 24, 24 ′ of said housing 10, and, on the other hand, the front edge 25 thereof and an internal partition 26 parallel to the latter, FIG. 3.

This slide, which is hollow, and generally forms a box open laterally and at each of its ends, comprises a sole 28 and a cover 29, which extend parallel to each other, and which are connected one to the other by a lateral flange 30, the assembly having an eccentric cross-section in 1.

By its sole 28, the engagement and trigger lever 23 is in contact with the internal partition 26 of the housing 10.

By its cover 29, it is in contact with the edge 25 thereof, and it carries a gripping projection 31, which is accessible from the outside of the housing 10 through a passage 33 provided for this purpose in this one.

On the side of the side wall 24 of the housing 10, the engagement and trigger lever 23 has longitudinally, between the latter and its flange 30, a recess 32, and the free volume thus provided is used, in particular, to the passage of the bimetallic strip 21.

Likewise, on the side of the wall 24 ′ of the housing 10, the engagement and trigger handle 23 has longitudinally between the latter and its flange 30, a recess 32 ′, which, in practice, in the embodiment shown , is of less importance than the previous recess 32.

In the embodiment shown, the elastic return means associated with the engagement and trigger lever 23 are constituted by a torsion spring 34, which, by one of its branches, bears on the metal strip 14B, and which, by the other of these, relates to this interlocking and tripping lever 23, and, more precisely, on the edge of the sole 28 thereof.

In the housing 10 is also arranged a control mechanism 35, which is adapted to ensure, on the one hand, under the control of the latch and release lever 23, the passage and the maintenance in the latched position of the contact 13B mobile phase, that is to say the support thereof against the fixed phase contact 13A with which it is associated, and, on the other hand, under the control of a trigger member, at least , the release of this mobile phase contact 13B.

In practice, in the embodiment shown, two triggering members are provided.

First of all, there is a thermal trip member, which is constituted by bimetallic strip 21.

There is then a magnetic, or more precisely electromagnetic, triggering member which is disposed in the recess 32 of the engagement and trigger lever 23, between the flange 30 of the latter and the wall 24 of the housing 10, and which is formed of a cylinder head 36, FIG. 3, and of a pallet 37, pivotally mounted with respect to this cylinder head 36.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control mechanism 35 comprises a locking mechanism 38, which is established between the engagement and disengagement lever 23 and the housing 10, and which is capable of holding disengageably in position this interlock and trigger lever 23, on the one hand, and a hooking mechanism 39, which is established between said interlock and trigger lever 23 and the movable phase contact 13B, and which comprises two latching members capable of engaging disengageably with each other, for maintaining in the latching position of this mobile phase contact 13B, on the other hand.

Not being at issue here, this locking mechanism 36 and this latching mechanism 39, which are specific to the circuit breaker described in the European patent application EP-A-0,028,958 mentioned above, will not be described more fully.

Finally, in the housing 10 there are arranged two neutral contacts 40A, 40B.

The first, which is fixed, is formed by the end of a metal strip 41 A by which it is connected to a connection terminal 42A with clamping screw 43A accessible from the outside of the housing 10.

The second, which is mobile, as described in more detail below, is controlled in opening and closing by the engagement and trigger lever 23, and, by a metal strip 41 B, it is connected to a terminal of connection 42B with clamping screw 43B accessible from outside the housing 10.

The connection terminals 42A, 42B have a constitution similar to that of the connection terminals 15A, 15B, and, like these, they are each respectively arranged at the ends of the housing 10, parallel to said connection terminals 15A, 15B.

This is the reason why the latter are eccentric relative to the median plane of the housing 10, these connection terminals 15A, 15B being arranged on a first side of this median plane, while the connection terminals 42A, 42B are arranged. on the other side of it, as schematically illustrated in Figure 2.

The movable neutral contact 40B is directly controlled by the interlocking and tripping lever 23, cam means suitable for this purpose, being established for this purpose between itself and this interlocking and tripping lever 23.

According to a first aspect of the invention, and such as described in more detail below, these cam means comprise a ramp 61 which is formed by the side of a slide 63 which the engagement and release lever 23 has in hollow.

In practice, in the embodiments shown, the neutral contacts 40A, 40B extend laterally, in the recess 32 'of the engagement and release lever 23, between the median flange 30 thereof and the wall 24 'of the housing 10.

Transversally, they are therefore entirely arranged in the overall outline of said engagement and trigger lever 23, defined for example by the casing which the housing 10 constitutes for the latter.

According to a second aspect of the invention, and as it is better visible in FIGS. 6 and 10, the movable neutral contact 40B is split into two parallel jaws 43, which, at one of their ends, the end 44, are pivotally mounted on a conduction member, as described in more detail below, and which are subjected to elastic clamping means, also detailed below, urging them permanently transversely towards one of the other, for pinching, by the other of their ends, the end 46, of the associated fixed neutral contact 40A.

In practice, in the embodiments shown, the median section 47 of each of these jaws 43 is offset transversely relative to the ends 44, 46 of these, each in the direction of the opposite jaw, so that the distance d separating one from the other the jaws 43 in line with their median sections 47 for the closed position illustrated by FIGS. 4, 6 and 9 is lower, than that D which separates them in line with their ends 44 and 46, the latter being in fact constituted by the thickness of the fixed neutral contact 40A and of the conduction member on which the movable neutral member 40B is pivotally mounted.

However, for this closed position, this distance d is never zero.

In other words, for the closed position of the movable neutral contact 40B, the two jaws 43 constituting the latter are at a distance from each other at each of their points, with the possible exception of their end 44 by which they are pivotally mounted on a conduction member.

In the embodiments shown, these jaws 43 are moreover pivotally mounted on the same conduction member 48, and the latter is simply formed by the end of the associated metal strip 41B.

For example, and as shown, this conduction member 46 comprises transversely a bore 49, of circular outline, and the jaws 43, which are each established respectively at the start and the other of this conduction member 45, each have a stamped 50 , of circular contour complementary to that of the bore 49 and engages in journalling in the corresponding outlet thereof.

Furthermore, in the embodiment more particularly shown in Figures 1 to 7, the elastic clamping means associated with the jaws 43 constituting elastic 52, of the type washer "BELLEVILLE" for example, as shown, and they relate directly to the 'one of said jaws 43 taking support on an axis 53 which, passing through the jaws 43 in the median zone of their median sections 47, is itself supported on the other of these.

In practice, such an axis 53 successively presents three sections of different diameters.

There is thus a section of greater diameter 54, a section of intermediate diameter 55, and a section of smaller diameter 56.

The elastic washer 52 bears on the transverse shoulder 58 separating from one another the section of greater diameter 54 and the section of intermediate diameter 55.

By this section of intermediate diameter 55, the axis 53 crosses the jaw 43 on which also bears said elastic washer 52.

Finally, by the section of smaller diameter 56 the axis 53 crosses the other jaw 43, and, in practice, it is crimped on the latter, this jaw 43 bearing on the transverse shoulder 59 separating the section of intermediate diameter 55 of said axis 53 of its section of smaller diameter 56.

As will be understood, the elastic washer 52 advantageously ensures, in addition to biasing one towards the other of the two jaws 43 for pinching by them of the fixed neutral contact 40A, an absorption of the inevitable manufacturing and mounting.

Corollairemcnt, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 7, the cam means provided between the engagement and tripping lever 23 and the movable neutral contact 40B comprise, in addition to the ramp 61, that the contact te said lever d 'engagement and release 23, a follower pin 62, which, carried by said movable neutral contact 40B, is engaged with said ramp 61.

In practice, in this embodiment, the slide 63 which the engagement and disengagement lever 23 has in hollow and whose side forms the ramp 61 of this is formed on the middle flange 30 of this engagement and trigger, and this is a slide 63 which, parallel to the previous one, has a second flank 64, jointly forming return means for the follower pin 62 associated.

In practice, the slide 63 is elongated in a buttonhole, and, having two parallel levels connected to each other by a zone making an inflection point, it opens outwards at one of the ends of the median flange 30 of the engagement and trigger lever 23, due, in particular, to the relatively moderate length of this median flange 30.

At its other end, on the other hand, the slide 63 is blind.

It goes without saying that, if desired, it can be the same for both of its ends.

Furthermore, in the embodiment shown, the follower pin 62 carried by the movable neutral contact 40B is simply formed by an axial extension of the axis 53 controlling, in cooperation with the elastic washer 52, the relative positioning one relative to the other of the two jaws 43 constituting this movable neutral contact 40B.

For the latching position of the latching and tripping lever 23, Figure 4, the movable neutral contact 40B is in the closed position, under the control of the ramp 64 of the slide 63 that according to the invention comprises this switch on and off 23.

By the end 46 of its jaws 43 it then elastically encloses the associated fixed neutral contact 40A, under the control of the elastic washer 52.

If, as a result of the intervention of any of the thermal and / or electromagnetic organs in question, the control mechanism 35 causes the release of the mobile phase contact 13B, the engagement and tripping handle 23, it- even when released, moves from its previous engagement position to its trigger position under the bias of the spring 34 constituting the elastic return means associated with it, FIG. 1.

During the corresponding movement of the engagement and tripping lever 23, the ramp 61 of the slide 63 provided for this purpose thereon mechanically causes the opening of the movable neutral contact 40B, by pivoting of the latter, figure 7.

However, before such mechanical opening of the movable neutral contact 40B, the latter, thanks to its constitution in two parallel jaws 43 according to the invention, is forced to remain applied to the fixed neutral contact 40A with which it is associated, despite the electro-dynamic repulsion effects developing between each of these jaws 43 and this fixed neutral contact 40A when the assembly is still in charge, that is to say when the assembly is still traversed by a current.

Indeed, the middle sections 47 of each of the jaws 43, which, as mentioned above, are always at a distance from each other in the closed position, are then traversed by parallel currents, and they are of this is the subject of electro-dynamic efforts of attraction compensating for the previous electro-dynamic efforts of repulsion.

Thus, the opening of the movable neutral contact 40B, or neutral sectioning, is due, thanks to the arrangements according to the invention, only to the mechanical action of the engagement and tripping lever 23, according to the process described above.

It is ensured that, taking into account the characteristics of the various constituents in question, this opening does not occur systematically until after the extinction of the arc which has also arisen between the phase contacts 13A, 13B.

In other words, according to the invention, a determined sequence is systematically ensured between, on the one hand, the opening of the phase, and, on the other hand, the sectioning of the neutral.

Likewise, upon engagement, that is to say when the engagement and trigger lever 23 is manually returned from its trigger position, FIG. 7, to its engagement position, FIG. 4, a determined sequence , inverse to the previous one, is ensured between, on the one hand, the closing of the neutral, and, on the other hand, that of the phase.

Thus, in both cases, it is ensured that the opening or closing of the neutral is not done under load.

In the alternative embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 8 to 10, the slide 63 that the engagement and trigger lever 23 has in hollow is on a single side, this slide 63 being reduced to the ramp 61 formed by the latter.

But as before, formed in the recess 32 ′ of the engagement and trigger lever 23, this slide 63 is indeed hollow thereon.

In practice, the ramp 61 generally has a trapezoidal contour, with two oblique sections 66A, 66B each disposed respectively on either side of a median section 67 substantially parallel to the sole 28 and to the cover 29 of the interlocking lever and trigger 23, said oblique sections 66A, 66B both extend from said cover 29 thereof, converging towards one another.

At the same time, the cam means provided between the engagement and release lever 23 and the movable neutral contact 40B comprise, in this variant embodiment, in addition to the ramp 61 which the said engagement and release handle 23 has, minus a spoiler 68 which, projecting from said movable neutral contact 40B, at a distance from its pivot axis, formed as previously by the axis of the bore 49 of the conduction member 48, is able to cooperate with the said ramp 61.

In practice, in the embodiment shown, the movable neutral contact 40B further comprises, projecting laterally, for the constitution of return means, a second spoiler 70, which, disposed on the other side of its pivot axis with respect to its first spoiler 68, is able, like this one, to cooperate with the ramp 61 presented by the engagement and trigger lever 23.

The spoiler 68 forms a bent end of the movable neutral contact 40B, on the side of its pivot axis, beyond the latter, while the spoiler 70, which is of smaller amplitude, forms a boss between said pivot axis and the free end of this movable neutral contact 40B.

Both are largely rounded, and they both extend on the same side, in the direction of the cover 29 of the engagement and release lever 23.

Of course, they affect identically one and the other of the jaws 43 constituting the movable neutral contact 40B, extending substantially in the plane of each of these.

Finally, in this alternative embodiment, the elastic clamping means associated with the jaws 43 constituting the neutral-mobile contact 40B are formed by a U-shaped spring 72, pinching said jaws 43 and carried by them.

In practice for its maintenance, this U-shaped spring 72 is engaged, by each of its wings 73, with a boss 74 of circular contour provided for this purpose, for example by a single puncture, as shown, on the corresponding jaw 43, and, more precisely, the median section 47 thereof, in the direction opposite to the other jaw 43.

In the embodiment shown, it is a round wire spring, the end of each of the wings 73 is simply wound around the boss 74 of the corresponding jaw 43.

In addition, taking into account the recess which the various sections of the jaws 43 present between them, as described above, the wings 73 of the U-shaped spring 72, which, overall, extend on the side of the free end 46 of the jaws 43, each bite at least in part, in plan, FIG. 10, on the thickness of such a free end 46, so as to be able to be driven by said jaws 43.

Finally, these wings 73 are sufficiently extended so that the elbow 75 which connects them can come to bear on a stopper 76 provided for it on the corresponding near wall of the housing 10.

The operation of the variant embodiment thus constituted is similar to the previous one.

During tripping of the circuit breaker, the engagement and tripping lever 23 causes, by its movement, the opening of the movable neutral contact 40B, the section 66B of the ramp 61 which it comprises then acting on the spoiler 68 of the latter; during this opening, the movable neutral contact 40B upwards drives the U-shaped spring 72 which it carries, the latter finding its place thanks to the volume released by the interlocking and tripping lever 23, such that shown schematically in broken lines in Figure 9; at the end of the movement of the engagement and release lever 23, the middle section 67 of the ramp 61 of the latter maintains the movable neutral contact 40B in the open position, as also shown diagrammatically in broken lines in the figure 9.

Similarly, during a reverse movement of the engagement and trigger lever 23, the latter causes, by the section 66A of its ramp 61, the closing of the movable neutral contact 40B, by action on the spoiler 70 of this one; the U-shaped spring 72 is retained by safety by the stopper 76 during the corresponding stroke, and, at the end of the displacement of the engagement and trigger lever 23, the median section 67 of the ramp 61 of this maintains the movable neutral contact 40B in the closed position, as shown in solid lines in FIG. 9.

In practice, the U-shaped spring 72 used advantageously allows, in this alternative embodiment, to have a less steep elasticity slope than that given by a BELLEVILLE washer and therefore to be able to be satisfied with wider tolerances.

Of course, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described and shown.

In particular, instead of being installed laterally, the neutral contacts could just as easily be installed under the interlocking and tripping lever, between the latter and the corresponding internal partition of the housing, although the preceding arrangement is preferred, because it makes it possible to advantageously take advantage of a volume which is usually dead, without encroaching on the volume of the housing situated directly above said engagement and trigger lever.

In addition, and although this arrangement is also preferred, since it corresponds to a minimum space requirement, the neutral contacts are not necessarily entirely arranged in a recess of the engagement and tripping lever, and, in particular, they can, at on the contrary, overflowing more or less of the overall outline thereof. Similarly, if, in the embodiment more particularly described and shown, the interlocking and tripping lever constitutes a slide with linear movement, it goes without saying that this is not necessarily so, this lever switching on and off which can, for example, also be pivotally mounted.

More generally, the scope of the invention is not limited to circuit breakers of the type described in European patent application EP-A-0,028,958 mentioned above.

Claims (17)

1. A circuit breaker of the type comprising, in the same casing (10,), two phase contacts (13A, 13B) of which one at least which is movable is urged by resilient opening means towards a tripped position in which it is spaced from the other phase contact, a manual tripping and closing member (23) which is mounted movably between a closing position and a tripping position and which is urged towards its tripping position by resilient return means, a control mechanism (35) which is adapted to provide, on the one hand, under the control of the manual tripping and closing member (23), that the movable phase contact (13B) moves to and remains in the closed position and, on the other hand, under the control of a thermal and/or electromagnetic tripping member, that said movable phase contact (13B) is freed, and two neutral contacts (40A, 40B) of which one, which is movable, is pilot controlled in respect of opening and closing by said manual tripping and closing member (23), cam means being provided for that purpose between said movable neutral contact and said manual member, characterised in that said cam means comprise a ramp (61) which is formed by the side of a slot (63) which is provided in the manual tripping and closing member (23) in recessed relationship therein, cooperating with return means (40, 70) for return to the closure position of the neutral contacts (40A, 40B) in response to a movement of the manual tripping and closing member (23) towards its closure position.

2. A circuit breaker according to claim 1 characterised in that said cam means further comprise a follower pin (62) which, carried by the movable neutral contact (40B), is engaged with the ramp (61) provided by the manual tripping and closing member (23).

3. A circuit breaker according to claim 2 characterised in that in parallel with the first side of the slot (63), said return means (64) are formed by the other side of the slot (63).

4. A circuit breaker according to claim 1 characterised in that, said movable neutral contact (40B) being mounted pivotably, said cam means further comprise at least one projection portion (68) which, projecting laterally on said movable neutral contact (408), at a spacing from the pivot axis thereof, is co-operable with the ramp (61) provided by the manual tripping and closing member (23).

5. A circuit breaker according to claim 4 characterised in that said return means (70) are formed by a second projection portion which is provided on the movable neutral contact (40B) in laterally projecting relationship therewith on the other side of its pivot axis with respect to the first projection portion (68) and which, like same, is co-operable with the ramp (61) provided by the manual tripping and closing member (23).

6. A circuit breaker according to any one of claims 1 to 5 characterised in that the neutral contacts (40A, 40B) extend laterally between the manual tripping and closing membar (23) and a wall (24') of the casing (10).

7. A circuit breaker according to claim 6 characterised in that the neutral contacts (40A, 40B) extend in a cavity in the manual tripping and closing member (23).

8. A circuit breaker according to either one of claims 6 and 7 characterised in that transversely the neutral contacts (40A, 40B) are entirely disposed within the overall contour of the manual tripping and closing member (23).

9. A circuit breaker according to any one of claims 1 to 8 characterised in that the movable neutral contact (40B) is divided into two parallel jaws (43) which, at one of their ends, are mounted pivotally on a conduction member and which are subjected to resilient clamping means which permanently urge them transversely one towards the other in order to grip the associated fixed neutral contact (40A), by way of the other of their ends.

10. A circuit breaker according to claim 9 characterised in that the two jaws (43) forming the movable neutral contact (40B) are mounted jointly pivotably on the same conduction member (48).

11. A circuit breaker according to claim 10 characterised in that said conduction member (45) transversely comprises an opening (49) and said jaws (43) which are each disposed on respective sides of said conduction member (48) each comprise a pressed-in portion (50) which is pivotably engaged in the corresponding mouth of said opening (49) therein.

12. A circuit breaker according to any one of claims 9 to 11 characterised im that the resilient clamping means associated with the jaws (43) forming the movable neutral contact (40B) bear on one of said jaws (43), being supported on a shaft portion (53) which, passing through said jaws (43) in the middle region thereof, is itself supported on the other thereof.

13. A circuit breaker according to claims 2 and 12 in combination characterised in that the follower pin (62) of the cam means is formed by an extension of said shaft portion (53).

14. A circuit breaker according to any one of claims 9 to 11 characterised in that the resilient clamping means associated with the jaws (43) forming the movable neutral contact (40B) are formed by a U-shaped spring (72) for pinching said jaws (43).

15. A circuit breaker according to claim 14 characterised in that said U-shaped spring (72) is engaged by way of each of the limbs thereof with a boss (74) provided for that purpose on the corresponding jaw (43).

16. A circuit breaker according to claim 15 characterised in that the U-shaped spring (72) is of round wire and the end of each of the limbs thereof is wound around the boss (74) of the corresponding jaw (43).

17. A circuit breaker according to any one of claims 9 to 16 characterised in that, in the closure position of the movable neutral contact (40B) the two jaws (43) forming same are at a spacing from each other at each of the points thereof, except possibly for that one of their ends by way of which they are pivotally mounted.

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