EP0136290B1 - Automatic protection switch with visible sectioning and hand reset - Google Patents

Abstract

Switching apparatus with automatic opening, wherein the reset is operated by an action similar to that which produces a sectioning. A movable contact (87), housed in a slide (88) accessible on the front face (124) of the casing (82) may be opened either by a resilient sudden triggering device (94) which is itself directly or indirectly released by a striker (92) associated to a coil (91) or, and with a distance establishing a sectioning of the line, by the slide itself, the latter being also used to reset the device (94). Such an apparatus can be conveniently arranged within a modular casing (82) of reduced width, used in tertiary or domestic distribution boxes.

Description

Electrical switch protection device for an electrical circuit comprising a housing, a tilting drawer articulated with respect to the housing so as to be able to manually switch from a closed position to an open position and vice versa, a switch having, on the one hand, a contact fixed and on the other hand, a movable contact mechanically associated with the drawer so as to be open when the latter is open, and means for automatic cutting of the electrical circuit comprised between two terminals of the housing, these means intervening during the passage of an excessive current in the circuit, the movable contact being separable from the fixed contact under the effect of a spring device and magnetizable part cooperating with a coil placed in the circuit, the device being reset during an opening movement and manual closing of the drawer.

Such devices are used for the protection of lines and, when they are arranged in narrow modular boxes, then often equip domestic distribution boxes.

There is already known, for example from DE-B-2 618 360, a protective device having the general constitution mentioned above, in which the protective switch is represented by a removable fuse cartridge and where the sectioning is placed in an internal region of the housing remote from the front face. Such an apparatus has the double disadvantage of requiring the replacement of the fuse cartridge after the appearance of a short circuit and of not indicating with certainty to the user if the disconnection switch has indeed performed its function; indeed, transmission means which are interposed between the tilting cover and a switch pusher undergo, when the sectioning contacts are welded, so great buckling forces that one can fear their rupture and a maintenance to the closed state of these, while the position of the drawer may suggest that they are in the open state.

Likewise, US-A-3,030,470 relates to a protective device which comprises a fixed housing, provided with a fixed contact and a manually operable tilting cover, articulated on the fixed housing and provided with a movable contact, the housing and cover comprising magnetothermal means for opening the movable contact.

This protective device does not, however, allow the user to ensure with ease and certainty that the contacts have been separated during a magnetic or thermal trip or during manual opening of the drawer.

The object of the invention is therefore to provide a protective device free from the aforementioned drawbacks and which also has sectioning properties and a structure eliminating the risk of accidental contact of personnel with a live element. .

The invention proposes to achieve these results by means of an electrical switch device for protecting an electrical circuit comprising a housing, a tilting drawer articulated relative to the housing so as to be able to manually switch from a closed position to an open position. and vice versa, a switch having, on the one hand, a fixed contact and, on the other hand, a movable contact mechanically associated with the drawer so as to be open when the latter is open, and means for automatic circuit breaking electric between two terminals of the box, these means intervening during the passage of an excessive current in the circuit, the movable contact being separable from the fixed contact under the effect of a spring device and magnetizable part cooperating with a coil placed in the circuit, the device being reset during a manual opening and closing movement of the drawer, and being carried by the drawer, so as to be separated from the fixed contact by a dry distance sufficient operation visible from the outside when the drawer is opened manually.

According to the invention, this device is more particularly characterized in that the movable contact is electrically disconnected from each of the terminals and can be observed directly when the drawer is open.

Advantageously, the disconnection is obtained by virtue of a movable bridge contact which cooperates with two fixed contacts connected respectively to a terminal and to the coil.

Furthermore, the connection and disconnection are obtained thanks to a removable coupling which takes place elastically during the opening and closing of the drawer between on the one hand, a pin, around which pivots a lever carrying a movable contact to simple cut, and on the other hand, at least one conductor electrically connected to a terminal.

According to other characteristics of the invention, the pivot axes of the tilting drawer and the movable contact carrier lever are distinct. Similarly, the pivoting axis of the tilting drawer can be located at a distance from the rear face of the housing allowing the housing of the coil device and magnetizable piece between the axis and the rear face, the fixed contact and the movable contact being located in front of the device.

• les figures 1a, 1b représentent de façon schématique les constitutions de deux variantes d'exécution de l'invention ;
• la figure 2 montre en élévation et dans une vue en coupe par le plan PP' de la figure 3, un premier mode de réalisation de l'invention mettant en oeuvre un écran isolant et un contact à double coupure ;
• la figure 3 montre, dans une vue de côté gauche, l'appareil représenté à la figure 2 ;
• la figure 4 illustre une vue de l'appareil selon la figure 2 dans une vue en coupe partielle par le plan SS' ;
• la figure 5 montre, dans une perspective partielle, une vue des organes utilisés pour accélérer la coupure de l'arc ;
• la figure 6 représente, dans une vue en perspective partielle, des éléments portés par le tiroir ;
• la figure 7 illustre un deuxième mode de réalisation d'un interrupteur selon l'invention dans une vue en élévation et en coupe par un plan médian, où l'interrupteur est fermé.
• la figure 8 montre en élévation un détail d'exécution des moyens d'accouplement amovibles entre le levier de contact de l'interrupteur, se trouvant ici en position de fermeture, et l'une des bornes de raccordement ;
• les figures 9 et 10 montrent en détail deux phases successives d'une ouverture automatique de l'interrupteur.

The invention, the features it presents, and the measures taken to implement it, will be better understood on reading the description below, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

• Figures 1a, 1b schematically show the constitutions of two alternative embodiments of the invention;
• Figure 2 shows in elevation and in a sectional view through the plane PP 'of Figure 3, a first embodiment of the invention using an insulating screen and a double contact break;
• Figure 3 shows, in a left side view, the apparatus shown in Figure 2;
• Figure 4 illustrates a view of the apparatus according to Figure 2 in a partial sectional view through the plane SS ';
• FIG. 5 shows, in a partial perspective, a view of the members used to accelerate the cutting of the arc;
• FIG. 6 represents, in a partial perspective view, of the elements carried by the drawer;
• FIG. 7 illustrates a second embodiment of a switch according to the invention in an elevation view and in section through a median plane, where the switch is closed.
• FIG. 8 shows in elevation a detail of execution of the removable coupling means between the contact lever of the switch, being here in the closed position, and one of the connection terminals;
• Figures 9 and 10 show in detail two successive phases of an automatic opening of the switch.

A first device 1a according to the invention, which is shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1a, comprises a housing 2 having a front face 44 and a rear face 43 provided for example with fixing means cooperating with standardized profiles.

Between two current input and output terminals 3, 4 placed in the vicinity of the faces 33, 34, is arranged an electrical circuit 10 comprising in series: a switch 5 having a movable contact 7 and two fixed contacts 6a, 6b, thus that an automatic opening device 9 comprising a coil 11, a magnetizable core or pallet 12 with which is associated an insulating screen 13 capable of being propelled by this core between the contacts 7 and 6; an elastic device 14, of abrupt opening of the movable contact 7 of the switch 5, is triggered by the movement of the core or of the screen when a significant overcurrent flows in the circuit, and in such a way that the contacts of the 'switch 5 are barely open when the screen moves between them.

A drawer 8, movable on the front face 44, has coupling means 24 which allow it to open the switch 5 voluntarily by acting on the movable contact 7; this same drawer allows when it is opened to make visible the position of this movable contact so that the user can on the one hand ensure that the line is electrically isolated and can on the other hand reset the device 14 when the latter has been triggered automatically.

Referring to Figure 3, which shows a particular embodiment of the invention according to Figure 1a, where a single-pole switch is disposed in a modular housing 2 of small modular width "e", for example equal to 8.5 mm, the terminals 3 and 4 are placed in a median plane PP 'parallel to two lateral faces 51, 52 belonging respectively to two half-housings 2a, 2b assembled for example along a joint plane contained in the plane PP' .

The components of the circuit 10, which are visible in Figure 2, include a folded conductor 37, connected at one end to terminal 3, and carrying at its other end, a fixed contact pad 6a. An intermediate part of the conductor is held in a groove 39 of an insulating block 35, better visible in FIG. 5, which has another opposite groove 38, capable of receiving one end of a folded conductor 36 on which is placed a second fixed contact pad 6b; an insulating partition 29 of this block separates the two fixed contacts.

The conductor 36 is also connected to one end 11 a of winding the coil 11, the latter cooperating with a magnetizable yoke 9a and with a magnetizable plunger core 12 to which a spring 12a gives a rest position " _I " visible on the Figure 2; the other end 11b of the coil 11 is also connected to terminal 4.

A fork-shaped contact bridge 28 carries two movable contact pads 7a, 7b placed at the ends of the branches 28a, 28b, and is held with an angular play by an insulating contact carrier 17 able to pivot about an axis ZZ 'perpendicular to the plane of the figure. The contact carrier has for this purpose a pin 24a which is engaged in two bearings 24b placed in parallel cheeks of a tilting drawer 8, such as those shown in 8a, 8b in FIG. 6 and in FIG. 4.

The cooperation between the fixed and mobile contacts is ensured by means of a spring 18 which exerts a contact pressure by resting on a point 17a of the mobile contact 28, the branches of the fork 28a, 28b being placed on the side and on the other side of the partition 29.

The contact carrier 17 also has a heel 15a placed in the vicinity of the contact pads 7a, 7b and a spout 16 which is opposite to it. In the normal state of the device for which the switch 5 is closed, the spout 16 rests on an abutment surface 19 of a part 20 capable of pivoting about an axis YY 'parallel to ZZ.

This part, which also has an inclined ramp or cam surface 22 leading to the abutment surface 19, also has a surface 32a capable of cooperating for a certain angular position with a support 32 of the housing 2, and a radial arm 20a receiving the clockwise thrust of a compression spring 21; the thrust of this spring is balanced by the action of the spout against the surface 19.

In the illustrated embodiment, the contact carrier 17, the spring 18, the part 20 and the spring 21 are carried by the slide 8 which rocks around the axis YY 'placed concentrically with a stud 41 on which a bore pivots. 42 of this part 20, see also FIG. 6; the drawer 8 is itself pivoted in half-housings using surfaces or means not visible in the figures.

In the closed position of the drawer, illustrated in Figure 2, it is engaged in a housing 25 of the housing and is held in place by a lock 27 resiliently eclipsable.

A thin and insulating screen 13, which is associated by a rod 13a with the plunger core 12, can move in a plane RR 'substantially parallel to the axis XX' of the coil; this screen has at its end 30, opposite the core, two branches 30a, 30b which are separated by a groove 40 and are able to engage on either side of the partition 29. This screen, which is guided with a slight play by this groove in one direction, also receives a complementary guide thanks to the surface 35a of the insulating block 35 see FIG. 5 and to a groove 35b of the partition 29; these guides orient the screen so that a movement of direction F in its plane causes the ends of the branches 30a and 30b to penetrate with zero or extremely reduced play in two notches placed opposite.

During such a movement, the screen passes in the immediate vicinity of the fixed contact pads 6a, 6b, see FIG. 2. Finally, these branches 28a, 28b, or one of them, carries a boss 15 which is placed in the immediate vicinity of the heel 15a.

When the device is used in its disconnector function, an angular movement of alpha direction communicated to the drawer 8 causes the contact carrier 17 and therefore the movable contact bridge 28 to be driven until the surfaces 32, 32a come in touch. In this position, for which the contact bridge is largely free from fixed contacts, accidental contact with the bridge which is then perfectly visible and isolated, does not present any danger for the user.

When the device fulfills its function of automatic safety switch, for example during the passage of a short-circuit current between the terminals, the plunger core 12, which is instantly attracted to the center of the coil 11 , communicates a very rapid movement on the screen 13. During the displacement of the latter in the direction J, the boss or bosses 15 raise the heel 15a of the contact carrier 17 by communicating to the latter an angular movement which releases the spout 16 of the stop 19.

The part 20, thus triggered, then performs, by means of the relaxation of the spring 21, a clockwise movement which causes the spout to cooperate with the inclined ramp 22 and provides the contact carrier with a rapid movement, in the same direction as the previous one, which takes place in the direction of separation of the movable contacts and the fixed contacts.

It will be noted that the contact bridge 28 is associated with a clearance limited to the contact carrier 17 by means of oscillating means 17b and a finger 15b. These means make it possible, depending on the value of this clearance, to first separate the contact bridge from the fixed contacts very quickly, and then to have this opening confirmed by the snap-action device 14, which notably comprises the part 20 and the spring 21 .

The relative positions of the edges 30a, 30b of the screen and the bosses 15, as well as that of the movable contacts 7a, 7b and of the heel 15a are chosen so that the end of the screen is placed between the contacts as soon as they open. this allows and shears the arc, which forms at this time, at the entrance of the grooves 31a, 31b.

During this movement, the edges 30a, 30b of the screen can engage in these grooves and reach an extreme working position T before returning elastically to the starting position 1 (see FIG. 2). For this purpose, the groove bottoms 31 a and 31 b are connected to channels or vents which connect them to the atmosphere and thus allow the gases released during the shearing of the arc not to slow the movement and not to subject the housing to undue stress. Thanks to the grooves and baffles of the housing, not shown, the lateral edges 13c, 13b of the screen (see FIG. 5) move by operating, at least temporarily, total isolation between the two spaces placed on either side. other of the screen. The space containing the movable contact can also be connected to the atmosphere by a dimensioned vent to prevent an overpressure from opening the drawer.

The elastic attachment of the screen, which avoids giving the latter a stable working position, makes it possible to dispense with a reset device, and does not in any way affect the quality of the cut-off, since in the meantime the movable bridge has taken a very distant stable position 0, shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2, when the surface 32a arrives against the fixed surface 32.

The closing of the switch 5 is carried out first by a movement of alpha direction, which is given to the drawer to reset the part 20, and then by a folding of the drawer in its housing.

During the first movement, the part 20, which is supported on the housing thanks to the cooperation of the surfaces 32a, 32 remains fixed, while the contact carrier 17 is driven. The relative movement between the ramp 22 and the spout 16 brings the latter from the top 22a of the ramp against which it was located towards the stop 19 against which a locking then takes place thanks to the action of the spring 18; during this same movement the spring 21 which is housed in a cell 26 of the drawer is compressed between the latter and the arm 20a.

A second device 1b according to the invention, which is shown in Figure 1b, comprises a housing 2 'having a front face 44' and a rear face 43 'provided for example with fastening means cooperating with standardized profiles. Between two current input and output terminals 3 ′, 4 ′ placed in the vicinity of the faces 33 ′, 34 ′, is arranged an electrical circuit 10 ′ comprising in series: a switch 5 ′ having a movable contact 7 ′ and a fixed contact 6 ', and a removable electrical coupling device 81 capable of connecting the movable contact to an automatic opening device 9' comprising a coil 11 'cooperating with a magnetizable core or pallet (12') capable of striking the contact mobile 7 'to cause the instantaneous opening of the switch when a large overcurrent flows in the circuit; a deformable elastic mechanism 14 ', triggered by the core 12 ', serves to confirm the opening of the movable contact by keeping it in a position remote from the fixed contact.

A drawer 8 ′, movable on the front face 44 ′, has coupling means 24 ′ which allow it to voluntarily cause the opening of the switch 5 ′ by acting on the movable contact 7 ′; this same drawer makes it possible, when it is opened, to make the position of this movable contact visible to ensure that the line is electrically isolated and to reset the device 14 'when the latter has been triggered automatically.

An embodiment of the device according to Figure 1 is illustrated in detail in Figure 7 where the same references represent parts having the same functions.

The circuit 10 'flows from terminal 3' to terminal 4 'passing through the coil 11' which is then connected to a conductor 37 'carrying the fixed contact 6', then by the simple movable contact 7 'which is placed at the end of a contact lever 28 'pivoting around a pin 24'a, and by two parallel return conductors such as 60 and 60' which receive the pin 24a and which lead to terminal 4 ', see also Figure 8.

Each of the conductors 60, 60 'has for this purpose the shape of an L in the interior corner of which is placed an open notch 63 adapted to receive one of the ends of the pin 24'a and whose short branch 61 has a inclined surface 62, see in particular FIG. 10. When the switch device 1b is in the state of FIGS. 7 and 8 where the drawer 8 'which pivots about an axis 64, is closed, the ends of the pin 24' a are each placed and, with play, in V-shaped grooves 24'b belonging to the drawer. The axis of this pin is distinct from the axis 64 of pivoting of the drawer 8 '.

Inside the pivoting drawer is a volume 65 isolated from the outside in which is placed a tension spring 21 'having a fixed end 67, engaged in a support 66 of the drawer and a movable end 68 which is connected to a link 69; the latter has a hooking point 70 which is opposite the end 68 and which connects it to a point 71 of the contact lever 28 'remote from the pin 24'a.

In the closed state of the switch 5 visible in Figure 7, the spring 21 'communicates to the lever 28' a couple of counterclockwise direction which provides the pressure of the movable contact 7 'on the fixed contact 6'. One end 72 of the contact lever 28, which can locally take the form of a fork, is placed, when the switch is closed, in the vicinity of a head 73 representing the end of a rod 74 linked to the plunger core 12 'of the coil 11'; this plunger core is held in its upper rest position in FIG. 7 by means of a spring 75. An abutment surface 78, the role of which will appear later, is placed opposite the end 72 of the lever 28 'but on the opposite side at head 73 and with a certain spacing.

Finally, an arc extinguishing chamber 76, which is placed opposite the cut-off zone of the switch 5 ', communicates with the outside by means of vents such as 77.

The members 21 ′, 28 ′, 69, 70, 24 ′ b, 79 and 80 constitute the elements of the deformable and resettable elastic mechanism mentioned by 14 ′ in FIG. 1 b.

The operation, which is illustrated in Figures 8, 9 and 10, begins when the switch is closed, Figures 7 and 8. The passage of excessive current in the circuit 10 'causes the instantaneous attraction of the core 12' which compresses the return spring 75 and causes the percussion of the head 73 against the end 72 of the lever 28 ', which causes the instantaneous tilting thereof in a clockwise direction, and therefore the opening of the switch 5'. During this movement, the points 70, 71 move beyond a straight line passing through the pin 24'a and through point 67 by stretching the spring 21 '; this movement, which is made possible by the fact that the link 69 bypasses this pin, ends when the lever 28 ', abutting against a support 79 of the drawer, see FIG. 9, assumes a stable position which confirms the automatic opening of the 'light switch.

When to reset the mechanism 14 ′, the drawer is opened by hand in the alpha direction, the grooves 24 ′ b come into contact with the ends of the pin 24 ′ a and drive it with it, causing it to disengage from the notches 63 , which isolates the lever 28 'from terminal 4', see the drawer in dashed lines in position A in Figure 10. The contact lever 28 'which has just been described is therefore electrically connected to terminal 4' and mechanically connected to the conductors 60, 60 ′ in the closed position of the drawer by a removable coupling, referenced by 81 in FIG. 1 b, which releases it for the open position of the drawer.

A further rotation of the slide 8 ', which brings it to position B shown in dotted lines in FIG. 10, first brings the end 72 of the contact lever 28' against a stop surface 78, belonging for example to box 2 ', which immobilizes this lever; continuing the movement of the drawer to position B then causes the hooking point 67 of the spring 21 'to pass to the right of a line passing through the pin 24'a and the point 71, so that the link 69 now transmits to the lever 28 'a couple of anti-clockwise direction which communicates to it a rotation in the same direction as the latter, until a meeting takes place between it and a stop 80 placed in the drawer 8', see figure 7.

This last movement, which signals that the resetting of the mechanism 14 'is completed, brings the lever 28' into an angular position which is more advanced with respect to the slide than that represented in FIG. 7 so that the contact pressure is established as soon as the movable contact will come to bear on the fixed contact when the drawer is closed.

In position B, the switching device performs the function of a disconnector in which the electrical connection part, that is to say the movable contact 7 'is separated from the fixed contact 6 'by a significant distance "d"; moreover, the mobile contact is made visible, which constitutes a guarantee for the user that this cutting operation has been carried out; moreover, the lever 28 'being separated from the other conductive parts 60, 60' accidental contact with this lever does not present any danger. During a reclosure of the drawer 8 ', the ends of the pin 24'a are facing the inclined surfaces 62, and slide thereon until they are opposite the notches 63, into which they penetrate then; the ends of the pin 24'a are again separated from the grooves 24'b when the drawer reaches its closed position.

The stability of the support of the pin 24'a, either in the notches 63 or in the grooves 24'b, is due to the fact that the latter are open in a direction opposite to the point of attachment 67 of the spring 21 '.

In all the embodiments described above, it is possible to combine side by side, several boxes, for example three, so as to produce a multipolar device; in this case of the hollowed out portions, for example with a square section, the pivots of the drawers can be associated coaxially with ZZ 'to operate a simultaneous sectioning of several phase conductors.

The angular strokes made by the drawers and by the movable contacts of these devices are chosen so that the sectioning distances “d imposed by standards for the categories of jobs provided for, are respected.

Claims (9)

1. An electric switch apparatus for protecting an electric circuit comprising a case (2), a pivoting drawer (8, 8') connected to the case and adapted to be manually pivoted from a closed position to an open position and reversely, a switch having on the one hand, a fixed (6, 6') and, on the other hand, a movable (7, 7') contact the movable contact being mechanically linked to the drawer for simultaneous opening therewith and breaking means for automatically breaking the electric circuit connected across two terminals of the case, the said breaking means operating in case of an overflow of current in the circuit, the movable contact being able to be separated from the fixed contact under the action of a device comprising spring means (12a) and a magnetizable member (9a), said device cooperating with a coil (11) placed in the circuit and being reset during a manual opening and closing movement of the drawer and being carried by the drawer (8. 8') so as to be separated from the fixed contact (6, 6') by a sufficient disconnecting distance « d », visible from the outside, when the drawer is manually opened, characterized in that the movable contact (7, 7') is electrically disconnected from each of the terminals (3, 4, 3', 4') and may be observed directly when the drawer is open.

2. The switch apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that disconnection is obtained by means of a movable bridge (28) contact which cooperates with two fixed contacts (6a, 6b) connected respectively to a terminal (3) and to the coil (11).

3. The switch apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that connection and disconnection are obtained through a removable coupling (81) effected resiliently during opening and closing of the drawer (8') between, on the one hand, a pivot pin (24'a) about which pivots a lever (28') carrying a single movable break contact (7') and, on the other hand, at least one conductor (60, 60') connected electrically to a terminal (4').

4. A switch apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that the pivoting axes of the pivoting drawer and of the movable contact holder lever are distinct.

5. A switch apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the pivoting axis of the pivoting drawer (8, 8') is located at a distance from the rear face (43, 43') of the case, making it possible for the device containing a coil and a magnetizable piece to be lodged between the axis and the rear face, the fixed and the movable contacts being disposed in front of said actuating means.

6. A switch apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the pivoting drawer (8, 8') is lodged in its closed position inside the case.

7. A switch apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said device containing a spring and a magnetizable piece is a snap-action tripping device.

8. The switch apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that an insulating screen (13) is propelled between the contacts (6, 7) by a magnetizable core associated with the coil at the moment of automatic opening thereof.

9. The switch apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the insulating screen (13) causes shearing of the arc when it reaches an oppositely positioned insulating surface and then returns to a rest position I which is given thereto by resilient means (12a).

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