EP0239525B1 - Arrangement for the logical coupling of mechanical signals - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to an arrangement for logically linking mechanical signals, which are provided in the form of limited travel paths, for obtaining at least one output variable from one or more input variables.

Frequently, such purely mechanical arrangements are used in connection with electrical devices or systems, for example to only allow a circuit to be switched on if certain safety measures have been taken beforehand, for example closing a door or attaching a cover or the like. The use of a mechanical link ensures that the desired dependencies are inevitably brought about and without auxiliary electrical energy. Complicated dependencies can also be achieved by electrical or electronic means, and the devices or system parts that are to be set can also be located at a greater distance from one another. However, such a security system requires a large number of sensors, actuators, lines and logic circuit elements as well as an always available electrical auxiliary energy. Therefore, such a security system that can be designed in terms of circuitry for the most varied dependencies cannot be used if unconditional availability is required.

Proceeding from this, the object of the invention is to provide the most important safety-related dependencies mechanically, with the immediate vicinity of the devices or system parts to be brought into mechanical dependence not being a condition and a good mechanical efficiency also being able to take into account several conditions at the same time.

According to the invention the object is achieved in that the tappets assigned to the input variables and the output variables are arranged spatially parallel to one another and in that a slide which is likewise displaceably guided parallel to the direction of displacement of the tappets for force transmission; supply between the plungers is provided.

The essential characteristic of this arrangement is that it can be used with minor modifications as a logic AND gate, as an OR gate or as an inverter, as will be explained below.

For all of these designs, it is advantageous to provide a frame on which the slide is guided and which has openings for guide members of the plunger.

To obtain a logical AND operation, at least one plunger for a first input signal can be guided on the carriage and at least one plunger for an output signal guided on the carrier can be arranged approximately opposite this, and the carriage can be provided with a work surface for at least one for the application of a further input signal Have plunger, which is also guided on the carrier. This arrangement works in such a way that a displacement of the plunger provided for this purpose occurs only when the plunger of the one input signal guided on the carrier moves the slide and the plunger guided on the carriage corresponding to the second input signal is actuated becomes. If appropriate movements are required, this AND gate can also be used with double assignment for the input signals and the output signals, so that the arrangement has a total of six plungers.

An OR operation can be achieved in such a way that the slide has a working surface for two or more plungers for input signals and a further working surface for a plunger carrying the output signal. The function is that the slide for the output signal is actuated by the slide whenever one of the slide for the input signals is moved.

Furthermore, a logically inverted signal can be obtained in that a plunger for an input signal and a plunger for an output signal are arranged side by side and that the slide has a working surface for each of the plungers and is acted upon by the force of a spring. This force biases the tappet for the output signal, which corresponds to a positive output signal. If a positive input signal is now initiated by actuating the corresponding plunger, the slide is moved against the force of the spring and the plunger for the output signal is relieved. This corresponds to a signal reversal.

Depending on the travel and forces required to effect the safety-related dependencies, it can be advantageous to arrange a pivotable lever between the slide and the plunger for the output signal, which lever influences the transmission ratio between the input variables and the output variables. By a relative displacement of the opposing plunger, different transmission ratios can be achieved in this way, since lever arms of different sizes are effective with respect to the pivot axis of the lever. This arrangement is particularly suitable for executing the arrangement as an AND gate or as an OR gate.

The plungers can be part of wire releases, the threaded pieces of which are fastened in openings provided for this purpose in the carrier. Such wire releases are flexible transmission elements that allow devices or system parts that are not directly adjacent to one another to be connected to one another. In this way, for example in an electrical switchgear, up to three circuit breakers and associated cell doors can be interlocked. Despite the large number of dependencies to be taken into account here, the total mechanical energy expenditure to be provided is relatively low because the logical arrangements described work with a good degree of mechanical knowledge.

The arrangements according to the invention can be carried out uniformly with different functions in such a way that the carrier is part of a housing that has uniform dimensions for the designs of the device as an AND gate, OR gate or as an inverter and with openings for fastening as Single device or for common attachment in pairs or multiple arrangement is provided. Such housings can then be attached side by side or one above the other.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiments shown in the figures.

Figures 1 and 2 show an AND gate for two first and second inputs and two outputs in two mutually perpendicular views.

An OR gate is shown in FIG.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show an inverter, likewise in two views at right angles to one another.

FIG. 6 shows a mechanical circuit diagram for interlocks within an electrical switchgear.

The symbols used in FIG. 6 are explained in FIG.

The AND element 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 has a frame-like carrier 2, to which a number of wire releases are attached. Two wire releases 3 and 4 are provided for the input variables E1 / 1 and E1 / 2, while the further wire releases 5 and 6 are used to supply further input variables E2 / 1 and E2 / 2. A total of four wire releases 2 to 6 are assigned two further wire releases 7 and 8 for output variables A1 and A2. In a known manner, the wire releases have an end piece provided with an external thread and a flexible jacket in which a wire rope or a similar flexible transmission element is guided. A plunger guided in the end piece, which protrudes from the opening of the end piece, is connected to this transmission element. In view of the similar nature of the wire release, this arrangement is only explained using the example of the wire release 7. The flexible jacket is here designated 10 and the soul guided therein with 11. 12 is the end piece, which is provided with an external thread and serves as a guide element for the plunger 15, and which is guided through an opening 13 in the carrier 2 and is fixed opposite it by nuts 14. The plunger 15, which can be moved by actuating the core 11, protrudes from the mouth of the end piece 12.

A slide 16 is guided in a suitable manner on the carrier 2 in the same direction (arrow 18) in which the plungers of the wire releases 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 can also be moved. In the example shown, the carrier 2 is provided with an elongated hole 17 through which mushroom-shaped pins 20 attached to the carriage 16 protrude. The carriage 16 has a working surface 21 which faces the plungers of the wire releases 3 and 4, which feed the input signal E1 to the arrangement. An angled arm 22 of the carriage 16 carries the two further wire releases 5 and 6 for the input signal E2. However, the plungers of these wire triggers do not act directly on the plungers of the wire triggers 7 and 8 for the output signal A, but rather by inserting a lever 24 which can be pivoted about a pin 23 and which accordingly has a working surface 25 for the plungers of the wire releases 5 and 5 on its opposite sides 6 and has a stepped working surface 26 for the plunger of the wire releases 7 and 8. As FIG. 1 in particular shows, there is a variable offset, designated 27, between the points of engagement of the tappets on the opposite sides of the lever 24, which causes a translation of the path between the input signal and the output signal.

The arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2 acts in the following manner. In the idle state, the parts assume the position shown under the influence of restoring forces. If, based on this, the input variable E1 / 1 or E2 / 2 is fed in by means of the wire release 3 or the wire release 4, the carriage 16 is displaced in the direction of the wire release 7 and 8 by acting on the working surface 21 by means of the corresponding plunger. The lever 24 also causes a displacement of the plungers of the two wire releases 7 and 8 assigned to the output variable (A1 and A2). However, this only results in a partial output signal. The complete output signal A is only generated when, in addition to the action on the carriage 16 by one or both wire releases 3 and 4, a further input signal E2 / 1 or E2 / 2 is initiated by one of the wire releases 5 and / or 6.

As FIGS. 1 and 2 show, the directions of movement of the plungers of all the wire releases are arranged parallel to one another. This results in an essentially direct power transmission between the input variables and the output variable with the result of good mechanical efficiency. This is practically not affected by the pivotable lever 24, since the game of the plunger of the wire release in the leading end pieces is greater than the relative movement of the plunger to the lever due to the pivoting of the lever 24, so that in the work surfaces 25 and 26 of the Lever 24 steps or shallow depressions 28 can be provided for receiving the rounded ends of the plunger. Such depressions are shown in FIG. 2 and designated 28.

The OR gate 30 shown in FIG. 3 corresponds in principle to the previously explained AND gate 1 in that a carrier 31 is provided for receiving wire releases. Input signals E1, E2 or E3 can optionally be introduced into the OR gate 30 through one of the wire releases 32, 33 or 34. The plungers of these wire releases stand on a work surface 35 Carriage 36 opposite, which is guided in a straight line on the carrier 31 and which has a fixed transmission pin 37 on its working surface 38 opposite the working surface 35. This interacts with a working surface 40 of a pivotably mounted lever 41, whose further, stepped working surface 42 opposite the working surface 40 is used to act on the plunger of a further wire release 43 assigned to the output signal A. The output signal A is thus to be produced by each of the wire releases 32, 33 or 34. In the manner already described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a force or displacement translation can be brought about by the lever 41 within certain limits by setting an offset of the points of engagement of the plungers on the working surfaces 40 and 42 indicated by the arrow 44. For this purpose, the wire release 43 can be fastened in the carrier 31 in different positions in the direction of the arrow 44.

If a displacement or force adjustment is not required, a direct action of the slide 36 by means of its working surface 38 on the wire release 43 can also be provided by omitting the lever 41 and the plunger 37.

The inverter 50 according to FIGS. 4 and 5 in turn has a frame-like support 51 in accordance with the previously described embodiments. A wire release 52 for an input signal E and a further wire release 53 for forwarding an output signal A are attached to one side of the carrier in a parallel position. The plungers of these wire triggers face work surfaces 54 and 55 of a slide 56 which is guided on the carrier 51 so as to be displaceable in the manner described above. The carriage 56 can roughly correspond to the carriage 16 in FIGS. 1 and 2, it being ensured that the mutually offset working surfaces 54 and 55 can interact with the plungers by appropriately fastening the wire releases 52 and 53 on the carrier 51. On its side facing away from the working surfaces 54 and 55, the carriage 56 in turn has a plunger 57 which bears against a working surface 60 of a lever 61 which can be pivoted about a hinge pin 62 and which is under the action of a return spring 63. The force of this spring thus loads both plungers of the wire releases 52 and 53 in the basic position according to FIGS. 4 and 5.

If, based on this, the carriage 56 is displaced by means of the wire release 52 in the sense of initiating an input signal E, the lever 61 is also thereby displaced and accordingly the plunger of the wire release 53 is relieved of the force of the spring 63. This corresponds to a reversal of the input signal.

An example of the use of logic arrangements of the type described above in an electrical switchgear assembly is described below with reference to FIG. The switchgear contains three low-voltage circuit breakers 70, 71 and 72, of which the circuit breakers 70 and 71 are slidably guided in slide-in carriers and can accordingly assume an operating position and a test position. The doors of the switch cells, in which the slide-in supports for the circuit breakers 70 and 71 are located, are also indicated schematically and designated 73 and 74. Each of the circuit breakers 70, 71 and 72 has a symbolically indicated switching shaft, the positions of which correspond to the contact position of the circuit breakers are designated I for the switch-on position and 0 for the switch-off position. Furthermore, each of the circuit breakers has a transmission element which can be acted upon mechanically from the outside and which is independent of the conventional manual control elements, for triggering the circuit breaker. These transmission elements are designated 75, 76 and 77.

The movable circuit breakers 70 and 71 located in the slide-in frame are provided with connection points for flexible mechanical transmission elements in the manner of wire releases, in order to be able to remove different signals for the operation and the position of the circuit breakers. In this way, a signal for the switch-on position E70, a signal for the switch-off position A70, a signal for the test position T70 and a signal for the operating position B70 can be removed from the circuit breaker 70. Analogously, signals E71, A71, T71 and B71 are to be derived from the circuit breaker 71.

Further signals are derived from doors 73 and 74. To prevent manipulation, two signals are derived from different locations on the doors or the stationary cell parts that interact with them. These signals corresponding to the closed state of the cell doors are designated Z73 / 1 and Z73 / 2 or Z74 / 1 and Z74 / 2.

The signals explained above are fed to mechanically acting logical arrangements of the type explained with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. To understand the functions provided for this purpose, FIG. 7 contains the explanations of the circuit symbols used as well as the assignment and properties of the connections within the circuit diagram. A comparison with FIG. 6 shows that a total of seven AND gates U1, U2. U3, U4, U5, U6, and U7 are present, as well as two inverters, each 11 and 12, and two OR gates 01 and 02. Likewise in accordance with FIG. 7, it can be seen that the connections between the circuit breakers 70, 71 and 72 and between the cell doors 73 and 74 and the above-mentioned logical arrangements are designed for a different actuation frequency in accordance with the stresses that occur. For the dashed and dash-dotted connections, a rating for a relatively small number of switching cycles is sufficient, because these are connected in connection with relatively rare changes in the position of the circuit breakers within their plug-in frames. In contrast, the connections shown in solid lines and the crosshair connections are designed for a high number of switching cycles based on the number of operating cycles of the circuit breakers. At the same time, FIG. 6 shows which connections are effective for the operational safety of the switchgear and which of the connections are effective for personal safety.

The following switching state is considered as an example of one of the dependencies shown in FIG. 6: The circuit breaker 70 is in the operating position and is switched on. Furthermore, the circuit breaker 71 is also in the operating position. Then the AND gate U1 takes effect and supplies an output signal to the AND gate U2. The signal E70 for the switch-on position of the circuit breaker 70 is present at this, so that a switch-off signal is now given to the actuating element 77 of the circuit breaker 71 by the AND gate U2. The circuit breaker 71 can therefore not be switched on. Such an interlock may be desirable, for example, when the circuit breaker 70 is the main feed switch and the circuit breaker 71 is the emergency feed switch.

In the circuit diagram according to FIG. 6, it is also assumed that the circuit breaker 72 has the function of a tie switch which allows two busbar systems to be connected to one another. However, if the operation of the system is maintained by means of the circuit breaker 71 as an emergency feed switch, the busbar systems must not be coupled in view of the lower load capacity of the emergency feed switch. For this purpose, the switch-off signal A70 of the circuit breaker 70 and the switch-on signal E71 of the circuit breaker 71 are supplied to the OR gate 02, the output variable of which acts on the actuating member 77 of the circuit breaker 72. If one of the signals A70 and E71 is present, the circuit breaker 72 cannot be switched on.

Further dependencies are readily apparent from the illustration in FIG. 6 and the associated explanations of the circuit symbols in FIG. 7.

Claims (10)

1. Arrangement for the logical combination of mechanical signals (E, E1, E2, E3, E1/1, E1/2, E2/1, E2/2), which are supplied in the form of limited actuator displacements, for producing at least one output variable (A, A1, A2) from one or more of the input variables, characterized in that plungers (15), allocated to the input variables (E, E1, E2, E3, E1/1, E1/2, E2/1, E2/2) and the output variables (A, A1, A2), are arranged parallel to one another spatially, and in that a slide (16; 36; 56) likewise displaceably guided parallel to the displacement direction (18) of the plungers (15) is provided for power transmission between the plungers (15).

2. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the slide (16; 36; 56) is guided on carrier (2; 31; 51), which possesses openings (13) for guide elements (12) of the plungers (15).

3. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that, for providing a logical AND relation, at least one plunger (15), for a first input signal (E1/1, E1/2), is carried on the slide (16), and approximately opposite it at least one plunger, carried on the carrier (2), for an output signal (A1, A2), is arranged, and in that, for receiving a further input signal (E2/1, E2/2), the slide (16) possesses a working surface (21) for at least one plunger (15) which is likewise carried on the carrier (2).

4. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that, for obtaining a logical OR relation, the slide (36) has a working surface (35) for two or more plungers (15) for input signals (E1; E2; E3), as well as a further working surface (38) for a plunger (15) bearing the output signal (A).

5. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that, for producing a logically inverted signal (A), one plunger (15) for an input signal (E) and one plunger for an output signal (A), respectively, are arranged next to one another, and in that the slide (56) possesses a working surface (54, 55) for each of the plungers (15), and the force of a spring (63) is applied to the slide (56).

6. Arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that between the slide (56) and the plunger (15) for the output signal (A) a pivotably carried lever (61), influencing the transmission ratio between the input variables (E) and the output variables (A), is arranged.

7. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the plungers (15) are components of cable actuators (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8; 32, 33; 43; 52, 53), whose screw thread pieces (12) are fastened in openings (13) of the carrier (2; 31; 51) provided therefor.

8. Arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the use of this arrangement in an electric switchgear for obtaining switching equipment (70, 71, 72) and/or sealing or locking elements (73, 74) of rooms or cubicles of the switchgear containing switching equipment (70, 71).

9. Arrangement according to claim 6 and 7, char-

9. Arrangement according to claim 6 and 7, characterized in that the carrier (2) is a component of a housing, which is of uniform dimensions for the AND gate (1), OR gate (30) and inverter (50) versions of the equipment and is provided with openings for mounting the equipment on its own or for joint mounting in the case of arrangement in pairs or multiple arrangement.

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