EP0817220B1 - Balanced slider, vibration and shock resistant, for movable contacts of auxiliary thermal switches and the like - Google Patents

Balanced slider, vibration and shock resistant, for movable contacts of auxiliary thermal switches and the like Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0817220B1
EP0817220B1 EP19970201911 EP97201911A EP0817220B1 EP 0817220 B1 EP0817220 B1 EP 0817220B1 EP 19970201911 EP19970201911 EP 19970201911 EP 97201911 A EP97201911 A EP 97201911A EP 0817220 B1 EP0817220 B1 EP 0817220B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
slider
vibration
pivot
shock resistant
movable
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP19970201911
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0817220A1 (en
Inventor
Francesco De Vizi
Carlo Mannella
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
GE Power Controls Italia SpA
Original Assignee
GE Power Controls Italia SpA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by GE Power Controls Italia SpA filed Critical GE Power Controls Italia SpA
Publication of EP0817220A1 publication Critical patent/EP0817220A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0817220B1 publication Critical patent/EP0817220B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H5/00—Snap-action arrangements, i.e. in which during a single opening operation or a single closing operation energy is first stored and then released to produce or assist the contact movement
    • H01H5/04—Energy stored by deformation of elastic members
    • H01H5/06—Energy stored by deformation of elastic members by compression or extension of coil springs
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H50/00—Details of electromagnetic relays
    • H01H50/16—Magnetic circuit arrangements
    • H01H50/18—Movable parts of magnetic circuits, e.g. armature
    • H01H50/30—Mechanical arrangements for preventing or damping vibration or shock, e.g. by balancing of armature

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an assembly of a slider and snap member used to convert a distorsion of one or more bimetal members in a snapping action on movable contacts of control and/or signalling auxiliary switches associated to electromechanical devices such as circuit breakers contactors and the like.
  • the present invention relates to a slider, for the above mentioned use, particularly resistant to stresses due to shocks and local vibrations.
  • thermal auxiliary thermal switches driven by the above mentioned bimetal members, which are the most the possible resistant to the above mentioned stresses, particularly to linear stresses which are, at least partially aligned with the slider having the duty of transferring the movement of the snapping member s to the above mentioned movable contacts of auxiliary switches.
  • the problem is particularly serious when electric devices are to be installed on machines producing strong vibrations, because these vibrations can make unsafe the snapping of auxiliary thermal switches having, as a consequence, either untimed circuit breaking when actually there are not overcurrent conditions to justify the circuit breaking or unduly delayed circuit breaking resulting in damages by overheating of protected devices and thus in failure of the protection.
  • US-A-4,423,296 represents the closest prior art and discloses and claims a shock and vibration resistant electrical switch, of the kind suited to control high currents, consisting of two mass balanced counterrotating members controlled, through two opposed springs, by an actuating lever.
  • This switch is obviously shock and vibration resistant, but suffers of the drawback of massive, encumbering and very complicated construction, so that it cannot be employed as auxliary switch of the kind controlled by a snapping member.
  • DE-A-2 030 210 discloses and claims a shock and vibration resistant switch in which it is tried to improve such a resistance by increasing the moment of inertia of a movable equipment and by adding some damping means.
  • the switch could operate rather well, but is extremely complicated, expensive and needing frequent servicing.
  • DE-A- 2 035 549 discloses and claims a two pole rapid switch, obviously rather shock and vibration resistant, consisting of a snap-controlled balanced rotor, provided with two permanent magnets, able to drive two dry-reed contacts. This system is auble but is limited to control dry reed contacts and is not suited to control ordinary contact pairs in ambient air
  • a substantial sensitivity reduction to mechanical external stresses on a slider can be obtained by using a balanced slider according to claim 1 characterized in that it consists of just one movable body, of insulating material, turning around a pivot arranged to be substantially symmetrical with respect to the masses of the body in order to have practically null effects from essentially linear stresses, being the body of insulating material, turning around the pivot fastened to a case, provided with seats housing movable contact arms, and two opposed protrusions suited to engage a rigid tang of a snapping member.
  • a slider having an essentially symmetrical distribution of inertia moments of its portions, so that the stresses due to linear accelerations have substantially null results.
  • the slider has seats, housing the movable contact arms cooperating with fixed contact arms, which are each other opposed and equidistant with respect the pivot of the insulating material body of the slider.
  • an assembly 10 of snapping member and slider is formed by an anchoring bracket 12 supporting the snapping member 14 consisting of a spring 16 connected through a first end to a small bracket 18 located at a lower end of the anchoring bracket 12 and through an opposed second end to an intermediate point of a rigid tang 20 resting on a V-shaped slot 22 provided in an upper face of a square cantilever protrusion 24 integral with the bracket 12 and provided with a slot 26 for the passage of the upper end of the spring 16.
  • the rigid tang 20 is engaged in a rectangular slot 28 of a saddle slider 30 formed by a bar 32 of insulating material provided with two other slots 33 and 34 having inserted movable contact arms 35 and 36 to be engaged with fixed contact arms 37a, 37b and 38a, 38b, respectively, forming a pair 40 of nomally open contacts and a pair 41 of normally closed contacts.
  • the drive of the spring 16 assures a direction inversion of the tang 20 resting on the opposed wall of the slot 28, assuring a shifting of the bar 32 of the saddle slider 30 which moves the movable contasct arm 35 out of engagement with the fixed contact arms37a and 37b and the movable contact arm 36 in engagement with the fixed contact arms 38a and 38b, allowing the opening of the normally closed contacts 40 and the closure of the normally open contacts 41.
  • an assembly 50 of snap member and slider comprises an anchoring bracket 12 supporting a snap member 14 completely similar to that depicted in the prior art of figure 1, comprising in fact also a spring 16 connected, at a first end, to a small lower bracket 18 and, at a second end, to a rigid tang 20, also completely similar to the tang of figure 1, also in its engagement with the V-shaped slot 22 into the square cantilever protrusion 24 also having a slot 26 for the passage of the spring 16.
  • a slider 60 of rotating kind, consisting of a movable equipment, or body, of insulating material 62 pivotable around a pin 72 fastened to support means (not shown) of the whole mechanism.
  • This movable equipment 62 is provided near its pivot, just a little thereunder, with two opposed reliefs alternatively engaged with the rigid tang 20 of the snap member 14.
  • Movable contact arms 65 and 66 supported by respective seats 63 and 64, cooperate with fixed contact arms 67 and 68 to form a normally closed contact pair 80 and a normally open contact pair 81.
  • the rotating slider 60 is produced through moulding as a body 62 of insulating material having substantially symmetrical shape about a rotation pin 72. To assure its movement, the body 62 is provided with two opposed reliefs 58 and 59 against which is engaged the rigid tang 20 of the snap member 14.
  • the whole assembly of the rotating slider 60, of the snap member 14 and the contact arms, both movable 65 and 66 and fixed 67a, 67b, 68a, 68b, are contained in a housing 74 generally moulded in a proper insulating material of the kind largely employed in the art of manufacturing control and maneuvring electric devices.
  • the bias of the spring 16 on the rigid tang 20 makes it to lean against the relief 58, aiming to rotate clockwise the slider 60 according to the arrow 76 and carrying the contacts of the movable arm 65 to rest against the contacts of the fixed arms 67a and 67b (as better seen in figure 3) thus assuring the closure of the normally open contact pair 80 and the opening of the normally closed contact pair 81.
  • the force 42 shifts the spring beyond the straight line lying on the rigid tang 20, causing the snapping and the rotation of the rigid tang 20 itself to rest against the relief 59.
  • This rest changing rotates counterclockwise the slider 60 according to an arrow 78 carrying the contacts of the movable arm 66 in touch with the contacts of the fixed arms 68a and 68b (figure 3) and the contacts of the movable contact arm 65 out of touch with the contacts of the fixed contact arms 67a and 67b, thus closing the normally open contact pair 81 and opening the normally closed contact pair 80.
  • this rotating slider 60 is substantially resistant to shock and vibration stresses of linear kind owing to the engagement of the slider itself to rotate around a pivot located near the mass center of the slider 60.
  • the rotating slider 60 must have the shape depicted in figures 2 and 3; it could have any other shape, provided that it is symmetrical with respect to the pivot 72.
  • the spring 16 must be of elicoidal shape, it could be of any other kind, provided that it operates in tension and is stiff enough in transversal direction to allow the application of the force 42 coming, for example, from a thermal relay.
  • the number of movable contact arms can be different from two.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Thermally Actuated Switches (AREA)
  • Switch Cases, Indication, And Locking (AREA)
EP19970201911 1996-07-01 1997-06-21 Balanced slider, vibration and shock resistant, for movable contacts of auxiliary thermal switches and the like Expired - Lifetime EP0817220B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ITMI960471U 1996-07-01
IT96MI000471 IT240762Y1 (it) 1996-07-01 1996-07-01 Cursore bilanciato, resistente a vibrazioni e urti, per contattimobili di interruttori ausiliari termici e simili

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0817220A1 EP0817220A1 (en) 1998-01-07
EP0817220B1 true EP0817220B1 (en) 2003-12-17

Family

ID=11373578

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19970201911 Expired - Lifetime EP0817220B1 (en) 1996-07-01 1997-06-21 Balanced slider, vibration and shock resistant, for movable contacts of auxiliary thermal switches and the like

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0817220B1 (ru)
DE (1) DE69726796T2 (ru)
ES (1) ES2217364T3 (ru)
IT (1) IT240762Y1 (ru)

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2030210A1 (de) * 1970-06-19 1971-12-30 Teves Gmbh Alfred Schalter
DE2035549A1 (ru) * 1970-07-17 1972-01-20 Merk Gmbh Telefonbau Fried
US4423296A (en) * 1982-02-18 1983-12-27 Rca Corporation Shock and vibration resistant electrical switch

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ITMI960471V0 (ru) 1996-07-01
DE69726796D1 (de) 2004-01-29
DE69726796T2 (de) 2004-10-07
IT240762Y1 (it) 2001-04-11
ES2217364T3 (es) 2004-11-01
ITMI960471U1 (it) 1998-01-01
EP0817220A1 (en) 1998-01-07

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