EP1376637B1 - Electromagnetic protection and control assembly - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a set of protection and electromagnetic control for the mechanical fixing and the electrical connection of several electrical switch devices, in particular for the realization of an assembly comprising a combination of at least two electrical devices such as a contactor, a circuit breaker, a disconnector, a fuse disconnector, a thermal relay or any other similar electrical device, usable in distribution or low voltage electrical control. The invention also relates to an electrical apparatus capable of forming part of the composition of such a protection and control assembly.

In an assembly intended for the protection and control of an electric motor (generally called a "motor starter unit") or of any other low voltage multipolar electric charge, a first electrical protection device is frequently associated in cascade, such as a circuit breaker or a fuse disconnector with a second electrical control device, such as a contactor, these two devices being interconnected with each other. It is also possible to add to this association other devices such as a protective thermal relay.

It is desirable to be able to make such a starting motor assembly as simply and as quickly as possible while maintaining a reliable connection. For obvious reasons of cost, time saving during assembly / wiring and saving space in enclosures or electrical cabinets hosting the whole, it seeks in particular to remove any conductors (wires, bars) connection between the devices, to minimize the number of electrical connections to be made and to minimize the total size of the various associated devices.

There are already solutions, especially in the document EP0588712 , in which, to achieve a faster mechanical and electrical combination, we propose a specific piece that is positioned between the two devices electric and which integrates rigid conductors for connecting to the respective terminal blocks of the two electrical devices. However, this solution requires a connection operation on the terminals of both devices and may also require to separate the two devices from each other to insert this part.

In the document W00046880 a system is described in which the electrical devices comprise terminal blocks provided with elastic terminals in which a connecting block of the two devices is directly inserted from the front. The system further comprises complementary mechanical attachment means on both devices to perfect their mechanical attachment. This solution, however, is not suitable for screw terminals commonly used in particular in devices capable of switching a high power electric current, for example greater than or equal to 32A at 400V. In addition, the interconnection block anyway requires the presence of a clean terminal on each device.

The invention therefore aims to facilitate the establishment of a mechanical and electrical combination of several electrical devices in cascade in order to achieve a simple, reliable and economical protection and control assembly.

For this purpose, the invention describes a protection and control assembly comprising a first electrical switching device and a second electrical switch device each having a housing provided with upstream and downstream connecting conductor strips, respectively, which project from a vertical axis on a vertical axis. an upstream and downstream horizontal connection range of each housing and which can be inserted into removable power terminal block openings, the electrical appliances being juxtaposed one over the other in a direction parallel to the axis vertical. The protection and control assembly comprises a common removable terminal block for electrically clamping the downstream connection strips of the first electrical appliance with the corresponding upstream connection strips of the second electrical appliance, further ensuring mechanical attachment of the two electrical appliances. .

According to one characteristic, the housing of the first electrical appliance comprises a downstream horizontal support pad which is pressed against an upstream horizontal support pad of the housing of the second electrical appliance.

According to another characteristic, the downstream strips of the first electrical appliance are offset with respect to the upstream bars of the second electrical appliance in a direction perpendicular to the vertical axis of the bars. The removable terminal blocks are identical and interchangeable and have holding members adapted to cooperate with complementary means arranged in the housings of electrical appliances.

Thus, thanks to the invention, optimizes the overall size taken by the assembly consisting of the two electrical devices since they are juxtaposed one on the other, and it simplifies the assembly and wiring of all since there is only one common terminal block between the housings of the two devices making it possible to make both the electrical connection and the mechanical fixing of the two devices.

• la figure 1 schématise en vue de face un exemple d'un ensemble de protection et de commande comprenant deux appareils électriques,
• la figure 2 reprend la figure 1 en vue de côté, dans laquelle figurent en outre les barrettes conductrices des deux appareils électriques,
• la figure 3 montre en vue de face un boîtier d'un appareil électrique interrupteur entrant dans la composition d'un ensemble selon la figure 1,
• la figure 4 reprend la figure 3 en vue de côté,
• la figure 5 détaille un bornier amovible selon une coupe A-A de la figure 1,
• la figure 6 représente le bornier de la figure 5 en vue de face.

Other features and advantages will appear in the detailed description which follows with reference to an embodiment given by way of example and represented by the appended drawings in which:

• the figure 1 schematizes in front view an example of a protection and control assembly comprising two electrical appliances,
• the figure 2 resumes figure 1 in a side view, in which are furthermore the conductive strips of the two electrical appliances,
• the figure 3 shows in front view a housing of an electrical switch device used in the composition of an assembly according to the figure 1 ,
• the figure 4 resumes figure 3 in side view,
• the figure 5 details a removable terminal block according to a section AA of the figure 1 ,
• the figure 6 represents the terminal block of the figure 5 in front view.

The Figures 1 and 2 show an exemplary embodiment of a protection and control assembly according to the invention. This set comprises at least two electrical devices, in this case a circuit breaker and a contactor. The invention allows an equivalent way to achieve an assembly comprising more than two electrical devices, for example three devices: a circuit breaker, a contactor and a thermal relay as detailed below. In addition, it is clear that the invention can also be applied to any other electrical device used in distribution or low voltage electrical control.

The Figures 3 and 4 represent a multipolar electrical switch device, for example of the breaker type, capable of integrating into such a protection and control assembly. The electrical apparatus comprises a housing 30 of generally parallelepipedal shape with a front face 31 may include an actuator opposite to a rear face 32 may comprise means for fixing the device on a frame, a profile and / or a platinum . The housing 30 also has an upstream horizontal face 33b, 34b opposite a downstream horizontal face 33a, 34a. Upstream connecting conductor strips 39b protrude on the upstream horizontal face 33b, 34b of the housing 30 along a vertical axis X and downstream connecting conductor strips 39a project from the downstream horizontal face 33a, 34a of the housing 30 in accordance with FIG. same vertical axis X, but in an opposite direction. Of course, at each of the poles of the switch device corresponds an upstream strip and a corresponding downstream strip for the arrival and departure of the electric current in this pole. The examples presented in the figures comprise three upstream bars and three downstream bars, thus schematizing three-pole devices. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the switch device has rigid conductor strips 39a, 39b of identical rectangular section and of sufficient size for the circulation of a high power current, for example greater than or equal to 32A under 400V. Usually, the conductive strips are metallic, in particular copper.

Preferably, the downstream horizontal face 33a, 34a and the upstream horizontal face 33b, 34b of the housing 30 are formed by several horizontal planes offset with respect to each other. Thus, the downstream horizontal face 33a, 34a consists of at least one horizontal downstream bearing surface 33a as well as a horizontal downstream connection zone 34a offset from which the downstream conductive strips 39a emerge. Likewise, the upstream horizontal face 33b, 34b consists of at least one horizontal upstream support zone 33b as well as a horizontal upstream connection zone 34b offset from which the upstream conductive bars 39b emerge. The downstream support pads 33a and upstream 33b are closer to the rear face 32 of the housing 30 and are further apart than the downstream connection 34a and upstream 34b pads.

The downstream connection 34a and upstream connection 34b of the housing 30 are arranged to each receive a removable power terminal block 40 so as to allow the electrical connection of the connection strips 39a, 39b of the housing 30 with external conductors. Such a power terminal block 40, shown in FIGS. Figures 5 and 6 , obviously has as many power terminals as poles of the switch device on which it must be mounted. It is of parallelepipedal shape with two opposite horizontal faces 41,49 and a vertical front face allowing access to clamping screws 42 of the terminals. For each terminal of the power terminal block 40, there is a vertical aperture opening 44 through the horizontal faces 41,49 and for inserting one or more electrical conductors perpendicular to the axis of the screws 42. The width of a terminal block 40 is substantially equal to that of the housing 30.

Thus, each connection strip 39a, 39b is inserted into a corresponding opening 44 when one of the horizontal faces 41,49 of a connection terminal block 40 is pressed against a connection pad 34a, 34b of the box 30. In a conventional manner , each terminal of a power terminal block 40 comprises a clamping screw 42 cooperating with a clamping cage 43 located in the corresponding opening 44 of the terminal. When the screw 42 is tightened, the cage 43 is deformed so that it comes to grip the conductors present in the opening 44. This clamping makes it possible to make an effective electrical connection of the connection strip with any other conductor previously inserted into the opening 44, and further allows to fix the connection terminal 40 against the housing 30 of the switch device.

In addition, to facilitate the guiding, positioning and maintenance of the power terminal blocks 40 on the housing 30 of the electrical apparatus, at least one of the horizontal faces 41,49 of the power terminal block 40 has holding members 45. retainers 45 are designed to cooperate with means complementary downstream 35a, respectively upstream 35b, arranged at the downstream connection 34a, respectively upstream 34b, of the housing 30.

According to a preferred embodiment, these holding members are constituted by one or more pins 45 present on a front portion of the horizontal face 41 of the power terminal block 40. When the power terminal block 40 is mounted against the housing 30, these pins are introduced into as many corresponding cavities 35a, 35b present on a front portion of the connection pads 34a, 34b of the housing 30. Preferably, the cavities 35a, 35b are of complementary shape to the lugs 45. Once the connecting strips 39 engaged in the openings 44 and before the tightening of the screws 42, the definitive establishment of the terminal block 40 is then done by sliding towards the rear of the horizontal face 41 along the connection pad 34a, 34b of the housing 30 as far as the stop against the bearing surface 33a, 33b. During this operation, the lugs 45 are engaged in the corresponding cavities 35a, 35b contributing to the maintenance and positioning of the terminal against the housing.

The removable power terminal block 40 is advantageously symmetrical with respect to a median vertical plane so that a same terminal block 40 can indifferently be mounted downstream but also upstream of a housing 30 after reversal. In the examples presented, the horizontal face 41 has two lugs 45 disposed on either side of the median vertical plane.

With reference to Figures 1 and 2 , the protection and control assembly described in the invention comprises a first electrical switch device as described above and a second electrical switch device. Similarly to the first electrical apparatus 30, the second electrical apparatus comprises a housing 10 of generally parallelepiped shape having an upstream horizontal face 13b, 14b opposite a downstream horizontal face 13a, 14a. The width of the housing 10 of the second device is substantially equal to that of the housing 30 of the first device. Upstream and downstream conductor strips 19b and 19a, respectively, protrude from the upstream, respectively downstream horizontal face of the casing 10 along a vertical axis X. The downstream horizontal face 13a, 14a consists of at least one horizontal zone. downstream support 13a and a horizontal range of downstream connection 14a offset from which come out of the downstream connection strips 19a. Similarly, the upstream horizontal face 13b, 14b consists of at least one horizontal upstream bearing surface 13b and an upstream horizontal connection zone 14b offset from which output the upstream connection strips 19b. The downstream support pads 13a and upstream 13b are closer to the rear face of the housing 10 and further apart than the downstream connection pads 14a and 14b upstream. Cavities 15a, 15b, similar to the cavities 35a, 35b, are arranged on a front portion of the downstream 14a and upstream connection pads 14b of the housing 10, to accommodate the terminal pins for holding power.

Once the protection and control assembly assembled, the housings 30 and 10 are juxtaposed one on the other in a direction parallel to the vertical axis X of the terminal strips so that the downstream support pad 33a of the housing 30 of the first electrical appliance is pressed against the upstream bearing surface 13b of the housing 10 of the second electrical appliance. The vertical dimensions of the protection and control assembly is therefore minimal since the housings of the two electrical appliances are directly juxtaposed without space between them.

Downstream of the assembly, a removable downstream power terminal block 50 is mounted against the downstream connection zone 14a of the second housing 10. The tightening of the screws of this downstream terminal block 50 makes it possible to fix it against the housing 10 and to connect electrically downstream connection strips 19a to downstream outer conductors. Similarly, upstream of the assembly, a removable upstream power terminal block 60 is mounted against the upstream connection zone 34b of the first housing 30. The tightening of the screws of the upstream terminal block 60 makes it possible to fix it against the housing 30 and electrically connecting the upstream connection strips 39b to upstream outer conductors. The 50,60 power terminal blocks are identical to the power terminal 40 described above. The power terminal blocks 40, 50, 60 comprise holding lugs 45, 55, 65 cooperating with the complementary shaped cavities 35 a, 35 b, 15 a, 15 b of the boxes 30, 10 so as to facilitate the guiding, the positioning and the maintenance of the terminal blocks against the housings of electrical appliances.

The gap existing between the support pad and the connection pad of the same horizontal face of a casing is designed so that when the two casings 30 and 10 are juxtaposed one on the other by their range of support, the space created between the downstream connection range 34a of the first housing 30 and the upstream connection area 14b of the second housing 10 allows to house a common power terminal block 40 removable. Advantageously, this common terminal block 40 is identical to the power terminal blocks upstream 60 and downstream 50, thus reducing the number of different parts necessary for mounting the described assembly since all the power terminals 40,50,60 are interchangeable with each other. The holding pins 45 of the common power terminal block 40 are associated with the cavities 35a, 35b of the housing 30. The common terminal block 40 could also be turned so that the holding pins 45 can be associated with the cavities of the second housing 10 (via a hold 70).

Thus, such a protection and control assembly consisting of two electrical devices therefore comprises only three power terminals 40,50,60 whereas usually two terminal blocks per device are required.

The common power terminal block 40 performs several functions. Once the downstream bars 39a of the first device and the upstream strips 19b of the second device are inserted into the openings 44 of the common terminal block 40, a clamping action on the three clamping screws 42 allows two electrical connection of the two downstream bars 39a the first apparatus with corresponding upstream strips 19b of the second apparatus. In addition, this clamping action allows mechanical attachment of the two devices together. With this mechanical attachment, a single device, for example the first device 30, needs to be fixed by its rear face 32 on a support, such as a frame, a profile or a plate, the other device being maintained only by the common terminal block 40. It is then very easy to assemble the two devices together before fixing the assembly on the support. In addition, only one support is necessary to mount the assembly.

To effectively ensure the electrical connection and the mechanical fixing between the two devices, the downstream strips 39a of the first device are slightly offset from the upstream strips 19b of the second device in a direction perpendicular to the vertical axis X of the bars. In the diagrammatic examples, the downstream bars 39a of the housing 30 are offset rearwardly with respect to the upstream strips 19b of the housing 10. It would obviously be possible to envisage a shift towards the front, or even a lateral shift of the downstream bars relative to to the upstream bars.

This offset must be sufficient not to interfere with the juxtaposition of the housings 30 and 10 during assembly of the assembly. However, this offset must nevertheless make it possible, once the assembled assembly and once the screws 42 of the common terminal block 40 are tight, that the downstream strips 39a of the first device overlap and are flush with the upstream strips 19b of the second device to form a zone electrical contact 49, as indicated in figure 5 . In addition, the length of the downstream and upstream connection strips is designed so that the overlap of the downstream bars 39a of the first apparatus and upstream strips 19b of the second apparatus provide a contact zone 49 sufficient for reliable mechanical maintenance and a satisfactory electrical connection. of both devices, in accordance with the electrical current likely to flow in the protection and control unit.

The invention also makes it possible to provide a protection and control assembly comprising more than two electrical appliances. It is indeed easy to add a third electrical device to the described assembly while maintaining the same power terminals 40,50,60. If the housing of the third electrical appliance is placed downstream of the housing 10, as in the case of a thermal relay for example, it will be juxtaposed with the downstream bearing surface 13a of the housing 10 and the power terminal block 50 will serve as a common terminal block between the housings of the second and third apparatus. The upstream connection strips of the third device will then be designed to be slightly offset from the downstream strips of the second device. Conversely, if a third electrical device was placed upstream of the housing 30, it would be juxtaposed to the upstream bearing pad 33b and the power terminal block 60 would serve as a common terminal block between the housings of the first and third apparatus. The downstream connection strips of the third device should then be slightly offset from the upstream strips of the first device.

In addition, some switchgear devices may comprise by construction a recess on a front portion of the connection range of their downstream and upstream horizontal faces, before the outputs of the terminal strips. Thus, according to the embodiment of the invention Figures 1 and 2 , the downstream 14a and upstream 14b connection pads of the second electrical apparatus comprise such a recess located just in front of the connection strips 19a, 19b. To achieve the described assembly, this recess can then be closed by the introduction of a shim 70, respectively 70 ', between the housing 10 and the power terminal block 40, respectively 50, so as to improve the maintenance of the power terminal blocks 40,50 against the housing 10. These wedges 70,70 'are identical and symmetrical with respect to a median vertical plane. They have a parallelepipedal shape with a height substantially equal to the recess and a width substantially equal to the width of the housings of the electrical appliances. They thus make it possible to fill said recesses without increasing the general dimensions of the assembly described in the invention. They comprise a first horizontal face having holding lugs that can cooperate with the cavities 15a, 15b of the housing 10 and a second opposite horizontal face having cavities that can cooperate with the holding pins of the adjacent power terminal blocks.

Claims (8)

1. Protection and control assembly comprising a first electrical switch device and a second electrical switch device, each having a housing (30,10) provided with input side (39b,19b) and output side (39a,19a) conducting connection strips that project from a horizontal connection area on the input side (34b,14b), and output side (34a,14a) respectively, of each housing (30,10) along a vertical axis (X) and that can be inserted in openings (44) of removable power terminal blocks (40,50,60), the electrical devices being placed adjacent to each other along a direction parallel to the vertical axis (X), characterised in that the protection and control assembly comprises a common removable power terminal block (40) that makes the electrical connection by clamping the output side (39a) connection strips of the first electrical device with the corresponding input side (19b) connection strips of the second electrical device, thus providing a mechanical attachment between the two electrical devices.
2. Protection and control assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that the housing (30) of the first electrical device comprises a horizontal output side support area (33a) that is forced into contact with a horizontal input side support area (13b) of the housing (10) of the second electrical device.
3. Protection and control assembly according to claim 2, characterised in that the common power terminal block (40) is positioned between the output side horizontal connection area (34a) of the housing (30) of the first electrical device and the input side horizontal connection area (14b) of the housing (10) of the second electrical device.
4. Protection and control assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that the output side connection strips (39a) of the first electrical device are offset from the input side connection strips (19b) of the second electrical device, along a direction perpendicular to the vertical axis (X) of the contact strips.
5. Protection and control assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises a removable input side power terminal block (60) to which the input side connection strips (39b) of the housing (30) of the first device can be fitted, a removable output side power terminal block (50) to which the output side connection strips (19a) of the housing (10) of the second device can be fitted, the input side (50) and output side (60) power terminal blocks being identical and interchangeable with the common power terminal block (40).
6. Protection and control assembly according to claim 5, characterised in that the power terminal blocks (40,50,60) are provided with support devices (45,55,65) that can cooperate with complementary means (35a,35b,15a,15b) arranged in the housings (30,10) of the electrical devices.
7. Protection and control assembly according to claim 6, characterised in that the support devices consist of one or several pins (45) present on a horizontal face (41) of the power terminal blocks (40).
8. Protection and control assembly according to claim 6, characterised in that a shim (70) is inserted between a housing (10) of an electrical device and a removable power terminal block (40), the shim (70) being provided with support devices that can cooperate with complementary means (15b) arranged in the housing (10).

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