EP1492138B1 - Air circuit breaker - Google Patents

Air circuit breaker Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1492138B1
EP1492138B1 EP02700721A EP02700721A EP1492138B1 EP 1492138 B1 EP1492138 B1 EP 1492138B1 EP 02700721 A EP02700721 A EP 02700721A EP 02700721 A EP02700721 A EP 02700721A EP 1492138 B1 EP1492138 B1 EP 1492138B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
contact
moving
stationary
arcing
conductor
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
EP02700721A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP1492138A1 (en
EP1492138A4 (en
Inventor
Hiroshi Mitsubishi Elect. Engineering KK OKASHITA
Junichi Mitsubishi Elect. Engineering KK KAWAKAMI
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.)
Mitsubishi Electric Corp
Original Assignee
Mitsubishi Electric Corp
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 Mitsubishi Electric Corp filed Critical Mitsubishi Electric Corp
Publication of EP1492138A1 publication Critical patent/EP1492138A1/en
Publication of EP1492138A4 publication Critical patent/EP1492138A4/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1492138B1 publication Critical patent/EP1492138B1/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
    • H01H33/00—High-tension or heavy-current switches with arc-extinguishing or arc-preventing means
    • H01H33/60—Switches wherein the means for extinguishing or preventing the arc do not include separate means for obtaining or increasing flow of arc-extinguishing fluid
    • H01H33/66—Vacuum switches
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H9/00—Details of switching devices, not covered by groups H01H1/00 - H01H7/00
    • H01H9/30—Means for extinguishing or preventing arc between current-carrying parts
    • H01H9/42—Impedances connected with contacts
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H9/00—Details of switching devices, not covered by groups H01H1/00 - H01H7/00
    • H01H9/30—Means for extinguishing or preventing arc between current-carrying parts
    • H01H9/38—Auxiliary contacts on to which the arc is transferred from the main contacts
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H1/00—Contacts
    • H01H1/12—Contacts characterised by the manner in which co-operating contacts engage
    • H01H1/14—Contacts characterised by the manner in which co-operating contacts engage by abutting
    • H01H1/22—Contacts characterised by the manner in which co-operating contacts engage by abutting with rigid pivoted member carrying the moving contact
    • H01H1/221—Contacts characterised by the manner in which co-operating contacts engage by abutting with rigid pivoted member carrying the moving contact and a contact pressure spring acting between the pivoted member and a supporting member
    • H01H1/226—Contacts characterised by the manner in which co-operating contacts engage by abutting with rigid pivoted member carrying the moving contact and a contact pressure spring acting between the pivoted member and a supporting member having a plurality of parallel contact bars

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an improvement in opening and closing contacts of an air circuit breaker.
  • Fig. 4 is a side sectional view of a conventional air circuit breaker described in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication (unexamined) No. 90424/1990 .
  • a conventional air circuit breaker is also described in US-5 260 533 (09-11-1993 ).
  • reference numeral 1 is a housing formed of an insulating material
  • numeral 2 is stationary conductors which are arranged in parallel on the housing 1 and are the same in number as poles, and in which a stationary contact 3 is fixed onto one end of each stationary conductor, and the other end is led out from the rear side of the housing 1 and forms a power supply side terminal 2a.
  • Numeral 4 is a stationary arcing conductor extending from the stationary conductor 2 toward an arc suppressor described later
  • numeral 5 is a stationary arcing contact fixed onto an end portion of the stationary arcing conductor 4.
  • Numeral 6 is a moving contact that faces the stationary contact 3 and comes in contact with and moves away from the stationary contact 3
  • numeral 7 is a moving member to which the moving contact 6 is fixed
  • numeral 8 is a moving arcing conductor formed by extending the moving member 7 toward the arc suppressor
  • numeral 9 is a moving arcing contact fixed onto an end portion of the moving arcing conductor 8.
  • Numeral 10 is a contact arm rotatably holding the moving member 7, and numeral 11 is a contact arm shaft rotatably supporting the contact arm 10 on the housing 1.
  • Numeral 12 is a terminal conductor, and the terminal conductor is fixed onto the housing 1 and led out from the rear side of the housing 1, and forms a power supply side terminal 12a.
  • Numeral 13 is a flexible conductor movably connecting the moving member 7 to the terminal conductor 12.
  • Numeral 14 is a contact pressure spring urging the moving member 7 toward an opening direction, and numeral 15 is a switch mechanism, numeral 16 is a shaft acting as the turning center of the moving member 7.
  • Numeral 17 is an arc suppressor, and numeral 18 is a trip relay part.
  • the switch mechanism 15 is comprised of a well- known toggle link mechanism, and opens and closes the moving member 7 in order to switch on and off the air circuit breaker. Under the state that the air circuit breaker is switched on, the switch mechanism 15 is hitched on a latch (not shown) engaged with the trip relay part 18 to keep the air circuit breaker on. If the hitched switch mechanism 15 is released from the latch, the air circuit breaker is switched off.
  • Numeral 19 is a closing spring where closing drive force of the switch mechanism 15 is accumulated
  • numeral 20 is a cam mechanism where a handle 21 or a motor not shown compresses the closing spring 19 and accumulates the force thereof.
  • This type of air circuit breaker detects an overcurrent flowing through a connected load or an excessively large current due to an accident or the like, and the trip relay part 18 releases the hitched switch mechanism 15 from the latch, whereby the switch mechanism 15 comes to work.
  • the contact arm 10, the shaft 16, and the contact arm shaft 11 are located so that the moving member 7 connected to the switch mechanism 15 oscillates in on-off operation. Oscillating operation of the moving member 7 is hereinafter described.
  • the moving contact 6 When the air circuit breaker is on, the moving contact 6 is in contact with the stationary contact 3, but the moving arcing contact 9 is spaced away from the stationary arcing contact 5.
  • the switch mechanism 15 raises the contact arm 10, whereby the moving contact 6 is slightly moved away from the stationary contact 3, and an arc through between the two contacts conducts. Subsequently, the moving member 7 is rotated clockwise round the shaft 16 pushed by the contact pressure spring 14 and, and the moving arcing contact 9 comes in contact with the stationary arcing contact 5.
  • the moving member 7 When turning on, the moving member 7 rotates clockwise by the closing operation of the switch mechanism 15, and therefore the moving arcing contact 9 comes in contact with the stationary arcing contact 5 at first, whereby an electric current can conduct.
  • the moving contact 6 When the moving contact 6 is further pushed by the switch mechanism 15 and comes in contact with the stationary contact 3, the moving member 7 rotates counterclockwise, the moving arcing contact 9 moves away from the stationary arcing contact 5, and the electric conduction shifts to the moving contact 6 and the stationary contact 3.
  • the present invention was made to solve such a problem and has an object of providing an air circuit breaker at a reasonable cost, in which it is not necessary to use any contact made of a tungsten-silver alloy as the arcing contact through which an arc is induced by the arc suppressor 17, an arc is easily suppressed by current-limiting, and welding of the arcing contacts hardly occurs.
  • An air circuit breaker includes: a stationary conductor fixed on a stationary Contact ; a moving member onto which a moving contact that is connected and disconnected with the mentioned stationary contact is fixed; a switch mechanism that opens and closes the moving member by oscillation; a stationary arcing contact disposed at an end portion of a stationary arcing conductor extending from the stationary conductor toward an arc suppressor through a first resistor; and a moving arcing contact disposed at an end portion of a moving arcing conductor extending from the moving member toward said arc suppressor through a second resistor, and in which when the switch mechanism switches on the moving member, the moving arcing contact comes in contact with the stationary arcing contact, and after bringing the moving contact into contact with the stationary contact, the moving arcing contact moves away from the stationary arcing contact; and when the switch mechanism switches off the moving member, the moving arcing contact comes in contact with the stationary arcing contact, and after moving the moving contact away from the stationary contact, the moving arcing contact moves away
  • the resistor is disposed either on the moving member side or on the stationary conductor side, as set out in independent claims 2 or 3.
  • Fig. 1 is a sectional view of an essential part of an air circuit breaker according to the present invention
  • Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a current-carrying part of the air circuit breaker according to the invention
  • Figs. 3 (A), (B) and (C) are explanatory views to explain opening and closing operation of the air circuit breaker according to the invention.
  • reference numerals 1 to 4, 6 to 8, and 10 to 17 are the same as those in the above-mentioned conventional air circuit breaker, and further explanation of them is omitted here.
  • Numeral 4a is a stationary arcing contact formed at an end portion of the stationary arcing conductor 4
  • numeral 31 is a first resistor held in a conductible manner between the stationary conductor 2 and the stationary arcing conductor 4.
  • Numeral 8a is a moving arcing contact formed at an end portion of the moving arcing conductor 8
  • numeral 32 is a second resistor arranged in a conductible manner between the moving member 7 and the moving arcing conductor 8.
  • FIG. 3 (A) shows a state that the air circuit breaker is on.
  • the moving contact 6 is in contact with the stationary contact 3, and the moving arcing contact 8a is spaced away from the stationary arcing contact 4a.
  • the electric current flows in order through the stationary conductor 2, the stationary contact 3, the moving contact 6, the moving member 7, the flexible conductor 13, and the terminal conductor 12.
  • the switch mechanism 15 raises the shaft 16, and the moving member 7 turns clockwise by the urging force of the contact pressure spring 14. Accordingly, the moving contact 6 is slightly moved away from the stationary contact 3 and the electric current flows between the two contacts through an arc.
  • the moving arcing contact 8a comes in contact with the stationary arcing contact 4a as shown in Fig. 3 (B) .
  • the current flows in order through the stationary conductor 2, the first resistor 31, the stationary arcing conductor 4, the stationary arcing contact 4a, the moving arcing contact 8a, the moving arcing conductor 8, the second resistor 32, the moving member 7, the flexible conductor 13, and the terminal conductor 12. Resistance of the first resistor 31 and the second resistor 32 interposed in the mentioned current flow limits the conduction of current.
  • the two contacts are slightly opened due to impact and repulsion at the time of the closing operation, and the current flowing through this opening generates an arc.
  • This arc has a high temperature that melts surface of the two contacts. In such a state, when the two contacts are connected again and the arc is extinguished, the molten portions on the surface of the contacts are cooled, and the welding occurs. In order to cope with this phenomenon, silver alloy contacts that hardly melt have been conventionally used in the art.
  • the moving member 7 is arranged to oscillate at the time of on-off operation. Therefore, the current that flows when the moving arcing contact 8a comes in contact with the stationary arcing contact 4a is limited by the first resistor 31 and the second resistor 32, whereby the arc energy that causes welding is reduced.
  • first resistor 31 and the second resistor 32 are made of sheet steel having a specific resistance higher than that of a copper material instead of a specific resistance alloy.
  • both stationary arcing conductor 4 and moving arcing conductor 8 are provided with the first resistor 31 and the second resistor 32 respectively in the foregoing description, it is a matter of course that the same advantage is obtained in the case that either conductor is provided with a resistor.
  • the air circuit breaker according to the invention is provided with a switch mechanism 15 that opens and closes a moving member 7 in an oscillating manner, a first resistor 31 interposed between a stationary conductor 2 and a stationary arcing contact 4a, and a second resistor 32 interposed between a moving member 7 and a moving arcing contact 8a.
  • an electric current flowing through the two contacts at the time of opening and closing is limited by the first resistor 31 and the second resistor 32, thereby facilitating extinction of arc and preventing welding of the arcing contacts, and consequently, it is no more required to employ any contact made of a tungsten-silver alloy as the arcing contacts, which makes it possible to obtain an air circuit breaker at a reasonable cost.

Landscapes

  • Arc-Extinguishing Devices That Are Switches (AREA)
  • Breakers (AREA)
EP02700721A 2002-02-22 2002-02-22 Air circuit breaker Expired - Lifetime EP1492138B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/JP2002/001623 WO2003071566A1 (fr) 2002-02-22 2002-02-22 Disjoncteur a air

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1492138A1 EP1492138A1 (en) 2004-12-29
EP1492138A4 EP1492138A4 (en) 2006-08-02
EP1492138B1 true EP1492138B1 (en) 2010-04-28

Family

ID=27742305

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP02700721A Expired - Lifetime EP1492138B1 (en) 2002-02-22 2002-02-22 Air circuit breaker

Country Status (8)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1492138B1 (ko)
JP (1) JP4030504B2 (ko)
KR (1) KR100496596B1 (ko)
CN (1) CN1215511C (ko)
DE (1) DE60236214D1 (ko)
ES (1) ES2342047T3 (ko)
TW (1) TW556240B (ko)
WO (1) WO2003071566A1 (ko)

Families Citing this family (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7362551B2 (en) * 2001-02-01 2008-04-22 Hydro-Aire, Inc. Aircraft applicable circuit imbalance detection and circuit interrupter and packaging thereof
DE102004063185A1 (de) * 2004-10-18 2006-04-20 Jan Forster Baukörper aus Gipsbausteinen und Verfahren zur Herstellung eines Gipsbausteins
CN100442411C (zh) * 2006-04-26 2008-12-10 王光顺 特高压断路器多级灭弧分断装置
JP2009134995A (ja) * 2007-11-30 2009-06-18 Mitsubishi Electric Corp 気中遮断器
US7935902B2 (en) * 2008-04-15 2011-05-03 General Electric Company Contact assembly of circuit breaker
CN110098517B (zh) * 2018-01-29 2021-06-04 北京天诚同创电气有限公司 直流插座

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH0290423A (ja) * 1988-09-26 1990-03-29 Mitsubishi Electric Corp 回路遮断器の消弧装置
JPH0290422A (ja) * 1988-09-26 1990-03-29 Mitsubishi Electric Corp 回路しゃ断器
JPH0311511A (ja) * 1989-06-07 1991-01-18 Mitsubishi Electric Corp 気中開閉器
US5260533A (en) * 1991-10-18 1993-11-09 Westinghouse Electric Corp. Molded case current limiting circuit breaker

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPWO2003071566A1 (ja) 2005-06-16
KR20030086582A (ko) 2003-11-10
CN1493084A (zh) 2004-04-28
DE60236214D1 (de) 2010-06-10
JP4030504B2 (ja) 2008-01-09
KR100496596B1 (ko) 2005-06-22
EP1492138A1 (en) 2004-12-29
ES2342047T3 (es) 2010-07-01
CN1215511C (zh) 2005-08-17
TW556240B (en) 2003-10-01
WO2003071566A1 (fr) 2003-08-28
EP1492138A4 (en) 2006-08-02

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