EP2359380B1 - Mechanism for driving the handle of a remote control unit, and unit containing same - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL AREA

The invention relates to the protection of electrical circuits by means of safety equipment such as circuit breakers, and in particular the remote control devices of this type of equipment. The invention particularly relates to an automatic remote reset and / or release device for a variable configuration protection system, the components and parameters of the remote control being optimized both in terms of reliability and functionality and cost.

STATE OF THE ART

An electrical circuit is usually protected by safety equipment that reacts under abnormal conditions. In particular, breaker-type circuit breakers can be triggered in case of overload to isolate the problem line; Manual switching must then be performed to put the circuit back into service. However, the triggering of a protective device may come from transient defects that disappear on their own; the switchgear can then be associated with automatic reset devices, or remotely, which perform one or more re-engagement tests.

Various remote control units, of the resetting type, allowing only the re-engagement of the open contacts or remote-control type able to control the opening and closing of the contacts of the breaking devices, have been developed and put on the market: see for example documents EP 0 797 229 , EP 1 209 712 or EP 1 465 222 . These blocks may be based on different technological choices, for example with regard to the actuating mechanism, depending on the necessary compromises between reliability, speed of reaction, number of embedded functions, volume and / or price. However, improvements are possible, in particular to allow a complete "auxiliaryization" of remote controlled cut-off devices without harming the reliability, that is to say, to keep the performance of the remote control unit regardless of the number of additional control / command devices associated with the cut-off device. FR-2 535 520 , which is considered to be the closest state of the art, discloses a drive mechanism having the features of the preamble of claim 1.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Among other advantages, the invention aims at overcoming the disadvantages of existing remote control blocks, whether they be of the remote control or resetting type, and of proposing a "universal" offer in which the block can be associated with switchgear devices. , monopolar or multipolar, including circuit breakers or differential switches, ranging from 0.5 to 125 A, which can be coupled up to five auxiliaries, both on one side than the other.

In particular, the remote control blocks whose actuation system comprises an electromagnetic actuator are confronted with the problem of the double stop at the end of travel: stop of the core of the actuator against its carcass, stop of the lever against the housing . One of the options is to stop the movement of the joystick after its dead point and complete the movement by its inertia. This solution can prove unreliable over time: in particular, after many maneuvers, the neutral position can be shifted; moreover, a constraint is created on the actuator, which can alter its operation, and, depending on their number, the auxiliaries are not controlled. Another option is to force the handle against the housing, with a stop under stress: this solution involves efforts to strengthen the housing, and in any case, risky as to the long-term mechanical strength.

The invention thus relates to an actuating mechanism according to claim 1 for overcoming this problem: means are provided for storing the energy during the actuation, for example at the beginning so as to restore it for example at the end of actuation, or conversely, to store it at the end of actuation. In addition, means for slowing down the actuator at the end of the stroke are provided.

In particular, according to the invention, the driving mechanism of a remote control unit makes it possible to transmit the movement of a linear actuator, in particular an electromagnetic actuator, which is preferably a core and carcass of rectangular sections in sintered material and whose base is advantageously provided with a through recess for slowing the core end of stroke, a pivoting handle. The mechanism comprises a first arm pivotable about an axis, which is preferably located at one end of the first arm, and fixed to the actuator, for example at its center or substantially (especially in a four fifths ratio), and a second arm secured to one end of the first arm and can mobilize a pivoting lever. The mechanism comprises spring means so that the end of the second arm, which can be coupled to the lever, takes two different positions regardless of the position of the fastening means to the actuator. Thus, the actuator can extend its stroke when the handle is in abutment, or vice versa.

According to a preferred embodiment, the spring means are located on the second arm. They may comprise springs, preferably two, placed in appropriate housings, advantageously parallel, of the second arm which is formed of two telescopic parts relative to each other. Advantageously, the springs are mounted on holding cores, and the two parts of the connecting rod forming the second arm are each coupled by a sliding end.

The drive mechanism according to the invention is preferably associated with a pivoting handle, thereby forming an actuating mechanism. The handle comprises a base on which is formed a bearing zone for temporary coupling with the end of the connecting rod. According to an advantageous embodiment, the handle comprises two bearing zones located on either side of its pivot axis. Guiding means are then provided to direct the connecting rod towards one or the other of the support zones. In particular, a guide with two paths cooperates with the coupling end, which is directed by a switching type element. This solution allows, with a unidirectional actuator, to operate the handle in both directions of pivoting.

The invention relates in another aspect to a remote control unit comprising an actuating mechanism or drive as defined, with a preferably electromagnetic actuator, which may include means for slowing down.

In another aspect, the remote control unit according to the invention comprises a transmission bar which can be connected at each end to the trigger bars of the devices flanking it and whose characteristics are optimized to avoid any delay in pivoting due to its deformation and its inertia in the presence of many auxiliaries. To this end, the transmission bar is provided with a flyweight at least to lower its center of gravity closer to the axis.

According to a preferred embodiment, the transmission bar is associated with means for determining its relative angular position, in particular magnet type magnetic means placed in a housing made in the bar, and a sensor, type effect. Lobby.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

• La figure 1A représente un système de coupure modulaire dans lequel un bloc de commande à distance selon l'invention peut être mis en place ; la figure 1B montre une vue latérale d'un module du système de coupure.
• La figure 2 montre la courbe des efforts résistants subis par le noyau de l'actionneur lors du réarmement et lors de l'ouverture.
• La figure 3 illustre un bloc de télécommande dans un mode de réalisation préféré de l'invention.
• La figure 4 montre un système de verrouillage associé à la manette ainsi que la barre de transmission pour un bloc de commande à distance selon un mode de réalisation préféré de l'invention.
• Les figures 5A et 5B illustrent l'action préférée de moyens magnétiques dans une barre de transmission ou une manette pour donner une information relative à la position, notamment des contacts.
• La figure 6 montre l'actionneur électromagnétique du bloc de télécommande de la figure 3.
• Les figures 7A à 7F montrent schématiquement le déplacement des différents éléments du système d'actionnement dans un mode de réalisation préféré de l'invention.
• Les figures 8A et 8B représentent un mode de réalisation préféré d'un mécanisme d'actionnement à deux bras.
• Les figures 9A et 9B illustrent un mode de réalisation préféré d'un moyen d'aiguillage d'une bielle d'actionnement et son action.
• La figure 10 montre une loi de commande préférée pour un actionneur électromagnétique d'une télécommande selon l'invention.

Other advantages and features will emerge more clearly from the following description of particular embodiments of the invention, given by way of illustration and in no way limiting, represented in the appended figures.

• The Figure 1A represents a modular cut-off system in which a remote control block according to the invention can be set up; the Figure 1B shows a side view of a module of the cutoff system.
• The figure 2 shows the curve of the resistant forces experienced by the actuator core during rearming and opening.
• The figure 3 illustrates a remote control block in a preferred embodiment of the invention.
• The figure 4 shows a locking system associated with the joystick and the transmission bar for a remote control unit according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.
• The Figures 5A and 5B illustrate the preferred action of magnetic means in a transmission bar or a joystick to give information relating to the position, including contacts.
• The figure 6 shows the electromagnetic actuator of the remote control block of the figure 3 .
• The Figures 7A to 7F schematically show the displacement of the different elements of the actuating system in a preferred embodiment of the invention.
• The Figures 8A and 8B represent a preferred embodiment of a two-arm actuating mechanism.
• The Figures 9A and 9B illustrate a preferred embodiment of a switching means of an actuating rod and its action.
• The figure 10 shows a preferred control law for an electromagnetic actuator of a remote control according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As schematized in figure 1 , a protection system 1 of a multi-phase electrical installation comprises a multipolar switching device 2 which conventionally comprises a switching device 2 _i per pole, here four. In its modular version, each of the cut-off devices 2 ₁ , 2 ₂ , 2 ₃ , 2 ₄ encloses in a housing of molded insulating material a cut-off mechanism 3, comprising in particular a bistable mobile contact 4 movable between two closed positions and two opening a pair of contacts; alternatively, the different cutoff mechanisms 3 can be assembled in a single multipolar package. A lever 5 accessible from the outside pivots to maneuver Manually the cut-off device 2, in order to open or close its mechanisms 3. In the case of a modular cut-off device 2, so that the different cut-off mechanisms are actuated simultaneously, the levers 5 _i of each device cut 2 _i are conventionally secured by an external accessory of the sleeve type 6, for example as described in EP 0 697 707 or GB 2,285,890 .

The movable contacts 4 can also be actuated by another automatic triggering mechanism, acting in case of a fault and / or on order and comprising a trigger bar 7, internal to the (x) housing (s), able to pass contacts from one position to another. The lever 5 and the trigger bar 7 act on the same movable contact 4 and are coupled by a mechanical connection, which leaves them free relative to each other so as not to hinder their action. In the case of a modular switching device 2, the trigger bars 7 _i must be functionally coupled so as to ensure the uniqueness of the actuation for each of the cut-off mechanisms 3. The first end of each busbar trigger 7 _i is thus provided with a connection means 8 of the female type intended to cooperate with a connection means 9 of the male type of the second end of the trigger bars 7 _i ; Moreover, the lateral faces 10, intended to be contiguous, of each housing comprise an orifice 11 for the passage of an end 9 of a trip bar 7 for a functional coupling, and which allows a clearance α, here on a arc of approximately 20 °, of the assembly 8, 9 of said bars 7 depending on the open or closed position of the contacts.

The pivoting angle β of the lever 5 is conventionally greater than the deflection α of the actuating bar 7, for example of the order of 85 ° or even 90 °. In particular, in the closed position, the contacts 4 undergo a pressure constraint to ensure their closure, and the handle 5 is abutted on the housing. In fact, the two open and closed positions of the breaking mechanism 3 are stable, and if the triggering is relatively easy, requiring only a one-off action causing the opening of the contacts, the resetting of the breaking device 2 requires variable efforts during moving of the moving contacts 4, an example of which is illustrated in FIG. figure 2 . In particular, a first stage A, at the beginning of the closing phase of the contacts, moves the lever 5 to against a weak resistance, with a substantially constant force. The resistance to movement of the lever 5 then increases because of the return springs and / or the mechanisms of the apparatus 2, 12 to be actuated; in particular, in the illustrated frame, the first phase B increase in resistance is followed by a threshold C, but this discontinuous configuration is illustrative. Anyway, a significant hardening D corresponds to the increase of the resistance to displacement due to the mechanism of actuation of the contacts of the circuit breaker, in particular with its springs, to arrive at a point of maximum resistance; beyond (E), the force decreases violently until contact; the constraint continues in the closed position, which allows to tolerate some wear u contacts. This type of cut-off device 2 is notably described in EP 1 975 971 , associated with the preferred embodiment of the invention.

The protection system 1 may comprise other functional modules 12 associated with the switching device 2, for example a differential protection auxiliary 12 ₁ , usually located on the right side of the switching device 2 and serving to open the contacts 4 presence of a leakage current to the earth, as described in EP 0 375 568 . Other modules 12 _i may be concerned, conventionally placed on the other side of the switching device 2, such as emission triggers 12 ₂ , 12 ₃ or control indicators 12 ₄ , 12 ₅ , of position type OF and / or SD security (see for example EP 1 065 691 ). These different modules 12 _i , of the same general shape as the cut-off device 2, are contiguous with similar lateral faces 10, and comprise bars 17 coupled to the trigger bar 7 of the cut-off device 2 in the same way for switching devices 2 _i .

According to the invention, the protection system 1 further comprises a remote control unit 20, in particular enabling the automatic reset, that is to say a closing of the contacts 4; in a preferred embodiment illustrated in the figure 3 , the remote control module 20, housed in a molded insulating housing 21 of the same general shape as the modular protection equipment 2, 12 to be controlled, also enables the automatic tripping mechanism 3 to be tripped. As shown schematically in FIG. figure 1 , the remote control block 20 is preferably directly attached to a cut-off device 2 ₁ to restrict the distance relative to the cut-off mechanism 3 and therefore reduce the risk of signal distortion; it is usually placed on the other side (here on the left) of the switching device 2 with respect to the differential protection auxiliary 12 ₁ .

The remote control unit 20 allows the actuation of the contacts 4 of the switching device 2 by relaying an order that reaches it from a relay (not shown); a control terminal 22 receives the information relating to the actuation of the block 20 and transmits them to an electronic control circuit; the signal is then processed in a printed circuit board 23 and transformed into a control law of an actuating device of the cut-off mechanism 3 of the protection system 1. Advantageously, the block 20 according to the invention is provided with two control terminals 22 to receive information from a controller or a 24 V bus control internal to the electrical installation. The remote control unit 20 and the electronic circuit are powered by two phase / neutral supply terminals 24 connected by conductors external to a voltage source, preferably derived from a protected independent circuit. In addition, in a preferred embodiment, the block 20 gives additional information on the state of the protection system and comprises SD / OF type outputs and / or commands, with a connector 25, which may be 24 V or 230 V, associated with the electronic circuit. Some of the features presented may be omitted, but all the components to achieve them is optimized in the preferred embodiment of the remote control block 20.

For convenience and brevity, the remote control block 20 illustrated in a preferred embodiment of figure 3 , will subsequently be referred to as a "remote control" although it also covers the option of a simple reset. The relative terms of position ("vertical", "bottom", "upper", ...) will be used in correspondence with the usual operating position of the elements of the protection system 1, the face comprising the handle 5 of the housings being vertical and substantially parallel to a partition, but are not restrictive as to their use. Furthermore, the switching device 2 can take different forms according to the invention, including circuit breakers, disconnectors or switches, differential or not, modular or monobloc, with a pole or more; subsequently, these different alternatives will be grouped together on the term "circuit breaker" which represents the preferred embodiment of the invention, namely a circuit breaker modular quadrupole. The term "module" will be used to describe each of the monobloc units (auxiliary 12 _i "pole 2 _i or circuit breaker 2, remote control unit 20) of the protection system 1, advantageously, according to the invention, the thickness in millimeters of each modules, distance taken between the two lateral faces 10 intended to be contiguous to its housing, is a multiple of nine (in particular: 18 mm for a circuit breaker pole 2 _i or 9 mm for an SD indicator 12 ₅ ), so that the facial congestion L ₁ of the protection system 1 is a multiple of 9. In particular, according to the invention, the remote control unit 20 has a thickness L ₂₀ of 63 mm or 81 mm, depending on the size of the circuit breakers 2 and therefore the size of the actuator required, the block 20 like the modules 2, 12 can be set up on a DIN rail by conventional means, and they usually have a depth of the order of 70 to 75 mm so as to enter a cabinet of size b according to DIN 48 330.

The remote control unit 20 comprises a drive mechanism which, following the reset order, respectively of opening, coming from a relay type element and its processing by the printed circuit 23, allows the mobilization of the mechanism of cut 3 and transmits the information relating thereto associated modules 2 _i protection system 1. According to the invention, the actuation of the contacts 4 is directly achieved by the handle 5 of the circuit breaker 2: the actuating mechanism of the block of remote control 20 thus also comprises a pivoting lever 50 which couples functionally with the levers 5 of the modules 2 _i , 12 _i of the protection system 1. The lever 50 of the block 20 thus comprises a handle 51 external to the housing 21, in the extension of the joysticks 5 modules 2, 12 adjacent to which it can be secured, for example by means of a sleeve 6 wrapper limiting torsions, in particular of polymer polyarrilamide type cha fiberglass, for example 30%, or metal alloy type Zamak or aluminum, as presented above. As illustrated in figure 4 , the lever 50 is biased to pivot about an axis 52 secured to the housing 21 between the two positions corresponding to the opening and closing of the cut-off devices 2 _i ; the axis 52 is also in line with the pivot axes of the levers 5 _i of the modules of the system 1 so as to reduce the torques during actuations. The lever 50 further comprises a base 53 used for its actuation, extending the handle 51 in the housing 21 and securing it to the axis 52; preferably, in view of the bulk in the housing 21 of the remote control unit 20, the base 53 is divided into two parts 53A, 53B offset along the axis 52 of pivoting of the handle 50 and symmetrical to balance the forces.

For security reasons, the remote control unit 20 is provided with a locking accessory 60 which allows it to be taken out of service, for example to prevent a remote power-up of the installation 1 during maintenance. According to the preferred embodiment, the locking accessory 60 is for example pivotally mounted on an axis between an inactive position in which it leaves the base 53 of the handle 50 free to rotate, and a locking position in which it is engaged on an arrangement 54 of the lever 50, so as to prohibit a movement towards the closed position of the contacts 4. Preferably, the pivoting locking member 61 of the locking accessory 60 is associated with a second part 62 of said accessory 60, the second part 62 making drawer so as to be movable in translation relative to the front face 26 of the remote control unit 20, between the inactive position in which it is flush with the housing 21 and a locking position in which it projects from the housing 21, leaving accessible an orifice 63 in which can be introduced a padlock or other means preventing an unexpected return of the locking accessory e 60 in the inactive position. According to the preferred embodiment illustrated, the coupling between the two parts 61, 62 of the locking accessory 60 is made with guidance (see dotted line on the figure 4 ).

According to a preferred embodiment, the locking accessory 60 can be placed in the locking position only after the remote control 20 has been put into the position corresponding to the opening of the contacts, the arrangement 54 of the base 53 preventing pulling the locking accessory 60 in the "closed" position of the handle 50; in particular, it is not possible to lock the remote control unit 20 when the contacts 4 of the circuit breaker 2 are soldered. It is advantageous that the locking accessory 60 also signals the position of the remote control 20, for example by cooperation with the on / off selection button 30: in particular, the button 30 can carry a tongue 31 which is engaged or disengaged from the first part 62 of the accessory 60 to condemn or release it; preferably, the tongue 31 is visible through a hole 64 created for this purpose in the drawer 62. According to an advantageous embodiment, the tongue 31 comprises two zones different colors 32A, 32B cooperating with two orifices 64, 27, one in the drawer 62, the other in the housing 21: when the remote control 20 is in use, a first zone, for example red, is visible since the orifice 64 of the locking member 60; when the remote control is out of service and it is possible to padlock it, the second zone, for example green, is visible from the orifice 27 of the housing 21.

In addition to the mechanical transmission for moving the movable contacts 4, the remote control unit 20 allows the transmission of the information of the auxiliary modules 12; to the switchgear 2 and vice versa, although it is located between them. The remote control unit 20 thus comprises a transmission bar 70 which passes through it, to be coupled in a functional manner with the trigger bars 7 ₁ , 17 of the modules which surround it in order to ensure continuity. The coupling is performed in the same manner as described above for the modular switching devices 2 _j when the block 20 is secured to the housings of said modules 2, 12. Thus, as illustrated in FIG. figure 4 , the transmission bar 70 of the block 20 according to the preferred embodiment of the invention comprises, at a first end, a female part 71 composed of two walls that can engage the male part 9 of a neighboring module 12 ₂ , and a second end a finger 72 partially projecting from a lateral orifice 11 of the housing 21 to engage with the trigger bar 7 of a neighboring module 2 ₁ . The shape of the bar 70 between the two ends 71, 72 is determined according to the constraints of space, and the part joining the two ends deviates in places from the straight line; in particular, as it is visible on the figure 4 , the transmission bar 70 comprises a first portion 73 substantially flat and rectilinear towards the finger 72, in the extension of the female portion 71 and the trigger bar 7 of the adjacent module, and a second portion 74, also straight in the extending the corresponding trigger bars 7 in the frame shown at the male portion 72; the intermediate portion creates a recess 75 between the two preceding for the passage of other components of the remote control unit 20, and forms a junction wall 76 curved, or hollowed, for attachment to the pivot axis 77 of the bar 70 .

The remote control unit 20 according to the invention is advantageously in the form of a universal offer, which thus adapts to any modular configuration of the control system. protection 1, the only difference being the length of the securing element 6 of its lever 50 modules 2, 12 associated with it. The inertia force to which the transmission bar 70 of the remote control unit 20 must be able to resist for a movement can thus be generated, in extreme cases, by four poles 2 _j and a monitoring block 12 ₁ on the right. and / or four control / command modules 12 _i on the left. What is more, the cut-off devices 2 themselves, circuit breakers, switches or disconnectors, can cover a range of 0.5 or 10 A at 125 A, include different functions such as differential switches, involving different maneuvering forces by the handle 50.

According to the configuration of the protection system 1, it thus appears that the forces and mechanical stresses on the transmission bar 70 are very different, while the accuracy in its position must remain sufficient to ensure the reliability of the system 1, without altering the orders (strength and couples) and information (speeds, races, games, ...); in particular, the transmission bar 70 can not cause a malfunction due to its functional insertion between the auxiliaries 12 and the circuit breaker 2. According to the invention, the transverse deformation of the transmission bar 70 at a first end 71 thus remains lower. at 0.15 mm, preferably at 0.1 mm, during the biasing at the second end 72, the force of which is conventionally considered to be equal to 3 N per pole, and during the impact it undergoes at the end of the race , which can in particular be of normalized half-sinusoidal intensity of the order of 15 g / 11 ms in the case of an abutment of the lever 50 on the front face 26 in the closed or open position.

According to the invention, the transmission bar 70 of the remote control unit 20 is made, for example by injection molding of metals, of aluminum, magnesium alloy, or preferably Zamak type material, insensitive to moisture and / or temperature. The length of the transmission bar 70 between its two ends 71, 72 being determined by the size of the block L ₂₀ , namely here preferably of the order of sixty millimeters or 80 mm, its thickness is chosen to that the bar 70 does not deform, or little, under the action of driving and resistant forces; in particular, the overall thickness is of the order of 0.7 mm, with reinforcements at the critical parts, in particular at the end portions 73, 74 and at the pivot axis 77. The absence of twisting allows the optimal transmission of information and / or orders between switchgear 2 and auxiliaries 12, via the remote control unit 20, whatever the harshest climatic environments.

According to a preferred embodiment, the bar 70 is made of a non-magnetic material, and equipped with magnetic means 80, in particular a magnet, which as such make it possible to give information relating to the position of the bar 70, and therefore characteristics of the position of the switchgear 2. For this purpose, as illustrated in Figure 5A at least one sensor 82, preferably of the Hall effect switch type, even if MEMS or other are possible, is placed in front of the magnet 80 in order to directly detect the information relating to the angular position of the bar of transmission 70 within the remote control unit 20. The signals detected by the sensor 82 are transmitted to the printed circuit board 23 to be analyzed in order to give an ON / OF signal: it is thus possible, directly, without additional means, by electronic transfer via one of the connections provided 25, to provide information obtained closer to the trigger bar 7 of the cutoff device 2, that is to say, more reliable and less sensitive to the dispersion caused by the removal of the usual auxiliary modules 12 _i . According to a preferred embodiment, the magnet 80 of Neodymium / Iron / Boron alloy, for example cylindrical with a diameter of 5 mm, is inserted, in particular in force, in an appropriate arrangement 78 of the transmission rod 70.

Preferably, the magnet 80 is set up so that its edge is perpendicular to the sensor 82, that is to say that, as illustrated in FIG. Figure 5A , the Hall sensor 82 is substantially orthogonal to the axis of the poles of the magnet which moves along its field lines B, which increases the discrimination of the detection and thus the differentiation between the positions of the transmission bar 70 whose spacing is small (less than 1.5 mm) on its stroke α. Indeed, when the magnet crosses half of the surface of the Hall sensor 82, the switching between the field lines B is straightforward and the sensor 82 can detect whether the magnet 80 is located on its right or on its left , despite the many internal electromagnetic interactions in the housing 21. With this option, it is thus possible to place the sensor 82 very close to the magnet 80, and in particular less than 2 mm from the transmission bar 70 without affecting the resolution of determination.

It is also possible to set up a position sensor 84 at the base 53 of the lever 50 in order to detect its position (see also figure 1 ); the association thus makes it possible to give a signal / fault type information with the same advantages as before. Indeed, a measurement of the time interval between the tilts of the transmission bar 70 and the lever 50 makes it possible to differentiate an electrical fault trigger from a manual trigger: a human intervention moves the lever 5, 50 about 20 ps before pivoting of the trigger bar 7, therefore transmission 70, while a thermal trigger, magnetic or differential mobilizes the bar 70, 7 about 4 ms before the lever 5, 50 is moved.

According to an advantageous embodiment illustrated in Figure 5B , in particular two sensors 84A, 84B are placed with an angular deviation β 'smaller than the clearance β of the lever 50, for example symmetrically with respect to the bisector of the angle β of displacement of the lever 50 so as to make the measurement more reliable, by detecting extreme positions of the lever 50 and thus safely the open and closed positions of the contacts 4. This option could also be applied for the magnetic means 80, 82 of the trip bar 70 although its displacement is lower . In the case where a plurality of sensors 82, 84, and especially three or more, is used, to minimize energy consumption, a first sensor 82, in particular that concerning the closed position of the transmission bar 70, can be powered. by a current, pulsed or not, the others being powered only when the microprocessor detects the change of state of the first sensor 82.

In the preferred embodiment and as the trip bar 7 of the switching device 2, the transmission bar 70 of the remote control unit 20 pivots about an axis 77 to take two significant positions of the open or closed state. contacts 3 of the circuit breaker 2, in an angular stroke α of about twenty degrees. To limit the forces on the transmission bar 70, it is balanced so that its center of gravity is substantially positioned on its pivot axis 77: thus, its effects on the mechanisms of the auxiliaries 12 and the circuit breaker 2 are zero, and the additional mechanical constraints that could interfere with the transmission of information between auxiliaries 12 or switchgear 2 are minimal. According to the preferred embodiment, a weight 79 is placed, preferably unitarily with the bar 70, to an end portion 74 of the bar 70 to shift the center of gravity; it is possible to adapt the configuration depending on the size, the available space, the presence or absence of magnetic means 80, so as to free up space 78 for the latter while keeping the center of gravity close to the axis 77.

For reasons of safety, it is essential that the mounting of the remote control unit 20 is carried out with the switchgear device 2 in the open state, that is to say with a matching position of the transmission rod 70, which is usually done by setting up a pre-positioning spring. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, to limit the forces resistant to its displacement, the transmission bar 70 is mounted idle, without spring, and the polarization of the bar 70 in its mounting position is performed by the accessory 60 lock delivered with the remote control unit 20 to condemn its operation. In particular, a polarization lever mounted on the axis 77 of the transmission bar 70 serves as an indexing device; it cooperates, being pivotally driven, with an attachment portion 65 of the locking accessory 60.

Thus, the remote control unit 20 is supplied with the locking accessory 60, for example in the projecting position: once the remote control unit 20 is coupled with the switching device 2 and the auxiliary module 12, the locking device 60 can to be depressed, so that the attachment portion 65 releases the bias lever of the transmission bar 70 which is then in mechanical connection with the switching device 2 and the auxiliary modules, allowing the bidirectional transmission of the information of the circuit breaker 2 to the auxiliaries 12 and vice versa.

In parallel with the optimized transmission of information, the remote control unit 20 according to the invention also has an optimized reaction time, in particular with a high speed of actuation, allowing the lever 50 to be displaced at 1200 ° · s ^-1 in particular, between the order of engagement and the effective action on the closure of the contacts 4, less than half a second and preferably of the order of 300 ms flow. The lever 50 of the remote control unit 20 is thus moved via a electromagnetic actuator 100, very fast actuator whose acceleration can be modulated by a stepped power supply, and not by a rotary motor whose closing time is of the order of 1 to 1.2 s.

Generally and as illustrated in figure 6 (See as well figure 3 ), the actuator 100 of the remote control unit 20 according to the invention comprises a coil 102 wound on a sleeve 104 and around an axis AA, a carcass 110 fixed to the housing 21 of the remote control unit 20, and a magnetic plunger core 120 which can move along the axis AA of the coil 102 as a function of the current flowing therethrough. The movement of the core 120 is controlled by a pulse type signal: at rest, no current flows in the coil 102 and the air gap e between the bottom 111 of the carcass 110 and the base 121 of the core 120 is maximal, the core 120 making protruding out of the carcass 110 on an outer portion 122; the signal causes the passage of current in the coil 102 and the displacement of the core 120 inwardly of the carcass 110 on at least a portion of its outer portion 122. The outer portion 122 of the core 120 still remaining outside the carcass 110 is provided with fixing means 123 to a drive mechanism 150 of the handle 50, in particular a hook 123 for biasing a pivoting lever indirectly secured to the base 53 of the handle 50, so as to transform the linear movement of the core mobile 120 in partial rotation movement. The term "pulse" must however be taken in the broad sense: as presented below, a control law is preferably applied to the actuator 100 so as to optimize the operation of the remote control unit 20, and in particular to reduce the contact wear 4.

According to the invention, the electromagnetic actuator 100 of the remote control unit 20 can be used at high power and must be able to control the closing and opening of four monopolar circuit breakers 2 _i and all the auxiliaries 12 _j as represented in FIG. figure 1 , or a differential switch 4 poles of 125 A: the engine force to develop is important and can reach, for the preferred embodiment, 100 daN with a stroke of 5 mm. However, the volume assigned to the actuator 100 remains limited, both at the lateral and depth dimensions (of the order of 40 × 35 × 50 mm). According to the invention, it has therefore been chosen to use an electromagnet 100 with a rectangular core 120, so that the maximum of the magnetizable surface is exploited; the carcass 110 is also of rectangular parallelepipedal general shape, the axis AA of the actuator 100 being moreover oblique with respect to the faces of the housing 21 so as to use the available space, for example by an angle γ of 4 ° with respect to the vertical.

In addition, in view of the violent shocks that it undergoes each attraction, it was opted for a core 120 of sintered material so that the performance is not degraded over time and the endurance is optimized. This type of material offers for other advantages the fact of being able to make unitarily fixing means 123 of the core 120 during the sintering operation. Furthermore, it is advantageous to blunt the edges 124 of the core 120 to avoid damage and, in a preferred embodiment, the edges 124 parallel to the axis AA are concave.

The forces collected by the electromagnetic actuator 100 being large, the carcass 110 also has a role of maintaining the coil 102; in particular, the carcass 110 comprises a second end wall 112, parallel to the bottom 111 and substantially orthogonal to the axis of displacement AA of the core 120, which is provided with a hole 113 of dimensions allowing the passage of the core 110, but less than the area occupied by the coil 102, so that the coil 102 is wedged by the bottom of the carcass 111 and said wall 112. Advantageously, the outer edges 114 of the second end wall 112 of the carcass 110 are cut so as to limit the amount of material and to free space for the passage of the drive mechanism 150 of the handle 50 (see figure 3 ). The introduction of the various components of the actuator 100, as well as the shape itself of the carcass 110 are relatively complex and, according to the invention, the carcass 110 is preferably formed of two symmetrical parts 110A, 110B made of sintered material and secured by pinching hard point on an extension 106 of the plastic sleeve 104 of the coil 102 at the bottom wall 111; in addition to simplicity of manufacture, this solution is inexpensive and avoids degradation of performance caused by the workings of carcass folded sheet.

To optimize the retention of the coil 102, the sleeve 104 on which it is mounted also blocks on its normal faces to its axis AA; the sleeve 104 is further extended longitudinally 108 at the second wall 112 of the carcass 110 to set up in the passage hole 113: in addition to the connection between the two parts of the carcass 110A, 110B, this option ensures the minimum separation between the carcass 110 and the core 120 for optimal operation of the actuator. Advantageously, the sheath 104 is made of rigid thermoplastic material, of a thickness just sufficient to move the core 120 away from the carcass 110 in order to allow it to slide, while having the maximum flow and therefore the most force for starting the core.

It turns out that the above technological choices lead to rapid performance of the core 120 and developed force such that a problem of fatigue of the bottom wall 111 of the carcass 110 could occur, until possible cracks: at the end of stroke, the gap distance between carcass 110 and core 120 tends to zero, resulting in an acceleration of the core 120 can go to violent impact. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, in addition to an adaptation of the control law, a damper 115, for example nitrile, is placed on the bottom wall 111 of the carcass 110, facing the core 120. D other options than the illustrated are possible, including the introduction of a damper partially forming the wall of the carcass and movable relative to the rest of the carcass by driving the core end of the race: the various alternatives presented in the French patent application no. FR 08 07163 can be considered.

Furthermore, the base 121 of the core 120 is itself hollowed, in order to add air into the magnetic flux circuit and thus degrade the magnetic force at the end of the stroke. Advantageously, a transverse recess 125 is hollowed in the core 120, so as to maintain, at the end of the stroke, a direct stop core 120 / carcass 110 and thus limit the force exerted on the damper 115 which is entirely housed in the recess 125 in the final compressed position, so that it can be functional for more than 40000 maneuvers. The recess 125 is preferably made orthogonal to the direction of the hook 123, which facilitates the manufacturing process with a sintered material and a monoaxial press. In particular, the recess 125 is of substantially rectangular shape, of surface S ₁₂₅ over a depth h ₁₂₅ , the depth of the recess not exceeding the length h ₁₂₀ -h ₁₀₈ -h ₁₂₂ along the axis AA of the core 120 always in the carcass 110.

By considering the surface S ₁₂₀ of the core 120, the maximum force F _max of the actuator 100 is modulated during the path of the core 120, reducing the acceleration of the core 120: in fact, in the absence of recess 125 , the theoretical speed of the core 120 tends to infinity when the air gap e tends to zero, while the recess 125 slows this action by creating a gap of volume S ₁₂₅ × h ₁₂₅ · The factor ΔF braking can be calculated by the formula: $$\mathrm{.DELTA.F}\mathrm{=}\frac{\frac{{\mathrm{S}}_{\mathrm{125}}}{{\mathrm{e}}^{\mathrm{2}}}\mathrm{-}\frac{{\mathrm{S}}_{\mathrm{125}}}{{\left(\mathrm{e}\mathrm{+}{\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="125"\; label="h"\; filenames="imgf0001.png,imgf0005.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">h</figure-callout>}}_{\mathrm{125}}\right)}^{\mathrm{2}}}}{\frac{{\mathrm{S}}_{\mathrm{120}}}{{\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="2"\; label="e"\; filenames="imgf0001.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">e</figure-callout>}}^{\mathrm{2}}}}$$

It is thus noted that the effect on the actuating force F is negligible when the gap e is large in view of the low value S ₁₂₅ × h ₁₂₅ of the volume of air added compared to the volume S ₁₂₀ × e of the air gap. The force deployed by the actuator 100 at the beginning of mobilization is therefore not altered. On the other hand, when the air gap tends to zero, the volumes are no longer negligible with respect to each other, and it is possible to reduce the end-of-actuation force of the order of 15 to 20%. This recess solution 125, which may be of a shape other than that described above, has the dual advantage of increasing the air gap e , and of creating a saturation effect on the periphery of the core 120, thus slowing down the speed at the end of actuation, and in particular after the resistance force of the breaking mechanism 3 of the circuit breaker 2 has begun to fall ( figure 2 ), that is to say, in particular in the preferred embodiment, when the gap e is less than or equal to 1 mm for a total stroke of a dozen millimeters, which determines the preferred air volume. In fact, it is advantageous for the volume of the recess 125 to correspond substantially to the volume of the air gap e × S ₁₂₀ when the deceleration action is desired.

More specifically, if a braking is desired from a predetermined stroke of the core 120 corresponding to the moment when the gap e is less than a threshold value e _s (for example e _s = 1 mm), the additional volume of air provided by the recess 125 must become significant, that is to say S ₁₂₅ × h ₁₂₅ ≥½ _s × S ₁₂₀ , and preferably of the order of this volume e _s × S ₁₂₀ . More generally, the recess 125 has a volume greater than or equal to half the volume of the gap e midway or three quarters of the race of the core 120; preferably, the volume of the recess 125 is greater than or equal to the volume of the air gap to three quarters or even four fifths of the race.

The relation between the height h ₁₂₅ and the width of the recess 125 as for it depends on the surface S ₁₂₅ necessary for the damper 115, and the facilities of realization. In particular, it is important that the core 120 has a sufficient mass of metal and adequate strength. The recess 125 does not pass through the core 120 along the axis AA, whatever the position of the core 120 in the carcass 110 (that is to say also in the initial position). Advantageously, the depth h ₁₂₅ of the recess is less than half the length h ₁₂₀ -h ₁₂₂ of the core, and preferably the section of the recess 125 parallel to the axis AA is substantially square or rectangle whose sides are in a ratio less than ½ _.

In particular, according to the invention, the 0.45% iron / phosphorus core 120 moves on e = 11 to 12 mm (11.7 mm), with a section S ₁₂₀ of 270 to 300 mm ² , in particular order of 280 mm ² (20.6 × 13.6). The carcass 4.8 mm thick may be made of steel of the same sintered nature; the coil preferably comprises 640 windings of a 355 μm diameter wire in a pitch of 2 × 18 mm. The action of the recess 125 is particularly desired when 1 mm of travel of the electromagnet 120 remain, that is to say substantially after 4/5 of its displacement, and the dimensions of the recess 125 are then 2 × 123.6 mm ² or more generally 1.5 <h ₁₂₅ <3 mm, 62 mm ² <S ₁₂₅ <S ₁₂₀ , with a damper 115 of 4 mm in height.

Furthermore, the outer portion 122 of the core 120, located under the fastening hook 123 to the mechanism and in the carcass 110 in the active position, is also thinned in order to degrade the performance of the actuator 120 at the end of movement, when the devices of protection and auxiliaries have passed their point of release of energy. In particular, a double bevel 126 is formed.

The electromagnetic actuator 100 is used to rotate the handle 50 from the closed position to the open position. For this purpose, as schematized in figures 6 and illustrated in figure 7 , the base 53 of the handle 50 is connected by a drive mechanism 150 with articulated arms to the securing means 123 of the plunger core 120. In particular, the hook 123 whose stroke is of the order of a dozen of millimeter is coupled to a first arm 151, or lever, that it rotates about an axis 152 secured to the housing 21 of the block 20. Preferably, the axis 152 of the lever 151 is at one end, and the point of attachment 153 to the hook 123 is substantially in the center of the first arm 151; in particular, the two segments delimited by the axis 152, the point of attachment 153 and the other end 154 are in a ratio greater than 4/5. In the preferred embodiment, the lever 151 is made of folded cut steel sheet and comprises a passage opening of the sintered hook 123 of the core 120, a rod 153 solidarisant the assembly for example by force insertion. At its free end 154, the lever 151 is coupled to a connecting rod 160 that drives in a movement substantially parallel to the axis of displacement AA of the core 120 although angularly offset; preferably, the stroke of the connecting rod 160 is of the order of 16.6 mm; to allow adjustments (see also below), the rod 160 is coupled so as to be relatively free in rotation on a limited movement for example by stops; here again, the joining is advantageously carried out by means of an interlocking with a rod 155 of steel.

As the electromagnet 100 is a pulse unidirectional actuator, in the rest position (see Figure 7A ), that is to say when the current does not go into the coil 102 and the core 120 is in the "up" position, the handle 50 remains in the position in which it was driven: the connection between the controller 50 and the drive mechanism 150 with two arms is preferably withdrawable and the connecting rod 160 engages to actuate the handle 50 only during its travel during the displacement of the electromagnet 100. In particular, the connecting rod 160 cooperates with an end portion 161 with an arrangement 55 of the base 53 of the handle 50; in view of the embodiment of the handle 50 with a base 53 in two parts offset along the pivot axis 52 (see figure 4 ), the end portion 161 of the drive rod 160 is preferably in the form of a cross member, the arrangements being in the form of guide grooves 55 on an appendix 56 integral with the base 53 and substantially at middle of the axis 52. When the actuator 100 returns to its initial rest position, the handle 50 thus remains in its position; preferably, the lever 151 is provided with means biasing it in its initial position, for example a torsion spring 156 at its pivot axis 152 so that the drive mechanism 150 of the lever 50 is monostable, the lever 50 having in turn two stable positions.

For rearming and when mounting the remote control unit 20 on the switchgear 2, the position of the handle 50 corresponds to the open position of the contacts 4, and the core 120 is projecting relative to the carcass 110; this reset position is according to the invention the starting position, in which the second end of the connecting rod 161 is possibly in contact, but without pressing on the groove 55 of the handle: Figure 7A . The pulse signal causes a dive of the core 120, accompanied by a corresponding movement of the cross member 161 free end of the connecting rod 160 which presses the groove 55 of the handle 50 to rotate towards the closure of the contacts 4 : Figure 7C . Advantageously, at the end of the drive, the handle 50 is abutted on the housing 21 to ensure the closure of the contacts 4. However, to reduce the forces to be provided, the end of travel of the core 120 also corresponds to a stop between the core 120 and frame 110, that is to say e no gap. Such a hyperstatic situation is complex to set up, and in any case unreliable over time, especially since the electromagnetic actuators 100 are very fast and therefore their abutment very violent.

To overcome this problem, various options exist: a stopping of the driving of the levers 5 after exceeding their dead point in the circuit breakers 2 by slowing down and / or limiting the stroke of the core 120 may prove unreliable after a certain number of maneuvers, besides the control of the other auxiliaries 12, and in particular of the differential auxiliary 12 ₁ , may be affected; a blocking bearing on the housing 21 of the handle 50 generates a situation of stress and force that may affect the operation of the actuator 100. According to the invention, the hyperstatic position of the actuating mechanism 100, 150 in end of the closing stroke of the contacts is removed by the drive mechanism 150 of the lever 50 through spring means 162 allowing the absorption of dynamic stresses and / or static. Preferably, the means 162 are located on the second arm 160 of the drive mechanism 150, which comprises two moving parts 160A, 160B with respect to one another: its length decreases under stress, for example by 1 5 to 2 mm, but spring means 162 force the link 160 in the extended position to a threshold.

In particular, if the stiffness of the spring 162 is less than the force required to drive the lever 50, at the beginning of actuation, the spring 162 is constrained by the movement of the core 120 and the free end 161 of the connecting rod 162 and the handle 50 do not move ( Figure 7B ). As soon as the stress of the spring 162 is such that its stiffness is greater than the driving force, the connecting rod 160 moves and presses on the handle 50 to rotate it about its axis 52; at the end of the race of the core 120, the energy stored in the spring 162 is available to extend the travel of the handle 50 towards its stop position if necessary ( Figure 7C ). Alternatively, if the spring means 162 have a greater stiffness than the driving force of the handle 50, the connecting rod 160 causes the handle 50 to pivot from the beginning of the displacement of the core 120, and at the end of the stroke of the handle 50 , the spring means 162 are able to store the energy deployed by the end of travel of the core 120.

In fact, according to the configurations of the protection system 1, that is to say the power to develop to move the handle 50 and close the contacts 4, the actuating mechanism 150 is in one or the other situations above, or even a combination of both. Moreover, in view of the very small stroke (of the order of 1.5 mm) between the two parts 160A, 160B of the rod and the small space available, it is preferred to pre-constrain the means 162 so as to guarantee a sufficient effort on this small displacement at the end of the closing stroke, resulting in a double unconstrained contact on the carcass 110 and on the front face 26 of the housing 21.

Preferably, the driving force is therefore not applied directly from the lever 151 on the spring means 162: the first part of the connecting rod 160A comprises a housing 163 for a second telescopic portion 160B, and the second telescopic portion 160B is guided in translation by the housing 163, with both ends slidable relative thereto.

This telescopic rod solution 160 in the remote control unit 20 according to the invention therefore makes it possible to avoid any static and dynamic deformation due to the hyperstaticity of the architectures of the circuit breaker 2 and the remote control 20, and therefore to considerably reduce the fatigue wear of the mechanisms of the switchgear 2 and the remote control block 20. The operating reliability of the block 20 can thus to reach 20000 maneuvers. This option also makes it possible to use the entire kinematic race and thus to operate multiple configurations of protection systems 1, and in particular all those described previously.

It is advantageous to select the stiffness of the spring means 162 as an intermediate, between the force sufficient to actuate the lever 50 in the minimum configuration of the protection system 1 (only one circuit breaker pole 2 _i ), and the force required to actuate the lever 50 in the maximum configuration of the protection system 1. In particular, a prestress of the order of 50 N is recommended. In view of the restricted volume of the remote control unit 21, the preferred link 160 comprises two springs 162 ₁ , 162 ₂ at least. For ease of assembly and optimization of their size, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, two identical springs are placed on parallel cores 164; to optimize the orientation of the transmitted force, the two webs 164 are advantageously guided at each end by two orifices of their housing 163 and coupled at one end, in particular by the cross member 161 of the free end of the rod 160, intended to cooperate with the groove arrangement of the joystick 50 ..

Advantageously, the first rigid portion 160A of the connecting rod comprises two parallel housings 163 for each core / spring assembly, for example in the form of two rectangular parallelepiped cages coupled at a wall. It is preferred that the outer side walls of the first portion of the connecting rod 160A be extended beyond the lower wall from which the webs 164 of the springs 162 extend to the support beam; reinforcement protection may also be provided around said sliding webs; in the preferred embodiment illustrated, one of the side walls 165 of the first part of the connecting rod also extends beyond the support beam 161, so as to protect the assembly within the housing 21. configuration allows easy assembly, while optimizing the diameter and the length available for the springs 162, as well as the diameter of their wire; however, other alternatives are possible, particularly with regard to the shape of the rigid portion 160A of the connecting rod and each of its components. To ensure a return to the initial position of the rigid part of the connecting rod relative to the first arm 151 of the drive mechanism 150, it is also advantageous to to set up suitable means, for example a torsion spring 166 at the level of the fastening with the lever 151.

As mentioned above, at the end of actuation, the core 120 returns to its initial position, the lever 50 remains in place, and the drive mechanism 150 returns to the upper position where it is no longer secured to the base 53 of the controller 50: Figure 7D . In the case where the remote control unit 20 operates as a reset, only this sequence is performed: a trigger returns the controller 50 to the position of the Figure 7A , and the actuation of the core 120 reproduces the closure of the Figure 7C . In the case of a remote control also for opening a circuit breaker 2, the actuation of the core 120 must also be able to rotate the handle 50 in the other direction, that is to say exerting a pull on the end of the base 53 of the handle 50, or a thrust on the other side of the pivot axis 52 of the handle 50: an additional device then proves necessary.

According to the invention, a switch 170 is put in place to ensure that the link 160 can, depending on the position of the lever 50, act on one side or the other of its pivot axis 52 to ensure the closure of the contacts 4. In particular, a guide 171, preferably etched on a side wall 10 of the housing 21, makes it possible to direct the end cross-member 161 of the connecting rod 160 towards one or the other of the paths, the freedom relative of the connecting rod 160 with respect to the lever 151 allowing this change of orientation. To direct the rod 161 toward either of the trajectories 171A, 171B, preferably a swinging V-piece 172, illustrated in a preferred embodiment of FIG. figures 9 , in particular, the piece 172, for example of plastic, pivots about an axis 173 and follows the movement of the handle 50 whose base 53 comprises a portion 57 that can cooperate with a first arm 174 of the V-piece 172 in the closed position so that the second arm 175 of the V "closes" the closing path 171A ( Figures 7D, 9B ). Thus, at the end of actuation, the end of the connecting rod 161 presses the handle 50 which pivots the V-piece 172; when the rod 160 returns to the initial position, the handle 50 and the V-piece 172 remain in their position; at the end of the race, the connecting rod 160 manages to cross the switch 170 because of the force exerted by the actuating mechanism 150 and a relative flexibility of the second arm 175; a once the switch 171 exceeded, the V-shaped part 172 resumes its position, the force of the handle 50 and the rigidity of its first arm 175 being greater than the return force of the spring 166 coupling the rod to the lever; the connecting rod 160 thus pivots slightly toward the second trajectory of the etched guide 171.

When actuating the plunger core 120, as illustrated in FIG. figure 7E , the lever 151 is biased in rotation and the rod 160 in translation, but the etching 171 on the housing 21 directs the rod 160 to another part of the lever 50, in particular a bearing zone 58 located on the other side of its axis 52. In fact, thanks to the combined rectilinear and angular movement of the connecting rod 160, the transmission of the transmission of the movement of the electromagnet 120 to one side or the other of the lever 50 is possible in a narrow passage . The bearing zone 58 may be similar to the previous groove 55; however, since the force required to open the contacts 4 is much lower than the resetting force (see FIG. figure 2 ), it is possible to engage less strongly the rod 160 and the lever 50; in particular, the cooperation of the end rod 161 of the connecting rod 160 with the surface acting as a cam 58 of the base 53 of the handle may be sufficient to drive the handle and the contacts in an open position on the beginning movement after the energy release point and before the welded poles position. In this trigger action, depending on the profile and the force required, it is possible that the spring means 162 of the connecting rod 160 are biased, but the triggering is usually done by direct rotation.

Once the lever is in the open position, the V-piece 172 is free to rotate: figure 7F (and Figure 7A ). In one embodiment, the V-shaped part 172 is mounted idle: when the connecting rod 160 returns to the rest position, at the end of the pulse, the restoring force of the drive mechanism 150 is sufficient to drive the second arm 175 from the V-piece 172 to an opening of the closing path ( Figures 9A and 7F ). However, it is preferred to set up a prestressed spring 176 at the V-piece 172 to calibrate the force that pushes the connecting rod 160 into the opening switch 171A.

It should be noted that when opening the circuit breaker 2 following a fault trip, and therefore external to the trip unit 20, the lever 151 of the remote control 20 does not oppose resistance to the return force of the lever 50 in the open position: the switch 170 is mounted crazy, so does not involve effort, friction or jamming of the lever 50 in the intermediate position. The solution is reliable, small, simple and contains only a few parts, unlike the solutions presented in the documents FR 2,840,449 or FR 2,535,520 .

The actuating mechanism according to the preferred embodiment of the invention thus allows a quick and bidirectional drive of the lever 50, this through simple parts which furthermore do not undergo stresses in stable positions. Furthermore, it is advantageous to optimize the pulse control law of the electromagnetic actuator 100 in order to best fit the force curves illustrated in FIG. figure 2 of the lever 5 of the circuit breakers 2 during closure, and incidentally the opening, contacts, to protect them by limiting the closing shock for example.

In particular, according to the invention, the electromagnetic actuator 100 is connected to control means of the processing unit 23 to produce voltage pulses in the coil 102 which is supplied with alternating current by the control means. In particular, a law as described in the patent application no. FR 08 07155 can be used.

In particular, as shown on the figure 10 , the control means are intended to generate a periodic voltage wave frame comprising at least n rectified oscillations S _i . As an exemplary embodiment, the periodic current wave frame has a duration equal to or greater than 50 ms. According to a preferred embodiment, each alternation S _i comprises at least a first and at least a second excitation pulse order S _A , S _B.

The first excitation pulse order S _A substantially begins at a voltage zero of an alternation S and the second excitation pulse order S _B substantially ends at a voltage zero of said alternation S. The electrical energy generated by the impulse excitation commands of a first half-wave S _i is less than or equal to the electrical energy generated by the pulse excitation commands of a second alternating S _{i + 1} subsequent to said first alternation S ;. Preferably, the last corrected alternation S _n of the wave frame sent by the control means comprises a second excitation pulse order S _B starting substantially at the end of the first excitation pulse command S _A. Advantageously, to guarantee efficient actuation in the greatest number of situations, the control means generate a periodic voltage wave frame comprising at least five successive corrected alternations.

According to an alternative embodiment illustrated in inverted hatching on the figure 10 , the control means generate at least one rectified alternation comprising at least one third pulse control pulse S _C , this (s) third (s) order (s) S _C temporally interposing between said first and second pulse orders S _A , S _B.

The remote control unit 20 according to the invention is thus optimized to ensure a closing dynamics, and possibly opening, of devices by the chosen options. In particular, it is possible to obtain a relatively slow speed at the beginning of actuation to ensure the handling of the parts together, then to accelerate to give effort and power, which can also be variable depending on the configurations, to finally slow down at the end of the movement to minimize shock energy. This optimization is obtained by a control law which develops a progressive displacement in open or closed loop in less than 200 ms, by an electromagnet 100 with a movable core 120 whose force at the air gap e (that is to say maximum) is sufficient while the total stroke is compatible with the rotation of the lever 50, and a mechanism 150 for the transformation of displacements and forces. In particular, the various preferred solutions according to the invention have a synergistic effect.

Although the invention has been described with reference to an electronic triggering system of an electric switchgear, it is not limited thereto: other elements may be concerned by the invention.

Claims (15)

1. A drive mechanism (150) of a pivoting handle (50) by a linear actuator (100) comprising:

   - a first arm (151) comprising fixing means (153) for securing to the actuator (100), a first pivot-pin (152) around which said arm (151) swivels, and means for securing (155) to a second arm (160), the means for securing (155), pivot-pin (152) and fixing means (153) defining two segments of the first arm (151), and;

   - a second arm (160) comprising a first end coupled to the means for securing (155) of the first arm (151) and a second end (161) comprising means for performing disengageable coupling with the handle (50),

   characterized by means forming a spring (162) storing energy when actuation is performed so that the second end (161) of the second arm (160) can take two positions for each position of the fixing means (153) of the first arm (151).
2. The drive mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the means forming a spring (162) are located on the second arm (160), the second arm (160) comprising two parts (160A, 160B) sliding with respect to one another, one end of the first part (160A) being coupled by the means forming a spring (162) to one end of the second part (160B).
3. The drive mechanism according to claim 2 wherein the means forming a spring comprise two identical parallel springs (162₁, 162₂), and the first part (160A) of the second arm (160) comprises two cages (163) secured to one another by a common wall to house each of the springs (162).
4. The drive mechanism according to claim 3 wherein each spring (162) is fitted on a core (164) sliding through an end wall of the first part (160A) of the second arm (160).
5. The drive mechanism according to one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the first pivot-pin (152) of the first arm (151) is located at one end of the first arm (151), and the length ratio between the two segments is comprised between 4/5 and 1.
6. An actuating mechanism of an electric apparatus (20) comprising a drive mechanism according to one of claims 1 to 5 and a pivoting handle (50), the handle (50) comprising a base (53) with a first pressing area (55) able to operate in conjunction with the coupling means (161) of the second arm (160) of the drive mechanism (150).
7. The actuating mechanism according to claim 6 wherein the base (53) of the handle (50) comprises a second pressing area (58) able to operate in conjunction with the coupling means (161) of the second arm (160) of the drive mechanism (150), the first pressing area (55) and second pressing area (58) being located on each side of the pivoting axis (52) of the handle (50).
8. The actuating mechanism according to claim 7 further comprising a switching system (170) enabling the coupling means (161) of the second arm (160) of the drive mechanism (150) to be guided to the first or second pressing area (55, 58), the switching system (170) comprising a guide (171) with two paths operating in conjunction with the coupling end (161) of the second arm (160), and an element (172) directing the coupling end (161) towards one or the other of the two paths (171A, 171 B).
9. The actuating mechanism according to one of claims 6 to 8 further comprising an electromagnetic actuator (100) coupled to the first arm (151) of the drive mechanism (150) by its securing means (153).
10. The actuating mechanism according to claim 9 wherein the electromagnetic actuator (100) comprises a core (120) and a shell (110) with rectangular sections made from sintered material.
11. The actuating mechanism according to one of claims 9 or 10 wherein the electromagnetic actuator (100) comprises slowing-down means (125, 126), in particular the external portion of the core (122) is bevelled.
12. The actuating mechanism according to claim 11 wherein the base of the core (121) is provided with a recess (125) passing through the core (120) between two opposite walls, so that the air-gap (e) between the core and the shell is not zero, the volume (h₁₂₅×S₁₂₅) of the recess (125) being in particular greater than or equal to the volume of the air-gap (exS₁₂₀) when the core (120) has covered at least four fifths of the distance between the first position and the second position.
13. A remote control unit (20) of an electric protection apparatus (2) comprising an actuating mechanism according to one of claims 6 to 12 and means (6) for securing the handle (50) of the actuating mechanism (150) to the handle (5) of said electric apparatus (2).
14. The remote control unit (20) according to claim 13 further comprising a transmission bar (70) with two coupling ends (71, 72), a pivot-pin (77), and a flyweight (79) on the other side of the pivot-pin (77) with respect to the ends (71, 72) of the bar (70).
15. The remote control unit (20) according to claim 14 wherein the transmission bar (70) comprises a housing (78) provided with a magnet (80) and further comprising detection means (82) of the relative position of the magnet (80) according to pivoting of the bar (70) around its pivot-pin (77).

Images