EP2642502B1 - Trip unit for an electric protection apparatus and electric protection apparatus comprising one such unit - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a trip unit intended to be associated with an electrical protection device, said block comprising a mechanism comprising triggering means able to transmit a trip command to said electrical protection device following a manual opening action or to the occurrence of a short circuit in the electrical circuit protected by said apparatus, said block comprising means for signaling the state triggered on a short circuit of said apparatus, and means for resetting said signaling means.

Up to now, the reset of the signaling device of the opening on short circuit was achieved either by a manual action or by a remote action on a light of the trigger by means of a switch provided for this purpose.

US Patent 5673786 discloses an assembly comprising a trigger block associated with an electrical protection apparatus according to the preamble of claim 1.

The object of the present invention is to propose a trigger block intended to be associated with an electrical protection device, said trigger block being of small size, while maintaining an irreproachable reliability of its mechanism, in particular to reduce the space required. for accommodating said block within the associated electrical protection apparatus.

For this purpose, the subject of the present invention is a trigger block, according to claim 1, of the kind mentioned above, this triggering block being characterized in that the aforementioned reset means are controlled by the re-closing of the electrical protection after opening due to a short circuit.

According to a particular characteristic of the invention, the aforementioned reset means are controlled directly or indirectly by the control shaft of the poles of the electrical protection device.

According to another characteristic, this triggering unit comprises an electrical signaling circuit comprising signaling means and at least one movable contact adapted to be brought into an open position or a closed position, one of the aforementioned positions corresponding to an activated position of the signaling means while the other position corresponds to a deactivated position of said signaling means, the (s) said movable contact (s) being controlled by the mechanism of the apparatus so as to be brought into a position corresponding to an activated position of the signaling means after a short opening. circuit of the electrical protection device, and then to be brought (s) in a position corresponding to a deactivated position of the signaling means after a re-closing of the device after opening on short circuit by the reset means supra.

According to another characteristic, the aforementioned reset means comprise a hooking system capable of being brought into the hooked position by the mechanism of the apparatus during the re-closing of the apparatus after an opening following a short circuit, and to be brought into the unhooked position by said mechanism during a short-circuit opening, said attachment system being mechanically connected to the movable contact (s) of the aforementioned electrical circuit in such a way that position hooked, the aforementioned signaling means are disabled, while in the unlocked position of the attachment, the aforementioned signaling means are in an activated position.

According to another characteristic, the mechanism of the trigger block comprises a trigger lever rotatably mounted about a fixed axis, said first said block, and being adapted to be driven by an actuating rod belonging to the trigger means of said block, so to cause the locking system to be unlocked when a short-circuit opening of said protection device is opened.

According to another characteristic, the aforementioned reset means comprise a resetting lever integral in rotation with the pole shaft of the electrical protection device, said reset lever comprising means for restoring the attachment of the attachment system when the re-closing of electrical protection device contacts after opening on short circuit.

According to a particular characteristic, the aforementioned fastening system comprises a fastening piece having a first end through which said piece is rotatably mounted about a fixed axis said third block, a second end having a hook adapted to cooperate with a retaining element belonging to a retaining piece rotatably mounted about a fixed axis said fourth block, said retaining piece being biased in the attachment position by elastic means, and a third end mechanically connected to the (x) contact (s) mobile (s) of the electrical signaling circuit.

According to another characteristic, the aforementioned tripping lever cooperates with the aforementioned retaining piece to achieve the unlocking of the attachment.

According to another characteristic, these means for restoring the attachment include an actuating lever mounted articulated about a fixed axis said second trigger block, said lever having a first end portion having a light within which is articulated and slidably mounted an end portion of the reset lever, and a second end portion cooperating with a hook spout driving lever, said drive member being hingedly mounted relative to the workpiece; hooking, and being adapted to be rotated in a direction of rotation, said first after an opening on a short circuit or an intentional opening, this rotation having no effect on the attachment piece, and being able to be rotated in a direction opposite to said second, by said reset lever when re-closing the device after opening on a neck rt-circuit so as to cause the attachment piece to a hooking position, through a connection recess between the attachment piece and the drive lever at the end of the rotational stroke of the drive lever, or during an intentional closing due to an intentional opening, the latter not resulting in the driving of the attachment piece.

Advantageously, the direction of rotation said first is the counterclockwise direction, while the direction of rotation said second is the clockwise direction.

According to another characteristic, the trip lever and the reset lever are mounted around the same fixed axis, said first relative to the trigger block, and in that the reset lever comprises means for driving the trip lever towards its position. initial position under the action of the opening of the device, while at the same time resetting the triggering means of said trigger block.

According to another characteristic, the aforementioned electrical signaling circuit comprises a microswitch comprising the movable contact (s) mentioned above, said microswitch being mechanically connected to the attachment part and being able to transmit information. on its change of state across a terminal block, these terminals being electrically connected to a means for signaling a short-circuit opening of the electrical protection device.

Another subject of the present invention is an electrical protection device comprising a triggering unit comprising the aforementioned features taken alone or in combination.

Advantageously, this device is a medium voltage electrical protection device.

Advantageously, this device is a circuit breaker.

• La figure 1 est une vue de côté d'un bloc déclencheur selon l'invention, illustrant la face visible pour l'utilisateur,
• La figure 2 est une vue de côté du bloc déclencheur précité, après le retrait du capot d'extrémité de manière à illustrer la partie intérieure dudit bloc,
• Les figures 3 à 8 sont des vues similaires aux figures précédentes, illustrant différentes positions du bloc déclencheur et du disjoncteur,
• La figure 3 illustre le bloc déclencheur dans une position prêt à déclencher, le disjoncteur étant en position fermée,
• La figure 4 illustre le bloc déclencheur en position de déclenchement après un court-circuit, le disjoncteur étant encore en position fermée,
• La figure 5 illustre le bloc déclencheur après ouverture des contacts du disjoncteur,
• La figure 6 illustre le bloc déclencheur après la re-fermeture du disjoncteur, suite à une ouverture sur court-circuit,
• La figure 7 illustre le bloc déclencheur après l'ouverture du disjoncteur suite à une action intentionnelle, et
• La figure 8 illustre le bloc déclencheur après fermeture du disjoncteur suite à une action intentionnelle.

But other advantages and features of the invention will become more apparent in the detailed description which follows and refers to the accompanying drawings given solely by way of example and in which:

• The figure 1 is a side view of a trigger block according to the invention, illustrating the visible face for the user,
• The figure 2 is a side view of the aforementioned trigger block, after removal of the end cap so as to illustrate the inner portion of said block,
• The Figures 3 to 8 are views similar to the previous figures, illustrating different positions of the trigger block and the circuit breaker,
• The figure 3 illustrates the trip unit in a position ready to trip, the circuit breaker being in the closed position,
• The figure 4 illustrates the trip unit in the trip position after a short circuit, the circuit breaker being still in the closed position,
• The figure 5 illustrates the trip unit after opening the circuit breaker contacts,
• The figure 6 illustrates the trip unit after the breaker closes again, following a short-circuit opening,
• The figure 7 illustrates the trigger block after opening the circuit breaker following an intentional action, and
• The figure 8 illustrates the trigger block after closing the circuit breaker due to an intentional action.

On the figures 1 and 2 has been shown a trigger block B according to a particular embodiment of the invention, said block being intended to be associated with a circuit breaker (not shown in the figures) used in particular for the protection and control of medium voltage networks of public distribution or in the industry, this trigger unit comprising means of signaling v of the state tripped on short circuit of the circuit breaker, for example an indicator light, and a low-consumption aperture release installed on the operating device of the circuit breaker.

The figure 1 shows the outer face of the trigger block B, which shows a terminal block 1 having four terminals 2, 3,4,5 representing two devices 6,7 interface with customers.

The first interface device 6 comprises the first 2 and second 3 terminals, which are associated with a device for signaling a short-circuit electrical fault in the form of a light v, while the second interface device 7 comprises the third 4 and fourth 5 terminals, which are associated with a low consumption aperture 8 connected to the operating device of the circuit breaker comprising a relay (not shown).

This trigger unit also comprises a mechanical interface device 9 in direct connection with the trip mechanism specific to the circuit breaker. As illustrated on the figure 2 this mechanical interface device 9 comprises a trigger lever 10 rotatably mounted relative to a so-called first fixed axis 11 of the trigger block, said lever being mechanically connected to the opening half-moon of the circuit breaker, and a reset lever 12 mounted around the same axis 11 as the aforementioned tripping lever and mechanically connected to the pole shaft of the circuit breaker, so as to be secured in rotation therewith.

This reset lever 12 comprises a first arm 12a adapted to cooperate with the actuating rod 13 of the trigger 8 of the trigger unit B, a second arm 12b adapted to cooperate with the mechanism of the circuit breaker, and a third arm 12c adapted to cooperate with an attachment system S via an arming device.

This arming device comprises an actuating lever 14 rotatably mounted about a so-called second axis 15 fixed with respect to the triggering unit, said actuating lever having at one of its ends, a light 16 of oblong shape adapted to receive in rotation and sliding an end portion of the said third arm 12c of the reset lever 12, and at its opposite end, a portion forming an actuating nose 17.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, this attachment system S comprises a fastening piece 18 having a first end 18a through which said piece is mounted articulated about a fixed axis 19 said third trigger block, a second end 18b hook forming adapted to cooperate with a retaining element 20 belonging to a retaining piece 21 mounted rotatable relative to a fixed axis 22 said fourth of the trigger block and a third end 18c mechanically connected to an actuating member 23 of a microswitch 24 for allowing the signaling of a short circuit opening of the circuit breaker.

This attachment piece 18 also comprises a driving lever 25 of said attachment piece, mounted articulated with respect to a fixed axis of this attachment piece, said lever being rotatable in one direction or in the other, over a certain stroke, via the operating lever 14 of the reset lever 12. This drive lever 25 is stopped in its rotational stroke in the clockwise direction by a fixed stop of the attachment piece , constituted by the fact that the mechanical connection between this lever and the attachment piece at the end of rotation in the clockwise direction is of the recessed type. The aforementioned retaining piece 21 is rotatably mounted about a fixed axis 22 said fourth of the trigger block B and is resiliently biased towards the attachment piece 18.

The microswitch 24 is mechanically connected to the hooking part 18 in such a way that the hooking part is returned to the non-hooked position by the microswitch 24 via the pallet 23 of the microswitch, which is recalled even in a position corresponding to a closing of the circuit, and therefore to an activated state of the indicator light v indicating an open position of the apparatus. Thus, the microswitch 24 has a rest position which corresponds to the signaling of a short-circuit opening, in which position the pallet 23 is biased by means of return means. And the attachment piece 18 is thus recalled by a rotation in the counterclockwise direction to a position in which the attachment is deactivated. During the attachment maneuver, the attachment piece 18 is driven in a clockwise direction against these biasing means.

The operation of a trigger block B according to a particular embodiment of the invention will be described in the following with reference to Figures 3 to 8 .

The Figures 3 to 6 illustrate the four steps of a circuit breaker opening and closing cycle following a short circuit.

On the figure 3 , the trigger block B is ready to trigger, the circuit breaker being in the closed position. The state of the microswitch 24 is open, the indicator v is deactivated, this state is transmitted to the terminals 2.3 of the terminal block 1, said terminals 2, 3 being electrically connected to the indicator light v, which in this position of the microswitch is thus extinguished.

Relay 8 is reset and ready to trip. The reset lever 12 is far from the release lever 10, and therefore does not prevent a possible action of the latter.

Upon occurrence of a short circuit current on the line protected by the circuit breaker, the current sensors of the circuit breaker detect a short circuit current and inform the relay (not shown) of the circuit breaker. This relay sends a weak current, generated by the electromagnetic phenomenon of the short-circuit at the terminals 4.5 of the terminal block 1. This electrical pulse is received by the trigger 8 of the trigger block and transformed by it into a mechanical action intended to achieve on the one hand, the opening of the circuit breaker and on the other hand, the signaling of the electrical fault signal.

Under the action of the relay 8 of the triggering unit B, which actuates the one 10a of said first arm of the trigger lever 10, the trigger lever rotates about its axis 11 clockwise and triggers the half-moon of opening of the circuit breaker causing its opening, through an arm said second 10b of the lever 10.

At the same time, the release lever 10 unlocks the attachment system S, by its arm said third 10c driving the retaining element 20 of the retaining piece 21 in the counterclockwise direction. The attachment piece 18 is released and can therefore rotate in the counterclockwise direction by the force generated by the microswitch 24, which is released and can return to its initial position, which leads to a change of state of it. The information of this change of state is raised to the terminals 1,2 of the terminal block 1, which closes the electrical circuit associated with said terminal block and comprising the indicator light v, which indicator lights. As illustrated on the figure 5 under the action of the opening of the circuit breaker, the circuit breaker pole shaft changes state and causes the reset lever 12 to turn in counter-clockwise direction. During this movement, the reset lever 12 causes the release lever 10 to turn counterclockwise to its initial position, this movement causing the relay 8 of the trigger block to reset. This action is possible because the reset lever 12 is not not stopped in its movement by the mechanical system associated with the microswitch 24 and comprising the actuating lever 14 cooperating with the driving lever 25 associated with the attachment piece, in that this drive lever 25 s when the reset lever 12 drives it anti-clockwise.

During this movement, there is no action on the micro-contact.

At this stage, the customer can intervene to acknowledge the electrical fault by putting the line back on.

As illustrated on the figure 6 under the action of re-closing, the pole shaft changes state and rotates clockwise the reset lever 12. This action rotates the actuating lever 14 in the counterclockwise direction. In this direction of rotation, the driving lever 25 is driven by the actuating lever 14 in the clockwise direction and begins to rotate and is embedded in the attachment piece 18 after which said actuating lever 14 drives the workpiece 18. Thus, during this movement, the drive lever 25 does not retract, but is rotated by the reset lever 12, in the clockwise direction, at the same time as the attachment piece 18. This displacement of the attachment piece 18 causes the catch to hook on the retaining element 20 of the retaining piece 21 and the change of state of the microswitch 24, this change of state corresponding to its resetting and causing the opening of the circuit comprising the indicator v, which goes off.

The figures 7 and 8 respectively illustrate the opening and closing of the circuit breaker following an intentional action from a position ready to trip the circuit breaker and closed circuit breaker, illustrated on the figure 3 .

On the figure 7 following an intentional opening of the circuit breaker, the pole shaft changes state and rotates the reset lever 12 counterclockwise. This action rotates the actuating lever 14 clockwise. This action has no effect on the hook, because during the rotation of the actuating lever 14, the drive lever 25 is not driven by said actuating lever 14, which has the consequence that the microswitch 24 does not change state.

On the figure 8 following an intentional closing order of the circuit breaker, the pole shaft changes state and rotates the reset lever 12 in the clockwise. This action rotates the actuating lever 14 counterclockwise.

In this case, the rotational stroke of the actuating lever 14 is sufficient for said driving lever 25 to fit into the attachment piece 18, whereby it results that said actuating lever drives the workpiece. hooking 18 and slightly off the hooking faces.

Thus, thanks to the invention, a trigger block of simple, compact and compact design has been realized, in which the interfaces with the electrical protection device or the user are clearly defined and whose operation can be tested. and validated at the end of the production line.

This design facilitates assembly in production and makes the system easy to integrate.

Claims (13)

1. Assembly comprising a trip unit linked to an electric protection apparatus, said unit comprising a mechanism comprising trip means (10) for transmitting a trip order to said electric protection apparatus following a manual opening action or the occurrence of a short circuit in the electric circuit protected by said apparatus, said unit comprising means (v) for signalling the tripped state upon short circuit of said apparatus, and means of reinitializing said signalling means, the aforementioned reinitialization means (12, 14, 25, 18) being controlled by the reclosing of the electric protection means after an opening following a short circuit, characterized in that the trip unit (B) comprises a signalling electric circuit comprising signalling means (v) and at least one mobile contact which can be brought into an open position or a closed position, one of the aforementioned positions corresponding to an activated position of the signalling means while the other position corresponds to a deactivated position of said signalling means, said mobile contact(s) being controlled by the mechanism of the apparatus such as to be brought into a position corresponding to an activated position of the signalling means (v) following opening upon short circuit of the electric protection apparatus, and then to be brought into a position corresponding to a deactivated position of the signalling means after a reclosing of the apparatus following opening upon short circuit by the abovementioned reinitialization means (12, 14, 25, 18).
2. Assembly comprising a trip unit linked to an electric protection apparatus according to Claim 1, characterized in that the abovementioned reinitialization means are controlled directly or indirectly by the control shaft for the poles of the electric protection apparatus.
3. Assembly comprising a trip unit linked to an electric protection apparatus according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the abovementioned reinitialization means comprise a fastening system S which can be brought into a fastened position by the mechanism of the apparatus during the reclosing of the apparatus after opening following a short circuit, and be brought into an unfastened position by said mechanism during opening upon short circuit, said fastening system being connected mechanically to the mobile contact(s) of the abovementioned electric circuit such that, in the fastened position, the abovementioned signalling means (v) are deactivated, whereas in the fastening unlocked position, the abovementioned signalling means (v) are in an activated position.
4. Assembly comprising a trip unit linked to an electric protection apparatus according to Claim 3, characterized in that the mechanism of the trip unit B comprises a trip lever (10) rotatably mounted about a so-called first fixed pin (11) of said unit B, and being suitable to be driven by an actuating rod (13) that is part of the trip means (8) of said unit B, such as to unlock the fastening system S during an opening upon short circuit of said protection apparatus.
5. Assembly comprising a trip unit linked to an electric protection apparatus according to Claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the abovementioned reinitialization means (12, 14, 25, 18) comprise a resetting lever (12) which is constrained to rotate with the shaft of the poles of the electric protection apparatus, said resetting lever (12) comprising means for restoring the fastening of the fastening system S during the reclosing of the contacts of the electric protection apparatus after opening upon short circuit.
6. Assembly comprising a trip unit linked to an electric protection apparatus according to any one of Claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the aforementioned fastening system S comprises a fastening part (18) comprising a first end (18a) via which said part is rotatably mounted about a so-called third fixed pin (19) of the unit B, a second end (18b) comprising a hook which can engage a retaining element (20) which is part of a retaining part (21) rotatably mounted about a so-called fourth fixed pin (22) of the unit, said retaining part being returned to the fastening position by elastic means, and a third end (18c) mechanically connected to the mobile contact(s) of the signalling electric circuit.
7. Assembly comprising a trip unit linked to an electric protection apparatus according to Claims 4 and 6, characterized in that the aforementioned trip lever (10) engages the aforementioned retaining part (21) in order to unlock the fastening.
8. Assembly comprising a trip unit linked to an electric protection apparatus according to Claim 5, 6 or 7, characterized in that these means for restoring the fastening comprise an actuating lever (14) mounted in a hinged manner about a so-called second fixed pin (15) of the trip unit B, said lever comprising a first end part comprising a hole (16) inside which is mounted, in a hinged and sliding manner, an end part of the resetting lever (12), and a second end part (17) engaging a drive lever (25) acting as a nose of the hook, said drive lever (25) being mounted in a hinged manner in relation to the hook, and being suitable to be rotated in a so-called first rotation direction after an opening upon short circuit or intentional opening, this rotation having no effect on the fastening part (18), and being suitable to be rotated in a so-called second direction opposite the previous direction, by said resetting lever (12) during reclosing of the apparatus after opening upon short circuit such as to drive the fastening part (18) towards a fastening position, thanks to an embedded linkage between the fastening part (18) and the drive lever (25) at the end of the rotation travel of the drive lever (25), or during intentional closing following an intentional opening, wherein this does not result in driving the fastening part (18).
9. Assembly comprising a trip unit linked to an electric protection apparatus according to Claim 8, characterized in that the so-called first rotation direction is anticlockwise, whereas the so-called second rotation direction is clockwise.
10. Assembly comprising a trip unit linked to an electric protection apparatus according to Claims 4 and 5, characterized in that the trip lever (10) and the resetting lever (12) are mounted about a same so-called first fixed pin (11) in relation to the trip unit B, and the resetting lever (12) comprises means for driving the trip lever (10) towards the initial position thereof under the effect of the opening of the apparatus, while at the same time resetting the trip means (8) of said trip unit B.
11. Assembly comprising a trip unit linked to an electric protection apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the aforementioned signalling electric circuit comprises a microswitch (24) comprising the aforementioned mobile contact(s), said microswitch (24) being mechanically connected to the fastening part (18) and being suitable for transmitting information on the state change thereof to the terminals (2, 3) of a terminal block (1), these terminals (2, 3) being electrically connected to a means (v) intended to signal an opening upon short circuit of the electric protection apparatus.
12. Assembly comprising a trip unit linked to an electric protection apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the electric protection apparatus is a medium voltage electric protection apparatus.
13. Assembly comprising a trip unit linked to an electric protection apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electric protection apparatus is a circuit breaker.

Images