EP3300531A1

EP3300531A1 - Electronic tripping device for an electrical line protection apparatus

Info

Publication number: EP3300531A1
Application number: EP17709129.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Gilles Stocker
Original assignee: Hager Electro SAS
Current assignee: Hager Electro SAS
Priority date: 2016-07-29
Filing date: 2017-02-09
Publication date: 2018-04-04
Anticipated expiration: 2037-02-09
Also published as: JP7022738B2; WO2018020085A1; JP2019522333A; FR3054717A1; CN109478483B; EP3300531B1; CN109478483A; FR3054717B1

Abstract

Electronic tripping device for an electrical, multipole line protection apparatus, of the circuit-breaker type, comprising a current measurement unit and an electrical current measurement processing unit, characterised in that it is formed by interconnecting one unit to the other in a single connection direction, and in that it comprises means for electrically connecting one unit to the other according to said direction, and means for mechanically connecting one unit to the other according to said direction.

Description

Electronic trigger for electrical line protection device

Field of the invention

The invention relates to an electronic trip device for a multipolar electric line protection device, of the circuit breaker type.

Like a thermomagnetic trip unit, an electronic trip unit detects overload currents and short-circuit currents to open the circuit breaker contacts.

The advantage of an electronic release is to be able to have a wide range of settings, including the trigger level and the trigger time. It usually consists of an actuator controlled by an electronic card that monitors the current that passes through the circuit breaker via sensors.

The electronic release is associated with a cutoff block containing in particular the interrupting chamber, the fixed and moving contacts, and the lock, in order to form the circuit breaker.

An electronic trigger conventionally comprises at least one current measurement block having current sensors and a current measurement electrical processing block having an electronic card and an actuator.

An electrical connection and a mechanical connection must be made between these two blocks within the trip unit.

State of the art

The wires coming out of the sensors consist of simply enamelled wires. It is customary to add a wire of larger section and insulated by a sheath, whose end can be inserted into a connector provided for this purpose. The connector is then connected by other wires to the electronic card, or is directly attached to the electronic card.

In any case, the electrical connection between the measurement block and the treatment block is via flexible wires. This type of electrical connection is fragile, especially when handling blocks when assembling the trigger. There are risks of severing the wires, and risks of jamming of the wires when connecting the two blocks. Furthermore, the mechanical assembly of one block relative to the other is generally tedious, both in terms of the relative positioning of the blocks at the level of their mechanical attachment, sometimes achieved by screws whose access is difficult with standard tools of the screwdriver type. In addition, the attachment of the two blocks must combine with holding means in the assembly position, sometimes made somewhat randomly by the fitter of the apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention aims to overcome the various drawbacks mentioned above, by means of an electronic release providing a simplified electrical and mechanical connection and fast, without risk of damage to the electrical connections, and with good mechanical strength. The electronic release according to the invention comprises, in a conventional manner, a current measurement block and an electrical treatment block of the current measurement.

This electronic release is mainly characterized in that it is formed by connecting a block to the other in a single direction of connection X and that it comprises:

electrical connection means from one block to another depending on the direction

X;

mechanical connection means from one block to another depending on the direction

X.

The main idea of this invention is to assemble the measuring and processing blocks in a single gesture, by a translation, while ensuring a simultaneous connection at the electrical level and at the mechanical level. The assembly of the trigger is thus very simple. It is not necessary to combine different movements to assemble the blocks, a single movement in a single direction of connection is enough to connect them electrically, position relatively and keep them in position before joining them. According to the different embodiments of the invention, which can be taken together or separately:

said electrical connection means consist, for each pole, of a male connector belonging to the measurement block and inserted into a female connector belonging to the processing block: the electrical connection between the two blocks is therefore effected via the connectors; . There is no wire connection between the two blocks.

said male connector comprises a plurality of conductive pins held by a support, each pin having two free ends extending in the X direction from two opposite faces of said support.

said measuring block is delimited by a housing and comprises, for each pole:

a current measuring sensor, of the Rogowski winding type, having two electric wire outputs;

a current transformer having two electric wired outputs, the wired outputs of the sensor and the transformer being each wound and then welded around a pin of the male connector, at the same first face of the support, the male connector being disposed of fixed way in the case. The connection of the wires to the male connector is therefore an operation that is performed during the assembly of the measurement block, which consists of a step well before the connection of the measurement block to the treatment block.

the housing of the measurement block comprises, for each pole, a salient zone for receiving the male connector, in which the male connector is fixed, and having means for guiding and separating the wire outputs.

said means for guiding and separating the wire outputs consist of two pads arranged on either side of the first face of the support of the male connector and extending parallel to the pins, so that two wire links each bypass a outward pad to reach two upper pins, and two wired links each bypass one pad inward to reach two lower pins: in this way none of the four wired links can touch another, which avoids any risk of short circuit.

- The female connector of the processing unit is connected by interlocking at a second face of the support of the male connector, opposite the first face.

said mechanical connection means induce translation locking in the two directions perpendicular to the X direction: thus, when the two blocks are mechanically connected, they can not move in both directions perpendicular to the direction of connection. It is only possible to separate them by performing the reverse translation movement in the X direction.

said mechanical connection means consist of a dovetail connection.

said mechanical connection means consist of a tab extending from one block and able to fit into an opening made in the other block.

the leg consists of a central section extending by a free end wider than the central section, said opening corresponding to a notch cut on the periphery of a wall of a block and having a bottom whose width is smaller than that the free end of the tab and greater than that of the central section of the tab.

said tab has a T-section.

said tab extends from the processing block and fits into the opening made in the measurement block, or vice versa, that is to say that the tab extends from the measurement block and inserts into the opening made in the treatment block.

said mechanical connection means are provided on the blocks between two adjacent poles.

The invention also relates to a circuit breaker type electrical protection device comprising a breaking block and an electronic release as described above.

Presentation of figures

The invention will be better understood, and other objects, details, features and advantages thereof will become more clearly apparent in the following detailed explanatory description of at least one embodiment of the invention given to As a purely illustrative and non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings.

On these drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a first face of a current measurement block of an electronic release according to the invention; FIG. 2 is an enlarged view, in perspective, of the reception area of a male connector belonging to the current measurement block according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the male connector of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 shows in perspective the electronic processing block of an electronic trigger according to the invention;

FIG. 5 shows in perspective a second face of the current measurement block of an electronic release according to the invention;

- Figure 6 illustrates in perspective and in section the electronic release according to the invention, with conductors and terminals for each pole.

detailed description

The electronic release of the invention consists of a current measurement block 1 and an electronic processing block 2 of the current measurement. Such an electronic release integrates into an electrical line protection device, circuit breaker type, also having a breaking block.

With reference to FIG. 1, the measurement block 1 of current consists of a housing 6 enclosing sensors 29.

In the case presented, this measurement block 1 is adapted to operate on a three-pole circuit breaker since it has three identical sections 3,4,5, each section being provided for a pole.

Each section 3,4,5 contains a current measurement sensor 29, which consists of a Rogowski winding, and a current transformer 9.

The sensor 29 and the transformer 9 consist of parts of revolution, more precisely tori, arranged coaxially, as is best seen in FIG.

They have a central orifice 10 within which a conductor 30 coming from the breaking block (not shown) is inserted and whose current is to be known.

The sensor 29 is composed of a helical winding of wire having two electrical 13,14 wire outputs, particularly visible in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The current transformer 9 is used to power the electronic cards 33 contained in the processing block 2 to be described later. This transformer 9 consists of a winding around the conductor 30, and also has two wire outputs 1 1, 12 electrical. These four wired outputs 1 1, 12, 13, 14 are relatively fragile, and must not come into contact with each other in order to avoid any short circuit.

These four wired outputs 1 1, 12, 13, 14 are connected to a male connector 8 housed in a reception area 7 provided for this purpose and protruding from the housing 6. This zone 7 is centered on each section 3,4,5 of the measurement block 1, in a transverse plane passing through the axis of the sensor 29 and the transformer 9, so that the wired outputs 14, 12 of the sensor 29 and of the transformer 9 come on the right side of the male connector 8 , and the wired outputs 13.1 1 of the sensor 29 and the transformer 9 come on the left side of the male connector 8. This specific arrangement thus makes it possible to separate the wired outputs 1 1, 12, 13, 14 in two groups: the group right 12,14, and the left group 1 1, 13.

Then, in order to separate the two wired outputs 12,14 of the right group, and the two wired outputs 1 1, 13 of the left group, the reception area 7 is provided with two pads 15, 16, located on the left and to the right of the male connector 8. Thus, one 12 of the two wired outputs 12,14 of the right group is guided so as to walk on the outside of the right stud 16, while the other wired output 14 of the right group chimine on the inside of the right stud 16, that is to say between the right stud 16 and the male connector 8.

In a symmetrical manner, one 1 1 of the two wired outputs 1 1, 13 of the left group is guided so as to walk on the outside of the left stud 15, while the other wired output 13 of the left group walks on the side inside the left stud 15, that is to say between the left stud 15 and the male connector 8.

In concrete terms, the wired outputs 13, 14 of the sensor 29 run on the inner sides of the right and left pins 16, 15, whereas the wired outputs 1 1, 12 of the transformer 9 run on the outer sides of the pins 16, 15 on the right. and left.

In this way, the wired outputs 1 1, 12, 13, 14 are all separated from each other.

They then wrap each around a free end of a pin 19,20,21, 22 belonging to the male connector 8. The latter has four pins 19,20,21, 22, since there is four wired outputs 1 1, 12,13,14 to connect.

More precisely, the two wired outputs 1 1, 12 of the transformer 9 are wound around two upper pins 19,20, left and right, while the two wire outputs 13,14 of the sensor 29 are wound around two pins 21, 22 lower, left and right.

After winding, the wired outputs 1 1, 12, 13, 14 are soldered to the pins

19, 20, 21, 22 by known welding techniques. The male connector 8 consists of a support 35 and pins 19, 20, 21, 22. The pins 19, 20, 21 pass through the support 35, and thus each have two free ends on either side of the support 35. In FIGS. 1 and 2, a first face 17 of the support 35 is visible, from which 'extend the four pins 19,20,21, 22. Once the electrical connection is made, a cover 34 is fixed on the section 3,4,5 so as to protect the sensor 29, the transformer 9, and the first face 17 of the support 35 of the male connector 8, as well as the four electrical connections. In FIG. 1, the right-hand and left-hand sections 3 are equipped with the protection cover 34, while the central section 4 is "bare", thus without protective cover 34, to illustrate the positioning of the sensor. 29 and male connector 8.

Figure 5 shows the backside of the measurement block 1. In this case, a second face 18 of the support 35 of the male connector 8 is visible. The four pins 19, 20, 21, 22 extend from this second face 18. A peripheral cover 24 surrounds the male connector 8, extending in a direction parallel to that of the pins 19, 20, 21, 22, so that to protect the latter during the transport of the measurement block 1 and when plugging the pins 19,20,21, 22 into a female connector 23 provided for this purpose in the electrical treatment block 2 of the current measurement such as 4 of the processing block 2 consists of a housing 32 enclosing a plurality of electronic boards 33, fed by the transformers 29 of the measurement block 1, and processing the incoming signals from the sensors 9 of the block of FIG. measure 1. The treatment block 2 also comprises an intermediate lock 28, able to trigger the main lock of the circuit breaker (not shown), on the order of an electronic card 33 in the case where it detects a fault (overvoltage, short circuit).

This processing block 2 provides three female connectors 23 arranged opposite the male connectors 8 of the measurement block 1. The housing 32 is perforated at the female connectors 23 to leave them accessible for connection with the male connectors 8.

Each female connector 23 consists of a support in which are formed four holes that can accommodate the four pins 19,20,21, 22. Each female connector 23 is directly attached to an electronic card 33 which therefore receives the current measurement information from the corresponding sensor 29 of the measurement block 1, and which is supplied via the corresponding transformer 9 of the measurement block 1.

The peripheral cover 24 thus makes it possible to protect the junction between the two male 8 and female 23 connectors, and to prevent any dust from infiltrating. The electrical connection of the two blocks 1, 2 is thus made by simply plugging the three male connectors 8 into the three female connectors 23, in a single insertion direction X, corresponding to the connecting direction of the blocks 1, 2. In parallel, during this insertion, lugs 25 extending from the housing 32 of the treatment block 2 fit into openings 36 provided for this purpose in the housing 6 of the measurement block 1. This mechanical connection between the two blocks 1, 2 is also performed in the X direction. An opening 36 is provided between two adjacent sections of the measurement block 1, and a tab 25 is provided between two female connectors 23. In the example presented, there are two legs 25 and two openings 36, for an electronic trip for tripolar circuit breaker.

More specifically, each tab 25 has a T-section, with a central section 26 of small width, ending in a 27 end of large width.

Each opening 36 consists of a cut made in the housing 6 of the measurement block 1, at a peripheral zone. The cutout 36 starts from the periphery of the casing 6 by a first portion 37 of great width, then is extended by a second portion 38 of smaller width, just greater than the width of the central section 26 and much less than the width of the end 27 of the tab 25.

Concretely, the central section 26 of the tab 25 is first inserted into the first portion 38 of the blank. The latter serves only to guide one block relative to the other, in order to put them in position for plugging connectors 8.23. During insertion, the central portion 26 of the lug 25 is inserted into the second portion 38 of the blank 36, whose width is only slightly greater than that of the central section 26 of the lug 25 so that the leg 25 can slip into this cutout 36 with a small clearance, until it comes into abutment against the bottom 39 of the cutout 36, which also corresponds to the end of travel of the pins 19,20,21, 22 of the male connector 8 in the holes of the female connector 23. The two blocks 1, 2 are then connected electrically and mechanically, simultaneously, in a single direction of connection X, and in a single gesture from the operator.

Given the dimensioning of the second portion 37 of the opening 36 relative to the width of the central section 26 of the tab 25, the processing block 2 is blocked in the Y direction perpendicular to X.

Given the sizing of the second portion 37 of the opening 36 relative to the width of the end 27 of the lug 25, the treatment block 2 is blocked in the Z direction perpendicular to X. The width of the different pieces is marked with respect to the direction Y.

The tab 25 and the opening 36 could very well be replaced by a connection dovetail type, or any other type of mechanical connection.

Figure 6 illustrates the two blocks 1, 2 connected to each other, preferably nested one inside the other. A conductor 30 whose current is to be measured passes through each sensor assembly 29 / transformer 9, and terminates in the form of a connection terminal 31.

The two blocks 1, 2 are more firmly attached to one another when assembled with the other parts of the circuit breaker.

When assembling a circuit breaker, the measurement block 1 is associated with the contact block (not shown), then the treatment block 2 is added to this subassembly before putting everything in place in an envelope. final. This implementation is important for the interaction between the intermediate lock 28 of the processing block 2 with the main lock of the contact block. It has two stages.

After the fixing of the measuring block 1 on the contact block, the first step is to plug the treatment block 2 into a fork with two arms located in the extension of two flanges comprising the structure of the main lock of the contact block . To allow this insertion, the processing block 2 is provided with two recesses 41 disposed on either side of the intermediate lock 28, and in which the two arms of the fork penetrate, as shown in Figures 4 and 6.

The second step consists of inserting the contact block / process block 2 subassembly into the final envelope constituting the base of the circuit breaker. To do so, two ears 40 extending from the processing block 2 are plugged on two cylinders extending from the final envelope. This plug-in makes it possible to guarantee the non-disconnection of the sensors 9 with respect to the electronic cards 33, that is to say the non-disconnection of the male connectors 8 and the female connectors 23, as well as the non-disconnection of the main lock with respect to the lock. intermediate 28, that is to say the non disconnection of the fork with respect to the recesses 41.

With respect to the above description, the optimal dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, including variations in size, shapes, function and modes of operation, assembly and use, are considered as apparent and obvious to the skilled person, and all the relationships equivalent to what is illustrated in the drawings and what is described in the specification is meant to be included in the present invention.

Claims

Electronic trip device for multi-pole circuit breaker-type electrical protection device, comprising a current measurement block (1) and an electric current measurement processing block (2),

characterized in that it is formed by connecting one block to the other in only one connection direction (X) and in that it comprises:

means for electrically connecting one block to the other in the direction (X);

- Mechanical connection means from one block to the other in the direction (X).

Electronic trip device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said electrical connection means consist, for each pole, of a male connector (8) belonging to the measurement block (1) and inserted into a female connector (23) belonging to at the treatment block (2).

Electronic trip device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said male connector (8) comprises a plurality of conductive pins (19, 20, 21, 22) held by a support (35), each pin (19, 20, 21, 22 ) having two free ends extending in the direction (X) from two opposite faces of said support (35).

Electronic trip device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said measurement block (1) is delimited by a housing (6) and comprises, for each pole:

a current measuring sensor (29), of the Rogowski winding type, having two electrical wire outputs (13, 14);

a current transformer (9) having two electrical wire outputs (1 1, 12),

the wired outputs (1 1, 12, 13, 14) of the sensor (29) and of the transformer (9) being each wound and then welded around a pin (19, 20, 21, 22) of the male connector (8), at the same first face (17) of the support (35), the male connector (8) being fixedly disposed in the housing (6).

Electronic trip device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the housing (6) of the measuring block (1) comprises, for each pole, a projecting receiving zone (7) of the male connector (8), in which is fixed the male connector (8), and having means for guiding and separating the wire outputs (1 1, 12, 13, 14).

6. Electronic release according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said means for guiding and separating the wire outputs (1 1, 12, 13, 14) consist of two pads (15, 16) arranged on either side of the first face (17) of the support (35) of the male connector (8) and extending parallel to the pins (19, 20, 21, 22), so that two wire links (1 1, 12) bypass each a stud (15,16) outwards to reach two upper pins (19, 20), and two wire links (13, 14) each bypass a stud (15, 16) inwards to reach two pins (21 , 22) lower.

7. Electronic release according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the female connector (23) of the treatment block (2) is connected by interlocking at a second face (18) of the support (35) of the male connector (8). ), opposite to the first face (17).

8. Electronic release according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said mechanical connection means induce translation locking in both directions (Y, Z) perpendicular to the direction (X).

9. Electronic release according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said mechanical connection means consist of a dovetail connection.

10. Electronic release according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that said mechanical connection means consist of a tab (25) extending from a block and adapted to be inserted into an opening (36) made in the other block.

1 1. Electronic release according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the lug (25) consists of a central section (26) extending by a free end (27) wider than the central section (26), said opening (36) corresponding to a notch cut on the periphery of a wall of a block and having a bottom (39) whose width is smaller than that of the free end of the tab (25) and greater than that of the central section (26) of the tab (25).

12. Electronic release according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said tab (25) has a T-section.

13. Electronic release according to one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that said tab (25) extends from the processing block (2) and is inserted into the opening (36) formed in the block of measure (1).

14. Electronic release according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said mechanical connection means are provided on the blocks (1, 2) between two adjacent poles.

An electrical line protection apparatus, of the circuit breaker type, comprising a breaking block and an electronic release as described in any one of the preceding claims.