EP3809435B1 - Protection circuit blocking device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a circuit breaker locking device, in particular a motor circuit breaker locking device. A circuit breaker locking device with the features of the preamble of claim 1 is from the document US 4,677,261 A known.

Motor protection switches are intended to protect electric motors from overloads, failures of external conductors and/or short circuits, so that damage, especially overheating, to the respective protected devices can be prevented. They are also used to switch the engine on and off during maintenance. A motor protection switch has a rotary or push button handle with which the motor protection switch can be switched on and off manually, i.e. by hand. After a trip, the motor protection switch must be switched on again manually. However, a motor protection switch should generally only be switched on again when the cause of its switching off is known and eliminated. Otherwise switching it on again can lead to property damage and/or personal injury.

The invention is therefore based on the object of creating a circuit breaker locking device with which the handling of a circuit breaker, in particular the handling of a motor protection switch, for example in the event of maintenance, can be secured against being switched on again by unauthorized third parties.

This object is achieved by a circuit breaker locking device with the features of claim 1, and in particular by a circuit breaker locking device, in particular motor protection switch locking device, comprising two half-shells assembled to form a housing shell with a rear wall Housing parts, in particular housing halves, which are connected to one another via a swivel joint which defines a pivot axis about which the two housing parts can be pivoted relative to one another between a release position and a clamping position, in particular limited, in particular limited in both directions. The circuit breaker locking device further comprises an adjusting element which is adjustable, in particular rotatable about an axis of rotation, between a basic position and a locking position, in particular limited, in particular limited in the direction of the locking position, in order to transfer the two housing parts from the release position into the clamping position.

The housing shell comprises two housing parts that are connected to one another via a swivel joint, so that the housing shell can assume a release position and a clamping position. In the release position, the housing shell can be placed on a housing of a motor protection switch in order to cover the handle of a motor protection switch. The housing shell can then be moved in the direction of the clamping position by pivoting the two housing parts relative to one another and thus clamped to the housing of the motor protection switch. The two housing parts are pivoted relative to one another by adjusting an adjusting element into a locking position. However, the locking device according to the invention can also be suitable for circuit breakers other than motor circuit breakers.

The two housing parts can each, in particular on their side facing away from the swivel joint, have a clamping jaw, which are moved towards one another when the two housing parts are moved into the clamping position in order to clamp the circuit breaker locking device on a housing of a circuit breaker, in particular a motor protection switch. The two clamping jaws can each be provided with a self-adhesive friction lining or anti-slip lining in order to increase the effectiveness of the clamping of the locking device on a housing of a circuit breaker.

Furthermore, a locking device can be provided in order to lock the adjusting element in the locking position by means of a locking element, in particular a padlock, in order to secure the adjusting element against being adjusted into the basic position. In order to secure the housing shell on the housing of the motor protection switch against unauthorized removal, a locking device can be provided which, by means of a locking element, in particular a padlock, keeps the adjusting element in the locking position and thus the housing shell in the clamping position and thus the circuit breaker locking device the housing of the motor protection switch. The circuit breaker locking device according to the invention can thus prevent unauthorized access to a handle of a motor circuit breaker. The locking device can be referred to as a “lockout” device in English.

The adjusting element has a drive section which engages the two housing parts. The two housing parts can then be transferred from the release position into the clamping position by the drive section of the adjusting element.

According to a preferred embodiment, the drive section comprises a control cam that deviates from a circular shape or is oval, in particular elliptical or eccentric, in particular circumferential, with two opposing flat areas and two opposing end areas. In the basic position of the adjusting element, the two end regions are preferably oriented in the direction of the pivot axis of the swivel joint. Preferably, the adjusting element is rotatably mounted by means of the drive section, in particular the control cam of the drive section, in a recess formed in the rear wall of the housing shell, in particular in a counter-shaped manner, the recess being proportionally in one housing part and proportionally in the other housing part is trained. By rotating the adjusting element from the basic position into the locking position, the two correspondingly rotated end areas press the two housing parts on the rear wall apart, so that the two housing parts are forced into the clamping position to pivot about the pivot axis of the swivel joint. It is preferred if the drive section has a web, in particular a circumferential web, on both sides of the control cam, the adjusting element being held on the rear wall in the axial direction by the two webs.

The angular difference between the basic position and the locking position of the adjusting element can, for example, be in a range between 60° and 120°, in particular between 80° and 100°, in particular at 90°. In particular, the rotational movement of the adjusting element in the locking position can be limited by a stop.

The adjusting element preferably comprises a manually operable rotary handle, in particular arranged on an outside of the rear wall, which is connected to the drive section at least in a rotationally fixed manner, in particular firmly, in order to adjust the adjusting element between the basic position and the locking position. The rotary handle can be designed as a wing handle, in particular with two wings projecting radially from the axis of rotation in opposite directions. Such an adjusting element is easily accessible and easy to rotate.

On the rear wall of the housing shell, a, in particular respective, stop for the rotary handle, in particular for one, in particular respective, of the two wings of the wing handle, can be provided on at least one of the two housing parts, in particular on both housing parts, in the locking position of the adjusting element.

According to one embodiment, the locking device can include that at least one of the two stops, in particular both stops, has, in particular have, a respective eyelet, and that one of the two wings has an eyelet, the eyelet of the wing and the eyelet of the associated stop being in the Locking position align with each other so that a locking element can be passed through. In principle, the other wing can also have an eyelet. In this way, the adjustment element can be fixed in the locking position and thus the two housing parts in the clamping position in a simple manner that is intuitive for the user.

In general, it is preferred if the locking device has two eyelets that are aligned with one another in the locking position of the adjusting element, so that a locking element can be passed through, whereby the rotary handle of the adjusting element is fixed to the stop. In particular, it can be provided that of the two eyelets, one eyelet is formed on the rotary handle and the other eyelet is formed on the blocking element explained below.

According to an alternative embodiment, the adjusting element can comprise a blocking element, in particular a slider. The blocking element is in particular adjustable, in particular displaceable, held on the rotary handle between a starting position and a blocking position, the blocking element in its blocking position blocking an adjustment of the adjusting element located in the locking position into the basic position. This advantageously reliably prevents the adjusting element from being turned back from the locking position - regardless of locking by a locking element. It could otherwise be possible to turn the adjusting element back, ie without a blocking element, under certain circumstances when the circuit breaker device is locked if the locking element used allows play between the eyelet and the stop.

Preferably, the swivel joint includes that the housing shell each has a swivel connection on two mutually opposite side walls. The respective rotary connection preferably comprises an opening in one housing part and a pin, in particular expanding pin, which is formed on the other housing part and engages, in particular snaps, into the opening. A housing shell with such rotary connections can be assembled particularly easily from the two housing parts. In particular, the two housing parts can each have an opening and a pin. It is preferably provided that for the respective rotary connection one housing part in the area of the opening and/or the other housing part in the area of the pin is designed to be resilient in order to enable the two housing parts to be put together easily.

It also has an advantageous effect on the manufacturing and storage costs if the two housing parts are designed identically. In this case in particular, the two housing parts are then housing halves. However, the two housing parts can also be designed to be different from one another, in particular of different sizes.

In particular, the two housing parts can each be designed as a plastic injection-molded part and/or in one piece, so that the two housing parts can be manufactured particularly easily. In addition, more complex shapes can easily be produced using an injection molding process.

The two housing parts can, for example, be pivotable relative to one another through an angle of less than 10°, in particular in a range between 2° and 8°. It is therefore sufficient if the clamping position differs from the release position by only a few degrees in order to achieve effective clamping of the locking device on a housing of a circuit breaker.

According to a further embodiment, it is provided that the pivoting movement of the two housing parts relative to each other in the release position by abutting a rear wall section of one housing part on a rear wall section of the other housing part and / or in the clamping position by abutting at least one side wall section of the one housing part on a respective side wall section of the other part of the housing is limited.

Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are described in the subclaims, the description of the figures and the drawing.

Fig. 1A

einen Motorschutzschalter und eine erfindungsgemäße Motorschutzschalter-Sperrvorrichtung in einer Freigabestellung,

Fig. 1B

den Motorschutzschalter und die Motorschutzschalter-Sperrvorrichtung aus Fig. 1A, wobei die Motorschutzschalter-Sperrvorrichtung eine durch ein Vorhangschloss gesicherte Klemmstellung einnimmt, in der sie an dem Motorschutzschalter festgeklemmt ist,

Fig. 2

die Motorschutzschalter-Sperrvorrichtung aus Fig. 1 in einer Explosionsdarstellung,

Fig. 3A, B

ein Verstellelement der Motorschutzschalter-Sperrvorrichtung aus den Fig. 1 und 2 in einer perspektivischen Ansicht und einer Frontalansicht,

Fig. 4A, B

eine Motorschutzschalter-Sperrvorrichtung gemäß einer weiteren Ausführungsform der Erfindung in zwei verschiedenen perspektivischen Ansichten, und

Fig. 5

die Motorschutzschalter-Sperrvorrichtung gemäß Fig. 4A, wobei ein Blockierelement weggelassen ist.

The invention is described below by way of example with reference to the drawing. Show it

Fig. 1A

a motor protection switch and a motor protection switch locking device according to the invention in a release position,

Fig. 1B

the motor protection switch and the motor protection switch locking device Fig. 1A , whereby the motor protection switch locking device assumes a clamping position secured by a padlock in which it is clamped to the motor protection switch,

Fig. 2

the motor protection switch locking device Fig. 1 in an exploded view,

Fig. 3A, B

an adjusting element of the motor protection switch locking device from the Fig. 1 and 2 in a perspective view and a frontal view,

Fig. 4A, B

a motor protection switch locking device according to a further embodiment of the invention in two different perspective views, and

Fig. 5

the motor protection switch locking device in accordance with Fig. 4A , with a blocking element omitted.

In the Fig. 1A and 1B a standard motor protection switch 11 is shown with a housing 13 and a rotary switch 15 that can be switched between an OFF and an ON position. A motor protection switch locking device 17 can be attached to the housing 13 of the motor protection switch 11 and then secured against removal from the housing 13 by means of a padlock 19 in order to prevent the rotary switch 15 from being actuated (cf. Fig. 1B ). This is particularly necessary if a previously triggered motor protection switch 11 is to be prevented from being manually switched on again by any third party.

The motor protection switch locking device 17 comprises two half-shell-shaped housing parts 21, in particular housing halves, which are assembled into a housing shell 23 with a rear wall 25, two mutually opposite side walls 27 and two mutually opposite end walls 29 (see also Fig. 2 ). The two housing parts 21 are in the embodiment according to Fig. 1 to 3 identically designed, but can also be designed differently, in particular of different sizes. The two housing parts 21 are each manufactured using a plastic injection molding process and are therefore formed in one piece. The two housing parts 21 each have a protruding clamping jaw 41, via which the motor protection switch locking device 17 can be clamped to the housing 13 of the motor protection switch 11 and thus fastened.

The two housing parts 21 are connected to one another via a swivel joint 31. The swivel joint 31 defines a pivot axis S in order to pivot the two housing parts 21 relative to one another. The swivel joint 31 has a swivel connection 33 on each of the two side walls 27 of the housing shell 23. For this purpose, the two housing parts 21 each have an opening 35 on one side wall 27 and a pin 37 on the other side wall 27. When the two housing parts 21 are put together, the pin 37 of one housing part 21 then engages in the opening 35 of the other housing part 21 and vice versa, whereby the two rotary connections 33 and thus the swivel joint 31 are formed. Since the pins 37 are designed as expansion pins, they snap into the openings 35. In order to enable the two housing parts 21 to be put together, the side walls 27 are designed to be resilient, at least in the area of the openings 35 and/or the pins 37.

Furthermore, the motor protection switch locking device 17 comprises an adjusting element 39, which can be switched between a basic position, which is in Fig. 1A is shown, and a locking position, which is in Fig. 1B is shown, is rotatable about an axis of rotation D. The basic position and the locking position are offset from one another by at least substantially 90°. Turning the adjusting element 39 from the basic position into the locking position causes the two housing parts 21 to move out of a release position, which is in Fig. 1A is shown, tilted relative to one another about the pivot axis S, in particular slightly, and thereby into a clamping position, which is in Fig. 1B is shown, are transferred, whereby the two clamping jaws 41, which are each arranged at the free end of the respective housing part 21, are moved towards one another in order to clamp the housing 13 of the motor protection switch 11 between them and thus the motor protection switch locking device 17 on the housing 13 of the motor protection switch 11. In order to increase the clamping effect, the two clamping jaws 41 are each provided with a strip-shaped friction lining 43 on their mutually facing sides.

The two housing parts 21 are limited to being able to pivot relative to one another by an angle of a few degrees, for example in a range between 2° and 8°. The limitation is achieved in that in the release position a rear wall section of one housing part 21 abuts a rear wall section of the other housing part 21 and in the clamping position a respective side wall section of one housing part 21 abuts a respective side wall section of the other housing part 21.

The adjusting element 39 comprises a drive section 45 with a circumferential control cam 47, which is oval, in particular eccentric, and has two opposing flat areas 49 and two opposing end areas 51 (cf. in particular Figures 3A and 3B ). The adjusting element 39 is rotatably mounted via the drive section 45, in particular the control cam 47 of the drive section 45, in a recess 53 formed in the rear wall 25 of the housing shell 23, which is designed in the opposite shape to the drive section 45. The recess 53 is formed half in one housing part 21 and half in the other housing part 21.

Since the two end regions 51 in the basic position of the adjusting element 39 are oriented in the direction of the pivot axis S of the swivel joint 31, the drive section 45 engages the two housing parts 21 in such a way that when the adjusting element 39 rotates from the basic position into the locking position, the two end regions 51 of the drive section 45 press the two housing parts 21 apart on the rear wall 25, so that the two housing parts 21 are driven into the clamping position for the aforementioned pivoting movement about the pivot axis S of the swivel joint 31. In order to attach the adjusting element 39 to the rear wall 25 in an axially fixed manner, a circumferential web 55 is provided on both sides of the control cam 47.

In order to effect the rotation between the basic position and the locking position, the adjusting element 39 comprises a manually operable rotary handle 57 which is firmly connected to the drive section 45 and which, in the assembled state of the motor protection switch locking device 17, is arranged on an outside of the rear wall 25 and is used as a wing handle with two wings 59 projecting radially from the axis of rotation D in opposite directions.

To keep the motor protection switch locking device 17 in the clamping position Fig. 1B To secure against removal from the housing 13 of the motor protection switch 11, one of the two wings 59 of the rotary handle 57 has an eyelet 61. In addition, a stop 63 protrudes from the rear wall 25 of the housing shell 23 on each of the two housing parts 21, the two stops 63 also each being provided with an eyelet 65. In the locking position of the adjusting element 39, one wing 59 of the rotary handle 57 abuts against one of the two stops 63, the eyelet 61 of one wing 59 with the eyelet 65 of the stop 63, on which the wing 59 with the eyelet 61 in the locking position strikes, is aligned, so that a bracket of a padlock can be passed through the pair of eyelets 61, 65 formed thereby, so that the adjusting element 39 can be fixed in the locking position. The one wing 59, the eyelet 61, the one stop 63 and the associated eyelet 65 form a locking device 67 according to the invention or are at least part of it.

In the Fig. 4 and 5 a further embodiment of a motor protection switch locking device is shown, in comparison with the first embodiment according to Fig. 1 to 3 The same or identical features are designated with the same reference numerals, and the differences from the first embodiment will be discussed below, which essentially lie in the design of the adjusting element 39 and the stop 63 of the lower housing part 21 in the figures.

The adjusting element 39 of the embodiment according to Fig. 4 and 5 has a drive section 45 and a manually operable rotary handle 57 connected to the drive section 45 with a wing 59 with an eyelet 61 which is connected to the drive section 45 and the rotary handle 57 with the wing 59 with the eyelet 61 of the embodiment according to the Fig. 1 to 3 are equivalent to. In addition, the adjusting element 39 has a blocking element 69 which is inserted into a longitudinal opening 71 formed in the rotary handle 57. For this purpose, the blocking element 69 is clipped onto the rotary handle 57 via two spring-elastic locking projections 73, which engage behind the longitudinal opening 71. In addition, an eyelet 65 is formed in the blocking element 69. For this purpose, the stop 63 of the lower housing part 21 - in contrast to the embodiment according to Fig. 1 to 3 - no eyelet.

The blocking element 69 is along the longitudinal extent of the longitudinal opening 71 between a starting position, not shown, and an in Fig. 4 shown blocking position can be moved. In the starting position, the blocking element 69 is shifted upwards compared to the blocking position shown, so that the adjusting element 39 can easily be moved out of its position Fig. 4 and 5 The locking position shown can be turned back to the basic position. However, the blocking element 69 is in its blocking position Fig. 4 , the adjusting element 39 is prevented from turning back from the locking position in the direction of the basic position by the blocking element 69.

In addition, in the blocking position of the blocking element 69, the eyelet 65 of the blocking element 69 is aligned with the eyelet 61 of the rotary handle 57, so that the pair of eyelets 61, 65 formed thereby - analogous to the pair of eyelets of the embodiment explained above according to the Fig. 1 to 3 - A padlock can be passed through to lock the adjusting element 39 in the locking position. The wing 59, the eyelet 61, the stop 63 and the eyelet 65 in turn form a locking device 67 according to the invention or are at least part of it.

Reference symbol list

11

Motor protection switch

13

Housing

15

Rotary switch

17

Motor protection switch locking device

19

Padlock

21

Housing part

23

Housing shell

25

Back wall

27

Side wall

29

Front wall

31

Swivel joint

33

Rotary connection

35

opening

37

Cones

39

Adjusting element

41

Jaw

43

friction lining

45

Drive section

47

Control curve

49

Flat area

51

forehead area

53

recess

55

web

57

Rotary handle

59

wing

61

eyelet

63

attack

65

eyelet

67

Locking device

69

Blocking element

71

Longitudinal opening

73

locking projection

D

Axis of rotation

S

Pivot axis

Claims (18)

1. A circuit breaker lockout apparatus, in particular a motor circuit breaker lockout apparatus, comprising

   two half-shell like housing parts (21), in particular housing halves, which are assembled to form a housing shell (23) having a rear wall (25) and which are connected to one another via a pivot joint (31) that defines a pivot axis (S) about which the two housing parts (21) are pivotable relative to one another between a release position and a clamping position; and

   an adjustment element (39) which is adjustable between a base position and a locked position and which is in particular rotatable about an axis of rotation (D) in order to transfer the two housing parts (21) from the release position into the clamping position,

   characterized in that

   the adjustment element (39) has a drive section (45) which engages at the two housing parts (21).
2. A circuit breaker lockout apparatus in accordance with claim 1,
   characterized in that
   the two housing parts (21) each have a clamp jaw (41), said clamp jaws (41) being moved toward one another on the transfer of the two housing parts (21) into the clamping position in order to fixedly clamp the circuit breaker lockout apparatus (17) to a housing (13) of a circuit breaker (11), in particular of a motor circuit breaker.
3. A circuit breaker lockout apparatus in accordance with claim 2,
   characterized in that
   the two clamp jaws (41) are each provided with a self-adhesive friction lining (43).
4. A circuit breaker lockout apparatus in accordance with any one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   a locking device (67) is provided to fix the adjustment element (39) in the locked position by means of a locking element (19), in particular by means of a padlock, in order to secure the adjustment element (39) against an adjustment into the base position.
5. A circuit breaker lockout apparatus in accordance with any one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   the drive section (45) comprises a control cam (47), in particular an eccentric control cam (47), which differs from a circular shape and which has two mutually oppositely disposed flat regions (49) as well as two mutually oppositely disposed end face regions (51).
6. A circuit breaker lockout apparatus in accordance with claim 5,
   characterized in that
   the two end face regions (51) are oriented in the direction of the pivot axis (S) of the pivot joint (31) in the base position of the adjustment element (39), with the adjustment element (39) being rotatably supported by means of the drive section (45), in particular by means of the control cam (47) of the drive section (45), in a recess (53) which is formed in the rear wall (25) of the housing shell (23) and which is in particular formed in a counter-shape, and with the recess (53) being proportionally formed in the one housing part (21) and proportionally formed in the other housing part (21).
7. A circuit breaker lockout apparatus in accordance with claim 5 or 6,
   characterized in that
   the drive section (45) has a respective web (55), in particular a peripheral web (55), at both sides of the control cam (47), with the adjustment element (39) being held at the rear wall (25) in the axial direction by the two webs (55).
8. A circuit breaker lockout apparatus in accordance with one of the claims 6 or 7 when claim 7 is dependent on claim 6,
   characterized in that
   the angular difference between the base position and the locked position of the adjustment element (39) lies in a range between 60° and 120°, in particular between 80° and 100°, in particular at 90°.
9. A circuit breaker lockout apparatus in accordance with any one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   the adjustment element (39) comprises a manually actuable rotary handle (57) which is in particular arranged at an outer side of the rear wall (25) and which is at least rotationally fixedly, in particular fixedly, connected to the drive section (45) in order to adjust the adjustment element (39) between the base position and the locked position.
10. A circuit breaker lockout apparatus in accordance with claim 9,
    characterized in that
    the rotary handle (57) is configured as a wing handle which in particular has two wings (59) projecting radially from the axis of rotation (D) in opposite directions.
11. A circuit breaker lockout apparatus in accordance with claim 9 or 10,
    characterized in that
    an abutment (63) for the rotary handle (57) is provided on the rear wall (25) of the housing shell (23) at at least one of the two housing parts (21) in the locked position of the adjustment element (39).
12. A circuit breaker lockout apparatus in accordance with claim 4 and 11,
    characterized in that
    the locking device (67) has two eyelets (61, 65) which are aligned with one another in the locked position of the adjustment element (39) so that a locking element (19) can be led through, whereby the rotary handle (57) of the adjustment element (39) is fixed to the abutment (63).
13. A circuit breaker lockout apparatus in accordance with any one of the claims 9 to 12,
    characterized in that
    the adjustment element (39) comprises a blocking element (69), in particular a slider, with the blocking element (69) being adjustably, in particular displaceably, held at the rotary handle (57), between a starting position and a blocking position, with the blocking element (69), in its blocking position, blocking an adjustment of the adjustment element (39) located in the locked position into the base position.
14. A circuit breaker lockout apparatus in accordance with claim 12 and 13,
    characterized in that,
    of the two eyelets (61, 65), the one eyelet (61) is formed at the rotary handle (57) and the other eyelet (65) is formed at the blocking element (69).
15. A circuit breaker lockout apparatus in accordance with any one of the preceding claims,
    characterized in that
    the pivot joint (31) comprises that the housing shell (23) has a respective rotary connection (33) at two mutually oppositely disposed side walls (27), with the respective rotary connection (33) preferably comprising an opening (35) in the one housing part (21) and a pin (37) which is formed at the other housing part (21) and which engages into, in particular latches into, the opening (35).
16. A circuit breaker lockout apparatus in accordance with claim 15,
    characterized in that,
    for the respective rotary connection (33), the one housing part (21) is formed as spring-elastic in the region of the opening (35) and/or the other housing part (21) is formed as spring-elastic in the region of the pin (37) in order to enable an assembly of the two housing parts (21).
17. A circuit breaker lockout apparatus in accordance with any one of the preceding claims,
    characterized in that

    the two housing parts (21) are formed identically, are each formed as a plastic injection-molded part, and/or are formed in one piece, and/or

    the two housing parts (21) are pivotable relative to one other by an angle of less than 10°, in particular in a range between 2° and 8°.
18. A circuit breaker lockout apparatus in accordance with any one of the preceding claims,
    characterized in that
    the pivot movement of the two housing parts (21) relative to one another is bounded in the release position by an abutting of a rear wall section of the one housing part (21) at a rear wall section of the other housing part (21) and/or is bounded in the clamping position by an abutting of at least one side wall section of the one housing part (21) at a respective side wall section of the other housing part (21).

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