ES2645429T3 - Control device of an electrical protection apparatus and electrical protection apparatus which includes the same - Google Patents

Abstract

Control device (2) of an electrical protection apparatus housed in an insulating housing (1) containing a pair of fixed (5) and mobile (4) contacts, said mobile contact being able to be operated manually by means of a control lever or automatically, which includes - a transmission link (10) coupled to a control lever, - a support device (3) of the movable contact that includes a plate (15) rotatably mounted on a pivot (14) and with a breakable mechanical connection with the transmission link, and - a trigger lever (16) controlled by a trigger to cause a break in the mechanical connection in case of failure, causing the automatic trigger of the mechanism independently of the control lever and the separation of the contacts, - the breakable mechanical connection being formed by a retention recess (22) of the firing lever cooperating with a hook with hook (19) pivotally mounted on a shaft (20) of the plate (15), the rupture of the mechanical connection corresponds to the unlocking of the hitch, with the transmission link (10) resting in the locked position of the coupling at least on the plate, characterized in that it includes a rigid insert (30) mounted in the plate (15) and intended to be inserted between the transmission link (10) and an area of the plate (15) that constitutes an area in which this link is resting on the plate in the aforementioned locked position, and means (34, 37) for keeping this insert (30) in position with respect to said plate (15) without play.

Description

5

10

fifteen

twenty

25

30

35

40

Four. Five

fifty

55

DESCRIPTION

Control device for an electrical protection device and an electrical protection device that includes the same technical field

The present invention relates to a control device of an electrical protection apparatus housed in an insulating housing containing a fixed and mobile pair of contacts, said mobile contact being able to be operated manually by means of a control lever or automatically, which includes

- a transmission link coupled to a control lever,

- a mobile contact support device that includes a plate rotatably mounted on a pivot and with a breakable mechanical connection with the transmission link, and

- a trigger lever controlled by a trigger to cause a break in the mechanical connection in the event of failure, causing automatic triggering of the mechanism independently of the control lever and the separation of the contacts,

- the breakable mechanical connection being formed by a retention recess of the firing lever that cooperates with a hook with a pivotally mounted hook on an axis of the plate, the rupture of the mechanical connection corresponds to the unlocking of the hitch, supporting the link of transmission, in the locked position of the hitch at least partly on the plate.

The present invention also aims at an electrical protection apparatus that includes said control device, and in particular a low voltage circuit breaker.

State of the prior art

Patent FR 2 589 627 of the type mentioned above is known in which the transmission connecting rod cooperates with the plate resting on it. In this device, the effort of the mechanism covers two thirds of the plate and one third in the firing bar. There is no multiplier effect.

Patent FR 2 616 583 is also known which describes a control mechanism of a miniature electric circuit breaker that includes the aforementioned features.

In this document, the assembly that includes the transmission link, the hook and the trigger lever constitutes a multiplier stage that allows a reduction of the firing effort. In this mechanism, the force of the link exerts a torque on only the hook with hook.

Taking into account that all the effort of the connecting rod is concentrated in the hook, significant efforts are generated in the bar.

Patent FR 2 914 485 is also known in which the stress of the connecting rod is distributed on the plate and on the hook.

Thus, a lower effort is obtained in the bar. In this way, the firing efforts are reduced.

However, in some devices of the type that has been described recently, the effort exerted by the connecting rod is two to three times greater than that usually exerted in this type of apparatus, which may be of the order of 100 N. In this case, there is in this way a high risk of deformation of the support area of the link on the plate, and of large coefficients of friction when a shot occurs.

Description of the invention

The present invention solves these problems and proposes a control device of an electrical protection apparatus, as well as an electrical protection apparatus that includes the same, which allows reducing the firing efforts and suppressing the non-firing phenomena due to a deformation of the area of support of the plate by the transmission link in the position called blocking of the control device corresponding to a closed position of the contacts of the device.

To this end, the present invention has as its object a control device of the aforementioned type, this device is characterized in that it includes a rigid insert mounted on the plate and intended to be inserted between the transmission link and an area of the plate that constitutes a support area in which this link is resting on the plate in the aforementioned locking position, and means for keeping this insert in position with respect to said plate without play.

Thanks to these characteristics, there is no deformation of the support area in the plate by the connecting rod, with the consequent reduction of the friction coefficients when a shot occurs.

Thus, excessive firing forces are suppressed, as well as "non-firing" due to a deformation of the plate by the connecting rod.

According to a particular feature, this nested insert includes a substantially V-shaped folded sheet, this sheet being intended to be fixed around a shaft portion that forms an axis, this rod portion being that forms a shaft intended to be fixedly mounted on the plate and extending substantially perpendicular to the plane of said V.

5

10

fifteen

twenty

25

30

35

40

Four. Five

fifty

According to another characteristic, the portion of the aforementioned rod is mounted tightly on the plate.

According to another characteristic, the assembly of the previously mentioned insert in the stem portion is carried out by laser welding.

According to another feature, said insert is mounted in a recess formed in the plate, so that the plane in which said V extends is substantially parallel to the plane of a face of the plate located on the side opposite the transmission rod.

According to another feature, the aforementioned fastening means include a projection provided on a face of the aforementioned recess and intended to rest against an outer face of one of the aforementioned branches of V, said projection being intended to serve as an angular reference to the assembly which includes the stem portion and the insert, said projection being intended to cooperate with a projection part that belongs to another face of the aforementioned recess, opposite to the previous one, this projection part being intended to rest against an inner face of this same branch of the aforementioned V, opposite the aforementioned outer face, said projection being intended to serve as an angular reference to the assembly that includes the stem portion and the insert relative to the shaft axis, and cooperating the aforementioned protruding part with the projection above cited in order to produce a rotary blockage of the insert with respect to the pla It falls around the axis of the aforementioned stem portion.

Thanks to these features, the insert is held and positioned on the plate without play, which prevents the deformation of the plate.

Advantageously, this projecting part includes a tip.

Advantageously, this insert is a metal insert.

According to a particular feature, the rod is the needle around which the aforementioned hook is rotatably mounted with respect to the plate.

According to a particular embodiment, the aforementioned transmission connecting rod rests both on the hook and on the plate in the hook locking position.

According to this embodiment, the effort of the connecting rod is distributed on the plate and on the hook. Thus a smaller effort is obtained in the bar.

In this way, the firing efforts are further reduced.

A subject of the present invention is also an electrical protection apparatus that includes a control device that includes the aforementioned features taken separately or in combination.

Advantageously, this apparatus is a low voltage circuit breaker.

But other advantages and features of the invention will be more evident in the following detailed description and refers to the attached drawings given only by way of example and in which:

- Figure 1 is a partial plan view illustrating the inside of a circuit breaker equipped with a control device according to a particular embodiment of the invention, in open position of the contacts of the control lever,

- Figures 2 and 3 are two perspective views of a plate, arranged respectively in two different orientations, before the implementation of the insert according to the invention,

- Figure 4 is a front view of the insert according to the invention, mounted around the rod that forms a rotation axis of the hook,

- Figures 5 and 6 are respectively a front view and a perspective view of this same plate after assembly of the insert and the rod in the plate, and

- Figures 7, 8 and 9 are partial plan views illustrating a part of the control mechanism, which also includes the elements illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, the hook, the transmission rod and the firing lever, respectively in open, closed or triggered position of said mechanism.

In Fig. 1, a miniature electric circuit breaker with a molded insulating housing 1 that includes a control device 2 according to the invention is shown. This device includes a support device 3 of the mobile contact 4, said mobile contact 4 cooperates with a fixed contact 5.

An opening 7 is provided on the front face 8 of the housing for the passage of a control lever 6 pivotally mounted limited on an axis 11 of the housing between a closed position in which the contacts 4,5 are closed and an opening position corresponding to the separation of the contacts 4,5. The control lever 6 is equipped with an internal base 9 coupled to a transmission link 10 to constitute an articulated device, the articulation 12 of which is located eccentrically with respect to the fixed axis 11 of the control lever 6.

The control lever 6 is required in the trigonometric direction towards the opening position of the contacts by a

5

10

fifteen

twenty

25

30

35

40

Four. Five

fifty

55

60

return spring (not shown). The fixed contact 5 is connected to the electromagnetic trigger housing. The mobile contact 4 is fixed to the support device 3 of the mobile contact 4, said support 3 is articulated in a pivot 40, the rotating plate 15 is rotatably mounted around the pivot 14.

A firing lever 16 controlled by the firing pin of the electromagnetic trigger, the thermal trigger bilamine (not shown) or an external auxiliary, is pivotally mounted on an axis 17 carried by the plate 15 with a predetermined displacement relative to the pivot 14 above-mentioned.

A breakable mechanical connection is established between the transmission link 10 and the drive plate 15 of the contact support device 3.

In the locked position, the connection allows manual control of the mechanism by the control lever 6. The movement of the trigger lever 16 to the triggered position produced under the action of the triggers causes the mechanical connection to break momentarily, resulting in the automatic firing of the mechanism, independently of the control lever 6. The trigger lever 16 is associated with a return spring 27 intended to ensure the automatic restoration of the mechanical connection when the control lever 6 is operated towards the position of opening, after a trip of the mechanism with failure.

The breakable mechanical connection includes a hook 19 pivotally mounted on an axis 20 of the plate 15. Opposite to this axis, the spout 21 (fig. 4) of the hook 19 cooperates in the locked position of the connection with a retaining recess. 22 located on the arm of the firing lever 16. The transmission link 10 is coupled to the hook 19 and the plate 15 at an articulation point capable of moving during firing in two consecutive openings 26 of the plate 15, openings which only one is visible in this figure 1. This point of articulation is located between the axis of articulation 20 of the hook 19 of the plate and the tip 21 of the hook with hook. The connection constitutes a multiplier stage in the kinematic chain of the mechanism, which allows a reduction of the firing force from the magnetothermal trigger.

The hook 19 also includes an opening in the form of a bean or V 25 which, with the openings 26 of the plate, are intended to allow the rotation of the contact support plate 15, when a trip occurs, while the connecting rod 10 is locked by the control lever 6, held in the contact closing position. For a more detailed description of the operation of this device, it is notified in patent FR 2 914 485. The opening 26 provided in the plate 15 also allows guiding the linkage path when the control lever returns to the opening position of the contacts after the shot.

A polarization spring 27 with two branches 28,29 is installed around the axis 17 on the lever 16. One of the branches 28 is intended to return the trigger lever 16 to its initial position while the other branch 29 polarizes the hook 19 in a preferred position selected in order to create between the lever 16 and the hook 19 a sufficient play to allow the engagement.

According to the invention and as more particularly illustrated in Figures 2 to 6, this control device 2 includes an insert 30 capable of being mounted and fixed without play in a recess 31 provided on the plate, said insert 30 is intended to be inserted between the transmission link 10 and a fixed part 32 of the plate 15 in order to avoid the deformation phenomena of the plate 15 by the connecting rod 10, in the locked position of the control device or open position of the contacts, that is, in the position in which said connecting rod 10 rests both on the plate 15 and on the hook 19, position illustrated in Figure 8.

Preferably, this insert 30 is metallic. According to the preferred embodiment described, this insert 30 takes the form of a fixed V preferably by means of a laser welding (fig. 4) in two locations located respectively on two internal faces of said V, with an element forming the rod 32 , this element is fixed to the plate 15 so that the shaft of the rod extends substantially perpendicular to the plane of the face 33 of the plate 15 located on the side of the transmission connecting rod 10, as illustrated in Figures 2 -9.

According to this preferred embodiment illustrated, this rod 32 forms an axis around which the hook 19 is rotatably mounted with respect to the plate 15.

The fastening means in the position of the insert 30 with respect to the plate 15 include a projection 34 formed on one side 35 of the recess 31 of the plate 15 intended to receive the insert, this projection being intended to rest on an external face 36 of one of the branches of V formed by the insert. This projection 31 is intended to cooperate with a tip-shaped portion 37 provided on another face 38 of the recess 31, this tip element being intended to rest on an internal face 39 of this same V branch. This projection 34 and this tip 37 make it possible to secure in combination a position for holding the insert 30 in the housing 31, assuring this insert 30 a fixed position with respect to the plate 15.

The assembly of this assembly on plate 15 is as follows:

First, the fixing of the sheet 30 is carried out in the rod 32, advantageously by means of a laser welding or any other suitable means. Next, this assembly is mounted on the plate 15 by the pressure adjustment of the rod in a corresponding hole of this plate.

Then, the v-plate is positioned on the outer face of the plate, one of the branches is inserted between the projection 34 and the tip 37.

The operation of the control device, as described above, will be described below with reference to the figures.

In Figures 1 and 7, the control device 2 is in an open contact position, the control lever 6 is in the open position.

In this position, the transmission rod 10 does not exert any effort on the plate.

5

10

fifteen

twenty

25

30

35

40

Four. Five

fifty

55

When the control lever 6 is operated to close the contacts, it moves the connecting rod 10 that rests on the plate 15 through the insert 30 and the hook 19. The hook 19 is locked in the bar (or lever) trigger 16. (fig. 7).

The connecting rod 10 resting on the plate 15 and on the hook 19, pivots the plate 15 around its axis 20 until the contacts 4,5 close.

The link continues its route until it crosses the neutral point of the joint formed by the control lever 6 and the link 10. Next, the mechanism assumes the equilibrium position that keeps the contacts 4,5 closed, position illustrated in Figure 8 In this position, the connecting rod 10 exerts a force F distributed according to a force F1 exerted on the insert 30 and a force F2 exerted on the firing lever 16.

When it is desired to open the contacts 4,5 manually, the control lever 6 is operated until it crosses the neutral point of the joint in the other direction. The mechanism then returns to the equilibrium position, the contacts are open when the control lever reaches the end of its travel, position represented in figures 1 and 7. When the contacts close and the bar or trigger lever is actuated 16, the hook 19 is unlocked, but the control lever 6 does not immediately return to its opening position.

The balance of forces exerted by the link 10 of the mechanism is broken. The plate 15 rotates around its axis 14 and opens the contacts, position shown in figure 9. The opening 25 (fig. 1) provided inside the hook 19, allows the rotation of the hook around the axis 20,32 and this opening 25 of the hook, as well as the openings 26 of the plate 15, allow the rotation of the plate, the control lever being kept in the closed contact position.

Then, the spring of the control lever takes the latter to the position of open contacts and the link makes the hook return to its initial position. The spring 27 for polarizing the hook and adjusting the bar places them in a position that allows the hook to be locked on the bar when the control lever is actuated to close the contacts. The openings 26 provided in the plate 15 participate in the hinge of the connecting rod 10 in order to bring it to the support position in the plate.

Thus, in the normal operating position of the electrical circuit without failure in the circuit, position illustrated in Figure 8, the connecting rod 10 rests on the plate 15 of the contact support according to F1 through the insert 30, and on the hook of lock 19 according to F2, the relative positions of the two bearing surfaces, as well as the ratio of the lever arms that are optimized so that the force blocking the hook is reduced to a minimum.

Thus, the system includes two stages of multiplication. According to the first, the effort of the mechanism is largely reflected in the plate and in the lower part in the hook. According to the second, by means of a set of lever arms on the hook, the effort is multiplied on the firing lever.

Thanks to the presence of this metal insert 30, the deformation phenomenon of the plate 15 no longer occurs, which prevents the appearance of excessive firing efforts, or even the absence of firing 16. When the invention is used in an apparatus of electrical protection as described and illustrated by virtue of the foregoing, in which the effort of the connecting rod is distributed both on the plate and on the hook, a smaller firing force on the bar is already obtained due to this distribution of the connecting rod effort. Therefore, firing efforts have already been reduced. When a metal insert is used according to the invention in said apparatus, an additional reduction of firing forces is obtained due to the fact that the deformation of the plate is prevented.

The use of said insert is particularly advantageous when the effort exerted by the connecting rod is high, for example 100 N.

In such devices, it was generally necessary to provide specific differential protection devices due to the fact that the firing forces were high.

By further reducing these firing efforts thanks to the invention, it is possible to use conventional firing devices.

The invention is therefore advantageously applied to such devices in which the effort of the connecting rod is exerted both on the plate and on the hook, but not exclusively. In fact, the invention is also advantageously applied to devices in which the effort of the link is only applied to the plate, for example, as a consequence of reducing the firing forces.

Thus, thanks to the invention, the problem of non-trip of the circuit breakers is solved thanks to a set that includes a needle that forms an axis and a V-plate that is easy to make, and then assembled, this set allows to obtain a reduction 50% of the trip efforts of a circuit breaker that has a caliber that ranges up to 120 A.

Also note that this reduction in firing forces also allows an improvement in thermal adjustment, due to the fact that the efforts are lower, there is less difficulty in finding a good quality of bilamine.

Claims (12)

5 10 fifteen twenty 25 30 35 40 Four. Five fifty 55 1. Control device (2) of an electrical protection apparatus housed in an insulating housing (1) containing a pair of fixed (5) and mobile (4) contacts, said mobile contact being able to be operated manually by means of a lever control or automatically, which includes - a transmission link (10) coupled to a control lever, - a support device (3) of the mobile contact which includes a plate (15) rotatably mounted on a pivot (14) and with a breakable mechanical connection with the transmission link, and - a trigger lever (16) controlled by a trigger to cause a break in the mechanical connection in the event of failure, causing the automatic trigger of the mechanism independently of the control lever and the separation of the contacts, - the breakable mechanical connection formed by a retention recess (22) of the trigger lever cooperating with a hook with hook (19) pivotally mounted on an axis (20) of the plate (15), the rupture of the mechanical connection corresponds to the release of the hitch, with the transmission link (10) resting, in the locked position of the hitch at least on the plate, characterized in that it includes a nested insert (30) mounted on the plate (15) and intended to be inserted between the transmission link (10) and an area of the plate (15) that constitutes an area in which this link is supported on the plate in the aforementioned locking position, and means (34, 37) for keeping this insert (30) in position with respect to said plate (15) without play. 2. Control device according to claim 1, characterized in that this inserted insert (30) includes a substantially V-shaped folded sheet, this sheet being intended to be fixed around a portion of rod (32) forming an axis, being this portion of rod (32) intended to be fixedly mounted on the plate (15) and extending substantially perpendicular to the plane of said V. 3. Control device according to claim 2, characterized in that the portion of the aforementioned rod (32) is mounted tightly on the plate (15). 4. Control device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the assembly of the insert (30) mentioned above in the stem portion (32) is carried out by laser welding. 5. Control device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said insert (30) is mounted in a recess (31) formed in the plate (15), so that the plane in which said V extends is substantially parallel to the plane of one side (33) of the plate (15) located on the side opposite the transmission rod (10). 6. Control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the aforementioned fastening means include a projection (34) provided on a face (35) of the aforementioned recess (31) and intended to rest against a face exterior (36) of one of the aforementioned branches of V, said projection (34) being intended to serve as an angular reference to the assembly that includes the stem portion (32) and the insert (30), said projection being (34 ) intended to cooperate with a projecting part (37) that belongs to another face (38) of the aforementioned recess (31), opposite to the previous one, this projecting part (37) being intended to rest against an inner face (39) of this same branch of V mentioned above, opposite to the outer face (36) mentioned above, said projection (34) intended to serve as an angular reference to the assembly that includes the stem portion (32) and the insert (30) with respect to the vast axis ago (32), and cooperating the projection part (37) mentioned above with the projection (34) mentioned above, in order to produce a rotary blockage of the insert (30) with respect to the plate (15) around the axis of the portion of cited rod (32). 7. Control device according to claim 6, characterized in that said projecting part includes a tip (37). 8. Control device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the aforementioned insert (30) is a metal insert. 9. Control device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rod (32) is the needle around which the aforementioned hook (19) is rotatably mounted with respect to the plate (15). 10. Control device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the aforementioned transmission connecting rod (10) rests both on the hook (19) and on the plate (15) in the hook locking position (19) . 11. Electrical protection apparatus including a control device according to any one of the preceding claims. 12. Electrical protection apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that it is a low voltage circuit breaker.