FR2546662A1 - IMPROVEMENTS TO ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT BREAKERS - Google Patents

Abstract

1. A circuit-breaker for electrical installations comprising a casing (1) equipped with an input terminal (3) adapted to be connected directly to a first voltage (4) of the supply network, an output terminal (5) adapted to be connected to a second voltage (7) of the network, by means of a consumer circuit (6), a seating adapted to receive a fuse cartridge (8) in series with the input (3) and output (5) terminals and an indicator bulb (9), a normally open individual test contactor (12) being connected in series with this bulb (9), with a resistor (13) and possibly with a diode, between the output terminal (5) and the second voltage (7) of the network, the illumination of the bulb (9) being visible outside the casing (1) through a translucent wall element (17), characterised in that the bulb (9) is housed, with the resistor (13) and the optional diode, inside a support (16) of translucent material which is itself mostly housed inside the casing (1) of opaque material, emerging from this through a portion (17) constituting said wall element and which constituted the control member, which is movable against the action of a return spring (19), of the individual test contactor (12) of which it carries the movable contact (20), the fixed contact (23) of this test contactor (12) being carried by the casing (1).

Description

Improvements to installation circuit breakers

electrical conditions.

  The invention relates to circuit breakers, for electrical installations, which comprise a housing

  provided with an input terminal intended to be connected directly-

  ment to a first supply network voltage, an output terminal intended to be connected to a second

  network voltage, via a circuit consumed

  and a housing for a fuse cartridge, the

  seems to be such that this cartridge is interposed between the two input and output terminals when it

is placed in its housing.

  In direct current, the first and second network voltages are constituted by two different polarities. In alternating current, it can be

  two different phases or one phase and one neutral.

  When several circuit breakers are grouped

  on a painting, it often happens that the editor of the ins-

  tallation did not identify, by labels or by indelible conventional signs, the various circuits

  consumers (lighting, power outlets

  tion of household or heating appliances,

  radio or television, or others) to which

  tooth respectively these circuit breakers When a cartridge

  fuse blows due to abnormal overcurrent

  male, the user is warned by the failure of the corresponding consumer circuit but he cannot then

  identify directly, on the table, that of the cutters

  circuit whose cartridge is to be replaced It is therefore obliged to remove the cartridges one by one in order to check them until it has found the one that it must replace This operation is difficult for large,

majority of users.

  To simplify this operation, it has already been proposed, in FR-A-2 373 146 and in FR-A-2 414 249,

  to show in series, between the output terminal and the second-

  mains voltage, a light bulb intended to signal the melting of the cartridge and a normally open control contactor as well as possibly a

  resistor and a diode The bulb can be housed inside the

  inside of the case, so as to be mechanically protected,

  but be located in front of a transparent or translucent area

  cide to see if it is on or not.

  In such a circuit breaker, the indicator bulb is normal-

  not extinguished since the control switch is normally

  Lately open In the event of failure of one of the circuits

  consumers, the user only has to close either the

  switchboard control switch, if it is common to all circuit breakers, or successively the individual circuit breaker control contactors, which signals

  the cartridge to be replaced by the fact that the bulb corresponds to

  only is unable to light up Indeed, in each circuit breaker, one of the terminals of the indicator light bulb is connected to the first mains voltage via the input terminal and the cartridge fuse, connected in series, and the other of its terminals is connected to the second network voltage via the control contactor In this situation, or else current can flow normally via the fuse cartridge and the the bulb lights up, or the current is prevented from passing through the fuse cartridge by melting thereof, and the bulb does not light up As explained in the above FR-A-2 414 249, the diode has the effect of preventing the bulbs from lighting dimly when the cartridge of one of the circuit breakers

  of the bottom panel and that the circuit switch corresponds

  laying is closed, without the control switch

be pressed.

  The object of the invention is to facilitate the construction of

  tion and mounting of circuit breakers of the type mentioned above

  above. The invention therefore essentially relates to a circuit breaker, for electrical installations, which comprises a box provided with an input terminal intended to be connected directly to a first voltage of the supply network, of an output terminal intended to be

  connected to a second network voltage, via

  diary of a consumer circuit, of a housing intended to receive a fuse cartridge in series with the input and output terminals, and of a light bulb, a normally open individual control contactor being mounted in series with this bulb, with a resistor and possibly with a diode, between the output terminal

  and the second network voltage, the illumination of the am-

  hen being visible outside the housing through a translucent wall element, characterized in that

  the bulb is housed, with the resistance and the diode

  tuelle, inside a support of translucent material which is itself housed for the most part inside the housing of opaque material, emerging from the latter by a part constituting the above-mentioned wall element,

  and which constitutes the mobile control member, against the

  tion of a return spring, of the individual control contactor of which it carries the movable contact, the contact

  of this control switch being carried by the bol-

  tier Preferably, the support is guided in translation, like a drawer, inside the housing In this case, its return spring is advantageously constituted by an elastic blade molded with the drawer

made of plastic.

  In this way, we can realize separately

  a control sub-assembly including in particular the bulb

  the, resistance, possible diode and their support in translucent material and then adapt this sub-assembly

  to the circuit breaker housing The bulb is mechanically protected

  only by the support, as soon as it is incorporated into the

  together Despite this, it is easy to check whether it is on or not by examining whether the emerging part

  of the translucent support may or may not emit a glow.

  In addition, the combination of the support with the control switch facilitates the construction and mounting of the circuit breaker, especially when

the support has the form of a drawer.

  The invention will now be described in more detail with the aid of the appended drawings which schematically illustrate a circuit breaker according to a mode of

  preferred embodiment of the invention.

  Figure I shows, in perspective, the part

  of this circuit breaker which is close to its ma-

tilting work.

  Figure 2 shows, in exploded perspective,

  the same part of this circuit breaker.

  Figure 3 shows the support or drawer of this circuit breaker, seen in profile from the right of the

figure 2.

  Figure 4 is a section along line IV-IV

in Figure 3.

  FIG. 5 shows the electrical diagram of a panel comprising several circuit breakers analogous to

that of FIGS. 1 to 4.

  Figure 6, finally, represents a variant

in Figure 4.

  As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the invention relates to a circuit breaker which comprises a housing

  1, closed by a cover 2, both of plastic material

  only relatively opaque This box 1 is provided with an input terminal 3 (see FIG. 5) intended to be connected directly to a first voltage of the supply network which is supplied by a conductor 4, of a terminal output intended to be connected, via a circuit

  consumer 6, at a second voltage brought by a

  ductor 7, of a housing (not shown) - intended to receive a fuse cartridge 8 in series with the input terminals

  3 and output 5, and a light bulb 9.

  The construction of the circuit breaker proper having no direct relation to the invention, it was not considered useful to describe it and represent it in detail As shown diagrammatically in FIG. 5, the circuit breaker is generally equipped of a tilting operating member (or lever) 10 which comprises the above-mentioned housing for the fuse cartridge 8 When this operating member 10 occupies its closed position of the circuit, it engages one of the conducting caps of the cartridge 8 in a clamp 11 (Figure 2) which is permanently connected to the output terminal 5 For further details, reference may be made to the two documents mentioned above to recall the state of the art as well as to FR-A-2 514 942 and at French patent application NO 82 10028 of June 9, 1982. According to the diagram in FIG. 5 which is in no way limiting, the first voltage (conductor 4) is a phase and the second voltage (conductor 7) is a neutral and the tilting operating member 10 acts

  so as to cut the phase and the neutral.

  An individual control switch 12, standard

  slightly open, is mounted in series with the indicator bulb 9, a resistor 13 and possibly a diode (not

  shown), in each circuit breaker.

  FIG. 5 represents two such circuit breakers which are grouped together with others on a panel.

  usual, each consumer circuit 6 is provided with an inter-

switch 15.

  However, in accordance with the invention, the bulb 9 is housed, with the resistor 13 and the diode, if any,

  inside a support 16 made of translucent plastic

  cide and this support 16 is itself housed for the most part inside the box 1 emerging from it by a part 17 through a window 18 The box 1 and

  its cover 2 are molded parts of plastic material

  only relatively opaque Preferably, the window 18

  is made mostly on the housing 1 by terminating

  minant on the cover 2, which facilitates mounting

of the support 16.

  The support 16 constitutes the movable control member, against the action of a spring 19, of the individual control contactor 12 of which it carries the movable contact Preferably, the support 16 is guided in translation in the manner of a drawer inside the housing 1, by

elements 21 of it.

  According to the embodiment of Figures 1 and

  4, the movable contact 20 is constituted by a metal part

  square-shaped link to one of the branches 20 a of the

  which is connected to the output 14 of the resistor 13, for example by welding using a hollow metal rivet 22 The other branch 20 b of this metal part 20 is

  arranged to make contact with a metal blade

  that 23 permanently connected to the output terminal 5 and advantageously carrying the clamp 11 The control circuit

  of the fuse cartridge 8 comprises a second metal blade

  line 24, connected to a second output terminal 25 intended to be itself connected to the second conductor (neutral)

  7 of the network The metal blade 24 is connected by a connector

  flexible conductor 26 at one of the terminals of the bulb 9, the other terminal of which is connected, via the possible diode and of the resistor 13, to the movable contact 20

of the control switch 12.

  Preferably, the return spring 19 of the drawer 16 is constituted by an elastic blade coming from molding

  with this drawer 16, this being made of plastic material

  that translucent, as explained above The drawer 16

  further includes a housing 27 for the bulb 9, this housing

  ment preferably being arranged transversely relative to the axis of translation (vertical according to Figures 2 and 3) of the drawer 16, as well as a cavity 28 intended

  to receive the resistor 13 and the possible diode.

  We understand that by pressing the emer-

  gente 17 of the drawer 16 (from top to bottom according to FIGS. 1 to 4) against the action of the spring 19, the bulb control circuit 9 is closed, by application of the movable contact 20 on the blade or fixed contact 23, this

  which causes the supply of the bulb 9 in the case only-

  ment where the cartridge 8 would be in good condition, as well as

  as above The light emitted by the bulb 9 is transmitted inside the translucent material of the drawer 16 and causes a glow to appear on the emerging part 17 of the drawer 16, in contrast to the housing 1 which is opaque

and therefore unlit.

  To facilitate the vision of this glow, it is advantageously made two improvements to the drawer 16. According to the first of these improvements, the emerging part 17 of the drawer 16 is in steps of

  so as to provide a localized key 29 projecting, intended

  born to receive the user's finger, and a recessed signaling zone 30, preferably striated, which therefore does not risk being masked by the finger in question. According to a second improvement, the drawer 16 comprises oblique reflecting surfaces 31, which, taking into account the refractive index of the material constituting this drawer 16, reflect the light emitted by the lamp 9 towards the signaling area 30, with minimum loss of light through the walls of the drawer 16 These reflective surfaces 31 can be polished or covered with a reflective paint. Preferably, the oblique reflecting surfaces 31 are arranged to laterally offset the body of the drawer

  16, where the housing 27 of the bulb 9 is arranged, relative to

  port to a narrowed portion 32 leading to the portion

  emerging (see Figures 2 and 3); this creates a shoulder-

  ment 33 which, by abutment with a transverse surface 34 of the housing 1, limits the height from which the part can extend

emerging from drawer 16.

  The invention is of course not limited to the embodiment which has just been described with reference to Figures 1 to 5, but encompasses the variants which are within the reach of the skilled person In particular, as shown in Figure 6, the movable contact member 20 could be constituted, not by an additional metal part associated with a rivet 22, but directly by the stripped end 35 of the outlet 14 of the resistor 13, this end being advantageously wound in

  loop around a stud 36 of drawer 16.

Claims (6)

  1 circuit breaker, for electrical installations, which comprises a box (1) provided with an input terminal (3) intended to be connected directly to a first voltage (4) of the supply network, of a terminal output (5) intended to be connected to a second voltage (7) of the network, via a consumer circuit (6), of a housing intended to receive a fuse cartridge (8) in series with the terminals d 'input (3) and output (5), and a light bulb (9), an individual control switch (12) normally open being mounted in series with this bulb (9), with a resistor (13) and possibly with a diode, between the output terminal (5) and the second network voltage (7), the illumination of the bulb (9) being visible outside the housing   (1) through a translucent wall element (17), charac-   terized in that the bulb (9) is housed, with the resis-   tance (13) and the diode, if any, inside a support (16) made of translucent material which is itself mainly housed inside the housing (1) made of   opaque, emerging from it by a part (17) cons-   constituting the above-mentioned wall element, and which constitutes the or-   mobile control gane, against the action of a return spring (19), of the individual control switch (12) of which it carries the mobile contact (20), the fixed contact (23) of this control switch ( 12) being carried by the housing (1).   2 circuit breaker according to claim 1, charac-   terized in that the support (16) is guided in translation   like a drawer, inside the housing (1).   3 circuit breaker according to claim 2, charac-   terized in that the return spring (19) is constituted by an elastic blade coming from molding with the drawer (16) made of plastic.   4 Circuit breaker according to any one of   claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the part   emerging (17) of the drawer (16) is stepped so as to provide a localized key (29) projecting, intended   to receive the user's finger, and a signature area reading (30) recessed.   5 Circuit breaker according to any one of   Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the drawer   (16) includes oblique reflecting surfaces (31).   6 circuit breaker according to claim 5, charac-   terized in that the oblique reflecting surfaces (31) are arranged to offset laterally the body of the drawer (16), where is provided the housing (27) of the bulb (9), relative to a narrowed part (32) terminating to the emerging part (17), by creating an abutment shoulder (33) which cooperates with a transverse surface (34) of the housing (1).