FR2551915A1 - Improvements to circuit cut-outs with oscillating holder carrying a fuse cartridge and forming a cam for control of an auxiliary circuit - Google Patents

Abstract

The circuit cut-out includes a main circuit 1 and an auxiliary circuit 2, a holder 8 containing the fuse 10 and including a cam profile 17 acting against a return spring 18 on a slider 19 of an auxiliary circuit movable contact 20 in the direction of closure of the movable contact 20, a clearance a being present at the end of closure travel between the cam profile 17 and the slider 19.

Description

 Improvements made to the circuit breaker oscillating handle carrying a fuse and cam cartridge for controlling an auxiliary circuit.

 The invention relates to circuit breakers of the type of those comprising a main circuit and an auxiliary circuit housed in an insulating housing and respectively terminating at two main terminals and two auxiliary terminals, a handle provided with a housing for a cartridge fuse and able to oscillate in the housing around a fixed axis between a closed position where the fuse cartridge electrically connects to each other two contact pieces connected in series in the main circuit and an open position OZI the cartridge is spaced from these contact parts, which lever comprises a cam profile which acts by pushing, against the action of a return spring, on a slide bearing at least one movable contact element connected in series in the auxiliary circuit.

 Such an apparatus fills not only the circuit breaker function for the main circuit, but also that of switch or disconnector for the auxiliary circuit, the latter may for example be a neutral circuit.

 An apparatus of the kind defined above is described for example in FR-A-2,431,762. According to this document, the thrust of the cam profile, during the closing movement of the handle, has the effect of closing the movable contact element of the auxiliary circuit, by attacking the slide either directly or via a rotary transmission member. This construction requires the presence of two springs, that is to say the aforesaid return spring which tends to move the bucket slurry in the direction of the opening of the movable contact element of the auxiliary circuit and a contact spring which ensures the pressure of the movable contact element of the auxiliary circuit on the corresponding fixed contact element (s). The combination of these two springs exerts on the cam profile an undesirable reaction which tends to open the handle, which is ie to move it from its closed position to its open position as defined above.

 The invention aims to simplify the construction of these circuit breakers by removing the aforesaid contact spring. It is also intended to make circuit breakers such that the elements of their auxiliary circuit do not tend to move the handle from its closed position.

 To achieve these aims, the circuit breaker according to the invention is essentially characterized in that the cam profile is arranged to act by pushing on the slide in the direction of opening of the movable contact element of the invention. auxiliary circuit while the return spring is arranged to act on the slide in the closing direction of this contact element, the assembly being such that, in the end position of the lever corresponding to the closing of the aforesaid contact element, there is a clearance between the cam profile and the slide.

 Two cases may arise depending on whether the closure of the auxiliary circuit contact element is effected in the closed position or in the open position of the handle. In the first of these cases, the play between the bucket grout and the cam profile occurs when the handle is in the closed position and it is conceivable that in this position, the game in question prohibits the spring to be exercised on the handle a reaction tending to move away from its closed position.

 In the second of these cases, the circuit breaker according to the invention is further characterized in that the cam profile comprises, beyond a rising sector tending to move the slide in the direction of the opening of the movable contact element of the auxiliary circuit, when the handle is moved from its open position to a position close to the closed position, a downward sector allowing the return spring to move the slide in the opposite direction, a however insufficient amount to allow the movable contact element to close the auxiliary circuit, when the joystick continues its movement to its closed position. By reacting on this downward sector of the cam profile, the spring slider thus exerts on the handle, in the closed position, a torque which tends to maintain it in this position.

 The invention may in any case be better understood on reading the description of the embodiments which are diagrammatically represented by the appended drawing.

 Figure 1 of this drawing shows in elevation, with cut parts, a circuit breaker established in accordance with a first embodiment.

 Figures 2 and 3 show in elevation the essential elements of circuit breaker established respectively according to a second and a third embodiments.

 The circuit breaker shown in Figure 1 comprises a main circuit 1 and an auxiliary circuit 2 housed in an insulating housing 3, parts of which have been cut so as to reveal its internal organization. The main circuit 1 leads to two main terminals 4 and 5 and the auxiliary circuit 2 to two auxiliary terminals 6 and 7. A handle 8, provided with a housing 9 for a fuse cartridge 10, is mounted so as to be able to oscillate in the housing 3 about a fixed axis it enters a closed position (shown in Figure 1) out the fuse cartridge 10 connects to one another two contact pieces 12 and 13 connected in series in the main circuit 1 and an open position (not shown, reached by rotation of the handle 8 about the axis 11, in the direction of the arrow F from the position shown) where the fuse cartridge 10 is spaced from the contact parts 12 and 13.

 In the present description, the closed position "and the" open position are thus defined with respect to the main circuit 1 and not with respect to the auxiliary circuit 2. The aforementioned contact parts 12 and 13 are generally constituted respectively by resilient clamps in which are tightened conductive caps 14, 15 placed at both ends of the fuse cartridge 10. The handle 8 comprises, on one side, an operating knob 16 emerging from the housing 3 and, on the other, a peripheral cam profile 17 which acts by push against the action of a return spring 18, on a slide 19 carrying at least one movable contact element 20 which is connected in series in the auxiliary circuit 2. The slide 19 is guided in translation along an axis XX by elements (not shown) of the housing 3.

The movable contact element 20 cooperates with fixed contact elements 21, 22 forming part of the auxiliary circuit 2, thanks to the return and contact spring 18.

 According to the invention, the cam profile 17 is arranged to act by pushing on the bucket slurry 19 in the direction of the opening of the movable contact element 20, that is to say in the direction the spacing of this element 20 relative to the fixed contact elements 21, 22 while the return spring 18 is arranged to act on the slide in the opposite direction. The assembly is such that, in the end position of the handle 8 corresponding to the closing of the movable contact element 20, there is a clearance a between the cam profile 17 and the slider 19. The latter being then immobilized by the abutment of the movable contact element 20 on the fixed contact elements 21 and 22, the pressure between these contact elements 20, 21 and 22 is determined by the spring 18 and is therefore constant regardless of the wear of the cam profile 17.

 According to the embodiment of FIG. 1, the end-of-travel position of the handle 8 corresponding to the closing of the movable contact element 20 coincides with the position (represented) of closure of the lever 8. It is easy to note that, thanks to the game has, the return spring 18 is then unable to exert any effort on the handle 8. According to this embodiment, the cam profile 17 is shaped so that opens first the main circuit 1 (by extracting the caps 14, 15 of the fuse cartridge 10 from the clamps 12, 13), and then only the auxiliary circuit 2 (by moving the movable contact element 20 away from the fixed contact elements 21 , 22), when the knob 8 is rotated in the direction of the arrow F, from the position shown.

The embodiment of FIG. 2 differs from the previous one only in the conformation of the cam profile
is designated here by 17a, this conformation being such that, in the circumstances which have just been described, the auxiliary circuit 2 opens before the main circuit 1. By "conformation of the cam profile 17i" is meant the law of variation of the distance between any point of the cam profile 17 or 17a and the axis 11, as a function of the angular coordinate of this point on the handle 8.

 The embodiment of FIG. 3 differs from the two previous ones in that the closure of the movable contact element 20 of the auxiliary circuit 2 takes place not in the closed position of the handle 8 but in the open position ( not shown) of this handle 8. The cam profile, designated in Figure 3 by 17b, has, beyond an upward sector 23 tending to move the slide 19 in the direction of the opening of the element. movable contact 20, when the handle 8 is moved (according to the arrow F) from its open position to a position close to the closed position, a downward sector 24 or counter-ramp allowing the return spring 18 to move the slider 19 in the opposite direction, an amount however insufficient to allow the movable contact element 20 to close the auxiliary circuit 2, when the lever 8 continues its movement to the closed position which is shown in Figure 3. It is c lure that, in this closed position of the handle 8, the reaction of the slider 19 spring 18 on the downward sector 24 results in a torque that tends to maintain the handle 8 in this position. In the open position of the handle 8, there exists between the cam profile 17b and the slider 19 a play similar to the game in FIGS. 1 and 2 and the spring 18 provides the necessary pressure between the contact elements 20, 21 and 22 without of course cause reaction on the handle 8 which tends to move it away from its open position.

 Whatever the embodiment adopted, the housing 3 preferably has an approximately rectangular profile on the short sides of which are respectively placed the terminals 4, 6 and 5, 7 and on one of the long sides of which is provided a surface of 25 (FIG 1) for installing the circuit breaker on a mounting rail (not shown). On either side of this bearing surface 25, there is provided a latching nose 26 and a mobile latch 27 spring, to allow easy adaptation of the circuit breaker to this rail. The other large side of the profile of the casing 3 tapers gradually by steps 28 and the knob 16 of the handle 8 protrudes above the narrower part of this long side.

 Although the profile of the housing 3 is only approximately rectangular, it can be assigned a long axis AA, that is to say an axis passing through the geometric center of the profile and parallel to its long sides (as well as the bearing surface 25), and a small axis BB, that is to say an axis also passing through the geometric center of the profile and parallel to its short sides.

 To facilitate the housing of the handle 8 inside the housing 3, the circuit breaker is preferably arranged in such a way that at the closed position of the handle 8, the axis CC of the housing 9 is that is, the axis of the fusible cartridge 10 when in place, forms, with the major axis AA of the housing 3, an acute angle b beyond this major axis AA. In other words, this acute angle b is oriented such that the axis CC continually moves away from the major axis AA when the handle 8 is moved from its closed position (shown) to its open position. tweezers 12 and 13 of the same height are used, this has the consequence that one 12 of the clamps is further away from the bearing surface 25 than the other clamp 13, all in state arranged each parallel to the small BB axis.

 In addition, the axis 11 is shifted relative to the minor axis BB of the profile of the housing 3, in the same direction as the axis CC of the housing 9 relative to the major axis AA of said profile, that is to say to the right of Figure 1.

 Finally, the axis XX of the slider 19, instead of perpendicularly meeting the axis of oscillation 11 of the handle 8, is preferably offset by a distance d with respect to this oscillation axis 11, being orthogonal to this one.

 In the foregoing, it has been assumed that the controller 8 was in one piece. According to a preferred solution which has been described in FR-A-2,514,942, the handle 8 is divided into two half-handles each comprising one half of the housing 9 and capable of oscillating each about the axis 11 and the two half-levers act together on the main circuit 1 while only one of these half-levers acts directly on the auxiliary circuit 2.

17a or 17b
In this case, the cam profile 17, / is arranged only on the latter half-handle which is that visible in Figure 1. The plane of this figure coincides with the plane of separation between the two half-handles, which explains the absence of hatching on the handle 8 although the fuse cartridge 10 is visible inside its housing 9.

 Thus, irrespective of the numerous cam profile configuration variations 17, 17a and 17b of which only a few examples have been illustrated by the appended drawing, it is possible, with the same type of housing 3 and spring slide 18, to use a uniform type for the half-handle that has no cam profile.

Claims (4)

 1. Circuit breaker comprising a main circuit (1) and an auxiliary circuit (2) housed in an insulating housing (3) and terminating respectively at two main terminals (4, 5) and at two auxiliary terminals (6, 7), a handle (8) provided with a housing (9) for a fuse cartridge (10) and able to oscillate in the housing (3) about a fixed axis (11) between a closed position where the fusible cartridge ( 10) electrically connected to each other two contact pieces (12, 13) connected in series in the main circuit (1) and an open position or the fusible cartridge (10) is separated from these contact pieces. (12, 13), which handle (8) comprises a cam profile (17, 17a, 17b) which acts by push against the action of a return spring (18), on a slide <19) carrying the minus one movable contact element (20) connected in series in the auxiliary circuit (2), characterized in that the cam profile (17, 17a, 17b) is arranged to act by on the slider (19) in the insertion direction of the movable contact element (20) of the auxiliary circuit (2) while the return spring (18) is arranged to act on the slider (19). ) in the closing direction of this movable contact element (20), the assembly being such that, in the end-of-travel position of the handle (8) corresponding to the closing of the aforesaid movable contact element (20) there is a clearance (a) between the cam profile (17, 17a, 17b) and the slider (19).  2. Circuit breaker according to claim 1, wherein the closure of the movable contact element (20) of the auxiliary circuit (2) is effected in the open position of the handle (8), characterized in that the cam profile (17b) comprises, beyond an upward sector (23) tending to move the slide (19) in the direction of opening of the movable contact element (20) of the auxiliary circuit (2) when the handle (8) is moved from its open position to a position close to the closed position, a downward sector (24) allowing the return spring (18) to move the slider (19) in the opposite direction , however insufficient to allow the movable contact element (20) to close the auxiliary circuit (2), when the handle (8) continues its movement to its closed position.  3. Circuit breaker according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the axis (XX) of the slider (19) is offset by a distance (d) relative to the axis of oscillation (11). ) of the handle (8), being orthogonal thereto.  4. Circuit breaker according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the handle (8) is divided into two half-handles each having a half of the housing (9) and capable of oscillating each about the axis (11). ), the two half-levers acting together on the main circuit (1) while only one of these half-levers acts directly on the auxiliary circuit (2), characterized in that the cam profile (17, 17a, 17b ) is cleaning only on this last half-handle.