FR2746543A1 - Electric circuit breaker with simplified mounting e.g. for use on aircraft - Google Patents

Abstract

The circuit breaker has a tubular neck (2) extending from one end. The neck is passed through a hole in the mounting plate (6) and a nut (4) on the neck tightened to clamp the circuit breaker in place. Two electrical contacts (7,8) emerge from the casing of the circuit breaker. One contact (8) is at the end of the circuit breaker carrying the mounting neck, and when the circuit breaker is mounted and the nut tightened this contact is pressed against a conducting rail (9). The second contact (7) is a conventional screw contact at the end of the circuit breaker opposite the mounting neck.

Description

EASY MOUNT CIRCUIT BREAKER
The present invention relates to thermal protection circuit breakers, in particular those installed on a support, for example the door of an electrical cabinet or a panel, and used in particular in electrical circuits of aircraft or naval vessels. It also relates to a conductive bar intended to cooperate with such a circuit breaker.

 The electrical cabinets placed in the holds of planes can group up to 800 circuit breakers arranged on several lines.

In the cockpit, the crew has at their disposal a panel of 50 to 100 circuit breakers.

 Currently, these circuit breakers include, in a body, a mechanism with electrical contacts which must automatically trip in the event of an electrical overcurrent and projecting from a face of the body (or front face) a threaded barrel provided with a manual actuation device for the electrical contacts to bring them into the open and / or closed position. A nut is screwed onto the barrel so as to removably fix the circuit breaker on the cabinet door or on the panel.

 Electrical screw terminals, placed opposite the barrel with respect to the body, on the rear face, supply the circuit breaker. There is one pair per single pole breaker and three pairs per three pole breaker.

 Electrical conductors are inserted in these lugs, when wiring all the circuit breakers.

 Circuit breakers with similar functions are generally grouped geographically on one or two lines and one of their screw terminals is secured to a common bus bar. The other terminal is connected to an electric wire. In other arrangements, each terminal is connected to an electrical wire.

 The assembly and wiring of a large number of circuit breakers is relatively long since there are at least three screwing operations per circuit breaker.

 The maintenance of a large number of circuit breakers is not easy because the density of electrical wires on the rear face is high and the panels or cabinets are generally placed in inaccessible places. The high density of electrical wires at the rear generates significant overheating which can disturb the operation of the circuit breakers. In addition, the wires can be injured by the passage of tools for maintenance of circuit breakers.

 In airborne applications, we always try to minimize the mass and size. A large number of electrical wires at the back of the support is undesirable, since it is heavy and the vibrations of the strands cause problems.

 The present invention aims to remedy these problems of space, mass, mounting, wiring and maintenance.

For this, the present invention provides a circuit breaker of which at least one electrical connection means is brought close to the barrel.

 The present invention is a circuit breaker to be mounted on a support comprising a body equipped with a projecting barrel, intended to pass through the support during mounting, and at least one pair of electrical connection means each intended to cooperate with an electrical conductor.

 At least one of the pair's electrical connection means is located on the side of the barrel relative to the body. Cooperation with the electrical conductor is ensured when the circuit breaker is mounted on the support.

 The other electrical connection means can be opposite the barrel relative to the body or even, to further facilitate mounting, on the side of the barrel relative to the body.

 The electrical connection means located on the side of the barrel relative to the body may be a conductive pad, a cylindrical or flat terminal for example.

 The electrical connection means located opposite the barrel relative to the body can be a screw terminal.

 The electrical conductor intended to cooperate with the electrical connection means located on the side of the barrel may be, depending on the nature of the connection means, a conductive bar which is housed between the body and the support, or a conductive track carried by a circuit printed which is housed between the body and the support, or an electric wire ending in a connector which is housed between the body and the support.

 An insulating gasket around the barrel can be provided to insulate the barrel from the busbar.

 The circuit breaker will include if necessary, near the barrel, a positioning lug projecting relative to the body, to ensure angular positioning of the barrel relative to the support.

 The circuit breaker can be equipped with a status display device with electrical contacts located on the side of the barrel relative to the body.

 The present invention also relates to an electrical conductor intended to cooperate with at least one such circuit breaker. This conductor is a conductive bar coated with an electrically insulating sheath, a contact area being arranged to come against the electrical connection means located on the side of the barrel relative to the body of the circuit breaker.

 This electrical conductor is equipped with an orifice for the circuit-breaker barrel and possibly with an orifice for the positioning lug.

 The contact area can be a stripped area or be a protruding or recessed contact depending on the nature of the electrical connection means.

 When the circuit breaker is multipolar, the electrical conductor comprises several stacked conductors, electrically isolated from each other.

The present invention will be better understood using the description of examples of circuit breaker according to the invention, illustrated by the attached figures which represent:
- Figures la, lb: a single-pole circuit breaker according to the invention, respectively in perspective before mounting and seen from the side mounted on its support
- Figures 2a, 2b: a three-pole circuit breaker according to the invention, respectively in perspective cooperating with its busbar and in longitudinal section mounted on its support
- Figure 3a a variant of a single-pole circuit breaker according to the invention in perspective before mounting
- Figure 3b. exploded, a group of circuit breakers of Figure 3a during their mounting on a single support
- Figure 4a: in perspective another variant of a single-pole circuit breaker according to the invention;
- Figure 4b: exploded, a group of circuit breakers of Figure 4a, during their mounting on a single support;
FIG. 5a: the top view of another variant of a circuit breaker according to the invention,
- Figure 5b the top view of a support equipped with conductors for receiving the circuit breaker of Figure Sa
- Figure 6a: another variant of a single-pole circuit breaker according to the invention with status display
- Figure 6b: exploded, a group of circuit breakers of Figure 5a during their assembly on a single support
- Figure 7: a perspective view of a group of circuit breakers according to the invention mounted on a single support.

 In these figures the same elements bear the same reference.

For reasons of clarity, the ribs are not necessarily respected.

 Figures la, lb show several views of a circuit breaker according to the invention. This circuit breaker is unipolar. Its body has the reference 1, its barrel the reference 2 and the front face carrying the barrel 2 the reference 10.

 In FIG. 1a, the circuit breaker is seen in perspective, in FIG. 1b it is seen from the side.

 The barrel 2 has at its end a button 3 which makes it possible to arm or disarm the circuit breaker manually. The circuit breaker is intended to be mounted on a support 6, the barrel 2 passing through the support 6 which has an orifice 1 8 for this purpose. The support 6 is not seen in FIG. La.

 A nut 4 associated with a washer 5 can be provided to fix the circuit breaker on the support 6, an electrical cabinet door for example. The barrel 2 is then threaded.

 This circuit breaker being unipolar, it conventionally comprises a pair of electrical connection means 7, 8, one allowing the supply of current and the other its output.

 At least one of the electrical connection means 8 of the pair is located on the side of the barrel 2 relative to the body 1.

 An electrical conductor is intended to cooperate with this electrical connection means 8, the cooperation being ensured when the circuit breaker is mounted on its support 6. In the example of FIGS. 1, the electrical connection means 8 is a conductive pad which is flush with the front face 10 of the body carrying the barrel 2 and the electrical conductor 9 is a conductive bar called "bus bar" which is housed between the body 1 and the support 6. The conductive bar 9 is not shown in FIG.

 The conductive bar 9 is coated with a sheath 14 made of electrically insulating material, for safety reasons, and it has a contact area 16 which must come against the conductive pad 8 during mounting of the circuit breaker. This area 16 is stripped.

 To guarantee correct positioning of the conductive bar 9, it may include a first orifice 12 through which the barrel 2 passes and / or a second orifice 13 through which a positioning lug 11 which projects from the front face 10 of the circuit breaker. This lug 11, electrically insulating, is housed in a recess 15 in the support 6. It angularly keeps the circuit breaker in place. The orifice 18 of the support 6 and that 12 of the conductive bar 9 communicate when the bar 9 is in place.

 The use of such a conductive bar 9 makes it possible to supply current to several circuit breakers mounted on the same support 6. Such an arrangement is shown in FIG. 7.

 The barrel 2 can be surrounded by an electrically insulating joint 17, if the edge of the first orifice 12 of the conductive bar 9 is not sheathed, to isolate the barrel 2 from the conductive bar 9.

 The other electrical connection means 7 of the pair is located opposite the barrel 2 relative to the body 1. It is conventionally a screw terminal intended to cooperate with an electrical conductor in the form of a wire. The driver is not shown.

 The mounting of such a circuit breaker on its support is easier and shorter than that of a conventional circuit breaker since there is only one screw and one nut to tighten.

 The gain in size and weight is appreciable, at the rear of the circuit breaker the amount of electric wire has been reduced. Maintenance is greatly facilitated on a large panel because access to a particular circuit breaker is much easier.

 Figures 2a, 2b show in perspective and in cross section a circuit breaker of the same type as that of Figures 1 but which is three-pole instead of being unipolar.

 This circuit breaker being three-pole now comprises three pairs of electrical connection means (71,81), (72,82), (73, 83) one per pole.

 An electrical connection means 81, 82, 83 of each pair is located on the side of the barrel 2 relative to the body 1.

 These electrical connection means 81, 82, 83 are conductive pads which are flush with the front face 10 of the body 1.

 Each of these studs 81, 82, 83 is intended to come into contact with an electrical conductor 91, 92, 93 the cooperation being ensured when the circuit breaker is mounted on its support.

 In this variant, each of the pads 81, 82, 83 comes into contact with its own conductor 91, 92, 93 and these conductors are then stacked on top of each other, while being electrically isolated from each other, so as to form a conductive bar 90 which is coated with an electrically insulating sheath 14. There are as many conductors as pairs of electrical connection means.

 Each of the conductors 91, 92, 93 of the bar 90 is equipped with a transverse tab 19. The contact with the pads 81, 82, 83 takes place at the level of a stripped contact zone 16 situated on the corresponding tab 19. The tab 1 9 of the central conductor 92 has the first orifice 12 through which the barrel 2 passes and the second orifice 13 through which the positioning lug 1 1 passes.

 The other electrical connection means 71, 72, 73 is a screw terminal located opposite the barrel 2 relative to the body 1. In the figures, only one of the electrical connection means is visible 71, the other two are hidden.

 Figure 3a shows in perspective yet another example of a circuit breaker according to the invention. This circuit breaker is unipolar. Compared to that of FIGS. 1, its two electrical connection means 8, 70 are located on the side of the barrel 2 relative to the body 1.

 One of the electrical connection means 8 is identical to that of the circuit breaker in FIGS. 1, it is a stud carried by the front face 10.

 The other electrical connection means 70 is a terminal located on the edge of the front face 10, opposite the stud 8 relative to the barrel 2 for example. In this example, it is a cylindrical female terminal.

It could be replaced by a male terminal.

 In FIG. 3b, three circuit breakers like that in FIG. 3a are ready to be mounted on a single support 6. The pads 8 are intended to cooperate with a single conductive bar 9. The stripped contact areas 16 of the conductive bar 9 which must come against the pads 8 are perfectly visible.

 The second electrical connection means 70 or terminals are each intended to cooperate with an electrical wire 72 by means of a contact 71 crimped onto the electrical wire 72 and held in a connector 72 secured to the support 6. The contact 71 is in this example a protruding male contact. The guns 2 and the positioning pins 1 1 pass through the busbar 9. Such a circuit breaker could also be three-phase. If the second electrical connection means 70 are male lugs, the contacts 71 are then hollow female contacts.

 Figures 4a, 4b again show an example of a single pole circuit breaker according to the invention.

 In this variant, the two electrical connection means 70, 80 are located on the side of the barrel 2 relative to the body 1.

 The second electrical connection means 70 is identical to that of FIGS. 3.

 The first electrical connection means 80 is also an electrical terminal. The terminal shown is a flat terminal, for example of the female Faston type and it is intended to cooperate with a conductive bar 9 sheathed by means of a contact area 81 which is a contact projecting from the bar 9. If the first electrical connection means 80 is a male terminal, the contact is hollow. In this variant, the barrel 2 no longer crosses the conductive bar 9 because the positioning of the conductive bar 9 relative to the circuit breaker is ensured by the male contacts 81 and 71 which penetrate into the female lugs 80, 70, only the support 6 is fitted with holes 1 8 for the barrels 2.

 The positioning lug 1 1 has been shown, it enters a recess 15 in the wall 6 but does not pass through the conductive bar 9. It could be envisaged to remove it.

 The second electrical connection means 70 are intended to cooperate each with a conductive track 75 carried by a printed circuit 74 via a male contact 71 riveted to the printed circuit 74. The printed circuit 74 and the conductive bar 9 are fixed to the support 6 and help to stiffen it. This variant avoids part of the electrical wires.

 Figures 5a, 5b show yet another example of a circuit breaker according to the invention. The circuit breaker shown in Figure 5a is unipolar.

 The two electrical connection means 8, 700 are located on the side of the barrel 2 relative to the body 1. The first connection means 8 is a stud carried by the front face 1 0. It is identical to that of FIGS. 1.

 The second electrical connection means 700 is a second pad carried by the front face 10. It is located, in this example, opposite the first pad 8 relative to the barrel 2.

 FIG. 5b shows a front view of a support 6 and the electrical conductors 9, 701 with which the first and second electrical connection means 8, 700 of the circuit breaker of FIG. 5a must cooperate.

 The first electrical connection means 8 is intended to cooperate with a conductive bar 9 sheathed by means of a stripped contact area 16. The second electrical connection means 700 is intended to cooperate with an electrical conductor, represented in the form an electric wire 701, via a contact 703 carried by a connector 702 secured to the support 6.

 The circuit breaker according to the invention can also be equipped with a state display device. Figures 6a, 6b illustrate this possibility.

 In Figure 6a, the circuit breaker is in perspective, it conforms to that of Figures 1. The body of the circuit breaker is attached to a housing 100 carrying, on the side of the barrel 2 two contact pads 101. These pads 101 are intended to come in each contact with a conductive area 102 of a printed circuit 103. This printed circuit can be equipped with electronic components to perform a control function, a filter. It is at the level of the two contact pads 101 that the status display information is collected.

 In FIG. 6b, the support and the conductors are visible.

 FIG. 7 shows a set of single-pole circuit breakers according to the invention mounted on support 6, an electrical cabinet door for example.

They are arranged for example in eight lines of seven circuit breakers numbered from II to 18. These circuit breakers each comprise a first electrical connection means (not visible) which is located on the side of the barrel relative to the body 1 of the circuit breaker and a second means of electrical connection 7 which is located opposite the barrel relative to the body. The second electrical connection means 7 are screw lugs intended to be each connected to an electrical conductor. In the figure, only the second electrical connection means 7 of the circuit breakers of the first line II are connected to an electrical conductor 76.

 The first electrical connection means are not visible in the figure, but it is assumed that they are made in the form of studs intended to cooperate with an electrical conductor in the form of a conductive bar.

The pads of the circuit breakers of the first three lines 11, 12, 13 are in contact with the same conductive bar 910. The pads of the circuit breakers of lines 14, 15 are in contact with the same conductive bar 920 The pads of the circuit breakers of lines 16, 17 are in contact with the same conductive bar 930 The pads of the circuit breakers of line 18 are in contact with the same conductive bar 940
The first conductive bar 910 is supplied by flexible conductive strips 200, the last two 930, 940 by cables 201.

 The bars 910 and 920 are interconnected by an interconnection blade 202. The others are electrically isolated from each other.

 The last conductive bar 940 extends beyond the circuit breakers of line 18 for the supply of other circuit breakers (not shown).

 The present invention is not limited to the examples of the circuit breakers described. All other combinations between the different means of electrical connection are possible.

 Instead of being unipolar, the circuit breakers described could be three-pole without departing from the scope of the invention.

 The female pods could be replaced by male pods and vice versa without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (20)

 1. Circuit breaker to be mounted on a support (6) comprising a body (1) equipped with a projecting barrel (2), provided to pass through the support (6) during mounting, and at least one pair of electrical connection means (7, 8) each intended to cooperate with an electrical conductor (9), characterized in that at least one of the electrical connection means (8) of the pair is located on the side of the barrel (2) relative to the body ( 1), cooperation with the electrical conductor (9) being ensured when the circuit breaker is mounted on the support (6).  2. Circuit breaker according to claim 1, characterized in that the other electrical connection means (7) is located on the side of the barrel (2) relative to the body (1).  3. Circuit breaker according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the electrical connection means located on the side of the barrel (2) relative to the body (1) is a conductive pad.  4. Circuit breaker according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the electrical connection means (8) located on the side of the barrel (2) relative to the body (1) is a terminal.  5. Circuit breaker according to claim 4, characterized in that the terminal is a cylindrical or flat terminal.  6. Circuit breaker according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the electrical conductor intended to cooperate with the electrical connection means (8) located on the side of the barrel (2) relative to the body (1) is a bar conductive (9) which is housed between the body (1) and the support (6) during assembly.  7. Circuit breaker according to claim 6, characterized in that a seal (17) surrounding the barrel (2) electrically isolates the barrel (2) from the busbar (9).  8. Circuit breaker according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the electrical conductor (8) intended to cooperate with the electrical connection means (8) located on the side of the barrel (2) relative to the body (1) is a track (75) carried by a printed circuit (74) which is housed between the body (1) and the support (6) during assembly.  9. Circuit breaker according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the cooperation between the electrical connection means (700) located on the side of the barrel (2) relative to the body (1) and the electrical conductor (701) is produced by a contact (703) connected to the electrical conductor (701) and held in a connector (702) secured to the support (6).  10. Circuit breaker according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it comprises near the barrel (2) a positioning lug (11), projecting relative to the body (1) to ensure an angular positioning of the circuit breaker relative to the support (6).  11. Circuit breaker according to claim 1, characterized in that the other electrical connection means (7) is located opposite the barrel (2) relative to the body (1).  12. Circuit breaker according to claim 11, characterized in that the electrical connection means (7) located opposite the barrel (2) relative to the body (1) is a screw terminal.  13. Circuit breaker according to one of claims 1 to 12, comprising a state display device (100) with contacts (101), characterized in that the contacts (101) are located on the side of the barrel (2) by relation to the body (1).  14. Circuit breaker according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the barrel (2) is threaded, a nut (4) screwing around the barrel (2) during mounting of the circuit breaker on the support (6).  15. Electric conductor intended to cooperate with at least one circuit breaker according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that it comprises a conductive bar coated with an electrically insulating sheath (14), a contact zone (16) being arranged to come against the electrical connection means (8) located on the side of the barrel (2) relative to the body (1) of the circuit breaker.  16. An electrical conductor according to claim 15, characterized in that it is equipped with an orifice (12) for the barrel (2) of the circuit breaker.  17. Electric conductor according to one of claims 15 to 16, characterized in that it is equipped with an orifice (13) for the lug (11) for positioning the circuit breaker.  18. Electric conductor according to one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that the contact area (16) is stripped.  19. An electrical conductor according to one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that the contact zone (81) is a protruding or recessed contact.  20. Electric conductor (90) according to one of claims 15 to 19, characterized in that it is formed of a stack of several conductors (91, 92, 93) electrically isolated from each other, when it is intended to cooperate with a circuit breaker having several pairs of electrical connection means, the number of conductors and the number of pairs being equal.