FR2965095A1 - Safety circuit breaker box for disconnecting photovoltaic assembly of dwelling during fire, has control unit controlling switch, and mechanical unit controlling switch by adjusting control unit on part projected towards exterior of box - Google Patents

Abstract

The box (1) has a control unit for controlling a switch i.e. disconnecting switch. The control unit has a part (16) projected towards an exterior of the box. A mechanical unit i.e. pole, controls the switch by adjusting the control unit on the projected part. The projected part is formed of a cable (17) whose lower end is terminated by a handle (17a). The control unit has a positive safety unit i.e. plate, rotatably arranged with respect to a lateral wall (26) of the control unit.

Description

The present invention relates to a safety circuit breaker box, in particular for housing the roof of which is equipped with a photovoltaic assembly.

The technical field of the invention relates to the safety of electrical equipment.

Photovoltaic assemblies, or any other cogeneration device, must meet safety standards, that is to say that they must include a safety cut-out device. Nowadays, the circuit-breakers are arranged inside the housing comprising the cogeneration device and there is no way to switch off the cogeneration device from outside the housing, which limits the conditions of the cogeneration device. interventions of the emergency services. Thus a strong demand is expressed by the persons authorized to intervene for the safety as for example the firemen. Indeed it becomes relevant to be able to cut the power circuit generated by the cogeneration devices, manually and from the outside during a fire, for example.

Currently there is no mechanical and electrical design of a device for electrical safety purpose for the shutdown of a photovoltaic assembly, allowing to be manipulated from the outside and allowing emergency services to intervene in any security. This is a market unparalleled in France and will likely be the subject of a day of installation made mandatory by decree.

In order to remedy this lack of manipulable safety equipment from the outside of a housing, the present invention aims to provide a safety circuit breaker box, especially for housing whose roof is equipped with a photovoltaic set.

The object of the invention is not to transpose outside the housing a conventional circuit breaker box but to design a new circuit breaker box that meets the requirements of standards in force but also that meets aesthetic criteria, the cabinet must be visually acceptable while being easily identifiable by emergency services. The design of such a cabinet must also be able to fight against vandalism, such a cabinet must not be able to be triggered by malicious action, but also fight against burglary, such a cabinet should not allow a third person to be able to voluntarily cut the power consumption of the housing to cut an intrusion alarm that includes said housing for example.

This object is achieved according to the invention by means of a safety circuit breaker box which meets all these constraints. According to the invention, the circuit-breaker box, in particular for housing, the roof of which is equipped with a photovoltaic unit, said photovoltaic unit comprising a power circuit and a direct current circuit, is characterized in that it: at a location allowing authorized persons to be able to manually trigger said circuit breaker box from outside said housing so as to cut at least one circuit from said photovoltaic assembly - includes at least one switch to turn off the generated power by said photovoltaic assembly; comprises control means of said at least one switch, said control means comprises a portion protruding outwardly from said circuit breaker box; - Includes mechanical means for controlling said at least one switch by adjusting on said protruding portion outwardly of said circuit breaker control means of said at least one switch. Thus, this box makes it possible to be able to cut, thanks to a single mechanical action, and a single place from the outside, the hazardous electrical circuits or circuits for an intervention of the emergency services on a site where an installation resides solar photovoltaic module or any other cogeneration device.

Advantageously, the box according to the invention comprises two switches, a first switch off the power generated by said photovoltaic assembly and a second switch for cutting the DC circuit leaving the photovoltaic assembly and generally going to said housing comprising said photovoltaic assembly. In this way, the present invention makes it possible to implement two principles of securing a DC circuit which are the interruption of the downstream current and its short-circuiting upstream.

Advantageously, in the safety circuit breaker box according to the invention, the first and second switches included in said box are disconnectors.

Preferably, in the safety circuit breaker box according to the present invention, the first and second switches that comprises said cabinet operate offset with a slight delay on the second switch, for security reasons. Although ideal for the intervention of the emergency services, this characteristic is not mandatory because the cutoff of the second switch, which is connected to the continuous circuit of consumption of the housing, could allow by the same action a break of an alarm anti intrusion for example.

Advantageously, the safety circuit breaker box according to the invention comprises a positive safety device for the re-engagement of the circuit of said at least one switch. Preferably, in the safety circuit breaker box according to the invention, the outwardly projecting portion of said circuit breaker box comprises a handle.

Preferably, in the safety circuit breaker box according to the invention, the mechanical means that it comprises is a mechanical means of the boom type. This allows the emergency services to use a suitable pole fitting on the control means of the at least one switch and thus cut the circuit of the cogeneration device 15 Preferably, the safety circuit breaker box according to the invention is disposed as close to said photovoltaic assembly, in particular under a ridge that includes said roof

The invention will be better understood, and other features and advantages thereof will become apparent with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings showing, by way of non-limiting example, a preferred embodiment thereof.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a safety circuit breaker according to the invention. Figure 2 is a view is a view similar to Figure 1 in another angle of view. Figure 3 shows an exploded view of the safety circuit breaker box 30 according to the invention. FIG. 4 is a front view showing the safety circuit breaker box according to the invention without a cover. FIG. 5 is a sectional view along the sectional axis shown in FIG. 4 showing the safety circuit breaker box according to FIG. invention without cover and in the rest position. Figure 6 is a sectional view along the sectional axis shown in Figure 4 representing the safety circuit breaker box according to the invention without cover and during its operation. Figure 7 is a sectional view along the sectional axis shown in Figure 4 showing the safety circuit breaker box according to the invention without cover and in the locking position. Fig. 8 is an exploded view of the control means assembly of the switches of the invention. Figure 9 is a perspective view of the assembly forming a control means of the switches according to the invention. FIG. 10 is a view of the control means assembly of the switches according to the invention, without one of its lateral parts and in the rest position. FIG. 11 is a view of the control means assembly of the switches according to the invention, without one of its lateral parts and during its operation. Figure 12 is a view similar to Figure 11 but a little later in time. Figure 13 is a view of the assembly forming a control means of the switches according to the invention without one of its lateral parts and in the locking position. Fig. 14 is a perspective view showing the step of modifying a disconnect which comprises the safety circuit breaker box according to the invention of introducing a rod into its switch portion. Fig. 15 is a perspective view showing a disconnector which comprises the safety circuit breaker according to the invention comprising a rod in its switch portion.

Figure 16 is a perspective view showing a conventional disconnector that comprises the safety circuit breaker box according to the invention. Figure 17 is a schematic front view of a housing 5 comprising a photovoltaic assembly and a safety circuit breaker box according to the invention, a person handling a pole.

For simplicity, parts or elements of an embodiment that are identical or similar in another embodiment will be identified by the same reference numerals and will not be described again. Referring schematically to Figure 17 the invention relates to a safety circuit breaker box 1, manipulable by a pole 27, arranged on a housing 28 whose roof 29 comprises a photovoltaic assembly 30. As indicated, and in 1 to 4, the safety circuit breaker 1 comprises a housing 2 provided with a cover 3. The cover 3 comprises a window 4 arranged at its center. The housing 2 is composed of a bottom 2a, two side walls 2b, an upper wall 2c and a lower wall 2d. On one of the side walls 2b is arranged a mechanical element forming an electric mass 5, the upper wall 2c comprises four first contact elements 6, 7, 8 and 9 allowing the connection with two co-generation devices 30 and two second contact elements 10 and 11 to define the departure of the current to the housing 28 comprising the cogeneration device 30.

The housing 2 contains two switches 12 and 13 of the disconnector type arranged inside said housing 2 via a rail 14 mounted on the bottom 2a of the housing 2. The switches 12 and 13 are respectively a circuit breaker the power generated by the cogeneration device 30, which reduces the voltage voltage of said device to zero volts, and a DC circuit breaker going to the housing 28. These two switches 12 and 13 operate in offset with a slight delay on the switch 13 for security reasons.

The housing 2 further comprises an assembly 15 forming a means for controlling the switch 12 arranged on the rail 14 between the two switches 12 and 13 inside the housing 2.

The assembly 15 comprises a portion 16 protruding outwardly from said housing 2 through the bottom wall 2d of the housing 2. The protruding portion 16 is composed of a cable 17 whose lower end passes through an opening formed on the bottom wall 2d of the housing 2 and is slidably connected to a gland 18, a spacer 19 and a cable sheath 20. The lower end of the cable 17 terminates in a handle 17a. The stuffing box 18, the spacer 19 and the cable sheath 20 are fixedly connected to the bottom wall 2d of the housing 2.

With reference to FIGS. 14, 15 and 16, the second switch 13 is a conventional disconnector switch while the first switch 12 differs from the conventional model in that it comprises in its switch portion 24 an inserted rod 22 projecting from the side of the assembly 15 forming control means.

With reference to FIGS. 5 to 7 and 10 to 13, the assembly 15 forming control means of the switch 12 comprises a first lever 21 pivotally arranged on a side wall 26 of the control element assembly 15, through a pivot 23. The upper end of the cable 17 is connected to one end of the first lever 21 and the other end of the first lever 21 is connected to the switch portion 24 of the first switch 12 by the intermediate of the rod 22 projecting from the side of the assembly 15 forming control means.

A second lever 31 is pivotally arranged on the side wall 26 and close to the first lever 21. The second lever 31 is pivotally arranged via the pivot 32. The second lever 31 comprises a portion 33 projecting towards the outside of the assembly 15 forming control means. This portion 33 cooperates with the second switch 13. The first lever 21 comprises a portion 34 projecting from the side of the second lever 31 and is intended, during the rotation of said first lever 21, cause the rotation of said second lever 31 by the contact of said portion 34 projecting from one end of said second lever 31. Said second lever 31 pivots about its pivot 32 and thus its projecting portion 33 passes from a first rest position to a second position in which it cooperates with said second switch 13 to cut it.

The assembly 15 further comprises a positive security member 25, pivotally arranged with respect to the side wall 26 of the control means assembly. Said positive safety member 25 is in the form of a plate which is arranged to hold the first lever 21 in the locking position.

The invention will be better understood with the aid of the following functional description with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7 and 10 to 13. When a person wishes to trip the circuit breaker box 1 in order to switch off the power generated by the photovoltaic assembly 30, it manipulates the mechanical means 27 of the boom type to pull the handle 17a of the cable 17. This causes the sliding of the cable 17 inside the cable sheath 20, the spacer 19 and the press -twenty 18 which are mounted fixedly on the bottom wall 2d of the housing 2. The cable 17 being connected by one of its ends to one end of the first lever 21, its sliding causes the rotation of the first lever 21 around the pivot 23. The other end of the first lever 21 being connected to the switch portion 24 of the first switch 12 via the rod 22 projecting from the side 15 of the control means, the rotation first lever 21 causes the switching portion of said switch portion 24 to thereby cut the circuit. Simultaneously, the rotation of said first lever 21 causes the rotation of said second lever 27 via the contact between the portion 30 projecting from said first lever 21 and an end of said second lever 27. This rotation of said second lever 27 passes the portion 29 protruding said second lever 27 from a rest position to a position in which it cooperates with the second switch 13 so as to cut it. Pulling on the handle 17a therefore causes the first lever 21 to move from a home position to a lock position and simultaneously causes the switch portion 24 of the first switch 12 to switch, thereby cutting off the power circuit generated. by the cogeneration device 30 and the bottom, and the second lever 31 to rotate to cut the second switch 13 through its portion 33 projecting.

Said rotation of the second lever 31 via the contact between said portion 34 projecting from the first lever 21 and an end of said second lever 31, operates as a mechanical timer.

In order to keep the circuit cut, when the first lever 21 is pivoted, the positive security member 25 engages with said first lever 21 to hold it in the locking position and thus prevent it from returning to its rest position and open the circuit again. A simple upward movement of the positive security member 25 disengages said positive security member 25 from the first lever 21 so that said first lever 21 returns to its home position and opens the circuit again.

As can be seen from the foregoing, the invention provides a safety circuit breaker box 1, in particular for housing 28, the roof 29 of which is equipped with a photovoltaic unit 30 having many advantages over the homologues of the prior art, in particular that of being manipulable from outside the housing 28 comprising said photovoltaic unit 30 or any other cogeneration device, thus allowing emergency services to intervene in the best conditions. It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the embodiment described above by way of example but that it extends to all forms of embodiments covered by the appended claims.

Claims (5)

CLAIMS 1- Safety circuit breaker box (1), in particular for housing (28) whose roof (29) is equipped with a photovoltaic assembly (30), said photovoltaic assembly (30) comprising a power circuit and a DC circuit, characterized in that it: - is arranged at a place allowing authorized persons to be able to manually trigger said circuit breaker box (1) by the outside of said housing (28) so as to cut at least a circuit from said photovoltaic assembly (30) - comprises at least one switch (12) for switching off the power generated by said photovoltaic unit (30); comprises control means (15) of said at least one switch, said control means (15) comprises an outwardly projecting portion (16) of said circuit breaker box (1); - comprises mechanical means (27) for controlling said at least one switch (12) by fitting on said outwardly protruding portion (16) of said circuit breaker box (1) of the control means (15) said at least one switch (12). 20 - 2- safety circuit breaker (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises two switches (12, 13), a first switch (12) for switching off the power generated by said photovoltaic unit ( 30) and a second switch (13) for cutting the DC circuit 25 out of the photovoltaic assembly (30) and generally going to said housing (28) comprising said photovoltaic assembly (30). - 3- safety circuit breaker (1) according to claims 1 to 2, characterized in that the first and second switches (12, 13) that comprises said cabinet (1) are disconnectors.- 4- Safety circuit breaker (1) according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the first and second switches (12, 13) that comprises the cabinet (1) operate offset with a slight delay on the second switch (13), for security reasons. - 5-box safety circuit breaker (1) according to claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it comprises a member (25) positive security for the re-engagement of the circuit of said at least one switch (12). Safety cut-off box (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the outwardly projecting portion (16) of said circuit breaker box (1) comprises a handle (17a). Safety box (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the mechanical means (27) which it comprises is a mechanical means of boom type. - 8- Safety cut box (1) according to claim 1 to 7, characterized in that it is disposed as close to said photovoltaic assembly 20 (30), in particular under a ridge that includes said roof (29). 5