FR3016731A1 - INTERFACE FOR INTERCONNECTING A CIRCUIT BREAKER AND A PARAFOUDRE, A SURFACE COMPRISING SUCH AN INTERFACE AND A SELF-PROTECTED ELECTRICAL ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A PARAFOUDRE AND A CIRCUIT BREAKER INTERCONNECTED BY SUCH AN INTERFACE - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an interface (100) for interconnecting a circuit breaker and a surge arrester, comprising: a switch (110) connected to a connector (120) for transmitting a signal representative of the operating state of the circuit breaker and / or arrester, - a mechanical element (130) to be connected to the circuit breaker, movable between armed and triggered positions respectively corresponding to the states engaged and tripped circuit breaker, in its triggered position this element actuating the switch. According to the invention, the interface comprises another mechanical element (140) to be connected to the surge arrester and movable between idle and triggered positions corresponding to the normal operating and faulting state of the arrester, in its triggered position, this other element being placed on the path of the first element and actuating the switch.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD TO WHICH THE INVENTION RELATES The present invention relates generally to the field of surge arresters. It relates more particularly to a modular interface for the mechanical and electrical connection in series of a circuit breaker and a temporary overvoltage protection device, in particular of atmospheric origin.

It relates in particular to a modular interface which comprises: an electrical switch connected to a connector capable of transmitting a signal representative of the operating state of the circuit breaker and / or the protection device, and a first mechanical safety element. intended to be connected to the opening and closing device of the circuit breaker, movable between an armed position corresponding to the engaged state of the opening and closing device of the circuit breaker and a triggered position corresponding to the tripped state of the device; opening and closing of the circuit breaker, the first mechanical safety element being adapted in this triggered position to actuate the electrical switch to transmit a signal representative of the tripped state of the circuit breaker. The invention also relates to a temporary overvoltage protection device, comprising a modular block provided with a receiving housing accommodating at least one plug-in / withdrawable surge arrester cassette containing an overvoltage limiting device and a fusible link which establishes the electrical connection. of the overvoltage limiting device to an electrical terminal of the modular block. Finally, the invention relates to an electrical assembly protected against transient overvoltages including a temporary overvoltage protection device, in particular of atmospheric origin, and a circuit breaker mechanically and electrically connected to each other by such a modular interface . BACKGROUND ART Surge protection devices, commonly known as surge arresters, generally use a varistor as the primary surge limiting element. This varistor closes the overvoltage from a known value and limits its propagation on the electrical network. When the varistor reaches the end of its life, it can become dangerous because it may overheat or cause a short circuit. It is then necessary to disconnect the protection device from the electrical network to which it is connected. For this, it is known, in particular documents EP1607995, EP2065914 and EP1447831, to associate a circuit breaker to the protection device in order to produce a self-protected electrical assembly in which the circuit breaker trips in case of failure of the circuit. varistor to isolate the protection device from the electrical network. More particularly, in document EP2065914, an interface is provided which interconnects an overvoltage protection device and a circuit breaker. This interface comprises mechanical means related to the operation of the protection device, which, when a malfunction occurs on the varistor, automatically actuate, via coupling means, the opening of the circuit breaker. In addition, this interface comprises remote information means of its operating state. These means comprise an electrical switch which is actuated by said mechanical means, the change of electrical state of the switch to inform a user of the change of operating state of the interface. The electrical switch is electrically connected to a connector that remotely transfers this status change information from the interface. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION Compared to the state of the art, the invention proposes a modular interface that remotely centralize fault information of the protection device and / or tripping of the circuit breaker.

More particularly, the invention proposes a modular interface as defined in the introduction, which comprises a second mechanical safety element separate from the first mechanical safety element and operating independently of the latter, intended to be connected to the protective device. and movable between a rest position corresponding to the normal operating state of the protection device and a triggered position corresponding to the failure of an overvoltage limiting device of said protection device, the second mechanical safety element being adapted in this position triggered to actuate the electric switch, without affecting the position of said first mechanical security element, to transmit a signal representative of a malfunction of the protection device, being placed on the path that travels the first mechanical safety element since s a triggered position towards its armed position so that, in this triggered position, said second mechanical security element forms a stop for the first mechanical security element prohibiting the latter to reach its armed position from its triggered position. Thus, advantageously, thanks to the invention, it is possible to remotely, completely independently, information relating to the operating state of the protective device on the one hand and to the operating state of the device. associated breaker on the other hand. In addition, in case of fault in the protection device, the second mechanical safety element of the modular interface according to the invention ensures that the user replaces the defective element of the protective device after have tripped the circuit breaker before resetting the circuit breaker to close the electrical circuit.

Other non-limiting and advantageous features of the modular interface according to the invention are the following: - there is provided an elastic return means which tends to position the second mechanical security element in its rest position; said elastic return means is a wire spring wound around the body of said second mechanical safety element, one end of the wire spring being attached to said body and another end of the wire spring being locked against a fixed part of the modular interface; the first and second mechanical safety elements are rotatably mounted respectively around two parallel fixed shafts; each of the first and second mechanical safety elements is capable, independently of one another, of rotating a rocker causing the closing of the electric switch; the flip-flop comprises: a central portion mounted for free rotation around a fixed shaft parallel to the rotation shafts of the first and second mechanical safety elements, and provided with a control finger of said electrical switch, and two branches which extend from the central portion, substantially opposite each other, one of the branches having a bearing surface facing the first mechanical safety element and the other branch having a surface of bearing turned towards the second mechanical safety element, said first and second mechanical safety elements respectively bearing on the bearing surfaces of the branches of the rocker to rotate it to the electrical switch; the first mechanical safety element comprises a plate, one face of which supports a landing for receiving a fixed rotation shaft and of which another opposite face supports a pin for connection to the opening and closing device of the circuit breaker, said plate comprising an actuating finger for controlling the electric switch and being extended by an arm which extends on the same side as the actuating finger and which has at its free end a return capable of abutting against said stop of the second mechanical safety element in the tripped position; the second mechanical safety element comprises an arm which comprises an actuating finger for controlling the electric switch and which has, on the one hand, a free end forming said abutment for said first mechanical safety element, and on the other hand, opposite said free end, an end mounted for free rotation on a fixed shaft which extends in said protection device, this end being linked to a lever threaded onto said shaft and adapted to be pivoted around this shaft by at least one actuator whose action is released when a surge limiting device of said protection device is faulted; and the arm of the second mechanical safety element comes into being formed with said lever to form a one-piece piece which is generally L-shaped. The invention also relates to an apparatus for temporary overvoltage protection, comprising a modular block provided with a housing. receiver accommodating at least one pluggable surge suppressor cassette containing an overvoltage limiting device and a fusible link which establishes the electrical connection of the surge arresting device to an electrical terminal of the modular block, characterized in that the modular block comprises a housing which houses a modular interface as above, each actuator associated with a lightning arrester cassette being, on the one hand, connected to said housing by an elastic return means which tends to position said actuator in a release position where it places said lever in a trigger position corresponding to the position of clenchée arm of said second mechanical securing element, and, on the other hand maintained by a member of the surge arrester connected to the fusible link cassette, in a connecting position in which said resilient biassing means is under stress. Preferably, in the protection apparatus according to the invention, said elastic return means is a helical tension spring. According to an advantageous characteristic of the protection device according to the invention, the housing of the modular block houses a shaft called "cassette locking shaft" provided with at least one locking element and an end that cooperates directly or indirectly with the first mechanical safety element, said cassette locking shaft being movably mounted in the modular block and being capable of taking two distinct positions, namely, on the one hand, a first position called "safety position" corresponding to the armed position of said first mechanical safety element, in which each locking element cooperates with a complementary part of a lightning arrester cassette so as to prevent the withdrawal and / or the plug-in of each lightning arrester cassette into the modular block, and, secondly, a second position called "access position" corresponding to the triggered position of said first el ment of mechanical security, wherein each locking member leaves free said complementary part of the arrester cassette so as to allow the racking and / or racking of each cassette arrester in the modular block. According to a preferred characteristic, there is provided an elastic return means which tends to place the cassette locking shaft in the safety position.

According to a first advantageous embodiment of the protection apparatus according to the invention, said end of the cassette locking shaft cooperates with a transmission element pivotally connected to the first mechanical safety element and mounted to rotate freely around a shaft parallel to the rotation shaft of said first mechanical safety element, said cassette locking shaft carrying at least one pad and being rotatably mounted in the modular block to take two distinct angular positions, namely, a on the other hand, the safety position in which each stud protrudes through a window of the housing in the housing accommodating each lightning cassette, and, secondly, the access position in which each stud is set back from the outlet. of said window inside said housing. Advantageously, here, said elastic return means is a wire spring wound around the cassette locking shaft, one end of which is connected to said shaft and whose other end is locked against a fixed part of said modular block housing. According to a second advantageous embodiment of the protection device according to the invention, the cassette locking shaft is in the form of a slide mounted movable in translation in the modular block and provided with at least one notch oriented in the direction of translation of said strip so that, firstly, in said safety position each notch is engaged on a pad integral with a lightning arrestor cassette to bind this lightning cassette to the cassette locking shaft, and on the other hand, in said access position, each notch is moved away from the fixed pin of the corresponding lightning cassette to release this lightning cassette from the cassette locking shaft. Advantageously, here, said elastic return means is a helical compression spring interposed between an end portion of the cassette locking shaft and a fixed portion of the modular block. Finally, the invention proposes an electrical assembly protected against transient overvoltages including a device for protection against temporary overvoltages, in particular of atmospheric origin, and a circuit breaker mechanically and electrically connected to each other by a modular interface. according to the invention, the housing comprises a main lateral side of junction with the circuit breaker traversed by a pin which connects said first mechanical safety element to the opening and closing device of said circuit breaker. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, given as non-limiting examples, will make it clear what the invention consists of and how it can be achieved. In the accompanying drawings: - Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of an electrical assembly according to the invention; FIG. 2 is a front view of the assembly of FIG. 1; - Figure 3 is an electrical diagram of the assembly of Figure 1; FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the overvoltage protection apparatus of the assembly of FIG. 1; FIG. 5 is a front view of the protection device of FIG. 4; FIGS. 6 to 11 are different views of a cover-wire protecting and holding the electrical wires coming from the protective device of FIG. 4; FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the protection apparatus of FIG. 4 with its wire cover shown in exploded form; FIGS. 13 and 14 are perspective representations, viewed from two opposite sides, of the base of the wire cover of FIG. 6; FIGS. 15 and 16 are perspective representations, viewed from two opposite sides, of the cover of the wire cover of FIG. 6; FIG. 17 is a view identical to that of FIG. 4 without the surge arresters; FIG. 18 is a view identical to that of FIG. 17 without the cover protecting and holding wires of the electrical wires coming from the protection device and without a part of the housing of this protection device to make it appear a preferred embodiment of the mechanism of a modular interface; Fig. 19 is a perspective view from below of a rear portion of the housing of the protective apparatus of Fig. 17; Figure 20 is a three quarter perspective view of the rear portion of the housing of Figure 19 which houses another simplified embodiment of the modular interface mechanism; Figure 21 is a perspective view from below of Figure 20; FIG. 22 is a diagrammatic perspective view of three quarters of the rear part and the lower part of the case of the protection apparatus of FIG. 17, which houses the preferred embodiment of the mechanism of a modular interface; FIG. 23 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the mechanism of the modular interface of FIG. 22; Figures 24 and 25 are perspective views assembled on opposite sides of the mechanism of Figure 23; Figures 26 to 29 are side views of the mechanism of Figure 23 assembled in different operating configurations; 30 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the electrical assembly of FIG. 1, seen from the side of the transient overvoltage protection apparatus, on which the front and bottom portions of the housing of the transistors have been removed. protective device and a portion of the casing of a lightning arrester cassette connected to the electrical network, to reveal the surge arrester device of said surge arrester cassette; Figure 31 is a magnified view of a portion of Figure 30; FIG. 32 is a sectional detail view of the actuator associated with the surge arresting device shown in FIG. 31; - Figure 33 is a view identical to that of Figure 30 in which the lightning cassette casing is open, is disconnected from the electrical network; Figure 34 is a magnified view of a portion of Figure 33; FIG. 35 is a detail sectional view of the actuator associated with the overvoltage limiting device which appears in FIG. 33; FIG. 36 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the electrical assembly of FIG. 1, seen from the side of the transient overvoltage protection device, on which the circuit breaker is engaged, the wire cover has been removed as well as the housing of the protective device to show the arrester cassettes and a first embodiment of a cassette lock shaft in the safety position; FIG. 37 is a magnified view of zone B of FIG. 36; FIG. 38 is a schematic perspective view of the circuit breaker engaged, the mechanism of the modular interface and the first embodiment of the cassette lock shaft of the electrical assembly of FIG. 1; FIG. identical view to that of Figure 36 with the circuit breaker tripped and the first embodiment of the cassette locking shaft in the access position; FIG. 40 is a magnified view of zone B of FIG. 39; FIG. 41 is a schematic perspective view of the tripped circuit breaker 5, the mechanism of the modular interface and the first embodiment of the cassette lock shaft of the electrical assembly of FIG. 1; FIG. a diagrammatic perspective view from below of the electrical assembly of FIG. 1, on which the circuit breaker is engaged, the wire cover has been removed as well as the housing of the protective device to make the lightning arrester cassettes appear; as well as a second embodiment of a cassette locking shaft in the safety position; FIG. 43 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the circuit breaker engaged, the mechanism of the modular interface and the second embodiment of the cassette lock shaft of the electrical assembly of FIG. 1; FIG. identical view to that of Figure 42 with the circuit breaker tripped and the second embodiment of the cassette locking shaft in the access position; and FIG. 45 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the tripped circuit breaker, the mechanism of the modular interface and the second embodiment of the cassette lock shaft of the electrical assembly of FIG. 1. FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, an electrical assembly 1 comprising a protective device 300 against temporary overvoltages, in particular of atmospheric origin, and a circuit breaker 200. The protection device 300 is electrically and mechanically connected to the circuit breaker 200 by means of a circuit breaker 200. A modular interface 100. The circuit breaker 200 is in itself quite conventional and will not be described here in detail. Essentially, the circuit breaker 200 comprises a housing housing electrical input and output terminals connected by an electrical circuit that can be opened by an opening and closing device 230. The casing of the circuit breaker 200 is generally parallelepipedal with two parallel main side faces 211, a rear face provided with a horizontal groove 202 for mounting on a rail (not shown) of a cabinet or electrical cabinet, a front face and two opposite transverse faces upper and lower. The rear, front, top and bottom faces are all perpendicular to the main lateral faces of the housing. The casing of the circuit breaker 200 has on its rear face latches 201 which make it possible to lock the circuit breaker 200 on the rail of the box or of the electrical cabinet. More particularly, here the circuit breaker box 200 is equipped with four latches 201, two at the top (see Figure 2) and two at the bottom (see Figures 36, 38, 42 and 44) of the housing. Each latch 201 is in the form of a plate which slides in a corresponding vertical rail (not visible) of the housing, between a locking position and an unlocking position. There is provided elastic return means (not visible in the figures), generally coming from formation with each latch, which tend to recall each latch in the locking position. One end of each latch 201 emerges in the groove 202 of the rear face of the housing, to engage the rail of the cabinet or electrical cabinet, in the latch lock position. The other opposite end of each latch 201 emerges above the top face or below the bottom face of the breaker case 200. This opposite end of each latch 201 is provided with an aperture 201A that allows each slot to be pulled out. latch 201 outwardly of the groove 202 from its locking position to its unlocking position against said resilient biasing means so as to release the latch 201 from its socket with the corresponding mounting rail.

The front face of the casing of the circuit breaker 200, has in projecting, in its central zone, a part of frontage through which said casing is intended to emerge out of a plastron (not shown), through a window of this plastron, when in place on the rail, for example in an electrical cabinet. The facade portion has a front face and two opposite transverse faces that extend at right angles to the front face of the circuit breaker housing. Levers attached to a handle 230 common maneuver protrude from the front face of the facade portion. These levers belong to the opening and closing device of the circuit breaker 200, they can be actuated by the handle 230 to manually open or close the electrical circuit connecting the input and output terminals of the circuit breaker 200 (see FIG. 3). As shown in Figures 1 and 2, when the circuit breaker 200 is engaged (closed electrical circuit), levers and lever 230 are raised. On the other hand, the levers and the lever 230 are lowered (see FIGS. 39 and 41) when the circuit breaker 200 is tripped (open electrical circuit). The circuit breaker 200 is a modular device in the sense that its housing has a width, measured between its two main lateral faces 211, equal to an integer multiple of a base module M. Here, according to the example shown, the circuit breaker 200 is a three-phase circuit breaker (that is to say comprising three phase terminals L1, L2, L3 and a neutral terminal N) whose case is quad-module (whose width is equal to 4 times the base module M ), a module per pole of the circuit breaker 200. It is also provided a pole opening / closing lever of the circuit breaker 200, so four levers attached to the handle 230. The upper face of the circuit breaker box 200 includes openings access to the input terminals of the circuit breaker 200 and the lower face of the circuit breaker box comprises access openings to the output terminals of the circuit breaker 200. As shown in the diagram of FIG. 3, the phase electrical wires L1, L2 , L3 and Neutral N (not re presented) from the electrical network are connected, via said access openings of the upper face of the housing, to the input terminals of the circuit breaker 200 while the electric wires F1, F2, F3, FN coming from the protection device 300 are connected, via said access openings of the lower face of the housing, to the output terminals of the circuit breaker 200. Furthermore, the front face of the circuit breaker box 200 has openings giving access to the screws of the input and output terminals. circuit breaker 200.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, 5, 12 and 17, the protection device 300 against transient overvoltages comprises a modular block 310 with two parallel main lateral faces 311D, 313, a rear face provided with a groove Horizontal 311G for mounting on a rail (not shown) of a cabinet or electrical cabinet, a front face 312A and two opposite transverse faces upper 311B, 312B and lower 311B, 312B. The rear, front, top and bottom faces are all perpendicular to the main lateral faces of the modular block. The width of the modular block 310, taken between its two main lateral faces 311 D, 313, is here also equal to four times the width of a basic module M. The front face 312A of the block 3016 73 1 12 modular 310 of the 300, protrudes, in its central zone, a front portion 312'A through which said modular block 310 is intended to emerge from a front plate (not shown), through a window of this plastron, when in place on the rail, for example in an electrical cabinet. The front portion 312'A comprises a front face and two opposite transverse faces which extend at right angles to the front face 312A of the modular block 310 of the protection apparatus 300. As is more particularly shown in the electrical diagram of FIG. 3, the modular block is a housing which houses at least one varistor 333 associated with a thermal disconnection means 335, 700, a spark gap E as well as electric wires F1, F2, F3, FN respectively connected to each varistor 333 and at the spark gap E, a portion of said electrical wires emerging outside the housing to be connected to the output terminals L1, L2, L3, N of the circuit breaker 200. According to the example shown, the modular block 310 houses three varistors 33333 connected, at the output, to the phase terminals L1, L2, L3 of the circuit breaker 200, and, as input, to the neutral terminal N of the circuit breaker 200 which, moreover, is also connected to the spark gap E itself connected to the Earth. The modular block 310 here comprises a housing rear portion 311 snapped together with a front housing portion 312 (see FIG. 17). The housing rear portion 311 of the modular block 310 shown in isolation in FIGS. 19 to 22, has a bottom 311A forming the rear wall of the modular block 310 whose outer face forms the rear face provided with the groove 311G. The bottom 311A is bordered by four walls 311B, 311D perpendicular to the bottom 311A, namely an upper wall 311B and a lower wall 311B parallel to each other and two opposite side walls 311 D, parallel to each other and perpendicular to the upper and lower walls 311 B. The upper and lower walls 311 B of this housing rear portion 311 are provided in proximity to their free ratchet tooth edge 311E and an interlocking groove 311E adapted to cooperate with complementary arrangements 312E of the housing front portion 312. The front housing portion 312 of the modular block 310 shown in isolation in Figure 18, has a front wall 312A forming the front wall of the modular block 310 whose outer face forms the front face 312 of the modular block 310. This front wall 312A also forms the front portion 312'A and defines, in the central zone of the modular block 310, a housing 32 0 in recess of the front face of said block. This housing 320 is intended to accommodate three cassettes lightning arresters 330 (see Figure 4). It is delimited by opposite lower walls 315 and 314 opposite, a side wall which closes one side of the front portion 312'A and a bottom wall 312C which closes said housing 320 at the rear. The bottom walls 315 and above 314 of the housing 320 comprise grooves 315A, 314A for mounting said arrester cassettes 330 which are plug-in / withdrawable into the modular block 310. These lower walls 315 and upper 314 also include openings 315C through which the pins 801 and 802 engage. said arresters cassettes 330 for making the electrical and mechanical connection thereof in the modular block 310 (see Figures 30 and 33). In addition, the bottom wall 312C of the housing 320 comprises openings 312D (see FIGS. 17 and 18), the contour of which is adapted to allow the insertion in these openings 312D of polarizing pads 337 provided on the back of the lightning arrestor cassettes 330 ( see FIGS. 31 and 34), when the arrester cassettes 330 are plugged into the housing 320 of the modular block 310. In this way, the installer or the user is ensured to insert in the modular block 310 the cassette type or caliber surge arrester accepted by protection device 300.

Finally, the housing front portion 312 has upper and lower walls 312B which extend rearward perpendicularly to the front wall 312A. The upper and lower walls 312B of this housing front portion 312 are provided near their free edge with snap edges 312E and an interlocking groove 312E adapted to cooperate with the ratchet teeth 311E and the interlocking groove 311E of the upper and lower walls 311B of the casing front portion 312 for assembling said front and rear housing portions 312, 311 of the modular block 310 (see FIGS. 4 and 18). As best shown in Figures 30, 31, 33, 34, each lightning cassette 330 includes a housing 331 which houses a varistor 333 (overvoltage limiting device) and a thermal disconnection device 335, 700. The housing 331 of each cassette protector 330, of generally parallelepipedal shape, has two parallel main lateral faces, a rear face, a front face and two opposite transverse faces upper and lower. The front face has in its central zone a projecting front portion which carries an operating lever 332. The front portion comprises a front face and two opposite transverse faces, one upper and the other lower, which extend at right angles to the front face of the housing 331. The operating lever 332 has two branches which extend from a median zone of the facade portion, along both sides of the front face of the facade portion. The operating lever 332 also comprises a gripping portion which extends perpendicular to the two branches, against the upper transverse face of the front portion of the housing 331. The operating lever 332 is incorporated here in the profile of the front face and the upper transverse face of the front portion of the casing 331 of the lightning arrester cassette 330. As shown more particularly in FIG. 1, when the three arrester cassettes 330 are mounted in the receptacle 320 for receiving the modular block 310, the part front panel with the operating lever 332 of each lightning cassette 330 aligns with the front portion 312'A of the front face 312 of the modular block 310 so that these aligned front parts are intended to emerge out of a plastron (Not shown), through a window of this plastron, when modular block 310 is in place on the rail in a box or an electrical cabinet. As shown in FIGS. 3, 30, 31, 33 and 34, the varistor 333 of each lightning arrester cassette 330 is in the form of a block composed of metal oxides such as zinc oxides. This block comprises 333D mounting and wedging tabs in interior arrangements 331 D of the casing 331 of the cassette. Block 333 also includes lugs 333A, 333B of current-conducting material for connecting the varistor to the power grid. One of these conductive tabs 333A is in contact with a conductive plate 800 which leaves the bottom wall 331C of the casing 331 of the cassette to form the pin 801 which establishes the electrical connection with one of the phase electric wires F1, F2 , F3 of the modular block 310. The other of these tabs 333B is clamped in a clamp which keeps it in contact with a conductive blade which leaves the upper wall of the casing 331 of the cassette to form the pin 802 which establishes the connection with a conductive plate 500 electrically connected to the neutral electrical wire FN of the modular block 310.

Each varistor 333 has an extremely non-linear voltage / current characteristic. Beyond a certain threshold voltage across the varistor 333, the impedance of the varistor 333 drops to allow the evacuation of the current creating the overvoltage. When the voltage returns to an acceptable normal level, the impedance of the varistor 333 returns to its idle state. For large deviated current amplitudes, the voltage across the varistor increases. The life of the varistor 333 is limited, depending on the stresses, the properties of the ceramic blocks are degraded, the leakage current of the varistor in the standby state increases, and the thermal resistance of the varistor decreases. For this reason, a thermal disconnection device 335, 700 is provided in each lightning arrester cassette 330 which, in the event of exceeding the thermal capacity of the varistor 333, disconnects the varistor 333 from the electrical network to which it is connected. protective apparatus 300 to prevent damage related to this thermal overflow.

As shown in FIGS. 30, 31, 33 and 34, each thermal disconnection device comprises a fuse link 335 (in the form of an angle plate of fuse material) which maintains an insulating slider 700 in a connection position. (see Figures 30 and 31) against a tension spring (not visible in the figures). The slide 700 is slidably mounted on a slide 336 and the tension spring is stretched between the slider 700 and a fixed part of the casing 331 of the arrester cassette 330 so that it tends to slide the slider 700 from its connection position. to a disconnection position (see FIGS. 33 and 34) in which an insulating wall 710 of the slider 700 is interposed between the conductive tabs 333A of the associated varistor 333 and the conductive strip 800 for connection to the phase electric wire, so as to to open the electrical circuit and disconnect the varistor 333 of the electrical circuit to which it is connected. The fuse link 335 is placed in contact with a conductive tab 333C issuing from the varistor 333 so that when the varistor 333 ages and exceeds its thermal capacity, the heat transmitted by conduction by the conducting tongue 333C to the fuse link 335 causes its melting and release of the slider 700 which is pulled by the tension spring to its disconnected position. The modular block 310 of the protection device 300 and the circuit breaker 200 are placed side by side and assembled by one of their lateral main faces. For their assembly, the modular block 310 houses two hooks 340 which emerge out of the modular block 310 through the main lateral face 313 concerned (FIGS. 4 and 5), and is provided in correspondence of the windows (not visible in the figures). in the relevant lateral main face of the circuit breaker 200. The hooks 340 are actuated by locks 341 which make it possible to lock the hooks 340 hooked on the circuit-breaker 200. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, 5, the protective device 300 comprises, outside the modular block 310, a wire-cover 400 of electrically insulating material which encloses the electric wires Fi, F2, F3, FN which exit outside the modular block 310 while passing through, in the lower part, the main lateral face 311B, 313 of the modular block 310 by which said modular block 310 is assembled to the circuit breaker 200, to electrically connect to the output terminals of the circuit breaker 200. This envelope wire cover 400 comprises a base 410 closed by a cover 420 (see FIGS. 6 and 9). It is attached to the underside of the circuit breaker 200 so that the external face of its cap 420 is pressed against the underside of the circuit breaker 200 and the external face of its base 410 extends in the extension of the lower face of the modular block. 310 of the protection device 300. Thus, the electrical assembly 1 consisting of the circuit breaker 200 and the protection device 300 provided with the wire-cap envelope 400 forms a unitary block that is generally rectangular parallelepipedal (see FIGS. 1 and 2). ). The free ends El, E2, E3, EN of said electrical wires Fi, F2, F3, FN leave the wire-cover 400 through openings 421 of the cover 420 to be connected to the output terminals of the circuit-breaker 200 (see FIG. Figures 4 and 5).

Advantageously, the base 410 is disjoint from the modular block 310 of the protection device 300 (as shown more particularly in FIG. 5, there is a gap E between the base 410 and the modular block 310) and is provided with one hand, holding means 412A, 412B, 412C, 412D, 414A, 414B, 414C, 414D cooperating with said electrical son Fi, F2, F3, FN to maintain each electric wire Fi, F2, F3, FN in a determined position and, on the other hand, mounting means 415, 415A, 417, 417A, 418, 418A for fixing said base 410 to the circuit breaker 200 (see FIGS. 6, 7, 9, 10, 13, 14). Said holding means 412A, 412B, 412C, 412D, 414A, 414B, 414C, 414D of the base 410 are arranged to hold the free ends El, E2, E3, EN of the electric wires F1, F2, F3, FN on a line A in regularly spaced positions (see Figure 4). The base 410 thus advantageously makes it possible to reduce as far as possible the length of the electric wires F1, F2, F3, FN between the varistors 333 of the protection device 300 and the terminals L1, L2, L3, LN of the circuit breaker 200, which allows to avoid the appearance of residual surges and to comply with the provisions of the French standard NF 15/100. The base 410 also ensures the maintenance of electrical son F1, F2, F3, FN in specific positions determined, allowing the use of flexible son rather than rigid, less expensive.

As shown more particularly in FIGS. 6 to 14, the base 410 is a molded piece made of a rigid plastic material, which comprises a base plate 411, here with a rectangular contour, and walls 412, 413, 414 which rise perpendicularly. to the base plate 410, from the inner face 411A thereof.

Three of these walls 412, said side walls and front wall, border the base plate 411 on three contiguous sides to form with the base plate 410, a rectangular parallelepiped box open on one side. Another wall 413, called the rear wall, runs along the fourth side of the base plate 410 while being placed at a distance from the edge of the plate. The other walls 414, said inner walls, are placed inside the space delimited by the side walls 412, the front wall 412 and the rear wall 413 of the base 410. One of the side walls 412 (the one placed opposite the main lateral face 313 of the modular block 310 of the protection apparatus 300) and the inner walls 414 comprise notches 412A, 412B, 412C, 412D, 414A, 414B, 414D with rounded bottoms which house said electrical wires F1, F2, F3, FN so that they form said holding means. As best shown in FIG. 12, the electrical wires F1, F2, F3, FN coming out of the modular block 310, enter the base 410 through the notches 412A, 412B, 412C, 412D of the corresponding lateral wall 412 of the base 410. then they follow in the base 410 a path determined in particular by the notches 414A, 414B, 414D of the internal walls 414. The neutral electric wire FN follows the longest path determined by the notches 414D, then in descending order, the electric wire F1 phase follows the path determined by the notches 414A and phase electric wire F2 follows the path determined by the notches 414B. The phase electric wire F3 follows the shortest path determined by an inner wall 414C bent against which supports said electric wire F3. As best shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the cover 420 is a molded piece made of a rigid plastic material, which is in the form of a rectangular closure plate whose dimensions correspond to the clearance to the dimensions of the internal space. delimited by the internal faces of the side walls 412, before 412 and rear 413 of the base 410. As shown in Figures 6, 8 and 9, this closure plate 420 is positioned between the side walls 412, before 412 and rear 413 of the base 410 above the inner walls 414 of said base 410 so that it closes the outlet of the notches 412A, 412B, 412C, 412D of the walls of the base 410 to block the electrical son Fi, F2, F3, FN in the notches. This closure plate 420 has aligned through holes 421 (see FIGS. 4 and 15), here of oblong shape, through which the free ends El, E2, E3, EN of said electric wires Fi, F2, F3, FN come out of the wire cover 400 to be connected to the output terminals of the circuit breaker 200 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). The closure plate 420 also carries, on its inner face 420A turned towards the base 410, means for holding said electrical son Fi, F2, F3, FN. These holding means comprise walls 424, 424A, 424B, 424D which extend from the inner face 420A of the closure plate 420 of said cover, perpendicular to it. The wall 424 of the cover closes the corresponding opening of the side wall 412 of the base 410 just above the outlet of said notches 412A, 412B, 412C (see FIGS. 8 and 14). The other walls 424A, 424B, 424D of the cover guide and hold the electrical son Fi, F2, F3, FN at the bottom of the corresponding notches of the base 410. The cover 420 and the base 410 comprise latching means adapted to cooperate together to the hood assembly with the base. These latching means comprise teeth 412E provided projecting on the inner face of the side walls and before 412 of the base 410 which cling to the edge 422A of flanges 422 provided on the edge of the closure plate 420 of the cover (see Figures 12 to 15). The base plate 411 of the base 410 has, at the right of the teeth 412E, openings 419 (see FIG. 8) through which the tip of a tool accesses from the outside of the wire cover 400 to said ratchet teeth 412E. to disassemble the base 410 and the cover 420. The latching means also comprise on the cover 420 ratchet teeth 423A carried by tabs 423 provided on an edge of the closure plate 420 and on the base 410 of the windows 413A correspondingly provided in the rear wall 413 of the base (see Figures 10 and 14). Finally, there is provided on the hood 420 amounts 426 which rise from the inner face 420A of the closure plate 420, perpendicularly thereto. These amounts 426 are distributed along the edge of the closure plate 420 and are oriented so that one of their edge extends to the right of the edge of the closure plate. These uprights 426 bear against the internal face of the walls of the base 410 when the cover 420 is snapped onto the base 410 to reinforce the holding in position of the cover 420 on the base 410. The wire cover 400 (base 410 closed by cover 420) clings to circuit breaker 200 via said mounting means of base 410. These mounting means of base 410 are latching means. More particularly, as shown in Figures 13 and 14, said mounting means comprise posts 415, 417 which have at their free ends ratchet teeth 415A, 417A. The posts 415, 417 rise from the inner face 411A of the base plate 411 of the base, perpendicular to it. A pair of internal uprights 415 is located in the internal space delimited between the side walls 412, before 412 and rear 213 of the base 410 and closed by the closure plate 420. Two other pairs of external uprights 417 are located on an edge of the base 410 on the back of the rear wall 413 of the base 410, outside the internal space delimited between the side walls 412, before 412 and rear 213 of the base 410 and closed by the closure plate 420. Each pair of external uprights 417 form a fork with two parallel branches whose two outer sides carry the ratchet teeth 417A oriented in opposite directions. These forks are intended to fit in grooves provided on the rear face of the casing of the circuit breaker 200 and to hook on the edge of notches provided on the walls facing said grooves. The hooking and unhooking of each fork is effected by mutual reconciliation of the branches 417 which bend slightly elastically. As shown in FIG. 4, the closure plate 420 forming the cover has additional orifices 425 which pass through the internal uprights 415 of the base 410 so that their free ends provided with the ratchet teeth 415A emerge outside the wire cover 400 and can hook onto the edge of corresponding openings on the underside of the circuit breaker 200 housing. At the foot of the internal uprights 415, the base plate 411 of the base 410 is pierced with openings 419 through from which the tip of a tool accesses the ratchet teeth 415A of the internal uprights 415A to disassemble the base 410 and thus the wire cover 400 of the circuit breaker 200. Finally, as best shown in FIGS. 8, 13 and 14, two flexible tongues 411L are cut in the base plate 411 of the base 410 of the wire cover 400. Each of the tongues 411L has a free end, located on an edge of said base plate. 411, secured to a pull tab 416 which extends perpendicular to said tongue 411 L on either side thereof (in the direction perpendicular to the base plate). Each pull tab 416 is provided with a gripping aperture 416A located in a portion of the pull tab 416 extending on the side of the outer face of said base plate 411 and being secured to a hook 418A which extends a portion 418 of the pull tab 416 located on the side of the inner face 411A of said base plate 411. Each hook 418A is intended to hook, at the rear of the circuit breaker 200, a mounting tab of the circuit breaker 200 and with the drawbars 416 of the 400, it is possible to pull on these mounting tabs of the circuit breaker to disengage the mounting rail on which the circuit breaker 200 is mounted. In the electrical assembly 1 shown in the various figures, it is advantageously provided a modular interface 100 which provides the mechanical and electrical connection in series of the circuit breaker 200 and the protective device 300 against temporary overvoltages. This modular interface 100 is here an integral part of the protection device 300 in that its mechanism, which will be described below, is fully housed in the housing (modular block 310) of the protection device 300, but in an alternative embodiment not shown, it can be provided that the modular interface has its own housing interposed between the circuit breaker housing and that of the protection device. This modular interface 100 comprises the hooks 340 actuated by the locks 341 (previously described) for the assembly of the modular block 310 of the protection device 300 and the case of the circuit breaker 200. As shown in FIGS. 3, 18, 23 to 29, the modular interface 100 also comprises: an electrical switch 110 connected by electrical wires 111, 112, 113 to a connector 120 capable of transmitting a signal representative of the operating state of the circuit breaker 200 and / or the protective apparatus 300; a first mechanical safety element 130 intended to be connected to the opening / closing levers (constituting with the lever 230 an opening and closing device) of the circuit breaker 200, movable between an armed position (FIGS. 26 and 27) corresponding in the engaged state of the opening and closing device of the circuit breaker 200 and a triggered position (FIGS. 28 and 29) corresponding to the tripped state of the opening and closing device of the circuit breaker 200, the first mechanical safety element 130 being able in this triggered position to actuate the electric switch 110 to transmit a signal representative of the tripped state of the circuit breaker 200; and a second mechanical safety element 140 separate from the first mechanical safety element 130 and operating independently of the latter, intended to be connected to the protection device 300 and movable between a rest position (see FIGS. 26 and 29) corresponding to the normal operating state of the protection device 300 and a triggered position (FIGS. 27 and 28) corresponding to the faulting of a varistor 333 (overvoltage limiting device) of said protection device 300, the second element safety mechanism 140 being able in this triggered position to actuate the electric switch 110, without affecting the position of said first mechanical safety element 130, to transmit a signal representative of a malfunction of the protection device 300, by being placed on the path (FIG. 28) traversed by the first mechanical safety element 130 from its positi it is triggered (FIG. 28) towards its armed position (FIG. 27) so that, in this triggered position (FIG. 28), said second mechanical security element 140 forms a stop 143 for the first mechanical security element 130 prohibiting the latter to reach its armed position from its triggered position. As shown in Figures 17 and 20, the connector 120 is attached to the rear face of the housing rear portion 311 of the modular block 310 of the protection device 300, in a housing 311 F provided recess of the rear face. In the mounted position on the modular block 310, the connector 120 is accessible from above the modular block 310 to be connected to a signaling interface (not shown) displaying the information transmitted by said connector. The first and second mechanical safety elements 130, 140 are rotatably mounted respectively around two parallel axes X1, X2 of axes A1, A2 (see FIG. 23) fixed in the housing 310 of the protection device 300.

According to the preferred example shown in FIGS. 23 to 29, each of the first and second mechanical safety elements 130, 140 is able, independently of one another, to pivot a rocker 150 causing the switch to close. 110. This flip-flop 150 is a unitary piece made of insulating material.

It comprises: a central portion 151 mounted for free rotation around a fixed shaft A3 X3 axis parallel to the axes X1, X2 of rotation of the first and second mechanical security elements 130, 140, and provided with a finger control 152 of said electrical switch 110, and - two branches 153, 154 which extend from the central portion 151, substantially opposite one another, one 153 of the branches having a bearing surface 153A turned towards the first mechanical safety element 130 and the other branch 154 having a bearing surface 154A turned towards the second mechanical safety element 140, said first and second mechanical safety elements 130 respectively bearing on the bearing surfaces 153A, 154A branches 153, 154 of the flip-flop 150 to rotate it to the electrical switch 110 (see Figures 29 and 27). The first mechanical safety element 130 is a unitary piece of insulating material which comprises a plate 131, one side of which supports a bearing 132 for receiving the shaft A1 of axis X1 and of which another opposite face supports a pin 133 for connection to the opening and closing device (levers attached to the handle 230) of the circuit breaker 200. The mechanical connection between the pin 133 and the circuit breaker 200 is effected through an opening 313A of the main lateral face 313 of the modular block 310 the protection device 300 which establishes the junction with the circuit breaker 200 (see FIG. 17). The plate 131 comprising an actuating finger 134 for the control of the electric switch 110 and is extended by an arm 135 which extends on the same side as the actuating finger 134 and which has at its free end a return 136 capable of abutting against said stop 143 of the second mechanical safety element 140 placed in the tripped position (see Figure 28). The second mechanical safety element 140 is a unitary piece of insulating material which comprises an arm 141 which is provided with an actuating finger 142 for the control of the electric switch 110 and which has, on the one hand, an end free 143 forming said abutment for said first mechanical safety element 130, and, on the other hand, opposite said free end 143, an end 144 mounted to rotate freely on the shaft A2 X2 axis which s' extends in the rear housing portion 311 of the modular block 310 of protection apparatus 300, this end 144 being connected to a lever 145 threaded onto the shaft A2 and adapted to be pivoted about this shaft A2 by at least one actuator 160 of which the action is released when a varistor 333 (overvoltage limiting device) of said protection device 300 is defective. As best shown in FIG. 23, the arm 141 of the second mechanical safety element 1 40 is formed with the lever 145 to form a generally L-shaped integral piece. The lever 145 comprises a body formed by a succession of tubular portions 146 of axis X2 in which the shaft A2 is threaded. The lever 145 and the arm 141 are mounted in interior arrangements 317, 318 of the housing rear portion 311 of the modular block 310 (see FIGS. 19 and 21). These interior arrangements comprise tabs 317 with notches 317A with a rounded bottom in which the shaft A2 is fitted and a set of walls 318 wedging said lever 145 so that the arm 141 is placed adequately with respect to the main lateral face 311. D of the modular block 310 and the other elements (in particular the first mechanical safety element 130) of the modular interface 100. There is provided an elastic return means which tends to position the second mechanical safety element 140 in its rest position . The elastic return means here is a wire spring 148 wound around the body 146 of said second mechanical safety element 140, one end of the wire spring 148 being attached to said body 146 and another end of the wire spring 148 being locked against a fixed portion of the modular interface, here against the inner face of the upper wall 311 B of the rear housing portion 311 (see Figures 21 to 25). As shown in Figures 21 to 25, according to the embodiment shown, there are provided three actuators 160 distributed along the body 146 of the lever 145 of the second mechanical safety element 140, each actuator 160 comprises a rear portion 165 (see FIGS. 32 and 35) which is engaged in a free space 147 provided between two tubular parts of the body 146. Each actuator 160 is associated with a varistor 333 of a lightning arrester cassette 330 of the protection device 300. More generally, it is provided as many actuators 160 as varistors 333 of the protection device 300. Each actuator 160 is, on the one hand, connected to the rear housing portion 311 of the modular block 330 by an elastic return means 170 which tends to positioning said actuator 160 in a release position where it places said lever 145 in a trigger position corresponding to the triggered position of the arm 141 of said second component safety pin 140, and, secondly, held by an element 600 of the lightning arrester cassette 330 connected to the fuse link 335, in a connection position in which said elastic return means 170 is under stress. More particularly, as best shown in FIGS. 30 to 35, each actuator 160 comprises a plate whose rear face 161 is hollowed to fit the cylindrical outer surface of a tubular portion of the body 146 of the lever 145. In this way, each actuator 160 is pivotally mounted about the shaft A2. A rounded upper edge 162 of the plate of each actuator 160 bears against the lever 145 connected to the arm 141 of the second safety element 140. The rear portion 165 of the actuator 160 extends from the rear face 161 of the plate between two tubular portions 146 of the body of the lever 145, towards the bottom of the rear housing portion 311 of the modular block 310. This rear portion 165 comprises an orifice 166 in which is attached the end 171 of a coil spring traction 170 whose other end is attached to a stud 316 carried by the bottom 311A of the rear housing portion 311 (see Figures 21 and 22). In addition, the front face 163 of the plate of each actuator 160 carries a stud 164 projecting. This stud 164 passes through a window 331E of the rear wall of the casing 331 of the associated arrester cassette 330 so that its free end bears against a rear face 602 of an inner element 600 of said arrester cassette 300. 31 and 34, this inner element 600 is an elongated strip along the block of the varistor 333 of the lightning arrester cassette 330. This strip 600 comprises a longitudinal groove 603 slidably mounted on an internal rib 331 B of the casing 331 of the lightning protection cassette 330. In contrast to its rear face 602, the bar 600 comprises a front face 601 bearing against a face 701 of the slider 700 (of the thermal disconnection device of the lightning arrester cassette 330) held in connection position by the connection fuse 335. In this connection position shown in Figures 31 and 32, the bar 600, bearing against the slider 700 held by the fuse link 335, maintains, via the block 164, the plate of the actuator 160 facing downwards in said connecting position in which the helical pulling spring 170 is stretched and the lever 145 and the arm 141 of the second mechanical safety element 140 are placed in the rest position. By cons, as shown in Figures 34 and 35, when the slider 700 takes its disconnected position, because of the melting of the fuse link 335 caused by exceeding the thermal capacity of the varistor 333 of the cassette lightning arrester 330, it releases the support of the front face 601 of the bar 600. The bar 600 can then slide freely on the internal rib 331 B and no longer opposes any resistance to the pad 164 of the actuator 160 which is pulled by the coil spring traction 170 returning to its original compressed state. The helical coil spring 170 then causes the upward tilting of the actuator 160 which, by pressing the rounded upper edge 162 of its plate, causes the lever 145 and the arm 141 of the second mechanical safety element 140 to pivot from the rest position (lowered) to the triggered position (raised) in which, on the one hand, the actuating finger 142 of the arm 141 actuates via the flip-flop 150 the electrical switch 110 connected to the connector 120, and on the other hand , the abutment 143 of the arm 141 of the second mechanical safety element 140 is placed on the path of the first mechanical safety element 130 taken between its triggered and armed positions. Referring to Figures 26 to 29, we will summarize below the operation of the modular interface 100.

As shown in FIG. 26, during normal operation of the electrical assembly 1 connected to the local electrical installation (circuit breaker 200 switched on and varistors 333 of the protection device 300 connected to the electrical network), the plate 131 of the first mechanical safety element 130 is raised in the armed position in which its actuating finger 134 is out of contact with the bearing surface 153A of the rocker 150 and the arm 141 of the second mechanical safety element 140 is lowered into the rest position in which the actuating finger 142 of the arm 141 remains in contact with the bearing surface 154A of the rocker 150 whose control finger 152 is in contact with the push button of the electric switch 110. When one of the varistors 333 of the protection device 300 exceeds its thermal capacity due to its aging, it causes the fusing of the fuse link 335 of the associated arrester cassette 330: this which causes the actuation of a signaling means (not shown in the figures) to set defaults on the front face of the surge arrester cassette, as well as the tilting of the associated actuator 160 from its lowered connecting position to its released release position. In its tilting, the actuator 160 drives the lever 145 and the arm 141 of the second mechanical safety element 140 which pivot about the shaft A2 from the rest position lowered to the raised triggered position in which the actuating finger 142 of the arm 141 pushes on the bearing surface 154A to tilt the rocker 150 around its shaft A3 towards the electrical switch 110 so that the control finger 152 of the rocker 150 pushes a push button of the switch 110 (see Figure 27). In this way, the actuating finger 142 of the arm 141 of the second mechanical safety element 140 actuates the electrical switch 110 of the connector 120 which transmits the fault information of the protection device 300 to a processing device and display not shown. As shown in FIG. 27, in the triggered position of the second mechanical safety element 140, the stop 143 provided at the free end of the arm 141 is raised and positioned on the path of the first mechanical safety element 130 taken between its triggered positions. and army. In doing so, as shown in Figure 27, said first mechanical safety element 130 has not moved and remained in the armed position since the circuit breaker 200 remained engaged (closed electrical circuit).

As shown in FIG. 28, in order to be able to replace the defective arrester cassette 330 of the protection device 300 in good safety conditions, the user isolates the electrical assembly 1 from the electrical circuit by opening said electrical circuit by triggering the circuit breaker 200 (which conventionally amounts to lowering the handle 230 and the levers attached). The lowering of the levers by the actuation of the lever 230 causes, via the pin 133, the tilting down of the first mechanical safety element 130 around the shaft A1 from its armed position to its tripped position and the finger actuation 134 of the plate 131 is pressed on the surface 153A of the flip-flop 150 to tilt it around the shaft A3 in the direction of the electric switch 110. The control finger 152 of the flip-flop 150 then depresses the button pushbutton of the electric switch 110 (see Figure 28). In this way, the actuating finger 134 of the plate 131 of the first mechanical safety element 130 actuates the electrical switch 110 of the connector 120 which transmits the opening or tripping information of the circuit breaker 200 to a processing device and display not shown. It should be noted in FIG. 28 that the second mechanical safety element 140 placed in the tripped position prevents the closing or re-engagement of the circuit breaker 200 because the free end 143 of the arm 141 of the second mechanical safety element 140 is positioned opposite the 135 return of the arm 135 of the first mechanical safety element 130. If the user then tries to raise the handle 230 of the circuit breaker 200 to close the electrical circuit, the return 136 of the first mechanical safety element 130 rotated around its shaft Al by the levers via the pin 133, from its triggered position to its armed position, abuts against said free end 143 of the arm 141 (forming a stop). The abutment of the return 136 of the first mechanical safety element 130 against the free end 143 of the arm 141 of the second mechanical safety element 140 prevents the first mechanical safety element 130 from reaching its armed position, which prevents the closure 200. Thus, before switching on the circuit breaker 200, the user replaces the defective lightning cassette 330 in the protection device 300. The bar 600 of the new lightning cassette 330 lowers, via the pin 164, the corresponding actuator 160 in the connecting position by tensioning the coil spring 170. The actuator 160 returned to the connecting position releases the lever 145 and the arm 141 of the second mechanical safety element 140 which, under the action of the mainspring 148, switches from its triggered position to its rest position where it deviates from the rocker 150 and the first mechanical safety element 130 (see Figure 29). In this rest position, the second mechanical safety element 140 is spaced from the path traveled by the first mechanical safety element 130 between its triggered position and its armed position. The user can then reset the levers of the circuit breaker 200 by actuating the handle 230 to close the electrical circuit since the first mechanical safety element 130 can freely pivot or tilt around the shaft Al from its triggered position to its armed position by being driven by the levers of the circuit breaker 200 via the link pin 133. The flip-flop 150 which is no longer pushed in the direction of the electric switch 110, neither by the first nor by the second mechanical safety element, releases the pressure on the push-button of the electric switch 110. Conventionally, this push button then returns to its original stable position under the action of an elastic return means and pushes the lever 150 which pivots around the shaft A3 to its original position shown in FIG. advantageously, the movement and action of the second mechanical safety element 140 are distinct and independent of the movement and action of the first mechanical safety element 130. Each mechanical safety element 130, 140 acts independently of one of the other on the electrical switch 110 so that the connector 120 transmits information relating to the operation of the circuit breaker 200 and the protection device 300, but the action of the second element m Safety circuit 140 has no influence on the circuit breaker 200 in that it does not automatically cause the opening or closing of the circuit breaker 200. The first and second mechanical safety elements 130, 140 have as essential function a function of deferring the operating state (normal or faulty) of the electrical assembly 1 (constituting a self-protected arrester assembly). According to a preferred characteristic of the protection device 300 shown in the various figures, the front housing portion 312 of the modular block 310 houses a shaft 190; 190 ', the so-called "cassette locking shaft" provided with at least one locking element 191, 191 ', this shaft 190; 190' being movably mounted in the modular block 310 such that its movement is related to the movement of the opening and closing device 230 of the circuit breaker 200, said cassette locking shaft 190; 190 being able to take two distinct positions, namely, on the one hand, a first position called "safety position" corresponding to the engaged state of the circuit breaker, in which each locking element 191; 191 'cooperates with a complementary part 334; 334 'of a lightning arrester cassette 330 so as to prohibit the removal and / or insertion of said lightning arrester cassette 330, and, secondly, a second position called "access position" corresponding to the tripped state of circuit breaker, in which each locking element 191; 191 'leaves said complementary portion 334; 334' of the lightning arrester cassette 330 free so as to allow the withdrawal and / or insertion of said lightning arrester cassette 330. Advantageously, there is provided a resilient biasing means 193; 193 'which tends to place the cassette lock shaft 190; 190' in the safety position. As shown in FIGS. 36 to 45, the cassette locking shaft 190; 190 'comprises as many locking elements 191; 191' as there are lightning arrester cassettes 330 accommodated in said housing 320.

Here, the cassette locking shaft 190; 190 'comprises three locking elements 191; 191' each associated with a lightning arrester cassette 330. According to a first embodiment shown in FIGS. 36 to 41, the cassette locking shaft 190 has an end 192 which cooperates with a transmission element 180 which is pivotally connected to the first mechanical safety element 130 of the modular interface 100 and which is mounted for free rotation around a shaft A4 of axis parallel to the X1 rotation axis of said first mechanical security element 130. The cassette lock shaft 190 carries at least one stud 191 (it has as many pads as there are lightning arrester cassettes in the protection device), here it comprises three pads 191, and it is intended to take two distinct angular positions, namely: - a first position called "safety position" (see Figures 36 to 38) corresponding to the armed position of said first mechanical safety element 130 (see Figure 38); and a second position called "access position" (see Figures 39 to 41) corresponding to the triggered position of said first mechanical safety element 130 (see Figure 41). More particularly, as shown in FIGS. 18 and 22, the cassette locking shaft 190 is placed under the bottom wall 315 which delimits the housing 320 for receiving the arrester cassettes 330 of the front housing part 312 of the modular block 310. shaft 190 is pivotally mounted in rounded bottom notches 319B (forming pivot bearings) of a lower housing front portion 319. The shaft 190 is held in these bearings 319B by means of retaining tabs 319A from this lower case portion 319B. As best shown in Figure 18, there is provided in said bottom wall 315 of the front portion of housing 312 of the modular block 310, at the bottom of each of the grooves 315A for mounting surge arresters 330, a window 315B located at the right of each 191 as shown in FIGS. 38 and 41, the transmission element 180 is in the form of a butterfly with a cylindrical central body which carries on its outer surface two wings 181 , 182 extending generally in opposite directions. The cylindrical central body is pierced axially and threaded onto the shaft A4 fixed to the housing of the modular block 310 (see FIG. 23). One of the wings 181 of the transmission element 180 is in permanent support against a wall 137 carried by the inner face of the plate 131 of the first mechanical safety element 130, internal face which also supports the bearing 132 for receiving the shaft Al. The other flange 182 of the transmission member 180 is in permanent abutment against said end 192 of the cassette locking shaft 190. This end 192 is in the form of a wafer extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of the shaft 190. In this way, when the first mechanical safety element 130 is pivoted about its shaft A1 by the circuit breaker levers 200 actuated by the lever 230, between the armed position and the tripped position, it drives with it the cassette lock shaft 190 which pivots between the safety position and the access position. Furthermore, the elastic return means, which tends to place the cassette locking shaft 190 in its safety position, is a wire spring 193 wound around the cassette locking shaft 190, one end of which is connected to said shaft and whose other end is locked against a fixed part (the lower housing part 319) of the modular block 310.

In the safety position, each stud 191 of the cassette lock shaft 190 protrudes through the window 315B into the mounting groove 315A of the corresponding lightning cassette 330 (see FIG. 18). In this position, each stud 191 is placed in abutment against the inclined face 334A of a stud 334 carried by the lower face 3310 of the housing 331 of each lightning cassette 330 engaged in each groove 315A of the modular block 310 (see FIGS. 37). The pads 191 in the safety position thus prohibit the removal of the arrester cassettes 330 from the modular block 310 of the protection apparatus 300. In the access position, each stud 191 of the cassette lock shaft 190 is set back from the opening of said window 315B inside the housing of the modular block 310 so as to allow the removal and / or racking of one or more lightning arrester cassette in the modular block 310 of the protection device 300 (see FIG. and 40). According to a second embodiment shown in FIGS. 42 to 45, the cassette locking shaft 190 'is in the form of a slider mounted movable in translation along a translation direction T in the modular block. This strip is provided with at least one notch 191 '(here three notches 191') oriented in the direction of translation T of said strip so that, on the one hand, in said safety position each notch 191 'is engaged on a stud 334 'carried by the lower face 3310 of the casing 331 of a lightning arrester cassette 330 to connect this lightning arrester cassette 330 to the cassette locking shaft 190' (see FIG. 42), and, secondly, in said position access each notch 191 'is remote from the stud 334' integral with the corresponding lightning cassette 330 to release the lightning cassette 330 of the cassette lock shaft 190 '(see Figure 44). The strip 190 'comprises successively from the end located on the side of the circuit breaker 200, a first rectangular notch 191' and two L-shaped notches whose shorter length portions extend in the direction of translation T and constitute said notches 191 'of engagement on the studs 334' of the arrester cassettes 330. According to this second embodiment, the elastic return means, which tends to place the cassette lock shaft 190 'in its safety position, is a helical spring 193 'compression interposed between an end portion 192'A of the cassette lock shaft 190' and a fixed portion of the modular block 310. The cassette lock shaft 190 'is also placed under the bottom wall which delimits the receiving housing of the lightning arrester cassettes 330 of the front housing part of the modular block and the studs 334 'protruding from the undersides 331C of the arrester cassettes 3 30 pass through the windows provided at the bottom of the mounting grooves of the arrester cassettes 330 to cooperate with said notches 191 'of the cassette lock shaft 190'. In addition, according to this second embodiment, as shown more particularly in FIGS. 44 and 45, the first mechanical safety element 130 is adapted, when it moves from the armed position to the triggered position, to bear against an edge 192'B of an end 192 'of the cassette lock shaft 190' to push it into its access position against the biasing action of the coil spring 193 'compression.

The cassette locking shaft 190; 190 'advantageously forces the user to open the electrical circuit to which the electrical assembly 1 is connected, by opening or tripping the circuit breaker 200, to intervene on one of the lightning arrester cassettes 330 of the appliance The protection device 300 then advantageously has a secure access for the user.

In normal operation of the electrical assembly 1, the protection device 300 is connected to the electrical network by the circuit breaker 200 which is switched on (the electrical circuit of which is closed) and the first mechanical safety element 130 of the modular interface 100 is placed in an armed position (see Figures 38 and 43). According to the first embodiment, the wire spring 193 holds the cassette locking shaft 190 in its safety position in which the studs 191 which it bears are in abutment against the inclined faces 334A of the studs 334 of the lightning arrestor cassettes 330 of FIG. protection device 300 so as to prevent the user from extracting one of said lightning arrester cassettes 330 from the modular block 310 (FIGS. 36 and 37). According to the second embodiment, the coil spring 193 'pushes the cassette lock shaft 190' into its safety position in which the notches 191 'are engaged on the studs 334' of the lightning arrester cassettes 330 of the protection device. in such a way as to prevent the user from extracting one of said arrester cassettes 330 from the modular block (FIGS. 42 and 43). When the user must replace one of the arrester cassettes 330 which is malfunctioning because its varistor 333 has aged and exceeded its thermal capacity (the latter having disconnected from the electrical circuit via the disconnection device thermal), it opens the electrical circuit of the circuit breaker 200 by lowering the lever 230 to operate the levers. This has the effect of tilting the plate 131 of the first mechanical safety element 130 around the shaft Al from its armed position to its tripped position. According to the first embodiment of the cassette locking shaft, this plate 131 drives in rotation, via the wall 137 which pushes the wing 181, the transmission element 180 whose wing 182 pushes the end 192 of the Cassette locking shaft 190 for swinging said shaft 190 from its safety position to its access position against the action of the tensioning wire spring 193. During the tilting of the cassette locking shaft 190 the pads 190 slide against the inclined faces 334A of the pads 334 carried by the lower faces 331C of the lightning arrestor cassettes 330 to be inserted inside the housing of the modular block 310, below the lower wall 315 of the housing 320 in which are inserted the lightning arrestor cassettes 330. In the access position, the pads 191 are erased under the studs 334 of the lightning arrester cassettes 330 (FIGS. 39 and 40) and the user can extract the damaged lightning cassette 330 of the modular block of the protective device and to skew a new one. According to the second embodiment of the cassette locking shaft, this plate 131 bears against the edge 192'B of the end 192 'of the cassette locking shaft 190' to push it in translation in the direction T since its safety position towards its access position against the action of the coil spring 193 'which compresses. During the translation of the cassette locking shaft 190 ', the notches 191' move in the translation direction T away from said pads 334 'of the lightning arrester cassettes 330. In the access position, as shown in FIG. 44, the notches 191 'are disengaged from the studs 334' of the lightning arrester cassettes 330 and the user can extract the damaged arrester cassette 330 from the modular block of the protective apparatus and insert a new one. When all the surge arresters 330 of the protection device 300 are in operating condition, the user can again close the electrical circuit of the circuit breaker 200 by raising the lever 230 which actuates the levers, which has the effect of driving in rotation the plate 131 of the first mechanical security element 130 from its triggered position to its armed position. According to the first embodiment of the cassette locking shaft, said plate 131 then releases the pressure on the transmission element 180 and the wire spring 193 expands by returning the cassette locking shaft 190 to its safety position in which pads 191 it carries, emerge through said windows 315B above the bottom wall 315 of the housing 320 in which are inserted the lightning arrestor cassettes 330, to come into abutment against the inclined faces 334A studs 334 of surge arrester cassettes 330 (FIGS. 36 and 37). The cassette locking shaft 190 provided with its pads 191 thus blocks the lightning arrester cassettes 330 in the modular block 310 of the protection device 300. According to the second embodiment of the cassette locking shaft, said plate 131 is erases the edge 192'B of the end 192 'of the cassette lock shaft 190' and thus releases its support thereon. The helical spring 193 'of compression expands by bringing the cassette locking shaft 190' to its safety position in which the notches 191 'that it comprises are engaged on the studs 334' of the arrester cassettes 330 (FIG. 42). The cassette locking shaft 190 'provided with its notches 191' thus blocks the lightning arrester cassettes 330 in the modular block of the protection device. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described and shown, but the skilled person will be able to make any variant consistent with his mind.

Claims (18)

REVENDICATIONS1. Modular interface (100) for the mechanical and electrical connection in series of a circuit breaker (200) and a protection device (300) against temporary overvoltages, in particular of atmospheric origin, which interface comprises: an electrical switch (110) connected to a connector (120) capable of transmitting a signal representative of the operating state of the circuit breaker (200) and / or the protection apparatus (300), and 10 - a first mechanical element safety device (130) intended to be connected to the opening and closing device (230) of the circuit breaker (200), movable between an armed position corresponding to the switched on state of the opening and closing device (230) of the circuit breaker (200) and a triggered position corresponding to the tripped state of the opening and closing device (230) of the circuit breaker (200), the first mechanical safety element (130) being adapted in this triggered position. actuating the electrical switch (110) to transmit a signal representative of the tripped state of the circuit breaker (200), a modular interface characterized in that it comprises a second mechanical safety element (140) separate from the first mechanical element of 20 safety device (130) and operating independently of the latter, intended to be connected to the protection device (300) and movable between a rest position corresponding to the normal operating state of the protection device (300) and a position triggered corresponding to the failure of an overvoltage limiting device (333) of said protection device (300), the second mechanical safety element (140) being adapted in this triggered position to actuate the electrical switch (110). ), without affecting the position of said first mechanical safety element (130), for transmitting a signal representative of a malfunction of e the protection apparatus (300), being placed on the path traversed by the first mechanical safety element (130) from its triggered position to its armed position so that, in this triggered position, said second mechanical element of safety device (140) forms a stop for the first mechanical safety element (130) preventing the latter from reaching its armed position from its triggered position. 2. Modular interface (100) according to claim 1, wherein there is provided an elastic return means (148) which tends to position the second mechanical safety element (140) in its rest position. 3. Modular interface (100) according to the preceding claim, wherein said elastic return means is a wire spring (148) wound around the body (146) of said second mechanical safety element (140), one end of the wire spring being attached. said body and another end of the wire spring being locked against a fixed part of the modular interface. 4. Modular interface (100) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first and second mechanical security elements (130,140) are rotatably mounted respectively about two parallel fixed shafts (A1, A2). 5. Modular interface (100) according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein each of the first and second mechanical security elements (130,140) is adapted, independently of one another, to rotate a rocker (150 ) causing the closing of the electric switch (110). 6. Modular interface (100) according to claim 5, wherein the flip-flop (150) comprises: - a central portion (151) mounted to rotate freely around a fixed shaft (A3) parallel to the shafts (A1, A2) of rotating the first and second mechanical safety elements (130, 140), and provided with a control finger (152) of said electrical switch (110), and - two branches (153, 154) extending from the central portion (151), substantially opposite each other, one (153) of the branches having a bearing surface (153A) facing the first mechanical safety element (130) and the other arm (154) comprising a bearing surface (154A) facing the second mechanical safety element (140), said first and second mechanical safety elements (130, 140) respectively bearing on the bearing surfaces (153A, 154A) of the branches (153, 154); the flip-flop (150) to rotate it to the electrical switch (110) . 7. Modular interface (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first mechanical safety element (130) comprises a plate (131), a face supports a bearing (132) for receiving a shaft (A1). fixed rotation and whose another opposite face supports a pin (133) for connection to the opening and closing device (230) of the circuit breaker (200), said platinecomant an actuating finger (134) for the control of the electrical switch (110) and being extended by an arm (135) which extends on the same side as the actuating finger (134) and which has at its free end a return (136) capable of abutting against said stop ( 143) of the second mechanical safety element (140) in the tripped position. 8. Modular interface (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the second mechanical safety element (140) comprises an arm (141) which comprises an actuating finger (142) for controlling the electric switch (110) and which has, on the one hand, a free end (143) forming said abutment for said first mechanical safety element (140), and, on the other hand, opposite said free end, one end (144) mounted to free rotation on a fixed shaft (A2) which extends into said guard (300), said end being connected to a lever (145,146) threaded onto said shaft (A2) and adapted to be pivoted about of this shaft by at least one actuator (160) whose action is released when a surge limiting device (333) of said protection device (300) is faulted. 9. Modular interface (100) according to the preceding claim, wherein the arm (141) of the second mechanical safety element (140) is formed with said lever (145,146) to form a single part L-shaped globally 20. 10. Protective device (300) against temporary overvoltages, comprising a modular block (310) provided with a receiving housing (320) accommodating at least one plug-in / withdrawable surge arrester (330) containing an overvoltage limiting device ( 333) and a fuse link (335) 25 which establishes the electrical connection of the surge arrester (333) to an electrical terminal of the modular block, characterized in that the modular block comprises a housing (311, 312) which houses a modular interface (100) according to one of claims 8 and 9, each actuator (160) associated with a lightning arrester cassette (330) being, on the one hand, connected to said housing (311) by an elastic return means (170) which tends to position said actuator (160) in a release position where it places said lever (145,146) in a release position corresponding to the triggered position of the arm (141) of said second mechanical member of curity (140), and, secondly, held by an element (600) of the lightning arrester cassette (330) connected to the fusible link (335), in a bonding position in which said elastic return means (170) is under constraint. 11. Protection apparatus (300) according to the preceding claim, wherein said resilient biasing means is a helical coil spring (170). 12. Protection device (300) according to one of claims 10 and 11, wherein the housing (311,312) of the modular block (310) houses a shaft (190; 190 ') called "cassette locking shaft" provided with at least one locking element (191; 191 ') and one end (192; 192') cooperating directly or indirectly with the first mechanical safety element (130), said cassette locking shaft (190; 190 ') being movably mounted in the modular block (310) and being capable of taking two distinct positions, namely, on the one hand, a first position called "safety position" corresponding to the armed position of said first mechanical safety element (130 ), in which each locking element (191; 191 ') cooperates with a complementary part (334; 334') of a lightning arrester cassette (330) so as to prevent the withdrawal and / or the plug-in of each lightning arrester cassette ( 330) in the modular block (310), and, of secondly, a second position called "access position" corresponding to the triggered position of said first mechanical safety element (130), in which each locking element (191; 191 ') leaves said complementary part (334; 334') free; ) of the lightning arrester cassette (330) so as to allow the withdrawal and / or racking of each lightning arrester cassette (330) in the modular block (310). 13. Protective apparatus (300) according to the preceding claim, wherein there is provided an elastic return means (193; 193 ') which tends to place the cassette locking shaft (190; 190') in the safety position . 14. Protection apparatus (300) according to the preceding claim, wherein said end (192) of the cassette lock shaft (190) cooperates with a transmission element (180) pivotally connected to the first mechanical safety element and mounted with free rotation around a shaft (A4) parallel to the shaft (A1) of rotation of said first mechanical safety element (130), this cassette locking shaft (190) carrying at least one stud (191) and being mounted rotationally movable in the modular block (310) to take two distinct angular positions, namely, on the one hand, the safety position in which each stud (191) projects through a window (315B) of the housing ( 311,312) in the housing (320) accommodating each cassette surge arrester (330), and, secondly, the access position in which each stud (191) is set back from the outlet of said window (315B) inside said housing (311,312). 15. Protection device (300) according to the preceding claim, wherein said elastic return means is a wire spring (193) wound around the cassette locking shaft (190), one end of which is connected to said shaft and whose another end is locked against a fixed portion of said modular block housing (310). 16. Protection device (300) according to claim 13, wherein the cassette locking shaft (190 ') is in the form of a slider mounted movable in translation in the modular block (310) and provided with less a notch (191 ') oriented in the direction of translation of said strip so that, firstly, in said safety position each notch (191') is engaged on a stud (334 ') integral with a cassette arrester (330) for connecting this lightning arrester cassette (330) to the cassette locking shaft (190 '), and, secondly, in said access position each notch (191') is remote from the stud (334 ') ) secured to the corresponding lightning arrester cassette (330) to release this lightning arrester cassette (330) from the cassette locking shaft (190 '). 17. Protective apparatus (300) according to the preceding claim, wherein said elastic return means is a compression coil spring (193 ') interposed between an end portion (192'A) of the cassette locking shaft. (190 ') and a fixed part of the modular block (310). 18. Electrical assembly (1) self-protected against transient overvoltages comprising a protective device (300) against temporary overvoltages, in particular of atmospheric origin, and a circuit breaker (200) 25 mechanically and electrically connected to one with the other by a modular interface (100) according to one of claims 1 to 9, the housing comprises a side main side (313) of junction with the circuit breaker (200) traversed by a pin (133) which links said first mechanical element of security (130) to the opening and closing device (230) of said circuit breaker (200). 30