FR3072510B1 - ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A MODULAR ELECTRICAL APPARATUS AND A MODULAR AUXILIARY FIT TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS APPARATUS ON A MOUNTING RAIL - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an assembly comprising a modular electrical apparatus and a modular auxiliary adapted to be associated with said apparatus on a mounting rail, said electrical apparatus being housed in a substantially parallelepiped shaped casing and having on one of its faces a set of terminals said upstream, and on a face opposite to the previous relative to the rail, a set of terminals said downstream. This assembly is characterized in that the aforesaid housing said first (3) comprises a recess (i) adapted to receive the aforesaid auxiliary module (2) or a piece forming a hubcap having substantially the same size as the aforementioned auxiliary ( 2), and in that one (5) of the terminal sets, said first, comprises terminals having a pitch corresponding to that of a standard comb and extends over substantially the entire width of the apparatus (1 ), while the other (6) of the two sets of terminals (5,6), said second, has terminals having a reduced pitch compared to the previous and extends over only a portion of the width of the device electric (1), so that the combination of this auxiliary module (2) to the aforementioned electrical device (1), does not increase the size of the device with which it is associated, and allows the electrical connection of the terminals of said first set (5) of terminals to a standard comb.

Description

ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A MODULAR ELECTRICAL APPARATUS AND A MODULAR AUXILIARY FIT TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS APPARATUS ON A MOUNTING RAIL.

DESCRIPTION

TECHNICAL AREA

The present invention relates to an assembly comprising a modular electrical apparatus and a modular auxiliary adapted to be associated with said apparatus on a mounting rail, said electrical apparatus being housed in a substantially parallelepiped shaped casing and having on one of its faces a set of terminals said upstream, and on a face opposite to the previous relative to the rail, a set of terminals said downstream.

STATE OF THE PRIOR ART

Modular contactors, having a width of 54 mm, which can be equipped on their right with an auxiliary module for signaling the open or closed state of the so-called auxiliary device OF, with a width of 9 mm, are known. all with a length of 63mm.

In this type of assembly, the starting devices are electrically connectable to the contactor either directly by cables, or by cables connected to a connecting comb, which comb is electrically connected to said starting devices.

Thus, it is not possible to connect these starting devices directly to the contactor via a standard comb.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention solves these problems and proposes an assembly comprising a modular electrical apparatus and an auxiliary module intended to be associated with said apparatus, this association not increasing the size of the apparatus and allowing the connection of the starting apparatus to the apparatus. downstream of the electrical appliance via a standard connection comb. For this purpose, the subject of the present invention is an assembly of the above-mentioned kind, this assembly being characterized in that the aforementioned first housing comprises a recess adapted to receive the aforementioned auxiliary module, and in that one of the sets of terminals, said first, has terminals having a pitch corresponding to that of a standard comb and extends over substantially the entire width of the device, while the other of the two sets of terminals, said second, has terminals having a reduced pitch compared to the preceding and extends over only a portion of the length of the electrical apparatus, so that the association of this auxiliary module to the aforementioned electrical apparatus, does not increase the size of the apparatus with which it is associated, and allows the electrical connection of the terminals of said first set of terminals to a standard comb.

According to a particular characteristic, the aforementioned recess is adapted to receive instead of the aforementioned auxiliary, a piece forming a hubcap having substantially the same size as the aforementioned auxiliary, when the auxiliary is not intended to be used.

According to a particular characteristic, the so-called first housing comprises a connection part housing the set of said first terminals, this connecting portion extending parallel to the rail beyond the lateral face of said first housing, said face being intended for be attached to the auxiliary module.

According to another characteristic, this auxiliary module is housed in a so-called second housing of substantially parallelepipedal shape intended to be mounted on the aforementioned rail, said second said housing having a lateral face adapted to be contiguous to the lateral face of said first housing, a so-called upper face adapted to be brought against a so-called inner face belonging to the aforementioned connection part, and a so-called lower face having electrical connection terminals.

According to another characteristic, the auxiliary module or the aforementioned hubcap is associated to the right of the aforementioned electrical apparatus.

According to a particular characteristic, this electrical apparatus is an electric contactor.

According to a particular characteristic, the auxiliary module is a signaling auxiliary of the open or closed position of the electrical apparatus.

According to another characteristic, this auxiliary module is actuated by means for transmitting the movement of a contact-carrying shaft belonging to the electrical apparatus.

According to another characteristic, the electrical apparatus is of the three-pole or tetra-polar type.

According to another characteristic, the connection terminals of the set said first are the downstream terminals of the device.

According to another characteristic, the aforementioned standard comb is of the three-pole or tetra-polar type, with the interposition of a neutral tooth between two successive phase teeth.

The present invention further relates to an assembly comprising the previously mentioned features taken alone or in combination, the electrical apparatus being a contactor.

The present invention also relates to an electrical panel comprising at least one assembly comprising the previously mentioned features taken alone or in combination.

The subject of the present invention is also an auxiliary signaling module in an assembly comprising the aforementioned features taken alone or in combination, this module being characterized in that it is housed in a substantially parallelepiped-shaped casing said second, said housing enclosing two electrical circuits each comprising a switch, each electrical circuit being electrically connected at one of its ends to a power supply terminal, and at its opposite end to a connection terminal to a signaling means, these two means signaling being intended to signal for one, an open state of the apparatus, and for the other, a closed state of the apparatus, the two aforementioned switches being controlled by a means of transmitting the movement of the shaft driving the contacts of the electrical apparatus, so that this means of transmitting ission is movable between a first position in which the first electrical switch is closed and the second open, and a second position in which the first switch is open and the second closed.

The present invention also relates to a modular electrical device housed in a substantially parallelepiped shaped housing and having on one of its faces, a set of so-called upstream terminals, and on a face opposite to the previous one relative to the rail, a set of terminals said downstream, this apparatus being characterized in that the aforementioned housing comprises a recess adapted to receive an auxiliary module or a piece forming a hubcap having substantially the same size as the aforementioned auxiliary module, and in that one sets of terminals, said first, has terminals having a pitch corresponding to that of a standard comb and extends over substantially the entire length of the apparatus, while the other of the two sets of terminals, said second, has terminals having a reduced pitch relative to the previous one and extends over only a portion of the length of the electrical apparatus, way that this auxiliary module, after association with the aforementioned electrical device, does not increase the size of the device with which it is associated, and allows the electrical connection of the terminals of said first set of terminals to a standard comb.

According to a particular characteristic, this apparatus is a contactor.

According to another particular feature, this apparatus has a width of about 63 mm.

But other advantages and features of the invention will appear better in the detailed description which follows and refers to the accompanying drawings given solely by way of example and in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an assembly according to a particular embodiment of the invention comprising a contactor associated with an auxiliary signaling module of the open or closed state of the contactor, FIG. 1a is a view similar to FIG. 1, illustrating the contactor and the auxiliary module separately, FIG. 2 is a view similar to the preceding figure, illustrating an assembly according to a second embodiment of the invention, in which the signaling auxiliary is replaced by a component forming a hubcap, FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a together according to the first embodiment of the invention mounted to the side of a number of starting devices on a rail mount The apparatus is electrically connected by means of a standard comb, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an auxiliary module alone, FIG. 5 is a plan view illustrating the interior portion of such a module. auxiliary.

In Figure 1, there is shown a set E in a manner known per se, a contactor 1 of the tetra polar type associated with an auxiliary signaling module 2, the whole being intended to be mounted on a mounting rail.

This contactor 1 and this auxiliary module 2 are each mounted in a housing 3,4, all of the two housings together in the association having a substantially parallelepiped shape.

This contactor 1 comprises on one side of the mounting rail, a set 5 of connection terminals said first, intended to allow the electrical connection of the contactor 1 to the starting apparatus D to be mounted to the right of the contactor, and the on the other side of the rail, a set of said second connection terminals intended to be electrically connected to power supply cables, this contactor therefore being of the type fed from the bottom.

According to the invention, the terminals of the set of terminals 5 said first, have a pitch allowing them to be connected to a P-connection comb said standard type tetra polar, while the terminals of the set 6 of connection said second, have a pitch specific to that of the contactors, that is to say, not allowing to be connected to a standard P connection comb.

Thus, this connecting part R comprising the set 5 of connection terminals, said first, comprises a first neutral terminal 7 intended to receive a first neutral tooth of the comb P, then three phase terminals 8, 9, 10 for respectively receive three phase teeth p of the comb P, with between two successive phase terminals, a recess e intended to receive a neutral tooth n of the comb P, said comb comprising in known manner a set of consecutive p phase teeth with the interposition of a neutral tooth n between two successive phase teeth p.

In order to allow this connection to a standard comb P, the so-called first connection portion R, comprising the set of said first terminals, has a width greater than the width of the so-called second connection portion S housing the terminals of the set of terminals said second, so that this first connecting portion R extends beyond the connecting face a of the housing 3 of the contactor 1 intended to be contiguous to the auxiliary module 2. Thus, the housing 3 of the contactor 1, said first, has a recess i of substantially parallelepiped shape for receiving the said second housing 4 of corresponding form belonging to the auxiliary module 2, said housing said second bearing on the housing 3 of the contactor 1 via one side of a side face b adapted to be brought into contact with the side face a located on the same side belonging to the contactor 1, and secondly, one side said upper c adapted to be brought into contact with an inner face d located opposite the rail U, belonging to the first connecting portion R of the contactor.

Thus, it can be seen that the auxiliary module 2 has connection terminals only on one side of the mounting rail U.

Advantageously, the assembly thus formed has a width of 63 mm, the lower part of this assembly corresponding to that of an assembly according to the prior art, only the upper part of this assembly being different so as to allow the electrical connection of the downstream terminals of the device 1 to a standard comb P.

In this particular embodiment of the invention, the auxiliary module 2 is a signaling module of the open or closed state of the electrical modular apparatus 1 which is an electric switch.

According to another embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 2, this assembly E according to the invention comprises, in place of the auxiliary signaling module 2, a piece forming a hubcap 14, intended to replace this auxiliary module 2 when no auxiliary module is intended for use only. This part consists of a housing 15 having substantially the same shape as the aforementioned auxiliary module 2, and is adapted to be placed in the aforementioned recess i so that the size of the contactor 1 is not increased, as this is already the case when an auxiliary module is associated with the contactor.

FIG. 3 shows an assembly comprising, mounted on a mounting rail U, a contactor 1 to which a signaling auxiliary module 2 has been associated on the right, this assembly being intended to be fed from below to means of cables, and being intended to be electrically connected downstream to a number of starting apparatus D such circuit breakers or other, by means of a standard three-pole and neutral connection P comb.

In FIGS. 4 and 5, it can be seen that the auxiliary signaling module 2 is housed in a housing 4 having a face f comprising a recess g enabling the housing to be mounted on the rail U, the auxiliary module 2 being intended to be fixed on the housing 3 of the contactor 1. This housing 4 comprises a connection portion T having three terminals 11, 12, 13 located on one side of the aforementioned recess g, these terminals being presented in a stepped manner, so as to facilitate the connection.

These three terminals, respectively first, second and third, are intended to be electrically connected respectively to an open-state signaling means of the electrical modular apparatus, to a power supply means, and to a signaling means of the closed state of the modular apparatus, these various means not being shown in these figures.

This so-called second housing 4 encloses two electrical circuits 16, 17 each having a switch 18, 19, the first 16 of these circuits being connected at one of its ends to the so-called first terminal 11 and at its other end to the said second terminal 12, while the second circuit 17 is connected at one of its ends to said third terminal 13 and at its other end to said second terminal 12,

This so-called second housing 4 also encloses a means 20 for transmitting the movement of the contact-carrier shaft of the contactor 1 to the auxiliary module 2, this transmission means comprising a support 21 slidably mounted relative to the so-called second housing 4 and capable of actuating the two switches 18, 19 so that when the contacts of the contactor are closed, the switch 19 of the second circuit 17 is closed while the switch 18 of the first circuit 16 is open, and when the contacts of the contactor are open, the switch 18 of the first circuit 16 is open while that 19 of the second circuit 17 is closed. This support 21 is advantageously formed by two flanges 22,23 secured to one another by means of crosspieces 24 distributed over the length of the flanges, said crosspieces 24 being able to cooperate with the switches 18, 19, this support 21 being mechanically connected to the aforementioned shaft.

Thus, thanks to the invention, an auxiliary module 2 can be associated to the right of a modular contactor 1 so as to signal the open or closed position of the contactor 1. This auxiliary module after association, does not increase the size of the contactor 1 to which it is associated and allows the connection of the starting apparatus D by a comb P downstream of the contactor 1.

This signaling auxiliary 2 of the state of the contacts is advantageously associable to the right of the contactors 1, after having removed the trim 14. These contactors are advantageously of the tripolar or tetra polar type. However, it could be envisaged to apply the invention to a contactor having two poles and two terminals, the comb being in this case of the phase and neutral type. The invention is advantageously applicable to any equipment, such as an electrical panel, incorporating modular contactors group head.

This new contactor keeps the possibility to be connected by cables upstream and downstream.

This device does not modify the operating principle of current contactors. The means of measurement, control, verification and validation will be the same as those of the current contactor.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described and illustrated which have been given by way of example.

On the contrary, the invention comprises all the technical equivalents of the means described and their combinations if they are carried out according to its spirit.

Claims (16)

1. An assembly comprising a modular electrical apparatus and an auxiliary module adapted to be associated with said apparatus on a mounting rail, said electrical apparatus being housed in a substantially parallelepiped shaped casing and having on one of its faces, a set of terminals said upstream, and on a face opposite to the previous one with respect to the rail, a set of so-called downstream terminals, characterized in that said first housing (3) comprises a recess (i) adapted to receive said auxiliary module ( 2) and in that one (5) of the terminal sets, said first, comprises terminals having a pitch corresponding to that of a standard comb P and extends over substantially the entire width of the apparatus (1 ), while the other (6) of the two sets of terminals (5,6), said second, has terminals having a reduced pitch relative to the previous and extends over only part of the length of the apparatus ELECTRIQU e (1), so that the combination of this auxiliary module (2) to the aforementioned electrical device (1), does not increase the size of the device with which it is associated, and allows the electrical connection of the terminals of said first set (5) of terminals to a standard comb P. - 2. The assembly of claim 1, characterized in that said recess (i) is adapted to receive instead of said auxiliary module (2), a piece forming a hubcap (14) having substantially the same size as the module auxiliary device (2), when the auxiliary module (2) is not intended to be used. 3. An assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said first housing (3) comprises a connecting portion R. housing the assembly (5) of said first terminals, said connecting portion R extending parallel to the rail U, beyond the lateral face (a) of said first housing 3, said face being intended to be contiguous to the auxiliary module (2). 4. An assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that said auxiliary module (2) is housed in a said second housing (4) of substantially parallelepipedal shape to be mounted on said rail U, said housing A said second (4) having a lateral face (b) adapted to be contiguous to the lateral face (a) of said first housing (3), a so-called upper face (c) adapted to be brought against a so-called inner face (d) belonging to the part aforementioned connection R, and a so-called lower face (f) having electrical connection terminals (11, 12, 13). 5. An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the auxiliary module (2) or the aforementioned hubcap (14) is associated to the right of the aforementioned electrical apparatus (1). 6. An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the auxiliary module (2) is a signaling auxiliary of the open or closed position of the electrical apparatus (1). 7. The assembly of claim 6, characterized in that said auxiliary module (2) is actuated by transmission means (20) of the movement of a contact holder shaft belonging to the electrical apparatus (1). 8. An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electrical apparatus (1) is of the tripolar or tetra polar type. 9. An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connection terminals of the set of first (5) are the downstream terminals of the apparatus (1). 10. An assembly according to any of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the aforementioned standard comb P is of the three-pole or tetra polar type, with the interposition of a neutral tooth n between two successive phase teeth p, 11. An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that this electrical apparatus (1) is an electric contactor. 12. Electrical panel comprising at least one assembly according to claim 11. 13. Auxiliary signaling module in an assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that it is housed in a housing (4) substantially parallelepiped said second said housing enclosing two electrical circuits (16, 17) each having a switch (18,19), each electrical circuit (16,17) being electrically connected at one of its ends to a power supply terminal (12), and at its opposite end to a connection terminal (11, 13) to a signaling means, these two signaling means being intended to signal for one, an open state of the apparatus, and for the other, a closed state of the apparatus, the two aforesaid switches (18, 19) being controlled by means for transmitting (20) the movement of the drive shaft of the contacts of the electrical apparatus (1), so that said transmission means (20) be mobile between a first position in which the first electrical switch (18) is closed and the second (19) open, and a second position in which the first switch (18) is open and the second (19) closed. 14. Modular electrical device housed in a housing (3) of substantially parallelepipedal shape and having on one of its faces, a set (6) of upstream terminals, and on a face opposite to the previous one with respect to the rail U, a set of downstream terminals (5), characterized in that the aforesaid housing (3) comprises a recess (i) adapted to receive an auxiliary module (2) or a part forming a hubcap (14) having substantially the same size than the aforementioned auxiliary module (2), and in that one (5) of the sets of terminals, said first, comprises terminals having a pitch corresponding to that of a standard comb P and extends over substantially the entire length of the apparatus, while the other (6) of the two sets of terminals, said second, comprises terminals having a reduced pitch compared to the previous and extends over only a portion of the width of the electrical apparatus (1), so that auxiliary module (2), after association with the aforementioned electrical apparatus (1), does not increase the size of the apparatus with which it is associated, and allows the electrical connection of the terminals of said first set (5) of terminals to a standard P comb. 15. Electrical device according to claim 14, characterized in that it is a contactor (1). 16. Electrical apparatus according to claim 15, characterized in that it has a width of about 63mm.