JP7462904B2 - Automatic Switch - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an automatic switch that automatically switches the power source to a distributed power source, for example, when a commercial power source is interrupted.

Some power consumers have self-generating power equipment such as solar power generation as distributed power sources to respond to commercial power outages and to save electricity. When multiple power sources are installed like this, a switch is used to switch between power sources, and some of these switches are automatic switches that detect a power outage and switch automatically.
For example, the automatic switch of Patent Document 1 is configured by assembling a drive device based on an input switch that is switched by manual operation, and switching an operating handle that is manually operated by a motor drive.

JP 2017-199620 A

The automatic switch of the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 allows manual switching to be performed by disengaging the handle hook engaged with the operating handle from the operating handle.
However, since the input switching, which is normally performed automatically, is performed manually by workers who are not familiar with the site, problems such as damage to the handle hook may occur.
For example, when switching manually, the handle hook is released, but since the angle of the handle is different after switching, the handle hook cannot be returned to its original state. When trying to forcefully engage the handle, damage occurred. Also, leaving it disengaged caused problems such as automatic switching not being performed afterwards.
Furthermore, when testing the operation of a drive device that performs automatic switching, the switching was actually performed, which resulted in a momentary power outage, and this was not a desirable testing format.

In view of these problems, the present invention aims to provide an automatic switch that allows the operating handle to be manually operated even when the handle hook for performing automatic switching is engaged with the operating handle that performs the switching operation, and also allows testing of the drive unit to be performed without causing a power outage.

In order to solve the above problem, the invention of claim 1 provides an automatic switch having two input units, one output unit, an operating handle that is tilted forward and backward to switch the input unit connected to the output unit, a switch determination unit that determines the switching of the input units, a handle hook that engages with the operating handle to switch the operating handle, and a drive unit equipped with a motor that moves the handle hook forward and backward to switch the operating handle based on the determination of the switch determination unit,
The drive device further has a crank member rotated by a motor, and an arm lever that converts the rotation of the crank member into forward and backward movement of the handle hook, the arm lever having an upper end connected to the handle hook and a lower end axially attached to the motor frame, and a rotation space that allows the crank member to rotate is provided above the axial attachment portion, and the handle hook moves forward and backward as it swings due to the rotation of the crank member, and a portion of the rotation space has a wide play space, so that when the crank member is at a specific angle, the arm lever can swing freely within the range in which the operating handle switches, and input switching is possible by manually operating the operating handle even when the handle hook is engaged with the operating handle.
According to this configuration, input switching can be performed manually without releasing the engagement of the handle hook with the operating handle, which prevents damage to the handle hook caused by unfamiliar operation by the operator, and prevents problems occurring in the engagement between the handle hook and the operating handle, allowing the automatic switch to continue to operate stably.

The invention of claim 2 is characterized in that, in the configuration described in claim 1, when the crank member rotates once in a predetermined direction from a specific angle state, the arm lever swings from one side to the other and the operating handle switches, and when the crank member rotates once in the direction opposite to the specified direction from this switched state, the operating handle swings from the other side to one side and switches, but the play space is formed so that it does not engage with the arm lever until the crank member rotates at least 80 degrees from the specific angle state.
According to this configuration, the angle range in which the crank member does not engage with the arm lever is at least 80 degrees, so that the operating handle can be switched even when the handle hook is engaged.

The invention of claim 3 is the configuration of claim 2, further comprising a test button for rotating the crank member 80 degrees from a specific angle.
With this configuration, when the test button is operated, the crank member rotates within a range that does not cause the operating handle to switch. This allows motor operation tests and maintenance to be performed without switching the operating handle. Moreover, since the test is performed by rotating the motor by a large angle of 80 degrees, even if it is not a full rotation, a reliable test can be performed.

The invention of claim 4 is characterized in that, in the configuration described in any one of claims 1 to 3, the rotation space of the crank member formed in the arm lever is opened in a flask shape with a play space formed at the bottom, and the specific angle state is an angle in which the tip of the crank member hangs down relative to its rotation axis.
According to this configuration, the crank member can be freely rotated at least 80 degrees, while the upper part of the rotation space is narrowed, so that when the crank member is rotated 180 degrees, the arm lever can be stabilized in an upright state and can be maintained in a neutral position separated from both input parts.

According to the present invention, input switching can be performed manually without disengaging the handle hook from the operating handle. This prevents damage to the handle hook caused by unfamiliar operation by the operator, and prevents problems with the engagement between the handle hook and the operating handle.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of an automatic switch according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a switch and a drive device. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of an automatic switch. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the switch removed, illustrating the relationship between the crank member and the arm lever. FIG. 5 is a side view of FIG. 5A and 5B are explanatory side views showing the relationship between the crank member and the arm lever, in which FIG. 5A shows a state in which the input is in the first circuit, and FIG. 5B shows a state in which the input is in the second circuit. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a motor test.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of an automatic switch according to the present invention. The automatic switch 1 is composed of a switch 2 and a drive unit 3, and is integrated on a base 4.
The switch 2 has a first input terminal 5a at the rear (right side in the figure), a second input terminal 5b at the front (left side in the figure), and an output terminal 6, and an operating handle 7 for switching the input is located at the top. The input is switched by tilting (rotating) the operating handle 7 forward or backward. The input terminal 5 and output terminal 6 each consist of three terminals.

The drive unit 3 is disposed to the right of the switch 2 (in front of the figure), and a handle hook 11 is disposed extending from the drive unit 3 so as to cover the operating handle 7. The operating handle 7 and the drive unit 3 are connected via this handle hook 11.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the switch 2 and the drive unit 3, and as shown in Figure 2, the input is switched by the drive unit 3. Here, the first circuit 21, which is one power source, is connected to the first input terminal 5a, and the second circuit 22, which is the other power source, is connected to the second input terminal 5b, and the case is shown where the power source supplied to the load 23 connected to the output terminal 6 is switched.

Figure 3 shows a functional block diagram of the automatic switch 1. As shown in Figure 3, the drive device 3 includes a switch drive unit 31, a sensor unit 32, a display unit 33, a test button 34, two power supply units 35 (35a, 35b), a control unit 36 equipped with a CPU, and the like.

The switch drive unit 31 has a handle hook 11, an arm lever 12, a crank member 13, and a motor unit 14. The handle hook 11 operates the operating handle 7 to operate the switch 2. The motor unit 14 has a motor and a transmission mechanism that transmits the rotation of the motor to the crank member 13.
The sensor unit 32 includes a sensor for detecting the angle of the arm lever 12, a sensor for detecting the angle of the crank member 13, and the like.
1, the display unit 33 is composed of two display units (a first display unit 33a and a second display unit 33b), both of which are composed of LEDs. The first display unit 33a displays the operating status (not described in detail), and the second display unit 33b displays an error when it occurs.
The test button 34 is a button for testing the operation of the motor section 14, i.e., the motor.

The power supply unit 35 has a first power supply unit 35a connected to the first circuit 21 (power is supplied from the first input terminal 5a) and a second power supply unit 35b connected to the second circuit 22 (power is supplied from the second input terminal 5b).
The control unit 36 obtains voltage information from the power supply unit 35, grasps the state of the first circuit 21 and the second circuit 22, and when the voltage of one of the input terminals 5 currently connected to the output terminal 6 falls below a predetermined value, switches the input terminal 5 to the other input terminal 5.

4 and 5 are views with the switch 2 removed, showing the relationship between the handle hook 11, the arm lever 12, and the motor frame 15 to which the motor unit 14 is attached, with Fig. 4 being a perspective view and Fig. 5 being a side view. However, the arm lever 12 is shown in an upright position, and a state in the middle of switching is shown. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the handle hook 11 has an end connected to the upper end of the arm lever 12. The arm lever 12 is driven by a crank member 13 attached to the motor unit 14 to swing back and forth, and this swinging motion causes the handle hook 11 to switch the operating handle 7.
Although the handle hook 11 is fixed and disposed so as to be perpendicular to the arm lever 12, it may be connected to the arm lever 12 so as to be tiltable/standing up.

The arm lever 12 is formed in a plate shape, and an opening is formed inside to form a rotation space S for the crank member 13. The arm lever 12 also has an axle portion 12a at the lower end, and is axle-mounted to a motor frame 15 to which a motor portion 14 is assembled, and is disposed so as to be rotatable about the axle portion 12a.
The rotation space S is formed above the shaft attachment portion 12a, and has a wide play space SF at the bottom near the shaft attachment portion 12a, so that the entire space is open like a flask.

The motor section 14 has a drive shaft 14a connected to the motor and arranged to face in the left-right direction, with its tip protruding from the motor frame 15, and a crank member 13 attached to the protruding tip. The arm lever 12 rotates in a plane perpendicular to the drive shaft 14a.

The crank member 13 has a rod body 13b that extends in a direction perpendicular to the drive shaft 14a, with the connecting part with the drive shaft 14a as the center of rotation 13a, and is equipped with a roller-shaped rotating body 13c at its tip that abuts against the inner wall of the rotation space S.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the crank member 13 having such a rotation space S and the arm lever 12, in which (a) shows a state in which one input terminal 5 is connected to the output terminal 6, and (b) shows a state in which the other input terminal 5 is connected to the output terminal 6.
By rotating the crank member 13 once, the arm lever 12 swings due to the engagement with the arm lever 12 during that time, and switching is performed. Specifically, as the crank member 13 rotates, the rotating body 13c abuts against the inner wall of the rotation space S, moving the arm lever 12, and the arm lever 12 swings.
In this way, when the crank member 13 is rotated 360 degrees in the direction of the arrow A1 from the state shown in Fig. 6(a), the arm lever 12 assumes the angle state shown in Fig. 6(b). Conversely, when the crank member is rotated 360 degrees in the direction of the arrow A2 from the state shown in Fig. 6(b), the arm lever 12 assumes the angle state shown in Fig. 6(a), and the input is switched.

As shown in FIG. 6, in both angular states of the arm lever 12 after the input switching is completed, the crank member 13 rotates once (360 degrees), so that the angles can be made the same in the hanging state.
In addition, since the rotation space S has a wide play space SF formed in a flask shape at the bottom, the arm lever 12 can be swung at a large angle in this state and can be swung widely by manual operation. In this way, the operating handle 7 can be operated without removing the handle hook 11 from the operating handle 7, and input switching can be performed manually.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the play space SF allows the crank member 13 to rotate up to 80 degrees from a hanging state (a state at a specific angle).
As a result, with the crank member 13 fixed at a hanging angle as shown in Fig. 6, it is possible to generate both a state in which it is connected to the first input terminal 5a and a state in which it is switched to the second input terminal 5b. In other words, with the arm lever 12 engaged with the operating handle 7, input switching by manual operation is possible.

In this way, input switching can be performed manually without releasing the engagement of the handle hook 11 with the operating handle 7. This prevents damage to the handle hook 11 caused by an unfamiliar operation by an operator, and prevents problems from occurring in the engagement state between the handle hook 11 and the operating handle 7, and allows the automatic switch to continue stable operation. Furthermore, since the angle range in which the crank member 13 does not engage with the arm lever 12 exists in a range of at least 80 degrees, the operating handle 7 can be switched even when the handle hook 11 is engaged.
Furthermore, while the crank member 13 can be freely rotated at least 80 degrees, the upper part of the rotation space S is formed narrower. Therefore, when the crank member 13 is rotated 180 degrees, the arm lever 12 can be stabilized in an upright state (as shown in FIG. 5), and can also be maintained in a neutral position where it is disconnected from both input terminals 5.

The motor test is performed by pressing the test button 34, which tests the operation of the motor unit 14.
When the test button 34 is pressed, the control unit 36 executes the following control. Fig. 7 is a flow chart showing the flow of control at this time, and the description will be given with reference to this flow.
When the test button 34 is pressed (S1), the motor (motor unit 14) is activated and starts to rotate (S2). The rotation of the motor starts to rotate the crank member 13 via the drive shaft 14a (S3).

The crank member 13 is in a specific angle state (0 degree state) with its tip hanging down, and is in this angle state with one input terminal 5 connected to the output terminal 6. This rotation angle is monitored by the sensor unit 32, and when it rotates 80 degrees in one predetermined direction from this specific angle at which it disengaged from the arm lever 12, the sensor unit 32 detects this (Yes in S4), and the test operation ends.
Even if the crank member 13 rotates 80 degrees, no engagement with the arm lever 12 occurs during that time, so the arm lever 12 does not move. After the 80-degree rotation, the crank member 13 returns to the state at the specific angle.
When the test ends normally in this manner, the control unit 36 causes the display unit 33 to display the completion of the test. For example, the second display unit 33b is lit in blue.

However, if the sensor unit 32 does not detect an 80-degree rotation of the crank member 13 (No in S4), it determines whether a certain period of motor operation has elapsed (S5), and if it does not detect an 80-degree rotation even after the certain period of time has elapsed, it determines that the motor is not rotating or that an abnormality has occurred in the crank member 13, displays an error on the display unit 33 (S6), and the motor stops. For example, the second display unit 33b flashes yellow.

The display unit 33 can display errors in a number of different ways. For example, when the motor unit 14 does not rotate, or when the motor unit 14 rotates but the crank member 13 does not rotate, a different error is displayed. Also, regardless of the operation of the test button 34, if an abnormality occurs in the angle of the arm lever 12 during switching control, the sensor unit 32 detects this and displays an error.

In this way, by operating the test button 34, the crank member 13 rotates within a range that does not cause the operating handle 7 to switch. This allows operation tests and maintenance of the motor unit 14 to be performed without switching operations. Moreover, since the test is performed by rotating the motor at a large angle of 80 degrees, even if it does not complete a full rotation, a reliable test can be performed.

In the above embodiment, a configuration for switching between two power sources is shown, but this is not limited to switching between power sources, and is suitable for switching a wide range of electrical circuits.

1: Automatic switch, 2: Switch, 3: Drive unit, 5: Input terminal (input section), 5a: First input terminal, 5b: Second input terminal, 6: Output terminal (output section), 7: Operating handle, 11: Handle hook, 12: Arm lever, 12a: Axle attachment section, 13: Crank member, 14: Motor section, 15: Motor frame, 21: First circuit, 22: Second circuit, 23: Load, 31: Switch drive section, 32: Sensor section, 33: Display section, 34: Test button, 35: Power supply section, 36: Control section (switch determination section), S: Rotation space, SF: Play space.

Claims (4)

An automatic switch having two input units, one output unit, an operating handle that is tilted forward and backward to switch the input unit connected to the output unit, a switch determination unit that determines the switching of the input unit, a handle hook that engages with the operating handle to switch the operating handle, and a drive unit equipped with a motor that moves the handle hook forward and backward to switch the operating handle based on the determination of the switch determination unit,
The drive device further includes a crank member rotated by the motor, and an arm lever that converts the rotation of the crank member into forward and backward movement of the handle hook,
The arm lever has an upper end connected to the handle hook and a lower end pivoted to the motor frame, and has a rotation space above the pivoted portion that allows the crank member to rotate. The arm lever swings with the rotation of the crank member, causing the handle hook to move back and forth.
Furthermore, the rotation space has a play space that is formed wide in part, and when the crank member is in a state of a specific angle, the arm lever is allowed to swing freely within a range in which the operating handle is switched,
An automatic switch capable of switching input by manually operating the operating handle even when the handle hook is engaged with the operating handle. When the crank member rotates once in a predetermined direction from the specific angle state, the arm lever swings from one side to the other side, and the operating handle performs a switching operation,
When the crank member rotates once in the direction opposite to the predetermined direction from this switched state, the operating handle swings from the other side to the one side to perform a switching operation.
2. The automatic switch according to claim 1, wherein the play space is formed so that the crank member does not engage with the arm lever until the crank member has rotated at least 80 degrees from the specific angle state. The automatic switch according to claim 2, characterized in that it has a test button that rotates the crank member 80 degrees from the specific angle state. The rotation space formed in the arm lever is formed in a flask shape with the play space formed at the bottom,
4. The automatic changeover device according to claim 1, wherein the specific angle state is an angle in which the tip of the crank member hangs down relative to the rotation axis.

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