JPH04506723A - How to make a circuit breaker - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] This application is application serial number 373380, which was formally filed on June 29, 1989 ( (now abandoned) and was formally filed on June 29, 1989. Application serial number 374037, title of invention “Unit type for circuit breaker Discloses the apparatus described and claimed in ``A Circuit Breaker Assembly''.

Background of the invention and prior art This invention relates to circuit breakers and more particularly to an improved method of manufacturing circuit breakers. Ru.

A circuit breaker is a device designed to interrupt the flow of current between a power source and a load in response to an overcurrent condition. It works like a sea urchin. Typically they are manufactured using sized housings. a movable blade carrying contacts (movable contacts) that are connected to the power source and generally connected to a power source; Mechanisms carrying fixed contacts and biasing the movable contacts away from the fixed contacts Contains a spring for exerting A latch mechanism that can be released or against the spring bias The movable contact is physically connected to the fixed contact to prevent current from flowing from the power source to the load. forgive. Releasing the trip lever or the latching mechanism causes the spring bias to become a movable contact. can be separated from the fixed contacts to prevent current from flowing from the power source to the load. make it possible.

Prior art circuit breaker assemblies include one or more attachments to the housing. It has a dot. This makes preassembly of the circuit breaker mechanism difficult. Because that are held together by the housing. Manufacture of prior art circuit breakers also requires that parts be assembled along three orthogonally related axes. Therefore, it was difficult to automate. The present invention provides a solution to these problems. Ru.

Summary of the invention It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method of manufacturing circuit breakers. .

Another object of the invention is to provide a reliable and low cost method of manufacturing circuit breakers. It is to be.

One feature of the invention is a modular subassembly of operating components of a circuit breaker. equipment that can be inspected and adjusted prior to installation in the device housing. That's true.

The method of the invention, on the other hand, can be supported within a housing without attachments. and preassembling the operating components of the circuit breaker between a pair of frames. Book In a partial form of the invention, functional circuit breaker modules are assembled. Said Moji The circuit breaker is the assembled operating element of the circuit breaker and is individually installed prior to final installation. including those that can be adjusted and tested. Receives module without attachment Other objects, features and advantages of the housing or strut invention for containing and supporting will become clear from reading the description below together with the drawings. Unevenness of the vessel in the drawing is; FIG. 2 is a partial view of the unitary circuit breaker assembly of FIG. 1 in a closed position; FIG. 3 is a partial view of the unitary circuit breaker assembly of FIG. 1 in the open position: Figure 4 shows the operating handle mechanism of the unit circuit breaker assembly when viewed from the rear. Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the assembly of the circuit breaker of Figure 1; FIG. 6 is an offset of a circuit breaker constructed in accordance with another aspect of the invention. stop hand 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the assembly of the circuit breaker of FIG. 6; FIG.

Description of the presented example A circuit breaker 10 constructed in accordance with a first aspect of the invention is illustrated in FIG.

Additional descriptions of the general characteristics of circuit breakers of similar type may be found in their specifications or citations. Thus can be found in the following patents incorporated herein: (a) Westermeyer U.S. Patent No. 4,617,540, title of the invention automatic switch that can be installed on the (b) Westermeyer U.S. Patent No. 4,614,928, title of the invention Automatic switch with Arc Blast Field ”: (C) Westermeyer U.S. Patent No. 4,609,895, title of invention ``Automatic switch S with integral contact indicator: and (d) Westermeyer U.S. Pat. No. 4,608,546, entitled “In Pact Armature Shocking Impact-Armature Tri’pp ing) automatic switch with device”.

The circuit breaker lO has a housing 1.1 and is connected to a power source (not shown). an elastic clamp type wire terminal 12, and a screw for connecting to a load circuit (not shown). type load terminal 14. A current path is established between line terminal 12 and load terminal 14 and it includes a wire conductor 16, a support 18 for the bimetallic heating element 20, a braided pig It includes a blade 24 having a tail 22 and a movable contact 26. From the movable contact 26 Subsequently, the current path includes a fixed contact 28, a trip coil 31 and a load conductor 32. has.

The blade 24 is in the closed position where the movable contact 26 engages or connects the fixed contact 28. Illustrated in. The blade 24 is in the closed position shown and prevents electrical current from flowing. It is pivotable between a device consisting of a movable contact 26 or a fixed contact 28 for servicing.

The fixed contact 28 consists of a copper layer 28a layered on a steel layer 28b, and is made of a silver/graphite composite. A composite contact 28c is welded to the copper. Blade 24 is indicated generally at 40. A unit type circuit breaker assembly in which the position of the blade 24 with respect to the fixed contact 28 is It is an element of what is controlled.

The circuit breaker 10 further includes a line side arc blocking plate 29a and a load side arc blocking plate 29. b and a stack of deionization plates, i.e., an arc stack, 30, and a current to the load. an open circuit breaker 10 that supplies a Have something to work with. Arc blocking plates 29a, 29b and arc stack 30 Specific functions are disclosed in more detail in the included patents. Element 1 6, 18.20 and 29a welded at their various interfaces are joined by.

In FIG. 2, the unit circuit breaker assembly 40 includes first, second, and third linear circuit breakers. It has a first frame member or plate 42 having upright members 43, 44, 45. Bibo, A slot bin 48 projects upward through a hole in the first frame plate 42.

A trip lever 50 is pivotally supported on the pivot pin 48. trip Lever 50 has a solenoid actuator surface 52 and a bimetallic actuator surface 54. Before The blade 24 has an elongated slot 24a for receiving the pivot pin 48. have The blade 24 is further attached to or attached to the first end of the toggle spring 58. It has a notch 56.

A latch spring 60 pivots between the trip lever 50 and the blade 24. are arranged around the tube 48.

The latch spring 60 has a first end 62 that engages the first upright member 43 and a trip lever. -50 and a second end 63 for engaging the solenoid actuator face 52 of the solenoid actuator 50. latch Spring 60 biases trip lever 50 in a counterclockwise direction.

A cam 64 with an actuation handle 65 attached thereto has a cam spring 68 therein. It has an open portion 66 located therein. Further referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the first model A spring end 69a extends from the opening 66 and engages the third upright member 45. . The second cam spring end 69b engages the wall of the open portion 66. The cam spring 69 is Apply a clockwise bias to cam 64 as seen in FIG. Link 70 connects cam 64 with pawl 72 . The claw 72 is attached to the blade 24 by a pin 76. Pivotably coupled to flag end 74 . The flag end is connected to the window 75 of the housing 11 (the (Fig. 1) and the condition of the contacts of the circuit breaker, i.e. whether they are Indicates whether it is open or closed. The trip lever 50 is further It has a retaining surface 78 that engages with the wind 72.

When in the closed position, movable contact 26 is physically coupled to fixed contact 28. B The spring 76 acts as a fulcrum on the blade 24 and supports the toggle spring 58 to move the movable contact. 26 and fixed contact 28 are held closed.

Referring again to FIG. 1, blade 24 is disposed within actuating or tripping coil 3I. By the action of the bimetallic heating element 20 by actuation of the spring loaded rod 80 placed , or can be moved to the open position by manipulation of the actuation handle 65. bimetal The load current through the heating element 20 heats the bimetallic heating element 20, which is indicated by arrow 82. deflected downward in the direction. The amount of deflection is a function of the magnitude and duration of the load current. depends on the temperature reached by the bimetallic thermal element 20. Bimetal element 2 When fully deflected, the graduation screw 84 engages the Imetal actuator face 54 and centers the trip lever 50 about the pivot pin 48. and rotated clockwise against the bias of latch spring 60 (FIG. 3). and trip the circuit breaker lO, as discussed in more detail below.

Circuit breaker IO can also be tripped by tripping coil 31. Before The rod 80 is biased downwardly by a solenoid spring 86. rod 80 is connected to or is a part of the movable armature within the coil 31 ( or simply being in gravitational contact with it). The load current is applied to the coil 31 (one end of which is (welded to the fixed contact 28) and the coil armature (therefore the rod 8 0) is established. The electromagnetic force of the coil 31 causes the solenoid spring 86 to When overpassing the piascus, said rod 80 is moved (upwards) to actuate the solenoid. engaging the instrument surface 52 and rotating the trip lever 50 clockwise; Trip circuit breaker IO as discussed.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, bimetallic thermal elements 20 or rods 8 0 or when rotating the trip lever 50 clockwise, the trip lever -50 engages surface 78 moves away from pawl 72, thereby causing cam spring 68 to move away from pawl 72. or allow cam 64 to rotate in a clockwise direction. The cam 64 connects the link 74 Pulling downward causes counterclockwise rotation of pawl 72 about bottle 76.

When pawl 72 is released from engagement with engagement surface 78, blade 24 is moved to its right side. is moved downwardly by the action of toggle spring 58, first narrowing the pivot bin 48. It engages the top surface of the elongated hole 24a, which acts as a floating point. Next, pivot The pin 48 serves as a fulcrum around which the blade 24 rotates, and the toggle spring 58 to move the movable contact 26 away from the fixed contact 28, thus Open the circuit.

The actuation handle 65 or above is locked in the on, position and the bimetallic heat Rotate either element 20 or rod 80 or trip lever 50 clockwise. When the link 70 is compressed between the cam 64 and the pawl 72, the pawl 72 is Rotate clockwise around the bottle 76 to ensure that the engaging surface 78 is engaged with the pawl 72 again. be released.

When engagement surface 78 no longer engages pawl 72, blade 24 lowers and pivots. The pin 48 acts as a fulcrum around which the blade 24 rotates, and the toggle Spring 58 allows movable contact 26 to move away from fixed contact 28 .

To more clearly illustrate the opening 66 and cam spring 68, the cam 64 is It is illustrated from the opposite side in the figure. The cam spring 68 is centered on the cam pivot shaft 88. It is located as the heart. The second cam spring 69b is biased against the wall 66a of the open portion 66. Assured. The first cam spring end 69a is torsionally loaded against the third upright member 45. Therefore, it is biased. The torsional load on the cam spring 68 is applied to the cam 64 and attached Push the actuation handle 65 to the downward position.

Circuit breaker lO is illustrated in an exploded perspective view in FIG. 1st frame The eleventh second and third upright members 43, 44, 45 of the damping plate 42 are connected to the coupling protrusion 4, respectively. 3a.

It terminates at 44a and 45a. The second frame plate 89 has a corresponding protrusion receiving hole 4 3b, 44b, 45b and secure the first frame plate 42 to the second frame plate 89. In order to ensure tight fit with each of the connecting protrusions 43a, 44a, and 45a, have. In this embodiment of the invention the first and second frame members 42. 89 are separate pieces. However, these frame members It is understood that the material may be formed from a single piece that is folded to form a surface. It is.

By securing the first frame plate 42 to the second frame plate 89, the unit It will be appreciated that all elements of the circuit breaker assembly 40 are fixed together. figure As will be understood, the unit breaker assembly of the circuit breaker IO and each other The components are easily installed within the circuit breaker base 11a and the access points thereto. Does not require attachment.

The housing 11 has a base Ila and a cover 11b. Base lla is essential Define the x, y, and Z axes that support the elements and planes. These are for base lla It is vertical. ie, includes internal and external walls and components extending along the Z-axis. Before The elements listed are the arc stack section 90 and the unit type circuit breaker assembly section. 92 and coil section 94 plus support slots such as 96a and 96b. Define.

End portions 18a and 18b of bimetallic support 18 are provided with respective support slots 96. a and 96b and is retained. The line side arc blocking plate 29a prevents arc It is slid and retained within the runner slot 98. next , the unit breaker assembly 40 is connected to the unit breaker assembly section 92. It is simply placed and requires no attachment to the housing 11.

Additional recesses and protrusions, if desired, suitably arranged and shaped. (not shown) or base lla and to ensure proper support for the various elements. and can be incorporated into the cover 11b. The load terminal 14 is slid into the load terminal compartment 99. and retained. A suitable fastener (not shown) or in place on the base lla used to secure the cover 11b and thereby the elements of the circuit breaker is held within the housing ll. The blade 24 is a tapered plate that stands horizontally and can be bent. It acts structurally as a heel to prevent this. If additional current capacity is required For example, the width of blade 24 could simply be increased.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 can be used to install circuit breakers in various locations. Provides an attractive solution for circuit breaker manufacturers wishing to perform final assembly. Ru.

Operation of unit circuit breakers and circuit breakers including tripping coils and fixed contacts The parts have been previously inspected and calibrated for final installation within the circuit breaker housing. preassembled into modules that can be Therefore, the critical manufacturing process is can be carefully controlled where it is assembled.

In FIG. 6, circuit breaker 10' is connected to module 100 without the need for fasteners. The base 111 is modified to receive a base 111. Module 100 is the front A movable element for such action as is achieved by frame members 42 and 89. a pair of supporting side plates or frame members (one of which - 105 - can only be seen). In other words, one of the side plates of module +00 has a circuit breaker. It has an internal configuration that cooperates with other side plates to operatively support the working elements of the vessel.

As illustrated by the wall section 103 shown in dotted lines and the single fastener point 102, the front The frame member is a module having a unit circuit breaker assembly and a trip coil assembly. Shaped to provide a suitable opening for the circuit breaker components that extend outside the module. Made. These parts include the cam 64, the operating handle 65, the wire terminal 12, and the load terminal 1. 4. Attach the flag end 74, the scale setting screw 84, and the line and load side arc plates 29a and 29b. include.

Thus, the essential mechanism of the circuit breaker is treated as an independent module E00 and Can be inspected. The frame member is preferably made of plastic and is load-bearing. Suitable internal components adjacent to the contact area to withstand heating effects due to opening and closing of the contacts below. with a coating or barrier plate.

The frame member also supports pivot pin 48 and defines a pivot axis 88. to be accomplished. The differences between this embodiment and those described in FIGS. 1 to 5 are as follows: Fixed contacts and trip coils and bimetallic and graduated screws or their Secured by the module 100 in its final position, the circuit breaker is placed in the housing 21. to allow complete operation and adjustment of the circuit breaker prior to installation within the circuit breaker. final group All that is needed to add to the standing room is an arc chute 30. Tripping Securing the coil and fixed contacts and thermal element support 18 within the module 100 is , the unit circuit breaker assembly is assembled completely except for the housing and cover 112. and represents a preferred implementation of the invention.

In FIG. 7, for supporting module 100 (without fasteners) The internal shape of the base 111 is shown. Suitable fasteners (not shown) or holes Used to secure base 111 and cover 112 via 104 and 105 It will be understood that it will be done.

It also stands to reason that the specific shape of the base, cover and module will depend on the specific circuit breaker construction. It will be understood.

Thus, it can be preassembled and secured within the circuit breaker housing. A unit breaker assembly was provided that did not require any additional attachments. It can be recognized. Furthermore, the assembly process of unit type circuit breaker assemblies is performed on a single axis. It can be easily automated because it is carried out along the following lines.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or central characteristics. It will be understood that this can be done. Therefore, this example and the working examples satisfy all aspects. is to be regarded as descriptive and not restrictive, and The invention is not limited to the details shown.

22L;-j- Procedural amendment (Mutsu) Display of L incident How to make a circuit breaker Sfuware Tee Company 4-Agent 5. Date of amendment order Number of claims increased due to abuse amendment 7- Subject of correction Description and claims translation 8- Contents of amendment as attached International search report with engraving of the translation of the description and claims (no change in content)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. providing a housing defining support means; operatively supported between a pair of side plates; a unitary circuit breaker assembly which is movable between an open position and a closed position; The actuation mechanism of the circuit breaker, including the contact blade, trip mechanism and actuation handle. and having electrical coupling means; and the unitary circuit breaker assembly and the electrical coupling means within the housing; A method of manufacturing a circuit breaker including an installation process. 2. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: moving said actuating mechanism between said side plates; A method comprising the step of preassembling components. 3. A unit breaker assembly with the moving parts of the circuit breaker is assembled into a pair of frame sections. The process of preassembling materials; Configured to support said unit circuit breaker assembly without attachments. providing a housing defining at least one compartment; placing the unit breaker assembly within the compartment; and A method of manufacturing a circuit breaker comprising securing a cover to the housing. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the housing is connected to each of the circuit breakers. having a second compartment for supporting components and further securing said cover. placing each of the individual components of the circuit breaker within the second compartment before installing the circuit breaker; How to have a degree. 5. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the electrical contact is connected to the unit breaker assembly. support means coupled to the body and for said housing to support said electrical contacts; How to have. 6. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein each of said individual components comprises a deionization plate assembly. How to have. 7. The circuit breaker has a movable part, said movable part including a movable contact mechanism, an actuating handle, and a movable part. A unit type circuit breaker assembly having a tripping mechanism is preliminarily installed between a pair of frame members. The process of preparing; including the unit breaker assembly without attachment to a housing; A circuit breaker defining a plurality of compartments for supporting component parts of the circuit breaker. Process of providing housing; The unit circuit breaker assembly and the circuit breaker assembly are disposed within corresponding compartments within the housing. arranging the component parts of the disconnector; and A method of manufacturing a circuit breaker comprising securing a cover to the housing. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the unit circuit breaker assembly further comprises: a constant contact mechanism and an actuating coil, and the component parts include - electrical terminals; The housing is for the fixed contact mechanism and the actuating coil and for the electrical terminal. How to provide support for. 9. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the component parts include a deionization plate assembly and a deionization plate assembly. and other electrical terminals, and the housing includes the deionization plate assembly and the electrical terminals. Other - A method of providing support for electrical terminals. 10. within a module having a pair of side plates operatively supporting said movable component; the process of preassembling the movable components of a circuit breaker; A housing having means for supporting said module without attachments installing the pre-assembled module into the housing; process; and A method of manufacturing a circuit breaker comprising securing a cover to the housing. 11. Housing with base and cover; capable of actuating moving parts of the circuit breaker a module that supports; and within said base for supporting said module therein without attachments; means of circuit breaker with. 12. 12. The circuit breaker of claim 11, wherein the base comprises a module support section. at least one other chamber for supporting the chamber and other components of the circuit breaker. Circuit breaker with compartments. 13. a base defining at least two compartments; for closing said base; cover; and operatively cover the moving parts of said circuit breaker for inspection and calibration. a module having a pair of supporting side plates; The base can be inserted into one of the two compartments without any attachments. Circuit breakers that support joules.