MXPA01007453A - Electric switch appliance and quick-assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns an electric switch assembly comprising multipolar quick-assembly appliance and quick-connect appliances which can be quickly assembled. The body of an appliance, or its power terminal strip, is directly fixed to the body of the adjacent appliance, for example by fitting protuberances (37) in slots (26) and interlocking. The interconnection between the various appliances is rapidly performed by multipolar blocks capable of being pressed on the front surfaces of appliances and of being elastically plugged in their terminals. The invention is applicable to a motor-starter block.

Description

ELECTRICAL SWITCH ASSEMBLY The present invention relates to an electrical switch assembly comprising two multipolar apparatuses, both comprising an outer body provided with a front face, high and low transverse faces, side faces and a rear face particularly fastening to a support; at least one of the apparatuses has disconnection properties; the apparatuses have polar power links which comprise internal power conductors housed in the body and power connection terminals, placed in front and / or postponed, having openings that open into the front face to connect external conductors to the power conductors. Such an assembly can be, among other things, a said starting motor assembly. The switching device can be a contactor, a circuit breaker, a disconnect switch or another similar switching device that can be used for distribution or low voltage electrical control. Such an assembly is described in EP-0 869 594. It is desirable that the mechanical splicing be facilitated and it is further desirable that the operator can assemble and make the connections manually, ie without resorting to a tool, of a set of motor starter, or more generally from a set of electrical switches. The object of the present invention is to simplify the constitution of a set of electrical switching devices, particularly of a motor starting assembly, and to allow an easy connection and a fast wiring, avoiding as much as possible the use of a tool. According to the invention, in an assembly of the type described, coupling means are provided to keep the two apparatuses mechanically coupled; a multipolar interconnection block is applied to at least one of the front faces of the coupled devices and comprises male plugs plugged into the power terminals located opposite the corresponding poles of the apparatuses to guarantee the respective polar links between the apparatuses, and the male plugs of the block and the power connection terminals located opposite cooperate by elastic effect. The coupling means can be a common base or a connecting piece, but are preferably provided in the body of the apparatuses in order to guarantee a direct coupling of the bodies. Preferably, the connection terminals are arranged in order to allow the connection of cables with a tool and the connection of male plugs without tools; these terminals can also be tulip-type, with radial clamping. Thus, the electrical power link between the devices occurs after their coupling without intermediate piece (preferably by mutual connection), by introducing a multipolar interconnection block with male plugs, and this without needing a tool. It is advantageous for the coupling means to have means for fitting projections or grooves provided on a high or low side of a specific power terminal which forms part or all of the high or low face of the body of an apparatus. Thus, the aforementioned apparatus can be manufactured in a standard version with screw terminals, easily adaptable to the coupling described by the simple addition of a power terminal board with elastic or tulip terminals. Certain means of seaming also allow to keep the contactor box directly integral with the circuit breaker box. An embodiment of the invention, which is not limiting, will now be described with reference to the appended drawings. Figure 1 represents a side view of the engine starting assembly according to the invention. Figure 2 shows an exploded view of the engine start assembly with its various components, with a variant of power. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the contactor. The. Figure 4 shows an elastic terminal used in the components of the motor start assembly. Figure 5 represents a variant of the assembly according to the invention. Figure 6 illustrates a power connection detail of the assembly of Figure 5. The engine start assembly 10 illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a circuit breaker 20 and a contactor mechanically coupled. The assembly is fixed to a rear support 11 such as a rail or other support through usual fixing means 12, particularly of seaming, provided in the rear part of the circuit breaker, while the contactor 30 is fixed directly to the circuit breaker 20 underneath of this one The qualifiers front, rear, high and low are attributed to the elements of the set depending on the normal assembly of this set and its use by an operator that would be located to the right of figures 1 and 2. The circuit breaker 20 has a face front 20a located in a plane Pl, a rear face 20b, high and low faces 20c, 20d and side faces 20e and the contactor also has a front face 30a, also located in the plane Pl for example, as well as a rear face 30b, faces high and low 30c, 30d and side faces 30e. In this embodiment, the circuit breaker has elastic clamping power terminals, hereinafter referred to as "spring terminals", namely front terminals 21 and postponed terminals 23 located near their front face. When the outer body 20f of the circuit breaker is formed by its actual box 20g (Figure 1), the terminals 21, 23 are housed in this box; when the outer body 20f of the circuit breaker is partly formed by the box and partly by respective front terminals 22 and postponed 24 fixed to the upper and lower parts of the box (figure 2), then the terminals 21, 23 are housed in the terminals. Conventional 20h run / stop buttons or other dialogue elements are arranged in a part 20a 'of the front face 20a of the circuit breaker, protruding with respect to the rest of the face 20a, to act on a mechanism that interrupts internal current links attached to the aforementioned terminals. An opening 20i is provided on the face 20a below the front terminals 21 for receiving an additional signaling piece, not shown. Each terminal 21, 23 of the circuit breaker comprises an elastic box 13 of known type (see Figure 4). This box has a fastening branch 14 provided with an opening 15 for fastening a cable by blocking and a branch 16 applied against a conductor support 18; a curve with convex dorsal portion 17 joins the branches 14, 16. A cable can be introduced into the opening 15, after having loosen the box, exerting a pressure with a tool on the curve 17; a male plug, in the present case a male plug for interconnection between the two apparatuses, can be brought into contact without a tool with a conductor piece 19 by direct pressure on the curve 17; this piece 19 is arranged parallel to the branch 16, on the side opposite the box. Ceida terminal 21, 23 of the circuit breaker is thus arranged to allow the connection of a cable with a tool and the connection of a male interconnection plug without a tool. The terminal housing opens towards the front face 20a by a passage 21a, 23a for introducing a cable that must be locked into the opening 15 and also by an introduction passage 21b, 23b, or a tool capable of loosening the terminal by pressure on the curve, either from an interconnection male plug, as described below.

The power supply of the terminals 21 is ensured with a set 40 of power conductors, particularly of strips, placed and fixed on the high side 20c of the circuit breaker. The set of strips 40 comprises distribution strips 41 and terminals 42, each of which is joined to one of the strips. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the set of strips 40 comprises projections 43, for example heels and projections with a suitable profile, intended to cooperate with slots or oblong holes 25 provided, depending on the case, on the upper face 20c of the box 20g or the front terminal 22 for fixing the set of strips 40 to the circuit breaker 20. In another variant, the upstream device fitted to the circuit breaker could be a disconnect switch or a limiter. In the embodiment of figure 2, the set of strips 40 comprises the rear support 11 of the circuit breaker so that it no longer needs to fit on the face 20c of the circuit breaker. A multi-pole power interconnection block 50 is provided to guarantee the supply of the circuit breaker. It comprises an insulating body 51 and pre-positioned 52 and postponed male plugs 53 intended to be plugged into the respective elastic terminals 42, 21 of the set of strips and of the circuit breaker. A retaining member 54 ensures blocking of the block against the circuit breaker or the set of strips to prevent it from disengaging untimely. The box 20g of the circuit breaker, or its front terminal 24, has grooves 26, of which some have the shape of an oblong hole, provided in the lower face 20d to cooperate, as we are going to see, with complementary forms of the contactor with a view to guarantee the direct fixation of this with the circuit breaker. The contactor 30 offers a structure such that its outer body 30f is essentially formed by an arc box 31 which houses fixed and movable contacts and by a power terminal 32 fixed to the arc box. The terminal 32 accommodates preposed elastic terminals 33 and postponed elastic terminals 34 provided with boxes 13 similar to those of the circuit breaker. The elastic terminals 33, 34 of the contactor are similar to the terminals 21, 23 of the circuit breaker. They open towards the front face 30a of the body 30f by passages 33a, 34a for insertion of an interconnecting male plug and for a passage 33b, 34b for inserting a cable to be connected in the locking opening 15 of the elastic box 15. When an interconnecting male plug is used, step 33b, 34b is not used. When a cable is used, the step 33a, 34a serves to introduce a tool that forces the loosening of the box. Instead of a monobloc terminal board, it is of course possible to design two different terminals, one in front and one postponed, added to the arc box 31. A control and command terminal board 35 which houses elastic terminals for connection to the coil and to control elements. signaling is fixed on the front part of the power terminal block to allow fixing and maneuver projections 36 of a possible additional block to pass through. The terminal block constitutes the essential part of the high face 30c and of the low face 30d of the contactor and comprises, at least on the high face, projections 37 intended to cooperate with the low-fitting grooves 26 of the circuit breaker 20. It will be noted that the face 20a 'of the circuit breaker body and the front face 30a' of the contactor terminal 35 are in the same parallel plane P2 and protrude with respect to Pl. The movement of introduction of the contactor is effected by a first displacement Zl for example parallel to the front faces 20a, 30a of the two apparatuses and by a second displacement Z2 perpendicular to these faces. A retaining element 38, in particular of seaming, provided on the high or rear face of the contactor, guarantees its blocking against any forward pulling movement when it is connected to the circuit breaker. Elastic loosening means preferably by manual maneuver are associated with the element 38 to neutralize it, in order to allow separation between the contactor and the circuit breaker. Each terminal 33, 34 opens towards the front face 30a of the contactor by a passage 33a, 34a for a cable to be connected in the opening 15 of the blocking branch of the elastic box and by a passage 33b, 34b for a Loosening tool or for a male plug interconnecting with the circuit breaker. A multipolar power interconnection block 60, preferably identical to the block 50, comprises an insulating body 61, pre-arranged male 62 and post-pin plugs 63 and a retaining element 64. The male plugs are intended to be plugged without tools into the respective elastic terminals postponed. 23 of the circuit breaker and antennas 33 of the contactor and the retaining element 64 prevents untimely tearing of the block. Another block can be provided to connect the contactor with the load. The assembly of the motor starting assembly 10 will be described with respect to FIG. 2. The circuit breaker is fixed to its support 11 that forms part of the set of strips 40, then the contactor is fitted below the circuit breaker, to couple it with this one. in a well-defined position and the male plugs of the interconnection blocks 60 are plugged into the elastic power terminals 23, 33, keeping in the inserted position thanks to their retaining element 64. The feeding of the assembly is guaranteed with the insertion of the male plugs of the interconnection blocks 50 at terminals 21 of the circuit breaker and 42 of the set of terminal blocks. It will be noted that assembly and disassembly of the assembly are done without having to use tools. Of course, several assemblies 10 can be juxtaposed by joining the lateral faces 20e, 30e of their various pairs of contactors-circuit breakers. The contactor, in this case electromechanical type, could be of static type. In adon, the contactor may be provided on its lower face 30d with projections or snap grooves to support an adonal or communication module or more generally an attached apparatus that has to be connected and connected quickly. Of course, the projections and slots provided in the two devices can be reversed. In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the multi-pole blocks 50, 60 have male plugs 52, 53, 62, 63 whose ends 71 have an elastic configuration, in particular in the radial direction as indicated in figure 6. The terminals corresponding 42, 21, 23, 33 of the apparatuses have rigid ferrules 72 constituted by parts of the conductive parts such as 19 or by adjoining pieces fixed to these conductive parts. In this case also, the placing of the blocks 50, 60 is effected by a movement perpendicular to the front parts 20a, 30a of the apparatuses. In another variant, the bushes can be elastic tulips cooperating with rigid male plugs. It is convenient to note that the above-mentioned multipolar interconnection block 50 has a height such that it leaves free the opening 20i dedicated to the introduction of an adonal part in the body 20f of the circuit breaker, and that the multipolar interconnection blocks 50, 60 are almost fitted, with a depth such that the front face of each one is almost aligned with the plane P2 of the dialog and control faces of the apparatuses.

Claims (12)

1. Electrical switch assembly comprising: - two multipolar devices (20, 30, 40), each comprising an outer body (20f, 30f) equipped with a front face (20a, 30a), with high and low transverse faces, side faces and of a rear face particularly for attachment to a support; at least one of the apparatuses has disconnection properties, polar power links comprising internal power conductors housed in the body and power connection terminals in front (21, 33) and / or postponed (23, 34) having openings which open on the front face to connect external conductors to the power conductors, characterized in that: - coupling means (37, 26; 43, 25) are provided to keep the two apparatuses mechanically coupled, - a multipolar interconnection block (50). , 60) is applied on at least one of the front faces (20a, 30a) of the coupled devices and comprises male plugs (52, 53, 62, 63) plugged into the power terminals located opposite (23, 33; , 21) of the corresponding poles to ensure the respective polar links between the devices, - the male plugs (62, 63; 52, 53) of the block and the power connection terminals located opposite (23, 33; 42, 21) cooper an elastic effect.

Electrical assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the power connection terminals (33, 34; 21, 23; 42) are arranged to allow the connection of cables with a tool and the connection of plugs without tools.

3. Electrical assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the power connection terminals (33, 34, 21, 23, 42) and / or the male plugs (62, 63, 52, 53) of the multi-pole block (50, 60) are of the type with radial bushing and clamping.

Electrical assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, for at least one device, a power terminal (32, 24) comprising the power terminals (33, 34; 21, 23) is fixed to the external body of the device to constitute, on its high or low side, in part or in whole, the high or low transverse face (30c, 20d) thereof; and in that the coupling means (37, 26) comprise engagement means with projections or grooves provided in a high or low face of the power terminal (32, 24).

Electrical assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the coupling means (37, 26) are provided in the bodies of the apparatuses and arranged to allow a direct connection of the apparatuses by mutual displacement (Z2) perpendicular to their front faces (30a, 20a).

Electrical assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the coupling means (37, 26) comprise means for direct seaming (38) of the body of an apparatus in the body of the other apparatus, the means being such as to prevent untimely tearing.

7. Electrical assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the above-mentioned multipolar interconnection block (50) has a height such that it leaves free the opening (20i) intended for the introduction of an additional part in the body (20f) of the circuit breaker (20).

An electrical assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the multipolar interconnection blocks (50, 60) have a depth such that the front face of each one is almost aligned with the plane (P2) of the dialogue and control projections of the devices.

Assembly comprising two overlapping switching devices, particularly motor starting assembly, the two apparatuses each having an outer body (30f, 20f) provided with a front face, a rear face, high and low transverse faces and faces lateral, and fixing means of one of the apparatuses to a rear support, characterized in that: at least one of the apparatuses (30, 20) comprises a power terminal (32, 24) added to an external body and provided close to its front face (30a, 20a) of terminals (33, 23) opening towards it with connecting passages (33a, 23a), - the lower device (30) is directly connected to the upper device (20) thanks to its power terminal (32, 24), which is provided on a low or high flat face (30c, 20d) of first projections or grooves (37) intended to fit into second projections or grooves (26) of complementary shape provided on the face high or low (20d, 30c) of the other device (20, 30).

10. Assembly according to claim 9, characterized in that the two apparatuses (20, 30) have elastic terminals (23, 33) and that the connection between the elastic terminals of the two apparatuses is guaranteed by means of a multipolar interconnection piece (60) with pairs of rigid male plugs (62, 63) intended to penetrate the elastic terminals. Assembly according to claim 9, characterized in that the two devices (20, 30) have tulip terminals (23, 33) and that the connection between the terminals of the two devices is ensured by means of a multipolar interconnection block ( 60) with pairs of elastic male plugs (62, 63) intended to penetrate the elastic terminals by elastic ends (71). Assembly according to claim 10, characterized in that the multipolar interconnection block (60) is introduced and establishes the tool-free contact in the elastic terminals (23, 33) of the two apparatuses, these are suitable for the connection of cables with tool and for the connection of male plugs without tools.