GB2288071A

GB2288071A - Closing system for a circuit breaker

Info

Publication number: GB2288071A
Application number: GB9505589A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mark Albino Zaffetti; Roger Neil Castonguay; James Lawrence Rosen
Original assignee: General Electric Co
Current assignee: General Electric Co
Priority date: 1994-03-30
Filing date: 1995-03-20
Publication date: 1995-10-04
Anticipated expiration: 2015-03-20
Also published as: GB2288071B; GB9406309D0; GB9505589D0

Abstract

A closing system for a circuit breaker allows manual release of charged closing springs to drive the circuit breaker contacts from their open to their closed condition. The closing system includes a lever having an externally-accessible button (1) arranged on a top surface of an enclosure that interacts with a latching system (5) for the springs via a closing arm (2) and a closing link (3) which is pivotally attached to the arm (2). Depressing the closing button (1) causes the closing link (3) to actuate a latch release bracket (4) to unlatch the latching system (5) and release the closing springs. <IMAGE>

Description

CLOSING SYSTEM FOR CIRCUIT BREAKER This invention relates to a closing system for a circuit breaker and finds particular application circuit breakers capable of interrupting several thousand amperes of circuit current at several hundred volts potential.

An example of such a circuit breaker is described in US Patent US-A-4,001,742 entitled "Circuit Breaker Having Improved Operating Mechanism". As described therein, the operating mechanism is in the form of a pair of powerful operating springs that are restrained from separating the circuit breaker contacts by means of a latching system.

A two stage latching arrangement is incorporated to control the closing of the circuit breaker.

The closing system of this circuit breaker has the following features in common with the embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 1 namely a latching assembly 25, a locking pawl 22 and locking teeth 20, This arrangement controls the retention and release of the operating springs.

The present invention provides a closing system for circuit breaker operating springs comprising a closing button lever having an externally-accessible closing button arranged on a top surface of a circuit breaker enclosure containing circuit breaker closing springs; a latching system restraining said closing springs from driving the circuit breaker contacts from an open to a closed condition; a closing arm pivotally attached to a closing link at one end and in contact with said closing button lever at an opposite end thereof; and means on one end of said closing link for engaging a latch release bracket within said latching system when said closing button is depressed to thereby release said latching system and allow said closing springs to drive said contacts to said closed position.

The present invention provides an arrangement able to control the retention and release of the operating springs. The invention provides a closing arrangement capable of releasing the pawl and discharge the operating springs.

Embodiments of the invention may have a closing arm attached to a side frame by means of a closing arm pivot pin and, optionally, one end of the closing arm attached to one end of the closing link by means of a closing link pivot pin.

The closing button level may include a detente which provides a stop for the closing button lever.

The closing system allows manual release of the charged circuit breaker closing springs to drive the circuit breaker contacts from their open to their closed condition. In one embodiment an externally-accessible button interacts with the circuit breaker latching system by a closing arm and closing link. Depressing the closing button forces the closing link into contact with the latch release bracket to unlatch and release the closing springs.

The present invention is also directed to a circuit breaker including a closing system according to the present invention.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a circuit breaker incorporating a closing system according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic sectional end view of the circuit breaker of Figure 1 in the direction II-II of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a diagrammatic sectional end view of the circuit breaker of Figure 1 as shown in Figure 2 after depression of the close button; and Figure 4 is a diagrammatic exploded perspective view of the closing system of Figures 2 and 3.

The principal components of circuit breaker to which the closing system of the present invention has been applied has already been described with reference to Figure 1.

Referring now to Figures 2 to 4, a closing arrangement consists of a close button 1, (as also shown in Figure 1), an intermediate closing arm 2, a closing link 3, a d-latch bracket 4 and a d-latch 5.

The push button 1 is connected to the operating mechanism's sideframe 6 by means of a close button pivot pin 7. The intermediate closing arm 2 is connected to the sideframe 6 by an intermediate closing arm pivot pin 8. Both of these two components are free to rotate about their respective pivot pins. The closing link 3 is attached to the intermediate closing arm 2 at one end and is allowed to pivot about a connection pin 10. The end of the closing link 3 which is not attached to the intermediate closing arm 2 slides into and hooks around the d-latch bracket 4. This d-latch bracket 4 is attached to the d-latch 5 thus making them rotate as a unit. The d-latch 5 is also located via the sideframe 6.

The d-latch 5 interacts with the latching system shown in Figure 1.

The operation of the closing system is best seen by referring jointly to the "rest" configuration shown in Figure 2 and to the "depressed" configuration shown in Figure 3. Figure 4 shows an exploded view of the arrangement including a second sideframe 9.

Initially the close button 1 is in its "rest" position as shown in Figure 2. The close button 1 is rotated clockwise about the close button pivot pin 7 by a spring, not shown, until a stopping surface 1A on the close button 1 contacts the intermediate closing arm pivot pin 8. This contact sets the "rest" position of the close button 1.

In depressing the close button 1, the bias force keeping it in the rest position is overcome and the close button 1 rotates counter-clockwise about the closing button pivot pin. Figure 3 illustrates the "depressed" configuration of the close system arrangement. When the close button 1 is depressed, the closing link 3 is retracted via the action undertaken by the intermediate closing arm 2. While retracting in response to a depression of the close button 1, the closing link 3 engages the d-latch bracket 4. When the button 1 is depressed, the close link 3 engages and moves the d-latch bracket 4 overcoming the bias force keeping it in its "rest" position. While the d-latch bracket 4 is made to move the d-latch 5 is forced to rotate. It is in this rotation of the d-latch 5, which interacts with the latching arrangement shown in Figure 1, that the latching system for the operating springs of the breaker is released. Once released, the stored energy within the operating springs are allowed to discharge and drive the contacts of the breaker closed.

Claims

1. A closing system for circuit breaker operating springs comprising a closing button lever having an externallyaccessible closing button arranged on a top surface of a circuit breaker enclosure containing circuit breaker closing springs; a latching system restraining said closing springs from driving the circuit breaker contacts from an open to a closed condition; a closing arm pivotally attached to a closing link at one end and in contact with said closing button lever at an opposite end thereof; and means on one end of said closing link for engaging a latch release bracket within said latching system when said closing button is depressed to thereby release said latching system and allow said closing springs to drive said contacts to said closed position.

2. The closing system of Claim 1 wherein said closing arm is attached to a side frame by means of a closing arm pivot pin.

3. The closing system of Claim 2 wherein said closing button lever includes a detente, said detente providing a stop for said closing button lever.

4. The closing system of Claim 2 wherein one end of said closing arm is attached to one end of said closing link by means of a closing link pivot pin.

5. A circuit breaker including a closing system as claimed in any preceding claim.

6. A closing system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.