Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
  • H01H9/00—Details of switching devices, not covered by groups H01H1/00 - H01H7/00
  • H01H9/20—Interlocking, locking, or latching mechanisms
  • H01H9/26—Interlocking, locking, or latching mechanisms for interlocking two or more switches
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
  • H01H50/00—Details of electromagnetic relays
  • H01H50/16—Magnetic circuit arrangements
  • H01H50/18—Movable parts of magnetic circuits, e.g. armature
  • H01H50/32—Latching movable parts mechanically
  • H01H50/323—Latching movable parts mechanically for interlocking two or more relays
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
  • H01H71/00—Details of the protective switches or relays covered by groups H01H73/00 - H01H83/00
  • H01H71/10—Operating or release mechanisms
  • H01H71/1009—Interconnected mechanisms
  • H01H71/1018—Interconnected mechanisms with only external interconnections

Definitions

• Interlock device for electrical circuit breakers kit of parts including such device, and multipole circuit breaker
• the present invention relates to the technical field of the electrical apparatuses and, particularly, it relates to an interlock device as defined in the preamble of the first claim.
• front interlock devices are known which are suitable to frontally act by mechanical interference with the front control levers of the electrical circuit breakers to be interlocked.
• front implements such as, for example, a motorization device to the circuit breakers.
• Rear interlock devices are further known which are intended to be mounted inside an electric panel or box at the back of the circuit breakers to be interlocked.
• Such devices while allowing the application of front implements to the circuit breakers, have other types of drawbacks.
• the "rear” interlock devices since they are located in the rear part of the electric panel, in which conductive electrical parts under tension are present, they have the main drawback to necessitate cutting out the voltage to the electric panel during the maintenance operations for the interlock devices.
• the "rear” interlock devices generally have a complex structure which is characterized by a high number of pieces, they occupy much room in the thickness of the electric panel, and require periodic adjustment operations.
• the object of the present invention is to provide an interlock device which is able to obviate the above- discussed drawbacks relative to the prior art. Such object is achieved by an interlock device as generally defined in the annexed claim 1.
• an interlock device is as defined in the annexed dependant claims. Further objects of the present invention are to provide a kit of parts as defined in the claims 16 to 18, and a molded case multipole electrical circuit breaker as defined in the claims 19 to 21.
• Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of a kit of parts including a first and a second electrical circuit breakers, and an interlock device according to a currently preferred embodiment of the present invention, where the kit of parts is shown in a first operative configuration;
• FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the kit of parts of Fig. 1 in a second operative configuration
• FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an electrical circuit breaker of the kit of parts of Fig. 1, and of a component of the interlock device of Fig. 1;
• FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an inner member of the electrical circuit breakers of Fig. 1 which is coupled to the interlock device component represented in Fig. 3;
• FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the kit of parts of Fig. 1, in which one of the circuit breakers has been removed, and in which the interlock device is represented in a third configuration;
• Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the kit of parts of Fig. 5, in which a first lid of the interlock device can be seen;
• Fig. 7 is a front perspective view of the interlock device of Fig. 1, in which an additional component of such device is shown;
• FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the kit of parts of Fig. 1, in which a second lid of the interlock device can be seen;
• FIG. 9 is a rear perspective view of the kit of parts of Fig. 1.
• a kit of parts which comprises: an interlock device 1 according to the present invention, a first Sw-sx and a second Sw-dx electrical circuit breakers.
• the circuit breakers in the exemplary case, are molded case multipole electrical circuit breakers which are intended to be installed on a support member, such as, for example, a respective insertion strip, or a support plate which is fixed or securable inside an electric panel, in order to be actuated in a mutually excluding manner.
• the Sw-sx and Sw-dx electrical apparatuses functionally correspond to two separate sources, which are connected in parallel to a load, one of which is the primary source, and the other one is the auxiliary source which is provided so as to operate in the event of a failure or malfunction of the primary source.
• the Sw-sx circuit breaker comprises an outer shell 2 including a front wall 2a, on which a control lever L-sx for the circuit breaker operation is provided, a pair of opposite side walls 2b, 2c, an upper side 2d, a lower side 2e, and a rear wall 2f (Fig. 9) which is intended, in use, to be connected for example to a support plate (not shown) .
• the Sw-dx circuit breaker comprises an outer shell 3 including a front wall 3a, on which a L-dx control lever analogue to L-sx is arranged, a pair of opposite side walls 3b, 3c, an upper side 3d, a lower side 3e, and a rear wall 3f (Fig. 9) which is intended to be connected for example to a support plate (not shown) .
• control levers L-sx, L-dx of the circuit breakers Sw-sx, Sw-dx are independently movable between a first activation position ON, corresponding to a closed state of the circuit breaker, and a second deactivation position OFF, corresponding to an open state of the circuit breaker.
• the interlock device 1 includes a box-shaped main shell 4 intended to be sandwiched between the side walls 2c and 3b of the outer shells 2, 3, which are mutually facing in the operative conditions of the device. Thereby, the interlock device 1 is arranged between the two circuit breakers Sw-sx, Sw- dx .
• the main shell 4 of the device 1 includes two opposite side faces (of which, only one, indicated with
• the main shell 4 includes, particularly, a box-like portion 6 (Fig. 5), and a front lid 7 (Fig. 6) which is removably secured to the box-like portion, for example, by means of screws.
• the side face 5 is preferably defined by both the box-like portion 6 and the front lid 7 (Fig. 6) .
• the main shell 4 further has two communication openings 8, 9, each of which extends partially frontally on the front lid 7 and partially on a respective side face of the main shell 4.
• each of the portions of the two communication openings 8, 9 which frontally extend on the front lid 7, extends horizontally from the edge of the lid 7 towards a central vertical axis of the same lid 7.
• the portions of the two communication openings 8, 9 which extend on the side faces of the main shell 4 have, in the exemplary case, a generally enlarged shape which extends on the respective wall and, particularly, operatively face respectively two openings, preferably manufactured under the shape of two bent slots 10, 11
• FIGs. 1 and 3 which are provided on the side walls 2c and 3b, respectively, of the outer shells 2, 3 of the circuit breakers Sw-sx, Sw-dx.
• other two slots which are identical to the slots 10, 11 are further provided on the side walls 2b and 3c, respectively, of the shells 2, 3, that is on the side walls which, in the illustrated embodiment, do not face the interlock device 1.
• the device 1 comprises locking means which consist of, in the exemplary case, a rocker 12 which is rotatable around a horizontal support pivot between a first (left) and a second (right) angular positions, which are distinct and predetermined.
• the rocker includes two teeth 13a, 13b angularly spaced apart from each other around the support pivot, which comprise a first 14a and a second 14b engagement surfaces (Fig. I) 1 respectively, the function of which will be explained herein below.
• the device 1 further comprises secondary control members consisting of a first 15 and a second 16 control pins in the currently preferred embodiment.
• Each of the control pins 15, 16 is movable between a lower operative position and an upper operative position associated to the ON, OFF positions of the respective control lever L- sx, L-dx, and is suitable to cooperate with the rocker 12 in order to prevent to the circuit breakers Sw-sx, Sw-dx to be both in a closed state.
• control pins 15, 16 are such as to cooperate with the rocker 12, so that, when the first pin 15 is in the upper operative position (Fig. 2), the rocker and, consequently, the second pin 16, are in the second angular position and in the lower operative position, respectively.
• the rocker and, consequently, the first pin 15 are in the first angular position and in the lower operative position, respectively.
• each of the first 15 and the second 16 control pins is intended to be rotationally integral to a respective rotatable activation member or contact carrier shaft 17a, 17b (Figs.
• each of the rotatable activation members can comprise a further hole intended to face a respective slot of the two slots optionally obtained on the side walls 2b, 3c of the outer shells 2, 3.
• the lower and upper operative positions of the first 15 and second 16 control pins correspond to the OFF and ON positions, respectively, of the control levers L-sx, L- dx .
• the device 1 can comprise positioning means of the rocker 12.
• rocker positioning means comprise, particularly, a spring 18 (Fig. 7) which is suitable to cooperate with the teeth 13a, 13b in order to bring the rocker to a preset intermediate angular position when the control levers L-sx, L-dx are both in the OFF position.
• Such intermediate position of the rocker is preferably centred relative to the first and second angular positions.
• the spring 18 has also the function of reducing the clearances which could be present between the tooth 13b and the second 16 control pin, when such pin 16 is in the upper operative position, and between the tooth 13a and the first 15 control pin when such pin is in the upper operative position, respectively.
• the spring 18 has, particularly, two elastic arms 19, 20 which are respectively supported by two spring positioning and support members 21, 22 which are provided in the main shell 4.
• the arms 19, 20 are suitable to be subjected to an upwardly flexure, under the action of the two teeth 13a, 13b, respectively, so that when the rocker 12 is in the first angular position (Fig. 1), the arm 20 has stored the maximum elastic energy while the arm 19 is unloaded, and when the rocker 12 is in the second angular position (Fig. 2), the conditions of the two arms are inverted relative to those previously described.
• the device 1 comprises a secondary front lid 23, intended to be connected in an overlapped manner to the front lid 7 (Fig. 6) of the main shell 4, so as to cover the front portions, if present, of the communication openings 8, 9 (Fig. 6) and to prevent the access to the screws for the connection of the front lid 7 to the box-like portion 6.
• each of the front lid 7 and the secondary front lid 23 has two opposite eyelets (particularly, only the eyelets 24 of the front lid 7 in Fig. 6 are visible), the eyelets being two by two aligned when the two lids are overlapped. This allows the insertion of a protective closing means, such as a wire with lead seal, through each pair of aligned eyelets.
• centring means are provided which, in the exemplary case, are obtained by means of two tongues 25a, 25b which are projecting from the main shell 4 of the device 1.
• Such centring means are, particularly, suitable to engage in respective conjugated centring means respectively provided on the outer shells 2, 3 of the circuit breakers Sw-sx, Sw-dx.
• such conjugated centring means are, particularly, two centring recesses 25c, 25d visible in Fig. 9 or, with reference to the recess 25c, in Fig. 3.
• two other centring recesses can respectively be obtained on the outer shells 2, 3 of the circuit breakers Sw-sx, Sw-dx, on the side opposite that in which they are illustrated in the annexed Figures.
• kit of parts Sw-sx, Sw-dx, 1 will be described herein below, with particular reference to the case in which such kit of parts is intended to be secured inside an electric panel by means of a support plate.
• a support plate can be, for example, an inner panel provided in the electric panel, or a support plate which can be secured inside an electric panel, for example including coupling means to a DIN rail.
• the main shell 4 of the device 1 is secured on the support plate (not shown) .
• the first pin 15 is connected to the first circuit breaker Sw-sx by being inserted through the bent slot 10 in order to partially fit it inside the hole 17c (Fig. 3) provided on the rotatable activation member 17a.
• the assembly consisting of the circuit breaker Sw-sx and the pin 15, after that the control lever L-sx has been brought in the OFF position so that the pin 15 results to be in the lower operative position, is made to slide laterally relative to the device 1 (the direction of the arrow S in Fig. 6) so that the side wall 2c of the circuit breaker Sw-sx slides along the side face of the interlock device main shell 4 and, concomitantly, the pin 15 inserts through the front portion of the communication opening 8.
• control pins 15, 16, when are in the lower operative position turn out to face respectively the front portions of the communication openings 8, 9. In fact, in such manner one can be sure that the circuit breakers installation and removal is always accomplished when these are in an open state (OFF) .
• the spring 18, when present is suitable to cooperate with the rocker 12 so as to bring it to and maintain it in an intermediate angular position between the first and second angular positions.
• the intermediate angular position is such as to prevent that, in the absence of the control pins 15, 16, rocker portions can assume positions corresponding to the communication openings 8, 9 front portions.
• the spring 18 promotes the coupling of the circuit breakers Sw-sx, Sw-dx to the interlock device 1, thus allowing having the front portions of the communication openings 8, 9 free from obstacles when the control pins 15, 16 are being inserted within the main shell 4.
• circuit breaker Sw-sx is secured to the support plate, for example, by means of screws.
• the installation of the circuit breaker Sw-dx is carried out in a similar manner as described for the circuit breaker Sw-sx, on the opposite side of the main shell 4 of device 1 relative to that of the circuit breaker Sw-sx.
• the coupling between the circuit breaker Sw-dx and the interlock device is carried out by inserting first the second control pin 16 through the bent slot 11 and the hole 17d provided on the rotatable activation member 17b (Fig. 4) of the circuit breaker Sw-dx, then by inserting the pin 16 coupled to the circuit breaker Sw-dx, through the communication opening 9 front portion.
• the relative positioning between the circuit breaker Sw-dx and the device 1 is then accomplished by engaging the projecting centring tongue 25b (Fig. 9) in the corresponding conjugated centring recess 25d which is provided on the outer shell 3 of the circuit breaker Sw-dx.
• the secondary front lid 23 is connected to the front lid 7 of the main shell 4.
• the operation of the device 1 is as follows. Let's assume that the device 1 is initially in the configuration in Fig. 1, in which the control members L- sx, L-dx are respectively in the OFF and ON positions, considering the front lid 7 as being connected to the box-like portion 6.
• the pin 16 moves through the bent slot 11 and the side portion of the communication opening 9 covering, in the exemplary case, a curvilinear path, for example corresponding to a circumference arc.
• control lever L-sx can be moved from the OFF position to the ON position by actuating the rotatable activation member 17a of the circuit breaker Sw-sx and, consequently, the control pin 15.
• the latter upon moving through the bent slot 10 and the communication opening 8 side portion, passes from the lower operative position to the upper operative position, thus giving the rocker a clockwise rotation until it reaches to the second angular position (Fig. 2) .
• the openings 10, 11 which are provided on the side walls 2c, 3b of the outer shells 2, 3 of the circuit breakers Sw-sx, Sw-dx may not be bent slots, but, for example, rectilinear slits.
• each of the communication openings 8, 9 of the main shell 4 of device 1 may be such as to be extended only on a respective side face of the main shell 4.
• the locking means can be different from the rocker 12, comprising for example members which are suitable to cooperate with the control pins 15, 16 by accomplishing a translational motion, instead of a rotational one.
• a molded case multipole electrical circuit breaker Sw-sx including:
• an outer shell 2 comprising a front wall 2a on which a primary control member L-sx is provided which is movable between an activation position ON and a deactivation position OFF of the circuit breaker, a pair of opposite side walls 2b, 2c, an upper side 2d, a lower side 2e, and a rear wall 2f intended to be connected to a support member;
• rotatable activation member 17a arranged internally relative to the outer shell 2 and carrying the electrical contacts for the switching of the circuit breaker between a closed state and an open state, where such rotatable activation member includes at least one hole 17c facing the opening 10 provided on at least one of the opposite side walls 2b, 2c of the outer shell 2.
• the opening 10 which is provided on at least one of the opposite side walls 2b, 2c of the outer shell 2 of the circuit breaker can be manufactured under the shape of a bent slot.
• this can include at least one centring recess 25c on the respective outer shell 2.
• this can be suitable to be coupled to a device which is different from the interlock device according to the present invention, such as, for example, an outer residual current protection unit.
• an outer residual current protection unit is put beside a side wall 2b, 2c of the molded case circuit breaker.
• the coupling of the outer residual current protection unit can be accomplished through coupling means that are intended to pass through the opening 10 which is provided on the outer shell 2 of the circuit breaker Sw-sx, so as to cooperate with the hole 17c which is provided on the rotatable activation member 17a.
• coupling means between the circuit breaker and the residual current protection unit can be implemented through a pin completely similar to the control pins 15, 16.
• the residual current protection unit can operate an automatic opening of the multipole circuit breaker by means of such pin, following an intervention of the residual current protection, by directly acting on the rotatable activation member 17a through the pin 15, 16.
• the side arrangement of the interlock device and the ability thereof to laterally act with the respective circuit breakers allows avoiding the drawbacks of the "front” and “rear” interlock devices, thus allowing obtaining a kit of parts which is suitable to receive any utility, also a front utility, which is suitable to reduce the thickness dimension inside the electric panel, and which is relatively easy, both from the point of view of the components which are employed and the operation thereof.

Landscapes

• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Electromagnetism (AREA)
• Switch Cases, Indication, And Locking (AREA)
• Breakers (AREA)
• Emergency Protection Circuit Devices (AREA)
• Keying Circuit Devices (AREA)
• Electrical Discharge Machining, Electrochemical Machining, And Combined Machining (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=39381902

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

Families Citing this family (9)

Citations (2)

Family Cites Families (6)

• 2007
  • 2007-12-21 DE DE602007010496T patent/DE602007010496D1/de active Active
  • 2007-12-21 AT AT07425812T patent/ATE488019T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2007-12-21 PL PL07425812T patent/PL2073231T3/pl unknown
  • 2007-12-21 EP EP10176903A patent/EP2259278B1/de active Active
  • 2007-12-21 EP EP07425812A patent/EP2073231B1/de active Active
  • 2007-12-21 PL PL10176903T patent/PL2259278T3/pl unknown
  • 2007-12-21 ES ES07425812T patent/ES2356152T3/es active Active
  • 2007-12-21 AT AT10176903T patent/ATE519211T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2007-12-21 ES ES10176903T patent/ES2370696T3/es active Active
• 2008
  • 2008-11-27 WO PCT/EP2008/066362 patent/WO2009080442A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2008-11-27 RU RU2010130305/07A patent/RU2467424C2/ru active
  • 2008-11-27 CN CN2008801214867A patent/CN101903964B/zh active Active

Patent Citations (2)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events