EP0551039A1 - Mechanism for current breaking apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mechanism of a current-breaking apparatus comprising at least one pole (1) formed by at least one moving contact (111) cooperating with a fixed contact (121) and means of displacing the moving contacts (111) acted upon, on the one hand, by means (61-62) for protection against overloading and current surges and, on the other hand, by a manual control member (7), characterised in that it comprises a magnetic latching member (3) provided with a permanent magnet (32) capable of affording the latching of the means of displacing the moving contacts and a magnetisable tongue (5) for triggering opening which can be controlled by the protection means (61-62) in order to divert a fraction of the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet (31) so as thereby to unlatch the means of displacement and effect opening. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a mechanism for a current switching device controlled manually by a manual control member and comprising, in a housing, a magnetic locking member with permanent magnet cooperating on the one hand with an operating armature acting on a bridge of movable contacts cooperating with fixed contacts of a pole and on the other hand with an opening frame capable of being moved by protective means sensitive to overloads or overcurrents.

Lock mechanisms are used in single or multi-phase circuit breakers. A known mechanism includes a manual control member (button) capable of compressing the springs which tend to apply the movable contacts against the fixed contacts. This mechanism also receives opening orders. Triggers act on the lock to cause the rapid opening of the contacts. They almost always combine overload and short circuit protection.

French patent 1,464,396 and English patent 1,355,035 describe magnetic type mechanisms such as that of the preamble, comprising a permanent magnet which cooperates with an armature displaced by a trigger and with an armature integral with the movable contact. The approximation of the armature associated with the release releases the armature integral with the movable contact. If you want to make a device with several poles, you need as many magnet mechanisms.

The object of the present invention is to provide a lock mechanism suitable for a multipolar device. It ensures abrupt opening and closing of the contacts.

The mechanism according to the invention is characterized in that the operating armature acts on a movable contact carrier in which slides at least one slide associated with a contact bridge.

According to one characteristic, the mechanism comprises locking means capable of immobilizing the contact carrier of the movable contacts in the open position and the magnetic locking member in the on position.

According to one characteristic, the manual control member is connected to a control lever pivotally mounted on the housing and capable of rotating the magnetic locking member which is pivotally mounted.

According to one characteristic, the end of the operating armature is connected by articulation to the support of the movable contact carrier.

According to another characteristic, the mechanism comprises means for hooking the opening frame which are capable of being actuated by the protective means so as to release said pallet.

• la figure 1 est un schéma d'un mode de réalisation du mécanisme de serrure selon l'invention, en position de marche;
• la figure 2 est un schéma du mécanisme de la figure 1, en position d'arrêt;
• la figure 3 est un schéma du mécanisme de la figure 1, en position "déclenché";
• la figure 4 est un schéma du mécanisme de la figure 1, en position de fermeture brusque;
• les figures 5 à 8 représentent schématiquement une variante du mécanisme illustré par les figures 1 à 4, la figure 5 correspondant à la position de marche, la figure 6 à la position d'arrêt, la figure 7 à la position de déclenchement, la figure 8 à la fermeture brusque.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to embodiments given by way of examples and represented by the appended drawings in which:

• Figure 1 is a diagram of an embodiment of the lock mechanism according to the invention, in the on position;
• Figure 2 is a diagram of the mechanism of Figure 1, in the stopped position;
• Figure 3 is a diagram of the mechanism of Figure 1, in the "tripped"position;
• Figure 4 is a diagram of the mechanism of Figure 1, in the closed position;
• Figures 5 to 8 schematically represent a variant of the mechanism illustrated by Figures 1 to 4, Figure 5 corresponding to the on position, Figure 6 to the stop position, Figure 7 to the release position, Figure 8 on abrupt closing.

The drawings show a circuit breaker type current interrupting device.

This device comprises one or more poles 1 housed in a housing. Each pole 1 includes fixed and mobile parts supporting the separable contacts. In the drawings, only one pole 1, of the double break type, is shown. It comprises conductors 12 connecting the connection terminals to the fixed contacts 121 and a movable bridge 11 carrying the movable contacts 111. The movable bridge 11 is mounted in a contact carrier 13 which slides in the housing, perpendicular to the plane passing through the contacts fixed. This contact carrier 13 comprises a sliding support 14 and a slide 17 guided in a housing of this sliding support. This slide 17 is integral with the contact bridge 11. It is subjected to a contact pressure spring 15 which tends to move the bridge 11 relative to the movable support 14, in the closing direction of the contacts. The spring 15 which works in compression bears on the upper part of the mobile support 14 and pushes the end of the slide 17. The mobile support 14 can guide several slides 17 carrying contact bridges 11.

The movable support 14 is subjected to an opening spring 16 tending to move it towards the open position (contacts open). The translational movement of the mobile support 14 is limited by a stop 18 corresponding to the open position.

The mechanism comprises a magnetic locking member 3 which is constituted by a lever 31 carrying a permanent magnet 32 and a yoke 33 made of soft magnetic material. The locking lever 31 is mounted to oscillate about a pivot axis 36 on the housing.

A control lever 2 is pivotally mounted, around the pivot axis 36, on the housing. It makes it possible to operate the magnetic locking member 3 and the associated parts. This lever 2 is mechanically connected to a manual control member 7 of the sliding button type. This control button 7, when it is moved manually, makes it possible to pivot the control lever 2 between the closed position of the contacts and of operation shown in FIG. 1 or 5 and the open position of the contacts and of stop shown in FIG. 2 or 6. The control button 7 is guided in translation and is subjected to a return spring 71.

A pallet or armature 5 for opening the opening, made of soft magnetic material, is pivotally mounted, about a pivot axis 52, on the lever 31 and it is subjected to a spring 51. It pivots between a rest position where it is distant from the magnet and a working position where it is brought closer to this magnet. The displacements of this opening trigger pallet 5 are controlled by a trigger 61 ensuring protection against overloads and short circuits. At the appearance of a fault current, the opening trigger pallet 5 can be released from its rest position by the trigger 61 to come into the working position. The spring 51 acts on the opening trigger pallet 5 to bring it closer to the magnet 32.

A pallet or operating frame 4, made of soft magnetic material, is pivotally mounted, about a pivot axis 36, on the housing. It is capable of pivoting between a working position where it is subjected to the attraction of the magnet 32 and is close to the locking member 3 and a rest position where it is distant from this locking member 3.

The mechanism comprises a movable lock 8 able to immobilize the contact carrier 14 in the open position of the contacts (FIG. 2 or 6) and to immobilize the magnetic locking member 3 in the on position. This lock 8 is pivotally mounted about an axis 81.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4, the end of the pallet 4 is linked by an articulation 41 to the support 14. The translational movement of the slide 17 relative to the support 14 (under the action of the spring 15), in the closing direction of the contacts, is limited by an abutment 171 of the slider bearing against the support 14.

In the variant of FIGS. 5 to 8, the operating pallet 4 is not linked by its end to the support 14. It cooperates with an intermediate lever 9 which pivots on the housing, around the pivot axis 36, and which is linked by its end to the mobile support 14. A spring 91 tends to bring the intermediate lever 9 and the operating pallet 4 closer together.

The operation of the mechanism will now be explained.

In the on and closed position of the contacts shown in FIG. 1 or 5, the flux created by the magnet 32 closes in the operating pallet 4 which is therefore retained against the locking member 3 by the force of magnetic attraction of the magnet 32. The force exerted on this pallet 4 is greater than the force of the opening spring 16. The magnetic locking member 3 is immobilized in rotation, about the axis 36, by the latch 8 which hooks the end of the lever 31. The slide 17 is pushed back by the spring 15 and the movable contacts are applied against the fixed contacts. Maintaining this running and closing position is therefore obtained by mechanical and magnetic means, without consuming energy.

When the control button 7 is pressed in the on-off direction, the control lever 2 is pivoted, the pin 21 comes off the pallet 4 from the magnetic locking member 3. This operating pallet 4 thus released drives the mobile support 14 and the pushers 17. The mobile support 14 then rotates, by means of a boss, the latch 8 which releases the magnetic locking member 3. The latter pivots under the action of the spring 51 and is stuck on the pallet 4 (FIG. 2 or 6).

In the event of a fault (overload or short-circuit), the trigger 61 turns the spoiler 62 which releases the pallet 5 for opening opening. The latter then sticks against the magnet 32. The flux created by the magnet 32 is distributed in the pallets 4 and 5. The force exerted on the operating pallet 4 becomes weaker than the force of the spring 16. The maneuvering pallet 4 is released and can be detached from the magnetic locking member 3. The contact carrier 13 moves under the action of the opening spring 16 to occupy the "triggered" position illustrated in FIG. 3 or 7.

To go from the "tripped" position (figure 3 or 7) to the "stop" position (figure 2 or 6), the control button 7 is moved, which pivots the control lever 2. The pin 23 of this lever 2 pushes the locking member 3 to the "stop" position (Figure 2 or 6). This pivoting makes it possible to fetch the maneuvering pallet 4 and rearm the opening triggering pallet 5 on the spoiler 62. It is the fixed pin 53 which makes it possible to bring the opening triggering pallet 5 into position rearmament. This resetting of the pallet 5 is necessary so that the magnetic locking member 3 can be brought back into the on position and the contacts closed (FIG. 1 or 5).

To go from the stop position (Figure 2 or 6) to the on position (Figure 1 or 5), move the manual control button 7 which rotates the lever 2. This rotation movement of the lever 2 simultaneously brings the operating pallet 4 and the magnetic locking member 3 towards the operating position of FIG. 1 or 5. At the end of the race, the magnetic locking member 3 authorizes the rotation of the latch 8 which releases the contact carrier 13 hitherto retained by the pin 82 belonging to the latch 8. This allows abrupt closure (FIG. 4 or 8) of the contact carrier 13.

In the event of soldering of the contacts, one can force, by acting on the control button 7, on the pallet 4.

It is understood that it is possible without departing from the scope of the invention to imagine variants and improvements in detail and even envisage the use of equivalent means.

The mechanism could be associated with a contactor-circuit breaker.

Claims (9)

Mechanism of a current interrupting device manually controlled by a manual control member (7) and comprising, in a housing, a magnetic locking member (3) with permanent magnet (32) cooperating on the one hand with an operating armature ( 4) acting on a bridge of movable contacts (111) cooperating with fixed contacts (121) of a pole and on the other hand with an opening frame (5) capable of being moved by protective means (61 -62) sensitive to overloads or overcurrents, characterized in that the operating armature (4) acts on a movable contact carrier (13) in which slides at least one slide (17) associated with a contact bridge (13 ). Mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises locking means (8) capable of immobilizing the contact carrier (13) of the movable contacts in the open position and the magnetic locking member (3) in the on position. Mechanism according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the slide (17) is guided in a support (14) and is subjected to a pressure spring (15). Mechanism according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the manual control member (7) is connected to a control lever (2) pivotally mounted on the housing and capable of rotating the locking member magnetic (3) which is pivotally mounted. Mechanism according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the end of the operating armature (4) is connected in an articulated manner (41) to the support (14) of the movable contact carrier (13). Mechanism according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the slide (17) is integral with the movable contacts. Mechanism according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises hooking means (62) of the opening frame (5) which are capable of being actuated by the protective means (61 ) so as to release said pallet. Mechanism according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the opening frame (5) is pivotally mounted on the magnetic locking member (3). Mechanism according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the operating armature (4) cooperates with an intermediate lever (9) which is connected at its end to the support (14) of the movable contact carrier.

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