EP0641045B1 - Mains socket with differential current protection - Google Patents

Abstract

The plug socket having differential-current protection (residual-current protection) contains a housing (8, 9), in the form of a box, for accommodating a differential-current protective circuit breaker (residual-current device) and a socket part. The socket part contains plug contacts (21, 22, 23) for a plug of an electrical load (V), and connecting terminals (11, 12, 13) for conductors (L3, PEN) of an electrical power supply network. The differential-current protective circuit breaker and the socket part are plugged together from modular units which are held together by insertion into the housing (8, 9). Such a plug socket is distinguished by the fact that it is of compact design and can be assembled (installed) and maintained (serviced) extremely easily. At the same time, a plug socket which is matched to a plug of modified design can be produced from such a plug socket at very low cost by replacement of modular units (for example the plug contact part 2 and the cover 9). <IMAGE>

Description

TECHNICAL AREA

The invention is based on a fault-protected socket according to the introductory part of patent claim 1. Fault-protected sockets prevent electrical accidents and fires in electrical systems. They continuously monitor the connected consumers and cut off the power supply before a fault current flowing to earth can be dangerous for people, animals or things.

STATE OF THE ART

The invention relates to a state of the art, as described, for example, in the article by J.Feitknecht "Residual current circuit breakers: constructive solutions, development trends and principles for their use" in a special print from Elektrotechnische Zeitschrift 1984, Issue 13. A leakage current protected socket specified in this document has a box-shaped housing in which a residual current circuit breaker and a plug contact part are arranged. Plug-in connections designed as sockets for power consumers and actuators for a contact arrangement of the residual current circuit breaker and for a test circuit are led from the inside of the housing to the front of the socket. The housing has a material recess on the back of the socket for receiving screw terminals for the Connection to the conductors of a low-voltage network. Connection terminals and plug contact part form a socket part of the socket. To achieve a compact design, the individual components of this socket are screwed onto a mounting body made of insulating material and / or screwed together. The manufacture and maintenance of such an outlet are quite complex, since a comparatively large number of assembly steps are necessary to assemble the outlet or to replace a defective part of the outlet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention, as specified in claim 1, is based on the object of specifying a leakage-proof socket which, despite its compact design, can be produced in a simple manner and is extremely easy to assemble and maintain.

The socket according to the invention is characterized above all by the fact that its individual components are modular units which are plugged together to form the socket. By exchanging a few modular units, a socket can be produced while maintaining all the other units, which fulfills completely different requirements with regard to the construction and design of the socket part, for example, than a socket with the non-exchanged modular units. For example, after replacing a plug-contact part holding plug contacts and a housing cover, the socket can work with plugs that comply with German safety regulations instead of with plugs that correspond to Swiss safety regulations.

Preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention and the further advantages achievable therewith are explained in more detail below with reference to drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig.1

ein Schaltbild einer nach der Erfindung ausgeführten Steckdose,

Fig.2

eine perspektivische Ansicht einer in drei Bestandteile zerlegten ersten Ausführungsform der erfindungsgemässen Steckdose,

Fig.3

eine weitere perspektivische Ansicht der in Bestandteile zerlegten Steckdose gemäss Fig.2,

Fig.4

eine perspektivische Ansicht einer in vier Bestandteile zerlegten zweiten Ausführungsform der erfindungsgemässen Steckdose,

Fig.5

eine weitere perspektivische Ansicht der in Bestandteile zerlegten Steckdose gemäss Fig.4,

Fig.6-9

perspektivische Ansichten von Bestandteilen der gemäss den Figuren 4 und 5 ausgeführten Steckdose,

Fig.10

eine Aufsicht auf einen quer zu einem Anschlussleiter geführten Schnitt durch eine Anschlussklemme und ein Teil eines Gehäuses der erfindungsgemässen Steckdose, und

Fig.11

eine Aufsicht in Pfeilrichtung auf die längs XI-XI geschnittene Anschlussklemme gemäss Fig.10.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown in simplified form in the drawings, namely:

Fig. 1

2 shows a circuit diagram of a socket designed according to the invention,

Fig. 2

2 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of the socket according to the invention which is broken down into three components,

Fig. 3

2 shows a further perspective view of the socket dismantled into components according to FIG. 2,

Fig. 4

2 shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of the socket according to the invention, which is broken down into four components,

Fig. 5

4 shows a further perspective view of the socket divided into components according to FIG. 4,

Fig. 6-9

perspective views of components of the socket designed according to FIGS. 4 and 5,

Fig. 10

a top view of a cross-section to a connecting conductor through a connecting terminal and part of a housing of the socket according to the invention, and

Fig. 11

a top view in the direction of the arrow on the connecting terminal cut along XI-XI according to FIG. 10.

WAYS OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

In the figures, the same reference symbols denote parts with the same effect. The residual current protected socket shown in Fig. 1 as a circuit diagram has a socket part and a residual current circuit breaker. The socket part contains a connecting terminal part 1 with three connecting terminals 11, 12, 13, which are connected in sequence to a phase conductor L _{3 of} a low-voltage network, the neutral conductor PEN of the network and a protective conductor (not designated). Plug contacts 21, 22, 23 of a plug contact part 2 of the socket part of the socket are designed as sockets and are electrically conductively connected to pluggable mating contacts of a consumer V. The two connection terminals 11 and 12 carry contact pieces (not shown) which, with movable contact pieces 31, 32, form a contact arrangement 3 of the residual current circuit breaker containing two switching points. Conductor sections 121, 122, 123 designed as copper wire strands are welded or soldered to the movable contact pieces 31, 32 and to the connection terminal 11. These conductor sections are connected in an electrically conductive manner to the plug contacts 21, 22 and 23 by welding or soldering. The conductor sections 121 and 122 are wound around a ferromagnetic core of a summation current transformer 4 of the residual current circuit breaker and act as its primary winding. A secondary winding 41 of the summation current transformer 4 is connected in an electrically conductive manner to a magnetic release 5 of the residual current circuit breaker via a circuit 42 arranged on a circuit board. The magnetic release 5 acts via a mechanical release, not shown, on a switching lock 6 of the residual current circuit breaker containing a not shown latch. The switching lock 6 has a driver, not shown, which engages in a slide, likewise not shown, of the contact arrangement 3.

Reference number 7 denotes a test circuit of the residual current circuit breaker. This test circuit contains an ohmic test resistor 71 which can be connected to the movable contact piece 32 and is connected to the plug contact 21. The test resistor 71 is detachably connected to the plug contact 21 by its one power connection via a conductor section 72. Its other power connection is designed as a fixed contact 73. This contact 73 can be connected to a conductor section 76 via a movable contact 74 of a test button arrangement 75. The conductor section 76 has an end section 761 contacted with the contact piece 32.

When the contact arrangement 3 is closed, the summation current transformer 4 compares a current I + I _F flowing in the conductor section 121 of the phase conductor L ₃ with a current I flowing in the opposite direction in the conductor section 42 of the neutral conductor PEN. A differential current generated by a defective consumer V in the conductor section 121 is called fault current I. _F led away in the protective conductor. The magnetic flux of the differential current generates in the secondary winding 42 of the summation current transformer 4 a voltage prepared in the circuit 42, which activates the magnetic release 5 above a threshold value of the voltage or the fault current I _F , which now opens the switch 6 and thus also the contact arrangement 3.

The functionality of the residual current circuit breaker is checked with the test circuit 7 when the contact arrangement 3 is closed. In this case, by pressing the test button arrangement 75 in the conductor section 121 of the phase conductor L _3, a fault current suitably dimensioned by the size of the test resistor 71 is simulated, which causes the contact arrangement 3 to open when the fault current circuit breaker is intact.

As can be seen from FIGS. 2 to 5, the residual current protected socket according to the invention contains a housing with a box-shaped housing part 8, into which the residual current circuit breaker and the plug contacts 21, 22, 23 for the power consumer V and the connecting terminals 11, 12 , 12 are used for the socket part containing the power supply network. The housing part 8 is closed with a cover 9 carrying a test button 751 of the test button arrangement 75. If desired, a mounting frame 90 serving to fasten the socket in a wall can be inserted between the housing part 8 and the cover 9 (FIGS. 4 and 5).

The can-shaped housing part 8 is advantageously formed from plastic, such as a thermoplastic, and has a predominantly flat housing base 81 and a housing wall 82 which is applied to the edge of the housing base and extends predominantly perpendicularly to the front of the socket. Grooves 811, 812 and 813, which are aligned parallel to one another and perpendicular to the housing wall 82, are formed in the housing base 81 and the housing wall 82 (for example FIG. 3). The grooves 811, 812 and 813 serve, in turn, to accommodate the phase conductor L ₃ supplied from the low-voltage network, the neutral conductor PEN and the protective conductor. Openings 814 (e.g. Figure 3) connect the grooves to the interior of the housing. Through these openings 814, the current conductors, for example the phase conductor L ₃ , are guided into the interior of the housing during assembly of the socket, where they are connected in an electrically conductive manner to the connecting terminals 11, 12 and 13 which cannot be seen in FIGS. A resilient tongue 815 is formed in the housing base 81 in the region of each connection terminal. On its surface directed into the interior of the housing, this tongue has a lug 816 which is oriented essentially perpendicular to the surface and which cooperates with the associated connection terminal when the current conductor held by this connection terminal is released. At the end of the housing part 8 facing away from the housing base 81 In the housing wall 82 openings 821 and rectangular housing projections 822 are provided, which serve to fasten the cover 9.

In the cover 9 resilient hooks 91 and grooves 92 are formed on the edge. By inserting the housing projections 822 into the grooves 92 and then engaging the hooks 91 in the openings 821, the cover 9 is detachably connected to the housing part 8. In the cover forming the front of the socket there are a rectangular opening 93 for a displaceably designed, manual actuating member 61 of the key switch 6, an invisible opening for the test button 751, openings 94 for the plug contacts 21, 22 and 23 and openings for insertion which are not marked provided by locking screws. The cover 9 also carries a housing extension 95, which is directed into the interior of the housing and serves to guide the test button 751 and on which the test button 751 and a two-armed test contact spring 752 made of electrically conductive material are supported on the test button. In the embodiment according to FIGS. 4 and 5, the cover 9 has only two openings 94 for the plug contacts 21 and 22. The third plug contact is designed as a bracket 231 and is accordingly through an opening 96 and a recess 97 in the cover 9 with its two Ends led from the inside of the housing to the outside.

Residual current switch and socket part have a common support body 10 made of insulating material, such as thermoplastic, which essentially contains a plate. By plugging modular units onto the supporting body 10 and additionally holding these units in the housing part 8 and in the cover 9, the residual current circuit breaker and the socket part can be assembled by simply plugging in, without additional connecting elements, such as screw or rivet connections. Such modular units are in particular the support body 10, that the plug contacts 21, 22 and 23 (Figures 2 and 3) or the plug contacts 21, 22 and the bracket 231 (Figures 4 and 5) with a plug contact carrier 24 made of insulating material plug contact part 2, the contact arrangement 3, the summation current transformer 4, the magnetic release 5 and the key switch 6. The test circuit 7 consists of individual elements, such as the test resistor 71, the test button 751 and the conductor sections 72 and 76, which are each mounted on one of the modular units. When the modular units are plugged together, the test circuit 7 is formed without welding or soldering work. This makes it possible in a simple manner to manufacture fault-protected sockets of different configurations by exchanging two modular units, namely by exchanging the plug contact part 2 and the cover 9, while maintaining all the other modular units (socket according to FIGS. 2 and 3 and socket according to FIGS. 4 and 4) and 5).

FIGS. 6 to 9 show the structure and arrangement of the individual modular units of the fault-current protected socket according to FIGS. 4 and 5. From a perspective view (FIG. 6) led to the rear of the support body 10, it can be seen that the support body 10 has material recesses and projections on its rear side, which is seated in the fully assembled socket on the housing base 81, in which the connection terminals 11, 12 and 13 almost stationary and the movable contact pieces 31 and 32, contact springs 33 and 34, a compression spring 35 and a slide 36 with a lug 37 of the contact arrangement 3 are displaceably mounted parallel to the housing base 81. The movable contact pieces 31 and 32 are each designed as a double-angled flat bar and are each rotatably supported with their upper ends in one of two projections 101, 102 of the support body 10. In the area of the upper ends, ends of the flexible conductor sections 121, 122 are also welded or soldered on. Not far from the upper end of the contact piece 32 the end section 761 of the conductor section 76 of the test circuit 7 guided through the supporting body 1 is arranged. The lower ends of the movable contact pieces 31 and 32 are slidably guided in grooves of the slide 36, not shown. The contact springs 33 and 34 held in the grooves of the slide press the lower ends of the contact pieces 31 and 32 against cam-like projections of the slide 36. The nose 37 has an invisible cam which fits into a recess of the driver described previously in FIG. 6 not visible switch 6 is inserted.

By sliding the manual actuating member 61 of the switching mechanism 6 (FIG. 4) guided to the front of the fault-current protected socket, the slide 36 can be moved to the right against the force of the compression spring 35 (viewing direction according to FIG. 6). The floating, movable contact pieces 31 and 32 are then pivoted counterclockwise (FIG. 6) and pressed against fixed contact pieces 38 and 39 of the contact arrangement 3, which are preferably attached to the side walls of the connecting terminals 11 and 12 by welding or soldering. Alternatively, it is possible for the connection terminals 11, 12 themselves to be designed as fixed contacts. The contact springs 33, 34 press the movable contact pieces 31 and 32 against the cam-like projections of the slide 36 during the actuation of the contact arrangement 3 and thus ensure not only sufficient contact force when the residual current circuit breaker is switched on but also a stable guidance of the contact pieces 31 and 32 when opening and closing the switching points formed by the contact pieces 31 and 38 and 32 and 39.

The plug contact carrier 24 is plugged onto the front of the supporting body 10. This carrier is designed such that, in addition to the plug contacts 21 and 22 and the bracket 231, it also has a guide 241 for inserting the circuit board of the circuit 42 and not visible supporting elements for fastening the connections of the test resistor 71. In addition, the plug contact carrier 24 also has a slot which is likewise not visible. The conductor section 72 of the test circuit 7 is held in this slot. The conductor section 72 is designed as a leaf spring. The leaf spring is connected at one end in an electrically conductive manner to a connection of the test resistor. With its other end, it is supported on the plug contact 21 with the formation of contact pressure. The plug contact carrier 24 has on its underside two guide cams, likewise not shown in the figures, with which it is inserted into socket-like depressions 108 of the supporting body 1.

7 shows the top of the support body 10 with the plug-in contact part 2 attached. For reasons of clarity, however, the plug contact carrier 24 made of insulating material and the bracket 231 have been omitted in this drawing. It can be seen that the support body 10 has two wall-like projections 103 and 104, which serve to guide the switching lock 6 laterally during installation. The magnetic release 5 is also supported on the projection 104 (FIG. 4). The mechanical trigger (not shown) of the magnetic trigger 5 then acts on the latch of the switching lock 6, which is also not visible. The wall-like projection 104 is preceded by a further wall-like projection 105 (FIGS. 2, 4), which forms a gap 106 with the projection 104 in which an arm, not shown, of the test contact spring 752, which can be rotated when the test button 751 is actuated, is guided. The conductor section 76 of the test circuit 7 is also guided on the upper side of the supporting body 1 (FIG. 7). This conductor section is designed as a bracket made of flat material. One end of this bracket is passed through an opening in the support body 10 on its rear side and contacts the movable contact piece 32 as an end section 761 (FIG. 6). The other The end of this bracket is guided to a part 107 of the projection 105 (FIG. 2), into which a cam-like extension of the plug contact carrier 24 is inserted, and has an end section 762 which is contacted by the test contact spring 752. The support body 1 also has material openings on its edge, in which the flexible conductor sections 121, 122 and 123 are guided from the back of the support body 10 to the top thereof.

The space on the upper side of the support body 1 which is not occupied by the plug contact part 2, the circuit 42, the magnetic release 5, the switch 6 and the test circuit 7 is provided by the summation current transformer 4, the conductor sections 121, 122, 123 and between the secondary coil 41, the circuit 42 and the magnetic release 5 required wiring. During assembly, wiring work can be omitted if, before the modular units are installed, the ends of the flexible conductor sections 121 or 122 or 123, for example by welding or soldering, on the one hand with the contact pieces 31 or 32 or with the connecting terminal 13 and on the other hand with the plug contacts 21 and 22 and 23 are electrically connected. At the same time, it is advisable to wire the secondary winding 42 of the summation current transformer 4 with the wiring 42 and the magnetic release 5. When the socket is installed, the conductor sections 121, 122 and 123 can then be guided into the material openings in the edge of the supporting body 10 from the rear of the supporting body on its upper side. The suitable arrangement of summation current transformer 4, circuitry 42 and magnetic release 5 on the upper side of the support body 10 means that the associated wiring of these parts is not carried out by the support body 10.

From the perspective led to the front of the leakage-proof socket after removing the cover 9, the plug contact carrier 24, the support body 10 and the switch 6 The view according to FIG. 8 shows that the test resistor 71 held on the plug contact carrier 24 has two connections, one of which is designed as a fixed contact 73 of the test circuit 7 and the other in a slot 721 of the conductor section 72 designed as a leaf spring in an electrically conductive manner is jammed. The test contact spring 752 has a coiled central part 754 which is pushed onto a cam of the housing extension 95 of the cover 9, which can not be seen in FIG. On the one hand, the spring arm 753 is connected to the middle part 754 and, on the other hand, a second spring arm, which is bent by almost 180 °. A section (not shown) of the second spring arm adjoining the middle part 754 is supported on the test button. A practically opposite section of the second spring arm, which adjoins the aforementioned section, forms the movable contact 74 of the test circuit 7. The mechanical trigger of the magnetic release 5, which is provided with the reference number 51 and acts on the switching lock 6, can also be seen.

From the rear view of the residual current protected socket after removing the housing part 8, the support body 10, the plug contact carrier 24, the key switch 6, the slide 36 and the terminal 13 with the bracket 231, the perspective view according to FIG. 9 shows the arrangement and design of the as Executed bracket section 76 and the test button assembly 75 can be seen. In particular, the coiled central part 754 of the test contact spring 752 can be seen, which presses the curved spring arm against a shoulder of the test button 751. This ensures that the test button 751, when pressed into the socket, guides the curved spring arm away from the front in the region of the bend while charging the middle part 754 of the test contact spring 752, and thereby follows the free section of the curved spring arm that acts as a movable contact 74 presses against the contact 73 shown in FIG. 8 at the front. When the test button 751 is pressed in, the spring arm 753 is at the same time pressed firmly against the end section 761 of the conductor section 76 designed as a bracket. When the test button 751 is released, the curved spring arm which is under the action of the charged middle part 754 leads the test button forward again and the movable contact 74 is simultaneously moved away from the fixed contact 73.

Each of the connecting terminals 11, 12 - and although not shown - also 13 has a terminal spring 14 which is inserted into an electrically conductive terminal housing 15. This terminal spring 14 presses the phase conductor L ₃ or the neutral conductor PEN or the protective conductor against the terminal housing 15 when the socket is connected. The structure of the terminal 11 is described below with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11.

The terminal housing 15 is essentially cuboid and consists of a sheet metal bent into a cuboid. The sheet forms two opposite side walls, a rear wall formed by a sheet metal tab 16 and a top and a bottom surface. On one of the two side surfaces of the terminal housing 15, the fixed contact piece 38 is fastened in an electrically conductive manner, for example by welding or soldering. The bottom surface lies on the back of the support body 10. The cover surface resting on the housing base 81 is provided with an opening 17 for inserting a wire release. The wire release contains a nose 816 which is molded onto the tongue 815 and which is guided through the opening 17 into the interior of the terminal housing 15. The clamp spring 14 is designed as a leaf spring bent by approximately 180 °. The bent section of the leaf spring is divided into two mutually parallel, similar parts 141 and 142. The conductor L ₃ led into the connection terminal 11 has two rigid, rod-shaped ends, which is inserted through the openings 814 of the housing part 8 and the open front of the terminal housing 15 into the connecting terminal 11, supported on the sheet metal tab 16 and between the parts 141 and 142 of the terminal spring 14 and the terminal housing 15 to form a good galvanic connection from the conductor to the fixed contact piece 38 are jammed.

To release the clamp connection, the tongue 815 is pressed into the interior of the socket housing. This can be done by hand, if necessary also with a tool which is placed in a recess 817 of the tongue 815. Due to the movement of the tongue, the nose 816 rests on the two parts 141 and 142 of the clamp spring 14 with two shoulders, presses it down and thus releases the two ends of the conductor.

When assembling the fault-current-protected socket, the connecting terminals 11, 12 and 13 with the integrated contact pieces 38 and 39, the slide 36, the contact springs 34 and 35, the movable contact pieces 31 and 32 and the compression spring 35 are inserted into the rear of the support body 10 provided recesses and indentations inserted. The conductor section 76 designed as a bracket has already been inserted on the support body 10. The key switch 6 is inserted between the projections 103 and 104 and its unlatchable catch is locked in place with the cam provided on the nose 37 of the slide 36. After the housing 8 has been pushed on, the previously inserted parts are secured against falling out and a galvanic connection is established between the movable contact piece 32 and the conductor section 76 of the test circuit. The magnetic release 5, guided in a sliding manner on the switching lock 6, can now be placed on the supporting body 10. By subsequently plugging in the plug contact part 2, the test resistor 71, which is galvanically connected to the plug contact 21 via the conductor section 72, is installed. After the wiring 42 has been plugged onto the plug contact carrier 24 of the plug contact part 2 and introduction of the summation current transformer 4 into the remaining space above the supporting body 10, the mounting frame 90 on the edge of the housing 8 and the bracket 231 are fitted on the front surface of the plug contact carrier 24 and the housing 8 is closed by pushing on the cover 9. The entire arrangement is fixed by snapping the hooks 91 into the openings 821. When the cover 9 is pushed on, the spring arm 753 of the test contact spring 752 contacts the end section 762 of the conductor section 76 of the test circuit 7 which is designed as a bracket.

The test circuit 7 formed only by plugging it together then has the following components:
the connecting terminal 11 connected to the conductor L ₃ and carrying the fixed contact 38, the movable contact piece 31, the conductor section 121, the plug contact 21, the conductor section 72 designed as a leaf spring and clamped to the plug contact 21, the test resistor 71, the test button arrangement 75 the fixed contact 73 and the movable contact 74, the conductor section 76, the movable contact piece 32 and the connecting terminal 12 connected to the neutral conductor PEN with the fixed contact piece 39.

To test the residual current circuit breaker of the residual current protected socket, the contact arrangement 3 is closed by manual displacement of the actuating member 61 of the switch 6. In the switched-on state, the movable contact pieces 31 and 32 are offset from the cam-like projections of the slide 36. The charged contact springs 33 and 34 press the movable contact pieces 31 and 32 against the fixed contact pieces 38 and 39 to form a contact force sufficient for the operation of the socket. The slide 36 locked with the latched switch 6 is under the action of the charged compression spring 35.

The test button arrangement 75 is now closed by pressing the test button 751. The fed in from the network and via the terminal 11, the contact pieces 38 and 31, the conductor section 121, the plug contact 21, the conductor section 72, test resistor 71, the test button arrangement 75, the conductor section 76, the terminal contact between the end section 761 of the conductor section 76 and the Contact piece 32 and the contact piece 39 of the terminal 12 flowing low test current acts on the summation current transformer 4 and the circuit 42 on the magnetic release 5. The mechanical release 51 of the magnetic release 5 is actuated and unlatches the key switch 6. Under the action of the charged compression spring 35, the Slide 36 (in the direction of view according to Figure 6) to the left. The contact arrangement 3 is opened and thus both the test circuit 7 and the power supply to the possibly connected consumer V are interrupted. When the test button 751 is released, the test circuit is opened at another interruption point. After closing the contact arrangement 3, the consumer can then be supplied with current again when the test circuit 7 is open.

Possibly defective parts of the test circuit 7 as well as other defective components of the socket protected against leakage current can only be removed after opening the socket by plugging them apart. The socket can then be easily reassembled by inserting spare parts. It is particularly advantageous here that the plug-in and modular structure of the socket means that the residual current circuit breaker and socket part are independent of one another. Thus, it is possible - as illustrated by the exemplary embodiments according to FIGS. 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 - to produce sockets which are adapted to different - for example Swiss and German - safety regulations and which are only different due to the different design of the plug contact part 2 and the cover 9 differ from each other, but are otherwise put together from similar parts.

REFERENCE SIGN LIST

1

Terminal part

2nd

Plug contact part

3rd

Contact arrangement

4th

Total current transformer

5

Magnetic release

6

Key switch

7

Test circuit

8th

Housing part

9

cover

10th

Supporting body

11, 12, 13

Terminals

14

Clamp springs

15

Terminal housing

16

Sheet cloth

17th

opening

21, 22, 23

Plug contacts

24th

Plug contact carrier

31, 32

movable contact pieces

33, 34

Contact springs

35

Compression spring

36

Slider

37

nose

38, 39

fixed contact pieces

41

Secondary winding

42

Wiring

51

mechanical release device

61

Actuator

71

Test resistor

72

Conductor section

73

fixed contact

74

moving contact

75

Test button arrangement

76

Conductor section

81

Case back

82

Housing wall

90

Mounting frame

91

checkmark

92

Grooves

93, 94

openings

95

Housing approach

96

opening

97

Recess

101, 102

Ledges

103, 104, 105

Formations

106

gap

107

part

108

Indentations

121, 122, 123

Conductor sections

141, 142

Parts

231

hanger

241

guide

242

cam-like approach

721

slot

751

Test button

752

Test contact spring

753

Spring arm

754

Middle section

761, 762

End sections

811, 812, 813

Grooves

814

openings

815

tongue

816

nose

817

deepening

821

openings

822

Housing projections

I.

Phase current

I _F

Fault current

L ₃

Phase conductor

PEN

Neutral conductor

V

consumer

Claims (13)

1. Residual-current-protected socket outlet having a housing for accommodating a residual-current-operated circuit-breaker which contains a summation current transformer (4), a protective circuit (42), a magnetic tripping device (5), a breaker mechanism (6) and a test circuit (7), as well as for accommodating a box part which contains plug-in contacts (21, 22, 23) for a current consumer (V) and supply terminals for a power supply system, characterized in that the residual-current-operated circuit-breaker and the box part are intermated from modular units, and in that the housing holds together the modular units intermated to form the residual-current-operated circuit-breaker and to form the box part.
2. Socket outlet according to Claim 1, characterized in that one of the modular units is a plug-in contact part (2) having a plug-in contact carrier (24) for carrying the plug-in contacts (21, 22, 23; 21, 22, bow 231) adapted to various current consumers (V), and in that the housing has a box-shaped housing part (8), which forms the rear side of the socket outlet together with a housing floor (81), and a cover (9) which forms the front side of the socket outlet and has openings (93, 94, 97) for the plug-in contacts (21, 22, 23; 21, 22, bow 231) as well as for operating elements (61, test key 751) of the socket outlet.
3. Socket outlet according to Claim 2, characterized in that seated on the housing floor (81) as a further modular unit is a carrying member (10) which is constructed predominantly in the shape of a plate and has recesses and projections which serve the purpose of plugging-in and bearing the predominant number of the modular units.
4. Socket outlet according to Claim 3, characterized in that the supply terminals (11, 12, 13) as well as movable contact pieces (31, 32), contact springs (33, 34), a compression spring (35) and a slide (36), latched with the breaker mechanism (6) of the contact arrangement (3) are plugged in on the side of the carrying member (10) seated on the housing floor (81), and the plug-in contact part (2), the summation current transformer (4), the magnetic tripping device (5) and the breaker mechanism (6) are plugged in on the side of the carrying member (10) facing the cover (9).
5. Socket outlet according to Claim 4, characterized in that the protective circuit (42) is plugged into the plug-in contact carrier (24).
6. Socket outlet according to one of Claims 4 and 5, characterized in that the test circuit (7) is constructed from sections which are interconnected in an electrically conductive fashion when the modular units are intermated and the intermated units are inserted into the housing.
7. Socket outlet according to Claim 6, characterized in that a conductor section (72), constructed as a leaf spring, of the test circuit (7) is clamped, with the formation of an electrically conductive connection with one of the plug-in contacts (21), into the plug-in contact carrier (24), in that a section of the test circuit (7), which section is constructed as a testing resistor (71) and is connected in an electrically conductive fashion to one end of the conductor section (72) constructed as a leaf spring, is mounted on the plug-in contact carrier (24), in that a test key (751) is held on the cover (9) with a section of the test circuit (7) which is constructed as a test contact spring (752), and in that a conductor section (76), constructed as a bow, of the test circuit (7) is plugged onto the carrying member (10).
8. Socket outlet according to Claim 7, characterized in that the conductor section (76) constructed as a bow has two end sections (761, 762) of which, after the modular units have been intermated, one end section (761) is connected in an electrically conductive fashion to one (32) of the movable contact pieces (31, 32) of the contact arrangement (3) and the other end section (762) is connected in an electrically conductive fashion to a part of the test contact spring (752) which is constructed as a spring arm (753).
9. Socket outlet according to Claim 8, characterized in that the test contact spring (752) has a spring arm of bent construction with a free end which acts as a movable contact (74) and, together with a terminal of the testing resistor (71) which is constructed as a fixed contact (73), forms an interrupt point of the test circuit (7) which can be operated by the test key (751).
10. Socket outlet according to one of Claims 2 to 9, characterized in that flexibly constructed elements are integrally formed on the cover (9) and/or on the housing part (8).
11. Socket outlet according to Claim 10, characterized in that the cover (9) has flexible hooks (91) which are snapped into openings (821) of a housing wall (82) of the housing part (8) after the residual-current-operated circuit-breaker and the box part have been plugged into the housing part (8).
12. Socket outlet according to one of Claims 10 and 11, characterized in that there is formed in the housing floor (81) in the region of each of the supply terminals (11, 12, 13) a flexible tongue (815) which has a nose (817) which is guided into the interior of the assigned supply terminal (11, 12, 13) and serves to open and/or close the supply terminal upon the connection or disconnection of a conductor (L₃, PEN), guided into the supply terminal, of the power supply system.
13. Socket outlet according to Claim 12, characterized in that the tongue (815) has a depression (817) which is arranged outside the housing and serves to accommodate a tool which facilitates opening and/or closing of the supply terminal.

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