EP1618581B1 - Locking element for an electrical device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an electrical device, especially a protective switch, which comprises a switch latch having a control button that can be especially swiveled or displaced and that can be coupled with movable contacts of a contact device. The switch further comprises a jack that is coupled with the control button and that is movably mounted. A jack support is associated with said jack and is movably mounted in the switch latch, said jack support being associated with the trigger element of a trigger. The movability of the jack support can be blocked by an arbitrarily actuated locking element.

Description

The invention relates to an electrical device, in particular a circuit breaker, with a switch lock with a, in particular slidably mounted or pivotally mounted, operating button which can be coupled with movable contacts of a contact device, with a coupled to the operating knob, movably mounted pawl, which moves in a switch latch is associated with stored latch support, which is associated with the trigger element of a trigger.

An electrical device of the type mentioned is from the AT 404 771 B known, which relates to a circuit breaker. In the course of electrical service work normally affected circuits are switched off by means of a circuit breaker. The disadvantage, however, is that a circuit can be reactivated by means of a circuit breaker before the service work is completed and so the assembly personnel would be at risk. This danger is especially true if the service work is not carried out in the immediate vicinity of the circuit breaker and operation of the circuit breaker unnoticed by the installation staff and further if parallel service work of different types of different people or groups of people are performed.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to avoid the known disadvantages and to ensure that a circuit breaker can not be turned on unnoticed, unintentionally or without authorization and is secured against reconnection.

According to the invention this is achieved in that the mobility of the latch support is blockable by an arbitrarily actuated locking element.

This results in the advantage that the latch support is disengaged from the latch and locked, whereby activation of the circuit breaker can be safely prevented by third parties. Thus, the safety of assembly personnel and other people can be increased.

In a further embodiment of the invention can be provided that the pawl is pivotally mounted and / or the latch support is pivotally mounted in the switch lock. A pivotable mounting of the pawl and / or the pawl support can be made particularly simple and inexpensive.

In continuation of the invention can be provided that the trigger is designed as a permanent magnet release and / or the triggering element as a trigger handle.

The use of a permanent magnet release and / or a trip rod is particularly well suited for a safe triggering of an electrical device, in particular a circuit breaker.

A variant of the invention may consist in that the latch support is spring-loaded. By the spring, the latch support is held in that position, which is required for the engagement of the pawl and the pawl support, sofeme the trigger or the locking element is not activated, whereby the reliable operation of the switching mechanism is ensured.

In a further development of the invention can be provided that the movable contacts with the operating knob are directly coupled. This ensures a particularly reliable coupling.

According to a further embodiment of the invention can be provided that the locking element is formed by a movably mounted in the device, two-armed lever, one end of the latch support is assigned and the other end of the lever is arbitrarily actuated. This embodiment of the invention is particularly easy to manufacture and also allows easy and safe operation of the same.

Another variant of the invention may consist in that the locking element is displaceable, in particular displaceable along its own axis, is formed. Thus, the opening through which the locking element is led into the open, be kept minimal, which means better protection of the electrical device from harmful environmental influences such as dust or moisture.

A variant of the invention may consist in that the locking element is pivotable substantially parallel to a lock plate. Such an arrangement allows a particularly space-saving installation of the locking element.

According to a further embodiment of the invention can be provided that the one end of the locking element associated with a release element of the trigger, the lock plate passing through a slot approach the latch support is brought into contact. This can be simulated by the Arrertierungselement the function of the shutter.

In continuation of the invention can be provided that the other end of the locking element along a catch bar is adjustable. Thus, the respective switching position of the locking element can be precisely defined and a mishandling be difficult.

In this context, it can be provided in a further development of the invention that the other end of the locking element in a led out of the device part with at least one opening, preferably for the reception of locking seals, is formed. Thus, unauthorized or unintentional actuation of the locking element can be reliably prevented.

In a further development of the invention it can be provided that the locking element can be actuated via a further actuating element. In this way, a locking element can be realized actuated even when difficult to access construction.

• Fig. 1 ein geöffnetes Schaltschloss in Arbeitsstellung mit Kontaktapparat, ohne Auslöser und
• Arretierungselement, in Seitenansicht,
• Fig. 2 ein geöffnetes Schaltschloss in Arbeitsstellung ohne Auslöser und Kontaktapparat aber mit Arretierungselement, im Schrägriss,
• Fig. 3 einen teilweise geöffneten elektrischen Schalter in Ruhestellung ohne Kontaktapparat, aber mit Auslöser und Arretierungselement, in Seitenansicht,
• Fig. 4 ein geöffnetes Schaltschloss ohne Auslöser aber mit zweigeteiltem Arretierungselement mit einem weiteren Betätigungselement, im Schrägriss und
• Fig. 5 ein geöffnetes Schaltschloss ohne Auslöser und Kontaktapparat aber mit längs seiner eigenen Achse verschiebbarem Arretierungselement, im Schrägriss.

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments are shown. Showing:

• Fig. 1 an open switch lock in working position with contact apparatus, without release and
• Locking element, in side view,
• Fig. 2 an open switch lock in working position without release and contact apparatus but with locking element, in oblique position,
• Fig. 3 a partially opened electrical switch in rest position without contact apparatus, but with trigger and locking element, in side view,
• Fig. 4 an open switch lock without trigger but with two-part locking element with another actuator, in the oblique angle and
• Fig. 5 an open switch lock without trigger and contact apparatus but with along its own axis sliding locking element, in an oblique angle.

In Fig. 1 to 5 is an electrical device 1, a switch lock 2 and an operating knob 3 comprising, which is pivotally mounted on a lock plate 11 shown. The operating knob 3 is mechanically connected via a toggle lever 18 with movable contacts 4 of a contact apparatus 5. Furthermore, with the operation knob 3 and a pawl 6 is coupled, which in turn is also pivotally mounted on the lock plate 11. This pawl 6 is associated with a pivotally mounted latch support 7, wherein it is provided that in the working position of the electrical switch 1, the pawl 6 rests on the support surface 13 of the latch support 7 and engages. The support surface 13 opposite the end of the latch support 7, the lug 17, the trigger element 8 of a Trigger 9 associated, both in Fig. 3 are shown. The latch support 7 is arranged blockable by an arbitrarily actuable locking element 10.

One or more of the elements actuating button 3, pawl 6 or pawl support 7, can also be mounted translationally displaceable, wherein it is not essential to the invention, how many or which of these elements are movably mounted in what kind and combination. The trigger 9 is shown as a permanent magnet release and the trigger element 8 as a trigger ram of the permanent magnet release, but also other types of triggers, e.g. Bimetallic releases, coils with anchor or the like. May be part of the electrical device 1.

In the case of activation of the trigger 9, for example, by reaching a predetermined voltage, the trigger element 8 presses against the lug 17 of the pawl 7, which is thereby moved against the force of a spring 20, that the pawl 6 disengages the pawl rest 7 and so in a conventional manner the electrical switch 1 spends at rest. It can also be provided a reset 16, which spends after the activation of the trigger 9, the trigger element 8 by spring action back into the starting position.

Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 show the locking element 10 in the form of a two-armed lever, one end of which is associated with the lug 17 of the latch support 7. The other end of the Arretierungselemtes 10 includes an opening 15 and is arbitrarily actuated. The locking element 10 is in this case arranged substantially parallel to the lock plate 11 pivotally. By arbitrary actuation of the locking element 10 moves the one end 10 'of the locking element 10 the lug 17 of the latch support 7 in the same manner as the trigger element 8 and thus brings the pawl 6 out of engagement of the latch support 7. The approach 7 can in this case by a slot 12 of Lock plate 11 be guided.

The locking element 10 can either be operated manually directly at its other end 10 "(see Fig. 2 . 3 and 5 ), or be actuated by another actuator 21 at its other end 10 ".

In order to be able to spend the locking element 10 well-defined in a switching position, a latching strip 14 is arranged on a cover 19 of the electrical device 1, which ensures a locking of the locking element 10 in the respective position (see. Fig. 2 ). Furthermore, at the arbitrarily actuated end of the locking element 10, an opening 15 is executed, which is for receiving, for example, plumbing suitable is. On the cover 19 are also two openings 15 'executed, of which each one aligned with the opening 15 of the locking element 10, depending on the switching position of the locking element 10th

The locking element 10 may also be designed to be displaceable along its axis (see.

Fig. 5 ). Based on this embodiment, it is further shown that a catch bar 14 can also be arranged in the interior of the electrical device 1.

Claims (12)

1. An electrical device (1), especially a circuit-breaker, comprising a breaker mechanism (2) having a control button (3) which is held to be especially swiveled or displaced and which can be coupled with movable contacts (4) of a contact apparatus (5), a movably held latch (6) which can be coupled with the control button (3) and which is associated with a latch support (7) which is movably held in the breaker mechanism (2) and which is associated with the trip element (8) of a tripping device (9), characterized in that the movability of the latch support (7) can be blocked by an arbitrarily actuated locking element (10).
2. An electrical device according to claim 1, characterized in that the latch (6) is swivelably held and/or the latch support (7) is swivelably held in the breaker mechanism.
3. An electrical device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the tripping device (9) is arranged as a permanent-magnetic tripping device and/or the trip element (8) is arranged as a tripping tappet.
4. An electrical device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the latch support (7) is spring-loaded.
5. An electrical device according to one of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the movable contacts (4) can be coupled directly with the control button (3).
6. An electrical device according to one of the claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the locking element (10) is formed by a two-arm lever which is movably held in the device and whose one end (10') is associated with the latch support (7) and through the other end (10") of which the locking element can be actuated arbitrarily.
7. An electrical device according to one of the claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the locking element (10) is arranged to be displaceable, especially along its own axis.
8. An electrical device according to one of the claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the locking element (10) is movable substantially parallel to a breaker plate (11), especially swivelable or displaceable.
9. An electrical device according to one of the claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the one end (10') of the locking element (10) can be brought into contact with a nose (17) of the latch support (7), which nose is associated with the trip element (8) of the tripping device (9) and penetrates the breaker plate (11) through a slit (12).
10. An electrical device according to one of the claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the other end (10") of the locking element (10) is adjustable along a latch strip (14).
11. An electrical device according to one of the claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the other end (10") of the locking element (10) is arranged with at least one breakthrough (15), preferably for receiving a fixing lead seal, in a portion leading out of the device.
12. An electrical device according to one of the claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the locking element (10) can be actuated via a further actuating element (21).

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