FR2735612A1 - IMPROVEMENT TO ELECTRIC CONTACTORS - Google Patents

Abstract

An electrical contactor comprising, in a housing, a main circuit with one or more movable contacts, connection terminals for the main circuit, an electromagnetic motor, a mechanism actuated by a movable armature or pallet of the motor, a control circuit for powering the electromagnetic motor, with an economy resistor and a manual control button capable of being brought manually into an "automatic" position, and a "forced" position in which the button will manually push, then maintain, the mechanism in the actuating position of the main contacts, characterized in that the main contact mechanism is arranged to be directly sensitive to the manual control button when the latter is moved to its "forced-on" position, while the armature or mobile pallet of the electromagnetic motor is only slightly or not sensitive to said manual button moving towards this position, and in that the means of hooking of said button on said movable frame or pallet, can be released after a significant stroke of said movable frame or pallet.

Description

The present invention relates to an improvement

to electrical contactors.

  An electrical contactor is a subscriber panel device conventionally comprising, in a housing, a main or power circuit, capable of being opened (or closed) by the actuation of one or more movable contacts, terminals of connection for the conductors of the main circuit, an electromagnetic motor such as an electromagnet, a mechanism actuated by a movable armature, for example a pallet of electromagnet, and which is interposed between the motor and the movable contact or contacts to close (or open) the contact (s) when the motor is supplied with current, and reopen (or close it) in the absence of power, an isolated control circuit independent of the main circuit to supply the electromagnetic motor with alternating current or rectified current, with or without insertable saving resistor and a manual control button capable of being brought manually to an "automatic" position in which the contact can be closed (or opened) by sending a lasting actuation signal and reopened (or closed) at the end of the signal (or vice versa), for example by a "day-night" type command, a "forced on" position in which the push button will push back manually, then maintain, the mechanism in the closed (or open) contact position, and, optionally, a "cut" position in

which the engine is deactivated.

  The electromagnetic motor consists of an electromagnet having a fixed armature and a movable armature, generally a pivoting pallet, capable of being quickly moved from its rest position to the closed position in which the magnetic air gap is canceled, against elastic means tending to keep the mechanism and the pallet in position

  rest, where the air gap is maximum.

  The contactors are designed so that, in the "forced on" position, the passage of the control pulse releases the manual button which is returned to its "automatic" position by an elastic return means, which makes it possible for example to make the contactor subsequently sensitive to a stop signal. In this "forced on" position, the pallet was brought manually, during the manual closing of the main contact, to a position close to its active position, in which the air gap is reduced, for example of the order of 0, 5 mm. When a command pulse occurs,

  the palette closes completely and releases the button.

  It is understood that the means of attachment, such as a notch, of the button on the pallet, which hold the button in its "forced on" position, must be of a very small size and of very high precision, to definitely be able to stay active in this position and then be

  released by the very small stroke of the pallet.

  An objective of the invention is therefore to improve the contactors with a control circuit supplied with direct current by making it possible to reduce, in significant proportions, the precision constraints weighing on the manufacture of the contactors, and therefore

lower their cost price.

  Another objective of the invention is to increase the reliability of the operation of the contactors, in particular in

the "forced on" position.

  Yet another objective of the invention is to reduce the precision constraints relating to the means for blocking and releasing the manual button in position

"forced walk".

  The subject of the invention is an electrical contactor as defined in the preamble, characterized in that the main contact mechanism is arranged to be directly sensitive to the manual control button when the latter is moved to its "forced on" position,

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  while the movable armature or pallet of the electromagnetic motor is only slightly or not sensitive to said manual button moving towards this position and in that the means for hooking said button on the pallet in the "forced on" position can be released after a

large stroke of the pallet.

  The function of this arrangement is to allow the main contact (s) to be closed using the manual button when the user brings the latter to the "forced on" position without moving, in any case notably, the movable pallet of the electromagnetic motor, so that in the event of the occurrence of the control pulse, the latter is actuated over a substantial portion, and preferably over the whole of its travel, in order to be able to come into the fully closed position, in which the main contact remains maintained in the closed position, having assured with certainty

  release of the manual control button.

  In a preferred embodiment, the contactor comprises a push button, preferably pivoting, capable of being actuated by the manual button when it is put in the "forced on" position to actuate the

  closing mechanism of the main contact.

  Optionally, the pallet can be arranged to act on the pusher when the electromagnetic motor is actuated. When, the button being in the "automatic" position, the contactor is open, the pusher has been returned by the mechanism to the rest position, and if at this time the command pulse is sent, the pallet, which moves, drives the mechanism in a usual way. On the contrary, in the "forced on" position, the pallet remains at rest and the pusher has been brought to the active position, away from the pallet. When the pallet is actuated, it moves over its entire stroke and releases with

certainty the command button.

  The pusher has means, such as a ramp

4 4

  allowing its displacement under the effect of displacement

manual button.

  Advantageously, the manual control button has a relief or lug of normal dimensions, that is to say not miniaturized, for example of the order of 1 or several millimeters, abutting against a complementary relief, also having a dimension normal, from the palette. These reliefs do not have to be made with very small tolerances since it suffices that the button is

  released before the end of the pallet stroke.

  Other advantages and characteristics of

  the invention will appear on reading the description

  following, made by way of nonlimiting example, and referring to the appended drawing in which: FIGS. 1 to 4 represent schematic views in section in elevation of a contactor according to the invention in the positions:

  Fig 1. "automatic operation", motor not supplied.

  Fig 2. manual button moving to the "forced on" position.

  Fig 3. "forced operation", motor not supplied.

  Fig 4. "automatic operation", motor powered.

  Fig 5. shows a perspective view of the pallet and

  of the pivoting pushbutton of this contactor.

  Referring to Figure 1, we see a contactor according to the invention, with a conventional housing 1 provided with housing for a plurality of terminals 2 intended to be connected to the conductors of the main circuit in a subscriber table. These two terminals are connected, inside the

  housing, to movable contacts 4 of the main circuit.

  The control circuit, independent and isolated from the power circuit, usually comprises an electromagnet coil 5 wound on a fixed magnetizable armature 6 and, in the case of a contactor with a DC control circuit , an economy resistor normally short-circuited by means of

auxiliary mobile contact.

  The main movable contacts 4 can be actuated by a mechanism shown in the form of a sliding pusher 9, the lower end 10 of which actuates the contacts with a conventional contact pressure spring assembly 11. The pusher is normally returned upwards by a pusher spring 12, in a rest position, in which the contacts

  main are open and the auxiliary contact closed.

  The upper end 13 of the sliding pusher 9 is thus pushed towards a pivoting pusher 14 having the shape of a fork and articulated around an axis 15. Pivotally mounted on the same axis 15, and extending between the two arms of the pusher 14 , there is a pallet 16 of magnetizable material under which extends an arm or spacer of the pusher 14, so that, although the pusher 14 is free relative to the pallet 16, it drives the pusher in an anti-direction clockwise when moved in this direction. A weak separate return spring 17 tends to return the pallet to its rest position, shown

in figure 1.

  When the pallet 16 is attracted by the electromagnetic motor formed by the coil 5 and the E-shaped armature 6, it drives the pivoting pusher 14 and pushes the sliding pusher 9 downwards into position

  closing the main contacts 4.

  Through a window of the upper end of the housing 1 emerges the handle of a sliding button 18 recalled to the left by a spring 23. This button has two reliefs 19, 20, oriented downward and offset laterally so that the first relief 19 is located above the pusher 14 and the second relief above the pallet 16. The first relief 19 cooperates with a ramp 21 of the pusher 14, so that when, starting from the "automatic start" position of the button 18, shown in FIG. 1, the button is moved towards the

  right, the relief 19 moves the pusher 14 in an anti-direction

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  hourly, as seen in Figure 2, while the paddle 16 remains stationary. Towards the end of the movement, the relief 19 leaves the ramp 21 and is in contact with the upper face of the pusher 14. In this position, the second relief 20, in the form of a hooking beak has come to exceed a lug 22 presented by the upper face of the pallet 16, so that the button 18 is locked in the "forced on" position, in which it keeps the sliding plunger 9 in a lowered position closing

  the main contacts 4 (Figure 3).

  If, in this "forced on" position, the control signal is sent over the network, for example a "night" signal, the pallet 16 is suddenly displaced over its entire travel and then remains applied against the armature 6 by the

current flowing in the coil.

  Furthermore, the counterclockwise rotation of the pallet 16 has released the spout 20 of the button 18 which is then pushed back by its resort towards the "automatic on" position in which it remains maintained having

released pusher 14 (Figure 4).

  It will be understood that a contactor has thus been obtained in which the manual button 18 is easily released by lowering the pallet, while being perfectly maintained, in the high position of the pallet by a notch 22

  to which we can give a great height.

  Of course, the invention can be the subject of numerous variants. Thus, instead of being arranged one next to the other, the pusher 14 and the pallet 16 can be arranged one above the other. Similarly, instead of acting on the sliding pusher 9 via the pusher 14, the pallet could act directly on the pusher 9. It is also possible to remove the pusher 14 and give the button 18 a shape allowing it to directly drive the sliding power 9 from the

  position of figure 1 to the position of figure 3.

  Finally, instead of a pivoting pallet, the movable armature of the electromagnet can be of the sliding type. Likewise, the pusher can be sliding instead of being pivoting.

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Claims (8)

  1. Electric contactor comprising, in a housing (1), a main circuit with one or more movable contacts (4), connection terminals for the main circuit, an electromagnetic motor (5, 6), an actuated mechanism (9) by a movable armature or paddle (16) of the motor and which is interposed between the motor and the mobile contact (s) (4) to activate the latter when the motor is supplied by sending a signal and reopen them by absence of supply, a control circuit for supplying the electromagnetic motor, with an economy resistor (7) normally short-circuited by an auxiliary movable contact (8) and which is put in series with the electromagnetic motor when said auxiliary contact is actuated, and a manual control button (18) capable of being brought manually to an "automatic on" position in which the main contacts can be actuated by sending a signal over the network and rel at the end of the signal, and a "forced on" position in which the button will push back manually, then keep the mechanism in the actuation position of the main contacts (4), so that in the event of a signal control while the button is in the "forced on" position, actuation of the electromagnetic motor causes actuation of the auxiliary contact (8) to put the economy resistor (7) in series with the electromagnetic motor, as well as release of the control button (18) which is returned to the "automatic operation" position by a return means, characterized in that the main contact mechanism (9) is arranged to be directly sensitive to the manual control button (18) when the latter is moved to its "forced on" position, while the armature or movable paddle (16) of the electromagnetic motor is only slightly or not sensitive to said manual button moving towards this position, and in that the attachment means (22) of said button (18) on said movable frame or pallet (16) can be released after a significant stroke of said movable frame or pallet.   2. Contactor according to claim 1 characterized in that it comprises a pusher (14) capable of being actuated by the manual control button (18) when it is moved to the "forced on" position to actuate the mechanism. main contact actuation (4), the pallet (16) being arranged to act on said pusher (14) when the electromagnetic motor is actuated, so that in the event of sending of the control signal, the pallet moves on the of its entire stroke, regardless of the "forced on" or "automatic" position, of the manual control (18).   3. Contactor according to claim 2 characterized in that said pusher (14) is pivotable, preferably   around the same axis as the pallet (14).   4. Contactor according to claim 3 characterized in that the pallet (16) is disposed on the pusher pivoting (14).   5. Contactor according to claim 4 characterized in that the pallet (16) is returned to the rest position   with its own return spring (17).   6. Contactor according to claim 5 characterized in   that the pusher and the pallet are arranged side by side.   7. Contactor according to one of claims 2 to 6,   characterized in that the pallet (16) has a relief (22) for attaching the manual control button making it possible to hold the button in the "forced on" position and to release it in order to be recalled to the "automatic on" position when the paddle is activated.   8. Contactor according to one of claims 2 to 7,   characterized in that the rotary pusher (14) and the pallet (16) are articulated around a common axis (15), the pusher having a ramp (21) for cooperating with a first relief (19) of the manual control button (18) while the pallet has a relief or lug (22) cooperating with a second relief (20), in the shape of a beak, of the manual control button (18) to immobilize the button in its "forced on" position when the first relief (19), cooperating with the ramp, pushed the pusher (14) into its actuation position of the mechanism (9).