Tools for plugging in and removing movable and electrical devices.

Abstract

DEPCT64 Insertion and removal tools for movable devices (50) including: frame (6) in which the device To be moved (7) is placed on top; the linkages (3a and 5a) that support the frame (6) are able Movable at one end of the linkage and with a worm wheel (3c) molded to the section. The other end of the linkage; the worm (2b) that engages with the worm wheel (3c) of the linkage. (3a and 5a) and the rotating part of the worm wheel (3c); and the rotating part that is connected to the operating shaft (2a). The worm gear (2b) and the rotating part of the worm wheel (3c). -----------------------------------------------------------

Description

Mobile equipment loading and unloading device and electrical equipment

[0001] This application relates to a mobile equipment loading and unloading device and electrical equipment.

[0002] Conventionally, for example, the operation of loading and unloading mobile equipment (such as circuit breakers, switches, disconnectors, instrument transformers, etc.) in a switchgear was performed using a lead screw mechanism that rotates a lead screw to linearly move a nut along the lead screw (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] The conventional loading and unloading mechanism disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1 described above includes a carriage on which a circuit breaker body coupled or separated from a mounting frame installed behind a cradle is placed so as to be transferable, a retraction and extraction handle for moving the carriage back and forth, a braking means for restricting the transfer distance of the carriage transferred by the retraction and extraction handle, and a girdle assembly for supporting the retraction and extraction handle. Further, the carriage consists of a box body with an open upper part and a wall body of a predetermined height formed on the outer peripheral surface, and two pairs of wheels installed on both sides of the box body so as to be retracted or extracted along guide rails installed inside the inner side walls of both sides of the cradle.

[0004] Further, the retraction and extraction handle consists of a lead screw inserted in the front-rear direction into a through hole formed in the front wall body of the box body, a transfer nut installed inside the front wall body of the box body in a state of being screwed to the lead screw, a "U" - shaped bracket fixed to the box body to prevent the separation of the transfer nut, and an operation handle detachably installed at the front end so that the lead screw can be rotated forward and backward.

[0005] Conventional loading and unloading mechanisms utilize a mechanism that rotates a lead screw, causing a nut to move linearly along the lead screw, to perform the loading and unloading operations of equipment. The reason these mechanisms are widely used is that the reduction function and the generation of linear thrust when converting rotational force into linear motion can be constructed relatively easily by using a lead screw and a nut. In the loading and unloading process of moving equipment within a switchgear, the thrust required to insert the contact plug of the electrical circuit contact near the final insertion position is the greatest during the loading process. The specifications of the lead screw, the diameter of the transfer nut, and the lead pitch are then determined based on this maximum thrust.

[0006] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2011-10544 Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-150375

[0007] However, during the process of moving the equipment in and out, the majority of the thrust required for movement is merely the rolling resistance due to the weight of the equipment itself, and is far less than the maximum thrust mentioned above. Therefore, conventional in-and-out mechanisms waste the reduction ratio provided by the lead screw, which hinders the reduction of the number of operations and the operating time, and poses a problem in terms of labor saving during in-and-out operations. In addition, the requirement for a lead screw length equal to or greater than the movement dimension of the equipment determines the depth dimension of the in-and-out mechanism, and the external dimensions of the nut corresponding to the lead screw diameter restrict the height dimension of the in-and-out mechanism, limiting the miniaturization of the device and preventing miniaturization and weight reduction.

[0008] This application discloses technology to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a mobile equipment loading / unloading device and electrical equipment that can reduce the force required for loading / unloading, the number of operations, and the operating time, as well as being able to be miniaturized.

[0009] The mobile equipment loading and unloading device disclosed in this application comprises a frame on which the mobile equipment to be loaded is placed; a link that movably supports the frame at one end and has a worm wheel portion formed at the other end; a worm that meshes with the worm wheel portion of the link and rotates the worm wheel portion; and a rotating means connected to the operating shaft of the worm and rotating the worm wheel portion. Furthermore, the electrical equipment disclosed in this application is characterized by using the mobile equipment loading and unloading device.

[0010] The mobile equipment loading / unloading device and electrical equipment disclosed herein make it possible to obtain a mobile equipment loading / unloading device and electrical equipment that can reduce the loading / unloading force, the number of operations, and the operating time, as well as be miniaturized.

[0011] This is a perspective view showing a mobile equipment loading / unloading device according to Embodiment 1. This is a perspective view showing a mobile equipment loading / unloading device according to Embodiment 1. This is a perspective view of the mobile equipment loading / unloading device shown in Figure 1 with the housing hidden. This is a side view of the mobile equipment loading / unloading device shown in Figure 3. This is a front view of the mobile equipment loading / unloading device shown in Figure 3. This is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 1. This is a perspective view of Figure 6. This is a perspective view showing the mobile equipment loading / unloading device according to Embodiment 1 with the mobile equipment placed inside the switchgear. This is a side view of Figure 8. This is a diagram comparing the reduction ratio (force ratio) when using the mobile equipment loading / unloading device according to Embodiment 1 and a conventional device. This is a perspective view showing a mobile equipment loading / unloading device according to Embodiment 2. This is a partially enlarged view of the mobile equipment loading / unloading device according to Embodiment 3. This is a partially plan view of the mobile equipment loading / unloading device according to Embodiment 4. This is a partially front view of the mobile equipment loading / unloading device according to Embodiment 4.

[0012] Embodiment 1 will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same reference numerals indicate the same or equivalent part.

[0013] Embodiment 1. Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views showing a mobile equipment loading / unloading device according to Embodiment 1. Figure 1 shows the mobile equipment loading / unloading device in a state where the mobile equipment has been unloaded from its destination, such as a switchgear, and Figure 2 shows the mobile equipment loading / unloading device in a state where the mobile equipment has been inserted into its destination, such as a switchgear. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the mobile equipment loading / unloading device shown in Figure 1 with the housing hidden. Furthermore, Figure 4 is a side view of the mobile equipment loading / unloading device shown in Figure 3, and Figure 5 is a front view of the mobile equipment loading / unloading device shown in Figure 3.

[0014] In Embodiment 1, a mobile device insertion / removal device for inserting or removing electrical equipment, which is housed in a switchgear used in power distribution equipment, will be described based on Figures 1 to 3. Here, electrical equipment refers to circuit breakers, switches, disconnectors, instrument transformers, etc. In Figures 1 to 3, the mobile device insertion / removal device 50 comprises a housing 1, a worm 2b rotatably supported by the housing 1, worm wheel links 3a and 3b having worm wheel portions 3c and 3d at their respective ends that mesh with the worm 2b, connecting links 5a and 5b connected to the worm wheel links 3a and 3b, respectively, and a movable frame 6 connected to the connecting links 5a and 5b.

[0015] Furthermore, the operating shaft 2a provided at one end of the worm 2b engages with an operating handle (not shown) that is attached when, for example, a movable device 7 such as a circuit breaker is pulled out or inserted into the switchgear. The worm gear 2 is formed by the worm 2b and the worm wheels of the worm wheel sections 3c and 3d. The worm wheel links 3a and 3b are rotatably arranged around the pins 4a and 4b, which are rotation support shafts. The worm wheel sections 3c and 3d are formed at the respective ends of the worm wheel links 3a and 3b and engage with the threaded portion of the worm 2b. One end of the connecting links 5a and 5b is rotatably pin-connected to the worm wheel links 3a and 3b, respectively. The other end of the connecting links 5a and 5b is rotatably connected to the movable frame 6 by connecting pins 5c and 5d. The worm wheel links 3a and 3b, the connecting links 5a and 5b, and the movable frame 6 constitute a pantograph link.

[0016] The movable frame 6 constitutes the movable end of the pantograph, and a movable device 7 such as a circuit breaker, which is extended and retracted by a switchgear (not shown), is mounted on it. The fixed-side locking member 8 provided on the housing 1 fixes the housing 1 to the switchgear, for example. The housing 1 also houses and supports the worm 2b and the worm wheel portions 3c and 3d of the worm wheel links 3a and 3b. The teeth of the worm wheel portions 3c and 3d have a three-dimensional curved surface structure.

[0017] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 1. Figure 7 is a perspective view of Figure 6. Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the movable equipment loading / unloading device according to Embodiment 1 with a circuit breaker mounted and inserted into a switchgear (not shown). Figure 9 is a side view of Figure 8. As shown in Figure 6, the movable frame 6 is constructed by sandwiching the respective ends of the connecting links 5a and 5b between two plates, and the movable frame 6 and the respective ends of the connecting links 5a and 5b are rotatably connected by connecting pins 5c and 5d. As shown in Figure 7, a through hole 6a is formed in the movable frame 6, and a bolt (not shown) is inserted through the through hole 6a from below the movable frame 6 to fix the movable equipment 7 such as a circuit breaker.

[0018] In Embodiment 1, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, an example was shown in which a movable device 7 such as a circuit breaker is fixed with four bolts in four through holes 6a. However, the number of through holes 6a is not limited to this and can be selected as appropriate. Also, as shown in Figure 7, a square-shaped sacrificial hole 6b is formed in the movable frame 6. This is for the purpose of reducing the weight of the movable frame 6. In Embodiment 1, an example was shown in which four sacrificial holes 6b were formed, but the number of sacrificial holes 6b can also be selected as appropriate.

[0019] Next, let's explain the operation. By inserting the operating handle (not shown) into the operating shaft 2a of the worm 2b and rotating the worm 2b, power is transmitted to the worm wheel portions 3c and 3d of the worm wheel links 3a and 3b, which are located on both sides of the worm 2b. As the worm wheel links 3a and 3b rotate towards each other around the rotation support shafts, pins 4a and 4b, the pantograph link extends in the depth direction of the switchgear, and thrust is transmitted from the connecting links 5a and 5b to the movable frame 6 in the depth direction of the switchgear. As a result, movable equipment 7 such as a circuit breaker attached to the movable frame 6 can be moved in the forward and backward direction (straight direction) of the switchgear.

[0020] Furthermore, by rotating the operating shaft 2a of the worm 2b in the opposite direction to that described above, the worm wheel links 3a and 3b rotate away from each other, causing the pantograph link, consisting of the worm wheel links 3a and 3b, connecting links 5a and 5b, and the movable frame 6, to contract relative to the depth direction of the switchgear, thereby allowing the movable equipment 7, such as a circuit breaker, attached to the movable frame 6 to be pulled back to its original position (pull-out position).

[0021] As described above, in the operation of extending and retracting the circuit breaker, which is the movable device 7, the force required for most of the movement process is due to the rolling resistance caused by the weight of the movable device 7 (the rolling resistance of the wheels supporting the movable device 7). This rolling resistance is a much smaller force than the thrust, i.e., the operating force, required when mechanical or electrical connection is required at the final insertion region A, which is the final insertion position. Here, the final insertion position is the position where the movable device 7 connects to the main circuit within the switchgear. Mechanically, this refers to the mechanical force required to connect the electrical connectors that connect the movable device 7 to the main circuit within the switchgear. The movable device extension / retraction device 50 according to Embodiment 1 utilizes the variable force multiplication function by the toggle mechanism of the pantograph link, which allows the reduction ratio to be maximized in accordance with the final insertion region A where the pantograph link is fully extended. Therefore, the operating force of the movable device extension / retraction device 50 can be used without waste, reducing the number of operations and achieving labor savings in the operation work.

[0022] Figure 10 shows the change in the reduction ratio (force ratio) when using the movable equipment extension / retraction device according to Embodiment 1, compared to the reduction ratio (force ratio) when using a conventional device (lead screw structure). In other words, Figure 10 is a graph illustrating the characteristics of the pantograph toggle mechanism described above. Specifically, as a characteristic of the pantograph link, at the beginning of extension from the retracted state, the movement of the movable frame 6 is large relative to the amount of rotation of the worm wheel links 3a and 3b, and the reduction ratio is small, resulting in a small thrust. However, as it approaches the final position, the amount of movement relative to the amount of rotation of the worm wheel links 3a and 3b decreases, and the reduction ratio increases, allowing a large thrust to be generated with an efficient reduction ratio. Therefore, the movable equipment extension / retraction device 50 according to Embodiment 1 can be operated efficiently with a small number of rotations.

[0023] Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, the movable equipment loading / unloading device 50 can be constructed from thin sheets that can be processed from sheet metal or the like for the pantograph link components, making it possible to construct the entire movable equipment loading / unloading device 50 thin and with a reduced height. In addition, in conventional lead screw structures, the size of the device corresponding to the loading / unloading direction was required to match the loading / unloading dimensions, but in the movable equipment loading / unloading device 50 of Embodiment 1, the movable equipment 7 is moved by the contraction of the pantograph link, so the size of the device corresponding to the loading / unloading dimensions is not required. Also, the movable equipment loading / unloading device 50 of Embodiment 1 does not require the height constraint in the direction due to the outer diameter of the nut corresponding to the lead screw diameter that was required in conventional lead screw structures. Therefore, the movable equipment loading / unloading device 50 of Embodiment 1 can be made smaller or lighter compared to conventional devices.

[0024] Embodiment 2. Figure 11 is a perspective view showing a mobile equipment loading / unloading device according to Embodiment 2. The mobile equipment loading / unloading device 50 according to Embodiment 2 will be described below based on Figure 10. As shown in Figure 11, the mobile equipment loading / unloading device 50 according to Embodiment 2 has a link consisting of a connecting link 5a and a worm wheel link 3a provided on only one side of the movable frame 6. Similar to Embodiment 1, Embodiment 2 also includes a housing 1, a worm 2b rotatably supported by the housing 1, a worm wheel link 3a having a worm wheel portion 3c at its end that meshes with the worm 2b, a connecting link 5a connected to the worm wheel link 3a, and a movable frame 6 coupled to the connecting link 5a. Furthermore, an operating shaft 2a provided at one end of the worm 2b engages with an operating handle (not shown) that is attached when loading or inserting a mobile device 7, such as a circuit breaker, into or from a switchgear.

[0025] Furthermore, the worm wheel link 3a is rotatably positioned around a pin 4a, which is a rotation support shaft. The worm wheel portion 3c is formed at the end of the worm wheel link 3a and engages with the threaded portion of the worm 2b. One end of the connecting link 5a is rotatably pin-connected to the worm wheel link 3a. The other end of the connecting link 5a is rotatably connected to the movable frame 6 by a connecting pin 5c. The movable frame 6 is connected to a movable device 7, such as a circuit breaker, which is extended and retracted by a switchgear (not shown). The housing 1 also houses and supports the worm 2b and the worm wheel portion 3c of the worm wheel link 3a.

[0026] In the second embodiment, the mobile equipment loading / unloading device 50 has a linear motion guide 9 for the mobile equipment 7 that is in contact with the movable frame 6. The linear motion guide 9 is fixed to, for example, a switchgear, and used to slide the movable frame 6. When the linear motion guide 9 for the mobile equipment 7 is provided, it is not necessary to have a pantograph link mechanism, and the loading / unloading function of the mobile equipment 7 can be configured with a link configuration consisting only of, for example, the right-side worm wheel link 3a and the connecting link 5a. The second embodiment can obtain the same effects as the first embodiment, and can be constructed with even fewer parts.

[0027] Embodiment 3. Figure 12 is a partially enlarged view of the mobile equipment loading / unloading device according to Embodiment 3. The mobile equipment loading / unloading device 50 according to Embodiment 3 will be described below based on Figure 12. The mobile equipment loading / unloading device 50 according to Embodiment 3 is characterized in that the worm wheel link 3a is positioned offset from the worm wheel link 3b by a lead pitch P, but other than this characteristic, the structure is the same as that of Embodiment 1.

[0028] When worm wheel links 3a and 3b are arranged on both sides of the worm 2b, there is a half-rotation displacement of the thread engagement portion due to the twisting of the lead of the worm 2b. The arrangement of worm wheel links 3a and 3b is adjusted to accommodate this by offsetting them by half a rotation, or half a lead pitch P. In other words, the rotation axis of the worm wheel link 3a, which is provided on one side of the worm 2b, is positioned offset by half a lead pitch P of the worm 2b relative to the rotation axis of the worm wheel link 3b, which is provided on the other side. Furthermore, by connecting the connecting links 5a and 5b to the movable frame 6 with an offset of half a lead pitch P, it becomes possible to use the same components on both sides, reducing the number of component types. In addition, by using the same components on both sides, assembly errors can be prevented, thus providing a highly reliable mobile equipment loading and unloading device 50.

[0029] Embodiment 4. Figure 13A is a partial plan view of the mobile equipment loading / unloading device according to Embodiment 4. Figure 13B is a partial front view of the mobile equipment loading / unloading device according to Embodiment 4. In Embodiments 1 to 3, the teeth of the worm wheel portions 3c and 3d of the worm wheel links 3a and 3b were worm wheels with a three-dimensional curved shape. However, Embodiment 4 is characterized in that the teeth of the worm wheel portions 3c and 3d are composed of spur gears 10 with a two-dimensional shape instead of a three-dimensional curved shape. When the worm wheel portions 3c and 3d are formed thinly, such as by sheet metal processing, even if a spur gear shape is used instead of a worm wheel shape, interference other than the normal transmission contact surface due to the lead angle twist of the worm 2b can be avoided. Therefore, it is possible to substitute with spur gears 10 that can be made by inexpensive processing methods such as press working or laser processing, thus providing a more inexpensive mobile equipment loading / unloading device 50 suitable for mass production.

[0030] Embodiment 5. In the mobile device loading and unloading device 50 of Embodiments 1 to 4, the surface hardness of the worm wheel portions 3c and 3d of the worm wheel links 3a and 3b is set to be lower than the surface hardness of the threaded portion of the worm 2b.

[0031] When used with high thrust, by making the surface hardness of the worm wheel sections 3c and 3d lower than that of the worm 2b, it is possible to construct a compact mechanism that can withstand greater operating forces and generate greater thrust without causing damage or breakage due to galling (seizing). Furthermore, when used under surface pressure so large that the transmission contact surfaces of the worm wheel sections 3c and 3d undergo plastic deformation beyond the elastic deformation range, the worm wheel sections 3c and 3d undergo plastic deformation before the contact surface of the worm 2b, causing them to concave along the shape of the contact area with the worm 2b, thereby self-expanding from an initial point contact state to a line contact and then to a surface contact. This makes it possible to construct a compact mechanism that can withstand greater operating forces and generate greater thrust without causing damage or breakage due to galling.

[0032] In the mobile equipment loading / unloading devices 50 of Embodiments 2 to 5, the same reduction ratio (force ratio) change as in Embodiment 1 shown in Figure 10 is observed. Therefore, the mobile equipment loading / unloading devices 50 of Embodiments 2 to 5 can also be operated efficiently with a small number of rotations. In Embodiments 1 to 5 described above, an example of application to electrical equipment retractably housed in a switchgear was explained, but the application is not limited to electrical equipment. The mobile equipment loading / unloading devices 50 disclosed in Embodiments 1 to 5 of this application can be applied to anything that moves in the front-rear direction from the operating position. This application describes various exemplary embodiments and examples, but the various features, aspects, and functions described in one or more embodiments are not limited to the application of a specific embodiment, but can be applied to embodiments individually or in various combinations. Therefore, countless variations not illustrated are conceivable within the scope of the technology disclosed in this specification. For example, this includes cases where at least one component is modified, added, or omitted, or where at least one component is extracted and combined with a component of another embodiment.

[0033] 1 Housing, 2 Worm gear, 2a Operating shaft, 2b Worm, 3a, 3b Worm wheel link, 3c, 3d Worm wheel section, 4a, 4b Pin, 5a, 5b Connecting link, 5c, 5d Connecting pin, 6 Movable frame, 6a Through hole, 6b Discard hole, 7 Moving device, 8 Fixed side locking member, 9 Linear guide, 10 Spur gear, 50 Moving device retraction / extension device

Claims

DEPCT641. Insertion and removal tool for movable devices, comprising: a frame on which the device to be moved is placed; a linkage supporting the frame, movable at one end of the linkage and with a molded worm wheel at the other end of the linkage; the worm meshing with the worm wheel of the linkage and rotating the worm wheel; and a rotating part connected to the operating shaft of the worm and rotating the worm wheel.

2. Insertion and removal tool for movable devices according to claim 1, where the linkage is supplied on both sides of the worm respectively and the linkage is molded together with the frame.

3. Insertion and removal tool for movable devices according to claim 1, where a linear motion guide for the device to be moved is supplied on one side of the frame.4.

5. A movable device insertion and ejection tool under Reputation 1 or 2, where the pivot axis of the linkage supplied on one side is displaced from the pivot axis of the linkage supplied on the other side by a half-pitch reduction of the worm gear.

6. A movable device insertion and ejection tool under Reputation 1 to 4, where the surface hardness of the worm wheel is lower than the surface hardness of the worm gear.

7. A movable device insertion and ejection tool under Reputation 1 to 5, where the worm wheel is formed from a spur gear.

8. A movable device insertion and ejection tool under Reputation 1 to 6, where the device to be moved is any type of electrical device such as a circuit breaker, switch, load breaker, and instrument transformer.

9. Electrical devices that use a movable device insertion and ejection tool under Reputation 1 to 6.