An electrical safety sign, its locking device and an electrical switch containing the same

Abstract

The present invention discloses an electrical safety sign, a locking device, and an electrical switch incorporating the same. The sign includes a sign housing, a sign body, a sign display control unit, and a sign fixing unit. The sign body is disposed within the sign housing via the sign fixing unit. The sign fixing unit is used to secure the sign body when it is hidden. The sign display control unit is disposed outside the sign housing and is used to control the release of the sign body. This invention addresses the problem of signs easily falling and the mutual interference caused by signs hung on equipment with limited space. It also adds a mechanical lockout function to the electrical switch to prevent circuit breaker operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the field of electrical safety, and in particular relates to an electrical safety sign, a locking device thereof and an electrical switch containing the device. Background Art

[0002] A circuit breaker is a switching device that can close, carry, and interrupt the normal current of an operating circuit, and can also close, carry, and interrupt the specified overload current (including short-circuit current) within a specified time. It is also called a switch.

[0003] A disconnector is a switching device that, when in the open position, has an insulation distance between contacts that meets the specified requirements and an obvious disconnect mark; when in the closed position, it can carry the current under normal circuit conditions and the current under abnormal conditions (such as short circuit) within a specified time.

[0004] GB 26859-2011 Electric Power Safety Work Regulations (Power Line Section) stipulates that at the operating points of circuit breakers, disconnectors and drop-out fuses that can supply power to the work site once closed, signs reading "Do not close the switch, someone is working on the line" or "Do not close the switch, someone is working" should be hung.

[0005] GB 26860-2011 Electric Power Safety Work Regulations (Electrical Section of Power Plants and Substations) stipulates that a sign reading "Do not close the switch, someone is working" or "Do not close the switch, someone is working on the line" should be hung on the operating handle of the disconnector that can supply power to the work site once closed.

[0006] There are four categories and seven types of electrical safety signs:

[0007] Prohibition type: such as "Do not close the switch, someone is working!" and "Do not close the switch, someone is working on the line!";

[0008] Warnings: such as "Stop, high voltage danger!" and "Do not climb, high voltage danger!";

[0009] Permission type: such as "Work here!" and "Go up and down from here!";

[0010] Reminders: such as "Grounded!"

[0011] The current application of prohibition signs is as follows: hanging with a rope, attaching to the metal casing of the equipment with magnetic rubber, or hanging them from the operating handle of a circuit breaker or disconnector. However, the design of most circuit breaker or disconnector operating handles does not take into account the need for hanging signs. Signs hung on the operating handles of circuit breakers or disconnectors are extremely prone to falling. In addition, due to the large standard size of the signs, hanging them is more difficult and more likely to fall when densely installed low-voltage miniature circuit breakers are installed. This leads to the following major problems in actual operation:

[0012] The signs hung on the operating handles of high-voltage circuit breakers and disconnectors (mostly electrically operated) are easy to fall off, and the signs need to be carried by operators during work, which increases the complexity of the work.

[0013] Hang a sign on the low voltage miniature circuit breaker. Since the handle of the switch is in the off position and is downward (e.g. Figure 1 ), which is very easy to fall, and the densely installed low-voltage miniature circuit breakers affect each other when hanging signs, which can easily cause confusion.

[0014] The above problems may lead to the following consequences:

[0015] During high-voltage operation, the detachment of a sign can lead to operator misjudgment, which in turn can cause incorrect operation. Operators can easily make low-level mistakes when repeatedly removing and placing the sign, which can lead to incorrect operation (in practice, there have been cases where operators have gone back to retrieve the sign and then gone to the wrong interval when re-operating, resulting in incorrect operation accidents).

[0016] During low-voltage operation, the detachment of nameplates can lead to misjudgment by operators, which in turn can cause incorrect operation. Furthermore, since the frequency and number of low-voltage circuit breaker operations are much higher than those of high-voltage operations, the workload of hanging nameplates is greater and errors are more likely to occur. (In practice, many electrical personnel skip hanging nameplates to avoid trouble during low-voltage operations. This seriously violates electrical safety technical measures and poses a huge safety hazard. What's more frightening is that this practice has become an extremely common phenomenon.)

[0017] The falling of the sign will cause the sign to lose its prohibition effect. If it falls into a live object, it is very easy to cause an electric shock accident when it is taken out. Summary of the Invention

[0018] The present invention provides an electrical safety sign, which includes a sign accommodating cavity, a sign body, a sign display control portion, and a sign fixing portion;

[0019] The signboard body is arranged in the signboard accommodating cavity through the signboard fixing portion;

[0020] The sign fixing portion is used to fix the sign body when it is in a hidden state;

[0021] The sign display control unit is arranged outside the sign accommodating cavity and is used to control the escape of the sign body.

[0022] According to the technical solution of the present invention, the sign fixing portion includes a spring piece and a first slot; the first slot is provided at the end of the sign body, and the end of the spring piece can be inserted into the first slot.

[0023] According to the technical solution of the present invention, a displacement opening is provided on the nameplate body to enable the nameplate to be removed from the circuit breaker.

[0024] According to the technical solution of the present invention, a second slot can be provided on the sign body, and the second slot is used to cooperate with the circuit breaker to achieve the locking of the circuit breaker. Furthermore, the second slot can be connected to the displacement opening.

[0025] According to the technical solution of the present invention, the sign display control unit includes a sign display control button, which is positioned corresponding to the first slot. When the sign display control button is pressed, the spring and the sign move relative to each other, disengaging the spring from the first slot and causing the sign to slide down under its own weight.

[0026] According to the technical solution of the present invention, the sign can be an electrical safety sign, such as a prohibition sign, a warning sign, a permission sign, or a reminder sign. The size of the sign can be determined based on the size of the sign's hiding compartment. For example, if the sign is a prohibition sign, its dimensions are 200 mm × 100 mm or 80 mm × 50 mm.

[0027] The present invention provides a locking device for an electrical switch, comprising the aforementioned electrical safety sign. The electrical safety sign is either installed within the locking device or fixed to the exterior of the electrical switch. When the electrical safety sign is installed within the locking device, the rotating shaft of the locking device's operating handle passes through the controllably removable sign.

[0028] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the locking device further includes a locking mechanism for securing the sign that has slid out of the sign hiding chamber and controlling the circuit breaker. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the locking mechanism can be an operating handle with a groove, the groove being located on a side adjacent to the sign, and having a size and position sufficient to allow the slipped sign to fit snugly within the groove. Alternatively, the locking mechanism can be an operating handle with a latch, which engages with the second latching groove to restrict the rotation of the operating handle, thereby providing a locking mechanism.

[0029] The present invention also provides an electrical switch including the locking device or the electrical safety sign. The electrical switch may be a low-voltage switch, a medium-voltage switch, or a high-voltage switch. Preferably, the electrical switch may be a circuit breaker or a disconnector. Furthermore, the electrical switch may be an operating handle for a medium-voltage switch or a high-voltage switch.

[0030] The main innovation of the technical solution of the present invention is to combine the nameplate and the low-voltage circuit breaker, two independent entities with different functions, to create a new low-voltage circuit breaker with the following innovative functions:

[0031] The low-voltage circuit breaker has its own nameplate (the structure and size of the nameplate break the conventional requirements and can be determined according to the structure and specific size of the equipment), which can be hidden (matching the original non-listed state) or displayed (matching the original listed state) as needed.

[0032] When the low-voltage circuit breaker is in the display state, the operating handle of the low-voltage circuit breaker is in the open-locked state or the closing mechanism is in the disengaged state (the low-voltage circuit breaker cannot be closed) through the design of the mechanical structure. Regardless of whether the operating handle is in the open-locked state or the closing mechanism is in the disengaged state, the implementation ideas of both locking functions should be combined with the specific circuit breaker design. The implementation method depends on the specific circuit breaker situation and is not fixed.

[0033] Another major innovation of the present invention is that the nameplate and the operating control switch of the high-voltage circuit breaker (or high-voltage disconnector) are two independent entities with different functions, combined together to create a new operating control switch for the high-voltage circuit breaker (or high-voltage disconnector). The main innovative features are as follows:

[0034] The operating control switch of the high-voltage circuit breaker (or high-voltage disconnector) has its own nameplate (the structure and size of the nameplate break the conventional requirements and can be determined according to the structure and specific size of the equipment). It can be hidden (matching the original non-listed state) or displayed (matching the original listed state) as needed.

[0035] When the operating control switch of a high-voltage circuit breaker (or high-voltage disconnector) is in the indicated state on the nameplate, the operating handle of the high-voltage circuit breaker (or high-voltage disconnector) operating control switch is in the open-locked state (the high-voltage circuit breaker or high-voltage disconnector cannot be closed) through the design of the mechanical structure. The implementation of the operating handle in the open-locked state should be designed in conjunction with the specific high-voltage circuit breaker (or high-voltage disconnector) operating control switch. The implementation method depends on the specific high-voltage circuit breaker (or high-voltage disconnector) operating control switch and is not fixed.

[0036] In practical electrical engineering work, safety always takes precedence. Safety technical measures are among the most crucial aspects of safety regulations and must be followed during power outages and maintenance of electrical equipment. However, low-voltage circuit breakers and high-voltage circuit breaker (or high-voltage disconnector) operating control switches are considered electrical equipment, while nameplates are considered safety devices (with instructions for use specified in safety technical measures). These two types of equipment have long been manufactured and used separately according to their respective regulations, and their integration into a new product design has never been attempted in the manufacturing process.

[0037] In the electrical professional field, during the operation of high and low voltage circuit breakers (low voltage circuit breakers are more prominent), when there are many circuits that are shut down at the same time (several or dozens of circuits), and safety technical measures are required at the same time, the workload of hanging nameplates will be large (there are difficulties in hanging nameplates on low voltage circuit breakers: small space affects each other, it is easy to fall off after hanging, so a switch may have to be hung repeatedly, and it is easy to make mistakes when hanging multiple circuit breakers at the same time). The operating personnel carry the nameplates with them and hang them one by one, which is easy to make mistakes during the operation. During the power outage of low voltage circuit breakers, many units use less or no hanging to save trouble. This leads to the situation where the wrong circuit is sent during the power supply test, which poses a great threat to the safety of equipment and personnel.

[0038] In the residential sector, because low-voltage circuit breakers are operated by non-electrical professionals, they often fail to consider safety precautions during power outages. Consequently, they often avoid displaying "Do Not Close While Work is Underway" signs on circuit breakers during power outages. This makes it more likely that power will be misplaced. This has happened numerous times: two households shared a distribution box. One household shut down power for renovations. During the renovations, the other household mistakenly re-energized the power supply, resulting in electric shocks to the renovation workers. Similar incidents abound.

[0039] Based on the above practical problems, the inventors have been thinking about solutions for a long time, and have worked hard for a long time to improve the management system and implement the safety system, but with little success. By thinking from the perspective of others, they started by reducing the difficulty of the work of on-site operators and simplifying the operation, making the hanging of signs simple and easy. This not only reduces the workload of on-site personnel, but also allows this safety technical measure to be effectively implemented, especially in non-electrical professional fields, and can also achieve good safety results.

[0040] Beneficial effects of the present invention:

[0041] The signboard is combined with the circuit breaker or the circuit breaker operating handle. The size of the signboard is not fixed and is based on the size of the combined object equipment (circuit breaker, circuit breaker operating handle). When the signboard does not need to be hung, it is retracted by a mechanical structure and the sign text is not displayed to the outside. When it needs to be hung, it is controlled to be detached by a mechanical button and the sign text is displayed to the outside, which plays the prohibition role of the signboard. In addition, the detached signboard uses the mechanical structure to jam the circuit breaker operating handle to achieve mechanical locking of the circuit breaker operation.

[0042] The present invention solves the problem that signboards are easy to fall off, solves the problem that signboards hung on equipment with narrow space interfere with each other, and adds a function of mechanically locking circuit breaker operation to the electrical switch.

[0043] Prohibition signs are one of the important measures to prevent misoperation during electrical power outage operations. The sign provided by the present invention has the functional characteristics of unified marking, unified position, not easy to fall off, mechanical locking, etc., so it can eliminate misoperation caused by hanging the wrong sign, hanging the sign in the wrong position, falling off of the sign, etc. to the greatest extent, thereby greatly reducing the occurrence of electrical equipment accidents and personal electric shock casualties caused by misoperation.

[0044] The new low-voltage circuit breaker and the new high-voltage circuit breaker (or high-voltage disconnector) operating control switch can effectively promote the effective implementation of the safety technical measure of hanging signs due to its simple operation, which is of great significance to electrical safety work.

[0045] Important Notes:

[0046] The nameplate function in the operating control switch of new low-voltage circuit breakers and new high-voltage circuit breakers (or high-voltage disconnectors) is the main new function, and the locking function is a new additional function. The former is a required option in the design, while the latter can be added according to actual needs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0047] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the signboard in Example 1.

[0048] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the locking device that matches the nameplate with the low-voltage circuit breaker.

[0049] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the locking device that cooperates with the signboard and the high-voltage circuit breaker.

[0050] Figure markings: 1-signboard accommodating cavity, 2-signboard body, 3-signboard display control button, 4-spring sheet, 5-first slot, 6-first operating handle, 7-groove, 8-second slot, 9-displacement opening, 10-second operating handle shaft, 11-block, 12-second operating handle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] The technical solutions of the present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to specific embodiments. It should be understood that the following embodiments are merely illustrative and explanations of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention. All technologies implemented based on the above content of the present invention are encompassed within the scope of protection that the present invention is intended to protect.

[0052] The following examples are only for illustrating the design principles. The actual design scheme can be implemented in many ways, but they should all be guided by this design principle and involve changes in the specific mechanical action methods.

[0053] Example 1

[0054] like Figure 1 The electrical safety sign shown includes a sign accommodating cavity 1, a sign body 2, a sign display control button 3 and a sign fixing portion; the sign body 2 is arranged in the sign accommodating cavity 1 through the sign fixing portion; the sign fixing portion is used to fix the sign body 2 before it is removed; the sign display control button 3 is arranged outside the sign accommodating cavity 1, and is used to control the removal of the sign body.

[0055] The sign fixing portion includes a spring piece 4 and a first slot.

[0056] The setting position of the sign display control button 3 corresponds to the position of the first card slot 5.

[0057] The sign is a prohibition sign and its size is 200mm×100mm or 80mm×50mm.

[0058] In the initial state, the spring sheet is locked in the first slot, and the sign body is fixed in the sign-receiving cavity. When the sign display control button is pressed, the spring sheet and the sign body move relative to each other, causing the spring sheet to disengage from the first slot, causing the sign body to slide downward and escape. To retract the sign body, the sign body is pushed upward back into the sign-receiving cavity, and the spring sheet is reinserted into the first slot, concealing the sign body.

[0059] The controllably removable sign provided in this embodiment can be directly attached to an electrical switch or a high-voltage switch cabinet, or can be integrated into an electrical switch for use.

[0060] Example 2

[0061] like Figure 2The low-voltage circuit breaker shown includes the electrical safety sign and locking mechanism shown in Example 1. The sign is fixed to the outside of the low-voltage circuit breaker. The locking mechanism includes a first operating handle 6 with a groove 7. The groove 7 is arranged on a side close to the sign body 2. Its size and position are sufficient to ensure that the detached sign body 2 is just stuck in the groove 7.

[0062] Figure 2 As shown in (a), the low-voltage circuit breaker is in the open and unlocked state, and the nameplate is hidden.

[0063] Figure 2 As shown in (c), the low-voltage circuit breaker is in the open and locked state, and the nameplate is in the display state. The detached nameplate body just falls into the groove on the first operating handle, making the low-voltage circuit breaker unable to be operated and closed.

[0064] The low-voltage circuit breaker provided in this embodiment has an additional tag-out lockout function. The working principle is as follows:

[0065] During normal operation of the circuit breaker, the sign does not need to be displayed. Therefore, the low-voltage circuit breaker in this embodiment operates in the same way as an ordinary circuit breaker. When safety technical measures need to be taken after the circuit breaker is opened, the sign is operated to the display state to serve as a sign warning. At the same time, the circuit breaker is locked when closed through the mechanism. When the safety technical measures are canceled, the sign is reset to the hidden state and the circuit breaker resumes normal operation.

[0066] Example 3

[0067] like Figure 3 The high-voltage circuit breaker operation control switch shown includes an electrical safety sign and a locking mechanism. The difference between this sign and the sign shown in Example 1 is that a displacement opening 9 and a second card slot 8 are provided on the sign body, the displacement opening 9 and the second card slot 8 are connected, and the second card slot 8 is located at the upper end of the displacement opening 9. The sign is located inside the high-voltage circuit breaker. The locking mechanism includes a second operating handle 12 with a clamping block 11 and a second operating handle shaft 10. The second operating handle shaft 10 passes through the sign that can be controlled to fall off, that is, through the sign accommodating cavity and the displacement opening located on the sign body. The clamping block 11 cooperates with the second card slot 8 to achieve the locking of the circuit breaker.

[0068] like Figure 3 As shown above, the high-voltage circuit breaker operating control switch is in the normal position, and the nameplate is hidden. In this hidden state, the nameplate body is locked in the first slot by a spring plate, located within the nameplate receiving cavity, and is not visible to the outside. At the same time, the locking block on the second operating handle has sufficient space to rotate with the second operating handle's shaft, preventing the operating handle from being locked.

[0069] like Figure 3As shown below, the high-voltage circuit breaker operating control switch is in the open and locked state, and the sign is in the displayed state. When the sign is required, pressing the sign display control button causes the spring plate and the sign body to move relative to each other, releasing the spring plate from the first retaining groove. The sign body slides downward through the displacement opening, releasing the sign body and serving as a safety warning. Simultaneously, the second retaining groove engages the retaining block on the second operating handle, preventing the second operating handle from rotating and locking the operating handle.

[0070] When the sign board body needs to be folded up, the sign board body is pushed up to return to the sign board accommodating cavity, and the spring sheet is reinserted into the first card slot to restore the hidden state of the sign board.

[0071] The high-voltage circuit breaker operation control switch provided in this embodiment has an additional tag-out lockout function. The working principle is as follows:

[0072] During normal operation of the high-voltage circuit breaker operation control switch, the sign does not need to be displayed. Therefore, the high-voltage circuit breaker operation control switch in this embodiment works like an ordinary control switch. When safety technical measures need to be taken after the high-voltage circuit breaker is opened, the sign is operated to the display state to serve as a sign warning. At the same time, the high-voltage circuit breaker operation control switch is locked to close through the mechanism. When the safety technical measures are canceled, the sign is reset to the hidden state, and the high-voltage circuit breaker operation control switch resumes normal operation.

[0073] The above describes the embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention shall be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A locking device for an electrical switch, the locking device comprising an electrical safety sign, the sign comprising a sign receiving cavity, a sign body, a sign display control unit, and a sign fixing unit; The signboard body is arranged in the signboard accommodating cavity through the signboard fixing portion; The sign fixing portion is used to fix the sign body before it is removed; The sign display control unit is arranged outside the sign accommodating cavity, and is used to control the disengagement of the sign body; the sign fixing unit includes a spring sheet and a first card slot; the first card slot is arranged at the end of the sign body, and the end of the spring sheet can be inserted into the first card slot.

2. The locking device of an electrical switch according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electrical safety sign is arranged in the locking device or fixed on the outside of the electrical switch. A displacement opening is provided on the sign body to enable the sign to be removed from the electrical switch.

3. The locking device of an electrical switch according to claim 2, characterized in that: A second slot is provided on the sign body, and the second slot is used to cooperate with the electrical switch to achieve locking of the electrical switch.

4. The locking device of an electrical switch according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second clamping slot is communicated with the displacement opening.

5. The locking device of an electrical switch according to claim 1, wherein: The sign display control unit includes a sign display control button, and the setting position of the sign display control button corresponds to the position of the first card slot.

6. The locking device of an electrical switch according to claim 1, wherein: The signboard is an electrical safety signboard of the type of prohibition sign, warning sign, permission sign or reminder sign.

7. The locking device of an electrical switch according to claim 3, characterized in that: The locking device further comprises a locking mechanism, which is used to fix the locking of the sign body that slides out of the sign hiding chamber and the control circuit breaker.

8. The locking device of an electrical switch according to claim 7, characterized in that: The locking mechanism is an operating handle with a groove, and the groove is arranged on a side close to the signboard. The size and position of the groove are such that the signboard that slides down is just stuck in the groove.

9. The locking device of an electrical switch according to claim 7, characterized in that: The locking mechanism is an operating handle with a clamping block, and the clamping block cooperates with the second clamping groove to limit the rotation of the operating handle.

10. An electrical switch comprising the locking device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The electrical switch according to claim 10, wherein: The electrical switch is a low voltage switch, a medium voltage switch or a high voltage switch.

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