Contact monitoring device for vacuum circuit breaker and vacuum circuit breaker including the same

Abstract

The present invention provides a contact monitoring device for a vacuum circuit breaker, the vacuum circuit breaker includes a vacuum interrupter and a push rod assembly, the vacuum interrupter includes a fixed electrode fixed in an insulating container, a fixed contact arranged at one end of the fixed electrode, a movable electrode arranged in the insulating container and capable of moving in an up-and-down direction, a movable contact arranged at one end of the movable electrode and in contact with or separated from the fixed contact, the push rod assembly is combined with the other end of the movable electrode to make the movable electrode rise or fall. The contact monitoring device includes: an identification tag attached to the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical rod housing of the push rod assembly; and a sensor assembly adjacent to the push rod assembly and monitoring the position of the identification tag, having a sensing direction different from the moving displacement of the push rod assembly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a contact monitoring device for a vacuum circuit breaker and a vacuum circuit breaker comprising the device. Background Art

[0002] A vacuum circuit breaker is an electrical protector that utilizes the dielectric strength of a vacuum to protect load devices and lines from fault current when a fault such as a short circuit or grounding occurs in the circuit.

[0003] Vacuum circuit breakers play a role in power transmission control and power system protection. Vacuum circuit breakers have large breaking capacity, high reliability and safety. In addition, vacuum circuit breakers can be installed in a small installation space, so they can be easily applied to medium voltage and even high voltage.

[0004] The vacuum circuit breaker includes: a vacuum interrupter for interrupting current, a power transmission device for transmitting power to the vacuum interrupter, and a push rod for reciprocating up and down by the power transmission device to push the contact into the vacuum interrupter or disconnect the contact from the vacuum interrupter. As an example, the vacuum interrupter of the vacuum circuit breaker is disclosed in Korean Patent No. 10-1860348 (grant date: May 16, 2018).

[0005] The vacuum interrupter of the prior art includes an insulating container, a fixed electrode, a movable electrode and an arc shield. The fixed electrode includes a fixed contact, and the movable electrode includes a movable contact 170. Moreover, the movable contact can contact or separate with the fixed contact as the movable electrode moves up and down.

[0006] However, when the current breaking action of the vacuum interrupter is repeated, there is a problem of gradual wear of the fixed contact or the movable contact (hereinafter collectively referred to as "contact"). Moreover, when the degree of contact wear reaches a critical point or more, the short-time performance, short-circuit performance and power-on performance of the vacuum interrupter will be reduced. Therefore, in order to repair or replace the contact whose wear degree reaches a critical point or more, it is necessary to detect the wear state of the contact. Summary of the invention

[0007] Problem that the invention aims to solve

[0008] The object of the present invention is to provide a contact monitoring device for a vacuum circuit breaker capable of monitoring the contact wear amount inside a vacuum interrupter and a vacuum circuit breaker comprising the device.

[0009] In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a contact monitoring device for a vacuum circuit breaker, which can detect the amount of contact wear as displacement in the vertical direction using a photoelectric sensor whose sensing direction is the horizontal direction, and a vacuum circuit breaker including the same.

[0010] The purpose of the present invention is not limited to the above purpose, and other purposes and advantages of the present invention that are not mentioned can be understood through the following description, and other purposes and advantages of the present invention that are not mentioned can be more clearly understood with the help of the embodiments of the present invention. In addition, it is obvious that the purposes and advantages of the present invention can be achieved by the schemes and combinations thereof recorded in the claims.

[0011] Means used to solve problems

[0012] One embodiment of the present invention provides a contact monitoring device for a vacuum circuit breaker. The vacuum circuit breaker includes a vacuum arc chamber and a push rod assembly. The vacuum arc chamber includes a fixed electrode fixed in an insulating container, a fixed contact arranged at one end of the fixed electrode, a movable electrode arranged in the insulating container and capable of moving up and down, and a movable contact arranged at one end of the movable electrode and in contact with or separated from the fixed contact. The push rod assembly is combined with the other end of the movable electrode to make the movable electrode rise or fall. In the contact monitoring device for a vacuum circuit breaker, it includes: an identification tag attached to the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical rod shell of the push rod assembly; and a sensor assembly, which is adjacent to the push rod assembly and monitors the position of the identification tag, and has a sensing direction different from the moving displacement of the push rod assembly.

[0013] The sensing direction of the sensor assembly may be perpendicular to the moving direction of the push rod assembly.

[0014] The identification tag may include a first area and a second area, which are arranged along a moving direction of the push rod assembly and have different reflectivities.

[0015] Alternatively, the identification tag may include a plurality of regions, which are arranged along the moving direction of the push rod assembly and have reflectivity that changes in stages.

[0016] Alternatively, the identification label may be configured along the moving direction of the push rod assembly and may be configured in a gradient color with gradually changing reflectivity.

[0017] The sensor assembly may include a photoelectric sensor module for monitoring the position of the identification tag, and the photoelectric sensor module may include: a light-emitting portion, which is arranged in a direction facing the identification tag and emits light toward the identification tag; a light-receiving portion, which is arranged in a direction facing the identification tag and receives light reflected by the identification tag; and a circuit portion, which is combined with the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion and outputs an output signal according to the amount of light received by the light-receiving portion.

[0018] The sensor assembly may also include: a sensor holder, adjacent to the push rod assembly and accommodating the photoelectric sensor module, the side of the sensor holder facing the push rod assembly being open, and the light emitting part and the light receiving part being exposed on the open side; and a sensor bracket, combined with a lower side of the main circuit unit housing to support the sensor holder.

[0019] The sensor assembly may further include a determination unit that compares the output signal of the circuit unit with a pre-stored reference value and then determines an amount of contact wear of the vacuum interrupter.

[0020] In a case where the identification label is black at the upper end and white at the lower end and the color gradually becomes lighter from the upper end to the lower end, if the contact wear amount obtained based on the output signal output by the circuit unit is above a pre-stored critical value, the judgment unit can judge that the contact wear amount has reached the boundary value and then output a notification signal.

[0021] Alternatively, in the case where the identification label is white at the upper end and black at the lower end and the color gradually becomes darker from the upper end to the lower end, if the contact wear amount obtained based on the output signal output by the circuit unit is below a pre-stored critical value, the judgment unit can judge that the contact wear amount has reached the boundary value and then output a notification signal.

[0022] In addition, another embodiment of the present invention provides a vacuum circuit breaker, which includes: a vacuum arc chamber, the vacuum arc chamber including a fixed electrode fixed in an insulating container, a fixed contact arranged at one end of the fixed electrode, a movable electrode arranged in the insulating container and capable of moving up and down, and a movable contact arranged at one end of the movable electrode and contacting or separating from the fixed contact; a main circuit part, having a shell for accommodating the vacuum arc chamber; a push rod assembly, combined with the other end of the movable electrode to make the movable electrode rise or fall; and a sensor assembly, adjacent to the push rod assembly, having a sensing direction different from the moving displacement of the push rod assembly.

[0023] The sensing direction of the sensor assembly may be perpendicular to the moving direction of the push rod assembly.

[0024] The vacuum circuit breaker further includes an identification tag attached to an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical rod housing of the push rod assembly.

[0025] The identification tag may include a first area and a second area, which are arranged along a moving direction of the push rod assembly and have different reflectivities.

[0026] Alternatively, the identification tag may include a plurality of regions, which are arranged along the moving direction of the push rod assembly and have reflectivity that changes in stages.

[0027] Alternatively, the identification label may be configured along the moving direction of the push rod assembly and may be configured in a gradient color with gradually changing reflectivity.

[0028] The sensor assembly includes a photoelectric sensor module for monitoring the position of the identification tag, the photoelectric sensor module including: a light-emitting portion, which is arranged in a direction facing the identification tag and emits light toward the identification tag; a light-receiving portion, which is arranged in a direction facing the identification tag and receives light reflected by the identification tag; and a circuit portion, which is combined with the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion and outputs an output signal according to the amount of light received by the light-receiving portion.

[0029] Effects of the Invention

[0030] The contact monitoring device for a vacuum circuit breaker according to the present invention can utilize a photoelectric sensor to monitor the wear amount of the contact in real time, thereby determining an appropriate maintenance time.

[0031] In addition, the contact monitoring device for a vacuum circuit breaker according to the present invention can use a photoelectric sensor to determine the contact wear amount before the contact wear amount reaches a boundary value or more, thereby improving the reliability and performance of the vacuum circuit breaker.

[0032] In addition, the contact monitoring device for vacuum circuit breaker according to the present invention can detect the contact wear amount with vertical displacement by using a photoelectric sensor with horizontal sensing direction. Therefore, the contact wear amount can be accurately detected to determine the appropriate maintenance time.

[0033] In addition to the above-mentioned effects, specific effects of the present invention will be described together with the following description of specific modes for carrying out the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Figure 1 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a vacuum circuit breaker to which the contact monitoring device according to the first embodiment of the present invention is applied.

[0035] Figure 2 It is shown Figure 1 A three-dimensional diagram of the setting state of the contact monitoring device.

[0036] Figure 3 It is shown Figure 1 An exploded perspective view of a photoelectric sensor of a contact monitoring device.

[0037] Figure 4 It is shown Figure 1Schematic diagram of an identification tag of a contact monitoring device.

[0038] Figure 5 It is shown Figure 1 A three-dimensional diagram of the operating status of the contact monitoring device.

[0039] Figure 6 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an identification label of a contact detection device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 7 1 is a perspective view showing a setting state of a contact monitoring device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 8 It is shown Figure 7 Schematic diagram of an identification tag of a contact monitoring device.

[0042] Fig. 9 It is shown Figure 7 A three-dimensional diagram of the operating status of the contact monitoring device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] The above-mentioned objects, features and advantages are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the technical ideas of the present invention. In the process of describing the present invention, when it is judged that the specific description of the known technology related to the present invention obscures the main idea of ​​the present invention, its detailed description is omitted. Below, the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals represent the same or similar structural elements.

[0044] In the following text, the arrangement of any component "on the top (or bottom)" or "above (or below)" a component means configuring any component to be in contact with the top surface (or bottom surface) of the component, and may also mean that other components may be sandwiched between the component and any component configured above (or below) the component.

[0045] In addition, when it is recorded that a certain constituent element is “coupled”, “combined” or “connected” to other constituent elements, it should be understood that the above-mentioned constituent element can be directly coupled or connected to the above-mentioned other constituent elements, and another constituent element can be “sandwiched” between the various constituent elements, or each constituent element can also be “coupled”, “combined” or “connected” using other constituent elements.

[0046] Figure 1 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an empty circuit breaker to which the contact monitoring device according to the first embodiment of the present invention is applied. Figure 2 It is shown Figure 1 A three-dimensional diagram of the setting state of the contact monitoring device. Figure 3 It is shown Figure 1An exploded perspective view of the photoelectric sensor of the touch detection device. Figure 4 It is shown Figure 1 Schematic diagram of an identification tag of a contact monitoring device. Figure 5 It is shown Figure 1 A three-dimensional diagram of the operating status of the contact monitoring device.

[0047] like Figure 1 As shown, the contact monitoring device B for a vacuum circuit breaker according to the first embodiment of the present invention is disposed at the lower side of the main circuit portion 100 of the vacuum circuit breaker A to monitor contact wear of the vacuum interrupter 130 .

[0048] First, the main structure of the vacuum circuit breaker A will be briefly described. Hereinafter, only a part of the structure of the vacuum circuit breaker related to the embodiment of the present invention will be briefly described.

[0049] The vacuum circuit breaker A comprises: a main circuit unit 100, which comprises a vacuum interrupter 130; a push rod assembly 200 and a main shaft 300 for transmitting power to the contacts of the vacuum interrupter 130; and a mechanism assembly 400, which generates a driving force and is connected to the main shaft 300 to transmit the driving force.

[0050] In the main circuit part 100, the vacuum interrupter 130 is arranged inside the housing 110. The vacuum interrupter 130 includes: an insulating container 132, which forms a storage space; a fixed electrode 134, which is fixed to the upper inner part of the insulating container 132; a fixed contact 134a, which is arranged at the end of the fixed electrode 134; a movable electrode 136, which is arranged to be movable up and down at the lower inner part of the insulating container 132; and a movable contact 136a, which is arranged at the end of the movable electrode 136. An arc shield 132a that forms a vacuum is accommodated inside the insulating container 132, and the arc shield 132a surrounds the fixed electrode 134 and the fixed contact 134a as well as the movable electrode 136 and the movable contact 136a. The movable contact 136a contacts the fixed contact 134a (pushed state) or separates from the fixed contact 134a (disconnected state) by the movable electrode 136. The movable electrode 136 is raised or lowered by the push rod assembly 200.

[0051] The push rod assembly 200 pushes in or breaks the movable electrode 136. The push rod assembly 200 is composed of a plurality of shafts and springs that transmit the power of the spindle 300 to the movable electrode 136. A part of the contact monitoring device B described later is provided on the rod housing 210 of the push rod assembly 200. The spindle 300 is connected to the lower end of the push rod assembly 200.

[0052] The main shaft 300 is connected to the mechanism assembly 400 to transmit the power generated by the mechanism assembly 400 to the push rod assembly 200 .

[0053] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the contact monitoring device B according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a sensor assembly 500 disposed on the lower side of the main circuit portion 100 , and an identification tag 700 attached to the outer circumferential surface of the rod housing 210 .

[0054] The sensor assembly 500 includes: a photoelectric sensor module 510 for detecting the position of the identification tag 700; a sensor holder 530 for accommodating the photoelectric sensor module 510; and a sensor bracket 550 for coupling the sensor holder 530 to the lower side of the main circuit part 100. Although not shown in the figure, the sensor assembly 500 may further include a determination unit (not shown).

[0055] The photoelectric sensor module 510 includes a light emitting portion 512, a light receiving portion 514, and a circuit portion 516 for processing signals of the light emitting portion 512 and the light receiving portion 514. The light emitting portion 512 and the light receiving portion 514 are arranged side by side on one surface of the circuit portion 516. The photoelectric sensor module 510 is arranged so that the light emitting portion 512 and the light receiving portion 514 face the housing 110 of the push rod assembly 200. The significance of the arrangement direction of the photoelectric sensor module 510 will be described later.

[0056] The photoelectric sensor module 510 is an optical sensor that emits light from a light emitting portion 512 , the emitted light is reflected on the surface of the identification tag 700 , and the amount of the reflected light is detected by a light receiving portion 514 .

[0057] A photocurrent proportional to the intensity of light detected by the light receiving unit 514 flows through the circuit unit 516, and the more light is reflected back, the greater the amount of current generated. The photoelectric sensor module 510 detects the amount of light emitted from the light emitting unit 512 that is incident on the photoelectric sensor module 510 after being reflected, so the farther away from the photoelectric sensor module 510, the less light is incident on the light receiving unit 514 after being reflected. If the amount of incident light decreases, the photocurrent decreases, and the distance from the photoelectric sensor module 510 can be obtained.

[0058] Therefore, in the photoelectric sensor module 510, the direction in which the emitted light is reflected is the sensing direction. The photoelectric sensor module 510 can detect the movement displacement in the same direction as the sensing direction.

[0059] In the circuit section 516, the photocurrent can be processed to output a signal to the outside. The output signal becomes smaller or larger according to the amount of light sensed, and the amount of light varies with the displacement. Therefore, if the signal output from the circuit section 516 is processed, the movement displacement can be calculated in the end. The signal output from the circuit section 516 can be sent to an external data processing device not shown in the figure or an administrator's smart terminal, etc.

[0060] The above-mentioned judgment unit can be provided in the circuit unit, or in an external data processing device or an intelligent terminal. In the judgment unit, the output signal of the circuit unit 516 can be processed, compared with a pre-stored reference value, and then the contact wear amount of the vacuum interrupter 130 can be judged.

[0061] The sensor holder 530 houses the photoelectric sensor module 510. The sensor holder 530 can have a box shape with one side open. On the open side of the sensor holder 530, the light emitting part 512 and the light receiving part 514 of the photoelectric sensor module 510 are exposed. In the sensor holder 530, on the other side opposite to the open side, or on the side surface, a coupling part 532 for coupling to the sensor bracket 550 can be provided. The coupling part 532 can be provided in the form of a hole into which a bolt is inserted.

[0062] As long as it is a shape into which the photoelectric sensor module 510 can be inserted without coming off, in addition to the box shape, the sensor holder 530 can also have a frame shape such as shape, shape, "匚" shape, etc.

[0063] The sensor bracket 550 is installed on the lower side of the housing 110, and the housing 110 forms the appearance of the main circuit unit 100. As long as it can support the sensor holder 530, the shape of the sensor bracket 550 is not limited. However, in the present invention, the installation position of the photoelectric sensor module 510 should face the rod housing 210. Therefore, the sensor bracket 550 has an inverted shape, and the sensor holder 530 is coupled to the surface of the housing 110 of the main circuit unit 100 extending downward. In the plate surface of the sensor bracket 550, a plurality of connection holes for connecting the sensor holder 530 and a plurality of connection holes for connecting the housing 110 can be formed. The sensor bracket 550 can be coupled to the sensor holder 530 and the housing 110 by means of bolt coupling or the like.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the case where the sensor holder 530 and the sensor bracket 550 are provided separately is described as an example. However, as long as it can house the photoelectric sensor module 510 and couple it to the housing 110 of the main circuit unit 100, a fixing method can also be used. The photoelectric sensor module 510 provided in this way is used to measure the displacement in a direction different from the sensing direction by using the identification tag 700.

[0065] Such as Figure 4As shown, the identification tag 700 is a tag attached to the outer peripheral surface of the rod housing 210. The identification tag 700 is a rectangular shape with a predetermined size. The identification tag 700 is attached in the direction facing the photoelectric sensor module 510. The identification tag 700 can be a part of the area at one end is white, and the part of the area at the other end is black, and the area between the white area and the black area is gray with a gradually darkening or lightening brightness. That is, the identification tag 700 can have a plurality of areas whose color (or brightness) changes in stages, for example, from white to gray and then to black, or from black to gray and then to white. As described above, each area of ​​the identification tag 700 with different colors or brightness presents different reflectivities.

[0066] The white and black areas in the identification label 700 may be arranged along a line relative to Figure 2 The white and black areas of the identification tag 700 are areas that form a boundary with the surrounding parts so that the color of the surrounding parts does not affect the sensing. The actual sensing can be performed in areas other than the white and black areas of the identification tag 700.

[0067] like Figure 4 As shown, the identification label 700 may be composed of a plurality of regions whose upper end is black and whose lower end is white, and whose colors gradually fade from black to white.

[0068] The identification tag 700 is used to identify the contact wear amount as a displacement perpendicular to the sensing direction of the photosensor module 510 .

[0069] That is, the identification label 700 is a label for identifying whether the rising height of the push rod assembly 200 is changed due to the wear of the fixed contact 134a and the movable contact 136a to a certain extent. Here, the contact wear amount can be defined as the displacement of the push rod assembly rising due to the wear of the fixed contact or the movable contact caused by the push-in.

[0070] Therefore, in the state where the contact is not pushed in (open state), the identification label 700 can be arranged at a position where the detection position of the photoelectric sensor module 510 (the position where the light emitted by the light emitting part is reflected) corresponds to the second lower black area of ​​the identification label 700. This position is defined as the open position 710. In the open state, the positions of emitting and receiving light always remain unchanged.

[0071] In addition, in the state where the contact is pushed in, the initial detection position of the photoelectric sensor module 510 is called the initial closed position 720. Thereafter, each time the contact is pushed in, the contact is worn, and the push rod assembly 200 gradually rises, so the identification tag 700 also gradually rises. Since the positions of the light emitting portion 512 and the light receiving portion 514 of the photoelectric sensor module 510 are fixed, as the identification tag 700 rises, the light emitting position and the light receiving position gradually decrease. As a result, the detection position of the photoelectric sensor module 510 moves toward the lower end side of the identification tag 700.

[0072] The attachment position of the identification label 700 is determined such that when the push rod assembly 200 rises to a level exceeding the preset contact wear amount, the area directly above the white color of the identification label 700 becomes the detection position of the photoelectric sensor module 510. The detection position where the contact wear amount reaches the preset maximum value is defined as the maximum closed position 730.

[0073] Before the contact monitoring device is installed on site, the sensing position of the photoelectric sensor module 510 and the position on the identification tag 700 where the contact wear reaches the maximum amount can be predetermined.

[0074] In the contact monitoring device according to the first embodiment of the present invention having the above-mentioned structure, a method of detecting the contact wear amount by using the photoelectric sensor module is described in detail as follows.

[0075] The push rod assembly 200 works in the vertical direction, that is, Figure 2 Therefore, in the open circuit state, it always maintains the same position (refer to Figure 4 In the initial push-in state, the push rod assembly 200 exhibits a certain amount of vertical displacement (refer to Figure 4 However, when the contact wears, the push rod assembly 200 rises in the vertical direction to a degree corresponding to the wear amount. That is, the increase in the vertical displacement of the push rod assembly 200 is equivalent to the contact wear amount.

[0076] In order to measure the movement amount of the push rod assembly 200, the vertical displacement of the push rod assembly 200 should be detected. For this purpose, it is preferable to set a sensor capable of detecting the vertical displacement on the lower side of the push rod assembly 200. However, the main shaft 300 is coupled to the lower side of the push rod assembly 200, and there are lower parts of the vacuum circuit breaker A, so it is difficult to ensure sufficient space for setting the sensor.

[0077] Therefore, the photoelectric sensor module 510 of the present invention is disposed adjacent to the outer peripheral surface of the rod housing 210 and disposed on a side parallel to the vertical moving direction of the push rod assembly 200. At this time, the sensing direction of the photoelectric sensor module 510 is a direction perpendicular to the vertical moving direction of the push rod assembly 200. In addition, in order to minimize interference with surrounding components, the photoelectric sensor module 510 is disposed in a portion close to the outside of the lower end of the housing 110 of the main circuit unit 100.

[0078] Since the push rod assembly 200 is displaced only in the vertical direction and does not move in the horizontal direction, even if the photoelectric sensor module 510 is disposed on one side of the push rod assembly 200, the vertical displacement of the push rod assembly 200 cannot be detected. In order to solve the above problem, in this embodiment, in order to use the photoelectric sensor module 510, the identification tag 700 can be applied to produce the same effect as converting the displacement of the push rod assembly 200 in the vertical direction into the displacement in the horizontal direction.

[0079] like Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the identification tag 700 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the rod housing 210 facing the direction of the photoelectric sensor module 510. At this time, when the rod housing 210 is in the position before being pushed in, the positions of the light emitting portion 512 and the light receiving portion 514 of the photoelectric sensor module 510 are located at the open position 710 of the identification tag 700. In the state before being pushed in, the open position 710 is located at the sensing position of the photoelectric sensor module 510. Even if the contact wear amount gradually increases as the contact is repeatedly pushed in, when the contact wear amount is below the preset boundary value, the detection position of the photoelectric sensor module 510 is still above the maximum closed position 730.

[0080] When the contact wear increases with repeated push-in, such as Figure 5 As shown, the rod housing 210 gradually rises. As the rod housing 210 rises, the identification tag 700 also rises together. Since the positions of the light emitting part 512 and the light receiving part 514 of the photoelectric sensor module 510 are fixed, the position of the light emitting part and the position of the light receiving part gradually decrease as the identification tag 700 rises.

[0081] As the contact wear gradually increases, the rod housing 210 gradually rises. When the contact wear reaches a preset boundary value, the detection position of the photoelectric sensor module 510 reaches the maximum closed position 730 .

[0082] In this embodiment, the amount of reflected light that is reflected and incident at the first area 740 of the identification tag 700 is much smaller than the amount of light that is reflected and incident at the maximum closed position 730. This is because black is a color that absorbs light. Therefore, compared with when the sensing position of the photoelectric sensor module 510 is located at the open position 710 of the identification tag 700, the magnitude of the photocurrent generated when the sensing position of the photoelectric sensor module 510 is located at the maximum closed position 730 will increase sharply. Therefore, the output signal output from the photoelectric sensor module 510 will become different, and the vertical displacement of the rod housing 210 can be obtained in the judgment unit by analyzing the output signal. Since the vertical displacement of the rod housing 210 is the amount of contact wear, the judgment unit can judge whether the amount of contact wear has reached a preset boundary value by analyzing the signal output from the photoelectric sensor module 510.

[0083] As described in the above embodiment, the identification label 700 may include a plurality of regions with a black upper end and a white lower end and the color gradually fades from black to white. At this time, the judgment unit compares the contact wear amount obtained according to the output signal output from the circuit unit with the reference value. If the contact wear amount is above the pre-stored critical value, it is judged that the contact wear amount has reached the boundary value, and a notification signal may be output to the user.

[0084] Alternatively, the identification label 700 may include a plurality of areas with white upper ends and black lower ends and the color gradually darkens from white to black. In this case, as the detection area of ​​the photoelectric sensor module 510 gradually decreases, the amount of light gradually decreases. At this time, the judgment unit compares the contact wear amount obtained based on the output signal output from the circuit unit with the reference value. If the contact wear amount is below the pre-stored critical value, it is judged that the contact wear amount has reached the boundary value, and a notification signal can be output to the user.

[0085] Although the photoelectric sensor module 510 cannot directly detect the displacement in the vertical direction perpendicular to the sensing direction, the effect of using the reflectivity that changes with the brightness of the identification tag 700 is equivalent to the effect of converting the vertical displacement into the horizontal displacement. Therefore, the photoelectric sensor module 510 can be applied to indirectly monitor and detect the contact wear amount.

[0086] The contact wear amount monitored by the photoelectric sensor module 510 can be monitored in real time or at a preset time period. Therefore, the contact wear amount can be determined before the contact wear amount reaches a boundary value, so that an appropriate maintenance time can be obtained. In addition, the reliability and performance of the vacuum circuit breaker can be improved.

[0087] Mode for carrying out the invention

[0088] In the above, the identification label is described as being composed of two areas with contrasting lightness and darkness. However, the identification label may also have a different form.

[0089] Figure 6 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an identification label of a contact detection device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0090] The identification label 700' of the contact detection device according to the second embodiment of the present invention can be made into a gradient color form without clearly dividing the area. When the identification label 700' is made into a gradient color form, the reflectivity changes gradually, so the current value of the reflected light also changes gradually.

[0091] The grayscale diagram of the identification label 700' can be set by considering the disconnected state before initial push-in (open position 710'), the distance the rod housing 210 rises according to the contact wear amount, and the maximum closed position 720' indicating the maximum contact wear amount in preset different levels.

[0092] In the above embodiment, the photoelectric sensor module is set in a position parallel to the rod housing of the push rod assembly. However, as long as it can avoid interference with surrounding components, it can also be set on the lower side of the push rod assembly. In this case, since the sensing direction of the photoelectric sensor module is the same as the moving direction of the push rod assembly, even without an identification tag, the contact wear amount, that is, the movement displacement in the vertical direction, can be directly detected by the photoelectric sensor.

[0093] Alternatively, the identification tag may include only two regions having different reflectivity.

[0094] Figure 7 1 is a perspective view showing a setting state of a contact monitoring device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 It is shown Figure 7 Schematic diagram of an identification tag of a contact monitoring device. Fig. 9 It is shown Figure 7 A three-dimensional diagram of the operating status of the contact monitoring device.

[0095] like Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the third embodiment of the present invention is the same as the first embodiment except that the identification label 700" includes two areas, so repeated description will be omitted below.

[0096] like Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown, according to the third embodiment of the present invention, the identification label 700 ″ is a label attached to the outer circumference of the rod housing 210 . The identification label 700 ″ has a rectangular shape of a predetermined size. The identification label 700 ″ is attached in a direction facing the photoelectric sensor module 510 .

[0097] The identification label 700" can be formed so that one area is white and one area is black. For example, in the identification label 700", the upper area divided into two parts can be black, and the lower area can be white. Or, conversely, the upper area divided into two parts can be white, and the lower area can be black. Since black is a color that absorbs light and white is a color that reflects light, the reflectivity of each area divided into two parts is different. That is, in the identification label 700", since there is a difference between the reflectivity in a specific area and the reflectivity in another area, the photoelectric sensor module 510 is able to distinguish and detect the difference. Hereinafter, the upper area of ​​the identification label 700" is defined as the first area 740, and the lower area is defined as the second area 750.

[0098] The white area and the black area of ​​the identification label 700" can be Figure 7 Arrange in the vertical direction as the reference. Figure 8 As shown, the first area 740 of the identification label 700" is black and the second area 750 is white. Conversely, the first area 740 may be white and the second area 750 may be black.

[0099] The identification label 700 ″ is used to identify the contact wear amount as a displacement perpendicular to the sensing direction of the photosensor module 510 .

[0100] That is, the identification label 700 ″ is a label for identifying whether the rise height of the push rod assembly 200 is changed due to wear of the fixed contact 134 a and the movable contact 136 a to a certain extent or more.

[0101] Therefore, when the contact is not pushed in (open state), the detection position of the photosensor module 510 can correspond to a portion of the first area 740 of the identification label 700". Although not shown in the figure, in the open state, the position of emitting light and the position of receiving light are always the same.

[0102] Thereafter, each time the contact is pushed in, the contact will wear, and the push rod assembly 200 will gradually rise, so the identification tag 700" will also gradually rise. As a result, the detection position of the photoelectric sensor module 510 will move toward the lower end side of the identification tag 700". However, when the contact wear amount is below the preset critical value, the detection position of the photoelectric sensor module 510 is still located in the first area 740 of the identification tag 700". However, the detection position of the photoelectric sensor module 510 is located at the lower part of the first area 740 relative to the open position.

[0103] When the push rod assembly 200 rises above the preset contact wear amount as the number of pushes increases, it can be set so that the detection position of the photoelectric sensor module 510 moves to the second area 750. That is, if the contact wear amount reaches above the pre-stored critical value, the position of the identification tag 700" can be set to change the reflectivity, thereby changing the amount of light sensed by the photoelectric sensor module 510. Therefore, the output signal of the photoelectric sensor module 510 changes, so that it can be determined whether the contact wear amount reaches above the critical value.

[0104] The contact pressure decreases as the contact wears, and the critical value of the contact wear amount can be preset based on the wear amount to the extent that the reliability of the device may be problematic due to the above reasons.

[0105] In the contact monitoring device according to the third embodiment of the present invention having the above-mentioned structure, a method of detecting the contact wear amount using the photoelectric sensor module is described in detail as follows.

[0106] The push rod assembly 200 works in the vertical direction, that is, Figure 7 Therefore, in the open circuit state, the detection position of the photoelectric sensor module 510 always remains at the same position. When the push rod assembly 200 is pushed in once for the first time, it has a certain amount of vertical displacement in the first area 740. Thereafter, if the contact is repeatedly pushed in, the push rod assembly 200 will rise in the vertical direction by the amount of wear. That is, the increase in the vertical displacement of the push rod assembly 200 is equivalent to the amount of contact wear.

[0107] In order to measure the movement amount of the push rod assembly 200, the vertical displacement of the push rod assembly 200 should be detected. For this purpose, it is preferable to set a sensor capable of detecting the vertical displacement on the lower side of the push rod assembly 200. However, the main shaft 300 is coupled to the lower side of the push rod assembly 200, and there are lower parts of the vacuum circuit breaker A, so it is difficult to ensure sufficient space for setting the sensor.

[0108] Therefore, the photoelectric sensor module 510 of the present invention is disposed adjacent to the outer peripheral surface of the rod housing 210 and disposed on a side parallel to the vertical moving direction of the push rod assembly 200. At this time, the sensing direction of the photoelectric sensor module 510 is a direction perpendicular to the vertical moving direction of the push rod assembly 200. In addition, in order to minimize interference with surrounding components, the photoelectric sensor module 510 is disposed in a portion close to the outside of the lower end of the housing 110 of the main circuit unit 100.

[0109] Since the push rod assembly 200 is displaced only in the vertical direction and does not move in the horizontal direction, even if the photoelectric sensor module 510 is set on one side of the push rod assembly 200, the vertical displacement of the push rod assembly 200 cannot be detected. In order to solve the above problem, in this embodiment, in order to use the photoelectric sensor module 510, the identification tag 700" can be applied to produce the same effect as converting the displacement of the push rod assembly 200 in the vertical direction into the displacement in the horizontal direction.

[0110] like Figure 7 As shown, the identification label 700" is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the rod housing 210 facing the direction of the photoelectric sensor module 510. At this time, when the rod housing 210 is in the position before being pushed in, the detection position of the photoelectric sensor module 510 is located in the first area 740 of the identification label 700". For the detection position, even if the amount of contact wear gradually increases with the repeated pushing of the contacts, when the amount of contact wear is below the preset critical value, the detection position of the photoelectric sensor module 510 is still within the first area 740 of the identification label 700". However, as described above, the detection position when the contacts are worn is located on the lower side relative to the detection position in the open circuit state.

[0111] And, if Fig. 9 As shown, when the contact wear increases with repeated pushing, the rod housing 210 gradually rises. As the rod housing 210 rises, the identification tag 700" also rises together. Since the positions of the light-emitting portion 512 and the light-receiving portion 514 of the photoelectric sensor module 510 are fixed, the light-emitting position and the light-receiving position gradually decrease as the identification tag 700" rises.

[0112] The identification label 700" is made so that the light-emitting position and the light-receiving position of the photoelectric sensor module 510 are located in the first area 740 from the state before the initial push-in to the state when the contact wear reaches the preset boundary value. The attachment position of the identification label 700" is also the same. Therefore, until the contact wear reaches the preset critical value, even if the rod housing 210 gradually rises, the light-emitting position and the light-receiving position of the photoelectric sensor module 510 are located in the first area 740.

[0113] As the contact wear gradually increases, the rod housing 210 gradually rises. When the contact wear reaches a preset critical value, the detection position of the photoelectric sensor module 510 moves from the first area 740 to the second area 750 .

[0114] In the third embodiment of the present invention, the amount of reflected light that is reflected and then incident on the first area 740 of the identification tag 700" is much smaller than the amount of reflected light that is reflected and then incident on the second area 750. This is because black is a color that absorbs light. Therefore, compared to when the detection position of the photosensor module 510 is located in the first area 740 of the identification tag 700", the magnitude of the photocurrent generated when it is located in the second area 750 increases sharply.

[0115] Therefore, the output signal output from the photoelectric sensor module 510 becomes different, and the vertical displacement of the rod housing 210 can be obtained based on the output signal. Since the vertical displacement of the rod housing 210 is the contact wear amount, it is possible to determine whether the contact wear amount has reached a preset boundary value by analyzing the signal output from the photoelectric sensor module 510. The determination of the contact wear amount can be made by an operator or an administrator or a device that receives the output signal of the photoelectric sensor module 510.

[0116] Although the photoelectric sensor module 510 cannot directly detect displacement in the vertical direction perpendicular to the sensing direction, the effect of using the reflectivity that changes with the brightness of the identification tag 700" is equivalent to the effect of converting the vertical displacement into the horizontal displacement. Therefore, the photoelectric sensor module 510 can be applied to indirectly monitor and detect the contact wear amount.

[0117] The contact wear amount monitored by the photoelectric sensor module 510 can be monitored in real time or at a preset time period. Therefore, the contact wear amount can be determined before the contact wear amount reaches a boundary value, so that an appropriate maintenance time can be obtained. In addition, the reliability and performance of the vacuum circuit breaker can be improved.

[0118] In the above embodiment, the photoelectric sensor module is set in a position parallel to the rod housing of the push rod assembly. However, as long as it can avoid interference with surrounding components, it can also be set on the lower side of the push rod assembly. In this case, since the sensing direction of the photoelectric sensor module is the same as the moving direction of the push rod assembly, even without an identification tag, the contact wear amount, that is, the movement displacement in the vertical direction, can be directly detected by the photoelectric sensor.

[0119] The above invention is susceptible to various substitutions, modifications and changes without departing from the technical concept of the present invention for those skilled in the art. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and drawings.

Claims

1. A contact monitoring device for a vacuum circuit breaker, the vacuum circuit breaker comprising: The invention comprises a main circuit part of a vacuum interrupter and a push rod assembly, wherein the vacuum interrupter comprises an insulating container, a fixed electrode fixed in the insulating container, a fixed contact arranged at one end of the fixed electrode, a movable electrode arranged in the insulating container and capable of moving in an up-down direction, and a movable contact arranged at one end of the movable electrode and contacting or separating from the fixed contact, wherein the push rod assembly is combined with the other end of the movable electrode and causes the movable electrode to rise or fall, wherein: The contact monitoring device for the vacuum circuit breaker is arranged at the lower side of the main circuit part, and is used to detect the contact wear amount of the vacuum interrupter, and comprises: A sensor assembly is fixedly arranged on a side parallel to the vertical moving direction of the push rod assembly and adjacent to the push rod assembly, and the sensing direction is different from the moving displacement of the push rod assembly; and an identification tag attached to the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical rod housing of the push rod assembly; The sensor assembly monitors the position of the identification tag; The sensor assembly includes a photoelectric sensor module for monitoring the position of the identification tag, The photoelectric sensor module comprises: a light emitting unit, arranged in a direction facing the identification tag, emitting light toward the identification tag; a light receiving unit, arranged in a direction facing the identification tag, and receiving light reflected by the identification tag; and a circuit unit, combined with the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit, and outputting an output signal according to the amount of light received by the light receiving unit; The light emitting part and the light receiving part are arranged side by side on a surface of the circuit part and face the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical rod shell of the push rod assembly, so that light is emitted from the light emitting part, the emitted light is reflected on the surface of the identification tag, and the amount of reflected light is detected by the light receiving part, and a photocurrent proportional to the intensity of the light detected by the light receiving part flows through the circuit part, thereby detecting the amount of contact wear.

2. The contact monitoring device for a vacuum circuit breaker according to claim 1, wherein: The sensing direction of the sensor assembly is perpendicular to the moving direction of the push rod assembly.

3. The contact monitoring device for vacuum circuit breaker according to claim 2, wherein: The identification tag includes a first area and a second area, the first area and the second area are arranged along the moving direction of the push rod assembly and have different reflectivities.

4. The contact monitoring device for vacuum circuit breaker according to claim 2, wherein: The identification tag includes a plurality of regions, the plurality of regions are arranged along the moving direction of the push rod assembly, and the reflectivity of the plurality of regions changes in stages.

5. The contact monitoring device for vacuum circuit breaker according to claim 2, wherein: The identification label is arranged along the moving direction of the push rod assembly and is formed in a gradient color form with gradually changing reflectivity.

6. The contact monitoring device for vacuum circuit breaker according to claim 1, wherein: The sensor assembly further comprises: a sensor holder disposed adjacent to the push rod assembly and accommodating the photoelectric sensor module, wherein a side of the sensor holder facing the push rod assembly is open, and the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion are exposed from the open side; and The sensor bracket is combined with one side of the lower portion of the main circuit portion housing to support the sensor holder.

7. The contact monitoring device for vacuum circuit breaker according to claim 3 or 4, wherein: The sensor assembly further includes a judging unit, The determination unit compares the output signal of the circuit unit with a pre-stored reference value to determine the contact wear amount of the vacuum interrupter.

8. The contact monitoring device for vacuum circuit breaker according to claim 7, wherein: In the case where the upper end of the identification label is black and the lower end is white, and the color gradually becomes lighter from the upper end to the lower end, If the contact wear amount obtained based on the output signal outputted from the circuit unit is equal to or larger than a pre-stored critical value, the determination unit determines that the contact wear amount has reached a boundary value and outputs a notification signal.

9. The contact monitoring device for vacuum circuit breaker according to claim 7, wherein: In the case where the upper end of the identification label is white and the lower end is black, and the color gradually becomes darker from the upper end to the lower end, If the contact wear amount obtained based on the output signal outputted from the circuit unit is less than a pre-stored critical value, the determination unit determines that the contact wear amount has reached a boundary value and outputs a notification signal.

10. A vacuum circuit breaker, wherein: include: A vacuum interrupter, comprising an insulating container, a fixed electrode fixed in the insulating container, a fixed contact arranged at one end of the fixed electrode, a movable electrode arranged in the insulating container and capable of moving in an up-and-down direction, and a movable contact arranged at one end of the movable electrode and in contact with or separated from the fixed contact; A main circuit unit having a housing for accommodating the vacuum interrupter; A push rod assembly, coupled to the other end of the movable electrode, to move the movable electrode up or down; A sensor assembly is fixedly arranged on a side parallel to the vertical moving direction of the push rod assembly and adjacent to the push rod assembly, and the sensing direction is different from the moving displacement of the push rod assembly; as well as an identification tag attached to the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical rod housing of the push rod assembly; The sensor assembly monitors the position of the identification tag; The sensor assembly is arranged at the lower side of the main circuit part and is used to detect the contact wear amount of the vacuum interrupter; The sensor assembly includes a photoelectric sensor module for monitoring the position of the identification tag, The photoelectric sensor module comprises: a light emitting unit, arranged in a direction facing the identification tag, emitting light toward the identification tag; a light receiving unit, arranged in a direction facing the identification tag, and receiving light reflected by the identification tag; and a circuit unit, combined with the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit, and outputting an output signal according to the amount of light received by the light receiving unit; The light emitting part and the light receiving part are arranged side by side on a surface of the circuit part and face the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical rod shell of the push rod assembly, so that light is emitted from the light emitting part, the emitted light is reflected on the surface of the identification tag, and the amount of reflected light is detected by the light receiving part, and a photocurrent proportional to the intensity of the light detected by the light receiving part flows through the circuit part, thereby detecting the amount of contact wear.

11. The vacuum circuit breaker according to claim 10, wherein: The sensing direction of the sensor assembly is perpendicular to the moving direction of the push rod assembly.

12. The vacuum circuit breaker according to claim 11, wherein: The identification tag includes a first area and a second area, the first area and the second area are arranged along the moving direction of the push rod assembly and have different reflectivities.

13. The vacuum circuit breaker according to claim 11, wherein: The identification tag includes a plurality of regions, the plurality of regions are arranged along the moving direction of the push rod assembly, and the reflectivity of the plurality of regions changes in stages.

14. The vacuum circuit breaker according to claim 11, wherein: The identification label is arranged along the moving direction of the push rod assembly and is formed in a gradient color form with gradually changing reflectivity.

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