Method of installing an interlock module between two contactors and interlock module

Abstract

A method for installing an interlocking module between two contactors, comprising the following steps: Step 1: providing a first contactor and a second contactor, the first contactor having a first mounting surface and a first movable iron core assembly, the second contactor having a second mounting surface and a second movable iron core assembly, placing the first mounting surface facing the second mounting surface, Step 2: providing an interlocking module, comprising a first slider, a second slider and a housing, the housing being formed separately from the first slider and the second slider, an interlocking portion being provided in the housing for interacting with the first slider and the second slider, Step 3: connecting the first slider to the first movable iron core assembly of the first contactor through the first mounting surface, Step 4: connecting the second slider to the second movable iron core assembly of the second contactor through the second mounting surface, Step 5: assembling the housing to the first slider and the second slider, Step 6: detachably fixing the housing.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to a method of installing an interlock module between two contactors, an interlock module for interlocking between two contactors and a related control system. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the prior art, when assembling two contactors, for example, for controlling the forward and reverse rotation of an electric motor and the star-delta starting of the electric motor or the switching between a first power supply and a second power supply, and an interlock module for the interlocking between the two contactors, it is necessary to first install a first contactor of the two contactors and fix it relative to a base plate, then install the interlock module to the first contactor, and then install a second contactor of the two contactors to the interlock module, thereby completing the installation process. Correspondingly, when the interlock module needs to be disassembled, one of the contactors needs to be disassembled from the interlock module first, and then the interlock module is disassembled from the other contactor. On the one hand, it is time-consuming and laborious to install a larger and heavier contactor to a smaller and lighter interlock module or to disassemble a larger and heavier contactor from a smaller and lighter interlock module; on the other hand, the traditional installation and disassembly process is extremely complex and tedious.

[0003] Therefore, there is a need for a method capable of detachably installing an interlock module to two contactors. SUMMARY

[0004] To this end, according to an aspect of the present application, a method for installing an interlock module between two contactors is proposed, wherein the interlock module is used to lock the switching-on of one of the two contactors when the other one of the two contactors is switched on in the installed state, the method at least comprising the following steps:

[0005] Step 1: providing the two contactors, i.e. a first contactor and a second contactor, the first contactor having a first mounting surface and a first movable iron core assembly, the second contactor having a second mounting surface and a second movable iron core assembly, placing the first contactor and the second contactor side by side with a gap, with the first mounting surface facing the second mounting surface,

[0006] Step 2: providing the interlock module, the interlock module comprising a first slider, a second slider and a housing, the housing being formed separately from the first slider and the second slider, an interlocking portion being provided in the housing for interacting with the first slider and the second slider to produce an interlocking effect,

[0007] Step 3: connecting the first slider to the first movable iron core assembly of the first contactor through the first mounting surface,

[0008] Step 4: connecting the second slider to the second movable iron core assembly of the second contactor via the second mounting face,

[0009] Step 5: fitting the housing to the first slider and the second slider,

[0010] Step 6: detachably fixing the housing,

[0011] wherein the order of the step 3 and the step 4 can be interchanged.

[0012] Furthermore, the various embodiments of the method according to the first aspect of the present application can optionally comprise one or more of the following further developments.

[0013] In some embodiments, the method further comprises:

[0014] Step a: fixing the first contactor, which step a can occur before the step 3;

[0015] Step b: fixing the second contactor, which step b can occur before the step 4.

[0016] In some embodiments, the housing of the interlock module provided by the step 1 is provided with at least one screw and nut assembly comprising a screw and a nut cooperating with each other, the first mounting face of the first contactor and / or the second mounting face of the second contactor is provided with a stopper, which stopper is provided with a lateral stop face and a top stop face; the step 6 comprises a sub-step 6.1: screwing the screw in a locking direction by a certain angle to drive the nut into the stopper so that the nut is stopped against the lateral stop face, during which no relative rotation occurs between the screw and the nut.

[0017] In some embodiments, the step 6 further comprises a sub-step 6.2: continuing to screw the screw in the locking direction so that the screw rotates relative to the nut until the head of the screw abuts against an abutment face on the housing.

[0018] In some embodiments, the step 6 further comprises a sub-step 6.3: continuing to screw the screw in the locking direction so that the nut rotates relative to the screw until the nut is stopped against the top stop face.

[0019] In some embodiments, the first slider and the second slider are respectively provided with a first protruding pin and a second protruding pin, the first movable iron core assembly of the first contactor is provided with a first mounting hole, and the second movable iron core assembly of the second contactor is provided with a second mounting hole; the step 3 comprises mounting the first protruding pin of the first slider into the first mounting hole of the first movable iron core assembly of the first contactor; and the step 4 comprises mounting the second protruding pin of the second slider into the second mounting hole of the second movable iron core assembly of the second contactor.

[0020] In some embodiments, in the interlocking module provided in the step 1, the housing is provided with a slot located on the side surface and a first receiving portion and a second receiving portion in communication with the slot,

[0021] The step 5 comprises:

[0022] Sub-step 51: moving the housing in an installation direction so that the first slider and the second slider respectively enter the first receiving portion and the second receiving portion through the slot;

[0023] Sub-step 5.2: continuing to move the housing in the installation direction to reach an assembled position.

[0024] In some embodiments, the step a comprises fixing the first contactor to a bottom plate, and the step b comprises fixing the second contactor to the bottom plate.

[0025] In some embodiments, a threaded hole is arranged in the bottom plate between the first contactor and the second contactor, a screw is arranged in the housing, and the step 6 comprises screwing the screw to the threaded hole.

[0026] According to a second aspect of the present application, an interlocking module for interlocking between two contactors is provided, wherein the interlocking module is used to ensure that when one of the two contactors is turned on, the turning on of the other contactor of the two contactors is locked, and the interlocking module comprises:

[0027] a first slider for being connected to a first movable iron core assembly of a first contactor of the two contactors,

[0028] a second slider for being connected to a second movable iron core assembly of a second contactor of the two contactors,

[0029] a housing formed separately from the first slider and the second slider, and the housing is provided with an interlocking portion for interacting with the first slider and the second slider to generate an interlocking effect.

[0030] Furthermore, the various embodiments of the interlock module according to the second aspect of the application can optionally comprise one or more of the following further developments.

[0031] In some embodiments, the housing is provided with a notch on a side thereof, and the housing is provided with a first receiving portion and a second receiving portion in communication with the notch, the first receiving portion being configured to receive the first slider through the notch, and the second receiving portion being configured to receive the second slider through the notch.

[0032] In some embodiments, the first slider is provided with a first protruding pin protruding from a first body of the first slider relative to the first slider, configured to cooperate with a first mounting hole in a first movable iron core assembly of the first contactor; and the second slider is provided with a second protruding pin protruding from a second body of the second slider relative to the second slider, configured to cooperate with a second mounting hole in a second movable iron core assembly of the second contactor.

[0033] In some embodiments, the first receiving portion is defined at least by a first outer side of the housing, the first outer side being provided with a first passage allowing the first protruding pin to pass through,

[0034] the second receiving portion is defined at least by a second outer side of the housing, the first outer side being opposite to the second outer side, the second outer side being provided with a second passage allowing the second protruding pin to pass through.

[0035] In some embodiments, the housing is provided with at least one screw and nut assembly comprising a screw and a nut cooperating with each other, configured to detachably fix the housing, wherein:

[0036] the screw has a head, the housing has an abutting surface configured to abut the head of the screw,

[0037] the nut is configured to cooperate with a stopper provided on the first contactor and / or the second contactor,

[0038] wherein, in an initial position, the nut is located inside the housing; in an installed position, the head of the screw is capable of abutting the abutting surface by screwing the screw, and the nut is capable of entering into and being stopped by the stopper.

[0039] In some embodiments, the first slider and the second slider are configured to be mirror images of each other.

[0040] According to a third aspect of the application, a control system is proposed, for example for controlling the forward and reverse rotation of an electric motor and the star-delta starting of the electric motor or for controlling the switching between a first power supply and a second power supply, comprising a first contactor and a second contactor, and an interlock module according to one or more of the above described embodiments.

[0041] Optionally, in the control system according to the third aspect of the present application, the first contactor and the second contactor are arranged side by side, and each has a first mounting surface and a second mounting surface facing each other, wherein the first slider is connected to a first movable iron core assembly of the first contactor through the first mounting surface, and the second slider is connected to a second movable iron core assembly of the second contactor through the second mounting surface. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0042] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced as follows. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and therefore should not be considered as a limitation to the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can also be obtained without creative labor on the basis of these drawings. In the drawings:

[0043] Figure 1 is a perspective view of two contactors arranged side by side;

[0044] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of an interlock module according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] Figure 3 is a sectional view of an interlock module according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] Figure 4 shows how to install the housing of the interlock module to the first slider and the second slider which have been connected to the first contactor and the second contactor respectively according to an embodiment;

[0047] Figure 5 shows that the housing of the interlock module has been installed in place;

[0048] Figure 6 shows a screw nut assembly for fixing the housing of the interlock module;

[0049] Figure 7 shows the initial position of the screw nut assembly in a partially enlarged perspective sectional view;

[0050] Figure 8 is a corresponding sectional view; Figure 7 is a corresponding sectional view;

[0051] Figure 9 shows the final position of the screw nut assembly in a partially enlarged perspective sectional view;

[0052] Figure 10 is a corresponding sectional view. Figure 9 is a corresponding sectional view. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] Hereinafter, the method and related products according to the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. For the purpose of making the technical solutions, purposes, and advantages of the present disclosure clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0054] Therefore, the detailed description of the embodiments of the present disclosure provided below in conjunction with the drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed present disclosure, but only represents selected embodiments of the present disclosure. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments in the present disclosure without creative labor are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0055] Unless otherwise defined in context, the singular forms include the plural forms. Throughout the specification, the terms "include", "have", and the like are used herein to designate the presence of the described features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof, but not to preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof.

[0056] In addition, even if terms including ordinal numbers such as "first", "second", etc. can be used to describe various components, the components are not limited by the terms and the terms are used only to distinguish one element from another element. For example, a first component can be referred to as a second component, and similarly, a second component can be referred to as a first component without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0057] In the description of the present disclosure, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inner", "outer", and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship in which the disclosed product is usually placed, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly understood by those skilled in the art, and are only for the purpose of facilitating the description of the present disclosure and simplifying the description, and therefore cannot be understood as indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present disclosure.

[0058] In a first aspect according to the present application, as shown in Figures 1-5 A method for mounting an interlock module 300 between two contactors, for example current collectors, is proposed, wherein the interlock module 300 is used to ensure that when one of the two contactors is turned on, the other of the two contactors is locked from being turned on in the mounted state, the method at least comprising the following steps:

[0059] Step 1: providing two contactors, as shown in Figure 1 and4 -5, i.e. a first contactor 100 having a first mounting surface 101 and a first movable core assembly (not shown) and a second contactor 200 having a second mounting surface 201 and a second movable core assembly (not shown), the first contactor 100 and the second contactor 100 being placed side by side with a gap, the first mounting surface 101 facing the second mounting surface 201;

[0060] Step 2: providing an interlock module 300, as shown in Figures 2-3 , the interlock module 300 comprising a first slider 310, a second slider 320 and a housing 330, the housing 330 being formed separately from the first slider 310 and the second slider 320, and an interlock portion 331 being provided in the housing 330 for interacting with the first slider 310 and the second slider 320 to generate an interlock effect, for example, the interlock portion 331 being rotatably provided in the housing 330, and the first slider 310 and the second slider 320 being respectively provided with a first cooperating interlock portion 311 and a second cooperating interlock portion 321, the interlock portion 331 being capable of interacting with the first cooperating interlock portion 311 and the second cooperating interlock portion 321 to lock the first slider 310 and the second slider 320; that is, for example, when the first contactor 100 is turned on, the first slider 310 and the second slider 320 are capable of cooperating with the interlock portion 331 to generate an interlock effect to lock the turning on of the second contactor 200; vice versa;

[0061] Step 3: connecting the first slider 310 to the first movable core assembly of the first contactor 100 through the first mounting surface 101, as shown in Figure 4 ; thus, when the first contactor 100 is closed, the upward movement of the first movable core assembly will drive the first slider 310 to move upward, and when the first contactor 100 is disconnected, the downward movement of the first movable core assembly will drive the first slider 310 to move downward;

[0062] Step 4: connecting the second slider 320 to the second movable core assembly of the second contactor 200 through the second mounting surface 201, as shown in Figure 4 ; thus, when the second contactor 200 is closed, the upward movement of the second movable core assembly will drive the second slider 320 to move upward, and when the second contactor 200 is disconnected, the downward movement of the second movable core assembly will drive the second slider 320 to move downward;

[0063] Step 5: assembling the housing 330 to the first slider 310 and the second slider 320, as shown in Figure 5 ;

[0064] Step 6: detachably fixing the housing 330, wherein Figures 6-10 part of the fixing process is shown;

[0065] The order of steps 3 and 4 can be interchanged.

[0066] According to some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0067] Step a: Secure the first contactor 100. This step a can occur before step 3, i.e., after the first contactor 100 is first secured to, for example, the base plate 400. Figure 1 and 4 After (as shown in -6), install the first slider 310;

[0068] Step b: Secure the second contactor 200. This step b can occur before step 4, i.e., after the second contactor 200 is first secured to, for example, the base plate 400. Figure 1 and 4 After (as shown in -6), install the second slider 320.

[0069] More specifically, the first slider 310 and the second slider 320 can be installed after both the first contactor 100 and the second contactor 200 are fixed to the base plate 400. That is, the gap between the first contactor 100 and the second contactor 200 allows the first slider 310 and the second slider 320 to be inserted into the gap and installed into the corresponding first movable core assembly and second movable core assembly after the first contactor 100 and the second contactor 200 are fixed in place.

[0070] Thus, in this method, the first slider 310, the second slider 320, and the housing 330 of the interlock module 300 are all installed in place from the front 250 of the first contactor 100 and the second contactor 200, without having to first install one of the first contactor and the second contactor 200 in place, then install the interlock module to the in-place contactor, and finally install the other contactor to the interlock module, as is done in the prior art. Thus, the method according to the invention enables the assembly process to be time-saving and labor-saving, and allows the interlock module to be accessed and disassembled without removing the first contactor and the second contactor when maintenance or repair is required.

[0071] In one specific implementation, such as Figures 2-3As shown, the first slider 310 and the second slider 320 are respectively provided with a first protruding pin 313 protruding from the first body 312 of the first slider 310 and a second protruding pin 323 protruding from the second body 322 of the second slider 320, the first movable iron core assembly of the first contactor 100 is provided with a first mounting hole, the second movable iron core assembly of the second contactor is provided with a second mounting hole, in this case, the above step 3 can include mounting the first protruding pin 313 of the first slider 310 into the first mounting hole of the first movable iron core assembly of the first contactor 100, and the above step 4 can include mounting the second protruding pin 323 of the second slider 320 into the second mounting hole of the second movable iron core assembly of the second contactor 200. And more specifically, in the first mounting surface 101 of the first contactor 100 and the second mounting surface 201 of the second contactor 200 can be provided with holes (not shown) allowing the first protruding pin 313 and the second protruding pin 323 to pass through respectively, so that the first protruding pin 313 and the second protruding pin 323 can pass through the corresponding holes to extend into the first mounting hole of the first movable iron core assembly and the second mounting hole of the second movable iron core assembly respectively (not shown).

[0072] In a specific embodiment, as Figures 2-3 shown, in the interlocking module 300 provided in the above step 1, the housing 330 is provided with a slot 332 on the side surface and a first receiving portion 334 and a second receiving portion (not shown) communicating with the slot 332, and in this case the above step 5 can include:

[0073] Sub-step 5.1: moving the housing 330 in the mounting direction (downward in the Figure 4 example), so that the first slider 310 and the second slider 320 enter the first receiving portion 334 and the second receiving portion (not shown) through the slot 332 respectively; Figure 3 As shown, the first slider 310 and the second slider 320 are in the first receiving portion and the second receiving portion in the housing 330;

[0074] Sub-step 5.2: continue to move the housing 330 in the mounting direction to reach the assembly position, as Figure 5 shown, the housing 330 has reached the assembly position.

[0075] As Figure 2As shown, more specifically, the first receiving portion 314 is defined at least by a first outer surface 335 of the housing 330, in which a first channel 336 may be provided to allow the first protrusion 313 of the first slider 310 to pass through. Correspondingly, the second receiving portion is defined at least by a second outer surface of the housing, which is opposite to the first outer surface 335, and in which a second channel (not shown) may be provided to allow the second protrusion 323 to pass through. Therefore, the arrangement of the first channel 336 and the second channel allows the first and second protrusions 313 and 323 to enter the first channel 336 and the second channel respectively when the housing 300 is assembled to the first slider 310 and the second slider 320, after the first slider 310 and the second slider 320 are respectively installed to the corresponding first contactor 100 and the second contactor 200 via the first protrusion 313 and the second protrusion 323. This allows the housing 330 to be assembled while guiding its movement, and also allows the corresponding first slider 310 and the second slider 320 to slide relative to the housing 330 during the operation of the interlock module. That is, the first slider 310 and the second slider 320 can slide up and down in the corresponding first receiving part 314 and the second receiving part during the operation of the interlock module 300—for example, during the switching between the first contactor 100 and the second contactor 200. In addition, the first receiving part and the second receiving part of the housing can also be provided with guide grooves for guiding the sliding of the first slider and the second slider respectively.

[0076] In one specific implementation, such as Figure 2 and Figures 6-10 As shown, the housing 330 of the interlock module 300 provided in step 1 is provided with at least one screw and nut assembly including a screw 337 and a nut 338 that cooperate with each other, and a stop portion 102 is provided in the first mounting surface 101 of the first contactor 100 and / or the second mounting surface 201 of the second contactor 200. Figures 6-10 Only the stop portion 102 provided in the first contactor 100 is shown in the figure. The stop portion 102 is provided with a lateral stop surface 103 and a top stop surface 104 (e.g., Figures 6-8 (As shown).

[0077] In this case, the above-mentioned step 6 can comprise a sub-step 6.1 : screwing the screw 337 in the locking direction (clockwise in the figure) by an angle, for example 90°, to bring the nut 338 from the housing 330 of the interlocking module 300 into the stop 102, for example the nut 338 can comprise a protrusion 340 which can enter the stop 102 so that the protrusion 340 of the nut 338 can be stopped against the lateral stop surface 103. During this time, there is no relative rotation between the screw 337 and the nut 338. That is, the screw and nut assembly is completely inside the housing 330 when the screw and nut assembly is not rotated, so as not to affect the assembly of the housing 330 to the first slider 310 and the second slider 320. But when the housing 330 reaches the assembly position, the nut 338 can be brought to rotate into the corresponding stop 102 in the first contactor 100 or the second contactor 200 by rotating the screw 337. Figures 6-8 The initial position of the screw and nut assembly is shown, which is completely in the housing 330, Figures 9-10 The nut has already entered the stop 102 from the housing 330.

[0078] More specifically, the above-mentioned step 6 can further comprise a sub-step 6.2: continue to screw the screw 337 in the locking direction so that the screw 337 rotates relative to the nut 338 until the head 339 of the screw 337 abuts against the abutment surface 349 on the housing 330, as Figures 9-10 shown. That is, in this sub-step 6.2, since the nut 338 has already been stopped by the lateral stop surface 103 of the stop 102, when the screw 337 continues to rotate in the locking direction, the nut 338 cannot continue to rotate with the screw 337, so that the screw 337 is screwed relative to the nut 338 until it abuts against the abutment surface 349 on the housing 330, which is for example on the side opposite to the side on which the slot 332 is located, or other surface which can be externally accessed, as long as it allows the screw 337 to be screwed using a tool.

[0079] More specifically, the above step 6 further comprises a sub-step 6.3: continue to screw the screw 337 in the locking direction to rotate the nut 338 relative to the screw 337 until the nut 338 is stopped by abutting against the top stop surface 104. That is, in this sub-step 6.3, because the head 339 of the screw 337 has already abutted against the abutting surface 349 on the housing 330, so that further screwing of the screw 337 cannot make the screw 337 screw deeper, but screwing the screw 337 will make the nut 338 be forced and thus rotate relative to the screw 337 and move towards the head 339 of the screw 337 until the nut 338 is stopped by abutting against the top stop surface 104, i.e. at this time the top stop surface 104 prevents the nut 338 from further moving towards the head 339 of the screw 337. At this time, the housing 330 of the interlocking module 300 is fixed relative to the first contactor 100 and the second contactor 200, regardless of whether the second slider 310 and the first slider 320 slide relative to the housing 330 or not.

[0080] It should be noted that at the end of the above sub-step 6.2, the nut 338 can not have contacted the top stop surface 104, i.e. the effective fixing of the housing 330 in the up-down direction shown in the figure has not yet been achieved, which leads to the existence of step 6.3.

[0081] It should be noted that, as shown in Figure 2 , two screw-nut assemblies respectively for cooperating with the stop portion in the first contactor 100 and the stop portion in the second contactor 200 can be provided in the housing 330 to allow more stable and reliable fixing of the housing 330.

[0082] Thus, as shown in Figure 3 , when the first contactor 100 is on and the second contactor 200 is off, the first slider 310 with the first movable iron core assembly is in the upper position, the second slider 320 with the second movable iron core assembly is in the lower position, and the interlocking portion 331 in the housing 330 of the interlocking module 300 is clamped between the first mating interlocking portion 311 of the first slider 310 and the second mating interlocking portion 321 of the second slider 320, at this time if the second contactor 200 is to be turned on due to misoperation, the upward movement of the second slider 320 is locked, and thus the upward movement of the second movable iron core assembly is locked, thereby preventing the second contactor 200 from being turned on. After that, when the first contactor 100 is off and the second contactor 200 is on, the first movable iron core assembly can freely move downwards and take the first slider 310 downwards - because in this case the interlocking portion 331 does not block the downward movement of the first slider 310, so that the interlocking portion 331 is released and thus the blocking of the second slider 320 is released, and then the second movable iron core assembly can take the second slider 320 upwards - during which, because the housing 330 has been fixed, it will not produce any up-down movement due to possible friction.

[0083] Furthermore, obviously, such housing fixation can allow to unscrew the screw 337 again, if necessary, thus allowing the disassembly of the housing 330 and, consequently, the disassembly of the interlocking module 300 from the first contactor 100 and the second contactor 200. And in this case, in the embodiment where both the first contactor 100 and the second contactor 200 are fixed to the base plate 400, it is not necessary to provide any structure for fixing the housing 330 in the base plate 400 (e.g. a threaded hole, etc.).

[0084] According to a variant not shown, instead of the screw and nut assembly described above, in the case where the first contactor 100 and the second contactor 200 are fixed to the base plate 100, a threaded hole can be provided in the base plate 400 between the first contactor 100 and the second contactor 200, and a screw can be provided in the housing 330, the step 6 described above comprising screwing the screw tight to the threaded hole in the base plate 400 to achieve the fixation of the housing 330 with respect to the base plate 400.

[0085] Furthermore, the present application also relates to an interlocking module 300 for implementing the method described above.

[0086] For example, as described above, the first contactor 100 and the second contactor 200 are provided side by side with a gap, the first contactor 100 has a first mounting face 101 and a first movable iron core assembly (not shown), and the second contactor 200 has a second mounting face 201 facing the first mounting face 101 and a second movable iron core assembly (not shown).

[0087] The interlocking module 300 according to the present application comprises a first slider 310, a second slider 320 and a housing 330, wherein the housing 330 is formed separately from the first slider 310 and the second slider 320. And more specifically, the first slider 310 and the second slider 320 can be mirror images of each other.

[0088] The first slider 310 is used to be connected to the first movable iron core assembly of the first contactor 100. To this end, in a specific embodiment, the first slider 310 can be provided with a first protruding pin 313 with respect to its first body 312, and the first movable iron core assembly can be provided with a first mounting hole (not shown), the first protruding pin 313 of the first slider 310 can be inserted into the first mounting hole, for example through a hole (not shown) provided in the first mounting face 101, to be mechanically connected with the first movable iron core assembly, and thereby enabling the up and down movement of the first movable iron core assembly to drive the up and down movement of the first slider 310.

[0089] Correspondingly, the second slider 320 is used to connect to the second movable core assembly of the second contactor 200. In one specific embodiment, the second slider 320 may be provided with a second protrusion 323 protruding relative to its second body 322. The second movable core assembly may have a second mounting hole (not shown), and the second protrusion 323 of the second slider 320 may extend into this second mounting hole, for example, through a hole (not shown) provided in the second mounting surface 201, to mechanically connect with the second movable core assembly, thereby enabling the vertical movement of the second movable core assembly to drive the vertical movement of the second slider 320.

[0090] An interlocking part 331 is provided in the housing 330. As described above, the interlocking part 331 is configured to interact with the first slider 310 and the second slider 320 to produce an interlocking effect. That is, for example, when the first contactor 100 is turned on, the first slider 310 and the second slider 320 can cooperate with the interlocking part 331 to produce an interlocking effect, thereby preventing the second contactor 200 from being turned on; and vice versa. More specifically, as Figure 3 As shown, when the first contactor 100 is turned on and the second contactor 200 is turned off, the first slider 310 is in the upper position along with the first movable iron core assembly, and the second slider 320 is in the lower position along with the second movable iron core assembly. The interlocking part 331 in the housing 330 of the interlocking module 300 is locked between the first mating interlocking part 311 of the first slider 310 and the second mating interlocking part 321 of the second slider 320. At this time, if the second contactor 200 tries to turn on due to misoperation, the upward movement of the second slider 320 is locked, and therefore the upward movement of the second movable iron core assembly is locked, thereby preventing the second contactor 200 from turning on. Subsequently, when the first contactor 100 is disconnected and the second contactor 200 is connected, since the interlocking part 331 does not block the downward movement of the first slider 310, the first movable iron core assembly can move freely downward and drive the first slider 310 to move downward. Therefore, the interlocking part 331 is released and thus releases the obstruction to the second slider 320, so that the second movable iron core assembly can then drive the second slider 320 to move upward, thereby realizing the connection of the second contactor 200.

[0091] Furthermore, as described above, in order to assemble the housing 330 with the first slider 310 and the second slider 320, a slot 332 is provided on the side of the housing 330, and the housing 330 is provided with a first receiving part 334 and a second receiving part (not shown) communicating with the slot 332. The first receiving part 334 is used to receive the first slider 310 through the slot 332, and the second receiving part 334 is used to receive the second slider 320 through the slot 332. Figure 3 The first slider 310 and the second slider 320 are shown in the first receiving part and the second receiving part in the housing 330.

[0092] More specifically, as mentioned above and as shown in Figure 2 the first receiving portion 314 is defined at least by a first outer side 335 of the housing 330, in which a first passage 336 allowing the first pin 313 of the first slider 310 to pass through can be provided, and correspondingly, the second receiving portion is defined at least by a second outer side of the housing, which is opposite to the first outer side 335, and in which a second passage (not shown) allowing the second pin 323 to pass through can be provided. Thus, by providing the first passage 336 and the second passage, after the first slider 310 and the second slider 320 are respectively installed to the first contactor 100 and the second contactor 200 by the first pin 313 and the second pin 323, the first pin 313 and the second pin 323 can enter the first passage 336 and the second passage respectively when the housing 300 is assembled to the first slider 310 and the second slider 320, which not only allows the assembly of the housing 330, but also guides the movement of the housing 330, and allows guiding the sliding of the first slider 310 and the second slider 320 relative to the housing 330 in the operation of the interlocking module, i.e. the first slider 310 and the second slider 320 are arranged to slide up and down in the respective first receiving portion 314 and second receiving portion during the operation of the interlocking module 300, for example, during the switching between the first contactor 100 and the second contactor 200.

[0093] In a specific embodiment, at least one screw and nut assembly comprising a screw 337 and a nut 338 cooperating with each other is provided in the housing 330 of the interlocking module 300, and the housing 330 further has an abutting surface 349 for abutting the head 339 of the screw 337, and the nut 338 cooperates with a stop portion 102 (only shown in the first contactor 100) provided in the first mounting surface 101 of the first contactor 100 and / or the second mounting surface 201 of the second contactor 200, and the stop portion 102 is provided with, for example, a lateral stop surface 103 and a top stop surface 104 for stopping the nut 338. Wherein, in the initial position, the screw and nut assembly is completely inside the housing 330; in the installed position, by screwing the screw 337, the head 339 of the screw 337 can abut against the abutting surface 349, and at least a part of the nut 338 can enter the stop portion 102 and be stopped by the stop portion 102. In this case, the screw and nut assembly can be used to fix the housing 330 relative to the first contactor 100 and the second contactor 200, and the specific form of the screw and nut assembly and the stop portion 102 and the fixing process of the housing 330 can be as described above in sub-steps 6.1, 6.2 and 6.3 (not repeated here).

[0094] It should be noted that, as Figure 2As shown, two screw-nut assemblies for cooperating with the stop portion in the first contactor 100 and the stop portion in the second contactor 200, respectively, can be provided in the housing 330 to allow more stable and reliable fixation. In particular, in the case where the housing 330 is formed by a first half housing 350 and a second half housing 360 connected to each other, at least one screw-nut assembly can be provided on each of the first half housing 350 and the second half housing 360.

[0095] Furthermore, it is clear that such a housing fixation can allow the screw 337 to be unscrewed again if necessary, thereby allowing the housing 330 to be disassembled and thus allowing the interlocking module 300 to be disassembled from the first contactor 100 and the second contactor 200. In this case, in the embodiment where the first contactor 100 and the second contactor 200 are both fixed to the base plate 400, it is not necessary to provide any structure (e.g. a threaded hole, etc.) for fixing the housing 330 in the base plate 400.

[0096] According to a variant not shown, instead of the screw and nut assembly described above, in the case where the first contactor 100 and the second contactor 200 are fixed to the base plate 400, a threaded hole can be provided in the base plate 400 between the first contactor 100 and the second contactor 200, and a screw can be provided in the housing 330, and the above step 6 comprises screwing the screw tightly into the threaded hole in the base plate 400 to achieve the fixation of the housing 330 relative to the base plate 400.

[0097] The exemplary embodiments proposed by the present application are described in detail above with reference to preferred embodiments, however, it is understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes can be made to the above specific embodiments without departing from the concept of the present application, and various technical features and structures proposed by the present application can be combined in various ways without departing from the scope of the present application.

[0098] The scope of the present disclosure is not limited by the above-described embodiments, but is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0099] Reference Signs

[0100] 100 first contactor

[0101] 101 first mounting surface

[0102] 102 stop portion

[0103] 103 lateral stop surface

[0104] 104 top stop surface

[0105] 200 second contactor

[0106] 201 second mounting surface

[0107] 250 front surface

[0108] 300 interlocking module

[0109] 310 first slider

[0110] 311 first interlocking portion

[0111] 312 first main body

[0112] 313 first protrusion

[0113] 320 second slider

[0114] 321 second interlocking portion

[0115] 322 second main body

[0116] 323 second protrusion

[0117] 330 housing

[0118] 331 interlocking portion

[0119] 332 notch

[0120] 334 first receiving portion

[0121] 335 first outer side surface

[0122] 336 first passage

[0123] 337 screw

[0124] 338 nut

[0125] 339 head of screw

[0126] 340 protrusion

[0127] 349 abutting surface

[0128] 400 base plate

Claims

1. A method for installing interlocking modules between two contactors, wherein, The interlocking module is used to ensure that when one of the two contactors is turned on, the other one of the two contactors is locked in the installed state, characterized in that the method comprises at least the following steps: Step 1: providing the two contactors, i.e. a first contactor and a second contactor, the first contactor having a first mounting surface and a first movable iron core assembly, and the second contactor having a second mounting surface and a second movable iron core assembly, and placing the first contactor and the second contactor side by side with a gap, so that the first mounting surface faces the second mounting surface, Step 2: providing the interlocking module, the interlocking module comprising a first slider, a second slider and a housing, the housing being formed separately from the first slider and the second slider, and an interlocking part being arranged in the housing to interact with the first slider and the second slider to produce an interlocking effect, Step 3: connecting the first slider to the first movable iron core assembly of the first contactor through the first mounting surface, Step 4: connecting the second slider to the second movable iron core assembly of the second contactor through the second mounting surface, Step 5: assembling the housing to the first slider and the second slider, Step 6: detachably fixing the housing, wherein the order of the step 3 and the step 4 can be interchanged, wherein the housing of the interlocking module provided in the step 1 is provided with at least one screw and nut assembly comprising a screw and a nut matched with each other, and the first mounting surface of the first contactor and / or the second mounting surface of the second contactor is provided with a stop part, the stop part being provided with a lateral stop surface and a top stop surface, the step 6 comprises a sub-step 6.1: rotating the screw by a certain angle in a locking direction to drive the nut into the stop part, so that the nut is stopped by abutting against the lateral stop surface, during which period there is no relative rotation between the screw and the nut, wherein the step 6 further comprises a sub-step 6.2: continuing to rotate the screw in the locking direction to rotate the screw relative to the nut until the head of the screw abuts against an abutting surface on the housing, wherein the step 6 further comprises a sub-step 6.3: continuing to rotate the screw in the locking direction to rotate the nut relative to the screw until the nut is stopped by abutting against the top stop surface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The method further comprises: Step a: fixing the first contactor, which can occur before the step 3; Step b: fixing the second contactor, which can occur before the step 4.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The first slider and the second slider are respectively provided with a first protruding pin and a second protruding pin, the first movable iron core assembly of the first contactor is provided with a first mounting hole, and the second movable iron core assembly of the second contactor is provided with a second mounting hole, the step 3 comprises mounting the first protruding pin of the first slider into the first mounting hole of the first movable iron core assembly of the first contactor; the step 4 comprises mounting the second protruding pin of the second slider into the second mounting hole of the second movable iron core assembly of the second contactor. The step 4 comprises installing a second protruding pin of the second slider into a second mounting hole of a second movable iron core assembly of the second contactor.

4. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, In the interlocking module provided in the step 1, the housing is provided with a slot on the side surface and a first receiving portion and a second receiving portion in communication with the slot, The step 5 comprises: Sub-step 51: moving the housing in the installation direction to make the first slider and the second slider enter the first receiving portion and the second receiving portion through the slot respectively; Sub-step 5.2: continuing to move the housing in the installation direction to reach an assembled position.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein, The step a comprises fixing the first contactor to a bottom plate, and the step b comprises fixing the second contactor to the bottom plate.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, A threaded hole is provided in the bottom plate between the first contactor and the second contactor, a screw is provided in the housing, and the step 6 comprises screwing the screw to the threaded hole.

7. An interlock module for interlocking between two contactors, wherein, The interlocking module is used to ensure that when one of the two contactors is turned on, the other contactor of the two contactors is locked, and the interlocking module comprises: a first slider for connecting to a first movable iron core assembly of a first contactor of the two contactors, a second slider for connecting to a second movable iron core assembly of a second contactor of the two contactors, a housing formed separately from the first slider and the second slider, and the housing is provided with an interlocking portion for interacting with the first slider and the second slider to produce an interlocking effect, wherein the housing of the interlocking module is provided with at least one screw and nut assembly comprising a screw and a nut matched with each other, a first mounting surface of the first contactor and / or a second mounting surface of the second contactor is provided with a stop portion, the stop portion is provided with a lateral stop surface and a top stop surface, wherein the screw is screwed in the locking direction by a certain angle to drive the nut into the stop portion, so that the nut is stopped by abutting against the lateral stop surface, and during this period, there is no relative rotation between the screw and the nut, wherein the screw is continued to be screwed in the locking direction to rotate the screw relative to the nut until the head of the screw abuts against an abutting surface on the housing, wherein the screw is continued to be screwed in the locking direction to rotate the nut relative to the screw until the nut is stopped by abutting against the top stop surface.

8. The interlocking module of claim 7, wherein, A slot is provided on the side surface of the housing, and the housing is provided with a first receiving portion and a second receiving portion in communication with the slot, the first receiving portion is used to receive the first slider through the slot, and the second receiving portion is used to receive the second slider through the slot.

9. The interlocking module of claim 8, wherein: the first slider is provided with a first protruding pin protruding from a first main body of the first slider for cooperating with a first mounting hole in the first movable iron core assembly of the first contactor, The second slider is provided with a second protruding pin relative to a second main body of the second slider for cooperating with a second mounting hole in a second movable core assembly of the second contactor.

10. The interlock module of claim 9, wherein: The first receiving portion is defined at least by a first outer side of the housing, in which a first passage is provided for allowing the first pin to pass through, The second receiving portion is defined at least by a second outer side of the housing, which is opposite to the first outer side, in which a second passage is provided for allowing the second pin to pass through.

11. The interlocking module of any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein, The first and second sliders are configured as mirror images of each other.

12. A control system comprising a first contactor and a second contactor, and the interlock module according to any one of claims 7-11.

13. The control system of claim 12, wherein, The first and second contactors are arranged side by side and each has a first mounting face and a second mounting face facing each other, wherein the first slider is connected to a first movable core assembly of the first contactor through the first mounting face, and the second slider is connected to a second movable core assembly of the second contactor through the second mounting face.

14. A control system comprising a first contactor and a second contactor, and the interlock module according to claim 7.

15. The control system of claim 14, wherein, The first and second contactors are arranged side by side and each has a first mounting face and a second mounting face facing each other, wherein the first slider is connected to a first movable core assembly of the first contactor through the first mounting face, and the second slider is connected to a second movable core assembly of the second contactor through the second mounting face.

16. The control system of claim 15, wherein, The stop portion is provided in the first and / or second mounting face and has a lateral stop face and a top stop face for stopping the nut.

17. The control system of claim 15 or 16, wherein: The first and second sliders are configured as mirror images of each other.

18. A control system comprising a first contactor and a second contactor, and the interlock module according to any one of claims 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11.

19. The control system of claim 18, wherein, The first and second contactors are arranged side by side and each has a first mounting face and a second mounting face facing each other, wherein the first slider is connected to a first movable core assembly of the first contactor through the first mounting face, and the second slider is connected to a second movable core assembly of the second contactor through the second mounting face.

20. The control system of claim 18 or 19, wherein, The first and second contactors are fixed to a base plate, in which a threaded hole is provided between the first and second contactors, and a screw is provided in the housing, which cooperates with the threaded hole to detachably fix the housing to the base plate through the housing.

Images