Contactor and method of operating the same
By integrating wear indicators and reset devices into the contactor, contact wear alarms are notified to remote users and data reset is simplified. This solves the problem in the prior art that remote users cannot know about contact wear in a timely manner and that memory reset is complicated, thus achieving efficient user operation and contactor reliability.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC IND SAS
- Filing Date
- 2021-08-16
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-23
Smart Images
Figure CN115902600B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This disclosure relates to a contactor and its operating method. Background Technology
[0002] A contactor is an electrical device that uses the magnetic field generated by current flowing through a coil to close contacts, thereby controlling a load. Over time, contactor contacts will wear down. Contact wear diagnosis can predict contact life based on contact wear. Providing an alarm before contact lifespan expires allows users to plan maintenance and replacement of contactors and field equipment, maximizing contactor functionality, reducing equipment downtime, and preventing accidents caused by contact lifespan depletion. This ultimately saves users costs and protects their assets and personal safety.
[0003] Contactor contact wear diagnosis requires relying on the contactor's historical data, which is usually stored in non-volatile memory (such as electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM)). When the user replaces the new contacts, the historical data in the memory needs to be cleared, and wear diagnosis is performed based on the new contacts. Summary of the Invention
[0004] This disclosure relates to a contactor and its operating method, which can notify remote users not located at the contactor site of contactor wear alarms, enabling users to promptly detect the expiration of contact life and take appropriate action. The contactor and its operating method also allow users to easily reset historical data stored in the memory, simplifying operation.
[0005] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, a contactor is provided, including contacts, a control device, a wear indicator and reset device, and a memory. The control device is configured to acquire wear information of the contacts when the contactor is open, generate wear diagnostic alarm information based on the wear information when the wear of the contacts reaches a wear threshold, and store the wear diagnostic alarm information in the memory. The control device is further configured to generate a switch control signal for controlling the wear indicator and reset device based on the wear diagnostic alarm information stored in the memory when the contactor is powered on. The wear indicator and reset device includes a switch unit, the switch unit having a reset state and a wear indicator state. The switch unit is configured to enter the wear indicator state based on the switch control signal, causing a remote device connected to the wear indicator and reset device to indicate a contact wear alarm. The switch unit is further configured to receive user operation to enter the reset state. The control device is further configured to receive switch state information of the switch unit from the wear indicator and reset device and store the switch state information in the memory when the contactor is open. The control device is further configured to clear the wear diagnostic alarm information in the memory when the contactor is powered on, based on the received switch state information being in the reset state and the switch state information stored in the memory being in the wear indicator state.
[0006] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, a method for operating a contactor is provided. The contactor includes contacts, a control device, a wear indicator and reset device, and a memory. The wear indicator and reset device includes a switching unit, and the switching state of the switching unit includes a reset state and a wear indicator state. The operation method includes the following steps: via the control device: receiving switching state information of the switching unit from the wear indicator and reset device; when the contactor is open, acquiring wear information of the contacts, generating wear diagnostic alarm information based on the wear information when the wear of the contacts reaches a wear threshold, and storing the wear diagnostic alarm information and the switching state information in the memory; when the contactor is powered on, generating a switching control signal for controlling the switching unit based on the wear diagnostic alarm information stored in the memory; via the switching unit: entering the wear indicator state based on the switching control signal, causing a remote device connected to the wear indicator and reset device to indicate a contact wear alarm; the method further includes the following steps: via the switching unit: receiving a user operation to cause the switching unit to enter a reset state; via the control device: when the contactor is powered on, clearing the wear diagnostic alarm information in the memory based on the received switching state information being in a reset state and the switching state information stored in the memory being in a wear indicator state. Attached Figure Description
[0007] The aspects, features, and advantages of this disclosure will become clearer and more readily understood from the following description of embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0008] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a contactor and a remote device connected thereto according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0009] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of a contactor operation method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0010] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of a contactor operation method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0011] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of a contactor operation method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0012] Figure 5 It shows Figure 4 A flowchart of a step's sub-steps. Detailed Implementation
[0013] The present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described herein, which may be implemented in many different forms. The described embodiments are provided only to make the present disclosure thorough and complete, and to fully convey the concept of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. Features of the various embodiments described may be combined with or substituted for each other, unless expressly excluded or should be excluded based on the context.
[0014] Current contact wear alarms are triggered by flashing LEDs at the contactor, meaning remote users cannot receive the alarm immediately. Furthermore, after a user replaces a contact, clearing (i.e., resetting) the historical contact data in the memory requires a complex process involving other devices, causing inconvenience for the user.
[0015] Embodiments of this disclosure provide a contactor and its operating method, which can notify remote users not located at the contactor site of contactor wear alarms, enabling users to promptly detect the expiration of contact life and take appropriate action. This contactor and its operating method also allow users to easily reset historical data stored in memory, facilitating user operation.
[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a contactor 100 and a remote device 20 connected thereto, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The contactor 100 includes contacts 110, a control device 120, a wear indicator and reset device 130, and a memory 140. Over time, the contacts 110 will experience wear. The control device 120 can acquire wear information of the contacts 110 when the contactor 100 is disconnected, and generate a wear diagnosis (WD) alarm message based on this wear information if the wear of the contacts 110 reaches a wear threshold. Those skilled in the art can acquire the wear information of the contacts 110 using any known method for acquiring contact wear information. For example, the control device 120 can acquire the wear information of the contacts 110 based on the voltage collected by a coil voltage sampling circuit (not shown) of the contactor 100, and further determine whether the wear of the contacts 110 has reached a wear threshold based on this wear information. After determining that the wear of the contacts 110 has reached the wear threshold, a WD alarm message is generated.
[0017] After generating the WD alarm information, the control device 120 can also store the WD alarm information in the contactor 100's memory 140 when the contactor 100 is disconnected. The memory 140 can be a non-volatile memory, such as an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), so that the WD alarm information can be saved as historical information after the contactor 100 is powered off.
[0018] When contactor 100 is powered on, control device 120 can generate a switching control signal for controlling wear indicator and reset device 130 based on WD alarm information stored in memory 140. Specifically, wear indicator and reset device 130 may include a switching unit 1301, which can have two states: a reset state and a wear indicator state. The aforementioned switching control signal can control the switching unit 1301 to enter the wear indicator state. Switching unit 1301 can also receive user input to enter the reset state. For example, the user can press a button on wear indicator and reset device 130 to put the switching unit 1301 into the reset state. In one example, switching unit 1301 may be a bistable relay, where the reset state and wear indicator state correspond to its normally closed and normally open closed states, respectively.
[0019] After the switching unit 1301 enters the wear indication state, the remote device 20 connected to the wear indication and reset device 130 will be triggered accordingly, thereby indicating a contact wear alarm. The remote device 20 may include, for example, a light-emitting diode (LED) lamp or a programmable logic controller (PLC) device, which can issue a contact wear alarm by means of sound (e.g., a buzzer) or light (e.g., by flashing an LED). Therefore, through the configuration of the control device 120 and the wear indication and reset device 130, the remote device 20 can indicate a contact wear alarm, thereby notifying the remote user of the contact wear, so that even if the user is not on-site, they can promptly detect the expiration of the contact life and arrive on-site to handle it.
[0020] In response to the expiration of the contactor contact life, the user can replace the contact 110 during a power outage of the contactor 100. The user may then wish to clear the historical information in the memory 140 through a simple operation, thereby enabling wear diagnosis of the new contact. The contactor 100 according to an embodiment of this disclosure can receive user operations through the switching unit 1301 to achieve the above functions, as detailed below.
[0021] When the contactor contacts reach the end of their lifespan, the control device 120 generates a switch control signal, causing the switch unit 1301 to enter a wear indication state, and the remote device 20 indicates a contact wear alarm. Upon receiving this alarm, the user replaces the contact 110 during a power outage of the contactor 100, and then performs an operation (e.g., pressing a button on the wear indication and reset device 130) to reset the switch unit 1301. Thus, when the contactor 100 is powered on again, the switch unit 1301 is in the reset state. Based on this difference in the switching state of the switch unit 1301 before and after power outage, it can be determined that the user has replaced the contact 110 and indicated a reset operation during a power outage of the contactor 100, thereby clearing the WD alarm information stored in the memory 140. Therefore, according to embodiments of this disclosure, the control device 120 can receive the switching state information of the switch unit 1301 from the wear indication and reset device 130 and store this switching state information in the memory 140 when the contactor 100 is disconnected. As described above, the memory 140 can be a non-volatile memory, allowing the switch state information to be saved as historical information after the contactor 100 is powered off. That is, the switch state information stored in the memory 140 can indicate the switching state of the switch unit 1301 before the contactor 100 is powered off. Thus, when the contactor 100 is powered on, the control device 120 can determine whether the user has instructed a reset operation (i.e., clearing the WD alarm information stored in the memory 140) by comparing the received switch state information (which indicates the switching state of the switch unit 1301 when the contactor 100 is powered on) with the switch state information stored in the memory 140 (which indicates the switching state of the switch unit 1301 before the power failure). In other words, the control device 120 can clear the WD alarm information in the memory 140 when the contactor 100 is powered on, based on the received switch state information indicating a reset state and the switch state information stored in the memory 140 indicating a wear indication state, thereby resetting the memory 140. Therefore, by providing the control device 120 and the wear indicator and reset device 130, users can easily reset the historical data stored in the memory by conveniently operating the wear indicator and reset device 130.
[0022] Furthermore, as an example, the contactor 100 may also include an indicator 150, as is the case with known contactors, which, when the control device 120 determines that the contactor contacts have reached the end of their lifespan, causes the indicator 150 to indicate a contact wear alarm in the contactor field by means of, for example, sound (e.g., a buzzing sound) or light (e.g., by flashing an LED).
[0023] According to the embodiments of this disclosure, the contactor 100, through the setting of the control device 120 and the wear indicator and reset device 130, can notify the remote user of the contact wear alarm, so that the user can promptly discover the expiration of the contact life and take action. It can also make it easy for the user to reset the historical data stored in the memory, which is convenient for the user operation.
[0024] If the contactor does not have the aforementioned wear indicator and reset device 130, the control device 120 does not need to perform the associated operations. Instead, as in known contactors, it controls the contactor's indicator to indicate a contact wear alarm based on WD alarm information (e.g., by flashing an LED at the contactor) or clears the WD alarm information in memory based on user operation (e.g., as mentioned above, this requires the user to combine other devices in a very complex manner). Therefore, in one embodiment, the control device 120 also receives connection information from the wear indicator and reset device 130. Only when the connection information is received, thus determining that the wear indicator and reset device 130 is connected, does it perform the interactive operations related to the wear indicator and reset device 130; otherwise, it performs the operations of known contactors. Therefore, as... Figure 1 As shown, contactor 100 can also include an indicator 150, as is common in known contactors. When control device 120 is not connected to the wear indicator and reset device 130, control device 120 can cause indicator 150 to indicate a contact wear alarm based on WD alarm information or clear WD alarm information from memory 140 based on user operation. Indicator 150 can indicate the contact wear alarm, for example, by sound (e.g., a buzzer) or light (e.g., by flashing an LED). Doing so improves the efficiency of contactor 100 and ensures its normal operation.
[0025] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the wear indicator and reset device 130 may include a detection unit 1302 to achieve the aforementioned interaction with the control device 120. Specifically, the detection unit 1302 may send the connection information described above to the control device 120. The detection unit 1302 may also detect the switch control signal from the control device 120 and send it to the switch unit 1301. Further, the detection unit 1302 may also detect the switch state of the switch unit 1301 and send the switch state information generated based on the switch state to the control device 120.
[0026] As described above, the switching unit 1301 should enter the wear indication state based on the switching control signal, causing the remote device 20 connected to the wear indication and reset device 130 to indicate a contact wear alarm. However, in some cases (e.g., a fault occurs), the switching unit 1301 may not enter the wear indication state based on the switching control signal, and thus the remote device 20 will not correspondingly indicate a contact wear alarm. An error reporting mechanism is needed to indicate this situation to the user. Therefore, in one embodiment, after a predetermined time threshold (e.g., 46 seconds) has elapsed since the control device 120 generated the switching control signal, if the switching state information of the switching unit 1301 received by the control device 120 from the wear indication and reset device 130 is in a reset state, the control device 120 can determine that the switching unit 1301 is not operating correctly, thereby generating a switching unit state error indication signal so that the indication device 150 indicates a state error in the switching unit 1301. For example, the indication device 150 can indicate a state error in the switching unit 1301 by sound (e.g., a beep) or light (e.g., by flashing an LED). In this way, errors in the status of the switch unit 1301 can be detected and indicated to the user in a timely manner, ensuring the high reliability and fault tolerance of the contactor 100.
[0027] Based on the preceding discussion, the control device 120 can generate a switch control signal for controlling the wear indicator and reset device 130 based on the WD alarm information stored in the memory 140. The switch unit 1301 can then enter the wear indicator state based on this switch control signal. It is understood that the prerequisite for the switch unit 1301 to enter the wear indicator state, enabling the remote device 20 connected to the wear indicator and reset device 130 to indicate a contact wear alarm, is that the contact life has expired, i.e., WD alarm information exists in the memory 140. Furthermore, since the WD alarm information is historical information stored in the memory 140 when the contactor 100 is disconnected, while the switch control signal is generated when the contactor 100 is powered on, it is also necessary to determine whether the switch unit 1301 has already performed a related operation in response to a previously generated switch control signal. In one embodiment, to avoid erroneous operation, the switch control signal can be generated by combining the switch state information of the switch unit 1301 to control the switch unit 1301. It is understandable that if the switching unit 1301 has not performed any related operations in response to the previously generated switching control signal, then the switching state information of the switching unit 1301 should be the same when the contactor 100 is open and when it is powered on, i.e., it should be in a reset state in both cases. Therefore, the control device 120 can be designed to generate the aforementioned switching control signal to satisfy the following conditions: there is a WD alarm message, and the switching state information received by the control device 120 when the contactor 100 is powered on is in a reset state, and the switching state information stored in the memory 140 is also in a reset state. In this way, erroneous operations can be avoided, ensuring the high reliability and fault tolerance of the contactor 100.
[0028] Under normal circumstances, the switch unit 1301 should enter the wear indication state based on the switch control signal and the reset state based on the user's operation. However, the switching state of the switch unit 1301 may change due to environmental factors, leading to an incorrect state. For example, one possible state error is that the switch state information stored in the memory 140 (indicating the switching state of the switch unit 1301 before the contactor 100 is powered off) is in the reset state, while the switch state information received by the control device 120 when the contactor 100 is powered on (indicating the current switching state of the switch unit 1301) is in the wear indication state. This means that the switching state of the switch unit 1301 changed from the reset state to the wear indication state during the power-off period of the contactor 100, and this state change can only occur during the power-on period of the contactor 100. The control device 120 can be designed to detect this state error and notify the user. Therefore, in one embodiment, if the switch status information received by the control device 120 when the contactor 100 is powered on is in a wear indication state and the switch status information stored in the memory 140 is in a reset state, the control device 120 can generate a switch unit status error indication signal to cause the indication device 150 to indicate a status error in the switch unit 1301. For example, the indication device 150 can indicate a status error in the switch unit 1301 by sound (e.g., emitting a buzzer) or light (e.g., by flashing an LED). In this way, a status error in the switch unit 1301 can be detected and indicated to the user in a timely manner, ensuring the high reliability and fault tolerance of the contactor 100.
[0029] A user might accidentally operate the wear indicator and reset device 130 during contactor 100's power-on period, for example, by pressing a button on the wear indicator and reset device 130, thus resetting the switch unit 1301. This is not permitted because the user can only perform contact replacement and then operate the switch unit 1301 to the reset state during contactor 100's power-off period, thereby clearing the WD alarm information in memory 140 and resetting memory 140. Therefore, an error reporting mechanism is needed to indicate this situation to the user. Control device 120 can be designed to detect such misoperation and notify the user. In one embodiment, if the switch state information received by control device 120 during contactor 100's power-on period changes from the wear indicator state to the reset state, control device 120 can generate a misoperation indication signal to cause indicator device 150 to indicate the user's misoperation. For example, indicator device 150 can indicate the user's misoperation by sound (e.g., a beep) or light (e.g., by flashing an LED). In this way, erroneous operations can be detected and indicated to the user in a timely manner, ensuring the high reliability and fault tolerance of the contactor 100.
[0030] As described above, both the indicating device 150 and the remote device 20 can indicate various status errors, misoperations, or issue alarms through means such as sound (e.g., emitting a buzzer) or light (e.g., by flashing an LED). Different sound and light methods can be set to distinguish different errors, misoperations, or alarms. For example, different tones, different sound durations or frequencies, different colors of light, different light flashing times or frequencies, etc., can be set.
[0031] In one example, the control device 120 may be the microcontroller unit (MCU) of the contactor 100.
[0032] In one example, different functional units can be provided for the control device 120 to implement its functions. For example, the control device 120 may include a wear diagnosis unit (not shown) for acquiring wear information of the contact 110 when the contactor 100 is disconnected, and generating WD alarm information based on the wear information when the wear of the contact 110 reaches a wear threshold. The control device 120 may also include an information storage unit (not shown) for acquiring WD alarm information and switch status information of the switch unit 1301 when the contactor 100 is disconnected, and storing them in the memory 140. The control device 120 may also include a control unit (not shown), which can be used to: receive the switch status information of the switch unit 1301; generate a switch control signal for controlling the wear indicator and reset device 130 based on the WD alarm information stored in the memory 140 when the contactor 100 is powered on; and clear the WD alarm information in the memory 140 based on the received switch status information being in a reset state and the switch status information stored in the memory 140 being in a wear indicator state when the contactor 100 is powered on.
[0033] In one example, control device 120 can power wear indication and reset device 130.
[0034] The functions of the various units shown in the figure can be provided using dedicated hardware and hardware capable of executing software in conjunction with suitable software. When the functions are provided using a processor, they can be provided using a single dedicated processor, a single shared processor, or multiple independent processors, some of which can be shared. Furthermore, the explicit use of the terms "processor" or "controller," etc., should not be construed as exclusively referring to hardware capable of executing software, but may implicitly and without limitation include digital signal processor ("DSP") hardware, read-only memory ("ROM") for storing software, random access memory ("RAM"), and non-volatile memory.
[0035] The contactor according to embodiments of this disclosure can notify remote users of contact wear alarms, enabling users to promptly detect and address the expiration of contact life. It also allows users to easily reset historical data, facilitating user operation. Furthermore, the contactor according to embodiments of this disclosure possesses high reliability and fault tolerance, and can indicate various status errors or malfunctions.
[0036] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of a contactor operation method 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The contactor may be, for example, the contactor 100 described above, which may include contacts 110, a control device 120, a wear indicator and reset device 130, and a memory 140. The wear indicator and reset device 130 may include a switching unit 1301, and the switching state of the switching unit 1301 includes a reset state and a wear indicator state. The following is in conjunction with… Figure 1 Come to Figure 2 The operating method is explained in section 200. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the operation method 200 may include steps S210 to S260. Method 200 begins at step S210, where the control device 120 receives switching status information of the switching unit 1301 from the wear indication and reset device 130. In step S220, when the contactor 100 is open, the control device 120 can acquire wear information of the contact 110, generate wear diagnostic (WD) alarm information based on the wear information when the wear of the contact 110 reaches a wear threshold, and store the WD alarm information and the switching status information of the switching unit 1301 in the memory 140. In step S230, when the contactor 100 is powered on, the control device 120 can generate a switching control signal for controlling the switching unit 1301 based on the WD alarm information stored in the memory 140. In step S240, the switching unit 1301 can enter a wear indication state based on the switching control signal, causing the remote device 20 connected to the wear indication and reset device 130 to indicate a contact wear alarm. In response to the contact wear alarm indicated by the remote device 20, the user can replace the contact and then perform an operation (e.g., pressing a button on the wear indicator and reset device 130) to indicate a reset operation (i.e., clearing the WD alarm information stored in the memory 140). Therefore, the operation method 200 may further include step S250, receiving the user's operation via the switching unit 1301 to cause the switching unit 1301 to enter a reset state. Then, in step S260, the control device 120 may clear the WD alarm information in the memory 140 based on the received switch state information being in a reset state and the switch state information stored in the memory 140 being in a wear indicator state when the contactor 100 is powered on.
[0037] The operation method 200 according to the embodiments of this disclosure can notify remote users of contact wear alarms, enabling users to promptly detect when the contact life has expired and take appropriate action. It also allows users to easily reset historical data, making operation more convenient.
[0038] As described above, if the contactor is not equipped with the wear indicator and reset device 130, the control device 120 does not need to perform the associated operation, but instead, as is the case in known contactors, controls the contactor's indicator device to indicate the contact wear alarm based on the WD alarm information (e.g., by flashing an LED at the contactor) or clears the WD alarm information in the memory based on the user's operation. Figure 3 This is a flowchart of an operation method 300 for such a contactor according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The contactor may be, for example, the contactor 100 described above, which may include contacts 110, a control device 120, a wear indicator and reset device 130, a memory 140, and an indicator device 150. The wear indicator and reset device 130 may include a switching unit 1301, the switching state of which includes a reset state and a wear indicator state. Figure 3 As shown, the operation method 300 includes steps S305 to S380. In step S305, the control device 120 may receive connection information from the wear indicator and reset device 130. If the connection information is received in step S305, the contactor may perform the above-mentioned steps. Figure 2 The steps of the described operation method 200, namely, steps S310 to S360, respectively correspond to Figure 2 Steps S210 to S260. If no connection information is received in step S305, the contactor can perform the operations known to be performed in contactors, that is, the control device 120 can acquire wear information in step S370 and generate WD alarm information based on the wear information when the wear of contact 110 reaches the wear threshold. In step S380, the control device 120 can cause the indicator device 150 to indicate a contact wear alarm based on the WD alarm information or clear the WD alarm information in the memory 140 based on user operation. The indicator device 150 can indicate the contact wear alarm, for example, by sound (e.g., beeping) or light (e.g., by flashing an LED). By doing so, the efficiency of the contactor 100 can be improved and its normal operation can be guaranteed.
[0039] As described above, the wear indication and reset device 130 in the contactor 100 may include a detection unit 1302 to achieve the above-described interaction with the control device 120. Figure 4 This is a flowchart of an operation method 400 for such a contactor according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4As shown, the operation method 400 includes steps S401, S405, S406, S410, S420, S430, S435, S440, S450, S460, S470, and S480. Steps S405, S410, S420, S430, S440, S450, S460, S470, and S480 respectively correspond to Figure 3 Steps S305, S310, S320, S330, S340, S350, S360, S370, and S380. Operation method 400 and... Figure 3 The difference in operation method 300 is that it also includes steps S401, S406, and S435 executed by the detection unit 1302. In step S401, connection information can be sent to the control device 120 via the detection unit 1302. In step S406, the detection unit 1302 can detect the switching state of the switching unit 1301 and send the switching state information generated based on the switching state to the control device 120, so that the control device 120 can receive the switching state information in step S410. In step S435, the detection unit 1302 can detect the switching control signal from the control device 120 and send it to the switching unit 1301, so that the switching unit 1301 can enter a wear indication state based on the switching control signal in step S440.
[0040] It is important to note that although the steps are described in a specific order above, this should not be construed as requiring that these steps be performed in the described specific order or sequence. For example, steps S401 and S406 can be performed in parallel, and steps S406 and S410 can be performed continuously during contactor energization, regardless of whether steps S420 to S480 are performed, and so on.
[0041] As described above, the switching unit 1301 should enter the wear indication state based on the switching control signal, causing the remote device 20 connected to the wear indication and reset device 130 to indicate a contact wear alarm. However, in some cases (e.g., a fault occurs), the switching unit 1301 may not enter the wear indication state based on the switching control signal, and thus the remote device 20 may not indicate a contact wear alarm accordingly. An error reporting mechanism is needed to indicate this situation to the user. Therefore, in one embodiment, the above-described operation method 400 may further include steps S431 to S433 executed by the control device 120 after step S430. In step S431, the control device 120 may determine whether a predetermined time threshold (e.g., 46 seconds) has elapsed since it generated the switching control signal. If it is determined that the predetermined time threshold has elapsed, then in step S432, the control device 120 may determine whether the switching state information of the switching unit 1301 received from the wear indication and reset device 130 is in a reset state. If the received switch status information of switch unit 1301 is determined to be in a reset state, then in step S433, control device 120 can determine that switch unit 1301 has not operated correctly, thereby generating a switch unit status error indication signal so that indication device 150 indicates that switch unit 1301 has a status error. For example, indication device 150 can indicate the status error of switch unit 1301 by sound (e.g., emitting a buzzer) or light (e.g., by flashing an LED). In this way, the status error of switch unit 1301 can be detected and indicated to the user in a timely manner, ensuring the high reliability and fault tolerance of contactor 100.
[0042] Furthermore, as described above, to avoid erroneous operation, a switch control signal can be generated by combining the switch state information of switch unit 1301 to control switch unit 1301. Therefore, in one embodiment, the above step S430 may include determining the switch state information of switch unit 1301. Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating the sub-steps of step S430. (See diagram for example.) Figure 5 As shown, in sub-step S4301, the control device 120 can determine whether the switch status information stored in the memory 140 is in a reset state. In sub-step S4302, the control device 120 can determine whether the switch status information received by the contactor 100 when it is powered on is in a reset state. If the determination results in sub-steps S4301 and S4302 are both yes, then in sub-step S4303, the control device 120 generates a switch control signal based on the WD alarm information. In this way, erroneous operation can be avoided, ensuring the high reliability and fault tolerance of the contactor 100.
[0043] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the switching state of the switching unit 1301 may change due to environmental factors, leading to a state error. For example, one possible state error is that the switching state information stored in the memory 140 (indicating the switching state of the switching unit 1301 before the contactor 100 was powered off) is in a reset state, while the switching state information received by the control device 120 when the contactor 100 is powered on (indicating the current switching state of the switching unit 1301) is in a wear indication state. The control device 120 can be designed to detect this state error and notify the user. Therefore, as... Figure 5 As shown, in one embodiment, step S430 may further include sub-step S4304. If, in sub-step S4301, the control device 120 determines that the switch state information stored in the memory 140 is in a reset state, and in sub-step S4302, the control device 120 determines that the switch state information it receives when the contactor 100 is powered on is not in a reset state (i.e., it is in a wear indication state), then in sub-step S4304, the control device 120 may generate a switch unit state error indication signal to cause the indication device 150 to indicate a state error in the switch unit 1301. For example, the indication device 150 may indicate a state error in the switch unit 1301 by sound (e.g., a buzzer) or light (e.g., by flashing an LED). In this way, a state error in the switch unit 1301 can be detected and indicated to the user in a timely manner, ensuring the high reliability and fault tolerance of the contactor 100.
[0044] A user might accidentally operate the wear indicator and reset device 130 during contactor 100's power-on period, for example, by pressing a button on the wear indicator and reset device 130, thus resetting the switching unit 1301. This is not permitted because the user can only perform contact replacement and then operate the device to reset the switching unit 1301 during contactor 100's power-off period, thereby clearing the WD alarm information in memory 140 and resetting memory 140. Therefore, an error reporting mechanism is needed to inform the user of this situation. Control device 120 can be designed to detect such misoperation and notify the user. (Return to reference) Figure 4 In one embodiment, steps S411 to S412 may be included after step S410. In step S411, the control device 120 determines whether the switch state information it received during the power-on of the contactor 100 has changed from a wear indication state to a reset state. If so, in step S412, the control device 120 may generate a misoperation indication signal to cause the indication device 150 to indicate the user's misoperation. For example, the indication device 150 may indicate the user's misoperation by sound (e.g., a beeping sound) or light (e.g., by flashing an LED). In this way, misoperations can be detected and indicated to the user in a timely manner, ensuring the high reliability and fault tolerance of the contactor 100.
[0045] As described above, both the indicating device 150 and the remote device 20 can indicate various status errors, misoperations, or issue alarms through means such as sound (e.g., emitting a buzzer) or light (e.g., by flashing an LED). Different sound and light methods can be set to distinguish different errors, misoperations, or alarms. For example, different tones, different sound durations or frequencies, different colors of light, different light flashing times or frequencies, etc., can be set.
[0046] The contactor operation method according to embodiments of this disclosure can notify remote users of contact wear alarms, enabling users to promptly detect and address the expiration of contact lifespan. It also allows users to easily reset historical data, facilitating user operation. Furthermore, the contactor operation method according to embodiments of this disclosure possesses high reliability and fault tolerance, and can indicate various status errors or malfunctions.
[0047] The block diagrams of the apparatuses, devices, and systems disclosed herein are merely exemplary and are not intended to require or imply that connections, arrangements, or configurations must be made in the manner shown in the block diagrams. As those skilled in the art will recognize, these circuits, devices, apparatuses, and systems can be connected, arranged, and configured in any manner that achieves the desired purpose.
[0048] The processes and logic flows described in this specification can be executed by one or more programmable processors that execute one or more computer programs to perform functions by manipulating input data and generating output. The processes and logic flows can also be executed by dedicated logic circuitry, and the device can be implemented as dedicated logic circuitry, such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit).
[0049] Although the operations are described in a specific order in the accompanying drawings, this should not be construed as requiring that these operations be performed in the specific order or sequence shown, or requiring that all the operations shown be performed to obtain the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous.
[0050] Certain features described in the context of individual embodiments in this specification may also be combined. Conversely, various features described in the context of individual embodiments may also be implemented individually or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments.
[0051] Those skilled in the art should understand that the specific embodiments described above are merely examples and not limitations. Various modifications, combinations, partial combinations, and substitutions can be made to the embodiments of this disclosure according to design requirements and other factors, as long as they are within the scope of the appended claims or their equivalents, and thus fall within the scope of the rights to be protected by this disclosure.
Claims
1. A contactor, comprising contacts, a control device, a wear indicator and reset device, and a memory, wherein, The control device is used to acquire wear information of the contact when the contactor is disconnected, generate wear diagnosis alarm information based on the wear information when the wear of the contact reaches the wear threshold, and store the wear diagnosis alarm information in the memory; The control device is also used to generate a switch control signal for controlling the wear indicator and reset device based on the wear diagnostic alarm information stored in the memory when the contactor is energized; The wear indication and reset device includes a switching unit, the switching state of which includes a reset state and a wear indication state. The switching unit is used to enter the wear indication state based on the switching control signal, so that a remote device connected to the wear indication and reset device indicates contact wear alarm. The switching unit is also used to receive user operations that cause the switching unit to enter the reset state; The control device is also configured to receive the switching status information of the switching unit from the wear indicator and reset device, and store the switching status information in the memory when the contactor is disconnected; The control device is also used to clear the wear diagnosis alarm information in the memory when the contactor is powered on, based on the received switch status information being in the reset state and the switch status information stored in the memory being in the wear indication state.
2. The contactor according to claim 1, wherein, The contactor also includes an indicator device, and the control device also receives connection information from the wear indicator and reset device. If the connection information is not received, the control device does not perform any operation related to the wear indicator and reset device, but instead causes the indicator device to indicate a contact wear alarm based on the wear diagnostic alarm information or clears the wear diagnostic alarm information in the memory based on user operation.
3. The contactor according to claim 2, wherein, The wear indicator and reset device further includes a detection unit for: Send the connection information to the control device; The switch control signal from the control device is detected and sent to the switch unit; as well as The switching state of the switching unit is detected, and the switching state information generated based on the switching state is sent to the control device.
4. The contactor according to claim 1, wherein, The contactor also includes an indicator device. After a predetermined time threshold has elapsed since the control device generates the switch control signal, if the switch state information of the switch unit received by the control device is in the reset state, the control device is further configured to generate a switch unit state error indication signal so that the indicator device indicates that the switch unit is in a state error.
5. The contactor according to claim 1, wherein, The control device generates a switching control signal for controlling the wear indication and reset device based on the wear diagnostic alarm information stored in the memory, including: If the switch status information received by the control device when the contactor is powered on is the reset state and the switch status information stored in the memory is the reset state, then the control device generates the switch control signal based on the wear diagnosis alarm information.
6. The contactor according to claim 1, wherein, The contactor also includes an indicator device. If the switch status information received by the control device when the contactor is powered on is the wear indication state and the switch status information stored in the memory is the reset state, the control device is further configured to generate a switch unit status error indication signal so that the indicator device indicates that the switch unit has a status error.
7. The contactor according to claim 1, wherein, The contactor also includes an indicator device, which, if the switch status information received by the control device during the contactor's power-on period changes from the wear indication state to the reset state, is further configured to generate a misoperation indication signal so that the indicator device indicates the user's misoperation.
8. A method of operating a contactor, the contactor comprising contacts, a control device, a wear indicator and reset device, and a memory, the wear indicator and reset device comprising a switching unit, the switching state of the switching unit comprising a reset state and a wear indicator state, the method comprising the following steps: Through the control device: Receive the switching status information of the switching unit from the wear indicator and reset device; When the contactor is disconnected, the wear information of the contact is acquired. Based on the wear information, if the wear of the contact reaches the wear threshold, a wear diagnosis alarm is generated, and the wear diagnosis alarm and the switch status information are stored in the memory. When the contactor is powered on, a switching control signal for controlling the switching unit is generated based on the wear diagnosis alarm information stored in the memory; Through the switching unit: Based on the switch control signal, the wear indication state is entered, causing the remote device connected to the wear indication and reset device to indicate contact wear alarm; The method further includes the following steps: Through the switching unit: The user's operation causes the switch unit to enter the reset state; Through the control device: When the contactor is powered on, the wear diagnostic alarm information in the memory is cleared based on the received switch status information being in the reset state and the switch status information stored in the memory being in the wear indication state.
9. The operating method according to claim 8, wherein, The contactor also includes an indicator device, and the operating method further includes the following steps performed by the control device: receiving connection information from the wear indicator and reset device; if the connection information is not received, not performing any operation related to the wear indicator and reset device, but instead causing the indicator device to indicate a contact wear alarm based on the wear diagnostic alarm information or clearing the wear diagnostic alarm information in the memory based on user operation.
10. The operating method according to claim 9, wherein, The wear indicator and reset device further includes a detection unit, and the operation method further includes the following steps performed by the detection unit: Send the connection information to the control device; The switch control signal from the control device is detected and sent to the switch unit; as well as The switching state of the switching unit is detected, and the switching state information generated based on the switching state is sent to the control device.
11. The operating method according to claim 8, wherein, The contactor further includes an indicating device, and the operating method further includes the following steps performed by the control device: After a predetermined time threshold has elapsed since the control device generates the switch control signal, if the switch state information of the switch unit received by the control device is in the reset state, the control device generates a switch unit state error indication signal so that the indication device indicates that the switch unit has a state error.
12. The operating method according to claim 8, wherein, The control device generates a switching control signal for controlling the wear indication and reset device based on the wear diagnostic alarm information stored in the memory, including: If the switch status information received by the control device when the contactor is powered on is the reset state and the switch status information stored in the memory is the reset state, then the control device generates the switch control signal based on the wear diagnosis alarm information.
13. The operating method according to claim 8, wherein, The contactor further includes an indicating device, and the operating method further includes the following steps performed by the control device: If the switch status information received by the control device when the contactor is powered on is the wear indication state and the switch status information stored in the memory is the reset state, then the control device generates a switch unit status error indication signal so that the indication device indicates that the switch unit has a status error.
14. The operating method according to claim 8, wherein, The contactor further includes an indicating device, and the operating method further includes the following steps performed by the control device: If the switch status information received by the control device during the power-on of the contactor changes from the wear indication state to the reset state, the control device generates a misoperation indication signal to indicate the user's misoperation.