Circuit breaking device with bonding device

Abstract

A circuit breaking device comprising a movable contact respectively carried by a first end of at least two contact arms mounted about a pivot (21) to allow said contact arms to pivot towards a closed position of said contact, said device comprising a contact pressure means, it comprises two torsion springs (31, 32) acting on each of said contact arms, each torsion spring comprising a second strand (41, 42), each contact arm (15 ', 19') comprising bonding means adapted such that when the second strand (41 ', 42') is incorrectly positioned, a torsional force exerted on the contact arm (15 ', 19') is insufficient to move the contact arm (15 ', 19') into its closed position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of circuit-breaking devices such as circuit breakers or differential circuit breakers, in particular single-pole and neutral circuit breakers. Such circuit breakers are usually used in terminal distribution devices, in particular in buildings, in order to protect electrical circuits by disconnecting phase and neutral conductors simultaneously.

[0002] The present invention particularly relates to a circuit breaker device having an insulating housing, which comprises a movable contact, the movable contact comprising at least one movable phase contact and a movable neutral contact respectively carried by the first ends of at least two contact arms, each contact arm being mounted around a pivot to at least allow the contact arm to pivot toward a closed position of the contact, the device comprising a contact pressure device acting on the contact arm to apply contact pressure on the contact arm.

[0003] The invention more particularly relates to an improvement of the device described in French patent application No. 10 00821, filed on March 1, 2010 and published under publication No. 2 956 922. Background Art

[0004] Patent application EP0042778 describes a single-pole and neutral circuit breaker comprising two movable contacts, one for a phase circuit and one for a neutral circuit, respectively, carried by a contact arm made of insulating material, mounted so as to be able to pivot about an axis carried by a support in the form of a plate of a control mechanism, part of which is mounted on a fixed axis so as to be able to pivot. A spiral contact pressure spring is mounted about the pivot axis of the contact arm and enables said contact arm to be pushed into the closed position of the movable contact.

[0005] One disadvantage of the circuit breaker described in patent application EP0042778 is that the size and arrangement of the contact pressure springs are not optimized.

[0006] One disadvantage of the device described in French patent application No. 10 00821 is the care required during the placement of the torsion spring when assembling the device. Incorrect positioning of the torsion spring may reduce the contact pressure, thus causing the contact to have too high an impedance. Summary of the invention

[0007] The object of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the circuit breaker devices of the prior art by proposing a circuit breaker device with an insulating housing, the circuit breaker device with an insulating housing comprising a movable contact, the movable contact comprising at least one movable phase contact and a movable neutral contact respectively carried by the first ends of at least two contact arms, each contact arm being mounted around a pivot to at least allow the contact arm to pivot toward the closed position of the contact, the device comprising a contact pressure device acting on the contact arm to apply a contact pressure on the contact arm, the contact pressure device comprising two torsion springs, the two torsion springs acting independently on the contact arms carrying the movable phase contacts, The movable neutral contact is mounted on the contact arm and on the contact arm carrying the movable neutral contact, each torsion spring applies a torsional force around the rotation axis of the spring, each torsion spring is arranged with respect to the contact arm on which it acts so that the rotation axis of the spring is offset toward the second end of the contact arm with respect to the axis of the pivot, each torsion spring comprises a first strand supported against a stopper of the support rod and a second strand acting on one of the contact arms, the circuit breaking device is characterized in that each contact arm comprises a keying device, which is suitable for when the second strand acting on the contact arm to apply contact pressure on the contact arm is incorrectly positioned, the torsional force applied to the contact arm is insufficient to move the contact arm to its closed position.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the invention, the keying device comprises a recess at the end of the contact arm, the recess being adapted to receive the end of the second strand when the second strand is incorrectly positioned.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the invention, the support rod comprises a positioning stop.

[0010] Preferably, the device comprises a control mechanism provided with a support rod carrying a pivot about which the contact arm is mounted, the support rod being hinged to move the contact arm between an open position and a closed position of the movable contact, each torsion spring being located between a contact arm and the support rod, the torsion spring acting on the contact arm.

[0011] Preferably, the support rod is articulated about an axis coinciding with the axis of the pivot.

[0012] According to one embodiment, each torsion spring comprises a first strand (35, 36) bearing against a stop of the support rod and a second strand acting on one of the contact arms. Preferably, the second strand of each torsion spring interacts with a stop of the contact arm on which the torsion spring acts, the stop being offset relative to the pivot towards the second end of the contact arm. Preferably, the stop of the contact arm is formed on the second end of the contact arm.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the first strand of each contact spring has a length greater than the length of the second strand of said contact spring.Preferably, the length of the first strand is at least twice the length of the second strand.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the first strands of the torsion springs are connected to form an elastic assembly comprising the two torsion springs.

[0015] Preferably, the control mechanism further comprises:

[0016] - a handle mounted on the insulating housing so as to be pivotable to control the opening and closing of the movable contact,

[0017] - a transmission device, arranged between the handle and the contact arm, comprising a disconnectable mechanical connection; and

[0018] A trip bar coupled to the trip device to detect the presence of an electrical fault, said trip bar being designed to cause the contact arm to move to the open position by breaking said disconnectable mechanical connection. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Other advantages and characteristics will become more apparent from the following description of particular embodiments of the invention, given by way of non-limiting examples and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

[0020] Figure 1 is a view of the interior of a circuit breaker according to the invention, showing most of the elements of the control mechanism.

[0021] Figure 2 is a partial view of the control mechanism in which one of the contact arms has been removed so that the support rod and contact pressure device can be shown.

[0022] Figure 3 is a view of the control mechanism showing most of the elements of the kinematic chain between the operating handle and the movable contact.

[0023] Figure 4 Corresponds to Figure 3 , in which one of the contact arms has been removed so that the contact pressure device can be shown.

[0024] Figure 5 It is an exploded view of the contact arm, support rod and contact pressure device.

[0025] Figure 6 It is an exploded view of the control mechanism and the tripping mechanism.

[0026] Figure 7 is a view of a support rod showing a properly positioned second strand and an improperly positioned second strand.

[0027] Figure 8 The invention comprises a partial view of a contact arm of a phase switching circuit according to the prior art and a partial view of a contact arm of a phase switching circuit according to the present invention.

[0028] Fig. 9 The present invention comprises a partial view of a contact arm of a neutral switching circuit according to the prior art and a partial view of a contact arm of a neutral switching circuit according to the present invention.

[0029] Fig.10 A partial view of the device according to the invention is shown when the second strand is incorrectly positioned.

[0030] Fig.11 yes Fig.10 Detail showing the incorrectly positioned second strand. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, the circuit breaker 1 comprises an insulating housing 3 formed essentially of two half shells, the upper half shell being removed so that the interior of the circuit breaker can be shown. The housing 3 has a parallelepipedal overall form corresponding to the modular system. The housing 3 has a rear attachment face 5 for attachment to a rail and a front face 7 with a through slot for a control handle 9. The circuit breaker 1 comprises a neutral switching circuit and a phase switching circuit, which are respectively located on either side of an insulating partition 11, which is inserted between the two half shells and extends parallel to the main face of the housing 3. Figure 1 Only the phase switching circuit can be seen in the figure, and the neutral switching circuit is located behind the insulating partition 11.

[0032] The phase switching circuit comprises a movable phase contact 13 carried by a first end of a contact arm 15. Similarly, the neutral switching circuit comprises a movable neutral contact 17 carried by a first end of another contact arm 19. The contact arms 15, 19 are made of insulating material and are mounted on a pivot 21 so as to be pivotable.

[0033] The circuit breaker 1 comprises a control mechanism housed in the upper part of the housing 3 above the insulating partition 11. The control mechanism is common to the movable phase contacts 13 and the movable neutral contact 17. The hinge pivot 21 of the contact arms 15, 19 is supported by a support rod 23 ( Figure 5) is carried in the form of a plate, the support rod being mounted on the housing so as to be able to pivot. In this case, the support rod 23 is mounted so as to be able to pivot about an axis parallel to and coinciding with the axis of the articulation pivot 21 of the contact arms 15, 19. The pivot axis of the support rod 23 and the articulation pivot of the contact arms 15, 19 are embodied by the shaft 21 fixed to the support rod 23. The ends of the shaft 21 are mounted in bearings formed in the half shells of the housing 3. The contact arms 15, 19 also include bearings that allow the contact arms 15, 19 to be mounted on the shaft 21 on either side of the support rod 23, respectively.

[0034] The support rod 23 is mounted on the housing 3 so that it can pivot, which allows the contact arms 15, 19 to move between the open position of the movable contacts 13, 17 and the closed position of the movable contacts. The support rod 23 carries a stopper that can interact with the contact arms 15, 19 to drive them to rotate around the axis 21 toward the closed position of the movable contacts 13, 17. A spring 90 mounted between the housing and the support rod 23 allows the support rod 23 to be driven to rotate around the axis 21 toward the open position of the movable contacts 13, 17.

[0035] Mounting the contact arms 15, 19 on the support rod 23 enables them to pivot, in particular when the support rod 23 is pivoted into the closed position of the movable contacts 13, 17, which, for its part, allows a limited travel of the contact arms.

[0036] Each contact arm 15, 19 comprises a shield 26 which prevents particles generated by the arc from penetrating into the control mechanism. The shield 26 is arranged to slide along the fixed wall 61 so as to provide a shielding function at least during the initial opening of the contacts. The opposing faces of the shield 26 and the fixed wall 27 are sufficiently close to each other to allow the fixed wall to scrape the surface of the shield exposed to the arc, thereby preventing any accumulation of deposits.

[0037] The control mechanism comprises a contact pressure device acting on the contact arms 15, 19 to exert pressure on said contact arms and force the contact arms into the closed position of the movable contacts 13, 17. The contact pressure device comprises two torsion springs 31, 32 acting respectively on the contact arm 15 carrying the movable phase contact 13 and on the contact arm 19 carrying the movable neutral contact 17. Each torsion spring 31, 32 is provided with an axis of rotation about which a torsion force is exerted. The torsion springs 31, 32 are mounted in such a way that their respective axis of rotation moves towards the second end of the contact arm with respect to the shaft 21. The second end of the contact arm 15, 19 is in this case opposite to the first end of said arm carrying the movable contact 13, 17. Such positioning of the springs 31, 32 and their respective axis of rotation allows the force exerted by said springs on the contact arms 15, 19 and, thereby, on the movable contact 13, 17 carried by said contact arms to be multiplied. This positioning of the springs 31 , 32 , and in particular of their respective axes of rotation, also allows their dimensions to be reduced.

[0038] More specifically, each torsion spring 31, 32 is located between the contact arm 15, 19 and the support rod 23, on which it acts. In this way, the torsion springs 31, 32 are dimensioned to exert a closing pressure on the movable contact 13, 17, depending on the state of wear of the contacts, to allow a limited pivoting of the contact arms 15, 19 relative to the support rod. The torsion springs 31, 32 are not dimensioned to pivot the contact arms 15, 19 from the open position of the contacts 13, 17 to the closed position, this function being performed by the support rod 23. The torsion springs 31, 32 are therefore dimensioned only with respect to the contact pressure to be exerted, and the size of the springs is therefore reduced.

[0039] like Figure 2 and 4 As shown, the torsion springs 31, 32 used are helical springs. Each torsion spring 31, 32 comprises a first strand 35, 36 bearing against a stop 39 of the support rod and a second strand 41, 42 acting on one of the contact arms 15, 19. The second strand 41, 42 of each torsion spring 31, 32 interacts with a stop 45, 46 of the contact arm 15', 19', on which the torsion spring acts. The stop 45, 46 is displaced about the axis 21 representing the pivot of the contact arm 15, 19 towards the second end of the contact arm, which is opposite to the first end carrying the moving contact 13, 17. In this case, the stop 45, 46 of the contact arm 15, 19 is formed on the second end of the contact arm. Therefore, the contact pressure exerted by the torsion spring 31, 32 is maximized.

[0040] The turns of the torsion springs 31, 32 around the axis of rotation of said springs are displaced about the shaft 21. In this way, as well as increasing the contact pressure and reducing the size of the contact pressure means 31, 32, the volume of the control mechanism at the shaft 21 is reduced. Considering the complexity of the control mechanism articulated about the shaft 21, this displacement of the turns of the torsion springs 31, 32 about the shaft 21 allows simplifying said control mechanism and facilitating its assembly.

[0041] In the embodiment shown, the first strands 35, 36 of the torsion springs 31, 32 are connected to each other to form a single elastic component integrating the torsion springs. Figure 2 and 4 As shown, the first strand 35, 36 of each torsion spring 31, 32 has a length greater than the length of the second strand 41, 42 of said torsion spring. More specifically, the length of the first strand 35, 36 is at least twice the length of the second strand 41, 42. This arrangement makes it possible in particular to facilitate the assembly of the control mechanism, in particular taking into account the length of the strands, which makes it possible to mount the required bend on the axis of the spring.

[0042] The control mechanism of the circuit breaker may be the control mechanism in European patent application EP0295158.

[0043] In the embodiment shown, the control mechanism comprises transmission means arranged between the handle 9 and the contact arms 15, 19 or more specifically between said handle and the support rod 23. These transmission means allow the support rod 23 to move between the open position and the closed position of the movable contacts 13, 17.

[0044] like Figure 6 As shown, a tripping lever 53 coupled to the tripping device makes it possible to detect the presence of an electrical fault and to act on a control mechanism in order to open the contacts of the circuit breaker. The tripping device comprises an electromagnetic trip 55 and a thermal trip (in this case a bimetallic strip 57). The tripping lever 53 is mounted on an axis 59 carried by the support rod 23, with a predetermined offset relative to the pivot 21, so as to be able to pivot. The tripping lever 53 is designed to disconnect the disconnectable mechanical connection 61 of the transmission ( Figure 1 and 2 ) to cause the contact arms 15, 19 to move to the open position.

[0045] The transmission device comprises a transmission link 51, which is coupled to the internal base of the handle to form an elbow joint, the articulation of which is eccentric about the pivot axis 63 of said handle. A disconnectable mechanical connection 61 is formed between the transmission link 51 and the support rod 23. In the locked position, the disconnectable mechanical connection 61 allows manual control of the control mechanism using the handle 9. Under the action of the tripping device 55, the movement of the tripping lever 53 to the tripping position causes a temporary disconnection in the mechanical connection 61, causing the automatic tripping of the control mechanism independently of the handle 9. The tripping lever 53 is associated with a return spring (not shown) intended to automatically re-establish the mechanical connection 61 after a fault has tripped the control mechanism.

[0046] like Figure 6 As shown, the disconnectable mechanical connection 61 comprises an attachment hook 65, which is mounted on the axis 67 of the support rod 23 so as to be able to pivot. When the connection 61 is in the locked position, opposite to the axis 67, the tip 69 of the hook interacts with a retaining catch 71 located on the upper arm of the tripping lever 53. The transmission link 51 is connected to the hook 65 at an articulation point, which can be moved into a slot in the support rod 23 during tripping. The slot is a blind slot or an open slot and is shaped as a circular sector centered on the axis 67. The articulation point is located between the axis 67 and the tip 69 of the attachment hook. The disconnectable mechanical connection 61 constitutes a step-down stage in the kinematic chain of the control mechanism, allowing the tripping force from the magnetothermal trip to be reduced.

[0047] like Figure 2 and 6 As shown, the bimetallic strip 57 of the thermal trip interacts with the tripping lever 53 by means of a rotating slide 81 with a one-way transmission. The slide 81 is formed by a bent lever, one end of which is freely coupled to the lower arm of the tripping lever 53 at a hinge point 83. The curved middle part of the transmission lever bears against a boss 85 of the tripping lever 53 so as to drive the latter towards the tripping position when the bimetallic strip 57 deflects to the right in the event of an overload current flowing through the lever. In this thermal tripping phase, the slide 81 constitutes a rigid kinematic connection between the bimetallic strip 57 and the tripping lever 53, the hinge point 83 being located between the pivot axis 21 of the tripping lever 53 and the boss 85. The purpose of this arrangement of the pivot axis 83 as close as possible to the pivot axis 21 is to minimize, or even to make it non-existent, the movement of the axis 83 along an arc centered on the axis 21 when the magnetic trip 55 pushes the support lever 23.

[0048] When the control mechanism is actuated manually or automatically towards the open position, the end 87 of the slide 81 opposite the hinge point 83 can abut against the protrusion of the housing, and the kinematic connection to the hinge lever 53 is broken. The support lever 23 can pivot about the pivot 21 in the triangular direction, and the middle area of ​​the slide 81 is away from the boss 85. The hinge point 83 of the slide 81 can of course coincide with the pivot axis 21 of the trip lever 53.

[0049] The operation of such a control mechanism is well known to the expert and does not need to be described in more detail. This operation is also described in patent application EP0295158.

[0050] like Figure 5 As shown, during assembly of the device 1, the torsion springs 31, 32 are first placed on the support rod 23. The support rod 23 comprises a positioning stop 100 for assembly. Each second strand 41, 42 is placed in abutment against the positioning stop 100, which is suitable for facilitating the assembly of the support rod 23 with the contact arms 15, 19. The second strand 41 or the second strand 42 is placed in abutment against the stop 100 on the support rod 23, which allows correct positioning against the stop 45 or the stop 46 during assembly with the contact arm 15 or the contact arm 19, respectively.

[0051] Figure 7 is a view of the support rod 23 showing a correctly positioned second strand 41 and an incorrectly positioned second strand 42 . Figure 7 Shown from different angles Figure 5 The support rod 23 and the stopper 100 against which the two strands 41 and 42 are normally supported can be shown, as Figure 5 As shown. Figure 7 In the embodiment, strand 41 is in its correct position, bearing against stop 100. On the other hand, strand 42 is incorrectly positioned, the latter passing behind stop 100.

[0052] Figure 8 The embodiment includes a partial view of a contact arm 15 of a phase switching circuit according to the prior art and a partial view of a contact arm 15' of a phase switching circuit according to the present invention. The contact arm 15' according to the present invention differs from the contact arm 15 in that a keying device 110 is present. Therefore, the contact arm 15' includes a stopper 45' similar to the stopper 45 of the contact arm 15.

[0053] The keying device 110 is adapted so that when the second strand 41 acting on the contact arm 15' to exert contact pressure on said contact arm 15' is incorrectly positioned, the torsional force exerted on the contact arm 15' is insufficient to move the contact arm 15' to its closed position. This is advantageous compared to a contact arm 15 that does not include a keying device, because it avoids reaching a closed position with high impedance contact due to insufficient pressure. This requires the implementation of complex tests to detect this situation. The keying device 110 ensures that the contact arm 15' cannot reach the closed position if the strand 41 is incorrectly positioned. Therefore, it is easy to detect devices that include incorrectly positioned torsion springs, thereby reducing the time dedicated to functional testing of each device.

[0054] Fig. 9 The invention comprises a partial view of a contact arm 19 of a neutral switching circuit according to the prior art and a partial view of a contact arm 19' of a neutral switching circuit according to the invention. The contact arm 19' according to the invention differs from the contact arm 19 in that a keying device 120 is present, so that the contact arm 19' comprises a stop 46' similar to the stop 46 of the contact arm 19.

[0055] The keying device 120 is adapted to prevent the torsional force applied to the contact arm 19' from being sufficient to move the contact arm 19' to its closed position when the second strand 42 acting on the contact arm 19' to apply contact pressure thereon is incorrectly positioned. The keying device 120 has the same function as the keying device 110 described above.

[0056] The keying means 110, 120 may be a recess 110, 120 or a hole at the end of the contact arm 15', 19', the recess being adapted to receive the end of the second strand 15', 19' when the second strand 15', 19' is incorrectly positioned.

[0057] In the absence of the recesses 110, 120, the strands 41, 42 incorrectly positioned against the stop 100 would come into contact with the corresponding part of the contact arm and would allow the torsion spring to maintain a certain torsion force sufficient to allow the closed position to be reached, but insufficient to allow a low-impedance contact in the closed position. Therefore, it is complicated to carry out a functional test of such a device. The presence of the recesses makes the functional test simple and quick to carry out, since if the strands 41, 42 are incorrectly positioned, it is not possible to make contact in the closed position, even a high-impedance contact.

[0058] Fig.10 A partial view of a device according to the invention is shown when the second strand is incorrectly positioned. Fig.10 As can be seen in part B, even though the device is shown in the closed position, no contact is made. Fig.10 It is shown in Fig.10 Part A.

[0059] Fig.11 Corresponds to Fig.10 Detail A in FIG. 1 shows a second strand 41 which is incorrectly positioned and thus protrudes through a recess 110 in the contact arm 15 ′, which in fact prevents said strand 41 from being in a supporting state and thus prevents the corresponding torsion spring 31 from exerting a force on the contact arm 15 ′. Fig.10 As shown in part B of FIG. 1 , no contact is made in the closed position due to insufficient force on the contact arm 15 ′. Due to the recess 120 , the operation of the present invention is the same as that of the contact arm 19 ′.

Claims

1. A circuit breaker device (1) having an insulating housing (3), comprising a movable contact, the movable contact comprising at least one movable phase contact (13) and a movable neutral contact (17) respectively carried by the first ends of at least two contact arms (15', 19'), each contact arm being mounted around a pivot (21) to at least allow the contact arm to pivot toward a closed position of the contact, the device comprising a contact pressure device, the contact pressure device acting on the contact arm to apply a contact pressure on the contact arm, the contact pressure device comprising two torsion springs (31, 32), the two torsion springs acting independently on the contact arm carrying the movable phase contact and the contact arm carrying the movable phase contact. On the contact arm of the moving neutral contact, each torsion spring applies a torsional force around the rotation axis of the spring, each torsion spring is arranged relative to the contact arm on which it acts so that the rotation axis of the spring is offset toward the second end of the contact arm relative to the axis of the pivot, and the device includes a control mechanism, the control mechanism is provided with a support rod (23) carrying the pivot (21), the contact arm is mounted around the pivot, the support rod is hinged to move the contact arm between the open position and the closed position of the movable contact, each torsion spring (31, 32) is located between the contact arm (15', 19') and the support rod, the torsion spring acts on the contact arm, Each torsion spring (31, 32) comprises a first strand (35, 36) bearing against a stop (39) of the support rod (23) and a second strand (41, 42) acting on one of the contact arms (15', 19'), The circuit breaker device (1) is characterized in that each contact arm (15', 19') includes a keying device, which is suitable for when the second strand (41', 42') acting on the contact arm (15', 19') to apply contact pressure on the contact arm (15', 19') is incorrectly positioned, the torsional force applied to the contact arm (15', 19') is insufficient to move the contact arm (15', 19') to its closed position.

2. The device according to the preceding claim, wherein The keying device comprises a recess (110, 120) at the end of the contact arm (15', 19'), the recess being adapted to receive the end of the second wire strand (15', 19') when the second wire strand (15', 19') is incorrectly positioned.

3. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The support rod (23) comprises a positioning stopper (100).

4. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The support rod (23) is hinged around an axis that coincides with the axis of the pivot (21).

5. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The second strand (41, 42) of each torsion spring (31, 32) interacts with a stop (45, 46) of the contact arm (15', 19') on which the torsion spring acts, the stop being biased towards the second end of the contact arm about the pivot (21).

6. The device according to the preceding claim, wherein: The stopper (45, 46) of the contact arm (15', 19') is formed on the second end of the contact arm.

7. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The first strand (35, 36) of each contact spring (31, 32) has a length that is greater than the length of the second strand (41, 42) of the contact spring.

8. The device according to the preceding claim, wherein: The length of the first strand (35, 36) is at least twice the length of the second strand (41, 42).

9. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The first strands (351, 36) of the torsion springs (31, 32) are connected to form an elastic assembly including the two torsion springs.

10. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The control mechanism also includes: - a handle (9) mounted on the insulating housing (3) so as to be pivotable to control the opening and closing of the movable contacts (13, 17), - a transmission device, arranged between the handle and the contact arm (15, 19), comprising a disconnectable mechanical connection (61), and - a trip bar (53) coupled to the trip device (55, 57) to detect the presence of an electrical fault, said trip bar being designed to cause the contact arm (15', 19') to move to an open position by causing the disconnectable mechanical connection to open.

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