Circuit breaker and power supply system

Abstract

The invention discloses a circuit breaker and a power supply system, and the circuit breaker comprises a housing, the housing is internally provided with at least one phase of main line conductor, and each phase of main line conductor comprises a main contact assembly and an auxiliary contact assembly which are connected in series on a circuit; the main contact assembly comprises a main contact and at least one main static contact; the auxiliary contact assembly comprises an auxiliary moving contact and at least one auxiliary static contact; the operating mechanism is associated with the active contact and is used for controlling connection and separation of the active contact and the main static contact; the electromagnet is associated with the auxiliary moving contact and is used for controlling connection and separation of the auxiliary moving contact and the auxiliary static contact; the invention has the characteristics of compact structure and long service life.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the electrical field, specifically to a circuit breaker. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of low-voltage electrical appliances, molded case circuit breakers (MCCBs) provide overload and short-circuit protection and are frequently used as protective switches. The operating mechanism of an MCCB typically employs a five-bar linkage, which drives the rotating shaft to achieve the contact and separation of the moving and stationary contacts. National standards require this operating mechanism to have a mechanical life of 10,000 cycles, but in actual production, the lifespan achieved is between 10,000 and 20,000 cycles.

[0003] In certain specific fields, such as energy storage and charging stations, users desire a longer mechanical life for molded case circuit breakers, such as over 30,000 cycles. Clearly, this is difficult to achieve with current molded case circuit breakers.

[0004] As an emergency solution, the current approach involves using circuit breakers integrated with contactors. In cases of high current in the main circuit, the circuit breaker contacts open to disconnect the circuit. In cases of low current in the main circuit, the contactor contacts open to disconnect the circuit.

[0005] In principle, this method can indeed meet the needs of these specific fields. However, since it involves splicing two components together, the resulting combination switch will be quite large and occupy a lot of space, posing a significant challenge to the user's cabinet space requirements. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, the purpose of this application is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and to provide a circuit breaker.

[0007] This application provides: a circuit breaker, comprising a housing, wherein the housing contains, At least one main line conductor, each main line conductor including a main contact assembly and an auxiliary contact assembly connected in series in the circuit; The main contact assembly includes an active contact and at least one main stationary contact; The auxiliary contact assembly includes an auxiliary moving contact and at least one auxiliary stationary contact; The operating mechanism, associated with the active contact, is used to control the connection and separation of the active contact and the main stationary contact; An electromagnet, associated with an auxiliary moving contact, is used to control the connection and disconnection of the auxiliary moving contact and the auxiliary stationary contact.

[0008] In some embodiments of this application, a main arc-extinguishing chamber is also included, which is arranged at the mating position of the active contact and the main stationary contact, and is used to extinguish the arc generated when the active contact and the main stationary contact separate.

[0009] In some embodiments of this application, an auxiliary arc-extinguishing chamber is also included, which is arranged at the mating position of the auxiliary moving contact and the auxiliary stationary contact, and is used to extinguish the arc generated when the auxiliary moving contact and the auxiliary stationary contact separate.

[0010] In some embodiments of this application, each phase main line conductor further includes a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal and the second terminal being used to connect to an external line; in a first dimension, the main contact assembly and the auxiliary contact assembly are both located between the first terminal and the second terminal.

[0011] In some embodiments of this application, a first terminal, a second terminal, and a protection mechanism are also included. The protection mechanism triggers an operating mechanism when an overcurrent occurs in the line, so that the operating mechanism performs a tripping operation. In the first dimension, the main contact assembly is located on the second side of the first terminal, the protection mechanism is located on the second side of the main contact assembly, the auxiliary contact assembly is located on the second side of the protection mechanism, and the second terminal is located on the second side of the auxiliary contact assembly.

[0012] In some embodiments of this application, the housing has a second terminal space, an auxiliary contact assembly space, an exhaust channel, and an exhaust port, with the exhaust port communicating with the auxiliary contact assembly space through the exhaust channel; in a third dimension, the exhaust port and at least part of the exhaust channel are located below the second terminal space.

[0013] In some embodiments of this application, the auxiliary contact moves in a rotating manner, the armature of the electromagnet moves in a sliding manner, and the armature and the auxiliary contact form a crank-slider mechanism so that the sliding of the armature is converted into the rotation of the auxiliary contact.

[0014] In some embodiments of this application, an auxiliary spring is also included. The auxiliary moving contact is connected to the auxiliary spring. The auxiliary spring has a critical state. The deformation of the auxiliary spring is the largest when it is in the critical state. The auxiliary moving contact will pass through the critical state during the contact process with the auxiliary stationary contact and during the separation process with the auxiliary stationary contact. After passing the critical state, the auxiliary spring accelerates the movement of the auxiliary moving contact.

[0015] In some embodiments of this application, an auxiliary spring is also included, which deforms to provide contact pressure to the auxiliary moving contact when the auxiliary moving contact contacts the auxiliary stationary contact.

[0016] In some embodiments of this application, the electromagnet includes a bracket, which is fixed to the armature and moves synchronously with the armature; the auxiliary contact is connected to the bracket via a connecting rod to form a crank-slider mechanism.

[0017] In some embodiments of this application, the housing includes a base and a first support, an auxiliary stationary contact is disposed in the base, the first support is at least partially located in the base, and an auxiliary moving contact is rotatably disposed on the first support.

[0018] In some embodiments of this application, the housing includes a base and a first support, the first support being at least partially located in the base, and a limiting structure exists between the auxiliary contact and the first support, the limiting structure restricting the range of motion of the auxiliary contact.

[0019] In some embodiments of this application, the housing includes a base and a first bracket, the first bracket being at least partially located in the base, and the electromagnet being at least partially disposed in the first bracket.

[0020] In some embodiments of this application, the electromagnet includes a slidably disposed armature, a magnetic yoke, a first coil, and a second coil; one coil is disposed on the armature, and the second coil is disposed on the magnetic yoke; an auxiliary moving contact is associated with the armature; when the electromagnet is engaged, the auxiliary moving contact contacts the auxiliary stationary contact; when the electromagnet is released, the auxiliary moving contact separates from the auxiliary stationary contact to achieve connection and separation with the auxiliary stationary contact; one coil is disposed on the armature and moves with the armature, and the second coil is disposed on the magnetic yoke; compared with the engagement and release actions of the electromagnet, the current direction of one coil remains unchanged, while the current direction of the other coil changes.

[0021] A power supply system includes a controller, which further includes the aforementioned circuit breaker. The controller is electrically connected to an electromagnet and is used to control the operating state of the electromagnet.

[0022] The advantages of this application compared to the prior art are: First, the main circuit conductor of the existing circuit breaker is improved by adding auxiliary moving contacts and auxiliary stationary contacts, and then installing an electromagnet to control the auxiliary moving contacts, giving the circuit breaker two breaking modes. When there is a large fault current in the main circuit, the active contact can be used to break the circuit; while in some low-load, low-current situations requiring breaking, the electromagnet can be used to control the auxiliary moving contact to break the circuit. Compared to traditional single-breaking circuit breakers, this type of circuit breaker is more suitable for certain specific situations and has a longer service life.

[0023] Secondly, the circuit breaker of this application is essentially an integrated switch, which integrates the auxiliary contact assembly, the main contact assembly, and the electromagnet into the same housing, unlike the existing technology that splices the contactor and the circuit breaker together. This structure has a higher space utilization rate.

[0024] Third, in this circuit breaker, since the auxiliary contact assembly and the main contact assembly belong to the same main line conductor, the main line conductor only needs a pair of terminals to be connected to the external wires. Compared with the prior art of splicing the contactor and the circuit breaker, the contact resistance is smaller (the reason for the large contact resistance in the prior art is that the existing splicing method requires a conductor to be connected between the terminals on the circuit breaker side and the terminals on the contactor side. This additional wiring will increase the contact resistance, and if the wiring is done, it may not only lead to a larger contact resistance). Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this application and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0026] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a circuit breaker according to an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the internal components of a circuit breaker according to an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the main circuit conductor is shown in an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 A partial schematic diagram of the exhaust structure in an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the auxiliary stationary contact in an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the electromagnet and auxiliary contact in an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the first bracket, auxiliary contact, and electromagnet in an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the power supply system according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The embodiments of this application are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this application, and should not be construed as limiting this application.

[0028] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0029] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0030] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "electrical connection," and "fixation," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed electrical connection, a detachable electrical connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical-electrical connection or an electro-electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal connection of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0031] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature. Example

[0032] like Figures 1-7 As shown, a circuit breaker includes components such as a housing 100, a main line conductor 200, an operating mechanism 300, and an electromagnet 400.

[0033] The outer shell 100 includes a base 110 and a top cover 120, which together form a receiving space. Of course, this is not limited to this double-shell (base 100, top cover 120) structure of the outer shell 100. The outer shell 100 can also be formed by using more shells (e.g., a top cover, or a top cover composed of two parts, or a base composed of two parts, etc.).

[0034] The main circuit conductor 200, operating mechanism 300, and electromagnet 400 are all housed within the receiving space. Here, being housed within the receiving space can mean either being directly fixed to the top cover 120, base 110, etc., or being housed within a module box or bracket, which in turn house the circuit conductor, operating mechanism 300, and electromagnet 400 within the receiving space.

[0035] In this embodiment, the main line conductor 200 has three phases. One end of each main line conductor 200 is used to connect to the power supply (existing in the power supply system), and the other end is used to connect to the load (existing in the power supply system), so that the circuit breaker can be connected to the circuit where the load is located and play the role of a protective switch.

[0036] Each phase main line conductor 200 includes a main contact assembly 210 and an auxiliary contact assembly 220. The main contact assembly 210 and the auxiliary contact assembly 220 in the same phase main line conductor 200 are connected in series in the circuit. Simply put, the two contact assemblies in the same phase are connected in series. Any open circuit state will cause the phase line to be in an open circuit state.

[0037] Here, the states of the main contact assembly 210 and the auxiliary contact assembly 220 of each phase are independent (driven by different mechanisms).

[0038] The main contact assembly 210 includes an active contact 210a and at least one main stationary contact 210b. The active contact 210a is mounted on a rotating shaft, which is driven to rotate by the operating mechanism 300, thereby enabling the main contact assembly 210 to connect and disconnect. Here, the operating mechanism 300 is a four- or five-bar linkage mechanism of a molded case circuit breaker, that is, a mechanism formed by components such as a handle, lever, trip latch, upper linkage, lower linkage, locking latch, and main tension spring. In the tripped state, it is a five-bar linkage structure, and after the tripping action is completed, it becomes a four-bar linkage structure. This operating mechanism 300 is a conventional method in the art and will not be described in detail here.

[0039] In this embodiment, a single-break main contact assembly 210 is used, which consists of only one active contact 210a and one main stationary contact 210b. This single-break main contact assembly 210 has a relatively simple structure. Alternatively, a double-break main contact assembly 210 can be used, consisting of one active contact 210a and two main stationary contacts 210b. This double-break main contact assembly 210 has a stronger breaking capacity.

[0040] Meanwhile, the main contact assembly 210 is either directly housed within the receiving space, or it can be encapsulated within a contact box (each phase's main contact assembly 210 is encapsulated in an independent contact box), with the contact box then housed within the receiving space. This encapsulated structure provides better insulation performance between phases.

[0041] Meanwhile, the main stationary contact 210b here is a fixed contact. In addition, the main stationary contact 210b can also be a rotating contact, which has a stronger breaking capacity.

[0042] Meanwhile, the active contact 210a is mounted on a rotating shaft, which allows for rotation. This rotating type of active contact 210a allows for a larger breaking distance in a smaller space, making it suitable for applications with stringent requirements for switch housings. Alternatively, the active contact 210a can be mounted on a contact support with a linear sliding configuration. The operating mechanism 300 drives the contact support to slide linearly, thus moving the active contact 210a. This sliding type of active contact 210a also achieves the function of connecting and disconnecting switches.

[0043] The auxiliary contact assembly 220 includes an auxiliary moving contact 220a and at least one auxiliary stationary contact 220b. The auxiliary moving contact 220a moves synchronously with the armature 400a of the electromagnet 400; when the electromagnet 400 is engaged, it can cause the auxiliary moving contact 220a to contact the auxiliary stationary contact 220b; and when the electromagnet 400 is released, it can cause the auxiliary moving contact 220a to separate from the auxiliary stationary contact 220b.

[0044] Here, the switching between the attracting and releasing actions of the electromagnet 400 is driven by an external control signal. There are many types of electromagnets 400, categorized by their ability to maintain the attracted state as self-sustaining or non-self-sustaining, and by the number of coils as dual-coil or single-coil. Different types of external control signals are set according to the different types of electromagnets 400.

[0045] Taking this embodiment as an example, a non-self-supporting electromagnet 400 with a dual coil is used.

[0046] This electromagnet 400 includes a first coil 400b, a first frame 400c, a second coil 400d, a second frame 400f, an armature 400a, and a magnetic yoke 400e. The second coil 400d is mounted on the second frame 400f, and the second frame 400f is mounted on the magnetic yoke 400e.

[0047] The armature 400a is a sliding armature with two positions: an open position and a closed position. The coil 400b moves synchronously with the armature 400a. Specifically, the coil 400b is mounted on the frame 400c, which in turn mounts the armature 400a. Since the frame 400c and the armature 400a move synchronously, the coil 400b moves accordingly when the armature 400a moves.

[0048] The reset spring provides bias force to armature 400a to move it to the open position. Here, both coil 400b and coil 400d generate magnetic fields when energized. However, the directions of the magnetic fields of the two coils are not always superimposed; they change according to the direction of the current.

[0049] When the controller 500 gives the first signal to both coil 400b and coil 400d, the magnetic fields generated by the two are superimposed, and the armature 400a and the yoke 400e generate an electromagnetic attraction force that attracts each other. The electromagnetic attraction force is greater than the reaction force of the reset spring, and the armature 400a moves to the closed position.

[0050] When the controller 500 provides one of coil 400b and the other of coil 400d with a first signal and the other with a second signal (which is equivalent to changing the current direction of one of the coils), the direction of the magnetic field generated by the two coils changes. An electromagnetic repulsion force is generated between the armature 400a and the yoke 400e. Under the combined action of the electromagnetic repulsion force and the reset spring, the armature 400a moves to the open position.

[0051] In this method, compared to the engaging and disengaging actions of the electromagnet 400, the current direction of one coil (coil 400b, coil 400d) remains unchanged, while the current direction of the other coil is reversed, meaning it has changed. (The actual current direction is set according to the specific needs of the coil winding method.)

[0052] This dual-coil, non-self-sustaining electromagnet 400 operates very quickly, enabling rapid action even with a relatively simple structure, which is beneficial for the rapid breaking and closing of the auxiliary contact assembly 220.

[0053] Of course, if the breaking speed requirement is relatively low, a single-coil, non-self-sustaining type can also be used. Taking the single-coil, non-self-sustaining electromagnet 400 as an example, it is equivalent to the double-coil type without the frame 400c and coil 400b. When a closing action is required, coil 400d is energized (an external signal is given to coil 400d), causing the yoke 400e to generate an electromagnetic attraction on the armature 400a that is greater than the reaction force of the return spring, and the armature 400a moves to the closed position. When a closing action is required, coil 400d is de-energized (no external signal is given to coil 400d), causing the electromagnetic attraction to disappear, and under the reaction force of the return spring, the armature 400a returns to the open position.

[0054] Taking the self-supporting electromagnet 400 as an example, in addition to components such as the armature 400a, the yoke 400e, and the coil, it also includes a permanent magnet. By energizing the coil, the electromagnetic force on the armature 400a changes, thereby causing a change in position.

[0055] Regardless of the type of electromagnet 400, it can achieve the above-mentioned change of the auxiliary contact assembly 220 between the on and off states.

[0056] This structure, in which the main contact assembly 210 is controlled by the operating mechanism 300 and the auxiliary contact assembly 220 is controlled by the electromagnet 400, and the two are connected in series in the circuit and housed in the same housing 100, has the following effects: When there is a large fault current in the main circuit, the active contact 210a can be used to break the circuit; while in some low-load operation situations where low current needs to be interrupted, the electromagnet 400 can be used to control the auxiliary contact 220a to break the circuit. Compared with traditional single-breaking circuit breakers, this type of circuit breaker is more suitable for the requirements of certain specific situations and has a longer service life.

[0057] The auxiliary contact assembly 220, the main contact assembly 210, and the electromagnet 400 are integrated into the same housing 100. Unlike the existing technology that splices contactors and circuit breakers, this structure has a higher space utilization rate, and the overall size of the resulting product is smaller than the superposition of two different switching devices.

[0058] The auxiliary contact assembly 220 and the main contact assembly 210 belong to the same main line conductor 200. This main line conductor 200 only needs a pair of terminals to be connected to the external wires. Compared with the existing technology of splicing the contactor and the circuit breaker, the contact resistance is smaller (the reason for the large contact resistance in the existing technology is that the existing splicing method requires a conductor to be connected between the terminals on the circuit breaker side and the terminals on the contactor side. This additional wiring will increase the contact resistance, and if the wiring is done, it may not only lead to a larger contact resistance).

[0059] Regarding arc extinguishing, the arc in the main contact assembly 210 is extinguished by the main arc-extinguishing chambers 200a. The number of main arc-extinguishing chambers 200a corresponds to the number of breaks in the main contact assembly 210, and they are located near the breaks, specifically at the mating points of the active contact 210a and the main stationary contact 210b. This structure significantly improves the arc-extinguishing performance of the main contact assembly 210.

[0060] The arc of the auxiliary contact assembly 220 is extinguished by the auxiliary arc extinguishing chamber 200b. The number of auxiliary arc extinguishing chambers 200b is also adapted to the number of breaks in the auxiliary contact assembly 220, and they are set near the breaks, that is, at the mating position of the auxiliary moving contact 220a and the auxiliary stationary contact 220b, to extinguish the arc generated when the auxiliary moving contact 220a and the auxiliary stationary contact 220b separate.

[0061] This dual-contact assembly and dual-arc extinguishing structure greatly improve the breaking performance of each phase main line conductor 200.

[0062] Here, the auxiliary contact assembly 220 can be in the form of a single break or a double break, similar to (see the main contact assembly 210 for the case).

[0063] For each phase main conductor 200, along the first dimension F1, that is, the length direction of the circuit breaker, both the main contact assembly 210 and the auxiliary contact assembly 220 are located between the first terminal 230 and the second terminal 240. The first terminal 230 and the second terminal 240 are used to connect to external lines, one for connecting the load and the other for connecting the power supply. This arrangement along the first dimension F1 facilitates a compact design for the main contact assembly 210 and the auxiliary contact assembly 220.

[0064] Of course, the main line conductor 200 here can be a main line conductor 200 including the protection mechanism 250, or a main line conductor 200 without the protection mechanism 250. Taking a main line conductor 200 including the protection mechanism 250 as an example... In the first dimension F1, that is, in the length direction of the circuit breaker, the main contact assembly 210 is located on the second side of the first terminal 230, the protection mechanism 250 is located on the second side of the main contact assembly 210, the auxiliary contact assembly 220 is located on the second side of the protection mechanism 250, and the second terminal 240 is located on the second side of the auxiliary contact assembly 220.

[0065] This design uses only two terminals (terminal 230 and terminal 240) for wiring, which reduces at least one wiring structure (the connection between two switches) compared to the existing structure formed by splicing multiple switches. This greatly reduces contact resistance, lowers product temperature rise, and improves electrical performance.

[0066] Here, the protection mechanism 250 is used to implement overcurrent protection. This overcurrent protection can be a single overload protection (e.g., the protection mechanism 250 only has a bimetallic strip and a conductive busbar 250a), a single short-circuit protection (e.g., the protection mechanism 250 only has a conductive busbar 250a and an electromagnetic trip unit), or it can have both overload and short-circuit protection (e.g., the protection mechanism 250 has a bimetallic strip, a conductive busbar 250a, and an electromagnetic trip unit). In this embodiment, it has both overload and short-circuit protection. At the same time, the conductive busbar 250a and the auxiliary stationary contact 220b are formed by bending the same conductor. This structure can make the structure of the main line conductor 200 more streamlined, further reduce the number of soldering points, minimize contact resistance, and reduce the temperature rise of the main line conductor 200. Meanwhile, the auxiliary stationary contact 220b adopts a U-shaped structure, which is conducive to the auxiliary stationary contact 220b and the auxiliary moving contact 220a generating current in opposite directions. The electric repulsion force (Lorentz force) generated by the fault current can be used to make the auxiliary stationary contact 220b and the auxiliary moving contact 220a quickly repel each other, thereby improving the breaking effect.

[0067] Whether the main conductor 200 includes the protection mechanism 250 or not, the gas generated near the auxiliary contact assembly 220 flows out from the housing 100 near the second terminal 240. Specifically, the housing 100 includes a second terminal space 100a, an auxiliary contact assembly space 100b, an exhaust channel 100c, and an exhaust port 100d. The second terminal 240 is located in the second terminal space 100a, and the auxiliary contact assembly 220 is located in the auxiliary contact assembly space 100b. The exhaust channel 100c connects the exhaust port 100d and the auxiliary contact assembly space 100b. In the third dimension F3, that is, in the height direction of the circuit breaker, the exhaust port 100d and the exhaust channel 100c are located below the second terminal space 100a. Of course, here, the exhaust channel 100c may only be partially located below the second terminal space 100a. The exhaust structure allows the gas generated at the auxiliary contact assembly 220 to be discharged through the exhaust port 100d, which not only improves the breaking performance of the circuit breaker, but also, the relative position of the exhaust structure and the second terminal space 100a contributes to a more compact overall product design.

[0068] Here, the auxiliary contact 220a moves in a rotating manner, meaning it rotates around a central point. The armature 400a is in a sliding configuration. The armature 400a and the auxiliary contact 220a form a crank-slider mechanism. This mechanism effectively converts the sliding motion of the armature 400a into the rotation of the auxiliary contact 220a, resulting in a very simple transmission structure. Furthermore, the rotating configuration of the auxiliary contact 220a allows for a larger breaking distance within a confined space, making it suitable for products requiring both high breaking performance and compact size.

[0069] Regarding the specific motion structure of the auxiliary contact assembly 220, the auxiliary contact 220a is rotatably arranged around the pin 220d. The electromagnet 400 has a bracket 400h that moves synchronously with the armature 400a. The bracket 400h and the auxiliary contact 220a (eccentric position) are connected by a connecting rod 400i. The bracket 400h, the connecting rod 400i, and the auxiliary contact 220a together form a crank-slider mechanism, which can achieve a large breaking distance in a narrow space.

[0070] Here, the pin 220d can be directly rotatably mounted on the base 110, or it can be mounted on a separate bracket. For the structure with a separate bracket, the housing 100 also includes a first bracket 130, which is at least partially located within the base 110. The pin 220d is mounted on the first bracket 130, allowing the auxiliary contact 220a to be rotatably mounted on the first bracket 130. This arrangement of the first bracket 130 and the auxiliary contact 220a allows the auxiliary contact 220a to be modularly installed in the base 110, improving assembly efficiency, which is even more pronounced in multi-phase circuit breakers.

[0071] Here, a limiting structure exists between the auxiliary contact 220a and the first support 130. This limiting structure is a shaft-hole fit structure that restricts the movement orientation of the auxiliary contact 220a. Specifically, the first support 130 has an arc-shaped through hole 130a that conforms to the movement trajectory of the auxiliary contact 220a. The auxiliary contact 220a has a limiting pin 220e that extends into the arc-shaped through hole 130a, and the limiting pin 220e is limited by the two end walls of the arc-shaped through hole 130a. This limiting structure effectively ensures that the auxiliary contact 220a moves along a suitable trajectory, limits the maximum movement distance of the auxiliary contact 220a, and indirectly improves the stability of the transmission between the auxiliary contact 220a and the electromagnet 400.

[0072] Here, the electromagnet 400 can be either directly mounted on the base 110 or mounted on an independent bracket. In the case of an independent bracket, the electromagnet 400 is partially mounted on the first bracket 130. This arrangement of the first bracket 130 and the electromagnet 400 makes the installation of the electromagnet 400 more convenient.

[0073] Although the moving contact and electromagnet 400 mentioned above are both mounted on the first bracket 130, in reality, the bracket of electromagnet 400 and the bracket of moving contact can be non-integral parts, and the two can be two completely independent components.

[0074] For the auxiliary contact assembly 220, the movement speed of the auxiliary contact 220a can be increased by setting an auxiliary spring 220c. Here, the auxiliary spring 220c has a critical state (commonly known as a dead point), which is the state with the largest deformation. Moreover, this critical state occurs during the movement of the auxiliary contact 220a, which includes both opening and closing processes. In either process, the auxiliary contact 220a will first transition towards the critical state. Only after passing the critical state will the auxiliary spring 220c recover at least a certain amount of deformation to accelerate the movement of the auxiliary contact 220a, achieving rapid breaking or rapid closing. There are many choices for such an auxiliary spring 220c; a tension spring is used here, but torsion springs, compression springs, etc., can also be used.

[0075] The design of this auxiliary spring 220c greatly improves the breaking capacity and closing speed of the auxiliary contact assembly 220, which is beneficial to improving the electrical performance of the product.

[0076] Of course, in addition to its quick opening and closing effect, the auxiliary spring 220c also serves to increase the contact pressure. That is, when the auxiliary moving contact 220a contacts the auxiliary stationary contact 220b, the auxiliary spring 220c does not fully recover its deformation, but still retains a certain amount of deformation. This provides contact pressure, making the contact between the auxiliary moving contact 220a and the auxiliary stationary contact 220b more stable.

[0077] The auxiliary spring 220c mentioned above can have both the functions of quick opening and closing and providing contact pressure, or it can have only one of them.

[0078] There are many ways to give signals to the circuit breaker electromagnet 400 above. For example, it can be given manually through a device that communicates with the circuit breaker, or it can be given spontaneously by the power supply system connected to the circuit breaker (when the internal requirements for connecting and closing the auxiliary contact assembly 220 are met).

[0079] like Figure 8As shown, a power supply system includes a circuit breaker and a controller 500. The circuit breaker is connected between the power supply end and the load end, serving as a protective switch. The controller 500 is electrically connected to an electromagnet 400. The controller 500 can send signals to the electromagnet 400 according to the actual situation, causing the electromagnet 400 to perform a releasing or attracting action.

[0080] Although the above only illustrates the structure of one phase main line conductor 200 and the relationship between the auxiliary contact assembly 220 and the electromagnet 400 of that phase main line conductor 200, other phase main line conductors 200 can refer to this phase main line conductor 200. Furthermore, although the example is of a three-phase main line conductor 200, it also applies to single-phase, two-phase, and even four-phase main line conductor 200 structures.

[0081] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0082] Although embodiments of this application have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting this application. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of this application.

Claims

1. A circuit breaker, characterized in that, Includes an outer casing, and inside the outer casing is... At least one main line conductor, each main line conductor including a main contact assembly and an auxiliary contact assembly connected in series in the circuit; The main contact assembly includes an active contact and at least one main stationary contact; The auxiliary contact assembly includes an auxiliary moving contact and at least one auxiliary stationary contact; The operating mechanism, associated with the active contact, is used to control the connection and separation of the active contact and the main stationary contact; An electromagnet, associated with an auxiliary moving contact, is used to control the connection and disconnection of the auxiliary moving contact and the auxiliary stationary contact.

2. A circuit breaker according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a main arc-extinguishing chamber, which is located at the mating position of the active contact and the main stationary contact, and is used to extinguish the electric arc generated when the active contact and the main stationary contact separate. And / or, it also includes an auxiliary arc-extinguishing chamber, which is arranged at the mating position of the auxiliary moving contact and the auxiliary stationary contact, for extinguishing the arc generated when the auxiliary moving contact and the auxiliary stationary contact separate.

3. A circuit breaker according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each phase main line conductor also includes a first terminal and a second terminal, which are used to connect to an external line; in the first dimension, the main contact assembly and the auxiliary contact assembly are both located between the first terminal and the second terminal; Alternatively, it may also include a first terminal, a second terminal, and a protection mechanism. The protection mechanism triggers an operating mechanism when an overcurrent occurs in the line, so that the operating mechanism performs a tripping operation. In the first dimension, the main contact assembly is located on the second side of the first terminal, the protection mechanism is located on the second side of the main contact assembly, the auxiliary contact assembly is located on the second side of the protection mechanism, and the second terminal is located on the second side of the auxiliary contact assembly.

4. A circuit breaker according to claim 3, characterized in that: The housing has a second terminal space, an auxiliary contact assembly space, an exhaust channel, and an exhaust port. The exhaust port is connected to the auxiliary contact assembly space through the exhaust channel. In the third dimension, the exhaust port and at least part of the exhaust channel are located below the second terminal space.

5. A circuit breaker according to claim 1, characterized in that: The auxiliary contact moves by rotation, while the armature of the electromagnet moves by sliding. The armature and the auxiliary contact form a crank-slider mechanism, so that the sliding of the armature is converted into the rotation of the auxiliary contact.

6. A circuit breaker according to claim 5, characterized in that: It also includes an auxiliary spring, which is connected to the auxiliary moving contact. The auxiliary spring has a critical state, at which time the deformation of the auxiliary spring is the largest. The auxiliary moving contact will pass through the critical state during the process of contacting the auxiliary stationary contact and during the process of separating the auxiliary moving contact from the auxiliary stationary contact. After passing the critical state, the auxiliary spring accelerates the movement of the auxiliary moving contact. And / or, it also includes an auxiliary spring, which deforms to provide contact pressure to the auxiliary moving contact when the auxiliary moving contact contacts the auxiliary stationary contact.

7. A circuit breaker according to claim 5, characterized in that: The electromagnet includes a bracket, which is fixed to the armature and moves synchronously with the armature; The auxiliary contact is connected to the bracket via a connecting rod to form a crank-slider mechanism.

8. A circuit breaker according to claim 5, characterized in that: The housing includes a base and a first bracket, an auxiliary stationary contact is disposed in the base, the first bracket is at least partially located in the base, and an auxiliary moving contact is rotatably disposed on the first bracket; And / or, the housing includes a base and a first support, the first support being at least partially located in the base, and a limiting structure exists between the auxiliary contact and the first support, the limiting structure restricting the range of motion of the auxiliary contact; And / or, the housing includes a base and a first support, the first support being at least partially located in the base, and the electromagnet being at least partially disposed in the first support.

9. A circuit breaker according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electromagnet includes a magnetic yoke, coil one, coil two, and a slidingly mounted armature. Coil one is mounted on the armature and moves with it, while coil two is mounted on the magnetic yoke. An auxiliary moving contact is associated with the armature. When the electromagnet is engaged, the auxiliary moving contact contacts the auxiliary stationary contact. When the electromagnet is released, the auxiliary moving contact separates from the auxiliary stationary contact, thus achieving connection and separation. During the engagement and release actions of the electromagnet, the current direction of one of the coils (coil one and coil two) remains unchanged, while the current direction of the other coil is exactly opposite.

10. A power supply system, comprising a controller, characterized in that: It also includes a circuit breaker as described in any one of claims 1-9, wherein the controller is electrically connected to the electromagnet and is used to control the operating state of the electromagnet.

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