Mode switching assembly for circuit breaker and circuit breaker equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a mode switching assembly for a circuit breaker and circuit breaker equipment. The mode switching assembly includes: a housing mounted to a surface cover of the circuit breaker and spaced apart from the surface cover to form a space between the housing and the surface cover, the housing having a first opening and a second opening; a dial rotatably mounted to the housing, rotatable in the same direction among a first position, a second position, and a third position, the dial having a hole; a padlock member mounted to the housing through the second opening and configured to be translatable between a retracted position in which the dial at least partially covers the first opening and the second opening, and an extended position in which the dial at least partially covers the second opening, the aperture of the dial exposing the first opening, in the first position of the dial, the dial at least partially covers the first opening, and the hole of the dial exposes the second opening, thereby allowing the padlock member to be exposed to the outside of the housing for padlock.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to mode switching components and circuit breaker devices for circuit breakers. Background Technology

[0002] Circuit breaker padlocks are used when customers need to disconnect the power to the system during electrical and equipment maintenance to ensure the safety of operators. Padding the circuit breaker after it has tripped prevents it from being reconnected, thus maximizing the safety of operators.

[0003] Generally, the padlock structure of a live-operated circuit breaker switches between automatic, manual, and padlock modes via a sliding device. In applications requiring sealing and waterproofing, a sealing cover needs to be installed to meet the waterproofing requirements. This increases costs and also causes inconvenience in emergency tripping operations, as the sealing cover must be opened. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To overcome the above problems, this application provides a mode switching assembly for a circuit breaker, which is mounted on the front cover of the circuit breaker to switch the circuit breaker between automatic mode, manual mode, and padlock mode. The mode switching assembly includes:

[0005] The housing, mounted to the front cover of the circuit breaker, includes a front wall spaced apart from the front cover to form a space between the front wall and the front cover, the front wall having a first opening and a second opening for inserting a manual operating handle of the circuit breaker;

[0006] A dial, rotatably mounted to the front wall, is configured to rotate between a first position, a second position, and a third position, the second position being between the first and third positions, and the dial has a hole;

[0007] A padlock, mounted to the housing through a second opening, is configured to translate between a retracted position and an extended position. In the retracted position, the padlock is located within the space; in the extended position, the padlock extends through the second opening to expose the exterior of the housing.

[0008] In the first position of the dial, the dial at least partially covers the first and second openings, thus putting the circuit breaker in automatic mode.

[0009] In the second position of the dial, the dial at least partially covers the second opening, and the hole in the dial exposes the first opening, thereby allowing the manual operating handle to be inserted into the first opening, thus putting the circuit breaker into manual mode.

[0010] In the third position of the dial, the dial at least partially covers the first opening, and the hole of the dial exposes the second opening, thereby allowing the padlock to be exposed to the outside of the housing for padlocking, so that the circuit breaker is in padlock mode.

[0011] Advantageously, the mode switching assembly further includes a first seal fitted onto a drive shaft having a receiving hole for receiving a manual operating handle, such that in a second position of the dial, the manual operating handle can be inserted into the receiving hole of the drive shaft to manually operate the circuit breaker.

[0012] The drive shaft extends from inside the cover into the space such that a first seal is positioned radially between the drive shaft and an internal structure within the space, the internal structure extending inward from the inner surface of the front wall to surround the drive shaft.

[0013] Advantageously, the front wall also includes a shaft hole into which the rotating shaft of the dial is rotatably inserted, and the housing also includes a protrusion extending outward from the front wall to surround the shaft hole.

[0014] The mode switching assembly also includes a second seal disposed between the rotating shaft and the protrusion in the radial direction of the rotating shaft.

[0015] Advantageously, it also includes a third seal that fits onto the outer surface of the front wall, the third seal having orifices corresponding to the first opening, the second opening, and the protrusion, respectively.

[0016] Advantageously, it also includes:

[0017] A micro switch is disposed within the space and is electrically connected to the operating mechanism of the circuit breaker;

[0018] A stopper is disposed within the space and fixedly connected to the rotating shaft of the dial, enabling it to rotate together with the dial when it rotates.

[0019] In the first position of the dial, the tripping blocking element does not trigger the micro switch; in the second position of the dial, the tripping blocking element triggers the micro switch, thereby electrically preventing the operation of the circuit breaker's operating mechanism.

[0020] Advantageously, the drive shaft is fixed to a mounting plate having a radial portion extending radially from the drive shaft and a circumferential portion extending circumferentially around the drive shaft.

[0021] In the third position of the dial, when the drive shaft is in the open position, a portion of the open blocking member abuts against the radial portion, thereby preventing the drive shaft from rotating toward the closed position.

[0022] Advantageously, in the second position of the dial, when the circuit breaker is in the closed state, as the dial rotates from the second position to the third position, the circumferential portion is on the rotation path of that part of the tripping stop member, so that the circumferential portion abuts against that part of the tripping stop member, thereby preventing the dial from rotating to the third position.

[0023] Advantageously, the front wall has an indicator hole, and the third seal has a transparent portion aligned with the indicator hole.

[0024] The transparent portion is configured to make a part of the circuit breaker's indicator visible to the user, so as to show the user the closed or open status of the circuit breaker.

[0025] The indicator is mounted on the drive shaft and can rotate with the drive shaft.

[0026] Advantageously, it also includes a fastener disposed within the space, the fastener being configured to engage the padlock to prevent the padlock from completely disengaging from the second opening.

[0027] Advantageously, the padlock has an elastic biasing portion configured to apply a biasing force toward an extended position of the padlock, such that, in a third position of the dial, the biasing force causes a portion of the padlock to protrude outside the housing.

[0028] This application also provides a circuit breaker device that includes a circuit breaker and a mode switching component as described above. Attached Figure Description

[0029] The above and other features and advantages of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way, wherein:

[0030] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a circuit breaker device according to this application is shown.

[0031] Figure 2 An exploded view of a circuit breaker device according to this application is shown.

[0032] Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of a portion of the mode switching component according to this application is shown.

[0033] Figure 4 This shows a top view of the circuit breaker device, which is in automatic mode with the dial in the first position.

[0034] Figure 5 Showing for Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the mode switching component's dial, tripping stop, and micro switch.

[0035] Figure 6 This shows a top view of the circuit breaker device, which is in manual mode with the dial in the second position.

[0036] Figure 7 Showing for Figure 6A schematic diagram of the mode switching component's dial, tripping stop, and micro switch.

[0037] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the mode switching component, with the dial in the second position.

[0038] Figure 9 A cross-sectional view of a portion of the mode switching component is shown, with the dial in the third position and the padlock in the retracted position.

[0039] Figure 10 A cross-sectional view of a portion of the mode switching assembly is shown, with the dial in the third position and the padlock in the extended position.

[0040] Figure 11 Showing the corresponding Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the mode switching component's dial, tripping stop, and drive shaft.

[0041] Figure 12 The diagram shows the dial, tripping stop, and drive shaft of the mode switching assembly when the circuit breaker is in the closed state and the dial is rotated from the second position to the third position by a certain angle.

[0042] Figure 13 Showing the corresponding Figure 12 A partial top view of the mode switching component. Detailed Implementation

[0043] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this disclosure clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings represent the same components. It should be noted that the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this disclosure. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the described embodiments of this disclosure without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0044] Compared to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, feasible embodiments within the scope of this disclosure may have fewer components, other components not shown in the drawings, different components, components arranged differently, or components with different connections, etc. Furthermore, two or more components in the drawings may be implemented in a single component, or a single component shown in the drawings may be implemented as multiple separate components.

[0045] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used herein shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms “first,” “second,” and similar terms used in this patent application specification and claims do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Where the number of components is not specified, the number of components may be one or more; similarly, terms such as “a,” “the,” and “described” do not necessarily indicate a quantity limitation. Terms such as “comprising” or “including” mean that the element or object preceding the word encompasses the element or object listed following the word and its equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Terms such as “upper,” “lower,” “left,” and “right” are used only to indicate relative orientations when the equipment is in use or as shown in the accompanying drawings; these relative orientations may change accordingly when the absolute position of the described object changes.

[0046] Figure 1 A perspective view of a circuit breaker device according to this application is shown. The circuit breaker device includes a circuit breaker 2 and a mode switching assembly 1 mounted to the circuit breaker. The mode switching assembly includes a housing 11 mounted to a panel 21 of the circuit breaker. The housing 11 includes a front wall spaced apart from the panel to form a space between the front wall and the panel for receiving components or parts thereof of the mode switching assembly.

[0047] The mode switching component 1 is configured to switch the circuit breaker's operating mode between automatic, manual, and padlock modes. In automatic mode, the circuit breaker is operated by the electric operating mechanism. In manual mode, the circuit breaker is operated by the manual operating handle. In padlock mode, the circuit breaker cannot be closed.

[0048] See Figure 2 The front wall of the housing 11 has a first opening 111 for inserting the manual operating handle 3 of the circuit breaker and a second opening 112 for inserting a padlock 12, which is translatable between a retracted position and an extended position. In the retracted position, the padlock is located in the space, and in the extended position, the padlock can extend through the second opening to be exposed to the outside of the housing.

[0049] The fastener 121 is disposed within the space inside the housing and configured to abut against the padlock 12 to prevent the padlock from completely disengaging from the second opening, while allowing the padlock to translate.

[0050] The manual operating handle 3 is inserted into the first opening 111 and engages with the drive shaft 22 of the circuit breaker. The drive shaft has a receiving hole 221 for receiving the manual operating handle (e.g., ...). Figure 3 This allows the manual operating handle to operate the drive shaft, thereby manually operating the circuit breaker.

[0051] The mode switching assembly also includes a dial 13, rotatably mounted to the housing, configured to rotate in the same direction between a first position, a second position, and a third position, with the second position between the first and third positions. The dial 13 has a hole 131. A rotational shaft 132 of the dial 13 is inserted into a shaft hole 113 in the housing, the rotational shaft 132 being offset from the geometric center of the dial 13. In the first position, the dial at least partially covers the first opening 111 and the second opening 112, placing the circuit breaker in automatic mode. In the second position, the dial at least partially covers the second opening 112, and the hole 131 of the dial exposes the first opening 111, allowing a manual operating handle to be inserted into the first opening 111, placing the circuit breaker in manual mode. In the third position, the dial at least partially covers the first opening 111, and the hole 131 of the dial exposes the second opening 112, allowing a padlock 12 to be exposed outside the housing for padlocking, placing the circuit breaker in padlock mode.

[0052] like Figure 3 As shown, the mode switching assembly also includes a first seal 14, which is fitted onto a drive shaft 22 that extends from inside the cover into a space within the housing, such that the first seal 14 is positioned radially between the drive shaft 22 and an internal structure 114 within the space, the internal structure 114 extending inward from the inner surface of the housing to surround the drive shaft 22.

[0053] Around the shaft bore 113, the housing includes a protrusion 115 extending outward from the outer surface of the front wall to surround the shaft bore 113. The mode switching assembly also includes a second seal 15 disposed radially between the rotating shaft 132 and the protrusion 115, such as... Figure 3 As shown.

[0054] The mode switching assembly also includes a third seal 16, which is fitted onto the outer surface of the front wall. The third seal 16 has orifices corresponding to the first opening, the second opening, and the protrusion, respectively. Figure 2 As shown.

[0055] The mode switching assembly also includes a microswitch 17, which is disposed within the housing. The microswitch 17 is electrically connected to the circuit breaker's operating mechanism, allowing the circuit breaker's operating mechanism to operate the circuit breaker when not triggered, and prohibiting the circuit breaker's operating mechanism from operating the circuit breaker when triggered. A tripping stop 18 is disposed within the housing and fixedly connected to the rotating shaft of the dial 13, allowing it to rotate together with the dial when it rotates.

[0056] In the first position of the dial, such as Figure 4 and 5As shown, the tripping blocking component 18 does not trigger the micro switch 17. At this time, the circuit breaker is in automatic mode, and the electric operating mechanism operates the circuit breaker to open and close.

[0057] After the dial is rotated from the first position to the second position, as Figure 6 , 7 As shown, the tripping stop 18 triggers a microswitch, thereby electrically preventing the operation of the circuit breaker's operating mechanism. At this time, the manual operating handle is inserted into the drive shaft to manually operate the circuit breaker's opening and closing. Figure 8 A partial cross-sectional view of the dial in the second position is shown. The dial 13 at least partially obstructs the second opening, thereby preventing the padlock 12 from translating outside the housing.

[0058] After the dial is rotated from the second position to the third position, as Figure 9 , 11 As shown in Figure 12, the dial hole 131 exposes a second opening, allowing the padlock 12 to be translated outside the housing, i.e., translated from the retracted position to... Figure 10 and 11 The extended position is shown. The padlock 12 has a resilient biasing portion 122 configured to apply a biasing force toward the extended position of the padlock, such that in the third position of the dial, this biasing force causes a portion of the padlock to protrude outside the housing, as shown. Figure 9 As shown. This allows the padlock to be easily moved to the extended position for padlocking.

[0059] In particular, such as Figure 11 As shown, the drive shaft is fixed on a mounting plate 24. The mounting plate includes a radial portion 241 extending in the radial direction of the drive shaft and a circumferential portion 242 extending around the drive shaft. In the third position of the dial, when the drive shaft is in the open position, a portion of the open blocking member 18 abuts against the radial portion, thereby preventing the drive shaft from rotating toward the closed position.

[0060] like Figure 12 and 13 As shown, in the second position of the dial, after manually operating the circuit breaker to the closed state, i.e., after the drive shaft rotates to the closed position, when the dial is rotated a certain angle from the second position to the third position, a portion of the closing blocking member abuts against the circumferential portion, thus preventing further rotation; that is, the dial cannot rotate to the third position. In other words, the arc-shaped outer surface of the bent plate is located on the rotation path of that portion of the opening blocking member 18 as the dial rotates from the second position to the third position, causing the circumferential portion to abut against that portion of the opening blocking member when the dial rotates from the second position to the third position, thereby preventing the dial from rotating to the third position.

[0061] At this point, the dial is essentially rotated to a position between the second and third positions, at least partially obstructing the padlock 12, preventing it from moving to the extended position. Therefore, padlocking is not possible when the circuit breaker is closed, but only when the circuit breaker is open.

[0062] The housing 11 has an indicator hole 116, and the third seal 16 has a transparent portion 161 aligned with the indicator hole 116. This transparent portion is configured to make the indicator 23 of the circuit breaker visible to the user, indicating the closed or open state of the circuit breaker. The indicator 23 is mounted on the drive shaft 22 and can rotate with the drive shaft. Specifically, the indicator 23 is fixedly mounted to the base plate of the drive shaft 22, surrounding the drive shaft 22. When the drive shaft 22 rotates to the open position, a portion of the indicator 23 is visible to the user through the transparent portion, allowing the user to understand that the circuit breaker is in the open state based on a predetermined principle. When the drive shaft 22 rotates to the closed position, another portion of the indicator 23 is visible to the user through the transparent portion, allowing the user to understand that the circuit breaker is in the closed state based on a predetermined principle.

[0063] Although the present invention has been described in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings with reference to various embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that the above embodiments are merely preferred embodiments, and some technical features in the embodiments may not be necessary for solving specific technical problems, so these technical features may be omitted or omitted without affecting the solution of the technical problem or the formation of the technical solution; moreover, the features, elements and / or functions of one embodiment may be appropriately combined, combined or coordinated with the features, elements and / or functions of one or more other embodiments, unless such combination, combination or coordination is obviously not feasible.

Claims

1. A mode switching assembly for a circuit breaker, the mode switching assembly being mounted to the front cover of the circuit breaker to switch the circuit breaker between automatic mode, manual mode and padlock mode, characterized in that, The mode switching component includes: The housing, mounted to the front cover of the circuit breaker, includes a front wall spaced apart from the front cover to form a space between the front wall and the front cover, the front wall having a first opening and a second opening for inserting a manual operating handle of the circuit breaker; A dial, rotatably mounted to the front wall, is configured to rotate between a first position, a second position, and a third position, the second position being between the first and third positions, and the dial has a hole; A padlock, mounted to the housing through a second opening, is configured to translate between a retracted position and an extended position. In the retracted position, the padlock is located within the space; in the extended position, the padlock extends through the second opening to expose the exterior of the housing. In the first position of the dial, the dial at least partially covers the first and second openings, thus putting the circuit breaker in automatic mode. In the second position of the dial, the dial at least partially covers the second opening, and the dial's hole exposes the first opening, thereby allowing the manual operating handle to be inserted into the first opening, thus putting the circuit breaker into manual mode. In the third position of the dial, the dial at least partially covers the first opening, and the hole of the dial exposes the second opening, thereby allowing the padlock to be exposed to the outside of the housing for padlocking, so that the circuit breaker is in padlock mode.

2. The mode switching component as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The mode switching assembly further includes a first seal fitted onto a drive shaft having a receiving hole for receiving a manual operating handle, such that in the second position of the dial, the manual operating handle can be inserted into the receiving hole of the drive shaft to manually operate the circuit breaker. The drive shaft extends from inside the cover into the space such that a first seal is positioned radially between the drive shaft and an internal structure within the space, the internal structure extending inward from the inner surface of the front wall to surround the drive shaft.

3. The mode switching component as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The front wall also includes a shaft hole into which the rotating shaft of the dial can be rotatably inserted, and the housing also includes a protrusion extending outward from the front wall to surround the shaft hole. The mode switching assembly also includes a second seal disposed between the rotating shaft and the protrusion in the radial direction of the rotating shaft.

4. The mode switching component as described in claim 3, characterized in that, It also includes a third seal that fits onto the outer surface of the front wall and has orifices corresponding to the first opening, the second opening, and the protrusion, respectively.

5. The mode switching component as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A micro switch is disposed within the space and is electrically connected to the operating mechanism of the circuit breaker; A stopper is disposed within the space and fixedly connected to the rotating shaft of the dial, enabling it to rotate together with the dial when it rotates. In the first position of the dial, the tripping blocking element does not trigger the micro switch; in the second position of the dial, the tripping blocking element triggers the micro switch, thereby electrically preventing the operation of the circuit breaker's operating mechanism.

6. The mode switching component as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The drive shaft is fixed to a mounting plate, which has a radial portion extending radially from the drive shaft and a circumferential portion extending circumferentially around the drive shaft. In the third position of the dial, when the drive shaft is in the open position, a portion of the open blocking member abuts against the radial portion, thereby preventing the drive shaft from rotating toward the closed position.

7. The mode switching component as described in claim 6, characterized in that, In the second position of the dial, when the circuit breaker is in the closed state, as the dial rotates from the second position to the third position, the circumferential part is on the rotation path of that part of the tripping blocking member, so that the circumferential part will abut against that part of the tripping blocking member, thereby preventing the dial from rotating to the third position.

8. The mode switching component as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The front wall has an indicator hole, and the third seal has a transparent portion aligned with the indicator hole. The transparent portion is configured to make a part of the circuit breaker's indicator visible to the user, so as to show the user the closed or open status of the circuit breaker. The indicator is mounted on the drive shaft and can rotate with the drive shaft.

9. The mode switching component as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a fastener disposed within the space, the fastener being configured to engage the padlock to prevent the padlock from completely disengaging from the second opening.

10. The mode switching component as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The padlock has an elastic biasing portion configured to apply a biasing force toward an extended position of the padlock, such that, in a third position of the dial, the biasing force causes a portion of the padlock to protrude outside the housing.

11. A circuit breaker device, characterized in that, The circuit breaker device includes a circuit breaker and a mode switching component as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10.

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