An electrical breaking device provided in an arc-extinguishing chamber, a molded case circuit breaker using the device, an assembly method of the arc-extinguishing chamber, and an assembly method of the circuit breaker

Abstract

An electrical breaking device for use in combination with an arc chamber comprising a housing, a plurality of metal plates, a cover slidably fastened in a front opening, and a fixed terminal arranged on a lower wall, the fixed terminal comprising a second end portion provided with a fixed contact on a side facing an upper wall inside the housing of the arc chamber, the contact support portion extending from the second end portion to the vicinity of a first terminal coupling portion, and wherein the fixed contact is fixed to an end portion of the terminal coupling closest to an arc guide made of a magnetic material on a side of the contact support portion facing the lower wall. A molded case circuit breaker employing the arc chamber is also disclosed, the circuit breaker comprising a movable contact extending partially into the arc chamber.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the technical field of switches and operating devices for circuit protection, and more specifically, relates to an arc-extinguishing chamber for a low-voltage molded case circuit breaker operated by an operating handle, wherein the arc-extinguishing chamber is housed within the main housing of the circuit breaker, and wherein, in addition to the arc-extinguishing chamber and the arc-extinguishing system, the circuit breaker also includes a rotating contact system, and preferably includes a thermomagnetic trip unit or an electronic trip unit, which is capable of establishing and interrupting current conduction in the power supply network. Background Technology

[0002] As is known in the art, molded case circuit breakers can operate based on thermal, magnetic, thermomagnetic, or even electronic principles, through the movement of electrical contacts, and are particularly useful for protecting circuits affected by short circuits and / or electrical overloads caused by current levels exceeding preset rated limits. The molded case circuit breaker operates by connecting to the power supply terminals and load terminals of the power supply network to be protected.

[0003] Circuit breakers operate essentially like electrical switches, meaning they change the conductivity of a circuit between an "on" and an "off" state. In addition to automatic operation to protect the circuit, conventional circuit breakers also include user-operated on / off control levers.

[0004] Circuit breakers are designed to have a rated short-circuit breaking capacity that specifies the theoretical maximum current. The circuit breaker is designed and tested to repeatedly and safely withstand this theoretical maximum current without compromising its physical function, operational capability, or integrity. For example, if the short-circuit current increases from 20kA to 100kA at a rated voltage of 415V, the circuit breaker needs to meet or exceed stringent standards published in standards such as IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) and UL (Underwriters Laboratories), which address mechanical strength, dielectric strength, and other performance requirements related to any temperature rise. For instance, defects in the housing construction that expose components to the external environment are unacceptable.

[0005] To enable circuit breakers to withstand higher breaking currents, a common practice is to increase the size of their electrical components (such as contacts) and structural components (housing) to cope with the higher levels of force and internal stress generated during current breaking. This, in turn, increases the overall size of the circuit breaker. However, increasing the overall size of the circuit breaker is undesirable in space-constrained installation environments or when deviating from existing commercial standards. In these cases, the preferred solution is to improve the design so that the circuit breaker can perform breaking at higher breaking currents while complying with relevant standards, without increasing its physical housing size.

[0006] Typically, during the intense millisecond-level duration of a short-circuit fault, the gas and particles ablated from the components must be vented through the circuit breaker's exhaust outlet and guided to the outside and away from the housing.

[0007] One technique for limiting cyclic energy is to incorporate arc-extinguishing structures, such as conductive plates arranged with air gaps between them, commonly known as arc-extinguishing grids. The passage of an electric arc through these structures helps to extinguish it, thereby limiting the breaking of short-circuit currents and the corresponding current peaks.

[0008] It is also known in the prior art that significant forces exist in the region near the arc-extinguishing chamber, and these forces must be supported to minimize damage to the casing during contact opening operations and short-circuit current release. These factors are decisive for achieving the desired breaking capacity and are typically certified to ensure the safe operation of the circuit breaker.

[0009] To address this, existing technologies have proposed various constructions related to the housing. One commonly mentioned approach distributes the fixed contact system and the moving contact system within the circuit breaker housing, which is constructed of a single housing wall; that is, only one structural wall is included between the operating components and the exterior of the circuit breaker.

[0010] Conventional single-walled circuit breakers, as known to those skilled in the art, have a fixed contact system and a moving contact system, which are mounted side-by-side and directly distributed within the volume of the housing. Typically, the fixed contacts are directly supported on a base, while the moving contacts are supported on a contact support that guides the opening and closing of the moving contacts. An arc-extinguishing chamber is mounted separately from the contact system and positioned above the fixed contacts, and can partially receive the moving contacts. In the prior art, when it is desirable to increase the robustness of the circuit breaker housing so that it can withstand higher rated breaking capacity, a double-housing construction is employed, including a separate box-type breaking housing for each pole of the breaking current path. This box-type breaking housing may include at least power supply terminals and load terminals, with a fixed and moving breaking contact system between them, and also includes an additional housing surrounding the box-type housing.

[0011] For example, the use of a housing in a three-pole circuit breaker involves other key operating and functional components, such as operating handles typically having on / off / tripped positions. The housing usually has a separate housing for each individual pole and an outer housing surrounding the housing, providing structural advantages in the switching device through the double enclosure of the housing as known in the art. Furthermore, this technology allows for the modularity of the circuit breaker's poles, making it versatile in terms of component management.

[0012] Compared to circuit breakers with double-walled enclosures, single-walled circuit breakers also have a significant cost difference. This is because the double-walled construction naturally increases the proportional width of the device, which goes against the desired size and cost control, as it inevitably requires more structural material.

[0013] It is known that there are housings containing integrated arc-extinguishing chambers, or, in single-wall circuit breakers, the arc-extinguishing chamber can be directly installed inside it.

[0014] In the prior art of single-wall circuit breakers, it is recognized that during testing, when the arc-extinguishing chamber is directly distributed inside the single-wall circuit breaker, a high-speed repulsion effect of the arc-extinguishing chamber may occur. This effect has lateral guiding components and upward components, thereby damaging the casing and making it impossible to improve the breaking capacity in this configuration. This is due to the nature of the construction, where, on the one hand, the circuit breaker base supports against the wall or bottom, and on the other hand, the cover containing fastening devices at the top may often exhibit potential structural weaknesses caused by these repulsive forces, which can be observed during breaking tests.

[0015] Therefore, there is a need to improve the breaking capacity performance of molded case circuit breakers that primarily use single-walled housing types and facilitate their assembly, forming more robust components in these circuit breakers, similar to box-type molded case circuit breakers, and improving the structural reinforcement contained only in the arc-extinguishing chamber, around the fixed and moving contacts, while at a lower cost.

[0016] Alternatively, several more robust arc-extinguishing chamber designs have been known in double-walled housing constructions; however, these designs fail to provide an arc-extinguishing chamber that is simple enough for high current ranges, reducing the need for a housing construction that includes a contact system, forming a double-walled structure. Since the arc-extinguishing chamber region is known to be the most destructive area for the force components generated by the arc, reducing this need saves materials.

[0017] Existing technology description Prior art patent EP2024983 describes an electrical switching device and assembly method disposed in a breaking chamber pole, including a fixed and moving contact arrangement installed in a simple manner. This patent proposes that the fixed contact support portion forms a retaining opening, and the arc-guiding device is in the form of an insertable element that can snap into the retaining opening in the fixed contact support portion. In this prior art solution, it can be observed that a terminal busbar is assembled near the arc-extinguishing grid in the arc-extinguishing chamber housing. The busbar is inserted to close the grid opening perpendicular to the arc-extinguishing chamber.

[0018] Patent JPS63118150U discloses an arc-extinguishing chamber with a circuit breaker structure, teaching how to prevent arc gas pressure from being directly applied to the surrounding housing. The arc-extinguishing chamber is configured to extinguish the arc generated when the fixed and moving contacts separate from each other, and has an escape channel that guides the arc gas generated during short-circuit breaking to an escape opening. The escape channel is typically formed by a molded groove or a hollow tube. The patent teaches that when the escape channel is formed by a molded groove, greater strength is required due to the arc gas pressure, which leads to the problem that the thickness of the molded groove must be increased. It can be observed that the arc-extinguishing chamber is formed from a magnetic material body, grid plates, and an exhaust plate, and also includes adjacent conductive terminals disposed at the bottom of the arc-extinguishing chamber. These components are assembled in a recess of one pole of the circuit breaker to form the arc-extinguishing chamber assembly. Furthermore, the patent describes how to sufficiently prolong the arc by using guides, grid plates, and an exhaust plate as channels within the arc-extinguishing chamber, thereby increasing the arc voltage and thus improving arc-extinguishing performance.

[0019] Furthermore, prior art patent US5589672A describes an arc-extinguishing device for a circuit breaker made of molded insulating housing material, comprising a moving contact support positioned adjacent to and capable of contacting the fixed contact. The insulating structure includes a pair of opposing sidewalls and multiple slots into which plates are laterally inserted for vertical stacking during circuit breaker assembly. It can be observed that the "U"-shaped configuration of the fixed contact facilitates the introduction of a portion of the fixed contact area into the interior of the insulating arc-extinguishing device. It is understood that the fixed contact is designed in a "U" shape at the bottom of the insulating structure, intended to align it towards the gas outlet near the "V"-shaped arc-extinguishing grid.

[0020] In another example of the arc-extinguishing chamber construction, prior art patent JP09171762A similarly describes a "U"-shaped fixed contact mounted at the bottom of an insulating structure and a moving contact terminal capable of rotating relative to each other. The housing of the arc-extinguishing chamber partially accommodates the moving contact support through an opening formed on the side facing the rotation center of the contact system, and has a cover on the opposite side for venting arc gas. It can be observed that the housing and the arc gas venting cover are shown fitting into a slot in one pole of the circuit breaker.

[0021] Patent BR112014029579 describes a circuit breaker capable of achieving a high current breaking capacity, employing a housing where each pole contains a breaking module (casing type). It teaches the use of adhesives or similar materials between the half-shells of the casing type as a barrier against gases and contaminants that could otherwise damage internal components. The patent also teaches that a bottom gas outlet is detrimental to the circuit breaker's breaking capacity.

[0022] Patent EP1247285A2 teaches an arc-extinguishing chamber for a low-voltage circuit breaker that can be easily assembled inside the poles of the circuit breaker without complicated assembly steps, has high reliability, is easy to manufacture, and has a parallelepiped shape structure formed by multiple grids, including at least one opening at the top and one opening at the top, which is specially designed to reduce costs.

[0023] However, the main problem with the existing technology lies in the construction of individual wall circuit breakers, in which the arc-extinguishing chamber inserted into the poles of the circuit breaker is not robust enough to withstand the stress generated by a short circuit; or it can be recognized that there is still room for improvement in the structural robustness of the arc-extinguishing chamber area used for the breaking device, including simplifying the construction, i.e. avoiding the use of a more complex and expensive housing containing a contact system.

[0024] There are still possibilities for improving the structural reinforcement scheme in the arc-extinguishing chamber area to achieve an economically feasible and simpler construction. Summary of the Invention

[0025] One of the objectives of this invention is to provide a device for supporting electrical disconnection disposed in an arc-extinguishing chamber, the device including at least one fixed contact installed inside the arc-extinguishing chamber, thereby providing robustness and efficiency to the device.

[0026] Another object of the present invention is to provide an arc-extinguishing chamber that is not removable during the production process, so as to improve productivity, quality and logistics benefits.

[0027] Another object of the present invention is to provide a robust arc-extinguishing chamber that can withstand higher internal pressures during arc-extinguishing operations following an electrical contact disconnection event in a disconnecting device.

[0028] Another object of the present invention is to reduce the force component generated by the gas flow toward the base of the molded case circuit breaker housing, so that the thrust generated by the gas released by the instantaneous dissipation of energy is directed only to the gas outlet orifice during the opening of the electrical contacts under the action of the circuit breaker or other arc extinguishing device.

[0029] Another additional object of the present invention is to provide a molded case circuit breaker having a simple arc-extinguishing chamber, which is of the construction type that is housed in a recess of the current path pole of a circuit breaker having a single housing.

[0030] Another object of the present invention is to use a double-walled structure only in the construction of the arc-extinguishing chamber housing to provide superior arc-extinguishing capability compared to conventional low-cost arc-extinguishing chambers, avoiding the so-called box-type disconnecting system (which includes an internal complete system of fixed and moving contacts) that incorporates an electrical contact system.

[0031] One of the objectives of this invention is to completely seal the lower part of the arc-extinguishing chamber.

[0032] Another object of the present invention is to provide an arc-extinguishing chamber cover, the assembly direction of which is preferably orthogonal to the gas discharge flow direction relative to the orifice of the gas discharge cover.

[0033] Another object of the present invention is to completely seal the upper part of the arc-extinguishing chamber.

[0034] Another object of the present invention is to form a structurally reinforced closed double-walled conduit aligned with the current path of the circuit breaker only in the arc-extinguishing chamber region.

[0035] These objectives are preferably achieved by an electrical switching device disposed in the arc-extinguishing chamber, the electrical switching device comprising: A molded housing in the shape of a parallelepiped has two side walls, a front opening, a rear wall including an orifice, a lower wall, and an upper wall. The side walls include a plurality of spaced-apart slots on their inner surfaces and at the front opening to receive metal plates separated from each other by exchange spaces. At least one fixed terminal includes a contact support portion that receives a fixed contact disposed in an internal region of the housing; At least one moving contact is located on the moving contact arm of a contact system of at least one current path pole. The moving contact enters the front opening of the housing and extends partially into the housing to open or close the current path together with the fixed contact. Including the cover for the gas vent; The housing includes, internally, a second end of a fixing terminal that is introduced into a groove adjacent to the lower wall through a front opening; and The cover is slidably disposed on at least one pair of guide rails on the side wall to close the front opening of the housing in an orthogonal manner relative to the fixed terminals.

[0036] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the upper wall of the housing may include at least one opening for guiding the cover to be slidably fastened to the housing of the arc-extinguishing chamber, and includes at least one opening groove extending longitudinally from the at least one opening to the front opening of the housing.

[0037] Furthermore, according to a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a cover having at least one longitudinal protrusion corresponding to at least one orifice and at least one opening groove near the front opening of the housing of the arc-extinguishing chamber; the cover also includes a gas discharge orifice for discharging gas generated by an electric arc formed inside the housing of the arc-extinguishing chamber.

[0038] In addition, each sidewall of the cover includes at least one guide rail that extends longitudinally on the sidewall of the housing of the arc-extinguishing chamber to guide the cover to slide on the housing, thereby closing its front opening.

[0039] The fastening between the cover and the housing together forms the arc-extinguishing chamber. This fastening can be constructed using assembly techniques involving friction and pressure between components, and can also be fixed by thermal welding or by using adhesives with similar effects. In addition to the advantages of the present invention, the fastening of the arc-extinguishing chamber cover can often be supplemented, for example, by a cover of the circuit breaker main housing, which prevents the arc-extinguishing chamber cover from being removed and may include or exclude reinforcing ribs orthogonally positioned relative to the flow direction of the gas outlet channels created when the fixed and moving contacts are opened, these gas outlet channels being specifically positioned toward the gas outlet orifice in this manner.

[0040] The present invention also provides a molded case circuit breaker, comprising an electrical switching device disposed in an arc-extinguishing chamber, wherein a first terminal connection end is fixed at a first end of the circuit breaker and includes a fixed contact support; the circuit breaker further comprises a movable contact having a movable contact arm passing through an opening in the rear wall and extending into the housing of the arc-extinguishing chamber, wherein the movable contact arm of the contact system includes a pivot support fixed to the housing base (not shown) of the circuit breaker, thereby allowing the movable contact arm to rotate alternately between a closed position and an open position relative to the fixed contact.

[0041] Furthermore, according to the invention, the gas discharge port faces and is connected to an external exchange space for a gas outlet present in the housing of the circuit breaker, wherein the exchange space is located near a portion of the first terminal connection end in the circuit breaker.

[0042] The circuit breaker according to the invention includes at least one cover disposed above the cover of the arc-extinguishing chamber housing, providing final assembly fixation between the cover and the housing of the arc-extinguishing chamber to enhance resistance to removal or deformation of the cover in the assembly, and more importantly, at the moment of current interruption, at which time the force generated by the disconnection of the electrical contacts in the arc-extinguishing device acts suddenly and strongly, as previously known to those skilled in the art.

[0043] The circuit breaker according to the invention includes a recess in other operating components, the recess receiving an electrical switching device, a fixed contact support and a moving contact system disposed in the arc-extinguishing chamber, which helps to suppress deformation caused by the aforementioned forces, particularly in the area near the arc-extinguishing chamber.

[0044] The objectives and advantages of the present invention will become clearer from the following detailed description of the embodiments and accompanying drawings. The embodiments and accompanying drawings do not limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Attached Figure Description

[0045] Figure 1 A top perspective view of a molded case circuit breaker according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0046] Figure 2A longitudinal sectional view of a molded case circuit breaker according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown, along with the indication of detail "A".

[0047] Figure 3 A longitudinal sectional view of a molded case circuit breaker according to the prior art is shown.

[0048] Figure 4 A top perspective view of a molded case circuit breaker without a cover, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, is shown.

[0049] Figure 5 Another top perspective view of a molded case circuit breaker without a cover and without one of the arc-extinguishing chambers according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown, showing a recess of one of the current-breaking path poles of the circuit breaker.

[0050] Figure 6 An exploded view of a component assembly disposed in an arc-extinguishing chamber according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown, as well as the order in which the cover, fixed terminal, fixed contact and arc-extinguishing plate are inserted into the housing.

[0051] Figure 7 The assembled arc-extinguishing chamber is shown.

[0052] Figure 8 A cross-sectional longitudinal perspective view of an electrical switching device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown, which is partially disposed in an arc-extinguishing chamber and installed in a circuit breaker in an assembly configuration. Detailed Implementation

[0053] Although the present invention may be implemented in different ways, the following detailed description illustrates preferred embodiments. It should be understood that this specification should be regarded as an exemplary illustration of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to what is described and shown.

[0054] Figure 1 The molded case circuit breaker (10) according to the invention is shown in top perspective, comprising a base (10C) and a cover (100), at least one fastener (101), and further including an operating handle (10D), a first end (10A) and a second end (10B) for power or load connections opposite each other, and an indication of a cutting plane “XY” containing the broken current path poles (10H). Figure 2 (This is better shown in cross-section).

[0055] Figure 2A molded case circuit breaker (10) is shown in the longitudinal section plane “XY”, comprising a first end (10A) and a second end (10B) opposite each other for power supply or load connection, longitudinally positioned on a base (10C). It also includes an on / off operating handle (10D), a cover (100), and a tripping mechanism (10E) for an electrical contact system (10F) for current interruption. Furthermore, the circuit breaker (10) includes a recess (15) (in…) Figure 5 The electrical contact system (10F) shown more clearly in the figure includes a moving contact (90) disposed on a moving contact arm (91), the moving contact (90) passing through an opening (91A) in the base (10C) and through a front opening (31) in the rear wall (32), partially extending into the housing (30) of the arc-extinguishing chamber (20), and it can be seen that the housing (30) includes a lower wall (33) and an upper wall (34). The first terminal connection end (81) of the fixed terminal (80) is fixed to the first end (10A) for power supply or load electrical connection by fasteners (86) such as screws or the like, and includes a fixed contact support (83) for receiving the fixed contact (84), and in other embodiments may include other components such as braided wire (not shown), and a second end (10B) for power supply or load connection, thereby forming the current path pole (10H) of the circuit breaker (10) (see figure). Figure 1 ).

[0056] The electrical contact system (10F), together with the moving contact (90), also includes a pivot support (92) which is pivotally supported and integrated with the electrical contact system (10F), which is pivotally supported in the base (10C) (not shown) of the circuit breaker (10), thereby allowing the moving contact arm (91) to alternate between a closed position and an open position relative to the fixed contact (84) of the fixed contact support (83). Furthermore, according to the invention, the indication of detail “A” is subsequently given in… Figure 8 As shown in the image.

[0057] exist Figure 3 In, it can be similar to Figure 2 Another prior art circuit breaker (10') is seen in the longitudinal cross-sectional plane "XY". In the "XY" section, the first fixed terminal (80') of the current path pole (10H') can be seen, wherein the fixed terminal (80') is fixed at a first end (10A') for power or load connection, including a fixed contact support (83') with an arc guide (85') and a fixed contact (84'), and may include other components such as braided wire (not shown), and a second end (10B') for power or load connection, thus forming a circuit breaker similar to... Figure 1The current breaking path of the circuit breaker (10) seen in the diagram is a pole. Furthermore, the circuit breaker (10') includes a recess (15') (similar to...). Figure 5 The electrical contact system (10F') in the recess 15) seen in the circuit breaker (10') includes a moving contact (90') disposed on a moving contact arm (91') that extends directly into the recess (15') of the housing (11') of the circuit breaker (10') (formed by the base 10C' and the cover 100') through the opening (91A') of the base (10C') and partially into the arc-extinguishing chamber (20'), where a fixed terminal (80') can be seen directly disposed below the housing (30'), which has an opening (21') at its lower part that is directly disposed above the inner wall (10D') of the base (10C') of the circuit breaker (10').

[0058] according to Figure 4 The diagram shows a top perspective view of a molded case circuit breaker (10) without a cover (100) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, which includes a first end (10A) and a second end (10B) opposite each other for power or load connection, and further includes a tripping mechanism (10E) for a current breaking contact system (10F), and a recess (15) provided in the base (10C). Figure 5 (shown more clearly in the image) The arc-extinguishing chamber (20) inside, the base (10C) together with the cover (100) form the housing (11) of the circuit breaker (10).

[0059] according to Figure 5 The diagram shows a top perspective view of a circuit breaker (10) without a cover (100) according to the invention, which includes a recess (15) associated with the arrangement of the breaking members of at least one current path pole (10H), wherein an arc-extinguishing chamber (20) is also provided, and the moving contact arm (91) includes a moving contact (90) having an end (93) away from the electrical contact system (10F).

[0060] In addition, according to Figure 5 The circuit breaker (10) includes a cover (100) (see Figure 1 The housing (16) of at least one fastener (101).

[0061] according to Figure 6An exploded perspective view shows an arc-extinguishing chamber (20), which includes a shell (30) that is primarily parallelepiped in shape. The shell includes two closed sidewalls (30a, 30b), a front opening (31), a rear wall (32), a closed lower wall (33), and a closed upper wall (34), which define a portion of the shell (30) of the arc-extinguishing chamber (20). The sidewalls (30a, 30b), on their inner surfaces located at the front opening (31), include, as an exemplary embodiment only, a plurality of parallel spaced slots (35) on the sidewalls (30a, 30b). Furthermore, according to… Figure 6 The arc-extinguishing chamber (20) also includes a plurality of metal plates (40), which are separated from each other by an exchange space (41) and disposed in a plurality of slots (35), and further include positioning slots (36) for fixing terminals (80). The slots are preferably arranged longitudinally relative to each other with respect to the side walls (30a, 30b), or in other embodiments, the slots may be arranged at an angle relative to the lower wall (33), for example, if not parallel, at least to allow the metal plates (40) to be assembled through the front opening (31). Figure 6 It is also shown that the housing (30) also includes an orifice (50) in the upper wall (34) connected to an opening slot (51), wherein the opening slot (51) extends longitudinally from the orifice (50) to the front opening (31).

[0062] In addition, according to Figure 6 It can be seen that each sidewall (30a, 30b) may preferably include at least one guide rail (60) extending longitudinally on the sidewall (30a, 30b). In this sense, the presence of the orifice (50), the opening slot (51), and at least one guide rail (60) assists in the assembly and fixation of the cover (70), which is slidably fitted into the front opening (31), such that these elements serve as guides for the sliding of the cover (70) on the housing (30). Further according to Figure 6The arc-extinguishing chamber (20) also includes a fixed terminal (80) disposed on the lower wall (33). The fixed terminal (80) includes a first terminal connection end (81), which is disposed outside the housing (30) after assembly. A second end (82) of the fixed terminal (80) is disposed toward the rear wall (32) of the housing (30), and a fixed contact support (83) extends from the second end (82) of the fixed terminal (80) into the housing (30). The second end (82) and the fixed contact support (83) are disposed inside the housing (30) after assembly. The fixed contact support (83) extends from the second end (82) to the vicinity of the first terminal connection end (81). Furthermore, the fixed contact support (83) has a fixed contact (84) on the side of its upper wall (34) facing the housing (30), and the fixed contact (84) is preferably fixed to an arc guide (85) of magnetic material at the end closest to the first terminal connection end (81), and the arc guide (85) is provided on the side of the fixed contact support (83) facing the lower wall (33) of the housing (30).

[0063] Therefore, according to Figure 6 To ensure proper mounting of the cover (70) onto the housing (30), in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cover (70) includes a preferably centrally located longitudinal protrusion (71) that slides and is positioned within an orifice (50) and an opening slot (51). Furthermore, the cover (70) includes at least one longitudinal protrusion (72) on each side, which is slidably mounted to allow the cover (70) to be secured to at least one guide rail (60) on the sidewalls (30a, 30b) of the housing (30). In other embodiments, the housing (30) may include two or more guide rails on each sidewall (30a, 30b), and the cover (70) may include two or more longitudinal protrusions (72) on each side. Final mounting is achieved when the lower surface (75) of the cover (70) is able to contact the stop surface (37) of the housing (30). In an alternative embodiment, an additional closure may also be provided, wherein the surface (76) of the cover (70) is able to contact the surface (38) of the housing (30).

[0064] In addition, according to Figure 6 The cover (70) includes gas vents (73) for venting gases generated during the formation of an electric arc inside the housing (30). These gas vents (73) face and are connected to the external gas outlet exchange space (74) (see...). Figure 8 The external gas outlet exchange space exists near the first end (10A) of the circuit breaker (10) and close to the first terminal connection end (81).

[0065] exist Figure 7In the top perspective view, the assembled arc-extinguishing chamber (20) can be seen, including the second end (82) and the fixed contact support (83) (see...). Figure 6 The portion of the arc-extinguishing chamber (20) that is not visible is introduced into the interior of the arc-extinguishing chamber (20), leaving only the first terminal connection end (81) of the fixed terminal (80) outside. In the upper part of the assembled arc-extinguishing chamber (20), the longitudinal protrusion (72) of the cover (70) can be observed to engage with the orifice (50) and opening slot (51) of the housing (30), thereby closing the entire upper wall (34), as well as the upper edge wall (77) of the cover (70).

[0066] according to Figure 8 The invention is shown Figure 2 The detail “A” mentioned above refers to a longitudinal section of the current path pole (10H) in the electrical disconnection device area located in the arc-extinguishing chamber (20), in which it can be seen that the circuit breaker (10) includes a cover (100), the cover including reinforcing ribs (100A) and a housing (100B) for at least one fastener (101), the fastener being fixed in the housing (16) of the base (10C) (see Figure 5 ), close to the gas outlet exchange space (74) and close to the first terminal connection end (81). In the direction of the current path pole (10H), only two possible gas outlet paths are provided from the arc-extinguishing chamber (20), namely identified as the gas discharge port (73) and the front opening (31), both of which are intentionally arranged longitudinally relative to the inner wall (10G) in the base (10C) of the circuit breaker (10) and the inner wall (100C) of the cover (100).

[0067] Operation of the present invention During the breaking operation of the circuit breaker (10), the electrical contact system (10F) moves via the tripping mechanism (10E) and through a predefined breaking tripping structure, causing the moving contact (90) to separate from the fixed contact (84), thereby initiating the formation of an electric arc, which is preferably dissipated through the arc-extinguishing chamber (20) of the circuit breaker (10).

[0068] In the arc-extinguishing chambers (20') known to date, defects in the construction of conventional circuit breaker housings (10') have been observed. Conventional circuit breaker housings mainly consist of only... Figure 3The single insulating wall formed by the single-wall base (10C') and cover (100') mentioned in the prior art, wherein the force involved during arc extinguishing starts from the area near the fixed contact (84') and the moving contact (90'), where the arc generated is then attracted by the arc guide (85') and the contact support (83') made of magnetic material to the exchange space (41') of the metal plate (40'), and then to the gas discharge port (73'), which is then frontally connected to the external exchange space (74') of the circuit breaker (10') for gas outlet. In this configuration, the fixed terminal (80') contacts the interior of the prior art arc-extinguishing chamber (20') through the lower opening (21'), and the fixed contact (84') engages through the lower opening. Therefore, there is a possibility that a high-force shock wave will act directly on the base (10C'), which may cause damage or even generate a force component that can push the arc-extinguishing chamber (20') from the recess (15') toward the cover (100') because the arc-extinguishing chamber (20') is not specifically anchored.

[0069] The present invention addresses the structural robustness deficiencies found in the prior art in an unexpected or unforeseen manner, providing an arc-extinguishing chamber (20) that is more resistant to being pushed out of the base (10C) and to deformation caused by an electric arc, wherein the arc-extinguishing chamber (20) comprises a parallelepiped housing (30) including a groove (36) adjacent to the lower wall (33), which allows for pre-assembly of the arc-extinguishing chamber assembly (20) and secure positioning of the fixing terminal (80) therein.

[0070] This positioning allows for increased mechanical strength through the mounting position of the fixed terminal (80) within the mounting groove (36) in the housing (30), thereby completely capturing the range of the second end (82) of the fixed terminal (80) within the groove (36) of the housing (30) of the arc-extinguishing chamber (20), thus improving the fixing mechanical strength of the fixed terminal (80). Unlike known prior art, since the first terminal connection end (81) of the fixed terminal (80) is fixed to the first end (10A) of the base (10C) of the circuit breaker (10) by fasteners (86), the arc-extinguishing chamber (20) together with the fixed terminal (80) is securely fastened to the base (10C) of the circuit breaker (10).

[0071] In addition, a preferred embodiment incorporates an orthogonal mounting position of the cover (70) on the housing (30) so that the fixing terminal (80) is captured after assembly.

[0072] When this preferred embodiment is used for a circuit breaker (10) including a cover (100), the circuit breaker includes the inner wall (100C) of the cover (100) and the upper wall (34) of the trapped arc-extinguishing chamber (20) in the upper part, and the lower wall (33) of the arc-extinguishing chamber (20) and the wall (10G) of the base (10C) of the circuit breaker (10) in the lower part, together forming a double-walled conduit aligned with the current path (10H).

[0073] The aforementioned upper double-walled conduit includes the upper wall (34) of the arc-extinguishing chamber (20), which is located near the inner wall (100C) of the cover (100) of the circuit breaker (10). The aforementioned lower double-walled conduit includes the lower wall (33) of the arc-extinguishing chamber (20), which is located near the wall (10G) of the base (10C) of the circuit breaker (10).

[0074] according to Figure 2 and Figure 8 As can be seen, the cover (100) of the circuit breaker (10) is positioned above the cover (70) of the arc-extinguishing chamber (20) and the upper wall (34) of the housing (30). The cover (100) may preferably include ribs (100A) that reinforce the final assembly and fixation between the cover (70) and the housing (30), and, by means of at least one fastener (101) connecting the cover (100) and the base (10C), prevent the cover (70) of the arc-extinguishing chamber (20) from undesirable movement, deformation, or removal during the impact force caused by the expansion of arc gas generated when the contacts (84, 90) of the circuit breaker (10) are disconnected. In other configurations, the cover (100) may have its inner wall (100C) directly supported on the upper surface of the cover (70), thus providing a similar technical barrier effect. To ensure additional fixation between the cover (70) and the housing (30), the cover (70) and the housing (30) may also be fixed to each other by thermal welding, adhesive, or another similar chemical locking method. In the case of ribs (100A) present in the aforementioned selected embodiments, these ribs are expected to coincide with the upper edge wall (77) or longitudinal protrusion (71) of the cover (70) to prevent the possibility of the arc-extinguishing chamber (20) opening.

[0075] Unlike the teachings of the prior art, which state that the fixed contact terminal (80') is located outside the lower part of the arc-extinguishing chamber (20'), or that the fixed contact portion (84') is located inside it through an opening (21') that does not secure the arc-extinguishing chamber (20') to the fixed terminal (80'), thereby allowing gas to pass through the lower part of the arc-extinguishing chamber (20'), or even the upper part as in the prior art, the present invention presents a way to prevent these possible gas leaks in the lower part of the opening (21') and also in the upper part of the arc-extinguishing chamber, and also proposes a fixed terminal that is fixed to the base of the circuit breaker (10). In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a fixed terminal (80) is disposed and fixed within the housing (30) of the arc-extinguishing chamber (20), preferably by inserting the second end (82) of the fixed terminal (80) into a slot (36) adjacent to the lower wall (33), which allows for pre-assembly of the arc-extinguishing chamber assembly (20) and secure positioning of the fixed terminal (80) therein; the closed assembly may also include a cover (70), the orientation of which is substantially orthogonal to the fixed terminal (80) and the gas flow, and the first end (81) of the fixed terminal (80) is also supported on the base (10C) by fasteners (86). The closure of the cover (70) relative to the housing (30) is supported by a longitudinal protrusion (71) that is slidable toward the orifice (50) and the opening slot (51), thereby forming a robust assembly that can be slidably assembled by at least one guide rail (60).

[0076] Furthermore, the cover (70) with longitudinal protrusions (71) may be constructed with at least one longitudinal protrusion (72) to ensure the cover (70) is fixed on the housing (30), and the longitudinal protrusions (72) are preferably orthogonally positioned relative to the base (10C) or the exchange space (41). The longitudinal protrusions (72) of the cover (70) are configured to slide in the guide rails (60) to encircle the sidewalls (30a, 30b), so that even if the forces generated by the shock wave may deform the housing (30) and the cover (70) of the arc-extinguishing chamber (20), it can provide greater resistance to these deformations without failure because of the structured assembly fit. In this way, the present invention provides a device more resistant to the forces generated by the gas produced by the magnetic flux and the electric arc, which originate in the region near the fixed contact (84) and the moving contact (90) and, upon disconnection, are magnetically attracted by the arc guide (85) to the exchange space (41) of the metal plate (40), which draws the gas outlet flow to the gas discharge port (73) during the disconnection of the contacts (84, 90) in the arc-extinguishing chamber (20). Compared to the starting point when disconnection occurs near the fixed contact (84) and the moving contact (90), the displacement of the arc toward the metal plate (40) tends to exhibit increased flow velocity and decreased pressure as the gas gets closer to the gas discharge port (73), thereby forming a force component capable of generating a thrust that facilitates the discharge of the arc-extinguishing chamber (20) toward the cover (100). Furthermore, in this invention, any portion of the flow that may move to the lower part of the arc-extinguishing chamber (20) is blocked by a preferably closed lower wall (33), which is a result of the additional structural concept of the invention, thereby achieving greater flow control. Similarly, at the upper part, the upper part of the arc-extinguishing chamber (20) is sealed relative to gas flow control by the upper wall (34) and supplemented by the cover (70).

[0077] Therefore, it is something to avoid the generated forces acting in a direction orthogonal to the current path (10H) and toward the cover (100), and the present invention achieves this, thereby proportionally reducing the higher cost of structural reinforcement, even achieving excellent results in arc extinguishing capacity of the arc extinguishing chamber (20), or even reducing the material cost in the circuit breaker (10) compared with known housings that incorporate contact systems such as (10F).

[0078] Existing technology indicates that published literature focuses on teaching components that improve the strength of the arc-extinguishing chamber, or alternatively, on improving the arc-extinguishing grid, arc cooling, or the strength performance of the arc-extinguishing chamber, but these teachings are isolated. Unlike other solutions, the present invention addresses the possibility of leakage of the arc gas flow generated in the arc-extinguishing chamber, which is produced by enormous energy and rapid shock waves, keeping its energy propagated beyond the structural boundaries of the current chamber, making it clearly perceptible.

[0079] Especially in the lower part of existing circuit breakers (10'), when the gas shock wave generated by the extinguishing of the arc near the fixed contact (84') and moving contact (90') is observed in the construction of the arc-extinguishing chamber (20'), it can be recognized that the construction of the present invention reduces the possibility of ejection effects, such as Figure 3 As can be seen in the prior art cross-section shown, the lower part of the arc-extinguishing chamber (20') is not fixed relative to the fixed terminal (80'), and an opening (21') can also be seen, at which the expanding gas can directly press the inner wall of the base (10D'), generating at least in the space between the fixed terminal (80') and the fixed contact support (83') a vertical force component that can push the arc-extinguishing chamber (20') mainly in the opposite direction to the base (10C').

[0080] The final assembly of the cover (100) may include additional ribs (100A) on the upper part of the circuit breaker (10), wherein the cover (100) is secured to the housing (16) of the base (10C) by at least one fastener (101) in the housing (100B), thereby forming the housing (11) of the present invention. In addition to securing the external insulation portion of the circuit breaker (10), this assembly also locks and provides additional strength to the fixed terminal (80), in a preferred configuration where the fixed terminal (80) is pre-assembled in a slot (36) in the housing (30) of the arc-extinguishing chamber (20), and the cover (70) is installed orthogonally to the direction of the current path (10H), thereby preventing removal and undesirable displacement of the fixed terminal (80) or the arc-extinguishing chamber (30).

[0081] Finally, it can be observed that this construction makes Figure 2 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 8The arc-extinguishing chamber (20) exhibits enhanced mechanical load-bearing capacity during arc extinction, while simultaneously increasing gas outlet velocity due to the volume reduction resulting from the proportional constraint of the double sealing layers, thereby preventing gas leakage in the lower and upper parts of the arc-extinguishing chamber (20). These gases are more effectively discharged through the gas outlet orifice (73) of the cover (70) and flow in a direction aligned with the breaking current path pole (10H) of the circuit breaker (10). This combination improves the hot gas outlet velocity from the arc-extinguishing chamber (20), a feature not found in the prior art, and enhances the service life and load-bearing capacity of the arc-extinguishing chamber (20) relative to the forces caused by magnetic flux and the shock waves generated by the arc within the housing (30). A small portion of gas may still return through the front opening (31), but this small portion is absorbed by the internal volume of the circuit breaker (10), which has a larger volumetric capacity. However, the gas return effect is considered to be significantly lower in proportion because the attraction generated by the plate (40) toward the exchange space (41) draws the gas toward the outlet flow direction of the gas discharge port (73), and because the front opening (31) has a smaller channel size and does not exert a peeling force on the top cover (100) as in the prior art.

[0082] In other embodiments, the housing (30) may include two or more orifices (50) or two or more opening slots (51), and may also have a plurality of spaced slots (35) configured to be non-parallel to each other. In another configuration, the upper wall (34) of the housing (30) may be implemented without any orifices, but instead has protrusions similar to longitudinal protrusions (71), and the orifices (50) are constructed in the wall of the cover (70). These should be considered as obvious to those skilled in the art and have similar structural effects. Another variant embodiment may, for example, construct a chamber similar to a groove (36) on the lower exterior of the housing (30) to accommodate a fixing terminal (80) fitted onto the exterior of the housing (30), but also reducing ejection effects; this embodiment should be considered to fall within the scope of the invention and have similar technical effects.

[0083] Therefore, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the arc-extinguishing chamber (20) may have at least one orifice (50) and at least one opening slot (51), which may be arranged in a similar manner in the housing (30) or cover (70), or other similar fitting devices.

[0084] Although the invention has been described with reference to certain preferred embodiments, it should be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to these specific embodiments. Rather, the invention is intended to cover all possible alternatives, modifications, and equivalents that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. An electrical disconnection device disposed in an arc-extinguishing chamber (20), comprising: A housing (30) molded in the shape of a parallelepiped has two side walls (30a, 30b), a front opening (31), a rear wall (32), a lower wall (33) and an upper wall (34). The side walls (30a, 30b) include a plurality of slots (35) spaced apart from each other on their inner surfaces and at the front opening (31) to receive metal plates (40) separated from each other by an exchange space (41). - At least one fixed terminal (80), the fixed terminal (80) including a contact support (83) receiving a fixed contact (84) inside the housing (30); - At least one moving contact (90) is located on the moving contact arm (91) of the electrical contact system (10F) of at least one current path pole (10H), the moving contact being positioned through the front opening (31) of the housing (30) and partially extending into the housing (30) to open or close the current path (10H) together with the fixed contact (84). The housing (30) is characterized in that it includes a second end (82) of the fixed terminal (80) inside, which is introduced into a groove (36) adjacent to the lower wall (33) through the front opening (31).

2. An electrical switching device disposed in an arc-extinguishing chamber (20), comprising: A housing (30) molded in the shape of a parallelepiped has two side walls (30a, 30b), a front opening (31), a rear wall (32), a lower wall (33) and an upper wall (34). The side walls (30a, 30b) include a plurality of slots (35) spaced apart from each other on their inner surfaces and at the front opening (31) to receive metal plates (40) separated from each other by an exchange space (41). - At least one fixed terminal (80), the fixed terminal (80) including a contact support (83) receiving a fixed contact (84) inside the housing (30); - At least one moving contact (90) is located on the moving contact arm (91) of the electrical contact system (10F) of at least one current path pole (10H), the moving contact being positioned through the front opening (31) of the housing (30) and partially extending into the housing (30) to open or close the current path (10H) together with the fixed contact (84). - A cover (70) including a gas vent (73); The cover (70) is characterized in that it is slidably positioned on at least one pair of guide rails (60) on the sidewalls (30a, 30b) to close the front opening (31) of the housing (30) and is orthogonal to the groove (36) of the housing (30).

3. The electrical switching device disposed in the arc-extinguishing chamber (20) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The arc-extinguishing chamber (20) has a closed lower wall (33).

4. The electrical switching device disposed in the arc-extinguishing chamber (20) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The arc-extinguishing chamber (20) has a closed upper wall (34).

5. The electrical switching device disposed in the arc-extinguishing chamber (20) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first terminal connection end (81) of the fixed terminal (80) is located on the outside of the housing (30).

6. The electrical switching device disposed in the arc-extinguishing chamber (20) according to claim 2, characterized in that, The upper wall (34) of the housing (30) includes at least one opening (50) for securing the cover (70).

7. The electrical switching device disposed in the arc-extinguishing chamber (20) according to claim 6, characterized in that, At least one opening groove (51) of the upper wall (34) extends longitudinally from the at least one orifice (50) to the front opening (31).

8. The electrical switching device disposed in the arc-extinguishing chamber (20) according to claim 6, characterized in that, The cover (70) has at least one longitudinal protrusion (71) corresponding to the at least one orifice (50).

9. The electrical switching device disposed in the arc-extinguishing chamber (20) according to claim 8, characterized in that, The cover (70) may have at least one longitudinal protrusion (71) corresponding to the at least one orifice (50) and accompanied by at least one opening groove (51).

10. The electrical switching device disposed in the arc-extinguishing chamber (20) according to claim 2, characterized in that, Each of the sidewalls (30a, 30b) includes at least one guide rail (60) extending longitudinally on the sidewall (30a, 30b) to allow for a sliding guide (72) for fitting the cover (70) onto the housing (30).

11. The electrical switching device disposed in the arc-extinguishing chamber (20) according to claim 2, characterized in that, The cover (70) has a gas discharge port (73) located in the area of ​​the front opening (31) of the housing (30).

12. The electrical switching device disposed in the arc-extinguishing chamber (20) according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that, The electric arc is formed by the energy dissipated instantaneously during the opening between the fixed contact (84) and the moving contact (90), and flows through a plurality of metal plates (40) separated from each other by an exchange space (41) and aligned with the current path (10H) of the circuit breaker (10).

13. The electrical switching device disposed in the arc-extinguishing chamber (20) according to claim 2, characterized in that, The fixing between the cover (70) and the housing (30) can be achieved by thermal welding.

14. An arc-extinguishing chamber, characterized in that, The arc-extinguishing chamber (20) includes a molded housing (30) having two side walls (30a, 30b), a front opening (31), a rear wall (32), a lower wall (33), and an upper wall (34). The side walls (30a, 30b) include a plurality of slots (35) on their inner surfaces and at the front opening (31) to receive metal plates (40) separated from each other by an exchange space (41). The housing (30) is characterized in that it includes, internally, a slot (36) adjacent to the lower wall (33) and a cover (70) slidably positioned in a guide rail (60) on the side walls (30a, 30b), the cover closing the front opening (31) of the housing (30) and being orthogonal to the lower wall (33).

15. A molded case circuit breaker, characterized in that, It includes an arc-extinguishing chamber (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first terminal connection end (81) of the fixed terminal (80) is fixed at the first end (10A) of the base (10C) of the circuit breaker (10) by a fastener (86).

16. The molded case circuit breaker according to claim 15, characterized in that, The gas discharge port (73) faces and is connected to the gas outlet exchange space (74) of the circuit breaker (10), which is close to the first terminal connection end (81).

17. The molded case circuit breaker according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that, The circuit breaker (10) includes a wall (10G) of a base (10C) that receives an arc-extinguishing chamber (20) including the housing (30) and a closing cover (70) and has a cover (100) located above the cover (70) to ensure final assembly fixation between the cover (70) and the housing (30) such that the cover (100) can prevent the cover (70) from being removed from the arc-extinguishing chamber (20).

18. The circuit breaker according to any one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that, The circuit breaker (10) includes a recess (15) in the current path pole (10H) for receiving the arc-extinguishing chamber (20).

19. A method for assembling the arc-extinguishing chamber as defined in claim 14, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: - Introduce multiple metal plates (40) into multiple slots (35) disposed in the housing (30) of the arc-extinguishing chamber (20); - The second end (82) of the fixed terminal (80) including the fixed contact (84) is introduced into the groove (36) of the housing (30) of the arc-extinguishing chamber (20); - Positioning includes a cap (70) comprising at least one longitudinal protrusion (71) that slides until it engages with at least one orifice (50); as well as - Push the prepositioned cover (70) until the lower surface (75) of the cover (70) contacts the stop surface (37) of the housing (30).

20. A method for installing an electrical switching device in a circuit breaker (10), characterized in that, Includes the following steps: - The arc-extinguishing chamber (20) formed by the method defined in claim 19 is introduced into the recess (15) formed in the base (10C) of the circuit breaker (10); - Assemble at least one end (93) away from the moving contact (90), the moving contact (90) being positioned on the moving contact arm (91) of the contact system (10F) of at least one current path pole (10H), the moving contact arm passing through the opening (91A) and entering the front opening (31) of the housing (30), partially extending into the housing (30) to open or close the current path (10H) together with the fixed contact (84). - Secure the first terminal connection end (81) of the fixed terminal (80) to the first end (10A) of the circuit breaker (10) using fasteners (86); and - The cover (100) is secured to the upper part of the circuit breaker (10) by at least one fastener (101) in the housing (16) of the housing (100B) and the base (10C), such that the cover (100) prevents the removal of the cover (70) and the arc-extinguishing chamber (20) housed in the recess (15) of the circuit breaker (10).

21. A method for assembling a circuit breaker, wherein the circuit breaker (10) According to claim 15, the method includes the following steps: - The arc-extinguishing chamber (20) formed by the method defined in claim 20 is introduced into the recess (15) formed in the base (10C) of the circuit breaker (10); - Secure the first terminal connection end (81) of the fixed terminal (80) to the first end (10A) of the circuit breaker (10) by means of fasteners (86); - The cover (100) is secured to the upper part of the circuit breaker (10) by at least one fastener (101) in the housing (16) of the housing (100B) and the base (10C), such that the cover (100) prevents the removal of the cover (70) and the arc-extinguishing chamber (20) housed in the recess (15) of the circuit breaker (10). Its features are: - The enclosed walls (34, 77), together with the inner wall (100C) of the cover (100) in the upper part and the lower wall (33) of the arc-extinguishing chamber (20), together with the wall (10G) of the base (10C) enclosed in the lower part of the circuit breaker (10), form a closed double-walled conduit aligned with the current path (10H).

Images