Circuit breaker

Abstract

The utility model relates to a circuit breaker. The circuit breaker includes: a housing; the handle is pivotally connected to the shell; the contact mechanism comprises a static contact in the shell and a moving contact capable of moving relative to the static contact; the operating mechanism is connected between the handle and the moving contact and can be controlled by the handle to drive the moving contact to be connected with the static contact and drive the moving contact to be separated from the static contact; and the contact bias pressure piece is constructed to be capable of applying bias pressure far away from the static contact to the moving contact, and the contact bias pressure piece stores energy during the closing period of the circuit breaker.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of circuit protection, in particular to a circuit breaker. Background Art

[0002] Circuit breakers are an important part of the power system. They can close, carry and disconnect current under normal circuit conditions, and can disconnect current within a specified time under abnormal circuit conditions (such as short circuit or overload), thereby effectively protecting other electrical appliances in the circuit.

[0003] How to improve the structure of circuit breakers to make them more compact and improve their performance has always been the focus of research in the industry. Utility Model Content

[0004] The utility model aims to provide a circuit breaker, which can at least solve some of the above technical problems.

[0005] According to one aspect of the utility model, a circuit breaker is provided, comprising: a housing; a handle pivotally connected to the housing; a contact mechanism comprising a stationary contact in the housing and a moving contact movable relative to the stationary contact; an operating mechanism connected between the handle and the moving contact and configured to be controlled by the handle to drive the moving contact to engage with the stationary contact, and to drive the moving contact to separate from the stationary contact; a contact biasing member configured to apply a biasing force to the moving contact away from the stationary contact, and the contact biasing member stores energy during the closing of the circuit breaker.

[0006] According to the circuit breaker provided by the solution, the number of required parts is small and the structure is simple and compact. In addition, the circuit breaker can realize rapid opening by means of the contact biasing member, thereby improving the response capability of the circuit breaker.

[0007] In some embodiments, the operating mechanism includes: a contact support rotatably connected to the housing, wherein the moving contact is connected to the contact support, and the contact biasing member abuts between the contact support and the housing; a lock pivotally connected to the contact support and connected to the handle; a release member pivotally connected to the housing, the release member being configured to be able to lock with the lock to keep the moving contact in a position engaged with the stationary contact, and to be able to disengage from the lock to allow the moving contact to be separated from the stationary contact.

[0008] In some embodiments, the contact support and the trip member are rotatable about the same axis.

[0009] In some embodiments, the contact support has a first slide groove, and a first pivot shaft that rotatably connects the contact support to the housing passes through the first slide groove and can move along the first slide groove.

[0010] In some embodiments, the housing has a window, the operating mechanism further comprises an indicator member pivotally connected to the housing and capable of selectively aligning the window at different positions, and the contact support is drivingly connected to the indicator member.

[0011] In some embodiments, the indicator member has a through hole and a second slide groove spaced apart, wherein a second pivot axis that pivotally connects the indicator member to the housing is passed through the through hole, and the contact support has a slide column that passes through the second slide groove and can move along the second slide groove.

[0012] In some embodiments, the lock buckle has two spaced-apart holes, a connecting rod is connected between one of the holes and the handle, and the contact support has a third pivot axis passing through the other hole.

[0013] In some embodiments, a stopper offset from a pivot axis of the lock is provided between the contact support and the lock, and the stopper is configured to abut against the lock during closing of the circuit breaker to limit rotation of the lock relative to the contact support.

[0014] In some embodiments, the handle is provided with a handle biasing member, which abuts between the handle and the operating mechanism and applies a biasing force to the handle to move it in the opening direction.

[0015] In some embodiments, the circuit breaker is further provided with a tripping mechanism arranged corresponding to the moving contact, and the tripping mechanism is configured to drive the moving contact to separate from the static contact in response to a preset current condition.

[0016] Some of the other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after reading this application, and the other parts will be described in the following specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0018] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the internal layout of a circuit breaker according to an embodiment of the utility model;

[0019] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an operating mechanism according to an embodiment of the utility model from one angle;

[0020] Figure 3 It is a color picture of the operating mechanism according to the embodiment of the utility model from one angle;

[0021] Figure 4is a schematic diagram of the operating mechanism according to an embodiment of the utility model from another angle;

[0022] Figure 5 is a color diagram of the operating mechanism according to the embodiment of the utility model from another angle;

[0023] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a contact support according to an embodiment of the utility model;

[0024] Figure 7 It is a color diagram of a contact support according to an embodiment of the utility model.

[0025] Description of reference numerals:

[0026] 1-circuit breaker; 2-housing; 21-first pivot axis; 23-window; 24-fourth pivot axis; 31-first terminal; 32-second terminal; 4-handle; 41-handle biasing member; 42-connecting rod; 5-operating mechanism; 51-contact support; 511-third pivot axis; 512-accommodating groove; 513-mounting column; 514-stopper; 515-first slide groove; 516-slide column; 52-contact biasing member; 53-locking buckle; 54-tripping member; 541-third slide groove; 55-indicating member; 551-through hole; 552-second slide groove; 553-first indicating part; 554-second indicating part; 6-contact mechanism; 61-static contact; 62-moving contact; 7-short circuit tripping mechanism; 8-overload tripping mechanism; 81-transmission member; 9-arc extinguishing mechanism DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Now, with reference to the accompanying drawings, a schematic scheme of the circuit breaker disclosed in the utility model is described in detail. Although the accompanying drawings are provided to present some embodiments of the utility model, the accompanying drawings do not have to be drawn according to the dimensions of the specific embodiments, and certain features may be enlarged, removed or partially cut to better illustrate and explain the disclosure of the utility model. Some components in the accompanying drawings can be adjusted in position according to actual needs without affecting the technical effect. The phrase "in the accompanying drawings" or similar terms appearing in the specification do not necessarily refer to all drawings or examples.

[0028] Certain directional terms used to describe the drawings below, such as "inside", "outside", "above", "below" and other directional terms, will be understood to have their normal meanings and refer to those directions involved when the drawings are normally viewed. Unless otherwise specified, the directional terms described in this specification are basically in accordance with the conventional directions understood by those skilled in the art.

[0029] The terms "first", "first", "second", "second" and the like used in the present invention do not indicate any order, quantity or importance, but are used to distinguish one component from other components.

[0030] Figure 1 A circuit breaker 1 according to an embodiment of the utility model is shown, and the circuit breaker 1 can be any miniature circuit breaker (MCB) requiring short-circuit protection, a residual current operated circuit breaker (RCBO) with overcurrent protection, and an MCB product used in combination with a residual current operated circuit breaker (RCD).

[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, the circuit breaker 1 includes a housing 2 defining an internal space for accommodating an operating mechanism 5, a contact mechanism 6, an arc extinguishing mechanism 9, a tripping mechanism, a circuit, and the like. Figure 1 The structure and layout inside the housing 2 are generally shown. As shown in the figure, the housing 2 is respectively installed with a first terminal 31 and a second terminal 32 at opposite ends. The operating mechanism 5, the contact mechanism 6, the arc extinguishing mechanism 9 and the opening mechanism are arranged between the first terminal 31 and the second terminal 32. The first terminal 31 is connected to the static contact 61 of the contact mechanism 6, and the second connection terminal 32 is connected to the moving contact 62 of the contact mechanism 6, and the moving contact 62 is rotatably installed in the internal space of the housing 2, so as to be able to engage with the static contact 61 to achieve closing, or separate from the static contact 61 to achieve opening. In this way, the circuit breaker 1 is connected to the circuit.

[0032] The handle 4 is pivotally connected to the housing 2 and is driven to the operating mechanism 5. By pivoting the handle 4, the operating mechanism 5 is driven to act, thereby pushing the moving contact 62 close to the stationary contact 61 and closing the switch, or pulling the moving contact 62 away from the stationary contact 61 and opening the switch.

[0033] like Figures 2 to 5 As shown in more detail, in the operating mechanism 5, the contact support 51 is pivotally mounted to the housing 2. In one embodiment, a first pivot shaft 21 is fixed to the inner wall of the housing 2, and the contact support 51 is formed with an opening. By inserting the first pivot shaft 21 of the housing 2 into the opening of the contact support 51, the contact support 51 can rotate relative to the housing 2. The moving contact 61 is mounted on the contact support 51 and can move with the contact support 51. The opening of the contact support 51 can be a hole, and when the first pivot shaft 21 is inserted into the hole, the contact support 51 can pivot relative to the housing 2. In another embodiment, as Figures 4 to 7 As shown, the opening of the contact support 51 is configured as a first slide slot 515, and the first pivot shaft 21 is disposed in the first slide slot 515 and can move along the first slide slot 515. Thus, the contact support 51 can also slide relative to the housing 2 when rotating relative to the housing 2.

[0034] The contact support 51 can drive the indicator 55 installed on the housing 2 to transmit to the outside the state information of whether the circuit breaker 1 is currently in the open or closed state. Corresponding to the indicator 55, the housing 2 is formed with a window 22. When the circuit breaker 1 is in different states, the indicator 55 is aligned with the window 22 at different positions to achieve information transmission. In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 2 is provided with a second pivot axis, and the indicator 55 has a through hole 551. By inserting the second pivot axis into the through hole 511, the indicator 55 can pivot relative to the housing 2. At a position spaced from the through hole 551, the indicator 55 is formed with a second slide groove 552, and the contact support 51 has a slide column 516 that can be inserted into the second slide groove 552 and move along the second slide groove 552. When the contact support 51 moves relative to the housing 2, the slide column 516 drives the indicator 55 to move around the second pivot axis, and aligns the first indicating portion 553 or the second indicating portion 554 of the indicator 55 with the window 23 of the housing 2. The first indicator 553 and the second indicator 554 can be arranged side by side, and indicate the closing state and the opening state of the circuit breaker 1 with different marks. The first indicator 553 and the second indicator 554 can select any suitable information carrying means. For example, in one embodiment, the first indicator 553 and the second indicator 554 are coated with different color coatings, wherein the first indicator 553 uses a green coating to represent the opening indication, and the second indicator 554 uses a red coating to represent the closing indication. In another embodiment, the first indicator and the second indicator are printed with words, for example, "open", "closed", or "OFF", "ON".

[0035] The lock catch 53 is pivotally connected to the contact support 51. In one embodiment, the contact support 51 is provided with a third pivot shaft 511, and the lock catch 53 has a through hole. By inserting the third pivot shaft 511 of the contact support 51 into the through hole of the lock catch 53, the lock catch 53 can rotate relative to the contact support 51. The lock catch 53 is provided with another through hole at a distance from the through hole through which the third pivot shaft 511 is inserted, for installing the connecting rod 42, and the connecting rod 42 is also connected to the handle 4. In this way, the movement of the lock catch 53 can be controlled by the handle 4. The pivoting of the handle 4 can drive the lock catch 53 to move together through the connecting rod 42, thereby driving the movement of the contact support 51.

[0036] like Figures 1 to 3As shown, the contact support 51 has a stopper 514 for the lock 53. The stopper 514 extends from the body of the contact support 51, deviating from the pivot axis of the lock 53, and is adjacent to the side of the lock 53 that faces away from the first pivot axis 21. During the closing of the circuit breaker 1, the stopper 514 abuts against the side of the lock 53, so that the rotation of the lock 53 relative to the contact support 51 is blocked by the stopper 514. In other embodiments, the stopper may also be formed on the lock, and abut against the contact support during closing to limit the rotation of the lock relative to the contact support.

[0037] The operating mechanism 5 also includes a release member 54. On the one hand, the release member 54 can be locked with the lock 53 to keep the moving contact 62 in a state of engagement with the stationary contact 61 to prevent the two contacts from separating, and on the other hand, it can be unlocked with the lock 53 to allow the moving contact 62 to separate from the stationary contact 61. In one embodiment, the release member 54 can be pivotally connected to the housing 2, and can be driven by an external force to abut against the lock 53 to form a lock, or separated from the lock 53 to form an unlock. The housing 2 can be provided with a pivot shaft for this purpose. Further, the first pivot shaft 21 of the housing 2 passes through the first slide groove 515 of the contact support 51 and also passes through the through hole of the release member 54. In this way, the contact support 51 and the release member 54 share the same rotation axis. In other embodiments, the contact support can be provided with a pivot shaft, and the release member 54 can be sleeved on the pivot shaft of the contact support.

[0038] Under normal circumstances, the tripping member 54 always abuts against the lock 53 under the action of external force to limit the movement of the lock 53 and the contact support 51 in the opening direction, thereby ensuring that the moving contact 62 installed on the contact support 51 can be stably engaged with the static contact 61 to achieve circuit conduction. Figure 1 When the lock 53 and the contact support 51 are rotated (eg, in the clockwise direction shown in FIG. Figure 1 The handle 4 rotates in the closing direction (for example, in the counterclockwise direction shown in FIG. 1 ) to overcome the pressure of the tripping member 54 and rotate, thereby driving the moving contact 62 away from the stationary contact 61 and opening the circuit breaker. Figure 1 When the lock 53 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction shown in FIG. Figure 1 The movable contact 62 rotates in the clockwise direction as shown, driving the movable contact 62 to approach the stationary contact 61 and close the circuit breaker.

[0039] A handle biasing member 41 is provided between the release member 54 and the handle 4. Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the handle biasing member 41 can be constructed as a torsion spring abutting between the handle 4 and the release member 54 in one embodiment. The handle 4, for example, has a base and a handle extending from the base, wherein the base is sleeved on the fourth pivot shaft 24 extending from the housing 2. The handle biasing member 41 in the form of a torsion spring is also sleeved on the fourth pivot shaft 24, wherein one leg of the torsion spring abuts against the handle 4, and the other leg of the torsion spring abuts against the release member 54 from the side of the release member 54 facing away from the lock 53. Thereby, the handle biasing member 41 applies a biasing force to the handle 4 to rotate it in the opening direction, and at the same time, the handle biasing member 41 applies a biasing force to the release member 54 to abut against the lock 53.

[0040] During the opening of the circuit breaker 1, in addition to the external force provided by the handle 4, the force of the contact support 51 to move the moving contact 62 away from the stationary contact 61 is also provided by the contact biasing member 52. The contact biasing member 52 here particularly provides a biasing force to quickly move the moving contact 62 away from the stationary contact. Figure 1 As shown, the contact biasing member 52 is configured as a compression spring abutting between the contact support 51 and the housing 2 in one embodiment. The contact support 51 may be provided with a receiving groove 512, and a mounting post 513 is formed in the receiving groove 512. The contact biasing member 52 is sleeved on the mounting post 513 in the receiving groove 512.

[0041] During the closing of the circuit breaker 1, the handle 4 rotates in the closing direction, pushing the lock 53 to rotate together with the contact support 51, driving the moving contact 62 to approach the static contact 61 and close the circuit. During this period, the contact support 51 continuously compresses the contact biasing member 52, and the contact biasing member 52 accumulates energy. In addition, the contact support 51 drives the indicator 55 to rotate, and the indicator 55 switches from aligning the window 23 of the housing 2 with the first indicator portion 553 (opening indication) to aligning the window 23 of the housing 2 with the second indicator portion 554 (closing indication).

[0042] During the opening of the circuit breaker 1, the handle 4 rotates in the opening direction, pulling the lock catch 53 to rotate together with the contact support 51. During this period, the contact biasing member 52 releases energy, pushing the moving contact 62 to rotate rapidly and separate from the static contact 61. In addition, the contact support 51 drives the indicator 55 to rotate, and the indicator 55 switches from aligning the window 23 of the housing 2 with the second indicator portion 554 (closing indication) to aligning the window 23 of the housing 2 with the first indicator portion 553 (opening indication).

[0043] In addition to being triggered by the handle 4, the opening action of the operating mechanism 5 can also be triggered by the opening mechanism. When a specified current condition (such as a short circuit current or an overload current) occurs, the tripping member 54 will pivot and disconnect from the lock 53 under the drive of the opening mechanism. At this time, the restrictions originally applied to the lock 53 and the contact support 51 are released, and the circuit breaker 1 is allowed to open. Once the specified current condition is eliminated, the driving force applied to the tripping member by the opening mechanism disappears, and the tripping member 54 will be pressed against the lock 53 again, and the two will be re-locked.

[0044] In the illustrated embodiment, the circuit breaker 1 may be provided with two tripping mechanisms, namely a short-circuit tripping mechanism 7 and an overload tripping mechanism 8 .

[0045] The short-circuit trip mechanism 7 is, for example, an electromagnetic trip mechanism. In one embodiment, the electromagnetic trip mechanism includes a sleeve fixed in the housing 2, a coil around the outer circumference of the sleeve, a trip rod movably mounted in the sleeve along the axial direction, an armature sleeved on one end of the trip rod in the sleeve, and a yoke sleeved on the other end of the trip rod. The armature forms a driving fit with the trip rod. A reset spring is abutted between the trip rod and the armature. One end of the coil is connected to the first terminal 31, and the other end of the coil is connected to the static contact 61.

[0046] The overload trip mechanism 9 is, for example, a bimetallic strip, wherein the bimetallic strip is connected between the moving contact 62 and the second terminal 32. When the current is overloaded, the bimetallic strip is deformed by heat and drives the release member 54 to rotate through the transmission member to disconnect from the lock 53. In one embodiment, the release member 54 has a third slide groove 541, and the first end of the transmission member 81 is inserted into the third slide groove 541 and can move along the third slide groove 541, and the second end extends toward the bimetallic strip. The second end of the transmission member 81 can interfere with the bimetallic strip on the path of its deformation, thereby forming a stopper with the bimetallic strip. Thereby, the deformation of the bimetallic strip can drive the transmission member 81, thereby pulling the release member 54 to disconnect from the lock 53.

[0047] An arc extinguishing mechanism 9 is further provided in the housing 2 at the joint / separation position corresponding to the moving contact 61 and the stationary contact 62. During the opening of the circuit breaker 1, the arc extinguishing mechanism 9 uses the arc extinguishing grid to quickly cut and break the arc, thereby improving the breaking performance of the circuit breaker 1.

[0048] It should be understood that although this specification is described according to various embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative method of the specification is only for the sake of clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole. The technical solutions in each embodiment may also be appropriately combined to form other implementation methods that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0049] The above description is only an illustrative embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Any equivalent changes, modifications and combinations made by any technician in the field without departing from the concept and principle of the present invention shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A circuit breaker, characterized in that: include: Housing (2); A handle (4) pivotably connected to the housing (2); A contact mechanism (6) comprising a stationary contact (61) in the housing (2) and a moving contact (62) movable relative to the stationary contact (61); an operating mechanism (5) connected between the handle (4) and the moving contact (62) and configured to be controllable by the handle (4) to drive the moving contact (62) to engage with the stationary contact (61), and to drive the moving contact (62) to separate from the stationary contact (61); The contact biasing member (52) is configured to apply a biasing force to the movable contact (62) away from the stationary contact (61), and the contact biasing member (52) stores energy during the closing of the circuit breaker.

2. The circuit breaker according to claim 1, characterized in that: The operating mechanism (5) comprises: A contact support (51) rotatably connected to the housing (2), wherein the movable contact (62) is connected to the contact support (51), and the contact biasing member (52) abuts between the contact support (51) and the housing (2); A lock (53) pivotally connected to the contact support (51) and connected to the handle (4); A release member (54) is pivotally connected to the housing (2), and the release member (54) is configured to be lockable with the lock catch (53) to maintain the movable contact (62) in a position engaged with the stationary contact (61), and to be disengaged from the lock catch (53) to allow the movable contact (62) to be separated from the stationary contact (61).

3. The circuit breaker according to claim 2, characterized in that: The contact support (51) and the release member (54) can rotate around the same axis.

4. The circuit breaker according to claim 2, characterized in that: The contact support (51) has a first slide groove (515), and a first pivot shaft (21) that rotatably connects the contact support (51) to the housing (2) is disposed in the first slide groove (515) and can move along the first slide groove (515).

5. The circuit breaker according to claim 2, characterized in that: The housing (2) has a window (23), the operating mechanism (5) further comprises an indicator (55) pivotally connected to the housing (2) and capable of selectively aligning the window (23) at different positions, and the contact support (51) is drivingly connected to the indicator (55).

6. The circuit breaker according to claim 5, characterized in that: The indicating member (55) has a through hole (551) and a second slide groove (552) spaced apart from each other, wherein a second pivot axis for pivotally connecting the indicating member (55) to the housing (2) is passed through the through hole (551), and the contact support (51) has a slide column (516) passed through the second slide groove (552) and capable of moving along the second slide groove (552).

7. The circuit breaker according to claim 2, characterized in that: The lock buckle (53) has two holes spaced apart from each other, a connecting rod (42) is connected between one of the holes and the handle (4), and the contact support (51) has a third pivot shaft (511) passing through the other hole.

8. The circuit breaker according to claim 7, characterized in that: A stopper (514) is provided between the contact support (51) and the lock catch (53), which is offset from the pivot axis of the lock catch (53). The stopper (514) is configured to abut against the lock catch (53) during closing of the circuit breaker to limit the rotation of the lock catch (53) relative to the contact support (51).

9. The circuit breaker according to claim 1, characterized in that: The handle (4) is provided with a handle biasing member (41), and the handle biasing member (41) abuts between the handle (4) and the operating mechanism (5) and applies a biasing force to the handle (4) to cause it to move in the opening direction.

10. The circuit breaker according to claim 1, characterized in that: The circuit breaker is also provided with a tripping mechanism arranged corresponding to the moving contact (62), and the tripping mechanism is configured to drive the moving contact (62) to separate from the stationary contact (61) in response to a preset current condition.

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