Protection device for circuit breaker and circuit breaker
By setting up a bracket and stop arm in the circuit breaker, the problem of misoperation of the handle during welding failure is solved, and the safety of the circuit breaker is improved during welding failure is achieved, preventing the handle from rotating to the open position by mistake, ensuring circuit and personal safety.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202322833351.8
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-10-20
- Publication Date
- 2025-08-12
- Estimated Expiration
- 2033-10-20
AI Technical Summary
When the existing circuit breaker fails to fusion welding, the handle can still rotate to the open position, resulting in the inability to accurately indicate the welding status, which poses a safety hazard.
A bracket and a stop arm are provided in the circuit breaker. The stop arm and the stop plate interfere with the stop plate to restrict the rotation of the handle to prevent the handle from turning to the open position. Through the design of the bracket and the stop arm, the stop arm and the stop plate interfere with the stop plate to restrict the rotation of the handle, preventing the handle from operating incorrectly during welding failure.
Improve the safety of the handle movement of the circuit breaker in the event of welding failure, avoid misoperation, and ensure line safety and personal safety.
Smart Images
Figure CN223218233U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] Example embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of electrical equipment, and more particularly, to a protection device and a circuit breaker for circuit breaker welding indication. Background Art
[0002] A circuit breaker is a protective switching device in a power distribution network, providing at least overload and short-circuit protection for the line. The operating mechanism closes, opens, or trips the circuit breaker's moving and stationary contacts.
[0003] In some cases, a circuit breaker's moving and stationary contacts may become welded, leaving the circuit breaker's circuitry still conducting. In this situation, if the circuit breaker's handle can still be turned to the open position when the user operates the circuit breaker to open or trip it, it may not accurately indicate the welding state of the moving and stationary contacts, posing a safety hazard to both circuitry and personnel. Utility Model Content
[0004] In a first aspect of the present disclosure, a protection device for a circuit breaker is provided. The protection device includes: a bracket coupled to a circuit breaker handle and adapted to rotate as the handle rotates between a closed position and an open position; and at least one stop arm extending a predetermined distance from the bracket toward a stop plate of the circuit breaker and arranged to interfere with the stop plate during circuit breaker welding to limit rotation of the handle.
[0005] In some embodiments, the handle is restrained in a welded position between the closed position and the open position during interference of the at least one stop arm with a stop plate of the circuit breaker.
[0006] In some embodiments, each stop arm of at least one stop arm includes: a connecting portion coupled to the bracket and suitable for extending in a direction toward the main axis of the circuit breaker; and a contact portion coupled to the end of the connecting portion away from the bracket and bent at a predetermined angle relative to the connecting portion.
[0007] In some embodiments, the bracket includes: a handle coupling portion, suitable for coupling a handle thereto and extending along the axial direction of the main shaft; and a pair of extension portions, arranged to extend from a pair of end portions in the extension direction of the handle coupling portion in a direction perpendicular to the handle coupling portion.
[0008] In some embodiments, the at least one stopping arm includes a pair of stopping arms, and the pair of stopping arms extend from the pair of extending portions to one side of the pair of extending portions respectively.
[0009] In some embodiments, the distance between the pair of connection portions of the pair of stop arms gradually decreases as the distance from the bracket increases.
[0010] In some embodiments, the contact portion of one of the pair of stopping arms is bent toward the other of the pair of stopping arms.
[0011] In some embodiments, the bracket and at least one stop arm are integrally formed.
[0012] In some embodiments, the bracket further comprises: a rotation coupling slot coupled to a handle rotation axis of the circuit breaker to allow the bracket to rotate around the handle rotation axis.
[0013] By providing a bracket within the circuit breaker and coupling the circuit breaker handle to the bracket, the handle can drive the bracket to rotate when the circuit breaker handle is actuated. If welding occurs within the circuit breaker, the stop arm coupled to the bracket can interfere with the stop plate coupled to the main shaft, thereby limiting the rotation of the handle and preventing it from rotating to the open position (for example, the handle can only rotate to the welding position, which is between the closed and open positions). This improves the safety of the circuit breaker handle during welding.
[0014] In a second aspect of the present disclosure, a circuit breaker is provided. The circuit breaker includes: a housing, a static contact, and a movable contact, each disposed within the housing, the movable contact adapted to contact or separate from the static contact as a main shaft rotates; a stop plate coupled to the main shaft and adapted to move with the main shaft and be fixed after the movable contact and the static contact are welded; the protective device provided according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, at least one stop arm of the protective device adapted to abut the stop plate after the movable contact and the static contact are welded; and a handle coupled to the protective device and at least partially located outside the housing, adapted to be operated to control the movement of the movable contact.
[0015] In some embodiments, the circuit breaker further comprises: a locking member slidably coupled to the housing and adapted to slide to a locked position when the handle is in the closed position or the open position to limit rotation of the handle, and further adapted to interfere with the handle when the handle is in the welding position.
[0016] It should be understood that the content described in this summary section is not intended to limit the key features or important features of the embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become easily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The above and other features, advantages and aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent with reference to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals represent the same or similar elements, wherein:
[0018] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of a circuit breaker according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, wherein a locking member locks the handle in a closed position;
[0019] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of a circuit breaker according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, wherein a locking member locks the handle in an open position;
[0020] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of a circuit breaker according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, wherein the handle is located in the welding position and restricts the locking member from sliding toward the locking position;
[0021] Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a circuit breaker according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0022] Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a circuit breaker according to an embodiment of the present disclosure from other perspectives; and
[0023] Figure 6 The figure shows a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the protection device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] The following describes embodiments of the present disclosure in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although certain embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of the present disclosure. It should be understood that the drawings and embodiments of the present disclosure are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present disclosure.
[0025] It should be noted that the titles of any section / subsection provided herein are not limiting. Various embodiments are described throughout this document, and any type of embodiment may be included under any section / subsection. Furthermore, the embodiments described in any section / subsection may be combined in any manner with any other embodiments described in the same section / subsection and / or in different sections / subsections.
[0026] In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the term "including" and similar terms should be understood as open inclusion, that is, "including but not limited to". The term "based on" should be understood as "based at least in part on". The term "one embodiment" or "the embodiment" should be understood as "at least one embodiment". The term "some embodiments" should be understood as "at least some embodiments". Other explicit and implicit definitions may be included below. The terms "first", "second", etc. may refer to different or the same objects. Other explicit and implicit definitions may be included below.
[0027] As briefly mentioned above, when the moving and static contacts of the circuit breaker are welded, the moving contact and the static contact are fixed together. In this case, the operator (also called the handle) should be prevented from instructing the electrical appliance to the disconnected position (also called the trip position in some cases). In some prior arts, a stop structure is added to the main shaft. When the moving contact and the static contact are welded, the locking structure on the main shaft blocks the handle, preventing the handle from reaching the trip position. However, in this structure, since the force arm from the center of rotation to the locking force point is short, the contact point of the handle is subjected to a large force. When the force on the handle of the circuit breaker is too large (for example, 3 times the operating force), the handle is easily damaged.
[0028] According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, a protection device for a circuit breaker and a circuit breaker are proposed to solve or at least partially solve the above-mentioned problems and other potential problems existing in traditional solutions. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a bracket (also called a handle bracket) and at least one stop arm extending a predetermined distance from the bracket are provided in the circuit breaker, and the handle of the circuit breaker is coupled to the bracket. When the handle of the circuit breaker is actuated, the handle can drive the bracket to rotate. When welding occurs in the circuit breaker, the stop arm coupled to the bracket can interfere with the stop plate coupled to the main shaft, thereby limiting the rotation of the handle, so that the handle cannot be rotated to the open position (for example, the handle can only be rotated to the welding position between the closed position and the open position), thereby improving the safety of the handle operation when welding occurs in the circuit breaker.
[0029] Figures 1 to 3 The overall structural diagram of the circuit breaker in different working states is shown respectively. Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the circuit breaker according to the embodiment of the present disclosure generally includes a housing 5, a moving contact 4 and a static contact 7 coupled in the housing 5, a main shaft arranged in the housing 5 and suitable for driving the moving contact 4 to move so that the moving contact 4 contacts or separates from the static contact 7, a handle 3 coupled to the main shaft, and a protection device for the circuit breaker coupled between the main shaft and the handle 3.
[0030] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the handle 3 is at least partially exposed outside the housing 5 to facilitate operation by the user or the actuator. When the circuit breaker is in normal operation, the handle 3 can be rotated from the open position to the closed position, thereby rotating the movable contact 4 from the open state separated from the static contact 7 to the closed state in contact with the static contact 7. If the movable contact 4 and the static contact 7 in the circuit breaker are welded, when the user operates the handle 3, for example, to rotate the handle 3 from the closed position to the open position, the stop arm 2 of the protection device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure interferes with the stop plate 41 coupled to the main shaft and restricts the rotation of the handle 3, so that the handle 3 cannot be rotated to the open position.
[0031] In some embodiments, when the above operation is performed, the handle 3 can be rotated to a welding position between the closing position and the opening position, such as Figure 3 As shown, the user is reminded that the circuit breaker is in a welding state, thereby facilitating the user to perform maintenance and replacement of the circuit breaker in a timely manner.
[0032] In some embodiments, the circuit breaker further includes a locking member 6 slidably connected to the outside of the housing 5 . Figures 1 to 3 Schematic diagrams showing the positional relationship between the handle 3 of the circuit breaker and the locking member 6 in the closing position, the opening position and the welding position are shown respectively. Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the locking member 6 can slide between a locked position and an unlocked position. When the handle 3 is in the closed position or the open position, the locking member 6 can slide from the unlocked position to the locked position, thereby abutting the handle 3 and restricting its rotation. When the circuit breaker is blown and the handle 3 is in the welding position, the handle 3 is located in the sliding path of the locking member 6 and the handle 3 restricts the sliding of the locking member 6 from the unlocked position to the locked position, thereby helping the user to confirm that a circuit breaker anomaly (for example, welding) has occurred.
[0033] The following will be combined Figures 4 to 6 The structure of the protection device and how the protection device interferes with the stop plate 41 and limits the rotation angle of the handle 3 will be described in detail.
[0034] Figure 4 and Figure 5 The schematic diagrams of the structure of the protective device installed inside the circuit breaker are shown respectively. Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, and as mentioned above, the protection device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure generally includes a bracket 1 (also referred to as a handle bracket in some embodiments) and at least one stop arm 2 coupled to the bracket 1. The bracket 1 is coupled to the handle 3 of the circuit breaker, or it can be said that the handle 3 is coupled to the bracket 1. Therefore, the bracket 1 can also be referred to as the handle bracket. The bracket 1 is adapted to move as the handle 3 rotates between the closed position and the open position. For example, when the user operates the handle 3, the bracket 1 can move therewith.
[0035] In some embodiments, the bracket 1 may include a handle coupling portion 11 coupled to the handle 3 and a pair of extension portions 12 arranged on the handle coupling portion 11. Of course, it should be understood that the bracket 1 may also have any other appropriate structure as long as it can be used to couple the handle 3 and move with the handle 3. The extension direction of the handle coupling portion 11 is parallel to the axial direction of the circuit breaker main shaft. A pair of extension portions 12 are respectively arranged at both ends of the extension direction of the handle coupling portion 11, and one end of each extension portion 12 is coupled to the handle coupling portion 11, and the other end extends in the direction of the main shaft, so that the bracket 1 as a whole is roughly "door" shaped. In some embodiments, the bracket 1 can be integrally formed.
[0036] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, combined with Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some embodiments, the bracket 1 further includes a pair of rotation coupling slots 13. A pair of rotation coupling slots 13 are respectively arranged at one end of each extension portion 12 away from the handle coupling portion 11. The rotation coupling slots 13 are suitable for at least partially accommodating the rotation axis of the handle 3 of the circuit breaker, so that the bracket 1 and the handle 3 thereon can rotate around the handle rotation axis. In addition, the handle 3 is also suitable for moving with the driving mechanism part via the bracket 1, and the other side of the mechanism part is coupled with the moving contact 4. When the circuit breaker is working normally, when the handle 3 rotates around the handle rotation axis, the handle 3 drives the mechanism part to move and control the moving contact 4 to contact or move away from the static contact 7. In some embodiments, the axis of the handle rotation axis can be parallel to the axis of the main shaft.
[0037] In some embodiments, the extension direction of each extension portion 12 in the pair of extension portions 12 is perpendicular to the extension direction of the handle coupling portion 11 (i.e., the axis direction of the main shaft). In other embodiments, the extension direction of each extension portion 12 may also form a predetermined non-90° angle with the extension direction of the handle coupling portion 11, for example, the extension direction of the extension portion 12 may form an angle of 75°, 80°, or 85° with the extension direction of the handle coupling portion 11.
[0038] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, at least one stop arm 2 is coupled to the bracket 1 and includes a connecting portion 21 and a contact portion 22 coupled to the connecting portion 21. The contact portion 22 may be a bent portion formed at the end of the connecting portion 21. For example, in some embodiments, the angle between the contact portion 22 and the connecting portion 21 may be 60°, 90°, or 120°. By providing the contact portion 22, the contact area between the stop arm 2 and the stop plate 41 is increased, and the strength of the end of the stop arm 2 toward the stop plate 41 is also increased, further improving the safety of the stop arm 2 when it is limited by the stop plate 41.
[0039] Figure 6 FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the protection device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 6As shown, at least one stop arm 2 extends from the bracket 1 in a direction toward the stop plate 41 of the circuit breaker by a predetermined distance (i.e., having a predetermined length). For example, the predetermined distance may be equal to or slightly less than the length of the extension portion 12. In some embodiments, the predetermined distance that the stop arm 2 extends may also be in the range of 1 / 3 to 1.2 times the length of the extension portion 12. By providing a stop arm 2 extending the predetermined distance, the resistance arm applied to the bracket 1 can be lengthened, thereby preventing the safety hazard caused by the handle being damaged or moved to the open position due to excessive force in the event of welding, thereby improving the safety of the circuit breaker.
[0040] In some embodiments, a pair of stop arms 2 may be provided. The pair of stop arms 2 are respectively disposed on the pair of extensions 12. Specifically, the connection portion 21 is coupled to one side of the extension 12 in the extension direction. In some embodiments, the distance between the two connection portions 21 of the pair of stop arms 2 gradually decreases as they move away from the extension 12. By moving the ends of the two connection portions 21 away from the extension 12 closer together, the overall strength of the connection portions 21 is increased, thereby improving the reliability of the stop arms 2 when they are in close contact with the stop plate 41.
[0041] In some alternative embodiments, only one stop arm 2 may be provided. One stop arm 2 may be coupled to any position of the bracket 1, for example, the stop arm 2 may be coupled to any extension portion 12 of the bracket 1 or to the handle coupling portion 11 of the bracket 1.
[0042] In some embodiments, the bracket 1 and the at least one stop arm 2 may be integrally formed. In some alternative embodiments, the bracket 1 and the at least one stop arm 2 may also be coupled together by bonding, welding, or fastener connection.
[0043] like Figure 4 and 5 As shown, combined with Figure 1 and Figure 2 As mentioned above, the movable contact 4 is coupled to a stop plate 41, which is fixedly connected to the main shaft. That is, when the circuit breaker is in normal operation, the stop plate 41 can move with the rotation of the main shaft (at this time, the movable contact 4 rotates with the main shaft and contacts or moves away from the stationary contact 7). When the circuit breaker is welded, the movable contact 4 and the stationary contact 7 are fixed together, and the position of the stop plate 41 is also fixed accordingly.
[0044] like Figure 6As shown, the end of the stop arm 2 away from the bracket 1 extends toward the stop plate 41. When the circuit breaker is operating normally and the handle 3 is driven and rotated from the closed position to the open position, the handle 3 drives the bracket 1 and the stop arm 2 to rotate about the axis of the handle's rotation axis. Furthermore, the handle 3, through its mechanism, drives the moving contact 4 from the closed state, in contact with the stationary contact 7, to the open state, in which it is separated from the stationary contact 7. Simultaneously, the stop plate 41 moves with the moving contact 4, avoiding the rotational trajectory of the stop arm 2, allowing the circuit breaker to perform normal opening and closing operations.
[0045] When welding occurs between the moving contact 4 and the stationary contact 7 and the moving contact 4 is fixed to the stationary contact 7, the stop plate 41 is also in a fixed state, blocking the stop arm 2. When the handle 3 is driven and is about to be rotated from the closed position to the open position (for example, without the user's knowledge), since the stop plate 41 is in a fixed state, the contact portion 22 of the stop arm 2 will abut against the stop plate 41 and be limited by the stop plate 41.
[0046] Furthermore, because the stop arm 2 has a predetermined length, resulting in a relatively long resistance arm, the user is unable to further rotate the bracket 1 and the handle 3 coupled thereto. The handle 3 can only be rotated to a welded position located between the closed and open positions. When the handle 3 is in the welded position, the locking member 6 is interfered with by the handle 3 and cannot slide from the unlocked position to the locked position. This serves to alert the user that the circuit breaker is in an abnormal state, allowing for timely maintenance and replacement of the circuit breaker.
[0047] While various implementations of the present disclosure have been described above, the foregoing description is intended to be illustrative, not exhaustive, and not limited to the disclosed implementations. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described implementations. The terminology used herein is selected to best explain the principles of the implementations, their practical applications, or improvements to existing technologies, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the various implementations disclosed herein.
Claims
1. A protection device for a circuit breaker, characterized in that: include: A bracket (1) coupled to a handle (3) of the circuit breaker and adapted to rotate with the rotation of the handle (3) between a closed position and an open position; as well as At least one stop arm (2) extends a predetermined distance from the bracket (1) in a direction toward a stop plate (41) of the circuit breaker and is arranged to interfere with the stop plate (41) during welding of the circuit breaker to limit the rotation of the handle (3).
2. The protection device according to claim 1, characterized in that During the period when the at least one stop arm (2) interferes with the stop plate (41) of the circuit breaker, the handle (3) is restrained in a welded position between the closed position and the open position.
3. The protection device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: Each stop arm (2) of the at least one stop arm (2) comprises: a connecting portion (21) coupled to the bracket (1) and adapted to extend in a direction toward the main axis of the circuit breaker; and The contact portion (22) is coupled to the end of the connecting portion (21) away from the bracket (1) and is bent at a predetermined angle relative to the connecting portion (21).
4. The protection device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The support (1) comprises: a handle coupling portion (11), adapted for coupling the handle (3) thereto and extending along the axis of the main shaft; and A pair of extension portions (12) are arranged to extend from a pair of end portions in the extension direction of the handle coupling portion (11) in a direction perpendicular to the handle coupling portion (11).
5. The protection device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The at least one stop arm (2) comprises a pair of stop arms (2), and the pair of stop arms (2) respectively extend from the pair of extension portions (12) to one side of the pair of extension portions (12).
6. The protection device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The distance between the pair of connection parts (21) of the pair of stop arms (2) gradually decreases as the distance from the bracket (1) increases.
7. The protection device according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that: The contact portion (22) of one stop arm (2) in the pair of stop arms (2) is bent toward the other stop arm (2) in the pair of stop arms (2).
8. The protection device according to any one of claims 1, 2 and 4-6, characterized in that: The bracket (1) and the at least one stop arm (2) are integrally formed.
9. The protection device according to any one of claims 1, 2 and 4-6, characterized in that: The support (1) further comprises: A rotation coupling slot (13) is coupled to the handle rotation axis of the circuit breaker to allow the bracket (1) to rotate around the handle rotation axis.
10. A circuit breaker, characterized in that: include: A housing (5), a static contact (7) and a moving contact (4) are respectively arranged in the housing (5), and the moving contact (4) is adapted to contact or separate from the static contact (7) as the main shaft rotates; a stop plate (41) coupled to the main shaft and adapted to move with the main shaft and to be fixed after the moving contact (4) and the static contact (7) are welded; The protection device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein at least one stop arm (2) of the protection device is adapted to abut against the stop plate (41) after the moving contact (4) and the static contact (7) are welded; and A handle (3) is coupled to the protection device and is at least partially located outside the housing (5), and is suitable for being operated to control the movement of the moving contact (4).
11. The circuit breaker according to claim 10, characterized in that Also includes: A locking member (6) is slidably coupled to the housing (5) and is adapted to slide to a locking position when the handle (3) is in the closing position or the opening position to limit the rotation of the handle (3), and is also adapted to interfere with the handle (3) when the handle (3) is in the welding position.