Circuit breaker with surge protection

Abstract

The utility model provides a circuit breaker with surge protection, which comprises a circuit breaker shell provided with a first area and a second area, an operating mechanism and a contact mechanism are arranged in the first area, an operating panel is arranged above the first area, and a handle and an indicating window are arranged on the operating panel; the surge protection module comprises a piezoresistor arranged in the second area and a fault indication assembly extending from the second area to the first area, the piezoresistor and the contact mechanism are arranged in parallel, the fault indication assembly is provided with a first indication part and a second indication part which are arranged adjacent to the indication window, and when the piezoresistor works normally, the first indication part is connected with the second indication part. The first indicating part corresponds to the indicating window; and when the piezoresistor fails, the second indication part and the indication window are correspondingly arranged. Therefore, a user can judge whether the piezoresistor is damaged or not through the indication window on the operation panel, so that the piezoresistor can be replaced in time, and the safety is higher.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of low-voltage electrical appliances, in particular to a circuit breaker with surge protection. Background Art

[0002] Existing circuit breakers and surge protectors are generally two independent products. During installation, the circuit breaker and surge protector are installed side by side on the same metal rail of the distribution cabinet, which takes up a lot of space.

[0003] To address the aforementioned issues, Chinese patent document CN106653501A discloses a multifunctional miniature circuit breaker comprising a circuit breaker body and a handle. A cavity is provided within the housing of the circuit breaker body, and a surge module is disposed within the cavity. This solution integrates the surge module within the housing of the circuit breaker body, taking up relatively little space. When a lightning overvoltage exceeds the withstand limit of the surge module's varistor, the user must promptly replace the varistor to ensure continued protection. However, in current designs, only the operating panel, where the handle is located, is exposed outside the distribution cabinet. Therefore, users cannot determine whether the varistor is damaged, which can easily lead to safety incidents such as fire. Utility Model Content

[0004] Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the defect in the prior art of small circuit breakers with surge protection that they cannot promptly remind users whether the varistor is damaged, which can easily lead to safety accidents such as fire, thereby providing a circuit breaker with surge protection with high safety.

[0005] To this end, the present invention provides a circuit breaker with surge protection, including a circuit breaker housing and a surge protection module, the circuit breaker housing having a first area and a second area, an operating mechanism and a contact mechanism installed in the first area, the contact mechanism including a moving contact and a static contact, the operating mechanism being used to drive the moving contact to contact or disconnect with the static contact, an operating panel being provided above the first area, the operating panel being provided with a handle and an indication window; a surge protection module including a varistor provided in the second area, and a fault indication assembly extending from the second area to the first area, the varistor being provided in parallel with the contact mechanism, the fault indication assembly having a first indication portion and a second indication portion provided adjacent to the indication window, wherein when the varistor is operating normally, the first indication portion is provided corresponding to the indication window; when the varistor fails, the second indication portion is provided corresponding to the indication window.

[0006] The fault indication assembly includes an indicator and a linkage rod. The indicator is rotatably installed in the circuit breaker housing and is arranged adjacent to the indication window. The indicator is provided with a first indicating portion and a second indicating portion. The indicator has a first position corresponding to normal operation of the varistor and a second position corresponding to a fault of the varistor. The linkage rod is slidably installed in the circuit breaker housing and is used to drive the indicator to switch from the first position to the second position when a fault occurs in the varistor.

[0007] The varistor is provided with a first conductive member electrically connected to it, and the linkage rod is provided with a second conductive member corresponding to the first conductive member at one end adjacent to the varistor, wherein when the varistor is operating normally, the second conductive member is fixedly connected to the first conductive member; when the varistor fails, the second conductive member is separated from the first conductive member.

[0008] It also includes an elastic member arranged between the linkage rod and the circuit breaker housing, wherein when the varistor works normally, the elastic member is in an energy storage state; when the varistor fails, the elastic member is in an energy release state.

[0009] The indicator has a rotating shaft portion and a limiting groove provided on the rotating shaft portion, and a limiting block is provided on the linkage rod. When the varistor works normally, the limiting block cooperates with and abuts against the limiting groove, and the indicator is positioned at the first position.

[0010] The operating mechanism includes a contact bracket and a tripping latch driven by the handle. The moving contact is provided on the contact bracket. The tripping latch has an initial state corresponding to the closing of the circuit breaker and a tripping state corresponding to the opening of the circuit breaker. The linkage rod is provided with a protrusion that cooperates with the tripping latch. When the varistor fails, the protrusion follows the movement of the linkage rod, drives the tripping latch to trip, and keeps the tripping latch in the tripping state.

[0011] The second conductive member has a first conductive plate and a second conductive plate respectively provided at two ends thereof, and the first conductive plate is connected to the first conductive member.

[0012] The second conductive member is in a Z-shape, and the linkage rod is formed with a Z-shaped slot adapted to be plugged into the Z-shaped second conductive member.

[0013] The first conductive plate is fixed to the first conductive member by welding with low-temperature tin.

[0014] The technical solution of this utility model has the following advantages:

[0015] 1. The circuit breaker with surge protection provided by the present invention has a housing having a first area and a second area. An operating panel is located above the first area, and the operating panel is provided with a handle and an indicator window. The surge protection module includes a varistor located in the second area, and a fault indicator assembly extending from the second area to the first area. The fault indicator assembly has a first indicator portion and a second indicator portion disposed adjacent to the indicator window. When the varistor is functioning normally, the first indicator portion corresponds to the indicator window; if the varistor fails, the second indicator portion corresponds to the indicator window. This allows the user to determine whether the varistor is damaged by observing the indicator window on the operating panel, allowing for timely replacement, resulting in greater safety.

[0016] 2. The circuit breaker with surge protection provided by the utility model has an indicator having a rotating shaft portion and a limit groove provided on the rotating shaft portion, and a limit block is provided on the linkage rod. When the varistor works normally, the limit block and the limit groove cooperate with each other to offset each other, and the indicator is positioned in the first position. The limit block and the limit groove that cooperate with each other have the advantage of a simple structure.

[0017] 3. The circuit breaker with surge protection provided by the present invention has a tripping trigger with an initial state corresponding to the circuit breaker being closed and a tripping state corresponding to the circuit breaker being opened. A linkage rod is provided with a protrusion that cooperates with the tripping trigger. When a varistor fails, the protrusion moves with the linkage rod, driving the tripping trigger to trip and maintain it in the tripped state. In this way, the circuit breaker can only be in the open state, thereby protecting the safety of electrical equipment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the specific implementation methods of the utility model or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the specific implementation methods or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some implementation methods of the utility model. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of a circuit breaker with surge protection according to the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the enlarged structure of part A;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the explosion structure of the surge protection module;

[0022] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the explosion structure of the linkage rod and the second conductive member.

[0023] Explanation of the accompanying drawings: 1. First area; 2. Second area; 3. Circuit breaker housing; 4. Operating mechanism; 5. Contact mechanism; 6. Moving contact; 7. Static contact; 8. Operating panel; 9. Handle; 10. Indication window; 11. Surge protection module; 12. Varistor; 13. Fault indication assembly; 14. First indication part; 15. Second indication part; 16. Indicator; 19. Linkage rod; 20. Elastic part; 21. First conductive part; 22. Second conductive part; 23. Rotating shaft; 24. Limiting groove; 25. Limiting block; 26. Contact bracket; 27. Trip button; 28. Bump; 30. Slot; 31. First conductive plate; 32. Second conductive plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The following is a clear and complete description of the technical solution of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described are only some of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making any creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0025] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are intended solely to facilitate the description of this utility model and simplify the description. They do not indicate or imply that the devices or components referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed, or operate in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0026] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; mechanical connections, electrical connections; direct connections, indirect connections through an intermediate medium, and internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0027] In addition, the technical features involved in the different embodiments of the present invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0028] Example

[0029] This embodiment provides a circuit breaker with surge protection, such as Figure 1As shown, it includes a circuit breaker housing 3 and a surge protection module 11.

[0030] Circuit breaker housing 3, such as Figure 1 As shown, there are a first area 1 and a second area 2. An operating mechanism 4 and a contact mechanism 5 are installed in the first area 1. An operating panel 8 is provided above the first area 1. The operating panel 8 is provided with a handle 9 and an indicator window 10. The contact mechanism 5 includes a moving contact 6 and a stationary contact 7. The operating mechanism 4 is used to drive the moving contact 6 to connect or disconnect with the stationary contact 7. Figure 2 As shown, the operating mechanism 4 includes a contact bracket 26 and a tripping latch 27 driven by the handle 9. The movable contact 6 is mounted on the contact bracket 26, and the tripping latch 27 has an initial state corresponding to the closing of the circuit breaker and a tripping state corresponding to the opening of the circuit breaker. It should be noted that the operating mechanism 4 is a mature existing technology, so its specific structure and operating principle will not be described in detail. In addition, existing operating mechanisms all include a contact bracket and a tripping latch, and the structures of other components may vary. Those skilled in the art can select operating mechanisms with different structures.

[0031] Surge protection module 11, such as Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, it includes a varistor 12 , a fault indication component 13 and an elastic member 20 .

[0032] The varistor 12 is arranged in the second area 2 and has a first conductive member 21 electrically connected to it. In this embodiment, the conductive circuit where the varistor 12 is located is arranged in parallel with the conductive circuit where the contact mechanism 5 is located. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, the wiring method of the varistor can be flexibly selected according to the requirements of the parallel setting.

[0033] The fault indication assembly 13 extends from the second area 2 to the first area 1 , and includes an indicator 16 , a linkage rod 19 and a second conductive member 22 .

[0034] The indicator member 16 is rotatably mounted in the circuit breaker housing 3 and is arranged adjacent to the indicator window 10. The indicator member 16 is provided with a first indicating portion 14 and a second indicating portion 15 arranged corresponding to the indicator window 10. The indicator member 16 has a first position corresponding to the normal operation of the varistor 12 and a second position corresponding to the failure of the varistor 12.

[0035] The linkage rod 19 is slidably mounted in the circuit breaker housing 3 and is used to drive the indicator 16 to switch from the first position to the second position when the varistor 12 fails. Figure 3As shown, the indicator member 16 has a rotating shaft portion 23 and a limiting slot 24 provided on the rotating shaft portion 23. The linkage rod 19 is provided with a limiting block 25. When the varistor 12 is operating normally, the limiting block 25 engages and abuts against the limiting slot 24, positioning the indicator member 16 in the first position. The linkage rod 19 is provided with a protrusion 28 that engages with the tripping latch 27. When the varistor 12 fails, the protrusion 28 follows the movement of the linkage rod 19, driving the tripping latch 27 to trip and maintain it in the tripped state.

[0036] The second conductive member 22 is provided at one end of the linkage rod 19 adjacent to the varistor 12 and is provided corresponding to the first conductive member 21. Figure 4 As shown, the second conductive member 22 has a first conductive plate 31 and a second conductive plate 32 disposed at its ends. The first conductive plate 31 is connected to the first conductive member 21. In this embodiment, the second conductive member 22 is Z-shaped, and the linkage rod 19 is formed with a Z-shaped slot 30 that is adapted to plug into the Z-shaped second conductive member 22. The first conductive plate 31 is soldered to the first conductive member 21 using low-temperature tin. When the varistor 12 is operating normally, the second conductive member 22 is fixedly connected to the first conductive member 21. When the varistor 12 fails, the second conductive member 22 separates from the first conductive member 21.

[0037] The elastic member 20 is provided between the linkage rod 19 and the circuit breaker housing 3 , wherein when the varistor 12 works normally, the elastic member 20 is in an energy storage state; when the varistor 12 fails, the elastic member 20 is in an energy release state.

[0038] The working principle of the circuit breaker of the present invention is as follows:

[0039] When the varistor 12 is in normal operation, the second conductive member 22 is welded to the first conductive member 21, the elastic member 20 is in the energy storage state, the limit block 25 of the linkage rod 19 abuts against the limit groove 24 of the indicator member 16, thereby positioning the indicator member 16 in the first position, and the first indicating portion 14 of the indicator member 16 is correspondingly arranged with the indicating window 10;

[0040] When the varistor 12 fails and is damaged due to lightning overvoltage, the low-temperature tin between the second conductive member 22 and the first conductive member 21 will melt due to the high temperature, and the elastic member 20 will release energy to drive the linkage rod 19 to move upward. The top of the linkage rod 19 drives the indicator 16 to rotate counterclockwise to the second position. The second indicating part 15 of the indicator 16 is set corresponding to the indicating window 10. When the linkage rod 19 moves upward, it will drive the protrusion 28 to move, and the protrusion 28 drives the trip button 27 to trip, thereby tripping the circuit breaker.

[0041] The circuit breaker with surge protection provided by the present invention has a circuit breaker housing 3 having a first area 1 and a second area 2. An operating panel 8 is provided above the first area 1. The operating panel 8 is provided with a handle 9 and an indicator window 10. The surge protection module 11 includes a varistor 12 provided in the second area 2, and a fault indicator assembly 13 extending from the second area 2 to the first area 1. The fault indicator assembly 13 has a first indicator portion 14 and a second indicator portion 15 provided adjacent to the indicator window 10. When the varistor 12 is operating normally, the first indicator portion 14 corresponds to the indicator window 10; when the varistor 12 fails, the second indicator portion 15 corresponds to the indicator window 10. This allows the user to intuitively determine whether the varistor is damaged through the indicator window 10 on the operating panel 8, thereby allowing for timely replacement, thereby improving safety.

[0042] Obviously, the above embodiments are merely examples for clarity of explanation and are not intended to limit the implementation methods. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that other variations or modifications based on the above descriptions are possible. It is not necessary and impossible to enumerate all implementation methods here. Obvious variations or modifications arising therefrom remain within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A circuit breaker with surge protection, characterized in that: include: A circuit breaker housing (3) comprises a first area (1) and a second area (2); an operating mechanism (4) and a contact mechanism (5) are installed in the first area (1); the contact mechanism (5) comprises a moving contact (6) and a stationary contact (7); the operating mechanism (4) is used to drive the moving contact (6) and the stationary contact (7) to be in contact or disconnected; an operating panel (8) is provided above the first area (1); and a handle (9) and an indicator window (10) are provided on the operating panel (8); A surge protection module (11) comprises a varistor (12) arranged in the second area (2), and a fault indication assembly (13) extending from the second area (2) to the first area (1), wherein the varistor (12) is arranged in parallel with the contact mechanism (5), and the fault indication assembly (13) has a first indication portion (14) and a second indication portion (15) arranged adjacent to the indication window (10), wherein when the varistor (12) is working normally, the first indication portion (14) is arranged corresponding to the indication window (10); when the varistor (12) fails, the second indication portion (15) is arranged corresponding to the indication window (10).

2. The circuit breaker with surge protection according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fault indication component (13) comprises: An indicator (16) is rotatably mounted in the circuit breaker housing (3) and is disposed adjacent to the indicator window (10), the indicator (16) being provided with the first indicator portion (14) and the second indicator portion (15), the indicator (16) having a first position corresponding to normal operation of the varistor (12) and a second position corresponding to a fault of the varistor (12); A linkage rod (19) is slidably mounted in the circuit breaker housing (3) and is used to drive the indicator (16) to switch from the first position to the second position when a fault occurs in the varistor (12).

3. The circuit breaker with surge protection according to claim 2, characterized in that: The varistor (12) is provided with a first conductive member (21) electrically connected thereto, and one end of the linkage rod (19) adjacent to the varistor (12) is provided with a second conductive member (22) corresponding to the first conductive member (21), wherein when the varistor (12) is operating normally, the second conductive member (22) is fixedly connected to the first conductive member (21); when the varistor (12) fails, the second conductive member (22) is separated from the first conductive member (21).

4. The circuit breaker with surge protection according to claim 2, characterized in that: It also includes an elastic member (20) disposed between the linkage rod (19) and the circuit breaker housing (3), wherein when the varistor (12) is working normally, the elastic member (20) is in an energy storage state; when the varistor (12) fails, the elastic member (20) is in an energy release state.

5. The circuit breaker with surge protection according to claim 2, characterized in that: The indicator (16) has a rotating shaft portion (23) and a limiting groove (24) provided on the rotating shaft portion (23); a limiting block (25) is provided on the linkage rod (19); wherein, when the varistor (12) works normally, the limiting block (25) cooperates with and abuts against the limiting groove (24), and the indicator (16) is positioned at the first position.

6. The circuit breaker with surge protection according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that: The operating mechanism (4) comprises a contact support (26) and a trip button (27) driven by the handle (9); the movable contact (6) is provided on the contact support (26); the trip button (27) has an initial state corresponding to the closing of the circuit breaker and a trip state corresponding to the opening of the circuit breaker; the linkage rod (19) is provided with a protrusion (28) cooperating with the trip button (27); wherein, when the varistor (12) fails, the protrusion (28) moves following the linkage rod (19), drives the trip button (27) to trip, and keeps the trip button (27) in the trip state.

7. The circuit breaker with surge protection according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second conductive member (22) has a first conductive plate (31) and a second conductive plate (32) respectively arranged at two ends thereof, and the first conductive plate (31) is connected to the first conductive member (21).

8. The circuit breaker with surge protection according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second conductive member (22) is Z-shaped, and the linkage rod (19) is formed with a Z-shaped slot (30) adapted to be plugged into the Z-shaped second conductive member (22).

9. The circuit breaker with surge protection according to claim 7, characterized in that: The first conductive plate (31) is fixed to the first conductive member (21) by welding with low-temperature tin.

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