Electrical switch

Abstract

The embodiment of the utility model provides an electrical switch. The electrical switch includes a housing including an operation hole and an indication hole; the wiring terminal is arranged in the shell; the wiring piece is located at the operation hole and can be screwed into the wiring terminal; the elastic piece is arranged between the wiring terminal and the wiring piece on the side, close to the operation hole, of the wiring terminal and can be pressed by the wiring piece; the indicating piece is rotatably arranged in the shell, the indicating piece comprises an indicating end and a matching end, the matching end is located on a screwing-in path of the wiring piece and can be switched between a first position and a second position under the driving of the wiring piece, and when the matching end is located at the first position, the matching end can be switched between the first position and the second position. When the matching end is located at the first position, the indicating end is located at the indicating hole, and when the matching end is located at the second position, the indicating end and the indicating hole are staggered.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of electrical equipment technology, and more particularly, to electrical switches. Background Art

[0002] Electrical switches such as circuit breakers and contactors include terminals. Terminals are accessories used to make electrical connections. When a terminal element (such as a terminal bolt) is screwed in, a wire or cable can be pressed against the terminal to ensure good electrical contact.

[0003] However, conventional electrical switches do not provide torque indication when tightening the terminals, making it difficult for operators to determine whether the terminals are securely fastened. Furthermore, conventional electrical switches cannot monitor the tightening torque of the terminals during long-term operation, making it difficult for operators to determine whether the terminals have become loose. Utility Model Content

[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an electrical switch to at least partially solve the above problems.

[0005] In one aspect of the present disclosure, an electrical switch is provided, comprising: a housing comprising an operating hole and an indication hole; a wiring terminal disposed in the housing; a wiring member located at the operating hole and capable of being screwed into the wiring terminal; an elastic member disposed between the wiring terminal and the wiring member on a side of the wiring terminal adjacent to the operating hole and capable of being pressed by the wiring member; and an indicator member rotatably disposed in the housing, the indicator member comprising an indicating end and a mating end, the mating end being on a screwing path of the wiring member and capable of switching between a first position and a second position under the drive of the wiring member, wherein when the mating end is in the first position, the indicating end is located at the indicating hole, and when the mating end is in the second position, the indicating end is staggered from the indicating hole.

[0006] According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, during the process of the operator screwing in the terminal member, if the operating torque applied to the terminal member is greater than the torque threshold of the elastic member, the terminal member can press the elastic member and deform the elastic member. When the elastic member is compressed, the terminal member can drive the indicator member to rotate relative to the housing. The operator can judge whether the terminal member is tightened by observing whether the indicator end disappears from the indicator hole. Therefore, the electrical switch according to the embodiment of the present disclosure has a reliable torque in place prompt function.

[0007] In addition, in the long-term operation of the electrical switch, if the wiring part is loosened and the fastening torque of the wiring part is less than the torque threshold of the elastic part, the elastic part can restore the deformation, in the case that the elastic part restores the deformation, the indicating part can rotate in the reverse direction relative to the shell, and the operator can determine whether the wiring part is loosened by observing whether the indicating end appears from the indicating hole, so that the electrical switch according to the embodiment of the present disclosure has a torque drop warning function.

[0008] In some embodiments, the wiring part comprises a head capable of pressing the elastic part and driving the matching end, and a rod body capable of penetrating into the wiring terminal, wherein the distance between the head and the elastic part is less than or equal to the distance between the head and the matching end along the screwing-in direction of the wiring part in the case that the head has not contacted the matching end.

[0009] In some embodiments, the wiring terminal comprises a first part and a second part spaced apart from the first part, and the rod body can penetrate through the first part, wherein a gap is provided between the rod body and the second part in the case that the head contacts the elastic part, and the gap is less than or equal to the maximum deformation amount of the elastic part.

[0010] In some embodiments, the head comprises a matching groove, and the matching groove is correspondingly provided with the matching end along the screwing-in direction of the wiring part.

[0011] In some embodiments, the indicating part further comprises a rotating part between the indicating end and the matching end, the shell further comprises a rotating groove, and part of the rotating part is arranged in the rotating groove to rotate the indicating part relative to the shell.

[0012] In some embodiments, the rotating part comprises a rotating shaft, the shell further comprises a torsion spring arranged in the rotating groove around the rotating shaft, one end of the torsion spring is connected to the rotating shaft, and the other end of the torsion spring abuts to the inner surface of the rotating groove.

[0013] In some embodiments, the elastic part comprises a disc spring, the disc spring comprises a plurality of first units and a plurality of second units, and each first unit of the plurality of first units and each second unit of the plurality of second units are opposite to each other.

[0014] In some embodiments, at least one first unit of the plurality of first units and at least one second unit of the plurality of second units contact each other.

[0015] In some embodiments, pairs of first units of the plurality of first units and pairs of second units of the plurality of second units contact each other.

[0016] In some embodiments, each of the plurality of first monomers and the plurality of second monomers comprises a mounting hole, the mounting holes of the plurality of first monomers and the plurality of second monomers are aligned with each other and constitute a mounting channel for the wire member to pass through.

[0017] It should be understood that the description in this section is not intended to define key or critical features of embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it used to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0018] The above and other features, advantages and aspects of embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like references refer to like elements, and in which:

[0019] Figure 1 A structural schematic diagram of an electrical switch is shown according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 2 A structural schematic diagram of a wire terminal, a wire member, an elastic member and an indicating member is shown according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 1 An enlarged schematic diagram of part A of the electrical switch is shown;

[0021] Figure 3 A structural schematic diagram of an indicating member and a torsion spring is shown according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 4 A structural schematic diagram of an elastic member is shown according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 5 A structural schematic diagram of an elastic member is shown according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figures 6 to 8 A structural schematic diagram of an elastic member is shown according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0025] Legend of the drawings:

[0026] 100 is an electrical switch, 101 is a mounting channel, 102 is a gap;

[0027] 1 is a housing, 11 is an operation hole, 12 is an indicating hole, 13 is a rotation groove, 14 is a torsion spring;

[0028] 2 is a wire terminal, 21 is a first part, 22 is a second part;

[0029] 3 is a wire member, 31 is a head, 311 is a matching groove, 32 is a rod body;

[0030] 4 is an elastic member, 41 is a first monomer, 42 is a second monomer, and 43 is a mounting hole;

[0031] 5 is an indicating member, 51 is an indicating end, 52 is a cooperating end, and 53 is a rotating portion;

[0032] X is the screwing-in direction of the wiring member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in greater detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. While preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it is understood that the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited by the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0034] The term "comprising" and variations thereof as used herein are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, i.e., "including, but not limited to". Unless specifically stated, the term "or" means "and / or". The term "based on" means "based, at least in part, on". The terms "one example embodiment" and "an embodiment" mean "at least one example embodiment". The term "another embodiment" means "at least one additional embodiment". The terms "first", "second", and the like can refer to different or same objects.

[0035] As described above, the wiring member of the conventional electrical switch has no torque-in-place prompt in the process of the operator screwing in the wiring member such as a bolt, so that the operator cannot know whether the wiring member is tightened. In addition, the tightening torque of the wiring member cannot be monitored in the long-term work of the conventional electrical switch, so that the operator cannot know whether the wiring member is loosened. The torque of the bolt refers to the moment applied when tightening or loosening the bolt, and the appropriate torque is crucial to ensure the safety and reliability of the bolt connection, so as to avoid over-tightening or over-loosening of the bolt. Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an electrical switch 100 to at least partially solve the above problems. In the following, the principle of the present disclosure will be described in combination with Figures 1 to 8 The principle of the present disclosure is described.

[0036] Figure 1 A structural schematic diagram of an electrical switch 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 2 An enlarged schematic diagram of part A of the electrical switch 100 is shown. Figure 1 The principle of the present disclosure will be described hereinafter with a circuit breaker as an example of the electrical switch 100. However, it should be understood that embodiments of the present disclosure are also applicable to other electrical switches such as contactors.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 1, the electrical switch 100 includes a housing 10, a wiring member 20, and an indicating member 50. Figures 1 to 2As shown, the electrical switch 100 described herein generally comprises a housing 1, a terminal 2, a terminal block 3, an elastic member 4, and an indicator 5. The housing 1 can serve as a mounting carrier, and the terminal 2, terminal block 3, elastic member 4, and indicator 5 are respectively located in the housing 1.

[0038] refer to Figure 1 In some embodiments, the housing 1 includes an operating hole 11 and an indicator hole 12. The terminal block 3 can be located at the operating hole 11 to facilitate the operator to screw the terminal block 3 into the terminal block 2 through the operating hole 11. The indicator 5 can be rotatably arranged adjacent to the indicator hole 12 in the housing 1, so that during the rotation of the indicator 5, the operator can observe the relative position relationship between the indicator 5 and the indicator hole 12. Figures 2 to 3 Provide explanation.

[0039] refer to Figures 1 to 2 In some embodiments, the elastic member 4 is disposed on a side of the connecting terminal 2 adjacent to the operating hole 11 and between the connecting terminal 2 and the connecting member 3. The connecting terminal 2 can block the elastic member 4. In this way, when the torque applied to the elastic member 4 exceeds the torque threshold of the elastic member 4, the elastic member 4 can be compressed a certain distance.

[0040] Figure 3 FIG. 5 shows a schematic structural diagram of the indicator 5 and the torsion spring 14 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figures 1 to 3 As shown, in some embodiments, the indicator member 5 may include an indicating end 51 and a mating end 52, with the indicating end 51 facing away from the mating end 52. The mating end 52 may be located along the screwing path of the terminal 3, allowing the mating end 52 to switch between a first position and a second position under the drive of the terminal 3. When the mating end 52 is in the first position, the indicating end 51 is located at the indicating hole 12, while when the mating end 52 is in the second position, the indicating end 51 is offset from the indicating hole 12. Thus, during the rotation of the indicator member 5, the operator can observe the relative positional relationship between the mating end 52 and the indicating hole 12.

[0041] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, during the process of the operator screwing in the terminal block 3, if the operating torque applied to the terminal block 3 is greater than the torque threshold of the elastic member 4, the terminal block 3 can press the elastic member 4 and deform the elastic member 4. When the elastic member 4 is compressed, the terminal block 3 can drive the indicator member 5 to rotate relative to the housing 1, and the operator can judge whether the terminal block 3 is tightened by observing whether the indicator end 51 disappears from the indicator hole 12. Based on this, when the operator screws in the terminal block 3 and causes the elastic member 4 to deform and drives the indicator member 5 to rotate, when the indicator end 51 disappears from the indicator hole 12, the operator can know that the operating torque applied to the terminal block 3 is appropriate. Therefore, the electrical switch 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure has a reliable torque in place prompt function.

[0042] Furthermore, during long-term operation of the electrical switch 100, if the terminal 3 becomes loose and the tightening torque of the terminal 3 is less than the torque threshold of the elastic member 4, the elastic member 4 can recover its deformation. When the elastic member 4 recovers its deformation, the indicator member 5 can rotate in the opposite direction relative to the housing 1. The operator can determine whether the terminal 3 is loose by observing whether the indicator end 51 emerges from the indicator hole 12. Therefore, the electrical switch 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure also has a torque drop warning function. This method can solve problems such as abnormal heating, false tripping, and terminal burnout in electronic switches.

[0043] In addition, the elastic member 4 and the indicator member 5 have a simple structure, occupy a small space, and have a low cost. The structure of the elastic member 4 and the indicator member 5 does not change the external dimensions and wiring capacity of the electrical switch 100.

[0044] Figure 4 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a terminal 2, a terminal member 3, an elastic member 4 and an indicator member 5 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments, the terminal block 3 may include a head 31 and a rod 32. The rod 32 may be connected to the head 31 and may be inserted into the terminal block 2. The head 31 may be located at the operating hole 11 to facilitate an operator screwing the terminal block 3 into the terminal block 2 through the operating hole 11. The head 31 may press the elastic member 4 and may also drive the mating end 52.

[0045] Continue to refer Figure 4Since the purpose of the electrical switch 100 in the embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide torque-to-engage prompt, it is necessary to avoid the situation that the mating end 52 has been driven by the head 31 without the elastic member 4 being pressed by the head 31. Preferably, the distance between the head 31 and the elastic member 4 can be less than the distance between the head 31 and the mating end 52 along the screwing direction X of the connecting member 3 in the case that the head 31 has not contacted the mating end 52; thus, in the case that the head 31 presses the elastic member 4, the head 31 is spaced apart from the mating end 52. Alternatively, the distance between the head 31 and the elastic member 4 can be equal to the distance between the head 31 and the mating end 52; thus, in the case that the head 31 presses the elastic member 4, the mating end 52 can be simultaneously driven by the head 31. The above configuration can provide accurate torque-to-engage prompt.

[0046] With reference back to Figure 4 Further, the head 31 can include a mating groove 311. The mating groove 311 can be correspondingly arranged with the mating end 52 along the screwing direction X of the connecting member 3. Thus, in the screwing process of the connecting member 3, the connecting member 3 can drive the mating end 52 through the mating groove 311 to improve the transmission stability of the connecting member 3 and the indicating member 5.

[0047] With reference back to Figure 1 And Figure 4 In some embodiments, the connecting terminal 2 can include a first portion 21 and a second portion 22 spaced apart from the first portion 21. The elastic member 4 can be arranged on the side of the first portion 21 adjacent to the operation hole 11. The rod body 32 can pass through the first portion 21. In the case that the head 31 contacts the elastic member 4, a gap 102 is arranged between the rod body 32 and the second portion 22. It can be understood that, since the rod body 32 can be blocked by the second portion 22, this gap 102 is also the maximum travel distance of the connecting member 3. In order to avoid the problem of excessive compression of the elastic member 4 caused by the application of a limit torque, the maximum deformation amount of the elastic member 4 can be set to be greater than or equal to the gap 102 (or the gap 102 is less than or equal to the maximum deformation amount of the elastic member 4) to limit the deformation amount of the elastic member 4. Thus, it is ensured that the elastic member 4 is always within the elastic range, so that plastic deformation of the elastic member 4 can be avoided.

[0048] With reference back to Figures 2 to 3 In some embodiments, the indicating member 5 can further include a rotating portion 53 between the indicating end 51 and the mating end 52. The housing 1 can further include a rotating groove 13, and part of the rotating portion 53 is arranged in the rotating groove 13. Thus, through the cooperation between the rotating portion 53 and the rotating groove 13, the indicating member 5 can be rotated relative to the housing 1 to switch between the first position and the second position.

[0049] With reference back to Figures 2 to 3In some embodiments, the rotating part 53 can include a rotating shaft. The housing 1 can further include a torsion spring 14 located in the rotating groove 13. The torsion spring 14 can be arranged around the rotating shaft. One end of the torsion spring 14 can be connected to the rotating shaft, and the other end of the torsion spring 14 can abut against the inner surface of the rotating groove 13. Thus, in the case that the connecting piece 3 drives the mating end 52, the indicating piece 5 can rotate relative to the housing 1 to switch from the first position to the second position, and the torsion spring 14 can deform to store energy. Then in the process that the connecting piece 3 is loosened, the torsion spring 14 can release the energy to drive the indicating piece 5 to rotate in the opposite direction relative to the housing 1 to reset from the second position to the first position.

[0050] The elastic piece 4 according to the embodiments of the present disclosure can be various types of elastic pieces 4 currently known or available in the future, and the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited in this regard. For example, in some embodiments, the elastic piece 4 can be a disc spring. The disc spring has strong load-carrying capacity and can carry a large torque with a small deformation amount.

[0051] Figure 5 The structural schematic diagram of the elastic piece 4 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown, in which the left half is a perspective view of the elastic piece 4, and the right half is a schematic sectional view of the elastic piece 4. Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, the disc spring can include a plurality of first monomers 41 and a plurality of second monomers 42. Each of the plurality of first monomers 41 and each of the plurality of second monomers 42 are opposite to each other. Understandably, the first monomers 41 and the second monomers 42 in the embodiments of the present disclosure can take any combination to adapt to different specifications of the connecting piece 3.

[0052] In some embodiments, at least one of the plurality of first monomers 41 and at least one of the plurality of second monomers 42 contact each other. For example, in the example elastic piece 4, one of the plurality of first monomers 41 and one of the plurality of second monomers 42 contact each other. Figure 5 In some embodiments, at least one of the plurality of first monomers 41 and at least one of the plurality of second monomers 42 contact each other. For example, in the example elastic piece 4, one of the plurality of first monomers 41 and one of the plurality of second monomers 42 contact each other.

[0053] Continuing to refer to Figure 5 In some embodiments, each monomer can include a mounting hole 43. The mounting holes 43 of the plurality of first monomers 41 and the mounting holes 43 of the plurality of second monomers 42 can be aligned with each other to form a mounting channel 101 for the connecting piece 3 to pass through.

[0054] Figures 6 to 8 The structural schematic diagram of the elastic piece 4 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown, in which the left half of each diagram is a perspective view of the elastic piece 4, and the right half is a schematic sectional view of the elastic piece 4. Figures 6 to 8 The structure of the elastic piece 4 shown is similar to that described with reference to Figure 5The structures of the elastic members 4 described are similar, and the main difference is the combination of the first monomers 41 and the second monomers 42 in the elastic members 4. The structures of the housings 1, the terminal posts 2, the connecting members 3, and the indicating members 5 are the same. In the following, the differences between the two will be mainly described, and for the same parts, no further description will be given.

[0055] Referring to Figures 6 to 7 In some embodiments, pairs of the first monomers 41 in the plurality of the first monomers 41 can be in contact with pairs of the second monomers 42 in the plurality of the second monomers 42.

[0056] Referring to Figure 8 In some embodiments, three of the first monomers 41 in the plurality of the first monomers 41 can be in contact with three of the second monomers 42 in the plurality of the second monomers 42.

[0057] It should be noted that the numbers, values, quantities, etc. mentioned above and possibly mentioned elsewhere in the present disclosure are exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. Any other appropriate numbers, values, quantities are possible. For example, the first monomers 41 and the second monomers 42 can include more or fewer quantities, according to specific application scenarios and requirements.

[0058] Continuing to refer to Figures 6 to 8 In some embodiments, each monomer can include a mounting hole 43. The mounting holes 43 of the plurality of the first monomers 41 and the mounting holes 43 of the plurality of the second monomers 42 can be aligned with each other to constitute a mounting channel 101 for the connecting member 3 to pass through.

[0059] The designs of the connecting member 3, the elastic member 4, and the indicating member 5 according to the embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to various circuit breakers to at least partially solve the above-mentioned problems. It should be understood that the structural designs according to the embodiments of the present disclosure can also be applied to other electrical components, such as contactors, etc., and the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto.

[0060] The above has described various embodiments of the present disclosure, and the above description is exemplary and is not exhaustive, and is also not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and changes are obvious to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The choice of terms used herein is intended to best explain the principles of the embodiments, practical applications, or improvements to the technology in the market, or to enable other ordinary skilled persons in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An electrical switch (100), characterized in that The electrical switch (100) comprises: The housing (1) includes an operating hole (11) and an indication hole (12); A connection terminal (2) is arranged in the housing (1); A wiring member (3) is located at the operating hole (11) and can be screwed into the wiring terminal (2); an elastic member (4) disposed between the wiring terminal (2) and the wiring member (3) on a side of the wiring terminal (2) adjacent to the operating hole (11) and capable of being pressed by the wiring member (3); and An indicator member (5) is rotatably arranged in the housing (1), and the indicator member (5) includes an indicator end (51) and a mating end (52), wherein the mating end (52) is located on a screwing path of the terminal member (3) and can be switched between a first position and a second position under the drive of the terminal member (3), wherein when the mating end (52) is in the first position, the indicator end (51) is located at the indicator hole (12), and when the mating end (52) is in the second position, the indicator end (51) is staggered with the indicator hole (12).

2. The electrical switch (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that The terminal (3) comprises a head (31) and a rod (32) connected to the head (31), wherein the head (31) is capable of pressing the elastic member (4) and driving the mating end (52), and the rod (32) is capable of penetrating the terminal (2), wherein when the head (31) has not yet contacted the mating end (52), along the screwing direction (X) of the terminal (3), the distance between the head (31) and the elastic member (4) is less than or equal to the distance between the head (31) and the mating end (52).

3. The electrical switch (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that The connecting terminal (2) comprises a first portion (21) and a second portion (22) spaced apart from the first portion (21); the rod (32) is capable of passing through the first portion (21); and when the head (31) is in contact with the elastic member (4), a gap (102) is provided between the rod (32) and the second portion (22), and the gap (102) is less than or equal to the maximum deformation of the elastic member (4).

4. The electrical switch (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that The head (31) comprises a matching groove (311), and along the screwing direction (X) of the terminal (3), the matching groove (311) and the matching end (52) are arranged correspondingly.

5. The electrical switch (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that The indicator (5) further includes a rotating portion (53) located between the indicating end (51) and the mating end (52), the housing (1) further includes a rotating groove (13), and a portion of the rotating portion (53) is disposed within the rotating groove (13) so as to enable the indicator (5) to rotate relative to the housing (1).

6. The electrical switch (100) according to claim 5, characterized in that The rotating portion (53) includes a rotating shaft, and the housing (1) also includes a torsion spring (14) located in the rotating groove (13). The torsion spring (14) is arranged around the rotating shaft, one end of the torsion spring (14) is connected to the rotating shaft, and the other end of the torsion spring (14) abuts against the inner surface of the rotating groove (13).

7. The electrical switch (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that The elastic member (4) includes a disc spring, the disc spring includes a plurality of first monomers (41) and a plurality of second monomers (42), and each first monomer (41) in the plurality of first monomers (41) and each second monomer (42) in the plurality of second monomers (42) are opposite to each other.

8. The electrical switch (100) according to claim 7, characterized in that At least one first monomer (41) among the plurality of first monomers (41) and at least one second monomer (42) among the plurality of second monomers (42) are in contact with each other.

9. The electrical switch (100) according to claim 8, characterized in that The paired first monomers (41) among the plurality of first monomers (41) and the paired second monomers (42) among the plurality of second monomers (42) are in contact with each other.

10. The electrical switch (100) according to claim 7, characterized in that Each of the plurality of first monomers (41) and the plurality of second monomers (42) comprises a mounting hole (43); the mounting holes (43) of the plurality of first monomers (41) and the mounting holes (43) of the plurality of second monomers (42) are aligned with each other and form a mounting channel (101) for the wiring member (3) to penetrate.

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