Electrical switch

Abstract

The embodiment of the utility model provides an electrical switch. The electrical switch comprises a housing; the thermomagnetic assembly is arranged in the shell and comprises a heating piece and a bendable piece coupled to the heating piece; and the wiring terminal is arranged in the shell and is coupled to the heating piece so as to drive the heating piece to rotate, and the heating piece and the wiring terminal abut against the shell so that the shell can prevent the heating piece and the wiring terminal from rotating.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the technical field of electrical equipment, and more particularly, to an electrical switch. BACKGROUND

[0002] Conventional electrical switches achieve overcurrent protection and overheat protection by combining both thermal protection and magnetic protection mechanisms. If the current exceeds the rated value but is not a transient short-circuit current (i.e., an overload condition), the bimetallic strip is heated and bent and can trigger a trip mechanism. If the current suddenly increases to a very high level (e.g., a short-circuit condition), the magnetic field in the electrical switch rapidly increases and attracts the moving magnetic piece to move toward the static magnetic piece, and the moving magnetic piece can trigger the trip mechanism. SUMMARY

[0003] In one aspect of the present disclosure, an electrical switch is provided, including: a housing; a thermo-magnetic assembly disposed in the housing and including a heating piece and a bendable piece coupled to the heating piece; and a terminal disposed in the housing and coupled to the heating piece to drive the heating piece to rotate, wherein the heating piece and the terminal respectively abut against the housing to make the housing prevent the heating piece and the terminal from rotating.

[0004] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, in the case that the same terminal torque is applied to the terminal, the unit pressure of the force-receiving surface of the housing can be reduced due to the increase of the force-receiving surface of the housing, thereby reducing the deformation amount of the housing and the heating piece, and further improving the influence of the terminal torque on the position of the bendable piece. In addition, since the unit pressure of the force-receiving surface of the housing is reduced, the terminal torque applied to the terminal can be greatly improved without damaging the housing.

[0005] In some embodiments, the thermo-magnetic assembly further includes a static magnetic piece coupled to the heating piece and the bendable piece, and the static magnetic piece is fixedly connected to the housing.

[0006] In some embodiments, the thermo-magnetic assembly further includes at least one mounting piece, the heating piece includes at least one first mounting hole, the bendable piece includes at least one second mounting hole, the static magnetic piece includes at least one third mounting hole, and each mounting piece passes through the corresponding second mounting hole, the corresponding first mounting hole, and the corresponding third mounting hole in sequence.

[0007] In some embodiments, the heating piece includes a fitting portion, the fitting portion includes a fitting groove, the terminal includes a main body portion and an extension portion disposed on the main body portion, and the extension portion is disposed in the fitting groove.

[0008] In some embodiments, the housing includes a partition and a mounting groove for disposing the heating member and the terminal, the partition includes a first terminal hole, the partition is disposed in the mounting groove and separates the mounting groove into a first groove body and a second groove body, and the first groove body and the second groove body are distributed along an axial direction of the first terminal hole.

[0009] In some embodiments, the fitting portion is disposed in the first groove body and abuts against an inner surface of the first groove body.

[0010] In some embodiments, the fitting portion includes a first pair of limiting surfaces disposed opposite to each other, and the first pair of limiting surfaces abut against the inner surface of the first groove body.

[0011] In some embodiments, the main body portion is disposed in the second groove body and abuts against an inner surface of the second groove body, and the extension portion passes through the partition.

[0012] In some embodiments, the partition includes a through hole, and the extension portion passes through the through hole and is spaced apart from the through hole.

[0013] In some embodiments, the main body portion includes a second pair of limiting surfaces disposed opposite to each other, and the second pair of limiting surfaces abut against the inner surface of the second groove body.

[0014] It should be understood that the content described in this section is not intended to limit the key features or important features of the 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 through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0015] The above and other features, advantages, and aspects of embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent by describing in detail some embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:

[0016] Figure 1 A partial structural schematic of an electrical switch according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0017] Figure 2 A structural schematic of a housing of the electrical switch shown is shown; Figure 1

[0018] A structural schematic of a thermal magnetic assembly and a terminal according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 3

[0019] A structural schematic of a static magnetic member shown is shown; Figure 4 Figure 3 A structural schematic of a static magnetic member shown is shown;​

[0020] Figure 5 a heating member is shown; Figure 3 a structural schematic view of the heating member is shown;

[0021] Figure 6 a bending member is shown; Figure 3 a structural schematic view of the bending member is shown;

[0022] Figure 7 a terminal is shown; Figure 3 structural schematic views of the terminal along different perspectives are shown.

[0023] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0024] 100 is an electrical switch;

[0025] 1 is a housing, 11 is a partition, 111 is a first wiring hole, 112 is a through hole, 12 is a mounting groove, 121 is a first groove body, 122 is a second groove body;

[0026] 2 is a thermal magnetic assembly, 21 is a heating member, 211 is a first mounting hole, 212 is a fitting part, 2121 is a fitting groove, 2122 is a first pair of limiting surfaces, 2123 is a second wiring hole, 22 is a bending member, 221 is a second mounting hole, 23 is a static magnetic member, 231 is a third mounting hole, 232 is a connecting hole, 24 is a dynamic magnetic member, 25 is a mounting member;

[0027] 3 is a terminal, 31 is a main body, 311 is a second pair of limiting surfaces, 312 is a third wiring hole, 32 is an extension. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. Although preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be 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.

[0029] The term "comprising" and variations thereof as used herein are intended to mean "including but not limited to". The term "or" as used herein is intended to mean "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.

[0030] In an electrical switch such as a circuit breaker, a bimetallic strip can be coupled to a terminal. In the case that a terminal is applied with a terminal torque, the terminal torque can be transmitted to and act on the bimetallic strip to change the position of the bimetallic strip. The bimetallic strip plays a key role in the thermal protection function of the electrical switch, and thus the position of the bimetallic strip is required to be strict. If the position of the bimetallic strip is affected, the reliability of the electrical switch can be reduced. Based on this, embodiments of the present disclosure provide an electrical switch 100 to at least partially solve the above-mentioned problems. In the following, the electrical switch 100 will be described in detail in combination with the accompanying drawings. Figures 1 to 7 The principles of the present disclosure are described.

[0031] Figure 1 A partial structural schematic diagram of an electrical switch 100 is shown according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 2 A partial structural schematic diagram of an electrical switch 100 is shown according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 1 A structural schematic diagram of a housing 1 of the electrical switch 100 is shown. Figure 3 A structural schematic diagram of a thermal magnetic assembly 2 and a terminal 3 is shown according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in the figure, Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the electrical switch 100 described herein generally includes a housing 1, a thermal magnetic assembly 2, and a terminal 3. The housing 1 can serve as a mounting carrier, which is mainly used to arrange the thermal magnetic assembly 2 and the terminal 3.

[0032] Referring to Figures 1 to 3 In some embodiments, the thermal magnetic assembly 2 includes a heating piece 21 and a bendable piece 22 coupled to the heating piece 21, for example, the bendable piece 22 can include a bimetallic strip. If the current flowing through the heating piece 21 exceeds the rated value, the heating piece 21 can generate heat and gradually heat the bendable piece 22 to make the bendable piece 22 bend due to heat. It can be understood that since the current flows through the heating piece 21 rather than the bendable piece 22, the current level of the electrical switch 100 can be improved, for example, it can be expanded from 125A to 160A. In addition, since the terminal 3 is coupled to the heating piece 21 and can drive the heating piece 21 to rotate, it is also necessary to improve the problem that the position of the bendable piece 22 is affected due to the transmission of the terminal torque by the heating piece 21. In addition, by coupling the bendable piece 22 to the heating piece 21, the production assembly process can be simplified and the production efficiency can be improved.

[0033] Continuing to refer to Figures 1 to 3 In some embodiments, the heating piece 21 and the terminal 3 respectively abut against the housing 1, so that the housing 1 can prevent the heating piece 21 and the terminal 3 from rotating. It can be understood that in the case that the heating piece 21 and the terminal 3 respectively abut against the housing 1, the force receiving surface of the housing 1 is increased.

[0034] The terminal 3 according to the embodiments of the present disclosure can be made of various types of rigid materials that are 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 terminal 3 can be made of steel material, and compared with a copper terminal 3, the breaking torque applied to the terminal 3 in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be greatly improved, and the problem of thread galling is less likely to occur.

[0035] According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, in the case that the terminal 3 is applied with the same wiring torque, since the force receiving surface of the shell 1 is increased, the unit pressure of the force receiving surface of the shell 1 can be reduced, thereby reducing the deformation amount of the shell 1 and the heating element 21, and further improving the influence of the wiring torque on the position of the bendable element 22. In addition, since the unit pressure of the force receiving surface of the shell 1 is reduced, the wiring torque applied to the terminal 3 can be greatly improved without damaging the shell 1, for example, can be improved to more than 20 Nm.

[0036] It should be noted that the numbers, values, numbers, etc. mentioned above and possibly 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, numbers are possible.

[0037] Reference Figure 3 In some embodiments, the thermomagnetic assembly 2 can further include a static magnetic element 23 and a dynamic magnetic element 24. If the current suddenly increases to a very high level (such as a short circuit condition), the magnetic field in the electrical switch 100 will quickly increase and attract the dynamic magnetic element 24 to move towards the static magnetic element 23, and the dynamic magnetic element 24 can trigger a tripping mechanism (not shown in the figure) to realize a magnetic protection mechanism.

[0038] Continuing to refer to Figure 3 In some embodiments, the static magnetic element 23 can be coupled to the heating element 21 and the bendable element 22, and the static magnetic element 23 can be fixedly connected to the shell 1.

[0039] The static magnetic element 23, the heating element 21 and the bendable element 22 according to the embodiments of the present disclosure form an integral structure, and the static magnetic element 23 can be fixed on the shell 1, so that the heating element 21 and the bendable element 22 are also fixed on the shell 1. When the terminal 3 is applied with the wiring torque, the wiring torque can be transmitted to the shell 1 via the static magnetic element 23 to reduce the wiring torque transmitted to the heating element 21 and the bendable element 22, thereby improving the problem that the heating element 21 and the bendable element 22 are driven to deform, and further improving the problem that the wiring torque affects the position of the bendable element 22. In addition, the static magnetic element 23 can not only attract the dynamic magnetic element 24 to move, but also be used as a mounting terminal to be mounted on the shell 1, which is beneficial to simplify the product structure.

[0040] The magnetostatic member 23 according to the embodiments of the present disclosure can be fixedly connected to the shell 1 in any manner, and the embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit this. Figure 4 A structural schematic diagram of the magnetostatic member 23 is shown, for example, as Figure 3 Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments, the magnetostatic member 23 can include a connecting hole 232, and a fastener such as a bolt can pass through the connecting hole 232 to fixedly connect the magnetostatic member 23 to the shell 1. It can be understood that, by fixing the heating member 21 and the bendable member 22 on the shell 1 through the magnetostatic member 23, compared to opening a threaded hole on the copper heating member 21 to fix the heating member 21 and the bendable member 22 on the shell 1, the problem of thread slipping can be improved in the case of a large torque applied to the heating member 21.

[0041] The magnetostatic member 23, the heating member 21, and the bendable member 22 according to the embodiments of the present disclosure can be formed into an integral structure in any manner, and the embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit this. Figure 5 A structural schematic diagram of the heating member 21 is shown. Figure 3 A structural schematic diagram of the heating member 21 is shown. Figure 6 A structural schematic diagram of the bendable member 22 is shown. For example, as Figure 3 A structural schematic diagram of the bendable member 22 is shown. For example, as Figures 3 to 6 As shown, in some embodiments, the thermomagnetic assembly 2 can further include at least one mounting member 25. Correspondingly, the heating member 21 can include at least one first mounting hole 211, the bendable member 22 can include at least one second mounting hole 221, and the magnetostatic member 23 can include at least one third mounting hole 231. Thus, each mounting member 25 passes through the corresponding second mounting hole 221, the corresponding first mounting hole 211, and the corresponding third mounting hole 231 in sequence to fix the magnetostatic member 23, the heating member 21, and the bendable member 22 as an integral structure.

[0042] Referring back to Figures 3 to 6 , in some embodiments, according to specific application scenarios and requirements, the thermomagnetic assembly 2 can further include a pair of mounting members 25. Correspondingly, the heating member 21 can include a pair of first mounting holes 211, the bendable member 22 can include a pair of second mounting holes 221, and the magnetostatic member 23 can include a pair of third mounting holes 231. Thus, each mounting member 25 of the pair of mounting members 25 passes through the corresponding second mounting hole 221, the corresponding first mounting hole 211, and the corresponding third mounting hole 231 in sequence to fix the magnetostatic member 23, the heating member 21, and the bendable member 22 as an integral structure.

[0043] Continuing to refer back to Figure 4 ​Further, the connecting hole 232 can be adjacent to the at least one third mounting hole 231. It can be understood that, since the position where the static magnetic member 23 is fixed on the shell 1 is adjacent to the position where the static magnetic member 23 is connected with the heating member 21 and the bendable member 22, the heating member 21 and the bendable member 22 can be more firmly connected to the shell 1, further improving the problem that the torque affects the position of the bendable member 22.

[0044] The heating member 21 and the terminal 3 according to the embodiments of the present disclosure can be assembled in any manner, which is not limited by the embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 7 The terminal 3 is shown Figure 3 The terminal 3 is shown Figure 3 、 Figure 5 and Figure 7 In some embodiments, the heating member 21 can include a fitting part 212. Correspondingly, the terminal 3 can include a main body part 31 and an extension part 32 arranged on the main body part 31, and the extension part 32 can be arranged in a fitting groove 2121 of the fitting part 212. Thus, in the case that the terminal 3 is applied with a wiring torque, the terminal 3 can drive the heating member 21 to rotate. Of course, in other embodiments, the heating member 21 can also be riveted to the terminal 3 to be assembled with the terminal 3.

[0045] Referring back to Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some embodiments, the shell 1 can include a partition 11 and a mounting groove 12 for arranging the heating member 21 and the terminal 3. The partition 11 can include a first wiring hole 111, which can be used for a wiring screw to pass through. The partition 11 is arranged in the mounting groove 12 and is adapted to divide the mounting groove 12 into a first groove body 121 and a second groove body 122. The first groove body 121 and the second groove body 122 can be distributed along the axial direction of the first wiring hole 111, wherein the first groove body 121 can be used for arranging a part of the heating member 21, and the second groove body 122 can be used for arranging a part of the terminal 3.

[0046] Referring to Figure 5 Further, the fitting part 212 can include a second wiring hole 2123. Correspondingly, referring to Figure 7 The main body part 31 can include a third wiring hole 312. The first wiring hole 111 can be aligned with the second wiring hole 2123 and the third wiring hole 312, so that the wiring screw can pass through the second wiring hole 2123, the first wiring hole 111 and the third wiring hole 312 in sequence.

[0047] As described above, the heating member 21 and the terminal 3 need to be respectively abutted with the shell 1 to improve the influence of the wiring torque on the position of the bendable member 22. As Figure 1 ,Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 5 as well as Figure 7 As shown, in some embodiments, the mating part 212 may be disposed within the first groove 121 and abut against the inner surface of the first groove 121. The main body part 31 may be disposed within the second groove 122 and abut against the inner surface of the second groove 122. This increases the force-bearing surface of the housing 1, reducing the unit pressure on the force-bearing surface of the housing 1 when the same wiring torque is applied to the terminal 3, thereby reducing the deformation of the housing 1 and the heating element 21, and further improving the effect of the wiring torque on the position of the bendable element 22. Furthermore, since the unit pressure on the force-bearing surface of the housing 1 is reduced, the wiring torque applied to the terminal 3 can be significantly increased without damaging the housing 1.

[0048] Continue to refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 5 as well as Figure 7 In some embodiments, the extension 32 may pass through the separator 11 to facilitate assembly with the mating part 212. Further, the separator 11 may include a through-hole 112, through which the extension 32 may pass and be spaced apart. It is understood that, since the separator 11 is a weak point in the housing 1, contact between the extension 32 and the inner wall surface of the through-hole 112 should be avoided to prevent damage to the separator 11 when torque is applied to the terminal block 3.

[0049] The heating element 21 and the wiring terminal 3 according to embodiments of this disclosure can abut against the housing 1 from any side, and the embodiments of this disclosure do not limit this. For example, as Figure 5 and Figure 7 As shown, in some embodiments, the mating portion 212 may include a first pair of limiting surfaces 2122 disposed opposite to each other, and the first pair of limiting surfaces 2122 may abut against the inner surface of the first groove 121. Correspondingly, the main body portion 31 may include a second pair of limiting surfaces 311 disposed opposite to each other, and the second pair of limiting surfaces 311 may abut against the inner surface of the second groove 122.

[0050] It is understandable that when a wiring torque is applied to the terminal block 3 and the heating element 21 is driven to rotate, the first pair of limiting surfaces 2122 of the mating part 212 and the second pair of limiting surfaces 311 of the main body 31 interact with the housing 1, increasing the force-bearing surface of the housing 1. This reduces the unit pressure on the force-bearing surface of the housing 1, thereby reducing the deformation of the housing 1 and the heating element 21, and thus improving the effect of the wiring torque on the position of the bendable element 22. Furthermore, since the unit pressure on the force-bearing surface of the housing 1 is reduced, the torque applied to the terminal block 3 can be significantly increased without damaging the housing 1.

[0051] The structural design according to embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to various electrical switches, including but not limited to circuit breakers, to at least partially address the above-mentioned problems. It should be appreciated that the structural design according to embodiments of the present disclosure can also be applied to other electrical components, for which embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited.

[0052] Embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the above description is exemplary, not exhaustive, and is 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 selection of terms used herein is intended to best explain the principles, practical application, or technical improvement in the art of the embodiments, 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) includes: Shell (1); A thermomagnetic assembly (2), disposed within the housing (1), includes a heating element (21) and a bendable element (22) coupled to the heating element (21); and A terminal block (3) is disposed inside the housing (1) and coupled to the heating element (21) to drive the heating element (21) to rotate. The heating element (21) and the wiring terminal (3) respectively abut against the housing (1) so that the housing (1) prevents the heating element (21) and the wiring terminal (3) from rotating.

2. The electrical switch (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thermomagnetic assembly (2) further includes a static magnetic component (23) coupled to the heating element (21) and the bendable element (22), and the static magnetic component (23) is fixedly connected to the housing (1).

3. The electrical switch (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that, The thermomagnetic assembly (2) further includes at least one mounting member (25), the heating member (21) includes at least one first mounting hole (211), the bendable member (22) includes at least one second mounting hole (221), the static magnetic member (23) includes at least one third mounting hole (231), and each mounting member (25) passes through the corresponding second mounting hole (221), the corresponding first mounting hole (211), and the corresponding third mounting hole (231) in sequence.

4. The electrical switch (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heating element (21) includes a mating part (212), the mating part (212) includes a mating groove (2121), the terminal block (3) includes a main body (31) and an extension part (32) disposed on the main body (31), and the extension part (32) is disposed in the mating groove (2121).

5. The electrical switch (100) according to claim 4, characterized in that, The housing (1) includes a separator (11) and a mounting groove (12) for mounting the heating element (21) and the wiring terminal (3). The separator (11) includes a first wiring hole (111). The separator (11) is disposed in the mounting groove (12) and divides the mounting groove (12) into a first groove (121) and a second groove (122). The first groove (121) and the second groove (122) are distributed along the axial direction of the first wiring hole (111).

6. The electrical switch (100) according to claim 5, characterized in that, The mating part (212) is disposed inside the first groove (121) and abuts against the inner surface of the first groove (121).

7. The electrical switch (100) according to claim 6, characterized in that, The mating part (212) includes a first pair of limiting surfaces (2122) arranged opposite to each other, and the first pair of limiting surfaces (2122) abuts against the inner surface of the first groove (121).

8. The electrical switch (100) according to claim 5, characterized in that, The main body (31) is disposed inside the second groove (122) and abuts against the inner surface of the second groove (122), and the extension (32) passes through the partition (11).

9. The electrical switch (100) according to claim 8, characterized in that, The separator (11) includes a perforation (112), and the extension (32) passes through the perforation (112) and is spaced apart from the perforation (112).

10. The electrical switch (100) according to claim 8, characterized in that, The main body (31) includes a second pair of limiting surfaces (311) arranged opposite to each other, and the second pair of limiting surfaces (311) abuts against the inner surface of the second groove (122).

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