Indicating unit and circuit breaker

Abstract

The utility model relates to an indication unit and a circuit breaker. The indicating unit is used for the wiring terminal and comprises a laser transmitter, a laser receiver and an indicating assembly located between the laser transmitter and the laser receiver, and the indicating assembly comprises a shell provided with an opening; the heat conduction piece extends out of the shell from the interior of the shell through the opening and is in contact with the wiring terminal; the driving part is in contact with the heat conduction part, and the driving part is configured to deform under the condition of temperature change; and when the temperature of the heat conduction part exceeds a threshold value, the indication part moves from an initial position to an indication position under the action of the driving part, the light path between the laser transmitter and the laser receiver is not blocked by the indication part at the initial position, and the light path between the laser transmitter and the laser receiver is blocked by the indication part at the indication position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to an indicator unit and a circuit breaker, and more specifically, to an indicator unit capable of automatically reporting problems such as poor contact at the wiring terminals of a circuit breaker. Background Technology

[0002] During circuit breaker operation, improper user operation may result in the terminals not being properly connected, leading to excessively high resistance at the terminals and abnormally high temperatures, potentially damaging the terminals and nearby components. Therefore, an indicator system is needed to show the user the tightening status of the terminals. However, in existing technology, the indicator system can only show the user whether the terminals are tightened, but not whether the tightening degree is sufficient.

[0003] Therefore, it is desirable to propose an indication unit that improves upon the shortcomings of the aforementioned prior art. Utility Model Content

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present invention, an indicator unit for a terminal block is provided, comprising a laser emitter, a laser receiver, and an indicator assembly located between the laser emitter and the laser receiver. The indicator assembly comprises: a housing having an opening; a heat-conducting element extending from the interior of the housing through the opening and contacting the terminal block; a driving element in contact with the heat-conducting element, the driving element being configured to deform in response to temperature changes; and an indicator element that, when the temperature of the heat-conducting element exceeds a threshold, moves from an initial position to an indicated position under the action of the driving element. In the initial position, the optical path between the laser emitter and the laser receiver is not blocked by the indicator element, and in the indicated position, the optical path between the laser emitter and the laser receiver is blocked by the indicator element.

[0005] According to the scheme, when poor contact at the terminal causes the temperature at the terminal to rise, the temperature of the heat-conducting component in contact with the terminal rises, which in turn causes the temperature of the driving component to rise and deform. The deformation of the driving component causes the indicator to move, which in turn causes the laser receiver to no longer receive the laser, thereby generating a corresponding indicator signal to notify the user of poor contact at the terminal.

[0006] In some designs, the housing may have a front through hole and a rear through hole, which penetrate the front and rear walls of the housing respectively. The emitting part of the laser emitter, the receiving part of the laser receiver, the front through hole and the rear through hole are aligned. The indicator has an indicator hole. When the indicator is in the initial position, the indicator hole is aligned with the front through hole and the rear through hole. When the indicator is in the indicating position, the indicator hole is not aligned with the front through hole and the rear through hole.

[0007] According to this scheme, under normal conditions, the front through-hole, rear through-hole, and indicator hole of the indicator are aligned. Therefore, the laser emitted by the laser emitter reaches the laser receiver sequentially through the front through-hole, indicator hole, and rear through-hole. However, under abnormal conditions, the indicator hole is no longer aligned with the front and rear through-holes. Therefore, the laser emitted by the laser emitter can no longer pass through the indicator hole of the indicator, making it impossible for the laser receiver to receive the laser.

[0008] In some designs, the housing may have a top through-hole that penetrates the top wall of the housing, which is perpendicular to the front and rear walls. During the movement of the indicator from the initial position to the indicated position, the indicator extends out of the housing from the interior through the top through-hole.

[0009] According to the scheme, in abnormal conditions, the indicator can pop out from inside the housing to provide visual guidance to the user.

[0010] In some designs, a portion of the heat-conducting element can be disposed on the upper surface of the bottom wall of the housing, and a driving element is disposed on the heat-conducting element. The first end of the driving element is fixed to the housing, and when the temperature of the heat-conducting element exceeds a threshold, the second end of the driving element, opposite to the first end, bends.

[0011] In some solutions, when the temperature of the heat-conducting component exceeds a threshold, the second end of the drive component can bend upward to apply force to the indicator, causing the indicator to move from the initial position to the indicated position.

[0012] In some embodiments, the indicator may further include: a blocking member, the second end of the drive member being connected to the blocking member, wherein when the temperature of the heat-conducting member exceeds a threshold, the drive member drives the blocking member from a locked position to an unlocked position; in the locked position, the blocking member blocks the movement of the indicator; and in the unlocked position, the blocking member releases the indicator; and a biasing member, which biases the indicator toward the indicated position.

[0013] According to the scheme, in an abnormal state, the blocking component is driven to the unlocked position by the driving component, so that the indicator component moves to the indicated position under the action of the biasing component.

[0014] In some designs, the two sidewalls of the housing may be provided with a first groove and a second groove, respectively. The sidewalls are perpendicular to the front wall and the top wall. The first groove is located below the second groove. The indicator has a pair of protrusions. When the indicator is in the initial position, the protrusions are located in the first groove. When the indicator is in the indicated position, the protrusions are located in the second groove.

[0015] According to the scheme, under normal conditions, the indicator is engaged in the first groove. As the temperature gradually rises, the driving force on the indicator increases. When the temperature exceeds the threshold, the indicator leaves the first groove and moves toward the second groove.

[0016] In some designs, there may be an inclined surface between the first and second grooves, which slopes outward in an upward direction.

[0017] In some designs, the opening can be located on the side wall of the housing.

[0018] In some designs, the heat-conducting element may have an L-shaped form, comprising a first part and a second part that are perpendicular to each other, the first part extending to the outside of the housing and the second part located inside the housing.

[0019] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a circuit breaker is provided, comprising: a main body; an indicator unit as described in the first aspect of the present invention; and an optical path between a laser transmitter and a laser receiver that does not pass through the main body.

[0020] In some designs, the circuit breaker may include multiple terminals, the indicating unit includes a corresponding number of indicating components, the terminals are in contact with corresponding heat-conducting elements, and the front and rear through holes of the multiple indicating components are aligned with each other.

[0021] According to this scheme, multiple terminal blocks can be monitored simultaneously for abnormalities. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a circuit breaker according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0023] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a portion of a circuit breaker and an indicating unit according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0024] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the housing of the indicator assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0025] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the exterior of an indicator component according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0026] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the interior of an indicator assembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention is shown, wherein the indicator is in an initial position;

[0027] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the interior of an indicator assembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention is shown, wherein the indicator is located in the indicating position;

[0028] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the interior of an indicator assembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention is shown, wherein the indicator is in an initial position;

[0029] Figure 8A schematic diagram of the components of an indicator unit according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown, wherein the indicator is located in the indicator position;

[0030] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of a heat-conducting component according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0031] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of an indicator according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0032] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of a blocking member according to a second embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0033] Figure Labels

[0034] 10 Circuit Breakers

[0035] 12 terminal blocks

[0036] 100 indicator component

[0037] 110 Casing

[0038] 111-1 Anterior wall

[0039] 111-2 Rear wall

[0040] 111-3 Top Wall

[0041] 111-4 Sidewall

[0042] 112 Front through hole

[0043] 113 Rear Through Hole

[0044] 114 Top through hole

[0045] 115 Opening

[0046] 116 First Groove

[0047] 117 Second Groove

[0048] 118 bevel

[0049] 120 thermal conductive component

[0050] 122 Part One

[0051] 124 Part Two

[0052] 130 drive unit

[0053] 132 First End

[0054] 134 Second End

[0055] 140 indicator

[0056] 142 Indicator Hole

[0057] 144 protrusions

[0058] 150 blocking components

[0059] 152 Receiving Department

[0060] 154 Clamping section

[0061] 160 offset component Detailed Implementation

[0062] To make the objectives, solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise stated, the terms used herein have their ordinary meanings in the art. The same reference numerals in the drawings represent the same parts.

[0063] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a circuit breaker 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The circuit breaker 10 includes a terminal block 12, which can be electrically connected to a power source or a load, for example. The electrical connection at the terminal block 12 may be in an abnormal state due to various reasons (e.g., the user forgets to tighten the screw or the tightening torque is insufficient). In an abnormal state, the resistance at the terminal block 12 is high, resulting in an abnormal temperature rise, which may damage the terminal block 12 or nearby components. To address this, the circuit breaker 10 of the present invention also includes an indicator unit for monitoring the electrical connection status of the terminal block 12. Once the terminal block 12 is in an abnormal state, the indicator unit can automatically issue a corresponding indication to the user.

[0064] The indicating unit includes a laser emitter (not shown), a laser receiver (not shown), and an indicating component 100 located between the laser emitter and the laser receiver. Under normal conditions, the laser emitted from the laser emitter can reach the laser receiver via the indicating component 100. Under abnormal conditions, the laser emitted from the laser emitter is blocked by the indicating component 100 and cannot reach the laser receiver. Therefore, the electrical connection status of the terminal 12 can be determined based on whether the laser receiver receives a laser signal. The laser receiver can be connected to an alarm device (e.g., an indicator light or a buzzer). Once the laser receiver does not receive a laser signal, the alarm device will issue an alarm to the user (e.g., the indicator light flashes or the buzzer sounds).

[0065] like Figures 2 to 4 As shown, the indicator assembly 100 mainly includes a housing 110, a heat-conducting component 120, a driving component 130, and an indicator 140.

[0066] The housing 110 includes a front wall 111-1 at the front, a rear wall 111-2 at the rear, a top wall 111-3 at the top, and a side wall 111-4 at the side. The front wall 111-1, top wall 111-3, and side wall 111-4 are perpendicular to each other. It should be understood that the terms "front," "rear," "top," "bottom," "side," "upper," and "lower" used herein are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit specific orientational relationships. The front wall 111-1 of the housing 110 has a front through hole 112, and the rear wall 111-2 has a rear through hole 113. The laser emitter is located in front of the front through hole 112, and the laser receiver is located behind the rear through hole 113. The front through hole 112 and the rear through hole 113 are aligned. Under normal conditions, the laser emitted by the laser emitter reaches the laser receiver sequentially through the front through hole 112 and the rear through hole 113. In addition, the top wall 111-3 of the housing 110 is provided with a top through hole 114, and the side wall 111-4 is provided with an opening 115. The front through hole 112, the rear through hole 113, and the top through hole 114 can be approximately circular, and the opening 115 can be approximately rectangular.

[0067] The heat-conducting element 120 extends out of the housing 110 from the inside of the housing 110 through the opening 115 of the housing 110 and contacts the terminal 12. When the terminal 12 is in an abnormal state and its temperature rises, the heat-conducting element 120 absorbs heat from the terminal 12, thereby increasing its temperature. Specifically, as... Figure 9 As shown, the heat-conducting element 120 may have an L-shaped shape, including a first portion 122 and a second portion 124 that are perpendicular to each other. The first portion 122 extends to the outside of the housing 100 to contact the terminal 12, and the second portion 124 is located inside the housing 100 (e.g., disposed on the upper surface of the bottom wall of the housing 100) to exchange heat with the drive element 130 under abnormal conditions.

[0068] The drive element 130 contacts the heat-conducting element 120, thereby enabling heat exchange between them. The drive element 130 is configured to deform in response to temperature changes, thereby moving the indicator 140 from an initial position (corresponding to the terminal 12 being in a normal state) to an indicating position (corresponding to the terminal 12 being in an abnormal state). The drive element 130 can be formed of two metal plates with different coefficients of thermal expansion. As the temperature rises, the two metal plates deform to different degrees, thus causing the drive element 130 to bend in a certain direction. The bending direction of the drive element 130 can be designed based on the specific application requirements by arranging the two metal plates with different coefficients of thermal expansion. The first end 132 of the drive element 130 is fixed to the housing 110 (e.g., fixed to the rear wall 111-2 of the housing 110), and the second end 112 undergoes bending deformation to move the indicator 140 from the initial position to the indicating position.

[0069] When a fault occurs at terminal 12 and the temperature rises above a threshold, the indicator 140 moves from its initial position to the indicated position under the action of the drive unit 130. For example... Figure 10 As shown, the indicator 140 has an indicator hole 142. In the initial position, the indicator hole 142 is aligned with the front through hole 112 and the rear through hole 113, such that the laser emitted from the laser emitter passes sequentially through the front through hole 112, the indicator hole 142, and the rear through hole 113 to reach the laser receiver. In the indicating position, the indicator hole 142 is no longer aligned with the front through hole 112 and the rear through hole 113, such that the laser emitted from the laser emitter cannot pass through the indicator hole 142 to reach the laser receiver. Furthermore, in the initial position, the indicator 140 is completely inside the housing 110; while in the indicating position, a portion of the indicator 140 extends from the top through hole 114 to the outside of the housing 110, thereby providing the user with a visual indication that the terminal block 12 is in an abnormal state.

[0070] Figure 5 and Figure 6 Schematic diagrams of the interior of the component 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention are shown in the initial position and the indicated position, respectively. The second end 134 of the drive member 130 is in contact with the lower part of the indicator 140. When the terminal 12 is in an abnormal state, the temperature of the terminal 12 rises, and the heat of the terminal 12 is transferred to the drive member 130 via the heat conductor 120, causing the drive member 130 to bend upward, thereby applying an upward force to the indicator 140, and thus moving the indicator 140 from the initial position to the indicated position.

[0071] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the interior of the indicator assembly 100 according to a second embodiment of the present invention is shown. For the sake of brevity, only the differences between the second embodiment and the first embodiment are described below, and the similarities between the second embodiment and the first embodiment are not repeated. Unlike the first embodiment, where the driving member 130 is in direct contact with the indicator 140, in the second embodiment, the driving member 130 does not contact the indicator 140 but contacts the blocking member 150. Figure 11As shown, the blocking member has a receiving portion 152 and a clamping portion 154. In the normal state, the blocking member is in the locked position, the second end 134 of the driving member 130 is located in the receiving portion 152, and the indicator 140 is constrained by the clamping portion 154. When the terminal 12 is in an abnormal state, the temperature of the terminal 12 rises, and the heat of the terminal 12 is transferred to the driving member 130 via the heat-conducting member 120, causing the driving member 130 to bend downward, thereby causing the driving member 130 to exert a downward force on the blocking member 150, and thus causing the blocking member 150 to rotate counterclockwise to the unlocked position. When the blocking member 150 is in the unlocked position, the clamping portion 154 of the blocking member 150 no longer constrains the movement of the indicator 140, and the indicator 140 moves from the initial position to the indicated position under the action of the biasing member 160 (e.g., a spring). Compared to the first embodiment where the driver 130 directly drives the indicator 140, the second embodiment where the driver 140 drives the blocking member 150 may require less force, making the indicator unit more sensitive to the monitoring of the terminal 12 (i.e., a smaller temperature change can cause the indicator unit to issue a corresponding indication to the user).

[0072] Preferably, such as Figure 8 As shown, the two sidewalls 111-4 of the housing 110 may be respectively provided with a first groove 116 and a second groove 117, with the first groove 116 located below the second groove 117. The indicator 140 has a pair of protrusions 144. When the indicator 140 is in the initial position, the protrusions 144 are located in the first groove 116, and when the indicator 140 is in the indicated position, the protrusions 144 are located in the second groove 117. In addition, an inclined surface 118 may exist between the first groove 116 and the second groove 117, and the inclined surface 118 is inclined outward in an upward direction. Under normal conditions, the indicator 140 is engaged in the first groove 116. As the temperature gradually rises, the driving force on the indicator 140 increases. When the temperature exceeds a threshold, the indicator 140 leaves the first groove 116 and moves along the inclined surface 118 toward the second groove 117.

[0073] Preferably, the circuit breaker 10 may include a plurality of terminals 12, and the indicating unit includes a corresponding number of indicating components 100. The terminals 12 are in contact with corresponding heat-conducting elements 120, and the front through holes 112 and rear through holes 113 of the plurality of indicating components 100 are aligned with each other. Once any of the plurality of terminals 12 is in an abnormal state, the indicating element 140 in the indicating component 100 corresponding to the abnormal terminal 12 moves from its initial position to the indicating position, causing its indicating hole to no longer align with its front through hole 112 and rear through hole 113, so that the laser receiver can no longer receive the laser emitted by the laser emitter. In addition, the indicating element 140 in the indicating component 100 corresponding to the abnormal terminal 12 pops upward from inside the housing 110 through the top through hole 114, allowing the user to quickly determine which of the plurality of terminals 12 is in an abnormal state. After the abnormal terminal is restored to normal, the user pushes the indicating element 140 that popped out of the housing 110 downward back into the housing 110 to complete the reset, after which the indicating unit can continue to monitor the operating status of the terminals.

[0074] This document describes in detail several exemplary embodiments of the present invention with reference to preferred embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and alterations can be made to the above specific embodiments without departing from the concept of the present invention, and various technical features and structures proposed in the present invention can be combined without exceeding the protection scope of the present invention, which is determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An indicator unit for use with wiring terminals, characterized in that, It includes a laser emitter, a laser receiver, and an indicator component located between the laser emitter and the laser receiver, the indicator component comprising: The casing has an opening; A heat-conducting element extends from the inside of the housing through the opening and contacts the wiring terminal; A driving element that is in contact with the heat-conducting element, the driving element being configured to deform in response to temperature changes; The indicator moves from an initial position to an indicated position under the action of the driving member when the temperature of the heat-conducting component exceeds a threshold. In the initial position, the optical path between the laser emitter and the laser receiver is not blocked by the indicator. In the indicated position, the optical path between the laser emitter and the laser receiver is blocked by the indicator.

2. The indicating unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing has a front through hole and a rear through hole, which penetrate the front wall and the rear wall of the housing respectively. The emitting part of the laser emitter, the receiving part of the laser receiver, the front through hole and the rear through hole are aligned. The indicator has an indicator hole. When the indicator is in the initial position, the indicator hole is aligned with the front through hole and the rear through hole; when the indicator is in the indicator position, the indicator hole is not aligned with the front through hole and the rear through hole.

3. The indicating unit according to claim 2, characterized in that, The housing has a top through hole that penetrates the top wall of the housing. The top wall is perpendicular to the front wall and the rear wall. During the movement of the indicator from the initial position to the indicated position, the indicator extends out of the housing from the interior of the housing through the top through hole.

4. The indicating unit according to claim 3, characterized in that, A portion of the heat-conducting element is disposed on the upper surface of the bottom wall of the housing, and the driving element is disposed on the heat-conducting element. The first end of the driving element is fixed to the housing. When the temperature of the heat-conducting element exceeds the threshold, the second end of the driving element opposite to the first end bends.

5. The indicating unit according to claim 4, characterized in that, When the temperature of the heat-conducting component exceeds the threshold, the second end of the driving component bends upward to apply force to the indicator, causing the indicator to move from the initial position to the indicated position.

6. The indicating unit according to claim 4, characterized in that, Also includes: A blocking member is provided, and the second end of the driving member is connected to the blocking member. When the temperature of the heat-conducting member exceeds the threshold, the driving member drives the blocking member from the locked position to the unlocked position. In the locked position, the blocking member blocks the movement of the indicator. In the unlocked position, the blocking member releases the indicator. A biasing element biases the indicator toward the indicated position.

7. The indicating unit according to claim 3, characterized in that, The two sidewalls of the housing are respectively provided with a first groove and a second groove. The sidewalls are perpendicular to the front wall and the top wall. The first groove is located below the second groove. The indicator has a pair of protrusions. When the indicator is in the initial position, the protrusions are located in the first groove. When the indicator is in the indicated position, the protrusions are located in the second groove.

8. The indicating unit according to claim 7, characterized in that, There is an inclined surface between the first groove and the second groove, and the inclined surface is inclined outward in an upward direction.

9. The indicating unit according to claim 7, characterized in that, The opening is located on the side wall of the housing.

10. The indicating unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heat-conducting component has an L-shaped shape and includes a first part and a second part that are perpendicular to each other. The first part extends to the outside of the housing, and the second part is located inside the housing.

11. A circuit breaker, characterized in that, include: main body; Indicator unit according to any one of claims 1 to 10; The optical path between the laser emitter and the laser receiver does not pass through the main body.

12. The circuit breaker according to claim 11, characterized in that, Includes multiple wiring terminals, The indicator unit includes a corresponding number of indicator components, the wiring terminals are in contact with corresponding heat-conducting components, and the front and rear through holes of the plurality of indicator components are aligned with each other.

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