Bidirectional holding device for change-over switch and change-over switch

Abstract

The embodiment of the utility model provides a bidirectional holding device for a change-over switch and the change-over switch. The bidirectional holding device comprises at least one driving piece which is rotatably coupled to a support of the change-over switch and is suitable for swinging between a closing position and an opening position under the action of an action mechanism of the change-over switch; and at least one tripping rod, and each tripping rod of the at least one pair of tripping rods comprises a rotating shaft which is rotatably coupled to the support and is suitable for rotating between a blocking position and an avoiding position, and in the blocking position, the rotating shaft blocks the swinging of the driving part between the closing position and the opening position; the half shaft groove is formed in the preset position of the rotating shaft in the radial direction of the rotating shaft in a concave mode; and a protrusion coupled to a circumferential surface of the rotating shaft and protruding from the rotating shaft in a radial direction, and the push rod is arranged between the electromagnet of the change-over switch and the bulge. Therefore, the switching speed of the change-over switch can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to the field of electrical equipment, and particularly to bidirectional holding devices for changeover switches and changeover switches. Background Technology

[0002] A dual power transfer switch is an electrical device used for automatic or manual switching between two different power sources, primarily used in applications requiring high power supply reliability. It can detect parameters such as voltage and frequency of both power sources. When one power source fails or experiences a power outage, it can quickly switch the load to the other normal power source, ensuring continuous power supply and effectively preventing equipment shutdowns and production interruptions caused by power outages. Utility Model Content

[0003] In a first aspect of this disclosure, a bidirectional holding device for a changeover switch is provided. The bidirectional holding device includes: at least one drive member rotatably coupled to a support of the changeover switch and adapted to oscillate between a closed position and an open position under the action of an actuating mechanism of the changeover switch; at least one trip lever, each of at least one pair of trip levers including: a rotating shaft rotatably coupled to the support and adapted to rotate between a blocking position and a yielding position, wherein in the blocking position, the rotating shaft blocks the oscillation of the drive member between the closed and open positions; at least one half-shaft groove formed radially recessed at a predetermined position on the rotating shaft to yield to the drive member while the rotating shaft is in the yielding position; and a protrusion coupled to the circumferential surface of the rotating shaft and protruding radially from the rotating shaft; and a push rod disposed between an electromagnet of the changeover switch and the protrusion and adapted to push the protrusion under the drive of the electromagnet to rotate the rotating shaft about its own axis.

[0004] In some embodiments, the bidirectional holding device further includes: a reset assembly disposed at one end of the trip lever in the axial direction, and including: a reset lever coupled to the trip lever and adapted to extend in the radial direction of the trip lever; and a reset spring disposed between the bracket and the reset lever.

[0005] In some embodiments, the return spring includes a torsion spring.

[0006] In some embodiments, at least one trip lever includes a pair of trip levers arranged parallel to each other on both sides of the push rod so that the push rod can contact a pair of protrusions of the pair of trip levers.

[0007] In some embodiments, at least one half-shaft groove includes two half-shaft grooves, which are respectively arranged on both sides of the protrusion.

[0008] In some embodiments, the bidirectional retaining device further includes two drive members spaced apart by a predetermined distance along the axial direction of the trip lever to be aligned with the two half-shaft grooves respectively.

[0009] In some embodiments, the push rod includes: a connecting rod coupled to the output end of an electromagnet and adapted to slide along its own axis under the drive of the electromagnet; and an output end coupled to the end of the connecting rod opposite to the electromagnet and adapted to push against a protrusion as the connecting rod slides, wherein the output end is aligned with the connecting rod on the axis of the connecting rod, and the diameter of the cross section of the output end perpendicular to the axis exceeds the diameter of the cross section of the connecting rod perpendicular to the axis.

[0010] In some embodiments, the drive member includes: a body; a rotating end disposed at the end of the body away from the trip lever and adapted to be rotatably connected to a bracket; and a contact end disposed at the end of the body facing the trip lever and adapted to abut against the trip lever during the trip lever being in a limited position.

[0011] In some embodiments, the drive further includes a pair of coupling portions, respectively arranged on both sides of the body and adapted to couple with the actuation mechanism.

[0012] According to the bidirectional holding device for a changeover switch provided in this disclosure, the trip lever prevents the drive member from swinging through the cooperation of the drive member and the trip lever. Simultaneously, the trip lever can rotate around its own axis under the action of the push rod, thereby aligning the half-shaft groove of the trip lever with the drive member. This releases the limiting effect of the trip lever on the drive member, allowing the drive member to perform tripping (the drive member performs the closing or opening action under the elastic force of the mechanism). In this way, the tripping speed of the drive member can be increased, thereby increasing the switching speed of the changeover switch.

[0013] In a second aspect of this disclosure, a changeover switch is provided. The changeover switch includes: a bracket; at least one actuating mechanism; at least one electromagnet; adapted to operate based on a closing signal or a opening signal; and at least one bidirectional holding device according to a first aspect of this disclosure, disposed between the at least one actuating mechanism and the at least one electromagnet.

[0014] It should be understood that the content described in this content section is not intended to limit the key or essential features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to restrict the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The above and other features, advantages, and aspects of the embodiments of this disclosure will become more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. In the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements, wherein:

[0016] Figure 1A schematic diagram of the internal structure of a changeover switch according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0017] Figure 2A and Figure 2B Schematic diagrams of the bidirectional holding device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure in various operating states are shown respectively;

[0018] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a trip lever according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown; and

[0019] Figures 4A-4D The diagrams showing the tripping process of the changeover switch are shown respectively. Detailed Implementation

[0020] Embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While some embodiments of this disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that this disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of this disclosure. It should be understood that the accompanying drawings and embodiments of this disclosure are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0021] It should be noted that the headings of any section / subsection provided herein are not limiting. Various embodiments are described throughout this document, and embodiments of any type may be included under any section / subsection. Furthermore, embodiments described in any section / subsection may be combined in any way with any other embodiments described in the same section / subsection and / or different sections / subsections.

[0022] In the description of embodiments of this disclosure, the term "comprising" and similar terms should be understood as open-ended inclusion, i.e., "including but not limited to". The term "based on" should be understood as "at least partially based on". The term "one embodiment" or "the embodiment" should be understood as "at least one embodiment". The term "some embodiments" should be understood as "at least some embodiments". Other explicit and implicit definitions may also be included below. The terms "first", "second", etc., may refer to different or the same objects. Other explicit and implicit definitions may also be included below.

[0023] As briefly mentioned earlier, to ensure uninterrupted power supply to equipment during power switching, fast transfer switches must complete the closing switch from the first switch to the second switch within an extremely short time (e.g., 10ms, including controller judgment and command issuance time). During the switching process, the fast transfer switch needs to perform two tripping operations: the first switch triggers the opening and holds the open position, and the second switch triggers the closing and holds the closed position. Traditional fast transfer switches have complex switching structures and relatively slow switching speeds.

[0024] This disclosure provides a bidirectional holding device and a changeover switch for a changeover switch, addressing or at least partially resolving the aforementioned problems and other potential issues present in conventional solutions. According to the bidirectional holding device for a changeover switch provided in this disclosure, the trip lever prevents the drive member from swinging through the cooperation of a drive member and a trip lever. Simultaneously, the trip lever can rotate around its own axis under the action of a push rod, thereby aligning the half-shaft groove of the trip lever with the drive member. This releases the limiting effect of the trip lever on the drive member, allowing the drive member to perform tripping (the drive member performs closing or opening actions under the elastic force of the mechanism). In this way, the tripping speed of the drive member can be increased, thereby increasing the switching speed of the changeover switch.

[0025] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of a changeover switch according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the changeover switch generally includes a bracket, at least one actuating mechanism 5 coupled to the bracket, at least one electromagnet 6, and at least one bidirectional holding device disposed between the electromagnet 6 and the actuating mechanism 5. The actuating mechanism 5 is adapted to provide an actuating force to the bidirectional holding mechanism for performing tripping, and the electromagnet 6 is adapted to provide a tripping signal to the bidirectional holding device. The bidirectional holding device can quickly perform tripping under the drive of the actuating mechanism 5 after receiving the tripping signal.

[0026] In some embodiments, the changeover switch may include two actuating mechanisms 5, two sets of bidirectional holding devices, and two electromagnets 6, to be associated with two independent power supplies (e.g., a primary power supply or a backup power supply), respectively. Thus, the changeover switch can disconnect one power supply while simultaneously closing the other.

[0027] Figure 2A and Figure 2B Schematic diagrams of a bidirectional holding device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure in various operating states are shown. For example... Figure 2A and Figure 2B As shown, the bidirectional holding device generally includes at least one drive element 1, at least one trip lever 2, and a push rod 3 coupled to an electromagnet 6. The drive element 1 is rotatably coupled to the bracket of the changeover switch and is adapted to swing between the closed and open positions under the drive of the actuation mechanism 5. The trip lever 2 is arranged in the swing path of the drive element 1 and is rotatably coupled to the bracket of the changeover switch, so that the trip lever 2 can rotate about its own axis. The push rod 3 is arranged between the trip lever 2 and the electromagnet 6 and is adapted to push the trip lever 2 to rotate under the drive of the electromagnet 6, so that the trip lever 2 releases the restriction on the drive element 1, and then the drive element 1 can perform the tripping action under the push of the actuation mechanism 5.

[0028] In some embodiments, the drive member 1 includes a body 11, a rotating end 12 disposed on the body 11 away from the trip lever 2, and a contact end 13 adapted to couple with the trip lever 2. The rotating end 12 is coupled to and rotatably connected to the bracket, and the rotation axis 21 of the rotating end 12 is parallel to the axis of the trip lever 2. The drive member 1 can rotate about the rotation axis 21 of the rotating end 12 at least between the closed position and the open position. Furthermore, under the action of the energy stored in the actuation mechanism 5, the drive member 1 can also move to the open energy storage position and the closed energy storage position.

[0029] In some embodiments, if the drive element 1 is in the open position, the power element (e.g., a motor) inside the changeover switch can drive the actuating mechanism 5 to rotate. As the actuating mechanism 5 rotates past a critical point, the spring inside the actuating mechanism 5 is compressed and stores energy. Thus, the actuating mechanism 5 exerts an actuating force that tends to rotate the drive element 1 towards the closed position, while the drive element 1 is limited by the trip lever 2, thereby remaining in the open, energy-stored position. In this state, the drive element 1 can remain in the open state, and once the trip lever 2 releases the limitation on the drive element 1, the drive element 1 can quickly move to the closed position.

[0030] Similarly, in some embodiments, if the drive element 1 is in the closed position, the power component inside the changeover switch drives the actuating mechanism 5 to rotate past the critical point, simultaneously compressing the spring inside the actuating mechanism 5 to store energy. Thus, the actuating mechanism 5 can provide driving force to the drive element 1, giving it a tendency to rotate at least towards the open position. The drive element 1 remains in the closed, energy-storing position under the constraint of the trip lever 2. Once the trip lever 2 releases the constraint on the drive element 1, the drive element 1 can quickly move to the open position.

[0031] In some embodiments, the drive member 1 further includes a pair of coupling portions 14, which are respectively arranged on both sides of the extension direction of the main body and coupled to the actuation mechanism 5. Specifically, the drive shaft 51 of the actuation mechanism 5 can abut against the coupling portion 14, so that the drive shaft 51 can push the coupling portion 14 to rotate the drive member 1.

[0032] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a trip lever according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For example... Figure 3As shown, the trip lever 2 includes a rotating shaft 21, at least one half-shaft groove 22 formed in the rotating shaft 21, and a protrusion 23 coupled to the circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 21. The rotating shaft 21 is rotatably connected to the changeover switch and can rotate about its own axis. The half-shaft groove 22 is formed on the circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 21 and recessed into the rotating shaft 21 radially, thereby forming a notch on the upper surface of the rotating shaft 21. That is, in a cross-section perpendicular to the axial direction of the half-shaft groove 22, the cross-section of the rotating shaft 21 at the half-shaft groove 22 portion is semi-circular. The half-shaft groove 22 is aligned radially with the drive member 1 of the rotating shaft 21, so that the drive member 1 can pass through the trip lever 2 via the half-shaft groove 22.

[0033] In other words, if the rotating shaft 21 rotates by a predetermined angle (e.g., from...) Figure 2A Rotate to the state shown as Figure 2B (As shown in the diagram), after the half-shaft groove 22 is aligned with the drive member 1, the release lever 2 can release the restriction on the drive member 1. The protrusion 23 protrudes from the rotation shaft 21 in the radial direction and is coupled to the push rod 3. If the push rod 3 extends towards the drive member 1 under the action of the electromagnet 6, the push rod 3 can push against the protrusion 23 and cause the rotation shaft 21 to rotate about its own axis. Thus, the half-shaft groove 22 of the release lever 2 is aligned with the drive member 1, thereby releasing the restriction on the drive member 1.

[0034] In some embodiments, the bidirectional holding device further includes a reset assembly 4, which is disposed at one end of the trip lever 2 and includes a reset lever 41 and a reset spring 42. The reset lever 41 is coupled to the end of the rotating shaft 21 and is adapted to extend in the radial direction. The reset spring 42 is disposed between the bracket and the reset lever 41 and is adapted to be compressed during the rotation of the rotating shaft 21 by the push rod 3, and then pushes the reset lever 41 after the push rod 3 retracts, thereby causing the reset lever 41 to reset the trip lever 2. After the trip lever 2 is reset, the half-shaft groove 22 is offset from the drive member 1 by a predetermined angle, so that the trip lever 2 can again prevent the swing of the drive member 1. In some embodiments, the reset spring 42 may be a torsion spring. In some other embodiments, the reset spring 42 may also be a compression spring, a spring sheet, etc.

[0035] In some embodiments, the bidirectional holding device may include a pair of trip levers 2, which are arranged parallel to each other on both sides of the push rod 3. A pair of protrusions 23 on each trip lever 2 can be coupled to the push rod 3, thereby allowing the push rod 3 to simultaneously drive the pair of trip levers 2 to rotate. During the oscillation of the drive member 1 in the closed and open positions, it needs to pass through the pair of trip levers 2 simultaneously. The parallel trip levers 2 can better adapt to the oscillation angle of the drive member 1, thus enabling more accurate control of the tripping of the drive member 1.

[0036] In some embodiments, the push rod 3 includes a body 11, a connecting rod 31, and an output end 32 coupled to one end of the connecting rod 31. The connecting rod 31 is coupled to an electromagnet 6 and is adapted to be driven by the electromagnet 6 to extend or retract in the direction of the drive member 1. The output end 32 is located at the end of the connecting rod 31 away from the electromagnet 6 and is coupled to a protrusion 23 of the trip lever 2. In some embodiments, the diameter of the protrusion 23 is larger than the diameter of the connecting rod 31, thereby ensuring that the push rod 3 can be stably coupled to the protrusion 23.

[0037] In some embodiments, two half-shaft grooves 22 are formed on the rotating shaft 21. The two half-shaft grooves 22 are respectively arranged at both ends of the protrusion 23 along the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft 21. Correspondingly, the bidirectional holding device may include a pair of driving members 1, which are arranged along the axis of the rotating shaft 21 and spaced apart by a predetermined distance to align with the two half-shaft grooves 22. The two driving members 1 may be associated with the same power supply coupled to the changeover switch. The arrangement of the two driving members 1 along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 21 and their contact with the rotating shaft 21 can reduce the torsional force of the driving members 1 on the rotating shaft 21, thereby improving the accuracy of the operation of the driving members 1 and extending the service life of the changeover switch.

[0038] As mentioned above, in order for the transfer switch to operate quickly, energy storage and tripping mechanisms are required. Figures 4A-4D Schematic diagrams are shown illustrating the process of a changeover switch tripping (e.g., performing a closing operation or a opening operation). Figure 4A The actuating mechanism 5 moves beyond the critical point and stores elastic enabling energy for pushing the drive element 1. At this time, the contact part of the drive element 1 is limited by the trip lever 2 and is held in the open state (that is, the open energy storage position). Figure 4B When the electromagnet 6 is working, it pushes the trip lever 2 to rotate. At this time, the trip lever 2 releases the limit on the contact part, and the drive component 1 is ready to swing to the closing position under the drive of the action mechanism 5. Figure 4C In the middle, the drive component 1 swings to the closing position and realizes the closing operation. The electromagnet 6 controls the push rod 3 to retract, and the trip rod 2 is reset under the action of the reset component 4 (restored to the position that restricts the swing of the drive component 1). Figure 4D In this process, the power component of the switching mechanism stores energy in the actuating mechanism 5, causing the spring of the actuating mechanism 5 to rotate past the critical point. The actuating mechanism 5 provides an elastic force to the driving component 1, causing it to swing towards the open position. Under the constraint of the tripping lever 2, the driving component 1 remains in the closed, energy-storing position. In this way, the rapid tripping of the transfer switch is achieved, thereby facilitating the rapid switching action between multiple power sources.

[0039] Various implementations of this disclosure have been described above. These descriptions are exemplary and not exhaustive, nor are they limited to the disclosed implementations. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described implementations. The terminology used herein is chosen to best explain the principles, practical applications, or improvements to technology in the market, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the various implementations disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A bi-directional holding device for a transfer switch, characterized by, Comprising: at least one driving member (1) rotatably coupled to a bracket of the transfer switch and adapted to swing between a closed position and an open position under the action of an operating mechanism (5) of the transfer switch; at least one trip lever (2), each trip lever (2) of the at least one pair of trip levers (2) comprising: a rotating shaft (21) rotatably coupled to the bracket and adapted to rotate between a blocking position and a avoiding position, in the blocking position, the rotating shaft (21) blocks the swing of the driving member (1) between the closed position and the open position; at least one half shaft slot (22) recessed along a radial direction of the rotating shaft (21) at a predetermined position of the rotating shaft (21) to avoid the driving member (1) during the rotating shaft (21) is in the avoiding position; and a protrusion (23) coupled to a circumferential surface of the rotating shaft (21) and protruding the rotating shaft (21) in a radial direction; and a push rod (3) arranged between an electromagnet (6) of the transfer switch and the protrusion (23) and adapted to push the protrusion (23) under the drive of the electromagnet (6) to rotate the rotating shaft (21) around its axis.

2. The bidirectional retention device of claim 1, wherein, Further comprising: a reset assembly (4) arranged at one end of the trip lever (2) in an axial direction and comprising: a reset lever (41) coupled to the trip lever (2) and adapted to extend in a radial direction of the trip lever (2); and a reset spring (42) arranged between the bracket and the reset lever (41). The reset spring (42) comprises a torsion spring.

3. The bidirectional retention device of claim 2, wherein, The at least one trip lever (2) comprises a pair of trip levers (2) arranged in parallel with each other on both sides of the push rod (3) so that the push rod (3) can contact a pair of protrusions (23) of the pair of trip levers (2).

4. The bidirectional retention device of claim 1, wherein, The at least one half shaft slot (22) comprises two half shaft slots (22) arranged on both sides of the protrusion (23) respectively.

5. The bidirectional retention device of any of claims 1-4, wherein, Further comprising:

6. The bidirectional retention device of claim 5, wherein, two driving members (1) spaced apart by a predetermined distance along the axial direction of the trip lever (2) to align with the two half shaft slots (22) respectively. The push rod (3) comprises:

7. The bidirectional retention device of any of claims 1-4 and 6, wherein, a connecting rod (31) coupled to an output end (32) of the electromagnet (6) and adapted to slide along its axis under the drive of the electromagnet (6); and the output end (32) coupled to one end of the connecting rod (31) away from the electromagnet (6) and adapted to push the protrusion (23) with the sliding of the connecting rod (31), and wherein the output end (32) is aligned with the connecting rod (31) on the axis of the connecting rod (31), and the diameter of the cross section of the output end (32) perpendicular to the axis exceeds the diameter of the cross section of the connecting rod (31) perpendicular to the axis. The driving member (1) comprises:

8. The bidirectional retention device of any of claims 1-4 and 6, wherein, a body (11); a rotating end (12) arranged at one end of the body (11) away from the trip lever (2) and adapted to be rotatably connected with the bracket; and a connecting rod (31) coupled to an output end (32) of the electromagnet (6) and adapted to slide along its axis under the drive of the electromagnet (6); and the output end (32) coupled to one end of the connecting rod (31) away from the electromagnet (6) and adapted to push the protrusion (23) with the sliding of the connecting rod (31), and wherein the output end (32) is aligned with the connecting rod (31) on the axis of the connecting rod (31), and the diameter of the cross section of the output end (32) perpendicular to the axis exceeds the diameter of the cross section of the connecting rod (31) perpendicular to the axis. A contact end (13) arranged at one end of the body (11) towards the tripping lever (2) and adapted to abut against the tripping lever (2) during the tripping lever (2) in the limiting position.

9. The bidirectional retention device of claim 8, wherein, The drive member (1) further comprises: A pair of coupling parts (14) arranged at both sides of the body (11) respectively and adapted to be coupled with the action mechanism (5).

10. A transfer switch, characterized in that Comprises; A bracket; At least one action mechanism (5); At least one electromagnet (6); adapted to act based on the closing signal or the opening signal; And At least one bidirectional holding device according to any one of claims 1-9 of the present disclosure is arranged between the at least one action mechanism (5) and the at least one electromagnet (6).

Images