Circuit breaker and overload alarm assembly thereof
By designing the electrical connection between the sensor pins and the plug-in box, the problems of low efficiency and high cost of thermal testing in circuit breaker production are solved, achieving efficient production and low-cost processing.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC (CHINA) CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-04-08
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-19
AI Technical Summary
Existing circuit breakers suffer from low efficiency in hot-tuning testing during production, and wire harness entanglement leads to high processing costs, affecting the operation of automated equipment.
The design employs sensor pins and a plug-in box, achieving electrical connection through mounting slots and sockets on the bracket, avoiding wire harness soldering and the use of wire winding boxes, and simplifying thermal testing.
It improves the efficiency of thermal testing, reduces processing costs, avoids wire harness tangling that interferes with automated equipment, and enhances production efficiency.
Smart Images
Figure CN224264040U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to the field of electrical equipment, and more specifically to a circuit breaker and its overload alarm assembly. Background Technology
[0002] Circuit breakers are commonly used safety protection devices in electrical circuits. Circuit breakers used in general applications include thermal tripping and magnetic tripping functions. When an overload or short circuit occurs, the tripping mechanism disconnects the current. In some special applications, such as those related to fire protection, chemical processing, and medical facilities, when an overload occurs, the circuit is generally not disconnected; instead, an overload alarm is output. When a short circuit occurs, the magnetic tripping mechanism immediately disconnects the circuit.
[0003] The circuit breaker outputs an overload alarm signal through an overload alarm mechanism. The overload alarm lever of the overload alarm mechanism and the magnetic trip lever of the magnetic trip mechanism are mounted on the same rotating shaft. When the circuit is in normal operating condition, the overload alarm lever is in the initial position, and the trip lever is in the normal position. When an overload occurs, the overload alarm lever rotates around the rotating shaft to the alarm position under the push of the bimetallic strip, triggering a sensor such as a microswitch, which then outputs an overload alarm message. When a short circuit occurs, the magnetic trip lever rotates around the rotating shaft to the trip position, releasing the lock on the trip hammer of the magnetic trip mechanism. The trip hammer then strikes the operating mechanism, causing it to trip and disconnecting the current. Utility Model Content
[0004] In a first aspect of this disclosure, an overload alarm assembly is provided, comprising: a sensor including a body and a plurality of pins extending from the body, the plurality of pins protruding relative to the body, the sensor for issuing an overload alarm message; and a bracket having a first mounting slot and a second mounting slot communicating with each other, the first mounting slot for receiving the body and the second mounting slot for receiving a plug-in box such that a plurality of wire harnesses of the plug-in box are electrically connected to the plurality of pins.
[0005] In some embodiments, a positioning post is provided at the bottom of the first mounting groove, and a first positioning hole is provided on the main body, with the positioning post cooperating with the first positioning hole.
[0006] In some embodiments, a first positioning protrusion is provided on the sidewall of the first mounting groove. The first positioning protrusion is used to press against the upper surface of the body, and the first positioning protrusion has a first wedge surface.
[0007] In some embodiments, the overload alarm component further includes a plug-in box, which includes: a housing having a plurality of sockets; and a plurality of wire harnesses extending from the housing, wherein when the housing is mounted in a second mounting slot, a plurality of pins are inserted into the plurality of sockets to electrically connect with the plurality of wire harnesses.
[0008] In some embodiments, a plurality of sockets extend upward from the bottom surface of the housing, and a guide structure and / or a limiting structure are provided between the wall of the second mounting groove and the housing. The guide structure is used to guide the housing into the second mounting groove, and the limiting structure is used to restrict the housing from being dislodged from the second mounting groove.
[0009] In some embodiments, the guide structure includes a guide post and a guide groove, one of which is disposed on two opposite sidewalls of the second mounting groove, and the other is disposed on two opposite sidewalls of the housing. The guide post and the guide groove are slidably engaged, and the guide groove is a dovetail groove.
[0010] In some embodiments, the limiting structure includes: a second positioning hole disposed on the side wall of the second mounting groove; and a second positioning protrusion disposed on the side wall of the housing and used to engage with the hole wall of the second positioning hole, the second positioning protrusion having a second wedge surface.
[0011] In some embodiments, the plug-in box further includes a bracket extending from the top of the box body, the bracket forming a cable management channel for accommodating multiple cable bundles, and the bracket having feet, and / or a protruding pressure block provided on the top surface of the box body.
[0012] In some embodiments, the bracket is further provided with a constraint plate that extends from one side wall of the cable tray to the other side wall.
[0013] In a second aspect of this disclosure, a circuit breaker is provided, comprising: a housing; and an overload alarm component as described in the first aspect of this disclosure, the overload alarm component being disposed on the housing.
[0014] In the production process of circuit breakers using overload alarm components according to embodiments of the present disclosure, the probes of the thermal adjustment equipment can be easily connected to multiple pins of the sensor for thermal adjustment testing. This eliminates the need for multiple wire harnesses soldered to the sensor, which helps to shorten thermal adjustment time, improve thermal adjustment efficiency, and thus reduce the processing cost of the circuit breaker. Furthermore, it avoids the interference of multiple wire harnesses with automated production line equipment such as the thermal adjustment equipment, thus preventing interference with the normal operation of the automated production line equipment.
[0015] It should be understood that the content described in this 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
[0016] 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:
[0017] Figure 1A schematic diagram of a circuit breaker according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, which includes an overload alarm component according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0018] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of an overload alarm component according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;
[0019] Figure 3 It shows Figure 2 A partial schematic diagram of the overload alarm component is shown, in which the plug-in box is separated from the bracket;
[0020] Figure 4 It shows Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the sensor structure in the diagram; and
[0021] Figure 5 and Figure 6 It shows Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the plug-in box viewed from different angles. Detailed Implementation
[0022] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure may be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to 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.
[0023] The term "comprising" and its variations as used herein signify open inclusion, i.e., "including but not limited to". Unless otherwise stated, the term "or" means "and / or". The terms "one example embodiment" and "one embodiment" mean "at least one example embodiment". The term "another embodiment" means "at least one additional embodiment". The terms "first", "second", etc., may refer to different or the same objects.
[0024] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a circuit breaker 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, which includes an overload alarm component according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the overload alarm component is shown. Figure 3 A partial schematic diagram of the overload alarm assembly is shown, in which the plug-in box 30 is separated from the bracket 20. Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of sensor 10 is shown. Figure 5 and Figure 6 The diagram shows the structure of the plug-in box 30 when viewed from different angles.
[0025] See Figure 1The circuit breaker 100 includes a housing 70, on which heating elements 61 corresponding to each phase of the circuit breaker 100 are disposed. The circuit breaker 100 also includes an overload alarm mechanism 40 and a magnetic trip mechanism 50 mounted on the housing 70 and corresponding to each phase of the circuit breaker 100. In the event of a circuit current overload, the overload alarm mechanism 40 may issue an alarm signal but will not cause the operating mechanism of the circuit breaker 100 to trip. In the event of a circuit current short circuit, the magnetic trip mechanism 50 actuates, causing the operating mechanism of the circuit breaker 100 to trip, thereby interrupting the current. This circuit breaker 100 is particularly suitable for fire-related systems, where the load can be a three-phase motor such as a smoke exhaust fan or fire pump. The circuit breaker 100 can be, but is not limited to, a molded case circuit breaker.
[0026] In some embodiments, the overload alarm mechanism 40 may include a mounting shaft 41, a bimetallic strip 42, an overload alarm rod 43, and a sensor 10. The magnetic tripping mechanism 50 may include a magnetic tripping rod 51, a stationary magnet, a moving magnet, and a tripping hammer 52. Of course, in some alternative embodiments, the overload alarm mechanism 40 and the magnetic tripping mechanism 50 may have other suitable implementations.
[0027] In some embodiments, housing 70 may include base 71 and cover (not shown). Heating element 61, overload alarm mechanism 40 and magnetic trip mechanism 50 may be disposed on base 71 and may be closed by cover.
[0028] In some embodiments, the mounting shaft 41 of the overload alarm mechanism 40 can be directly or indirectly connected to the base 71 of the housing 70. In some embodiments, a bracket 20 can be mounted on the top of the base 71. The sensor 10, trip hammer 52, etc., can be mounted on the bracket 20 so that they are disposed on the housing 70 via the bracket 20.
[0029] Both the overload alarm lever 43 and the magnetic trip lever 51 are mounted on the mounting shaft 41. When the circuit is in normal operating condition, the overload alarm lever 43 is in its initial position, and the magnetic trip lever 51 is in its normal position. When an overload occurs, the overload alarm lever 43, pushed by the bimetallic strip 42, rotates around the mounting shaft 41 from its initial position to the alarm position. The sensor 10 is triggered by the overload alarm lever 43 in the alarm position, i.e., it outputs an overload alarm message. The sensor 10 is, for example, a microswitch. See also... Figure 4In some embodiments, the sensor 10 has a trigger part 13, which may be, but is not limited to, a trigger spring. When the overload alarm lever 43 rotates to the alarm position, the trigger part 13 of the sensor 10 is pressed into place by the overload alarm lever 43, and the sensor 10 issues an alarm signal. When a short circuit fault occurs in the circuit, the moving magnet attracted by the stationary magnet pushes the magnetic trip lever 51 to rotate around the mounting shaft 41 from the normal position to the trip position. The magnetic trip lever 51 in the trip position releases the lock on the trip hammer 52, and the trip hammer 52 pops out under the action of a spring (not shown) and strikes the operating mechanism, causing the operating mechanism to trip and the current to be disconnected.
[0030] In some embodiments, to meet the requirement of performing thermal adjustment testing during the production of circuit breaker 100, multiple wire harnesses (signal lines) are directly soldered to the terminals of sensor 10, and then the soldering points are sealed by potting adhesive to ensure the reliability of the wiring between sensor 10 and multiple wire harnesses. Thermal adjustment equipment is electrically connected to sensor 10 via multiple wire harnesses for thermal adjustment testing. Because the connection between sensor 10 and multiple wire harnesses needs to be established before thermal adjustment testing, thermal adjustment efficiency is low. Furthermore, to prevent multiple wire harnesses from tangling with automated production line equipment such as thermal adjustment equipment, a secondary-throw winding box is added to multiple wire harnesses during production, and the multiple wire harnesses are wound around the winding box. After production is completed, the winding box is removed to release the constraint on the multiple wire harnesses. During the production of circuit breaker 100, the aforementioned soldering and potting of sensor 10 and multiple wire harnesses, as well as the addition of a secondary-throw winding box to multiple wire harnesses, increase the processing cost of circuit breaker 100 and reduce its production efficiency.
[0031] To solve the above problems, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figures 2 to 4 In some embodiments, the sensor (e.g., a microswitch) 10 may include a body 11 and a plurality of pins 12 extending from the body 11, the pins 12 protruding sufficiently long relative to the body 11. The bracket 20 has a communicating first mounting slot 21 and a second mounting slot 22. The first mounting slot 21 accommodates the body 11, and the second mounting slot 22 accommodates the housing 31 of the plug-in box 30. The plug-in box 30 includes the housing 31 and a plurality of wire harnesses 32. The housing 31 is provided with a plurality of sockets 310, within which a plurality of metal parts (not shown) are disposed. First ends of the plurality of wire harnesses 32 extend into the sockets 310 and connect to the plurality of metal parts, and second ends of the plurality of wire harnesses 32 extend from the housing 31. When the housing 31 of the plug-in box 30 is mounted in the second mounting slot 22, the plurality of pins 12 are inserted into the plurality of sockets 310 to electrically connect to the plurality of wire harnesses 32 via the plurality of metal parts. Sensor 10, bracket 20 and plug-in box 30 can be collectively referred to as overload alarm assembly, which is mounted on base 71 of housing 70.
[0032] See Figure 5 and Figure 6In some embodiments, multiple sockets 310 extend upward from the bottom surface of the housing 31 and may extend to the top surface of the housing 31. Multiple wire harnesses 32 may extend from the top of the multiple sockets 310 into the multiple sockets 310. When the housing 31 is mounted in the second mounting slot 22, multiple pins 12 are inserted from the bottom of the multiple sockets 310 into the multiple sockets 310 to electrically connect with the multiple wire harnesses 32.
[0033] See back Figure 3 During the production of circuit breaker 100, the plug-in box 30 can be left uninstalled in the second mounting slot 22, while the multiple pins 12 can remain in the second mounting slot 22. Since the multiple pins 12 protrude relative to the body 11, the probes of the thermal adjustment equipment can easily connect to the multiple pins 12 of the sensor 10 for thermal adjustment testing. Therefore, it is unnecessary to solder multiple wire harnesses onto the sensor 10, which helps to shorten the thermal adjustment time and improve thermal adjustment efficiency. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to use multiple wire harnesses for thermal adjustment testing during production, the plug-in box 30 with multiple wire harnesses 32 does not need to be installed in the second mounting slot 22 prematurely. This avoids the multiple wire harnesses 32 becoming entangled with the thermal adjustment equipment and other automated production line equipment, thus preventing interference with the normal operation of the automated production line equipment, and also eliminates the need for a winding box. The plug-in box 30 with multiple wire harnesses 32 can be installed in the second mounting slot 22 at an appropriate time (e.g., after the thermal adjustment test is completed or before the circuit breaker 100 leaves the factory) to electrically connect with the sensor 10. This will help improve the production efficiency of circuit breaker 100 and reduce the processing cost of circuit breaker 100.
[0034] See Figure 3 and Figure 4 In some embodiments, a positioning post 211 is provided at the bottom of the first mounting groove 21, and a first positioning hole 111 is provided on the body 11. The positioning post 211 cooperates with the first positioning hole 111 to accurately position the sensor 10 in the first mounting groove 21. The number of positioning posts 211 and the number of first positioning holes 111 can be set as needed.
[0035] In some embodiments, a first positioning protrusion 212 is provided on the sidewall of the first mounting groove 21, and the first positioning protrusion 212 has a first wedge surface. When the body 11 of the sensor 10 needs to be installed into the first mounting groove 21, the first wedge surface is used to allow the body 11 to be smoothly inserted into the first mounting groove 21. After the body 11 is inserted into the first mounting groove 21, the first positioning protrusion 212 is used to press against the upper surface of the body 11 to prevent the sensor 10 from coming out of the first mounting groove 21.
[0036] See Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 6In some embodiments, a guide structure and / or a limiting structure are provided between the groove wall of the second mounting groove 22 and the housing 31. The guide structure guides the housing 31 of the plug-in box 30 into the second mounting groove 22. Once the housing 31 is fully inserted into the second mounting groove 22, the limiting structure prevents the housing 31 from dislodging from the second mounting groove 22.
[0037] Figure 3 An exemplary structure of the guiding structure and the limiting structure is shown. The guiding structure includes a guide post 221 and a guide groove 311. The guide post 221 is disposed on two opposite side walls of the second mounting groove 22, and the guide groove 311 is disposed on two opposite side walls of the housing 31. The guide post 221 and the guide groove 311 are slidably engaged. In some embodiments, the guide groove 311 is a dovetail groove. In some alternative embodiments, the positions of the guide post 221 and the guide groove 311 on the side walls of the second mounting groove 22 and the housing 31 can be interchanged.
[0038] The limiting structure includes a second positioning hole 220 and a second positioning protrusion 312. The second positioning hole 220 is disposed on the side wall of the second mounting groove 22. In some embodiments, the side wall where the second positioning hole 220 is located is different from the side wall where the guide post 221 is located. The second positioning protrusion 312 is disposed on the side wall of the housing 31. When the housing 31 is inserted into the second mounting groove 22, the second positioning protrusion 312 engages with the hole wall of the second positioning hole 220. Thus, the housing 31 is reliably positioned in the second mounting groove 22. In some embodiments, the second positioning protrusion 312 has a second wedge surface to allow the second positioning protrusion 312 to be smoothly inserted into the second mounting groove 22.
[0039] Of course, the implementation of the guiding structure and the limiting structure is not limited to the examples in this article. Other suitable methods can also be used, as long as the box 31 can be smoothly inserted into the second mounting slot 22 and can be reliably positioned in the second mounting slot 22.
[0040] In some embodiments, the plug-in box 30 further includes a bracket 33 extending from the top of the box body 31, the bracket 33 forming a cable management channel 330. The cable management channel 330 is used to accommodate multiple cable bundles 32 and guide the routing direction of the multiple cable bundles 32.
[0041] In some embodiments, the bracket 33 is further provided with a constraint plate 332, which extends from one sidewall of the cable tray 330 to the other sidewall. The constraint plate 332 is used to prevent multiple cable bundles 32 from easily detaching from the cable tray 330. The number of constraint plates 332 can be set as needed.
[0042] In some embodiments, when a plurality of constraint plates 332 are provided on the bracket 33, the plurality of constraint plates 332 are spaced apart along the extending direction of the cable management groove 330. In some embodiments, a portion of the constraint plates 332 extend from one side wall of the cable management groove 330, and another portion of the constraint plates extend from the other side wall of the cable management groove 330.
[0043] In some embodiments, the bracket 33 has legs 331, which can be supported by the base 71 to provide support for the bracket 33. The shape and number of legs 331 can be configured as needed.
[0044] In some embodiments, the top surface of the housing 31 and / or the top surface of the bracket 33 may be provided with a protruding pressure block 313. When the cover of the circuit breaker 100 is installed on the base 71, the cover can press against the pressure block 313, further reliably positioning the plug-in box 30 in the second mounting groove 22.
[0045] As described above, during the production process of the circuit breaker 100 using the overload alarm component according to an embodiment of this disclosure, the plug-in box 30 may not be installed in the second mounting slot 22 initially, and the multiple pins 12 may be located in the second mounting slot 22. Since the multiple pins 12 protrude relative to the body 11, the probes of the thermal adjustment equipment can easily connect to the multiple pins 12 of the sensor 10 for thermal adjustment testing. Therefore, it is unnecessary to solder multiple wire harnesses onto the sensor 10, thereby shortening the thermal adjustment time and improving thermal adjustment efficiency. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to use multiple wire harnesses for thermal adjustment testing during production, the plug-in box 30 with multiple wire harnesses 32 does not need to be installed in the second mounting slot 22 prematurely. This avoids the multiple wire harnesses 32 becoming entangled with production line automation equipment such as the thermal adjustment equipment, thus preventing interference with the normal operation of the production line automation equipment, and also eliminates the need for a winding box. The plug-in box 30 with multiple wire harnesses 32 can be installed in the second mounting slot 22 at an appropriate time (e.g., after the thermal adjustment test is completed or before the circuit breaker 100 leaves the factory) to electrically connect with the sensor 10. This will help improve the production efficiency of circuit breaker 100 and reduce the processing cost of circuit breaker 100.
[0046] The various embodiments of this disclosure have been described above. These descriptions are exemplary and not exhaustive, and are not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein is chosen to best explain the principles, practical application, or technical improvements to the embodiments in the market, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.
Claims
1. An overload alarm assembly comprising: include: A sensor (10) includes a body (11) and a plurality of pins (12) extending from the body (11) relative to the body (11), the sensor (10) being used to issue an overload alarm message; and The bracket (20) has a first mounting groove (21) and a second mounting groove (22) that communicate with each other, the first mounting groove (21) being used to accommodate the body (11). The second mounting slot (22) is used to accommodate the plug-in box (30) so that the plurality of wire harnesses (32) of the plug-in box (30) are electrically connected to the plurality of pins (12).
2. The overload alarm assembly of claim 1, wherein, The bottom of the first mounting groove (21) is provided with a positioning post (211), and the body (11) is provided with a first positioning hole (111). The positioning post (211) cooperates with the first positioning hole (111).
3. The overload alarm assembly of claim 1, wherein, The sidewall of the first mounting groove (21) is provided with a first positioning protrusion (212), which is used to press against the upper surface of the body (11). The first positioning protrusion (212) has a first wedge surface.
4. The overload alarm assembly of claim 1, wherein, It also includes the plug-in box (30), which includes: The housing (31) is provided with multiple sockets (310); and Multiple wire harnesses (32) extend from the housing (31), and When the housing (31) is installed in the second mounting slot (22), the plurality of pins (12) are inserted into the plurality of sockets (310) to be electrically connected to the plurality of wire harnesses (32).
5. The overload alarm component according to claim 4, characterized in that, The plurality of sockets (310) extend upward from the bottom surface of the housing (31), A guide structure and / or a limiting structure are provided between the groove wall of the second mounting groove (22) and the box body (31). The guide structure is used to guide the box body (31) to be inserted into the second mounting groove (22), and the limiting structure is used to restrict the box body (31) from being dislodged from the second mounting groove (22).
6. The overload alarm component according to claim 5, characterized in that, The guiding structure includes a guide post (221) and a guide groove (311). One of the guide post (221) and the guide groove (311) is disposed on two opposite side walls of the second mounting groove (22), and the other is disposed on two opposite side walls of the housing (31). The guide post (221) and the guide groove (311) are slidably engaged. The guide groove (311) is a dovetail groove.
7. The overload alarm assembly of claim 5, wherein, The limiting structure includes: The second positioning hole (220) is provided on the side wall of the second mounting groove (22); and The second positioning protrusion (312) is disposed on the side wall of the housing (31) and is used to engage with the wall of the second positioning hole (220). The second positioning protrusion (312) has a second wedge surface.
8. The overload alarm component according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that, The plug-in box (30) further comprises a bracket (33) extending from the top of the box body (31), the bracket (33) is formed with a wire slot (330) for accommodating the plurality of wire harnesses (32), and the bracket (33) has a supporting leg (331), and / or The top surface of the box body (31) is provided with a protruding pressing block (313).
9. The overload alarm assembly of claim 8, wherein, The bracket (33) is further provided with a restraint plate (332) extending from one side wall to the other side wall of the wire slot (330).
10. A circuit breaker (100) characterized by, Comprise: A housing (70); and The overload alarm assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 is arranged on the housing (70).