Operating mechanism for a circuit breaker and circuit breaker

Abstract

An operating mechanism for a circuit breaker includes: a first base plate, a second base plate, a first linkage mechanism, and a second linkage mechanism. The first and second linkage mechanisms each include a first link, a second link, and a third link. One end of the first and third links is pivotally connected to the corresponding base plate at a first hinge point and a third hinge point, respectively. One end of the second link is hinged to the free end of the third link, and the other end is hinged to the middle of the first link at a second hinge point. The first link includes a first hole provided on its free end. An output shaft extends through the first hole of the first link of the first and second linkage mechanisms. The first and / or second linkage mechanism further includes a fourth link. One end of the fourth link is pivotally connected to the first hinge point, and the fourth link is hinged at the middle of the second hinge point. The fourth link has a second hole on its free end, and the output shaft extends through the second hole.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to an operating mechanism for a circuit breaker and a circuit breaker. Background Technology

[0002] Circuit breakers are critical devices in power systems used to protect circuits, and the synchronicity of their opening and closing operations directly affects their performance. Three-pole circuit breakers typically drive the two outer poles through the middle pole, resulting in a symmetrical structure and relatively small overtravel differences. However, two-pole circuit breakers, with only one pole serving as the driving pole, experience an imbalance in the force distribution of the mechanism, leading to significantly greater overtravel differences compared to three-pole circuit breakers.

[0003] In existing technologies, two-pole circuit breakers mostly use the operating mechanism of three-pole circuit breakers. However, due to the reduced number of linkage poles, the cumulative effect of link gaps is more pronounced, easily leading to link flipping and asynchronous movement. Simply increasing manufacturing precision to reduce gaps would significantly increase costs. Therefore, a low-cost solution is urgently needed to improve the synchronicity of two-pole circuit breakers without drastically altering the existing structure. Utility Model Content

[0004] In response to the problems and needs mentioned above, this disclosure proposes a novel operating mechanism and a corresponding circuit breaker, which solves the above problems and brings other technical benefits by adopting the following technical features.

[0005] On one hand, this disclosure provides an operating mechanism for a circuit breaker, comprising:

[0006] The first substrate and the second substrate are arranged parallel to each other and spaced apart.

[0007] The first linkage mechanism is arranged on the first base plate; and

[0008] The second linkage mechanism is arranged on the second base plate.

[0009] The first and second linkage mechanisms each include a first link, a second link, and a third link, wherein one end of the first link is pivotally connected to a corresponding base plate at a first hinge point, one end of the third link is pivotally connected to a corresponding base plate at a third hinge point, one end of the second link is hinged to the free end of the third link, and the other end is hinged to the middle of the first link at a second hinge point.

[0010] The first link includes a first hole at its free end, and the output shaft extends through the first hole of the first link of the first link mechanism and the first hole of the first link of the second link mechanism.

[0011] The first linkage and / or the second linkage further includes a fourth link, one end of which is pivotally connected to the first hinge point, the fourth link is hinged at the middle to the second hinge point, and the fourth link has a second hole at its free end through which the output shaft extends.

[0012] In some examples, the output shaft has a first distance between the two first links and a second distance between the output shaft and the corresponding fourth link, the second distance being less than the first distance.

[0013] In some examples, the operating mechanism also includes a drive mechanism configured to actuate the pivoting of the third link, thereby actuating the pivoting of the first link and thus the output shaft.

[0014] In some examples, the drive mechanism includes a handle, a first transmission mechanism disposed on a first substrate, and a second transmission mechanism disposed on a second substrate. The handle actuates a third link of a first linkage mechanism via the first transmission mechanism and actuates a third link of a second linkage mechanism via the second transmission mechanism.

[0015] In some examples, the fourth link is arranged on the side of the corresponding first link away from the substrate, and the second link is arranged between the first link and the corresponding fourth link.

[0016] In some examples, the first hinge point is formed by a first pivot, and the second hinge point is formed by a second pivot.

[0017] In some examples, the second pivot engages with the third hole of the fourth link to form a revolute joint of the fourth link at the second hinge point; the first pivot engages with the fourth hole of the fourth link to form a revolute joint of the fourth link at the first hinge point.

[0018] In some examples, the first and / or second pivots are designed in the form of rivets or pins.

[0019] On the other hand, this disclosure provides a circuit breaker, including:

[0020] At least two segmentation units; and

[0021] According to the operating mechanism of one of the aforementioned examples

[0022] The operating mechanism is located on one of the segmentation units.

[0023] Each of the disconnecting units includes a stationary contact and a pivotable moving contact assembly, which is driven by the operating mechanism to achieve synchronous opening and closing actions.

[0024] In some examples, the output shaft is configured to pass through a driven hole in the set moving contact assembly of each break-off unit to achieve actuation. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings of the embodiments will be briefly described below. Obviously, the drawings described below only relate to some embodiments of this disclosure and are not intended to limit this disclosure.

[0026] Figure 1 A cross-sectional top view of a circuit breaker according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0027] Figure 2 A perspective view of an operating mechanism for a circuit breaker according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0028] Figure 3 It shows Figure 2 A partial exploded view of the operating mechanism;

[0029] Figure 4 An end view of an operating mechanism according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this disclosure clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings represent the same components. It should be noted that the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this disclosure. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the described embodiments of this disclosure without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0031] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used herein shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms “first,” “second,” and similar terms used in this patent application specification and claims do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Similarly, “an” or “a” and similar terms do not necessarily indicate a quantity limitation. Terms such as “comprising” or “including” mean that the element or object preceding the word encompasses the element or object listed following the word and its equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Terms such as “connected” or “linked” are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. Terms such as “upper,” “lower,” “left,” and “right” are used only to indicate relative positional relationships, which may change accordingly when the absolute position of the described object changes.

[0032] Various embodiments according to this disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, in the drawings, the same reference numerals are assigned to components having substantially the same or similar structure and function, and repeated descriptions of them are omitted. For ease of description, the drawings of the embodiments shown in this disclosure omit some elements, such as the circuit breaker housing, operating mechanism, and / or the housing of the disconnecting unit, etc.

[0033] Compared to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, feasible embodiments within the scope of this disclosure may have fewer components, other components not shown in the drawings, different components, components arranged differently, or components with different connections, etc. Furthermore, without departing from the spirit of this disclosure, two or more components in the drawings may be implemented in a single component, or a single component shown in the drawings may be implemented as multiple separate components.

[0034] First refer to Figure 1 Describe the arrangement of the operating mechanism on the segmentation unit. For example... Figure 1 As shown, a circuit breaker according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a pair of side-by-side breaking units 10, 20 and an operating mechanism, the operating mechanism being... Figure 1The circuit breaker is represented by base plates 1 and 2, first connecting rods 31 and 41, and output shaft 5. The circuit breaker is designed as a double-pole circuit breaker. According to at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the operating mechanism is arranged directly above the breaking unit 20, in which case the breaking unit 20 is designed as the operating pole, and the breaking unit 10 as the non-operating pole. Alternatively, the operating mechanism may also be arranged directly above the breaking unit 10, in which case the breaking unit 10 is designed as the operating pole, and the breaking unit 20 as the non-operating pole. The breaking units 10 and 20 are drive-connected to each other via the output shaft 5 of the operating mechanism. The circuit breaker may also include a trip unit (not shown), which may be configured to actuate the output shaft to trip the circuit breaker upon triggering an overcurrent threshold.

[0035] The breaking unit and operating mechanism are indispensable components of a circuit breaker. The breaking unit includes a stationary contact and a moving contact assembly. The moving contact assembly can move relative to the stationary contact assembly (not limited to pivoting or linear motion) to complete the opening and closing actions. Accordingly, the breaking unit can switch between a closed position and an open position. In the closed position, the stationary contact contacts the moving contact in the moving contact assembly, thus turning on the circuit breaker; in the open position, the stationary contact separates from the moving contact assembly, thus opening the circuit breaker. The operating mechanism is the actuation mechanism that actuates the opening and closing actions of the breaking unit. It can be manually driven, for example, by a handle described below, or automatically driven, for example, by an auxiliary component such as a trip unit.

[0036] like Figure 1 As shown, the moving contact assemblies of the disconnecting units 10 and 20 respectively include moving contacts and moving contact supports 101 and 201. A driven hole is provided in the moving contact support 101, and the output shaft 5 passes through the first connecting rods 31 and 41 and the driven hole. When the first connecting rods 31 and 41 rotate, the output shaft 5 drives the moving contact supports 101 and 201 to rotate, thereby performing the opening and closing operation of the contact system (this will be described in detail below).

[0037] The following continues to refer to Figure 1 The present invention describes the large overtravel difference in existing two-pole circuit breakers and the improvement of this large overtravel difference through the operating mechanism of the present invention.

[0038] The first links 31 and 41 of the operating mechanism apply supporting forces F1 and F2 to the output shaft 5, respectively. Simultaneously, the output shaft 5 experiences reaction forces F10 and F20 from the moving contact supports 101 and 201 of the disconnecting units 10 and 20 during pivoting. Therefore, the asymmetrical force distribution during bipolar operation may cause slight overturning or jamming of the first link, further exacerbating the inconsistent overtravel.

[0039] According to this disclosure, a connecting rod is added to the non-mechanism side, that is, a fourth connecting rod 34 is added next to the first connecting rod 31, and the output shaft 5 also passes through and is supported by the fourth connecting rod 34. The additional supporting force F11 of the fourth connecting rod 34 on the output shaft 5 effectively improves the overtravel (increased overtravel) and contact pressure on the non-mechanism side, primarily because the fourth connecting rod is added next to the first connecting rod on the non-mechanism side of the operating mechanism. This has a significant effect on improving electrical life and post-test temperature rise. Furthermore, due to the increased overtravel on the non-mechanism side, the overtravel difference between the mechanism pole and the non-mechanism pole, i.e., the breaking units 10 and 20, is correspondingly reduced; in other words, the reduction in overtravel difference is based on the improvement of the asymmetric force on the output shaft.

[0040] Test data shows that adding a fourth link on one side can reduce the overtravel difference between the two poles by 10%-40%. The advantage of adding a fourth link is particularly obvious for current ratings of 320A.

[0041] The fourth link can be installed not only on the first base plate side of the operating mechanism as shown in the figure, but also additionally on the second base plate side. The double-sided fourth link is advantageous for three-pole circuit breakers. For three-pole circuit breakers, although the first link experiences less flipping or tilting due to symmetry when its operating mechanism is arranged on the middle pole, the addition of the fourth link can still improve the overtravel of the non-mechanism poles on both sides.

[0042] The following is for reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 Taking the operating mechanism with a fourth link added to one side as an example, this paper elaborates on the connection method between the fourth link and the existing first link.

[0043] Figure 2 A view showing the fourth link 34 mounted on the operating mechanism is provided. Figure 3 The view shows the fourth link 34 and the pivots 352 and 353 for mounting it on the first link 31 of the operating mechanism after being removed from the operating mechanism.

[0044] An operating mechanism according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a first substrate 1 and a second substrate 2 arranged parallel to each other and spaced apart. A first linkage mechanism is arranged on the first substrate 1, and a second linkage mechanism is arranged on the second substrate 2. The first linkage mechanism includes a first link 31, a second link 32, and a third link 33, wherein one end of the first link 31 is hinged to the first substrate 1, and one end of the third link 33 is also hinged to the first substrate 1, thereby forming a first hinge point O1 and a third hinge point O3. One end of the second link 32 is hinged to the free end of the third link 33, and the other end is hinged to the middle of the first link 31 at a second hinge point O2. The first link 31 includes a first hole 311 provided on its free end.

[0045] The second linkage mechanism is preferably designed as a mirror image of the first linkage mechanism. The second linkage mechanism includes a first link 41, a second link 42, and a third link 43. The connection relationship between these links and the second base plate 2 is the same as that of the first linkage mechanism, and will not be described again here.

[0046] The output shaft 5 extends through the first hole 311 of the first link 31 of the first linkage mechanism and through the first hole 411 of the first link 41 of the second linkage mechanism.

[0047] The first linkage mechanism also includes a fourth link 34, but this disclosure is not limited thereto; the second linkage mechanism may also include a fourth link. The fourth link 34 is arranged parallel to the first link 31, that is, one end of the fourth link 34 is pivotally connected to the first hinge point O1, the fourth link 34 is hinged in the middle to the second hinge point O2, and the fourth link 34 has a second hole 341 at its free end, through which the output shaft 5 extends. Thus, the fourth link 34 moves synchronously with the first link 31.

[0048] The output shaft 5 has a first distance d1 between the two first links 31 and 41, and a second distance d2 between the first link 31 and the fourth link 34. (See [reference]) Figure 4 Here, the second distance is less than the first distance. In this way, the output shaft 5 forms two short insertions with the first link 31 and the fourth link 34 respectively (i.e., two short-distance insertions), which can effectively prevent the output shaft 5 from deflecting.

[0049] The operating mechanism also includes a drive mechanism configured to actuate the pivoting of the third link 33, thereby actuating the pivoting of the first link 31 and thus the output shaft 5. The drive mechanism includes a handle 6, a first transmission mechanism disposed on the first base plate 1, and a second transmission mechanism disposed on the second base plate 2. The handle 6 actuates the third link 33 of the first link mechanism via the first transmission mechanism and actuates the third link 43 of the second link mechanism via the second transmission mechanism. Figure 2 and Figure 3 In the figure, the first and second transmission mechanisms are shown only partially and are indicated by reference numerals 35 and 45, respectively. The first and second transmission mechanisms can be designed as four-bar linkages, but any other transmission mechanism capable of causing the third links 33 and 43 to rotate about the third hinge point O3 by operating the handle 6 is also feasible.

[0050] The following details the working principle of the operating mechanism for performing opening and closing operations.

[0051] During the tripping operation, handle 6 refers to... Figure 2Rotating clockwise, the third link 33 is driven to pivot clockwise around the third hinge point O3 via the first and second transmission mechanisms. This, in turn, drives the first link 31 via the second link 32, and thus causes the output shaft 5 to swing clockwise around the first hinge point O1. That is, the free end of the first link 31 and the output shaft... Figure 2 It swings upwards and to the left from the center.

[0052] During the closing operation, handle 6 refers to... Figure 2 It is rotated counterclockwise. The closing operation is the reverse of the opening operation, and will not be described in detail here.

[0053] According to Figure 2 and Figure 3 In one embodiment, the first link 31 is arranged on the outside of the first substrate 1, i.e. on the side away from the second substrate 2, and the fourth link 34 is arranged on the side of the first link 31 away from the first substrate 1, and the second link 32 is arranged between the first link 31 and the fourth link 34.

[0054] The following is for reference Figure 3 The assembly method of the fourth link 34 is explained. The first hinge point O1 is formed by the first pivot 353, and the second hinge point O2 is formed by the second pivot 352. That is, the first link 31, the second link 32, and the fourth link 34 are hinged together by the first pivot 352, and the fourth link 34 is hinged to the first link 31 and the first base plate 1 at its fixed end by the second pivot 353. In this way, the fourth link 34 is restricted by the second pivot 353 when it deflects too much, thereby effectively reducing the problem of the first link 31 flipping outward.

[0055] The second rotating shaft 352 cooperates with the third hole 342 of the fourth connecting rod 34 to form a rotating pair of the fourth connecting rod 34 at the second hinge point O2; the first rotating shaft 353 cooperates with the fourth hole 343 of the fourth connecting rod 34 to form a rotating pair of the fourth connecting rod 34 at the first hinge point O1.

[0056] The first rotating shaft 352 and the second rotating shaft 353 are respectively formed as stepped shafts, which can be referred to as Figure 3 A separate view of the pivot in the middle or Figure 4 A partial view of the operating mechanism shows this.

[0057] The first rotating shaft 352 includes a first section 3521 that mates with the third hole 342, a second section 3522 that mates with the hinge hole of the second connecting rod 32, and a third section 3523 that mates with the hinge hole of the first connecting rod 31. Here, the diameter of the second section 3522 is designed to be larger than that of the first section 3521 and the third section 3523.

[0058] The second rotating shaft 353 includes a first section 3531 that mates with the fourth hole 343, a second section 3532 that mates with the hinge hole of the first connecting rod 31, and a third section 3533 that mates with the hinge hole of the first substrate 1. Here, the diameter of the second section 3532 is designed to be larger than that of the first section 3531 and the third section 3533.

[0059] The first pivot 353 and / or the second pivot 352 are designed in the form of rivets or pins. It should be noted that this disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the first pivot 353 is designed as a pin and the second pivot 352 is designed as a rivet, wherein the fourth link 34 is riveted to the first link 31 by the rivet.

[0060] The exemplary embodiments of the operating mechanism and circuit breaker proposed in this disclosure have been described in detail above 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 spirit of this disclosure. In addition, various combinations of the various technical features and structures proposed in various aspects of this disclosure can be made without exceeding the protection scope of this disclosure, which is determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An operating mechanism for a circuit breaker, characterized in that, include: The first substrate (1) and the second substrate (2) are arranged parallel to each other and spaced apart. The first linkage mechanism is arranged on the first base plate (1); and The second linkage mechanism is arranged on the second base plate (2). The first and second linkage mechanisms each include a first link (31; 41), a second link (32; 42), and a third link (33; 43), wherein one end of the first link (31; 41) is pivotally connected to the corresponding base plate (1; 2) at a first hinge point (O1), one end of the third link (33; 43) is pivotally connected to the corresponding base plate (1; 2) at a third hinge point (O3), one end of the second link (32; 42) is hinged to the free end of the third link (33; 43), and the other end is hinged to the middle of the first link (31; 41) at a second hinge point (O2). The first link (31; 41) includes a first hole (311) at its free end, and the output shaft (5) extends through the first hole (311) of the first link (31) of the first link mechanism and the first hole (411) of the second link mechanism. The first linkage and / or the second linkage further includes a fourth link (34), one end of which is pivotally connected to the first hinge point (O1), the fourth link (34) is hinged at the middle to the second hinge point (O2), and the fourth link (34) has a second hole (341) at its free end, through which the output shaft (5) extends.

2. The operating mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The output shaft (5) has a first distance (d1) between the two first links (31, 41) and a second distance (d2) between the first links (31; 41) and the corresponding fourth link (34), the second distance being less than the first distance.

3. The operating mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The operating mechanism also includes a drive mechanism configured to actuate the pivoting of the third link (33; 43), thereby actuating the pivoting of the first link (31; 41) and thus the output shaft (5).

4. The operating mechanism as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The drive mechanism includes a handle (6), a first transmission mechanism arranged on a first substrate (1) and a second transmission mechanism arranged on a second substrate (2). The handle (6) actuates the third link (33) of the first linkage mechanism through the first transmission mechanism and actuates the third link (43) of the second linkage mechanism through the second transmission mechanism.

5. The operating mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The fourth link (34) is arranged on the side of the corresponding first link (31; 41) away from the base plate (1; 2), and the second link (32; 42) is arranged between the first link (31; 41) and the corresponding fourth link (34).

6. The operating mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first hinge point (O1) is formed by the first rotating shaft (353), and the second hinge point (O2) is formed by the second rotating shaft (352).

7. The operating mechanism as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The second rotating shaft (352) cooperates with the third hole (342) of the fourth connecting rod (34) to form a rotating pair of the fourth connecting rod (34) at the second hinge point (O2); the first rotating shaft (353) cooperates with the fourth hole (343) of the fourth connecting rod (34) to form a rotating pair of the fourth connecting rod (34) at the first hinge point (O1).

8. The operating mechanism as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The first pivot (353) and / or the second pivot (352) are designed in the form of rivets or pins.

9. A circuit breaker, characterized in that, include: At least two segmentation units (10, 20); and The operating mechanism as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, The operating mechanism is located on one of the segmented units (10; 20). Each of the disconnecting units (10; 20) includes a stationary contact and a pivotable moving contact assembly, which is driven by the operating mechanism to achieve synchronous opening and closing actions.

10. The circuit breaker as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that, The output shaft (5) is configured to pass through a driven hole in the moving contact assembly of each break unit (10; 20) to achieve actuation.

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