Coupling element, resetting arrangement and rcbo comprising a coupling element and resetting arrangement

Abstract

Coupling element (20) for coupling the poles of a multi-pole protective switching device, wherein the coupling element (20) causes a time-delayed opening of the poles of the multi-pole protective switching device, and a reset device which enables a force-saving reset of the multi-pole protective switching device, wherein the reset device acts on the coupling element (20), and RCBO with a coupling element (20) and a reset device.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The invention relates to a coupling element, a reset device for a protective switching device, in particular for a multi-pole protective switching device, in particular a combined circuit breaker and residual current device, i.e. an FI / LS combination device (RCBO), as well as to an FI / LS combination device (RCBO) with a coupling element and a reset device. STATE OF THE ART

[0002] Protective switching devices are used to protect against overcurrent (miniature circuit breakers) and fault currents (residual current circuit breakers) in low-voltage networks. As is well known, these devices have at least one pair of contacts designed to open and close an electrical current path, with each contact pair having at least one moving and one fixed contact. If a fault occurs in the low-voltage network, the two contacts of a contact pair of the protective switching device are separated from each other, so that an electrical current flow in a current path assigned to the contact pair is interrupted. If the power supply is to be restored, the contacts must then be closed after the fault has been rectified. During the closing process, mechanical energy is stored in the device, for example in a spring, which is used to separate the contacts the next time it is triggered.As a result, switching it back on requires a correspondingly high amount of force.

[0003] Therefore, devices designed to reduce this force are known in the prior art. DE102023104113 and CN116344279 each describe reset devices that use the force of the trigger to reset the trigger.

[0004] Both devices are characterized by a large number of moving parts, some of which have complex geometries. This takes up unnecessary space. In the closed, non-triggered state, an unnecessarily large number of parts are under mechanical stress. In the long run, this reduces their service life.

[0005] Multi-pole protective switching devices are also known. Multi-pole protective switching devices can also be designed as residual current devices (RCDs). The use of an RCD covers a total of three fault scenarios, with the RCD having three tripping mechanisms for this: In the event of a short circuit, the so-called magnetic instantaneous trip (also called an electromagnetic short-circuit current release) is activated. Immediate shutdown is achieved in a relatively short period of time in order to best protect the components inside the protective switching device, as well as connected cables and electrical consumers. In the event of a prolonged overload, thermal tripping occurs. In this case, a bimetal is heated by its own ohmic resistance and thus deformed, causing shutdown. In the third case, immediate shutdown occurs due to the presence of a fault current.

[0006] The use of a residual current device / circuit breaker combination device has been shown to reduce the number of protective devices required, as well as the installation effort. Where previously residual current devices (RCCBs) and miniature circuit breakers (MCBs) had to be connected in series, both functions can now be covered by a single device. This arrangement generally requires less space.

[0007] For residual current devices (RCDs), it is advantageous to be able to indicate which of the various triggering mechanisms has triggered the protective device, i.e., whether an overcurrent or a residual current is present. For this purpose, EP4064314, for example, shows an indicator element that displays a different display depending on which mechanism has triggered. This indicator element has lateral springs that support a locking lug that engages in the protective device housing. Each movement of the indicator element requires overcoming resistance, which reduces the service life of the locking lugs and the associated springs.

[0008] Multi-pole circuit breakers are also characterized by the fact that they contain two or more contact pairs. Each pole is assigned an electrical current path, with a contact pair provided to interrupt the electrical current in this current path. These poles are often separated from each other by housing elements and can be arranged in different modules. Above certain current levels, arcs occur at the opening and closing contacts of the contact pair. These arcs must be controlled to prevent damage to the contacts or other surrounding components and to enable safe separation of the contacts. Conventionally, either a splitter stack is used for each contact pair to control the spread of the arcs, or a coupled mechanism with a transmission mechanism so that one of the contact pairs always opens or closes first.If only one contact pair opens initially, a quenching plate stack is necessary at that location for the reasons mentioned above. Eliminating a quenching plate stack not only conserves resources but also saves space, allowing for smaller switchgear designs or the accommodation of other useful components.

[0009] In DE 102023104113, a common switch mechanism is used to switch two contact pairs. DE102023104113 uses a complex arrangement of several moving parts, making it unnecessarily complicated and space-consuming.

[0010] The invention is based on the object of providing a protective switching device in which the above-mentioned problems are solved.

[0011] This object is achieved according to the invention by a coupling element according to claim 1, a reset device according to claim 5, and the FI / LS combination device according to claim 13. Preferred embodiments are described in the dependent claims.

[0012] In an inventive manner, a movable coupling element between the housing elements ensures a staggered electrical contact separation in the event of a trip. As a result of, and dependent on, the inertia of the contact mechanism, a temporal offset between the two opening times of the electrical contacts is advantageously created.

[0013] Together with the reset device, this results in a space-, resource- and power-saving protective switching device.

[0014] The arrangement of the coupling element between the two housing elements results in a modular structure, meaning that the housing elements can be easily mounted separately and then joined together with the coupling element between them.

[0015] The invention will be better understood with the help of the following description which refers to several preferred embodiments given as non-limiting examples and explained with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings. Fig. 1 : Perspective view of a two-pole FI / LS combination device in a preferred embodiment of the invention Fig. 2 shows a detailed view of the release lever and the reset lever in the latched position as a perspective view (a) and as a top view (b) Fig. 3shows a section through a residual current device incorporating a reset device according to the invention. The residual current device is switched on. Fig. 4A and 4B show a section through a residual current circuit breaker, which includes a reset device according to the invention. In Fig. 4A The residual current device has been triggered, but the tripping movement is not yet complete. Fig. 4B the release movement is completed. Fig. 5 shows a detailed view of the return joint as a perspective view (a) and as a top view (b) Fig. 6 shows a section through the miniature circuit breaker LS. Fig. 7 shows a perspective view of the coupling element. Fig. 8A shows a section through the coupling element at a time when the release of the residual current circuit breaker has tripped and the contacts of the LS pole are just being opened. Fig. 8B: Section through the two-pole FI / LS combination device at the level of the coupling element Fig. 9A shows the display element in top view. Fig. 9B shows the display element in side view. Fig. 10A shows a detailed view of the display element in the FI pole. Fig. 10B shows the same view as Fig. 10A , with the display element removed

[0016] Fig. 1 The invention shows an RCD / MCB combination device, with an MCB module located on the left side of the image and an RCD module located on the right side. It is, of course, also possible to position the RCD module to the right of the RCD module.

[0017] In the embodiment shown, only the miniature circuit breaker has a knob 11, which is used to switch both modules of the combination device on and off. Alternatively, it is of course possible for both the miniature circuit breaker module LS and the residual current device module FI, and thus both modules, to have a knob 11 each. It is also possible to provide a common knob that extends across the full width of the FI / LS combination device. In the event of a trip, the position of the knob 11 indicates that the device has tripped. The residual current device module FI has a button for triggering a test 21. Also shown are two display windows 38 in the housing 31. A display element 15 becomes visible through each of these windows when the device is tripped. The display element in the window of the FI module is only visible when the device is tripped by the FI module (i.e. by a residual current).The indicator in the circuit breaker module becomes visible when the circuit breaker module is triggered (i.e., due to an overcurrent) and when the residual current module is triggered (i.e., due to a fault current). Neither indicator becomes visible when the contacts are manually closed or opened by moving the knob.

[0018] The functional sequence of the reset device according to the invention is described below with reference to Figures 3 and 4 The reset device according to the invention fits into a standard residual current circuit breaker housing, thus measuring between half and slightly less than a full pitch width.

[0019] As in Figure 3As shown, the residual current circuit breaker module FI has a release 1 and at least one contact pair consisting of a fixed contact 5 and a moving contact 4. Furthermore, a reset device is generally provided which resets the release after it has been triggered for the next use.

[0020] The reset device according to the invention consists of release lever 3, reset lever 6, toggle 11, a release with a pawl 17, reset joint 9, as well as the Figure 3 coupling element 20 (not shown).

[0021] In the illustrated case, the release 1 is a residual current release, also known as a trip relay, which is familiar from conventional residual current circuit breakers. However, the reset device according to the invention can also be used in conjunction with other releases, as long as they have a tripping plunger 2. Likewise, the reset device can also be used in other protective switching devices and is not limited to use in a residual current circuit breaker.

[0022] In the event of a fault, i.e., when an impermissibly high fault current is present, the release 1 is triggered. This causes the release plunger 2 to extend and actuate a release mechanism, as described below. As shown in Figure 4AAs shown, the release plunger 2 contacts the release lever 3, which rotates clockwise around the axis 13, which is a common axis of rotation of the release lever 3, the locking lever 29 and the movable contact 4, whereby the locking lug 19 moves out of the Figure 2 shown latch with the reset lever 6.

[0023] The reset lever 6 subsequently rotates counterclockwise around its axis of rotation 14 under the action of the return spring 8 until it comes into contact with the movable contact 4. In this case, an indicator element lever 33 arranged on the reset lever 6 presses against the indicator element 15 from below. The further functioning of the indicator element 15 will be described later. In addition, a driver 18 attached to the reset lever 6 acts on a coupling element 20. The coupling element 20 directly or indirectly transmits the movement of the reset lever 6 via the web 22 of the locking lever 29 of the movable contact 4 to the locking pawl 17, whereby the movable contact 4, driven by the switching spring 7, rotates clockwise around the axis of rotation 13 and separates from the fixed contact 5. The movable contact 4 comes into contact with one end of the return joint 9 and carries it along in the movement.The return joint 9 is rotated clockwise around its rotational axis 10. After just a short rotation, the other end of the return joint comes into contact with the release lever 3 and pushes it back counterclockwise until the rest position is slightly exceeded. The release lever 3 then acts on the release plunger 2, which is pushed back to its rest position.

[0024] The reset lever 6 is rotated clockwise around its rotational axis 14 by the movable contact 4, with the final position being beyond the rest position. This allows for easy re-engagement. Furthermore, energy is stored in the return spring 8.

[0025] Preferably, the forces acting in this case lead to an elastic deformation of the return joint 9 and place tension on the release lever 3. The return joint 9 thus also serves as an energy storage device for the energy released during release. This situation is in Figure 4A shown.

[0026] Preferably, the knob 11 is rotated in a known manner by the free release about its rotation axis 12 from the "on" position to the "released" position, as shown in Figure 4B shown.

[0027] As a result of the movement sequence, at the end of the release the release plunger 2 is back in the rest position, the release lever 3 is still in contact with the release plunger 2 at this point in time.

[0028] Preferably, a display element 15 is moved during the movement sequence in such a way that it indicates that the triggering has taken place.

[0029] To complete the reset, the pawl 17 of the release mechanism must finally be moved back into the switched position using the toggle 11 in the known manner. In doing so, the movable contact 4 is also closed again in the known manner using the toggle. The force applied to the toggle is at least partially stored in the switching spring 7. At the same time, the rotation of the toggle causes the detent 19 of the release lever 3 to re-engage in the reset lever 6. As a result, part of the energy released by the release is stored in the return spring 8 by the detent 19 being positioned between the release lever 3 and the reset lever 6. The energy stored in the return joint 9 supports the reset, so that less force needs to be applied to the toggle 11.

[0030] At the end of the reset process, the return joint 9 is separated from the release lever 3 by an air gap, which is also separated from the release plunger by an air gap. In this state, the return joint 9 is free of mechanical stress. This corresponds to the Figure 3 shown, switched on state.

[0031] Figure 5 shows a representation of the preferred embodiment of the return joint 9. The return joint 9 is S-shaped in plan view. The widened ends ensure sufficient force transmission from the movable contact 4 or to the release lever 3. At the same time, the thinned central section enables the return joint 9 to mesh with the movable contact 4. The elastic deformation of the return joint that occurs during the release process also compensates for dimensional deviations of the components involved.

[0032] The return joint 9 can be made of any material that has the necessary elasticity and strength. In particular, the return joint 9 can be made of plastic. In particular, a plastic is used that does not flow or only slightly flows under sustained load. The return joint 9 can be manufactured using suitable processes, in particular injection molding or additive manufacturing.

[0033] The reset lever 3 and the release lever 6 are also made of plastic, preferably of high-strength plastic, in particular of a plastic with a modulus of elasticity greater than 3000 MPa and a tensile strength of > 100 MPa, more particularly with a modulus of elasticity of 3500 MPa and a tensile strength of 129 MPa. The reset lever 3 and the release lever 6 can be manufactured using suitable processes, in particular injection molding or additive manufacturing. Particularly preferably, the coupling element 20 additionally effects coordinated release of a combined residual current device (RCD / LSD).

[0034] Residual current breakers (RCBOs) are designed to protect one or more electrical consumers from overcurrent and also to interrupt the flow of electrical power if an excessively high fault current is present. A residual current breaker (RCB) or combination device is a combined device consisting of a miniature circuit breaker (MCB) and a residual current device (RCCB).

[0035] In the FI / LS combination device, one module (LS module) contains a miniature circuit breaker, while the second module (FI module) contains a residual current device. The miniature circuit breaker, which is located in Fig. 6The module shown in the figure typically includes a switching knob 11, a release mechanism with a pawl 17, a thermal release 24, an electromagnetic short-circuit current release 25, and a spark extinguishing chamber 23. A fixed contact 34 and a movable contact 35 are conveniently arranged in this module for the flow of electrical current and its separation. Furthermore, a release mechanism with the components locking lever 30, pawl 17, wire bracket 47, and the knob 11 are located in this module for releasing the latch.

[0036] The residual current device contains a summation current transformer 16, a residual current release 1, and the reset device described above. Furthermore, a release mechanism for releasing the latching mechanism, comprising the components locking lever 30, locking pawl 17, wire bracket 47, and optionally a toggle 11, is located in this module. Both modules each have one pole and are connected to each other via the coupling element 20 mentioned above, which ensures coordinated tripping of both poles. The position of the coupling element 20 in the RCD / MCB combination device is shown in Figure 8B shown.

[0037] To implement the temporal contact separation difference and differential current detection, the internal housing sections are provided with cutouts for the current-carrying wires. Furthermore, the two triggering latches are connected with a driver in such a way that a gap exists between the contact pair leading during opening and the lagging (N) contact pair only in the event of a triggering event.

[0038] When a fault current occurs, a summation current transformer 16 of the residual current device measures a signal and triggers the release 1 by means of a control signal. This extends the release plunger 2 and activates a release mechanism, as described below. The release plunger 2 contacts the release lever 3, which rotates clockwise around the axis 13, which is a common axis of rotation of the release lever 3, the locking lever 29, and the movable contact 4, whereby the locking lug 19 moves out of the Figure 4The reset lever 6 subsequently rotates counterclockwise around its rotational axis 14 under the action of the return spring 8 until it comes into contact with the movable contact 4. In this case, an indicator lever 33 arranged on the reset lever 6 presses against the indicator element 15 from below. The further functioning of the indicator element 15 will be described later. In addition, a driver 18 attached to the reset lever 6 acts on the coupling element 20, as shown in Figure 8Ashown. The coupling element 20 transmits the movement of the reset lever 6 to the web 32 of the locking lever 30 of the movable contact 34 of the LS module, causing the movable contact 34 in the LS module to open. The web 32 of the locking lever 30 of the movable contact sits in a recess 27 of the coupling element 20. As soon as the inner wall of the recess 27 touches the web 32 of the locking lever 30, the movement is transmitted to the web 32. The coupling element 20 then stops. The movable contact 34 of the LS module opens. Once this movement is initiated, the movable contact 34 moves further in the direction of the arrow ( Figure 8A ) until the web 32 reaches the opposite wall of the recess 27, causing the coupling element 20 to be pushed again, again in the direction of the arrow. Subsequently, the inner wall of the recess 26 of the FI module also touches the web 22 of the locking lever 29 of the associated contact 4, and the movable contact 4 is also opened.

[0039] When an overcurrent or short-circuit current occurs, the circuit breaker module trips and activates a tripping mechanism, as described below. The thermal release 24 or the electromagnetic short-circuit current release 25 acts as the tripping element, directly or indirectly via the web 32 of the locking lever 30 of the movable contact 34, on the coupling element 20. As described above, the coupling element 20 transfers the movement of the respective tripping element to the locking pawl 17 of the trip-free mechanism of the circuit breaker module, causing the movable contact 34 in the circuit breaker module to open. The locking pawl 17 rotates counterclockwise, with a bulge 36 pressing against the indicator element from below. The further functionality of the indicator element 15 will be described later.The coupling element 20 subsequently also touches the inner wall of the cavity 26 of the FI module, the web 22 of the locking lever 29 of the corresponding contact 4 of the FI module, and the movable contact 4 is also opened.

[0040] In any case, the electrical pole in the circuit breaker module opens first, eliminating the need for a spark-extinguishing chamber on the RCD module side. The delay between the opening of the electrical pole in the circuit breaker module and the opening of the electrical pole in the RCD module can be adjusted via the precise dimensions of the recesses in the coupling element 20 and the drivers 22 and 32. The delay is preferably between 1 and 5 ms, particularly preferably 2 ms.

[0041] Release 1 in the residual current device (RCD) module is reset using the reset device described above. The electromagnetic short-circuit current release in the circuit breaker module is preferably reset in a known manner using a spring in the electromagnetic short-circuit current release.

[0042] The coupling element 20 is in Fig. 7 It is approximately trapezoidal in shape and has offset triggering sections on both sides. Fig. 7These sections are designed as recesses 26, 27, into which components of the tripping mechanism, in this case the webs 22, 32, engage. For space-saving installation in the RCD / MCB combination device, the coupling element 20 is thinned at both ends. The coupling element 20 has a circular opening 28, which serves both to attach the coupling element 20 to the housing and to act as a pivot bearing. The coupling element 20 rotates around the common rotation axis 13 of the movable contacts 4, 34 and the tripping lever 3.

[0043] Due to the design of the coupling element 20 with offset triggering sections, in the event of a triggering event, the latching in a defined module is released first, thus completing the contact separation in a defined pole. The opening movement of the corresponding contact, in turn, triggers the corresponding other pole offset from the other pole, thus no or only a relatively low current flow is present when the second contact pair opens. Both contact mechanisms mentioned each only take up the space in one housing element (i.e., less than 1 TE). This results in a total width of two pitch units for a two-pole device (1 + N).

[0044] The coupling element 20 is preferably a molded part. The coupling element 20 is preferably made of plastic, in particular of high-strength plastic.

[0045] Fig. 9A shows a top view of the display element 15. In Fig. 9Ba side view of the display element 15 is shown. On the top side of the display element 15 is a display surface 41, which is visible through the window 38 in the housing 31 after triggering. Also visible is a spring 39 of the display element 15. The display element 15 is installed in the housing in such a way that it is anchored by an anchor 45 on both sides in an anchor 44 on the housing side. At its opposite end, the display element 15 rests with its toggle-side edge 37 on a two-step step element 32 molded onto the housing. When the protective switching device is reset or switched on, a finger 40 attached to the underside of the display element 15 is displaced by the pawl 17 in such a way that the spring 39 is compressed. As a result, the display surface 41 moves away from the toggle 11 and thus out of the area visible in the window 38.When the spring 39 is sufficiently compressed, the toggle-side edge 37 falls from the upper step 42 to the lower step 43 of the two-step step element 32. The indicator element remains here until triggered. During the triggering process, depending on which pole is triggered first, the respective indicator element is subjected to a torque whereby it is pushed upwards from the lower step 43 until the lower edge of the indicator element 15 reaches the height of the upper step 42. The spring 39 now relaxes and the toggle-side edge 37 moves towards the toggle 11. The indicator element 15 then lies firmly on the upper step 42, as shown in FIG. Figures 10A and 10Bshown until it is reset again and moved back to the lower level 43. In this position, the display surface 41 is visible through the window 38. In the RCD module, the torque is applied by the display element lever 33, which presses counterclockwise from below onto the display element 15. In the CB module, the bulge 36 of the locking pawl 17 also presses against the display element 15 from below during tripping, thus applying the torque. To prevent the locking pawl of the RCD module from displacing the display element of the RCD module when the CB module trips, the display element in the RCD module is arranged somewhat higher. This means that the bulge 36 cannot come into contact with the display element 15 when the locking pawl 17 in the RCD module rotates, and it can be reliably distinguished which of the two modules has tripped. When switched off manually by operating the knob 11, neither of the two display elements 15 is moved.

[0046] The invention is, of course, not limited to the embodiments described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Modifications remain possible, particularly with regard to the nature of the various elements or by substitution of technical equivalents, without thereby departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined by the claims. Reference symbol:

[0047] 1 - Release / residual current release 23 - Spark extinguishing chamber 2 - Trigger plunger 24 - Bimetal release 3- release lever 25 - electromagnetic trigger 4, 34- movable contact 26, 27 - Hollowing out the coupling element 5, 35 - fixed contact 28 - opening 6 - Reset lever 29, 30 - Locking lever 7 - Switch spring 31- Housing 8 - Return spring 33 - Display element lever 9 - Return joint 36- bump 10 - Rotation axis of the return joint 37- edge 11 - Gag 38 - Display window 12 - Axis of rotation of the toggle 39 - Spring of the display element 13 - Rotation axis of the movable contact 40 - Finger of the display element 14 - Rotation axis of the return lever 41 - Display area 15 - Display element 42 - upper level 16 - Summation current transformer 43- lower level 17 - Release pawl 44- Housing-side anchoring 18 - Driver 45 Anchoring the display element 19 - locking lug 46 - Step element 20 - coupling element 47- Wire hanger 21 - Button to trigger a test 22, 32 - Locking lever web

Claims

1. Coupling element (20) for mechanically coupling the poles of a multi-pole protective switching device, characterized in that the coupling element (20) contains sections which can cause the contacts (4, 5, 34, 35) of the contact pairs of the multi-pole protective switching device to open, wherein one section is assigned to each contact pair and wherein the sections are offset from one another.

2. Coupling element according to claim 1, characterized in that the coupling element (20) is manufactured in one piece, in particular by injection molding or by 3D printing.

3. Coupling element according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the coupling element (20) is made of plastic, in particular of a thermoplastic.

4. Coupling element according to one of claims 1-3, characterized in thatthe sections which can cause the opening of the contacts (4, 5, 34, 35) of a contact pair of the poles of the multi-pole protective switching device are hollows (26, 27) in walls of the coupling element (20) which form engagement possibilities for components of the triggering mechanism, in particular for webs (22, 32) of a locking lever (29, 30).

5. A reset device for resetting a tripping plunger (2) of a tripping device (1) in a protective switching device, wherein the tripping plunger (2) has a retracted rest position and an extended tripping position, a movable contact (4), a fixed contact (5), a reset lever (6) having a tripped position and a rest position, a coupling element (20), in particular according to one of claims 1-4, a tripping lever (3) having a tripped position and a rest position, and a reset joint (9) having a tripped position and a rest position, wherein the tripping lever (3) has a detent (19) which is latched to the reset lever (6), and wherein the tripping device (1) is configured to cause a separation of the movable contact (4) from the fixed contact (5) by the tripping plunger (2) acting on the tripping lever (3), thereby releasing the latching.wherein the coupling element (20) is designed to move the movable contact (4) away from the fixed contact (5) by releasing the latch, wherein the movable contact (4) mechanically contacts the return joint (9) and entrains it in the movement, wherein the return joint (9) places the release lever (3) under mechanical tension and thereby returns the release plunger (2) and the release lever to the rest position.

6. Reset device according to claim 5, characterized in that the locking lug (19) is latched to the reset lever (6) by actuating a toggle (11).

7. Reset device according to one of claims 5 - 6, characterized in that the release lever (3) in the rest position has no mechanical contact with the release plunger (2) and / or the return joint (9).

8. Reset device according to one of claims 5 - 7, characterized in thatthe return joint (9) is S-shaped and / or the return joint (9) is elastically deformable, in particular when triggered by the movable contact (4), further in particular that the energy stored in the elastic deformation of the return joint (9) is used to close the movable contact (4).

9. Reset device according to one of claims 5 - 8, characterized in that the return joint (9) is made of plastic, in particular a plastic which does not flow or only flows slightly under sustained load, in particular by 3D printing or injection molding.

10. Reset device according to one of claims 5 - 9, characterized in that a display element (15) is present which indicates that a trigger has occurred.

11. Reset device according to one of claims 5 - 10, wherein the width of the reset device is between half and slightly less than a whole division width.

12. Residual current device comprising a summation current transformer and a residual current release as well as a reset device according to claims 5-11, in particular wherein the residual current device is one pitch unit (18 mm) wide.

13. FI / LS combination device consisting of at least two modules which are coupled to one another via a coupling element (20) according to one of claims 1-4, and wherein an FI module contains a summation current transformer (16) and a residual current release (1) as well as a reset device according to claims 5 - 11, and wherein at least one LS module contains a toggle (11), a trip-free device (17), a thermal release (24), an electromagnetic short-circuit current release (25) and a spark extinguishing chamber (23).

14. FI / LS combination device according to claim 13, wherein the coupling element (20) is designed to transmit the tripping movement of one module to another module, and wherein the coupling element (20) is designed so that the contacts of the contact pair of the LS module open first, in particular wherein the contacts of the contact pair of the FI module open between 1 and 5 ms after the contacts of the LS module, in particular wherein the contacts of the FI module open 2 ms after the contacts of the LS module.

15. FI / LS combination device according to one of claims 13 or 14, characterized in that both modules each have a housing and that both housings have the same external dimensions, in particular that both modules are one pitch unit (18 mm) wide.

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