Circuit breaker

Abstract

Provided is a circuit breaker. The circuit breaker includes a vacuum interrupter, an operation assembly, and a counting assembly. A connecting rod is inserted through the vacuum interrupter. The operation assembly includes an energy storage shaft, an energy storage spring, and a power output portion. The power output portion is connected to the connecting rod to drive the connecting rod to move so as to close or open the vacuum interrupter through the connecting rod. A protrusion portion is disposed on the energy storage shaft. The counting assembly includes a counter and an operation structure. The operation structure is adjustably configured for vertical movement to actuate an actuating end of the counter. The energy storage shaft has a first state in which the protrusion portion rotates to abut against the operation structure and a second state in which the protrusion portion is separated from the operation structure. When the energy storage spring releases elastic potential energy, the energy storage spring drives the energy storage shaft to rotate and the connecting rod is driven through the power output portion to perform a closing operation on the vacuum interrupter, the energy storage shaft is configured to rotate from the first state to the second state, and the operation structure is configured to move towards the actuating end and actuate the actuating end to rotate for counting.

Description

[0001] The present application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202310282004.2 filed Mar. 21, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to the technical field of circuit breakers, for example, a circuit breaker.BACKGROUND

[0003] In the related art, compact gas-insulated switchgear (C-GIS) is increasingly used in various scenarios. As one of the core components, a circuit breaker has an indispensable effect. Under the condition of a normal loop, the circuit breaker has functions such as circuit closing, current carrying and current interruption. A closing indication apparatus of the circuit breaker is usually connected to an indication apparatus connected to an energy storage shaft. Moreover, an indication window is disposed on a housing of the circuit breaker.

[0004] However, during manufacturing process of the circuit breaker, vertical misalignment between the indication window and the indication apparatus may occur due to processing errors. Therefore, working staff cannot visually observe the opening and closing states of the circuit breaker and obtain the number of closing operations of the circuit breaker, increasing the operation difficulty of working staff and easily causing a safety problem.SUMMARY

[0005] The present application provides a circuit breaker that can solve the problem in the related art that working staff cannot accurately obtain the number of closing operations of a circuit breaker.

[0006] The present application provides a circuit breaker. The circuit breaker includes a vacuum interrupter, an operation assembly, and a counting assembly. A connecting rod is inserted through the vacuum interrupter. The operation assembly includes a housing, an energy storage shaft, an energy storage spring and a power output portion. The energy storage shaft, the energy storage spring and the power output portion are disposed in the housing. The energy storage shaft is connected to the energy storage spring and the power output portion separately. The power output portion is connected to the connecting rod to drive the connecting rod to move so as to close or open the vacuum interrupter through the connecting rod. A protrusion portion is disposed on the energy storage shaft. The counting assembly includes a counter and an operation structure. The operation structure is adjustably configured for vertical movement to actuate an actuating end of the counter. The energy storage shaft has a first state in which the protrusion portion rotates to abut against the operation structure and a second state in which the protrusion portion is separated from the operation structure. When the energy storage spring releases elastic potential energy, the energy storage spring drives the energy storage shaft to rotate and the connecting rod is driven through the power output portion to perform a closing operation on the vacuum interrupter, the energy storage shaft rotates from the first state to the second state, and the operation structure moves towards the actuating end and actuate the actuating end to rotate for counting.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the structure of a counting assembly, in a circuit breaker, when performing counting according to an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the structure of the counting assembly, in the circuit breaker of FIG. 1, in an uncounted state. FIG. 3 is a front view of the circuit breaker of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the structure of a power output portion of the circuit breaker of FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the structure of an operation assembly of the circuit breaker of FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the structure of the circuit breaker of FIG. 3 when performing a closing operation. FIG. 7 is a side view when the circuit breaker of FIG. 6 performs the closing operation. FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the structure of the circuit breaker of FIG. 3 when performing an opening operation. FIG. 9 is a front view of an energy storage motor of the circuit breaker of FIG. 3. FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating the structure when an opening spring of the power output portion of the circuit breaker of FIG. 3 is in an initial state. FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating the structure when the opening spring of the power output portion of FIG. 10 is in a stretched state. FIG. 12 is a perspective view illustrating the structure of a guide rod of the power output portion of FIG. 10. FIG. 13 is a perspective view illustrating the structure of an auxiliary switch of the circuit breaker of FIG. 3. FIG. 14 is an exploded view of the auxiliary switch of FIG. 13. FIG. 15 is a side view of the auxiliary switch of FIG. 13. FIG. 16 is a front view of the auxiliary switch of FIG. 13 after a front cover plate is removed. Reference list

[0008] 1energy storage motor 2manual energy storage shaft 3large gear 4energy storage shaft 5energy storage spring 6energy storage handle shaft 7closing cam 8cam follower 9closing trip plate 10closing trip shaft 11energy storage retainer 12energy storage retention shaft 13middle-phase output crank arm 14first spline shaft 15first crank arm 16opening trip plate 17opening trip shaft 18opening buckle plate 19reset torsion spring 20closing latch 21closing retention arm 22transmission plate 23second crank arm 24second spline shaft 25vacuum interrupter 26sealing aluminum plate 27connecting rod 28housing 29middle-phase connecting plate 30output shaft 31pinion 32one-way bearing 33shaft sleeve 34opening spring 35guide rod 36first nut 37second nut 38protrusion portion 39elastic structure 40operation structure 401operation body 402mounting hole 403second hitch plate section 404protrusion edge 41toggle rod 42counter 43actuating end 44mounting plate 441body plate section 442first hitch plate section 45fastener 46auxiliary switch 47square shaft 48pull rod 49front cover plate 50contact assembly 51stationary contact 52moving contact 53rear cover plate 60housing body DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0009] It is to be noted that if not in collision, the examples and features therein in the present application can be combined with each other. The present application is described below in detail with reference to drawings and in conjunction with examples.

[0010] It is to be noted that, unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used in the present application have meanings the same as those commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present application pertains.

[0011] In the present application, the position terms such as "up" and "down" used herein are generally for the direction shown in the drawings or the upright, vertical, or gravity direction of a component itself unless otherwise specified to the contrary. Similarly, for ease of understanding and description, "left" and "right" refers to the left and right in the drawings, and "inner and outer" refers to inner and outer parts relative to the contour of each component itself, but the preceding position terms are not used to limit the present application.

[0012] The present application provides a circuit breaker to solve the problem in the related art that working staff cannot accurately obtain the number of closing operations of a circuit breaker.

[0013] As shown in FIGS.1 to 16, the circuit breaker includes a vacuum interrupter 25, an operation assembly, and a counting assembly. A connecting rod 27 is inserted through the vacuum interrupter 25. The operation assembly includes a housing 28, an energy storage shaft 4, an energy storage spring 5 and a power output portion. The energy storage shaft 4, the energy storage spring 5 and the power output portion are disposed in the housing 28. The energy storage shaft 4 is connected to the energy storage spring 5 and the power output portion separately. The power output portion is connected to the connecting rod 27 to drive the connecting rod 27 to move so as to close or open the vacuum interrupter 25 through the connecting rod 27. A protrusion portion 38 is disposed on the energy storage shaft 4. The counting assembly includes a counter 42 and an operation structure 40. The operation structure 40 is adjustably configured for vertical movement to actuate an actuating end 43 of the counter 42. The energy storage shaft 4 has a first state in which the protrusion portion 38 rotates to abut against the operation structure 40 and a second state in which the protrusion portion 38 is separated from the operation structure 40. When the energy storage spring 5 releases elastic potential energy, the energy storage spring 5 is configured to drive the energy storage shaft 4 to rotate and the connecting rod 27 is driven through the power output portion to perform a closing operation on the vacuum interrupter 25, the energy storage shaft 4 is configured to rotate from the first state to the second state, and the operation structure 40 is configured to move towards the actuating end 43 and actuate the actuating end 43 to rotate for counting.

[0014] With the adoption of the technical solutions in this embodiment, the circuit breaker includes the vacuum interrupter 25, the operation assembly, and the counting assembly. The operation assembly includes the housing 28, the energy storage shaft 4, the energy storage spring 5 and the power output portion. The energy storage shaft 4, the energy storage spring 5 and the power output portion are disposed in the housing 28. The protrusion portion 38 is disposed on the energy storage shaft 4. The counting assembly includes the counter 42 and the operation structure 40. The operation structure 40 is adjustably configured for vertical movement to actuate an actuating end 43 of the counter 42. The energy storage shaft 4 has the first state in which the protrusion portion 38 rotates to abut against the operation structure 40 and the second state in which the protrusion portion 38 is separated from the operation structure 40. With this arrangement, when the closing operation needs to be performed on the circuit breaker, the energy storage spring 5 is configured to release elastic potential energy so as to drive, through the energy storage spring 5, the energy storage shaft 4 to rotate, thereby driving, through the power output portion, the connecting rod 27 to perform the closing operation on the vacuum interrupter 25. In this case, the energy storage shaft 4 rotates from the first state to the second state, and the operation structure 40 moves towards the actuating end 43 and actuates the actuating end 43 for counting so as to implement the function of counting the closing operations, thereby solving the problem in the related art that working staff cannot accurately obtain the number of closing operations of a circuit breaker.

[0015] Compared with the related art in which working staff need to directly observe the opening and closing state of a circuit breaker through an indication apparatus and an indication window, the circuit breaker in this embodiment counts the closing operations of the circuit breaker through the counter 42. That is, when the counter 42 increases its count by one, it is judged that the circuit breaker completes a closing operation once, helping working staff to obtain the number of closing operations of the circuit breaker, reducing the operation difficulty of working staff, and improving user experience.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the energy storage shaft 4 is located at one side of the operation structure 40. The counting assembly further includes an elastic structure 39. The elastic structure 39 is connected to the operation structure 40, and the elastic structure is configured to apply an elastic force to the operation structure for moving towards the actuating end. In this case, when an energy storage operation is performed on the circuit breaker, the energy storage shaft 4 rotates and drives the protrusion portion 38 connected to the energy storage shaft 4 to rotate. After the protrusion portion 38 gets in contact with the operation structure 40, the operation structure 40 moves vertically upward so that the elastic structure 39 is stretched. When the protrusion portion 38 rotates to the position shown in FIG. 2, the circuit breaker completes energy storage, and the elastic structure 39 is in a stretched state. After the closing operation is performed on the circuit breaker, the energy storage spring 5 releases energy so that the energy storage shaft 4 rotates. The protrusion portion 38 is detached from the operation structure 40, the elastic structure 39 regains elastic deformation and releases elastic potential energy, thereby pulling the operation structure 40 to move vertically downward. When the energy storage shaft 4 rotates to the position shown in FIG. 2, the closing operation ends. During a downward movement of the operation structure 40, the operation structure 40 is in contact with the actuating end 43 and drives the actuating end 43 to rotate, and the counter 42 performs counting, thereby implementing the function of counting the closing operations of the circuit breaker.

[0017] In an embodiment, the elastic structure 39 is a tension spring. The telescopic direction of the elastic structure 39 is parallel to the movement direction of the operation structure 40 towards the actuating end 43. The number of elastic structures 39 is greater than or equal to one. Multiple elastic structures 39 are arranged in at least one of serial connection or parallel connection. In this case, on one hand, the preceding arrangement guarantees that the tension spring can pull the operation structure 40 to move downward to actuate the actuating end 43 to rotate, implementing the counting function of the counter 42; on the other hand, the preceding arrangement enables the number of elastic structures 39 to be set more flexibly, thereby meeting different usage requirements and working conditions and increasing the processing flexibility of working staff. Moreover, the preceding embodiment makes the structure of each elastic structure 39 simpler and easy to process and implement, reducing the processing cost and processing difficulty of the circuit breaker.

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the elastic structure 39 is a tension spring. The counting assembly further includes a mounting plate 44. The mounting plate 44 includes a body plate section 441 and a first hitch plate section 442 that are connected to each other. The operation structure 40 is movably connected to the body plate section 441. The first hitch plate section 442 is configured to hitch a first end of the tension spring. The operation structure 40 is configured to hitch a second end of the tension spring. In this case, the mounting plate 44 is fixed in the housing 28. The body plate section 441 is configured for mounting the operation structure 40. The first hitch plate section 442 hitches the tension spring so that the operation structure 40 can perform a vertical movement relative to the mounting plate 44. Moreover, the first end of the tension spring is fixed, helping the tension spring to apply the elastic force to the operation structure 40 for moving towards the actuating end 43.

[0019] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the operation structure 40 includes an operation body 401, a second hitch plate section 403, a protrusion edge 404, a toggle rod 41, and a fastener 45. The operation body 401 has a mounting hole 402. The second hitch plate section 403 is disposed at a first side of the operation body 401 and configured to hitch the second end of the tension spring. The protrusion edge 404 is disposed at a second side of the operation body 401 and configured to abut against the protrusion portion 38. The toggle rod 41 is disposed on the operation body 401 and actuates the actuating end 43. The fastener 45 is inserted in the body plate section 441 and the mounting hole 402 to connect the operation body 401 to the body plate section 441. The extension direction of the mounting hole 402 is parallel to the movement direction of the operation structure 40 towards the actuating end 43. In this case, the preceding arrangement makes the structure of the operation structure 40 simpler and easy to process and implement, reducing the processing cost and processing difficulty of the operation structure 40. Moreover, the preceding arrangement guarantees that the operation structure 40 can perform a vertical movement relative to the mounting plate 44 so as to actuate, through the toggle rod 41, the actuating end 43 to rotate, implementing the counting function of the counter 42.

[0020] In an embodiment, the actuating end 43 is a toggle fork. Under the action of the fastener 45, the operation structure 40 can perform a vertical movement. The toggle rod 41 is connected to the operation body 401 through a bolt and nut. During the process of energy storage, the toggle rod 41 also moves vertically. The toggle rod 41 is in contact with the toggle fork and drives the toggle fork to rotate, thereby implementing the function of counting the closing operations of the counter 42. After the toggle rod 41 is separated from the toggle fork, the toggle fork automatically rotates to the position shown in FIG. 2 under the internal force of the counter 42 and completes a reset.

[0021] In an embodiment, the counter 42 is a thumbwheel counter. In this case, the preceding arrangement reduces the processing cost and processing difficulty of the counter 42, thereby reducing the entire processing cost of the circuit breaker.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, three connecting rods 27 are provided. The power output portion includes a first spline shaft 14, a second spline shaft 24, and three power output assemblies. The energy storage shaft 4 is connected to the first spline shaft 14. The three power output assemblies correspond to the three connecting rods 27 in a one-to-one manner. Each power output assembly includes a first crank arm 15, a second crank arm 23, and a transmission plate 22. The first crank arm 15 is sleeved on the first spline shaft 14 and connected to the first spline shaft 14. The second crank arm 23 is sleeved on the second spline shaft 24 and connected to the second spline shaft 24. Two ends of the transmission plate 22 are pivotally connected to the first crank arm 15 and the second crank arm 23 respectively. An end of the second crank arm 23 facing away from the transmission plate 22 is connected to a respective connecting rod 27. First crank arms 15 of the three power output assemblies are spaced apart in the extension direction of the first spline shaft 14. Second crank arms 23 of the three power output assemblies are spaced apart in the extension direction of the second spline shaft 24. In this case, the preceding arrangement implements the solution that the power output assemblies transmit power to the vacuum interrupter 25 for opening and closing operations and that three-phase output crank arms are adopted to drive the three-phase vacuum interrupter 25 to get opened and closed, thereby improving the synchronization of three-phase opening and closing.

[0023] In an embodiment, during the process of the closing operation of the circuit breaker, the first spline shaft 14 rotates counterclockwise to drive the first crank arms 15 and a middle-phase output crank arm 13 to rotate counterclockwise, thereby driving transmission plates 22 and a middle-phase connecting plate 29 to move upward. Finally, the second crank arms 23 on the second spline shaft 24 is driven to rotate clockwise, thereby pushing the connecting rod 27 to move rightward, and implementing the closing operation of the circuit breaker. In this way, through the preceding process, the opening and closing operations of the three-phase vacuum interrupter driven by the three-phase output crank arms are implemented. The rightward direction is a direction perpendicular to a sealing aluminum plate 26 in FIG. 4. The three-phase second crank arms 23 (that is, spindle crank arms) are assembled on the same second spline shaft 24, effectively improving the synchronization of three-phase opening and closing. Additionally, the adoption of the synchronous spline shaft manner effectively avoids welding and reduces environmental pollution. Moreover, the spline shaft manner makes assembly and disassembly more convenient, facilitating subsequent maintenance and the like.

[0024] In an embodiment, when an opening operation needs to be performed on the circuit breaker, the second crank arms 23 rotate counterclockwise under the action of the elastic force of an opening spring 34. On one hand, such an arrangement drives the connecting rod 27 to move leftward, implementing the opening of the circuit breaker. On the other hand, the second crank arms 23 rotate counterclockwise and drive the transmission plates 22 and the middle-phase connecting plate 29 to move downward, thereby enabling the first crank arms 15 and the middle-phase output crank arm 13 to rotate clockwise and thus implementing the opening of an operation mechanism of the circuit breaker.

[0025] In this embodiment, the first spline shaft 14 is assembled in the operation assembly, thereby implementing a modular solution with the operation assembly getting integrated with, and thus greatly reducing the difficulty of disassembling and assembling the circuit breaker.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 9, the operation assembly further includes an energy storage motor 1, a one-way bearing 32, and a shaft sleeve 33. An output shaft 30 of the energy storage motor 1 is connected to the energy storage shaft 4 for driving the energy storage shaft 4. The one-way bearing 32 is sleeved on the output shaft 30. The shaft sleeve 33 is sleeved outside the one-way bearing 32 to fix an outer ring of the one-way bearing 32. In this case, the preceding arrangement of the one-way bearing 32 can prevent the output shaft 30 of the energy storage motor 1 from reversing and affecting the normal operation of the energy storage motor 1, improving the operation reliability of the circuit breaker. Moreover, the one-way bearing 32 is fixed through the shaft sleeve 33, thereby improving the mounting stability of the one-way bearing 32 and the energy storage motor 1.

[0027] In an embodiment, a pinion 31 is sleeved on the output shaft 30 and rotates synchronously with the output shaft 30. The energy storage of the circuit breaker is implemented by the energy storage motor 1. The energy storage motor 1 transmits power to the output shaft 30 through the transmission of an internal gear in the energy storage motor 1 so as to drive, through the output shaft 30, the pinion gear 31 to rotate and finally transmits the power to a large gear 3 to implement the energy storage operation. In this case, the preceding arrangement enables the energy storage motor 1 to have the advantages of compact structure, miniaturization, and low power.

[0028] As shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, the power output portion further includes an opening spring 34, a guide rod 35, a first nut 36, and a second nut 37. A first end of the opening spring 34 is connected to a second crank arm 23. A second end of the opening spring 34 is connected to the guide rod 35. The guide rod 35 includes a threaded section. The threaded section is inserted through the housing 28. The first nut 36 is sleeved on the threaded section and is in a threaded connection with the threaded section. The second nut 37 is sleeved on the threaded section and is in a threaded connection with the threaded section. The first nut 36 and the second nut 37 are located on two sides of the housing 28 respectively. In this case, the length of the opening spring 34 being stretched may be adjusted effectively by adjusting the initial position of the first nut 36 on the guide rod 35, thereby changing the initial force after the opening spring 34 is fastened, and thus better improving the mechanical characteristics of the circuit breaker. Additionally, the adjustable opening spring facilitates assembly and disassembly, improving operating efficiency to a relatively large degree.

[0029] In an embodiment, an upper end of the opening spring 34 is hitched on a front pin shaft of the second crank arm 23. A lower end of the opening spring 34 and the guide rod 35 are assembled together through the pin shaft. The guide rod 35 is inserted on the housing 28. The guide rod 35 is assembled with a nut on each of inner and outer ends of the housing 28. When the second nut 37 (outer nut) rotates to fit the housing 28, the second nut 37 (outer nut) continues to rotate to pull the guide rod 35 to move in the axial direction of the guide rod 35. In this case, the opening spring 34 is stretched until the first nut 36 (inner nut) fits the housing 28 to implement fastening as shown in FIG. 11.

[0030] As shown in FIGS. 13 to 16, the circuit breaker further includes an auxiliary switch 46. The auxiliary switch 46 includes a housing body 60, a plurality of contact assemblies 50, and a square shaft 47. The housing body 60 has an accommodation cavity. The contact assemblies 50 are spaced apart in the accommodation cavity. The square shaft 47 is inserted through the contact assemblies 50. Each contact assembly 50 includes two stationary contact groups and a moving contact 52. Each stationary contact group includes two stationary contacts 51 disposed opposite to each other. The moving contact 52 is sleeved on the square shaft 47 and has two contact points. Each contact point is disposed opposite to a respective edge of the square shaft 47. Four stationary contacts 51 are arranged to have a one-to-one correspondence with four edges of the square shaft 47. Each stationary contact 51 is disposed opposite to an edge corresponding to the stationary contact 51. In this case, the preceding arrangement makes the auxiliary switch 46 an in-line auxiliary switch so that mounting jacks of the auxiliary switch 46 are on the same front end surface. As shown in FIG. 14, the preceding arrangement of the auxiliary switch 46 makes the secondary wiring of the circuit breaker more convenient and efficient. Moreover, after the wiring is completed, the circuit has a high visualization degree, facilitating subsequent operations like maintenance.

[0031] In an embodiment, the housing body 60 includes a front cover plate 49 and a rear cover plate 53. A pull rod 48 and the square shaft 47 penetrate the entire auxiliary switch 46 to integrate each component of the auxiliary switch 46 into an integrated assembly. A square hole is disposed in the middle of the moving contact 52, and the front cover plate 49 has a square hole. Four corners of the square hole on the moving contact 52 correspond to four corners of the square hole on the front cover plate 49. Opposite vertices at both ends of the moving contact 52 are in contact with matching stationary contacts 51. Four stationary contacts 51 are provided. Starting positions of the four stationary contacts 51 are disposed at four corners of the same square. Terminal mounting holes of the stationary contacts 51 are all designed on the same end surface. Two stationary contacts 51 at diagonal angles and the moving contact 52 form the closing and opening circuit of the circuit breaker. When the opening and closing operations are performed, the square shaft 47 is driven through the opening and closing states to rotate so that the square shaft 47 rotates by 90° reciprocally, thereby implementing the switching between the opening and closing states of the auxiliary switch.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 5, the large gear 3 is driven through the rotation of the energy storage motor 1 to rotate first. Alternatively, a manual energy storage shaft 2 matching an energy storage handle shaft 6 is driven through the energy storage handle shaft 6 to rotate, thereby driving the large gear 3 to rotate. The large gear 3 drives the energy storage shaft 4 to rotate. The energy storage spring 5 is compressed with the rotation of the energy storage shaft 4 to implement energy storage. When a closing cam 7 on the energy storage shaft 4 rotates to the position shown in FIG. 6 along with the manual energy storage shaft 2, a cam follower 8 matching the closing cam 7 through a pin hole is buckled with an energy storage retainer 11, thereby implementing the maintenance of the energy storage state.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 6, when the circuit breaker performs the closing operation, a closing trip plate 9 is pushed to drive a closing trip shaft 10 to rotate, thereby driving the energy storage retainer 11 to rotate so that the cam follower 8 is tripped from the energy storage retainer 11. The energy storage spring 5 releases energy and drives the energy storage shaft 4 to rotate. The closing cam 7 rotates with the energy storage shaft 4. The closing cam 7 is in contact with the middle-phase output crank arm 13 and pushes the middle-phase output crank arm 13 to rotate, driving the first spline shaft 14 to rotate, thereby driving the first crank arms 15 on the first spline shaft 14 to rotate, and completing the closing operation.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 7, at a closing operation execution stage, when the closing cam 7 presses the first spline shaft 14 to rotate counterclockwise to the lower part of a closing latch 20, the closing cam 7 releases the relationship with an energy storage retention shaft 12. The energy storage retention shaft 12 moves in the opposite direction (in the clockwise direction) under the action of the load and drives a closing retention arm 21 to rotate, thereby pushing the closing latch 20 to rotate. The closing latch 20 drives an opening buckle plate 18 to rotate and finally makes the upper part of the opening buckle plate 18 get buckled with an opening trip shaft 17. The closing latch 20 rotates to the lower part of the closing retention arm 21. The closing retention arm 21 is reset by a reset torsion spring 19 and is buckled with the closing latch 20 to achieve closing latch maintenance, as shown in FIG. 8.

[0035] In an embodiment, when the circuit breaker performs the opening operation, as shown in FIG. 8, an opening trip plate 16 is pushed to drive the opening trip shaft 17 to rotate so that the upper part of the opening buckle plate 18 and the opening trip shaft 17 are released from a buckled state. In this case, the closing retention arm 21 rotates counterclockwise in the direction shown in the figure under the action of the opening force, pushing the closing latch 20 and driving the opening buckle plate 18 to rotate. When moving to a preset position, a buffer crank arm on the first spline shaft 14 gets in touch with an oil buffer. The oil buffer moves to the end of the stroke, completes an opening limit action, finally moves to the state shown in FIG. 7, and completes the opening operation. The above description is the entire movement process of the operation mechanism of the circuit breaker and the implemented opening and closing functions.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 3, the circuit breaker includes the sealing aluminum plate 26. The operation assembly is located at the left side of the sealing aluminum plate 26. The vacuum interrupter 25 is located at the right side of the sealing aluminum plate 26. The housing 28 is connected and fixed to the vacuum interrupter 25 through a bolt and the sealing aluminum plate 26. After the circuit breaker is assembled independently outside the main body of a gas-insulated switchgear, the entire circuit breaker may be placed in the gas-insulated switchgear. In an embodiment, when a circuit breaker mechanism of the gas-insulated switchgear performs the closing operation, the first spline shaft 14 rotates to drive the first crank arms 15 to rotate counterclockwise in the direction shown in the figure, thereby causing the transmission plates 22 to move upward, driving the second crank arms 23 to rotate, and finally pushing the connecting rod 27 in the vacuum interrupter 25 to move rightward to implement the closing of the vacuum interrupter 25. Similarly, when the circuit breaker mechanism performs the opening operation, the first crank arms 15 rotate clockwise driven by the first spline shaft 14 and finally cause the connecting rod 27 to move leftward through the transmission of the transmission plates 22 and the second crank arms 23 to implement the opening of the vacuum interrupter 25. The terms "left" and "right" refer to the left side and the right side in FIG. 3.

[0037] It can be seen from the preceding description that the preceding embodiments of the present application implement the technical effects below.

[0038] The circuit breaker includes the vacuum interrupter 25, the operation assembly, and the counting assembly. The operation assembly includes the housing 28, the energy storage shaft 4, the energy storage spring 5 and the power output portion. The energy storage shaft 4, the energy storage spring 5 and the power output portion are disposed in the housing 28. The protrusion portion 38 is disposed on the energy storage shaft 4. The counting assembly includes the counter 42 and the operation structure 40. The operation structure 40 is adjustably configured for vertical movement to actuate the actuating end 43 of the counter. The energy storage shaft 4 has the first state in which the protrusion portion 38 rotates to abut against the operation structure 40 and the second state in which the protrusion portion 38 is separated from the operation structure 40. With this arrangement, when the closing operation needs to be performed on the circuit breaker, the energy storage spring 5 is configured to release elastic potential energy so as to drive, through the energy storage spring 5, the energy storage shaft 4 to rotate, thereby driving, through the power output portion, the connecting rod 27 to perform the closing operation on the vacuum interrupter 25. In this case, the energy storage shaft 4 rotates from the first state to the second state, and the operation structure 40 moves towards the actuating end 43 and actuates the actuating end 43 to rotate for counting so as to implement the function of counting the closing operations, thereby solving the problem in the related art that working staff cannot accurately obtain the number of closing operations of a circuit breaker.

[0039] Compared with the related art in which working staff need to directly observe the opening and closing states of a circuit breaker through an indication apparatus and an indication window, the circuit breaker in the present application counts the closing operations of the circuit breaker through the counter 42. That is, when the counter increases its count by one, it is judged that the circuit breaker completes a closing operation once, helping working staff to obtain the number of closing operations of the circuit breaker, reducing the operation difficulty of working staff, and improving user experience.

[0040] It is to be noted that terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to the present application. As used herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, the singular is intended to include the plural as well; furthermore, it is to be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, the terms indicate that the existing features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0041] It is to be noted that the terms such as "first" and "second" in the description, the claims, and the preceding drawings of the present application are used for distinguishing between similar objects and are not necessarily used for describing a particular order or sequence. It should be understood that data used in this way is interchangeable when appropriate so that the embodiments of the present application described herein can be implemented in a sequence not illustrated or described herein.

Claims

1. A circuit breaker, comprising: a vacuum interrupter (25), wherein a connecting rod (27) is inserted through the vacuum interrupter (25); an operation assembly, comprising a housing (28), an energy storage shaft (4), an energy storage spring (5) and a power output portion, wherein the energy storage shaft (4), the energy storage spring (5) and the power output portion are disposed in the housing (28), the energy storage shaft (4) is connected to the energy storage spring (5) and the power output portion separately, the power output portion is connected to the connecting rod (27) to drive the connecting rod (27) to move so as to close or open the vacuum interrupter (25) through the connecting rod (27), and a protrusion portion (38) is disposed on the energy storage shaft (4); and a counting assembly, comprising a counter (42) and an operation structure (40), wherein the operation structure (40) is adjustably configured for vertical movement to actuate an actuating end (43) of the counter (42), and the energy storage shaft (4) has a first state in which the protrusion portion (38) rotates to abut against the operation structure (40) and a second state in which the protrusion portion (38) is separated from the operation structure (40); wherein when the energy storage spring (5) releases elastic potential energy, the energy storage spring (5) is configured to drive the energy storage shaft (4) to rotate and the connecting rod (27) is driven through the power output portion to perform a closing operation on the vacuum interrupter (25), the energy storage shaft (4) is configured to rotate from the first state to the second state, and the operation structure (40) is configured to move towards the actuating end (43) and actuate the actuating end (43) to rotate for counting.

2. The circuit breaker according to claim 1, wherein the energy storage shaft (4) is located at one side of the operation structure (40), and the counting assembly further comprises an elastic structure (39) connected to the operation structure (40), and the elastic structure (39) is configured to apply an elastic force to the operation structure (40) for moving towards the actuating end (43).

3. The circuit breaker according to claim 2, wherein the elastic structure (39) is a tension spring, a telescopic direction of the elastic structure (39) is parallel to a movement direction of the operation structure (40) towards the actuating end (43), and the number of the elastic structures (39) is greater than or equal to one.

4. The circuit breaker according to claim 2, wherein the elastic structure (39) is a tension spring, and the counting assembly further comprises: a mounting plate (44) comprising a body plate section (441) and a first hitch plate section (442) that are connected to each other; wherein the operation structure (40) is movably connected to the body plate section (441), the first hitch plate section (442) is configured to hitch a first end of the tension spring, and the operation structure (40) is configured to hitch a second end of the tension spring.

5. The circuit breaker according to claim 4, wherein the operation structure (40) comprises: an operation body (401) having a mounting hole (402); a second hitch plate section (403) disposed at a first side of the operation body (401) and configured to hitch the second end of the tension spring; a protrusion edge (404) disposed at a second side of the operation body (401) and configured to abut against the protrusion portion (38); a toggle rod (41) disposed on the operation body (401) and configured to actuate the actuating end (43); and a fastener (45) inserted in the body plate section (441) and the mounting hole (402) to connect the operation body (401) to the body plate section (441), wherein an extension direction of the mounting hole (402) is parallel to a movement direction of the operation structure (40) towards the actuating end (43).

6. The circuit breaker according to claim 1, wherein the counter (42) is a thumbwheel counter.

7. The circuit breaker according to claim 1, wherein three connecting rods (27) are provided, and the power output portion comprises a first spline shaft (14), a second spline shaft (24), and three power output assemblies; wherein the energy storage shaft (4) is connected to the first spline shaft (14), and the three power output assemblies correspond to the three connecting rods (27) in a one-to-one manner; and wherein each of the three power output assemblies comprises: a first crank arm (15) sleeved on the first spline shaft (14) and connected to the first spline shaft (14); a second crank arm (23) sleeved on the second spline shaft (24) and connected to the second spline shaft (24); and a transmission plate (22), wherein two ends of the transmission plate (22) are pivotally connected to the first crank arm (15) and the second crank arm (23) respectively, and an end of the second crank arm (23) facing away from the transmission plate (22) is connected to a respective one of the three connecting rods (27); wherein first crank arms (15) of the three power output assemblies are spaced apart in an extension direction of the first spline shaft (14), and second crank arms (23) of the three power output assemblies are spaced apart in an extension direction of the second spline shaft (24).

8. The circuit breaker according to claim 1, wherein the operation assembly further comprises: an energy storage motor (1), wherein an output shaft (30) of the energy storage motor (1) is connected to the energy storage shaft (4) for driving the energy storage shaft (4); a one-way bearing (32) sleeved on the output shaft (30); and a shaft sleeve (33) sleeved outside the one-way bearing (32) to fix an outer ring of the one-way bearing (32).

9. The circuit breaker according to claim 7, wherein the power output portion further comprises: an opening spring (34), wherein a first end of the opening spring (34) is connected to the second crank arm (23); a guide rod (35), wherein a second end of the opening spring (34) is connected to the guide rod (35), the guide rod (35) comprises a threaded section, and the threaded section is inserted through the housing (28); a first nut (36), wherein the first nut (36) is sleeved on the threaded section and is in a threaded connection with the threaded section; and a second nut (37), wherein the second nut (37) is sleeved on the threaded section and is in a threaded connection with the threaded section, and the first nut (36) and the second nut (37) are located on two sides of the housing (28) respectively.

10. The circuit breaker according to claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary switch (46), wherein the auxiliary switch (46) comprises: a housing body (60) having an accommodation cavity; a plurality of contact assemblies (50) spaced apart in the accommodation cavity; and a square shaft (47) inserted through the plurality of contact assemblies (50); wherein each of the plurality of contact assemblies (50) comprises two stationary contact groups and a moving contact (52), each of the two stationary contact groups comprises two stationary contacts (51) opposite to each other, the moving contact (52) is sleeved on the square shaft (47) and has two contact points, each of the two contact points is disposed opposite to a respective edge of the square shaft (47), and four stationary contacts (51) are arranged to have a one-to-one correspondence with four edges of the square shaft (47).

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