Device for imaging a circuit breaker contact using an endoscopic probe

Abstract

Device for imaging a circuit breaker contact using an endoscopic probe. The present invention relates to a device (1) for imaging a circuit breaker contact using an endoscopic probe (13) comprising a probe body (21) and an optical fiber (23). The device (1) comprises: - a guide (15), configured to penetrate at least partially into an escape chamber of the circuit breaker, the guide (15) comprising at least one straight cavity configured to receive the optical fiber (23) and guide the optical fiber (23) to a point near the circuit breaker contact; and - a stop member (17), configured to hold the optical fiber (23) longitudinally by fixing a distance between a distal end (25) of the optical fiber (23) and the circuit breaker contact and an angle between a longitudinal axis of the circuit breaker and a longitudinal axis of the optical fiber. Figure for the abstract: Figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: Device for imaging a circuit breaker contact using an endoscopic probe

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for taking pictures of a contact of a circuit breaker by means of an endoscopic probe.

[0002] Circuit breakers are essential safety devices that interrupt the current in an electrical installation in the event of an electrical fault. It is therefore important to monitor the condition of the circuit breakers in an electrical installation to ensure their ability to protect the electrical system and to replace them if necessary.

[0003] The lifespan of a circuit breaker is determined in particular by the number of switching cycles. By knowing the number of cycles completed, it is therefore possible to estimate the remaining lifespan of the circuit breaker.

[0004] However, in real-world situations, information on the number of cycles completed is only available for a very limited number of circuit breakers equipped with an advanced electronic trip unit that includes a circuit breaker tripping occurrence counter. In all other cases, no method currently allows an operator to effectively determine the condition of a circuit breaker within an electrical installation, and therefore to deduce whether a replacement is necessary to continue providing safety functions.

[0005] The aim of the invention is then to propose a device enabling the provision of useful data for diagnosing in situ the state of health of a circuit breaker, not necessarily equipped with an advanced electronic tripping unit.

[0006] To this end, the invention relates to a device for taking a photograph of a circuit breaker contact by means of an endoscopic probe comprising a probe body and an optical fiber connected to the probe body, characterized in that the device comprises: • a guide, configured to penetrate at least partially into an escape chamber of the circuit breaker, the guide comprising at least one straight cavity configured to receive the optical fiber and guide the optical fiber to a point near a contact pad belonging to the contact of the circuit breaker; and • a stop element, configured to hold the optical fiber longitudinally by fixing a distance between a distal end of the optical fiber and the contact pad and an angle between a longitudinal axis of the breaker and a longitudinal axis of the optical fiber.

[0007] Thanks to the invention, an image of the circuit breaker contacts can be taken directly on the electrical installation, providing data useful for diagnosing the circuit breaker. In particular, the guide allows the optical fiber to be positioned close to the contacts, the condition of which is a good indicator of the circuit breaker's health, while the stop mechanism allows the optical fiber to be fixed in such a way as to increase the repeatability of the images and thus simplify their interpretation for diagnostic purposes.

[0008] According to other advantageous aspects of the invention, the camera capture device comprises one or more of the following features, taken individually or in any technically possible combination:

[0009] - each cavity includes a mouth chamfer facilitating the insertion of the fiber optics in the cavity;

[0010] - the guide comprises two cavities, the two cavities forming an angle between them not null so as to guide the optical fiber to the same point near the contact pad;

[0011] - the guide includes a flexible tab so as to adapt a guide width to a width of the exhaust chamber;

[0012] - the stop member comprises: • a distal stop element, integral with the guide; and • a proximal stop element, configured to be fixed to the probe endoscopic;

[0013] - the device further includes a pipe, integral with the guide and connecting the guide to the element of distal stop, the pipe being configured to receive the optical fiber;

[0014] - the proximal stop element comprises: • a spacer, configured to partially encircle the optical fiber while being fixed to the optical fiber; and • a first spacer ring, at least partially encircling the spacer while being integral with the spacer and including a male stop;

[0015] and the distal stop element comprises: • a second spacer ring, at least partially encircling the first spacer ring, movable in translation relative to the first spacer ring along the longitudinal axis of the optical fiber and in rotation relative to the first spacer ring around the longitudinal axis of the optical fiber, the second spacer ring comprising a female stop, configured to receive the male stop;

[0016] and the insertion of the male stop into the female stop allows the proximal stop element to be joined with the distal stop element;

[0017] - the proximal stop element includes at least one clamping screw, configured to secure the spacer with the first spacer ring and tighten the spacer onto the optical fiber;

[0018] - the second spacer ring includes a mouth chamfer facilitating the insertion of the optical fiber into the second spacer ring;

[0019] - the distal stop element further comprises: • a third spacer ring, at least partially encircling the second spacer ring, movable in translation along the longitudinal axis of the optical fiber relative to the second spacer ring and in rotation around the longitudinal axis of the optical fiber relative to the second spacer ring; and • at least one micro-adjustment screw, configured to secure the second spacer ring with the third spacer ring;

[0020] - the second spacer ring includes a clearance groove, parallel to the longitudinal axis of the optical fiber, the clearance groove being configured to cooperate with the male stop and to guide the distal stop element in translation relative to the proximal stop element along the longitudinal axis of the optical fiber until the optical fiber is fully outside the breaker;

[0021] - the device is at least partly 3D printed from resin.

[0022] The invention will become clearer upon reading the following description, given solely by way of non-limiting example, and made with reference to the drawings in which:

[0023] [Fig-1] [Fig.1] is a perspective view of a camera-taking device according to the invention;

[0024] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] is a cross-sectional diagram of part of a circuit breaker and part of the device of [Fig.1];

[0025] [Fig.3] [Fig.3] is a cross-sectional view of the device in [Fig.1];

[0026] [Fig.4] [Fig.4] is a perspective view of a guide belonging to the device of the [Fig.1] according to two distinct points of view;

[0027] [Fig. 5] [Fig. 5] is a perspective view of a spacer, a first ring spacer and a fourth spacer ring belonging to the device of the [Fig.1]

[0028] [Fig.6] [Fig.6] is a perspective view and a cross-sectional view of a second spacer ring and a perspective view of a third spacer ring belonging to the device in [Fig.1];

[0029] [Fig. 7] [Fig. 7] is a perspective view of the device of [Fig. 1] in position disengaged;

[0030] [Fig.8] [Fig.8] is a logic diagram of a training phase of an algorithm diagnosis using images of the device in [Fig.1];

[0031] [Fig.9] [Fig.9] is a flowchart of a diagnostic process using sockets views of the device in [Fig.1].

[0032] Fig. 1 represents a device 1 for taking a picture of a contact of a circuit breaker 3, shown partially on Fig. 2.

[0033] Circuit breaker 3 is, for example, a molded case circuit breaker, also known as a molded case circuit breaker (MCCB). Its function is to detect an electrical fault occurring in an electrical installation (not shown) and to interrupt the current flowing in the electrical installation in the event of a fault. Circuit breaker 3 comprises at least one pole, generally three poles corresponding to three phases for a three-phase electrical installation, or four poles corresponding to three phases and a neutral for a four-pole electrical installation. The structure of a pole of circuit breaker 3 is partially visible in the cross-sectional view of [Fig. 2]. In particular, each pole comprises an electrical contact configured to switch between a closed and an open position. Each electrical contact comprises a fixed part carrying a fixed contact pad 8 and a moving part 6 carrying a movable contact pad 5.The fixed contact pad 8 and movable contact pad 5 allow the current to be established or interrupted between the fixed part and the movable part, depending on whether the movable part 6 is in an open or closed position. The cross-sectional view of [Fig.2] shows one pole, with its movable contact pad 5, the other poles being similar.

[0034] In normal operation of the circuit breaker 3, when the electrical contact of a pole is in the closed position, the circuit breaker 3 allows electric current to flow in the phase or neutral conductor corresponding to that pole. Conversely, when the electrical contact is in the open position, the circuit breaker 3 opposes the flow of current in the phase or neutral conductor corresponding to that pole.

[0035] Each pole is advantageously confined within a bulb, separated from the other poles. For each pole, the bulb defines a volume 7 communicating with the outside of the circuit breaker 3 via an escape chamber 9.

[0036] The image capture device 1, shown in perspective on [Fig.1] and in section on figures 2 and 3, is configured to take images of the electrical contacts of the circuit breaker 3. The device 1 is further connected to an external device 11, configured to implement a diagnostic method for the circuit breaker 3 detailed below.

[0037] The imaging device 1 includes an endoscopic probe 13, a guide 15 and a stop member 17. Advantageously, the imaging device 1 further includes a tube 19.

[0038] The endoscopic probe 13 comprises a probe body 21 and an optical fiber 23. The endoscopic probe 13 is configured to acquire images of surrounding elements from a distal end 25 of the optical fiber 23.

[0039] The guide 15 is configured to penetrate at least partially into the escape chamber 9 of the pole comprising the electrical contact whose image is to be captured, as seen in [Fig. 2]. To achieve this, the guide 15 is a part with a geometry complementary to a shape of the escape chamber 9. The guide 15 is shown in more detail in [Fig. 4], from two distinct viewpoints corresponding respectively to inserts A and B.

[0040] The guide 15 includes at least one straight cavity 27, configured to receive the optical fiber 23 and to guide the optical fiber 23 to a point P5 near the contact pad 5. In particular, the guide 15 is configured to guide the optical fiber 23 through the escape chamber 9, the optical fiber 23 then being guided by mechanical parts belonging to the circuit breaker 3 to arrive in the volume 7, near the contact pad 5. Thus, the guide 15 allows access to a view of the contacts of the circuit breaker 3 in situ on the electrical installation, without prior dismantling of the circuit breaker 3. The view of a contact of the circuit breaker 3 advantageously includes the movable contact pad 5, cheeks positioned on either side of the movable contact pad 5, and a spark arrestor.

[0041] The straight shape of the cavity 27 prevents the optical fiber 23 from twisting, limiting the risk of damage to the optical fiber 23. In addition, the diameter of the cavity 27 advantageously offers a clearance of approximately 0.1 mm relative to the external diameter of the optical fiber 23, which allows for easy insertion of the optical fiber 23, while providing good retention of the optical fiber 23 and relatively low optical dispersion.

[0042] As seen in Figures 3 and 4, the straight cavity 27 includes a mouth chamfer 29, facilitating the insertion of the optical fiber 23 into the cavity 27. The chamfer 29 is positioned on a face of the guide 15 opposite to the distal end 25 of the optical fiber 23 when the optical fiber 23 is inserted into the cavity 27.

[0043] In the example shown in the figures, the guide 15 comprises two cavities 27A and 27B forming a non-zero angle ai between them, so as to guide the optical fiber 23 to the same point P5 near the movable contact pad 5, regardless of which cavity the optical fiber 23 is inserted into. In other words, axial extensions of the two cavities 27A and 27B converge towards point P5. Thus, the optical fiber in place in either of the cavities 27A and 27B allows the same contact to be viewed from two different angles.

[0044] Advantageously, the guide 15 includes at least one flexible tab 31 allowing a width L of the guide 15 to be adapted to a width L9 of the chamber escapement 9, as clearly visible in [Fig.2]. This feature allows for good support of the guide 15 and takes into account tolerances on the width L9 of the escapement chambers 9 from one pole to another and from one circuit breaker 3 to another.

[0045] Advantageously, the guide 15 comprises a base 16 and two lugs 18A and 18B which extend parallel to each other from the base 16. The guide 15 is monobloc.

[0046] Advantageously, the cavities 27A and 27B pass through the base 16. Each cavity 27A or 27B extends outside the leg it passes through, as seen on leg 18B of insert B) in [Fig. 4], and then inside the leg it passes through, as seen on leg 18A of insert B) in [Fig. 4]. Each of the cavities 27A and 27B advantageously opens onto the inside of the leg 18A or 18B that it passes through.

[0047] The cutting plane of [Fig.2] passes through the leg 18B and the cavity 27 visible on this figure corresponds to the cavity 27B shown in [Fig.4].

[0048] Preferably, each leg 18A or 18B is configured so as not to obstruct the passage of the optical fiber 23, nor to damage it during its progression towards point P5. Thus, the side of the leg 18A visible on insert B) of [Fig.4] has a cutout which defines a surface S18 for guiding the optical fiber 23 as it exits the cavity 27A.

[0049] The stop member 17 is configured to longitudinally hold the optical fiber 23 inserted in the guide 15 by fixing a distance d525 between the distal end 25 of the optical fiber 23 and the movable contact pad 5, as well as an angle a2 between a longitudinal axis A3 of the breaker 3 and a longitudinal axis A23 of the optical fiber 23. This feature allows greater reproducibility of the shooting by means of the device 1.

[0050] The stop member 17 advantageously decomposes into a proximal stop element 33 and a distal stop element 35. The proximal stop element 33 is integral with the endoscopic probe 13 while the distal stop element 35 is integral with the guide 15, through the tube 19, as explained below.

[0051] In the illustrated example, the proximal stop element 33 comprises a spacer 37, a first spacer ring 39 and a plug 4L. These different components are shown individually in inserts A), B) and C) of [Fig.5].

[0052] The spacer 37 is configured to partially encircle the optical fiber 23 by being fixed to the optical fiber 23. To achieve this, at least one clamping screw 43, advantageously two clamping screws 43 as seen in [Fig. 3], tighten the spacer 37 so as to locally reduce the diameter of an internal volume V37 of the spacer 37 used to receive the optical fiber 23 and thus to secure the spacer 37 to the optical fiber 23. In the illustrated example, the two clamping screws 43 also serve to secure the spacer 37 to the first spacer ring. 39. The spacer 37 advantageously includes at least one notch 45 to partially receive the clamping screw or screws 43.

[0053] The first spacer ring 39 at least partially encircles the spacer 37, being integral with the spacer 37. As shown in insert B) [Fig. 5], the first spacer ring 39 includes a male stop 47, as well as two holes 49 for the passage of the clamping screws 43. Advantageously, the first spacer ring 39 further includes a first external thread 51 for cooperating with the plug 4L

[0054] The plug 41, shown in insert C) of [Fig. 5], advantageously comprises a second internal thread or tapped hole 53 configured to cooperate with the first external thread 51. The plug 41 is advantageously secured to the first spacer ring 29 by means of a connecting screw 54. The plug 41 makes it easier for an operator to grasp the stop member 17 and to hold the spacer 37 in the first spacer ring 39.

[0055] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the distal stop element 35 is connected to the guide via the pipe 19, configured to receive the optical fiber 23. In particular, the pipe 19 is fixed to the guide 15 and to the distal stop element 35 by means of mounting screws 20. The mounting screws 20 are received through respective holes on the guide 15 and on the distal stop element 35.

[0056] Thus, the optical fiber 23 passes through the proximal stop element 33, the distal stop element 35, the pipe 19 and then the guide 15.

[0057] The distal stop element 35 includes a second spacer ring 55 and, optionally, a third spacer ring 57. These elements are shown individually in [Fig.6].

[0058] In the mounted configuration of the stop member 17, the second spacer ring 55 at least partially encircles the first spacer ring 39. The second spacer ring 55 is movable in translation relative to the first spacer ring 39 along the longitudinal axis A23 of the optical fiber 23 and in rotation relative to the first spacer ring 39 around the longitudinal axis A23 of the optical fiber 23. The second spacer ring 55 includes a female stop 59, configured to cooperate with the male stop 47. Inserting the male stop 47 into the female stop 59 allows the second spacer ring 55, i.e. the distal stop element 35, to be secured with the first spacer ring 39, i.e. the proximal stop element 33, in the manner of a bayonet.In other words, the insertion of the male stop 47 into the female stop 59 allows the translation and rotation between the optical fiber 23 and the guide 15 to be blocked with respect to the longitudinal axis A23 of the optical fiber 23. Since the guide 15 is held by the breaker 3 when the guide 15 is inserted into the escape chamber 9, the insertion of the male stop 47 into the female stop. 59 allows the position of the optical fiber 23 to be fixed in relation to the circuit breaker 3, and in particular in relation to the movable contact pad 5. It is therefore understood that the stop element 17 makes it possible to improve the repeatability of the imaging of the electrical contacts, by means of the endoscopic probe 13.

[0059] Advantageously, the second spacer ring 55 further includes a mouth chamfer 61 facilitating the insertion of the optical fiber 23 into the second spacer ring 55, as seen in the cross-sectional view of insert B) of [Fig.6].

[0060] In the illustrated example, the second spacer ring 55 further includes a clearance groove 63, parallel to the longitudinal axis A23 of the optical fiber 23. The clearance groove 63 is configured to cooperate with the male stop 47 and to guide, via the male stop 47, the first spacer ring 39 in translation relative to the second spacer ring 55, from the female stop 59, along the longitudinal axis A23 of the optical fiber 23, until the optical fiber 23 is entirely outside the breaker 3.

[0061] Advantageously, the second spacer ring 55 further includes a release stop 65 that prevents the first spacer ring 39 from translating relative to the second spacer ring 55 when the optical fiber 23 is completely outside the circuit breaker 3. The device 1 is then said to be in the clear position. The clear position is shown in [Fig. 7]. The clear position allows an operator to remove the guide 15 from the circuit breaker 3 without damaging the optical fiber 23, which is generally fragile and represents the majority of the cost of the device 1.

[0062] In the illustrated example, a rotation of the proximal stop element 33 relative to the distal stop element 35, while the device 1 is in the disengaged position, allows the proximal stop element 33 to be removed from the distal stop element 35. Thus, the guide 15 and the endoscopic probe 13 are again independent.

[0063] The third spacer ring 57 at least partially encircles the second spacer ring 55. The third spacer ring 57 is movable in translation along the longitudinal axis A23 of the optical fiber 23, relative to the second spacer ring 55, and in rotation around the longitudinal axis A23 of the optical fiber 23, relative to the second spacer ring 55. The third spacer ring 57 is secured to the second spacer ring 55 by means of micro-adjustment screws 67. Thus, the rotation and translation between the second spacer ring 55 and the third spacer ring 57 when the micro-adjustment screws are loosened allows for fine adjustment of the position of the optical fiber 23 relative to the breaker 3, after insertion of the male stop 47 into the female stop 59.

[0064] The various components of the imaging device 1 mentioned above, apart from the endoscopic probe 13 and the tube 19, are advantageously 3D printed from resin. More generally, the device 1 is at least partially 3D printed from resin. This manufacturing method requires that all the dimensions of these components be greater than or equal to 0.3 mm.

[0065] The external device 11 is connected to the probe body 21 by a wired or wireless link, so as to receive the images taken by the endoscopic probe 13.

[0066] The external device 11 is advantageously a smartphone or tablet on which is installed an application configured to implement the diagnostic process of the circuit breaker 3.

[0067] More generally, the external device 11 includes an electronic circuit designed to manipulate and / or transform data represented by electronic or physical quantities in registers and / or memories into other similar data corresponding to physical data in register memories or other types of display devices, transmission devices or storage devices.

[0068] As specific examples, the external device 11 is implemented in the form of a a programmable logic component, such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or an integrated circuit, such as an ASIC (Application Specifies Integrated Circuit).

[0069] Alternatively, when the diagnostic process is implemented in the form of one or more software programs, i.e., in the form of a computer program, also called a computer program product, it is further capable of being stored on a computer-readable medium, not shown. The computer-readable medium is, for example, a medium capable of storing electronic instructions and being connected to a bus of a computer system. By way of example, the readable medium is an optical disc, a magneto-optical disc, ROM, RAM, any type of non-volatile memory (e.g., FLASH or NVRAM), or a magnetic card. A computer program comprising software instructions is then stored on the readable medium.

[0070] The diagnostic method consists of determining the health status of the circuit breaker 3 from images of the electrical contacts of the circuit breaker 3 taken by the device 1 described above and by means of at least one artificial intelligence algorithm. Each artificial intelligence algorithm takes as input an image of an electrical contact of a pole and provides as output a health status of the pole. More precisely, each artificial intelligence algorithm provides a probability for each health status of the pole. Each probability is between 0 and a normalized maximum probability, for example 1, 10, or 100. The sum of the probabilities obtained For each health state, the probability is then equal to the normalized maximum probability. The highest probability gives the predicted health state for the pole. The probability of the predicted health state for the pole provides a confidence level associated with that predicted health state.

[0071] Advantageously, the diagnostic process uses two distinct artificial intelligence algorithms, including a classification algorithm and an anomaly detection algorithm.

[0072] The classification algorithm is advantageously a supervised classification algorithm known to a person skilled in the art. By way of example, the classification algorithm is a neural network, for example a convolutional neural network, a recurrent neural network, or a transformer network. The classification algorithm takes as input at least one image of an electrical contact in the open position and provides as output a state of the corresponding pole among a critical state, a non-compliant state, a compliant state, and a good state, as well as the associated confidence level between 0 and the normalized maximum probability. Alternatively, the state of the pole is predicted only among a good state and a non-compliant state.

[0073] The anomaly detection algorithm is advantageously a semi-supervised learning algorithm, known to a person skilled in the art. For example, the anomaly detection algorithm is a combination of neural networks. The anomaly detection algorithm takes as input at least one image of an electrical contact in the closed position and provides as output a pole state from among a repulsion state and a non-repulsion state.

[0074] Each artificial intelligence algorithm is trained, prior to the diagnostic process, during an initialization phase 100 represented on [Fig.8] and described below.

[0075] The initialization phase 100 involves a set of drive circuit breakers. The drive circuit breakers are advantageously of the same type as the circuit breaker 3 to be diagnosed. In order to be able to apply the diagnostic procedure to different types of circuit breakers 3, the drive phases 100 are advantageously repeated on different circuit breakers, providing an artificial intelligence algorithm trained for each type of circuit breaker.

[0076] Each initialization phase 100 includes at least a shot 108 of an electrical contact of each pole of each drive circuit breaker, a random transformation action 122 of the shot and a training 126 of the artificial intelligence algorithm on at least one set of shots including the shot.

[0077] In the example illustrated in [Fig.8], the initialization phase 100 begins with an opening or closing 102 of the electrical contact of the drive circuit breaker to be photographed. In the initialization phase 100 of the supervised classification algorithm, this step 102 is an electrical contact opening step. In the initialization phase 100 of the semi-supervised anomaly detection algorithm, this step 102 is an electrical contact closing step.

[0078] The initialization phase 100 then includes an insertion 104 of the guide 15 into the escape chamber 9 of the pole of the drive circuit breaker comprising the electrical contact to be photographed, followed by an insertion phase 106 of the optical fiber 23 into the guide 15. The position of the optical fiber 23 relative to the circuit breaker is then fixed by inserting the male stop 47 into the female stop 59 and then by tightening the micro-adjustment screws 67. As explained previously, the distal end 25 of the optical fiber 23 is then close to the contact pad 5, at point P5.

[0079] During the image acquisition step 108, an image of the electrical contact and its environment is taken by the endoscopic probe 13 and then transmitted to the external device 11. The image advantageously includes the moving contact comprising the moving contact pad 5, the cheeks positioned on either side of the moving contact pad 5 and the spark arrestor.

[0080] The optical fiber 23 and the guide 15 are then removed from the drive circuit breaker during a removal phase 110. The removal phase advantageously includes a removal of the optical fiber 23 from the guide 15, until the device 1 is in a clear position, and then a removal of the guide 15 from the circuit breaker 3.

[0081] Then, the initialization phase includes an expert assigning 112 an actual health status of the pole, based on an analysis of the appearance of the contact pad 5 and its surroundings from the image transmitted to the external device 11, as well as the operating conditions of the circuit breaker 3. In the initialization phase 100 of the supervised classification algorithm, the actual health status of the pole is chosen by the expert from among a real critical state, a real non-compliant state, a real compliant state, and a real good state. Alternatively, the actual health status of the pole is chosen only from among a real good state and a real non-compliant state. In the initialization phase 100 of the anomaly detection algorithm, the actual health status of the pole is chosen by the expert from among a real repulsive state and a real non-repulsive state.

[0082] In an unrepresented variant, the allocation step 112 takes place before the withdrawal step 110.

[0083] The opening / closing steps 102, insertion steps 104 and 106, shooting steps 108, withdrawal steps 110 and assignment steps 112 are repeated as many times as necessary to constitute a training set of sufficient size to make the artificial intelligence algorithm reliable, for example 20 or 50 times.

[0084] In the example illustrated in [Fig. 8], a first test step 114 consists of checking whether each side of an electrical contact has been photographed, and if not, repeating Starting from the insertion point 106 of the optical fiber into the guide 15, the other side of the electrical contact is photographed. A second test step 116 checks whether each pole of the drive circuit breaker has been photographed; if not, the process is repeated from the insertion point 104 of the guide 15 into the escape chamber 9 to photograph another pole. A third test step 118 checks whether each drive circuit breaker in the set of drive circuit breakers, the required number of times, has been photographed; if not, the process is repeated from the opening / closing step 102 to photograph another drive circuit breaker. Thus, the initialization phase illustrated in [Fig. 8] enables a photograph to be taken for each side of each electrical contact of each drive circuit breaker.

[0085] The shots thus obtained are then distributed, during a distribution step 120, into a training set, a test set and a validation set.

[0086] In the initialization phase 100 of the supervised classification algorithm, the images are divided into a first training set, a first validation set, and a first test set. Each first set includes at least one image belonging to each of the following states: the actual critical state, the actual non-conforming state, the actual conforming state, and the actual good state. Advantageously, each state is represented in equal proportion in each of the first sets. This distribution allows for the implementation of supervised training that is familiar to a person skilled in the art.

[0087] In the initialization phase 100 of the anomaly detection algorithm, the images are divided into a second training set, a second validation set, and a second test set. The second training set comprises only images whose second actual health state is the actual repulsion state, and the second validation and test sets each comprise at least one image belonging to each of the two states: the actual repulsion state and the actual non-repulsion state. This division allows for the implementation of semi-supervised training, which is known to a person skilled in the art.

[0088] During the random transformation step 122, at least one random transformation is performed on at least one shot. The random transformation includes, for example, a random modification of a shot's contrast, a random modification of a shot's brightness, a random rotation of the shot, and / or a random horizontal or vertical shift of the shot. Advantageously, each shot is assigned a random transformation probability. When the transformation probability is zero, no transformation is performed. When the transformation probability is If the value is not zero, a combination of one or more transformations is performed. This random transformation allows for the reproduction of variability in the images captured during the diagnostic process. In other words, the random transformation makes artificial intelligence algorithms less sensitive to variations in image capture conditions.

[0089] The initialization phase 100 then includes an adaptation 124 of the images to the relevant artificial intelligence algorithm. The adaptation step 124 includes, for example, converting the images to grayscale, normalizing the image contrast, and resizing the images. The adaptation step 124 makes the images more usable by the artificial intelligence algorithm.

[0090] Finally, the training step 126 includes training, validation and testing of the artificial intelligence algorithm on the training set, validation set and test set respectively.

[0091] At the end of the initialization phase 100, the artificial intelligence algorithm concerned is trained and able to predict the state of health of a pole of the circuit breaker 3 from a photo of the pole contact.

[0092] The trained artificial intelligence algorithm is integrated into the external device 11, so that the diagnostic process 200, described below with reference to [Fig.9], can be implemented by the external device 11.

[0093] The diagnostic method 200 includes at least one shot 206A or 206B of the electrical contact of each pole of the circuit breaker 3, at least one determination 218A or 218B of the health status of each pole, a determination 220A and 220B of the health status of the circuit breaker 3 and a restitution 222 and 224 of the health status of the circuit breaker 3.

[0094] In the example illustrated in [Fig. 9], the diagnostic process 200 successively comprises a prediction of the state of the poles of the circuit breaker 3 by means of the supervised classification algorithm and then by means of the anomaly detection algorithm. The health status of the circuit breaker 3 is then predicted based on the predictions of the two algorithms, as described below.

[0095] In the example shown in [Fig.9], the diagnostic process 200 includes a step 202A of opening the contact of the circuit breaker 3, a step 204A of inserting the guide 15 into the escape chamber 9, a step 206A of inserting the optical fiber 23 into the guide 15, a step 208A of taking a picture of the electrical contact and a step 210A of removing the optical fiber 23 and the guide 15.

[0096] The method then includes test steps 212A and 214A similar to test steps 114 and 116 of the initialization phase 100. Test steps 212A and 214A allow the previous steps to be repeated until a shot is available on each side of each electrical contact of the circuit breaker 3.

[0097] Next, the diagnostic process 200 includes an adaptation step 216A, similar to the adaptation step 124 of the initialization phase 100, allowing the pole shots of the circuit breaker 3 to be adapted to the supervised classification algorithm.

[0098] Then, the health status of the pole is predicted by the supervised classification algorithm during the determination step 218A. As explained previously, the health status of the pole predicted by the supervised classification algorithm is a critical, non-compliant, compliant or good state.

[0099] The state of each pole is then taken into account in the 220A step of determining the health status of the circuit breaker. The health status of the circuit breaker is advantageously predicted between a valid state and an invalid state.

[0100] In particular, if the health status of at least one pole predicted by the classification algorithm is the critical or non-compliant state, then the predicted state for circuit breaker 3 is the invalid state. The step 222 for reporting the invalid state of the circuit breaker is then executed. The reporting takes, for example, the form of a display on a screen of the external device 11, allowing an operator to be informed that circuit breaker 3 is invalid and must be replaced to continue ensuring the safety of the electrical installation.

[0101] Conversely, if the classification algorithm does not predict a critical or non-compliant state for any pole, then the pole's health status is predicted by the anomaly detection algorithm to determine the presence or absence of repulsion, and thus to conclude on the health status of circuit breaker 3. Therefore, the electrical contact measurements in the closed position and the determinations using the anomaly detection algorithm are performed if and only if the health status of each pole predicted by the classification algorithm is good or compliant. If this is the case, steps 202B to 220B are executed.

[0102] Steps 202B to 220B are similar to steps 202A to 220A except for the differences mentioned below.

[0103] Unlike step 202A, which is an opening step of the electrical contacts, step 202B is a closing step of the electrical contacts of circuit breaker 3.

[0104] The adaptation step 216B adapts the shots to the anomaly detection algorithm.

[0105] Step 218B of determining the health status of each pole is performed using the anomaly detection algorithm. The predicted health status is then either the repulsion state or the non-repulsion state. If the health status of at least one pole of the circuit breaker 3 is the repulsion state, the circuit breaker is declared invalid and step 222 of restoring the invalid health status of the circuit breaker is executed. If, on the other hand, If the health status of all poles is non-repulsion, then the circuit breaker is declared valid and step 224 of restoring the valid state of the circuit breaker is executed.

[0106] In summary, the invalid state of the circuit breaker is determined if, for at least one pole, the pole health status predicted by the classification algorithm is critical or non-compliant, or if the pole health status predicted by the anomaly detection algorithm is repulsion; otherwise, the valid state is determined.

[0107] Thus, at the end of the diagnostic process 200, the health status of the circuit breaker 3 installed in the electrical installation is known and returned by the external device 11. This knowledge makes it possible to take appropriate measures for the replacement and / or maintenance of the circuit breaker 3, in order to ensure the essential electrical safety functions of the electrical installation.

[0108] Any feature described above for one example or variant may also be implemented in the other examples or variants described above, as far as technically possible.

Claims

Demands

1. Image-taking device (1) of a contact of a circuit breaker (3) by means of an endoscopic probe (13) comprising a probe body (21) and an optical fiber (23) connected to the probe body (21), characterized in that the device (1) comprises: • a guide (15), configured to penetrate at least partially into an escape chamber (9) of the circuit breaker (3), the guide (15) comprising at least one straight cavity (27, 27A, 27B) configured to receive the optical fiber (23) and guide the optical fiber (23) to a point (P5) near a movable contact pad (5) belonging to the contact of the circuit breaker (3); and • a stop member (17), configured to longitudinally hold the optical fiber (23) by fixing a distance (d525) between a distal end (25) of the optical fiber (23) and the contact pad (5) and an angle (a2) between a longitudinal axis (A3) of the breaker (3) and a longitudinal axis (A23) of the optical fiber (23).

2. Device (1) according to claim 1, wherein each cavity (27, 27A, 27B) includes a mouth chamfer (29) facilitating the insertion of the optical fiber (23) into the cavity (27).

3. Device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the guide (15) comprises two cavities (27A, 27B), the two cavities (27A, 27B) forming a non-zero angle (ai) between them so as to guide the optical fiber (23) to the same point (P5) near the contact pad (5).

4. Device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the guide (15) includes a flexible tab (31) so as to adapt a width (L) of the guide (15) to a width (L9) of the exhaust chamber (9).

5. Device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the stop member (17) comprises: • a distal stop element (35), integral with the guide (15); and • a proximal stop element (33), configured to be integral with the endoscopic probe (13).

6. Device (1) according to claim 5, further comprising a pipe (19), integral with the guide (15) and connecting the guide (15) to the distal stop element (35), the pipe (19) being configured to receive the optical fiber (23).

7. Device (1) according to any one of claims 5 or 6, wherein the proximal stop element (33) comprises: • a spacer (37), configured to partially encircle the optical fiber (23) by being integral with the optical fiber (23); and • a first spacer ring (39), at least partially encircling the spacer (37) by being integral with the spacer (37) and comprising a male stop (47); and the distal stop element (35) comprises: • a second spacer ring (55), at least partially encircling the first spacer ring (39), movable in translation relative to the first spacer ring (39) along the longitudinal axis (A23) of the optical fiber (23) and in rotation relative to the first spacer ring (39) around the longitudinal axis (A23) of the optical fiber (23), the second spacer ring (55) comprising a female stop (59), configured to receive the male stop (47);and in which the insertion of the male stop (47) into the female stop (59) allows the proximal stop element (33) to be joined with the distal stop element (35).

8. Device (1) according to claim 7, wherein the proximal stop element (33) comprises at least one clamping screw (43), configured to secure the spacer (37) with the first spacer ring (39) and to clamp the spacer (37) onto the optical fiber (23).

9. Device (1) according to any one of claims 7 or 8, wherein the second spacer ring (55) includes a mouth chamfer (61) facilitating the insertion of the optical fiber (23) into the second spacer ring (55).

10. Device (1) according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the distal stop element (35) further comprises: • a third spacer ring (57), at least partially encircling the second spacer ring (55), movable in translation along the longitudinal axis (A23) of the optical fiber (23) relative to the second spacer ring (55) and in rotation around the longitudinal axis (A23) of the optical fiber (23) relative to the second spacer ring (55); and • at least one micro-adjustment screw (67), configured to secure the second spacer ring (55) with the third spacer ring (57).

11. Device (1) according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the second spacer ring (55) comprises a clearance groove (63), parallel to the longitudinal axis (A23) of the optical fiber (23), the clearance groove (63) being configured to cooperate with the male stop (47) and to guide the distal stop element (35) in translation relative to the proximal stop element (33) along the longitudinal axis (A23) of the optical fiber (23) until the optical fiber (23) is fully outside the breaker (3).

12. Device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the device (1) is at least partly 3D printed from resin.

Images