Circuit breaker

Abstract

To make an off-display of a handle hard to be made when a movable contact and a fixed contact are in contact with each other even if a force to push down a movable contactor is not applied from a cross bar.SOLUTION: A handle 11, a frame, a link pin 13, a crossbar, and a movable contactor in which movable contacts are pressed against fixed contacts of a fixed contactor by being pushed down by the crossbar, wherein the frame includes an insertion groove through which the link pin is inserted, the link pin is positioned so as to pass through a first point 121a of the insertion groove when the handle is on display, the link pin is positioned so as to pass through a second point 121b of the insertion groove when the handle is off display, and the link pin is positioned so as to pass between the first point and the second point of the insertion groove when the handle is trip display, the circuit interrupter is provided with a spring member 21 capable of energizing so that the link pin passes through the first spot 121a in a state that the fixed contacts and the movable contacts are in contact.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a circuit breaker. [Background technology]

[0002] As described in Patent Document 1, a circuit breaker is known that includes a link pin that is driven in conjunction with the operation of a handle and a crossbar that operates in conjunction with the link pin. In this circuit breaker, when the handle is moved to display an ON indication, the link pin presses down on the movable contactor via the crossbar, thereby pressing the movable contactor against the fixed contactor. On the other hand, when the handle is moved to display an OFF or trip indication, the crossbar is released from being pressed down, and a spring located below the movable contactor pushes up the movable contactor, separating the movable contactor from the fixed contactor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-032542

[0004] However, circuit breakers with this structure do not have an isolation function (a function that prevents the handle from indicating "off" if the movable contact and fixed contact are in contact due to welding or other reasons). Therefore, if welding occurs between the movable contact and fixed contact due to an overcurrent or other cause, moving the handle from the "on" indication to the "off" or "trip" indication will release the link pin from being pressed down, but the spring will not be able to push up the movable contact. Therefore, the movable contact and fixed contact will not separate, but the handle will be able to indicate "off" or "trip." In other words, even though the handle is indicating "off" or "trip," electricity may still flow to the load side of the circuit breaker. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The inventors of the present invention have diligently studied this issue and have attempted to solve it. The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to make it difficult for the handle to be displayed as OFF when the movable contact and the fixed contact are in contact, even if no force pressing down on the movable contact is applied from the crossbar. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, a circuit breaker is provided which includes a handle, a frame supporting the handle, a link pin that can be linked with the handle, a crossbar that can be linked with the link pin, and a movable contactor that is pushed down by the crossbar so that the movable contactor is pressed against the fixed contactor of the fixed contactor, wherein the frame has an insertion groove through which the link pin is inserted, and when the handle is in the on position, the link pin is positioned so as to pass through a first location located on one end of the insertion groove, and when the handle is in the off position, the link pin is positioned so as to pass through a second location located on the other end of the insertion groove, and when the handle is in the trip position, the link pin is positioned so as to pass between the first and second locations of the insertion groove, and is provided with a spring member that can be biased so that the link pin passes through the first location when the fixed contactor and the movable contactor are in contact.

[0007] It is also preferable to provide a restricting member that can restrict the link pin from passing through the second portion when the fixed contact and the movable contact are in contact with each other.

[0008] It is also preferable that the spring member has an interlocking part having one end engaged with the crossbar and the other end engaged with an axis connecting the handle and the frame, and that the spring member is connected to the interlocking part and the link pin, so that the state of the spring member can be changed by changing the positional relationship between the crossbar and the frame. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] In the present invention, even if no force pressing down the movable contactor is applied from the crossbar, when the movable contact and the fixed contact are in contact, it is possible to make it difficult for the handle to be displayed as OFF. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a circuit breaker according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the circuit breaker shown in FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a perspective view showing the opening and closing mechanism of the circuit breaker shown in FIG. 1, with the handle in the ON position. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side view of the opening / closing mechanism and other components shown in FIG. [Figure 5] 5 is a side view showing a state in which the handle of the opening / closing mechanism part etc. shown in FIG. 4 is in an OFF position. [Figure 6] 5 is a side view showing a tripped state of the opening / closing mechanism and the like shown in FIG. 4. FIG. [Figure 7] 2 is a perspective view showing the opening and closing mechanism of the circuit breaker shown in FIG. 1, with the handle in the OFF position. [Figure 8] 2 is a view of the opening and closing mechanism and the like of the circuit breaker shown in FIG. 1 as viewed in the longitudinal direction of the fixed contact. [Figure 9] 10 is a diagram showing that, when the fixed contact and the movable contact are in contact with each other, the spring member biases the link pin so that the link pin passes through the first point. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an interlocking portion in the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the interlocking portion as seen from a different direction from FIG. 10. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] An embodiment of the invention is described below. A circuit breaker 1 according to the embodiment includes a handle 11, a frame 12 that supports the handle 11, a link pin 13 that can be moved in conjunction with the handle 11, a crossbar 14 that can be moved in conjunction with the link pin 13, and a movable contactor 16 that is pushed down by the crossbar 14 to bring a movable contact 161 into pressure contact with a fixed contact 151 of a fixed contactor 15. The circuit breaker 1 also includes an insertion groove 121 in the frame 12 through which the link pin 13 is inserted. When the handle 11 is in the ON position, the link pin 13 is positioned so as to pass through a first position 121a located at one end of the insertion groove 121. When the handle 11 is in the OFF position, the link pin 13 is positioned so as to pass through a second position 121b located at the other end of the insertion groove 121. When the handle 11 is in the TRIP position, the link pin 13 is positioned so as to pass between the first position 121a and the second position 121b of the insertion groove 121. In addition, the spring member 21 is provided so that the link pin 13 passes through the first portion 121a when the fixed contact 151 and the movable contact 161 are in contact with each other. Therefore, even if the force pressing down the movable contactor 16 is not applied from the crossbar 14, when the movable contact 161 and the fixed contact 151 are in contact with each other, it is possible to make it difficult for the handle 11 to display the off state.

[0012] The circuit breaker 1 of the embodiment includes a handle 11 that can be operated by a user (see FIGS. 1 and 2). By operating the handle 11 in a normal state, it is possible to select whether or not to bring the fixed contact 151 provided in the fixed contactor 15 and the movable contact 161 provided in the movable contactor 16 into contact with each other.

[0013] The circuit breaker 1 of the embodiment includes a crossbar 14 that can press the movable contactor 16 downward to bring the fixed contact 151 and the movable contact 161 into contact by setting the handle 11 to the ON display (see FIG. 3). Also, to move the crossbar 14 in this manner, the circuit breaker 1 includes a link pin 13 that moves in conjunction with the handle 11. The link pin 13 is configured so that it can press down the crossbar 14 when the handle 11 is set to the ON display (see FIG. 4).

[0014] Also, by operating the handle 11 to indicate OFF, the pressure from the crossbar 14 to the movable contact 16 can be released (see FIGS. 5 and 6). More specifically, when the handle 11 moves to indicate OFF (see FIG. 5) or TRIP (see FIG. 6), the force of the link pin 13 pressing down on the crossbar 14 is released.

[0015] The circuit breaker 1 of the embodiment includes a contact release spring 17 that can move the movable contactor 16 upward when the pressure applied from the crossbar 14 to the movable contactor 16 is released (see FIGS. 4 to 6). However, the contact release spring 17 is not a spring that can apply a force sufficient to separate the fixed contacts 151 and the movable contacts 161 when the fixed contacts 151 and the movable contacts 161 are welded together. Furthermore, if the fixed contacts 151 and the movable contacts 161 cannot be separated, the movable contactor 16 will not push the crossbar 14 back upward, and therefore, when the fixed contacts 151 and the movable contacts 161 are welded together, the crossbar 14 will not substantially move upward.

[0016] The circuit breaker 1 of the embodiment is configured to be able to display a trip indicating that the movable contact 161 has been separated from the fixed contact 151 upon detecting a predetermined abnormality such as a ground fault or an overcurrent (see FIG. 6). The trip indication is shown when the handle 11 is neither in the ON nor OFF state.

[0017] The handle 11 can rotate around a shaft 18 supported by the frame 12 (see FIGS. 3 to 8). In other words, the shaft 18 serves to connect the frame 12 and the handle 11. The handle 11 is supported by the frame 12 via the shaft 18. The circuit breaker 1 of this embodiment includes the frame 12 inside the case 19, and the frame 12 is fixed to a predetermined position on the case 19.

[0018] The frame 12 of the embodiment has an insertion groove 121 through which the link pin 13 can be inserted, and the insertion groove 121 of the embodiment is a hole. More specifically, it is an arc-shaped hole. This is intended to prevent the insertion groove 121 from becoming excessively large while taking into consideration the movement of the link pin 13 when the handle 11 is turned. Therefore, when the handle 11 is in the ON position, the link pin 13 passes through a first point 121a near the end of the insertion groove 121, and when the handle 11 is in the OFF position, the link pin 13 passes through a second point 121b near the other end of the insertion groove 121.

[0019] When the handle 11 is tripped, the link pin 13 passes through a position that is neither the first position 121a nor the second position 121b. More specifically, when the handle 11 is tripped, the link pin 13 passes through a position between the first position 121a and the second position 121b of the insertion groove 121 (see FIG. 6).

[0020] Incidentally, the circuit breaker 1 of the embodiment is provided with a spring member 21 that biases the link pin 13 to prevent the handle 11 from indicating OFF or TRIP in the event that the movable contactor 16 cannot move and the connection between the fixed contact 151 and the movable contact 161 cannot be released due to a mechanical malfunction such as welding of the fixed contact 151 and the movable contact 161 caused by an overcurrent or the like, or the detachment of the contact release spring 17.

[0021] One end of spring member 21 may be connected to link pin 13, and the other end may be connected to a position where it biases link pin 13 to move toward first location 121a. For example, it may be possible to set the position where it biases link pin 13 to move toward first location 121a below first location 121a or in a direction opposite to the direction of second location 121b with first location 121a as the reference.

[0022] Furthermore, spring member 21 biases link pin 13 so that link pin 13 is positioned at first position 121a or so that link pin 13 is unlikely to move from first position 121a when fixed contact 151 and movable contact 161 are in contact. By using spring member 21 to maintain link pin 13 at first position 121a, handle 11 can maintain the ON display.

[0023] In the circuit breaker 1 of the embodiment, the handle 11 can be operated toward the OFF position or the TRIP position against the force of the spring member 21 biasing the link pin 13, but when the operation of the handle 11 is stopped, such as by releasing the hand from the handle 11, the handle 11 is biased so as to return to the ON position (see Figure 9).

[0024] That is, in a situation where the contact state between the fixed contact 151 and the movable contact 161 cannot be released, the handle 11 will not display OFF or trip even if the handle 11 is not being touched. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the fixed contact 151 and the movable contact 161 from being judged as not being in contact when they are in contact.

[0025] On the other hand, if handle 11 is operated with a force stronger than the force with which spring member 21 urges link pin 13, when link pin 13 reaches the vicinity of second point 121b, link pin 13 may be fixed by the opening / closing mechanism constituted by handle 11, link pin 13, frame 12, etc., and handle 11 may display OFF. For this reason, it is preferable to provide restricting member 22 that can restrict link pin 13 from being positioned at second point 121b when fixed contact 151 and movable contact 161 are in contact.

[0026] 3, the restricting member 22 is formed of a bent rod-shaped member. One end of this restricting member 22 is fixed to the crossbar 14. The other end is set to be located on a path along which the link pin 13 can move when the handle 11 is operated in the absence of the restricting member 22, with the movable contact 161 and the fixed contact 151 in contact with each other. More specifically, the end of the restricting member 22 that is not fixed to the crossbar 14 is set to be located near the second location 121b of the insertion groove 121 of the frame 12.

[0027] In other words, by disposing the restricting member 22 in a position that prevents the link pin 13 from moving, it is possible to prevent the link pin 13 from moving to the second point 121b. More specifically, the restricting member 22 acts as an obstacle, preventing the link pin 13 from reaching the second point 121b. If the link pin 13 does not reach the second point 121b, it is possible to prevent the handle 11 from displaying the off state.

[0028] In the circuit breaker 1 of the embodiment, one end of the regulating member 22 is fixed to the crossbar 14, which is intended to prevent the movement of the link pin 13 to the second location 121b from being restricted when the crossbar 14 is able to move upward due to the force applied by the contact release spring 17 (see Figures 6 and 7).

[0029] In other words, if the contact between the movable contact 161 and the fixed contact 151 cannot be released due to welding or the like, the regulating member 22 prevents the link pin 13 from reaching the second point 121b, but under normal conditions, one end of the link pin 13 is fixed to the crossbar 14 so that the regulating member 22 does not exert such a restraining function.

[0030] To make this possible, when the crossbar 14 is moving upward due to the force applied by the contact release spring 17, the restricting member 22 is prevented from being on a path along which the link pin 13 may move when the handle 11 is operated. Note that the restricting member 22 does not have to be fixed to the crossbar 14.

[0031] As can be understood from these descriptions, it is preferable that the circuit breaker 1 is configured with a restricting member 22 that can restrict the link pin 13 from passing through the second location 121b when the fixed contact 151 and the movable contact 161 are in contact.

[0032] Incidentally, the spring member 21 can bias the link pin 13 to pass through the first location 121a when the fixed contact 151 and the movable contact 161 are in contact, but it is preferable that such biasing not be applied when the fixed contact 151 and the movable contact 161 are not in contact.

[0033] In this embodiment, an interlocking portion 23 is provided to enable the above-described change in biasing force (see FIGS. 3 and 8). The interlocking portion 23 in the example shown in FIGS. 8, 10, and 11 is composed of two members (a first interlocking member 231 and a second interlocking member 232), and one end of the first interlocking member 231 is rotatably attached to the shaft portion 18 that pivotally supports the handle 11 on the frame 12. The other end of the first interlocking member 231 is connected to the second interlocking member 232. The second interlocking member 232 has one end attached to the crossbar 14 and the other end connected to the first interlocking member 231.

[0034] In this embodiment, a spring member 21 is attached to a connecting portion 233 that connects the first interlocking member 231 and the second interlocking member 232 (see FIG. 8 ). The second interlocking member 232 is provided with a recess 232a that engages with a protrusion (not shown) provided on the crossbar 14, thereby moving in conjunction with the movement of the crossbar 14. The connecting portion 233 moves in conjunction with the movement of the second interlocking member 232, but since the spring member 21 connected to the link pin 13 is attached, the biasing direction of the spring member 21 relative to the connecting portion 233 changes depending on the position of the link pin 13 and the position of the connecting portion 233. In other words, the connecting portion 233 moves in conjunction with the link pin 13, and the biasing direction of the spring member 21 changes. The first interlocking member 231 rotates around the shaft 18 in accordance with the movement of the second interlocking member 232 and the connecting portion 233.

[0035] As can be understood from these descriptions, the circuit breaker 1 has an interlocking part 23, one end of which is engaged with the crossbar 14 and the other end of which is engaged with the shaft part 18 connecting the handle 11 and the frame 12, and the spring member 21 is preferably configured to be connected to the interlocking part 23 and the link pin 13, so that the state of the spring member 21 can be changed by changing the positional relationship between the crossbar 14 and the frame 12.

[0036] In the normal state, when the handle 11 is turned to the ON display state, the crossbar 14 moves downward to press down the movable contact 16. At this time, the link pin 13 moves toward the first position 121a.

[0037] The second interlocking member 232 faces substantially vertically because the convex portion of the crossbar 14 is positioned at the first end of the concave portion 232a of the second interlocking member 232. The connecting portion 233 is positioned substantially directly above the convex portion of the crossbar 14. The first interlocking member 231 also faces substantially vertically. Therefore, the first interlocking member 231, the connecting portion 233, and the second interlocking member 232 are aligned substantially linearly (see FIGS. 3 and 4). In this example, because the link pin 13 and the connecting portion 233 are aligned substantially vertically, the force acting on the link pin 13 is directed substantially directly downward.

[0038] Such a state of interlocking portion 23 is achieved when fixed contact 151 and movable contact 161 are connected (see FIGS. 3, 4, and 9). In addition, when fixed contact 151 and movable contact 161 are connected, spring member 21 functions to provide a force to maintain that state (see FIG. 9).

[0039] On the other hand, when the handle 11 is operated to set the display to OFF in a normal state, the crossbar 14 is pushed up by the contact release spring 17 and moves upward. This movement of the crossbar 14 releases the force pressing down on the movable contactor 16. At this time, the link pin 13 moves toward the vicinity of the second location 121b. The connecting portion 233 moves in conjunction with the link pin 13, toward approximately below the second location 121b. The first interlocking member 231 and the second interlocking member 232 are interlocked with the connecting portion 233, and are positioned so as to extend in different directions and form a bent shape (see FIGS. 5 and 7).

[0040] Furthermore, when the crossbar 14 trips due to a ground fault or the like, it moves upward to release the pressure on the movable contact 16. The link pin 13 moves to a position between the first point 121a and the second point 121b, and the handle 11 indicates that the switch is tripped. At this time, the connecting portion 233 moves in conjunction with the link pin 13 toward approximately directly below the position between the first point 121a and the second point 121b. This causes the first interlocking member 231 to face approximately in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the first interlocking member 231 and the second interlocking member 232 are interlocked with the connecting portion 233 and extend in different directions, forming a bent shape (see FIG. 6).

[0041] The handle 11 cannot be changed directly from the trip display state to the on display, but is configured to change from the trip display state to the off display state before changing to the on display state. More specifically, when the handle 11 is in the trip display state, the link pin 13 located between the first position 121a and the second position 121b can be moved to the vicinity of the first position 121a by operating the handle 11 to the on position, but when the operation of the handle 11 is stopped, the handle 11 is configured to return to the trip display state. In this example, the handle 11 is configured to return to the trip display state by utilizing the fact that the crossbar 14 does not move downward when the trip display state is displayed and the biasing force of the spring member 21 on the link pin 13.

[0042] On the other hand, when the handle 11 that has displayed a trip indication is changed to an ON indication via an OFF indication, the link pin 13 moves to the first position 121a, the crossbar 14 moves downward, and the position of the connecting part 233 moves downward to the first position 121a in conjunction with this movement. As a result, the ON indication can be achieved.

[0043] Note that, since both the regulating member 22 and the interlocking portion 23 are attached to the crossbar 14, they move in conjunction with the crossbar 14, but by shifting the positional relationship between the regulating member 22 and the interlocking portion 23, it is possible to prevent the two members from coming into contact with each other. In the examples shown in Figures 3, 7, and 8, the regulating member 22 is configured to avoid the movement range of the interlocking portion 23, thereby preventing them from coming into contact with each other.

[0044] Although the present invention has been described above by taking the embodiments as examples, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be embodied in various forms. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1 Circuit Breaker 11 Handle 12 frames 13 Link pin 14 Crossbar 15 Fixed contact 16 Movable contact 18 Shaft 21 Spring member 22 Regulatory member 23 Interlocking part 121 Insertion groove 121a First Passage 121b Second Passage 151 Fixed contacts 161 Movable contact

Claims

1. The handle and a frame supporting a handle; A link pin that can be linked with the handle, a crossbar that can be linked with the link pin; a movable contactor that is pressed down by the crossbar so that the movable contact is brought into pressure contact with the fixed contact of the fixed contactor; Equipped with The frame is provided with an insertion groove through which the link pin passes, When the handle is in the on position, the link pin is positioned so as to pass through a first portion located at one end of the insertion groove, When the handle is in the off position, the link pin is positioned so as to pass through a second portion located on the other end side of the insertion groove, When the handle is in the trip state, the link pin is positioned so as to pass between the first and second positions of the insertion groove, A circuit breaker comprising a spring member that can be biased to cause a link pin to pass through a first point when a fixed contact and a movable contact are in contact with each other.

2. 2. The circuit breaker according to claim 1, further comprising a restricting member that restricts the link pin from passing through the second portion when the fixed contact and the movable contact are in contact with each other.

3. a linking portion having one end engaged with the crossbar and the other end engaged with a shaft portion connecting the handle and the frame; The spring member is connected to the linkage portion and the link pin, 3. The circuit breaker according to claim 1, wherein the state of the spring member can be changed by changing the positional relationship between the crossbar and the frame.

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