Tripping devices and circuit breakers

Abstract

To obtain a tripping device which can be constructed by one unit.SOLUTION: A tripping device 1 is connected to an opening / closing mechanism part 50 that includes: a closing bar 11 that rotates by ON operation and inserts an opening / closing contact by operating an inserting mechanism; and a trip bar 10 that rotates by OFF operation and opens the opening / closing contact by operating an opening mechanism. The tripping device 1 includes: a detection mechanism that detects rotation of the closing bar 11 by ON operation; a one-shot circuit that outputs a one-shot pulse by detection of the detection mechanism; and a solenoid part that includes a tripping coil 55c that is conducted by the one-shot pulse, and projects a tripping shaft 56 when the tripping coil 55c is conducted to open the opening / closing contact by rotating the trip bar 10. The detection mechanism and the solenoid part are constructed by one unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a trip device for turning off a circuit breaker, and to the circuit breaker. [Background technology]

[0002] In an air circuit breaker that breaks current in the air, the main shaft is provided deep inside the circuit breaker because it is necessary to drive an insulated link that operates the movable contact of the switching contact. Meanwhile, the trip device that operates the circuit breaker's opening mechanism and turns off the switching contact is provided near the front of the air circuit breaker to drive a trip bar that is driven by an OFF operation button provided on the front of the air circuit breaker (for example, see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Furthermore, recent air circuit breakers are provided with a burnout prevention switch that operates in conjunction with the tripping mechanism of the tripping device to prevent the power supply voltage from being continuously applied to the tripping coil of the electromagnetic solenoid of the tripping device. Such burnout prevention switches are often made up of microswitches and are provided so as to be linked to the rotational operation of the main shaft of the circuit breaker. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 4-51747 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] As described above, when attempting to use a microswitch that operates in conjunction with the rotational movement of the main shaft as a switch to prevent damage to the trip coil, the main shaft and the trip coil are often positioned apart, which poses the problem of making it difficult to configure the burnout prevention switch mechanism and the electromagnetic solenoid mechanism including the trip coil into a single unit.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above, and has an object to provide a tripping device that can be configured as a single unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object, the trip device disclosed herein is connected to an opening / closing mechanism having a first shaft that rotates when turned on to operate a closing mechanism to close the opening / closing contacts, and a second shaft that rotates when turned off to operate an opening mechanism to open the opening / closing contacts. The trip device includes a detection mechanism that detects the rotation of the first shaft when turned on, a one-shot circuit that outputs a one-shot pulse when detected by the detection mechanism, and a solenoid unit that has a trip coil that is energized by the one-shot pulse and that, when the trip coil is energized, projects the trip shaft to rotate the second shaft and open the opening / closing contacts, and is characterized in that the detection mechanism and the solenoid unit are configured as a single unit. Effect of the Invention

[0008] The tripping device of the present disclosure has the advantage that the tripping device can be configured as a single unit. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a circuit breaker according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a main part showing an internal mechanism of a circuit breaker according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing a state before an ON operation is started in a switching mechanism of a circuit breaker according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing a state immediately after starting an ON operation in a switching mechanism of a circuit breaker according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing a state when an ON operation is completed in a switching mechanism unit of a circuit breaker according to a first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing a state immediately after starting an OFF operation in a switching mechanism of a circuit breaker according to a first embodiment. [Figure 7]FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing a state when an OFF operation is completed in a switching mechanism part of a circuit breaker according to a first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of a circuit breaker tripping device according to a first embodiment; [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an internal configuration of a circuit breaker tripping device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an internal configuration of a circuit breaker tripping device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a connection structure between a trip device and a switching mechanism of a circuit breaker according to a first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a connection structure between a trip device and a switching mechanism of a circuit breaker according to a first embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of a drive circuit for a circuit breaker tripping device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 14] A time chart for explaining the operation of each part of the drive circuit of the circuit breaker tripping device of the first embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a trip device of a circuit breaker and a lower part of the trip device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a trip device of a circuit breaker and a lower part of the trip device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a trip device of a circuit breaker and a lower part of the trip device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of a drive circuit of a tripping device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 19] A time chart for explaining the operation of each part of the drive circuit of the tripping device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 20] A time chart for explaining the operation of each part of the drive circuit of the tripping device according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A tripping device and a circuit breaker according to an embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0011] Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a circuit breaker 100 according to a first embodiment. The circuit breaker 100 shown in FIG. 1 is an air circuit breaker and is connected between a power supply device (not shown) and a load device (not shown). The load device is, for example, an electrical device that consumes power supplied from the power supply device. The circuit breaker 100 includes an electrical system member 40, a switching mechanism unit 50, a trip device 1, an ON button 7, and an OFF button 5. The electrical system member 40 opens and closes the main circuit, and includes a switching contact 22 consisting of a fixed contact 22a and a movable contact 22b, a current conductor 23, a power supply side connecting conductor 24, and a load side connecting conductor 25. The switching contact 22 opens and closes an electric path between the power supply device and the load device. The current conductor 23 is provided with a movable contact 22b. The power supply side connecting conductor 24 is provided with a fixed contact 22a. The power supply side connecting conductor 24 is connected to the power supply device. The load side connecting conductor 25 is connected to the current conductor 23 and the load device. The opening and closing mechanism unit 50 opens and closes the opening and closing contacts 22. The tripping device 1 trips the opening and closing mechanism unit 50. The ON button 7 is a button for performing an ON operation (closing operation) of the opening and closing mechanism unit 50. The OFF button 5 is a button for performing an OFF operation (opening operation) of the opening and closing mechanism unit 50.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part showing an internal mechanism of the circuit breaker 100 of the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the circuit breaker 100 has an ON button 7 for turning on the circuit breaker 100 and an OFF button 5 for turning off the circuit breaker 100, which are provided on the front side of the housing. An undervoltage trip device 4 is provided above the OFF button 5, and a closing coil 3 is provided above the ON button 7. A trip device 1 is provided to the right of the closing coil 3. A trip bar 10, which is the second shaft, a trip bar holding part 9 for holding the trip bar 10, a close bar 11, which is the first shaft, and a close bar holding plate 2, which is the first shaft holding plate for holding the close bar 11, are provided below the closing coil 3. An ON operation interlocking part 8 is provided below the closing coil 3. An OFF operation interlocking part 6 is provided below the undervoltage trip device 4.

[0013] An ON operation for closing the open / close contacts 22 of the circuit breaker 100 is performed by pressing the ON button 7 or by applying power to the closing coil 3. When either of these ON operations is performed, the ON operation interlocking part 8 rotates, which rotates the close bar 11 connected to the ON operation interlocking part 8, which triggers the operation of the closing mechanism of the opening / closing mechanism unit 50, thereby closing the circuit breaker 100. The close bar holding plate 2 holds the close bar 11 with a spring 57 so that the close bar 11 does not rotate until the ON operation is performed.

[0014] An OFF operation for opening the switching contacts 22 of the circuit breaker 100 and tripping the circuit breaker 100 is performed by pressing the OFF button 5, by applying power to the trip device 1 to operate it, or by stopping the application of power to the undervoltage trip device 4. When any of these OFF operations is performed, the OFF operation interlocking part 6 or the trip bar holding part 9 is operated, and the trip bar 10 held by the OFF operation interlocking part 6 and the trip bar holding part 9 is rotated, which triggers the operation of the opening mechanism of the switching mechanism unit 50, thereby tripping the circuit breaker 100.

[0015] The trip bar holding component 9 holds the trip bar 10 by the force of a spring 57 so that the trip bar 10 does not rotate until the OFF operation is performed. The trip device 1 and the undervoltage trip device 4 are used in different ways, but are the same in that they rotate the trip bar 10 when the OFF operation is performed.

[0016] FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view showing a state before the start of an ON operation in the switching mechanism unit 50 of the circuit breaker 100 of the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view showing a state immediately after the start of an ON operation in the switching mechanism unit 50 of the circuit breaker 100 of the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view showing a state when an ON operation is completed in the switching mechanism unit 50 of the circuit breaker 100 of the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view showing a state immediately after the start of an OFF operation in the switching mechanism unit 50 of the circuit breaker 100 of the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view showing a state when an OFF operation is completed in the switching mechanism unit 50 of the circuit breaker 100 of the first embodiment. The states of the components in the switching mechanism unit 50 shown in FIG. 3 and the state shown in FIG. 4 are basically the same, but the two figures are different in that FIG. 3 shows a connection state between the switching mechanism unit 50 and the trip device 1, and FIG. 4 shows the states of the trip bar 10 and the close bar 11. Also, arrows indicating the movement of each component are added to FIG. 4. In addition, the state of each component in the opening / closing mechanism 50 at the completion of the on operation shown in FIG. 5 and the state immediately after the start of the off operation shown in FIG. 6 are basically the same, but arrows indicating the movement of each component have been added to FIG. 6.

[0017] 3 to 7, the circuit breaker 100 has an insulating housing (not shown). In the housing, electric system members 40 are arranged on the right side in Fig. 3 to 7, and members of a switching mechanism unit 50 for performing the switching operation of the switching contacts 22 of the circuit breaker 100 are arranged on the left side in Fig. 3 to 7. The trip device 1 is provided on the upper side of the switching mechanism unit 50. The current conductor 23 has a first current conductor 23a provided with a movable contact 22b and a second current conductor 23b connected to the load side connecting conductor 25.

[0018] The details of the opening / closing mechanism 50 will be described below with reference to Figs. 3 to 7. The circuit breaker 100 has a pair of frames 16 that face each other at a distance. The frames 16 are fixed to the housing. The opening / closing mechanism 50 is disposed so as to be sandwiched between the pair of frames 16. The camshaft 14 is rotatably supported by the pair of frames 16. In addition, various shafts described later are also disposed between the pair of frames 16 so as to be parallel to the camshaft 14. A charging cam 15 and a ratchet (not shown) are fixed to the camshaft 14. The charging cam 15 rotates as the ratchet is driven to rotate. The outer periphery of the charging cam 15 is a circumferential cam surface 15b. The charging cam 15 is provided with a cam side roller 15a.

[0019] A charge arm 17 that rotates around a fixed shaft 17a is disposed above the charge cam 15. A first close latch 28 is also journaled on the fixed shaft 17a. An arm side roller 17b is provided at the left end of the charge arm 17. The arm side roller 17b abuts against a circumferential cam surface 15b of the charge cam 15. The arm side roller 17b moves along the circumferential cam surface 15b as the charge cam 15 rotates. This causes the charge arm 17 and the arm side roller 17b to rotate around the fixed shaft 17a. An operating surface 17c is formed on the upper surface of the middle portion of the charge arm 17. A spring hook pin 17d is provided at the right end of the charge arm 17.

[0020] A guide plate 18a that holds the closing spring 18 is fixed to the housing to the right of the charging cam 15. The guide plate 18a extends upward and has an elongated hole 18b. A spring hook pin 17d passes through the elongated hole 18b so as to be able to move along the elongated hole 18b, and the spring hook pin 17d moves downward along the elongated hole 18b to store energy in the closing spring 18.

[0021] The opening / closing mechanism 50 includes a first close latch 28 whose base end is supported by a fixed shaft 17a, a second close latch 12 supported by a rotating shaft 12a, and a close bar 11, a portion of which is formed into a semi-cylindrical shape (D-cut shape). A trip latch 26 is also supported by the rotating shaft 12a.

[0022] The tip of the first close latch 28 abuts against the cam side roller 15a. That is, the tip of the first close latch 28 has an end face 28b and a lower face 28a, and the cam side roller 15a rolls along the end face 28b and the lower face 28a. A latch side roller 13 is provided midway between the base end and the tip of the first close latch 28. The latch side roller 13 abuts against the lower end of the second close latch 12.

[0023] The second close latch 12 rotates around a rotating shaft 12a. The lower end of the second close latch 12 has a side protrusion 12b and a stepped engagement portion 12c formed below the side protrusion. The engagement portion 12c engages with the latch side roller 13. The upper end of the second close latch 12 engages with the close bar 11, a portion of which has a D-cut shape. The second close latch 12 receives a force in the counterclockwise direction from a return spring (not shown). The close bar 11 is turned on (rotates clockwise) by pressing the ON button 7 or applying power to the closing coil 3.

[0024] The opening / closing mechanism 50 has a main shaft 20, a link arm 20b fixed to the main shaft 20, and an insulating link arm (not shown) fixed to the main shaft 20. The main shaft 20 is rotatably supported by the frame 16. The link arm 20b and the insulating link arm are coaxially supported by the main shaft 20, and the insulating link arm performs the same rotational movement as the link arm 20b. The insulating link arm is connected to one end of the current-carrying mechanism 21 by a pin (not shown). The other end of the current-carrying mechanism 21 is connected to a first current-carrying conductor 23a on which a movable contact 22b is provided.

[0025] The opening / closing mechanism 50 includes a closing toggle link mechanism 29, a link lever 30 journaled on a fixed shaft 30a, a trip latch journaled on a rotating shaft 12a, and a trip bar 10 engaging with one end of the trip latch 26.

[0026] The closing toggle link mechanism 29 includes a first link 29a, a second link 29b, pins 29c and 29d, and a link side roller 29e. The base end of the first link 29a and the base end of the second link 29b are connected by the pin 29d, and the tip of the second link 29b is connected to the link arm 20b by the pin 29c. A rotatably supported link side roller 29e is provided around the pin 29d. When the closing toggle link mechanism 29 is in a bent state as shown in Figures 3, 4, and 7, the link side roller 29e is in a positional relationship in which it abuts against the operating surface 17c of the charge arm 17.

[0027] A link lever 30 rotatably supported by a fixed shaft 30a is provided above the closing toggle link mechanism 29. One end of the link lever 30 is connected to a tip of a first link 29a of the closing toggle link mechanism 29 by a pin 30b. A lever-side roller 30c is rotatably provided in the middle of the link lever 30. A trip latch 26 rotatably supported by the rotation shaft 12a is provided to the left of the lever-side roller 30c.

[0028] The trip latch 26 has a recess 26a on its side that engages with the lever-side roller 30c. The upper end of the trip latch 26 engages with the trip bar 10, part of which is formed into a semi-cylindrical shape (D-cut shape). A clockwise rotation force is applied to the trip latch 26 by a return spring (not shown). The trip bar 10 is tripped (rotated counterclockwise) by pressing the OFF button 5, applying power to the trip device 1, or stopping the application of power to the undervoltage trip device 4.

[0029] Next, the charging operation of the closing spring 18 will be described. In the trip state of FIG. 7 in which the closing spring 18 is stretched and released, a handle (not shown) is manually pushed down to rotate a ratchet (not shown) in the counterclockwise direction, thereby rotating the camshaft 14 in the counterclockwise direction. This causes the charge cam 15 fixed to the camshaft 14 to rotate in the counterclockwise direction, and the arm-side roller 17b located on the left side of the charge arm 17 rolls along the circumferential cam surface 15b, and the arm-side roller 17b moves leftward. As a result, the charge arm 17 rotates clockwise around the fixed shaft 17a, the spring hook pin 17d moves downward, and the closing spring 18 begins to charge.

[0030] On the other hand, since the second close latch 12 receives a counterclockwise force from a return spring (not shown), the side projection 12b at the lower end of the second close latch 12 pushes the latch side roller 13 to the right, as shown in Fig. 7, and tries to rotate the first close latch 28 clockwise around the fixed shaft 17a. However, since the lower surface 28a of the first close latch 28 and the cam side roller 15a are in contact with each other as shown in Fig. 7, the cam side roller 15a acts as a stopper and holds the first close latch 28 in a state where it cannot rotate clockwise.

[0031] When the charging operation of the closing spring 18 continues and the charging cam 15 further rotates counterclockwise, as shown in Fig. 3, the cam side roller 15a leaves the lower surface 28a of the first close latch 28, and the cam side roller 15a comes into contact with the end surface 28b of the first close latch 28, and the stopper of the cam side roller 15a on the first close latch 28 is released. As a result, the first close latch 28 rotates clockwise, and the latch side roller 13 also rotates clockwise, and the latch side roller 13 comes off the side protrusion 12b at the lower end of the second close latch 12, freeing the lower end of the second close latch 12. The state in which the latch side roller 13 comes off the side protrusion 12b of the second close latch 12 refers to an intermediate state from the state shown in Fig. 7 to the state shown in Fig. 3.

[0032] As a result, the second close latch 12 rotates counterclockwise by a return spring (not shown). As shown in Fig. 4, when the upper end of the second close latch 12 passes over the close bar 11 and moves to the left of the close bar 11, the latch side roller 13 of the first close latch 28 engages with the engagement portion 12c at the lower end of the second close latch 12, stopping the movement of the second close latch 12.

[0033] At this time, the close bar 11 is in the state shown in Fig. 4 at the upper end of the second close latch 12, locking the second close latch 12. In this way, the close bar 11 functions as a stopper against a clockwise rotational force acting on the second close latch 12.

[0034] As the charging operation of the closing spring 18 continues, the clockwise rotation of the charge arm 17 causes the operating surface 17c of the charge arm 17 to move downward, and the operating surface 17c of the charge arm 17 tries to move away from the link side roller 29e of the closing toggle link mechanism 29. The bending force of the closing toggle link mechanism 29 causes the link side roller 29e to follow the downward movement of the operating surface 17c, pulling down the first link 29a of the closing toggle link mechanism 29. As a result, the pin 30b connected to the tip of the first link 29a moves downward, causing the link lever 30 to rotate counterclockwise around the fixed shaft 30a, and the lever side roller 30c also rotates counterclockwise around the fixed shaft 30a.

[0035] As described above, the trip latch 26 is given a clockwise rotational force by the return spring (not shown), and as a result, the trip latch 26 rotates clockwise around the rotation axis 12a by the return spring. As shown in Fig. 4, when the trip latch 26 passes over the trip bar 10 and moves to the right, the lever-side roller 30c engages with the recess 26a of the trip latch 26, and the trip bar 10 rotates clockwise by the return spring (not shown). This rotation causes the trip bar 10 to function as a stopper for the trip latch 26, and prevents the trip latch 26 from rotating even if a counterclockwise rotational force acts on the trip latch 26.

[0036] The closing toggle link mechanism 29 does not bend beyond a certain bent state, and so stops in the state shown in Fig. 3. The charging cam 15 rotates approximately one revolution by pressing down the handle several times, and finally reaches the state shown in Fig. 3, that is, a state where the arm-side roller 17b of the charging arm 17 is in a position just short of the maximum radius of the charging cam 15, and stops there. In this final state, the cam-side roller 15a is again in contact with the end face 28b of the first closing latch 28.

[0037] After that, even if the handle is further pressed down, the ratchet simply rotates freely, and the charging cam 15 does not rotate. In this manner, the charging of the closing spring 18 is completed.

[0038] 6 or 7, the release force of the closing spring 18 pushes the spring hook pin 17d upward, exerting a counterclockwise force on the charge arm 17. This counterclockwise force is transmitted to the charge cam 15 via the arm-side roller 17b. Therefore, the cam-side roller 15a pushes the end face 28b of the first close latch 28 counterclockwise, and as a result, the latch-side roller 13 of the first close latch 28 pushes the engagement portion 12c of the second close latch 12 leftward, attempting to rotate the second close latch 12 clockwise around the rotation shaft 12a, but since the close bar 11 at the upper end of the second close latch 12 acts as a stopper, the clockwise rotation of the second close latch 12 is prevented.

[0039] Next, the closing and opening operations of the open / close contacts 22 in the open / close mechanism unit 50 will be described. First, the closing operation of the open / close contacts 22 will be described with reference to Figs. 4 and 5. In the following description, the components involved in the closing operation of the open / close contacts 22 correspond to the closing mechanism of the open / close mechanism unit 50. As described above, when the ON button 7 is pressed or when the ON operation is performed to apply power to the closing coil 3, the close bar 11 rotates clockwise as shown by the arrow s1 in Fig. 4. This disengages the close bar 11 from the second close latch 12, and the second close latch 12 rotates clockwise around the rotating shaft 12a. This disengages the engagement portion 12c of the second close latch 12 from the latch side roller 13, and the latch side roller 13 moves upward as shown by the arrow s2. Therefore, the first close latch 28 rotates counterclockwise around the fixed shaft 17a. Furthermore, due to the counterclockwise rotation of the first closing latch 28, the end face 28b of the first closing latch 28 and the cam side roller 15a of the charging cam 15 are disengaged, and the cam side roller 15a moves in the direction indicated by arrow s3. This causes the charging cam 15 to rotate counterclockwise around the camshaft 14 as indicated by arrow s4. As a result, the arm side roller 17b drops into the step portion of the circumferential cam surface 15b of the charging cam 15 as indicated by arrow s5, allowing the charge arm 17 to rotate freely. This causes the charge arm 17 to rotate counterclockwise around the fixed shaft 17a.

[0040] Furthermore, the rotation of the charge arm 17 moves the spring hook pin 17d of the charge arm 17 as shown by the arrow s6, which releases and extends the energized closing spring 18 as shown in Fig. 5. The rotation of the charge arm 17 causes the operating surface 17c of the charge arm 17 to push up the link side roller 29e of the closing toggle link mechanism 29 as shown by the arrow s7. As a result, the closing toggle link mechanism 29 is in an extended state in which the first link 29a and the second link 29b are not bent as shown in Fig. 5, and the pin 29c provided at the tip of the second link 29b moves to the right. This causes the link arm 20b provided on the main shaft 20 to rotate counterclockwise as shown by the arrow s8. As a result, the insulating link arm provided on the main shaft 20 rotates counterclockwise, and the current-carrying mechanism 21 connected to the insulating link arm rotates in a direction in which the movable contact 22b of the first current-carrying conductor 23a is joined to the fixed contact 22a. Therefore, the power-source side connecting conductor 24 and the load side connecting conductor 25 are electrically connected via the first current-carrying conductor 23a and the second current-carrying conductor 23b, and the circuit breaker 100 is brought into a closed state.

[0041] Next, the opening operation of the switching contact 22 will be described with reference to Figs. 6 and 7. In the following description, the components involved in the opening operation of the switching contact 22 correspond to the opening mechanism of the switching mechanism unit 50. As described above, when the OFF button 5 is pressed, power is applied to the trip device 1, or power application to the undervoltage trip device 4 is stopped, the trip bar 10 rotates counterclockwise as indicated by the arrow c1. This disengages the trip bar 10 from the trip latch 26, and the trip latch 26 rotates counterclockwise around the rotating shaft 12a as indicated by the arrow c2. This disengages the recess 26a of the trip latch 26 from the lever-side roller 30c, and the lever-side roller 30c moves to the upper right as indicated by the arrow c3. This causes the link lever 30 to rotate counterclockwise around the fixed shaft 30a. By the rotation of the link lever 30, the pin 30b connected to the tip of the first link 29a moves to the upper left, and the pin 29d moves to the lower left as shown by the arrow c4, so that the first link 29a and the second link 29b of the closing toggle link mechanism 29 are bent as shown in FIG. 7. This bending causes the pin 29c provided at the tip of the second link 29b to move to the left. This causes the link arm 20b provided on the main shaft 20 to rotate clockwise as shown by the arrow c5. As a result, the insulating link arm (not shown) provided on the main shaft 20 rotates clockwise, and the current-carrying mechanism 21 connected to the insulating link arm operates in a direction in which the movable contact 22b of the first current-carrying conductor 23a is separated from the fixed contact 22a. Therefore, the electrical connection between the power supply side connecting conductor 24 and the load side connecting conductor 25 is lost, and the circuit breaker 100 is in a tripped state.

[0042] When the circuit breaker 100 is closed in the state after the OFF operation shown in FIG. 7 is completed, the closing spring 18 is charged by manually pushing down the handle (not shown). When the charging operation is performed, as described above, the ratchet (not shown) is rotated counterclockwise, and the camshaft 14 is rotated counterclockwise. This causes the charge cam 15 to rotate counterclockwise, and the arm side roller 17b is pushed down to the lower left. As a result, the charge arm 17 rotates clockwise, and the closing spring 18 is compressed and charged. When the charge arm 17 rotates to a position where the charging of the closing spring 18 is completed, the latch side roller 13 of the first close latch 28 moves to a position where it engages with the engagement portion 12c of the second close latch 12. The second close latch 12 is rotated counterclockwise by a return spring (not shown) to return to the state shown in FIG. 4.

[0043] Before the circuit breaker 100 is turned on, the close bar 11 is engaged with the second close latch 12, and when the circuit breaker 100 is turned on, the close bar 11 always rotates clockwise to disengage from the second close latch 12. In the first embodiment, the movement of the close bar 11 during the on operation is utilized to operate components of the trip device 1 to trip the circuit breaker 100.

[0044] FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the trip device 1 of the circuit breaker 100 of the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the trip device 1 of the circuit breaker 100 of the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IX-IX shown in FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX shown in FIG. 8. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the connection structure between the trip device 1 of the circuit breaker 100 of the first embodiment and the switching mechanism unit 50. FIG. 11 shows a state before a tripping operation is performed. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing the connection structure between the trip device 1 of the circuit breaker 100 of the first embodiment and the switching mechanism unit 50. FIG. 12 shows a state after a tripping operation is performed.

[0045] The trip device 1 includes a close bar interlocking actuator 54, which is a component of the detection mechanism, a switch changeover plate 52, which is a component of the detection mechanism, a holding spring 53, which is a component of the detection mechanism, an ON operation detection switch 51, which is a component of the detection mechanism, an electromagnetic solenoid 55, which is a component of the solenoid section, and a trip shaft 56, which is a component of the solenoid section. The close bar interlocking actuator 54 as an interlocking actuator includes a first link 54a and a second link 54b. The electromagnetic solenoid 55 includes a movable iron core 55a, a fixed iron core 55b, a trip coil 55c, and a trip shaft 56. The trip shaft 56 is fixed to the movable iron core 55a of the electromagnetic solenoid 55 and functions as a plunger. When the tripping coil 55c is energized to generate a magnetic field, the fixed core 55b performs an attraction operation to attract the movable core 55a, causing the tripping shaft 56 to protrude downward from the electromagnetic solenoid 55.

[0046] The configuration of the connection part between the opening / closing mechanism 50 and the tripping device 1 will be described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. Note that in Figure 12, the components other than the electromagnetic solenoid 55 of the tripping device 1 are shown in a state after a tripping operation has been performed, but with regard to the electromagnetic solenoid 55, only the downward movement of the tripping shaft 56 is shown by arrow f4, and the movement of the components other than the electromagnetic solenoid 55 toward the tripping operation is omitted for the sake of convenience.

[0047] The close bar holding plate 2 holds the close bar 11, and rotates around the close bar 11 when the close bar 11 rotates. The trip bar holding component 9 holds the trip bar 10, and when the trip bar holding component 9 rotates, the trip bar 10 rotates. As described above, the close bar holding plate 2 holds the close bar 11 with the spring 57 so that the close bar 11 does not rotate until an ON operation is performed. The trip bar holding component 9 also holds the trip bar 10 with the force of the spring 57 so that the trip bar 10 does not rotate until an OFF operation is performed. The close bar holding plate 2 is provided with a connection bar 2a at a connection site with the close bar interlocking actuator 54.

[0048] Next, the internal configuration of the tripping device 1 will be further described with reference to Figs. 9 to 12. The first link 54a of the close bar interlocking actuator 54 engages with the switch plate 52, and the rotation of the first link 54a causes the switch plate 52 to slide up and down. The switch plate 52 slides up and down by the rotation of the first link 54a of the close bar interlocking actuator 54. When the first link 54a and the second link 54b of the close bar interlocking actuator 54 are in the initial state, the holding spring 53 is biased so as to push the switch plate 52 upward. When the switch plate 52 is positioned upward by the holding spring 53, it is OFF, and when it slides downward, it is switched from OFF to ON. The tripping coil 55c of the electromagnetic solenoid 55 is energized for a short time by a one-shot circuit 60 described later to generate an electromagnetic force. The tripping shaft 56 protrudes downward by an electromagnetic force generated by a current flowing through the tripping coil 55c, and drives the trip bar holding part 9.

[0049] The operation of the opening / closing mechanism 50 and the connecting portion of the tripping device 1 will be described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. When the close bar 11 rotates clockwise by the above-mentioned ON operation, the close bar 11 and the second close latch 12 are disengaged as described in Figure 5, and the closing mechanism of the opening / closing mechanism 50 becomes operable. As a result, the opening / closing contact 22 is closed by the operation of the second close latch 12, the latch side roller 13, the first close latch 28, the charge cam 15, the charge arm 17, the spring hook pin 17d, the closing spring 18, the closing toggle link mechanism 29, the link arm 20b, the main shaft 20, the insulating link arm, and the current-carrying mechanism 21 included in the closing mechanism of the opening / closing mechanism 50, and the circuit breaker 100 is closed.

[0050] When the close bar 11 rotates clockwise, the close bar holding plate 2 rotates clockwise as indicated by the arrow f1. This causes the connecting bar 2a to move rightward, the second link 54b of the close bar interlocking actuator 54 of the tripping device 1 to rotate counterclockwise as indicated by the arrow f2, and the first link 54a of the close bar interlocking actuator 54 to rotate counterclockwise. The rotation of the first link 54a causes the switch plate 52 to move downward as indicated by the arrow f3. The downward movement of the switch plate 52 causes the ON operation detection switch 51 to switch from OFF to ON. When the one-shot circuit 60, which will be described later, detects this switching, the one-shot circuit 60 and the coil current-carrying circuit 62, which will be described later, cause the tripping coil 55c of the electromagnetic solenoid 55 to be energized for a short time to generate an electromagnetic force. As a result, the trip shaft 56 protrudes downward as shown by the arrow f4, and the trip bar holding part 9 rotates counterclockwise as shown by the arrow f5. This causes the trip bar 10 to rotate counterclockwise, and the opening mechanism of the opening / closing mechanism unit 50 described above operates, tripping the circuit breaker 100.

[0051] In this way, when the on operation is performed, the closing mechanism of the opening / closing mechanism unit 50 operates and the circuit breaker 100 enters the closed state, and then the trip device 1 operates to protrude the trip shaft 56 downward, thereby operating the opening mechanism of the opening / closing mechanism unit 50 and tripping the circuit breaker 100.

[0052] Fig. 13 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of a drive circuit of the trip device 1 of the circuit breaker 100 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 14 is a time chart for explaining the operation of each part of the drive circuit of the trip device 1 of the circuit breaker 100 according to the first embodiment. The drive circuit has a power supply terminal 58, a rectifier circuit 61, a voltage detection circuit 59, a one-shot circuit 60, an on-operation detection switch 51, and a coil current-carrying circuit 62.

[0053] The rectifier circuit 61 rectifies the AC voltage input via the power supply terminal 58. The voltage detection circuit 59 detects the power supply voltage rectified by the rectifier circuit 61, and when the detected power supply voltage exceeds an operation threshold voltage at which the tripping coil 55c can perform an attraction operation, outputs a drive signal to operate the one-shot circuit 60. The operation threshold voltage at which the attraction operation can be performed is a voltage at which the fixed core 55b of the electromagnetic solenoid 55 can attract the movable core 55a.

[0054] The one-shot circuit 60 is connected to the voltage detection circuit 59 and the on-operation detection switch 51. When a drive signal is input from the voltage detection circuit 59, the one-shot circuit 60 outputs a one-shot pulse signal that turns on the coil current-carrying circuit 62 for a short time. In addition, when the on-operation detection switch 51 is turned on, the one-shot circuit 60 outputs a one-shot pulse signal that turns on the coil current-carrying circuit 62 for a short time.

[0055] The coil current-carrying circuit 62 is in a conductive state only during the period in which the one-shot pulse signal is being input, and current is passed through the trip coil 55c of the electromagnetic solenoid 55. As a result, as described above, the movable iron core 55a of the electromagnetic solenoid 55 is attracted to the fixed iron core 55b, and the trip shaft 56 protrudes downward. When the trip shaft 56 protrudes downward, as described above, the trip bar 10 rotates counterclockwise, and the opening mechanism of the opening / closing mechanism unit 50 described above is operated, and the circuit breaker 100 is tripped.

[0056] The tripping coil 55c is energized by the one-shot circuit 60 for only a short period corresponding to the on-period of the one-shot pulse signal, thereby suppressing heat generation and preventing burnout. Like a general voltage detection circuit, the voltage detection circuit 59 has a detection delay time so that it outputs a drive signal, which is a detection signal, when the power supply voltage becomes higher than the operation threshold voltage for a period of several ms or more, so as to prevent malfunction due to a short-term noise voltage such as surge noise.

[0057] In Fig. 14, at time t1, the voltage detection circuit 59 detects that the power supply voltage exceeds the operation threshold voltage at which the trip coil 55c can be attracted, and outputs a drive signal. As a result, the one-shot circuit 60 and the coil current circuit 62 operate at time t1, and a coil current flows through the trip coil 55c for a short time. Also, at time t2, the on-operation detection switch 51 detects the clockwise rotation of the closed bar 11 that has been turned on. As a result, at time t2, the one-shot circuit 60 and the coil current circuit 62 operate, and a coil current flows through the trip coil 55c for a short time.

[0058] In this way, when the power supply voltage at the power supply terminal 58 exceeds the operating threshold voltage at which the trip coil 55c can perform the attraction operation, and when the trip device 1 is turned on and the close bar 11 rotates clockwise, the trip device 1 protrudes the trip shaft 56 downward for a short period of time and rotates the trip bar holding part 9 counterclockwise, thereby tripping the circuit breaker 100.

[0059] As a result, even if the circuit breaker 100 is turned on from off with power being applied for a period of time longer than the time required for the one-shot circuit 60 to complete its operation, the tripping coil 55c is only energized for a short period of time corresponding to the on-period of the one-shot pulse signal, so that the short period of energization of the tripping coil 55c can trip the circuit breaker 100. This makes it possible to reliably prevent burning of the tripping coil 55c.

[0060] 2, the electromagnetic solenoid 55 of the trip device 1 is arranged next to the closing coil 3. For this reason, the close bar 11 operated by the closing coil 3 is often arranged near the electromagnetic solenoid 55. According to the trip device 1 of the first embodiment, a detection mechanism is provided that detects an ON operation based on the rotation of the close bar 11, and the electromagnetic solenoid 55 is driven by the detection mechanism. For this reason, the detection mechanism can be made small and simple in structure, so that the trip device 1 having the detection mechanism and the electromagnetic solenoid 55 can be configured as a single unit.

[0061] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, it is possible to prevent burning of the tripping coil 55c because the one-shot circuit 60 causes current to flow through the tripping coil 55c for a short time. Also, when the circuit breaker 100 is switched from off to on, it is possible to reliably prevent burning of the tripping coil 55c because the one-shot circuit 60 causes current to flow through the tripping coil 55c for a short time.

[0062] Embodiment 2 In the second embodiment, the tripping device 1 is attached to the mounting position of the undervoltage tripping device 4 in FIG. 2. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the tripping device 1 and the lower part of the tripping device 1 of the circuit breaker 200 of the second embodiment. The cutting direction of FIG. 15 is the same as that of FIG. 9. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the tripping device 1 and the lower part of the tripping device 1 of the circuit breaker 200 of the second embodiment. FIG. 16 is the same cutting direction as that of FIG. 10, and shows the state before the close bar 11 is rotated. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the tripping device 1 and the lower part of the tripping device 1 of the circuit breaker 200 of the second embodiment. FIG. 17 is the same cutting direction as that of FIG. 10, and shows the state after the close bar 11 is rotated. Note that FIGS. 16 and 17 show the circuit breaker 200 as seen from the left in the state of FIG. 2, which is opposite to the view direction of the circuit breaker 100 in FIGS. 11 and 12.

[0063] As described above, the ON operation of the circuit breaker 200 is triggered by pressing the ON button 7 or by applying power to the closing coil 3 to protrude the closing coil shaft (not shown) and rotate the ON operation interlocking part 8, thereby rotating the close bar 11 interlocked with the ON operation interlocking part 8. Therefore, in order to rotate and operate the close bar 11, the ON operation interlocking part 8 must also rotate. Therefore, in the second embodiment, in response to the rotation of the ON operation interlocking part 8, the components of the trip device 1 and the circuits of the drive circuit shown in FIG. 13 are operated in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and substantially the same operation as in the first embodiment is performed.

[0064] The on-operation interlocking part 8 is provided with a connecting bar 8a at a connecting portion with the close bar interlocking actuator 54. When the on-operation is performed by pressing the ON button 7 or applying power to the closing coil 3, the on-operation interlocking part 8 rotates from the state shown in FIG. 16 to the state shown in FIG. 17. As a result, the connecting bar 8a drives the close bar interlocking actuator 54 to move the switch changeover plate 52 downward and switch the on-operation detection switch 51 to ON. This switching is detected by the one-shot circuit 60, which turns on the coil current supply circuit 62 and energizes the trip coil 55c of the electromagnetic solenoid 55 for a short time. As a result, the trip shaft 56 protrudes downward and rotates the trip bar holding part 9 in the clockwise direction in FIG. 17. As a result, the trip bar 10 rotates, and the opening mechanism of the opening / closing mechanism unit 50 described above operates to trip the circuit breaker 200.

[0065] The same as in embodiment 1, when the power supply voltage at the power supply terminal 58 exceeds the operating threshold voltage at which the attraction operation of the trip coil 55c is possible, the one-shot circuit 60 is operated by a drive signal from the voltage detection circuit 59, and in the same manner, the trip shaft 56 protrudes downward, rotating the trip bar holding part 9 and the trip bar 10, and tripping the circuit breaker 200.

[0066] Thus, according to the second embodiment, even when the tripping device 1 is mounted at the mounting position of the undervoltage tripping device 4 in FIG. 2, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.

[0067] Embodiment 3 Fig. 18 is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration of the drive circuit of the tripping device 1 of the third embodiment. Fig. 19 is a time chart for explaining the operation of each part of the drive circuit of the tripping device 1 of the third embodiment. Fig. 19 shows a case where power application is started at a voltage lower than the operation threshold voltage. Fig. 20 is a time chart for explaining the operation of each part of the drive circuit of the tripping device 1 of the third embodiment. Fig. 20 shows a case where power application is started at a voltage higher than the operation threshold voltage.

[0068] As described in the first embodiment, even if a voltage exceeding the operation threshold voltage is input, the voltage detection circuit 59 does not immediately output a drive signal as a detection signal, but has a detection delay time of about several ms. Therefore, the operation time from when the power supply voltage is applied to the trip device 1 to when the OFF operation of the circuit breaker 100 is completed is extended by the detection delay time.

[0069] Therefore, in the third embodiment, the delay in operation time is improved by adding a startup coil current-carrying circuit 63. When the power supply voltage is applied and the drive circuit becomes operable, the startup coil current-carrying circuit 63 immediately outputs an operation signal to the one-shot circuit 60 regardless of the operation threshold voltage.

[0070] The operation will be described with reference to the time chart of Fig. 19. As shown in Fig. 19, even if power application is started at a voltage lower than the operation threshold voltage, when the drive circuit becomes operable, the startup coil energization circuit 63 outputs an operation signal to the one-shot circuit 60 without waiting for voltage detection by the voltage detection circuit 59. In response to this operation signal, the one-shot circuit 60 outputs a one-shot pulse signal to the coil energization circuit 62, and energizes the trip coil 55c for a short period of time. This causes the electromagnetic solenoid 55 to operate, causing the trip shaft 56 to protrude downward and rotate the trip bar holding component 9 and the trip bar 10, tripping the circuit breaker.

[0071] After that, when the power supply voltage exceeds the operation threshold voltage, the voltage detection circuit 59 detects this and activates the one-shot circuit 60. This activates the coil current-carrying circuit 62, which energizes the trip coil 55c for a short period of time. As a result, the electromagnetic solenoid 55 operates, causing the trip shaft 56 to protrude downward and rotate the trip bar holding part 9 and the trip bar 10, tripping the circuit breaker to the off position.

[0072] In this way, even if voltage application is started with a power supply voltage lower than the operation threshold voltage, if the power supply voltage becomes higher than the operation threshold voltage, the one-shot circuit 60 is operated again, thereby reliably performing the attraction operation of the electromagnetic solenoid 55. Note that although the startup coil energization circuit 63 may also malfunction due to a short-term noise voltage such as surge noise, the startup coil energization circuit 63 outputs an operation signal only when power is applied, and is configured as a circuit that is locked so that the operation signal is not output thereafter, thereby preventing malfunction.

[0073] 20, when power supply is started at a voltage higher than the operation threshold voltage, when the drive circuit becomes operable, the startup coil energization circuit 63 outputs an operation signal to the one-shot circuit 60, and the voltage detection circuit 59 outputs a drive signal, which is a detection signal, to the one-shot circuit 60 after a detection delay time. Therefore, even when power supply is started at a voltage higher than the operation threshold voltage, the attraction operation of the electromagnetic solenoid 55 can be performed without waiting for the detection delay time, and the time until the circuit breaker is turned off can be shortened.

[0074] Thus, according to the third embodiment, a startup coil energization circuit 63 is provided which immediately outputs an operation signal to the one-shot circuit 60 regardless of the operation threshold voltage when the drive circuit is in an operable state. This allows the attraction operation of the electromagnetic solenoid 55 to be performed without waiting for the detection delay time, thereby shortening the time until the circuit breaker trips.

[0075] The configurations shown in the above embodiments are examples of the contents of the present disclosure, and may be combined with other known technologies, and parts of the configurations may be omitted or modified without departing from the gist of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 1 tripping device, 2 close bar retaining plate, 2a, 8a connecting bar, 3 closing coil, 4 undervoltage tripping device, 5 OFF button, 6 OFF operation interlocking part, 7 ON button, 8 ON operation interlocking part, 9 trip bar retaining part, 10 trip bar, 11 close bar, 12 second close latch, 12a rotating shaft, 12b side protrusion, 12c engagement part, 13 latch side roller, 14 camshaft, 15 charge cam, 15a cam side roller, 15b circumferential cam surface, 16 frame, 17 charge arm, 17a, 30a fixed shaft, 17b arm side roller, 17c operating surface, 17d spring hook pin, 18 closing spring, 18a guide plate, 18b long hole, 20 main shaft, 20b link arm, 21 current-carrying mechanism, 22 open / close contact, 22a Fixed contact, 22b movable contact, 23 current-carrying conductor, 23a first current-carrying conductor, 23b second current-carrying conductor, 24 power supply side connecting conductor, 25 load side connecting conductor, 26 trip latch, 26a recess, 28 first close latch, 28a bottom surface, 28b end surface, 29 closing toggle link mechanism, 29a, 54a first link, 29b, 54b second link, 29c, 29d, 30b pin, 29e link side roller, 30 link lever, 30c lever side roller, 40 electrical system member, 50 opening / closing mechanism, 51 on-operation detection switch, 52 switch changeover plate, 53 retention spring, 54 close bar interlocking actuator, 55 electromagnetic solenoid, 55a movable core, 55b fixed core, 55c tripping coil, 56 tripping shaft, 57 spring, 58 Power supply terminal, 59 voltage detection circuit, 60 one-shot circuit, 61 rectifier circuit, 62 coil energization circuit, 63 startup coil energization circuit, 100,200 circuit breaker.

Claims

1. A tripping device connected to a switching mechanism having a first shaft which rotates in response to an ON operation to operate a closing mechanism to close a switching contact, and a second shaft which rotates in response to an OFF operation to operate an opening mechanism to open the switching contact, a detection mechanism for detecting rotation of the first shaft by the ON operation; a one-shot circuit that outputs a one-shot pulse in response to detection by the detection mechanism; a solenoid unit having a tripping coil energized by the one-shot pulse, the solenoid unit projecting a tripping shaft and rotating the second shaft when the tripping coil is energized to open the on-off contacts; wherein the detection mechanism and the solenoid portion are configured as a single unit.

2. The detection mechanism includes: an actuator that is linked to the rotation of the first shaft; a switch plate for converting the operation of the interlocking actuator into a slide operation; a switch that is turned on by a sliding movement of the switch changeover plate; Equipped with 2. The tripping device according to claim 1, wherein the one-shot circuit outputs the one-shot pulse when the switch is turned on.

3. The tripping device according to claim 1, further comprising a voltage detection circuit which operates the one-shot circuit to output the one-shot pulse when it detects that the power supply voltage has become greater than the operating threshold voltage of the tripping coil of the solenoid section.

4. 4. The tripping device according to claim 3, further comprising a startup coil energization circuit which, when the power supply voltage is applied, immediately activates the one-shot circuit and causes the one-shot circuit to output the one-shot pulse before the voltage detection circuit activates the one-shot circuit.

5. A tripping device according to any one of claims 1 to 4; The first axis; The second axis; The switching contact; an opening / closing mechanism unit having the closing mechanism and the opening mechanism; A circuit breaker comprising:

6. The first shaft is held by a first shaft holding plate, 6. The circuit breaker according to claim 5, wherein the detection mechanism is coupled to the first shaft holding plate and detects rotation of the first shaft.

7. Further, the switch further includes an on-operation interlocking part that rotates when the switch is turned on. The circuit breaker according to claim 5 , wherein the detection mechanism is connected to the on-operation interlocking component to detect rotation of the first shaft.

Images