Self-locking button mechanism for low-voltage switch

Abstract

Disclosed in the present application is a self-locking button mechanism for a low-voltage switch. The self-locking button mechanism for a low-voltage switch in the present application comprises a housing, a base, a button, a shifting fork, a sliding block, and a spatial cam, which is movably connected to the base and is located below the sliding block, wherein a limiting protrusion and a plurality of cam grooves are provided on the spatial cam, and ends of driving rods can extend into the cam grooves; and under the driving action of the button, the shifting fork drives the sliding block to move, and the horizontal movement of limiting grooves and the vertical motion of the cam grooves form a predetermined driving angle and a predetermined motion track, such that the driving rods are driven to slide into predetermined positions of the cam grooves, so as to lock or unlock an actuation mechanism of the low-voltage switch. The self-locking button mechanism for a low-voltage switch in the present application can better realize a self-locking function of a pressing-type self-locking button mechanism.

Description

Self-locking push-button mechanism for low-voltage switches Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of low-voltage electrical technology, and more particularly to a self-locking push-button mechanism for low-voltage switches in the field of low-voltage electrical technology. Background Technology

[0002] As is well known, in traditional low-voltage switches, the operating mechanism typically uses a rotary handle for opening and closing operations, and the mechanism self-locks by rotating the handle to a specific angle to pass the dead point. Existing technical solutions, such as rotary handle self-locking operating mechanisms, require significant space and travel, resulting in a strong traditional mechanical feel. Furthermore, this mechanism only self-locks at the closed position using the mechanism's dead point, failing to achieve self-locking at the open position. This means that if an internal fault causes tripping, manual re-tightening can be performed immediately without requiring fault confirmation.

[0003] While existing miniature circuit breaker products typically employ push-button self-locking mechanisms for mechanical closing and opening, they lack both mechanical opening self-locking and electrical interlocking. Furthermore, common rotary self-locking buttons have limited load-bearing capacity. If a spatial cam mechanism were used to achieve mechanical pressing-type self-locking, its linear structure would only allow for short-stroke operation, significantly increasing the space required for long strokes.

[0004] In order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, those skilled in the art urgently need to develop a new type of self-locking button mechanism. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this application is to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology and provide a new type of self-locking button mechanism for low-voltage switches, which can realize the self-locking function of the press-type self-locking operation mechanism through the cooperation relationship of a specific spatial cam and slider structure.

[0006] This application discloses a self-locking push button mechanism for a low-voltage switch, comprising: a housing with a mounting hole; a base connected inside the housing; a push button connected to the housing through the mounting hole; a shift fork mounted on the bottom of the push button; a slider with a plurality of limiting grooves, a drive rod connected to the limiting grooves, one side of the slider connected to the shift fork; and a spatial cam movably connected to the base and located below the slider, the spatial cam having a limiting protrusion and a plurality of cam grooves, the end of the drive rod extending into the cam grooves; under the driving action of the push button, the shift fork drives the slider to move, the horizontal movement of the limiting grooves and the vertical movement of the cam grooves forming a predetermined driving angle and movement trajectory, thereby driving the drive rod to slide into a predetermined position in the cam groove, thereby locking or unlocking the actuator of the low-voltage switch.

[0007] According to another optional implementation of this application, the plurality of cam slots includes: a closing cam slot, a opening cam slot, and a self-locking cam slot, wherein the self-locking cam slot includes a jump zone and a locking arc, a jump step is formed between the self-locking cam slot and the closing cam slot, the height of the self-locking cam slot is the same as the initial position height of the closing cam slot, and the initial position of the opening cam slot is the same as the height of the self-locking cam slot.

[0008] According to another optional implementation of this application, the plurality of limiting slots includes: a closing slider slot, a reset slider slot, and a opening slider slot. The closing slider slot and the reset slider slot can together form an acute angle, which, through cooperation with the closing cam slot, the opening cam slot, and the self-locking cam slot, enables the driving or locking of the drive rod.

[0009] According to another optional implementation of this application, a first reset member is provided at the end of the spatial cam near the base to realize the reciprocating movement of the spatial cam along its own axis.

[0010] According to another optional implementation of this application, the slider is provided with a second reset member on both sides to realize the slider moving back and forth along the horizontal direction of the base.

[0011] According to another alternative implementation of this application, the shift fork includes a rotation shaft movably connected to the base; a first drive arm extending along the drive shaft in a first direction and connected to the button; and a second drive arm extending along the drive shaft in a second direction and connected to the slider.

[0012] According to another optional implementation of this application, a pair of support ribs are provided on the base, and each support rib has a rotating hole in its wall, and the two ends of the rotating shaft are rotatably connected to the rotating hole respectively.

[0013] According to another optional implementation of this application, the base is provided with a receiving area for receiving the spatial cam, and a columnar body is provided at the end of the spatial cam near the receiving area, and the first reset member is sleeved on the outer wall of the columnar body.

[0014] According to another optional implementation of this application, the first reset member and the second reset member are positioned perpendicular to each other.

[0015] According to another optional implementation of this application, the accommodating area of ​​the base for accommodating the spatial cam has a layered structure, which includes at least: a guide layer for accommodating the outer edge of the spatial cam, and a limiting layer for restricting the movement of the column and the first reset member. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The present application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. Wherein:

[0017] Figure 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a self-locking push button mechanism for a low-voltage switch according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0018] Figure 2 is an exploded view of the structure of a self-locking push button mechanism for a low-voltage switch according to one embodiment of the present application;

[0019] Figure 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of a self-locking push button mechanism for a low-voltage switch according to one embodiment of the present application.

[0020] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the spatial cam structure of a self-locking push-button mechanism for a low-voltage switch according to one embodiment of this application; and

[0021] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the slider of a self-locking push button mechanism for a low-voltage switch according to one embodiment of this application.

[0022] List of reference numerals: 10 Housing; 531 Initial drive wall of tripping slot; 11 Mounting hole; 532 Tripping zone of tripping slot; 20 Base; 533 Ending drive wall of tripping slot; 21 Support rib; 60 Drive rod; 201 Rotating hole; 70 Spatial cam; 30 Button; 91 First reset element; 40 Fork; 71 Closing cam groove; 41 First drive arm; 72 Tripping cam groove; 72 Second drive arm; 42 Self-locking cam groove; 73 Rotating shaft; 43 Limiting protrusion; 74 Slider; 50 Tripping zone; 731 Second reset element; 92 Locking arc; 732 Closing slider groove; 51 Columnar body; 75 Reset slider groove; 52 Actuator; 80 Tripping slider groove; 53 Guide layer; s1 Limiting groove; 54 Limiting layer; s2 Detailed Implementation

[0023] To provide a clearer understanding of the technical features, objectives, and effects of this application, specific embodiments of this application are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals indicate components with the same or similar structures but the same function.

[0024] In this document, “illustrative” means “serving as an example, illustration or description”, and any illustration or implementation described herein as “illustrative” should not be construed as a more preferred or advantageous technical solution.

[0025] To keep the drawings concise, only the parts relevant to this application are shown schematically in each figure, and they do not represent the actual structure of the product. Furthermore, for ease of understanding, components with the same structure or function in some figures are only schematically depicted, or only one or more are labeled. Moreover, the accompanying drawings in this application are only for illustrating and understanding the embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of this application; they are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0026] In this patent application, nouns and pronouns relating to people are not limited to specific genders.

[0027] In this article, terms such as "up," "down," "front," "back," "left," and "right" are used only to indicate the positional relationship between related parts, rather than to define their absolute positions.

[0028] In this article, "first," "second," etc., are used only to distinguish them from each other, and do not indicate their importance or order.

[0029] In this paper, terms such as "parallel" and "perpendicular" are not strict mathematical and / or geometric limitations, but also include errors that are understandable to those skilled in the art and permissible in manufacturing or use.

[0030] The orientations or positional relationships indicated in the description of this application are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. Specific embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] With the continuous development of intelligent technology for low-voltage switches, push-button self-locking mechanisms are highly favored by the market in terms of both appearance and digital operation. The push-button self-locking operating mechanism according to the technical solution of this application has the function of self-locking both opening and closing, enabling the product to have more self-locking safety combinations. Referring to Figure 1, it shows a schematic diagram of a partial cross-sectional structure of a self-locking operating mechanism for a low-voltage switch according to an embodiment of this application. To more clearly show the internal structure and its coordination relationships of the mechanism, Figure 2 is an exploded structural diagram of a self-locking push-button mechanism for a low-voltage switch according to an embodiment of this application.

[0032] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the self-locking push button mechanism for low-voltage switches disclosed in this application includes: a housing 10, a base 20, a button 30, a shift fork 40, a slider 50, and a spatial cam 70. Specifically, for ease of connection and installation, the housing 10 is provided with a mounting hole 11 for connection. The base 20 is connected inside the housing 10, and the button 30 is connected to the housing 10 through the mounting hole 11. The shift fork 40 is mounted on the bottom of the button 30. The slider 50 is provided with a plurality of limiting grooves, and a drive rod 60 is connected to the limiting grooves. One side of the slider is connected to the shift fork 40. The spatial cam 70 is movably connected to the base 20 and located below the slider 50. The spatial cam 70 is provided with a limiting protrusion 74 and a plurality of cam grooves, and the end of the drive rod 60 can extend into the cam grooves. Driven by the button 30, the fork 40 moves the slider 50. The horizontal movement of the limiting groove and the vertical movement of the cam groove form a predetermined driving angle and movement trajectory, thereby driving the drive rod 60 to slide into the predetermined position of the cam groove, so as to lock or unlock the actuator 80 of the low-voltage switch.

[0033] To more clearly show the details of the internal structure, Figure 3 shows another partial cross-sectional view of the self-locking push-button mechanism for a low-voltage switch according to one embodiment of this application. Figure 4 shows the specific structure of the spatial cam for the self-locking push-button mechanism according to one embodiment of this application. Furthermore, the plurality of cam slots in this application include: a closing cam slot 71, a closing cam slot 72, and a self-locking cam slot 73. Specifically, the self-locking cam slot 73 includes a jump zone 731 and a locking arc 732. A jump step is formed between the self-locking cam slot 73 and the closing cam slot 71. The height of the self-locking cam slot 73 is the same as the initial position height of the closing cam slot 71, and the initial position of the opening cam slot 72 is the same as the height of the self-locking cam slot 73.

[0034] Referring to Figure 4, the initial position of the closing cam groove 71 of the spatial cam 70 is at a low point. During the closing process, the closing cam groove 71 gradually rises to the designed height, and after the closing stroke ends, it enters the self-locking cam groove 73. Because the self-locking cam groove 73 has a jump zone 731 and a locking arc 732, a jump step is formed between the self-locking cam groove 73 and the closing cam groove 71. The height of the self-locking cam groove 73 is the same as the initial position height of the closing cam groove 71. The initial position of the opening cam groove 72 is the same as the height of the self-locking cam groove 73. During the opening process, the opening cam groove 72 gradually rises in height, and after the opening stroke ends, it enters the rest area of ​​the closing cam groove 71, waiting for the next closing operation.

[0035] Referring to Figure 5, which illustrates the structure of a slider for a self-locking button mechanism according to one embodiment of this application. It is worth noting that, since the self-locking function of the mechanism in this application is accomplished by the spatial cam 70 and the groove features of the slider 50 cooperating to form a specific motion trajectory, preferably, the plurality of limiting grooves further include a closing slider groove 51, a reset slider groove 52, and a closing slider groove 53. The closing slider groove 51 and the reset slider groove 52 can together form an acute angle, which, through cooperation with the closing cam groove 71, the closing cam groove 72, and the self-locking cam groove 73, enables the driving or locking of the drive rod 60.

[0036] According to a specific embodiment of this application, the closing slider groove 51 is preferably concave, with a certain width to better cooperate with the closing cam groove 71. The closing slider groove 51 also has a specific angle to ensure the direction of the force during closing drive, reducing closing resistance. Since the reset slider groove 52 forms an acute angle with the closing slider groove 51, its slope ensures that the drive rod 60 can enter the locking arc of the spatial cam 70 with minimal resistance when the slider 50 is reset, while also serving as a reset clearance groove for the slider 50.

[0037] To better achieve the reset effect of the driving force, in one optional embodiment of the self-locking button mechanism for a low-voltage switch according to this application, a first reset member 91 is provided at the end of the spatial cam 70 near the base 20 to achieve reciprocating movement of the spatial cam 70 along its own axis. In another optional embodiment of the self-locking button mechanism for a low-voltage switch according to this application, second reset members 92 are provided on both sides of the slider 50 to achieve reciprocating movement of the slider 50 along the horizontal direction of the base 20.

[0038] Considering the closer force cooperation and driving effect between the slider, spatial cam, drive rod, and shift fork, the tripping slider groove 53 of this application may optionally include a tripping groove initial drive wall 531, a tripping groove jump area 532, and a tripping groove final drive wall 533. During the tripping process of the slider 50, the inclined surface of the tripping groove initial drive wall 531 drives the driven rod 60 to disengage from the spatial cam locking arc 732 and enter the slider jump arc 532. After releasing the button 30, the slider 50 is reset under the action of the second reset member 92, and the drive rod 60 leaves the slider tripping groove jump area 532 and enters the tripping groove final drive wall 533. Under the action of the tripping groove final drive wall 533, it resets and enters the rest area of ​​the closing cam groove 71 of the spatial cam, waiting for the next closing operation. The tail of the slider 50 is provided with a limit groove 54, which is used to limit the rotational freedom of the shift fork 40.

[0039] To better utilize the driving effect of the shift fork 40, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the shift fork 40 includes a rotating shaft 43, a first driving arm 41, and a second driving arm 42. The rotating shaft 43 is movably connected to the base 20. The first driving arm 41 extends along the driving shaft in a first direction and is connected to the button 30. The second driving arm 42 extends along the driving shaft in a second direction and is connected to the slider 50. Furthermore, according to the self-locking button mechanism for low-voltage switches described in this application, the base 20 is provided with a pair of support ribs 21, and each support rib 21 has a rotating hole 201 in its wall. The two ends of the rotating shaft 43 are rotatably connected to the rotating holes 201.

[0040] It is worth noting that, referring to FIG3, in the self-locking button mechanism for low-voltage switch according to the present application, the base 20 is provided with a receiving area for receiving the spatial cam 70, and a columnar body 75 is provided at the end of the spatial cam 70 near the receiving area, and the first reset member 91 is sleeved on the outer wall of the columnar body 75.

[0041] In order to achieve a more stable and reliable driving action, according to a preferred embodiment of the self-locking push button mechanism for low-voltage switches described in this application, the first reset member 91 and the second reset member 92 are arranged in a state perpendicular to each other.

[0042] According to an alternative embodiment of the self-locking push-button mechanism for low-voltage switches described in this application, the accommodating area of ​​the base 20 for receiving the spatial cam 70 has a layered structure. The layered structure includes at least a guide layer s1 for accommodating the outer edge of the spatial cam 70, and a limiting layer s2 for accommodating and restricting the movement of the columnar body 75 and the first reset member 91.

[0043] According to the specific structure described above, under the action of the first reset member 91, the drive rod 60 completes unidirectional movement within the spatial cam 70. Simultaneously, since the base 20 has a pair of support ribs 21 on its upper part, and the walls of the support ribs 21 are provided with rotating holes 201, serving as the rotation center of the shift fork 40, and since the lower end of the rotating hole 201 has a groove, the slider 50 can slide freely while restricting the other degrees of freedom of the slider 50, and the slider 50 restricts the up-and-down movement of the spatial cam 70. According to a preferred embodiment, the shift fork 40 has a Y-shaped structure, the second drive arm 42 drives the slider 50, and the first drive arm 41 bears the force of the button 30. The ratio and angle of the lengths of the two arms depend on the amplification ratio of space and force, and those skilled in the art can make adaptive adjustments according to actual scenarios and product requirements.

[0044] Based on the above technical solutions, those skilled in the art will understand that the button 30 of this application, placed within the housing 10, can form a sliding pair. Specifically, the lower end of the button 30 of this application contacts the first drive arm 41 of the shift fork 40, and restricts the first drive arm 41 of the shift fork 40 within the inner groove of the button 30, ensuring that the shift fork 40 rotates only in a single direction. The rotation shaft 43 of the shift fork forms a rotary pair with the rotation hole 201 on the base 20, converting the downward movement of the button 30 into the rotational movement of the shift fork 40. The second drive arm 42 of the shift fork 40 contacts the slider limiting groove, driving the slider 50 to move to the left. The closing cam groove 71 and the closing slider groove 51 restrict the drive rod 60 to enter the unidirectional closing movement along a specific trajectory. After the button 30 is in position, the drive rod 60 slides into the self-locking cam groove 73, and the actuator is locked. The drive rod 60 enters the reset slider groove 52. The slider 50, under the action of the second reset member 92, transmits force to the button 30, causing the button 30 to reset. When the button 30 is pressed again, the drive rod 60, under the action of the tripping slider groove 53 and the tripping cam groove 72, disengages from the self-locking cam groove 73 and enters the tripping cam groove 72, thus unlocking the actuator. The drive rod 60 is released by the internal tripping of the low-voltage switch. At this time, the drive rod 60 is still in the self-locking cam groove 73 of the spatial cam, achieving self-locking of the drive rod 60 during tripping. Unlocking cannot be achieved without pressing the button 30 again.

[0045] In summary, the self-locking operating mechanism for low-voltage switches of this application achieves the self-locking function of a push-button self-locking mechanism through the cooperative connection between the spatial cam and the slider. The fork cleverly achieves vertical reversal of motion and force, while the lever arm structure of the fork also enables scaling of stroke and force. The self-locking push-button mechanism of this application has a compact structure, is safe and reliable, has a large stroke, and can bear high loads. It can be well applied to low-voltage switch products that require self-locking for both opening and closing, and has broad design applicability.

[0046] It should be noted that relational terms such as "first" and "second" in this document are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element.

[0047] Finally, it should be noted that the above are merely preferred embodiments of this application, used only to illustrate the technical solution of this application, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application are included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A self-locking push-button mechanism for low-voltage switches, characterized in that, include: A housing (10) having mounting holes (11) thereon; A base (20) is connected to the interior of the housing (10); A button (30) is connected to the housing (10) through the mounting hole (11); A fork (40) is mounted on the bottom of the button (30); A slider (50) is provided with a plurality of limiting grooves, and a drive rod (60) is connected to the limiting grooves. One side of the slider is connected to the fork (40). as well as A spatial cam (70) is movably connected to the base (20) and located below the slider (50). The spatial cam (70) is provided with a limiting protrusion (74) and a plurality of cam grooves. The end of the drive rod (60) can extend into the cam grooves. Under the driving action of the button (30), the fork (40) drives the slider (50) to move. The horizontal movement of the limiting groove and the vertical movement of the cam groove form a predetermined driving angle and movement trajectory, thereby driving the driving rod (60) to slide into the predetermined position of the cam groove, so as to realize the locking or unlocking of the actuator (80) of the low-voltage switch.

2. The self-locking push-button mechanism for low-voltage switches according to claim 1, characterized in that, The plurality of cam slots includes: a closing cam slot (71), a opening cam slot (72), and a self-locking cam slot (73), wherein the self-locking cam slot (73) includes a jump zone (731) and a locking arc (732), a jump step is formed between the self-locking cam slot (73) and the closing cam slot (71), the height of the self-locking cam slot (73) is the same as the initial position height of the closing cam slot (71), and the initial position of the opening cam slot (72) is the same as the height of the self-locking cam slot (73).

3. The self-locking push-button mechanism for low-voltage switches according to claim 2, characterized in that, The plurality of limiting slots include: a closing slider slot (51), a reset slider slot (52), and a opening slider slot (53). The closing slider slot (51) and the reset slider slot (52) can form an acute angle together. They cooperate with the closing cam slot (71), the opening cam slot (72), and the self-locking cam slot (73) to drive or lock the drive rod (60).

4. The self-locking push-button mechanism for a low-voltage switch according to claim 1, characterized in that, The space cam (70) is provided with a first reset member (91) at the end near the base (20) to realize the reciprocating movement of the space cam (70) along its own axis.

5. The self-locking push-button mechanism for a low-voltage switch according to claim 4, characterized in that, The slider (50) is provided with a second reset member (92) on both sides to realize the reciprocating movement of the slider (50) along the horizontal direction of the base (20).

6. The self-locking push-button mechanism for a low-voltage switch according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shift fork (40) includes A rotating shaft (43) is movably connected to the base (20); A first drive arm (41) extends along the drive shaft toward a first direction and is connected to the button (30); as well as A second drive arm (42) extends along the drive shaft toward a second direction and is connected to the slider (50).

7. The self-locking push-button mechanism for a low-voltage switch according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base (20) is provided with a pair of support ribs (21), and each support rib (21) has a rotating hole (201) on its wall. The two ends of the rotating shaft (43) are rotatably connected to the rotating hole (201).

8. The self-locking push-button mechanism for a low-voltage switch according to claim 4, characterized in that, The base (20) has a receiving area for accommodating the spatial cam (70), and a columnar body (75) is provided at the end of the spatial cam (70) near the receiving area. The first reset member (91) is sleeved on the outer wall of the columnar body (75).

9. The self-locking push-button mechanism for a low-voltage switch according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first reset member (91) and the second reset member (92) are positioned perpendicular to each other.

10. The self-locking push-button mechanism for a low-voltage switch according to claim 4, characterized in that, The accommodating area of ​​the base (20) for accommodating the spatial cam (70) has a layered structure, which includes at least: a guide layer (s1) for cooperating to accommodate the outer edge of the spatial cam (70), and a limiting layer (s2) for cooperating to restrict the movement of the column (75) and the first reset member (91).

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