Circuit breaker drive circuit and circuit breaker

Abstract

The present invention relates to a circuit breaker drive circuit and a circuit breaker, the circuit breaker drive circuit comprising: a plurality of capacitors; and a plurality of switching elements corresponding to the plurality of capacitors, wherein, during an initial input, drive power is stored in a first capacitor, and when the drive power stored in the first capacitor reaches a reference value, the drive power is stored in a second capacitor, thereby enabling an overcurrent response in an initial state and stable tripping in a normal state.

Description

Drive circuit of the circuit breaker and the circuit breaker

[0001] The present invention relates to a driving circuit of a circuit breaker for driving a trip coil of a circuit breaker and a circuit breaker including the same.

[0002] The technology underlying the present invention relates to the trip driving of a circuit breaker as illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0003] As a type of circuit breaker that protects lines against abnormal currents on the load side, the measurement capabilities of Smart MCCBs (Molded Case Circuit Breakers) are constantly evolving. The current trend for Smart MCCBs is to support Class 0.5 current / voltage and Class 1% power measurement capabilities. Consequently, Smart MCCBs are replacing relays and measuring instruments in control panels, eliminating the need for measuring CTs and PTs. This allows customers to reduce the size of their distribution panels. As a result, maintenance points are reduced, enabling customers to reap economic benefits.

[0004] Figure 2 shows the hardware configuration of such a Smart MCCB as a block diagram. In the Smart MCCB as shown in Figure 2, DC 12V is generated in the Self-power circuit using an External DC 24V or current through a CT. The power supply for the Trip Coil is controlled by the Trip Drive circuit and supplied by the Trip Power section, and the Trip Drive circuit is controlled by the Override circuit and the MCU. The Override circuit operates to control the Trip Drive circuit when an overcurrent (short-circuit current) is applied in the absence of an external control power supply, and the MCU receives the voltage applied from the current measurement circuit via an ADC, analyzes it, and controls the Trip Drive circuit if it is an overcurrent.

[0005] Figure 3 shows the specific circuit configuration of the Trip power section of such a Smart MCCB, in which the Vc voltage is charged to C1, and when a trip occurs, the voltage of C1 is applied to the Trip Coil, causing the Coil to operate and the circuit breaker to turn on.

[0006] Figure 4 shows the charging time of the capacitor in the circuit configuration as illustrated in Figure 3, and it can be seen that the smaller the value of C1, the earlier the target voltage is reached, and the larger the value of C1, the later it is reached.

[0007] Meanwhile, the tripping function of such Smart MCCBs must ensure that the overcurrent protection function operates normally not only when an external control power is present, but also when operating on self-power without an external control power. Operating on self-power means generating DC power using the current flowing through the grid, and the Smart MCCB's internal MCU drives this generated power. The tripping operation of the Smart MCCB is divided into two types. One is relay operation, which is operated by software via the internal MCU, and the other is an override function, which operates by hardware in response to overcurrent (short-circuit current) input prior to the MCU's operation.

[0008] The problem here arises in the absence of an external control power supply. The trip driving circuit is identical whether the internal MCU of a self-powered Smart MCCB drives relay operations software-wise or trips the breaker using a hardware-based override function prior to the MCU's operation. The primary source of the voltage and current supplied to the trip coil is the charge stored in C1. In other words, a larger capacitor value in C1 allows for a greater charge to be stored, enabling the trip coil to be driven safely. However, the issue is that when operating solely on self-power (generating DC voltage using load current) without a control power supply, the trip coil must be driven solely by the charge in C1; consequently, it is difficult to simultaneously satisfy the following two conditions. The first is that the breaker must be switched off within approximately 10 ms after the initial overcurrent (short-circuit current) is applied during the UL Sequence Z test; in this case, the value of C1 must be as small as possible. The reason is that the charging time of C1 is calculated using the RC time constant, and the smaller the value of C1, the faster it charges to the target voltage, which drives the Trip Coil to turn off the circuit breaker. The second case is when an overcurrent is applied and a trip must occur while the Smart MCCB is operating normally; in this case, voltage and current must be continuously supplied from C1 to the Trip Coil until the value of C1 is sufficiently large for the Trip Coil to turn off the circuit breaker.

[0009] To solve this problem, a separate mechanical device, such as a pressure trip device that mechanically turns off the circuit breaker using pressure generated by an overcurrent as shown in Fig. 5, was previously used. However, since this method utilizes pressure, there were cases where the circuit breaker could not be turned off quickly depending on the agility of the sample and the intensity of the pressure.

[0010] The present invention aims to improve upon the limitations of existing technology as described above.

[0011] Accordingly, the present specification aims to provide an embodiment that can safely drive a trip coil while operating on self-power.

[0012] In addition, we intend to provide an embodiment in which trip driving in response to overcurrent in the initial state can be stably performed.

[0013] Furthermore, we intend to provide an embodiment in which trip operation in a normal state after an initial state can be stably performed.

[0014] In addition, we intend to provide an embodiment that replaces the pressure trip device to enable smooth trip operation in the initial state and normal state.

[0015] The present invention, for solving the problem described above, provides a solution means comprising a plurality of capacitors such that each of the plurality of capacitors stores a driving power source at different times.

[0016] Specifically, a plurality of capacitors and a plurality of corresponding switching elements are provided so that when initially switched on, a driving power is stored in a first capacitor, and when the driving power is stored in the first capacitor to a reference value, the driving power is stored in a second capacitor.

[0017] That is, the driving unit for driving the trip coil of the circuit breaker is characterized by being configured with a multi-capacitor structure that charges the driving power at different time intervals.

[0018] Accordingly, overcurrent response in the initial state and stable tripping in the normal state can be achieved.

[0019] The technical features described above may be applied to the trip power circuit of a circuit breaker, the driving circuit of a circuit breaker, the control device of a circuit breaker, and the circuit breaker, or may be implemented in embodiments such as the trip power circuit of a circuit breaker, the driving circuit of a circuit breaker, the control device of a circuit breaker, and the circuit breaker. The present specification aims to provide embodiments of a driving circuit of a circuit breaker and a circuit breaker that can be applied to the trip power circuit of a circuit breaker, the driving circuit of a circuit breaker, the control device of a circuit breaker, and the circuit breaker, using the above technical features as a means of solving the problem.

[0020] An embodiment of the driving circuit of the above circuit breaker is a driving circuit of a circuit breaker that drives a trip coil of the circuit breaker, comprising: a first driving unit that stores a supply power received from a power source during a first section and a second section after the first section as a driving power for driving the trip coil, and supplies the driving power to the trip coil during the first section and the second section; and a second driving unit that receives the supply power from the power source during the second section, stores it as a driving power, and supplies the driving power to the trip coil during the second section.

[0021] In an embodiment, the first section may be a section from the time when the power supply is first supplied until a time corresponding to a certain multiple of the time constant of the first driving unit.

[0022] In an embodiment, the first driving unit may include a first storage unit that stores the driving power from the start of the first section and supplies the driving power to the trip coil when a trip signal is applied from the control circuit of the circuit breaker, and a first switching unit that switches the application path in which the supply power is applied between the power source and the first storage unit by turning on / off by a control signal applied from the control circuit.

[0023] In an example, the first storage unit may include a capacitor with a capacity of 50 to 150 [uF].

[0024] In an embodiment, the first switching unit may be connected in parallel to the circuit between the power supply and the first storage unit.

[0025] In an embodiment, the first switching unit can switch the application path so that when turned on, the supply power is conducted and applied to the first storage unit, and when turned off, the supply power is not conducted and applied to the first storage unit.

[0026] In an embodiment, the first switching unit may turn on from the start of the first section until the buffering point of the second driving unit in the second section, and then turn off from the buffering point.

[0027] In an embodiment, the second driving unit may include a second storage unit that stores the driving power from the start of the second section and supplies the driving power to the trip coil when a trip signal is applied from the control circuit of the circuit breaker, and a second switching unit that switches the application path in which the supply power is applied between the power source and the second storage unit by turning on / off by a control signal applied from the control circuit.

[0028] In an example, the second storage unit may include a capacitor with a capacity of 15 to 30 [uF].

[0029] In an embodiment, the second switching unit may be connected in series to the circuit between the power supply and the second storage unit.

[0030] In an embodiment, the second switching unit can switch the application path so that when turned on, the supply power is conducted and applied to the second storage unit, and when turned off, the supply power is not conducted and not applied to the second storage unit.

[0031] In an embodiment, the second switching unit may turn off from the start of the first section to the start of the second section, and then turn on from the start of the second section.

[0032] In addition, the embodiment of the circuit breaker comprises a tripping unit that cuts off a line by being driven by a driving power source, a driving unit that stores the driving power source and supplies the driving power source to the tripping unit according to a trip signal, and a control unit that detects the current flowing in the line and applies the trip signal to the driving unit according to the detection result, wherein the driving unit includes a first storage unit that receives a supply power source from a power source during a first section and a second section after the first section and stores it as the driving power source, and supplies the driving power source to the tripping unit when the trip signal is applied during the first section and the second section, and a second storage unit that receives a supply power source from the power source during the second section and stores it as the driving power source, and supplies the driving power source to the tripping unit when the trip signal is applied during the second section.

[0033] In an embodiment, the driving unit may further include a first switching unit that switches the application path in which the supply power is applied between the power source and the first storage unit by turning on / off by a first control signal applied from the control unit, and a second switching unit that switches the application path in which the supply power is applied between the power source and the second storage unit by turning on / off by a second control signal applied from the control unit.

[0034] In an embodiment, the first switching unit may turn on from the start of the first section until the buffering point of the second driving unit in the second section, and then turn off from the buffering point, and the second switching unit may turn off from the start of the first section until the start of the second section, and then turn on from the start of the second section.

[0035] In an embodiment, the first section may be a section from the time when the power supply is first supplied until a time corresponding to a certain multiple of the time constant of the first driving unit.

[0036] In an embodiment, the first storage unit and the second storage unit may each include capacitors of different capacities.

[0037] In the embodiment, the capacitance of the capacitor of the first storage unit may be at least three times greater than the capacitance of the capacitor of the second storage unit.

[0038] The driving circuit of the circuit breaker and the embodiments of the circuit breaker described above are not limited to those described above and may include embodiments described in the specific description below or inferred / derived from the specific description.

[0039] According to the driving circuit of the circuit breaker and the embodiment of the circuit breaker as described above, by configuring the driving unit for driving the trip coil of the circuit breaker into a multi-capacitor structure that charges the driving power at different time intervals, the effect is that overcurrent response in the initial state and stable tripping in the normal state can be achieved.

[0040] Accordingly, this also has the effect of replacing mechanical tripping means, such as the previously used aptrip device.

[0041] In addition, by eliminating mechanical tripping means from the circuit breaker, the structure of the circuit breaker can be improved, and there is also the effect of reducing manufacturing costs.

[0042] Furthermore, by replacing mechanical tripping means with a simple circuit structure, it has the effect of facilitating circuit design for circuit breakers according to the installation environment.

[0043] In addition, the ease of circuit design for circuit breakers according to the installation environment has the effect of increasing the applicability and usability of the circuit breakers.

[0044] The effects according to the driving circuit of the circuit breaker and the embodiment of the circuit breaker as described above are not limited to those described above, and may also include effects described in the specific description below or inferred / derived from the specific description.

[0045] Figure 1 is an example of a conventional Smart MCCB.

[0046] Figure 2 is a detailed configuration diagram of the Smart MCCB illustrated in Figure 1.

[0047] FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing the specific circuit configuration of the Trip power section of the Smart MCCB illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0048] FIG. 4 is a graph showing the change in charging voltage of the capacitor (C1) shown in FIG. 3.

[0049] Figure 5 is an example diagram of an aptrip device applied to a conventional Smart MCCB.

[0050] FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a circuit breaker including a driving circuit of the circuit breaker according to an embodiment.

[0051] FIG. 7 is a graph showing the voltage change of the driving circuit of a circuit breaker according to an embodiment.

[0052] FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram of a driving circuit of a circuit breaker according to an embodiment.

[0053] FIG. 9 is a detailed configuration diagram of a driving circuit of a circuit breaker according to an embodiment.

[0054] FIG. 10 is a circuit diagram showing the specific circuit configuration of a driving circuit of a circuit breaker according to an embodiment.

[0055] FIG. 11 is an exemplary diagram showing an example of a power supply being supplied to a driving circuit of a circuit breaker according to an embodiment.

[0056] FIG. 12 is an exemplary diagram 2 showing an example in which the power supply to the driving circuit of a circuit breaker according to an embodiment is supplied.

[0057] FIG. 13 is an exemplary diagram showing an example of a power supply being supplied to a driving circuit of a circuit breaker according to an embodiment.

[0058] Hereinafter, embodiments disclosed in this specification will be described in detail with sequential reference to the attached drawings, provided that identical or similar components are given the same reference number regardless of drawing symbols, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0059] Furthermore, in describing the technology disclosed in this specification, detailed descriptions of related prior art are omitted if it is determined that such descriptions could obscure the essence of the technology disclosed in this specification, or if such details can be easily understood or inferred by a person skilled in the art without specific description. Additionally, it should be noted that the attached drawings are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of the concept of the technology disclosed in this specification, and should not be interpreted as limiting the concept of the technology.

[0060] First, the configuration of the circuit breaker to which the embodiment is applied is described.

[0061] The above circuit breaker (1000) refers to a device that is installed on a line (L) as shown in FIG. 6 and protects the line (L) by interrupting the line (L) in the event of an overcurrent or accident.

[0062] The above circuit breaker (1000) may be an MCCB.

[0063] The above circuit breaker (1000) includes a tripping unit (100) that cuts off a line (L) by being driven by a driving power source, a driving unit (200) that stores the driving power source and supplies the driving power source to the tripping unit (100) according to a trip signal, and a control unit (300) that detects the current flowing through the line (L) and applies the trip signal to the driving unit (200) according to the detection result.

[0064] In the above circuit breaker (1000), the tripping part (100) may be a tripping coil.

[0065] The trip unit (100) can connect the line (L) during normal operation and disconnect the line (L) during operation.

[0066] When the trip unit (100) receives the driving power from the driving unit (200), it can open the line (L) by the driving power and cut off the line (L).

[0067] The above trip unit (100) may include one or more circuit elements for receiving the driving power and interrupting the line (L).

[0068] In the above circuit breaker (1000), the driving unit (200) may be a driving circuit.

[0069] The above driving unit (200) can store the driving power and supply the driving power to the trip unit (100) when the trip unit (100) is driven.

[0070] Here, the operation of the trip unit (100) may correspond to receiving the trip signal from the control unit (300).

[0071] That is, when the driving unit (200) receives the trip signal, it can supply the driving power to the trip unit (100) to drive the trip unit (100).

[0072] The above driving unit (200) can receive power from an external power source and store it as the driving power.

[0073] Here, the power supply may be the line (L).

[0074] The above-mentioned driving unit (200) may include a plurality of circuit elements for receiving the supply power, storing it as the driving power, and supplying the driving power to the trip unit (100).

[0075] In the above circuit breaker (1000), the control unit (300) may be a control circuit.

[0076] The control unit (300) can detect the current flowing through the line (L) and, if the detection result corresponds to a reference current that serves as a cutoff criterion for the line (L), generate the trip signal and apply it to the driving unit (200).

[0077] That is, the control unit (300) may apply the trip signal to the driving unit (200) so that when the detection result corresponds to the reference current, the driving unit (200) supplies the driving power to the trip unit (100) and the trip unit (100) drives to cut off the line (L).

[0078] The above control unit (300) can be driven based on power supplied from an external power source.

[0079] Here, the power supply may be the line (L).

[0080] The above control unit (300) may include a plurality of circuit elements for detecting the current flowing in the line (L), comparing the detection result with the reference current, and generating the trip signal according to the comparison result and applying it to the driving unit (200).

[0081] In this way, the circuit breaker (1000) including the trip unit (100), the driving unit (200), and the control unit (300) has the driving unit (200) store the driving power and, when the trip signal is applied, supplies the driving power to the trip unit (100) to drive the trip unit (100), thereby blocking the line (L). However, in conventional circuit breakers, the storage of the driving power is limited due to the circuit structural limitations of the driving unit (200), so the blocking of the line (L) cannot be stably achieved.

[0082] The present invention relates to an embodiment of a driving circuit (driving unit) (200) of a circuit breaker for improving the limitations of the driving unit (200) described above, and the driving circuit of the circuit breaker (hereinafter referred to as the driving circuit) according to the embodiment is described in detail below.

[0083] The driving circuit (200) according to the embodiment includes a first driving unit (210) and a second driving unit (220) as shown in FIG. 6.

[0084] Each of the first driving unit (210) and the second driving unit (220) may be configured as a circuit including a plurality of circuit elements for storing the driving power and supplying it to the trip coil (100).

[0085] The driving circuit (200) including the first driving unit (210) and the second driving unit (220) as shown in FIG. 7 stores the supply power received from the power source (L) during the first section (S1) and the second section (S2) after the first section (S1) as a driving power for driving the trip coil (100), and supplies the driving power to the trip coil (100) during the first section (S1) and the second section (S2), and the second driving unit (220) receives the supply power from the power source (L) during the second section (S2) and stores it as a driving power, and supplies the driving power to the trip coil (100) during the second section (S2).

[0086] That is, the first driving unit (210) receives the supply power during the first section (S1) and the second section (S2) and stores the driving power, and the second driving unit (220) receives the supply power during the second section (S2) and stores the driving power.

[0087] Accordingly, the first driving unit (210) may supply the driving power during the first section (S1) and the second section (S2), and the second driving unit (220) may supply the driving power during the second section (S2).

[0088] The first section (S1) may be a section from the time point (TO) when the power supply is first supplied until the time point (T1) corresponding to a certain multiple of the time constant of the first driving unit (210).

[0089] Here, the point in time (TO) when the supply power is first supplied may be the point in time when the circuit breaker (1000) is first installed on the line (L) and the supply of the supply power from the line (L), which is the power source, to the circuit breaker (1000) begins.

[0090] Accordingly, the storage of the driving power and the operation of the control unit (300) can be started in the first section (S1).

[0091] The time point (T1) corresponding to a certain multiple of the time constant of the first driving unit (210) may be a time point corresponding to the number obtained by multiplying the time constant, which is predetermined by the circuit configuration included in the first driving unit (210), by the certain multiple.

[0092] The above constant multiple may correspond to 3 to 5.

[0093] The above second section (S2) may be a section from a point in time (T1) corresponding to a certain multiple of the time constant of the first driving unit (210) until thereafter.

[0094] That is, the second section (S2) may be a section after the circuit breaker (1000) is initially installed (T0), the control unit (300) starts operating, and the first driving unit (210) stores the driving power until a point in time (T1) corresponding to a certain multiple of the time constant.

[0095] In this way, the driving circuit (200) allows the first driving unit (210) to store and supply the driving power in the first section (S1) and the second section (S2), and the second driving unit (220) to store and supply the driving power in the second section (S2). Thus, from the initial state where the circuit breaker (1000) is first installed, the first driving unit (210) performs the function of storing and supplying the driving power, and from the stable state after the initial state, the second driving unit (220) performs the function of storing and supplying the driving power as an auxiliary.

[0096] Each of the above-mentioned first driving unit (210) and second driving unit (220) may include a first storage unit (211) and a first switching unit (212), and a second storage unit (221) and a second switching unit (222), as shown in FIG. 8.

[0097] Each of the first storage unit (211) and the second storage unit (221) may include one or more circuit elements.

[0098] Each of the first storage unit (211) and the second storage unit (221) may include, for example, one or more capacitors.

[0099] In this case, the capacitors included in each of the first storage unit (211) and the second storage unit (221) may have different capacities.

[0100] Preferably, the capacitor of the first storage unit (211) may have a larger capacity than the capacitor of the second storage unit (221).

[0101] For example, the capacitance of the capacitor of the first storage unit (211) may be three times greater than the capacitance of the capacitor of the second storage unit (221).

[0102] Each of the first switching unit (212) and the second switching unit (222) may include one or more circuit elements.

[0103] Each of the first switching unit (212) and the second switching unit (222) may include, for example, one or more switching elements.

[0104] The first switching unit (212) and the second switching unit (222) may have overlapping turn-on times during at least a portion of the second section (S2).

[0105] The specific configuration of the driving circuit (200), in which the first driving unit (210) includes the first storage unit (211) and the second switching unit (212), and the second driving unit (220) includes the second storage unit (221) and the second switching unit (222), may be as shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10.

[0106] The first driving unit (210) may include the first storage unit (211) and the first switching unit (212).

[0107] In the first driving unit (210), the first storage unit (211) stores the driving power from the time point (T0) of the first section (S1), and when the trip signal is applied from the control circuit (300) of the circuit breaker (1000), the driving power can be supplied to the trip coil (100).

[0108] The first storage unit (211) may include a capacitor with a capacity of 50 to 150 [uF].

[0109] The first storage unit (211) above can be connected in series with the power supply (L).

[0110] The first storage unit (211) can receive the supply power (Vc) through the circuit (P: N1 to N2) between the power supply source (L) and the first storage unit (211) or through the first switching unit (212) and store it as the driving power.

[0111] Here, the electrical path (P: N1 to N2) between the power supply (L) and the first storage unit (211) may have a resistive component.

[0112] For example, as illustrated in FIG. 10, one or more elements (R1) having a resistive component may be included in the circuit (P) between the power supply (L) and the first storage unit (211).

[0113] Accordingly, the supply power (Vc) applied in the circuit (P: N1 to N2) between the power supply source (L) and the first storage unit (211) may be affected by the resistance component.

[0114] In the first driving unit (210), the first switching unit (212) can be turned on / off by a (first) control signal applied from the control circuit (300) to switch the application path in which the supply power (Vc) is applied between the power supply source (L) and the first storage unit (211).

[0115] That is, the first switching unit (212) can be turned on / off by the control unit (300).

[0116] In this case, the control unit (300) may apply a control signal for turn-on control when turning on the first switching unit (212), and apply a control signal for turn-off control or not apply the control signal when turning off the first switching unit (212).

[0117] The first switching unit (212) can be connected in parallel to the circuit (P: N1 to N2) between the power supply (L) and the first storage unit (211).

[0118] The first switching unit (212) can switch the application path so that when turned on, the supply power (Vc) is conducted and applied to the first storage unit (211) as shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, and when turned off, the supply power (Vc) is not conducted and applied to the first storage unit (211) as shown in FIG. 13.

[0119] That is, when the first switching unit (212) is turned on, the supply power (Vc) is supplied to the first storage unit (211) through the first node (N1), the first switching unit (212), and the second node (N2) as shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, and when the first switching unit (212) is turned off, the supply power (Vc) can be supplied to the first storage unit (211) through the first node (N1), the third node (N3), and the second node (N2) as shown in FIG. 13.

[0120] In this case, when the first switching unit (212) is turned off, there is a certain resistance component in the circuit (P) between the power source (L) to which the supply power (Vc) is supplied and the first storage unit (211), so when the first switching unit (212) is turned on, the time at which the driving power is stored may be faster than the time at which it is turned off.

[0121] That is, the first switching unit (212) may be turned on when the first driving unit (210) is charged quickly so that the supply power (Vc) passes through the first node (N1), the first switching unit (212), and the second node (N2) to the first storage unit (211) as shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, and may be turned off when the first driving unit (210) is charged slowly so that the supply power (Vc) passes through the first node (N1), the third node (N3), and the second node (N2) to the first storage unit (211) as shown in FIG. 13.

[0122] The first switching unit (212) can be turned on from the point (T0) of the first section (S1) to the buffer point (T2) of the second driving unit (220) in the second section (S2), and then turned off from the buffer point (T2).

[0123] That is, the first switching unit (212) may be turned on from the point in time (T0) of the first section (S1) until the point in time (T2) when the driving power is fully charged to the second driving unit (220), so that the driving power is supplied to the first storage unit (211) and the second storage unit (221) respectively, passing through the first node (N1), the first switching unit (212), and the second node (N2), and then turned off from the point in time (T2) when the driving power is fully charged, so that the driving power is supplied to the first storage unit (211) and the second storage unit (221) respectively, passing through the first node (N1), the third node (N3), and the second node (N2).

[0124] Accordingly, the control unit (300) may apply a control signal for turn-on control to the first switching unit (212) from the point in time (T0) of the first section (S1) to the buffering point (T2) of the second driving unit (220) in the second section (S2).

[0125] The second driving unit (220) may include one or more of the second storage units (221, 221', ...) and one or more of the second switching units (222, 222', ...).

[0126] When each of the second storage unit (221) and the second conversion unit (222) is made up of multiple units, as shown in FIG. 9, the second storage unit (221) and the second conversion unit (222) may be connected in series, and the second storage unit' (221') and the second conversion unit' (222') may be connected in series.

[0127] For convenience of explanation, the following description focuses on an example in which the second storage unit (221) and the second conversion unit (222) are each provided.

[0128] In the second driving unit (220), the second storage unit (221) stores the driving power from the time point (T1) of the second section (S2), and when the trip signal is applied from the control circuit (300), the driving power can be supplied to the trip coil (100).

[0129] The second storage unit (221) may include a capacitor with a capacity of 15 to 30 [uF].

[0130] The second storage unit (221) above can be connected in series with the power supply (L).

[0131] The second storage unit (221) can receive the supply power (Vc) through the circuit (P: N1 to N2) between the power supply source (L) and the second storage unit (221) and store it as the driving power.

[0132] Here, the circuit (P: N1 to N2) between the power supply (L) and the first storage unit (211) can be connected in series with the second switching unit (222).

[0133] In the second driving unit (220), the second switching unit (222) can be turned on / off by a (second) control signal applied from the control circuit (300) to switch the application path in which the supply power (Vc) is applied between the power supply source (L) and the second storage unit (221).

[0134] That is, the second switching unit (222) can be turned on / off by the control unit (300).

[0135] In this case, the control unit (300) may apply a (second) control signal for turn-on control when turning on the second switching unit (222), and apply a control signal for turn-off control or not apply the control signal when turning off the second switching unit (222).

[0136] The second switching unit (222) can be connected in series to the circuit (P: N1 to N2) between the power supply (L) and the second storage unit (221).

[0137] The second switching unit (222) can switch the application path so that when turned on, the supply power (Vc) is conducted and applied to the second storage unit (221) as shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, and when turned off, the supply power (Vc) is not conducted and not applied to the second storage unit (221) as shown in FIG. 11.

[0138] That is, when the second switching unit (222) is turned on, the supply power (Vc) is supplied to the second storage unit (221) via the first node (N1), the first switching unit (212) and the second node (N2), or the first node (N1), the third node (N3) and the second node (N2), as shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, and when the second switching unit (222) is turned off, the supply power (Vc) may not be supplied to the second storage unit (221), as shown in FIG. 11.

[0139] In this case, when the first switching unit (212) is turned off, there is a certain resistance component in the circuit (P) between the power source (L) to which the supply power (Vc) is supplied and the second storage unit (221), so when the first switching unit (212) is turned on, the time at which the driving power is stored may be faster than the time at which it is turned off.

[0140] That is, the first switching unit (212) may be turned on when the second driving unit (220) is charged quickly so that the supply power (Vc) passes through the first node (N1), the first switching unit (212), and the second node (N2) to the second storage unit (221) as shown in FIG. 12, and may be turned off when the second driving unit (220) is charged slowly so that the supply power (Vc) passes through the first node (N1), the third node (N3), and the second node (N2) to the second storage unit (221) as shown in FIG. 13.

[0141] The second switching unit (222) can be turned off from the point (T0) of the first section (S1) to the point (T1) of the second section (S2), and then turned on from the point (T1) of the second section (S2).

[0142] That is, the second switching unit (222) may be turned off from the time point (T0) of the first section (S1) to the time point (T1) of the second section (S2) so that the driving power is not supplied to the second storage unit (221), and then turned on from the time point (T1) of the second section (S2) so that the driving power is supplied to the second storage unit (221) by passing through the first node (N1), the first switching unit (212) and the second node (N2), or the first node (N1), the third node (N3) and the second node (N2).

[0143] Accordingly, the control unit (300) may apply a control signal for turn-on control to the second switching unit (222) from the time point (T1) of the second section (S2).

[0144] In this way, the first switching unit (212) and the second switching unit (222) have different turn-on times, but the turn-on times may overlap during some of the second section (S2).

[0145] For example, the first switching unit (212) and the second switching unit (222) may be turned on during the time point (T1) of the second section (S2) to the buffer time point (T2) of the second storage unit (221).

[0146] In this case, as illustrated in FIG. 7, while the first switching unit (212) is turned on after the second section (S2) at time (T1), the second switching unit (222) is additionally turned on, so that a fluctuation (F) may occur in the voltage of the first storage unit (211) for a certain period of time.

[0147] Meanwhile, the driving circuit (200) may further include one or more driving switching elements (SW1, SW2) that drive each of the first switching unit (212) and the second switching unit (222), as shown in FIG. 10.

[0148] In this case, the control unit (300) may control the turn-on / turn-off of the first switching unit (212) and the second switching unit (222) by applying the control signal to the driving switching element (SW1, SW2) to drive the driving switching element (SW1, SW2).

[0149] As described above, the driving circuit (200) such that when the first section (S1) starts (T0), the first switching unit (212) turns on so that the supply power (Vc) passes through the first node (N1), the first switching unit (212), and the second node (N2) and is supplied to the first storage unit (211) as shown in FIG. 11, and when the second section (S2) starts (T1), the second switching unit (222) turns on so that the supply power (Vc) passes through the first node (N1), the first switching unit (212), and the second node (N2) and is supplied to the first storage unit (211) and the second storage unit (221), respectively, as shown in FIG. 12, and when the second storage unit (221) is fully charged (T2), the first switching unit (212) turns off so that as shown in FIG. 13 The above supply power (Vc) can be supplied to the first storage unit (211) and the second storage unit (221) respectively, passing through the first node (N1), the third node (N3), and the second node (N2).

[0150] In this way, the first switching unit (212) and the second switching unit (222) are turned on / off in the first section (S1) and the second section (S2), so that in the first section (S1), the driving power is charged in the first driving unit (210), and the first driving unit (210) applies the driving power to the trip unit (100), and in the second section (S2), the driving power is charged in the second driving unit (220), and the first driving unit (210) and the second driving unit (220) apply the driving power to the trip unit (100).

[0151] Accordingly, the trip unit (100) can be driven in a dual drive unit manner, so that it can stably respond to an initial overcurrent (short-circuit current) in the initial installation state without using a trip device, and can also safely cut off the line even if a trip occurs during operation.

[0152] Although the driving circuit of the circuit breaker and embodiments of the circuit breaker have been described so far, the described embodiments may be modified in various ways without departing from the scope of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined by the claims set forth below as well as equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. In a driving circuit of a circuit breaker that drives a trip coil of a circuit breaker, A first driving unit that stores a supply power received from a power source during a first section and a second section after the first section as a driving power for driving the trip coil, and supplies the driving power to the trip coil during the first section and the second section; and A driving circuit of a circuit breaker characterized by including a second driving unit that receives the supply power from the power source in the second section, stores it as the driving power, and supplies the driving power to the trip coil in the second section.

2. In Paragraph 1, The above-mentioned first section is, A driving circuit of a circuit breaker characterized by being a section from the point in time when the above-mentioned power supply is first supplied until a point in time corresponding to a certain multiple of the time constant of the above-mentioned first driving unit.

3. In Paragraph 1, The above first driving unit is, A first storage unit that stores the driving power from the start of the first section and supplies the driving power to the trip coil when a trip signal is applied from the control circuit of the circuit breaker; and A driving circuit of a circuit breaker characterized by including a first switching unit that switches the application path through which the supply power is applied between the power supply source and the first storage unit by turning on / off by a control signal applied from the above control circuit.

4. In Paragraph 3, The above-mentioned first switching unit is, A driving circuit of a circuit breaker characterized by being connected in parallel to the circuit between the power supply and the first storage unit.

5. In Paragraph 3, The above-mentioned first switching unit is, A driving circuit of a circuit breaker characterized by switching the application path such that when turned on, the supply power conducts and is applied to the first storage unit, and when turned off, the supply power does not conduct and is applied to the first storage unit.

6. In Paragraph 3, The above-mentioned first switching unit is, A driving circuit of a circuit breaker characterized by turning on from the starting point of the first section to the buffering point of the second driving unit in the second section, and then turning off from the buffering point.

7. In Paragraph 1, The above second driving unit is, A second storage unit that stores the driving power from the start of the second section and supplies the driving power to the trip coil when a trip signal is applied from the control circuit of the circuit breaker; and A driving circuit of a circuit breaker characterized by including a second switching unit that switches the application path through which the supply power is applied between the power supply source and the second storage unit by turning on / off by a control signal applied from the control circuit.

8. In Paragraph 7, The above second storage unit is, A driving circuit of a circuit breaker characterized by including a capacitor of a different capacity than the capacitor included in the first driving unit above.

9. In Paragraph 7, The above second switching unit is, A driving circuit of a circuit breaker characterized by being connected in series to the circuit between the power supply and the second storage unit.

10. In Paragraph 7, The above second switching unit is, A driving circuit of a circuit breaker characterized by switching the application path such that when turned on, the supply power conducts and is applied to the second storage unit, and when turned off, the supply power does not conduct and is not applied to the second storage unit.

11. In Paragraph 7, The above second switching unit is, A driving circuit of a circuit breaker characterized by turning off from the start of the first section to the start of the second section, and then turning on from the start of the second section.

12. A tripping unit that is driven by a driving power source to cut off the line; A driving unit that stores the driving power and supplies the driving power to the trip unit according to a trip signal; and A circuit breaker comprising a control unit that detects the current flowing in the above-mentioned line and applies the trip signal to the above-mentioned driving unit according to the detection result, The above driving unit is, A first storage unit that receives power from a power source during a first section and a second section after the first section and stores it as the driving power, and supplies the driving power to a trip unit when the trip signal is applied during the first section and the second section; and A circuit breaker characterized by including a second storage unit that receives the supply power from the power source during the second section and stores it as the driving power, and supplies the driving power to the trip unit when the trip signal is applied during the second section.

13. In Paragraph 12, The above driving unit is, A first switching unit that switches the application path through which the supply power is applied between the power supply source and the first storage unit by turning on / off by a first control signal applied from the control unit; and A circuit breaker characterized by further including a second switching unit that switches the application path through which the supply power is applied between the power supply source and the second storage unit by turning on / off by a second control signal applied from the control unit.

14. In Paragraph 13, The above-mentioned first switching unit is, After turning on from the start of the first section until the buffering point of the second storage unit in the second section, turning off from the buffering point, The above second switching unit is, A circuit breaker characterized by turning off from the start of the first section to the start of the second section, and then turning on from the start of the second section.

15. In Paragraph 12, The above-mentioned first section is, A circuit breaker characterized by the interval from the point in time when the above-mentioned power supply is first supplied to a point in time corresponding to a certain multiple of the time constant of the above-mentioned first storage unit.

Images