Multi-Modular Circuit Breaker Contact Carrier Rigid Linking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Multimodular electrical switching devices face challenges in meeting safety standards due to insufficient overall rigidity during sectioning tests, particularly in tetramodular devices, where contact sticking can occur, leading to torsional forces and maladjustments, and existing solutions like additional connecting pieces are cumbersome and not suitable for larger devices.
Innovation Solution
Integration of breakable rigid connecting means between contact carriers, where a male part on one carrier cooperates with a female part on an adjacent carrier, forming a rigid block that absorbs stresses during disconnection, reducing torsion and enhancing mechanical strength without additional parts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If additional connecting pieces are added to increase rigidity, then mechanical strength is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the rigid connecting means directly into the contact carriers themselves, merging the function of connection into the existing structural components. The male and female parts are formed as integral features of the contact carriers, eliminating the need for separate connecting pieces and reducing device complexity while maintaining the required mechanical strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact carriers are designed with universal male and female connecting parts that can be integrated into any contact carrier within the multi-modular device. This multi-functional design allows the same structural features to serve both the electrical contact function and the mechanical connection function, reducing the need for additional specialized components.
2Stability of the object's composition
If additional connecting pieces are added to increase rigidity, then torsional resistance is improved, but manufacturing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid connecting means are merged into the contact carriers as integral features. The male and female connecting parts are formed during the same manufacturing process as the contact carriers themselves, eliminating separate assembly steps and reducing manufacturing time while providing the necessary torsional resistance.
3Strength
If additional connecting pieces are added to increase rigidity, then mechanical robustness is improved, but installation difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting means are merged into the contact carriers, which are already integral parts of the modular device architecture. This eliminates the need for additional installation steps to add connecting pieces, as the rigid connection capability is already built into the contact carriers during manufacturing, simplifying the installation process while maintaining mechanical robustness.
4Reliability
If the operating member is made more rigid to prevent torsion, then contact sticking detection is improved, but stress on connecting parts increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the rigid connection function into distributed male and female connecting parts integrated into each contact carrier, rather than relying solely on the operating member's rigidity. This segmentation allows the torsional forces to be distributed across multiple connection points, reducing the stress on any single connecting part while maintaining the overall rigidity needed for reliable contact sticking detection.
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~6
AI summary
The apparatus comprises modules, where each module comprises a control lever cooperating with a moveable contact holder (5a-5d) driven by a mechanical lock and by a unit for restoring the contact holder towards or away from a fixed contact. The control levers are linked by a single operating member. Rigid linking units are provided between the adjacent contact holders. Each of the rigid linking unit comprises a rigid male part belonging to the first contact holder cooperating without any degree of freedom with a female part belonging to the contact holder adjacent to the first contact holder. The apparatus comprises modules, where each module comprises a control lever cooperating with a moveable contact holder (5a-5d) driven by a mechanical lock and by a unit for restoring the contact holder towards or away from a fixed contact. The control levers are linked by a single operating member. Rigid linking units are provided between the adjacent contact holders. Each of the rigid linking unit comprises a rigid male part belonging to the first contact holder cooperating without any degree of freedom with a female part belonging to the contact holder adjacent to the first contact holder. The male parts are sectile, and comprise strips (10a-10d) fitted in slits (11a-11d) consisting of the female parts. The rigid linking units are localized and leveled with lateral walls of each contact holder. Each contact holder is equipped the sectile strip covering one of the two lateral walls and the slit arranged in the other lateral wall. The sectile strips prolong a pin orthogonally extending from one of the lateral walls. A lower surface of the pin performs a mechanical connection between the apparatus and an adjacent apparatus placed on a same line. The strips are L-shaped and comprise two sectile zones to detach the strips from the contact holders. The first zone is connected to the pin. The second zone is fixed directly at one of the lateral walls.