Motorized Circuit Breaker Snap-Action Contact Closure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional motorized circuit breakers experience slow closure of contacts due to extended arcing, leading to contact degradation and performance issues.
Innovation Solution
A circuit breaker design featuring a moveable blade, a kicker lever, a slider, and a catch lever, which allows for snap action closure through a mechanism where the slider decouples from the kicker lever, enabling instantaneous contact closure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If motorized systems are used to open contacts, then circuit breaking function is achieved, but closure speed is slow leading to extended arcing and contact degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a static motorized closure mechanism to a dynamic snap-action mechanism. The blade is held in an intermediate position by a catch lever during charging, then releases suddenly to achieve rapid closure. This dynamic transition enables the contacts to close at high speed while still using a motorized system for positioning and charging.
Solution Approach 2:
The motor assembly performs preliminary action by positioning the blade in an intermediate position and charging the spring mechanism before closure. The catch lever holds the blade in this pre-charged state, ready for instantaneous release. This preliminary positioning and energy storage enables the subsequent rapid closure without requiring the motor to drive the entire closure motion.
2Productivity
If conventional motorized mechanisms are used, then circuit opening function is achieved, but closure time is extended causing performance degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic action through the alternating charging and discharging cycles of the spring mechanism. The motor assembly charges the spring during normal operation, and the spring releases energy during closure. This periodic energy storage and release enables rapid closure events without requiring continuous motor operation, reducing closure time and improving operational efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the motor assembly from direct involvement in the closure motion. The motor only performs the preliminary positioning and charging functions, while the spring-catch lever mechanism handles the actual rapid closure. This separation extracts the time-consuming motor-driven motion from the closure process, achieving fast closure and improved productivity.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the blade is biased to closed position, then normal operation is maintained, but arc damage occurs during opening due to slow separation
Solution Approach 1:
The opening mechanism uses dynamic snap-action through the kicker lever and catch lever interaction. When the kicker lever releases, the blade suddenly transitions from the intermediate position to fully open, achieving rapid separation. This dynamic opening motion minimizes arcing time and reduces arc damage to contacts, while the biasing member maintains contact stability during normal closed-position operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design facilitates fast and reliable contact closure, reducing arc damage and improving performance by preventing progressive closure, thus enhancing fault analysis and operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a biasing member configured to bias the slider to the first position
Implementation Method 2
a kicker lever having or connected to a kicker. The kicker can be configured to contact the blade to move the blade to the open position
Implementation Method 3
a catch lever configured to catch and hold the kicker lever to prevent the kicker lever from allowing the blade to move toward the closed position
Data Source
AI summary
A circuit breaker can include a moveable electrical contact configured to be moved between an open position and a closed position, and a lever assembly configured to prevent the progressive closing of the moveable electrical contact to the closed position such that the lever assembly is configured to cause snap action closing of the moveable electrical contact at a charged position of a motorized slider.