Mechanical Trip Indicator for Air Circuit Breakers
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing air circuit breakers rely on electronic trip indicating mechanisms that may fail to reliably indicate a trip operation if the actuator fails to transfer the control signal mechanically, leading to unreliable trip indications.
Innovation Solution
A mechanical trip indicating mechanism is introduced, which includes a driving force generator and a mechanical trip indicating mechanism that physically indicates a trip operation through a mechanical connection, ensuring reliable indication only when a mechanical trigger signal is generated from the actuator.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If an electronic trip indicating mechanism is used, then the indication can be displayed or stored, but the reliability of trip indication is compromised when the actuator fails to transfer the control signal mechanically
Solution Approach 1:
A mechanical trip indicating mechanism is introduced as an intermediary between the actuator and the user. This mechanism includes a trip indicating rod that is mechanically connected to the actuator through a link mechanism. When the actuator transfers the control signal mechanically to trip the circuit breaker, the link mechanism physically moves the trip indicating rod to provide a visible mechanical confirmation of the trip operation, ensuring reliable indication that cannot be falsified by electronic failures
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the unreliable electronic trip indicating system with a mechanical indication system. The mechanical trip indicating mechanism uses physical linkages and moving parts to provide direct visual feedback of the trip operation status. This mechanical substitution eliminates the risk of electronic failure in the indication system while maintaining the ability to clearly indicate whether a trip has occurred
2Device complexity
If only an electronic control circuit is used for trip indication, then the system complexity is reduced, but the reliability of trip operation confirmation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The trip indication function is segmented into two independent parts: the electronic control circuit that detects faults and generates control signals, and the mechanical trip indicating mechanism that provides visible confirmation of actual trip operation. This segmentation allows the electronic circuit to remain simple while the mechanical indication system independently verifies that the trip operation has actually occurred, preventing false indications without significantly increasing overall system complexity
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
This solution enhances the reliability of trip operation indications, preventing malfunctions and ensuring user safety by providing a mechanical confirmation of the trip operation, thus improving the overall reliability and safety of the air circuit breaker.
Implementation Method 1
an actuator (configured as a solenoid coil actuator, for example) connected to the switching mechanism such that upon receiving a control signal from the overcurrent trip relay, the actuator mechanically transfers the control signal to the switching mechanism
Implementation Method 2
a mechanical trip indicating mechanism capable of mechanically reliably indicating a user of a trip operation of the air circuit breaker having done when an overcurrent trip relay sensed a fault current on a circuit
Data Source
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AI summary
An air circuit breaker having a mechanical trip indicating mechanism, in an air circuit breaker including a switching mechanism (30), an actuator (20) having an output link for providing a mechanical driving force, a first link unit (23) connected between the output link of the actuator and the switching mechanism for applying the mechanical driving force from the output link to the switching mechanism to perform a trip operation, a front surface plate provided with a manipulating unit accessible by a user, the air circuit breaker comprising: a first rotation lever connected to the first link unit, a second link unit (43) limitedly moved by the first rotation lever, a bias spring (65) for applying an elastic biasing force to the second link unit to be moved in one direction, a second rotation lever installed to be rotatable with coming in contact with one end portion of the second link unit, and a mechanical trip indicating mechanism (60) supported by the front surface plate and having an indicating portion exposed to the front surface plate to indicate the tripped state of the air circuit breaker and a driving force receiving portion contacted with the second rotation lever to receive a driving force from the second rotation lever to expose the indicating portion.