Motorized Circuit Breaker Snap-Action Contact Closing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional motorized circuit breakers experience slow contact closure, leading to extended arcing and contact degradation, which negatively affects performance.
Innovation Solution
A circuit breaker design featuring a moveable blade with a kicker lever and slider mechanism that enables snap action closing by using a catch lever to prevent progressive closing, allowing the kicker lever to snap release and close the electrical contact quickly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If motorized systems are used to open contacts, then the circuit breaker can be motorized and automated, but the closure speed becomes slow which leads to extended arcing and contact degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The blade is pre-loaded with a biasing force (spring or magnetic) that is stored during the open position and rapidly released during closure. The kickler lever is pre-positioned to engage the blade at the optimal moment, ensuring maximum closure speed without requiring high-speed motors.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from static motorized control to dynamic snap-action closure. The blade moves from a controlled open position to a rapid closed position through the release of stored energy, creating a dynamic closure mechanism that overcomes the speed limitation of motorized systems.
2Ease of operation
If the blade is allowed to progressively close, then the motion is controlled, but the closure is slow and causes extended arcing between contacts
Solution Approach 1:
The kickler lever mechanism allows the blade to skip the intermediate progressive closure positions and rush directly to the closed position. The blade is held in a pre-loaded state and then released to close rapidly, skipping the harmful slow-closure phase that causes arcing.
Solution Approach 2:
The kickler lever acts as an intermediary between the controlled open position and the rapid closed position. It engages the blade at a specific point to trigger the snap-action closure, mediating the transition from controlled to uncontrolled rapid motion while eliminating the harmful intermediate arcing phase.
3Ease of operation
If a kickler lever is used to move the blade to open position, then the opening function is achieved, but additional components increase device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The kickler lever is merged with the existing blade assembly, sharing common mounting points and spatial relationships. The lever integrates with the blade's motion path and the circuit breaker's housing, reducing the need for separate mounting structures and minimizing overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The kickler lever serves multiple functions: it acts as a lever to move the blade, provides a mounting structure for the kickler, and works in conjunction with the biasing member to control the blade's motion. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional dedicated components.
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 design achieves faster and more reliable contact closure, reducing arcing and degradation, and providing improved performance by ensuring instantaneous and uninterrupted contact closure.
Implementation Method 1
a snap action closing mechanism including a moveable blade, a kickler lever, a slider, and a catch lever, wherein the catch lever is configured to allow the slider to decouple from kicker lever
Implementation Method 2
a slider configured to linearly move between at least a first position and a second position
Implementation Method 3
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
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.