Telescopic Pump Reset Lever for Air Circuit Breakers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ACB circuit breakers with reset levers are ergonomically poor, leading to increased risk of accidental damage or injury due to their protruding design, and require significant force for operation, often necessitating auxiliary motors for high amperage circuits.
Innovation Solution
A telescopic pump reset lever with a central rod and sliding sleeve that deploys from a retracted position to a longer, ergonomic position, reducing the force needed for resetting and allowing manual operation without the need for motors, while being stored within the circuit breaker's casing to maintain compactness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a single long piece lever is used for resetting, then the lever arm length is sufficient to reduce operating force, but the lever protrudes from the casing increasing risk of accidental damage or injury
Solution Approach 1:
The lever transitions from a static fixed length to a dynamic variable length through telescopic sections. The lever can extend to full length during operation to provide sufficient lever arm for reducing operating force, then retract to a shorter length when stored in the recess to eliminate the protruding hazard. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between needing long lever arm for ease of operation and needing short protrusion for safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The lever employs nested telescopic sections where one lever segment is inserted within another. The lever consists of a first section and a second section that telescopes relative to the first, allowing the lever to compact into a shorter configuration when not in use while maintaining full extended length when needed for operation. This nesting mechanism allows the lever to adapt its length to different operational states.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the lever is made shorter to avoid protrusion, then safety risk is reduced, but the lever arm length decreases requiring more force for operation
Solution Approach 1:
The lever transitions from a static fixed length to a dynamic variable length through telescopic sections. The lever can extend to full length during operation to provide sufficient lever arm for reducing operating force, then retract to a shorter length when stored in the recess to eliminate the protruding hazard. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between needing long lever arm for ease of operation and needing short protrusion for safety.
3Ease of operation
If the lever is made longer to improve ergonomics and reduce operating force, then ease of operation improves, but the lever protrudes more from the casing
Solution Approach 1:
The lever transitions from a static fixed length to a dynamic variable length through telescopic sections. The lever can extend to full length during operation to provide sufficient lever arm for reducing operating force, then retract to a shorter length when stored in the recess to eliminate the protruding hazard. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between needing long lever arm for ease of operation and needing short protrusion for safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The lever is given the ability to change its effective dimension (length) based on operational needs. By incorporating telescopic sections, the lever can extend in the dimensional direction when needed for operation and retract when not in use. This dimensional adaptability allows the lever to optimize its length for different states, resolving the contradiction between needing long length for ergonomics and short length for compact storage.
4Ease of operation
If a telescopic lever with sliding sleeve is used to improve ergonomics, then the lever arm can be extended, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lever is divided into separate telescopic sections (first section and second section) that can move independently relative to each other. This segmentation allows the lever to extend and retract while maintaining structural integrity. The division into sections enables the telescopic functionality without requiring a completely different lever design, thus managing complexity through modular segmentation.
Solution Approach 2:
The lever employs nested telescopic sections where one lever segment is inserted within another. The lever consists of a first section and a second section that telescopes relative to the first, allowing the lever to compact into a shorter configuration when not in use while maintaining full extended length when needed for operation. This nesting mechanism allows the lever to adapt its length to different operational states.
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 telescopic design enhances ergonomics, reduces the force required for resetting, and eliminates the need for auxiliary motors, providing a safer and more compact solution for high amperage circuit breakers.
Implementation Method 1
the stopper is made in the form of a cylindrical axis also serving as an axis of rotation for pivoting said sliding sleeve in a plane perpendicular to the pivoting plane of the pump reset lever
Implementation Method 2
the telescopic rod is made in the form of a central rod covered with a sleeve sliding on said central rod
Data Source
Figure 1a~1c
Figure 2a~2c
Figure 3a~3c
AI summary
The present invention relates to an ACB (air circuit breaker)-type circuit breaker, primarily consisting of electromechanical elements for tripping and resetting a lock and provided with a pump-action reset lever (1), this circuit breaker taking the general shape of a housing enclosing said electromechanical elements, the front face of which housing has a compartment (2) in the shape of a long and narrow groove accommodating said pump-action reset lever (1), characterized in that the pump-action reset lever (1) has a telescopic rod (3) that can be deployed from a retracted position in which it is accommodated by the compartment (2) to a deployed position out of said compartment (2) when it is actuated for pumping. The invention more particularly applies to the field of electrical installations.