Toggle Link Extension Portions Prevent Air Circuit Breaker Collision

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional air circuit breakers suffer from deformation and damage of toggle links due to interference and uneven assembly, leading to operational deviations and reduced lifespan, especially during charging and closing operations.

Innovation Solution

The switching mechanism incorporates toggle links with extension portions to prevent collision between links, ensuring proper alignment and operation by positioning the first link between plate members of the second link, thereby maintaining the balance and integrity of toggle links during charging, closing, and opening operations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional toggle links are used without extension portions, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability deteriorates due to interference and deformation between links during operation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperational reliabilityVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The toggle link is divided into multiple plate members (first plate member and second plate member) with an extension portion connecting them. This segmentation allows the first link to be positioned between the plate members, preventing direct contact and interference between adjacent links while maintaining structural integrity and reducing deformation during charging and closing operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Object-affected harmful factors

If toggle links are positioned closer together to reduce space, then the device complexity is reduced, but the harmful factors increase due to collision and interference between links

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinterference between linksVSAvoidspace occupation
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The extension portion extends in a direction perpendicular to the main body of the toggle link, utilizing spatial arrangement in another dimension. This allows the first link to be interposed between the first and second plate members of the second link, effectively preventing collision and interference while occupying minimal space within the circuit breaker structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Manufacturing precision

If the toggle link structure is simplified without extension portions, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the manufacturing precision deteriorates due to uneven assembly and deformation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvealignment precisionVSAvoidassembly difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The extension portion acts as an intermediary element between the first link and the second link. It provides a fixed spatial reference that ensures proper alignment and positioning of the first link between the plate members, thereby improving manufacturing precision and reducing uneven assembly issues without significantly complicating the manufacturing process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP1939903B1Switching mechanism for air circuit breaker and toggle links thereof
Publication Date: 2010.05.12 LG INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CO LTD
  • EP1939903B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP1939903B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP1939903B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Disclosed are a switching mechanism for an air circuit breaker, and toggle links thereof capable of preventing interference or collision therebetween while the air circuit breaker performs a closing operation and an opening operation. The toggle links comprise: a first link (29) configured to be rotatable; a second link (34) having one end connected to the first link, rotatable by a discharging elastic energy of a closing spring, and having one pair of extension portions (55) extended towards the first link so as to prevent interference with the first link by interposing the first link therebetween; and a third link (35) having one end connected to the second link, and rotated together with the second link, for moving the movable contactor to the closing position.