Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Interlocking – Drawout-type switchgear
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-29
2001-09-18
Friedhofer, Michael (Department: 2832)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Interlocking
Drawout-type switchgear
C200S308000, C200S400000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06291783
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an electrical switchgear apparatus comprising a fixed frame and a circuit breaker movable in the fixed frame between a plugged-out position and a plugged-in position, the circuit breaker comprising at least one pair of main contact means at least one of which is movable and can take with respect to the other a closed position corresponding to electrical conduction and an open position corresponding to breaking.
The Patent application FR-A-2,416,575 describes a switchgear apparatus of this type comprising in addition a state indicating device with an input terminal, a first output terminal and operating means designed to electrically connect the input terminal and the first output terminal when the circuit breaker is in an indexed position with respect to the frame—i.e. the plugged-in position—and that the circuit breaker main contacts are in their closed state. The state indicating device comprises a junction unit secured to the frame and a kinematic link with the main contact means of the circuit breaker. The junction unit comprises the input terminal and the output terminal, which are connected as a bridge by a corresponding pair of movable contacts securedly united and connected to one another. According to the position given to the pair of movable contacts, the bridge is conducting or not. The kinematic link comprises a lever pivoting around a spindle secured to the frame of the switchgear, one end of which acts on the pair of movable contacts of the junction unit and the other end of which is shaped as a fork which engages in a crank secured to the main movable contact means of the circuit breaker when the circuit breaker reaches its plugged-in position. When the circuit breaker is not in its plugged-in position, the lever is not biased by the crank and is blocked in a rest position by a slide. When the slide reaches the plugged-in position, it is repelled by a stop securedly affixed to the circuit breaker and releases the lever. The position of the lever is then imposed by that of the crank: if the main contact means are open, the crank is in a position such that the lever remains in its rest position. When the main contact means are reclosed, the crank pivots driving the lever which modifies the position of the pair of movable contacts of the junction unit.
To modify the choice of the indexed position, the size of the lever can be modified in such a way that cooperation with the crank begins earlier, for example in the test position in which the main terminals of the circuit breaker are separated whereas auxiliary terminals of control circuits of the circuit breaker are connected. In this case, the information supplied by the junction unit is different: the bridge is conducting if the Circuit breaker is situated somewhere between its test position and its plugged-in position and if at the same time the main contact means are closed.
The indicating device therefore has limited functions: it is not designed for example to deliver information characteristic of the fact that the circuit breaker is in the test and closed position. Moreover, it is bulky, which limits its use in practice. Indeed, today it is required to be able to meet various user requirements, and in particular to be able to juxtapose different state indicating devices giving different information on the state of the switchgear apparatus: one for example on the fact that the circuit breaker is closed and plugged-in; another on the fact that the circuit breaker is in the test and closed position; another on the fact that the circuit breaker is situated between the plugged-out position and the test and open position. With the device of the prior state of the technique, such a juxtaposition would involve a multiplicity of kinematic links, and therefore levers of large dimensions. Such a device would be too bulky, too fragile and too costly. Furthermore, the device described up to now does not enable the state indicating device to be positioned with sufficient freedom with respect to the frame. However all the auxiliary contacts of a frame, of which the indicating device is a part, are now required to be disposed on a single terminal block, which in practice imposes positioning constraints incompatible with the architecture described.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The purpose of the invention is therefore to overcome the drawbacks of the state of the technique and in particular to achieve an extractable switchgear apparatus of the previous type comprising an integrated state indicating device of small dimensions, which is inexpensive and enables varied uses, without jeopardizing the main quality of the prior device, i.e. its reliability.
According to the invention, this problem is solved by means of an electrical switchgear apparatus comprising a fixed frame, a circuit breaker movable in the fixed frame between a plugged-out position and a plugged-in position, a reversible plug-in and plug-out mechanism of the circuit breaker, able to take a plurality of positions, a movable means for detecting one of the positions of the mechanism or of the circuit breaker, called the “indexed position”, or respectively an interval of positions of the mechanism or circuit breaker, called the “indexed position interval”, able to take an active position if and only if the mechanism or circuit breaker is situated in said indexed position, respectively within said indexed position interval, the circuit breaker comprising at least one pair of main contact means able to take a closed position corresponding to electrical conduction and an open position corresponding to breaking, the switchgear apparatus in addition comprising a movable means for detecting one of said positions of the pair of main contact means, called the “indexed position”, able to take an active position If and only if the pair of main contact means is located in said indexed position, and a state indicating device comprising an input terminal “e”, a first output terminal “s
1
” and means designed to electrically connect the input terminal and the first output terminal if and only if the means for detecting the position of the circuit breaker and the means for detecting the position of the pair of main contact means are both in their active position, the state indicating device comprising a first switch connected to the means for detecting the position of the plug-in and plug-out mechanism, a second switch connected to the means for detecting the position of the pair of main contact means, and an electrical circuit connected between the first switch, the second switch and the terminals “e”, “s
1
” of the state indicating device, each of the two switches comprising an input, a first output and a switching means able to take a first position in which it electrically connects the input of the switch to the first output of the switch, the switching means being kinematically connected to the corresponding detecting device in such a way that the switching means is in its first position if and only if the corresponding detecting means is in its active position. Due to the two switches, it is possible to make the mechanical state of the movable detecting means correspond to a state of the electrical connection circuit. The circuit connecting the two switches and the terminals of the state indicating device enable information to be conveyed between the two detecting devices in the form of an electrical signal, and the lever of the prior art to be therefore eliminated.
Preferably, the input of one of the two switches, called the line-side switch, is connected to the input terminal of the state indicating device, the first output of the other switch, called the load-side switch, is connected to the first output terminal of the state indicating device, and the first output of the line-side switch is connected to the input of the load-side switch. This arrangement enables the logic “AND” function sought for to be achieved in particularly simple and reliable manner.
Preferably, the state indicating device comprises a first case com
Grelier Claude
Joubert Jacques
Nebon Jean-Pierre
Nereau Jean-Pierre
Friedhofer Michael
Square D. Company
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