Communications: electrical – Condition responsive indicating system – Specific condition
Patent
1997-05-13
1998-12-01
Lefkowitz, Edward
Communications: electrical
Condition responsive indicating system
Specific condition
340638, 340644, 361 87, 361 93, G08B 2100
Patent
active
058444939
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electromechanical switching device with at least one movable contact and respective actuator in a housing and means for contactless switching position recognition. Furthermore, the invention relates to an arrangement including a plurality of such devices.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
In industrial power distribution systems, the operating state is often monitored, in particular the switching position of switching devices, such as on/off or fault triggering, is detected and reported. It is required in a modern system that the switching devices be capable of communicating with monitoring and control devices via a data bus; the operating data must be acquired in a suitable manner for this purpose. In the case of a building system, for example, line protection switches must be provided with a contactless position recognition system, which detects and communicates via a data bus, in particular, the on or off position, overcurrent triggering, short-circuit triggering, and/or other switching states.
In the related art, the switching position is normally detected by mechanically coupled switching devices, such as control switches and/or fault signal switches, mounted, for example, on line protection switches, detecting the on/off position and possible overcurrent or short-circuit fault triggering. Such a mechanical coupling of the switching elements on the mechanism of the switching device to be monitored is accomplished via openings in the switch housing, through which electrically conducting gases, capable of producing electric leakage paths, for example, may exit in the case of a short-circuit such a coupling also increases the actuating force required for switching on the switching device. In addition, in the case of switching, through a contact, small currents and voltages normally used in electronic signal processing, contact problems may appear in the additional switching components due to corrosive effects, which prevents the switching position from being reliably recognized.
The European Patent Application No. 94106336.4 describes a process for detecting switching positions, wherein the current- and voltage-conducting components are coupled to the switching device via a capacitor externally mounted on the switch housing. The signals measured by a capacitive voltage splitter have characteristic shapes for the on and off positions of the switching device and can also be evaluated for overcurrent and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,073 describes a switching device wherein optical and magnetic sensors detect the triggering position of the switch handle from the device front or by backlighting from both sides of the switching handle. Part of the sensors is mounted in the switching cabinet door, so that the triggering function can be detected only with the door closed. Switching positions that cannot be recognized by the position of the switching handle alone cannot be detected and therefore no differentiated switching position detection is possible. Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 4,611,209 describes a switching device wherein the switching handle contains a permanent magnet which, in a certain position, actuates a Reed contact. In this case again only the ON/OFF and switch triggered positions can be detected. With a non-enclosed arrangement of the permanent magnets, there is a contamination hazard, which in practice can result in erroneous indications.
The object of the present invention is to modify an electromechanical switching device in a simple manner, making contactless switching position detection possible.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This object is achieved according to the present invention by providing sensors for detecting switching positions arranged in a separate sensor housing in suitable locations so that the sensor housing for monitoring the switching positions is attached to the side of the switching device housing and no mechanical, optical, or electrical conductor linkage exists from the switching device housing and/or the line conductors co
REFERENCES:
patent: 3634794 (1972-01-01), Verbeke
patent: 4611201 (1986-09-01), Guim et al.
patent: 4706073 (1987-11-01), Masot
patent: 5051861 (1991-09-01), Purkayastha et al.
Heindenrich, W. et al., "Magnetfeldempfindliche Halbleiter-Positionssensoren Awenwendugn, Auswahl und Beispeile", Electronik Industie, No. 5 (1985), pp. 42-52 *.
Jaehner Wilfried
Pohl Fritz
Lefkowitz Edward
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
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