Electrical transmission or interconnection systems – Switching systems – Condition responsive
Patent
1997-11-24
1999-04-06
Gaffin, Jeffrey
Electrical transmission or interconnection systems
Switching systems
Condition responsive
745015R, 745005, H01H 3500
Patent
active
058923012
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a mechanical AND element for mutual locking of multiple power switches.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
German Patent No. 44 09 172 A1 describes a mechanical AND element in which Bowden cables are prestressed by springs with respect to a coupling carriage. The device described therein requires that the spring forces be adjusted accurately.
German Patent No. 36 11 020 A1 describes another AND element, similar to the AND element described above, in which flexible transmission members are designed as wire trip elements that transmit compressive forces. The coupling carriage is displaced by a wire trip element for a first input signal and also serves as a carrier of the wire trip element for the second input signal. In this way, a complete stroke occurs at the output of the AND element only when both input signals are present. This type of operation, however, requires that the wire trip element for the second input signal be carried displaceably. Furthermore, careful adjustment of all wire trip elements is required to ensure that the wire trip element for the output signal is properly actuated and therefore that the desired action takes place only with a full stroke of the two wire trip elements for the input signals. For this reason, with the AND element described therein, a stepped intermediate lever is provided between the coupling carriages and the wire trip element for the output signal to change the transmission ratio.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a mechanical AND element for mutual locking of three power switches in which each power switch is provided with a flexible transmission member, where two of the transmission members can be actuated as a function of the position of the respective power switch in the sense of an input signal to be supplied to the AND element, and the remaining transmission member can be actuated by simultaneous actuation of the first two transmission members in the sense of an output signal to be transmitted to the third power switch. The AND element has a carrier as well as a coupling carriage that is mobile relative to the carrier. Each flexible transmission member has a sheath and a Bowden cable that is displaceable in the sheath, with the carrier being designed as a stop to support the sheaths. The transmission members are connected to the carrier so that the Bowden cables enter the AND element with parallel longitudinal axes. For connection with the coupling carriage, each Bowden cable is provided with a driver ring. The coupling carriage is designed as a beam running across the longitudinal axes of the Bowden cables and accommodating the driver rings of the Bowden cables with a mutual spacing. The Bowden cable transmitting the output signal is connected to the coupling carriage in the outside position, while the Bowden cable for one of the input signals is connected to the coupling carriage approximately at the center, and the Bowden cable provided for the remaining input signal is connected to the coupling carriage opposite the Bowden cable transmitting the output signal. The Bowden cables provided for the input signals are arranged with opposite directions of action.
An object of the present invention is to simplify the design of a mechanical AND element and ensure reliable operation. In accordance with the present invention, the driver ring works together with the coupling carriage in the sense of a free-wheeling coupling so that only tensile forces can be transmitted between the coupling carriage and the Bowden cables. In the non-actuated idle state of the AND element, the driver ring of the Bowden cable that is connected to the coupling carriage in the center position and the driver ring of the Bowden cable for the output signal are engaged with the coupling carriage, while the driver ring of the Bowden cable in the outer position for one input signal is opposite the coupling carriage with a distance so that the coupling carriage can be pivoted about the driver ring of the Bowden cable m
REFERENCES:
patent: 4788453 (1988-11-01), Bohnen et al.
patent: 5138898 (1992-08-01), Pospisil et al.
Gaffin Jeffrey
Garlepp Edwin D.
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
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