1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air circuit breaker, more particularly, to an apparatus for indicating a closing operable state for an air circuit breaker which is capable of informing a user located at a remote place from the air circuit breaker or a door of a power distributing cage that the air circuit breaker is in a closing operable state and an air circuit breaker having the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
An air circuit breaker can be operated in a state that contactors for conducting or closing a circuit are connected to each other by a switching mechanism, i.e., on state. That is, the switching mechanism of the air circuit breaker can exist in four states, namely, a first state that the contactors are separated (opened) from each other, i.e., off state, and a closing spring is elastically charged, a second state that the contactors are separated from each other and the closing spring is elastically discharged, a third state that the contactors are contacted (connected) with each other and the closing spring is elastically charged, and a fourth state that the contactors are contacted with each other and the closing spring is elastically discharged. The switching mechanism of the air circuit breaker can perform a closing operation only in the first state that the contactors are separated from each other, i.e., off state, and the closing spring is elastically charged.
The four states of the switching mechanism of the air circuit breaker will be described with reference to accompanying drawings.
It will be described with reference to
A switching apparatus of the air circuit breaker shown in
In
A reference numeral 12 designates a cam. The cam can be rotated electrically or manually through a cam shaft that does not have a reference numeral. The cam 12 provides the drive lever 16 with pressure varied according to an outer circumferential surface by coming into contact with a drive lever roller 19 installed at the drive lever 16 so that the drive lever 16 elastically charges the closing spring 11.
A reference numeral 13 designates a closing latch. The closing latch serves to maintain the closing spring 11 in the elastically charged state. To this end, the closing latch 13 is locked by an on lever 14.
A reference numeral 17 designates an on coupling. The on coupling serves to rotatingly move the on lever 14 to a released position of the closing latch 13 by being pressed by a closing button (not shown) or a closing solenoid for an automatic closing manipulation.
A reference numeral 15 designates a link mechanism. When discharging elastically charged elastic energy by the closing spring 11, the link mechanism can be rotated in a counterclockwise direction in
A reference numeral 18 designates a main shaft stopper restricting a rotation of the lever 31 and a main shaft 30 by being installed at one position on a rotational path of the lever 31.
A reference numeral 21 designates an opening spring providing the main shaft 30, a switching shaft, with rotational energy in an opening direction when the switching mechanism 10 is opened manually or automatically, namely, performs a trip operation. A reference numeral 22 designates an open latch locking the opening spring 21 to maintain its state charging elastic energy. Here, only an open lever 23 coming into contact with the open latch 22 to be locked or released can perform the locking operation.
A reference numeral 32 designates a connecting link transmitting a switching driving force from the lever 31 to a movable contactor 33 by being connected between the lever 31 and the movable contactor 33.
The reference numeral 33 designates the movable contactor. And, an upper terminal 34a corresponding to a stationary contactor is fixedly installed facing the movable contactor with being spaced therefrom by a predetermined distance.
When the open lever 23 is rotated manually or automatically in the closed state as shown in
Since the process that the air circuit breaker is changed into the opened state from the closed state is described with reference to
When a cam shaft of the cam is rotated in manual by using a charging handle (not shown) disposed at the front surface of the air circuit breaker or in automatic by using an additional motor (not shown), the drive lever 16 is rotated in a clockwise direction on the drawing by the drive lever roller 19 coming into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the cam. Thus, the closing spring 11 connected to one end of the driver lever 16 is compressed through the spring seat, thereby charging elastic energy.
In the related art, there are no means to inform a state that the air circuit breaker is in a closing operable state. Thus, generally, the air circuit breaker is mechanically configured so that the closing operation cannot be allowed in a state that the contactors are contacted with each other and the closing spring is charged as shown in
Thus, it is required to inform the user that the air circuit breaker is in the closing operable state, and when the user is located at a remote place from the air circuit breaker or the air circuit breaker is mounted in a power distributing cage, it is required to install an apparatus for indicating the closing operable state at an outer door of the power distributing cage so as to inform whether or not the air circuit breaker is in the closing operable state.
Therefore, the present invention is directed to an apparatus for indicating a closing operable state for an air circuit breaker which is capable of informing that the air circuit breaker is in the closing operable state when the air circuit breaker is located at a remote place or mounted in a power distributing cage, and an air circuit breaker having the same.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided an apparatus for indicating a closing operable state for an air circuit breaker comprises a micro switch installed at a switching mechanism providing a driving force for switching contactors, provided with a lever extended into the switching mechanism so as to receive the driving force, generating and outputting an electric signal for indicating that the air circuit breaker is in a closing operable state, and provided with a signal transmitting terminal for transmitting the electric signal to a remote place; and an on coupling pressing the lever of the micro switch so that the micro switch generates and outputs the electric signal only when a closing spring for providing elastic energy for switching the contactors charges elastic energy and the air circuit breaker is opened.
And, there is provided an air circuit breaker having an apparatus for indicating a closing operable state comprising a stationary contactor connected to a circuit, a movable contactor that can be moved to a closing position for conducting the circuit by coming into contact with the stationary contactor or an opening position for disconnecting the circuit by being separated from the stationary contactor, a closing spring providing a driving force for moving the movable contactor to the closing position when discharging charged elastic energy, a switching mechanism transmitting the discharging energy of the closing spring to the movable contactor, a closing latch that can be moved to a locking position for locking the switching mechanism so as to maintain the closing spring in the elastically charged state or a releasing position for releasing the switching mechanism so as to discharge the charged elastic energy, an on lever rotationally driven by coming into contact with the closing latch so as to move the closing latch to the releasing position, a closing button for manually instructing a closing operation, and an on coupling driven by coming into contact with the closing button so as to rotate the on lever. Here, the apparatus for indicating the closing operable state comprises a micro switch installed on a moving path of the on coupling moving to a position where it comes into contact with the on lever and indicating that the air circuit breaker is in the closing operable state with a lever coming into contact with the on coupling moving to the position where it comes into contact with the on lever when the closing spring charges elastic energy and the movable contactor is opened, and a switch operation part installed at the on coupling so as to allow the lever of the micro switch to be pressed so that the micro switch generates and outputs an electric signal when the closing spring charges elastic energy and the movable contactor is opened.
The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention.
In the drawings:
Description will now be given in detail of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
An apparatus for indicating a closing operable state for an air circuit breaker in accordance with the present invention will be described with reference to
As shown in
In the air circuit breaker 1, only when the closing spring 11 providing elastic energy for switching the contactors charges elastic energy and the air circuit breaker 1 is opened, a switch operation part 61 is installed to face the lever 71 of the micro switch 72 so as for the micro switch 72 to generate and output the electric signal and for the on coupling 60 to press the lever 71 of the micro switch 72.
As shown in
The switch case includes a case main body 73 having one opened surface, mounting the micro switch 72 therein and fixable to the switching mechanism 10, and a door 76 by which the opened surface of the case main body 73 can be opened or closed.
Further, the switch case is provided with a locking mechanism 73b1-73b3, 76a1-76a3, 76c, 73d at the door 76 and the case main body 73 corresponding to the door 76 so that the door 76 can maintain its closed state.
The locking mechanism 73b1-73b3, 76a1-76a3, 76c, 73d is composed of locking protrusions 73b1-73b3, 76c and a locking groove 73d or locking openings 76a1-76a3 into which the locking protrusions 73b1-73b3, 76c are inserted. Here, the locking protrusions may be disposed at the door 76 and the locking groove or the locking openings may be disposed at the case main body 73, and vice versa.
In accordance with one embodiment, the locking protrusions 73b1-73b3, 76c include the locking protrusions 73b1-73b3 disposed to correspond to the locking openings 76a1-76a3 formed at three positions, i.e., upper, middle and lower positions, adjacent to an opposite side of a hinge of the door 76, and the lower locking protrusion 76c disposed at an lower end of the door 76.
The micro switch 72 is provided with two screw insertion holes in a diagonal direction at two of upper and lower positions. Each fixing screw is inserted into the two screw insertion holes so as to fix the micro switch 72 to the case main body 73. Here, reference numerals 72a1 and 72a2 designate heads of upper and lower fixing screws.
In order to insert the fixing screw even when the door 76 is closed, upper and lower fixing screw insertions holes 76b1, 76b2 allowing the fixing screws to be inserted thereinto are provided at the door 76.
As shown in
Also, as shown in
And, the case main body 73 includes an opening wall for a lever 73e allowing the lever 71 of the micro switch 72 to be outwardly protruded even when the door 76 is closed, and an opening wall for introducing a signal wire 73c allowing the signal wire (not shown) connected to signal transmitting terminals 75a, 75b of the micro switch 72 to be introduced thereinto.
Referring to
Meanwhile, referring to
The air circuit breaker 1 includes the stationary contactor connected to the circuit and the movable contactor that can be moved to a closing position for conducting the circuit by coming into contact with the stationary contactor or an opening position for disconnecting the circuit by being separated from the stationary contactor.
The stationary contactor and the movable contactor are generally disclosed for the air circuit breaker, thus additional drawings and description about the contactors will be omitted. In
The air circuit breaker 1 includes the closing spring 11 providing the movable contactor with the driving force for moving the closing position when discharging the charged elastic energy, the switching mechanism 10 transmitting the discharged energy of the closing spring 11 to the movable contactor, the closing latch 13, the on lever (not shown, refer to the reference number 14 in
In order to maintain the closing spring 11 in the elastically charged state, the closing latch 13 can be moved to a locking position for locking the switching mechanism 10 or a releasing position for releasing the switching mechanism so as to discharge the charged elastic energy of the closing spring.
The on lever (not shown, refer to the reference numeral 14 in
The closing button (not shown) serves to manually instruct the closing operation.
The on coupling 60 coming into contact with the closing button can be driven to rotate the on lever.
The air circuit breaker in accordance with the present invention includes the micro switch 72 and the switch operation part 61 installed at the on coupling 60 as characteristic components. The micro switch 72 is installed on a moving path of the on coupling 60 moving to a position for coming into contact with the on lever (not shown, refer to the reference numeral 14 in
When the closing spring 11 charges the elastic energy and the movable contactor is opened, the on coupling 60 is provided with the switch operation part 61 pressing the lever 71 of the micro switch 72, the lever 71 allowing the micro switch 72 to generate and output the electric signal.
As shown in
The air circuit breaker in accordance with the present invention further includes the switch case installed on an top plate 80 of the switching mechanism 10 by being formed by an electric insulating material, mounting the micro switch 72 therein and provided with the door 76 that can be opened or closed.
Since the configuration of the switch case shown in
In
Hereafter, an operation of the apparatus for indicating the closing operable state for the air circuit breaker and the air circuit breaker having the same in accordance with the present invention will be described with reference to
When the air circuit breaker is opened and the closing spring charges elastic energy as shown in
The foregoing embodiments and advantages are merely exemplary and are not to be construed as limiting the present disclosure. The present teachings can be readily applied to other types of apparatuses. This description is intended to be illustrative, and not to limit the scope of the claims. Many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The features, structures, methods, and other characteristics of the exemplary embodiments described herein may be combined in various ways to obtain additional and/or alternative exemplary embodiments.
As the present inventive features may be embodied in several forms without departing from the characteristics thereof, it should also be understood that the above-described embodiments are not limited by any of the details of the foregoing description, unless otherwise specified, but rather should be construed broadly within its scope as defined in the appended claims, and therefore all changes and modifications that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims, or equivalents of such metes and bounds are therefore intended to be embraced by the appended claims.
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