This application is a § 371 national stage entry of International Application No. PCT/EP2017/000604, filed May 19, 2017, which claims priority to Italian Patent Application No. 102016000051784, filed May 19, 2016, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a compact interlocked electrical socket.
The present invention relates in particular to an industrial socket that is compliant with the EN60309-1 EN60309-2 standard, which is provided with a circuit breaker and a mechanical interlock, in compliance with the EN 60309-4 standard; however, it is evident to the person skilled in the art that the present invention can be applied advantageously also to sockets provided according to other standards or outside of the standards.
As is known, in order to ensure the safety of the operators and the integrity of all apparatuses with high absorption levels, an interlocked socket incorporates a locking device, of a mechanical or electrical type or a combination thereof, which is connected to an electric circuit breaker, which is constituted very often by a rotary switching apparatus, in order to ensure that the plug cannot be inserted or removed in the presence of voltage.
Conventional interlocked sockets generally have considerably larger dimensions than simple sockets having similar electrical characteristics, in order to be able to accommodate the breaker of the electric circuit, the member for actuating it and the device for the mechanical locking of the plug.
GB208081 discloses a plug connector combined with an electric switch. Two contact carrying discs are coupled together on inserting the plug which latter is turned to close the circuit and retained in this position by a detent engaging a pin of the plug; upon withdrawing the plug the lower disc is released and opens the circuit and the detent and upper disc are then released in turn. The plug has three pins, one longer than the others. The pins enter bushed holes in an upper disc carrying contact arms in connection with the bushes and normally pressed into two spring jaws on a second disc. The pin enters a hole in the disc and when the plug is turned both discs are carried around so that contact blades connected to the contact jaws on the disc are inserted into terminal jaws on the base and close the circuit. Springs controlling each disc are strained in this movement and a spring controlled detent on a part and arranged between the discs engages the pin and locks it and the discs against rotation.
The aim of the present invention is to provide an interlocked electrical socket that has an extremely more compact structure compared to the interlocked sockets of the prior art.
Within the scope of this aim, an object of the invention is to provide a compact interlocked electrical socket that can be used as an inline socket.
Another object of the invention is to provide a compact interlocked electrical socket that can be mounted on a wall or on an electrical panel, occupying an extremely reduced space with respect to a conventional interlocked socket.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a compact interlocked electrical socket that is capable of complying with the most widespread rules and standards.
Another object is to provide a compact interlocked electrical socket that is easy and simple to use.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a socket which, by virtue of its particular constructive characteristics, is capable of giving the greatest assurances of reliability and safety in use.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a structure that can be provided easily by using commonly commercially available elements and materials and is furthermore competitive from an economic standpoint.
This aim and these and other objects which will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by a compact interlocked electrical socket as claimed in the appended claims.
Further characteristics and advantages will become better apparent from the description of preferred but not exclusive embodiments of the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
With reference to the cited figures, the compact interlocked electrical socket according to the invention, globally designated by the reference numeral 1, includes a containment body 2 having a plurality of seats 3 for respective receptacles adapted to receive the pins of a plug, which is not shown in the figures.
The seats 3 are provided in a cylindrical part 4 which is accommodated in the containment body 2 in which a central body 5 is also engaged which acts as a support for a plurality of contact chains 6.
Each contact chain 6 includes a receptacle 7, having a corresponding downstream fixed contact 8, and a terminal 9, having a respective upstream fixed contact 10.
The fixed contacts 8 and 10 are placed in mutual electrical contact by means of a movable contact 11.
The socket also includes a contact chain 61 for ground connection, which is constituted by a receptacle 71 which is connected to a terminal 91 by means of a blade 89 without discontinuity.
In each contact chain 6, the upstream fixed context 10 is connected to the power source and the downstream fixed contact 8 is connected to the load.
The movable contact 11 is pressed by a spring 12 in contrast with a movable mechanical device and can be brought into contact alternately with the fixed contacts 8 and 10 or spaced from them.
In the embodiment shown in the figures, in each contact chain 6, the upstream fixed contact 10 is connected to the respective terminal 9, to which a power supply cable, not shown in the figures, is wired, while the downstream contact 8 is connected to the receptacle 7, i.e., to the female contact of the socket 1.
The upstream contacts 10 and the downstream contacts 8 are arranged along a circumference.
The poles can be two, three or four, in addition to the ground, which is a through ground and is not disconnected.
The contact chains 6 of the various poles allow an advantageous execution of the closure and opening of the contacts by means of the movement of the movable contacts 11.
Each movable contact 11 slides in a seat which makes the movable contact 11 move exclusively in a radial direction.
Each movable contact 11 is accommodated in a contact holder 13, which has the triple purpose of sliding along the seat, accommodating the spring 12 and sliding against a cam 14.
The movable contact 11 is kept pressed by the spring 12, which pushes it toward the fixed contacts 8 and 10.
The contrast spring 12 is calibrated so that when the contact is closed it provides the correct contact pressure between the movable contacts 11 and each fixed contact 8, 10.
The opening operation is performed by the cams 14 provided on a cam disk 15.
The cam disk 15 rotates through a preset angle. The rotation of the cam disk 15, which is limited by stroke limiters constituted by mechanical abutments, causes the back and forth translation of each contact holder 13 and with it of the respective movable contact 11. The term “forward” means that the
The rotary motion for the actuation of the cam disk 15 is transmitted by an external member which is constituted by a switching ring 16 which is held and rotated.
The switching ring 16 contributes to constitute the enclosure of the socket and ensures the hermetic tightness, “IP rating”, with an appropriate gasket system.
Transmission of the motion between the switching ring 16, which is actuated by hand, and the internal cam disk 15 can occur in two manners.
The simplest manner is that the two components are mutually integrally coupled; in this case the motion of the ring coincides with the motion of the internal cams.
A second manner, which is more advantageous from a functional standpoint, allows a so-called “independent switching” of the breaker in which there is no relation between the speed of the external switching, imposed by the hand, and the speed of movement of the contacts.
This second manner is the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
The switching ring 16 is provided with pusher members 17 which, when the ring rotates, begin to compress two switching springs 18 which are accommodated in the cam disk 15, which is initially coupled and unable to rotate.
The rotation of the switching ring 16, in view of the constraint of the cam disk 15, compresses progressively the switching springs 18.
The rotation of the cam disk 15 is prevented by a system of lugs 19, which engage slots 20 provided in the central body 5, which is a fixed part of the socket 1.
A pair constituted by a lug 19 and a slot 20 locks the cam disk 15 in a “0” position, i.e., in the open contact position, while the second pair constituted by the lug 19 and the slot 20 blocks the cam disk 15 in the “1” position, i.e., in the closed contact position.
The rotation of the switching ring 16, in the absence of the rotation of the cam disk 15, produces a progressive compression of the switching springs 18 until, when a given rotation angle has been reached, brackets 21 formed within the switching ring 12 extract the lug 19 of the cam disk 15 from the corresponding slot 20.
At this point the cam disk 15, which is no longer constrained and pressed by the switching springs 18 at their point of maximum compression, rotates at a speed that is determined by forces and frictions but not by the hand of the operator, the movement of which has by now ended.
Pushed by the switching springs 18, the cam disk 15 rotates rapidly until it arrives at a mechanical stop.
The rotation of the cam disk 15, as described above, actuates the movable contacts 11 by means of the cams 14.
In its final position, the second lug 19 engages the second slot 20. This engagement prevents the rotation of the cam disk 15 in the opposite direction when one proceeds with the reverse switching.
The opening and closing switching is perfectly symmetrical.
According to the present invention, the socket 1 also has a mechanical socket/plug interlock, which has the dual function of preventing the actuation of the breaker in ON mode, if the plug is not inserted, and of preventing the extraction of the plug if the breaker is in the ON mode.
As in conventional interlocked sockets, the interlock system makes the following sequences mandatory: inserting the plug and then operating the breaker to the ON position, in order to perform the electrical connection, and operating the breaker in the OFF position and extracting the pin, in order to break the electrical connection.
The interlock system includes a slider 22 with a return spring 23 which is arranged in the interspace between the cylindrical part 4 and the enclosure 2.
When the plug is extracted, the slider 22 is in the position in which the return spring 23 is extended.
As can be seen in
When the plug is inserted, its annular part 100, shown in dashes, presses against the slider 22, making it shift and compressing the return spring 23. Once the shifting has been completed, the internal head 25 disengages from the contrast member 25 of the switching ring 16, allowing its rotation and consequently the actuation of the breaker to the ON mode.
The interlock system also includes a hook 26, which is formed in the switching ring 16 and is adapted to interact with a lug 101 provided on the plug, which has standardized dimensions and positions.
As described above, when the plug is inserted it is possible to rotate the switching ring 16 to the breaker ON position. This rotation moves the hook 26 to a position that traps the lug 101, as visible in
The switching ring 16 contributes to form the enclosure of the socket, which must protect the electrical contacts from the penetration of liquids and solids (“IP” rating). This function is obtained by means of gaskets 27 which are arranged between the switching ring 16 and the core of the socket.
In the use of the interlocked socket as an inline socket, the socket assembly is associated with a grip 28, shown with broken lines in
The socket assembly, without the grip 28, can be mounted on a wall or on an electrical panel by means of adapted systems of flanges and sliders.
In practice it has been found that the invention achieves the intended aims and objects, an interlocked electrical socket having being provided which is extremely more compact than traditional interlocked sockets and at the same time is easy to use.
This application claims the priority of Italian Patent Application No. UA2016A003614 (corresponding to No. 102016000051784), filed on May 19, 2016, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
102016000051784 | May 2016 | IT | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/EP2017/000604 | 5/19/2017 | WO | 00 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2017/198338 | 11/23/2017 | WO | A |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20190067887 A1 | Feb 2019 | US |