1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to circuit breakers, more particularly, relates to a changeable operation mechanism of a circuit breaker.
2. The Related Art
Circuit Breakers are common equipments among low-voltage electrical devices. Circuit breakers include Molded case Circuit Breakers (MCBs) and Air Circuit Breakers (ACBs). Generally, MCBs use manual operation mechanisms and do not have remote operation ability. When remote operation is required, an additional electrical operation mechanism shall be installed to the MCB, the electrical operation mechanism includes an energy storage mechanism and an energy storage motor. Such an electrical operation mechanism is usually installed outside the body of the MCB, so that the height and volume of the MCB is increased. The additional electrical operation mechanism increases the cost of the MCB as well. ACBs usually use electrical operation mechanisms as internal components. The electrical operation mechanism is installed within the shell of the ACB, which will not increase the height and volume of the ACB. The entire cost of ACB is also lower than the cost of a sum of the MCB and the additional electrical operation mechanism.
In actual applications, it is often required that the circuit breakers have both manual operation function and electrical operation function. Therefore, ACBs which only have the electrical operation mechanism are not applicable because ACBs are not able to have the manual operation function. For MCBs, an additional electrical operation is required when the electrical operation function is necessary, which is an obvious disadvantage in usage convenience and usage cost.
The present invention provides a changeable mechanism that is applicable for MCBs. The changeable mechanism allows MCBs to realize convenient change between a manual operation mechanism and an electrical operation mechanism, so as to enhance the usage convenience while reduce the usage cost.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a changeable mechanism is provided, the changeable mechanism comprises a support contact, a connecting rod, a connecting shaft, a cantilever and a changeable component. The support contact is provided with a moving contact therein, the support contact rotates about a shaft to make the moving contact be separated from or in contact with a static contact. The bottom end of the connecting rod is connected to the contact support, the top end of the connecting rod is connected to a cantilever through a connecting shaft. The changeable component is connected to the cantilever through a main shaft, the changeable component acts and drives the cantilever to act through the main shaft, and further drives the contact support to rotate through the connecting shaft and the connecting rod. The rotation of the contact support makes the moving contact and the static contact to be separated from or in contact with each other so as to realize opening or closing of a circuit breaker. The changeable component is a manual operation mechanism or an energy storage mechanism.
In one embodiment, the connecting rod has a dual-plate structure, two plates are connected to each other and has a gap therebetween. The two plates have same shape and same size. Each plate has a rod hole in the bottom, a shaft passes through the rod holes so that the connecting rod is rotatably connected to the contact support 102. On the top of each plate, there is a chute and a circular hole, the chute is connected with the circular hole and the chute extends to the edge of the top end of the plate. The width of the chute is smaller than the diameter of the circular hole.
In one embodiment, the connecting shaft is composed of a square bar in the middle and two obround bars on both sides of the square bar. The cross-section of the obround bar is obround. The width of the obround bar matches with the width of the chute. The length of the obround bar matches with the diameter of the circular hole, and the arc surfaces on both ends of the obround bar match with the circular hole. The width of the square bar matches with the width of the gap between the two plates of the connecting rod.
In one embodiment, the top end of the connecting rod is connected to the connecting shaft, the connecting shaft rotates to make the obround bars on both sides be parallel to the chute and slide along the chute into the circular holes. The connecting shaft rotates to make the obround bars be not parallel to the chute and the obround bars are mounted within the circular holes and are able to rotate therein.
In one embodiment, the cantilever is provided with a square groove in the bottom, and a main shaft hole on the top. The shape and size of the square groove match with the shape and size of the square bar of the connecting shaft. The square bar is secured in the square groove so that the connecting shaft is connected to the cantilever. The thickness of the cantilever equals to the thickness of the square bar. The connecting shaft is connected to the connecting rod. The cantilever and the square bar are embedded into the gap between two plates of the connecting rod.
In one embodiment, contact support rotates to make the moving contact and the static contact be separated from or in contact with each other. The obround bar of the connecting shaft rotates within the circular hole, the rotation range of the obround bar does not include positions that will make the obround bar be parallel to the chute.
In one embodiment, an action stroke of the cantilever driven by the manual operation mechanism through the main shaft, and an action stroke of the cantilever driven by the energy storage mechanism (112) through the main shaft are the same.
In one embodiment, the manual operation mechanism or the energy storage mechanism are mounted on a middle shell of a circuit breaker base. When the changeable component is the energy storage mechanism, an energy storage motor is mounted on the circuit breaker base and is disposed on the same side as the energy storage mechanism.
The changeable operation mechanism of the present invention may realize a convenient switch between a manual operation mechanism and an electrical operation mechanism of a MCB. When a MCB is applied in different applications, its operation mechanism may be changed between a manual operation mechanism and an electrical operation mechanism. The changeable component does not dispose the electrical operation mechanism outside the MCB, so that the height and volume of the MCB is reduced.
The above and other features, natures, and advantages of the invention will be apparent by the following description of the embodiments incorporating the drawings, wherein,
The present invention discloses a changeable operation mechanism, the operation mechanism is able to switch between a manual operation mechanism and an energy storage mechanism (i.e. an electrical operation mechanism). The changeable operation mechanism may be applied to Moulded Case Circuit Breakers (MCBs). The changeable operation mechanism may significantly enhance the usage convenience of the MCBs while keeping the MCBs in small volume and low cost.
Referring to
The contact support 102 is provided with a moving contact 121. The contact support 102 rotates around a shaft 122 so that the moving contact 121 is separated from or in contact with a static contact 104.
A bottom end of the connecting rod 105 is connected to the contact support 102, and a top end of the connecting rod 105 is connected to the cantilever 114 through the connecting shaft 106.
The changeable component is connected to the cantilever 114 through a main shaft 103. The main shaft 103 is inserted into the main shaft hole 115 of the cantilever 114. An action of the changeable component drives the cantilever 114 to act through the main shaft 103, and further drives the contact support to act through the connecting shaft 106 and the connecting rod 105. The moving contact 121 is separated from or in contact with the static contact 104 to realize the opening or closing operation. The changeable component is a manual operation mechanism 101 or an energy storage mechanism 112. During the operations of separation or contacting of the moving contact 121 and the static contact 104, the obround bar 162 of the connecting shaft 106 is rotating within the circular hole 108. However, the rotation range of the obround bar 162 does not include the positions that make the obround bar 162 be parallel to the chute 107, so as to ensure the operative connection of the connecting shaft 106 and the connecting rod 105.
The changeable component may switch between the manual operation mechanism 101 and the energy storage mechanism 112. Both the manual operation mechanism 101 and the energy storage mechanism 112 will drive the cantilever 114 through the main shaft 103, and result in a same stroke of the action of the cantilever 114. So that the components such as the contact support 102, the connecting rod 105, the connecting shaft 106 and the cantilever 114 may be applied to both operation mechanisms.
According to the embodiment shown in
The changeable operation mechanism of the present invention may realize a convenient switch between a manual operation mechanism and an electrical operation mechanism of a MCB. When a MCB is applied in different applications, its operation mechanism may be changed between a manual operation mechanism and an electrical operation mechanism. The changeable component does not dispose the electrical operation mechanism outside the MCB, so that the height and volume of the MCB is reduced.
The above embodiments are provided to those skilled in the art to realize or use the invention, under the condition that various modifications or changes being made by those skilled in the art without departing the spirit and principle of the invention, the above embodiments may be modified and changed variously, therefore the protection scope of the invention is not limited by the above embodiments, rather, it should conform to the maximum scope of the innovative features mentioned in the Claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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201310442315.7 | Sep 2013 | CN | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/CN2014/086923 | 9/19/2014 | WO | 00 |