Installation switchgear having a spring-loaded terminal arrangement

ES 2 396 166 T3

DESCRIPTION

Installation switching apparatus with a spring loaded terminal arrangement

The invention relates to an installation switching apparatus with a spring-loaded terminal arrangement according to the preamble of claim 1.

Installation switching devices of the type indicated at the beginning can be, for example, line protection switches, fault current protection switches, motor protection switches or selective main line protection switches. Normally, a tool is required to open the spring-loaded terminals, with which pressure is exerted on the spring leaf. The spring-loaded terminal arrangement itself is thus very simply designed, but an additional control opening must be provided in the housing of the switchgear of the plant and handling is complicated by the tool. necessary for the insertion and removal of the connecting conductor.

In order to be able to reconnect and remove a connecting conductor without tool at the spring-loaded terminals of the type indicated at the beginning, it is necessary that the arrangement of spring-loaded terminals comprises a means for activating the spring, with which an operator can open spring loaded termination if necessary by exerting pressure on the spring blade. The closure of the terminal is carried out by itself by virtue of the restoring spring force of the spring leaf when the pressure on the spring leaf is removed.

Document EP 1 213 791 B1 shows a spring-loaded terminal arrangement, comprising a control lever for the spring leaf, with a cage-type spring leaf, which forms a triangular developing loop at the rounded corners, the two end sections being directed exactly perpendicular to each other, and with an electrically conductive terminal, on which the first end section of the spring sheet is placed, and wherein an opening passes through the sheet. The blade control lever is mechanically connected with the terminal, and a guide means for the control lever is positioned on the terminal. The guide means allow the lever to be kept in constant contact with the spring leaf. The lever rests, when the spring blade is not biased, on the culminating section of the spring blade.

In this case, the advantage of ease of toolless handling is achieved at the expense of the disadvantage of a complicated configuration of the spring-loaded terminal arrangement.

Document US 6 341 989 B1 shows a connection terminal for mounting on a printed circuit board, with a spring-loaded terminal and a spring-loaded activation lever, the two lever arms of which form a right angle to each other, and whose control arm rests in the flat rest position on the narrow side of the terminal housing. For manual actuation of the control arm, only a small projection is available at the free end of the control arm, which makes manual operation difficult.

Document EP 1 296 413 A1 similarly shows a connection terminal for mounting on a printed circuit board, with a spring-loaded terminal and with a spring-actuated lever, the control arm of which is supported in the off position. rest in a cavity on the narrow side of the terminal housing and is thus flush with the narrow side, and for its activation a tool must be inserted, for example a screwdriver, in a hook-shaped appendix at the free end the control arm.

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to create a switching apparatus of the type indicated at the beginning, in which with a conventional spring-loaded terminal arrangement, configured in a simple way, the control arm and in this way a connecting conductor can be inserted and removed.

The task is solved by means of a switching device of the installation of the type indicated at the beginning with the characteristic features of claim 1.

According to the invention, the control arm is, in the rest position, perpendicular to the narrow side and is flush with the rear front side of the housing.

The switching device of the plant according to the invention has the advantage of simple manual operation. Through the vertically spaced control arm, it is easy to firmly grasp the control arm and use its lever action to open the spring loaded spring. In addition, the control arm acts, in the configuration according to the invention, at the same time as a closure of the space for receiving the terminals in the region of the transition from the rear front side to the rear narrow side. Furthermore, it is advantageous that the spring activation means are separate from the terminal and are housed in the housing. The terminal itself can therefore be configured very simply. For the provision of the means of

ES 2 396 166 T3 spring activation in the housing the respective easiest and best mounting possibility can be selected.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the housing in the housing can be realized, for example, on a shaft fixedly connected to the housing. The shaft can also be designed in such a way that a pivot is integrally formed at the pivot point of the double-arm lever on each side, which is pivotably mounted in a respective corresponding recess on the inside of the housing.

According to another advantageous embodiment, the spring activation lever is positioned in such a way that it remains in its open position through self-retention, until it is pivoted back to the rest position by hand. To this end, in a more advantageous way, the bending arm carries at its free end a contact surface in the form of a cam, with which it rolls pressing on the back of the spring in the case of activation in the opening direction, in such a way that with this a continuous opening process is achieved and a self-retention of the spring activation lever is achieved in the extreme position of the opening position through a kind of clamping.

Very advantageous is an embodiment, in which the control arm is configured in two god-shaped parts, partial arms offset one inside the other. In this way, the control arm can be extended by removing the second part arm, so that a greater lever force can be achieved during articulation.

In order to ensure a guiding of the spring-actuation lever in the plant switching device, in a particularly advantageous embodiment, first guide means are arranged on the spring-actuation lever and inside the shells of the Second guide means are positioned in the housing, which collaborate to guide the spring activation lever. The clamping spring itself has no guide means and can therefore be configured very simply.

According to another advantageous embodiment, a clamping device can be placed inside the shells of the housing, which can cooperate in the open position with the first guide means of the spring-operated lever, so as to that an inadvertent articulation of the spring link lever is prevented from the open position to the rest position. This offers, in addition to the aforementioned self-locking, a redundant possibility to prevent an unforeseen articulation of the spring-actuation lever from the open position to the rest position.

Advantageously, the spring-operated lever is arranged such that in the rest position it distances itself flush with the rear front side of the housing and perpendicular to the associated narrow side, and in the open position it hinges towards the front side. front, so that in the open position it spans perpendicularly on the rear front side and perhaps flush with the associated narrow side.

According to another advantageous embodiment, the second guide means is an arc-shaped groove and the first guide means is a guide pin on the spring-actuated lever.

On the inside of the housing, in the area where the guide pin is located when the spring-operated lever is in the open position, a clamping contour can be positioned, and then in the open position the spring activation lever can be movable in the direction of the clamping contour, in such a way that the guide pin is engaged with the clamping contour and thus an inadvertent articulation of the spring actuation lever from the open position to the rest position is prevented.

In this case, the clamping contour can advantageously be a rib or recess projecting into the inner wall of the housing.

Other advantageous configurations and improvements of the invention and other advantages can be deduced from the dependent claims.

With the aid of the drawings, in which an exemplary embodiment of the invention is represented, the invention as well as other advantageous configurations and improvements of the invention are explained in detail and described. In this case:

Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of a spring-operated lever according to the invention in the assembled state.

Figure 2 shows the spring-operated lever according to Figure 1, in the detached state.

Figure 3 shows the spring actuation lever according to Figure 1, in the assembled state in its mounting position in the housing.

Figure 4 shows the spring-operated lever according to Figure 1 in the detached state, in its position of

ES 2 396 166 T3 mounting in the housing.

Figure 5 shows the spring activation lever according to Figure 1, locked in the open position, in its mounting position in the housing.

Figure 6 shows the spring activation lever according to Figure 5, with the housing partially open.

Figure 7 shows the spring actuation lever according to Figure 6, in a partially hinged position.

Figure 8 shows a spring-operated lever according to Figure 1, viewed from the underside.

Figure 9 shows a spring-operated lever according to Figure 2, viewed from the underside.

Figure 10 shows a spring-operated lever with the corresponding clamping spring, mounted in the space for receiving the terminals of a switching device of the installation, in the rest position.

Figure 11 shows a spring-operated lever with a corresponding clamping spring, incorporated in the terminal housing space of a switching apparatus of the installation, in the open position.

Figure 12 shows a spring actuation lever according to Figure 1, in the ordered exploded state.

Figure 13 shows the spring-operated lever according to Figure 12, in the assembled state.

FIG. 14 shows another embodiment of a spring-operated lever, in its mounting position in the space for receiving the terminals of a switching device of the installation, in the assembled state and in its rest position.

FIG. 15 shows another embodiment of a spring-operated lever, in its mounting position in the terminal housing space of a switching device of the installation, in the detached state and in its rest position.

Figure 16 shows the spring activation lever according to Figure 15 in its open position.

Figure 17 shows the spring-operated lever according to Figure 16, viewed in the direction of arrow A.

Figure 18 shows the spring activation lever according to Figure 16, partially inserted and locked in its open position.

Figure 19 shows the spring-operated lever according to Figure 18, viewed in the direction of arrow A.

Figure 20 shows the spring activation lever according to Figure 18, inserted in its open and unlocked position as well as

Figure 21 shows the spring-operated lever according to Figure 20, viewed in the direction of arrow A.

First, consider Figure 10. This figure shows a spring-operated lever 10 with the corresponding clamping spring 20, mounted in the terminal housing space 32 of a switching apparatus of the installation 30, in the position resting. The switching apparatus of the installation 30 may be a line protection switch, a main switch, a motor protection switch, or the like. Its housing made of an insulating material is indicated schematically. It comprises a front front side 31, a rear front side 33, a front narrow side 34, a rear narrow side 35 and a fixing side. A wide side, connecting the front and narrow sides parallel to the plane of the drawing, is also present, but is not shown in the representation according to figure 10. It is indicated in the perspective representation of figure 5.

The switching device of the installation 30 normally serves to monitor and / or switch a current path, which is conducted between two connection terminals. To this end, other construction groups and elements are present inside the switching device of the installation, such as at least one contact point comprising a movable contact part and a stationary fixed contact part, a lever of moving contact, a switching mechanism for the activation of the contact lever, one or more trigger construction groups, for example a thermal overcurrent release and / or a discharge armature magnetic system, a control lever for manual activation from the outside, a display device for the display of the switching state, and the like more. Clamping devices can be found on the mounting side 36, with which the switching device of the plant can be placed on support rails or also on current rails in plant distribution systems. The internal structure and the external connection and fixing devices of a switchgear of the installation are

ES 2 396 166 T3 are assumed to be known as regards the present invention.

The connection terminals are housed in this case in terminal housing spaces, one of which is represented in FIG. 10 with the reference sign 32. The terminal housing space 32 is located in the area of ​​the rear narrow side 35, in the vicinity of the rear front side 33.

A clamping spring 20 is accommodated in the terminal connection space 32. The spring leaf of the clamping spring forms a loop with triangular contour and rounded corners. The clamping spring therefore has a support arm 21, with which it rests on the free end of a current rail 22, which forms the connection to the current path inside the apparatus. The free end 23 of the stream rail 22 is here also referred to as a holding strip, and the stream rail 22 is also designated as a support part.

The clamping spring 20 again has a clamping arm 24, which extends approximately perpendicular to the support arm 21. In the clamping arm 24 there is a rectangular-shaped recess, designated as clamping advantage 25, the lower edge of which forms clamping edge 26.

The support arm and the clamping arm 21, 24 are connected by means of the spring back 27. Through the pressure exerted from above on the spring back 27, that is to say in a direction perpendicular to the support arm 21 on it , the clamping arm 24 can be moved downwards, so that the clamping tab is pressed onto the side of the clamping strip that is remote from the supporting arm 21. This position is depicted in Figure 11, which shows the clamping spring 20 in the open position. From the rear narrow side 35, a connecting conductor can now be inserted into the clamping arm 25. When the pressure force is canceled on the back of the spring, the latter by virtue of its spring property recovers the clamping arm 24 again. towards the home position. In this case, the connecting conductor insert is then fixed between the clamping edge 26 and the side of the clamping strap 23 which is remote from the support arm 21.

To activate the clamping spring, that is to say to apply the pressure required for opening, on the back of the spring, a spring activation lever 10 is attached to the switching device of the system. rotatably housed on a shaft 11 coupled with the housing. The spring actuation lever 10 is a double lever with a control arm 12 protruding from the housing and with a flex arm 13 extending into the interior of the housing. The control arm 12 acts as a handle for activating the clamping spring 20. The flexing arm 13 urges the elastic loop on the back of the spring 27.

In the rest position, the control arm 12 is spaced perpendicular to the rear narrow side 35 and flush with the rear front side from the housing. Thus, at the same time it acts as a closure for the clamping housing space 32 in the region of the transition from the rear front side 33 to the rear narrow side 35.

The bending arm 13 of the spring activation lever 10 carries at its free end a cam-shaped arcuate contact surface 14. This contact surface is bent out of the spring back 27. The flex arm 13 has a flattening 15 at its end.

When the spring activation lever 10 is articulated by an operator by hand from the rest position according to FIG. 10 to the open position according to FIG. 11 around the axis 11, then the bending arm 13 rolls in this case with its contact surface 14 on the back of the spring 27, bending it towards its open position. The rolling causes a fluid movement during the opening of the clamping spring and a lateral inclination of the spring-operated lever 10 with the clamping spring 20 is prevented.

At the end of the opening movement, the spring activation lever 10 then protrudes into its position approximately perpendicular to the front rear side 33, see FIG. 11. The flexing arm 13 then retains in its extreme position with its flattening 15 the detent spring. clamping in its open position. In this case, the flattening 15 rests superficially on the back of the spring. The restoring force of the clamping spring acts through the flattening 15 perpendicular to the bearing axis 11 of the spring actuation lever. In this way a self-latching or clamping of the spring activation lever 10 in the open position results somewhat. The spring-loaded lever cannot return by itself from the open position to the home position.

The spring activation lever 10 is therefore housed in the housing and is not precisely connected to the terminal. The end itself does not comprise guide means for the spring activation lever 10, but rather the guide means of the spring activation lever 10 is provided within the shells of the housing. The "clamping" and "activating" functions are therefore performed in separate building groups.

The spring activation lever 10 is made of two parts. This is now explained with the aid of FIGS. 8, 9, 12 and 13. The spring-operated lever 10 is made up of a core part 101 and a housing part 102 fitted thereon, which has an internal recess for receiving of the piece of

ES 2 396 166 T3 core. The core part 101 forms a two-armed lever, the first arm of which forms the control arm 12 of the spring-operated lever 10. The other arm forms a control appendage 103, on which the housing part 102 is coupled to mode of a holster. The enclosing part 102 fitted on the control tab 103 thus forms the control arm 12 of the spring-operated lever.

The free end of the control appendix 103 carries two spring arms 104, 105 extending in parallel, each carrying at their free ends a retaining projection 106, 107.

The wrapping piece 102 can be displaced after positioning on the core piece 101 and in this case it can adopt three established positions. These are an inserted position, according to figure 8, an extended position, according to figure 9, and a central position, according to figure 13.

Correspondingly, inside the recess of the casing piece 102, in the vicinity of the free end of the casing piece, there are first recesses 108, 109, which are arranged in such a way that they engage in the inserted position with the retention projections 106, 107. Furthermore, in the vicinity of the end of the casing piece, which is directed towards the control arm, there are arranged second recesses 110, 111 inside it, which are arranged in such a way that they are clamped in the extended position with the retaining projections. 106, 107. Finally, in the middle are arranged third recesses 112, 113, which are positioned in such a way that they are secured in the central position with the retaining projections 106, 107. In this way, in each of the three positions that the wrapping piece can adopt on the core piece, the latter is retained by clamping the retention projections 106, 107 with the corresponding recesses.

The advantageous action is that the active lever arm of the control arm can be extended by removing the enclosing part 102 and thus a greater lever force can be achieved when the spring is activated.

Laterally spaced bearing pins 16 are integrally formed in the core piece 101, with which the spring-actuation lever is pivotably mounted in recesses 17 made in a corresponding position on the wide side of the housing. In this way, a particularly simple assembly is possible. The spring-operated lever 10 comprises only two parts, which can be manufactured entirely as injection-molded parts, for example from plastic, and therefore very favorably. The recesses for receiving the spring-operated lever on the wide side of the housing are also positioned there at the same time during the injection molding of the housing parts. However, as an alternative to this, the spring-actuation lever could also be accommodated by means of a bearing shaft. The spring-actuated lever would then engage during mounting with a bearing bore on the bearing shaft.

Figure 1 again shows the spring activation lever 10 in the inserted position, from the upper side, such as a user at the same time in the mounted state when looking over the rear narrow side 35. The recesses and the spring arms of the core piece are not visible from this side.

FIG. 3 shows the spring activation lever according to FIG. 1, incorporated in a switching device of the installation, in the rest position.

Figure 2 shows the spring activation lever according to figure 1, in the extended position, and figure 4 shows the spring activation lever in the extended position, incorporated in a switching apparatus of the installation and arranged in the rest position.

Figure 5 shows the spring activation lever according to figure 2, now in its open position, incorporated in the housing and hinged upwards.

Two guide pins 114, 115 are arranged in the housing part near its inlet opening for the core part, so that these are positioned opposite each other in the axial direction and are laterally spaced. In the extended position, guide pins 114, 115 are between bearing pin 16 and the free end of control arm 12. In the inserted position, guide pins 114, 115 lie between bearing pin 16 and the free end of flex arm 13 of the spring-loaded lever. In the center position, the guide pins 114, 115 are approximately on the bearing pin 16.

During the articulation of the spring activation lever 10, the guide pins 114, 115 run in a guide groove 38 in the inner wall of the wide side of the housing, see FIG. 7. In this way, the path of movement of spring-loaded lever 10.

In the illustration according to FIG. 7, the spring-operated lever is in the inserted position and is shown in an intermediate position between the rest position and the open position. In the representation according to FIG. 6, the spring activation lever is in its open position and is partially pulled out in its central position. In this position, the guide pins 114, 115 are clamped with a projection of

ES 2 396 166 T3 retention 39 positioned laterally on the wide side of the housing in the corresponding place. In this way, the spring activation lever 10 is further clamped in its open position, making an unexpected closure of the terminal difficult. The spring activation lever can only be reset back to its home position when it has been depressed from the center position back to the inserted position.

The various control and manipulation possibilities of the spring-operated lever are again depicted in FIGS. 14 to 21. In FIG. 14, the spring-loaded lever 10 is in its rest position and the enclosure 102 it is in the inserted position. The spring loaded lever is aligned with the front rear side 33 of the housing. Guide pin 115 is to the right of axis 16.

In FIG. 15, the housing 102 has been brought, in the rest position of the spring activation lever 10, to its extended position. The guide pin is now to the left of axis 16. In this position, the lever arm of the control arm is extended.

In figure 16 the position of the spring activation lever is shown, in which it has been raised through articulation from the position of figure 15 to the open position. Guide pin 115 is now above axis 16. It is free from detent projection 39 so that spring-loaded lever 10 can be articulated. Figure 17 shows the view from the direction of arrow A on the spring activation lever in the position according to figure 16. The retention projections 106, 107 are locked with the second recesses 110, 11, so that it is difficult an unforeseen pressure recovery of the wrapping piece 102.

In Figure 18, the wrapping piece is partially inserted in its central position. In this position, the guide pin is displaced behind the retention projection 39 and is retained by it. In this way, a hinge of the spring activation lever is locked and returned to the rest position. Figure 19 shows a view from the direction of arrow A on the spring-actuated lever in the position according to Figure 18. The retention projections 114, 115 are clamped with the third recesses 112, 113, so that an unforeseen removal movement of the housing 102 out of its central position is hindered.

In FIG. 20, the housing in the open position of the spring activation lever 10 has been pressed back into its inserted position. The guide projections 114, 115 are again released from the retaining projection 39, and are now below the bearing pins 16 that form the hinge axis. In this position, the spring activation lever can be hinged back to its rest position, thereby again assuming the position of figure 14. Figure 21 shows the view from the direction of arrow A on the spring-loaded lever in the position according to figure 20. The retaining projections 114, 115 are clamped with the first recesses 106, 107, so that an unforeseen movement of removal of the wrapping piece 103 from the wrapping piece 102 out of its inserted position is also hindered.

In the switching device of the plant according to the invention, different safety mechanisms are also implemented to prevent unintended activation of the spring-operated lever. When the lever is positioned vertically and therefore the terminal is open, the housing can be pressed a little inwards, thereby locking the guide pin and thus preventing inadvertent closing of the terminal. Only when the housing part is pulled out of its locking position again or pressed further down, is the guide pin released and enables the terminal to be closed.

List of reference signs

Spring activation lever

Spring Activation Lever Shaft

Control arm

Bending arm

Contact surface

Flattening

Bearing pivot

Cavity

Clamping spring

Support arm

Stream lane

Fastening strip

Clamping arm

Clamping advantage

Clamping edge

Spring back

Plant switching device

ES 2 396 166 T3

Front front side

Terminal accommodation space

Rear front side

Front narrow side

Rear narrow side

Fixing side

Wide side

Guide groove

Retention projection

101 Core piece

102 Surround piece

103 Command projection

104 Spring arm

105 Spring arm

106 Retention boss

107 Retention boss

108 First break

109 First break

110 Second break

111 Second break

112 Third break

113 Third break

114 Guide pivot

115 Guide pivot