Mechanical latching system kit for a medium voltage contactor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11640887-B2
Application number	US-201816636445-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 16, 2018
Priority date	Aug 14, 2017
Publication date	May 2, 2023
Grant date	May 2, 2023

Abstract

A mechanical latching accessory kit for a Medium Voltage contactor including one or more movable contacts connected through a mechanical link to a contact actuator moving the one or more movable contacts between a contact open position and a contact closed position. The mechanical latching accessory kit includes: a supporting interface adapted to be fixed to and removed from the Medium Voltage contactor; a latching element movable between a first operating position and a second resting position; a latching actuating system moving the latching element between the first, operating, position and the second, resting, position; the latching element being adapted, when it is in the first operating position, to cooperate with the mechanical link of the Medium Voltage contactor to latch the one or more movable contacts, and, when it is in the second resting position, to release the one or more movable contacts.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mechanical latching accessory kit for a Medium Voltage contactor comprising one or more movable contacts connected through a mechanical link to a contact actuator moving said one or more movable contacts between a contact open position and a contact closed position, the mechanical latching accessory kit comprises:
a supporting interface adapted to be fixed to and removed from said Medium Voltage contactor;
a latching element movable between a first operating position and a second resting position; and
a latching actuating system moving said latching element between said first operating position and said second resting position;
wherein said latching element being adapted, when said latching element is in said first operating position, to cooperate with the mechanical link of said Medium Voltage contactor to latch said one or more movable contacts, and, when said latching element is in said second resting position, to release said one or more movable contacts.

2. The mechanical latching accessory kit according to claim 1 , wherein said latching actuating system comprises:
a first mechanical latching actuator moving said latching element from said second resting position to said first operating position, and
a second electromagnetic unlatching actuator moving said latching element from said first operating position to said second resting position.

3. The mechanical latching accessory kit according to claim 2 , further comprising switching means to switch on and off a feeding current of said second electromagnetic unlatching actuator.

4. The mechanical latching accessory kit according to claim 3 , further comprising a rectifier for handling both DC and AC supply of feeding current of said second electromagnetic unlatching actuator.

5. The mechanical latching accessory kit according to claim 2 , wherein said latching actuating system comprises a first mechanical latching elastic actuator snap-moving said latching element from said second resting position to said first operating position and said second electromagnetic unlatching actuator which, when energized, moves said latching element from said first operating position to said second resting position contrasting actuation of said first mechanical latching elastic actuator.

6. The mechanical latching accessory kit according to claim 1 , wherein said latching actuating system comprises:
a first mechanical latching elastic actuator snap-moving said latching element from said second resting position to said first operating position, and
a second electromagnetic unlatching actuator which, when energized, moves said latching element from said first operating position to said second resting position contrasting actuation of said first mechanical latching elastic actuator.

7. The mechanical latching accessory kit according to claim 6 , wherein said first mechanical latching elastic actuator is a compression spring which is compressed when said latching element is in said second resting position and is released when said latching element is in said first operating position.

8. The mechanical latching accessory kit according to claim 7 , wherein said second electromagnetic unlatching actuator comprises a fixed magnetic yoke, a coil, and a movable magnetic plunger positioned inside said coil and operatively connected to said latching element, wherein said movable magnetic plunger moving said latching element between said first, operating, position and said second resting position.

9. The mechanical latching accessory kit according to claim 8 , wherein said compression spring has one end rigidly connected to said fixed magnetic yoke and an other end rigidly connected to said movable magnetic plunger.

10. The mechanical latching accessory kit according to claim 9 , wherein said compression spring has one end rigidly connected to said fixed magnetic yoke and the other end rigidly connected to said movable magnetic plunger.

11. The mechanical latching accessory kit according to claim 6 , wherein said second electromagnetic unlatching actuator comprises a fixed magnetic yoke, a coil, and a movable magnetic plunger positioned inside said coil and operatively connected to said latching element, said movable magnetic plunger moving said latching element between said first operating position and said second resting position.

12. The mechanical latching accessory kit according to claim 6 , further comprising switching means to switch on and off a feeding current of said second, electromagnetic, unlatching actuator.

13. The mechanical latching accessory kit according to claim 1 , wherein said latching element is provided with means for reducing a friction with the mechanical link and/or other parts of said Medium Voltage contactor.

14. The mechanical latching accessory kit according to claim 1 , wherein said latching actuating system comprises a manual unlatching actuator moving said latching element from said first operating position said second resting position.

15. A Medium Voltage contactor comprising the mechanical latching accessory kit according to claim 1 .

16. The Medium Voltage contactor according to claim 15 , wherein said contact actuator comprises an electromagnetic actuator configured to move said one or more movable contacts from said contact open position to said contact closed position when energized, and a spring means for moving said one or more contacts from said contact closed position to said contact open position, said latching element of said mechanical latching accessory kit cooperating with the mechanical link of said Medium Voltage contactor for latching said one or more contacts in said closed position.

17. The Medium Voltage contactor according to claim 16 , wherein when said one or more contacts are in the contact closed position, the electromagnetic actuator of said contact actuator are de-energized.

18. The Medium Voltage contactor according to claim 16 , wherein the mechanical link of said Medium Voltage contactor comprises a rod operatively connected to said one or more movable contacts and linearly moving between said contact open position and said contact closed position, said rod being placed with a longitudinal axis perpendicular with respect to a direction of linear movement of said rod, the latching element of said mechanical latching accessory being inserted in a space between said rod and a fixed element of said Medium Voltage contactor when said one or more movable contacts are in the closed position and being extracted from said space when said one or more movable contacts are in the open position.

19. The Medium Voltage contactor according to claim 15 , wherein the mechanical link of said Medium Voltage contactor comprises a rod operatively connected to said one or more movable contacts and linearly moving between said contact open position and said contact closed position, said rod being placed with a longitudinal axis perpendicular with respect to a direction of linear movement of said rod, the latching element of said mechanical latching accessory being inserted in a space between said rod and a fixed element of said Medium Voltage contactor when said one or more movable contacts are in the closed position and being extracted from said space when said one or more movable contacts are in the open position.

20. The Medium Voltage contactor according to claim 19 , wherein said contact actuator comprises an electromagnetic actuator configured to move said rod from said contact open position to said contact closed position w

Assignees

• Abb Schweiz Ag

Inventors

• Delpozzo Andrea
• Morelli Emanuele
• Gasparini Gabriele
• Prestini Osvaldo

Classifications

• H01H50/32

  Latching movable parts mechanically · CPC title

• H01H33/38

  using electromagnet · CPC title

• H01H33/48 Primary

  for interlocking between casing or cover and mechanism for operating contacts · CPC title

• H01H9/22

  for interlocking between casing, cover, or protective shutter and mechanism for operating contacts {(explosion-proof cases H01H9/045; built-in fuses and interlocking mechanisms H01H9/104; by automatic release of circuit breakers H01H71/126)} · CPC title

• H01H33/666 Primary

  Operating arrangements · CPC title