Monitoring-and-control drawer for electrical connection enclosure and electrical connection enclosure comprising such a monitoring-and-control drawer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11683902-B2
Application number	US-202217698197-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2022
Priority date	Mar 26, 2021
Publication date	Jun 20, 2023
Grant date	Jun 20, 2023

Abstract

A monitoring-and-control drawer for an electrical enclosure is connected to an electricity source and to an electrical load and is linked to at least one communication interface allowing the drawer to be supplied with power or to communicate with an industrial computer. The monitoring-and-control drawer is mobile within the enclosure between three main positions: a disconnected position, a test position, and an operating position. At least one lateral structure comprises a mobile lateral contact (352) comprising electrical contacts (436) which, during the movement of the drawer between the test position and the operating position, are fixed with respect to a communication interface and connect the drawer to this interface. The electrical contacts are mobile along a longitudinal axis of the drawer with respect to the drawer when the drawer is between an engagement position and its operating position and are mobile along a transverse axis of the drawer when the drawer is between its engagement position and its test position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Monitoring-and-control drawer for an electrical connection enclosure, the monitoring-and-control drawer being configured so as:
to be electrically connected on the one hand to an electricity source and on the other hand to an electrical load; and
to be linked to at least one communication interface allowing the monitoring-and-control drawer to be supplied with at least one auxiliary voltage or to communicate with:
an industrial computer,
potentially with the electricity source, and
potentially with the electrical load,

the monitoring-and-control drawer comprising two lateral structures that are configured to be inserted into rails of the electrical connection enclosure and allow the monitoring-and-control drawer to be mobile within the electrical enclosure in a transverse direction with respect to this enclosure,
the monitoring-and-control drawer being mobile within the electrical connection enclosure between three main positions:
a disconnected position of the monitoring-and-control drawer, in which the monitoring-and-control drawer is not connected to the electricity source or to the electrical load and in which the monitoring-and-control drawer is not linked to any communication interface,
a test position of the monitoring-and-control drawer, in which the monitoring-and-control drawer is not connected to the electricity source or to the electrical load and in which the monitoring-and-control drawer is linked to each communication interface, and
an operating position of the monitoring-and-control drawer, in which the monitoring-and-control drawer is connected to the electricity source and to the electrical load and in which the monitoring-and-control drawer is linked to each communication interface,

wherein at least one lateral structure comprises a mobile lateral contact comprising electrical contacts which are configured so as, during the movement of the monitoring-and-control drawer between the test position and the operating position:
to be fixed with respect to a communication interface; and
to connect the monitoring-and-control drawer to this communication interface,

wherein the electrical contacts of each mobile lateral contact are fixed with respect to the monitoring-and-control drawer and held in a rest position when the monitoring-and-control drawer is between its disconnected position and an engagement position of the monitoring-and-control drawer located between the disconnected position and the test position of the monitoring-and-control drawer, and wherein the electrical contacts of each mobile lateral contact are mobile along a longitudinal axis of the monitoring-and-control drawer with respect to the monitoring-and-control drawer and fixed with respect to the electrical connection enclosure when the monitoring-and-control drawer is between its engagement position and its operating position,
wherein the electrical contacts of each mobile lateral contact are mobile along a transverse axis of the monitoring-and-control drawer between an inserted position with respect to the monitoring-and-control drawer when the monitoring-and-control drawer is in engagement position and an exerted position with respect to the monitoring-and-control drawer when the monitoring-and-control drawer is in test position, and wherein, during the movement of the monitoring-and-control drawer between the test position and the operating position, the electrical contacts of each mobile lateral contact are fixed along the transverse axis with respect to the monitoring-and-control drawer.

2. Monitoring-and-control drawer according to claim 1 , wherein
each mobile lateral contact comprises a guide shaft,
each rail comprises tongues for blocking the movement of the guide shaft in the transverse direction with respect to the enclosure,
in the engagement position of the monitoring-and-control drawer, the guide shaft is in contact with the tongues, and
between the engagement position and the operating position of the monitoring-and-control drawer, the contact of the guide shaft on the tongues determines the position of the electrical contacts with respect to the electrical connection enclosure.

3. Monitoring-and-control drawer according to claim 2 , wherein each mobile lateral contact comprises at least one tension spring, a first end of which is attached to the guide shaft and a second end of which is attached to the lateral structure of each mobile lateral contact, and wherein each tension spring holds the electrical contacts in rest position when the monitoring-and-control drawer is between its disconnected position and its engagement position.

4. Monitoring-and-control drawer according to claim 1 , wherein each mobile lateral contact comprises a plate, wherein, between the engagement position and the test position of the monitoring-and-control drawer, the plate pushes the electrical contacts from their inserted position to their exerted position, and wherein, between the test position and the operating position of the monitoring-and-control drawer, the plate holds the electrical contacts in exerted position.

5. Monitoring-and-control drawer according to claim 4 , wherein the plate of each mobile lateral contact is mobile along a longitudinal axis of the drawer between a reference position and a safety position, and wherein each mobile lateral contact comprises two springs which hold the plate in reference position.

6. Monitoring-and-control drawer according to claim 1 , wherein each mobile lateral contact comprises springs, wherein, between the test position and the engagement position of the monitoring-and-control drawer, the springs push the electrical contacts from their exerted position to their inserted position, and wherein, between the engagement position and the disconnected position of the monitoring-and-control drawer, the springs hold the electrical contacts in inserted position.

7. Monitoring-and-control drawer according to claim 1 , wherein each mobile lateral contact comprises a frame which bears the electrical contacts and which guides the movement of the electrical contacts along the longitudinal axis of the drawer.

8. Monitoring-and-control drawer according to claim 1 , wherein the monitoring-and-control drawer further comprises a position detection module configured to detect when the monitoring-and-control drawer is in the test position and to detect when the monitoring-and-control drawer is in the operating position.

9. Monitoring-and-control drawer according to claim 8 , wherein the position detection module comprises at least one detector connected to a control circuit board of the monitoring-and-control drawer and intended to transmit information on the position of the monitoring-and-control drawer to the control circuit board.

10. Monitoring-and-control drawer according to claim 9 , wherein the detector is a dry contact switch.

11. Monitoring-and-control drawer according to claim 9 , wherein the position detection module comprises an actuator attached to a mobile lateral contact of the monitoring-and-control drawer and intended to actuate the at least one detector.

12. Monitoring-and-control drawer according to claim 11 , wherein each mobile lateral contact comprises a frame which bears the electrical contacts and which guides the movement of the electrical contacts along the longitudinal axis of the drawer, and wherein the actuator is attached to the frame of the mobile lateral contact.

13. Monitoring-and-control drawer according to claim 11 , wherein the actuator is a control rod that is mobile in translation along the longitudinal axis of the monitoring-and-control drawer and

Assignees

• Schneider Electric Ind Sas

Inventors

• Comtois Patrick
• PERROCHEAU RéGIS

Classifications

• H05K7/1474 Primary

  Mounting of modules, e.g. on a base or rail or wall · CPC title

• H05K7/1467

  PLC mounted in a cabinet or chassis · CPC title

• H05K5/0247

  Electrical details of casings, e.g. terminals, passages for cables or wiring · CPC title

• H05K7/14

  Mounting supporting structure in casing or on frame or rack · CPC title

• H05K7/1411

  for securing or extracting box-type drawers · CPC title