Modular switch apparatus for controlling at least one electric drive

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11749485-B2
Application number	US-201917297134-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2019
Priority date	Nov 26, 2018
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

A modular switch apparatus for controlling at least one electric drive includes a mounting rail bus system having a control line and two power supply lines, a power supply device, and a safety relay module that is configured to obtain a first, high level control signal from a DC supply voltage applied to the two power supply lines and to feed the first control signal to the control line via the first bus interface if the emergency stop command device has not been actuated. Furthermore, at least one safety motor starter module is provided, which includes a processing device with an input that can be electrically connected to the control line via a bus interface. The processing device is adapted to evaluate a first, high level control signal as transferred via the control line and to provide control signals for controlling the at least two switch devices.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A modular switch apparatus for controlling at least one electric drive, the modular switch apparatus comprising:
a mounting rail bus system comprising a mounting rail and at least two bus connectors, namely a first and a second one, wherein the at least two bus connectors are adapted to be coupled to one another electrically and mechanically and to be arranged in the mounting rail and in their mounted state contain a control line and two power supply lines, wherein each of the at least two bus connectors has a module interface;
a power supply device adapted to apply a DC supply voltage to the two power supply lines of the mounting rail bus system;
a safety relay module including:
a first connection element to which an emergency stop command device is connectable;
a first bus interface adapted to be electrically connected to the module interface of the first bus connector

wherein, in the connected state, the safety relay module is electrically connected to the two power supply lines and to the control line of the mounting rail bus system;
wherein the safety relay module is adapted to obtain a first, high level control signal from a DC supply voltage applied to the two power supply lines and to feed the first control signal to the control line via the first bus interface if the emergency stop command device has not been actuated;
at least one safety motor starter module including:
a second bus interface adapted to be electrically connected to the module interface of the second bus connector,
wherein, in the connected state, the safety motor starter module is electrically connected to the two power supply lines and to the control line of the mounting rail bus system;
a second connection element to which a power supply means is connectable for providing a supply voltage for an electric drive;
a third connection element for connecting an electric drive;
at least one current path including at least two series-connected switch devices provided between the second and third connection element; and
a processing device having an input that is electrically connectable to the control line via the second bus interface, wherein the processing device is adapted to evaluate a first, high level control signal that is transferred via the control line and to provide control signals for controlling the at least two switch devices.

2. The modular switch apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the safety relay module is adapted to provide a second, low level control signal and to feed the second control signal to the control line of the mounting rail bus system via the first bus interface, if the emergency stop command device has been actuated; wherein:
the processing device of the at least one safety motor starter module is adapted to evaluate a second, low level control signal transferred via the control line and, in response to the second, low level control signal, to generate control signals for opening the at least two switch devices in order to safely switch off an electric drive connected to the at least one safety motor starter module.

3. The modular switch apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one safety motor starter module has a fourth connection element to which a higher-level control device is connectable, wherein the higher-level control device is able to provide control signals for the safety motor starter module to start or switch off an electric drive connected to the at least one motor starter module.

4. The modular switch apparatus of claim 3 , wherein:
the processing device of the at least one safety motor starter module is adapted to only evaluate and process the control signals of the higher-level control device connected to the safety motor starter module if a first, high level control signal as transferred via the control line is applied at the input of the processing device.

5. The modular switch apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the mounting rail bus system has a third bus connector that can be coupled electrically and mechanically to the at least two bus connectors and is adapted to be arranged in the mounting rail and has a module interface; wherein:
the power supply device is in the form of a power supply module and has a third bus interface adapted to be electrically connected to the module interface of the third bus connector,
wherein, in the connected state, the power supply module is electrically connected to the two power supply lines of the mounting rail bus system and is able to apply a DC supply voltage to the two power supply lines.

6. The modular switch apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a fourth bus connector including a module interface; and
a further safety motor starter module including:
a fourth bus interface adapted to be electrically connected to the module interface of the fourth bus connector, wherein, in the connected state, the further safety motor starter module is electrically connected to the two power supply lines and to the control line of the mounting rail bus system;
a fifth connection element to which a power supply means is connectable for providing a supply voltage for a further electric drive;
a sixth connection element for connecting a further electric drive ( 121 );
at least one current path including at least two series-connected switch devices provided between the fifth and sixth connection element; and
a processing device having an input that is electrically connectable to the control line via the fourth bus interface, wherein the processing device is adapted to evaluate a first, high level control signal that is transferred via the control line and to provide control signals for controlling the at least two switch devices.

7. The modular switch apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the bus connectors are each in the form of a T-shaped connectors.

8. The modular switch apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the safety relay module includes a power supply unit connected to the first bus interface, which down converts a DC supply voltage as conveyed via the two power supply lines of the mounting rail bus system to a predefined DC voltage for powering the safety relay module; and wherein:
the at least one safety motor starter module includes a power supply unit connected to the second bus interface, which down converts a DC supply voltage as conveyed via the two power supply lines of the mounting rail bus system to a predefined DC voltage for powering the safety motor starter module.

Assignees

• Phoenix Contact Gmbh & Co

Inventors

• Hansmeier Stephan
• Schulz Bernd
• Ragaller Matthias
• Plewka Dirk

Classifications

• H01H89/06 Primary

  Combination of a manual reset circuit with a contactor, i.e. the same circuit controlled by both a protective and a remote control device · CPC title

• G05B9/02

  electric · CPC title

• H02P1/023

  Protection against sparking of contacts or sticking together · CPC title

• H02P1/16

  for starting dynamo-electric motors or dynamo-electric converters · CPC title

• H02P5/74

  controlling two or more AC dynamo-electric motors (H02P5/46, H02P5/60 take precedence) · CPC title