Monitoring-and-control drawer for an electrical connection enclosure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11974409-B2
Application number	US-202217699779-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2022
Priority date	Mar 26, 2021
Publication date	Apr 30, 2024
Grant date	Apr 30, 2024

Abstract

A monitoring/control plug-in unit for a connection electrical enclosure comprises functional elements and allow the connection and possibly the operation and/or the surveillance of an electrical load. The monitoring/control plug-in unit able to move within the connection electrical enclosure between an operation position and a test position. The plug-in unit comprises a locking system, which comprises an electromagnetic lock. A control circuit board of the drawer control the functional elements and the electromagnetic lock. The locking system of the plug-in unit is configured to allow the monitoring/control plug-in unit to be locked in the test position or in the operation position independently of the functional elements contained in the plug-in unit, and prior validation of the correct operation of the plug-in unit and/or of the electrical load is needed for unlocking the plug-in unit, this validation being performed by the control circuit board and allowing the electromagnetic lock to be unlocked.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A monitoring-and-control drawer for an electrical connection enclosure, the monitoring-and-control drawer comprising functional elements, the monitoring-and-control drawer being configured to allow an electrical load to be connected and potentially to be driven and/or monitored, the functional elements being configured to control the electrical load and to allow the operation of the monitoring-and-control drawer, the monitoring-and-control drawer being configured to be mobile within an electrical connection enclosure between an operating position, in which the monitoring-and-control drawer is supplied with electrical power and in which the electrical load is supplied with electrical power, and a test position, in which the monitoring-and-control drawer is supplied with electrical power and in which the electrical load is not supplied with electrical power, the monitoring-and-control drawer comprising a locking system, wherein the locking system for locking the monitoring-and-control drawer comprises an electromagnetic lock, wherein the monitoring-and-control drawer further comprises a control circuit board, configured to control the functional elements and the electromagnetic lock, wherein the locking system is configured to allow the monitoring-and-control drawer to be locked in the test position or in the operating position regardless of the functional elements contained in the monitoring-and-control drawer, and wherein a prior validation of the correct operation of the functional elements of the monitoring-and-control drawer and/or of the electrical load is required for unlocking the monitoring-and-control drawer, the prior validation of the correct operation of the functional elements of the monitoring-and-control drawer and/or of the electrical load before unlocking the monitoring-and-control drawer being performed by the control circuit board and allowing the electromagnetic lock to be unlocked.

2. The monitoring-and-control drawer according to claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic lock is controlled by a button arranged on a frontal portion of the monitoring-and-control drawer.

3. The monitoring-and-control drawer according to claim 1 , wherein the locking system further comprises a mechanical lock.

4. The monitoring-and-control drawer according to claim 3 , wherein the electromagnetic lock is configured to be unlockable only when the mechanical lock is unlocked.

5. The monitoring-and-control drawer according to claim 3 , wherein the mechanical lock is actuated by a slider arranged on a frontal portion of the monitoring-and-control drawer, which is mobile between a position for locking the monitoring-and-control drawer in which the mechanical lock locks the monitoring-and-control drawer in the test position, and a position for unlocking the monitoring-and-control drawer in which the mechanical lock does not oppose the movement of the monitoring-and-control drawer.

6. The monitoring-and-control drawer according to claim 5 , wherein the slider, in the position for locking the monitoring-and-control drawer, blocks the actuation of a button controlling the electromagnetic lock.

7. The monitoring-and-control drawer according to claim 5 , wherein the mechanical lock comprises hooks which are configured to extend into notches in a rail of the electrical connection enclosure when the slider is in the position for locking the monitoring-and-control drawer.

8. The monitoring-and-control drawer according to claim 7 , wherein the mechanical lock comprises:
two latches, each latch comprising a cam and each hook of the mechanical lock being borne by a latch;
a shank comprising a main body, a first end and a second end, the second end being narrower than the main body;
an actuating lever connected on a first side to the first end of the shank and on a second side to the slider; and
an elastic member,
wherein the actuating lever is configured to convert a translational motion of the slider in a first direction into a translational motion of the shank of the mechanical lock in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction,
wherein the mechanical lock is configured so that, when the slider is in the position for locking the monitoring-and-control drawer, the main body of the shank is located between the cams and pushes on the cams so as to move the hooks apart into the notches in the rail,
and wherein the mechanical lock is configured so that, when the slider is in the position for unlocking the monitoring-and-control drawer, the second end of the shank is located between the cams such that the cams are brought closer to one another in relation to their position when the main body is located between them, under a force provided by the elastic member, and such that the hooks are away from the notches in the rail of the electrical connection enclosure.

9. The monitoring-and-control drawer according to claim 5 , wherein the monitoring-and-control drawer comprises an open-ended hole configured to allow at least one locking device to be put in place, and wherein the slider is configured so as not to be able to be moved into the position for unlocking the monitoring-and-control drawer when at least one locking device is in place in the open-ended hole.

10. The monitoring-and-control drawer according to claim 9 , wherein the monitoring-and-control drawer comprises a shank securely attached to the slider, and the shank is configured so as:
when the slider is in the position for locking the monitoring-and-control drawer, not to extend into the open-ended hole and blocks a button controlling the electromagnetic lock from actuating, and
when the slider is in the position for unlocking the monitoring-and-control drawer, to extend into the open-ended hole so as to prevent a locking device from being put in place in the open-ended hole and not to block the button from actuating.

11. An electrical connection enclosure, wherein the electrical connection enclosure comprises at least one monitoring-and-control drawer according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Schneider Electric Ind Sas

Inventors

• Comtois Patrick
• De Vos Gilles

Classifications

• H02J13/1331

  using wireless data transmission · CPC title

• H02J13/1321

  using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus · CPC title

• H05K7/1427 Primary

  Housings · CPC title

• H02B11/10 Primary

  Indicating electrical condition of gear; Arrangement of test sockets · CPC title

• H02B1/36 Primary

  with withdrawable units · CPC title