Interlock system for a low, medium or high voltage switchgear

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12322932-B2
Application number	US-202117391053-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 2, 2021
Priority date	Aug 12, 2020
Publication date	Jun 3, 2025
Grant date	Jun 3, 2025

Abstract

An interlock system for a low, medium or high voltage switchgear includes: a compartment; a door; a door handle; and a circuit breaker. The door permits access to an inside of the compartment. The door handle opens and closes the door. The circuit breaker is located in the compartment. The door handle is movable from a closed position to an open position. When the door handle is in the closed position, the door does not to open, and when the door handle is in the open position, the door opens. A movement of the door handle from the closed position to the open position places the circuit breaker in a locked configuration. In the locked configuration the circuit breaker is not operable.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An interlock system for a low, medium or high voltage switchgear, comprising:
a compartment;
a door;
a door handle; and
a circuit breaker,
wherein the door is configured to permit access to an inside of the compartment,
wherein the door handle is configured to open and close the door,
wherein the circuit breaker is located in the compartment,
wherein the door handle is configured to move from a closed position to an open position,
wherein the interlock system is configured such that, when the door handle is in the closed position, the door is configured not to open, and when the door handle is in the open position, the door is configured to open,
wherein a movement of the door handle from the closed position to the open position is configured to place the circuit breaker in a locked configuration, and wherein in the locked configuration the circuit breaker is not operational,
wherein a movement of the door handle from the open position to the closed position is configured to place the circuit breaker in an unlocked configuration, wherein the movement of the door handle from the open position to the closed position is configured to activate a pushrod connected to a coupling system of the interlock system to enable the circuit breaker to be placed in the unlocked configuration, and wherein in the unlocked configuration the circuit breaker is operational, and
wherein, when the door handle is in the closed position, a movement of the circuit breaker from a racked out configuration to a racked in configuration is configured to place the door handle in the locked configuration where the door handle is locked from moving from the closed position to the open position.

2. The interlock system of claim 1 , wherein when the door handle is in the closed position, a movement of the circuit breaker from the racked in configuration to the racked out configuration is configured to place the door handle in the unlocked configuration where the door handle is not locked from moving from the closed position to the open position.

3. The interlock system of claim 1 , wherein the switchgear comprises an earthing switch and an earthing switch operation handle or bar,
wherein, when the earthing switch operation handle or bar is inserted, the earthing switch is configured not to operate, and when the earthing switch operation handle or bar is not inserted, the earthing switch is configured to operate,
wherein a movement of the circuit breaker from the racked in configuration to the racked out configuration is configured to de-activate a lock, and
wherein de-activation of the lock is configured to enable the earthing switch operation handle or bar to be inserted.

4. The interlock system of claim 3 , wherein insertion of the earthing switch operation handle or bar is configured to place the circuit breaker in the locked configuration, and wherein in the locked configuration the circuit breaker is not operable.

5. The interlock system of claim 3 , wherein a movement of the circuit breaker from the racked out configuration to the racked in configuration is configured to activate the lock, and wherein activation of the lock is configured to stop the earthing switch operation handle or bar from being inserted.

6. The interlock system of claim 5 , wherein the movement of the circuit breaker from the racked out configuration to the racked in configuration is configured to place the circuit breaker in the unlocked configuration, and wherein in the unlocked configuration the circuit breaker is operable.

7. The interlock system of claim 3 , further comprising:
a second compartment;
a second door; and
a second door handle,
wherein the second door is configured to permit access to an inside of the second compartment,
wherein the second door handle is configured to open and close the second door,
wherein the second door handle is configured to move from a closed position to an open position,
wherein the earthing switch is configured to be transitioned to an on state through utilization of the earthing switch operation handle or bar and the earthing switch is configured to be transitioned to an off state through utilization of the earthing switch operation handle or bar,
wherein, when the second door handle is in the closed position, the second door is configured not to open, and when the second door handle is in the open position, the second door is configured to open, and
wherein, when the second door handle is in the closed position, a transition of the earthing switch from the on state to the off state is configured to place the second door handle in a locked configuration where the door handle is locked from moving from the closed position to the open position.

8. A low, medium or high voltage switchgear, comprising:
a compartment;
a door;
a door handle; and
a circuit breaker,
wherein the door is configured to permit access to an inside of the compartment,
wherein the door handle is configured to open and close the door,
wherein the circuit breaker is located in the compartment,
wherein the door handle is configured to move from a closed position to an open position,
wherein a movement of the door handle from the closed position to the open position is configured to place the circuit breaker in a locked configuration, and wherein in the locked configuration the circuit breaker is not operational,
wherein a movement of the door handle from the open position to the closed position is configured to place the circuit breaker in an unlocked configuration, wherein the movement of the door handle from the open position to the closed position is configured to activate a pushrod connected to a coupling system of an interlock system associated with the switchgear to enable the circuit breaker to be placed in the unlocked configuration, and wherein in the unlocked configuration the circuit breaker is operational,
wherein, when the door handle is in the closed position, a movement of the circuit breaker from a racked out configuration to a racked in configuration is configured to place the door handle in the locked configuration where it is locked from moving from the closed position to the open position, and
wherein, when the door handle is in the closed position, the door is configured not to open, and when the door handle is in the open position, the door is configured to open.

9. The switchgear of claim 8 , wherein, when the door handle is in the closed position, a movement of the circuit breaker from the racked in configuration to the racked out configuration is configured to place the door handle in the unlocked configuration where the door handle is not locked from moving from the closed position to the open position.

10. The switchgear of claim 8 , wherein the switchgear comprises an earthing switch and an earthing switch operation handle or bar,
wherein, when the earthing switch operation handle or bar is inserted, the earthing switch is configured not to operate, and when the earthing switch operation handle or bar is not inserted, the earthing switch is configured to operate,
wherein a movement of the circuit breaker from the racked in configuration to the racked out configuration is configured to de-activate a lock, and
wherein de-activation of the lock is configured to enable the earthing switch operation handle or bar to be inserted.

11. The switchgear of claim 10 , wherein insertion of the earthing switch operation handle or bar is configured to place the circuit breaker in the locked configuration, and
wherein in the locked configuration the circuit breaker is not operable.

12. The switchgear of claim 10 , wherein a movement of the c

Assignees

• Abb Schweiz Ag

Inventors

• Skuci Michal
• Cernohous Josef

Classifications

• H02B11/28

  Earthing arrangements · CPC title

• H02B1/0526

  locking or releasing devices actuated from the front face of the apparatus · CPC title

• H01H71/10

  Operating or release mechanisms · CPC title

• H02B1/38 Primary

  Hinged covers or doors · CPC title

• H02B11/133 Primary

  with interlock · CPC title