Magnetic current sensor, hybrid current sensor comprising such a magnetic current sensor, and circuit breaker comprising such a hybrid current sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12385950-B2
Application number	US-202318369238-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2023
Priority date	Sep 20, 2022
Publication date	Aug 12, 2025
Grant date	Aug 12, 2025

Abstract

A magnetic current sensor includes a magnetic circuit, an electrical winding, an insulating coil, and two leads respectively mounted on terminal parts of the coil and connected to ends of the winding. Each lead includes a main body, received in complementary fashion in a recess of the coil, and elongate along a body axis transversal to a coil axis. Each lead also includes two tongues protruding from a lateral face of the main body, each running from an end joined to the main body up to a free end. At their joining end, the tongues extend along respective tongue axes, which are parallel and each extend transversely to the coil axis and to the body axis. Between their joining end and their free end, the tongues are folded against the same lateral wall of the recess so as to keep the lead in position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A magnetic current sensor, comprising:
a magnetic circuit that is designed to surround an electrical conductor forming a primary circuit for the magnetic circuit,
an electrical winding, which includes two ends and also an extensive part that connects the two ends and that is wound around a portion of the magnetic circuit,
an insulating coil, which defines a coil axis on which the coil is substantially centred, and which includes two terminal parts that are opposite one another along the coil axis, the coil being radially interposed between said portion of the magnetic circuit, which is received inside the coil, and the winding, which is wound coaxially on the coil, and
two leads, which are respectively mounted on the terminal parts of the coil and which are respectively connected to the ends of the winding, wherein each lead includes a main body that is:
received in complementary fashion in a recess made in the corresponding terminal part of the coil,
elongate along a body axis extending transversely to the coil axis, and
provided with a first lateral face, which faces the coil axis, and with a second lateral face, which faces away from the coil axis, and wherein each lead also includes two tongues that:
protrude from the first lateral face of the main body, each running from an end joined to the main body up to a free end,
are remote from one another along the body axis,
at their end joined to the main body, extend from the first lateral face of the main body along respective tongue axes, which are parallel and each extend transversely to the coil axis and to the body axis, and
between their end joined to the main body and their free end, are folded against the same lateral wall of the corresponding recess so as to keep the lead in position with respect to the coil.

2. The magnetic current sensor according to claim 1 , wherein each tongue is folded 95°+5° against the lateral wall of the corresponding recess.

3. The magnetic current sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the tongues of each lead are folded so as to abut the lateral wall of the corresponding recess in a direction parallel to the tongue axes in order to prevent the main body from coming out of the recess in this direction.

4. The magnetic current sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the tongues of each lead are folded so as to abut the lateral wall of the corresponding recess in directions that are parallel to the body axis and opposite one another, in order to immobilize the main body in the recess in these directions.

5. The magnetic current sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the first lateral face of the main body of each lead includes first bearing surfaces that are:
located on either side, along the body axis, of at least one of the two tongues of the lead, and
pressed, in a direction parallel to the tongue axes, against an end wall of the corresponding recess.

6. The magnetic current sensor according to claim 1 , wherein each tongue of each lead is, at its free end, substantially flush with the lateral wall of the corresponding recess.

7. The magnetic current sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the two leads are symmetrical to one another with respect to a geometric plane that is perpendicular to the coil axis, but without being interchangeable with one another.

8. The magnetic current sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic current sensor also comprises two electrical tracks that respectively connect the leads to a load so that the winding is able to supply power to this load.

9. The magnetic current sensor according to claim 8 , wherein each lead moreover includes a leg that:
extends at an angle from a first of the two longitudinal ends of the main body, the tongues of the lead and the leg all being bent towards the same lateral side of the main body, and
is joined, in particular by welding, to the electrical track associated with the lead, in order to connect this electrical track to the lead.

10. The magnetic current sensor according to claim 9 , wherein each lead does not continue, along the body axis, from the second longitudinal end of the main body to outside the corresponding recess.

11. The magnetic current sensor according to claim 9 , wherein each lead moreover includes a mast:
that protrudes from the second lateral face of the main body,
that is angled towards the second longitudinal end of the main body so as to extend along the second lateral face of the main body, and
around which the end of the winding that is associated with the lead is joined, in particular by welding, in order to connect this end of the winding to the lead.

12. The magnetic current sensor according to claim 11 , wherein the second lateral face of the main body of each lead includes second bearing surfaces that are:
located on either side, along the body axis, of the mast, and
suitable for, prior to the mast being bent, applying a tool thereto for inserting and/or holding the main body in place in the corresponding recess, in particular while the tongues are bent.

13. A hybrid current sensor, comprising:
a magnetic current sensor according to claim 8 ,
a current measuring device, comprising a Rogowski coil, the magnetic circuit of the magnetic current sensor and the Rogowski coil being designed to surround the same electrical conductor forming a primary circuit for each of them, and
an electronic circuit, which is configured to detect and measure an electrical current in said electrical conductor on the basis of the current flowing in the Rogowski coil, the electronic circuit being supplied with power by the winding of the magnetic current sensor by being connected to the leads via electrical tracks.

14. A circuit breaker, comprising one or more poles and also an insulating casing, which bears the pole or poles, wherein the or each pole comprises:
two terminal pads, which are supported by the casing and which can be connected from the outside of the casing to an electrical circuit that is to be protected by the circuit breaker,
two contact elements, which are disposed in an arc quenching chamber delimited inside the casing, and which are respectively connected to the terminal pads while being able to be moved with respect to one another between a closed position, in which the contact elements are in direct contact with one another, and an open position, in which the contact elements are separated from one another,
a hybrid current sensor, which is according to claim 13 and which is arranged inside the casing so that one of the two terminal pads is surrounded by both the magnetic circuit of the magnetic current sensor and the Rogowski coil of the current measuring device and thus forms a primary circuit for this magnetic circuit and for this Rogowski coil, and
a mechanism, which is arranged inside the casing and which is suitable for moving the contact elements from the closed position to the open position when a malfunction is detected by the electronic circuit of the hybrid current sensor.

Assignees

• Schneider Electric Ind Sas
• Schneider Electric Sas

Inventors

• Loglisci David

Classifications

• H02H3/08

  responsive to excess current (responsive to abnormal temperature caused by excess current H02H5/04) · CPC title

• G01R19/0092

  Measuring current only · CPC title

• H01F38/30

  Constructions · CPC title

• H01F27/02

  Casings · CPC title

• G01R15/181 Primary

  using coils without a magnetic core, e.g. Rogowski coils · CPC title