Single-Pole Breaking Unit Comprising a Rotary Contact Bridge, and a Switchgear Device, and Circuit Breaker Comprising Such a Unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016104591-A1
Application number	US-201514974302-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 18, 2015
Priority date	Sep 18, 2009
Publication date	Apr 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A single-pole breaking unit which includes a rotary contact bridge, a stationary contact operating with the contact bridge and connected to a current input, a rotary bar having radially extending axial end surfaces, and radial side surfaces with a transverse hole for the contact bridge which is salient through opposite radial side surfaces of the bar, an arc extinguishing chamber opening onto an opening volume for the contact bridge, two parallel side panels parallel to the axial end surfaces of the bar, with the rotary bar located between two sealing flanges between the axial end surfaces of the rotary bar and the side panels and movable axially toward the side panels to ensure tightness between the inside and the outside of the breaking unit, the sealing flanges each comprising a radially extending portion, and a cylindrical portion, both co-axial with the rotary bar, which cylindrical portion has an inside radius slightly less than the radial extent of the rotary bar, providing a space between the inside surface of the cylindrical portion and the rotary bar, the space permitting quenching gases to flow directly to push a sealing flange axially against a side panel to achieve tightness.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A single-pole breaking unit comprising:
a rotary contact bridge, at least one stationary contact operating in conjunction with said contact bridge and connected to a current input conductor, a rotary bar having radially extending axial end surfaces and radial side surfaces, and having a transverse hole accommodating said contact bridge with clearance, which contact bridge is salient diametrically through opposite radial side surfaces of the bar, at least one arc extinguishing chamber opening onto an opening volume for the contact bridge, two side panels substantially parallel to one another and to the radially extending axial end surfaces of the bar, with the rotary bar located between said side panels, two sealing flanges, with the radially extending axial end surfaces of the rotary bar located between said two sealing flanges which are movable axially toward the side panels to ensure tightness between the inside and the outside of the breaking unit, said sealing flanges each comprising a radially extending portion and a cylindrical portion which are co-axial with the rotary bar, and which cylindrical portion has an inside radius which is slightly less than the radial extent of the radial surfaces of the rotary bar, thereby providing a space between the inside surface of the cylindrical portion of the flange and the radial surfaces of the rotary bar, said space permitting quenching gases to flow directly to at least one sealing flange to push same axially against one of the side panels to achieve said tightness.

2 . The breaking unit according to claim 1 , wherein the rotary bar ( 26 ) comprises channels connecting with the transverse accommodating hole ( 21 ) and passing radially outside said radial side surface so that quenching gases can flow directly via said channels to the sealing flanges ( 27 ) in order to push same against the side panels ( 14 ) to achieve tightness.

3 . The breaking unit according to claim 2 , wherein the channels are aligned with a longitudinal axis of the rotary bar ( 26 ) so that the quenching gases can exert a thrust force substantially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the rotary bar and distributed uniformly on the sealing flanges ( 27 ).

4 . The breaking unit according to claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical portions of sealing flanges ( 27 ) at least partially cover the radial side surfaces of the rotary bar ( 26 ).

5 . The breaking unit according to claim 4 , wherein the cylindrical portions partially close the transverse hole ( 21 ) accommodating the contact bridge.

6 . The breaking unit according to claim 5 , wherein the cylindrical portions ( 28 ) extend around the entire periphery of the sealing flanges ( 27 ).

7 . The breaking unit according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing flanges ( 27 ) comprise at least one off-center passage hole ( 32 ) for passage of a joining bar ( 30 ) to mechanically secure a plurality of rotary bars ( 26 ) to one another, the joining bar ( 30 ) being commanded by a mechanism common to a plurality of single-pole units.

8 . The breaking unit according claim 1 , which comprises:
a pair of stationary contacts ( 41 , 51 ), each stationary contact operating in conjunction with the rotary contact bridge ( 22 ) and a current input conductor ( 4 , 5 ); two arc extinguishing chambers ( 24 ) respectively opening onto an opening volume of the contact bridge ( 22 ), each extinguishing chamber ( 24 ) being connected to at least one quenching gas exhaust channel ( 38 , 42 ), said exhaust channels opening onto a line-side panel of the case ( 12 ) of the breaking unit ( 10 ), said line-side panel being positioned opposite another panel designed to be placed in contact with trip means ( 7 ).

9 . The breaking unit according to claim 8 , wherein said quenching gas exhaust channels ( 38 , 42 ) join one another in a common duct opening onto the line-side panel of the case ( 12 ) of the breaking unit ( 10 ).

10 . The breaking unit according to claim 9 , wherein the quenching gas exhaust channels ( 38 , 42 ) respectively of a first and second extinguishing chamber ( 24 ) are of different lengths, for causing the quenching gases to flow in a first gas exhaust channel designed to suck the gases flowing in a second channel by Venturi effect.

11 . The breaking unit according to claim 10 , 12 , wherein said at least one gas exhaust channel ( 42 ) of an arc extinguishing chamber ( 24 ) passes through at least one decompression chamber ( 43 ) comprising at least one inner wall covered by a metal sheet ( 85 ).

12 . A switchgear device ( 600 ) comprising at least one breaking unit ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , and comprising a contact actuating mechanism ( 8 ), said at least one breaking unit designed to be connected on the one hand to a trip device ( 7 ) at the level of the load-side terminal strip ( 5 ), and on the other hand to a current line to be protected at the level of a load-side terminal strip ( 4 ).

13 . A circuit breaker ( 100 ) comprising a switchgear device ( 600 ) according to claim 12 , which also comprises a trip device ( 7 ) connected to the load-side terminal strips ( 5 ) of the switchgear device ( 600 ).

14 . The breaking unit according to claim 1 , wherein the inside surface of the cylindrical portion of the flange is spaced about 0.2 mm + or −0.2 mm from the radial side surface of the rotary bar.

15 . The breaking unit according to claim 14 , wherein the diameter of the rotary bar 26 is in the range of about 15 mm to about 55 mm.

16 . The breaking unit according to claim 14 , wherein the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 28 of the flange is in the range of about 15.2 mm to about 50.2 mm.

17 . The breaking unit according to claim 1 , wherein, before the sealing flanges are pushed toward the side panels, the sealing flanges are spaced about 0.45 mm + or −0.2 mm from the inside surface of panels.

Assignees

• Schneider Electric Ind Sas

Inventors

• Anglade Hervé
• Grumel Christophe
• Rival Marc
• Gonnet Jean-Paul

Classifications

• H01H1/2058

  Rotating bridge being assembled in a cassette, which can be placed as a complete unit into a circuit breaker · CPC title

• H01H9/342

  Venting arrangements for arc chutes · CPC title

• H01H73/18 Primary

  Means for extinguishing or suppressing arc {(magnet coil acting as blow-out device H01H71/38)} · CPC title

• H01H2009/365

  using U-shaped plates · CPC title

• H01H2205/002

  fixed to operating part · CPC title