Interlock system for switchgear

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9275807-B2
Application number	US-201414292142-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2014
Priority date	Feb 9, 2012
Publication date	Mar 1, 2016
Grant date	Mar 1, 2016

Abstract

An interlock system for a circuit-interrupting device. The circuit-interrupting device includes a gearbox, a load-breaker in series with a visible disconnect, and an assembly driving the visible disconnect between an open state and a closed state. The interlock system includes a cam and a bias-driven follower. The cam is coupled to a shaft and is driven by the shaft between a first cam state when the load-breaker is in an open state and a second cam state when the load-breaker is in a closed state. The bias-driven follower has a first follower state when the cam is in the first cam state and has a second follower state when the cam is in the second cam state. In the second follower state, the bias-driven follower blocks movement of at least one component of the assembly. The cam and the bias-driver follower are positioned inside the gearbox.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A circuit-interrupting device comprising:
a load-breaker operable between an open state and a closed state;
a first operating mechanism for moving the load-breaker between the open state and the closed state;
a first assembly for actuating the first operating mechanism, the first assembly including an extension movable to operate the first assembly;
a visible disconnect operable between an open state and a closed state;
a second operating mechanism for moving the visible disconnect between the open state and the closed state;
a second assembly for actuating the second operating mechanism; and
an interlock system operably associated with the load-breaker and the visible disconnect, wherein, independently of movement of the extension, the interlock system prevents the visible disconnect from moving from the closed state to the open state when the load-breaker is in the closed state.

2. The circuit-interrupting device of claim 1 , wherein the first operating mechanism is coupled to the interlock system.

3. The circuit-interrupting device of claim 1 , wherein the interlock system engages the second assembly to prevent the visible disconnect from moving from the closed state to the open state when the load-breaker is in the closed state.

4. The circuit-interrupting device of claim 3 , wherein the first operating mechanism moves the interlock system to engage the second assembly to prevent the visible disconnect from moving from the closed state to the open state when the load-breaker is in the closed state.

5. The circuit-interrupting device of claim 1 , wherein the interlock system comprises a cam operably associated with the load-breaker and a follower operably associated with the visible disconnect, and wherein, when the load-breaker is in the closed state, the load-breaker drives the cam to move the follower to prevent the visible disconnect from moving from the closed state to the open state.

6. The circuit-interrupting system of claim 5 , wherein, when the load-breaker is in the closed state, the first operating mechanism is coupled to the cam and drives the cam to move the follower to engage the second assembly and prevent the visible disconnect from moving from the closed state to the open state.

7. The circuit-interrupting system of claim 5 , wherein the follower is biased to a position in which it does not prevent the visible disconnect from moving from the closed state to the open state.

8. An interlock system for a circuit-interrupting device, the circuit interrupting device including a load-breaker operable between an open state and a closed state and a visible disconnect operable between an open state and a closed state by a linkage assembly, the interlock system comprising:
a cam operably associated with the load-breaker, the cam having a first cam state when the load-breaker is in the open position and a second cam state when the load-breaker is in a closed position, wherein the cam moves from the second cam state to the first cam state when the load-breaker moves to the open position; and
a follower movable by the cam, the follower having a first follower state when the cam is in the first cam state and a second follower state when the cam is in the second cam state, wherein the follower prevents the visible disconnect from moving from the closed state to the open state when the follower is in the second follower state.

9. The interlock system of claim 8 , wherein the load-breaker is coupled to the cam and drives the cam from the first cam state to the second cam state.

10. The interlock system of claim 8 , wherein the cam comprises a first surface and a second surface, wherein the second surface contacts the follower when the cam is in the first cam state and the follower is in the first follower state, and wherein the first surface contacts the follower when the cam is in the second cam state and the follower is in the second follower state.

11. The interlock system of claim 10 , wherein the follower comprises a first portion and a second portion, and when the cam is in the second cam state and the follower is in the second follower state the second surface contacts the second portion and the first portion prevents the visible disconnect from moving from the closed state to the open state.

12. The interlock system of claim 11 , wherein the first portion of the follower engages the linkage assembly in the second follower state to prevent the visible disconnect from moving from the closed state to the open state.

13. The interlock system of claim 8 , wherein the follower engages the linkage assembly in the second follower state to prevent the visible disconnect from moving from the closed state to the open state when the follower is in the second follower state.

14. The interlock system of claim 8 , wherein the follower is biased to the first follower state.

15. The interlock system of claim 8 , wherein the load-breaker is coupled to the cam and drives the cam from the first cam state to the second cam state and the follower engages the linkage assembly in the second follower state to prevent the visible disconnect from moving from the closed state to the open state.

16. A circuit-interrupting device comprising:
a load-breaker including a first contact and a second contact, wherein the second contact is movable relative to the first contact between a closed state and an open state;
a visible disconnect operable between an open state and a closed state by an operating mechanism; and
an interlock system that is operated by the second contact to couple the load-breaker with the visible disconnect to prevent the visible disconnect from moving from the closed state to the open state when the second contact is in the closed state independently of the operating mechanism.

17. The circuit-interrupting device of claim 16 , wherein the interlock system engages the visible disconnect to prevent the visible disconnect from moving from the closed state to the open state when the second contact is in the closed state.

18. The circuit interrupting-device of claim 16 , wherein the interlock system comprises a linkage including a first link operable between a first position when the second contact is in the open state and a second position when the second contact is in the closed state and a second link operable between a third position when the second contact is in the open state and a fourth position when the second contact is in the closed state.

19. The circuit-interrupting device of claim 18 , wherein the first link is operable by the second contact between the first position and the second position, wherein the first link moves the second link from the third position to the fourth position when the first link moves from the first position to the second position, and wherein the second link engages the visible disconnect when the second link is in the fourth position to prevent the visible disconnect from moving from the closed state to the open state.

20. The circuit-interrupting device of claim 18 , wherein the second link is biased towards the third position.

21. The circuit-interrupting device of claim 18 , wherein the first link comprises a cam and the second link comprises a follower.

22. The circuit-interrupting device of claim 21 , wherein the cam is driven by a shaft that is coupled to the second contact and the follower is moved by the cam to prevent the visible disconnect from moving from the closed state to the open state when the second conta

Assignees

• G & W Electric

Inventors

• Darko Kennedy Amoako
• Martin Donald Richard

Classifications

• H01H9/24 Primary

  for interlocking two or more parts of the mechanism for operating contacts · CPC title

• H01H2221/052

  interlocked · CPC title

• H01H3/227

  Interlocked hand- and power-operating mechanisms · CPC title