Electrical switch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9558906-B2
Application number	US-201213706393-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 6, 2012
Priority date	Jan 23, 2012
Publication date	Jan 31, 2017
Grant date	Jan 31, 2017

Abstract

An electrical switch is disclosed, especially an electrical circuit breaker, including an overcurrent tripping device which, in the event of an overcurrent situation, switches off the flow of current through the switch; and a thermal tripping device which, in the event of a thermal overload, switches off the flow of current through the switch. In at least one embodiment, the overcurrent tripping device includes a first shaft which is disposed such that, in the event of an overcurrent situation, it is rotated from a first position into a second position and thereby indicates the overcurrent situation; and the thermal tripping device includes a second shaft which is disposed such that, it is rotated in the event of a thermal overload and is also rotated as well in the event of a rotation of the first shaft and when rotated initiates a switching-off of the switch.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical switch, comprising:
the overcurrent tripping device including a first shaft that, in the event of the overcurrent situation, rotates from a first position into a second position and, through the rotation, indicates the overcurrent situation; and
a thermal tripping device that, in the event of a thermal overload, switches off the flow of current through the switch, the thermal tripping device including a second shaft that rotates, in the event of a thermal overload, and rotates in the event of a rotation of the first shaft and initiates the switching off of the switch when the second shaft rotates, wherein the second shaft is nested within the first shaft such that the first shaft forms a sleeve around the second shaft.

2. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the second shaft is rotatable in the event of a thermal overload, without rotating of the first shaft.

3. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the thermal tripping device includes a bimetal element, that deforms when heated, and initiates or causes a rotation of the second shaft.

4. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the overcurrent tripping device is embodied such that the first shaft, after rotation into the second position, is retained in this second position.

5. The switch as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the overcurrent tripping device, in the event of an overcurrent situation, maintains the second shaft in the position which the second shaft has reached by being rotated along with the first shaft.

6. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the first shaft includes a phase-individual switching lug for each electrical phase to be switched, and wherein the overcurrent tripping device is equipped with a tripping element for each electrical phase to be switched,
each being interactable with each respectively assigned phase-individual switching lug on the first shaft and, in the event of an overcurrent situation, pivoting each respective switching lug or enabling each respective switching lug to be pivoted.

7. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the first shaft includes a lever pivotable into a “tripped” position during a rotation of the first shaft from the first position into the second position, in which it indicates the overcurrent situation.

8. The switch of claim 7 , wherein in the “tripped” position, the lever retains the first shaft in the second position and the second shaft in a position that the second shaft has reached by being rotated along with the first shaft.

9. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the switch is an electrical circuit breaker.

10. The switch of claim 1 , wherein the first shaft is rotatable around the second shaft.

Assignees

• Augusta Zbynek
• Musil Filip
• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Augusta Zbynek
• Musil Filip

Classifications

• H01H89/00 Primary

  Combinations of two or more different basic types of electric switches, relays, selectors and emergency protective devices, not covered by any single one of the other main groups of this subclass · CPC title

• H01H71/40 Primary

  Combined electrothermal and electromagnetic mechanisms · CPC title

• H01H71/2472

  with rotatable armatures · CPC title

• H01H71/04

  Means for indicating condition of the switching device {(by means of an auxiliary contact H01H71/46)} · CPC title

• H01H2071/042

  with different indications for different conditions, e.g. contact position, overload, short circuit or earth leakage · CPC title