Lockout relay device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9653244-B1
Application number	US-201615000485-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jan 19, 2016
Priority date	Jan 19, 2016
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

This disclosure relates to various embodiments of lockout relay devices. In one embodiment, a lockout relay device may transition between a closed position and a lockout position in response to an action of a deck device. The lockout relay may further be configured to transition from the lockout position to the closed position only in response to one of a manual adjustment and a reset operation. A manual actuator may permit a manual transition of the lockout relay device from the closed position to the lockout position and from the lockout position to the closed position. A lockout mechanism may be configured to cause the lockout relay device to transition to the lockout position in response to the force generated by the deck device. The lockout relay device may remain in the lockout position until the occurrence of one of a manual adjustment and a reset operation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A lockout relay device configured to transition from a closed position to a lockout position in response to an action of a deck device, and to transition from the lockout position to the closed position only in response to one of a manual adjustment and a reset operation, the lockout relay device comprising:
a rotary shaft configured to be rotated between a first rotational position corresponding to the closed position and a second rotational position corresponding to the lockout position;
at least one deck device in contact with the rotary shaft and configured to exert a force on the rotary shaft in response to a fault, the force configured to cause the lockout relay device to transition from the closed position to the lockout position;
a manual actuator coupled to the rotary shaft and configured to permit a manual transition of the lockout relay device from the lockout position to the closed position;
a linear actuation component configured to initiate a reset operation by generation of a linear motion;
a lockout mechanism configured to translate the linear motion of the linear actuation component to a rotational motion of the rotary shaft and to cause the lockout relay device to transition from the lockout position to the closed position, the lockout mechanism comprising:
a coupling component affixed to the linear actuation component;
a protruding component extending from the coupling component;
a rotational arm coupled to the rotary shaft;
wherein the linear motion causes the protruding component to exert a force on the rotational arm, and the force results in rotation of the rotary shaft from the second position to the first position.

2. The lockout relay device of claim 1 , wherein the linear actuation component is selectively activated by an electrical signal.

3. The lockout relay device of claim 2 , wherein the linear actuation component comprises a solenoid.

4. The lockout relay device of claim 1 , wherein the linear motion causes the rotational arm to rotate in a direction toward the linear actuation component and wherein the force exerted by the at least one deck device causes the rotational arm to rotate in a direction away from the linear actuation component.

5. The lockout relay device of claim 1 , further comprising a spring configured to compress in response to the linear motion and to exert a restoring force configured to cause the coupling component and protruding component to return to an original position upon termination of the linear motion.

6. The lockout relay device of claim 5 , further comprising an actuation shaft coupled to the spring and coupled to the coupling component.

7. The lockout relay device of claim 1 , wherein rotation of the rotary shaft in a first direction is restricted by a first rotation limitation component and rotation of the rotary shaft in a second direction is restricted by a second rotation limitation component.

8. The lockout relay device of claim 7 , wherein one of the first rotation limitation component and the second rotation limitation component comprises the protruding component.

9. The lockout relay device of claim 7 , wherein one of the first rotation limitation component and the second rotation limitation component comprises an extension component coupled to the rotary shaft and a receiving component configured to receive the extension.

10. The lockout relay device of claim 1 , wherein the linear actuation component is disposed at an angle with respect to a housing of the lockout relay device.

11. A lockout relay device configured to transition from a closed position to a lockout position in response to an action of a deck device, and to transition from the lockout position to the closed position only in response to one of a manual adjustment and a reset operation, the lockout relay device comprising:
an electrical actuator configured to generate a motion upon electrical activation;
a lockout mechanism configured to:
cause the lockout relay device to transition to the lockout position in response to the force generated by the deck device;
cause the lockout relay device to remain in the lockout position until the occurrence of a reset operation initiated by activation of the electrical actuator; and
cause the lockout relay device to transition from the lockout position to the closed position in response to the reset operation based on the motion of the electrical actuator.

12. The rotary actuation device of claim 11 , further comprising:
a rotary shaft coupled to the lockout mechanism, and at least one deck device.

13. The rotary actuation device of claim 12 , wherein a first rotational position of the rotary shaft corresponds to the closed position and a second rotational position of the rotary shaft corresponds to the lockout position.

14. The lockout relay device of claim 12 , wherein the at least one deck device comprises an overcurrent protection device, and wherein the action of the deck device comprises interruption of electrical current in response to an overcurrent event identified by the overcurrent protection device.

15. The lockout relay device of claim 12 , wherein rotation of the rotary shaft in a first direction is restricted by a first rotation limitation component and rotation of the rotary shaft in a second direction is restricted by a second rotation limitation component.

16. The lockout relay device of claim 11 , wherein the electrical actuator comprises a linear actuator, and wherein the motion comprises a linear motion.

17. The lockout relay device of claim 16 , wherein the linear actuator comprises a solenoid.

18. The lockout relay device of claim 16 , further comprising a rotary arm configured to translate the linear motion to a rotational motion.

19. The lockout relay device of claim 18 , wherein the linear motion causes the rotational arm to rotate in a direction toward the linear actuation component and wherein the force exerted by the at least one deck device causes the rotational arm to rotate in a direction away from the linear actuation component.

20. The lockout relay device of claim 17 , wherein the solenoid is disposed at an angle with respect to a housing of the lockout relay device.

Assignees

• Schweitzer Engineering Lab Inc

Inventors

• Castro Maciel Carlos Baltazar
• Hidrogo Ordaz Marco Antonio
• Rodríguez Nájera Gerardo
• Esquivel Álvarez Sergio David
• Martinez Ramírez José Ramón
• Alba Héctor Jaime
• Soto Murrieta Jorge Luis

Classifications

• H01H71/66 Primary

  Power reset mechanisms · CPC title

• H01H71/68

  actuated by electromagnet · CPC title

• H01H50/641

  intermediate part performing a rectilinear movement (H01H50/645, H01H50/66 - H01H50/74 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01H50/644 Primary

  having more than one rotating or pivoting part · CPC title

• H01H2071/665

  the reset mechanism operating directly on the normal manual operator, e.g. electromagnet pushes manual release lever back into "ON" position · CPC title