Independent shutter system for rack-in breakers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9762038-B2
Application number	US-201314774841-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2013
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

A switchgear interlock system includes a circuit breaker with clusters of connector fingers separated from each other by respective cluster shields. In a connected position, the connector fingers engage respective bus connectors of bus bars for electrical contact. When the circuit breaker is disconnected from the bus bars, independently movable shutters cover access to the bus connectors to prevent inadvertent contact with the bus connectors. Each shutter includes a pedestal with an attached movable mount and movable curtain. As the circuit breaker is moved into the connected position, the mount slides along the pedestal towards the bus connector causing the curtain to open and allow the connector fingers to engage the bus connectors. As the circuit breaker is being disconnected, a return spring causes the mount to slide along the pedestal away from the bus connectors causing the curtain to close and prevent access to the bus connectors.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A switchgear interlock system comprising:
a circuit breaker with clusters of connector fingers, each of the clusters having a plurality of connector fingers enclosed in part within a cluster shield;
a back-mold with attached bus connectors, the bus connectors being engaged with respective connector fingers when the circuit breaker is in a connected position, the bus connectors being disengaged from the respective connector fingers when the circuit breaker is in a test position; and
a shutter assembly with independently movable shutters for covering access to the bus connectors in the test position and allowing access to the bus connectors in the connected position, each shutter of the movable shutters including
a pedestal fixedly mounted to the back-mold,
a mount mounted to the pedestal and being movable towards the back-mold in response to a force applied by a leading edge of the cluster shield when the circuit breaker is moved into the connected position, and
a curtain mounted to the mount and being movable from a closed position to an open position in response to a force applied by the pedestal as the mount moves towards the back-mold, the closed position corresponding to the test position of the circuit breaker in which access is prevented to the bus connectors, the open position corresponding to the connected position of the circuit breaker in which access is allowed to the bus connectors.

2. The switchgear interlock system of claim 1 , wherein each of the clusters includes connector fingers for a specific phase connection of the circuit breaker, the clusters including a first cluster for a first phase, a second cluster for a second phase, and a third cluster for a third phase.

3. The switchgear interlock system of claim 2 , wherein the shutter assembly includes three independently movable shutters arranged to receive, respectively, connector fingers of the first cluster, the second cluster, and the third cluster.

4. The switchgear interlock system of claim 1 , wherein the curtain includes a left hand and a right hand, the left hand moving in an opposite direction relative to the right hand in response to the force applied by the pedestal.

5. The switchgear interlock system of claim 4 , wherein the left hand and the right hand return to the closed position in response to a spring force when the circuit breaker is moved from the connected position to the test position.

6. The switchgear interlock system of claim 5 , wherein the spring force is applied by a return spring mounted within the pedestal and having a first end coupled to the curtain and a second end coupled to a base of the pedestal.

7. The switchgear interlock system of claim 1 , wherein both the mount and the curtain are slidably movable.

8. The switchgear interlock system of claim 1 , wherein the pedestal includes a cam profile along which the mount is slidably movable.

9. The switchgear interlock system of claim 1 , further comprising an arc barrier mounted to the back-mold at a fixed end and extending therefrom with a free end being overlapping the leading edge of the cluster shield when the circuit breaker is in the connected position.

10. The switchgear interlock system of claim 1 , further comprising a crossbar having a locked state in which movement of the curtain for all of the independently movable shutters is prevented.

11. The switchgear interlock system of claim 10 , further comprising a visual indicator mechanically coupled to the crossbar, the visual indicator being positioned within a front recess in the unlocked state and extending outside the front recess in the locked state.

12. The switchgear interlock system of claim 11 , further comprising an activator having an arm inserted in a notch of the crossbar, the activator being mechanically coupled to the visual indicator and pivoting between a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction in response to movement of the visual indicator, the clockwise direction causing the crossbar to move in an unlocking direction, the counterclockwise direction causing the crossbar to move in a locking direction.

13. A switchgear interlock system comprising:
a circuit breaker with a cluster shield extending rearwardly;
a back-mold with attached bus connectors;
at least two independently movable shutters mounted on the back-mold parallel to each other, each of the shutters including
a pedestal fixedly mounted to the back-mold,
a mount movably attached to the pedestal, and
a curtain attached to the mount and having two slidable hands movable between an open position and a closed position, the hands moving away from each other from the closed position to the open position in response to the mount being forced towards the back-mold along the pedestal, the hands moving towards each other from the open position to the closed position in response to a return force applied by a spring; and

a crossbar being movable between a locked state and an unlocked state in response to a single user input, the locked state preventing movement of the hands in the closed position for each of the shutters.

14. The switchgear interlock system of claim 13 , wherein the spring is a compression spring mounted within a base of the pedestal.

15. The switchgear interlock system of claim 13 , wherein the pedestal includes a cam profile along which the mount is slidably movable.

16. The switchgear interlock system of claim 13 , further comprising an arc barrier mounted to the back-mold at a fixed end and extending therefrom with a free end overlapping a leading edge of the cluster shield when the hands are in the open position.

17. The switchgear interlock system of claim 13 , further comprising a visual indicator mechanically coupled to the crossbar, the visual indicator being positioned within a front recess in the unlocked state and extending outside the front recess in the locked state.

18. The switchgear interlock system of claim 17 , further comprising an activator having an arm inserted in a notch of the crossbar, the activator being mechanically coupled to the visual indicator and pivoting between a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction in response to movement of the visual indicator, the clockwise direction causing the crossbar to move in an unlocking direction, the counterclockwise direction causing the crossbar to move in a locking direction.

Assignees

• Schneider Electric Usa Inc

Inventors

• Schroeder David

Classifications

• H02B11/24 Primary

  Shutters or guards · CPC title

• H02B11/133

  with interlock · CPC title