Title of Invention	A BEARING ARRANGEMENT FOR THE SWITCHING SHAFT OF A LOW -VOLTAGE CIRCUIT BREAKER
Abstract	A beganning arrengement for the ??? that of a low ???. Bearing arrangement for the switching shaft of a low-voltage circuit breaker, and a multipole low-voltage circuit breaker having a bearing arrangement for the switching shaft In order to provide a bearing for the already prepositioned switching shaft 8, which is fitted with coupling levers 9 and 10, of a low-voltage circuit breaker in the region where the switching forces act, the bearing assembly 1 which is provided for this purpose has a bearing body 2 which is mounted on the housing front wall 25 of the switch pole, surrounding the switching shaft 8 in the form of a half shell, has a subregion 4 which projects between two coupling levers 9 and 10, which are at a distance from one another and are connected to a movable switching contact 11, and thus forms side guide surfaces 13 for the coupling levers 9 and 10. A bearing assembly 1 such as this can be arranged in both the end regions of the switching shaft 8 in multipole circuit breakers.

Title of Invention

A BEARING ARRANGEMENT FOR THE SWITCHING SHAFT OF A LOW -VOLTAGE CIRCUIT BREAKER

Abstract

A beganning arrengement for the ??? that of a low ???. Bearing arrangement for the switching shaft of a low-voltage circuit breaker, and a multipole low-voltage circuit breaker having a bearing arrangement for the switching shaft In order to provide a bearing for the already prepositioned switching shaft 8, which is fitted with coupling levers 9 and 10, of a low-voltage circuit breaker in the region where the switching forces act, the bearing assembly 1 which is provided for this purpose has a bearing body 2 which is mounted on the housing front wall 25 of the switch pole, surrounding the switching shaft 8 in the form of a half shell, has a subregion 4 which projects between two coupling levers 9 and 10, which are at a distance from one another and are connected to a movable switching contact 11, and thus forms side guide surfaces 13 for the coupling levers 9 and 10. A bearing assembly 1 such as this can be arranged in both the end regions of the switching shaft 8 in multipole circuit breakers.

Full Text	GR 99 P 4170 DE - 1 - Description Bearing arrangement for the switching shaft of a low-voltage circuit breaker, and a multipole low-voltage circuit breaker having a bearing arrangement for the switching shaft The invention relates to the field of the design configuration of a circuit breaker which is used in low-voltage networks, and is applicable to the configuration of the bearing for the integral switching shaft of such a switch. Low-voltage circuit breakers have one or more switch poles. The switching contact systems, which comprise fixed and movable switching contacts, of these switch poles are normally mechanically connected to coupling levers, which are arranged on a switching shaft which is common to all the switch poles. For such a circuit breaker to operate correctly, it is essential for the switching shaft to have radially precise bearings, with little axial play. A known bearing arrangement which is suitable for this purpose has, in the region of the coupling levers, a bearing assembly which is connected to a housing front wall of the switch pole and contains a bearing body with a cylindrical bearing surface. The production of the switching shaft and its installation are simplified by subdivision into two symmetrical subelements. Each subelement is provided with a radial bearing and an axial bearing at one end by means of the main bearing body. Two further auxiliary bearing bodies are required for the complete axial bearing. In the case of an integral switching shaft, such a shaft would be permanently connected to the main bearing body by the coupling levers, which are arranged in fixed positions on both sides of the main bearing - 2 -body. If the main bearing body is faulty, the entire switching shaft must be replaced together with it (DE 197 39 702 C1). In another known bearing arrangement, the integral switching shaft, which is fitted with all the coupling levers, can be prepositioned in its installed position, independently of the bearing assembly. In this case, the switching shaft is positioned in recesses, which are open at the edges, in walls which are arranged at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the switching shaft. One shaft bearing, which comprises two half shells, is then inserted in the axial direction into each of the recesses. Such a shaft bearing provides a radial bearing for the switching shaft away from the points at which the switching forces act. The location of the axial bearing is not mentioned (DE 44 16 090 C1) . Against the background of an arrangement having the features of the precharacterizing clause of claim 1 (DE 197 39 702 C1), the invention is based on the object of designing the bearing assembly such that the switching shaft, which is already prepositioned in its installed position and is provided with the coupling levers, is mounted at the point where the switching forces act, in a manner such that it is insensitive to tolerances and is convenient for assembly. According to the invention, this object is achieved in that the bearing body is mounted on the housing front wall of the switch pole, surrounding the switching shaft in the form of a half shell, and in that a first subregion of the bearing body is arranged between the coupling levers and forms side guide surfaces for the coupling levers which are connected to the switching shaft. - 3 - This configuration allows the bearing assembly and the switching shaft to be replaced independently of one another at any time. In this case, the bearing assembly has a simple give construction and can thus be produced cost-effectively. In addition, it is compact and can thus be installed easily and in a space-saving manner. In addition, the switching shaft bearing is very largely independent of tolerances, since the switching shaft uses the same bearing body for both radial and axial bearing. Stops for the on and off positions of the switching contacts can be provided easily, according to one development of the invention, in that a second subregion of the bearing body projects axially beyond the coupling levers and forms stop surfaces for the coupling levers. If the catch hook, which is normally used in an arrangement such as this, is mounted in a window-like recess in the bearing body such that it can pivot, and the mating piece is in the form of a bolt which passes through the coupling levers, this additional element is integrated in a space-saving manner in the bearing assembly. One arrangement designed according to the invention for the switching shaft bearing is expediently used in multipole low-voltage circuit breakers in such a way that a bearing assembly at each of the two ends of the switching shaft is associated with the axially outer movable switching contacts. The switching shaft bearing is thus defined statically. An exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Figures 1-4 of the drawing. In this case: - 4 -Figure 1 shows a bearing assembly with a bearing body designed according to the invention, Figure 2 shows an integral switching shaft with two bearing assemblies (as shown in Figure 1) arranged at its ends, viewed in perspective, Figures 3 and 4 show section illustrations of a bearing assembly arranged as shown in Figure 2. Figure 1 shows a bearing assembly with a bearing body 2 and a catch device 3. The bearing body 2 is subdivided into a number of subregions 4, 5, 6, 7, 71 and 72, which are used to provide the bearing for a switching shaft 8, which is illustrated in Figure 2, the stop for coupling levers 9 and 10 during the switching-on and switching-off processes, the holder for the catch device 3 and the mounting for the bearing assembly 1 on one housing front wall 25 of the switch poles. As is shown in Figure 2, the switching shaft 8 is mounted close to its ends by two bearing assemblies 1 as shown in Figure 1. Two coupling levers/9 and 10 are arranged in each end region of the switching shaft 8 and are used to provide the mechanical connection for a movable switching contact 11 which is associated with an outer switch pole, and for this purpose are arranged in a fixed position on the switching shaft 8, and are at the same time used to provide the axial bearing for the switching shaft 8. Each bearing assembly 1 has in each case one first subregion 4, whose axial width is matched to the distance between the coupling levers 9 and 10. This first subregion 4 of the bearing body 2 accordingly projects with a small amount of axial play between the coupling levers 9 and 10 and surrounds the switching shaft 8 in the form of a half shell in one direction, which is the opposite direction to that in which the forces occur during the connection process. This first subregion 4 of the bearing body 2 thus forms side guide surfaces 13 (see Figure 1} for the coupling - 5 -levers 9 and 10, which are connected in a fixed manner to the switching shaft 8. A second subregion 5 projects beyond the coupling levers 9 and 10 axially and forms stop surfaces 14 (see Figure 1) and 15 for the coupling levers 9 and 10, in order to limit the movement of the switching shaft 8. The catch device 3 of each bearing assembly 1 has a catch hook 16 which,"during the switching-off process, engages behind a bolt 17 (see also Figure 4), which passes through both coupling levers 9 and 10. The catch hook 16 is arranged on a bearing bolt 19 in a windowlike recess 18 in a third subregion 6 of the bearing body 2, and is mounted such that it can pivot against the force of a wire torsion spring 20. The catch hook 16 and the wire torsion spring 20 can thus be integrated in the bearing assembly easily and in a space-saving manner even before the installation of the bearing assembly 1 . Figure 3 shows a section through the first and third subregions 4 and 6 of the bearing body 2. The windowlike recess 18 for the catch hook 16 has a narrow upper region 21 (see Figure 1) and a broader lower region 22 (see Figure 1) . The narrow upper region 21 is matched to the width of the catch hook 16 and fixes it axially, except for a small amount of play. The broader lower region 22 is used to provide additional retention for the wire torsion spring 20. The coupling levers 9 and 10 are in the on position here. The two bearing assemblies 1 have holes 23 in further subregions 7, 71 and 72 (see also Figure 1) and are connected in a force-fitting and interlocking manner by means of screw connections 24 to the housing .front wall 25 of the switch poles. This housing front wall 25 may have a depression 26 in the form of a half shell, as illustrated in Figure 2, in order to predetermine the - 6 - installation position of the switching shaft 8, and hence to simplify installation of the switching, shaft. Depending on the length of the switching shaft, auxiliary bearing bodies can be arranged in a known manner to provide an additional bearing for the switching shaft. However, all the switch poles of a multipole low-voltage circuit breaker may also have an associated bearing assembly as shown in Figure 1 . Figure 4 shows a section through the second subregion 5 of the bearing body 2, which extends axially outside the coupling levers 9 and 10. Here, however, the coupling levers 9 and 10 are in the off position. At least one of the two coupling levers 9 and 10 is designed such that, during a switching-off process, a section 27 of the circumferential edge of this coupling lever abuts against a first surface 14, which is used as an off stop, of the bearing body 2. At least one of the two coupling levers 9 and 10 may have a cantilever arm 28 like a hooked nose which, during a switching-on process, abuts against a second surface 15, which is used as an on stop, of the bearing body. An on stop such as this is required, for example, in current-limiting low-voltage circuit breakers . GR 99 P 4170 DE - 7 - 1. A bearing arrangement for the switching shaft (8) of a low-voltage circuit breaker, in which two coupling levers (9, 10) are arranged at a distance from one another on the integral switching shaft (8), for mechanical connection of a movable • switching contact (11) which is associated with one switch pole, and in which a bearing assembly (1) which is connected to a housing front wall (25) of the switch pole and has a bearing body (2) is arranged in the region of the coupling levers (9, 10), characterized in that the bearing body (2) is mounted on the housing front wall (25) of the switch pole, surrounding the switching shaft (8) in the form of a half shell, and a first subregion (4) of the bearing body (2) is arranged between the coupling levers (9, 10) and forms side guide surfaces (13) for the coupling levers (9, 10) which are connected to the switching shaft (8). 2. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a second subregion (5) of the bearing body (2) projects axially beyond the coupling levers (9, 10) and forms stop surfaces (14, 15) for the coupling levers (9, 10). 3. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the bearing assembly (1) has a catch hook (16), whose mating piece forms a bolt (17) which passes through the coupling levers ( 9, 10) with the catch hook (16) being mounted in a window like recess (18) in the bearing body (2) such that it can pivot. - 8 -4. A multipole low-voltage circuit breaker having a bearing arrangement for the switching shaft (8) , in which two coupling levers (9, 10) are in each case arranged on the switching shaft (8) for mechanical connection of each movable switching contact (11) which is associated with a switch pole, and one bearing assembly (1); having a bearing body (2) designed as claimed in one of claims 1 to 3, is associated with each of the two coupling levers (9, 10) of the two axially outer movable switching contacts (11). A beganning arrengement for the ??? that of a low ???. Bearing arrangement for the switching shaft of a low-voltage circuit breaker, and a multipole low-voltage circuit breaker having a bearing arrangement for the switching shaft In order to provide a bearing for the already prepositioned switching shaft 8, which is fitted with coupling levers 9 and 10, of a low-voltage circuit breaker in the region where the switching forces act, the bearing assembly 1 which is provided for this purpose has a bearing body 2 which is mounted on the housing front wall 25 of the switch pole, surrounding the switching shaft 8 in the form of a half shell, has a subregion 4 which projects between two coupling levers 9 and 10, which are at a distance from one another and are connected to a movable switching contact 11, and thus forms side guide surfaces 13 for the coupling levers 9 and 10. A bearing assembly 1 such as this can be arranged in both the end regions of the switching shaft 8 in multipole circuit breakers.

Full Text

GR 99 P 4170 DE - 1 -
Description
Bearing arrangement for the switching shaft of a low-voltage circuit breaker, and a multipole low-voltage circuit breaker having a bearing arrangement for the switching shaft
The invention relates to the field of the design configuration of a circuit breaker which is used in low-voltage networks, and is applicable to the configuration of the bearing for the integral switching shaft of such a switch.
Low-voltage circuit breakers have one or more switch poles. The switching contact systems, which comprise fixed and movable switching contacts, of these switch poles are normally mechanically connected to coupling levers, which are arranged on a switching shaft which is common to all the switch poles.
For such a circuit breaker to operate correctly, it is essential for the switching shaft to have radially precise bearings, with little axial play. A known bearing arrangement which is suitable for this purpose has, in the region of the coupling levers, a bearing assembly which is connected to a housing front wall of the switch pole and contains a bearing body with a cylindrical bearing surface. The production of the switching shaft and its installation are simplified by subdivision into two symmetrical subelements. Each subelement is provided with a radial bearing and an axial bearing at one end by means of the main bearing body. Two further auxiliary bearing bodies are required for the complete axial bearing.
In the case of an integral switching shaft, such a shaft would be permanently connected to the main bearing body by the coupling levers, which are arranged in fixed positions on both sides of the main bearing

- 2 -body. If the main bearing body is faulty, the entire switching shaft must be replaced together with it (DE 197 39 702 C1).
In another known bearing arrangement, the integral
switching shaft, which is fitted with all the coupling
levers, can be prepositioned in its installed position,
independently of the bearing assembly. In this case,
the switching shaft is positioned in recesses, which
are open at the edges, in walls which are arranged at
right angles to the longitudinal axis of the switching
shaft. One shaft bearing, which comprises two half
shells, is then inserted in the axial direction into
each of the recesses. Such a shaft bearing provides a
radial bearing for the switching shaft away from the
points at which the switching forces act. The location
of the axial bearing is not mentioned
(DE 44 16 090 C1) .
Against the background of an arrangement having the features of the precharacterizing clause of claim 1 (DE 197 39 702 C1), the invention is based on the object of designing the bearing assembly such that the switching shaft, which is already prepositioned in its installed position and is provided with the coupling levers, is mounted at the point where the switching forces act, in a manner such that it is insensitive to tolerances and is convenient for assembly.
According to the invention, this object is achieved in that the bearing body is mounted on the housing front wall of the switch pole, surrounding the switching shaft in the form of a half shell, and in that a first subregion of the bearing body is arranged between the coupling levers and forms side guide surfaces for the coupling levers which are connected to the switching shaft.

- 3 -
This configuration allows the bearing assembly and the switching shaft to be replaced independently of one another at any time.
In this case, the bearing assembly has a simple give construction and can thus be produced cost-effectively. In addition, it is compact and can thus be installed easily and in a space-saving manner. In addition, the switching shaft bearing is very largely independent of tolerances, since the switching shaft uses the same bearing body for both radial and axial bearing.
Stops for the on and off positions of the switching contacts can be provided easily, according to one development of the invention, in that a second subregion of the bearing body projects axially beyond the coupling levers and forms stop surfaces for the coupling levers.
If the catch hook, which is normally used in an arrangement such as this, is mounted in a window-like recess in the bearing body such that it can pivot, and the mating piece is in the form of a bolt which passes through the coupling levers, this additional element is integrated in a space-saving manner in the bearing assembly.
One arrangement designed according to the invention for the switching shaft bearing is expediently used in multipole low-voltage circuit breakers in such a way that a bearing assembly at each of the two ends of the switching shaft is associated with the axially outer movable switching contacts. The switching shaft bearing is thus defined statically.
An exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Figures 1-4 of the drawing.
In this case:

- 4 -Figure 1 shows a bearing assembly with a bearing body
designed according to the invention, Figure 2 shows an integral switching shaft with two
bearing assemblies (as shown in Figure 1)
arranged at its ends, viewed in perspective, Figures 3 and 4 show section illustrations of a bearing
assembly arranged as shown in Figure 2.
Figure 1 shows a bearing assembly with a bearing body 2 and a catch device 3. The bearing body 2 is subdivided into a number of subregions 4, 5, 6, 7, 71 and 72, which are used to provide the bearing for a switching shaft 8, which is illustrated in Figure 2, the stop for coupling levers 9 and 10 during the switching-on and switching-off processes, the holder for the catch device 3 and the mounting for the bearing assembly 1 on one housing front wall 25 of the switch poles.
As is shown in Figure 2, the switching shaft 8 is mounted close to its ends by two bearing assemblies 1 as shown in Figure 1. Two coupling levers/9 and 10 are arranged in each end region of the switching shaft 8 and are used to provide the mechanical connection for a movable switching contact 11 which is associated with an outer switch pole, and for this purpose are arranged in a fixed position on the switching shaft 8, and are at the same time used to provide the axial bearing for the switching shaft 8. Each bearing assembly 1 has in each case one first subregion 4, whose axial width is matched to the distance between the coupling levers 9 and 10. This first subregion 4 of the bearing body 2 accordingly projects with a small amount of axial play between the coupling levers 9 and 10 and surrounds the switching shaft 8 in the form of a half shell in one direction, which is the opposite direction to that in which the forces occur during the connection process. This first subregion 4 of the bearing body 2 thus forms side guide surfaces 13 (see Figure 1} for the coupling

- 5 -levers 9 and 10, which are connected in a fixed manner to the switching shaft 8.
A second subregion 5 projects beyond the coupling levers 9 and 10 axially and forms stop surfaces 14 (see Figure 1) and 15 for the coupling levers 9 and 10, in order to limit the movement of the switching shaft 8. The catch device 3 of each bearing assembly 1 has a catch hook 16 which,"during the switching-off process, engages behind a bolt 17 (see also Figure 4), which passes through both coupling levers 9 and 10. The catch hook 16 is arranged on a bearing bolt 19 in a windowlike recess 18 in a third subregion 6 of the bearing body 2, and is mounted such that it can pivot against the force of a wire torsion spring 20. The catch hook 16 and the wire torsion spring 20 can thus be integrated in the bearing assembly easily and in a space-saving manner even before the installation of the bearing assembly 1 .
Figure 3 shows a section through the first and third subregions 4 and 6 of the bearing body 2. The windowlike recess 18 for the catch hook 16 has a narrow upper region 21 (see Figure 1) and a broader lower region 22 (see Figure 1) . The narrow upper region 21 is matched to the width of the catch hook 16 and fixes it axially, except for a small amount of play. The broader lower region 22 is used to provide additional retention for the wire torsion spring 20. The coupling levers 9 and 10 are in the on position here.
The two bearing assemblies 1 have holes 23 in further subregions 7, 71 and 72 (see also Figure 1) and are connected in a force-fitting and interlocking manner by means of screw connections 24 to the housing .front wall 25 of the switch poles. This housing front wall 25 may have a depression 26 in the form of a half shell, as illustrated in Figure 2, in order to predetermine the

- 6 -
installation position of the switching shaft 8, and hence to simplify installation of the switching, shaft.
Depending on the length of the switching shaft, auxiliary bearing bodies can be arranged in a known manner to provide an additional bearing for the switching shaft. However, all the switch poles of a multipole low-voltage circuit breaker may also have an associated bearing assembly as shown in Figure 1 .
Figure 4 shows a section through the second subregion 5 of the bearing body 2, which extends axially outside the coupling levers 9 and 10. Here, however, the coupling levers 9 and 10 are in the off position. At least one of the two coupling levers 9 and 10 is designed such that, during a switching-off process, a section 27 of the circumferential edge of this coupling lever abuts against a first surface 14, which is used as an off stop, of the bearing body 2.
At least one of the two coupling levers 9 and 10 may have a cantilever arm 28 like a hooked nose which, during a switching-on process, abuts against a second surface 15, which is used as an on stop, of the bearing body. An on stop such as this is required, for example, in current-limiting low-voltage circuit breakers .

GR 99 P 4170 DE - 7 -
1. A bearing arrangement for the switching shaft (8) of a low-voltage circuit breaker,
in which two coupling levers (9, 10) are arranged at a distance from one another on the integral switching shaft (8), for mechanical connection of a movable • switching contact (11) which is associated with one switch pole, and in which a bearing assembly (1) which is connected to a housing front wall (25) of the switch pole and has a bearing body (2) is arranged in the region of the coupling levers (9, 10), characterized in that
the bearing body (2) is mounted on the housing front wall (25) of the switch pole, surrounding the switching shaft (8) in the form of a half shell, and
a first subregion (4) of the bearing body (2) is arranged between the coupling levers (9, 10) and forms side guide surfaces (13) for the coupling levers (9, 10) which are connected to the switching shaft (8).
2. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1,
characterized in that
a second subregion (5) of the bearing body (2) projects axially beyond the coupling levers (9, 10) and forms stop surfaces (14, 15) for the coupling levers (9, 10).
3. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1 or 2,
characterized in that
the bearing assembly (1) has a catch hook (16), whose mating piece forms a bolt (17) which passes through the coupling levers ( 9, 10) with the catch hook (16) being mounted in a window like recess (18) in the bearing body (2) such that it can pivot.

- 8 -4. A multipole low-voltage circuit breaker having a bearing arrangement for the switching shaft (8) , in which two coupling levers (9, 10) are in each case arranged on the switching shaft (8) for mechanical connection of each movable switching contact (11) which is associated with a switch pole, and one bearing assembly (1); having a bearing body (2) designed as claimed in one of claims 1 to 3, is associated with each of the two coupling levers (9, 10) of the two axially outer movable switching contacts (11).
A beganning arrengement for the ??? that of a low ???.
Bearing arrangement for the switching shaft of a low-voltage circuit breaker, and a multipole low-voltage circuit breaker having a bearing arrangement for the switching shaft
In order to provide a bearing for the already prepositioned switching shaft 8, which is fitted with coupling levers 9 and 10, of a low-voltage circuit breaker in the region where the switching forces act, the bearing assembly 1 which is provided for this purpose has a bearing body 2 which is mounted on the housing front wall 25 of the switch pole, surrounding the switching shaft 8 in the form of a half shell, has a subregion 4 which projects between two coupling levers 9 and 10, which are at a distance from one another and are connected to a movable switching contact 11, and thus forms side guide surfaces 13 for the coupling levers 9 and 10.
A bearing assembly 1 such as this can be arranged in both the end regions of the switching shaft 8 in multipole circuit breakers.

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Patent Number

203269

Indian Patent Application Number

IN/PCT/2002/00476/KOL

PG Journal Number

11/2007

Publication Date

16-Mar-2007

Grant Date

16-Mar-2007

Date of Filing

12-Apr-2002

Name of Patentee

SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT

Applicant Address

WITTELSBUCHERPLATZ 2,D-80333 MUCHEN, DEUTSCHLAND,

Inventors:

#	Inventor's Name	Inventor's Address
1	BACH MICHAEL	LIGUSTERWEG 20A,12437,BERLIN,
2	SEBEKOW MICHAEL	SPINOLASTRASSE 8, 13125 BERLIN,
3	SEIDLER STAZHL GUNTHER	STERMSTRASSE 11, 13359 BERLIN,
4	SCHMIDT DETLEV	RICHARDSTRASSE 61,12055 BERLIN,
5	THIEDE INGO	FREGESTRASSE 76,12159 BERLIN,
6	TUERKMEN SEZAI	SCHUCKERTDAMM 334, 13629 BERLIN,

PCT International Classification Number

H01H - 3132

PCT International Application Number

PCT/DE00/03261

PCT International Filing date

2000-09-15

PCT Conventions:

#	PCT Application Number	Date of Convention	Priority Country
1			NA