Title of Invention	A STRESSING APPARATUS FOR A SWITCHING-ON ENERGY STORE OF A CIRCUIT BREAKER
Abstract	The invention relates to a stressing apparatus for a switch-on energy store (13) of a circuit breaker, comprising a rotatably mounted stressing shaft (1) for tensioning the switch-on energy store (13); a drive wheel (10) for rotating said stressing shaft (1) an eccentric and a cam disk (5) each rigidly connected to said stressing shaft (1); said cam disk (5) carrying a tripping stop (14); and a latching configuration (7,8,9,11,12,18) coupling said drive wheel (10) to said stressing shaft (1), wherein said latching configuration (7,8,9,11,12,18) comprises a catch rotatably mounted on said drive wheel (10); and wherein a fixed stop element (7) is disposed to control said catch (9).

Title of Invention

A STRESSING APPARATUS FOR A SWITCHING-ON ENERGY STORE OF A CIRCUIT BREAKER

Abstract

The invention relates to a stressing apparatus for a switch-on energy store (13) of a circuit breaker, comprising a rotatably mounted stressing shaft (1) for tensioning the switch-on energy store (13); a drive wheel (10) for rotating said stressing shaft (1) an eccentric and a cam disk (5) each rigidly connected to said stressing shaft (1); said cam disk (5) carrying a tripping stop (14); and a latching configuration (7,8,9,11,12,18) coupling said drive wheel (10) to said stressing shaft (1), wherein said latching configuration (7,8,9,11,12,18) comprises a catch rotatably mounted on said drive wheel (10); and wherein a fixed stop element (7) is disposed to control said catch (9).

Full Text	FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a stressing apparatus for a switch-on energy store for a circuit breaker, in which a stressing shaft, which can be rotated by means of a drive wheel, is in each case firmly connected to an eccentric and to a cam disk in order to stress the switch-on energy store, which has a tripping stop, and in which the drive wheel is coupled to the stressing shaft via a coupling. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A stressing apparatus such as this is known from DE 199 33 637 CI. In this stressing apparatus, a spur gear as a drive wheel is disconnected by a disconnectable coupling after stressing of a switch-on spring as a switch-on energy store. The disconnection or disengagement means that the spur gear, which is the spur gear of a transmission, and therefore the transmission can continue to run or rotate without any increased wear to the stressing apparatus or to the transmission, for example as a result of irregular operation. The disconnectable coupling in this case comprises a bearing sleeve which can be moved via balls and engages via a toothed surface with a toothed surface on the spur gear as long as a lever system, comprising two levers which are mounted such that they can rotate and have wedge-shaped surfaces, and a toggle-lever system, which is connected thereto, couples the bearing sleeve to the spur gear via a pressure element. Once the stressing process has been carried out, the toggle-lever system is erased via a further pressure element, as a result of which the two levers are rotated such that the spur gear is disengaged from the bearing sleeve. The arrangement having a bearing sleeve, which can be moved via a ball bearing and is coupled to and disengaged from the spur gear of the transmission via a lever system comprising a plurality of levers, which are mounted such that they can rotate, and toothed surfaces, represents a complex arrangement, which is costly at the same time. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to propose a stressing apparatus of a switching-on energy store for a circuit breakers, which has a simple and low-cost design. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object is achieved in that, according to the invention, the coupling attaching a drive wheel to the shaft of the apparatus, is a latching arrangement. A latching arrangement such as this creates a stressing apparatus whose coupling is advantageously simple and at the same time costs little, because the low-latching arrangement requires only a comparatively small number of components. In this case, it is only the latching arrangement which prevents irregular loading of the stressing apparatus taking place by further operation of the drive wheel after a stressing process, for example while a motor drive is running down. In one preferred embodiment, the latching arrangement has a catch which is arranged on the drive wheel such that it can rotate, and a fixed stop element is provided in order to control the catch. An arrangement such as this has the advantage that the catch can be controlled, and the drive wheel can therefore disengage from the stressing shaft, solely by the arrangement of the catch such that it can rotate, and the fixed stop element. In one advantageous refinement, the fixed stop element is arranged such that the catch releases the stressing shaft when the switch-on energy store is stressed. An arrangement such as this offers a simple capability to disengage the stressing shaft from the drive after a stressing process once the switch-on energy store has been stressed. In another advantageous refinement, the latching arrangement has a driver which is firmly connected to the stressing shaft and interacts with the catch. The arrangement of a driver such as this is a simple and expedient option for coupling the drive wheel and the stressing shaft to one another by means of the catch, in order to carry out a stressing process. The free end of the latching arrangement may be guided in various ways, for example by means of a fixed-position guide path. In one advantageous development, the latching arrangement has a spring element. The provision of a spring element ensures that the catch is held in a position in which it interacts with the driver during a stressing process. In a further preferred refinement of the invention, a position pin is provided on the drive wheel. The provision of a position pin such as this advantageously limits the rotation of the catch, which is mounted such that it can rotate, by the force which is transmitted from the spring element, thus preventing wear to the catch resulting from a sliding movement on the stressing shaft during rotation for preparation for a stressing process of the circuit breaker. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS The invention will be explained in more detail in the following text using the attached drawings and one exemplary embodiment, and with reference to the figures, in which: FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of the stressing apparatus according to the invention; FIG. 2 shows a front view of the stressing apparatus from FIG. 1, in a first position during the stressing process; and FIG. 3 shows a front view of the stressing apparatus in a disengaged position. DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION FIG. 1 shows a stressing apparatus according to the invention for a switch-on energy store, in the form of a schematic side view. The apparatus has a stressing shaft 1 at whose first end 2 an eccentric 3 is arranged. A cam disk 5 is firmly connected to the stressing shaft 1, at the second end 4 of the stressing shaft 1. In a circuit breaker, the cam disk 5 is operatively connected to a switching shaft, which is not illustrated, in order to transmit the energy stored in the switch-on energy store, in order to close moving contacts of the circuit breaker. A fixed stop element 7 is arranged on a housing part 6 of the stressing apparatus, in which housing part 6 the stressing shaft 1 is mounted by means of ball bearings 6a, 6b such that it can rotate. The stressing shaft 1 is firmly connected to a driver 8 which interacts via a catch 9 with a drive wheel 10. In this case, the catch 9 is arranged such that it can rotate on the drive wheel 10, by means of a spring element 11. The drive wheel 10 is the last drive wheel of the transmission which is not illustrated, for example of a worm gear, which can be driven by means of the hand-crank or motor drive. A switch-on energy store 13, for example a spring element 13, is arranged articulated on the eccentric 3. A tripping stop 14 is provided as a stop for the stressing apparatus after a stressing process, in which case the tripping stop can be tripped by means of a tripping mechanism which is not illustrated, in order to carry out a switching process for the circuit breaker when the switch-on energy store is stressed. Figure 2 shows a front view of the stressing apparatus according to the invention in a position during the process of stressing the switch-on energy store. At its end 15, the catch 9 makes contact with the driver 8 via the contact surface 16. A stop 17 is forme,d at the end 15 of the catch 9, and rests on a position pin 18 on the drive wheel 10. The stressing shaft 1 and therefore the eccentric 3 are caused to rotate in the clockwise direction via the catch 9, which rests on the driver 8, by using the drive to rotate the drive wheel 10. This results in stressing of the switch-on energy store 13 which is mounted on the eccentric. In the position shown in Figure 2, the eccentric 3 is located at a position in which the switch-on energy store 1 is subject to its maximum compression-spring stress. In order to produce a torque which is required to initiate a switching process, the eccentric must be rotated -further to a position which is a few degrees away from this maximum extended position. Figure 3 shows the position of the catch 9 after the process of stressing the switch-on energy store 13 has been completed. As the drive wheel 10 rotates in the clockwise direction, the catch 9 makes contact with the fixed stop element 7, thus causing the catch 9 to rotate about the shaft 12 in the counterclockwise direction, so that the contact surface 16 no longer rests on the driver 8, and the catch is pivoted away from the driver 8. The stressing shaft 1 is disengaged from the drive wheel 10, and therefore from the drive, in this position. In consequence, no more force is exerted on the cam disk or on the eccentric when the drive wheel 10 is rotated further. During a switching-on process, the tripping stop 14 is released, so that the energy stored in the switch-on energy-store 13 is used to rotate the cam disk 5, which is connected to the stressing shaft 1, and therefore to close the moving contact of the circuit breaker. During the process, the stressing shaft 1 rotates, and the parts which are connected to it rotate in the direction of the arrow 19 in Figure 3, until the switch-on energy store 13 has been completely unloaded. The drive wheel 10 with the catch 9 remains in the position shown in Figure 3 during this process. In. consequence, no energy is transferred to the drive wheel and to the drive during the switching process. When a new stressing process is carried out after the switching process, then the drive wheel 10 is likewise moved in the direction of the arrow 19, via the drive. During the process, the catch is deflected further on the fixed stop element 7 and moves along it until the rotation of the drive wheel results in the catch no longer making contact with the fixed stop element, and being rotated in the direction of the stressing shaft by the force exerted by the spring element 11, until the catch rests on the position pin 18. The position pin 13 prevents the catch 9 from resting on the stressing shaft 1 while the drive wheel 10 is rotated further. Further rotation results in the catch 9 making contact with the driver 8, so that the drive wheel 10 and the stressing shaft 1 are coupled again, and the switch-on energy store 13 is stressed again. List of reference symbols 1 Stressing shaft 2 First end 3 Eccentric 4 Second end 5 Cam disk 6 Housing part 6a,6b Ball bearing 7 Fixed stop element 8 Driver 9 Catch 10 Drive wheel 11 Spring element 12 Shaft 13 Switch-on energy store 14 Tripping stop 15 End of catch 16 Contact surface 17 Stop 18 Position pin 19 Arrow WE CLAIM 1. A stressing apparatus for a switch-on energy store (13) of a circuit breaker, comprising: a rotatably mounted stressing shaft (1) for tensioning the switch-on energy store (13); a drive wheel (10) for rotating said stressing shaft (1) an eccentric and a cam disk (5) each rigidly connected to said stressing shaft (1); said cam disk (5) carrying a tripping stop (14); and a latching configuration (7,8,9,11/12,18) coupling said drive wheel (10) to said stressing shaft (1), wherein said latching configuration (7,8,9,11,12,18) comprises a catch rotatably mounted on said drive wheel (10); and wherein a fixed stop element (7) is disposed to control said catch (9). 2. The stressing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fixed stop element (7) is disposed to cause said catch (9) release said stressing shaft (1) when the switch-on energy store (13) is stressed. 3. The stressing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said latching configuration comprises a driver (8) connected to said stressing shaft (1) and disposed to interact with said catch (9). 4. The stressing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said latching configuration (7,8,9,11,12,18) comprises a spring element (11). 5. The stressing apparatus as claimed in claim 4, which comprises a position pin (18) disposed on said drive wheel (10). ABSTRACT TITLE : "A STRESSING APPARATUS FOR A SWITCMNG-ON ENERGY STORE OF A CIRCUIT BREAKERS" The invention relates to a stressing apparatus for a switch-on energy store (13) of a circuit breaker, comprising a rotatably mounted stressing shaft (1) for tensioning the switch-on energy store (13); a drive wheel (10) for rotating said stressing shaft (1) an eccentric and a cam disk (5) each rigidly connected to said stressing shaft (1); said cam disk (5) carrying a tripping stop (14); and a latching configuration (7,8,9,11,12,18) coupling said drive wheel (10) to said stressing shaft (1), wherein said latching configuration (7,8,9,11,12,18) comprises a catch rotatably mounted on said drive wheel (10); and wherein a fixed stop element (7) is disposed to control said catch (9).

Full Text

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a stressing apparatus for a switch-on energy store for a circuit breaker, in which a stressing shaft, which can be rotated by means of a drive wheel, is in each case firmly connected to an eccentric and to a cam disk in order to stress the switch-on energy store, which has a tripping stop, and in which the drive wheel is coupled to the stressing shaft via a coupling.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A stressing apparatus such as this is known from DE 199 33 637 CI. In this
stressing apparatus, a spur gear as a drive wheel is disconnected by a
disconnectable coupling after stressing of a switch-on spring as a switch-on
energy store. The disconnection or disengagement means that the spur gear,
which is the spur gear of a transmission, and therefore the transmission can
continue to run or rotate without any increased wear to the stressing apparatus
or to the transmission, for example as a result of irregular operation. The
disconnectable coupling in this case comprises a bearing sleeve which can be
moved via balls and engages via a toothed surface with a toothed surface on the
spur gear as long as a lever system, comprising two levers which are mounted
such that they can rotate and have wedge-shaped surfaces, and a toggle-lever
system, which is connected thereto, couples the bearing sleeve to the spur gear
via a pressure element. Once the stressing process has been carried out, the
toggle-lever system is erased via a further pressure element, as a result of which
the two levers are rotated such that the spur gear is disengaged from the
bearing sleeve. The arrangement having a bearing sleeve, which can be moved
via a ball bearing and is coupled to and disengaged from the spur gear of the
transmission via a lever system comprising a plurality of levers, which are
mounted such that they can rotate,

and toothed surfaces, represents a complex arrangement, which is costly at the same time.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to propose a stressing apparatus of a switching-on energy store for a circuit breakers, which has a simple and low-cost design.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object is achieved in that, according to the invention, the coupling attaching a drive wheel to the shaft of the apparatus, is a latching arrangement. A latching arrangement such as this creates a stressing apparatus whose coupling is advantageously simple and at the same time costs little, because the low-latching arrangement requires only a comparatively small number of components. In this case, it is only the latching arrangement which prevents irregular loading of the stressing apparatus taking place by further operation of the drive wheel after a stressing process, for example while a motor drive is running down.
In one preferred embodiment, the latching arrangement has a catch which is arranged on the drive wheel such that it can rotate, and a fixed stop element is provided in order to control the catch. An arrangement such as this has the advantage that the catch can be controlled, and the drive wheel can therefore disengage from the stressing shaft, solely by the arrangement of the catch such that it can rotate, and the fixed stop element.
In one advantageous refinement, the fixed stop element is arranged such that the catch releases the stressing shaft when the switch-on energy store is stressed. An arrangement such as this offers a simple capability to disengage the stressing shaft from the drive after a stressing process once the switch-on energy store has been stressed.

In another advantageous refinement, the latching arrangement has a driver which is firmly connected to the stressing shaft and interacts with the catch. The arrangement of a driver such as this is a simple and expedient option for coupling the drive wheel and the stressing shaft to one another by means of the catch, in order to carry out a stressing process.
The free end of the latching arrangement may be guided in various ways, for example by means of a fixed-position guide path. In one advantageous development, the latching arrangement has a spring element. The provision of a spring element ensures that the catch is held in a position in which it interacts with the driver during a stressing process.
In a further preferred refinement of the invention, a position pin is provided on the drive wheel. The provision of a position pin such as this advantageously limits the rotation of the catch, which is mounted such that it can rotate, by the force which is transmitted from the spring element, thus preventing wear to the catch resulting from a sliding movement on the stressing shaft during rotation for preparation for a stressing process of the circuit breaker.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
The invention will be explained in more detail in the following text using the attached drawings and one exemplary embodiment, and with reference to the figures, in which:
FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of the stressing apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a front view of the stressing apparatus from FIG. 1, in a first position during the stressing process; and
FIG. 3 shows a front view of the stressing apparatus in a disengaged position.
DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows a stressing apparatus according to the invention for a switch-on
energy store, in the form of a schematic side view. The apparatus has a stressing
shaft 1 at whose first end 2 an eccentric 3 is arranged. A cam disk 5 is firmly
connected to the stressing shaft 1, at the second end 4 of the stressing shaft 1.
In a circuit breaker, the cam disk 5 is operatively connected to a switching shaft,
which is not illustrated, in order to transmit the energy stored in the switch-on
energy store, in order to close moving contacts of the circuit breaker. A fixed
stop element 7 is arranged on a housing part 6 of the stressing apparatus, in
which housing part 6 the stressing shaft 1 is mounted by means of ball bearings
6a, 6b such that it can rotate. The stressing shaft 1 is firmly connected to a
driver 8 which interacts via a catch 9 with a drive wheel 10. In this case, the
catch 9 is arranged such that it can rotate on the drive wheel 10, by means of a
spring element 11. The drive wheel 10 is the last drive wheel of the transmission
which is not illustrated, for example of a worm gear, which can be driven by
means of the hand-crank or motor drive. A switch-on energy store 13, for
example a spring element 13, is arranged articulated on the eccentric 3. A
tripping stop 14 is provided as a stop for the stressing apparatus after a stressing
process, in which case the tripping stop can be tripped by means of a tripping
mechanism which is not illustrated, in order

to carry out a switching process for the circuit breaker when the switch-on energy store is stressed.
Figure 2 shows a front view of the stressing apparatus according to the invention in a position during the process of stressing the switch-on energy store. At its end 15, the catch 9 makes contact with the driver 8 via the contact surface 16. A stop 17 is forme,d at the end 15 of the catch 9, and rests on a position pin 18 on the drive wheel 10. The stressing shaft 1 and therefore the eccentric 3 are caused to rotate in the clockwise direction via the catch 9, which rests on the driver 8, by using the drive to rotate the drive wheel 10. This results in stressing of the switch-on energy store 13 which is mounted on the eccentric. In the position shown in Figure 2, the eccentric 3 is located at a position in which the switch-on energy store 1 is subject to its maximum compression-spring stress. In order to produce a torque which is required to initiate a switching process, the eccentric must be rotated -further to a position which is a few degrees away from this maximum extended position.
Figure 3 shows the position of the catch 9 after the process of stressing the switch-on energy store 13 has been completed. As the drive wheel 10 rotates in the clockwise direction, the catch 9 makes contact with the fixed stop element 7, thus causing the catch 9 to rotate about the shaft 12 in the counterclockwise direction, so that the contact surface 16 no longer rests on the driver 8, and the catch is pivoted away from the driver 8. The stressing shaft 1 is disengaged from the drive wheel 10, and therefore from the drive, in this position. In consequence, no more force is exerted on the cam disk or on the eccentric when the drive wheel 10 is rotated further.

During a switching-on process, the tripping stop 14 is released, so that the energy stored in the switch-on energy-store 13 is used to rotate the cam disk 5, which is connected to the stressing shaft 1, and therefore to close the moving contact of the circuit breaker. During the process, the stressing shaft 1 rotates, and the parts which are connected to it rotate in the direction of the arrow 19 in Figure 3, until the switch-on energy store 13 has been completely unloaded. The drive wheel 10 with the catch 9 remains in the position shown in Figure 3 during this process. In. consequence, no energy is transferred to the drive wheel and to the drive during the switching process. When a new stressing process is carried out after the switching process, then the drive wheel 10 is likewise moved in the direction of the arrow 19, via the drive. During the process, the catch is deflected further on the fixed stop element 7 and moves along it until the rotation of the drive wheel results in the catch no longer making contact with the fixed stop element, and being rotated in the direction of the stressing shaft by the force exerted by the spring element 11, until the catch rests on the position pin 18. The position pin 13 prevents the catch 9 from resting on the stressing shaft 1 while the drive wheel 10 is rotated further. Further rotation results in the catch 9 making contact with the driver 8, so that the drive wheel 10 and the stressing shaft 1 are coupled again, and the switch-on energy store 13 is stressed again.

List of reference symbols
1 Stressing shaft
2 First end
3 Eccentric
4 Second end
5 Cam disk
6 Housing part 6a,6b Ball bearing
7 Fixed stop element
8 Driver
9 Catch
10 Drive wheel
11 Spring element
12 Shaft
13 Switch-on energy store
14 Tripping stop
15 End of catch
16 Contact surface
17 Stop
18 Position pin
19 Arrow

WE CLAIM
1. A stressing apparatus for a switch-on energy store (13) of a circuit
breaker, comprising:
a rotatably mounted stressing shaft (1) for tensioning the switch-on energy store (13);
a drive wheel (10) for rotating said stressing shaft (1)
an eccentric and a cam disk (5) each rigidly connected to said stressing shaft (1);
said cam disk (5) carrying a tripping stop (14); and
a latching configuration (7,8,9,11/12,18) coupling said drive wheel (10) to said stressing shaft (1), wherein said latching configuration (7,8,9,11,12,18) comprises a catch rotatably mounted on said drive wheel (10); and wherein a fixed stop element (7) is disposed to control said catch (9).
2. The stressing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fixed stop element (7) is disposed to cause said catch (9) release said stressing shaft (1) when the switch-on energy store (13) is stressed.
3. The stressing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said latching configuration comprises a driver (8) connected to said stressing shaft (1) and disposed to interact with said catch (9).

4. The stressing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said latching
configuration (7,8,9,11,12,18) comprises a spring element (11).
5. The stressing apparatus as claimed in claim 4, which comprises a position
pin (18) disposed on said drive wheel (10).

ABSTRACT

TITLE : "A STRESSING APPARATUS FOR A SWITCMNG-ON ENERGY STORE OF
A CIRCUIT BREAKERS"
The invention relates to a stressing apparatus for a switch-on energy store (13) of a circuit breaker, comprising a rotatably mounted stressing shaft (1) for tensioning the switch-on energy store (13); a drive wheel (10) for rotating said stressing shaft (1) an eccentric and a cam disk (5) each rigidly connected to said stressing shaft (1); said cam disk (5) carrying a tripping stop (14); and a latching configuration (7,8,9,11,12,18) coupling said drive wheel (10) to said stressing shaft (1), wherein said latching configuration (7,8,9,11,12,18) comprises a catch rotatably mounted on said drive wheel (10); and wherein a fixed stop element (7) is disposed to control said catch (9).

A STRESSING APPARATUS FOR A SWITCHING-ON ENERGY STORE OF A CIRCUIT BREAKER

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