| Title of Invention | A PROTECTIVE BLOCK FOR ELECTRICAL FUNCTION |
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| Abstract | Protection unit comprising a differential stage (1) provided with a relay trip (3) and at least two independent circuit breakers (2) protecting separate circuits, each circuit breaker (2) having its own magnetothermal tripping elements and a lock for unlocking it upon a command from the differential stage (1). The input connection terminals (10, 11) of the protection unit are connected to the differential stage. The protection unit includes output connection terminals (12, 12"; 13, 13"; 14, 14"; 15, 15"; 16, 16") for each circuit breaker. The circuit breakers are each provided with a tripping mechanism (20) connected to the trip of the differential stage and/or to the tripping mechanism of at least one adjacent circuit breaker. Said tripping mechanisms are capable of simultaneously exerting a tripping action on the locks of the circuit breakers upon a pulse or command from the trip of the differential stage. |
| Full Text | FORM 2 THE PATENTS ACT, 1970 (39 of 1970) & THE PATENTS RULES, 2003 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION [See section 10, Rule 13] PROTECTION UNIT; HAGER-ELECTRO SAS, A COMPANY ORGANIZED AND EXISTING UNDER THE LAWS OF FRANCE WHOSE ADDRESS IS 132, BOULEVARD DE I'EUROPE, F-67210 OBERNAI, FRANCE THE FOLLOWING SPECIFICATION PARTICULARLY DESCRIBES THE INVENTION AND THE MANNER IN WHICH IT IS TO BE PERFORMED. The present invention relates to a protection block including a differential stage provided with a relay tripper and at least two independent circuit breakers protecting distinct circuits. The idea on which the invention is based is to group various electrical functions in a one-piece assembly mainly for reducing manufacturing costs. The basic idea of the association of a differential stage and of several circuit breakers comes from the fact that, in numerous cases, in an electric distribution box, these products are placed side by side on a rail and connected together either via bridging bars or by customized wiring. Thus, according to a very widespread circuit configuration, a differential switch, for example a bipolar switch in the case of a phase/neutral installation, is placed at the head of several circuit breakers, the assembly for example being located downstream from a general switch itself connected to a derivation circuit breaker. The principle of their association in a same casing is therefore quite natural notably in the aforementioned perspective of reducing costs. Gains then are for example possible on the amount of plastic used, on the number of connection terminals to be provided depending on the applied configuration, etc... From the same viewpoint, with such a grouping it is possible to omit the switch in the differential stage, by then obviously providing a mechanical connection between the relay and the locks of the circuit breakers. Such a connection already exists for example in certain multipolar differential blocks, with a mechanical link between the differential tripping relay and the locks of the circuit breakers, which operate in cascade. Consequently and at any moment, the circuit breakers all have an identical behavior, notably because there is no possible disengagement among their locks. As a result, it is not possible for example to have one of them operate in particular, notably if it is separated from the differential switch by one or more circuit breakers. With the assumption of differential blocks, the totality of the circuit breakers is further reset at the same time, which makes any operation for selecting one or more circuit breakers, impossible, the others being excluded. With this assumption there is therefore no independence among the circuit breakers, nor any possibility of protecting circuits with distinct functions. fn the viewpoint of the invention, mutualization or grouping of certain functions in order to provide gains in production should conversely be achieved by guaranteeing at the same time, customization of the operation of the circuit breakers which are connected to the differential stage. For this purpose, the protection block of the invention is mainly characterized in that: the input connection terminals of the protection block are connected to the differential stage; the protection block includes output connection terminals for each circuit breaker; the circuit breakers are each provided with a tripping mechanism connected to the tripper of the differential stage and/or to the tripping mechanism of at least one adjacent circuit breaker; said tripping mechanisms are capable of simultaneously exerting a tripping action on the locks of the circuit breakers upon a pulse or command from the tripper of the differential stage. Unlike the operation in cascade, which has been previously reported as regards the differential blocks, the tripping mechanisms specific to the invention operate in parallel. The displacement of said mechanisms is controlled by the movement of the tripping relay of the differential stage, moreover regardless of the positions of the locks of the circuit breakers. According to one possibility, this tripping mechanism is a )ever positioned in each circuit breaker and one of the ends of which is displaced during the tripping of the differential stage, along a path which allows it to come into contact with the lock in order to unlock it. As indicated above, this lever is distinct from the actual lock, and only includes a mechanical connection with the tripping relay and/or homologous lever, or even with two identical levers of circuit breakers placed on either side. In other words, it is localized in a location which makes it insensitive to the position of the locks of the circuit breakers. Each mobile lever consequently includes means for attachment to the differential stage or at least to one lever of an adjacent circuit breaker. To provide simultaneity of the circuit breaks during tripping of the differential stage, it is necessary that these attachment means provide firm attachment between the totality of the levers and said relay. According to one possibility, said attachment means consist in a spacer, each end of which provides attachment to the differential stage or to a lever of a circuit breaker. Each spacer is therefore attached either between two adjacent levers or between a lever and the differential stage when it should make the connection between said stage and the circuit breaker which is immediately adjacent to it. Alternatively, these attachment means may consist in a single shaft connecting the levers of the circuit breakers and the differential tripping circuit. This solution may in particular be applied when a single one-piece casing is used for the protection block of the invention, a casing which then contains the differential stage and the circuit breakers. In addition to saving plastic material which is made possible by the use of a single casing for the switch and the circuit breakers, this configuration has the advantage of allowing input terminals of the circuit breakers to be replaced with simple electrical connections, insofar that they do not have to be accessible from the outside of said casing. The electrical connection between the output of the differential switch and the inputs of the circuit breakers is actually opaque for the user. The protection block may also consist of casings placed side by side, a differential component and at least two circuit breakers, which are then connected by spacers forming the mechanical connection between the different devices. According to a preferential solution, the levers may be mobile in rotation, for example jointed at one of their ends in the vicinity of the control handle of the circuit breaker, the other end including an area for contact with the lock. The tripper of the differential stage may consist of an electromagnetic relay assembly associated with a tripping lock, providing independent operation of the power supply voltage of the block. Alternatively, said tripper may include a relay having an emission coil, providing operation which on the contrary depends on the power supply voltage of the block. These two versions in fact correspond to differential devices which are described as electromechanical and electronic devices, respectively. The invention will now be described in more detail, with reference to the appended figures, for which: Fig. 1 illustrates a conventional installation diagram of a differential switch associated with circuit breakers ; Fig. 2 illustrates an installation diagram according to the invention; Fig. 3 schematically shows the embodiment of a protection block according to the invention; Fig. 4 shows a possible implantation and configuration of an actuation lever as compared with a conventional circuit breaker lock; and Fig. 5 illustrates in a perspective view, an alignment of such levers, with spacers for attaching them to each other. With reference to Fig. 1, the conventional installation diagram, in the case in point, illustrated as a two-wire diagram, includes a differential stage (1) implemented upstream from a row of circuit breakers (2), consisting of a differential switch notably having the function of cutting the circuit by opening contacts via a conventional diagram with a torus (6), a relay (3) and a lock (5). As this has already been mentioned, the association of a head differential switch (1) and of several circuit breakers (2) is an extremely common electrical diagram in distribution boxes, made as modular devices positioned in rows on standardized rails. The differential switch (1) is generally located at one of the ends of the rail, and a certain number of circuit breakers (2) are placed side by side to it. The maximum number of circuit breakers (2) which may be associated with a differential switch (1) is in principle provided by the standards. Thus, for example, the maximum number of circuit breakers (2) associated with a differential switch (1), as provided by the Spanish standard, is equal to 5. In the distribution boxes, the modular devices are connected with each other either via bridging bars (one for the phase and one for the neutral in the case of two-wire diagram as the one illustrated in Fig. 1), or by wiring. The goal of the invention is therefore to group the aforementioned electrical functions (differential protection and protection against overloads or short-circuits), as this is shown in Fig. 2, by sparing the use of a switch in the differential stage (1), and by connecting the relay (3) and - according to a possible example - a lock (5) of the differential stage (1) to the circuit breakers (2). Furthermore, the electrical connection may be simplified by inserting said functions in a one-piece assembly consisting of a single casing (4) (see Fig. 3). This casing (4) integrates a differential protection assembly (1) consisting of a measuring torus (6) connected to a relay (3) capable via a mechanical connection (7) of tripping the locks of the associated circuit breakers (2) if a differential fault occurs. According to the invention, said mechanical connection (7) does not prevent customized management of the circuit breakers (2). It therefore provides simultaneous tripping of the locks of the circuit breakers without perturbing their individual operation. Fig. 3 also shows the internal character of the connections (8, 9) allowing in this version the phase and the neutral to be respectively connected to the input of each circuit breaker (2). The casing (4) of the protection block according to the invention therefore only includes two input connection terminals (10, 11), for a number of pairs of output connection terminals (12, 12'-16, 16') which corresponds to the number of circuit breakers (2) integrated to the casing (4). In the case in point, five circuit breakers (2) have been associated with the differential component (1), and so there are ten output connection connectors (12,12'-16,16'). In fact, when examining the configuration of a conventional circuit breaker, as it partly appears in Fig. 4, the lever (20) of the invention, mobile in rotation around an end (21) and including at its other end (22) a protrusion which allows it to exert an action on the tripping pawl of the locks, is distinct from the latter, placed between the control handle (18) of the circuit breaker and said tripping pawl (17). This lever (20) does not interfere in the specific operation of the circuit breakers, which may each be reset by means of the control handle (18) independently of the other circuit breakers. A circuit break for example caused by the electromagnetic motor (19) by action of the striker (23) on the tripper (17) has no influence on said lever (20). When the relay (3) of the differential stage (2) trips over, the lever (20) is moved, resulting in the separation of the mobile contact (24) from the fixed contact (25) by tripping the lock caused by the displacement of the tripping pawl (17) as a result of its contact with the end (22). This operation does not depend on the location of the circuit breaker relatively to the differential stage (1). Thus, as this appears in Fig. 5, the levers (20) which equip each circuit breaker are for example connected via spacers (26) which transmit the movement, initially pulsed by the relay, to each circuit breaker. These spacers (26) firmly attach the different levers (20) for the rotary displacement. For example they assume the shape of parallelepipedal tabs which may be inserted into housings (27) of matching shape. This solution for example is suitable for assemblies according to the invention consisting of casings placed side by side. Of course, the example illustrated above cannot be considered as a limitation to the invention. Alternatives in shape and configuration may also be used. Thus, for example, the use of spacers (26) may be replaced with a single shaft connecting the totality of the levers (20), assuming a single casing. We Claim : 1. A protection block including a differential stage (1) provided with a relay tripper (3) and at least two independent circuit breakers (2) protecting distinct circuits, each circuit breaker (2) including its own magneto-thermal tripping components as well as a lock allowing it to be unlocked upon command from the differential stage (1), characterized in that: - input connection terminals (10, 11) of the protection block are connected to the differential stage (1); - the protection block includes output connecting terminals (12,12'; 13,13'; 14,14'; 15,15'; 16,16') for each circuit breaker (2); - the circuit breakers (2) are each provided with a tripping mechanism (20) connected to the tripper of the differential stage (1) and/or to the tripping mechanism (20) of at least one adjacent circuit breaker (2'); - said tripping means (20) are able to simultaneously exert a tripping action on the locks of the circuit breakers (2) upon a pulse or command from the tripper of the differential stage (1). 2. The protection block according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said tripping mechanism is a lever (20) positioned in each circuit breaker (2) and one of the ends (22) thereof is displaced, upon tripping of the differential stage (1), along a path which allows it to come into contact with the lock in order to unlock it. 3. The protection block according to the preceding claim, characterized in that each lever (20) includes means (26) for firm attachment to the differential stage (1) or to at least one lever (20) of an adjacent circuit breaker (2). 4. The protection block according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the firm attachment means consist in a spacer (26), each end of which provides attachment to the differential stage (1) or to a lever (20) of an adjacent circuit breaker (2). 5. The protection block according to claim 3, characterized in that the firm attachment means consist in a single shaft connecting the levers (20) of the circuit breakers (2) and the differential stage (1). 6. The protection block according to the preceding claim, characterized in that it includes a single casing (4) containing the differential stage (1) and the circuit breakers (2). 7. The protection block according to any of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that the levers (20) are mobile in rotation, jointed at one of their ends (21) in the vicinity of the control handle (18) of the circuit breaker (2), the other end (22) including an area for contact with the lock. 8. The protection block according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tripper of the differential stage (1) consists of an electromagnetic relay assembly (3) associated with a tripping lock (5), providing independent operation of the power supply voltage of the block 9. The protection block according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the tripper of the differential stage (1) includes a relay (3) having an emission coil, providing operation dependent on the power supply voltage of the block. |
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| Patent Number | 272524 | |||||||||
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| Indian Patent Application Number | 659/MUMNP/2009 | |||||||||
| PG Journal Number | 15/2016 | |||||||||
| Publication Date | 08-Apr-2016 | |||||||||
| Grant Date | 06-Apr-2016 | |||||||||
| Date of Filing | 02-Apr-2009 | |||||||||
| Name of Patentee | HAGER-ELECTRO SAS | |||||||||
| Applicant Address | 132, BOULEVARD DE EUROPE, F-67210 OBEMAI, | |||||||||
Inventors:
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| PCT International Classification Number | H01H83/22 | |||||||||
| PCT International Application Number | PCT/FR2007/001515 | |||||||||
| PCT International Filing date | 2007-09-18 | |||||||||
PCT Conventions:
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