Title of Invention	A PROTECTIVE SWITCHING APPARATUS AND A METHOD FOR ADJUSTMENT OF THE APPARATUS
Abstract	The invention relates to a protective switching apparatus, comprising a tripping device (2) having a rotatably mounted tripping arm (3), for tripping a switching device, and an actuation device (6) for actuating the tripping arm (3) from a holding position into a tripping position through an actuation element (5) of the actuation device (6), the tripping arm (3) is adjustable in terms of its angular position in the holding position about its pivot (4) with respect to the actuation element (5).

Title of Invention

A PROTECTIVE SWITCHING APPARATUS AND A METHOD FOR ADJUSTMENT OF THE APPARATUS

Abstract

The invention relates to a protective switching apparatus, comprising a tripping device (2) having a rotatably mounted tripping arm (3), for tripping a switching device, and an actuation device (6) for actuating the tripping arm (3) from a holding position into a tripping position through an actuation element (5) of the actuation device (6), the tripping arm (3) is adjustable in terms of its angular position in the holding position about its pivot (4) with respect to the actuation element (5).

Full Text	Description Protective switching apparatus and corresponding method for adjusting the same The present invention relates to a protective switching apparatus having a tripping device, which has a rotatably mounted tripping arm, for tripping a switching device, and an actuation device for actuating the tripping arm from a holding position into a tripping position using an actuation element. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a corresponding method for adjusting this protective switching apparatus. In residual-current protective circuits or differential-current circuit breakers, a so-called holding magnet (relay) is used for tripping in the event of a residual current. When the holding magnet trips, a downstream energy store, which can be realized by a spring mechanism, causes the contacts of the device to be opened. The plunger travel and the plunger force of the holding magnet is decisive for safe tripping of the energy store. In this case it is necessary to take into consideration the fact that the plunger force does not have a linear dependence on the plunger travel. The energy store is necessary since more force is required to open the contacts of the residual-current circuit breaker than the holding magnet or a corresponding holding magnet release can make available. The necessary force is therefore stored in the mechanism by the spring mechanism being prestressed. In order to be able to use a cost-effective and small holding magnet release, the tripping forces and the extents of the tripping travel need to be reduced to a minimum. The components used in each residual-current circuit breaker have fault tolerances, however. As a result, the plunger travel cannot be determined precisely as desired from the outset. Instead, these fault tolerances need to be correspondingly compensated for by the tolerances of the resulting different positions of the coupling elements, i.e. of the plunger in relation to the tripping arm, in order to match the tripping travel in optimum fashion to the holding magnet. An adjustment of the distance between the holding magnet and the energy store often takes place by means of an adjustment of the holding magnet position with the aid of adjusting screws or with metal sheets, which can be deformed. For example, document DE 199 10 220 A1 has disclosed an apparatus for fixing a magnetic release in a residual-current circuit breaker, in the case of which lugs are fitted to the housing of the magnetic release which protrude in opposite directions, which run at right angles to the plunger. For fixing purposes, a carrier is provided which has two walls, which run at a fixed distance parallel to one another and have cutouts into which the release can be inserted and latched in with its lugs in the direction of the plunger. The fixing apparatus has a web, which can be deformed, with the result that fine adjustment of the magnetic release is made possible. Furthermore, the prior art cited therein describes a fixing apparatus, in the case of which a release can be adjusted, in order to adjust a certain lead time between the plunger and the lever, by a screw being rotated, as a result of which the distance between a lug and a stationary wall is-reduced in size. In addition, document DE 295 20 288 has disclosed a residual- current circuit breaker having a mounting part, which has a bearing section for being fixed to a lateral wall of the housing, an upper section, which is bent back towards the housing interior, for the purpose of mounting the latching shaft and a central section having tabs, which are bent back towards the housing interior, for the associated plug-in receptacle of a residual-current/differential-current overcurrent release holder. In this arrangement, the respective parts can be mounted together with an energy store, it being possible for the same parts to be used for both types of switching device. This also results in particular advantages for mass production since no readjustment is required owing to the envisaged design of the mounting part. This is achieved by the design of the individual sections of the mounting part such that the residual-current/differential-current release can be fixed to the latching shaft with a minimum degree of tolerance. The object of the present invention consists in providing a protective switching apparatus, in the case of which the adjustment between the holding magnet and the release can be achieved in a simple manner. According to the invention, this is achieved by a protective switching apparatus having a tripping device, which has a rotatably mounted tripping arm, for tripping a switching device, and an actuation device for actuating the tripping arm from a holding position into a tripping position using an actuation element, it being possible for the tripping arm to be adjusted in terms of its angular position in the holding position about its pivot with respect to the actuation element. The invention further provides a method for adjusting a protective switching apparatus having a tripping device, which has a rotatably mounted tripping arm, for tripping a switching device and an actuation device for actuating the tripping arm from a holding position into a tripping position using an actuation element, by the adjustment of the tripping arm in terms of its angular position in the holding position about its pivot with respect to the actuation element. The advantage of the type of adjustment according to the invention consists in the fact that all component and fitting tolerances can be taken into consideration in the adjustment. The tripping device in the protective switching apparatus according to the invention preferably has a half-shaft, which can rotate about the pivot of the tripping arm and has a two- part design with said tripping arm, and whose angular position is predetermined by the switching device, and the tripping arm can be adjusted in terms of its angle with respect to the half- shaft. Owing to this two-part design, the angular adjustment of the tripping arm can in principle be decoupled from the energy store. In addition, the tripping arm can be adjusted in terms of its angular position by means of a latching device having a plurality of latch-in positions. In this case it has proven particularly advantageous if the latching device is arranged on the tripping arm. Owing to the latching device, it is possible to very comfortably achieve precise adjustment of the tripping arm. In a likewise preferred refinement, the half-shaft has a curved lever, and the tripping arm is pushed against the lever by a spring element. Owing to the curvature of the lever, the adjusting function can be predetermined by an adjusting element being displaced along the curved lever. It is therefore also possible to determine the maximum adjustment range of the tripping arm via the curved lever. The two-part design of the tripping arm and the half-shaft also has the advantage that the tripping arm, which has the option for an adjustment, can be produced as a plastic part even if the half-shaft is produced from metal. It is thus possible for the tripping arm to be produced simply despite the complex geometry. The present invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the drawings, in which: figure 1 shows a tripping mechanism of a protective switching apparatus according to the invention; figure 2 shows a basic sketch depicting the adjustment of a tripping arm; figure 3 shows a half-shaft according to the invention; figure 4 shows a tripping arm according to the invention; figure 5 shows a leaf spring; figure 6 shows the tripping mechanism in a first adjustment position; figure 7 shows the tripping mechanism in a second adjustment position; figure 8 shows the tripping mechanism in a third adjustment position; and figure 9 shows the tripping mechanism according to the invention in a detailed illustration. The exemplary embodiment described in more detail below represents a preferred embodiment of the present invention. An energy store 1 (illustrated in figure 1), which comprises a plurality of components, applies the force in order to open the switching contacts of a residual-current circuit breaker. Tripping or unlatching of the energy store 1 takes place with the aid of a tripping device 2, whose tripping arm 3 is mounted such chat it can rotate about a spindle 4. The tripping arm 3 of the tripping device 2 is actuated by a plunger 5 of a holding magnet 6. The angular position of a half-shaft 7, which can also be referred to as the latching part, is predetermined by the prestressed energy store 1, which is mounted in the housing of the residual-current circuit breaker. The half-shaft 7 which can rotate about the spindle 4 serves the purpose of latching and unlatching the energy store 1. Figure 2 illustrates the energy store 1 from figure 1 with a tripping device 2', the tripping arm 3' merely being illustrated schematically as a rectangle and symbolizing the prior art. The tripping arm 3' is fixedly connected to a half- shaft 7' . With this integral design of the tripping arm 3' and the half-shaft 7', the tolerances of the housing and the energy store components result in an undefined position of the tripping arm 3' with respect to the position of the holding magnet 6 or its plunger 5. This results in an uncertain distance X between the tripping arm 3' and the plunger 5 of the holding magnet 6. A distance which is too short could result in the holding magnet 6 not being able to apply the required force for unlatching owing to the reduced tripping travel. In contrast, a distance X which is too great can under certain circumstances result in the rotation of the tripping arm by the plunger 5 being insufficient and the energy store 1 not being unlatched. It is therefore decisive for the ability of the residual- current circuit breaker to function whether the distance X is adjusted correctly. According to the invention, the tripping arm 3 can therefore be adjusted in terms of its angular position about the spindle 4. For this purpose, in accordance with the present example, the half-shaft 7 is split off from the tripping arm 3. Owing to this splitting into two components and the joint mounting on a spindle 4, it is possible to adjust the distance X. For this purpose, the half-shaft 7 is provided with a curved lever 71, as shown in figure 3. The tripping arm 3 interacts with this curved lever 71 such that the angle between the half- shaft 7 and the tripping arm 3 can be varied. For this purpose, the tripping arm 3 has a bearing section 31, on which a tripping lever 32 is integrally formed. A latching section 33 is integrally formed on the bearing section 31 approximately at right angles to the tripping lever 32. Opposite the bearing section, the tripping lever 32 also has a tripping section 34. In the vicinity of this tripping section 34, an adjusting lever 35 is cast onto the tripping lever 32 via a narrow joint 36. A latching element 37, which can be latched with the latching section 33 in a plurality of angular positions with respect to a pivot point on the joint 36, is located at the distal end of the adjusting lever 35. The tripping lever 32, the adjusting lever 35 and the latching section therefore approximately form an equilateral triangle. In the installed state, the latching element 37 of the tripping arm 3 is pressed onto the curved lever 71 of the half-shaft 7 by a leaf spring 8. This leaf spring 8 is illustrated separately in figure 5. The assembled state of the tripping device 2 is shown in detail in figure 9. The adjustment now takes place by means of selecting a suitable latching position for the adjusting lever 35 on the latching section 33 of the tripping arm 3. As a result, the angle a defined by the angle of intersection between the straight line from the pivot 4 to the joint 36 and the straight line from the latching element 37 to the joint 36 is varied. As has already been mentioned, in this case the spring 8 presses the latching element 37 against the curved lever 71 at the contact point 38. A displacement of the adjusting lever 35 on the curved lever 71, which has a very specific contour, brings about a reduction or increase in the size of the distance X, which takes place without deformation of the parts involved and can be reset again. Figure 6 illustrates an adjusting state in which the adjusting lever 35 is set into its extreme left position. Owing to the contour profile of the curved lever 71, in this position a minimum distance X between the plunger 5 and the tripping section 34 of 0.1 units results. As shown in figure 7, given an average adjustment of the adjusting lever 35, an average distance X of 0.7 units results between the two components. Finally, in the extreme right latching position of the adjusting lever 35 shown in figure 8, a maximum distance between the plunger 5 and the tripping section 34 of 1.3 units results. The latching of the latching section 33 can for this purpose be selected to be as precise as desired in order to achieve the desired degree of accuracy of adjustment. The design of the tripping mechanism of a residual-current circuit breaker selected in accordance with the abovedescribed exemplary embodiment has the following advantages. Firstly, the tripping arm 3 can preferably be produced in the form of a plastic part, as a result of which simple production is guaranteed. Secondly, no special tools are required for the adjustment process and this process can be carried out, for example, with the aid of a screwdriver, tweezers or a metal pin. Furthermore, the latching has the advantage that the distance between the plunger 5 and the tripping section 34 can be varied in defined steps. In this case, an undesired adjustment, for example owing to vibration or heating, can be prevented by a force always acting counter to the latching. Finally, the selected design results in the advantages that the components can be used again during maintenance and the wear between the latch and the half-shaft can be reduced by damped reapplication. WE CLAIM : 1. A protective switching apparatus, comprising : a tripping device (2) having a rotatably mounted tripping arm (3), for tripping a switching device, and an actuation device (6) for actuating the tripping arm (3) from a holding position into a tripping position through an actuation element (5) of the actuation device (6), characterized in that the tripping arm (3) is adjustable in terms of its angular position in the holding position about its pivot (4) with respect to the actuation element (5). 2. The protective switching apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tripping device (2) comprises a half-shaft (7) rotatable about the pivot (4) of the tripping arm (3), wherein said tripping arm is configured in two parts with its angular position predetermined by the switching device, and wherein the tripping arm (3) is adjustable in terms of its angle with respect to the half-shaft (7). 3. The protective switching apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the tripping arm (3) is adjustable in terms of its angular position by means of a latching device (33/37) having a plurality of latch-in positions. 4. The protective switching apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the latching device (33/37) is arranged on the tripping arm (3). 5. The protective switching apparatus as claimed in one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the half-shaft (7) comprises a curved lever (71) to allow the tripping arm (3) being pushed against the lever (71) by a spring element (8). 6. The protective switching apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the tripping arm (3) is pushed against the curved lever (71) via an element (37) of the latching device (33/37), and wherein the maximum adjustment range of the tripping arm (3) is predetermined by the curvature of the lever (71). 7. The protective switching apparatus as claimed in one of the preceding claims, wherein the tripping arm (3) is produced from plastic. 8. A method for adjusting a protective switching apparatus having a tripping device (2), which has a rotatably mounted tripping arm (3), for tripping a switching device and an actuation device (6) for actuating the tripping arm (3) from a holding position into a tripping position through an actuation element (5), characterized in that the tripping arm (3) is adjusted in terms of its angular position in the holding position about its pivot (4) with respect to the actuation element (5). 9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the adjustment of the tripping arm (3) comprises latching the tripping arm (3) into one of a plurality of latch-in positions. ABSTRACT TITLE "A PROTECTIVE SWITCHING APPARATUS AND A METHOD FOR ADJUSTMENT OF THE APPARATUS" The invention relates to a protective switching apparatus, comprising a tripping device (2) having a rotatably mounted tripping arm (3), for tripping a switching device, and an actuation device (6) for actuating the tripping arm (3) from a holding position into a tripping position through an actuation element (5) of the actuation device (6), the tripping arm (3) is adjustable in terms of its angular position in the holding position about its pivot (4) with respect to the actuation element (5).

Full Text

Description
Protective switching apparatus and corresponding method for
adjusting the same
The present invention relates to a protective switching
apparatus having a tripping device, which has a rotatably
mounted tripping arm, for tripping a switching device, and an
actuation device for actuating the tripping arm from a holding
position into a tripping position using an actuation element.
Furthermore, the present invention relates to a corresponding
method for adjusting this protective switching apparatus.
In residual-current protective circuits or differential-current
circuit breakers, a so-called holding magnet (relay) is used
for tripping in the event of a residual current. When the
holding magnet trips, a downstream energy store, which can be
realized by a spring mechanism, causes the contacts of the
device to be opened. The plunger travel and the plunger force
of the holding magnet is decisive for safe tripping of the
energy store. In this case it is necessary to take into
consideration the fact that the plunger force does not have a
linear dependence on the plunger travel.
The energy store is necessary since more force is required to
open the contacts of the residual-current circuit breaker than
the holding magnet or a corresponding holding magnet release
can make available. The necessary force is therefore stored in
the mechanism by the spring mechanism being prestressed. In
order to be able to use a cost-effective and small holding
magnet release, the tripping forces and the extents of the
tripping travel need to be reduced to a minimum.
The components used in each residual-current circuit breaker
have fault tolerances, however. As a result, the plunger travel
cannot be determined precisely as desired from the outset.

Instead, these fault tolerances need to be correspondingly
compensated for by the tolerances of the resulting different
positions of the coupling elements, i.e. of the plunger in
relation to the tripping arm, in order to match the tripping
travel in optimum fashion to the holding magnet.
An adjustment of the distance between the holding magnet and
the energy store often takes place by means of an adjustment of
the holding magnet position with the aid of adjusting screws or
with metal sheets, which can be deformed. For example, document
DE 199 10 220 A1 has disclosed an apparatus for fixing a
magnetic release in a residual-current circuit breaker, in the
case of which lugs are fitted to the housing of the magnetic
release which protrude in opposite directions, which run at
right angles to the plunger. For fixing purposes, a carrier is
provided which has two walls, which run at a fixed distance
parallel to one another and have cutouts into which the release
can be inserted and latched in with its lugs in the direction
of the plunger. The fixing apparatus has a web, which can be
deformed, with the result that fine adjustment of the magnetic
release is made possible. Furthermore, the prior art cited
therein describes a fixing apparatus, in the case of which a
release can be adjusted, in order to adjust a certain lead time
between the plunger and the lever, by a screw being rotated, as
a result of which the distance between a lug and a stationary
wall is-reduced in size.
In addition, document DE 295 20 288 has disclosed a residual-
current circuit breaker having a mounting part, which has a
bearing section for being fixed to a lateral wall of the
housing, an upper section, which is bent back towards the
housing interior, for the purpose of mounting the latching
shaft and a central section having tabs, which are bent back
towards the housing interior, for the associated plug-in
receptacle of a residual-current/differential-current
overcurrent release

holder. In this arrangement, the respective parts can be
mounted together with an energy store, it being possible for
the same parts to be used for both types of switching device.
This

also results in particular advantages for mass production since
no readjustment is required owing to the envisaged design of
the mounting part. This is achieved by the design of the
individual sections of the mounting part such that the
residual-current/differential-current release can be fixed to
the latching shaft with a minimum degree of tolerance.
The object of the present invention consists in providing a
protective switching apparatus, in the case of which the
adjustment between the holding magnet and the release can be
achieved in a simple manner.
According to the invention, this is achieved by a protective
switching apparatus having a tripping device, which has a
rotatably mounted tripping arm, for tripping a switching
device, and an actuation device for actuating the tripping arm
from a holding position into a tripping position using an
actuation element, it being possible for the tripping arm to be
adjusted in terms of its angular position in the holding
position about its pivot with respect to the actuation element.
The invention further provides a method for adjusting a
protective switching apparatus having a tripping device, which
has a rotatably mounted tripping arm, for tripping a switching
device and an actuation device for actuating the tripping arm
from a holding position into a tripping position using an
actuation element, by the adjustment of the tripping arm in
terms of its angular position in the holding position about its
pivot with respect to the actuation element.
The advantage of the type of adjustment according to the
invention consists in the fact that all component and fitting
tolerances can be taken into consideration in the adjustment.
The tripping device in the protective switching apparatus
according to the invention preferably has a half-shaft, which

can rotate about the pivot of the tripping arm and has a two-
part design with said tripping arm, and whose angular position
is predetermined by the switching device, and the tripping arm
can be adjusted in terms of its angle with respect to the half-
shaft. Owing to this two-part design, the angular adjustment of
the tripping arm can in principle be decoupled from the energy
store.
In addition, the tripping arm can be adjusted in terms of its
angular position by means of a latching device having a
plurality of latch-in positions. In this case it has proven
particularly advantageous if the latching device is arranged on
the tripping arm. Owing to the latching device, it is possible
to very comfortably achieve precise adjustment of the tripping
arm.
In a likewise preferred refinement, the half-shaft has a curved
lever, and the tripping arm is pushed against the lever by a
spring element. Owing to the curvature of the lever, the
adjusting function can be predetermined by an adjusting element
being displaced along the curved lever. It is therefore also
possible to determine the maximum adjustment range of the
tripping arm via the curved lever.
The two-part design of the tripping arm and the half-shaft also
has the advantage that the tripping arm, which has the option
for an adjustment, can be produced as a plastic part even if
the half-shaft is produced from metal. It is thus possible for
the tripping arm to be produced simply despite the complex
geometry.
The present invention will now be explained in more detail with
reference to the drawings, in which:
figure 1 shows a tripping mechanism of a protective switching
apparatus according to the invention;

figure 2 shows a basic sketch depicting the adjustment of a
tripping arm;
figure 3 shows a half-shaft according to the invention;
figure 4 shows a tripping arm according to the invention;
figure 5 shows a leaf spring;

figure 6 shows the tripping mechanism in a first adjustment
position;
figure 7 shows the tripping mechanism in a second adjustment
position;
figure 8 shows the tripping mechanism in a third adjustment
position; and
figure 9 shows the tripping mechanism according to the
invention in a detailed illustration.
The exemplary embodiment described in more detail below
represents a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
An energy store 1 (illustrated in figure 1), which comprises a
plurality of components, applies the force in order to open the
switching contacts of a residual-current circuit breaker.
Tripping or unlatching of the energy store 1 takes place with
the aid of a tripping device 2, whose tripping arm 3 is mounted
such chat it can rotate about a spindle 4. The tripping arm 3
of the tripping device 2 is actuated by a plunger 5 of a
holding magnet 6.
The angular position of a half-shaft 7, which can also be
referred to as the latching part, is predetermined by the
prestressed energy store 1, which is mounted in the housing of
the residual-current circuit breaker. The half-shaft 7 which
can rotate about the spindle 4 serves the purpose of latching
and unlatching the energy store 1.
Figure 2 illustrates the energy store 1 from figure 1 with a
tripping device 2', the tripping arm 3' merely being
illustrated schematically as a rectangle and symbolizing the
prior art. The tripping arm 3' is fixedly connected to a half-
shaft 7' . With this integral design of the tripping arm 3' and
the half-shaft 7', the tolerances of the housing and the energy
store components result in an undefined position of the

tripping arm 3' with respect to the position of the holding
magnet 6

or its plunger 5. This results in an uncertain distance X
between the tripping arm 3' and the plunger 5 of the holding
magnet 6. A distance which is too short could result in the
holding magnet 6 not being able to apply the required force for
unlatching owing to the reduced tripping travel. In contrast, a
distance X which is too great can under certain circumstances
result in the rotation of the tripping arm by the plunger 5
being insufficient and the energy store 1 not being unlatched.
It is therefore decisive for the ability of the residual-
current circuit breaker to function whether the distance X is
adjusted correctly.
According to the invention, the tripping arm 3 can therefore be
adjusted in terms of its angular position about the spindle 4.
For this purpose, in accordance with the present example, the
half-shaft 7 is split off from the tripping arm 3. Owing to
this splitting into two components and the joint mounting on a
spindle 4, it is possible to adjust the distance X.
For this purpose, the half-shaft 7 is provided with a curved
lever 71, as shown in figure 3. The tripping arm 3 interacts
with this curved lever 71 such that the angle between the half-
shaft 7 and the tripping arm 3 can be varied. For this purpose,
the tripping arm 3 has a bearing section 31, on which a
tripping lever 32 is integrally formed. A latching section 33
is integrally formed on the bearing section 31 approximately at
right angles to the tripping lever 32. Opposite the bearing
section, the tripping lever 32 also has a tripping section 34.
In the vicinity of this tripping section 34, an adjusting lever
35 is cast onto the tripping lever 32 via a narrow joint 36. A
latching element 37, which can be latched with the latching
section 33 in a plurality of angular positions with respect to
a pivot point on the joint 36, is located at the distal end of
the adjusting lever 35. The tripping lever 32, the adjusting
lever 35 and the latching section therefore approximately form

an equilateral triangle. In the installed state, the latching
element 37 of the tripping arm 3 is pressed onto the curved

lever 71 of the half-shaft 7 by a leaf spring 8. This leaf
spring 8 is illustrated separately in figure 5. The assembled
state of the tripping device 2 is shown in detail in figure 9.
The adjustment now takes place by means of selecting a suitable
latching position for the adjusting lever 35 on the latching
section 33 of the tripping arm 3. As a result, the angle a
defined by the angle of intersection between the straight line
from the pivot 4 to the joint 36 and the straight line from the
latching element 37 to the joint 36 is varied. As has already
been mentioned, in this case the spring 8 presses the latching
element 37 against the curved lever 71 at the contact point 38.
A displacement of the adjusting lever 35 on the curved lever
71, which has a very specific contour, brings about a reduction
or increase in the size of the distance X, which takes place
without deformation of the parts involved and can be reset
again.
Figure 6 illustrates an adjusting state in which the adjusting
lever 35 is set into its extreme left position. Owing to the
contour profile of the curved lever 71, in this position a
minimum distance X between the plunger 5 and the tripping
section 34 of 0.1 units results. As shown in figure 7, given an
average adjustment of the adjusting lever 35, an average
distance X of 0.7 units results between the two components.
Finally, in the extreme right latching position of the
adjusting lever 35 shown in figure 8, a maximum distance
between the plunger 5 and the tripping section 34 of 1.3 units
results. The latching of the latching section 33 can for this
purpose be selected to be as precise as desired in order to
achieve the desired degree of accuracy of adjustment.
The design of the tripping mechanism of a residual-current
circuit breaker selected in accordance with the abovedescribed
exemplary embodiment has the following advantages. Firstly, the
tripping

arm 3 can preferably be produced in the form of a plastic part,
as a result of which simple production is guaranteed. Secondly,
no special tools are required for the adjustment process and
this process can be carried out, for example, with the aid of a
screwdriver, tweezers or a metal pin.
Furthermore, the latching has the advantage that the distance
between the plunger 5 and the tripping section 34 can be varied
in defined steps. In this case, an undesired adjustment, for
example owing to vibration or heating, can be prevented by a
force always acting counter to the latching.
Finally, the selected design results in the advantages that the
components can be used again during maintenance and the wear
between the latch and the half-shaft can be reduced by damped
reapplication.

WE CLAIM :
1. A protective switching apparatus, comprising :
a tripping device (2) having a rotatably mounted tripping arm (3), for
tripping a switching device, and
an actuation device (6) for actuating the tripping arm (3) from a
holding position into a tripping position through an actuation element
(5) of the actuation device (6),
characterized in that
the tripping arm (3) is adjustable in terms of its angular position in the
holding position about its pivot (4) with respect to the actuation
element (5).
2. The protective switching apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
tripping device (2) comprises a half-shaft (7) rotatable about the pivot
(4) of the tripping arm (3), wherein said tripping arm is configured in
two parts with its angular position predetermined by the switching
device, and wherein the tripping arm (3) is adjustable in terms of its
angle with respect to the half-shaft (7).
3. The protective switching apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein
the tripping arm (3) is adjustable in terms of its angular position by
means of a latching device (33/37) having a plurality of latch-in
positions.

4. The protective switching apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the
latching device (33/37) is arranged on the tripping arm (3).
5. The protective switching apparatus as claimed in one of claims 2 to 4,
wherein the half-shaft (7) comprises a curved lever (71) to allow the
tripping arm (3) being pushed against the lever (71) by a spring
element (8).
6. The protective switching apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the
tripping arm (3) is pushed against the curved lever (71) via an element
(37) of the latching device (33/37), and wherein the maximum
adjustment range of the tripping arm (3) is predetermined by the
curvature of the lever (71).
7. The protective switching apparatus as claimed in one of the preceding
claims, wherein the tripping arm (3) is produced from plastic.
8. A method for adjusting a protective switching apparatus having a
tripping device (2), which has a rotatably mounted tripping arm (3),
for tripping a switching device and an actuation device (6) for
actuating the tripping arm (3) from a holding position into a tripping
position through an actuation element (5), characterized in that the
tripping arm (3) is adjusted in terms of its angular position in the
holding position about its pivot (4) with respect to the actuation
element (5).

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the adjustment of the
tripping arm (3) comprises latching the tripping arm (3) into one of a
plurality of latch-in positions.

ABSTRACT

TITLE "A PROTECTIVE SWITCHING APPARATUS AND
A METHOD FOR ADJUSTMENT OF THE
APPARATUS"
The invention relates to a protective switching apparatus, comprising a tripping
device (2) having a rotatably mounted tripping arm (3), for tripping a switching
device, and an actuation device (6) for actuating the tripping arm (3) from a
holding position into a tripping position through an actuation element (5) of the
actuation device (6), the tripping arm (3) is adjustable in terms of its angular
position in the holding position about its pivot (4) with respect to the actuation
element (5).

A PROTECTIVE SWITCHING APPARATUS AND A METHOD FOR ADJUSTMENT OF THE APPARATUS

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