Electronic circuit breaker with magnetic mechanism

An electronic circuit breaker which includes an automatic button or switch handle, a movable axle fitted in the automatic button, a movable copper mounted on a lower end of the movable axle, two movable silver contacts provided on two sides of a bottom of the movable copper, two stationary silver contacts positioned against the two movable silver contacts, a magnetic mechanism disposed between the two stationary silver contacts, the magnetic mechanism comprising a permanent magnet, two iron plates mounted at two sides of the permanent magnet, a reel mounted on one of the iron plates, a solenoid installed on the reel, a CPU connected with the solenoid, a primary circuitry conductive wire installed on the other one of the iron plates, a movable iron mounted on a bottom of the movable copper, a stationary magnet and CT connected in series with a primary circuitry of current-out and current-in electrodes, a movable magnet mounted above the stationary magnet, a short-circuit locking mechanism having an arm positioned on a route of the movable magnet.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention is related to an electronic circuit breaker with a magnetic mechanism, and in particular to one having a magnetic structure and current adjusting means and capable of interrupting a current in case of short circuits, and also capable of cooperating with telephone sets, voice system, keyboards, and software programs to form a remote telephone-controlled system.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The conventional circuit breaker generally adopts a mechanical structure such as levers, transmission mechanisms, and a temperature controlled mechanism to interrupt current automatically in case of overload, short-circuit or electricity leakage. After the trouble is removed, a button is moved manually to close the circuit of the circuit breaker again. However, the mechanical structure occupies a relatively large space so that the size of the circuit breaker cannot be reduced and thereby increasing the cost of manufacturing. Furthermore, the mechanical structure cannot provide a steady operation and will often break down. In case of failure, the circuit breaker cannot be restore automatically and it is necessary for an operator to trigger the circuit breaker manually. Moreover, the circuit breaker cannot be used for remote control and monitoring operation.

In case of short circuit, since the conventional circuit breaker does not have a locking function, the circuit breaker may be accidentally switched on thereby causing secondary damage, because there will be a large current flowing through the circuit breaker thus producing large electric arcs between the contacts of the circuit breaker and therefore easily causing harm to the user.

As to the overload protector utilizing bimetallic members or magnetic oil tube, since the bimetallic members are made of metal alloy, they will produce heat when current flows through them, thereby easily causing damage to the bi-metallic plates. Furthermore, in a natural environment, the bi-metallic members are very sensitive to the temperature and so they will not be reliable in the situation where there is a big difference in temperatures. The accuracy and overload current value of the magnetic oil tube cannot be adjusted and the magnetic oil tube is complicated in manufacture and will emit noise when working.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved electronic circuit breaker which can obviate and mitigate the above-mentioned drawbacks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an electronic circuit breaker with a magnetic mechanism, which is very compact in size as compared with the conventional circuit breaker. In comparison with the conventional circuit breaker, the volume of the present invention is only one-half that of the conventional circuit breaker with the same power. Furthermore, the present invention is more simple in structure and more reliable in operation than the conventional circuit breaker, and will automatically switch off in case of overload, electricity leakage, or short-circuit but will automatically restore its working condition when the trouble is removed thereby making it suitable for remote control. As the present invention has improved the complicated and bulky mechanical structure, the present invention will no longer have mechanical breakdown troubles thus largely lowering the cost and making it easier to use. After current flows through the primary circuitry of the electronic circuit breaker, no current will pass through the solenoid and the magnetic mechanism will keep the circuit breaker working normally thereby saving the electric energy consumed by the solenoid and reducing noise. The locking mechanism will prevent the circuit breaker from working in case a short-circuit occurs so as to prevent the generation of electric arcs which will cause damage. Only when the breakdown trouble is removed can the circuit breaker work again. The current controller can keep large power in the same volume and weight thus ensuring the working reliability and making it suitable for a larger scope of temperature difference. Moreover, the present invention can be applied to a remote telephone control system and can simplify the structure, lower the cost, and provide more functions for practical use.

According to the present invention, an electronic circuit breaker comprises an automatic button or switch handle, a movable axle fitted in the automatic button, a movable copper mounted on a lower end of the movable axle, two movable silver contacts provided on two sides of a bottom of the movable copper, two stationary silver contacts positioned against the two movable silver contacts, a magnetic mechanism disposed between the two stationary silver contacts, the magnetic mechanism comprising a permanent magnet, two iron plates mounted at two sides of the permanent magnet, a reel mounted on one of the iron plates, a solenoid installed on the reel, a CPU (central processing unit) connected with the solenoid, a primary circuitry conductive wire installed on the other one of the iron plates, a movable iron mounted on a bottom of the movable copper, a stationary magnet and CT (current sensor also called current transformer) connected in series with a primary circuitry of current-out and current-in electrodes, a movable magnet mounted above the stationary magnet, a short-circuit locking mechanism having an arm positioned on a route of the movable magnet, the arm having an end connected with an engaging member which is connected with a restoration spring at one end and with the movable axle at the other end.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIGS. 1 and 2illustrate the working principle and structure of the magnetic mechanism of the electronic circuit breaker according to the present invention, respectively. As shown, the electronic circuit breaker according to the present invention mainly comprises a housing3, a button1mounted on the top of the housing3, a movable axle2having an upper end fitted into the bottom of the button1, a restoration spring39fitted over the movable axle2, a movable copper4mounted within the housing3and having an upper side in contact with the lower end of the movable axle2, two movable silver contacts9provided at two sides of the bottom of the movable copper4, a movable iron6provided on the center of the bottom of the movable copper, two stationary silver contacts9mounted within the housing3and positioned under respective movable silver contacts9and connected to the power supply via two flexible copper wires8, and a magnetic mechanism7mounted at the central portion of the housing3. The magnetic mechanism7comprises a pair of iron plates71, a reel72mounted on one of the iron plates71, a permanent magnet73mounted between the two iron plates71, a solenoid74installed on the reel72. The opening and closing of the circuit of the coil74is controlled by a CPU circuit board10.

When no electric current passes through the solenoid74, the permanent magnet7cannot attract the movable iron6on the movable copper4because the permanent magnet7is too far from the movable iron6. Hence, the movable axle2is kept stationary, the button1does not move downwards, and the movable silver contacts9do not get in touch with the stationary silver contacts5, so that the electronic circuit breaker is not connected with the power supply and is not working. When the solenoid74receives instructions from the CPU to close the circuit, the solenoid74will be connected with the power supply and the iron plates71will be magnetized thus attracting the movable iron6on the movable copper4to go downwardly and therefore pulling down the movable axle2to compress the spring39. As a consequence, the movable silver contacts9get in touch with the stationary silver contacts5thereby connecting the electronic circuit breaker with the power supply to enable the electronic circuit breaker to work. Then, the CPU will give instructions to open the circuit of the solenoid74so as to cut off the power supplied to the solenoid74thereby making the iron plates71lose magnetism and therefore releasing the movable iron6. However, since the movable iron6is moved downward to approach the permanent magnet73, the movable iron6will be attracted by the permanent magnet73so that the movable silver contacts9are kept in contact with the stationary silver contacts5thereby keeping the electronic circuit breaker to work. When the electronic circuit breaker is overloaded or short-circuited, the CPU will give an instruction to connect the solenoid74to the power supply in an opposite direction thus providing the iron plate71with an opposite polarity and canceling the attraction force from the permanent magnet73. Hence, the movable iron6is longer attracted to go downwardly so that the spring39will restore to push the movable axle2together with the movable copper4and the movable iron6to go upwardly thereby separating the movable silver contacts9from the stationary silver contacts5. As a result, the electronic circuit breaker is not working.

From the above, it is understood that the present invention may provide remote control and operation for an electronic circuit breaker.

FIGS. 3 and 4illustrate the working principle of the electronic circuit breaker with the magnetic mechanism and the structure of the magnetic mechanism, respectively. As shown, the electronic circuit breaker is switched off and the movable copper4is located at its upper position and the movable silver contacts9are separated from the stationary silver contacts5, so that the circuit from the first electrode24, the stationary silver contact5, the movable silver contact9and the primary circuitry conductive wire16to the second electrode23is cut off thereby making the circuit breaker unable to work.

When the circuit breaker is in a normal condition, the locking rod17is pushed downwardly until the notch20of the locking rod17is aligned with an engaging member12. Meanwhile, the engaging member12is urged by a spring13to engage with the notch20. The engaging member12is connected with an end of a rotating arm11which is pivotally mounted in the circuit breaker. When the arm11is rotated clockwise, the movable magnet14will be moved to a position shown in dotted lines thereby separating the movable magnet14from the stationary magnet15. Then, the handle21is rotated counterclockwise to push down the main body19thereby moving down the movable copper4and making the two movable silver contacts9get in touch with the two stationary silver contacts5. Hence, the circuit through the first electrode24, the copper wire22, the stationary silver contacts5, the movable silver contacts9, the primary circuitry wire16and the second electrode23is closed thereby enabling the circuit break to function properly. In the meantime, the permanent magnet in the magnetic mechanism7attracts the movable iron16thus making the movable silver contacts9get in touch with the stationary silver contacts5. The copper wire22will produce a certain amount of magnetism when the circuit breaker is working normally. By means of experiments, the number of loops of the copper wire22with neglectable magnetism produced in normal working can be calculated. The magnetism produced by the primary circuitry wire16will not have any influence on the movable iron14. When the primary circuitry is short-circuited, there will be a large current in the circuitry so that a large magnetism will be generated in the copper wire22and the iron plate between the permanent magnet73and the movable iron6thereby producing an anti-force canceling the attraction force from the permanent magnet73to the movable iron6. The main body19is sprung upwardly by the restoration spring thereby separating the movable silver contacts9from the stationary silver contacts5and opening the primary circuitry and therefore making the circuit breaker unable to work properly. In the case of a short circuit occurring, the primary circuitry wire16will produce a large magnetism to make the movable silver contacts9get in touch with the stationary silver contacts5thereby rotating the arm11clockwise. The engaging member connected to the other end of the arm11will withdraw from the notch20of the locking rod17and the spring18will pull the locking rod17to spring upwardly.

FIGS. 5 and 6illustrate the block diagram and working diagram of the electronic circuit breaker with the magnetic mechanism according to the present invention. As shown, the current sensor25will transmit the picked-up signal to the electronic circuit26for form amplification, adjustment and sampling, pre-amplification and power amplification and then transmit to the separator27. The rectified wave output from the current sensor25is connected to various portions of the electronic circuit26.

FIG. 7shows the installation of the electronic circuit breaker with the magnetic mechanism utilizing a current controller according to the present invention. As shown, the circuit board of the electronic circuit26and the current sensor25are mounted within the same housing and a current adjusting block28is used for adjusting the sensed overload current value.

In normal operation, the current will not be overloaded, but when the current is overloaded, the current sensor25will sense the overload current from the electrical wire passing through the primary circuitry wire passing hole29and then transmit the signal to the electronic circuit26for shaping and amplifying, adjusting and sampling, pre-amplifying and power amplifying and then transmit to the separator27. The separator27will cut off the current to the circuitry thereby preventing the electrical device from being damaged.

Various portions of the present invention are designed for eliminating various kinds of breakdown including overload and short-circuit of the circuit breaker in working.

FIGS. 3,8,9,10and10A illustrate the structure, flow chart, schematic view, front view and side view of the present invention. As shown, the remote telephone control system consists of the circuit breaker34, the input line31of the telephone set30, the voice system, the keyboard37, the telephone control module33and the display38and can be used for controlling electrical devices36. The input line31of the telephone set30is connected to the telephone control module33, the voice system and the keyboard37and the display38, and the output line of the telephone set30is to the CPU circuit board10of the circuit breaker34which controls the copper wire74. The magnetic mechanism of the circuit breaker is connected to the power supply35which is connected to the telephone set36(the terminal subscriber is represented by dotted lines).

When there is an incoming call, it will be processed according to the flow chart as shown inFIG. 8. To use remote control for the electrical device36, a code can be keyed in and then the device will operate according toFIG. 8. If In order to turn on the electrical device36, the voice system and the telephone control module33will process the signal and transmit the signal to the CPU circuit board10of the circuit breaker34. The CPU circuit board10controls the conduction of the copper wire74to attract the movable iron6so as to make the movable silver contacts5get in touch with the stationary silver contacts5thereby closing the primary circuitry of the first electrode24, the iron22, the stationary silver contacts5, the movable silver contacts9, conductive wires16and the second electrode23. Then, the electrical device controlled by the circuit breaker begins to work. As the circuit breaker is working normally, the CPU circuit board10will send out an instruction to open the circuit of the copper wire74thereby cutting off the current flowing through. Hence, the iron71will lose magnetism and cannot attract the movable iron6, but since the movable iron6is moved down to approach the permanent magnet73, the permanent magnet73will attract the movable iron6. The electrical device is turned off by the software program. The voice system and the telephone control module33will transmit the processed signal to the CPU circuit board10of the circuit breaker34. The CPU circuit board10controls the conduction of the solenoid74and the solenoid74is connected with the power supply in an opposite polarity so that the solenoid74will produce an opposite polarity thereby canceling the attraction force from the permanent magnet73to the movable iron6. Hence, the movable iron6will not be attracted and under the pulling force of the restoration spring, the movable axle2will move the movable copper4and the movable iron6to spring away thereby separating the movable silver contacts9from the stationary silver contacts5. As a consequence, the circuit breaker and the electrical device will not work.

To control a number of electrical devices36, it is only necessary to increase a corresponding number of circuit breakers34for controlling air conditioners, water heaters, burglar-proof doors, lights, pet feeders, or the like.

The circuit breaker with the magnetic mechanism according to the present invention can be connected to the remote telephone control system (receiving portion) to form a control device32. As shown inFIG. 10, the input end is directly connected to the power supply and the output end is connected to the electrical device36. Then, the telephone input line31is connected to the telephone circuit to achieve the controlling purpose.