Abstract:
A mover assembly of a circuit breaker is provided. A mover assembly of a circuit breaker according to one aspect includes: a terminal fixed within a circuit breaker; a connector coupled to the terminal; a plurality of movers rotatably installed in the connector; and an elastic member applying elastic force to the movers to tightly attach the movers to the connector, wherein each of the movers includes a first mover and a second mover and the elastic member is positioned between the first mover and the second mover.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     Pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §119(a), this application claims the benefit of earlier filing date and right of priority to Korean Application No. 10-2012-0074704, filed on Jul. 9, 2012, the contents of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present disclosure relates to a mover assembly of a circuit breaker. 
     2. Background of the Invention 
     In general, a circuit breaker refers to a device for opening and closing a load device or interrupting a current in the event of an accident such as earthing, short-circuit, or the like, in a transmission &amp; sub-station system or an electrical circuit. Also, a circuit breaker, in which a circuit breaking part is insulated by an insulator and assembled, may generally manually open or close a line in use or may open or close it from a remote area through an electrical manipulator, or the like, outside a metal container. Also, in the event of overload or short-circuit, the circuit breaker automatically cuts off the line to protect an electric power system and a load device. 
     The circuit breaker includes a terminal unit connecting a power source to a load, a trip unit sensing an overcurrent, a short-circuit current, and the like, generated in the power source and cutting off power supply to an operating unit, the operating unit opening and closing a stator and a mover, and an arc extinguishing unit extinguishing an arc when a fault current and a short-circuit current are generated. 
     Usually, the stator and the mover are in contact to allow a current to flow therethrough, and when an overcurrent, a short-circuit current, or the like, is generated, the operating unit separates the mover from the stator to interrupt a current. 
     Meanwhile, the operating unit includes a plurality of movers that make a rotational motion around a rotational shaft (by being centered thereon) to allow a current to flow or interrupt it. Also, the circuit breaker includes a terminal fixedly coupled therein, and the terminal includes a connector having spaces accommodating each of the movers. 
     The movers are inserted in the accommodation spaces of the connector and in contact with each other, and an elastic member is inserted between the movers and the connector. Upon receiving force applied from the elastic member, the movers and the connector are electrically connected. 
     In the related art circuit breaker, the movers and the connector are alternately positioned, and a leaf spring is provided between one surface of each mover and the connector. Namely, each mover, upon receiving bearing power from the leaf spring coupled to one side thereof, is coupled to the connector. Here, the other side of each mover is in direct contact with the connector so as to be electrically connected. Thus, when the mover and the stator is connected, majority of a current flowing from the stator to the mover flows to the terminal through the surface in which the mover and the connector are in direct contact. 
     However, in the related art circuit breaker, since only one side of the mover is in contact with the connector, contact resistance is generated due to imbalance of contact force, which generates heat to increase a temperature within the circuit breaker. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, an aspect of the detailed description is to provide a mover assembly capable of minimizing contact resistance due to imbalance of contact force between a mover and a connector and resolving a heating phenomenon due to contact resistance. 
     To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of this specification, as embodied and broadly described herein, a mover assembly of a circuit breaker according to one aspect includes: a terminal fixed within a circuit breaker; a connector coupled to the terminal; a plurality of movers rotatably installed in the connector; and an elastic member applying elastic force to the movers to tightly attach the movers to the connector, wherein each of the movers includes a first mover and a second mover and the elastic member is positioned between the first mover and the second mover. 
     The elastic member may provide elastic force to the first mover and the second mover to thrust them outwardly. 
     The connector may include accommodation portions accommodating the first mover, the elastic member, and the second mover, and the elastic member may provide elastic force to the first mover and the second mover to tightly attach the first mover and the second mover to the sides of the connector adjacent thereto. 
     A width of the accommodation portion may be equal to or smaller than the sum of a width of the first mover, a width of the second mover, and a width of the elastic member. 
     To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of this specification, as embodied and broadly described herein, a mover assembly of a circuit breaker according to another aspect includes: a terminal including a connector having a plurality of accommodation portions; a first mover having one end accommodated in the accommodation portion; a second mover having one end accommodated in the accommodation portion, and formed to correspond to the first mover so as to be moved together with the first mover; an elastic member interposed between the first mover and the second mover; and a movable contactor installed in the other ends of the first mover and the second mover, wherein the elastic member tightly attaches the first mover to one side of the accommodation portion and the second mover to the other side of the accommodation portion to allow a current introduced through the movable contactor to flow to the terminal through the first mover and one side of the accommodation portion and through the second mover and the other side of the accommodation portion. 
     The connector may be integrally formed in the terminal. 
     The elastic member may provide elastic force thrusting the first mover and the second mover outwardly. 
     A width of the accommodation portion may be equal to or smaller than the sum of a width of the first mover, a width of the second mover, and a width of the elastic member. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, since both sides of the movers are in contact with both sides of the accommodation portions of the connector and a current flow therethrough, balancing contact force, and thus, contact resistance can be minimized and a rapid increase in a temperature within the circuit breaker can be prevented. 
     Further scope of applicability of the present application will become more apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
       In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a view illustrating a mover assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the mover assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a partially enlarged view of the mover assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a view illustrating the mover assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Hereinafter, a mover assembly of a circuit breaker according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, usage of suffixes such as ‘module’, ‘part’ or ‘unit’ used for referring to elements is given merely to facilitate explanation of the present invention, without having any significant meaning by itself. 
       FIG. 1  is a view illustrating a mover assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a mover assembly  10  of a circuit breaker according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a mover  11 , a holder  12 , a connector  13 , and a terminal  14 . The terminal  14  is fixed within the circuit breaker (not shown), and the mover  11  may be rotatably coupled to the terminal  14 . 
     The connector  13  having a space allow the mover  11  to be inserted therein may be provided in the terminal  14 . The terminal  14  and the connector  13  may be integrally formed. Here, the terminal  14  and the connector  13  may be referred to as a terminal unit. 
     The holders  12  are provided in both sides of the mover  11 , and assembled to the connector  13  through a pin to adjust a position of the mover  11 . 
     A rotational shaft  17  may be inserted to penetrate through the mover  11  such that it is rotatable in a state of being maintained to be in contact with the connector  13  provided in the terminal  14 . 
     In a normal state, a movable contactor  16  of the mover  11  and a fixed contactor of a stator (not shown) connected to the terminal unit supplying power are in contact. A current supplied from the terminal unit at a power source side may flow to the terminal  14  from the stator through the mover  11  and the connector  13 . 
     When an overcurrent or a fault current is generated, the mover  11  is rotated about the rotational shaft  17  (by being centered thereon), and thus, the movable contactor and the fixed contactor may be separated. Thus, the current flowing from the terminal unit at the power source side to the terminal  14  may be interrupted. 
     As the structure in which the mover  11  is maintained to be in contact with the connector  13  and the structure in which the mover  11  is rotated in the event of an overcurrent or a fault current generation, and the like, the structure of the related art mover assembly  10  may be applied, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted. 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the mover assembly of  FIG. 1 , and  FIG. 3  is a partially enlarged view of the mover assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the mover assembly  10  according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the mover  11 , the connector  13 , the terminal  14 , an elastic member  15 , a movable contactor  16 , and a rotational shaft  17 . The mover  11 , the connector  13 , and the elastic member  15  have a hole through which the rotational shaft  17  may be inserted, respectively. 
     The mover  11  includes a first mover  110  and a second mover  111 . The elastic member  15  is disposed between the first mover  110  and the second mover  111 . Holes are formed on one sides of the first mover  110  and the second mover  111  through which the rotational shaft  17  may be inserted. The movable contactor  16  may be installed in the other end portions of the first mover  110  and the second mover  111 . 
     The first mover  110  and the second mover  111  may perform rotational motion together. Namely, in a normal state, the first mover  110  and the second mover  111  allow the movable contactor  16  to be maintained in a state of being in contact with a fixed contactor (not shown). In the event of an overcurrent or a fault current, the first mover  110  and the second mover  111  are rotated together around the rotational shaft  17  (by being centered thereon), and thus, the movable contactor  16  is separated from the fixed contactor (not shown). 
     A plurality of movers  11  may be provided. Namely, a plurality of first movers  110  and a plurality of second movers  111  may be provided. 
     The connector  13  may include an accommodation portion  130  accommodating portions of the movers  11  and the elastic member  15 . A plurality of accommodation portions  130  may be provided to correspond to the movers  11 . The connector  13  may have a hole allowing the rotational shaft  17  to be inserted therethrough. A width L of the accommodation portion  130  may be equal to or slightly smaller than the sum of the widths of the first mover  110  and the second mover  111  and a width of the elastic member  15  inserted into the accommodation portion  130 . The first mover  110 , the elastic member  15 , and the second mover  111  are accommodated in the same accommodation portion  130 . 
     The rotational shaft  17  is inserted into the holes formed in the first and second movers  110  and  111 , the elastic member  15 , and the connector  13 . Here, the elastic member  15  is interposed between the first mover  110  and the second mover  111 . The elastic member  15  may be a leaf spring or a coil spring. In the case in which the elastic member  15  is a leaf spring, a central portion of the leaf spring may be formed to be bent convexly to both sides. The elastic member  15  between the first mover  110  and the second mover  111  provides elastic force thrusting the first mover  110  and the second mover  111  outwardly. 
     The elastic member  15  provides force thrusting the first mover  110  and the second mover  111  toward the connector  13  such that the first mover  110  and the second mover  111  are tightly attached to the connector  13 . When a portion of the connector  13  with which the first mover  110  is in contact is a first connector  131  and a portion of the connector  13  with which the second mover  111  is in contact is a second connector  132 , the elastic member  15  applies force to the first mover  110  in a direction of F 1 , and applies force to the second mover  111  in a direction of F 2 . Accordingly, the first mover  110  is tightly attached to the first connector  131 , and the second mover  111  may be tightly attached to the second connector  132 . Namely, the first mover  110  is tightly attached to one side of the accommodation portion  130 , and the second mover  111  is tightly attached to the other side of the accommodation portion  130 . 
     In this manner, the plurality of movers  11  may be accommodated in the accommodation portion  130  and tightly attached to both sides of the accommodation portion  130  in which the respective movers  11  are accommodated. Thus, a contact area between the movers  11  and the connector  13  can be maximized and contact force can be balanced. 
       FIG. 4  is a view illustrating the mover assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , a current may flow through both sides of the first connector  131 . The elastic member  15  is interposed between the first mover  110  and the second mover  111  to tightly attach the first mover  110  and the second mover  111  to the sides of the adjacent first connector  131  and the second connector  132 , thus securing a wide contact area between the movers  11  and the connector  13 . 
     When the movable contactor  16  and the fixed contact (not shown) are brought into contact, a current flows from a terminal unit of the fixed contactor (not shown), and the current flows to the movers  11  through the movable contactor  16 . The current flowing through the movers  11  flows to the connector  13  through the contact surface between the first connector  131  and the second connector  132 . the current, passing through the connector  13 , may flow to a device connected to the terminal  14 . Namely, the current may flow to the device connected to the terminal  14  through the one sides of the first mover  110  and the accommodation portion  130  and the other sides of the second mover  111  and the accommodation portion  130 . 
     The movers  11  are in contact with both sides of the first connector  131 , and the first connector  131  receives currents I 1  and I 2  through the movers  11  in contact with both sides thereof. 
     In this manner, the contact area between the connector  13  and the movers  11  is increased and contact force between the connector  13  and the movers  11  is balanced, minimizing contact resistance, and heat generated by contact resistance is reduced to effectively lower internal temperature of the circuit breaker. 
     The foregoing embodiments and advantages are merely exemplary and are not to be considered as limiting the present disclosure. The present teachings can be readily applied to other types of apparatuses. This description is intended to be illustrative, and not to limit the scope of the claims. Many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The features, structures, methods, and other characteristics of the exemplary embodiments described herein may be combined in various ways to obtain additional and/or alternative exemplary embodiments. 
     As the present features may be embodied in several forms without departing from the characteristics thereof, it should also be understood that the above-described embodiments are not limited by any of the details of the foregoing description, unless otherwise specified, but rather should be considered broadly within its scope as defined in the appended claims, and therefore all changes and modifications that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims, or equivalents of such metes and bounds are therefore intended to be embraced by the appended claims.