Patent EA-001564-B1 (EA)
Title: Swichgear
Inventor: MOREL ROBERT
IPC: H02B11/04
Filed: 1999-04-16
Abstract: 1. A plug-in switchgear apparatus comprising a fixed frame (50) and a circuit breaker (1) movable in the fixed frame (50) between a plugged-out position and a plugged-in position, the circuit breaker (1) comprising at least one pair of contacts (11, 12) at least one (12) of which is movable and can take with respect to the other (11) a closed position and an open position, a loading and closing mechanism (30) comprising a spring called the closing spring (34) designed to move from a loaded state to a released state, a latch called the closing latch (38, 138, 238) designed to latch the closing spring (34) in its loaded state, the closing spring (34) being associated to the movable contact (12) in such a way that relaxation of the closing spring (34) drives the movable contact (12) to its closed position, a drive mechanism (40, 140, 240) comprising a driving part (45, 145), characterized in that the drive mechanism (40, 140, 240) comprises a trip mechanism (60, 160, 260) which is designed to move from a closed state in which actuation of the drive part (45, 145) is designed to move the closing spring (34) to its loaded state, to a tripped state in which actuation of the drive part (45, 245) is designed not to move the closing spring (34) to its loaded state. 2. The switchgear apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuit breaker (1) is also movable between the plugged-out position and an extracted position, the plugged-out position being between the plugged-in and the extracted position, the switchgear apparatus characterized in that it comprises in addition a control means (80, 180, 290, 390) of the trip mechanism (60, 160, 260) able to detect the fact that the circuit breaker (1) passes via an intermediate position called the tripped position between the plugged-out position and the extracted position, in the extraction direction, and in this case to move the trip mechanism (60, 160, ,260) to its tripped state, and that it comprises a control means of the closing latch (80, 170, 290, 390) able to detect the fact that the circuit breaker (1) passes via an intermediate position called the closed position between the plugged-out position and the extracted position, in the extraction direction, and in this case to drive the closing latch (38, 138, 238) to its unlatched position, the intermediate tripped position being situated between the plugged-out position and the intermediate closed position, or being appreciably the same as the latter position. 3. The switchgear apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises in addition an opening mechanism (20) comprising a spring called the opening spring (24) able to move from a loaded state to a released state and from the released state to the loaded state, and a latch called the opening latch (26, 126, 226, 326) designed to latch the opening spring (24) in its loaded state, the opening spring (24) being associated to the movable contact (12) in such a way that relaxation of the opening spring (24) drives the movable contact (12) to an open position and that movement of the movable contact (12) to its closed position results in loading of the opening spring (24), and in that it comprises a control means of the opening latch (90, 190, 390) able to detect the fact that the circuit breaker (1) passes via an intermediate position called the first open position between the plugged-out position and the tripped position, in the extraction direction, and in this case to drive the opening latch (26, 126, 326) to its unlatched position, said opening latch control means (90, 190, 390) being moreover designed to detect the fact that the circuit breaker (1) passes via an intermediate position called the second open position between the closed position and the extracted position, in the extraction direction, and in this case to drive the opening latch (26) to its unlatched position. 4. The switchgear apparatus according to any one of the claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the intermediate closed position and the intermediate tripped position are appreciably identical and the closing latch control means (80, 290, 390) and the trip mechanism control means (80, 290, 390) have in common a movable element (82, 292, 392) supported by the circuit breaker (1) between a passive position and a tripping command position, and at least one cam (56) supported by the fixed frame (50), the movable element (82, 292, 392) operating in conjunction with a tripping command surface (81) of the cam (56) so as to move from its passive position to its tripping command position when the circuit breaker passes via the common intermediate closed and tripped position, in the extraction direction. 5. The switchgear apparatus according to any one of the claims 2 to 4, characterized in that it comprises in addition an opening mechanism (20) comprising a spring called the opening spring (24) able to move from a loaded state to a released state and from the released state to the loaded state, and a latch called the opening latch (26) designed to latch the opening spring in its loaded state, the opening spring (24) being associated to the movable contact (12) in such a way that relaxation of the opening spring (24) drives the movable contact (12) to an open position and in that movement of the movable contact (12) to its closed position results in loading of the opening spring (24), and in that it comprises a control means of the opening latch (290) able to detect the fact that the circuit breaker passes via an intermediate position called the first open position between the plugged-out position and the tripped position, in the extraction direction, and in this case to drive the opening latch to its unlatched position, and in that the opening latch control means (290, 390) and the trip mechanism control means (290, 390) have in common a movable element (292, 392) supported by the circuit breaker (1) between a passive position and a tripping command position, passing via a first opening control position situated between the other two positions and at least one cam (56) supported by the fixed frame (50), the movable element (292) operating in conjunction with a first opening command surface of the cam (56) in such a way as to move from its passive position to its first opening control position when the circuit breaker passes via the intermediate open position, in the extraction direction, the movable element (292, 392) operating in conjunction with a tripping command surface (81) of the cam (56) so as to move from its first open position to its tripping command position when the circuit breaker passes via the intermediate tripped position, in the extraction direction. 6. The switchgear apparatus according to any one of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the drive part (45) is rotary, that the drive mechanism (40) comprises at least one free-wheel clutch designed to transmit the movement of the drive part (45) in one direction of rotation of the latter and not to transmit it in the other direction of rotation, and that the trip mechanism (60) in its tripped state is designed to neutralize said free-wheel clutch so that rotation of the drive part (45) is not transmitted in either of the two rotation directions. 7. The switchgear apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the free-wheel clutch comprises at least one movable part (44) movable between a closed position in which it enables transmission of the movement of the drive part (45) .and a tripped position in which it does not enable transmission of the movement of the drive part (45) and that the trip mechanism (60) comprises a blocking plate (62) for blocking said movable part (44) of the free-wheel clutch in the tripped position. 8. The switchgear apparatus according to any one of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the drive mechanism (140) comprises a rotary driven part (146) and at least one free-wheel coupling (142, 143) designed to prevent rotation of the driven part in one direction, and that the trip mechanism (160) in its tripped state is designed to neutralize said free-wheel coupling (142, 143) so that rotation of the driven part is possible in both directions. 9. A plug-in switchgear apparatus, in particular the switchgear apparatus, comprising a fixed frame (50) and a circuit breaker (1) movable in the fixed frame between a plugged-out position and a plugged-in position, the circuit breaker comprising at least one pair of contacts (11, 12) at least one (12) of which is movable and can take with respect to the other (11) a closed position and an open position, a loading and closing mechanism (30) comprising a spring called the closing spring (34) designed to move from a loaded state to a released state, a latch called the closing latch (38) designed to latch the closing spring (34) in its loaded state, the closing spring (34) being associated to the movable contact (12) in such a way that relaxation of the closing spring (34) drives the movable contact (12) to its closed position, an opening mechanism (20) comprising a spring called the opening spring (24) able to move from a loaded state to a released state and from the released state to the loaded state, and a latch called the opening latch (26) designed to latch the opening spring (24) in its loaded state, the opening spring (24) being associated to the movable contact (12) in such a way that relaxation of the opening spring (24) drives the movable contact (12) to an open position and that movement of the movable contact (12) to its closed position results in loading of the opening spring (24), said switchgear apparatus comprising a control means (90) of the opening latch able to detect the fact that the circuit breaker (1) passes via an intermediate position called the first open position between the plugged-out position and the extracted position, in the extraction direction, and in this case to drive the opening latch (26) to its unlatche