Abstract:
Contactor-circuit breaker comprising a control electromagnet and a protection device both capable of acting on mobile contacts in response respectively to a deliberate control and to a detected electrical fault, through a multi-pole device. An electromagnetic tripping device ( 41 ) is added onto a contact control mechanism ( 40 ). The protection device ( 30 ), preferably interchangeable, is connected to the electromagnet ( 20 ) through a control line ( 33 B) and to the control mechanism ( 40 ) through a trip line ( 33 A) so that it outputs an electrical power supply to the electromagnet on the control line, and in the case of a fault, a trip signal on the trip line. The electromagnet ( 20 ) is of the DC type, and the protection device ( 30 ) adapts its power supply voltage.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to a contactor-circuit breaker comprising poles with separable contacts, a control electromagnet to control these contacts, and a protection device associated with a tripping device. 
   A contactor-circuit breaker is an electrical device used to deliberately control the power supply and to break lines carrying a load such as a motor (in other words to switch this load on and off) using an electromagnet which is specific to its “contactor” part, and to automatically break the load circuit using the protection device which is specific to its “circuit breaker” part, as soon as the protection device detects an electrical fault such as a short circuit on at least one of the lines. 
   In this type of equipment, the electromagnet and the protection device each use a multi-pole device to act on the mobile contacts in response to a deliberate control and detection of an electrical fault, respectively. The tripping device is capable of changing from a contact closed state to a contact open state under the action of an electromagnetic tripping device, and it may be reset by a manual control device itself capable of opening and closing the contacts. 
   Document EP-366 519 thus describes a contactor-circuit breaker of the type mentioned above. The protection device is mainly mechanical, such that a large number of switches are necessary to cover the required range of power voltages and currents. 
   Document FR-2 759 489 describes a contactor-circuit breaker in which the electromagnet switches contacts both in contactor mode and in circuit breaker mode. The hybrid nature of the operation of the electromagnet and its need for fast control in circuit breaker mode then cause problems. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The purpose of the invention is to reconcile reliable operation in contactor mode with high breaking speed in circuit breaker mode, while organizing mechanical connections and electrical lines for the switch in order to cover the required range of power voltages and currents with a minimum number of components. 
   According to the invention, an electromagnetic tripping device is added to the control mechanism, and the protection device is connected to the electromagnet through a control line and to the control mechanism through a trip line, in order to output an electrical power supply to the electromagnet on the control line and, in the case of an electrical fault, a trip signal on the trip line. 
   Preferably, the protection device is connected to the AC or DC power supply terminals, while the electromagnet is of the DC type operating at a predetermined voltage, and the protection device is provided with a voltage adapter circuit capable of converting the power supply voltage into a predetermined voltage to power the electromagnet. Furthermore, the protection device is preferably capable of outputting a constant current to the electromagnet in its energize and hold phases. 
   The power conductors, the separable contacts and associated extinguishing chambers can advantageously be housed in a base, the protection device being a removable module added interchangeably to the base, whereas the electromagnet and the control mechanism are fixed to the base. In this case, the electromagnet and the control mechanism may be housed in a part of the base projecting forwards such that the components in the base, starting from the top and working downwards, are the electromagnet and the control mechanism, the protection device and a compartment in which auxiliary contacts add-on can be housed. The power supply terminals for the electromagnet coil can then be housed adjacent to the protection module and at the side of the compartment in which auxiliary contacts can be added. 
   Advantageously, the base may also have a compartment for housing a communication add-on, between the protection module and the compartment for add-on auxiliary contacts. It is advantageous if the compartments set aside for the communication add-on and the auxiliary contacts add-on are grouped under the removable protection module. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The following description gives one non-limitative embodiment of the invention with respect to the attached drawings. 
       FIG. 1  is a diagram of a contactor-circuit breaker according to the invention. 
       FIGS. 2 to 4  are diagrams of variants of the contactor-circuit breaker. 
       FIGS. 5 and 6  show a front view and a sectional view along plane VI-VI of the contactor-circuit breaker. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   The contactor-circuit breaker comprises several contactor poles fitted with fixed contacts  10  and mobile contacts  11  associated with extinguishing chambers  12 . The fixed contacts  10  are connected by power conductors  13 ,  14  to source power terminals  15  and load power terminals  16  placed in the equipment housing  17  or on terminal blocks fitted on the housing. For each pole, the mobile contacts  12  are laid out on a bridge forced in the closing direction by a spring  18  and in the opening direction by a pusher  19 . 
   The contactor-circuit breaker comprises a monostable or bistable type electromagnet  20  and an electronic protection and control device  30 ; the end purpose of the electromagnet and the protection device is to act on the pushers  19  of the various poles. Note that the electromagnet  20  is of the DC type and it is independent of the power supply voltage, for example of the network, whereas different protection and control device  30  are provided as a function of the power supply voltage; for example 24V DC, 24 V AC, 72 V AC, 240 V AC, etc. Therefore device  30  firstly adapts the power supply voltage to the DC voltage required for the electromagnet, and secondly supplies a constant current, for example of the order of 100 mA, to the coil  21  of the electromagnet  20  when it is in the energize or the hold position. 
   The protection and control device  30 , hereinafter simply denoted the “protection device”, comprises current sensors  31  that detect currents in the various poles; the sensors  31  may be connected to the power conductors  14  of the various poles by clips or plugs  32  as shown in  FIG. 2 . The sensors  31  are connected to a protection circuit  33  that generates a fault signal in the case of a short circuit detected by sensors or in the case of another electrical fault. The output from the protection circuit  33  is connected through a trip line  33 A to an electromagnetic tripping device  41  with intermittent action that operates a lever of a lock belonging to a contact control mechanism  40 . The protection circuit  33  also acts as a power supply line and it is connected to a control circuit  34  that determines a regulated power supply current for the coil and is connected through a control line  33 B to the coil  21  of the electromagnet  20 . 
   The power supply voltage for the protection device, the tripping device and the coil is applied to the associated terminals  35  on the protection device  30  and located on the housing itself of device  30  or on a terminal block or add-on attached to the device, or to a base on which the device is fitted, depending on the case. The protection device  30  is variable depending on the current rating of the contactor-circuit breaker and comprises a voltage conversion circuit  36  connected to the power supply terminals  35  of the contactor-circuit breaker and capable of outputting a voltage at a predetermined level to device  30  and to the electromagnet coil  21 . 
   A manual control button  42  capable of being moved into an On position or an Off position cooperates with mechanism  40  to control switching of the contacts  11 . Obviously, two buttons can be provided, one for the On function and the other for the Off function. The control mechanism  40  comprises:
         a bistable trip part  40 A controlled by the electromagnetic tripping device  41 ,   an automatic bistable control part  40 B controlled by the electromagnet  20  from an On or Off order sent to terminals  35  and,   a manual control part  40 C controlled directly by button  42  and that can be influenced by the trip part  40 A.       

   Parts  40 A and  40 C act on the mobile contacts  11  through a sliding or pivoting device  43 A, C and part  40 B acts on the mobile contacts  11  through a sliding or pivoting device  43 B. These two devices  43 A, C and  43 B may be separate. In a preferred embodiment, the devices  43 A, C and  43 B can be applied to a common pivoting multi-pole lever  44 , that itself acts on the polar pushers  19  (see  FIG. 3 ). 
   In the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 2 to 4 , the contactor-circuit breaker comprises a base  50  and the protection device  30  is composed of an electronic protection module added on interchangeably to the base as a function of the current rating assigned to the contactor-circuit breaker. The rear of the base is provided with means of attachment  51  to a support such as a standard rail or a carrier plate and comprises, or is fitted at its top and bottom parts, with terminal blocks  52 ,  53  containing power terminals  15 ,  16 . The base contains power conductors  13 ,  14 , fixed contacts  10  and mobile contacts  11  and extinguishing chambers  12 . 
   On  FIG. 2 , the electromagnet  20  and the control mechanism  40  are housed in an electromechanical control module  60  assembled to base  50 . In  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the electromagnet  20  and the control mechanism  40  are housed in one (or two) compartment(s) located near the top of the base  50  in a projection  54  from the base. In this case, this is an electromechanical control and breaking assembly  50 ,  20 ,  40  that is independent of the power supply voltage and that remains unchanged for different current ratings, the voltage adaptation being achieved by the electronic circuitry in the protection module  30  and the current rating being achieved by the choice of a given protection module  30 . 
   In  FIG. 3 , the electromagnet  20  and the protection module  30  are placed in the projection  54  on the base such that the electromagnet  20  is installed at the top of the base, followed by the mechanism  40 , the protection module  30  and a compartment  55  that will contain an auxiliary contacts add-on  56 , in sequence towards the bottom of the base. The power supply terminals  35  of the coil  21  of the electromagnet  20  are placed in compartment  55  or in the auxiliary contacts add-on  56 . 
   In  FIG. 4 , between the protection module  30  and the compartment  55  containing the auxiliary contacts add-on  56 , the base  50  is provided with a compartment  57  that will contain a communication add-on  58 , for example to which a communication bus can be added to connect the device considered with other electrical devices, this bus being capable of powering and controlling the switch. The protection module box  30  may be provided with a shoulder  37  to hold the communication add-on  58  in its compartment  57 . 
   A switch  59  is placed in the add-on  56  ( FIG. 4 ) or in the protection module  30  ( FIG. 1 ) to cut off the power supply to the protection module when the button is in the Off position. 
   The contactor-circuit breaker is installed and operates as follows. A protection module  30  is added onto a base  50  equipped with an electromagnet with the required rating. This module is capable of adapting the voltage to the nominal operating voltage of the electromagnet and supplying a constant current to the electromagnet, both in its energize phase and in its hold phase. 
   Assuming that the button  42  is initially in the On position, the voltage applied to the terminals  35  will supply power to coil  21  through the control circuit  34 , and close contacts  10 ,  11  through part  40 B of the mechanism  40 . The contacts are opened manually by putting button  42  in the off position through part  40 C of mechanism  40 , while switch  59  opens as described above. The contacts are opened automatically when circuit  33  is switched, for example as a function of the overcurrent signal output by a sensor  31 ; this switching will switch the part  40 A of the mechanism  40  through the tripping device  41 . If there is no voltage at terminals  35 , the coil  21  will be disexcited and contacts will be opened through part  40 B.