Circuit breaker housing

Abstract

A circuit breaker housing for holding a switching device unit and a number of connection contacts for a connection line and/or a busbar. The housing has a first housing part and a second housing part. In the joined, assembled state, the housing parts form a front side and a rear side opposite said front side and at least one connection side and end faces located opposite one another. A holding chamber for a connection module having one of the connection contacts is provided on the front side and/or on at least one of the connection sides.

Claims

1. A circuit breaker housing for holding a switching device and a number of connection contacts for a connection line and/or a busbar, the circuit breaker housing comprising: a first housing part and a second housing part; at least a first and second connection module having a connection contact for a connection line; wherein, in a joined or assembled state, said first and second housing parts together form a front side and a rear side opposite said front side, and at least one connection side and end faces located opposite one another; and wherein a holding chamber for receiving at least one connection module having one of said connection contacts is formed on said front side and/or on at least one of said connection sides; and wherein each connection module has a module housing, which has a connection opening for a connection line, said connection opening leading to the connection contact, and a contact opening; wherein the connection opening is arranged at that housing side of the module housing that faces toward the front side or the connection side, is flush therewith or forms same when the connection module is inserted into the holding chamber, and wherein the contact opening is arranged at that housing side of the module housing that faces toward a chamber base of the holding chamber when the connection module is inserted into the holding chamber; wherein the first connection module and/or the second connection module has a screw terminal or a screwless spring terminal as connection contact; and wherein the connection contact of the first or the second connection module has a contact element for electrical connection with a coupling contact received by the housing parts in the joined or assembled state, the coupling contact being accessible via a housing slot provided on the connection side.

2. The circuit breaker housing according to claim 1, wherein said housing slot extends over an entire housing width.

3. The circuit breaker housing according to claim 1, wherein said holding chamber for said connection module is accessible from said front side and/or from the respective said connection sides.

4. The circuit breaker housing according to claim 1, wherein said module housing is formed with a tool opening for actuating said connection contact, wherein said tool opening is arranged at that housing side of said module housing that faces toward said front side or said connection side, is flush therewith or forms same when said connection module is inserted into said holding chamber.

5. The circuit breaker housing according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said first housing part or said second housing part is configured to hold a switch unit selected from the group consisting of mechanical, electrical or electronic, thermal, magnetic, and hydraulic switching devices.

6. The circuit breaker housing according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said first housing part or said second housing part is configured to hold a switching device with a semiconductor switch or a contact system having a moving contact and a stationary contact.

7. A circuit breaker module, comprising a circuit breaker housing according to claim 1, a switching device, and at least one connection module with a connection contact.

8. A circuit breaker, comprising: a plurality of single-pole or multipole circuit breaker modules, each of said circuit breaker modules including a circuit breaker housing according to claim 1, a switching device in said housing, and at least one connection module with a connection contact.

9. The circuit breaker according to claim 8, comprising a busbar configured to make plug contact with the coupling contact of the respective said connection module in order to jointly electrically conductively connect a plurality of connection modules and/or circuit breaker modules.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) FIG. 1 schematically shows a circuit breaker housing having a switching device arranged therein for interrupting a circuit and having two holding chambers for provided connection modules for plug mounting into the holding chambers,

(2) FIG. 2 shows a perspective illustration of the circuit breaker housing composed of two housing parts and having an inserted connection module and a further connection module in a pre-mounting position,

(3) FIG. 3 shows a circuit breaker module embodied as a rail-mounted device for DIN rail mounting and having a circuit breaker housing having connection modules that are accessible from the front side, of which connection modules one has a screwless connection contact and the other has a connection contact embodied as a screw contact,

(4) FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a busbar for making plug contact with one of the connection modules, in this case having the connection contact embodied as a screw contact according to FIG. 3,

(5) FIG. 5 shows a perspective exploded illustration of a first half-shell-shaped and a second top-like housing part of the circuit breaker housing having connection modules having two-part module housings inserted into one of the housing parts, of which module housings one is shown with non-joined module housing parts,

(6) FIGS. 6A and 6B show the first housing part having inserted housing parts of the module housings of the connection modules in a screw connection embodiment and inserted coupling contacts, which are brought into plug contact with contact elements of the connection contacts of the connection modules, and having a busbar in plug contact with one of the coupling contacts or the second housing part of the circuit breaker housing,

(7) FIGS. 7A and 7B show an illustration according to FIGS. 6a and 6b of the first housing part having inserted connection modules in a spring terminal embodiment or the second housing part of the circuit breaker housing, and

(8) FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of a series arrangement having a plurality of circuit breaker modules having non-fitted and fitted holding chambers of the circuit breaker housing having connection modules, which have screwless spring terminal contacts or screw contacts as the connection contacts, wherein the supply-side connection contacts are connected to the busbar.

(9) Parts that correspond to one another are provided with the same reference signs in all of the figures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(10) The exemplary embodiments described in the following figures relate to a circuit breaker housing 1 for providing a circuit breaker, switching device or circuit breaker module that is designed in modular fashion in the manner of a construction kit, which circuit breaker, switching device or circuit breaker module can be realized by the combination of different switching devices 2 and connection modules 3 having different connection contacts 4, 5 in a single-pole or multipole design. The core component of said construction kit system is the circuit breaker housing 1 that is suitable and configured for a fully functional single-pole circuit breaker module 6, which circuit breaker housing can also be fitted or equipped with the desired connection technology even after the completion and fitting thereof with the desired switching device 2 as an electrical or electronic, thermal, (electro)magnetic and/or hydraulic switching and/or tripping system and also even after or during DIN rail or switchgear cabinet mounting.

(11) A single-pole circuit breaker, the circuit breaker housing 1 of which is shown by way of example in FIG. 5 in an exploded illustration, is accordingly formed substantially by a single circuit breaker module 6. Multipole designs of the circuit breaker, as are illustrated in FIG. 8, are formed by series arrangement of a number of circuit breaker modules 6, which number corresponds to the number of poles of the circuit breaker.

(12) According to FIGS. 1 and 2, the circuit breaker module 6, which is shown in a transparent illustration and in a perspective view, respectively, comprises the circuit breaker housing 1 composed of insulating material. The circuit breaker housing 1 has two housing parts 1a and 1b, which can be joined to one another in releasable and nonreleasable fashion after fitting or mounting the switching device 2. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the housing parts 1a and 1b can each be embodied as housing half-shells. The first housing part 1a can also be embodied as a housing base and the second housing part 1b can also be embodied as a housing top. This is illustrated in FIG. 2 by the contours in dashed lines. According to the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 5, the first housing part 1a is preferably embodied as a housing half-shell and the second housing part 1b is preferably embodied as a housing top.

(13) In the assembled or joined state of the housing parts 1a and 1b, these and hence the circuit breaker housing 1 form a front side 7 and two connection sides 8 adjoining said front side and also a rear side 9 located opposite the front side 7 and two end or side faces 10 located opposite one another. The front side 7 and the rear side 9 form, together with the opposite connection sides 8, in circumferential fashion the narrow housing sides of the circuit breaker housing 1 whereas the comparatively extensive end faces or sides 10 located opposite one another form, in particular, the rail-mounted sides of the circuit breaker housing 1.

(14) To hold the connection modules 3 in the circuit breaker housing 1, said circuit breaker housing has holding pockets or holding chambers 11, which are expediently open on the front side 7 and on the respective connection side 8. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the respective connection module 3 can preferably be inserted (plugged) into the corresponding holding chamber 11 from the front side 7 but also conceivably from the respective connection side 8. The corresponding plugging direction is illustrated by the arrows shown. The connection modules 3 have a contact element 12, which is brought into plug contact with a preferably premounted coupling contact 13 arranged in the circuit breaker housing 1 over the course of the plug mounting.

(15) The switching device 2 of the circuit breaker module 6, which can have hand actuation mechanics having a pivoting or tilting lever 14, can comprise a short-circuit tripping device, which is designed to actuate the tripping device (tripping mechanics) in the case of a short circuit as tripping condition. The short-circuit tripping device can be embodied in electronic fashion, for example with a semiconductor switch in the form, in particular, of a (bipolar) power transistor (MOSFET). The short-circuit tripping device can also have a magnet coil, magnet yoke and a magnet armature, which is connected to a plunger provided for advancing a tripping slide. In addition or as an alternative, the tripping system of the switching device 2 can have a, for example thermal, overload tripping device, which is expediently formed substantially by a bimetallic strip, which heats up as a result of the flow of current through the circuit breaker and in the process deforms in such a way that it actuates the tripping device or the substantially mechanical or thermomechanical tripping system in the case of overload.

(16) The switching device 2 and the tripping system thereof illustrated symbolically in FIG. 1 has a switch 15, which is embodied as a power transistor (semiconductor) or in mechanical fashion having a moving and a stationary contact. In particular, in the case of the mechanical embodiment of the switch 15, said switch is coupled to the tilting lever 14 by means of a switching lock 16. In the case of an electronic embodiment, the switching device 2 typically comprises a control device in the form of a microprocessor (microcontroller), which blocks the electronic switch 15 and thus interrupts a circuit, in which the circuit breaker module 6 is incorporated, when a measured current and/or voltage measurement value exceeds a prescribed tripping threshold. In the case of a mechanical embodiment, the tripping, that is to say opening of the contacts, is effected, for example, in a thermal or thermomagnetic manner.

(17) FIG. 3 shows a circuit breaker housing 1, which is suitable for a rail-mounted device, having inserted connection modules 3. The circuit breaker housing 1 accordingly has the stepped shaping symmetrical to the front side 7 that is characteristic of such devices. At a projecting central part 17 of the front side 7, a handle 18 of a tilting or pivoting lever 14 projects out of the circuit breaker housing 1 for the purpose of actuating the circuit breaker module 6. On the rear side 9 located opposite the front side 7, the circuit breaker housing 1 is provided with a receptacle or recess 19, which is typical for rail-mounted devices, for snapping the circuit breaker module 6 onto a carrier rail, in particular a DIN rail.

(18) On the connection side 8, at the top in FIG. 3, the circuit breaker housing 1 has a continuous housing slot 20 for holding a busbar 21, which is illustrated in FIG. 4. The busbar 21 provided with an insulating cover 22 is double-layered, wherein the bar layers 21a and 21b are insulated from one another. Each of the bar layers 21a and 21b has a number of plug contacts 23a and 23b spaced apart equidistantly from one another, which plug contacts are bent toward one another and are flush with one another in a plug line 24, which is indicated by a dashed line. The desired terminal contact-making with the respective connection module 3 is established using in each case one of said plug contacts 23a or 23b in order to electrically couple a plurality of connection modules 3 and hence a plurality of circuit breaker modules 6 to one another.

(19) As can be seen in FIG. 3 on the top connection module 3, said connection module has a two-part module housing 25, the two module housing parts 25a, 25b of which are embodied in a half-shell shaped manner or in a half-shell shaped and top-like manner. On the front side, the module housing 25 of the top connection module has a tool opening 3b for a tool (for example for a screwdriver) whereas the module housing 25 of the connection module 3 at the bottom in FIG. 3 has on the front side a connection opening 3a for a connection line. Such a connection opening 3a is provided on the connection side in the case of the module housing 25 of the top connection module 3 whereas the tool opening 3b is likewise provided with an inserted plastic wedge 26 of the module housing 25 of the bottom connection module 3 on the front side and directly next to the connection opening 3a.

(20) FIG. 5 shows the circuit breaker housing 1 in an exploded illustration having two similar connection modules 3 in the first half-shell-shaped housing part 1a. The connection modules 3 each have a screw contact as the contact element 4, the contact part 4a of which is accessible via the connection opening 3a of the connection module 3, and the contact screw 4b of which protrudes in a finger-safe manner into the tool opening 3b of the connection module 3. The connection contact 4 is brought into plug contact with the coupling contact 13 of a contact type 13a, which is arranged inside the housing in the first housing part 1a and thus in the circuit breaker housing 1. That connection module 3 that is inserted into the local holding chamber 11 of the circuit breaker housing 1 on that connection side 8 that also has the housing slot 20 is likewise brought into plug contact with the coupling contact 13 of a contact type 13b inside the housing. Said coupling contact 13 of the type 13b is accessible via a plug opening 27 provided in the slot base of the housing slot 20. One of the plug contacts 23a or 23b of the busbar 21 inserted into the housing slot 20 is brought into plug contact with the coupling contact 13 of the type 13b by means of said plug opening 27.

(21) FIGS. 6a and 6b show the circuit breaker housing 1 having the first housing part 1a in FIG. 6a and the second housing part 1b in FIG. 6b. The plug contact-connection of the busbar 21 with the associated coupling contact 13 of the type 13b is shown in FIG. 6a. The coupling contact 13 is brought into plug contact with the connection contact 4 by means of the contact element 12, which is bent in an angled manner and is arranged inside the connection module 3 or the module housing 25 thereof. To this end, the coupling element 12 has a contact limb 12a in contact with the connection contact 4 and a coupling limb 12b, which is brought into plug contact with the coupling contact 13.

(22) In the case of the connection module 3 inserted into the corresponding holding chamber 11 on the opposite connection side 8, the local coupling contact 13 of the type 13a is likewise brought into plug contact by means of the angularly bent contact element 12. Said coupling contact 13 of the type 13a is not designed for busbar contact-connection.

(23) FIGS. 7a and 7b show in an analogous manner to FIGS. 6a and 6b the circuit breaker housing 1 having the first housing part 1a thereof in FIG. 7a and the second housing part 1b thereof in FIG. 7b. In contrast to the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 6a and 6b, a connection module 3 having a screwless connection contact 5 embodied as a spring terminal is inserted into housing part 1a shown in FIG. 7a on both connection sides 8. Said connection contact comprises a contact part 5a bent in an approximately S-shaped manner and a spring element 5b bent in an approximately V-shaped manner. The plastic wedge 26, which is inserted into the tool opening 3b of the connection module 3, serves to actuate the spring element 5b in order to release a connection cable inserted into said spring element by means of the connection opening 3a of the connection module 3 from a produced terminal contact-connection. Said screwless connection module 3 having the coupling contact 13b provided for the contact-connection with the busbar 21 is brought into connection contact again by means of the contact element 12, 12b, which is formed by a limb of the S-shaped contact part 5a.

(24) As in the case of the embodiment according to FIGS. 6a and 6b as well, in this embodiment according to FIGS. 7a and 7b, the respective coupling contact 13 can be inserted into the connection module 3 or the module housing 25 thereof by means of the plug or coupling opening 3c in order to be held thereby in the course of insertion of the connection module 3 into the holding chamber 11 of the circuit breaker housing 1 and to be brought into plug contact with the contact element 12.

(25) FIG. 8 shows a circuit breaker or a circuit breaker arrangement 28 having a number of single-pole or multipole circuit breaker modules 6, which can be mounted in the manner of rail-mounted devices on a DIN rail (not illustrated). The circuit breaker modules 6 have identical circuit breaker housings 1 and similar connection modules 3, the module housings 25 of which are fitted with identical or different connection contacts 4, 5.

(26) The circuit breaker modules 6 of the circuit breaker arrangement 28 have connection modules 3 having different connection contacts 4, 5. The or some of the circuit breaker modules 6 are electrically connected to one another on the supply side by means of the busbar 21 and in this case connected in parallel in the supply side. On the opposite load side, the circuit breaker housings 1 of the circuit breaker modules 6 are provided with identical or different connection modules 3 or connection contacts 4, 5. Four of the connection modules 3, which are denoted in FIG. 8 by 6a, are embodied in a multipole manner whereas the remaining connection modules 3 or circuit breaker modules 6 are single-pole. In addition, two or more connection lines to accordingly two or more loads can also be connected to a circuit breaker module 6 or to the load-side connection module 3 thereof.

(27) In summary, the circuit breaker housing 1 provided and configured to hold the switch unit 2 and a number of connection modules 3 with the connection contacts 4, 5 thereof has two housing parts 1a and 1b, wherein, in the joined or assembled state, the housing parts 1a and 1b form the front side 7 and the rear side 9 located opposite said front side and the connection sides 8 and end faces 10 located opposite one another, and wherein a holding chamber 11 for the connection module 3 having the respective connection contact 4 or 5 is provided on the front side 7 and/or on at least one of the connection sides 8. The first and/or the second housing part 1a, 1b and thus the circuit breaker housing 1 is configured to hold a mechanical, electrical or electronic, thermal, magnetic and/or hydraulic switching device 2.

(28) The connection module 3 has a module housing 25, which has the connection opening 3a for a connection line, said connection opening leading to the connection contact 4, and the contact, plug or coupling opening 3c, wherein the connection opening 3a is arranged at that housing side of the module housing 25 that faces toward the front side 7 or the connection side 8, is flush therewith or forms same when the connection module 3 is inserted into the holding chamber 11, and wherein the contact opening 3c is arranged at that housing side of the module housing 25 that faces toward a chamber base 29 (FIG. 5) of the holding chamber 11 when the connection module 3 is inserted into the holding chamber 11.

(29) The module housing 25 also has the tool opening 3b for actuating the connection contact 4, 5, wherein the tool opening 3b is arranged at that housing side of the module housing 25 that faces toward the front side 7 or the connection side 8, is flush therewith or forms same when the connection module 3 is inserted into the holding chamber 11.

(30) The invention is not restricted to the exemplary embodiments described above. Instead, other variants of the invention can also be derived herefrom by the person skilled in the art without departing from the subject matter of the invention. In particular, all of the individual features described in connection with the exemplary embodiments can furthermore also be combined with one another in a different way without departing from the subject matter of the invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(31) 1 Circuit breaker housing 1a First housing part 1b Second housing part 2 Switching device 3 Connection module 3a Connection opening 3b Tool opening 3c Coupling/plug/contact opening 4 Connection/screw contact 4a Contact part 4b Contact screw 5 Connection/spring terminal 5a Contact part 5b Spring element 6 Circuit breaker module 7 Front side 8 Connection side 9 Rear side 10 End/side face 11 Holding chamber 12 Contact element 12a Contact limb 12b Coupling limb 13 Coupling contact 14 Pivoting/tilting lever 15 Switch 16 Switching lock 17 Central part 18 Handle 19 Receptacle/recess 20 Housing slot 21 Busbar 21a, b Bar layer 22 Insulating cover 23a, b Plug contact 24 Plug line 25 Module housing 25a, b Housing part 26 Plastic wedge 27 Plug opening 28 Circuit breaker/circuit breaker arrangement 29 Chamber base