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(11) | EP 4 040 621 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | INTEGRATED SURGE PROTECTOR ASSEMBLY |
| (57) Disclosed is an integrated surge protector assembly comprising: a casing; a surge
protector, which is arranged in the casing; a miniature circuit breaker, which is
arranged in the casing; a mechanical accessory, which is arranged in the casing and
is connected to the surge protector and the miniature circuit breaker, wherein the
mechanical accessory has a sensor configured to output a judgment signal; an electronic
component connected to the miniature circuit breaker via a wire and connected to the
mechanical accessory via a first transmission line to receive the judgment signal;
a processing system connected to the electronic component via a second transmission
line so as to receive the judgment signal from the electronic component, wherein the
processing system is configured to determine whether the miniature circuit breaker
fails; or the surge protector fails; or an upstream circuit breaker fails based on
a predetermined life of the surge protector and the judgment signal.
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TECHNICAL FIELD
BACKGROUND
[0002] The intelligence, miniaturization, light weight and convenience of surge protectors have become a development trend. Therefore, it is increasingly necessary to incorporate electronic components into products, and the reliability, compactness and ease of production assembly of the electrical connection between the electronic components and the mechanical metal parts inside the product are of importance.
SUMMARY
[0003] The present application relates to an integrated surge protector assembly, comprising: a casing; a surge protector, which is arranged in the casing; a miniature circuit breaker, which is arranged in the casing; a mechanical accessory, which is arranged in the casing and is connected to the surge protector and the miniature circuit breaker, wherein the mechanical accessory has a sensor configured to output a judgment signal; an electronic component connected to the miniature circuit breaker via a wire and connected to the mechanical accessory via a first transmission line to receive the judgment signal; a processing system connected to the electronic component via a second transmission line so as to receive the judgment signal from the electronic component, wherein the processing system is configured to determine whether the miniature circuit breaker fails; or the surge protector fails; or an upstream circuit breaker fails based on a predetermined life of the surge protector and the judgment signal.
[0004] Advantageously, the judgment signal output by the sensor includes a voltage signal and an opening signal generated by the failure of the miniature circuit breaker or the failure of the surge protector.
[0005] Advantageously, the processing system is also configured to receive a current signal and a lightning current signal from the electronic component via the second transmission line and determine the life of the surge protector based on the voltage signal, the current signal and the lightning current signal.
[0006] Advantageously, the mechanical accessory has a first connection to the miniature circuit breaker and a second connection to the surge protector, wherein said first connection is configured to abut against the sensor during normal operation, and wherein the first connection is configured to rotate in a first direction, in the event of failure of the circuit breaker, and come out of abutment with the sensor, whereby the sensor sends an opening signal indicating the failure of the miniature circuit breaker.
[0007] Advantageously, the second connector is configured to rotate in a second direction opposite to the first direction, in the event of failure of the surge protector, and abut against the first connection, thereby pushing the first connection to rotate in the first direction, so that the first connection is released from the abutment with the sensor, whereby the sensor sends an opening signal indicating the failure of the surge protector.
[0008] Advantageously, in the event of a loss of power to the integrated surge protector assembly, the processing system is configured to determine that the surge protector has failed when the predetermined life of the surge protector is below a predetermined threshold.
[0009] Advantageously, in the event of a loss of power to the integrated surge protector assembly, the processing system is configured to determine that the miniature circuit breaker has failed when the predetermined life of the surge protector is not lower than a predetermined threshold.
[0010] Advantageously, in the event of a loss of power to the integrated surge protector assembly, the processing system is configured to determine that an upstream switch is de-energized when the sensor does not output an opening signal.
[0011] Advantageously, the wire is configured to contact a metal piece to form an electrical connection, the metal piece passing through an opening in the electronic component together with the wire and being mounted to the casing, wherein an elastic piece is arranged between the electronic component and the metal piece, and under an action of external pressure, the electronic component and the casing move towards each other, so that the elastic piece is clamped between the electronic component and the metal piece to transmit the current in the wire to the electronic component through the metal piece, and then through the second transmission line to the processing system.
[0013] Advantageously, in the case that the elastic piece is clamped between the electronic component and the metal piece, the electronic component and the casing are fastened together by fasteners.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] Features and advantages of the present application will become more apparent from following detailed description of specific embodiments of the present application with reference to attached drawings, in which:
FIG 1 shows a schematic diagram of an integrated surge protector assembly according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 shows a partial enlarged view of the integrated surge protector assembly according to the present invention, showing a cutaway section of the electronic components, a portion of a miniature circuit breaker, a portion of a surge protector, and a portion of a processing system.
FIG.3 shows a schematic view of the connection between an electronic component and a metal piece according to the present invention, showing an elastic piece in an uncompressed state.
FIG.4 shows a schematic view of the connection between an electronic component and a metal piece according to the present invention, showing an elastic piece in a compressed state.
FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the connection between the electronic component and the metal piece.
FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of a mechanical accessory.
FIG. 7 shows an external view of the integrated surge protector assembly according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] Various embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Here, it is to be noted that, in the drawings, the same reference numerals are assigned to components having substantially the same or similar structures and functions, and repeated descriptions about them will be omitted. Unless otherwise specified, the terms "first direction", "second direction" and the like herein are all described with respect to the accompanying drawings of the present invention. The term "comprising A, B, C, etc. in sequence" only indicates the order in which the components A, B, C, etc. are included, and does not exclude the possibility of including other components between A and B and/or between B and C.
[0017] The accompanying drawings in this specification are schematic diagrams, which assist in explaining the concept of the present invention, and schematically show the shapes of various parts and their interrelationships.
[0018] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7, the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail.
[0019] Firstly, referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a schematic diagram of an integrated surge protector assembly according to the present invention is shown. The integrated surge protector assembly includes a casing, a miniature circuit breaker 1 , a surge protector 2 , a mechanical accessory 3 and a processing system 4 which are arranged in the casing. In this embodiment, a 3PN surge protector is used as an example for description, but it should be understood that the present application can also be applied to other types of surge protectors. The mechanical accessory 3 is connected to the miniature circuit breaker 1 and the surge protector 2 and is connected, via a first transmission line 6, to the electronic component 5 which is connected to the miniature circuit breaker via a wire 8 and to the processing system via a second transmission line 7.
[0020] The electronic component 5 receives a voltage signal, a current signal and a lightning current signal from the miniature circuit breaker via the wire 8. The wire 8 is in contact with a metal piece 51 to form an electrical connection so as to transmit current to the metal piece 51. As shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the metal piece 51 is passed through an opening 52 of the electronic component 5 together with the wire 8, and is mounted to the casing H. An elastic piece 9 is disposed between the metal piece 51 and the electronic component 5, and the elastic piece 9 is conductive. In the uncompressed state of the elastic piece shown in FIG. 3, the elastic piece is not compressed so as not to be in contact with the metal piece 51. When subjected to external pressure, the electronic component and the casing move toward each other relative to each other, so that the elastic piece is compressed and clamped between the electronic component and the metal piece, as shown in FIG. 4. Thus, via the elastic piece, the current is transmitted from the metal piece to the electronic component, and then to the processing system via the second transmission line. Thereby, the processing system can determine the current operating state of the integrated surge protector assembly. In the case where the elastic piece is clamped between the electronic component and the metal piece, the electronic component and the casing can be fixed together via fasteners, such as a fixing post 53 shown in FIG. 5 , the fixing post passes through the electronic component and the casing to fasten the two together.
[0021] FIG. 6 shows a sectional view of the mechanical accessory 3 which is connected to the miniature circuit breaker via the first connection 31 on the one hand and to the surge protector via the second connection 32 on the other hand. During normal operation, i.e., during closing, the first connection will abut against a sensor 33 (e.g., a microswitch) of the mechanical accessory. In the case of failure of the miniature circuit breaker, the first connection will rotate around a pivot axis S1 in a first direction (e.g., counterclockwise direction), and disengage from the abutment with the sensor, thus, the sensor sends an opening signal indicating the failure of the miniature circuit breaker. Similarly, in the event of failure of the surge protector, the second connection will rotate around a pivot axis S2 in a second direction (e.g., clockwise) opposite to the first direction, and abut against the first connection, thereby pushing the first connection rotates in the first direction, so that the first connection is released from the abutment with the sensor, and the sensor sends an opening signal indicating the failure of the surge protector.
[0022] As mentioned above, the sensor transmits the opening signal to the electronic component via the first transmission line, and the electronic component transmits the opening signal to the processing system via the second transmission line. The processing system determines whether the miniature circuit breaker has failed or the surge protector has failed or the upstream circuit breaker has failed based on the predetermined life of the surge protector, the opening signal and the voltage signal received by the electronic components from the miniature circuit breaker. In this example, the voltage signal and the opening signal are collectively referred to as a judgment signal, and the judgment signal is used to determine the failure of the surge protector or the failure of the miniature circuit breaker or the failure of the upstream circuit breaker. The opening signal can also be processed to form a voltage signal, which is further used in the subsequent judgment process together with the voltage signal output by the sensor. Specifically, in the case of a loss of power to the integrated surge protector assembly, the processing system determines that the surge protector fails when the predetermined life of the surge protector is lower than a predetermined threshold. In the case of a loss of power to the surge protector assembly, the processing system determines that the miniature circuit breaker fails when the predetermined life of the surge protector is not lower than a predetermined threshold. The predetermined threshold can be set according to specific conditions. In the event of a loss of power to the integrated surge protector assembly, when the sensor does not send an opening signal, it can be determined that the upstream circuit breaker has failed.
[0023] The processing system can determine the life of the surge protector based on a voltage signal, a current signal and a lightning current signal received by the electronic components.
[0024] FIG. 7 shows the appearance of the integrated surge protector assembly of the present invention. It can be seen that the outside of the integrated surge protector assembly does not require any external wiring.
[0025] By means of the integrated surge protector assembly according to the present invention, a compact construction is achieved. The use of the elastic piece to connect the electronic components and the metal piece and the use of a second transmission line to transmit the current to the processing system avoids the need for additional wiring to transmit the current to the processing system, reducing internal wiring and minimizing the risk of poor wiring. In addition, the opening signal is output through the mechanical accessory, and the processing system determines where the fault occurs, which is more beneficial for customer inspection and maintenance. Moreover, the processing system can be used to receive current to determine the current operating state based on this, which is more intuitive for customers.
[0026] Although the present application has been described in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings on the basis of the above embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the above embodiments are only preferred embodiments. The present application is not limited to the above embodiments. Of course, the embodiments shown in the drawings of the present application are preferable embodiments, which may have outstanding substantive features and significant progress compared to other alternatives or variant embodiments not shown.
1. An integrated surge protector assembly, characterized in that the integrated surge protector assembly comprises:
a casing;
a surge protector, which is arranged in the casing;
a miniature circuit breaker, which is arranged in the casing;
a mechanical accessory, which is arranged in the casing and is connected to the surge protector and the miniature circuit breaker, wherein the mechanical accessory has a sensor configured to output a judgment signal;
an electronic component connected to the miniature circuit breaker via a wire and connected to the mechanical accessory via a first transmission line to receive the judgment signal;
a processing system connected to the electronic component via a second transmission line so as to receive the judgment signal from the electronic component, wherein the processing system is configured to determine whether the miniature circuit breaker fails; or the surge protector fails; or an upstream circuit breaker fails based on a predetermined life of the surge protector and the judgment signal.
2. The integrated surge protector assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the judgment signal output by the sensor includes an opening signal generated by
the failure of the miniature circuit breaker or the failure of the surge protector
and a voltage signal.
3. The integrated surge protector assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that the processing system is also configured to receive a current signal and a lightning
current signal from the electronic component via the second transmission line and
determine the life of the surge protector based on the voltage signal, the current
signal and the lightning current signal.
4. The integrated surge protector assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that the mechanical accessory has a first connection to the miniature circuit breaker
and a second connection to the surge protector, wherein said first connection is configured
to abut against the sensor during normal operation, and wherein the first connection
is configured to rotate in a first direction, in the event of failure of the circuit
breaker, and is released from abutment with the sensor, whereby the sensor sends an
opening signal indicating the failure of the miniature circuit breaker.
5. The integrated surge protector assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that the second connector is configured to rotate in a second direction opposite to the
first direction, in the event of failure of the surge protector, and abut against
the first connection, thereby pushing the first connection to rotate in the first
direction, so that the first connection is released from the abutment with the sensor,
whereby the sensor sends an opening signal indicating the failure of the surge protector.
6. The integrated surge protector assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that in the event of a loss of power to the integrated surge protector assembly, the processing
system is configured to determine that the surge protector has failed when the predetermined
life of the surge protector is below a predetermined threshold.
7. The integrated surge protector assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that in the event of a loss of power to the integrated surge protector assembly, the processing
system is configured to determine that the miniature circuit breaker has failed when
the predetermined life of the surge protector is not lower than a predetermined threshold.
8. The integrated surge protector assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that in the event of a loss of power to the integrated surge protector assembly, the processing
system is configured to determine that the upstream circuit breaker failed when the
sensor does not output an opening signal.
9. The integrated surge protector assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the wire is configured to contact a metal piece to form an electrical connection,
the metal piece passing through an opening in the electronic component together with
the wire and being mounted to the casing, wherein an elastic piece is arranged between
the electronic component and the metal piece, and under an action of external pressure,
the electronic component and the casing move towards each other, so that the elastic
piece is clamped between the electronic component and the metal piece to transmit
the current in the wire to the electronic component through the metal piece, and then
through the second transmission line to the processing system.
10. The integrated surge protector assembly according to claim 9, characterized in that the elastic piece is electrically conductive.
11. The integrated surge protector assembly according to claim 9, characterized in that in the case that the elastic piece is clamped between the electronic component and
the metal piece, the electronic component and the casing are fastened together by
fasteners.
12. The integrated surge protector assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensor is a microswitch.