US 12,191,104 B2
Protection unit for control/command units of an electrical enclosure
Rémy Orban, Saint Martin d'Uriage (FR); Jean-Luc Bouchard, Grenoble (FR); Sébastien Heraud, Grenoble (FR); and Eric Nguyen, Seyssins (FR)
Assigned to Schneider Electric Industries SAS, Rueil Malmaison (FR)
Filed by Schneider Electric Industries SAS, Rueil Malmaison (FR)
Filed on Dec. 15, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/081,730.
Claims priority of application No. 2113920 (FR), filed on Dec. 17, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0197369 A1, Jun. 22, 2023
Int. Cl. H01H 9/20 (2006.01); H01H 9/02 (2006.01)
CPC H01H 9/20 (2013.01) [H01H 9/02 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A protection unit, for electrically connecting an electrical power supply to control/command units of an electrical enclosure, the protection unit comprising a housing and at least one power switching device, which is disposed in the housing and which comprises:
a power input, configured to be electrically connected to the electrical power supply;
a power output, intended to be electrically connected to the control/command units; and
a mechanical switch, which moves between a conduction configuration, in which the mechanical switch electrically links the power output to the power input, and an isolation configuration, in which the mechanical switch electrically isolates the power output from the power input;
wherein said at least one power switching device comprises an electrical actuator, which is configured to actuate the mechanical switch between the conduction configuration and the isolation configuration and wherein the protection unit further comprises:
an electronic control unit, which is disposed in the housing and which is configured to control said at least one power switching device, by electrically controlling the electrical actuator;
an auxiliary switching device, which is disposed in the housing and which comprises an auxiliary input, to be electrically connected to the electrical power supply, an auxiliary output, to be electrically connected to the electronic control unit, and a mechanical control, to switch the auxiliary switching device over between a conduction configuration, in which the auxiliary output is electrically linked to the auxiliary input, and an isolation configuration, in which the auxiliary output is electrically isolated from the auxiliary input; and
a lockout system, which comprises a lock, which is movable with respect to the housing, the lockout system being configured to move between:
a lockout configuration, in which the lock is positioned in a lockout position and mechanically keeps the mechanical switch of said at least one power switching device in the isolation configuration and mechanically keeps the auxiliary switching device in the isolation configuration; and
an operating configuration, in which the lock is positioned so as to allow the mechanical switch of said at least one power switching device to move between the isolation configuration and the conduction configuration and allows the auxiliary switching device to move between the conduction configuration and the isolation configuration.