Bidirectional operation mechanism for switching device and switching device assembly

1 . A bidirectional operation mechanism for a switching device, the bidirectional operation mechanism being coupled to the switching device, wherein the bidirectional operation mechanism comprises:

a housing;

an operation handle rotatably coupled to the housing and capable of rotating between a closed position and an open position, and indicating the closed position and the open position via a rotational position of the operation handle;

a first driving member rotatably coupled to the housing, the first driving member fixedly connected to the operation handle and capable of rotating together with the operation handle; and

a second driving member rotatably coupled to the housing, the second driving member operatively connected to the first driving member and the switching device,

wherein, upon an external force acting on the operation handle to rotatably drive the operation handle between the closed position and the open position, the operation handle drives the first driving member to rotate together with the operation handle, so that the first driving member abuts against and drives the second driving member to rotate, thereby enabling the switching device to perform a closing operation and an opening operation,

wherein, upon the switching device performing the closing operation and the opening operation via a driving force of the switching device itself, the switching device is configured to drive the second driving member to rotate, so that the second driving member abuts against and drives the first driving member to rotate, thereby driving the operation handle to rotate in the closed position or the open position, wherein the driving force of the switching device itself is generated by an electric drive of the switching device.

2 . The bidirectional operation mechanism according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a transmission member pivotally arranged on the second driving member and capable of pivoting between an abutting position and a disengaged position; and

a trigger member pivotally arranged on the second driving member and capable of pivoting between a locked position and an unlocked position via an electromagnet associated with the trigger member,

wherein, in the locked position of the trigger member, the trigger member is located on a pivoting path of the transmission member along a first direction, wherein the trigger member is able to abut against the transmission member in the abutting position and prevent the transmission member from pivoting in the first direction, wherein upon the transmission member being in the disengaged position, the trigger member does not abut against the transmission member, wherein the first direction corresponds to a rotating direction of the operation handle from the closed position to the open position,

wherein, in the unlocked position of the trigger member, the trigger member is not located on the pivoting path of the transmission member along the first direction and does not abut against the transmission member.

3 . The bidirectional operation mechanism according to claim 2 , wherein, in the closed position, the trigger member abuts against the transmission member, and upon an external force acting on the operation handle to rotatably drive the operation handle from the closed position to the open position, the transmission member pivots from the abutting position to the disengaged position, and a driving force of the first driving member is not transmitted to the second driving member;

wherein, in the open position, the trigger member does not abut against the transmission member, and upon an external force acting on the operation handle to rotatably drive the operation handle from the open position to the closed position, the transmission member pivots from the disengaged position to the abutting position, so that a driving force of the first driving member is transmittable to the second driving member;

wherein in the closed position, upon the switching device performing the opening operation via the driving force of the switching device itself, the transmission member stays in the abutting position and abuts against the trigger member, so that a driving force of the second driving member is transmittable to the first driving member; wherein, in the open position, upon the switching device performing the closing operation via the driving force of the switching device itself, the transmission member stays in the disengaged position without abutting against the trigger member, and a driving force of the second driving member is not transmitted to the first driving member.

4 . The bidirectional operation mechanism according to claim 3 , wherein the first driving member includes a protrusion extending toward the second driving member, wherein the second driving member includes a groove, wherein the protrusion of the first driving member extends into the groove, and wherein the protrusion is configured to abut against the transmission member.

5 . The bidirectional operation mechanism according to claim 4 , wherein, in the closed position, upon an external force acting on the operation handle to rotatably drive the operation handle to rotate from the closed position to the open position, the first driving member rotates in the first direction, causing the transmission member to pivot from the abutting position to the disengaged position without abutting against the trigger member, wherein, after the first driving member rotating by a predetermined angle, the protrusion of the first driving member abuts against one end of the groove and pushes the second driving member to rotate in the first direction, so that the switching device performs the opening operation.

6 . The bidirectional operation mechanism according to claim 2 , wherein the trigger member includes a first mating feature and the transmission member includes a second mating feature, wherein in the locked position of the trigger member, upon the transmission member pivoting in the first direction, the second mating feature of the transmission member is configured to abut against the first mating feature of the trigger member, thus being blocked by the trigger member.

7 . The bidirectional operation mechanism according to claim 6 , wherein the first mating feature and the second mating feature comprise hooks.

8 . The bidirectional operation mechanism according to claim 5 , wherein, upon an external force acting on the operation handle in the open position to rotatably drive the operation handle from the open position to the closed position, the first driving member rotates in a second direction, causing the protrusion of the first driving member to push the transmission member from the disengaged position to the abutting position, and after the first driving member rotating for a predetermined angle, the transmission member pivots to the abutting position to abut against the trigger member, and then the first driving member continues to rotate in the second direction to drive the second driving member to together rotate in the second direction through the transmission member and the trigger member, so that the switching device performs the closing operation.

9 . The bidirectional operation mechanism according to claim 8 , wherein, in the closed position, upon the switching device performing the opening operation via the driving force of the switching device itself, the second driving member rotates in the first direction, at this time, the trigger member is in the locked position and the transmission member is in the abutting position, so that the trigger member and the transmission member abut against each other and a driving force of the second driving member is transmitted to the first driving member, so that the first driving member also rotates in the first direction, thereby rotatably driving the operation handle to rotate from the closing position to the open position.

10 . The bidirectional operation mechanism according to claim 9 , further comprising an operation handle springe having a first end operatively connected to the operation handle and a second end fixed to the housing, and wherein the operation handle spring is configured such that, when the operation handle is rotatably driven by the second driving member from the closed position to the open position, upon the second driving member rotating in place, the operation handle spring passes through a dead point position and the first driving member continues to rotate in the first direction, so that the protrusion pushes the transmission member to pivot in the second direction from the abutting position to the disengaged position, and disengage from abutment with the trigger member.

11 . The bidirectional operation mechanism according to claim 10 , wherein, in the opening position, upon the switching device performing the closing operation via the driving force of the switching device itself, the second driving member rotates in the second direction, at this time, the trigger member is in the locked position and the transmission member is in the disengaged position, one end of the groove of the second driving member abuts against the protrusion of the first driving member, and a rotation of the second driving member pushes the first driving member to rotate in the second direction, so that the operation handle rotates from the open position to the closed position.

12 . The bidirectional operation mechanism according to claim 11 , wherein, upon the operation handle being rotatably driven by the second driving member from the open position to the closed position, upon the second driving member rotating in place, the operation handle spring passes through the dead point position and the first driving member continues to rotate in the second direction, so that the protrusion pushes the transmission member to pivot in the first direction from the disengaged position to the abutting position, and abuts against the trigger member in the locked position.

13 . The bidirectional operation mechanism according to claim 12 , wherein the transmission member includes a pivoting part, a first leg, and a second leg extending from the pivoting part, wherein the protrusion of the first driving member extends between the first leg and the second leg and abuts against the first leg and the second leg,

wherein, in the closed position, upon an external force acting on the operation handle to rotatably drive the operation handle from the closed position to the open position, the protrusion pushes the first leg of the transmission member to drive the transmission member to pivot to the disengaged position in a second-direction opposite to the first direction,

wherein, in the open position, upon an external force acting on the operation handle to rotatably drive the operation handle from the open position to the closed position, the protrusion pushes the second leg of the transmission member to drive the transmission member to pivot to the abutting position in the first direction,

wherein, in the closed position, upon the switching device performing the opening operation via the driving force of the switching device itself, the second leg of the transmission member pushes the protrusion of the first driving member to drive the first driving member to rotate in the first direction, upon the second driving member rotating in place, the operation handle spring passes through the dead point position and the first driving member continues to rotate in the first direction, so that the protrusion pushes the first leg to pivot from the abutting position to the disengaged position, and disengage from abutment with the trigger member,

wherein, in the open position, upon the switching device performing the closing operation via the driving force of the switching device itself, one end of the groove of the second driving member pushes the protrusion to drive the first driving member to rotate, and upon the second driving member rotating in place, the operation handle spring passes through the dead point position and the first driving member continues to rotate, so that the protrusion pushes the second leg to pivot from the disengaged position to the abutting position in the first direction, and abuts against the trigger member in the locked position.

14 . The bidirectional operation mechanism according to claim 12 , wherein the transmission member includes a pivoting part and a single leg extending from the pivoting part, wherein one end of a torsion spring is fixedly connected to the pivoting part of the transmission member and another end of the torsion spring is fixedly connected to the second driving member, and wherein the torsion spring is configured to keep the protrusion of the transmission member and the first driving member in contact at all times,

wherein, in the closed position, the protrusion abuts against a part of the single leg to keep the transmission member in the abutting position, and upon an external force acting on the operation handle to rotatably drive the operation handle from the closed position to the open position, the protrusion disengages from abutment with the single leg, so that the transmission member pivots to the disengaged position via the torsion spring,

wherein, in the open position, upon an external force acting on the operation handle to rotatably drive the operation handle from the open position to the closed position, the protrusion rotates to abut against the single leg and pushes the transmission member to pivot to the abutting position in the first direction,

wherein, in the closed position, upon the switching device performing the opening operation via the driving force of the switching device itself, the single leg of the transmission member pushes the protrusion of the first driving member to rotatably drive the first driving member in the first direction, upon the second driving member rotating in place, the operation handle spring passes through the dead point position and the first driving member continues to rotate in the first direction, so that the single leg pivots in the second direction from the abutting position to the disengaged position under an action of the torsion spring,

wherein, in the open position, upon the switching device performing the closing operation via the driving force of the switching device itself, one end of the groove of the second driving member pushes the protrusion to drive the first driving member to rotate, upon the second driving member rotating in place, the operation handle spring passes through the dead point position and the first driving member continues to rotate, so that an elastic force of the torsion spring pushes the single leg to pivot in the first direction from the disengaged position to the abutting position, and abuts against the trigger member in the locked position.

15 . The bidirectional operation mechanism according to claim 3 , wherein, upon the switching device performing a tripping operation, the electromagnet associated with the trigger member is configured to receive an electrical signal of the switching device for the tripping operation, so as to pivotally drive the trigger member from the locked position to the unlocked position, and then the second driving member rotates in the first direction, wherein, upon the operation handle being blocked and unable to rotate, the transmission member is pushed by the protrusion of the first driving member to rotate in the first direction, and the protrusion of the first driving member relatively moves in the groove of the second driving element.

16 . The bidirectional operation mechanism according to claim 15 , further comprising a return spring arranged between the first driving member and the second driving member, wherein, upon the switching device performing the tripping operation, the return spring stores energy along with a rotation of the second driving member in the first direction, and after the second driving member rotates in place, when the operation handle is released, the first driving member and the operation handle rotate together in the first direction via the return spring.

17 . A bidirectional operation mechanism coupled to a switching device, the bidirectional operation mechanism comprising:

a housing;

an operation handle rotatably coupled to the housing and capable of rotating between a closed position and an open position, and indicating the closed position and the open position via a rotational position of the operation handle;

a first driving member rotatably coupled to the housing, the first driving member fixedly connected to the operation handle and capable of rotating together with the operation handle;

a second driving member rotatably coupled to the housing, the second driving member operatively connected to the first driving member and the switching device; and

a first sensor communicatively connected to an electronic switch of the switching device, wherein the first sensor is arranged at a side of the first driving member,

wherein, upon an external force acting on the operation handle to rotatably drive the operation handle between the closed position and the open position, the operation handle drives the first driving member to rotate together with the operation handle, so that the first driving member abuts against and drives the second driving member to rotate, thereby enabling the switching device to perform a closing operation and an opening operation,

wherein, upon the switching device performing the closing operation and the opening operation via a driving force of the switching device itself, the switching device is configured to drive the second driving member to rotate, so that the second driving member abuts against and drives the first driving member to rotate, thereby driving the operation handle to rotate in the closed position or the open position,

wherein the first sensor is configured such that, in the closed position of the operation handle, the first driving member excites the first sensor, and upon the operation handle driving the first driving member to leave the closed position, the first driving member deactivates the first sensor, so that the first sensor sends an opening warning signal to the electronic switch.

18 . The bidirectional operation mechanism according to claim 17 , further comprising a second sensor communicatively connected to the electronic switch of the switching device, wherein the second sensor is arranged at another side of the first driving member opposite to the side and is configured such that, in the open position of the operation handle, the first driving member excites the second sensor, and upon the operation handle rotatably driving the first driving member from the open position to the closed position, the first driving member deactivates the second sensor, so that the second sensor sends a closing warning signal to the electronic switch.

19 . The bidirectional operation mechanism according to claim 18 , wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are selected from microswitches, hall sensors and grating sensors.

20 . A switching device assembly, wherein the switching device assembly comprises the bidirectional operation mechanism according to claim 1 and the switching device to which the bidirectional operation mechanism is coupled.