Solid-state circuit breaker

1 . A solid-state circuit breaker, comprising an electronic switch and a mechanical switch connected in series, wherein the mechanical switch comprises:

a housing;

a handle, rotatably installed to the housing and capable of stopping at:

an on position,

a charged position, and

an off position between the on position and the charged position;

a movable contact and a stationary contact, wherein the movable contact is configured to be movable between:

an open position in which the movable contact is not in contact with the stationary contact, and

a closed position in which the movable contact is in contact with the stationary contact; and

a transmission assembly configured to transmit a motion of the handle to the movable contact to achieve the open position and the closed position,

wherein:

upon the handle being in the on position, the mechanical switch is on;

upon the handle being in the off position, the mechanical switch is off and the transmission assembly is in a tripping state; and

upon the handle being in the charged position, the mechanical switch is off and the transmission assembly is in a non-tripping state.

2 . The solid-state circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein the solid-state circuit breaker further comprises a charged micro-switch installed to the housing and configured to be actuated upon the handle rotating to the charged position and be released upon the handle leaving the charged position, so that the charged position can be electrically captured.

3 . The solid-state circuit breaker according to claim 2 , wherein the mechanical switch comprises an charged micro-switch actuator, and motion of the handle drives the charged micro-switch actuator to move, and the charged micro-switch is arranged close to an end point of a motion path of the charged micro-switch actuator during a motion process of the handle towards the charged position, so that the charged micro-switch actuator is driven by the handle, and actuates the charged micro-switch to an on state of the charged micro-switch upon the handle moving to the charged position, and the charged micro-switch actuator is driven by the handle, and release the charged micro-switch to an off state of the charged micro-switch upon the handle leaving the charged position.

4 . The solid-state circuit breaker according to claim 2 , further comprising:

a handle micro-switch, installed to the housing and configured to be actuated upon the handle rotating to the on position and be released upon the handle leaving the on position, so that the handle micro-switch is in an on state of the handle micro-switch upon the handle being in the on position, and the handle micro-switch is in an off state of the handle micro-switch upon the handle leaving the off position for a certain stroke; and

a contact micro-switch, installed to the housing and configured to be actuated upon the movable contact moving to a closed position and be released upon the movable contact leaving the closed position, so that the contact micro-switch is in an on state of the contact micro-switch upon the movable contact being in the closed position and the contact micro-switch is in an off state of the contact micro-switch upon the movable contact leaving the closed position,

wherein, by detecting states of the handle micro-switch and the contact micro-switch:

upon the solid-state circuit breaker being switched from off to on, the mechanical switch is switched on first, and then the electronic switch is switched on, and

upon the solid-state circuit breaker being switched from on to off, the electronic switch is switched off first, and then the mechanical switch is switched off.

5 . The solid-state circuit breaker according to claim 4 , wherein the transmission assembly comprises a contact micro-switch actuator, and the contact micro-switch is arranged close to an end point of a motion path of the contact micro-switch actuator during a closing process, so that the contact micro-switch actuator actuates the contact micro-switch to an on state of the contact micro-switch upon the transmission assembly driving the movable contact to move to the closed position, and the contact micro-switch actuator releases the contact micro-switch to an off state of the contact micro-switch upon the transmission assembly driving the movable contact to leave the closed position.

6 . The solid-state circuit breaker according to claim 4 , wherein the mechanical switch comprises a handle micro-switch actuator, the motion of the handle drives the handle micro-switch actuator to move, the handle micro-switch is arranged close to an end point of a motion path of the handle micro-switch actuator in a closing process, so that the handle micro-switch actuator is driven by the handle and actuates the handle micro-switch to an on state of the handle micro-switch upon the handle moving to the on position, and the handle micro-switch actuator is driven by the handle and releases the handle micro-switch to an off state of the handle micro-switch upon the handle leaving to the on position.

7 . The solid-state circuit breaker according to claim 4 , wherein,

in a manually closing case:

the handle is manually rotated from the charged position to the on position, and the motion of the handle is transmitted to the movable contact through the transmission assembly, so that the movable contact moves from the open position to the closed position, upon the movable contact reaching the closed position, the contact micro-switch is actuated to the on state of the contact micro-switch, and the mechanical switch is turned on, meanwhile, upon the handle moving to the on position, the handle micro-switch is actuated to the on state of the handle micro-switch, at this time, the solid-state circuit breaker reaches a hot standby state, and

upon the solid-state circuit breaker being in the hot standby state, if the electronic switch is turned on, the solid-state circuit breaker is turned on.

8 . The solid-state circuit breaker according to claim 4 , further comprising a tripping unit configured to be able to trip upon being electrically driven, so that the transmission assembly is actuated to switch the movable contact from the closed position to the open position and switch the handle from the on position to the off position.

9 . The solid-state circuit breaker according to claim 8 , wherein the tripping unit comprises:

an electromagnet, configured to act upon being energized; and

a tripping lever, pushed by the electromagnet upon the electromagnet acting, so that the transmission assembly is able to quickly open the movable contact and switch the handle to the off position under an action of a main spring connected between the handle and the transmission assembly.

10 . The solid-state circuit breaker according to claim 9 , wherein,

in a manually opening case upon the electromagnet fails:

the handle is manually rotated from the on position, upon the handle leaving the on position, the handle micro-switch is released to the off state of the handle micro-switch, at this time, in response to the off state of the handle micro-switch, the electronic switch is turned off, however, the tripping unit cannot trip due to failure of the electromagnet, and the handle cannot be stopped at the off position, and then the handle is continuously rotated to the charged position, so that the movable contact is manually driven to reach the open position, and the mechanical switch is turned off, so that the solid-state circuit breaker is turned off, and the handle stops at the charged position.

11 . The solid-state circuit breaker according to claim 10 , wherein the handle being not able to stop at the off position in the manually opening case indicates that the electromagnet fails.

12 . The solid-state circuit breaker according to claim 8 , wherein,

in an electrically opening case:

the electronic switch is turned off, and then the tripping unit is electrically driven, the transmission assembly is actuated to drive the movable contact to move from the closed position to the open position, upon the movable contact leaving the closed position, the contact micro-switch is released to the off state of the contact micro-switch, upon the movable contact reaching the open position, the mechanical switch is turned off and the solid-state circuit breaker is turned off, meanwhile, the transmission assembly is actuated to drive the handle to move from the on position to the off position, upon the handle leaving the on position, the handle micro-switch is released to the off state of the handle micro-switch, and the handle finally stops at the off position.

13 . The solid-state circuit breaker according to claim 8 , wherein,

in a manually opening case:

the handle is manually rotated from the on position to the off position, upon the handle leaving the on position, the handle micro-switch is released to the off state of the handle micro-switch, at this time, in response to the off state of the handle micro-switch, the electronic switch is turned off, and then the tripping unit is electrically driven, the transmission assembly is actuated to drive the movable contact to move from the closed position to the open position, upon the movable contact leaving the closed position, the contact micro-switch is released to the off state of the contact micro-switch, upon the movable contact reaching the open position, the mechanical switch is turned off, so that the solid-state circuit breaker is turned off, and the handle stops at the off position.

14 . The solid-state circuit breaker according to claim 1 , comprising a plurality of breaking units and a drive linkage configured to synchronize the plurality of breaking units, wherein the drive linkage is connected to the plurality of breaking units and configured to link movable contacts of the plurality of breaking units.

15 . A circuit breaker comprising an electronic switch and a mechanical switch connected in series, wherein the mechanical switch comprises:

a housing;

a handle coupled to the housing;

a first conductive element disposed in the housing and configured to make electrical contact with a second conductive element; and

a transmission assembly disposed in the housing and configured to transmit motion of the handle to at least the first conductive element,

wherein the handle is capable of engaging in:

a first position in which:

the first conductive element is in electrical contact with the second conductive element;

a second position in which:

the first conductive element is not in electrical contact with the second conductive element; and

the transmission assembly is in a tripping state; and

a third position in which:

the first conductive element is not in electrical contact with the second conductive element; and

the transmission assembly is in a non-tripping state.

16 . The circuit breaker of claim 15 , wherein the mechanical switch is configured to:

upon a trip of the circuit breaker when the handle is engaged in the first position, transition the handle to engage in the second position such that the transmission assembly is in the tripping state.

17 . The circuit breaker of claim 16 , wherein:

the second position is between the first position and the third position;

when the transmission assembly is in the tripping state, the transmission assembly prevents the handle from transitioning to engage in the first position; and

when the transmission assembly is in the non-tripping state, the transmission assembly prevents the handle from transitioning to engage in the second position.

18 . The circuit breaker of claim 17 , further comprising a set of microswitches configured to transmit electrical signals indicative of a position of the handle and/or contact between the first conductive element and the second conductive element.

19 . The circuit breaker of claim 18 , wherein:

the circuit breaker is on when the mechanical switch is on and the electronic switch is on;

the mechanical switch is on when the first conductive element is in electrical contact with the second conductive element; and

the circuit breaker is configured, based on the electrical signals from the set of microswitches, such that:

when the circuit breaker is switched from off to on, the mechanical switch is switched on before the electronic switch is switched on; and

when the circuit breaker is switched from on to off, the electronic switch is switched off before the electronic switch is switched off.

20 . The circuit breaker of claim 19 , wherein:

when the circuit breaker is electrically switched from on to off:

the electronic switch is turned off; and

responsive to the electronic switch being turned off, the transmission assembly transitions the handle to engage in the second position; and

when the circuit breaker is mechanically switched from on to off:

the handle is transitioned to engage in the second position or in the third position; and

responsive to the electrical signals from the set of microswitches, the electronic switch is turned off before the handle engages in the second position or the third position.