JPH06187898A - Circuit breaker - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To confirm the action of a sensor circuit and the condition of a cable way, by connecting an exterior equipment for displaying action confirmation to an outside communicating terminal to perform communication between a microcomputer and the exterior equipment for displaying the action confirming. CONSTITUTION:A microcomputer 8 is equipped to a sensor circuit 9 to perform the outside output of various kinds of operation and their results. An exterior equipment for displaying action confirmation is connected to an outside communication terminal 12, and communication is performed, between the microcomputer 8 and the exterior equipment for displaying action confirmation, to send the various conditions of the sensor circuit 9 and the condition of a cable wire to the experior equipment for displaying action confirmation. Consequently, the action of the sensor circuit 9 and the condition of the cable way can be confirmed by displaying the exterior equipment for displaying action confirmation.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a circuit breaker such as an electronic wiring breaker equipped with a microcomputer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In order to confirm the operation of a circuit breaker for wiring, in the mechanical type, the operation of a mechanical portion is confirmed by a trip button. With an electronic sensor, the tripping operation is confirmed by inputting a signal equivalent to that at the time of abnormality (for example, a signal voltage corresponding to overcurrent) from an external device. ZCT for earth leakage circuit breaker
The operation is confirmed by passing a current equivalent to a leakage current in the (zero-phase current transformer).

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a mechanical type circuit breaker, in which 51 is an envelope of the circuit breaker for wiring and 52 is a trip button. FIG. 7 is a plan view of the earth leakage breaker, where 61 is the enclosure of the earth leakage breaker, 62 is the earth leakage indicator, and 63 is the earth leakage test button. FIG. 8 is a plan view of an electronic circuit breaker, where 71 is an enclosure of the circuit breaker, 72 is a trip button, and 72 is a test input terminal.

Some air circuit breakers incorporate software into a microcomputer to perform a self-test.

[0005]

The load devices that are troubled by a power failure increase, and the operation test of the circuit breaker for wiring needs the self-test function that can confirm the operation without tripping like the air circuit breaker. ing. However, since the circuit breaker for wiring is originally small in size, the space for installing the switch and the display for confirming the operation is limited, and the circuit breaker for wiring itself must have the same self-test function as the air circuit breaker. I couldn't.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a circuit breaker which can confirm the operation without tripping.

[0007]

A circuit breaker according to claim 1, wherein a microcomputer is mounted on the sensor circuit, and various data such as an overcurrent alarm value and a measured and calculated current value held by the microcomputer are stored in the microcomputer. The microcomputer has a communication function to output from the I / O port, and the external communication terminal is connected to the I / O port of the microcomputer.

A circuit breaker according to a second aspect is the circuit breaker according to the first aspect, which has a built-in operation test means for receiving a test data request signal from an external communication terminal and executing an operation test.

[0009]

According to the structure of the first aspect, by mounting the microcomputer in the sensor circuit, various calculations and the external output of the results are performed. This external output is used for operation confirmation. By connecting an external device for operation confirmation display to the external communication terminal and performing communication between the microcomputer and the external device for operation confirmation display, the various states of the sensor circuit and the state of the electric circuit can be externally displayed for operation confirmation display. It is sent to the device, and the external device for operation confirmation display can read and display it. Therefore, the operation of the sensor circuit and the state of the electric circuit can be confirmed by the display of the operation confirmation display external device, and the operation level can be confirmed and calibrated. In other words, it is possible to obtain a lot of information such as the electric circuit state and the current detection state, which can be confirmed only by the conventional trip, and it is possible to perform these things without tripping.

According to the second aspect of the invention, the operation test means performs the operation test in the sensor circuit by sending the test data request signal from the operation confirmation display external device to the microcomputer of the sensor circuit. For example, it is possible to confirm disconnection of the current transformer and disconnection of the trip coil.

[0011]

【Example】

[First Embodiment] FIG. 1 shows a circuit block diagram of a wiring breaker according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 is an electric line of a low voltage distribution system. Reference numeral 2 is a main contact inserted in the electric path 1. Reference numerals 3 to 5 are current transformers for detecting the current in the electric path 1 of each phase. A current detection circuit 6 receives the secondary outputs of the current transformers 3-5. An A / D conversion circuit 7 converts the output of the current detection circuit 6 into a digital value.

A microcomputer 8 processes the output data of the A / D conversion circuit 7, and has a communication function of outputting various data such as the held overcurrent alarm value and the measured and calculated current value from the input / output port. The current transformers 3 to 5, the current detection circuit 6, the A / D conversion circuit 7 and the microcomputer 8 constitute a sensor circuit 9.
Reference numeral 14 is a power supply circuit for supplying DC power to the current detection circuit 6, the A / D conversion circuit 7, the microcomputer 8 and the like.

Reference numeral 10 is a trip circuit for opening the main contact 2. Reference numeral 11 is a thyristor which receives the output of the microcomputer 8 and becomes conductive to operate the trip circuit 10. 12
Is an external communication terminal connected to the input / output port of the microcomputer 8. The external communication terminal 12 is exposed on the surface of the enclosure 13 of the wiring breaker as shown in FIG. It is provided.

Reference numerals 21 to 24 are communication signal lines connecting between the microcomputer 8 and the external communication terminal 12, 21 is a control line for transmitting data, and 22 is a signal from the microcomputer 8 of the sensor circuit 9. Line, 23 is a signal line from an external device (not shown) for operation confirmation display, 24
Is a signal line for synchronizing signals. Here, serial transmission is considered, but the method is well known in the communication of various microcomputers, and thus the details will be omitted.

In the above structure, the sensor circuit 9
By mounting the microcomputer 8 on the computer, various calculations are performed by the microcomputer 8 and the results are externally output. This external output is used for operation confirmation. By connecting an external device for operation confirmation display to the external communication terminal 12 and performing communication between the microcomputer 8 and the external device for operation confirmation display, various states of the sensor circuit 9 and the state of the electric circuit are confirmed. It is sent to the display external device, and the operation confirmation display external device can read and display it.

Therefore, the operation of the sensor circuit 9 and the state of the electric circuit can be confirmed by the display of the operation confirmation display external device, and the operation level can be confirmed and calibrated. In other words, it is possible to obtain a lot of information such as the electric circuit state and the current detection state, which can be confirmed only by the conventional trip, and it is possible to perform these things without tripping.

[Second Embodiment] FIG. 3 shows a circuit block diagram of a wiring breaker according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In this wiring breaker, a transmission circuit 16 is connected to an input / output port of a microcomputer, and the transmission circuit 16 is connected to an external communication terminal 17 to which an operation confirmation display external device is connected. This transmission circuit 16 multiplexes the signals output from the microcomputer 16 with four lines, sends the signals to the external communication terminal 17 with two lines, and further sends them to the external device for operation confirmation display, so that the operation confirmation display can be made with two lines. It is configured so that it can be connected to an external device for use. The transmission circuit 16 operates by receiving DC power from the auxiliary power supply circuit 17.

Various methods are also known for forming a two-line multiplexed signal in the above circuit, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted. Further, since the operation confirmation display can be freely connected to a computer to display and handle data by forming an interface circuit, the specific configuration of the external device for operation confirmation display is also omitted. The configuration other than the above is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[Third Embodiment] FIG. 4 shows a circuit block diagram of a wiring breaker according to a third embodiment of the present invention. This circuit breaker has a built-in test circuit 18 in the sensor circuit 9, which receives a test data request signal from the external communication terminal 12 and executes an operation test. The other structure is similar to that of the first embodiment.

In this embodiment, by sending a test data request signal from the external device for operation confirmation display to the microcomputer 8 of the sensor circuit 9, the test circuit 18 in the sensor circuit 9 performs an operation test (for example, forced tripping). motion)
By sending the information at this time from the microcomputer 8 to the external device for operation confirmation display,
For example, the disconnection of the current transformer and the disconnection of the trip coil can be confirmed by the external device for operation confirmation display.
The points other than the above are the same as those in the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 shows an example of the operation of the microcomputer 8 in this embodiment for performing the operation test. In the flowchart of FIG. 5, the following process is repeated at regular intervals. First, current detection is performed, and whether or not the detected current value is an overcurrent is also detected including a predetermined time delay characteristic. If an overcurrent is detected, a trip signal is output and the thyristor 11 is turned on. The trip circuit 10 is operated to open the electric circuit 1.

Next, it is determined whether or not the test data request signal is sent, and when the test data request signal is sent, the test circuit 18 is activated and, for example, the current detection circuit 6 corresponds to an overcurrent. Give a signal,
Force the tripping action. By capturing the data at this time with the microcomputer 8 and sending it to the external device for operation confirmation display, the external device for operation confirmation display can also confirm the disconnection of the current transformer and the disconnection coil. Become.

[0023]

According to the circuit breaker of the first aspect, the operation confirmation display external device is connected to the external communication terminal, and communication is performed between the microcomputer and the operation confirmation display external device. , It is possible to confirm the operation of the sensor circuit and the state of the electric circuit by the display of the external device for the operation confirmation display, and it is possible to confirm and calibrate the operation level, and it is possible to do these things without tripping. Becomes

According to the circuit breaker of the second aspect, by sending the test data request signal from the operation confirmation display external device to the microcomputer of the sensor circuit, for example, the breakage of the current transformer, the breakage of the trip coil, or the like. It is also possible to confirm.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic circuit block diagram of a circuit breaker for wiring according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the external appearance of the wiring breaker according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic circuit block diagram of a wiring breaker according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic circuit block diagram of a circuit breaker for wiring according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the circuit breaker for wiring according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the appearance of a conventional mechanical circuit breaker for wiring.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the appearance of a conventional electronic circuit breaker for wiring.

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing an appearance of a conventional earth leakage breaker.

[Explanation of Codes] 1 Electric circuit 2 Main contacts 3-5 Current transformer 6 Current detection circuit 7 A / D conversion circuit 8 Microcomputer 9 Sensor circuit 10 Tripping circuit 12 External communication terminal

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A microcomputer equipped with a sensor circuit, wherein the microcomputer has a communication function of outputting various data such as an overcurrent alarm value held by the microcomputer and a measured and calculated current value from an input / output port of the microcomputer. A circuit breaker, which is provided in a computer, and an external communication terminal is connected to an input / output port of the microcomputer. 2. The circuit breaker according to claim 1, further comprising operation test means for receiving a test data request signal from an external communication terminal and executing an operation test.