Abb S.p.a.

Abb Service S.r.l.

Federico Gamba

Maurizio Curnis

Massimo Maura

Giovanni Frassineti

Alessio Bergamini

Severino Colombo

Lucio Azzola

Thomas Gradinger

Francesco Agostini

Stefano Gerolamo Besana

Patrik Reto Kaufmann

Gustavo Brignoli

Marco Stucchi

Francoise Molitor

Pierceleste Benedetti

Tilo Buehler

Francesco Viaro

Giuseppe Nava

Francesco Casalinuovo

A low and medium voltage electrical enclosure comprising a supporting structure which defines an internal space delimited by walls forming one or more compartments housing one or more electrical apparatuses. At least one of said walls is provided with one or more venting openings that put into communication said internal space with the outside of said low voltage electrical enclosure; the venting openings are provided with a cover closing a corresponding venting opening in a first&#x2014;closed&#x2014;operating condition. The enclosure is provided with an actuating device adapted to open said cover in a second&#x2014;open&#x2014;operating condition in case of arc fault inside said internal space; said actuating device comprises an actuating mechanism having a Shape Memory Alloy-based (SMA-based) actuating element having a first dimension at first predetermined temperatures reversibly changeable into a second dimension at second predetermined temperatures. The reversible change of dimension of said SMA-based actuating element from said first dimension to said second dimension determines the reversible movement of said cover from said first&#x2014;closed&#x2014;operating condition to said second&#x2014;open&#x2014;operating condition, and vice-versa.

Low and medium voltage electrical enclosure

Cooling apparatus cooling for an electrical or electronic device, comprising an at least partially hollow body containing a refrigerant and having a plurality of electrically conductive sections Each electrically conductive section has a respective coupling portion suitable to be operatively associated with a corresponding electrically conductive part of the electrical or electronic device, wherein the at least partially hollow body further comprises one or more electrically insulating sections. Each electrically insulating section is positioned between and electrically insulates from each other two adjacent electrically conductive sections.

Cooling apparatus for an electrical or electronic device, and electrical or electronic device, in particular a circuit breaker, comprising such cooling apparatus

The present invention relates to a magnetic protection device, in particular for an automatic circuit breaker or a disconnecting switch, preferably for use in low voltage systems. The invention also relates to an automatic circuit breaker comprising this device. The protection device () according to the invention comprises a low voltage circuit breaker comprising an air gap magnetic circuit (T), provided with a first portion () forming a first surface () of said air gap (T) and a second portion () forming a second surface () of the air gap (T). The first portion () constitutes a fixed section of the magnetic circuit, while the second portion () constitutes a moving section of the magnetic circuit. The magnetic circuit also comprises a flexible portion () that connects the first portion () to the second portion () with continuity, forming an intermediate section of magnetic circuit interposed between the fixed section and the moving section. The third flexible portion () advantageously allows a relative movement of the second surface () of the air gap (T) with respect to said first surface (). In its essential form, the protection device () comprises an actuation element () associated with the second portion () of the magnetic circuit for the purpose of contacting a trip device of a circuit breaker to which the protective device is applied.

Protection device for an automatic circuit breaker and automatic circuit breaker comprising this device

A low-voltage circuit breaker that comprises: a containment structure; a control mechanism; a plurality of circuit breaking poles, each of which comprises a housing containing a sealed ampoule that in turn contains at least one fixed contact and at least one moving contact, which can be mutually coupled and uncoupled, said housing consisting of a first side and a second side that define an interior containing said ampoule, the outer side wall on said first side being complementary to and associable with the outer side wall of said second side, said poles being located side-by-side to form a set of poles complementary to at least a part of said containment structure; operative connection means between said control mechanism and said poles.

Low-voltage circuit breaker with sealed interchangeable poles

A device for connecting an electric line to a connection terminal for direct or indirect connection with a circuit breaker, which comprises at least one first electrically conducting body having a first end portion intended to be operatively connected to the terminal, and a second end portion intended to be operatively connected to a conductor element of the electric line, and at least one thermal conducting body comprising a hermetically sealed cavity containing a cooling fluid. The thermal conducting body is operatively coupled to the first electrically conducting body such that the hermetically sealed cavity has a first surface arranged in proximity to the first end portion and a second surface arranged in proximity to the second end portion.

Device for connecting an electric line to a circuit breaker

A low-voltage circuit breaker that comprises: a containment structure; a control mechanism; a plurality of circuit breaking poles, each of which comprises a housing containing a scaled ampoule that in turn contains at least one fixed contact and at least one moving contact, which can be mutually coupled and uncoupled, said housing consisting of a first side and a second side that define an interior containing said ampoule, the outer side wall on said first side being complementary to and associable with the outer side wall of said second side, said poles being located side-by-side to form a set of poles complementary to at least a part of said containment structure; operative connection means between said control mechanism and said poles.

A switching device, in particular an automatic switch, a disconnecting switch or a contactor, installable according to different operating configurations and preferably for use in low voltage systems. The device comprises a case containing at least a pair of contacts, one or more accessory devices for controlling and/or setting the operation of the switching device and user interface means, capable of performing output and/or input functions relative to the accessory devices. These interface means comprise at least a display which shows information relative to the output and/or input functions according to a viewing direction. The switching device also comprises means to select the viewing direction which are operatively connected to the display. These selection means allow selection of the viewing direction on the display as a function of the installation configuration of the switching device.

Switching device installable according to different operating configurations

A current transformer adapted for use in an electrical circuit. The current transformer includes a toroidal core and at least one electrical conductor having a portion passing within the toroidal core. The current transformer includes a cooling device having a body made of thermal conducting material and configured so that it has a first portion connected to the electrical conductor at a position upstream from the toroidal core and suitable for absorbing heat from the electrical conductor, and a second portion, spaced apart from the first portion, which is connected to the electrical conductor at a position downstream from the toroidal core and is suitable for transmitting heat to the electrical conductor. The thermal conducting body comprises at least one portion made of an electrically insulating material capable of preventing the current flow through the cooling device itself.

Current transformer, protection device including such transformer and related circuit breaker

A low-voltage circuit breaker that comprises: a containment structure; a control mechanism; a plurality of circuit breaking poles, chosen between a first type of pole that comprises a first housing containing a first fixed contact and a corresponding first moving contact that can be coupled to said first fixed contact by means of its rotation around a point, and a second type of pole that comprises a second housing containing a second fixed contact and a corresponding second moving contact that can be coupled to said second fixed contact by means of a translatory movement along an axis; a first kinematic coupling between said control mechanism and said first moving contact, in the case of said poles belonging to said first type of pole, or a second kinematic coupling between said control mechanism and said second moving contact, in the case of said poles belonging to said second type of pole.

Low-voltage circuit breaker with interchangeable poles

The present invention relates to a single-pole or multi-pole switch to be used preferably in low-voltage systems. The switch () comprises an outer casing () containing for each pole at least one fixed contact () and one mobile contact () that can be coupled to/uncoupled from one another. The mobile contacts () are housed in appropriate seats () provided on a mobile element (). The switch () moreover comprises an energy-accumulation control mechanism (), operatively connected to the mobile element () to enable its movement. The switch () according to the invention is advantageously provided with means of axial support operatively connected to the mobile element () in order to support the gravitational thrusts that are generated along the axis of rotation of the mobile element itself when said axis is inclined with respect to a substantially horizontal plane.

Switch adaptable to different operating configurations and improved axial support

A method for mutually welding a plate that has at least one layer based on Ag alloys and a copper body, comprising the use of laser means for performing the welding, its particularity consisting of the fact that it comprises the steps that consist in:&#x2014;superimposing and coupling one face of the plate on a surface of the copper body;&#x2014;starting the welding process by focusing the laser means on a point located proximate to the joint between the face of the plate and the surface of the copper body;&#x2014;maintaining an angle of incidence of the laser means at values other than 0&#xb0; with respect to the perpendicular to the surface to be welded;&#x2014;moving the laser means with respect to the joint, so that the weldpool is pushed along the joint.

Method for welding contact plates and contact elements obtained with the method

A protection device for circuit-breakers that comprises a wireless communication system for transmitting locally, to a dedicated computerized device, information corresponding to measurements of electrical quantities, to the setting of the parameters typical of the protection functions, or to diagnostics information corresponding to the electrical system, to the circuit-breaker or to the protection device itself.

Electronic protection devices for circuit-breakers and corresponding programming method

A low-voltage circuit breaker comprising a casing containing at least one fixed contact and at least one mobile contact. The circuit breaker moreover comprises, inside said casing, a first communication bus, designed to interface a plurality of accessories and devices of said circuit breaker, and an interface unit, which comprises a plurality of ports that are designed to be connected to said accessories and devices via said first communication bus.

Low-voltage circuit breaker comprising an interface unit

A method for joining components of thermostatic systems and thermal relays for low-voltage circuit breakers, the components being constituted by at least one bimetallic element constituted by a lamina with a first face and a second face and at least one connection element that has a substantially flat end part with a third face and a fourth face, its particularity consisting of the fact that it comprises the steps that consist in:&#x2014;overlapping and coupling the end part of the first face of the bimetallic element with respect to the third face of the end part of the connection element;&#x2014;subjecting the end part of the second face of the bimetallic element to the welding action of laser means to provide a weld between the bimetallic element and the connection element.

Components of thermostatic units and laser welding method for producing the components

A supply device () for an electronic protection device to be used in a low-voltage circuit breaker. The supply device basically comprises a primary conductor (), a secondary winding (), a first magnetic circuit (), and at least one second magnetic circuit (). The first magnetic circuit () is such as to surround said primary conductor (), which is related to a phase protected by the protection device; at the same time, the first magnetic circuit () constitutes the core of said secondary winding () that is used for supply of the protection device. The second magnetic circuit () is structurally separated from the first magnetic circuit (), but is operatively connected thereto for subtracting part of the first magnetic flux generated within it by the current circulating in the primary conductor ().

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Bergamo, Italy

Federico Gamba