Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6333845
-
Patent Number
6,333,845
-
Date Filed
Wednesday, January 19, 200024 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, December 25, 200122 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
- Picard; Leo P.
- Vortman; Anatoly
Agents
- Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, L.L.P.
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 361 104
- 361 626
- 361 642
- 361 646
- 361 833
- 361 835
- 361 837
- 337 1
- 337 4
- 337 5
- 337 9
- 337 142
- 337 186
- 337 194
- 337 208
- 307 112
- 307 116
- 307 125
- 307 130
- 307 131
- 307 149
- 315 88
- 315 93
- 315 129
- 315 130
- 315 136
- 340 500
- 340 522
- 340 540
- 340 635
- 340 652
- 340 657
- 340 660
- 340 638
- 340 639
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A power-supply breaker apparatus of the present invention includes a fuse provided between a power supply and a load in an electric circuit, an apparatus main body for housing the fuse, a first bus bar whose one end is fixed to one fuse terminal of the fuse, a second bus bar having one end fixed to one of the power supply and the load, a plug housing chamber for housing the plug in the apparatus main body movably in a fitting/detaching direction, and a pair of plug side terminals which become conductive with each other in the plug. The other end of the first bus bar is extended so as to be composed as one terminal of the pair of main body side terminals, and the other end of the second bus bar is extended parallel with the first bus bar so as to be composed as the other terminal of the pair of main body side terminals. Respective terminal insertion widths of the pair of plug side terminals are wider than corresponding widths of the pair of main body side terminals.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a power-supply breaker apparatus, and more specifically relates to a power-supply breaker apparatus for breaking an electric circuit suitably when operational maintenance for a power-supply circuit and equipments of an electric automobile and the like is performed.
In recent years, since an transportation equipment such as an electric automobile is provided with a high-voltage portion for driving a motor, it is equipped with a power-supply breaker apparatus taking maintenance into consideration.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the examination by the inventors, a power-supply breaker apparatus shown in
FIGS. 8 and 9
is suggested.
As shown in
FIGS. 8 and 9
, a pair of main body side terminals
2
and
3
are provided in an apparatus main body
1
of the power-supply breaker apparatus so as to be fastened thereto by screws
4
.
Base ends of a pair of operation side terminals
5
and
6
are rotatively supported to the apparatus main body
1
, and the ends of the pair of operation side terminals
5
and
6
are connected at a holding section
7
.
In such a structure, the holding section
7
is rotated in a counterclockwise direction in the drawing, and the pair of operation side terminals
5
and
6
are fitted between nipping end pieces
2
a
and
2
a
and between nipping end pieces
3
a
and
3
a
of the pair of main body side terminals
2
and
3
so that the electric circuit is conductive.
Meanwhile, the holding section
7
in this state is rotated in a clockwise direction in the drawing and the pair of operation side terminals
5
and
6
are detached from the pair of main body side terminals
2
and
3
so that the electric circuit is broken.
Therefore, when the transpiration equipment equipped with the power-supply breaker apparatus is maintained, the electric circuit can be broken.
However, in this power-supply breaker apparatus, since the pair of main body side terminals
2
and
3
, which are receiving sides of the pair of operation side terminals
5
and
6
, are fixed to the apparatus main body
1
, if a pitch P
1
between the pair of main body side terminals
2
and
3
differs from a pitch P
2
between the pair of operation side terminals
5
and
6
, a fit detaching force between both the terminals increases so that operability of the holding section
7
is deteriorated.
Therefore, the present invention has been achieved in order to solve the above examined problem. It therefore is an object of the present invention to provide a power-supply breaker apparatus in which even in the case where a pitch between one pair of terminals for making conductive/breaking an electric circuit differs from a pitch between the other pair of terminals, a fit detaching force (fitting/detaching force) between both the terminals does not increase and operability of a plug can be improved.
A power-supply breaker apparatus of the present invention includes a fuse provided between a power supply and a load in an electric circuit, an apparatus main body for housing the fuse, a first bus bar whose one end is fixed to one fuse terminal of the fuse, a second bus bar fixed to one of the power supply and the load, a plug housing chamber for housing a plug movably in the fitting/detaching direction in the apparatus main body, and a pair of plug side terminals being conductive with each other in the plug. Here, the electric circuit becomes conductive via the fuse. The other end of the first bus bar is extended so as to be composed as one terminal of the pair of main body side terminals, and the other end of the second bus bar is extended parallel with the first bus bar so as to be composed as the other terminal of the pair of main body side terminals. Respective terminal insertion widths of the pair of plug side terminals are wider than the corresponding widths of the pair of main body side terminals. When the plug moves in the fitting/detaching direction, the pair of plug side terminals are freely fitted into and detached from the pair of main body side terminals.
In this structure, if an error such as mounting looseness occurs when the one end of the second bus bar is fixed to an electrode fixing section, a displacement due to the error occurs in a widthwise direction of the main body side terminal of the second bus bar. Since the width of the terminal insertion portion of the plug side terminal is large, the mounting error of the second bus bar can be absorbed.
Therefore, a fitting/detaching force between the main body side terminals and the plug side terminals can be approximately constant.
Further, since both the first bus bar and the second bus bar are extended so that their other ends are composed as the main body side terminals, a number of parts can be reduced and thus the cost can be lowered.
In addition, it is suitable for convenience in the structure that the pair of plug side terminals are formed by one plate member.
In addition, a pair of conduciveness detection-use terminals for detecting the conductive state of the electric circuit may be provided in the apparatus main body and the plug.
According to this structure, the conductive and breaking states of the electric circuit can be detected easily and securely.
In addition, the plug may have a plug main body and a slider which is movable in the terminal fitting/detaching direction with respect to the plug main body.
According to this structure, connection between the main body side terminals and the plug side terminals can be secured.
More specifically, in the case where the plug main body is not fitted to the terminal fit completing position of the apparatus main body, the plug main body is not engaged with the slider. For this reason, even if the slider of the plug is tried to be moved in the terminal fitting direction with respect to the plug main body, the plug cannot be moved. As a result, an operator can know that the plug main body is in the middle of the fitting, and thus the incomplete fitting of the plug into the apparatus main body can be prevented previously.
More concretely, it is more preferable that the pair of plug side terminals are provided to the plug main body, and the pair of conduciveness detection-use terminals of the plug are provided to the slider.
According to this structure, the conductive and breaking states of the electric circuit can be detected more easily and securely by the simple structure.
In addition, it is preferable that the plug main body is freely engaged and detached according to a movement of the slider in the fitting/detaching direction in order to secure this operation.
In addition, it is preferable that fitting/detaching timing of the pair of plug side terminals and the pair of main body side terminals differs from timing of the pair of conduciveness detection-use terminals of the apparatus main body and the pair of conduciveness detection-use terminals of the plug.
According to this structure, a difference of time is set in the fitting/detaching timing of the pair of main body side terminals and the pair of plug side terminals so that the pair of conduciveness detection-use terminals on the apparatus main body side can be fitted into and detached from the pair of conduciveness detection-use terminals on the slider side of the plug. As a result, an influence of a residual electric current can be suppressed efficiently.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of a power-supply breaker apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2
is a perspective view of a plug of the power-supply breaker apparatus according to the embodiment.
FIG. 3
is a perspective view of a plug side terminal of the power-supply breaker apparatus according to the embodiment.
FIG. 4
is an explanatory diagram that the plug of the power-supply breaker apparatus according to the embodiment is viewed from the terminal side.
FIG. 5
is an explanatory diagram that the plug of the power-supply breaker apparatus according to the embodiment is viewed from the terminal side.
FIG. 6
is an enlarged cross section of a main section of the power-supply breaker apparatus according to the embodiment.
FIG. 7
is a characteristic chart showing a state of a residual electric current when a contact between a pair of main body side terminals and a pair of plug side terminals in the power-supply breaker apparatus according to the embodiment is broken.
FIG. 8
is a plan view showing one portion, broken away, of the power-supply breaker apparatus according to an examination of the inventors.
FIG. 9
is a sectional view of the power-supply breaker apparatus.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
There will be detailed below an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the diagrams.
As shown in
FIGS. 1 through 7
, in a box-shaped apparatus main body
10
, made of synthetic resin, of a power-supply breaker apparatus, a fuse housing chamber
11
, a quadratic piped terminal housing chamber
12
and a plug housing chamber
13
are provided on a straight line.
A fuse
14
is housed in the fuse housing chamber
11
.
The other fuse terminal
14
b
of the fuse
14
as well as one end
15
a
of a power-supply side bus bar
15
is fastened by a bolt
16
a
. The other end
15
b
of the power-supply side bus bar
15
is connected and fixed with a battery post (electrode fixing section)
18
a
on a power-supply side of a battery (power supply)
17
via predetermined means.
Meanwhile, one fuse terminal
14
a
of the fuse
14
as well as one end
19
a
of a first bus bar
19
is fastened by a bolt
16
b
so that the fuse
14
is electrically connected with the first bus bar
19
.
The first bus bar
19
is formed by an electrically conductive member such as a copper plate, and is passes below the fuse
14
so as to be extended to the terminal housing chamber
12
. The other end of the first bus bar
19
becomes one main body side terminal
20
a.
A second bus bar
21
is formed by an electrically conductive member such as a copper plate, and its one end
21
a
as well as one end of an electric wire
22
is connected and fixed with a battery post (electrode fixing section)
18
b
on a load side of the battery
17
via predetermined means.
The second bus bar
21
is supported at only the one terminal
21
a
, and the other end of the electric wire
22
, which was electrically connected with the second bus bar
21
, is connected with a motor (load)
24
.
A boundary between a vertical portion
21
b
and a horizontal portion
21
c
positioned on an upper end of the vertical portion
21
b
of the second bus bar
21
is bent in a vertical direction so as to have a substantially L-shaped front surface. The horizontal portion
21
c
of the second bus bar
21
, which was bent in the vertical direction, is positioned parallel with the first bus bar
19
with a predetermined interval and is extended to the terminal housing chamber
12
. The other end of the horizontal portion
21
c
of the second bus bar
21
becomes the other main body side terminal
20
b.
In addition, as mainly shown in
FIGS. 1 and 4
, a pair of conduciveness detection-use terminals
27
,
27
are positioned in the terminal housing chamber
12
. Respective electric wires, which are connected with the pair of conduciveness detection-use terminals
27
,
27
, are led to a conduciveness detection circuit (not shown).
A plug
28
is positioned in the plug housing chamber
13
so as to be slidably in a terminal fitting/detaching direction (a direction P in FIG.
1
).
The plug
28
is composed of a plug main body
29
made of synthetic resin, and a slider
30
made of synthetic resin which slides on the plug main body
29
.
A pair of plug side terminals
31
a
and
31
b
are projected in a hood section
29
a
of the plug main body
29
. Electrical conduciveness is obtained between the pair of plug side terminals
31
a
and
31
b
. More concretely, the pair of plug side terminals
31
a
and
31
b
and their electrically conductive portions
31
c
are formed in such a manner that a copper plate material having a spring property is bent so as to form a pair of U-shaped portions and a connection portion for connecting the U-shaped portions. Namely, the pair of U-shaped portions are composed as the pair of plug side terminals
31
a
and
31
b
, and terminal insertion grooves
32
,
32
, which are surrounded respectively by the U-shaped portions and are terminal insertion portions, are formed.
As mainly shown in
FIGS. 4 and 5
, a width D
2
of the terminal insertion grooves
32
,
32
of the pair of plug side terminals
31
a
and
31
b
is set so as to be longer than a width D
1
of the pair of main body side terminals
20
a
and
20
b
(D
1
<D
2
).
The slider
30
is provided with a pair of conduciveness detection-use terminals
33
,
33
, and electrical conduciveness is obtained between the pair of conduciveness detection-use terminals
33
,
33
.
Further, as shown in
FIG. 6
, a flexible and elastic arm
34
is projected integrally from the plug main body
29
. The elastic arm
34
is positioned so that its free end is parallel with an upper surface
39
b
of the plug main body
29
. A triangular prism-shaped engagement projection (engagement section)
35
is projected integrally from an upper surface of the free end of the elastic arm
34
. A concave engagement groove (engagement section)
36
into which the engagement projection
35
is inserted is formed in a predetermined position of the apparatus main body
10
, and the positional relationship is set so that the engagement projection
36
is engaged with the engagement groove
36
in a position where the plug main body
29
is inserted to a terminal fit completing position.
Further, a lock-use projected portion
37
is projected integrally from a position of the slider
30
which faces the elastic arm
34
. Since the free end of the elastic arm
34
shifts in the state that the engagement projection
35
is not inserted into the engagement groove
36
, the lock-use projection portion
37
bumps against the engagement projection
35
so that the movement of the slider
30
in the terminal fitting direction is regulated. As a result, as shown in
FIG. 6
, only in the state that the engagement projection
35
is inserted into the engagement groove
36
, the movement of the slider
30
in the terminal fitting direction is allowed.
The engagement projection
35
is freely engaged with and detached from the engagement groove
36
according to the movement of the slider in the terminal fitting/detaching direction P. Namely, when the slider
30
is moved in the terminal fitting direction, the engagement projection
35
is engaged with the engagement groove
36
, and the plug main body
29
is locked in the apparatus main body
10
. Meanwhile, when the slider
30
is moved in the terminal detaching direction, the lock is released so that the plug main body
29
can be removed.
There will be described below an operation of the power-supply breaker apparatus having the above structure according to the present embodiment.
At first, when the plug
28
is positioned in the plug housing chamber
13
and the plug main body
29
of the plug
28
is slid in the terminal fitting direction, the main body side terminals
20
a
and
20
b
are fitted into the terminal insertion grooves
32
,
32
of the plug side terminals
31
a
and
31
b
.
Next, the conductive state is obtained between the pair of main body side terminals
20
a
and
20
b
via the pair of plug side terminals
31
a
and
31
b
, and the power of the battery
17
can be supplied to the motor
24
.
When the plug main body
29
is inserted to the terminal fit completing position, the engagement projection
35
of the plug main body
29
is fitted into the engagement groove
36
of the apparatus main body
10
.
Next, when the slider
30
of the plug
28
is slid in the terminal fitting direction, the lock-use projected portion
37
of the slider
30
is inserted into a space between the elastic arm
34
and the upper surface
39
b
of the plug main body
29
, and the conduciveness detection-use terminals
33
,
33
on the slider
30
side are fitted into the conduciveness detection-use terminals
27
,
27
on the apparatus main body
10
side.
As a result, a conductive state is obtained between the pair of conduciveness detection-use terminals
27
,
27
on the apparatus main body
10
side via the pair of conduciveness detection-use terminals
33
,
33
on the slider
30
side so that the conductiveness of the electric circuit can be detected.
In the state that the lock-use projected portion
37
of the slider
30
is inserted into the space between the elastic arm
34
and the upper surface
39
b
of the plug main body
29
, the lock-use projected portion
37
regulates the movement of the elastic arm
34
in a downward direction, and thus the plug main body
29
is not moved in a terminal detaching direction (terminal pulling-out direction).
Therefore, the plug main body
29
can be efficiently prevented from detaching due to oscillation.
Here, in the case where the plug main body
29
is not completely fitted to the terminal fit completing position, namely, in the middle of the fitting during the above operation, when the slider
30
is tried to be slid in the terminal fitting direction, the lock-use projected portion
37
of the slider
30
bumps against the free end of the elastic arm
34
of the plug main body
29
so that the movement of the slider
30
in the terminal fitting direction is regulated.
As a result, since an operator can confirm that the plug main body
29
in the middle of the fitting, incomplete fitting of the plug
28
can be prevented previously.
Further, in the case where maintenance or the like is executed, when the slider
30
in the plug housing chamber
13
is slid in the terminal detaching direction with respect to the plug main body
29
, the conduciveness detection-use terminals
33
,
33
on the slider
30
side are pulled out of the conduciveness detection-use terminals
27
,
27
on the apparatus main body
10
side.
As a result, an open state is obtained between the conduciveness detection-use terminals
27
,
27
on the apparatus main body
10
so that the breaking of a connection confirming-use circuit is detected. At the same time, since the lock-use projected portion
37
of the slider
30
is pulled out of the space between the elastic arm
34
and the upper surface
39
a
of the plug main body
29
, the plug main body
29
is movable in the terminal detaching direction.
Next, when the plug main body
29
is slid in the terminal detaching direction, the main body side terminals
20
a
and
20
b
are pulled out of the terminal insertion grooves
32
,
32
of the plug side terminals
31
a
and
31
b
. As a result, between the main body side terminals
20
a
and
20
b
, namely, the power-supply circuit (electric circuit) is in the breaking state so that the power of the battery
17
is not supplied to the motor
24
.
In this state, the electric circuit is in the breaking state, and the maintenance or the like is executed suitably.
As mentioned above, in the present embodiment, a difference of time is set between the breaking of the connection confirming-use circuit and the breaking of the power-supply circuit, but as shown in
FIG. 7
, an influence of a residual electric current may be suppressed. Namely, since a difference of time is set between fitting/detaching timing of the main body side terminals
20
a
and
20
b
and the plug side terminals
31
a
and
31
b
and fitting/detaching timing of the conduciveness detection-use terminals
27
,
27
on the apparatus main body side and the conduciveness detection-use terminals
33
,
33
on the slider
30
side, after a residual electric current I
R
which is gradually reduced is collapsed, the operation can be performing for Δt after timing t
0
at which the power-supply circuit is broken, and thus maintainability can be further improved.
In addition, in the present embodiment, since the other end of the second bus bar
21
is bent in the vertical direction, when the one end
21
a
of the second bus bar
21
as well as the end of the electric wire
22
is fixed to the battery post
18
b
at the time of the maintenance, a play is generated in a direction Z cross perpendicularly to the terminal fitting/detaching direction P.
In this case, if there is a mounting error when the second bus bar
21
as a receiving side terminal is fixed to the battery post
18
b
, since the horizontal portion
21
c
of the second bus bar
21
is bent in the vertical direction with respect to the vertical portion
21
b
, a displacement due to the mounting error occurs in a widthwise direction (direction Z) of the main body side terminal
20
b
. However, even if the displacement occurs in the main body side terminal
20
b
on the plug side bus bar
21
side, since the width D
2
of the terminal insertion groove
32
,
32
of the plug side terminal
31
b
is larger than the width D
1
of the main body side terminal
20
b
, the main body side terminal
20
b
is fitted securely into the terminal insertion groove
32
,
32
of the plug side terminal
31
b.
Therefore, even if the displacement in the direction Z occurs in the main body side terminal
20
b
of the second bus bar
21
due to the mounting error, since the sliding force of the plug main body
29
of the plug
28
is not increased when the pair of main body side terminals
20
a
and
20
b
are fitted into the pair of plug side terminals
31
a
and
31
b
, the operability of the plug
28
can be improved.
In addition, even in the case where the plug side terminals
31
are pulled out of the main body side terminals
20
a
and
20
b
, if the displacement in the direction Z occurs in the main body terminal
20
b
of the second bus bar
21
, the sliding force of the plug
28
is not increased. For this reason, the operability of the plug
28
can be improved.
Needless to say, even if a displacement in the direction Z occurs in the first bus bar
19
due to the mounting error, the displacement can be absorbed similarly. Further, if a displacement in the direction Z occurs in the plug side terminals
31
a
and
31
b
due to the mounting error, the mounting looseness can be absorbed similarly.
In addition, in the present embodiment, since both the first bus bar
19
and the second bus bar
21
are extended so that their other ends are composed as the main body side terminals
20
a
and
20
b
, a number of parts is reduced, and thus installation becomes easy and the cost is lowered.
In addition, in the present embodiment, since the one end of the terminal insertion groove
32
,
32
is opened to the outside, the outer side of the opened portion is utilized so that the substantial width D
2
of the terminal insertion groove can be easily longer than the width D
1
of the main body side terminals
20
a
and
20
b
without giving a large dimension to the plug side terminals
31
a
and
31
b.
In the present embodiment, the plug side terminals
31
a
and
31
b
are formed by bending a copper plate material with a spring characteristic so as to have the pair of U-shaped portions, and the terminal insertion groove as the terminal insertion portion is composed by a space surrounded by the U-shaped portions. However, the terminal insertion groove
32
,
32
may be constituted by a nipped space provided between a pair of nipping pieces.
In addition, the apparatus main body
10
is provided with the engagement groove
36
, and the plug main body
29
is provided with the engagement projection
35
. However, the apparatus main body
10
may be provided with an engagement projection, and the plug main body
19
may be provided with an engagement groove.
This invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit of essential characteristics thereof.
Claims
- 1. A power-supply breaker apparatus, comprising:a fuse provided between a power supply and a load in an electric circuit, the electric circuit becoming conductive through the fuse; an apparatus main body housing the fuse; a first bus bar whose one end is fixed to one fuse terminal of the fuse, the other end of the first bus bar being extended so as to be composed as one of a pair of main body side terminals; a second bus bar fixed to one of the power supply and the load, the other end of the second bus bar being extended parallel with the first bus bar so as to be composed as the other one of the pair of main body side terminals; a plug housing chamber housing a plug movably in a fitting/detaching direction in the apparatus main body; and a pair of plug side terminals being conductive with each other in the plug, respective terminal insertion widths of the pair of plug side terminals being wider than corresponding widths of the pair of main body side terminals, wherein the plug moves in the fitting/detaching direction so that the pair of plug side terminals are freely fitted into and detached from the pair of main body side terminals.
- 2. A power-supply breaker apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pair of plug side terminals are composed of one plate member.
- 3. A power-supply breaker apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a pair of conduciveness detection-use terminals detecting a conductive state of the electric circuit are provided respectively in the apparatus main body and the plug main.
- 4. A power-supply breaker apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the plug has a plug main body and a slider which is movable in the terminal fitting/detaching direction with respect to the plug main body.
- 5. A power-supply breaker apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the pair of plug side terminals are provided to the plug main body, and the pair of conduciveness detection-use terminals of the plug are provided to the slider.
- 6. A power-supply breaker apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the plug main body is freely engaged and detached according to a movement of the slider in the fitting/detaching direction.
- 7. A power-supply breaker apparatus according to claim 4, wherein fitting/detaching timing of the pair of first plug side terminals and the pair of main body side terminals differs from timing of the pair of conduciveness detection-use terminals of the apparatus main body and the pair of conduciveness detection-use terminals of the plug.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
11-018940 |
Jan 1999 |
JP |
|
US Referenced Citations (17)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0411216-A1 |
Feb 1991 |
EP |
11-176507-A |
Jul 1999 |
JP |