EP2261943B1

EP2261943B1 - Insertion terminal and switch

Info

Publication number: EP2261943B1
Application number: EP09011326A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Atsushi Kobayashi; Kanehiro Kawakami; Hiroshi Kakihara
Original assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corp
Current assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corp
Priority date: 2009-06-11
Filing date: 2009-09-03
Publication date: 2012-01-18
Anticipated expiration: 2029-09-03
Also published as: EP2261943A1; CN101923991A; CN101923991B; ATE542233T1; JP2010287423A; JP5267344B2

Abstract

In order to provide an insertion terminal (2) for a switch having a cheap and reliable blade terminal, a blade terminal (4) is configured by forming a boxy portion having a box shape made of a conductive plate having a rectangle shape, and by forming one end portion of the conductive plate as a blade portion (4a), which is directly clamped by clip terminals, perpendicularly rising from the boxy portion.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an insertion terminal for a switch including a circuit breaker such as a molded case circuit breaker or an earth leakage breaker.

Background Art

In conventional insertion terminals, which are mounted on a component such as a power switchboard and to which external conductors are connected, there are known ones to which the main switch unit can be detachably mounted for easy replacements or checkups.
In such insertion terminal for the switch, there is a terminal structure that includes clip terminals which are provided on the main switch unit and have each a pair of pressing portions facing each other, and that includes blade terminals having blade portions which are provided on the insertion terminal. The main switch unit can be mounted to the insertion terminal by clamping the blade portions of the blade terminals using pressing force of the pair of pressing portions, so that the external conductors connected to the insertion terminal are electrically connected to the main switch unit (for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2009-26652 (Pages 4 through 6, and Fig. 1)).

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Problems to be solved by the Invention

Meanwhile, the blade terminals of the above conventional insertion terminal include blade portions to be clamped by the clip terminals and female screw portions for connecting the blade portions to the external conductors. Because the insertion terminal has been configured as described above, the conventional blade terminal has complicated configuration that needs cold forging or cutting to manufacture, resulting in an increased manufacturing cost.
Although the above problems can be solved by forming a blade terminal by bending one conductive plate having a rectangle shape, the terminal may be deformed when the main switch unit is inserted or pulled out, because the stiffness of the terminal is insufficient if the conductive plate is only bended simply.
The present invention has been made to solve above-described problems, and an object of the invention is to provide an insertion terminal for a switch having a cheap and reliable blade terminal.

Means for solving problems

According to an insertion terminal for a switch of the present invention, a blade terminal is configured by forming a boxy portion having a box shape made of a conductive plate having a rectangle shape, and by forming one end portion of the conductive plate as a blade portion perpendicularly rising from the boxy portion.

Effects of the Invention

According to the present invention, there is provided an insertion terminal for a switch having a cheap and strong blade terminal.

Brief Description of Drawings

Fig. 1 is an oblique perspective view illustrating a state of a main switch unit and an insertion terminal according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention before they are connected with each other;
Fig. 2 is a view illustrating a clip terminal and a blade terminal, which are extracted from Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the clip terminal and the blade terminal seen along the arrow "A" in Fig. 1, after the main switch unit and the insertion terminal are connected with each other;
Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the clip terminal and the blade terminal seen along the arrow "B" in Fig. 1;
Figs. 5a and 5b are detailed views of the blade terminal: Fig. 5a is an oblique perspective view of the terminal, and Fig. 5b is a cross-sectional view of the terminal seen in the same direction in Fig. 4; and
Figs. 6a and 6b are detailed views of a blade terminal according to Embodiment 2: Fig. 6a is an oblique perspective view of the terminal, and Fig. 6b is a cross-sectional view of the terminal seen in the same direction in Fig. 4.

Best mode for carrying out the Invention

Embodiment

1

Hereinafter, Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be explained referring to the diagrams. Fig. 1 is an oblique perspective view illustrating a state of a main switch unit "1" and an insertion terminal "2" according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention before they are connected with each other. Fig. 2 is a view illustrating one of clip terminals "3" mounted on the main switch unit 1 side in Fig. 1, and one of blade terminals "4" and one of retaining plates "5" mounted on the insertion terminal 2 side, which are extracted from Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the one of the clip terminals 3 and the one of the blade terminals 4, which are seen along the arrow "A" in Fig. 1, after the main switch unit 1 and the insertion terminal 2 are connected with each other. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view seen along the arrow "B" in Fig. 1. Figs. 5a and 5b are detailed views of the one of the blade terminals 4: Fig. 5a is an oblique perspective view of the terminal, and Fig. 5b is a cross-sectional view of the terminal seen in the same direction in Fig. 4. Here, reference numerals, which are the same as those in each figure, refer to identical items.
In Fig. 1, the main switch unit 1 for opening/closing electrical paths is a circuit breaker such as a molded case circuit breaker or an earth leakage breaker. The main switch unit 1 is configured externally with an insulation casing "9" including a cover "9a" having a case shape and a base "9b" having a frame shape.
Moreover, like a well known manner, power source side terminals "11a" are electrically connected with or disconnected from load side terminals "11b" of the main switch unit 1 by turning a handle "10", which is jutted out from a portion of the cover 9a, to the right or left side in Fig. 1. In addition, in Fig. 1, the right side is a power source side, and the left side is a load side. The position of the handle 10 shown in Fig. 1 is on the load side, and it means that the main switch unit 1 is in a disconnected state.
The clip terminals 3 are connected to the respective power source side terminals 11a and load side terminals 11b, and the power source side terminals 11a and load side terminals 11b can be electrically connected with their respective clip terminals 3.
Meanwhile, the insertion terminal 2 is already fixed to a component such as a power switchboard. The insertion terminal 2 is configured externally with an insulating resin, and includes a base portion "2a" fixed to a panel or an angle of a power switchboard (not illustrated) or the like, and terminal members "2b" which are provided at three positions on each side of the base portion 2a, that is, at six positions in total.
Blade terminals 4 are fixed to their respective terminal members 2b at positions where the blade terminals 4 face to their respective clip terminals 3 of the main switch unit 1. The main switch unit 1 can be mounted to the insertion terminal 2 by coupling the clip terminals 3 to the blade terminals 4 facing their respective clip terminals 3.
Next, detailed configurations of the clip terminal 3 and the blade terminal 4 will be explained referring to Fig. 2. The clip terminal 3 is made from a conductive metal, and a whole configuration of the terminal forms a U-like shape. The clip terminal 3 includes a connecting portion "3b" at its one end, which is electrically connected to the power source side terminal 11a or the load side terminal 11b, and includes pressing portions "3a" at the other end by which a plate like object can be clamped. The pressing portions 3a are formed to clamp, by pressing force between the portions, a plate like object.
The blade terminal 4 includes a boxy portion having a box shape, which is made by bending a conductive material having a plate shape, and a blade portion "4a", which is a plate-shape member perpendicularly continuously standing from the boxy portion. The boxy portion is arranged opposite to the clip terminal 3, with the blade portion 4a placed therebetween. In addition, on a retaining plate 5 that serves to prevent flying out of the blade terminal 4, a through hole is formed that allows the blade portion 4a to protrude beyond the retaining plate 5.
Fig. 3 is a detailed view illustrating a connection state of the clip terminals 3 and the blade terminals 4, and is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state where those are seen along the arrow "A" in Fig. 1 when the main switch unit 1 and the insertion terminal 2 are connected each other. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view seen along the arrow "B" in Fig. 1 at the same state in Fig. 3.
The clip terminal 3 is fixed, directly or through a spacer 6, to the power source side terminal 11a provided in the main switch 1, by way of screw or the like (not illustrated), and these terminals are electrically connected each other. Moreover, the blade terminal 4 is held by the terminal member 2b of the insertion terminal 2 and fixed by the retaining plate 5. Here, the blade portion 4a of the blade terminal 4 passes through the retaining plate 5. Moreover, a female screw portion 4b, as connecting portion to an external conductor "7", is formed inside the blade terminal 4, so that the external conductor 7 can be connected by a screw "8" using the female screw portion 4b.
When the main switch unit 1 is connected to the insertion terminal 2, the pressing portions 3a of the clip terminals 3, which are facing each other, clamp the corresponding blade portions 4a of the blade terminals 4, so that the clip terminals 3 are electrically connected to the blade portions 4a by way of contact pressure. Thereby, electrical paths from the external conductors 7 to the power source side terminals 11a are established. Moreover, because the load side (not illustrated) has the similar configuration, electrical paths from the external conductors of the load side to the load side terminals 11b are established as similar to Fig. 3 and Fig. 4.
Figs. 5a and 5b are detailed views of the blade terminals 4: Fig. 5a is an oblique perspective view of the terminals, and Fig. 5b is a cross-sectional view of the terminals, which are seen, in the same direction in Fig. 4. The blade terminal 4 includes a blade portion 4a clamped by the mutually facing pressing portions 3a of the clip terminal 3, a boxy portion for supporting the blade 4a, and a female screw portion 4b for connecting external conductor 7 provided at the opposite side of the blade 4a of the boxy portion. These portions are formed in a structure obtained by bending a continuous conductive plate having a rectangle shape. One end portion of the plate having a rectangle shape constitutes the blade portion 4a, and the opposite end portion of the plate serves to support the blade portion 4a from its lower side. In particular, the opposite end portion of the plate constitutes a fitting portion 4c that is fitted into a fitting hole 4d formed on a portion of the boxy portion.
The blade terminal 4 is configured by the steps in which the boxy portion is formed by bending a conductive plate having a continuous rectangle shape, inwardly at bending portions "4e", "4f", "4g", and "4h", and the blade portion 4a is formed by bending one end portion of the plate outwardly at bending portions "4i" to thereby perpendicularly stand from the formed boxy portion.
In addition, bending at the respective bending portions "4e", "4f", "4g", "4h", and "4i" may be easily performed by using a plate member of which stiffness at the bending portions is lower than that at the other portions of the blade terminal 4.
As described above, according to the insertion terminal of Embodiment 1, it is provided the blade terminal 4 that is strong against a load imposed on the blade portion 4a when the main switch unit 1 and the insertion terminal 2 are connected.
Moreover, it is also provided the blade terminals 4 that are cheap and easily fabricated.
Moreover, the blade terminal 4 can be stronger than conventional terminals, because a hole is formed on a conductive plate having a rectangle shape to be bent, and the fitting portion 4c is inserted to the hole 4d when a boxy portion is formed by bending the conductive plate.

Embodiment 2

Figs. 6a and 6b are detailed views of one of blade terminals "14" according to Embodiment 2: Fig. 6a is an oblique perspective view of the terminal, and Fig. 6b is a cross-sectional view of the terminal seen in the same direction in Fig. 4. In Figs. 6a and 6b, reference numerals, which are the same as those in Figs. 5a and 5b, refer to identical configuration items, and the explanations for the reference numerals are omitted.
Although a basic configuration of the blade terminal 14 according to Embodiment 2 is the same as that of the blade terminal 4 according to Embodiment 1, the blade terminal 14 is different from the blade terminal 4 according to Embodiment 1 in a viewpoint that the female screw portion 4b is replaced with a simple through-hole "13", and a nut "12" is provided inside the blade terminal 14 formed with a box shape.
Because the nut 12 can be those having female screw, such as a hexagon nut or a special nut, and the female screw portion 4b according to Embodiment 1 can be replaced with a simple through-hole 13 with keeping the same function of Embodiment 1, without the need of the thread working.
According to the configuration in Embodiment 2, a blade terminal 14 can be provided with simpler configuration to be fabricated more easily than that of Embodiment 1.

Claims

An insertion terminal for a switch including a blade terminal (4) having a connecting portion (4b) to be connected to an external conductor (7), characterized in that the blade terminal (4) comprises a boxy portion having a box shape made of a conductive plate having a rectangle shape, and one end portion of the conductive plate is formed as a blade portion (4a) perpendicularly rising from the boxy portion.
An insertion terminal as recited in claim 1, characterized in that a fitting hole (4d) is formed on a side of the boxy portion, and a portion (4c) of the conductive plate is fitted into the fitting hole (4d).
An insertion terminal as recited in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the connecting portion (4b) is a female screw.
An insertion terminal as recited in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the connecting portion (4b) is configured by forming a through hole (13) on bottom side of the boxy portion, and by providing a nut (12) inside the boxy portion.
A switch characterized by comprising an insertion terminal (2) according to any one of claims 1 through 4.