JP2007066855A - Safety plug device for power supply - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To ensure safety against discharge, when a safety plug is released and to prevent unintentional reconnection. <P>SOLUTION: Upon disconnection of a plug 10 from a receptacle 1, connector terminals 11 and 12 separate from contacts 3 and 5, and at the same time, a sealing body 22 of a release coil 20 covers the space between the connector terminals 11, 12 and the contacts 3, 5. As a result, the generation of a discharge arc associated with the separation of the connector terminals 11 and 12 from the contacts 3 and 5 is suppressed; and even if a discharge arc occurs, sparks of the discharge arc are prevented from escaping outside. An explosionproof structure is thereby achieved to enable the securing of safety. Furthermore, after the plug 10 has been released from the receptacle 1, since the sealing body 22 is present between the connector terminals 11, 12 and the contacts 3, 5, there is no possibility that the plug 10 will lower under its own weight, to thereby allow the connector terminals 11 and 12 to touch the contacts 3 and 5 so that unintentional reconnection can be surely prevented. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a safety plug device for a power supply that connects and separates a pair of contacts and a pair of terminals that are electrically inserted in the middle of a power supply circuit.

  In general, a main power supply device such as a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle is configured as a DC high-voltage power supply by connecting a plurality of cells in parallel and in series in a housing for driving a traveling motor or the like. In order to prevent electric shock and electric shock during maintenance work and to ensure safety, it is equipped with a safety plug for mechanically cutting the high voltage circuit.

  For example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, such a safety plug is interposed in series in an intermediate portion of a high-voltage battery, and the high-voltage circuit is mechanically separated by separating it from the battery circuit. Disconnected. The function of this safety plug is provided mainly for ensuring safety during manufacturing and maintenance and inspection, but the high-voltage battery is also used in rescue operations when a vehicle with a high-voltage battery falls into an emergency such as an accident. Rescue work has been carried out by removing the safety plug to ensure that the circuit is shut off.

In the above safety plug, it is necessary to carefully work with attention to the flammable gas generated by an accident etc. in consideration of the discharge when the high voltage power supply circuit forcibly removes the safety plug when it is hot. . For this reason, in Patent Document 2, when one main contact is provided in the battery circuit and a sub-contact is interposed between the batteries connected in series, when a predetermined signal is input from the acceleration sensor, A technique for improving safety at the time of an accident by blocking a main contact and then blocking each sub-contact is disclosed.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-212918 JP-A-7-170602

  However, it is not only economically and layout disadvantageous to insert a large number of mechanical contacts into the circuit in the event of an accident, but in the event of an accident, the relay switch is turned off due to the impact, etc. It may not be. Therefore, if the safety plug is removed while power is being supplied from the power supply side to the load side, not only will there be a risk of arcing due to discharge but a malfunction may occur, as well as halfway removal. If the work is started in a state, the safety plug may come into contact again by its own weight, which may cause an unexpected situation. Such a problem is also a problem to be noted during normal maintenance.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a power supply safety plug device capable of ensuring safety against discharge during release and preventing unintended reconnection.

  In order to achieve the above object, a power supply safety plug device according to the present invention includes a socket having a pair of contacts inserted in the middle of a power supply circuit, and terminals corresponding to the contacts, respectively. In a safety plug device for a power source, the terminal includes a plug that electrically contacts each contact when mounted, and each terminal electrically separates from each contact when detached from the socket. A release coil is disposed between the plug and the elastic body that generates an urging force in the direction of separation with an insulating material so as to expand and contract. The release coil seals the contactor and the terminal with the insulating material. It is characterized by having.

  The safety plug device for a power supply according to the present invention can ensure safety against discharge during release and prevent inadvertent reconnection.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 6 relate to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an exploded explanatory view of a safety plug, FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of a release coil, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a safety plug in a set state. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the safety plug in the released state, FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a modified example, in which a safety plug is set, and FIG. 6 is a diagram depicting a modified safety plug being released.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 50 denotes a safety plug of a power supply device mounted on a hybrid vehicle, an electric vehicle or the like, and is inserted at a position where the middle of the power supply circuit is electrically divided. For example, the power supply device is formed by connecting a plurality of power storage cells such as lithium ion batteries and electric double layer capacitors or power generation cells such as fuel cells to form a module, and further connecting a plurality of sets of modules to form a direct current. Configured as a high voltage power supply.

  The safety plug 50 is divided in the middle of the high-voltage circuit of such a high-voltage power supply as appropriate in the number and position (for example, a position that is equally divided by 144 V with respect to a high-voltage power supply of 288 V, or is equally divided by 72 V into four. The high voltage circuit can be electrically divided to lower the voltage. The safety plug 50 includes a socket 1 electrically inserted in a power circuit, a plug 10 that is detached from the socket 1 to form an electrical contact, and that electrically closes and opens the power circuit, and the socket 1 and the plug. The release coil 20 that expands and contracts in response to the attachment / detachment with the main body 10 is mainly configured.

  The socket 1 is inserted at a position where the middle of the power supply circuit is electrically separated, and is erected on a pin-shaped contact 3 standing on the terminal plate 2 on the positive electrode side and on a terminal plate 4 on the negative electrode side. The pin-shaped contact 5 is surrounded by a socket case 6 made of an insulator. The socket case 6 is formed as a part of the housing of the power supply device, and a guide shaft 7 made of an insulator serving as a guide when the plug 10 is attached / detached is erected at the center.

  The plug 10 includes a cylindrical connector terminal 11 into which the positive pole contact 3 of the socket 1 is inserted and fitted, and a cylindrical connector terminal 12 into which the negative pole contact 5 is inserted and fitted. Are arranged upright on a common terminal board 13. The terminal plate 13 is a common member that electrically connects the connector terminals 11 and 12 to each other, and a cover 14 is attached to the front side (the side opposite to the connector terminals 11 and 12). A ring 15 for external connection for attaching / detaching the connector terminals 11 and 12 to and from the contacts 3 and 5 by manual operation or an actuator via a wire, a link or the like is attached to the cover 14.

  As a result, when the plug 10 is mounted in the socket 1, an electrical path is formed from the terminal plate 2 and the contact 3 on the positive pole side of the socket 1 to the connector terminal 11 and the terminal plate 13 of the plug 10, and the plug 10 An electrical path is formed from the terminal board 10 through the connector terminal 12 to the terminal board 4 through the contact 5 on the negative pole side of the socket 1 and serves as a bus bar interposed in the middle of the power supply circuit. On the other hand, when the plug 10 is removed from the socket 1, it functions as a circuit breaker that cuts off the electrical path between the terminal plate 2 on the positive pole side and the terminal board 4 on the negative pole side of the socket 1. Secure.

  The separation between the contacts 3 and 5 and the connector terminals 11 and 12 in the circuit interruption is assisted by the release coil 20. The release coil 20 is formed by covering a coil spring 21 as an elastic body that generates an urging force in a direction in which the plug 10 is detached (released) from the socket 1 with a stretchable sealing body 22 made of an insulating material. Between the terminal plate 2 on the positive electrode side of the terminal 10 and the terminal plate 13 of the plug 10 so as to cover and seal the outer periphery of the contact 3 and the connector terminal 11, and between the terminal plate 4 on the negative electrode side of the socket 1 and the plug 10 Between the terminal board 13, it arrange | positions in two places with the position which covers the outer periphery of the contactor 5 and the connector terminal 12, and seals.

  In FIG. 1, an adapter 30 with a stopper 31 abutting against the tip end surface of the guide shaft 7 is installed in the center, and the adapter 30 is attached to the terminal plate 13. Touched. The adapter 30 can be omitted, and the stopper 31 may be extended from the center of the cover 14.

  As shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C, the sealing body 22 that covers the coil spring 21 has a space 22a that can be expanded and returned in the radial direction at the center of the cylindrical shape. It has a function as a valve. As shown in FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b), this valve function is realized by expansion by insertion of the contacts 3 and 5 and the connector terminals 11 and 12 of the space 22a and restoration by removal. . That is, restoration is a state in which the valve is closed. Specifically, for example, a bellows structure formed along the coil spring 21 with a soft rubber material or the like, a valve structure formed by slits provided in the radial direction of the coil spring 21 or fin-like films arranged in the axial direction, and a space It is formed by a structure in which the entire portion excluding the portion 22a is filled with foamed rubber.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the safety plug 50 having the above configuration is set by inserting the plug 10 into the socket 1 until the guide shaft 7 and the stopper 31 of the adapter 30 come into contact with each other. In this set state, the contact 3 is inserted into the connector terminal 11 and the contact 5 is inserted into the connector terminal 12 to establish an electrical connection, and the release coil 20 is compressed in the axial direction so that the socket case 6 and the side wall of the cover 14 of the plug 10 are held by fitting. At this time, the periphery of the contact 3 and the connector terminal 11 and the periphery of the contact 5 and the connector terminal 12 are sealed by the release coil 20 to form a waterproof structure.

  When the plug 10 grips the ring 15 and is manually pulled or mechanically pulled through a wire or link connected to the ring 15, the compression energy stored in the coil spring 21 of the release coil 20 is used. As shown in FIG. 4, the plug 10 is pushed up in the direction in which the plug 10 is detached from the socket 1, and the connector terminals 11 and 12 are removed from the contacts 3 and 5 to disconnect the circuit in the power source. At this time, due to the function of the sealing body 22 that covers the coil spring 21 of the release coil 20, the connector terminals 11 and 12 are separated from the contacts 3 and 5, and at the same time, the connector terminals 11 and 12 and the contacts 3 and 5 are separated. The sealing body 22 acts so that the area | region (area | region shown with the hatching of a horizontal line in FIG. 4) produced in between may be covered.

  Due to the valve action of the sealing body 22, the occurrence of a discharge arc due to the divergence between the connector terminals 11, 12 and the contacts 3, 5 is suppressed. Since the periphery of the contactor 5 and the connector terminal 12 are sealed, the spark of the discharge arc does not jump out, and an explosion-proof structure can be realized to ensure safety. Moreover, after the plug 10 is released from the socket 1, the sealing body 22 is interposed between the connector terminals 11 and 12 and the contacts 3 and 5. Since 12 does not contact the contacts 3 and 5, unintended reconnection can be reliably prevented.

  FIG. 5 shows a change in a part of the socket case 6 on the socket 1 side and a part of the cover 14 on the plug 10 side in order to more reliably prevent reconnection after release. That is, at the opening end of the socket case 6, a claw portion 6 a that inclines and descends inward from the outer wall side and protrudes to the inside is provided, and an inclined surface along the inclination of the claw portion 6 a is provided at the tip of the side wall of the cover 14. The claw part 14a having

  When the inclined surface of the claw portion 14a on the side wall of the cover 14 is brought into contact with the inclined surface of the claw portion 6a of the socket case 6 and the plug 10 is pressed against the socket 1, the claw portions 6a and 14a are shown by arrows in FIG. Due to the wedge action, the side wall of the socket case 6 is elastically deformed so that the plug 10 is inserted into the socket 1 and the plug 10 is set. In this state, as shown in FIG. 6, the claw portion 6 a of the socket case 6 is engaged with the shoulder portion of the cover 14, and the plug 10 is not pulled out by the opening force of the coil spring 21.

  When releasing the plug 10 set in the socket 1, the plug 10 can be released by pressing and expanding the claw portion 6a of the socket case 6 using the jig 40 shown in FIG. . In this released state, the above-described sealing body 22 and the claw portion 6a of the socket case 6 can reliably prevent unintended reconnection.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. 7 and 8 relate to a second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing a safety plug and a drive system, and FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing another safety plug and a drive system.

  The second embodiment shows an example in which at least one of safety plug attachment (plug-in; safety plug setting) and removal (plug-out; safety plug release) is automatically performed using an actuator.

  The safety plug 50 </ b> A shown in FIG. 7 has basically the same configuration as the safety plug 50 of the first embodiment, but is slightly modified to connect the actuator 60. That is, the safety plug 50 extends the stopper 31 from the center of the cover 14 without using the adapter 30, and connects the actuator 60 to the stopper 31 via the connecting member 61. The guide shaft 7 is provided with a hole through which the connecting member 61 is inserted, and the bases of the contacts 3 and 5 and the opening ends of the connector terminals 11 and 12 are respectively provided with tapers for alignment. Yes.

  As the connecting member 61, a rod, a wire, or the like can be used (however, in the case of a wire, a plug-in is mainly used). Further, the connecting member 61 is provided with a lever 62 so that manual plug-in / plug-out is possible. The actuator 60 is controlled by a control device (not shown). For example, when a vehicle collision or the like is detected by an acceleration sensor or the like, the actuator 60 is driven by the control device, and the safety plug 50A is plugged out via the connecting member 61. Shut off the power circuit to ensure safety.

  On the other hand, a safety plug 50B shown in FIG. 8 is one in which a linear actuator 70 using a ball screw or the like is attached to the guide shaft 7 of the safety plug 50 of the first embodiment, and this linear actuator 70 is driven by a latch circuit 71. As described above, the latch circuit 71 moves the linear actuator 70 forward and backward in accordance with a command from a control device that processes a signal from an acceleration sensor or the like, and plugs out (plugs in) the safety plug 50B.

  In the second form, as in the first form, a waterproof / explosion-proof structure is realized by the release coil 20, and unintentional reconnection after release can be surely prevented, and remote control via a control system can be performed. Safety can be ensured by plug-out, and power can be restored by plug-in by remote control, and the power system can be managed more efficiently.

Exploded view of the safety plug according to the first embodiment of the present invention Same as above, illustration of release coil Same as above, explanatory diagram showing the set safety plug Same as above, explanatory diagram showing safety plug in released state The same as above, showing a modified example, explanatory diagram when setting the safety plug Same as above, explanatory diagram when releasing the modified safety plug Explanatory drawing which shows the safety plug and drive system concerning 2nd Embodiment of this invention. Same as above, explanatory diagram showing other safety plug and drive system

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Socket 3, 5 Contact 10 Plug 11, 12 Connector terminal 20 Release coil 21 Coil spring 22 Sealing body 50, 50A, 50B Safety plug 60, 70 Actuator

Claims (3)

A socket having a pair of contacts inserted in the middle of the power supply circuit, and each terminal corresponding to each contact, while each terminal is in electrical contact with each contact when mounted on the socket, In the safety plug device of the power source provided with a plug in which each terminal is electrically separated from each contact when detached from the socket,
Between the socket and the plug, an elastic body that generates an urging force in the detaching direction is covered with an insulating material so as to be extendable and contracted, and the contactor and the terminal are sealed inside with the insulating material. A power supply safety plug device comprising a release coil.   The release coil expands when the contact and the terminal are inserted therein, and when the contact and the terminal are separated from each other, the insulation is restored and the contact and 2. The safety plug device for a power source according to claim 1, further comprising a valve structure covering between the terminals.   The safety of the power supply according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an actuator capable of remotely controlling at least one of attachment of the plug to the socket and removal of the plug from the socket is connected to the plug. Plug device.

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