JP2007242463A - Circuit breaker - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a circuit breaker that prevents intrusion of foreign matter while satisfactorily exhausting arc gas generated upon circuit breaking. <P>SOLUTION: Inside arc gas exhaust holes 9 and 10 formed in a casing 1 of the circuit breaker, ribs 15 and 17 for preventing intrusion of foreign matter having asymmetric inner and outer shapes are formed integrally with the casing 1 to apply an inner/outer asymmetric flow resistance to a flowing air stream. The ribs 15 and 17 preferably have a shape recessed toward the inside of the casing 1, and are more preferably V-shaped. This makes the intrusion of foreign matter difficult, without hindering the discharge of the arc gas. Any conventional dust barrier is no longer required and it is thus possible to reduce the number of components. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a circuit breaker that prevents the invasion of foreign substances while improving the exhaust of arc gas generated at the time of circuit interruption.

  The casing of the circuit breaker is formed with an exhaust hole for quickly exhausting the arc gas generated when the circuit is interrupted to the outside. However, there is a possibility that foreign matter may enter the housing from the outside through the exhaust hole.

  Therefore, in conventional circuit breakers, a flexible and thin fiber-like dust barrier 52 is attached outside the exhaust hole 51 provided in the housing so as to cover the exhaust side of the exhaust hole 51 as shown in FIG. This prevents foreign matter from entering the housing. Since the lower end of the dust barrier 52 is a fixed end but the upper end is a free end, when arc gas is generated and the pressure in the housing increases, the upper end of the dust barrier 52 is elastically deformed and curved, and the arc gas is exhausted from the exhaust hole. The exhaust hole 51 is normally closed, but the exhaust hole 51 is closed to prevent the entry of foreign matter.

In addition, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is an apparatus in which an exhaust area provided with a dust barrier is a U-shaped opening to increase an opening area to further improve the arc gas exhaust performance. However, in order to exhaust the arc gas with these structures, it is necessary to manufacture and attach a dust barrier, which increases the number of parts and increases the cost.
JP-A-9-73854

  The present invention provides a circuit breaker that solves the above-mentioned problems, improves the exhaust of arc gas generated at the time of circuit interruption while reducing the number of parts, and prevents entry of foreign matter from the outside. It was completed as a purpose.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is characterized in that a foreign substance intrusion prevention rib is formed integrally with the housing inside the arc gas exhaust hole formed in the housing of the circuit breaker. It is.

  In addition, it is preferable that the foreign substance intrusion rib has an inside / outside asymmetric shape that gives an inside / outside asymmetric flow resistance to the flowing airflow.

  In addition, it is preferable that the foreign material intrusion prevention rib has a shape recessed in the housing.

  Further, it is more preferable that the foreign matter intrusion prevention rib is V-shaped.

  In the circuit breaker of the present invention, a foreign substance intrusion prevention rib is formed integrally with the casing inside the arc gas exhaust hole formed in the casing of the circuit breaker. Can be eliminated, the number of parts can be reduced, and the cost can be reduced.

  Further, as described in claim 2, if the rib for preventing foreign matter intrusion is formed in an asymmetric shape inside and outside to provide an asymmetric flow resistance to the flowing air flow, the arc gas can be exhausted without any trouble. Airflow into the enclosure is difficult to flow, and dust floating in the airflow is less likely to enter.

  Moreover, if the rib for preventing foreign matter intrusion is formed in a recessed shape as in claim 3, the foreign matter is received at the recessed portion, which is further effective in preventing the entry of foreign matter from the outside.

  Further, if the foreign matter intrusion prevention rib is V-shaped as in claim 4, the arc gas exhaust resistance is small, and the foreign matter intrusion prevention effect from the outside is further improved.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a circuit breaker according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an internal structure, and FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of a housing. In FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, reference numeral 1 denotes a synthetic resin casing, in which a tripping device 2 that detects an overcurrent or the like and interrupts the circuit, and a movable contact that is driven by the tripping device 2 A child 3 is provided.

  Since this circuit breaker employs a two-point cutting method, the central portion of the movable contact 3 is rotatably supported by the crossbar 16, and movable contacts 8 are respectively formed at both ends of the movable contact 3. Yes. In the ON state, one of the movable contacts 8 contacts a fixed contact 8 a formed on the upper surface of the power supply side terminal 4, and the other of the movable contacts 8 is formed on the lower surface of the fixed member 6 connected to the load side terminal 5. It is in contact with the fixed contact 8b. However, when an overcurrent or the like is detected, the trip device 2 rotates the movable contact 3 and interrupts the circuit.

  In order to exhaust the arc gas generated at the time of the contact opening, the casing 1 is formed with an exhaust hole 9 on the power source side and an exhaust hole 10 on the load side. In this embodiment, the power supply side exhaust holes 9 and the load side exhaust holes 10 are formed in three columns and three rows below the terminal seats of the power supply side terminals 4 and the load side terminals 5, respectively. Further, exhaust passages 11 and 12 are formed inside the housing 1 in order to conduct the arc gas generated at the contact to the exhaust hole 9 on the power source side and the exhaust hole 10 on the load side. The shape of the exhaust holes 9 and 10 is arbitrary, and may be substantially rectangular or circular.

  In this embodiment, a substantially rectangular conduction hole 13 is formed in the vertical rising portion 4 a of the power supply side terminal 4, and the arc gas is exhausted from the power supply side exhaust hole 9 without being blocked by the power supply side terminal 4. It is like that. Further, since the width of the horizontal portion 4b is narrower than the width of the vertical rising portion 4a, a gap 7 is formed below the vertical rising portion 4a, and this gap 7 also serves as an arc gas flow path.

  Inside the exhaust hole 9 on the power source side and the exhaust hole 10 on the load side, foreign matter intrusion prevention ribs 15 and 17 that give asymmetric flow resistance to the flowing airflow are formed integrally with the casing 1. Has been. These foreign matter intrusion prevention ribs 15 and 17 are integrally formed so as to protrude inward from the bottom surface of the housing 1. Resistance to the flow of discharging the arc gas generated inside from the exhaust holes 9 and 10 to the outside is small, and resistance to air flowing from the outside to the inside of the housing 1 through the exhaust holes 9 and 10 can be given high resistance. As described above, the cross-sections of the foreign matter intrusion prevention ribs 15 and 17 are asymmetrical shapes between the inside and the outside, thereby realizing an asymmetric flow resistance inside and outside the flowing airflow.

  For this reason, it is preferable that the foreign matter intrusion prevention ribs 15 and 17 have a concave shape inside the housing 1, and in this embodiment, a V shape that opens outward. By adopting such a shape, the arc gas is quickly exhausted from the exhaust holes 9 and 10 through both sides of the foreign matter intrusion prevention ribs 15 and 17, but foreign matter intrusion from the outside is caused by the foreign matter intrusion prevention rib 15. , 17.

  As shown in FIG. 5, protrusions 20, 21, and 22 are provided on the rear surface of the housing 1 of the present embodiment to prevent and hold the AA phase loss protection lead wire 19 from dropping at the time of shipment. Is formed. Conventionally, the AA phase loss protection lead wires 19 are fixed to the back surface of the housing 1 with tape at the time of shipment. However, if configured as in the present embodiment, the AA phase loss phase protection lead wires 19 are connected to these. The protrusions 20, 21, and 22 can be held between the protrusions.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to improve the exhaust of arc gas generated at the time of circuit interruption while reducing the number of parts, and to prevent entry of foreign matter from the outside.

  Needless to say, the circuit breaker is not limited to the single-phase three-wire circuit breaker, and can be applied to various circuit breakers. Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the exhaust hole was provided in both the power supply side and the load side, it is good also as providing the exhaust hole only in either one. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the present invention can be applied to a one-point circuit breaker in which a movable contact is provided only at one end of the movable contact.

  Although the present invention has been described above in connection with the most practical and preferred embodiments at the present time, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed herein. However, the present invention can be appropriately changed without departing from the spirit or concept of the invention that can be read from the claims and the entire specification, and a circuit breaker with such a change should also be understood to be included in the technical scope. I must.

It is a longitudinal section showing a circuit breaker of an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows an internal structure. It is a horizontal sectional view of a case. It is a perspective view of a housing | casing. It is a rear view of a housing | casing. It is sectional drawing which shows a prior art.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Housing | casing 2 Tripping device 3 Movable contact 4 Power supply side terminal 4a Vertical rising part 4b Horizontal part 5 Load side terminal 6 Fixed member 7 Gap 8 Movable contact 8a Fixed contact 8b Fixed contact 9 Exhaust hole 10 on the power side Exhaust hole 11 Exhaust passage 12 Exhaust passage 13 Conductive hole 15 Foreign matter intrusion prevention rib 16 Crossbar 17 Foreign matter intrusion prevention rib 19 AA open phase protection lead wire 20 Protrusion 21 Protrusion 22 Protrusion 51 Exhaust hole 52 Dust barrier

Claims (4)

  A circuit breaker characterized in that a foreign substance intrusion prevention rib is formed integrally with the casing inside an arc gas exhaust hole formed in the casing of the circuit breaker.   2. The circuit breaker according to claim 1, wherein the foreign substance intrusion rib has an inner and outer asymmetric shape that gives an asymmetric flow resistance to the flowing airflow.   3. The circuit breaker according to claim 2, wherein the foreign matter intrusion prevention rib has a shape recessed into the inside of the housing.   4. The circuit breaker according to claim 3, wherein the foreign matter intrusion prevention rib is V-shaped.

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