JP2010225445A - Circuit breaker - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a circuit breaker for easily and safely carrying out connection and removal of an external connection line of a main circuit terminal, and further screwing work of terminal screws, even with the external connection line connected to an attachment terminal of an attachment circuit. <P>SOLUTION: The circuit breaker includes a switching mechanism 40 making a movable contactor 14 perform switching operation against a fixed contactor 23 loaded on an insulating case 1 with main circuit terminals 2, and an attachment terminal part 3 equipped with an attachment terminal 3c fitted above the main circuit terminal 2a. The switching mechanism 40 includes a protruded part 19a protruded to a side of the attachment terminal part 3, the attachment terminal part 3 gets free to move in a direction for the attachment terminal 3c to get away from the upper part of the main circuit terminal 2a, in case the movable contactor 14 is separated from the fixed contactor 23, and gets regulated by the protruded part 19a from movement in case the movable contactor 14 comes in contact with the fixed contactor 23. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a circuit breaker that cuts off a current flowing through an electric circuit, and more particularly to an external connection terminal structure that connects a circuit breaker and an external connection line.

  The conventional circuit breaker includes a terminal block provided on the same width end surface as the one-pole main circuit terminal of the circuit breaker case, and first and second terminals provided on the terminal block and connected to the microswitch of the attached circuit. And the third terminal, wherein the first and second terminals are arranged on a straight line extending perpendicularly to the width direction of the terminal block, and the first and second terminals are on a straight line parallel to the straight line of the terminal block. The third terminal is arranged in the middle.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-254036 (FIG. 1)

  However, in the conventional circuit breaker, in the state where the external connection line in which the crimp terminal is connected to the third terminal is connected, the connection and removal of the external connection line of the main circuit terminal below the third terminal and the terminal screw During work such as retightening, the external connection line connected to the third terminal is present above the main circuit terminal, which prevents the screwdriver tools from approaching the main circuit terminal, making the above work difficult. There has been a problem that the above operation of the main circuit terminals cannot be easily performed unless the external connection lines connected to the three terminals are once removed.

  The present invention provides a circuit breaker capable of easily and safely performing connection and removal of an external connection line of a main circuit terminal and retightening of a terminal screw even when the external connection line is connected to a terminal of an attached circuit. For the purpose.

  A circuit breaker according to the present invention includes an opening / closing mechanism for opening / closing a movable contact with respect to a fixed contact mounted on an insulating housing having a main circuit terminal, and an accessory having an attached terminal provided above the main circuit terminal. A terminal part is provided. The open / close mechanism has a protruding part protruding to the side of the attached terminal part, and the attached terminal part can be rotated in a direction in which the attached terminal is separated from above the main circuit terminal when the movable contact is separated from the fixed contact. Thus, the rotation was restricted by the protrusion when the movable contact contacted the fixed contact.

  In the circuit breaker according to the present invention, even when the external connection line is connected to the attached terminal of the attached circuit, the connection and removal of the external connection line of the main circuit terminal and the tightening operation of the terminal screw can be easily and safely performed. it can.

It is a perspective view of the circuit breaker in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a top view of the circuit breaker of FIG. It is a circuit diagram of the attached circuit in the circuit breaker of FIG. It is the disassembled perspective view which decomposed | disassembled some circuit breakers of FIG. It is an enlarged view of the attached terminal part in the circuit breaker of FIG. It is the front view which removed the base in the circuit breaker of FIG. It is AA sectional drawing at the time of the main circuit circuit opening in the circuit breaker of FIG. It is an enlarged view of the engaging part in the link of FIG. It is AA sectional drawing at the time of the main circuit closing in the circuit breaker of FIG. It is a figure explaining the open circuit of the main circuit in the circuit breaker of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the open state of the movable terminal part in the circuit breaker of FIG.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
1 is a perspective view of a circuit breaker according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a top view of the circuit breaker. In the circuit breaker 100, a main circuit terminal 2a, a main circuit terminal 2b, and an attached terminal portion 3 are arranged in an insulating housing 1 including a base 1a and a cover 1b. The attached terminal portion 3 is disposed above the main circuit terminal 2b. The attached terminal portion 3 includes a first terminal 3a, a second terminal 3b, and a third terminal 3c, which are three attached terminals. Each of the first terminal 3a, the second terminal 3b, and the third terminal 3c serves as a connection portion of a micro switch 3d (shown in FIG. 3) that constitutes an auxiliary circuit built in the insulating housing 1 as an auxiliary contact.

  FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of an attached circuit in the circuit breaker 100. The microswitch 3d that is electrically connected to the first terminal 3a, the second terminal 3b, and the third terminal 3c by a conductor or the like opens and closes in conjunction with the opening and closing of the main circuit from the main circuit terminal 2a to the main circuit terminal 2b. . When the main circuit is in the open state, the third terminal 3c and the second terminal 3b are closed, and when the main circuit is in the closed state, the third terminal 3c and the first terminal 3a are closed. By connecting external wiring to the first terminal 3a, the second terminal 3b, and the third terminal 3c, and detecting the conduction state between the terminals, the switching state of the main circuit of the circuit breaker 100 can be grasped. Note that the contact point of the micro switch 3d to which the third terminal 3c is connected is a contact point that is commonly used when the attached circuit is opened or closed, that is, a common contact point.

  FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view in which a part of the circuit breaker 100 is disassembled, and FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the attached terminal portion 3 in the circuit breaker 100. The attached terminal portion 3 includes a movable terminal portion 6, a fixed terminal portion 30, a terminal block 7, and a shaft pin 8. The movable terminal portion 6 includes a terminal block 9 and a third terminal 3 c including a terminal plate 10 and a terminal screw 11. The fixed terminal portion 30 includes a first terminal 3 a and a second terminal 3 b each having a terminal plate 10 and a terminal screw 11.

  The terminal block 7 has partition walls 7d, 7e, and 7f. The partition wall 7f separates the third terminal 3c from the first terminal 3a and the second terminal 3b. The terminal block 9 has a frame 9d on which the third terminal 3c is disposed and a back plate 9c. The terminal block 7 and the frame 9d of the terminal block 9 are respectively provided with shaft pin insertion through holes 7a and 9a that allow the movable terminal portion 6 to rotate with respect to the terminal block 7. Further, on the surface of the terminal block 9 that faces the partition walls 7 d and 7 f of the terminal block 7, the terminal block 9 is open with respect to the terminal block 7. Protrusions 9b are provided as locking portions for holding each closed state. Support holes 7b and 7c, which are locked portions that engage with the protrusions 9b, are provided on the surfaces of the terminal block 7 facing the terminal blocks 9 in the partition walls 7d and 7f.

  6 is a front view of the circuit breaker 100 with the base 1a removed, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the circuit breaker 100 of FIG. 6 when the main circuit is opened, and FIG. It is an enlarged view of a part. Inside the circuit breaker 100, there is a fixed contact 23 having a fixed contact 12 electrically connected to the main circuit terminal 2a, and a movable contact 13 opposed to the fixed contact 12 so that the fixed contact 12 can be contacted and separated. In addition, a movable contact 14 whose other end is electrically connected to the other main circuit terminal 2b and an opening / closing mechanism 40 for opening / closing the movable contact 14 with respect to the fixed contact 23 are disposed. The opening / closing mechanism 40 includes a link 16 connected to the arm 19 and the handle 15, and a latch 17 engaged with the link 16.

  The handle 15 rotates around the shaft 15a. A cylindrical body 22 is connected to the distal end portion of the link 16 connected to the handle 15 via the shaft 16b by the shaft 16a. The latch 17 is provided with a protruding portion 17c protruding in the direction of the attached terminal portion 3, and a flange portion 17b is formed at the tip of the protruding portion 17c. The latch 17 is connected to the arm 19 by a pulling spring (not shown) connected to the flange portion 17b, and the latch 17 receives a force that rotates the arm 19 around the arm pin 18 in the clockwise direction. . Due to this rotating force, the cylindrical body 22 of the link 16 is engaged with the engaging portion 17 a of the latch 17, and the shaft 16 a of the link 16 is in contact with the shoulder portion of the protruding portion 19 a of the arm 19. The link 16, the latch 17, and the arm 19 that are engaged in this way rotate together to open and close the movable contact 14 with respect to the fixed contact 23.

  Next, the operation of the circuit breaker 100 will be described. The attached terminal portion 3 is formed such that the movable terminal portion 6 can be rotated around the shaft pin 8 with respect to the terminal block 7, and the protrusion 9b of the terminal block 9 is fitted in the holes 7b and 7c of the terminal block. Thus, it is possible to maintain an open state, which is an open state where the movable terminal portion 6 is rotated, and a closed state, which is a closed state where the movable terminal portion 6 is not rotated.

  The third terminal 3c of the movable terminal 6 is connected to the common contact of the microswitch 3d as shown in FIG. In the case of using the micro switch 3d, the external wiring is connected to the third terminal 3c connected to the common contact regardless of whether the external wiring is connected to the three terminals or the external wiring is connected to the two terminals. Wiring will be connected. Therefore, by arranging the third terminal 3c to which the external wiring is always connected in the movable terminal portion 6, the movable terminal portion 6 can be minimized and lightest, and the strength of the terminal block 7 and the movable terminal portion 6 can be strengthened. Can be minimized.

  In FIG. 7, the operation of closing the main circuit of the circuit breaker 100 when the movable terminal 6 is in the closed state will be described. When the handle 15 is rotated about its axis 15a in the direction of arrow A (main circuit closing direction), the latch 17 and the arm 19 engaged with the tip of the link 16 rotate about the arm pin 18 in the direction of arrow B. . The movable contact 14 connected to the arm 19 rotates in the direction of arrow C, and the movable contact 13 contacts the fixed contact 12 as shown in FIG.

  9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the circuit breaker 100 of FIG. 6 when the main circuit is closed. The movable terminal portion 6 is fitted with the protrusion 9b of the terminal block 9 and the support hole 7c of the terminal block, and the movable terminal portion 6 is held in a closed state. It will be described that the movable terminal portion 6 cannot be opened in the main circuit closed state.

  A rotational force is applied to the movable terminal 6 so that the projection 9b of the terminal block 9 is removed from the hole 7c of the terminal block 7 in the direction of arrow D around the shaft pin 8. Since the protruding portion 19a of the arm 19 protruding in the direction of the attached terminal portion 3 is in contact with the back plate 9c of the terminal block 9, the arm 19 receives a force in the direction of arrow E around the arm pin 18, and the link 16 is It receives a force in the direction of F1 and tries to rotate in the direction of F2. However, the handle 15 is prevented from rotating by the handle restricting portion 21 of the cover 1b. Therefore, when the movable contact 13 is in contact with the fixed contact 12, the arm 19 cannot be rotated, and the movable terminal portion 6 cannot be shifted to the open state.

  The operation of changing the main circuit from the closed state to the open state when the movable terminal 6 is in the closed state will be described. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the opening of the main circuit in the circuit breaker 100 of FIG. When the handle 15 is rotated in the direction of the arrow G around the shaft 15a, the link 16 connected to the handle 15 is rotated in the direction of the arrow H around the connecting portion with the handle 15. Since the link 16 rotates in the direction of arrow I, the cylindrical body 22 disposed at the tip of the link 16 pushes the engaging portion 17a of the latch 17 and rotates in the direction of arrow I about the arm pin 18 as an axis. Similarly, the arm 19 that is attracted to each other by the latch 17 and the pulling spring (not shown) is also rotated in the direction of arrow E around the arm pin 18. The movable contact 14 rotates in the direction of the arrow J and is separated from the fixed contact 23 as shown in FIG.

  Next, the operation of the movable terminal portion 6 will be described. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing an open state of the movable terminal portion 6 in the circuit breaker 100 of FIG. In the main circuit open state shown in FIG. 7, if a rotational force is applied to the movable terminal 6 in the counterclockwise direction around the shaft pin 8, that is, the inner side of the circuit breaker 100, the terminal is supported from the support hole 7 c of the terminal block 7. The protrusion 9 b of the block 9 comes off and the movable terminal portion 6 rotates until the protrusion 9 b of the terminal block 9 is fitted in the support hole 7 b of the terminal block 7. As a result, the movable terminal portion 6 is opened as shown in FIG.

  When the movable terminal portion 6 is in the open state, as shown in FIG. 11, the contact surface of the terminal plate 10 of the third terminal 3c and the terminal screw 11 (see FIG. 4) is the terminal plate 26 of the main circuit terminal 2b and the terminal screw 25. Is not parallel to the surface in contact with each other, but is held in an appropriate angle with respect to the surface in contact with the terminal plate 26 of the main circuit terminal 2b and the terminal screw 25.

  In general, the external wiring connected to the first terminal 3a, the second terminal 3b, and the third terminal 3c in the main circuit terminal 2 and the attached terminal portion 3 reduces the contact resistance with each terminal and ensures a stable connection. In order to do so, a crimp terminal is connected. Since the surface of the third terminal 3c that contacts the terminal plate 10 and the terminal screw 11 is held at an appropriate angle with respect to the surface of the main circuit terminal 2b that contacts the terminal plate 26 and the terminal screw 25, the main circuit terminal 2b. A direction away from the external main circuit wiring (not shown) connected to the third terminal 3c of the movable terminal 6 via the crimp terminal and the external main circuit wiring (not shown) connected to the third terminal 3c of the movable terminal 6 via the crimp terminal. It will be in the state moved to. Therefore, the crimp terminal of the external auxiliary circuit wiring connected to the third terminal 3c does not cover the main circuit terminal 2b significantly or not when viewed from the upper surface of the circuit breaker 100. As a result, even when the external connection line is connected to the terminal 3c of the attached circuit, it is possible to easily connect and remove the external connection line of the main circuit terminal 2b and retighten the terminal screw.

  Next, a description will be given of a case in which the movable terminal portion 6 is to be closed from the open state when the main circuit is in the open circuit state. In FIG. 11, when the handle 15 is rotated about the shaft 15a in the direction of arrow A, the latch 17 and the arm 19 engage with the shaft 16a and the cylindrical body 22 at the tip of the link 16 and start to rotate. The 17 projecting portions 17 c come into contact with the back plate 9 c of the terminal block 9 and apply a rotational force in the direction of arrow L about the shaft pin 8 to the movable terminal portion 6.

  Here, the force required to remove the protrusion 9 b of the terminal block 9 from the support hole 7 b of the terminal block 7 is set to be larger than the force to disengage the latch 17 and the link 16. For this reason, the protrusion 9b of the terminal block 9 is not detached from the support hole 7b of the terminal block 7, and the latch 17 and the link 16 are disengaged. Even if the handle 15 continues to rotate around the axis 15a in the direction of arrow A (main circuit closing direction), the tip of the link 16 moves in the direction of arrow K, and the axis 16a of the link 16 is the protrusion of the arm 19. It only moves along the part 19a, and the arm 19 cannot be rotated. As a result, the movable contact 13 of the movable contact 14 cannot be brought into contact with the fixed contact 23 fixed contact 12.

  Therefore, when the movable terminal 6 is in the open state, even if the handle 15 is operated to close the main circuit, the link 16 cannot be disconnected from the latch 17 and the arm 19 to close the main circuit. Connection and removal of the external connection line of the main circuit terminal 2b and retightening of the terminal screw can be performed safely.

  As described above, according to the circuit breaker 100 in the first embodiment of the present invention, the movable contact 14 is opened / closed with respect to the fixed contact 23 attached to the insulating housing 1 having the main circuit terminals 2a and 2b. The opening / closing mechanism 40 has a protruding portion 19a protruding to the side of the attached terminal portion 3, and the attached terminal portion 3 is a terminal from above the main circuit terminal 2 when the movable contact 14 is separated from the fixed contact 23. When the movable contact 14 comes into contact with the fixed contact 23 and the rotation is restricted by the projection 19a, the external connection line is connected to the terminal 3c of the attached circuit. The connection and removal of the external connection line of the main circuit terminal 2a and the retightening operation of the terminal screw can be performed easily and safely.

  In addition, although the example in which only the third terminal 3c connected to the common contact of the micro switch 3d has been described in the movable terminal portion 6 of the attached terminal portion 3, a plurality of terminals may be disposed.

  Moreover, although the example in which the crimp terminal is attached to the external accessory circuit wiring connected to the third terminal 3c of the movable terminal portion 6 has been described, the effect of the present invention is achieved even when the crimp terminal is not attached. . In the conventional circuit breaker, even when the crimp terminal is not attached to the external accessory circuit wiring, the flexibility of the wiring fixed to the terminal is weak in the portion close to the terminal, and the wiring is the main circuit terminal 2. Therefore, operations such as connection and removal of the external connection lines of the main circuit terminals and retightening of the terminal screws are difficult. However, according to the circuit breaker 100 in the first embodiment of the present invention, even when the crimp terminal is not attached to the external accessory circuit wiring, the connection and disconnection of the external connection line of the main circuit terminal 2b, The work of tightening the terminal screw can be facilitated.

  The circuit breaker according to the present invention can be suitably applied to a circuit breaker having a main circuit terminal and an attached terminal connected to the attached circuit.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Insulation housing | casing 2a Main circuit terminal 2b Main circuit terminal 3 Attached terminal part 3c 3rd terminal 7 Terminal block 7b Support hole 7c Support hole 9 Terminal block 9b Protrusion 14 Movable contact 15 Handle 16 Link 17 Latch 17a Engagement part 17c Protrusion Part 19 arm 19a protrusion 23 fixed contact 40 opening / closing mechanism

Claims (5)

An insulating housing having a main circuit terminal; a fixed contact mounted on the insulating housing; a movable contact disposed opposite to the fixed contact; and the movable contact with respect to the fixed contact An opening and closing mechanism for opening and closing, and an attached terminal portion provided above the main circuit terminal and having an attached terminal,
The opening / closing mechanism has a protruding portion protruding to the side of the attached terminal portion,
When the movable contact is separated from the fixed contact, the attached terminal portion is rotatable in a direction in which the attached terminal is separated from above the main circuit terminal, and the movable contact is connected to the fixed contact. A circuit breaker characterized in that its rotation is restricted by the protrusion when it comes into contact. The attached terminal portion includes a terminal block in which the attached terminal is disposed, and a terminal block that rotatably holds the terminal block.
The terminal block has a locking portion;
The terminal block engages with the locking portion, and the attached terminal is located above the main circuit terminal and the attached terminal is located on the side farther from the main circuit terminal than the closed state. The circuit breaker according to claim 1, further comprising a locked portion that holds the open state. The opening / closing mechanism includes an arm having the protrusion, a link connected to a handle, and a latch engaged with the link.
The latch has a protruding portion protruding to the side of the attached terminal portion,
When the handle is operated in a direction in which the movable contact is in contact with the fixed contact when the attached terminal is in the open state, the link is configured so that the protrusion of the latch is the terminal block. 3. The circuit breaker according to claim 2, wherein the circuit breaker is disengaged from the latch by abutting against the latch.   The circuit breaker according to claim 3, wherein the latch has an engaging portion that engages with a side of the distal end portion of the link that is away from the attached terminal portion.   A switch that opens and closes in conjunction with the contact and separation of the movable contact and the fixed contact is disposed in the insulating casing, and the attached terminal is connected to a common contact of the switch. Item 5. The circuit breaker according to any one of Items 1 to 4.

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