JP2022039699A - Terminal block - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a terminal block that can prevent a wire retainer from falling from a wire connection.SOLUTION: A rib 13 extending in the vertical direction is projected on the surface of each insulating wall 6 on the side where the insulating walls 6 face each other, notches 12a capable of engaging with the rib 13 are provided on both left and right edges of a wire holder 12, due to tightening/loosening of a terminal screw 11, the wire retainer 12 can move up and down on a wire connection portion 5a while maintaining the engagement state between the ribs 13 and the notches 12a. Therefore, for example, even when a circuit breaker 1 is installed in a distribution board in the same posture as before, it is possible to reliably prevent the wire holder 12 from falling when the terminal screw 11 is loosened to obtain a circuit breaker 1 with good workability.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to, for example, a terminal block such as a circuit breaker provided with a terminal to which an electric wire is connected.

Conventionally, for example, a circuit breaker, which is an embodiment of a terminal block, is provided with a power supply side terminal and a load side terminal to which an electric wire is connected to the front part and the rear part of the main body case, and elements constituting these terminals. As a result, electric wire connection portions that open on the upper surface, front surface, and rear surface of the main body case are provided. Further, a terminal screw, an electric wire holder, or the like for bringing the terminal metal fittings constituting the terminal into close contact with the electric wire is attached to the electric wire connection portion (for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-342538

The circuit breaker as described above is often installed in a distribution board or the like with the upper surface of the main body case facing forward and the front or rear surface of the main body case facing upward or downward. That is, there is an electric wire connection portion that opens downward. Therefore, in the electric wire connecting portion that opens downward, for example, if the terminal screw is carelessly loosened when connecting the electric wire, the electric wire holder falls, which causes a problem of poor workability.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a terminal block capable of preventing the wire holder from falling from the wire connection portion.

In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, a set of insulating walls are erected on the front edge of the main body case at predetermined intervals in the left-right direction, and the insulating walls are opened upward and forward between the insulating walls. It is a terminal block provided with an electric wire connection portion, and a terminal screw that can be screwed downward and a plate-shaped electric wire retainer arranged under the terminal screw are attached to the electric wire connection portion. A rib extending in the vertical direction is provided on the opposite surface of each of the insulating walls, while a notch capable of engaging with the rib is provided on both left and right edges of the wire holder. The wire retainer can move up and down on the wire connection portion while maintaining the engaged state between the rib and the notch as the terminal screw is tightened / loosened.

According to the present invention, a rib extending in the vertical direction is provided on the opposite surface of each insulating wall, while a notch capable of engaging with the rib is provided on both left and right edges of the wire holder. By tightening / loosening the terminal screw, the wire retainer can move up and down on the wire connection portion while maintaining the engaged state between the rib and the notch. Therefore, for example, even if the circuit breaker is installed in the distribution board in the same posture as before (that is, the terminal block is installed in a posture in which the front surface faces downward), the wire is held down when the terminal screw is loosened. It is possible to surely prevent the situation where the screw is dropped, and it is possible to make the terminal block with good workability.

It is a perspective explanatory drawing which showed the circuit breaker. It is explanatory drawing which showed the circuit breaker from the top surface side. It is explanatory drawing which showed the electric wire connection part enlarged from the upper surface side. It is explanatory drawing which enlarged and showed the electric wire connection part in the state which the terminal screw and the electric wire holder are removed from the upper surface side. It is a perspective explanatory view which showed the electric wire connection part in the state of FIG. 4 in an enlarged manner. It is a perspective explanatory view which showed the electric wire holding.

Hereinafter, the circuit breaker according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective explanatory view showing the circuit breaker 1. FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing the circuit breaker 1 from the upper surface side. FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing the electric wire connecting portion 5a enlarged from the upper surface side. FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing an enlarged wire connection portion 5a in a state where the terminal screw 11 and the wire holder 12 are removed from the upper surface side. FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective explanatory view showing the electric wire connecting portion 5a in the state of FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a perspective explanatory view showing the electric wire holder 12.

The circuit breaker 1 has a main body case made of synthetic resin in which a cover member 3 is assembled on a base 2, a power supply side terminal 5 at the front end of the main body case, and a load side terminal at the rear end. (Not shown) are provided respectively. The load side terminal and the power supply side terminal 5 have three electric wire connection portions 5a to 5c (the electric wire connection portions of the load side terminals are not shown) provided side by side in the left-right direction. Further, on the left and right sides of each wire connection portion 5a to 5c, insulating walls 6 and 6 projecting upward in order to insulate the wire connection portions of the circuit breaker which will be installed between the wire connection portions or next to each other.・ ・ Each is provided. Therefore, each electric wire connection portion 5a to 5c is open upward and forward (or rearward) with respect to the main body case.

Further, in the main body case, a rear electric circuit extending forward from the load side terminal (not shown), an anterior electric circuit extending rearward from the power supply side terminal 5 (not shown), and an anterior electric circuit and a rear electric circuit are connected / A movable contact member (not shown) for shutting off, a breaking mechanism portion (not shown) for operating the movable contact member in a direction of shutting off the electric circuit, and the like are provided. Further, on the upper surface of the main body case, at a position between the load side terminal and the power supply side terminal 5, a handle for turning on / off the electric path by operating the movable contact member via the cutoff mechanism portion. 4 is provided. Reference numeral 7 is a terminal cover that is appropriately attached to the circuit breaker 1 and covers the load side terminal and the power supply side terminal 5.

Here, the electric wire connecting portion 5a, which is a main part of the present invention, will be described in detail. Although only the electric wire connecting portion 5a will be described here, the other electric wire connecting portions 5b and 5c are similarly configured.
A terminal screw 11 that can be screwed downward and a wire holder 12 that is arranged under the terminal screw 11 and presses the electric wire toward the terminal fitting side as the terminal screw 11 is screwed are attached to the electric wire connection portion 5a. .. The electric wire retainer 12 is a metal plate having a rectangular top view as in the conventional case, but cutouts 12a and 12a are provided on both left and right edges thereof. On the other hand, the inner surface of the set of insulating walls 6 and 6 standing on the left and right sides of the electric wire connecting portion 5a (the surface on the side where the insulating walls 6 and 6 face each other) protrudes above the electric wire connecting portion 5a. The rib 13 is extended in the vertical direction. The lower end of the rib 13 is located above the lower end of the insulating wall 6 by the same degree as the thickness of the wire holder 12.

In the wire connecting portion 5a as described above, the wire retainer 12 is in a state where the ribs 13 and 13 are engaged with the notches 12a and 12a (the ribs 13 and 13 are positioned in the notches 12a and 12a). It is arranged. Then, when the terminal screw 11 is tightened / loosened when attaching / detaching the electric wire to / from the electric wire connecting portion 5a, the electric wire holding portion 12 keeps the engagement state between the ribs 13 and 13 and the notches 12a and 12a, and the electric wire connecting portion 5a. It moves up and down (for example, when the terminal screw 11 is tightened, it moves downward on the wire connection portion 5a, and when the terminal screw 11 is loosened, it moves upward on the wire connection portion 5a, etc.). There is.

According to the circuit breaker 1 configured as described above, the rib 13 extending in the vertical direction is projected on the surface of each insulating wall 6 on the side where the insulating walls 6 and 6 face each other, while the electric wire holder 12 is used. Notches 12a and 12a that can be engaged with the ribs 13 are provided on both left and right edges, and as the terminal screw 11 is tightened / loosened, the wire retainer 12 engages the ribs 13 and 13 with the notches 12a and 12a. It is possible to move up and down on the electric wire connection portion 5a while maintaining the state. Therefore, for example, even if the circuit breaker 1 is installed in the distribution board in the same posture as before, it is possible to reliably prevent the wire holding 12 from falling when the terminal screw 11 is loosened. It can be made into a circuit breaker 1 having good workability.

Further, since the lower end of each rib 13 is positioned above the lower end of the insulating wall 6 to some extent, when the electric wire pressed against the electric wire connection portion 5a is expanded by the electric wire holder 12, the deformation of the rib 13 is. It is not hindered by 13. Therefore, the electric wire can be reliably connected at the electric wire connecting portion 5a.

The configuration of the terminal block of the present invention is not limited to that of the above embodiment, and the overall structure of the terminal block as well as the configuration of preventing the wire holder from falling is also the present invention. It can be changed as necessary within the range that does not deviate from the purpose.

For example, in the above embodiment, the notch is provided particularly on the left and right side edges of the electric wire holder, but the same notch may be provided on both the front and rear edges. Since most of the wire holders are square when viewed from the top, by providing notches on both the front and rear edges, the wire holders can be used without worrying about the front, back, left and right directions, further improving workability. It can be a high terminal block.
Further, in the above embodiment, the circuit breaker which is an embodiment of the terminal block is described, but the present invention includes a switching switch, a terminal block having terminals only on the front edge of the main body case, and the like. Other terminal blocks can also be suitably adopted. In the above embodiment, three electric wire connecting portions are provided at the terminals, but it goes without saying that the number of electric wire connecting portions provided at each terminal can be appropriately changed in design.

1 ・ ・ Circuit breaker (terminal block), 2 ・ ・ Base (main body case), 3 ・ ・ Cover member (main body case), 5 ・ ・ Power supply side terminal, 5a, 5b, 5c ・ ・ Wire connection part, 6・ ・ Insulation wall, 11 ・ ・ Terminal screw, 12 ・ ・ Wire holder, 12a ・ ・ Notch, 13 ・ ・ Rib.

Claims (1)

A set of insulating walls are erected on the leading edge of the main body case at predetermined intervals in the left-right direction, and an electric wire connecting portion that opens upward and forward is provided between the insulating walls, and the electric wire is provided. A terminal block in which a terminal screw that can be screwed downward and a plate-shaped electric wire holder arranged under the terminal screw are attached to the connection portion.
A rib extending in the vertical direction is provided on the opposite surface of each of the insulating walls, while a notch capable of engaging with the rib is provided on both left and right edges of the wire holder.
The terminal block is characterized in that the wire holder can move up and down on the wire connection portion while maintaining the engaged state between the rib and the notch as the terminal screw is tightened / loosened. ..

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