JP2023069547A - Circuit breaker and distribution board - Google Patents

Abstract

To improve noise resistance of an abnormality detection device.SOLUTION: A circuit breaker A1 comprises: a main contact point (fixing contact points 20A and 20B, and movable contacts 21A and 21B); a switch mechanism 4 that switches the main contact point; a second leaning-out device 6 that automatically opens the main contact point by releasing the switch mechanism 4; an abnormality detection device 7; and a device body 1. The abnormality detection device 7 controls the leaning-out device so as to automatically open the main contact when it is detected that an abnormality occurs in a wiring to which the main contact point is electrically connected. The abnormality detection device 7 includes three or more circuit boards containing a first circuit board 71 for a control, a second circuit board 72 for supplying a power; and a third circuit board 73. In the device body 1, the three or more circuit boards are housed in the side opposite to the main contact point to the switch mechanism 4. The first circuit board 71 is separated from the main contact point from the first circuit board 71 and the third circuit board 73 without the first circuit board 71.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a circuit breaker and a distribution board, and more particularly to a circuit breaker having a circuit board housed in a case and a distribution board having the circuit breaker as an internal device.

As a conventional example, a circuit breaker for wiring described in Patent Document 1 is exemplified. A circuit breaker for wiring described in Patent Document 1 (hereinafter referred to as conventional example) includes a fixed contact and a movable contact, a mechanism portion for moving the movable contact so as to contact and separate from the fixed contact, It has a tripping mechanism, a measurement main board for measuring the load current, and a current alarm output section. The current alarm output unit outputs an alarm when the load current measured by the main board for measurement increases.

Further, the conventional example includes a housing having a power supply side terminal electrically connected to a power supply provided at one end and a load side terminal provided at the other end to accommodate the above components.

Furthermore, in the conventional example, a mechanical unit is provided in the center of the housing, a relay board that constitutes a current alarm output unit is arranged between the mechanical unit and the power supply side terminals, and a measurement is performed between the mechanical unit and the load side terminals. The main board for is arranged.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-288100

By the way, in the conventional example, two boards (abnormality detection device), the main board for measurement and the board for relay, are arranged at both ends of the housing with the mechanical section and the contact section (fixed contactor and movable contactor) interposed therebetween. be. Therefore, wiring for electrically connecting the measurement main substrate and the relay substrate is arranged near the contact portion. As a result, in the conventional example, there is a problem that noise is superimposed on the wiring as the contact portion is opened and closed, resulting in deterioration of noise resistance.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a circuit breaker and a distribution board that can improve the noise resistance of an abnormality detection device.

A circuit breaker according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes one or more main contacts, an opening/closing mechanism that opens and closes the main contacts, a tripping device that automatically opens the main contacts by releasing the opening/closing mechanism, and an abnormality detection. A device and a vessel are provided. The abnormality detection device controls the tripping device so as to automatically open the main contacts when it detects that there is an abnormality in the wiring electrically connected to the main contacts. The housing accommodates the main contact, the opening/closing mechanism, the tripping device, and the abnormality detection device. The abnormality detection device has three or more circuit boards including a first circuit board for control, a second circuit board for power feeding, and a third circuit board. In the housing body, the three or more circuit boards are accommodated on the side opposite to the main contacts with respect to the opening/closing mechanism. The first circuit board is further away from the main contacts than the plurality of circuit boards other than the first circuit board.

A distribution board according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a main switch, a plurality of branch switches, and a cabinet that houses the main switch and the plurality of branch switches. At least one of the main switch and the plurality of branch switches is the circuit breaker.

The circuit breaker and distribution board of the present disclosure have the effect of improving the noise resistance of the abnormality detection device.

1 is a perspective view of a circuit breaker according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the same circuit breaker. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the same circuit breaker in the closed state, with the cover omitted. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the main part of the circuit breaker with the cover omitted in the closed state. FIG. 5 is a plan view, omitting the body, of the circuit breaker in the closed state. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the essential parts of the circuit breaker in the closed state, with the body omitted. FIG. 7 is a plan view of the same circuit breaker in an open state, with the cover omitted. FIG. 8 is a plan view of the same circuit breaker in an open state, with the body omitted. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a second tripping device in the same circuit breaker. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the second tripping device same as the above. FIG. 11 is a circuit block diagram of an abnormality detection device in the same circuit breaker. FIG. 12 is a front view of a distribution board according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Hereinafter, circuit breakers and distribution boards according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, each drawing described in the following embodiments is a schematic drawing, and the ratio of the size and thickness of each component does not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratio. Note that the configurations described in the following embodiments are merely examples of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments, and various modifications can be made according to design and the like as long as the effects of the present disclosure can be achieved.

(1) Overview The circuit breaker A1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure includes one or more main contacts, a switching mechanism 4 that opens and closes the main contacts, and a tripping device that releases the switching mechanism 4 and automatically opens the main contacts. , an abnormality detection device 7, and a vessel 1 (see FIG. 2).

The main contacts have fixed contacts 20A, 20B and movable contacts 21A, 21B. The movable contacts 21A, 21B contact the fixed contacts 20A, 20B in a separable manner. The opening/closing mechanism 4 moves the movable contacts 21A and 21B from the open position (the position where a prescribed spatial distance is secured from the fixed contacts 20A and 20B: see FIGS. 7 and 8) to the closed position (contact with the fixed contacts 20A and 20B). 3 and 5), and from the closed position to the open position.

The abnormality detection device 7 controls the tripping device to automatically open the main contacts when it detects that there is an abnormality in the wiring to which the main contacts are electrically connected. The abnormality detection device 7 has three or more circuit boards including a first circuit board 71 for control, a second circuit board 72 for power supply, and a third circuit board 73 .

The abnormality detection device 7 is configured to detect that there is an abnormality in the wiring, for example, an abnormality such as an electrical leakage fault, a neutral line open-phase fault, or an arc fault. An earth leakage failure is a state in which an earth leakage current exceeding a specified value flows from wiring to the ground due to poor insulation or the like. In addition, a neutral line open-phase failure is a single-phase three-wire circuit in which the neutral line is open for some reason, and a 100V load device connected between the voltage side line and the neutral line is applied.

An “arc failure” in the present disclosure may occur due to an abnormality such as insulation deterioration or partial disconnection of the insulation in the covered wire used for wiring. A “half-broken wire” as used in the present disclosure means a state in which the conductor of the wiring is partially broken. For example, if the conductor is a stranded wire, The wire at the part is broken. An arc failure may include, for example, arc discharge (so-called parallel arc discharge) occurring due to short-circuiting of a pair of conductors when wiring is composed of two cores of covered wires. Another example of an arc fault is when the wiring is composed of two coated wires, one of the pair of conductors is partially broken, causing an arc discharge (so-called series arc discharge). can include doing The magnitude of the current flowing through the wiring due to the parallel arc discharge is about several tens to several hundreds of amperes, while the magnitude of the current flowing through the wiring due to the series arc discharge is about several amperes to 30 amperes.

The abnormality detection device 7 includes a circuit for detecting wiring abnormalities (for example, an arc fault), a circuit for controlling the tripping device, a power supply circuit for supplying power to these circuits, and the like. It has one or more circuit boards (first circuit board 71, second circuit board 72, third circuit board 73).

The housing 1 accommodates the main contacts, the switching mechanism 4, the tripping device, and the abnormality detection device 7. As shown in FIG. Three or more circuit boards are accommodated in the housing 1 on the side opposite to the main contacts with respect to the switching mechanism 4 . The first circuit board 71 is farther from the main contacts than the plurality of circuit boards (the second circuit board 72 and the third circuit board 73) other than the first circuit board 71. As shown in FIG.

Thus, in the circuit breaker A1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, among the plurality of circuit boards of the abnormality detection device 7, the first circuit board 71 for control, which is most susceptible to noise, is replaced by the second circuit board 72. and further away from the main contacts than the third circuit board 73 . As a result, the circuit breaker A<b>1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can improve the noise resistance of the abnormality detection device 7 .

In addition, as shown in FIG. 12, the distribution board B1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure accommodates a main switch B10, a plurality of branch switches B11, the main switch B10, and a plurality of branch switches B11. A cabinet B12 is provided. At least one of the main switch B10 and the plurality of branch switches B11 is the circuit breaker A1 according to the embodiment.

The distribution board B1 according to the embodiment is, for example, a residential distribution board (abbreviated as residential board) that is mainly used as a lead-in device such as a house in a single-phase three-wire 100/200 V electric circuit of 50 Hz or 60 Hz AC. may be used.). However, the distribution board of the present disclosure is not limited to a residential distribution board.

The cabinet B12 is formed in a rectangular box shape from a synthetic resin material having electrical insulation. The cabinet B12 is installed, for example, on the wall inside the house. A main switch B10 is housed at one lateral end (left end) of the cabinet B12. In addition, in the cabinet B12, a plurality of branch switches B11 are housed in two upper and lower stages next to (on the right side of) the main switch B10. The main switch B10 and the plurality of branch switches B11 are electrically connected via a plurality of busbars. The plurality of busbars are composed of strip-shaped conductors (sometimes called conductive bars). The multiple busbars are divided into two busbars (conducting bars of voltage sidelines) corresponding to the two voltage side wires of the single-phase three-wire circuit and one busbar corresponding to one neutral wire of the single-phase three-wire circuit ( conductive bar of the neutral conductor) and Among the plurality of branch switches B11, the branch switch B11 for branching the 100V branch circuit from the bus is electrically connected to the conductive bar of one voltage side line and the conductive bar of the neutral line. Also, among the plurality of branch switches B11, the branch switch B11 that branches the 200V branch circuit from the bus is electrically connected to the conductive bars of the two voltage side lines.

(2) Details Hereinafter, the circuit breaker A1 according to the embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11. FIG.

A circuit breaker A1 (hereinafter abbreviated as circuit breaker A1) according to the embodiment includes a body 1, a contact portion 2, a first terminal portion 3A, a second terminal portion 3B, an opening/closing mechanism 4, and a first tripping device. 5, a second tripping device 6, and an abnormality detection device 7. In the following description, the up/down, front/rear, and left/right directions indicated by arrows in FIG. 1 are defined as the up/down, front/rear, and left/right directions of the circuit breaker A1. However, the top, bottom, front, back, and left and right directions of the circuit breaker A1 are defined for convenience of explanation, and are not meant to limit the directions when the circuit breaker A1 is actually used.

(2-1) Body The body 1 as a whole is formed in the shape of a box whose thickness dimension in the front-rear direction is sufficiently smaller than the height dimension in the vertical direction and the width dimension in the left-right direction. The container 1 has a synthetic resin body 10 forming the rear half of the container 1 and a synthetic resin cover 11 forming the front half of the container 1 (FIGS. 1 and 2). reference). That is, the body 1 is formed by coupling the body 10 and the cover 11 in the front-rear direction.

A first terminal portion 3</b>A is accommodated in the left end portion inside the housing 1 . Further, the second terminal portion 3B is accommodated in the right end portion inside the body 1. As shown in FIG. Then, in the housing 1, between the left end portion where the first terminal portion 3A is accommodated and the right end portion where the second terminal portion 3B is accommodated, the contact portion 2, the opening/closing mechanism 4, and the first tripping device 5 are arranged. , the second tripping device 6, and the abnormality detection device 7 (see FIGS. 2 to 5).

The upper portion of the left side surface of the housing 1 is open to expose a portion of the first terminal portion 3A (see FIG. 2). At the right end of the body 1 are provided three insertion openings 12A, 12B, and 12C that are open to the right side, the front, and the rear of the body 1 (see FIG. 1). These three receptacles 12A, 12B, and 12C are arranged at regular intervals in the vertical direction at the right end of the body 1 .

In addition, a rectangular window 13 is opened at substantially the center in the left-right direction on the upper surface of the body 1 (see FIG. 2). Inside this window 13, a handle 40 of an opening/closing mechanism 4, which will be described later, is arranged so as to be rotatable with respect to the body 1. As shown in FIG.

Further, a circular first hole 14A and a rectangular second hole 14B are provided so as to line up in the front-rear direction at a place right next to the window 13 on the upper surface of the body 1 (see FIG. 2). A circular third hole 14C is provided at the right end of the upper surface of the body 1 . These three holes (the first hole 14A, the second hole 14B, and the third hole 14C) all pass through the upper surface of the container 1 and communicate with the inside of the container 1. As shown in FIG.

(2-2) Contact Portion The contact portion 2 has two sets of main contacts and two movable contacts 22A and 22B. One set of main contacts has a fixed contact 20A and a movable contact 21A (see FIG. 5), and the other set of main contacts has a fixed contact 20B and a movable contact 21B (see FIG. 3). One movable contact 21A is fixed to the tip of one movable contact 22A, and the other movable contact 21B is fixed to the tip of the other movable contact 22B.

One movable contact 22A is formed in a belt shape from a metal material. The other movable contactor 22B is formed by bending both longitudinal ends of a strip made of a metal material in opposite directions along the thickness direction (vertical direction) of the strip (see FIGS. 3 and 7). ). The thickness of the strip forming the movable contact 22B is smaller than the thickness of the strip forming the movable contact 22A.

One fixed contact 20A is provided at an end portion of a first terminal plate 31A of a first terminal portion 3A, which will be described later. The other fixed contact 20B is provided at the end of a second terminal plate 32A of a first terminal portion 3A, which will be described later. These two fixed contacts 20A and 20B are accommodated in the body 1 so as to be adjacent to each other along the front-rear direction (see FIG. 5).

(2-3) First Terminal Section The first terminal section 3A has a partition member 30A, a first terminal plate 31A, a second terminal plate 32A, two lock springs 33A, and two release levers 34A.

The partition member 30A is made of an electrically insulating synthetic resin material and housed at the left end inside the vessel 1 . The left end inside the vessel 1 is partitioned into a front storage space and a rear storage space by a partition member 30A.

The first terminal plate 31A is housed in the rear housing space. A fixed contact 20A is provided at the end of the first terminal plate 31A. The second terminal plate 32A is housed in the forward housing space. A fixed contact 20B is provided at the end of the second terminal plate 32A. However, the end of the second terminal plate 32A is arranged outside the front housing space.

The first terminal plate 31A constitutes a screwless terminal together with one lock spring 33A and one release lever 34A. Similarly, the second terminal plate 32A constitutes a screwless terminal together with another lock spring 33A and another release lever 34A.

The two screwless terminals of the first terminal portion 3A are electrically and mechanically connected to the conductors inserted into the two insertion holes 300A provided in the partition member 30A, respectively, and the respective release levers 34A are operated. The electrical and mechanical connection with the conductor can be released in the

(2-4) Second Terminal Portion The second terminal portion 3B has a first blade receiving spring 31B, a second blade receiving spring 32B, and a slide member 33B (see FIGS. 3 and 5). Both the first blade receiving spring 31B and the second blade receiving spring 32B are formed into a shape similar to the Greek letter "Ω (omega)" by bending a strip-shaped metal plate material.

The first blade receiving spring 31B is housed in the lower part of the right end inside the body 1 . The first blade receiving spring 31B is electrically connected to a conductor (a conductive bar of one voltage pole of the distribution board B1) that is inserted into the lowest insertion port 12C of the housing 1 .

The second blade receiving spring 32B is held by the holding portion 330B of the slide member 33B. The slide member 33B has a strip-shaped projection 331B projecting downward from the rear end of the holding portion 330B, and a cylindrical projection 332B projecting upward from the upper surface of the holding portion 330B. Note that the holding portion 330B, the protrusion 331B, and the protrusion 332B are integrally formed as an electrically insulating synthetic resin molding.

The slide member 33B is housed in the right end of the body 1 so as to be vertically movable. Specifically, the slide member 33B is positioned at a position (first position) where the second blade receiving spring 32B held by the holding portion 330B faces the uppermost insertion opening 12A of the container 1, and at a middle position of the container 1. and a position facing the receptacle 12B (second position). At the first position, the protrusion 332B of the slide member 33B is inserted into the third hole 14C of the body 1, and at the second position, the protrusion 332B of the slide member 33B is inserted into the third hole 14C of the body 1. located below. Therefore, based on the relative positional relationship between the third hole 14C and the protrusion 332B, it is possible to indicate whether the second blade receiving spring 32B is in the first position or the second position.

When the second blade receiving spring 32B is at the first position, it is electrically connected to the conductor (the neutral electrode conductive bar of the distribution board B1) inserted into the uppermost insertion port 12A of the body 1. . In addition, when the second blade receiving spring 32B is in the second position, it is electrically connected to the conductor (the conductive bar of the other voltage pole of the distribution board B1) inserted into the insertion port 12B in the middle of the case 1. Connected.

(2-5) Opening and Closing Mechanism The opening and closing mechanism 4 opens and closes two main contacts (fixed contact 20A and movable contact 21A, and fixed contact 20B and movable contact 21B) by driving movable contacts 22A and 22B. configured to

The opening/closing mechanism 4 has a handle 40, a crossbar 41, a lever 42, a link 43, a tripping plate 44, an interlocking plate 45, and a plurality of springs (see FIGS. 2-6).

The handle 40 has a handle body 400 , an operation piece 401 and a pair of rotating shafts 402 . The handle body 400 is generally cylindrical. The operating piece 401 is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape and protrudes tangentially from the outer peripheral surface of the handle body 400 . The pair of rotating shafts 402 protrude in the front-rear direction from both front and rear end surfaces of the handle body 400 . The handle body 400, the operation piece 401, and the pair of rotating shafts 402 are integrally formed as a synthetic resin molding.

The handle 40 is rotatably held with respect to the body 1 by inserting a pair of rotating shafts 402 one by one into shaft holes provided on the inner surfaces of the body 10 and the cover 11 . The operation piece 401 is arranged inside the window 13 provided on the upper surface of the body 1 . Further, the handle 40 is urged by the first spring 47A in a direction to move the operating piece 401 away from the window 13 (see FIG. 6).

The link 43 is formed in a U shape from a bar-shaped metal material. One end of the link 43 is inserted into a bearing hole 403 provided in the lower portion of the handle body 400 (see FIGS. 2-4).

The lever 42 has a lever body 420 and a pair of bearing pieces 421 . The lever main body 420 is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape. Each of the pair of bearing pieces 421 is U-shaped and protrudes downward from both front and rear ends of the center of the lever body 420 in the longitudinal direction. The lever 42 is connected to the handle 40 via the link 43 by inserting the other end of the link 43 into the pair of bearing pieces 421 .

The crossbar 41 is formed approximately in the shape of a triangular prism. The crossbar 41 has a pair of rotating shafts 410 projecting from both front and rear sides (see FIG. 6). The crossbar 41 is rotatably held with respect to the body 1 by inserting a pair of rotating shafts 410 one by one into bearing holes provided on the inner surfaces of the body 10 and the cover 11 respectively. . In addition, a spring accommodating portion 411 and a first holding groove 412 are provided in the central portion of the rear side (body 10 side) side surface of the crossbar 41 (see FIG. 6). In addition, the first holding groove 412 is connected to the spring accommodating portion 411 . Further, a second holding groove 413 is provided in the lower part of the side surface on the front side (cover 11 side) of the crossbar 41 (see FIG. 4).

The crossbar 41 holds the movable contact 22A inserted into the first holding groove 412 and holds the movable contact 22B inserted into the second holding groove 413. As shown in FIG. Further, the movable contact 22A is biased upward by receiving the spring force of the coil spring (second spring 47B) housed in the spring housing portion 411 . The second spring 47B applies contact pressure to the fixed contact 20A to the movable contact 21A via the movable contact 22A.

Further, the crossbar 41 rotates the movable contacts 21A and 21B to the fixed contacts 20A and 20B by the spring force of a coil spring (third spring 47C) housed in a compressed state at the lower portion of the center in the left-right direction inside the body 1 . A rotational force is applied in the direction of pulling away from.

The tripping plate 44 has a shaft portion 440, a latch portion 441, a first leg portion 442, and a second leg portion 443 (see FIGS. 4 and 6). The shaft portion 440, the latch portion 441, the first leg portion 442, and the second leg portion 443 are integrally formed as a synthetic resin molding.

Axial portion 440 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The latch portion 441 is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape and protrudes upward from the shaft portion 440 . An upper end of the latch portion 441 is provided with a hook portion 444 that can hook the right end portion of the lever body 420 . The first leg portion 442 is L-shaped and protrudes downward from the lower rear portion of the shaft portion 440 . The second leg portion 443 is L-shaped and protrudes downward from the front portion of the lower portion of the shaft portion 440 .

The tripping plate 44 is rotatably held with respect to the body 1 by inserting both ends of the shaft portion 440 one by one into bearing holes provided on the inner surfaces of the body 10 and the cover 11 respectively. be.

The interlocking plate 45 is formed in an L shape. A shaft hole is provided in a corner portion of the interlocking plate 45 . The interlocking plate 45 is rotatably supported by the partition member 54 by inserting a shaft provided in the partition member 54 of the first tripping device 5 (to be described later) into a shaft hole. A projection 451 is provided on the upper portion of the interlocking plate 45 so as to face the lower end of the bimetal 50B of the first tripping device 5 (see FIG. 4).

(2-6) First tripping device The first tripping device 5 monitors the load current flowing through each of the two main contacts, and opens and closes when an overload current flows through one of the main contacts for a predetermined time or more. It is arranged to release the mechanism 4 to automatically open the two main contacts.

The first tripping device 5 includes two bimetals 50A and 50B, two conductive plates 51A and 51B, two adjusting plates 52A and 52B, two adjusting screws 53A and 53B, one partition member 54, have.

The two bimetals 50A and 50B are L-shaped and fixed at their upper ends to the right ends of the lower surfaces of the two adjusting plates 52A and 52B. Each of the two adjustment plates 52A and 52B is formed in a rectangular shape by a thin metal plate. The left ends of the two adjustment plates 52A and 52B are fixed one by one to the left ends of the lower surfaces of the two conductive plates 51A and 51B. Each of the two conductive plates 51A and 51B is formed in a rectangular shape by a metal plate sufficiently thicker than the two adjustment plates 52A and 52B. That is, the two adjustment plates 52A and 52B can be vertically displaced around the left ends fixed to the two conductive plates 51A and 51B as fulcrums.

A screw hole is provided at the right end of each of the two conductive plates 51A and 51B. One adjustment screw 53A, 53B is screwed into each screw hole. The lower ends of the two adjusting screws 53A, 53B are in contact with the right ends of the two adjusting plates 52A, 52B. That is, the amount of displacement of the two adjustment plates 52A and 52B relative to the two conductive plates 51A and 51B (the two bimetals 50A , 50B) are adjustable.

The two conductive plates 51A and 51B are each held by a partition member 54 made of an electrically insulating synthetic resin molding. The partition member 54 has a flat partition wall 540 and peripheral walls 541 that protrude from the periphery of the partition wall 540 to both sides of the partition wall 540 along the thickness direction (front-rear direction) of the partition wall 540 . The partition member 54 accommodates the bimetal 50A, the conductive plate 51A, and the adjustment plate 52A in a first recess 542 surrounded by the rear surface of the partition 540 and the peripheral wall 541. As shown in FIG. Moreover, the partition member 54 accommodates the bimetal 50B, the conductive plate 51B, and the adjustment plate 52B in the second recess 543 surrounded by the front surface of the partition 540 and the peripheral wall 541 . A shaft to be inserted into the shaft hole of the interlocking plate 45 protrudes forward from the lower portion of the front surface of the partition wall 540 .

Here, the upper end portion of one bimetal 50A is electrically connected to the first blade receiving spring 31B of the second terminal portion 3B via a first conductor 34B made of a braided wire (see FIG. 6). Also, the intermediate portion of the bimetal 50A is electrically connected to the right end portion of the movable contact 22A via the braided wire 23A (see FIG. 6). The upper end portion of the other bimetal 50B is electrically connected to the second blade receiving spring 32B of the second terminal portion 3B via a second conductor 35B made of a braided wire (see FIG. 3). An intermediate portion of the bimetal 50B is electrically connected via a braided wire 23B to a first projecting piece 661 (described later) of the conductor plate 66 connected to the movable contact 22B (see FIG. 4). .

When an overload current flows through one of the bimetals 50A for a predetermined period of time or longer, the tripping plate 44 rotates counterclockwise by being pushed by the bimetal 50A, which is displaced due to the temperature rise caused by the overload current (see FIG. 6). , the latch of the lever 42 by the tripping plate 44 is released. As a result, the switching mechanism 4 is released and the two main contacts are automatically opened. When an overload current flows through the other bimetal 50B for a predetermined period of time or more, the bimetal 50B displaced by the temperature rise caused by the overload current rotates the interlocking plate 45 counterclockwise (see FIG. 4), and the interlocking plate 45 rotates. The latch of the lever 42 by the tripping plate 44 is released. As a result, the switching mechanism 4 is released and the two main contacts are automatically opened.

(2-7) Second tripping device The second tripping device 6 operates when a short-circuit current flows through one of the main contacts (fixed contact 20B, movable contact 21B) and when controlled by the abnormality detection device 7. It is configured to automatically open the two main contacts by releasing the opening/closing mechanism 4 .

The second tripping device 6 has a fixed core 60, a movable core 61, a coil bobbin 62, a coil 63, a spring member 64, a pair of terminal pins 65, and a conductor plate 66 (see FIGS. 9 and 10).

The stationary core 60 has a square main piece 600 and a pair of side pieces 601 projecting downward from both ends of the main piece 600, and is formed in a U shape from a magnetic material such as a silicon steel plate. . One concave portion 602 is provided at each end of the upper surface of the main piece 600 .

The movable iron core 61 is made of the same magnetic material as the fixed iron core 60 and is formed into a rectangular flat plate shape. Two protrusions 610 are provided on the upper surface of the movable iron core 61 .

The spring member 64 has a central piece 640 , a pair of side pieces 641 and a connecting piece 642 . However, the central piece 640, the pair of side pieces 641, and the connecting piece 642 are integrally formed by bending a thin metal plate.

The central piece 640 is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape. Two holes 6400 are provided at the tip (left end) of the central piece 640 . The connecting piece 642 is formed in a belt shape longer in the front-rear direction than the central piece 640 and protrudes downward from one longitudinal end (right end) of the central piece 640 . The pair of side pieces 641 are each formed in a rectangular flat plate shape. The pair of side pieces 641 protrude leftward and upward from both ends of the connecting piece 642 in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction). A locking piece 6410 is provided at the upper end of each side piece 641 .

The center piece 640 of the spring member 64 is coupled with the movable core 61 by crimping the projections 610 inserted into the two holes 6400 . The pair of side pieces 641 of the spring member 64 are arranged along the outer surfaces of the pair of side pieces 601 of the fixed core 60 , and the locking pieces 6410 at the upper ends of the respective side pieces 641 are attached to the respective side pieces of the fixed core 60 . It is engaged with the recess 602 of 601 and coupled with the fixed core 60 (see FIG. 9). At this time, the magnetic poles at the tips (lower ends) of the side pieces 601 of the fixed core 60 vertically face the movable core 61 .

The conductor plate 66 includes a U-shaped main piece 660, a first projecting piece 661 projecting upward from the top tip of the main piece 660, and a second projecting piece 662 projecting forward from the central portion of the main piece 660. , and a third projecting piece 663 projecting forward from the front end of the lower portion of the main piece 660 . The main piece 660, the first projecting piece 661, the second projecting piece 662, and the third projecting piece 663 are integrally formed by bending a plate material made of metal such as copper or copper alloy.

Here, one end of the first projecting piece 661 is electrically connected to the other end of the braided wire 23B that is connected to the intermediate portion of the bimetal 50B (see FIG. 4). Also, the third projecting piece 663 is mechanically and electrically connected to the right end of the movable contact 22B (see FIG. 9).

The coil bobbin 62 includes a U-shaped main body 620, a pair of flanges 621 projecting outward from both ends (front end and rear end) of the main body 620, and a top end (left end) of each flange 621 projecting upward. It has a pair of protrusions 622 and a pair of fitting pieces 624 . The main body 620, the pair of flanges 621, the pair of protrusions 622, and the pair of fitting pieces 624 are integrally formed as an electrically insulating synthetic resin molding.

Each of the pair of protrusions 622 has a square hole 623 penetrating in the front-rear direction. Ends of a pair of L-shaped terminal pins 65 are respectively inserted into these square holes 623 . That is, each pair of projections 622 holds one terminal pin 65 (see FIG. 9).

The pair of fitting pieces 624 are formed in an elongated prism shape. The pair of fitting pieces 624 protrude outward from the right ends of the upper surfaces of the pair of flange portions 621 (see FIG. 10).

The coil 63 is wound around the main body 620 of the coil bobbin 62 which accommodates the main piece 600 of the fixed core 60 (see FIG. 9). Two terminals 630 of the coil 63 are electrically connected one by one to two terminal pins 65 held by a pair of projections 622 of the coil bobbin 62 (see FIG. 9).

Here, the upper portion of the main piece 660 of the conductor plate 66 is sandwiched between the coil bobbin 62 around which the coil 63 is wound and the movable iron core 61 . Therefore, magnetic flux passing through the fixed core 60 and the movable core 61 is generated by the current flowing between the first projecting piece 661 and the movable contact 22B. When a very large current such as a short-circuit current flows, the electromagnetic attractive force acting between the pair of side pieces 601 of the fixed iron core 60 and the movable iron core 61 exceeds the spring force of the central piece 640 of the spring member 64, The movable core 61 is attracted to the fixed core 60 . At this time, the free end (left end) of the movable iron core 61 pushes the right end of the interlocking plate 45 of the opening/closing mechanism 4 upward to rotate the interlocking plate 45 , and the lever 42 is latched by the tripping plate 44 via the interlocking plate 45 . release. As a result, the switching mechanism 4 is released and the two main contacts are automatically opened.

Also, when an exciting current is applied to the coil 63 , the fixed core 60 becomes an electromagnet, and the movable core 61 is attracted to the fixed core 60 . As a result, the switching mechanism 4 is released and the two main contacts are automatically opened.

(2-8) Abnormality Detecting Device (2-8-1) Circuit Configuration of Abnormality Detecting Device FIG. The abnormality detection device 7 has a first block 7A, a second block 7B, and a third block 7C.

The second block 7B has a power supply circuit 721 and a fuse 722 . The power supply circuit 721 is configured to step down an AC voltage of 100V or 200V supplied from the power system AC1 through two main contacts to an AC voltage of several tens of volts. The fuse 722 fuses to protect the power supply circuit 721 when the magnitude of the current flowing through the power supply circuit 721 exceeds the upper limit value for a certain period of time.

The first block 7A has a processing circuit 711, an AC/DC conversion circuit 712, two LEDs (a first LED 714 and a second LED 715), and an operation input receiving section 716.

The AC/DC conversion circuit 712 is configured to convert AC voltage of several tens of volts output from the power supply circuit 721 to DC voltage of several volts. The DC voltage output from the AC/DC conversion circuit 712 is supplied to the processing circuit 711 as the control voltage Vcc.

The processing circuit 711 has a microcontroller as its main component. The processing circuit 711 detects high frequency components of the alternating current flowing through the main contacts. The processing circuit 711 determines whether or not the detected high-frequency component has the characteristics of a series arc discharge and whether or not it has the characteristics of a parallel arc discharge. The processing circuit 711 is electrically connected to the first terminal portion 3A by determining that the detected high-frequency component has the characteristics of the generation of series arc discharge or the characteristics of the generation of parallel arc discharge. Detects arc faults in wiring (branch wiring) However, the detection method by which the processing circuit 711 detects an arc failure is not limited to the detection method described above. A detection method that detects an arc failure by means of

The two LEDs are the first LED 714 which is a green LED and the second LED 715 which is a red LED. Both of these two LEDs are driven by processing circuitry 711 . The first LED 714 is activated to emit green light when the processing circuitry 711 has not detected an anomaly such as an arcing fault. On the other hand, the second LED 715 is activated to emit red light when the processing circuitry 711 detects an anomaly such as an arc fault. In other words, the abnormality detection device 7 can notify that there is no abnormality by emitting green light from the first LED 714, and can notify that there is an abnormality by emitting red light from the second LED 715. .

The operation input receiving unit 716 outputs a reception signal to the processing circuit 711 when receiving an operation input, which will be described later. When the reception signal is input, the processing circuit 711 turns on the switching element 730 to cause the second tripping device 6 to trip, and the second LED 715 to emit red light. In other words, the processing circuit 711 is configured to perform an operation test when an abnormality is detected when the operation input reception unit 716 receives an operation input.

The third block 7C has switching elements 730 . Switching element 730 is preferably a semiconductor switching element such as, for example, a thyristor. However, switching element 730 may be an electromagnetic relay.

The switching element 730 is turned on/off by the processing circuit 711 of the first block 7A. The switching element 730 is electrically connected in series with the coil 63 of the second tripping device 6 . When the switching element 730 is turned on, an exciting current flows through the coil 63 and the second tripping device 6 performs a tripping operation. 2 The tripping device 6 does not trip. That is, the processing circuit 711 of the first block 7A can control the tripping operation of the second tripping device 6 by turning on/off the switching element 730 of the third block 7C.

(2-8-2) Structure of Abnormality Detecting Device It has a connection plate 76 and a plurality of conductors 77D and 77E (see FIGS. 3 and 5). However, in FIGS. 3 and 5, the processing circuit 711 of the first block 7A, the AC/DC conversion circuit 712, the operation input reception unit 716, the power supply circuit of the second block 7B, and the switching element 730 of the third block 7C are shown. omitted.

Each of the first circuit board 71, the second circuit board 72, and the third circuit board 73 is composed of a rigid printed wiring board.

On the first circuit board 71, circuit elements (processing circuit 711, AC/DC conversion circuit 712, etc.) constituting the first block 7A are mounted. Circuit elements (power supply circuit 721, fuse 722, etc.) constituting the second block 7B are mounted on the second circuit board 72. As shown in FIG. Circuit elements (switching element 730 and the like) constituting the third block 7C are mounted on the third circuit board 73 .

One through-hole penetrates through the bottom of each of the second circuit board 72 and the third circuit board 73 . One of the through holes penetrates the lower front portion of the second circuit board 72 . The other through hole penetrates the rear lower portion of the third circuit board 73 . The ends of the terminal pins 65 on the rear side of the second tripping device 6 are inserted through the through holes of the second circuit board 72 . The ends of the terminal pins 65 inserted through the through holes are soldered to lands formed around the through holes on the surface of the second circuit board 72 . On the other hand, the end of the terminal pin 65 on the front side of the second tripping device 6 is inserted through the through hole of the third circuit board 73 . The ends of the terminal pins 65 inserted through the through holes are soldered to lands formed around the through holes on the surface of the third circuit board 73 .

A recess is provided in the upper end surface of the second circuit board 72, and a contact is formed in the recess. A tip portion of a movable plate 74, which will be described later, can come into contact with this contact.

The first circuit board 71 and the second circuit board 72 are electrically connected via two conductors 77D and 77E (see FIGS. 3, 5 and 11). Each of the two conductors 77D and 77E is formed of a metal material in a prismatic or cylindrical shape. That is, the first circuit board 71 and the second circuit board 72 are electrically connected by two conductors 77D and 77E that can be regarded as rigid bodies. The first circuit board 71 and the second circuit board 72, and the first circuit board 71 and the third circuit board 73 are electrically connected by either a general coated wire or a conductor that can be regarded as a rigid body. .

The power connection plate 76 has a base plate 760, a connection piece that stands straight up from the end of the base plate 760, and a contact piece 762 that is bent obliquely upward from the end of the base plate 760 (FIG. 4). reference). However, the base plate 760, the connection piece, and the contact piece 762 are integrally formed by bending a single metal plate. Also, the connection piece is electrically connected to the second circuit board 72 (second block 7B) by an electric wire (not shown).

The power connection plate 76 is arranged under the central portion of the movable contact 22B (see FIG. 4). When the movable contact 21B is connected to the fixed contact 20B by the opening/closing mechanism 4, the movable contact 22B bent downward by the crossbar 41 of the opening/closing mechanism 4 contacts the contact piece 762 of the power connection plate 76. (See Figure 4). That is, the power connection plate 76 is electrically connected to the power system AC1 through the movable contact 22B and the main contacts when the main contacts (the fixed contact 20B and the movable contact 21B) are closed.

The first circuit board 71 is formed in a substantially rectangular flat plate shape. A first LED 714 and a second LED 715 are mounted on the upper portion of the first circuit board 71 so as to be aligned in the front-rear direction (see FIG. 3). Furthermore, one end of the movable plate 74 is mechanically and electrically connected to a position above the first LED 714 and the second LED 715 on the top of the first circuit board 71 .

The movable plate 74 includes a connecting piece connected to the first circuit board 71, an inclined piece projecting obliquely upward from one end (left end) of the connecting piece, and a width direction (rear) of the inclined piece projecting from the upper end of the inclined piece. and a terminal piece to be connected. Note that the tip portion of the terminal strip is bent obliquely downward.

The operation member 70 is formed in a cylindrical shape as a whole. The lower end of the operating member 70 is bifurcated. The operation member 70 is inserted through the first hole 14A provided in the body 1, and is vertically moved by hooking a stepped portion 700 provided at the lower end portion to the peripheral edge of the first hole 14A in the body 1. It is movably attached to the vessel 1 (see FIG. 5). Here, the operating member 70 vertically faces the distal end portion of the terminal piece of the movable plate 74 inside the housing 1 . In other words, when the operating member 70 is pushed, the terminal piece pushed by the operating member 70 moved downward with respect to the housing 1 bends downward. Further, when the operation member 70 is no longer pushed, the operation member 70 moves upward to return to its original position by receiving the spring force of the terminal piece returning to its original state.

The light guide member 75 is made of translucent synthetic resin such as acrylic resin and polycarbonate resin. The light guide member 75 has a first light guide portion 751 and a second light guide portion 752 (see FIG. 3). The second light guide portion 752 is formed in a prism shape. The first light guide portion 751 is inclined obliquely downward from one longitudinal end (lower end) of the second light guide portion 752 . A tip end surface (lower end surface) of the first light guide portion 751 is formed in a semi-cylindrical shape and serves as an incident surface for light emitted from the first LED 714 and the second LED 715 .

Thus, the light emitted from the first LED 714 and the second LED 715 enters the first light guide portion 751 from the incident surface, is guided from the first light guide portion 751 to the second light guide portion 752, and is then guided to the second light guide portion 752. The light is emitted to the outside of the light guide member 75 from the tip end surface (upper end surface) of the light portion 752 .

The abnormality detection device 7 is housed in a space surrounded by the first tripping device 5, the second tripping device 6, and the second terminal portion 3B inside the case 1 (see FIGS. 3 and 5). In other words, the three circuit boards (the first circuit board 71, the second circuit board 72, and the third circuit board 73) of the abnormality detection device 7 are located on the opposite side of the opening/closing mechanism 4 from the main contacts. (right side). Therefore, compared to the case where one or two circuit boards out of the three circuit boards of the abnormality detection device 7 are accommodated on the same side (right side) as the main contacts with respect to the switching mechanism 4, the periphery of the main contacts, etc. The influence of the noise generated in 1 is reduced, and the noise resistance of the abnormality detection device 7 can be improved. The number of circuit boards included in the abnormality detection device 7 is not limited to three, and may include four or more circuit boards.

(3) Advantages of the Embodiments As described above, in the circuit breaker A1, among the plurality of circuit boards of the abnormality detection device 7, the first circuit board 71 for control, which is most susceptible to noise, is the second circuit. It is farther from the main contacts than the substrate 72 and the third circuit substrate 73 . As a result, the circuit breaker A1 can improve the noise resistance of the abnormality detection device 7 .

In the circuit breaker A1, the second tripping device 6 is housed closer to the opening/closing mechanism 4 than the first circuit board 71 in the body 1 (see FIG. 3). That is, the circuit breaker A1 can make the second tripping device 6 release the opening/closing mechanism 4 by shortening the distance between the second tripping device 6 and the opening/closing mechanism 4 . Moreover, since the distance between the coil 63 of the second tripping device 6 and the second circuit board 72 and the third circuit board 73 is also shortened, it is possible to reduce the length of the wire for supplying the excitation current to the coil 63. .

Here, in the abnormality detection device 7, the plurality of conductors 77D and 77E that electrically connect the second circuit board 72 and the third circuit board 73 are formed of rigid bodies. Therefore, the circuit breaker A1 reduces the possibility of disconnection of the conductors, and , the space occupied in the body 1 can be reduced.

Furthermore, the second circuit board 72 and the third circuit board 73 are electrically connected to the coil 63 via two terminal pins 65 of the second tripping device 6 . In other words, the electric path that supplies the excitation current to the coil 63 via the second circuit board 72 and the third circuit board 73 includes rigid conductors (terminal pins 65).

Thus, the circuit breaker A1 electrically connects the second circuit board 72 and the third circuit board 73 of the abnormality detection device 7 to the coil 63 via the two terminal pins 65 of the second tripping device 6. Therefore, by reducing the number of wires, it is possible to reduce the cost and the space occupied.

(4) Summary The circuit breaker (A1) according to the first aspect of the present disclosure includes one or more main contacts (fixed contacts 20A, 20B, movable contacts 21A, 21B) and an opening/closing mechanism (4 ), a tripping device (second tripping device 6) that releases the switching mechanism (4) to automatically open the main contact, an abnormality detection device (7), and a body (1). An abnormality detection device (7) controls the tripping device so as to automatically open the main contacts when an abnormality is detected in the wiring to which the main contacts are electrically connected. The body (1) accommodates the main contacts, the switching mechanism (4), the tripping device and the abnormality detection device (7). The abnormality detection device (7) has three or more circuit boards including a first circuit board (71) for control, a second circuit board (72) for power feeding, and a third circuit board (73). Three or more circuit boards are accommodated in the body (1) on the side opposite to the main contacts with respect to the opening/closing mechanism (4). The first circuit board (71) is farther from the main contacts than the plurality of circuit boards (the first circuit board 71 and the third circuit board 73) other than the first circuit board (71).

In the circuit breaker (A1) according to the first aspect, the first circuit board (71) for control, which is most susceptible to the effects of noise, is placed in a higher position than the second circuit board (72) and the third circuit board (73). Since it is separated from the main contact, it is possible to improve the noise resistance of the abnormality detection device (7).

A circuit breaker (A1) according to the second aspect of the present disclosure can be realized in combination with the first aspect. In the circuit breaker (A1) according to the second aspect, it is preferable that the tripping device is housed closer to the opening/closing mechanism (4) than the first circuit board (71) in the body (1). .

In the circuit breaker (A1) according to the second aspect, the distance between the tripping device and the opening/closing mechanism (4) is shortened so that the tripping device can reliably release the opening/closing mechanism (4), and , the wiring for connecting the tripping device and the abnormality detection device (7) can be shortened.

A circuit breaker (A1) according to the third aspect of the present disclosure can be realized in combination with the first or second aspect. In the circuit breaker (A1) according to the third aspect, the second circuit board (72) and the third circuit board (73) are preferably electrically connected by a plurality of conductors (77D, 77E). . At least one conductor (77D, 77E) of the plurality of conductors is preferably rigid.

The circuit breaker (A1) according to the third aspect can reduce the possibility of disconnection of conductors and reduce the space occupied in the body (1).

A circuit breaker (A1) according to the fourth aspect of the present disclosure can be realized in combination with the third aspect. In the circuit breaker (A1) according to the fourth aspect, the tripping device includes a fixed core (60), a coil (63) for magnetizing the fixed core (60), and a coil (63) for magnetizing the fixed core (60). and a movable iron core (61) that moves toward the fixed iron core (60) to release the opening/closing mechanism (4). It is preferable that the third circuit board (73) can turn on and off the exciting current flowing through the coil (63) through the second circuit board (72). The electric path through which the excitation current flows preferably includes a rigid conductor (terminal pin 65).

The circuit breaker (A1) according to the fourth aspect can reduce the possibility of disconnection of the electric circuit that supplies the exciting current to the coil (63).

A circuit breaker (A1) according to the fifth aspect of the present disclosure can be realized in combination with the fourth aspect. In the circuit breaker (A1) according to the fifth aspect, an electric path electrically connecting the coil (63) and the second circuit board (72), and At least one of the electrical paths connecting to is preferably a rigid conductor.

The circuit breaker (A1) according to the fifth aspect can achieve cost reduction and occupied space reduction by reducing the number of wires.

A circuit breaker (A1) according to the sixth aspect of the present disclosure can be realized by a combination with any one of the first to fifth aspects. In the circuit breaker (A1) according to the sixth aspect, the abnormality detection device (7) preferably detects the presence or absence of arc discharge in the wiring.

The circuit breaker (A1) according to the sixth aspect can detect arc faults in wiring by means of the abnormality detection device (7).

A distribution board (B1) according to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure includes a main switch (B10), a plurality of branch switches (B11), a main switch (B10), and a plurality of branch switches (B11). and a cabinet (B12) that houses the At least one of the main switch (B10) and the plurality of branch switches (B11) is the circuit breaker (A1) according to any one of the first to sixth aspects.

The distribution board (B1) according to the seventh aspect can improve the noise resistance of the abnormality detection device (7).

A1 Circuit breaker B1 Distribution board 1 Body 4 Switching mechanism 6 Second tripping device (tripping device)
7 Abnormality detector 20A Fixed contact (main contact)
20B fixed contact (main contact)
21A Movable contact (main contact)
21B Movable contact (main contact)
60 Fixed core 61 Movable core 63 Coil 65 Terminal pin (conductor)
71 first circuit board 72 second circuit board 73 third circuit board 77D conductor 77E conductor B10 main switch B11 branch switch B12 cabinet

Claims (7)

one or more main contacts;
an opening and closing mechanism for opening and closing the main contact;
a tripping device for automatically opening the main contact by releasing the switching mechanism;
an abnormality detection device for controlling the tripping device to automatically open the main contact when an abnormality is detected in the wiring electrically connected to the main contact;
a container housing the main contact, the opening/closing mechanism, the tripping device, and the abnormality detection device;
with
The abnormality detection device has three or more circuit boards including a first circuit board for control, a second circuit board for power supply, and a third circuit board,
The three or more circuit boards are accommodated on the opposite side of the switching mechanism from the main contacts in the housing body,
The first circuit board is farther from the main contact than the plurality of circuit boards other than the first circuit board.
circuit breaker. The tripping device is housed closer to the opening/closing mechanism than the first circuit board in the vessel body,
2. The circuit breaker of claim 1. The second circuit board and the third circuit board are electrically connected by a plurality of conductors,
at least one conductor of the plurality of conductors is rigid;
3. A circuit breaker according to claim 1 or 2. The tripping device includes a fixed core, a coil for magnetizing the fixed core, a movable core that moves toward the fixed core when the fixed core is magnetized, and releases the opening/closing mechanism, has
The third circuit board is capable of turning on and off an excitation current flowing through the coil via the second circuit board,
The electric path through which the excitation current flows includes a conductor that is a rigid body,
4. The circuit breaker of claim 3. At least one of an electric circuit that electrically connects the coil and the second circuit board and an electric circuit that electrically connects the coil and the third circuit board is the conductor that is the rigid body.
5. The circuit breaker of claim 4. The abnormality detection device detects the presence or absence of arc discharge in the wiring,
A circuit breaker according to any one of claims 1-5. a main switch;
a plurality of branch switches;
a cabinet that houses the main switch and the plurality of branch switches;
with
At least one of the main switch and the plurality of branch switches is the circuit breaker according to any one of claims 1-6,
Distribution board.

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