JP3962206B2 - Circuit breaker - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an auxiliary cover fixing structure that covers a storage portion of an internal accessory device of a circuit breaker.
[0002]
[Prior art]
The circuit breaker has an internal accessory housed in a case made of molded insulation, together with an open / close contact, an open / close mechanism that operates the open / close contact, a trip mechanism that automatically operates the open / close mechanism when an overcurrent flows. There is. As this internal accessory, in general, an auxiliary switch that operates according to the opening / closing operation of the switching contact, an alarm switch that operates when the trip mechanism operates, and an automatic opening / closing contact using the trip mechanism when the voltage drops. There is an undervoltage trip device (hereinafter referred to as UVT) that opens a circuit and a voltage trip device (hereinafter referred to as SHT) that applies a voltage and remotely opens a switching contact using a trip mechanism.
[0003]
Traditionally, manufacturers have delivered circuit breakers with internal accessories according to customer orders. Recently, however, circuit breaker main units and internal circuit breakers have been installed in order to cope with delivery schedules and changes in specifications after delivery. Systems have come to be adopted in which accessories are delivered separately and can be freely installed by customers. However, when installing the internal accessories, it is necessary to prevent the customer from touching components that affect the performance of the circuit breaker body or components that are dangerous due to unexpected operation.
[0004]
An example of a conventional technique that can deal with such a system is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-139910. FIG. 8 is a view showing this conventional circuit breaker, in which a not-shown switching contact, switching mechanism, trip mechanism, etc. are not touched from the inside of the base 30 and the cover 31 made of molded insulator. It is stored. Further, a recess 32 is formed on the front left and right of the cover 31, and an auxiliary cover 33 is provided so as to cover the recess 32. Since the accessory 34 is attached in the recess 32, the customer can safely attach the accessory 34 only by removing the auxiliary cover 33. It should be noted that a small hole for operation of the actuator for operating the auxiliary switch and the alarm switch and a small hole for operation of SHT and UVT are formed in the wall of the recess 32 so as to communicate with the inside of the mechanism.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The conventional circuit breaker as described above requires a tool for removing the screw when attaching or removing the accessory device, and it is difficult to tighten the screw by a customer unfamiliar with the work of reattaching the auxiliary cover 33. I was worried that it would be complete.
[0006]
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a circuit breaker that allows an inexperienced customer to easily and reliably fix an auxiliary cover without requiring a tool.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention of claim 1 is characterized in that an open / close function member and an accessory device are built in an outer shell made of a base and a cover made of molded insulation, and the cover is separated from the main cover and the main cover from the base. an auxiliary cover fixing holes accessory meet circuit breaker comprising a supplementary cover provided so as to be mounted and formed in the base or main cover having a locking edge at its front end without removing the locking outward A fixing member of the auxiliary cover in which a locking claw that engages with the edge is formed and an opposing locking leg having elasticity in the opening and closing leg directions is formed on the auxiliary cover, and an opposing gap between the locking legs And a fixed holding member inserted into the protrusion, a convex portion is formed on the opposing surface of the locking leg, the fixed holding member has elasticity in the direction of opening and closing the leg, and the engaging shape portion is formed on the opposing surface. Been formed The fixed holding member is inserted from the surface of the auxiliary cover so that the opposing surfaces of the locking holding leg and the locking leg are orthogonal to each other. The mating shape portion meshes with the convex portion of the locking leg .
[0008]
With such a configuration, when the auxiliary cover is fixed to the base or the main cover, the engaging leg of the auxiliary cover fixing member provided on the auxiliary cover is inserted into the fixing hole to bend once in the closing leg direction during the insertion. When the stop leg passes through the fixing hole, it opens in the direction of the opening leg, the locking claw engages with the locking edge of the mounting hole, and the auxiliary cover is temporarily fixed. Next, by inserting the fixing holding member into the gap between the locking legs in the open leg state, the locking legs do not bend in the closed leg direction, and the locking claw and the locking edge of the fixing hole are engaged. Is maintained and the fixed state of the auxiliary cover is maintained. Further, the fixing holding member does not easily fall off due to the meshing action, and the operator can know that a click feeling due to the meshing occurs and the fixing and maintaining state is completely maintained.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the circuit breaker of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 is an external front view of the circuit breaker, FIG. 3 is an external side view with a part broken away, and FIG. 1 is an XX cross-sectional view of FIG. 4 and 5 are a top view and a front view of the auxiliary cover 1, respectively, and FIGS. 6 and 7 are sectional views taken along the line YY of FIG. 5, showing the operation when the auxiliary cover 1 is kept fixed. is there.
[0011]
The circuit breaker of this embodiment is a three-pole type, and has a base 2 made of a molded insulator that houses an opening / closing contact portion, a trip mechanism, an opening / closing mechanism, and the like, and a main cover 4, and is operated by a handle 5. The opening / closing mechanism is housed in the central pole.
[0012]
The main cover 4 is a molded insulator made of a thermoplastic resin having a U-shaped outer cross section, and a plurality of square holes 6 formed in the lower portions on both sides are formed in the base 2 by utilizing its elasticity. It is attached by fitting it into the protrusion. Inside the left and right end poles of the main cover 4, an accessory storage recess 7 for storing internal accessories is formed from four side walls and a bottom wall. The wall of the accessory storage recess 7 has a small hole for operating the auxiliary switch and the alarm switch according to the operation of the opening / closing mechanism and the trip mechanism, and a small hole for operating the trip mechanism by SHT or UVT. The accessory storage recess 7 cannot touch the opening / closing mechanism and the trip mechanism.
[0013]
The opening on the front side of the accessory storage recess 7 described above is covered by the auxiliary cover 1. The auxiliary cover 1 has a hinge structure in which the engagement groove 1a is fitted to the protrusion 4a formed on the main cover 4, and can be opened and closed by rotating around the fitting portion. It can also be removed by detaching the engaging groove 1a from the protrusion 4a. When closed, the pair of fixing members 8 at the other end are inserted into holes formed in the main cover 4 and the base 2 so that they are not easily opened.
[0014]
Each of the pair of fixing members 8 of the auxiliary cover 1 includes a pair of opposing locking legs 9 and is integrally formed with the auxiliary cover 1 with a thermoplastic resin molding insulator. Both legs are substantially parallel in the free state with elasticity in the opening and closing leg directions. Each locking leg 9 has a locking claw 10 projecting outside the tip and a projection 11 on the opposite surface.
[0015]
A method of closing and fixing the auxiliary cover 1 of the circuit breaker of the present embodiment having such a configuration will be described. First, when the auxiliary cover 1 indicated by the chain line in FIG. 3 is rotated in the clockwise direction, the fixing member 8 is inserted into the hole formed in the main cover 4 in FIG. It is inserted into the fixing hole 12. At this time, since the outer-outer dimension of the locking claw 10 is larger than the inner dimension of the fixing hole 12, the opposing locking leg 9 of the fixing member 8 bends once in the closed leg direction, and the locking claw 10 becomes the side wall of the fixing hole 12. Slide. And when the front-end | tip of the latching leg 9 protrudes in the back edge part of the fixing hole 12, the latching leg 9 spreads by elasticity. This state is a temporarily fixed state, and even if a weak force is applied, the locking claw 10 engages with the locking edge 13 of the fixing hole 12, so that the fixing member 8 does not come out of the hole and the auxiliary cover 1 is Although it does not open, the auxiliary cover 1 can be easily opened by applying a slightly stronger force artificially.
[0016]
When a suitable force in the direction in which the fixing member 8 is pulled out from the hole due to vibration or impact is applied in the temporarily fixed state as described above, the locking leg 9 is once bent in the closing leg direction and the locking claw 10 and the locking edge 13. And the auxiliary cover 1 may be opened. In order to prevent this, the fixing holding member 15 is inserted into the opposing gap of the locking leg 9 from the through hole 14 formed in the base portion of the fixing member 8 of the auxiliary cover 1. The fixed holding member 15 is formed by integrally molding a pair of locking holding legs 18 facing the rectangular head 16 with an insulating material of thermoplastic resin, and the locking holding legs 18 are in the direction of opening and closing legs. The legs are substantially parallel in a free state. The engaging and holding leg 18 has a concave portion 17 that is a meshing shape portion formed on the opposing surface of the tip portion, and an engaging claw 19 formed on the outside.
[0017]
4, 6, and 7 are views showing only the auxiliary cover 1, the fixing member 8, and the fixing holding member 15 for the sake of convenience in order to explain the operation from the temporarily fixed state to the fixed maintaining state. The right side fixing member 8 shows the initial state of insertion of the fixing holding member 15, the left side fixing member 8 shows the state of completion of insertion, and FIGS. 6 and 7 show the initial state of insertion and the state of completion of insertion, respectively. 4 is a YY sectional view of FIG.
[0018]
In FIG. 6, when the latch holding leg 18 is inserted into the through hole 14, since the outer-outer dimension of the engaging claw 19 is larger than the inner dimension of the through hole 14, the latch holding leg 18 is once bent in the closed leg direction. When the engaging claw 19 moves while sliding on the side wall of the through hole 14 and protrudes from the hole, it returns to the parallel state again. In this state, the engaging claw 19 of the locking holding leg 18 and the end of the through-hole 14 can be engaged, and therefore, the fixing holding member 15 will naturally slip unless an artificial force is applied. There is no. When the fixing holding member 15 is further pushed in, the locking holding leg 18 moves while sliding so that the locking holding leg 18 is guided by the protrusion 11 of the locking leg 9 in the gap between the locking legs 9. In the final stage of insertion, the concave portion 17 meshes with the convex portion at the end of the protrusion 11 by the spring action of the locking holding leg 18. The fixing and holding member 15 does not move in the opposite direction unless artificial force is applied by engaging with each other in this manner. That is, the locking leg 9 does not bend in the closing leg direction, and the auxiliary cover 1 does not automatically open due to vibration or impact.
[0019]
As described above, since the locking and holding legs 18 and the projections 11 mesh with each other at the end of the insertion operation of the fixing member 8, the operator can feel a click, and the head 16 of the fixing and holding member 15 and the surface of the auxiliary cover 1 It can be seen that the fixing member 8 is securely attached by being flush with each other.
[0020]
In order to open the auxiliary cover 1 in such a fixed and maintained state, a little force is applied to artificially pull out the fixed holding member 15 to place the auxiliary cover 1 in the temporarily fixed state, and then rotate the auxiliary cover 1. Just do it.
[0021]
In the present embodiment, the auxiliary cover 1 has a fixing hole formed in the base 2 and is fixed to the base 2 via the main cover 4, but the fixing hole is formed in the main cover 4 directly. You may make it fix to the main cover 4. FIG. Further, although one end of the auxiliary cover 1 is hinge-type attached, it may be attached using the fixing member 8 in the same manner as the other end.
[0022]
Further, in this embodiment, in order to give a click feeling when the fixing is completed, an engagement holding leg 18 facing the fixing holding member 15 is provided to form a meshing shape portion. However, as long as the fixing and holding member can hold the locking leg 9 of the fixing member 8 so as not to bend in the closed leg direction and can release the holding artificially, it does not have to be as in this embodiment. Good.
[0023]
Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the embodiment of the present invention disclosed above is merely an example, and the scope of the present invention is limited to the embodiment of the above invention. It is not something. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.
[0024]
【The invention's effect】
The present invention is implemented in the form described above, and the auxiliary cover is temporarily fixed by the elasticity of the locking leg and the locking claw only by inserting the locking leg provided on the auxiliary cover into the fixing hole. There is an effect that the auxiliary cover can be easily fixed without using a tool simply by inserting the fixing holding member into the opposing gap.
[0025]
In addition, since the locking and holding legs of the fixing and holding member are engaged with the convex portions of the locking legs, the fixing and holding member maintains the holding state, and a click feeling occurs and the operator is completely fixed. There is an effect that it is possible to know that it has become.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a top sectional view showing a main part of an embodiment of a circuit breaker according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an external front view of an embodiment of a circuit breaker according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an external side view in which a part of the circuit breaker of FIG. 2 is broken.
FIG. 4 is a top view of the auxiliary cover.
FIG. 5 is a front view of an auxiliary cover.
6 is a YY cross-sectional view of FIG.
7 is a YY cross-sectional view of FIG.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view for explaining a conventional technique.
[Explanation of symbols]
Auxiliary cover 1, engaging groove 1a
Base 2
Main cover 4, protrusion 4a
Handle 5
Square hole 6
Accessory storage dent 7
Fixing member 8
Locking leg 9
Locking claw 10
Protrusion 11
Fixing hole 12
Locking edge 13
Through hole 14
Fixed holding member 15
Head 16
Recess 17
Locking holding leg 18
Engagement claw 19

Claims (1)

An open / close function member and an accessory device are incorporated in an outer shell made of a molded insulating base (2) and a cover, and the cover does not remove the main cover (4) and the main cover from the base. A circuit breaker comprising an auxiliary cover (1) provided so that the
An auxiliary cover fixing hole (12) formed in the base or the main cover and having a locking edge (13) at the tip thereof;
The auxiliary claw (10) that engages with the locking edge is formed on the outer side, and the opposing locking leg (9) that has elasticity in the direction of the opening and closing legs is formed on the auxiliary cover. A cover fixing member (8) ;
In what has a fixed holding member (15) inserted into the opposing gap of the locking leg ,
A convex part (11) is formed on the opposing surface of the locking leg,
The fixed holding member has an opposing locking holding leg (18) which has elasticity in the direction of opening and closing the leg and has a meshing shape part (17) formed on the opposing surface,
The fixed holding member is inserted from the surface of the auxiliary cover so that the opposing surfaces of the locking holding leg and the locking leg are orthogonal to each other, and when the insertion is completed, the meshing shape portion of the locking holding leg is A circuit breaker that meshes with a convex portion of a locking leg .

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