JP4519111B2 - Circuit breaker with light emitting function - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention is a light emitting device that can easily find a circuit breaker in a “OFF” state among circuit breakers such as a breaker, an earth leakage breaker, and a limiter installed in a domestic distribution board (distribution board). It relates to a circuit breaker with function.

  Household switchboards are installed between indoor lead-in wires and indoor wiring to prevent breakers, leakages, and electric shock accidents that are installed for each distribution system in each room, floor, etc., or for each electrical device that uses a different voltage. An earth leakage circuit breaker that operates, and a limiter (current limiter) that operates when a current exceeding the contract current flows are installed.

  The breaker automatically shuts off and protects the indoor wiring when a current exceeding the specified amperage of the breaker flows due to electrical equipment failure or short circuit. Breakers are usually installed in each distribution system and specific electrical equipment (for example, a cooler). When an overcurrent flows in a specific distribution system or electrical equipment, only that breaker is turned off, and other distribution systems and electrical equipment The device breaker remains “ON”.

  The earth leakage circuit breaker detects and interrupts the earth leakage, such as when an electric device breaks down and current flows through the main body, or when the indoor wiring contacts the metal and current flows outside the electric device.

  The limiter operates automatically when a current exceeding the contracted amperage with the power company flows due to excessive use of electrical equipment, etc., and the entire household is turned off, resulting in a power failure.

  These breakers, earth leakage breakers, and limiters are equipped with a knob that turns the electricity on and off in front of the circuit breaker body mounted on the wall, etc. Normally, when the knob is raised, the base end of the knob "On" is displayed on the part, and "Off" is displayed on the base end of the knob when the knob is lowered. Knowing the current operating status of the circuit breaker "On" and "Off" It has become a standard that can.

  By the way, home switchboards equipped with various circuit breakers having such functions are often installed in high places near the ceiling of indoor entrance walls and kitchens, etc. Even so, it is difficult to find a “breaker” breaker from the home switchboard. In particular, it is difficult for an elderly person who has weak visual acuity or a person who is not familiar with the operation of the breaker to identify the “cut” breaker from the switchboard.

  A call center of an electric power company accepts telephone calls 24 hours a day in order to respond to inquiries from customers. Some of these inquiries are about breakers. The customer who inquires about the breaker is a person who does not know how to operate the breaker. Explaining how to operate a breaker to such customers by telephone is a very difficult task, and eventually, a service person goes out to the customer's home to perform recovery work. The work itself is an instantaneous operation of removing the cause of the operation of the breaker and then turning on the breaker knob. However, the customer is inconvenienced that electricity cannot be used until the service staff arrives.

  If you know which breaker knobs you want to “on” for your customers, you will likely only be able to explain by phone.

  There has been proposed a device that informs the position of a breaker by causing a light emitter provided near the breaker to emit light when the breaker is shut off (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3).

  In Patent Document 1, a display circuit having a light emitter is connected to the main line on the outdoor side, and when a circuit breaker for main line is cut off due to overcurrent, a circuit breaker for the display circuit enters in conjunction with this, An indoor wiring breaker configured to emit light from the light emitter is disclosed.

  In Patent Document 2, the charging state on the power source side of the power breaker and the on / off state or trip state of the power breaker are identified and displayed on a part of the surface side of the casing of the power breaker such as a breaker or a leakage breaker For example, when the power supply side is charged and the circuit breaker is on, green is displayed. When the power supply side is charged and the circuit breaker is off, yellow is displayed. The circuit breaker is tripped. A power circuit breaker is described in which the operating state can be identified by displaying in red.

  Patent Document 3 describes a circuit breaker provided with a circuit breaker so that the LED is turned on when the LED is attached and shut off in the breaker of the power distribution switch.

  There has also been proposed a breaker in which an indicator lamp such as a neon lamp is embedded in a breaker knob and the indicator lamp is turned on when the circuit is cut off to emit the knob (see, for example, Patent Document 4).

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 61-151243 JP-A-11-268094 JP 2003-31101 A Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 47-33665

  However, in the breakers described in the above-mentioned Patent Documents 1 to 3, although the breaker is cut off, the illuminant is made to emit light and the position of the breaker is displayed. Even if the breaker knob near the shining part is specified by telephone, it is difficult to know which knob to operate. Moreover, since the display part of a light-emitting body is planar, there exists a problem that it is hard to find from the horizontal direction in the dark.

Further, Patent Document 4 describes that a neon lamp in which an electrode and neon gas are sealed in a glass tube is embedded in the breaker knob, but the neon lamp is embedded directly in the knob. The manufacturing process of the knob is complicated and difficult to implement, and there are the following essential problems.
First, when the breaker is interrupted by an overcurrent, the knob receives an impact force when the spring force stored in the knob in the “ON” state is released and reversed to the “OFF” position. Due to this impact force, the neon lamp is physically damaged, and if this is repeated many times, the neon lamp may be damaged without waiting for the life of the breaker itself.
Secondly, if the neon lamp is built in the knob, when the knob moves, the lead wire of the neon lamp connected to the outside of the knob also moves. There is a risk of disconnection.
Third, since the color of the neon lamp is a single orange color, it is difficult to express the color of the knobs defined for each contracted amperage on a home switchboard with a plurality of breakers installed.

  Therefore, in the present invention, it is obvious which circuit breaker to operate on and off, and which part to operate, it is easy to see from multiple directions, the light emitter is shocked, and the lead wire of the light emitter is disconnected. It is an object of the present invention to provide a circuit breaker with a light emitting function that can be easily manufactured.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the circuit breaker with a light emitting function of the present invention has a fixed contact and a movable contact connected to a power supply side terminal and a load side terminal installed in the main body case, respectively, at an “on” position and “ A knob that is manually opened / closed to the “OFF” position, and a trip operation is performed due to an overcurrent or leakage that flows through the load connected to the load side terminal to open the fixed contact and the movable contact, and the knob is set to the “OFF” position. A circuit breaker having a trip mechanism that rolls to a light emitting element that directly irradiates the vicinity of the proximal end of the knob when the knob is in the `` off '' position, a mounting base to which the light emitting element is attached, A leg for disposing a mounting base in the vicinity of the base end of the knob inside the main body case, a light-emitting element lighting fixed contact provided on the mounting base, and a trip mechanism. A light emitting element driving circuit for supplying a current from the power supply side terminal to the light emitting element by a light emitting element lighting movable contact that contacts the light emitting element lighting fixed contact when the light emitting element is operated. It is made of a material.

The light emitting element may be an LED (light emitting diode).
In this case, the light emission color of the LED can be white, and the color of the translucent material of the knob can be changed according to the amperage of the limiting current.
Alternatively, the knob can be made of a milky white translucent material, and the light emission color of the LED can be changed according to the amperage of the limiting current.
By forming the light receiving portion from the light emitting element at the base end portion of the knob to be flat, the incidence rate of light from the light emitting element to the knob can be improved.

  In addition to LEDs, neon tubes and miniature bulbs can be used as light emitting elements. In the present invention, since the light emitting element is fixed to the main body case, the light emitting element is not shocked during the trip operation, and the internal electrodes and filaments are not damaged or broken by the shock, and the lead Since the line does not move, it will not break.

  According to the present invention, since the entire knob is made of a light-transmitting material, and the light emitting element that irradiates the proximal end of the knob when the knob is in the “cut” position is fixed to the main body case, the circuit breaker is cut off. Since the entire knob shines, it is obvious to operate the shining knob, and it is easy to see not only from the front but also from multiple directions (right side). Since the light-emitting element is fixed to the case body, even if the knob rolls in the “cut” direction, the light-emitting element itself is not shocked, and the lead wire of the light-emitting element does not move, so there is a risk of disconnection. Absent. Further, since the knob and the light emitting element are physically separated, the knob can be easily manufactured.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
1 is a plan view showing an internal structure of a circuit breaker according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing the configuration of the LED driving circuit in the present embodiment, and FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the operating state of the present embodiment.

  1 and 2, the circuit breaker of the present embodiment shows an example of a limiter (current limiter). A power base terminal ring 2 and a load side terminal ring 3 are provided on a mold base 1 constituting a main body case. The power supply side electric wire and the load side electric wire are fastened and fixed by the terminal screws 2a and 3a, respectively. In this example, the neutral line N and the single-phase three lines of the voltage lines L1 and L2 having opposite phases to each other are connected. However, in the case of the single-phase two-wire system, the number of terminals is two pairs.

  The power supply side terminal ring 2 of the voltage lines L1 and L2 is connected to a fixed contact 5 via a contact piece 4. The load side terminal ring 3 on the L1 side is connected to the movable contact 6 via the first coil 11 of the coil portion 10 for detecting overcurrent, and the load side terminal ring 3 on the L2 side is connected to the second coil 12 of the coil portion 10. And is connected to the movable contact 6.

  A tip end portion of a knob 8 protrudes from an opening 7 a of the mold cover 7 that covers the charging portion of the mold base 1, and a base end portion of the knob 8 is rotatably supported by a lever pin 9. The knob 8 is interlocked with a mechanism (not shown in detail) for moving the movable contact 6 to the fixed contact 5 and a mechanism unit 14 for performing a trip operation, and the first coil 11 of the coil unit 10 or The mechanism portion 14 is operated by the operation of the armature 13 that is attracted by the electromagnetic force when an overcurrent flows through the second coil 12, thereby opening the movable contact 6 and rolling the knob 8 to the “OFF” position. It is like that. Since the mechanism itself is general, detailed description thereof is omitted.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the entire knob 8 is formed of a translucent resin, and the vicinity of the proximal end portion of the knob 8 when the knob 8 is in the “cut” position (see FIG. 3) is irradiated. Thus, the LED 15 as a light emitting element is installed. The LED 15 is attached to an attachment base 16, and the attachment base 16 is fixed to the mold base 1 by a sheet metal leg 17. The mounting base 16 is also provided with an LED lighting fixed contact 18, and an LED lighting movable contact 19 that contacts the LED lighting fixed contact 18 at the time of a trip is provided in the mechanism portion 14. . The opening / closing operation of the LED lighting movable contact 19 is opposite to the opening / closing operation of the movable contact 6 for opening / closing the voltage line. That is, the LED lighting movable contact 19 is opened when the movable contact 6 is closed, and the LED lighting movable contact 19 is closed when the movable contact 6 is opened by a trip operation.

  FIG. 4 shows the configuration of the LED drive circuit according to the present embodiment. A fixed contact 5, a movable contact 6, and a first coil 11 are connected to the power supply side and load side of the voltage line L1. The power source side and the load side of the voltage line L2 are directly connected to the power source side and the load side of the fixed contact 5, the movable contact 6, and the second coil 12 neutral wire N. Between the power source side of the neutral line N and the power source side of the voltage line L1, an LED lighting fixed contact 18, an LED lighting movable contact 19, an LED 15, and a current limiting resistor R1 are connected. A backflow prevention diode D1 is connected to the LED 15 in parallel. When the movable contact 6 is opened, the LED lighting movable contact 19 comes into contact with the LED lighting fixed contact 18 and the LED 15 is supplied with current from the power source side, so that the LED 15 is lit.

  FIG. 5 shows the turning operation of the knob 8. FIG. 5A shows the “ON” state, and FIG. 5B shows the “OFF” state. When the circuit breaker is turned on, the LED 15 is not lit. When an overcurrent flows through the load of the voltage line L1 or L2, the current flowing through the first coil 11 or the second coil 12 becomes larger than a predetermined value, and the armature 13 is attracted to the iron core of the coil unit 10. By this operation, the mechanism part 14 works, and the movable contact 5, the LED lighting movable contact 19, and the knob 8 are rolled to the “OFF” position by the energy stored in the spring or the like.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 5B, the LED 15 is turned on, and the base end portion of the knob 8 at the “OFF” position is irradiated. As a result, the entire knob 8 formed of a translucent resin shines, so that the middle part and the tip part of the knob 8 protruding from the mold cover 7 shine.

  This makes it clear that the circuit breaker is in the “off” state. When a plurality of breakers and the like are installed, it becomes obvious at a glance which breaker is in the “OFF” state.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the shape of the light receiving portion 8a from the LED 15 at the base end portion of the knob 8 is an arc shape. By forming the light receiving portion 8a to be flat, the light receiving portion 8a from the LED 15 to the knob 8 is formed. The incident rate of light can be improved. In addition to the flat, it may be concave or V-cut.

  Visibility is improved by changing the color of the knob 8 when light is emitted according to the amperage of the limiting current. For this purpose, the LED 15 emits white and changes the color of the translucent material of the knob 8, and the knob 8 is formed of a milky white translucent material (or the surface of the transparent material is roughened). There is a method of changing the emission color of the LED 15.

  For example, for the limiter, 15A is red, 20A is yellow, 30A is green, 40A is brown, 50A is blue, and 60A is white. If you ask if the knob is shining, you can respond appropriately.

  In the case of changing the color of the translucent material of the knob 8, the emission color of the LED 15 is not necessarily white, and a combination of the color of the translucent material and the knob 8 having a predetermined emission color is also used. Can do.

  The above is an example in which an LED is used as a light emitting element, but a neon tube or a miniature bulb can also be used in addition to the LED. When a neon tube or a miniature light bulb is embedded in the knob, the neon tube or miniature bulb is impacted by the impact received by the knob, and the internal electrodes or filaments are damaged or broken by the impact. However, in the present invention, since the light emitting element is fixed to the main body case, the neon tube and the miniature bulb are not shocked during the trip operation, and the damage or breakage caused by the operation of the knob is eliminated, and the lead wire is not Since it does not move, it will not break.

  The present invention is a circuit breaker with a light emitting function that can easily find a circuit breaker in the “off” state, such as a breaker, a leakage breaker, a limiter, etc. installed in a domestic distribution board (distribution board). It can be used for circuit breakers.

It is a top view which shows the internal structure of the circuit breaker which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is AA sectional drawing in FIG. It is AA sectional drawing in FIG. 1 of the state which carried out the trip operation | movement. It is a circuit diagram which shows the structure of the LED drive circuit in this Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the operation state of this Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

1 Mold base (Body case)
2 power supply side terminal ring 2a terminal screw 3 load side terminal ring 3a terminal screw 4 contact piece 5 fixed contact 6 movable contact 7 mold cover 7a opening 8 knob 8a light receiving part 9 lever pin 10 coil part 11 first coil 12 second coil 13 Armature 14 Mechanism 15 LED
16 Mounting base 17 Leg 18 LED lighting fixed contact 19 LED lighting movable contact

Claims (5)

A knob that manually opens and closes the fixed contact and movable contact connected to the power supply side terminal and the load side terminal installed in the main body case to the “on” and “off” positions, and is connected to the load side terminal. In a circuit breaker having a trip mechanism that trips due to an overcurrent or electric leakage flowing through a load to open the fixed contact and the movable contact and rolls the knob to the “OFF” position,
A light emitting element that directly irradiates the vicinity of the proximal end of the knob when the knob is in the “off” position;
A mounting base for mounting the light emitting element;
Legs for disposing the mounting base near the base end of the knob inside the main body case;
A light emitting element lighting fixed contact provided on the mounting base;
A light emitting element driving circuit for supplying current from the power supply side terminal to the light emitting element by a light emitting element lighting movable contact that contacts the light emitting element lighting fixed contact when the trip mechanism performs a trip operation;
A circuit breaker with a light emitting function, characterized in that the entire knob is formed of a translucent material.   The circuit breaker with a light emitting function according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting element is an LED.   3. The circuit breaker with a light emitting function according to claim 2, wherein the light emitting color of the LED is white, and the color of the translucent material of the knob is changed according to the amperage of the limiting current.   3. The circuit breaker with a light emitting function according to claim 2, wherein the knob is made of a milky white translucent material, and the light emission color of the LED is changed according to the amperage of the limiting current.   The circuit breaker with a light emitting function according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a light receiving portion from the light emitting element at a base end portion of the knob is formed flat.

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