JP7101557B2 - Circuit breaker - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to circuit breakers.

Conventionally, there is a circuit breaker described in Patent Document 1 below. The circuit breaker described in Patent Document 1 includes a power supply side terminal and a terminal fitting provided with a fixed contactor. The power supply side wiring is connected to the power supply side terminal. Further, the circuit breaker described in Patent Document 1 includes a load-side terminal to which the load-side wiring is connected. This circuit breaker electrically connects the electric circuit between the power supply side terminal and the load side terminal by contacting and separating the fixed contact and the movable contact provided on the electric circuit from the power supply side terminal to the load side terminal. Connected to and disconnected from.

Jikkensho 57-432299 Gazette

By the way, when the movable contacts are separated from the fixed contacts, an arc discharge may occur between them. Since the arc gas generated by the arc discharge has a high temperature, if the arc gas adheres to the parts of the circuit breaker, the parts may be deteriorated. Therefore, some circuit breakers are formed with an exhaust port for discharging arc gas to the outside.

On the other hand, when the circuit breaker is formed with an exhaust port, foreign matter may enter from the outside to the inside of the circuit breaker through the exhaust port. If this foreign matter adheres to, for example, a fixed contact or a movable contact, it may cause poor contact or the like, which is not preferable. In order to suppress the ingress of such foreign matter, for example, a method of closing the exhaust port with a plate-shaped member capable of allowing arc gas to permeate can be considered. However, if a plate-shaped member is separately provided in the circuit breaker, an increase in the number of parts is unavoidable.

The present disclosure has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a circuit breaker capable of suppressing the entry of foreign matter through an exhaust port while avoiding an increase in the number of parts. be.

In order to solve the above problems, the circuit breaker is a fixed contact and a movable contact provided on the electric circuit between the power supply side terminal and the load side terminal exposed to the outside of the housing, and the power supply side terminal and the load side terminal. It is possible to connect and disconnect the electric circuit between the power supply side terminal and the load side terminal by contacting and separating the movable contactor with respect to the fixed contactor. The outer wall of the housing is formed with an exhaust port for discharging the arc gas generated when the movable contact is separated from the fixed contact from the inside of the housing to the outside. The housing includes a first member in which an exhaust port is formed and a second member assembled to the first member, and one of the first member and the second member has a recess that opens toward the exhaust port. Is formed, and the recess has an opening in a portion facing the other of the first member and the second member, and is fitted to the opening of the recess in the other of the first member and the second member. A convex portion is formed. The housing is integrally formed with a collecting structure for collecting foreign matter entering from the outside to the inside of the housing through the exhaust port , and the collecting structure is composed of a fitting structure of concave portions and convex portions . ..

According to this configuration, foreign matter entering the inside of the housing from the outside through the exhaust port can be collected by the collecting structure, so that foreign matter can be suppressed from entering the inside of the housing through the exhaust port. Further, since the collecting structure is integrally formed with the housing, a separate member for collecting foreign matter is not required. Therefore, it is possible to avoid an increase in the number of parts. Further, for example, by using a mold, it is easy to form a concave portion in either one of the first member and the second member, and to form a convex portion in either one of the first member and the second member. Therefore, the collection structure can be easily realized.

In the above circuit breaker, when the flow direction of the arc gas flowing inside the housing toward the exhaust port is a predetermined direction, the collection structure opens toward the exhaust port and has a cross-sectional shape parallel to the predetermined direction. Is preferably formed so as to have a V shape.

According to this configuration, the arc gas flowing inside the housing toward the exhaust port flows along the V-shaped side surface of the collection structure, so that the flow of the arc gas is less likely to be obstructed by the collection structure. Therefore, the discharge property of arc gas can be ensured.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a circuit breaker capable of suppressing the entry of foreign matter through an exhaust port while avoiding an increase in the number of parts.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross-sectional structure of the circuit breaker of the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective sectional view showing a perspective sectional structure along the line II-II of FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross-sectional structure along the line II-II of FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross-sectional structure taken along the line IV-IV of FIG.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the circuit breaker will be described with reference to the drawings. In order to facilitate understanding of the description, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals as possible in the drawings, and duplicate description is omitted.
As shown in FIG. 1, the circuit breaker 10 of the present embodiment has a power supply side terminal 31 provided so as to be exposed to the outside on the left side wall portion 201 of the housing 20 and externally on the right side wall portion 202 of the housing 20. It is provided with a load side terminal 41 provided so as to be exposed. In the present embodiment, the left side wall portion 201 and the right side wall portion 202 of the housing 20 correspond to the outer wall portion of the housing 20. The power supply side wiring is connected to the power supply side terminal 31. The load side wiring is connected to the load side terminal 41. The circuit breaker 10 switches between a state in which the power supply side terminal 31 and the load side terminal 41 are electrically connected and a state in which the connection is cut off, thereby switching between the power supply side wiring and the load side wiring. It is a device that can switch the electrical connection state of.

In the following, in the circuit breaker 10, the direction from the power supply side terminal 31 to the load side terminal 41 is referred to as "X1 direction", and the opposite direction is referred to as "X2 direction". Further, the direction from the bottom surface 204 to the top surface 203 of the housing 20 is referred to as "Z1 direction", and the opposite direction is referred to as "Z2 direction".

The circuit breaker 10 includes a fixed contact 30 having a power supply side terminal 31 at one end, a load side terminal fitting 40 having a load side terminal 41 at one end, a movable contact 50 provided inside the housing 20, and insulation. It includes a sex member 70 and a handle 60 arranged so as to project from the upper surface 203 of the housing 20.

The fixed contact 30 is made of a conductive plate-shaped metal member. The crimp terminal of the power supply side wiring is fixed to the power supply side terminal 31 provided at one end of the fixed contact 30 by a screw or the like. The fixed contact 30 is formed so as to extend from the power supply side terminal 31 to the inside of the housing 20. A fixed contact 32 is provided at the tip of the fixed contact 30 extending inside the housing 20. A movable contact 51 attached to the tip of the movable contact 50 faces the fixed contact 32.

The movable contact 50 is electrically connected to the load-side terminal fitting 40 through wiring provided inside the housing 20. The crimp terminal of the load side wiring is fixed to the load side terminal 41 provided at one end of the load side terminal fitting 40 by a screw or the like. The movable contact 50 swings based on the manual operation of the handle 60. The swing of the movable contact 50 causes the movable contact 51 to come into contact with and separate from the fixed contact 32. When the movable contact 51 is separated from the fixed contact 32, the movable contact 50 is held in the off stop position shown in FIG.

The housing 20 is divided and fixed to a base 21, an upper cover 22, and a lower cover 23.
The base 21 is a portion to which various parts of the circuit breaker 10 such as the fixed contact 30, the load side terminal fitting 40, the movable contact 50, and the handle 60 are assembled. An exhaust port 25 is formed on the left side wall portion 201 of the base 21. An exhaust passage 24 is formed in the base 21 and the lower cover 23 so as to extend from the space around the fixed contact 30 to the exhaust port 25. When the movable contact 51 is separated from the fixed contact 32, an arc discharge may occur between them. This arc discharge generates an arc gas composed of a high temperature gas. If the arc gas adheres to the parts of the circuit breaker 10, the parts may be deteriorated. Therefore, in the circuit breaker 10, the arc gas generated around the fixed contact 30 flows through the exhaust passage 24 in the X2 direction and is discharged from the exhaust port 25 to the outside of the housing 20. That is, in the present embodiment, the X2 direction corresponds to a predetermined direction which is the flow direction of the arc gas flowing inside the housing 20 toward the exhaust port 25. Further, the base 21 corresponds to the first member on which the exhaust port 25 is formed.

The upper cover 22 is detachably attached to the upper part of the base 21. Similarly, the lower cover 23 is detachably assembled to the lower part of the base 21. The upper cover 22 and the lower cover 23 protect various parts and substrates provided on the base 21 from the external environment. In the present embodiment, the lower cover 23 corresponds to the second member assembled to the base 21.

The insulating member 70 is made of resin or the like. The insulating member 70 is provided between the fixed contact 30 and the movable contact 50, and blocks unintended conduction between them.
In this circuit breaker 10, the movable contact 51 and the fixed contact 32 provided on the electric circuit from the power supply side terminal 31 to the load side terminal 41 are contacted and separated by the operation of the handle 60 of the user. When the movable contact 51 is in contact with the fixed contact 32, the electric circuit between the power supply side terminal 31 and the load side terminal 41 is electrically connected. Further, when the movable contact 51 is separated from the fixed contact 32, the electric circuit between the power supply side terminal 31 and the load side terminal 41 is electrically cut off.

By the way, in such a circuit breaker 10, foreign matter may enter from the outside to the inside of the housing 20 through the exhaust port 25. In particular, in the circuit breaker 10 installed so that the bottom surface 204 is in contact with a wall extending in parallel in the vertical direction, the left side wall portion 201 faces upward in the vertical direction, and the right side wall portion 202 of the housing 20 faces downward in the vertical direction. I will turn to it. In such a case, since the exhaust port 25 faces upward in the vertical direction, foreign matter falling due to gravity from above the circuit breaker 10 easily enters the inside of the housing 20 from the exhaust port 25 as it is. If such a foreign substance adheres to the movable contact 51 or the fixed contact 32, it may cause a connection failure or the like, which is not preferable. In order to avoid this, it is conceivable to adopt a method of closing the exhaust port 25 by providing the exhaust port 25 with a plate-shaped member capable of allowing the arc gas to permeate. However, when this method is adopted, an increase in the number of parts is unavoidable. Therefore, in the circuit breaker 10 of the present embodiment, a collecting structure for collecting foreign matter entering from the exhaust port 25 is integrally formed in the housing 20.

Next, the specific shape of this collection structure will be described.
As shown in FIG. 2, a recess 210 is formed in a portion of the base 21 in the vicinity of the exhaust port 25. Specifically, the recess 210 is formed so that the cross-sectional shape parallel to the X2 direction is V-shaped, and has an opening 211 at a portion facing the exhaust port 25. Further, the recess 210 also has an opening 212 in a portion on the Z2 direction side thereof, that is, a portion facing the lower cover 23. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the convex portion 230 formed in the lower cover 23 is fitted in the opening 212 of the concave portion 210 on the Z2 direction side. The concave portion 210 of the base 21 and the convex portion 230 of the lower cover 23 form a pocket-shaped collecting structure 26 that opens toward the exhaust port 25. The collection structure 26 collects foreign matter that enters the inside from the outside of the housing 20 through the exhaust port 25, thereby preventing the foreign matter from entering the inside of the housing 20.

According to the circuit breaker 10 of the present embodiment described above, the actions and effects shown in the following (1) to (3) can be obtained.
(1) The housing 20 is integrally formed with a collection structure 26 that collects foreign matter entering the inside from the outside of the housing 20 through the exhaust port 25. With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the inside of the housing 20 through the exhaust port 25. Further, since the collecting structure 26 is integrally formed with the housing 20, a separate member for collecting foreign matter is not required. Therefore, it is possible to avoid an increase in the number of parts.

(2) The collection structure 26 is composed of a fitting structure of a concave portion 210 formed in the base 21 and a convex portion 230 formed in the lower cover 23. According to such a configuration, for example, by using a mold, it is easy to form the concave portion 210 on the base 21 and the convex portion 230 on the lower cover 23, so that the collection structure 26 is provided. It can be easily realized.

(3) The collection structure 26 is formed so as to have a V-shaped cross-sectional shape that opens toward the exhaust port 25 and is parallel to the X2 direction, which is the flow direction of the arc gas. According to such a configuration, the arc gas flowing through the exhaust passage 24 from the inside to the outside of the housing 20 flows along the V-shaped side surfaces 213 and 214 of the collection structure 26 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Therefore, the collection structure 26 is less likely to obstruct the flow of arc gas. Therefore, the discharge property of arc gas can be ensured.

The above embodiment can also be carried out in the following embodiments.
The shape of the collection structure 26 is not limited to the V-shaped cross section, and can be arbitrarily changed.
A concave portion 210 may be formed in the lower cover 23, and a convex portion 230 may be formed in the base 21, and then the collection structure 26 may be formed by a fitting structure between the concave portion 210 and the convex portion 230.

-The present disclosure is not limited to the above specific examples. Specific examples described above with appropriate design changes by those skilled in the art are also included in the scope of the present disclosure as long as they have the characteristics of the present disclosure. Each element included in each of the above-mentioned specific examples, and their arrangement, conditions, shape, and the like are not limited to those exemplified, and can be appropriately changed. The combinations of the elements included in each of the above-mentioned specific examples can be appropriately changed as long as there is no technical contradiction.

10: Circuit breaker 20: Housing 21: Base (first member)
22: Lower cover (second member)
25: Exhaust port 26: Collection structure 30: Fixed contact 31: Power supply side terminal 41: Load side terminal 50: Movable contact 201: Side wall portion (outer wall portion)
210: Concave part 212: Opening 230: Convex part

Claims (2)

It has a power supply side terminal and a load side terminal exposed to the outside of the housing, and a fixed contactor and a movable contactor provided on an electric circuit between the power supply side terminal and the load side terminal, and the movable contactor is said to be fixed. A circuit breaker capable of connecting and disconnecting an electric circuit between the power supply side terminal and the load side terminal by contacting and separating from the contactor.
An exhaust port for discharging arc gas generated when the movable contact is separated from the fixed contact from the inside of the housing to the outside is formed on the outer wall portion of the housing .
The housing includes a first member on which the exhaust port is formed and a second member assembled to the first member.
A recess that opens toward the exhaust port is formed in either the first member or the second member.
The recess has an opening in a portion facing the other of the first member and the second member.
On the other side of the first member and the second member, a convex portion that fits into the opening of the concave portion is formed, while the other one.
The housing is integrally formed with a collection structure for collecting foreign matter that enters from the outside to the inside of the housing through the exhaust port .
The collection structure is a circuit breaker configured by a fitting structure of the concave portion and the convex portion . When the flow direction of the arc gas flowing inside the housing toward the exhaust port is set to a predetermined direction,
The collection structure is formed so as to open toward the exhaust port and have a V-shaped cross-sectional shape parallel to the predetermined direction.
The circuit breaker according to claim 1 .

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