JP7190956B2 - circuit breaker - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to circuit breakers.

A circuit breaker is used as a device for switching the opening and closing of an electric circuit, for example, inside a distribution board. As described in Patent Literature 1 below, a circuit breaker is provided with a handle, and a user operates the handle to switch between opening and closing of an electric circuit. The circuit breaker is provided with a movable contact operating inside a housing and a coupling member connecting the movable contact and the handle. The motion of the handle is transmitted to the movable contact through the connecting member.

In addition, when an overcurrent flows in the electric circuit, the electric circuit is automatically switched to the open state without operating the handle. At this time, even if the operation of the steering wheel is obstructed from the outside by some kind of obstacle, the operation of automatically switching the electric circuit to the open state must be performed reliably.

As a configuration for realizing such an operation, for example, the following configuration is known. The connecting member is divided into the first member and the second member, and the first member and the second member are connected so that the angle between the first member and the second member can be changed. Normally, the angle formed by the first member and the second member is fixed. Thereby, the operation of the handle is transmitted to the movable contact through the first member and the second member.

On the other hand, when an overcurrent occurs, the fixing is released and the angle between the first member and the second member can be freely changed. As a result, the movable contactor and the handle can operate independently of each other, and the movement of the movable contactor is not hindered by the handle. Therefore, even if the operation of the handle is hindered from the outside, the movable contact can be moved away from the fixed contact to switch the electric circuit to the open state.

JP-A-8-161992

However, in the configuration in which the connecting member is divided into the first member and the second member as described above, the number of parts of the circuit breaker increases. In addition, since the number of locations where a plurality of members are linked increases, there arises a problem that the structure inside the housing that supports these members becomes complicated. Furthermore, it is necessary to secure a space necessary for the first member and the second member to operate while changing the angle formed with each other, which causes a problem of increasing the size of the housing.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a circuit breaker that can switch to an open state when an overcurrent occurs with a relatively simple configuration without increasing the number of parts.

A circuit breaker according to the present disclosure is a circuit breaker that switches between opening and closing of an electric circuit, and includes a fixed contact that is fixed to a housing and a contact that abuts on the fixed contact by operating inside the housing. A movable contact that switches between a state and a state separated from the fixed contact, a handle that rotates by an operation for switching opening and closing of the electric circuit, a connecting member that connects the handle and the movable contact, and a housing a guide member fixed to the handle, the guide member positioned so that at least a portion of the guide member overlaps a portion of the handle when viewed along the central axis of rotation of the handle. A first slot is formed in the handle. The guide member is formed with a second elongated hole that intersects with the first elongated hole when viewed along the rotation center axis. A rod-shaped member penetrating the connecting member in a direction along the central axis of rotation is inserted through each of the first elongated hole and the second elongated hole at a position where the first elongated hole and the second elongated hole intersect each other. there is This circuit breaker is configured such that when the handle rotates, the connecting member operates such that the rod-shaped member moves along the second elongated hole, and the force received from the connecting member causes the movable contact to operate.

In the circuit breaker with such a configuration, since the connecting member is not divided into a plurality of members, the number of parts can be reduced compared to the structure in which the connecting member is divided into the first member and the second member as described above. be able to.

Further, when an overcurrent flows, if the guide member is released from the housing, the rod-shaped member penetrating the connecting member can move along the first elongated hole of the handle. Therefore, even when the handle is fixed from the outside, it is possible to move the connecting member along the first elongated hole of the handle to separate the movable contact from the fixed contact. Also, since the connecting member is a single member, the space required for the connecting member to operate as described above can be kept relatively small.

According to the present disclosure, there is provided a circuit breaker capable of switching to an open state when an overcurrent occurs with a relatively simple configuration without increasing the number of parts.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of a circuit breaker according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of the circuit breaker according to this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of the circuit breaker according to this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of the circuit breaker according to this embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of the circuit breaker according to this embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of a circuit breaker according to a first comparative example. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of a circuit breaker according to a first comparative example. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of a circuit breaker according to a second comparative example. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of a circuit breaker according to a second comparative example.

Hereinafter, this embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In order to facilitate understanding of the description, the same constituent elements in each drawing are denoted by the same reference numerals as much as possible, and overlapping descriptions are omitted.

A circuit breaker 10 according to the present embodiment is attached to a distribution board (not shown), and is configured as a device for switching opening and closing of an electric circuit in the distribution board. As shown in FIG. 1, the circuit breaker 10 includes a housing 20, a power supply side terminal seat 31, a load side terminal seat 41, and a handle .

The housing 20 is a member that generally forms the outline of the circuit breaker 10 . The housing 20 is made of resin. Inside the housing 20, a movable contactor 60, a connecting member 80, and the like, which will be described later, are accommodated.

The housing 20 is divided into a base 21 and a cover 22 . The base 21 is a portion on the lower side in FIG. 1 and is a portion attached to a base (not shown) inside the distribution board. The cover 22 is a portion on the upper side in FIG. 1 and covers the base 21 from the side opposite to the base.

The power supply side terminal seat 31 is a portion to which a power supply side wiring (not shown) is connected. As indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 1, the portion of the housing 20 on the left side in FIG. 1 is partly recessed toward the right side to form a recess 23, which is a recessed space. . The power supply side terminal seat 31 is arranged in this concave portion 23 .

The load-side terminal seat 41 is a portion to which load-side wiring (not shown) is connected. As indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 1, the portion of the housing 20 on the right side in FIG. 1 is partially recessed toward the left side, thereby forming a recess 24 that is a recessed space. . The load-side terminal seat 41 is arranged in this recess 24 .

The handle 70 is a portion operated by the user to switch between opening and closing of the electric circuit. A portion of the handle 70 protrudes outward through an opening (not shown) formed in the cover 22 .

When the handle 70 is tilted to the right as shown in FIG. 1, the electrical path inside the housing 20, that is, the electrical path connecting the power supply side terminal seat 31 and the load side terminal seat 41 is open. It's becoming Therefore, power supply to the load-side wiring is interrupted.

When the handle 70 is operated from the state shown in FIG. 1 and the handle 70 rotates counterclockwise to the state shown in FIG. 4, the electric circuit is switched to the closed state. As a result, the power from the power supply wiring is supplied to the load wiring. Further, when the handle 70 is operated from the state shown in FIG. 4 and the handle 70 rotates clockwise to the state shown in FIG. 1, the electric circuit is switched to the open state again. Thus, the handle 70 is provided as a member that rotates by an operation for switching between opening and closing of the electric circuit.

The internal configuration of the circuit breaker 10 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 shows a cross section of the circuit breaker 10 with the cover 22 removed. As shown in the figure, the circuit breaker 10 includes a power supply side terminal fitting 30 , a load side terminal fitting 40 and a movable contact 60 .

The power-side terminal fitting 30 is a metal member fixed to the housing 20 . A part of the power-side terminal fitting 30 is arranged in the recess 23 and exposed to the outside. This exposed portion serves as the power supply side terminal seat 31 described above. A portion of the power supply side terminal fitting 30 that is accommodated inside the housing 20 serves as a fixed contactor 32 . The fixed contact 32 is provided with a fixed contact 33 protruding toward a movable contact 60 (to be described later).

The load-side terminal fitting 40 is a metal member fixed to the housing 20 in the same manner as the power-side terminal fitting 30 described above. A portion of the load-side terminal fitting 40 is disposed in the recess 24 and exposed to the outside. This exposed portion serves as the load-side terminal seat 41 described above.

The movable contact 60 is a metal member provided inside the housing 20 . The movable contact 60 is connected to the load-side terminal fitting 40 via a connection wiring (not shown). The movable contact 60 is held by a holding member 62 made of an insulating material. A rotating shaft (not shown) is inserted through the holding member 62 at a position near the right end in FIG. The rotating shaft is a rod-shaped member extending in the depth direction of the paper surface of FIG. 2 and fixed to the housing 20 . The movable contact 60 is held together with the holding member 62 so as to be rotatable around the rotation shaft.

The movable contact 60 is provided with a movable contact 61 protruding toward the fixed contact 32 side. In the state shown in FIG. 2, the movable contact 61 of the movable contact 60 and the fixed contact 33 of the fixed contact 32 are separated.

2, the movable contact 61 of the movable contact 60 comes into contact with the fixed contact 33 of the fixed contact 32 when the movable contact 60 rotates counterclockwise about the rotation axis (not shown). state. At this time, inside the housing 20, an electric circuit composed of the power-side terminal fitting 30, the fixed contact 32, the movable contact 60, the connection wiring (not shown), and the load-side terminal fitting 40 is closed. That is, the power-side terminal fitting 30 and the load-side terminal fitting 40 are electrically connected.

From this state, when the movable contactor 60 rotates clockwise around a rotation shaft (not shown), it returns to the state shown in FIG. At this time, since the movable contact 61 of the movable contact 60 and the fixed contact 33 of the fixed contact 32 are separated from each other, the electrical path is opened. In other words, the power-side terminal fitting 30 and the load-side terminal fitting 40 are electrically cut off.

In this manner, the movable contact 60 is provided as a member that switches between a state of contacting the fixed contact 32 and a state of being separated from the fixed contact 32 by operating inside the housing 20 .

The movable contact 60 is biased away from the fixed contact 32 by an elastic member (not shown). The movable contact 60 is operated by the force applied as the handle 70 rotates, and comes into contact with the fixed contact 32 .

A mechanism for realizing such operation of the movable contactor 60 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 20 further includes a frame 25, a guide member 90, an engaging piece 100, and a connecting member 80. As shown in FIG.

Frame 25 is a member fixed to housing 20 . The handle 70 , guide member 90 , engagement piece 100 and connecting member 80 are all held by this frame 25 . The frame 25 is fixed to the base 21 of the housing 20 and protrudes upward from the upper end of the base 21 in FIG.

A rotary shaft 71 is inserted through the handle 70 . The rotating shaft 71 is a rod-shaped member whose center axis extends along the depth direction of the paper surface of FIG. 2 and is fixed to the frame 25 . The handle 70 is held so as to be rotatable around a rotating shaft 71 . The central axis of the rotating shaft 71 corresponds to the “rotating central axis” of the handle 70 .

A first elongated hole 72 is formed in the handle 70 . The first elongated hole 72 is formed at a position where most of it is closer to the base 21 than the rotary shaft 71 is. The first elongated hole 72 is formed as a hole extending linearly when viewed along the rotation center axis of the handle 70 as shown in FIG.

The guide member 90 is a generally flat plate-shaped member and is held with respect to the frame 25 . The guide member 90 is arranged at a position on the back side of the paper surface of FIG. 2 from the handle 70 . As shown in FIG. 2, the guide member 90 is arranged so that a portion of the guide member 90 overlaps a portion of the handle 70 when viewed along the rotation center axis of the handle 70 .

A rotation shaft 91 is inserted through the guide member 90 at a position near the lower right in FIG. The rotating shaft 91 is a rod-shaped member whose center axis extends along the depth direction of the paper surface of FIG. 2 and is fixed to the frame 25 . The guide member 90 is rotatably held around the rotary shaft 91, but its rotation is normally restrained by an engagement piece 100, which will be described later. "Normal time" means that no overcurrent is flowing through the electric path of the circuit breaker 10 and the tripping device 50, which will be described later, is not operating. Thus, the guide member 90 is a member fixed to the housing 20 in normal times.

A second oblong hole 92 is formed in the guide member 90 . The second long hole 92 is formed as a hole extending in an arcuate shape so as to protrude toward the base 21 when viewed along the rotation center axis of the handle 70 as shown in FIG. Also, when viewed as described above, a portion of the second elongated hole 92 intersects with a portion of the first elongated hole 72 formed in the handle 70 .

An engaged portion 93 is formed in the guide member 90 at a position corresponding to the upper right end portion in FIG. The engaged portion 93 is a portion that is engaged by the engaging piece 100 so that the guide member 90 is restrained from rotating.

The engagement piece 100 is a member for suppressing the rotation of the guide member 90 as described above. A rotating shaft 101 is inserted through the engaging piece 100 . The rotating shaft 101 is a rod-shaped member whose center axis extends along the depth direction of the paper surface of FIG. 2 and is fixed to the frame 25 . The engaging piece 100 is held so as to be rotatable around a rotating shaft 101 .

The engagement piece 100 is arranged so as to extend generally along the vertical direction in FIG. A protruding portion 102 that protrudes toward the guide member 90 is formed at a position in the vicinity of the rotating shaft 101 of the engaging piece 100 . In the normal state shown in FIG. 2, the tip of the projecting portion 102 is engaged with the engaged portion 93 of the guide member 90, thereby suppressing the rotation of the guide member 90 around the rotation shaft 91. state. That is, the guide member 90 is fixed to the housing 20 .

The connecting member 80 is a member for connecting between the handle 70 and the movable contact 60 . A part of the connecting member 80 is sandwiched between the guide member 90 and the handle 70 along the depth direction of the paper surface of FIG.

A rod-like member 81 is provided on the connecting member 80 . The rod-shaped member 81 is a rod-shaped member arranged so as to extend along the rotation center axis of the handle 70 and penetrates the connecting member 80 along the same direction. However, the rod-shaped member 81 is not fixed to the frame 25 . The rod-shaped member 81 is inserted through each of the first elongated hole 72 and the second elongated hole 92 at a position where the first elongated hole 72 and the second elongated hole 92 intersect each other.

The position through which the rod-shaped member 81 penetrates the connecting member 80 is a position near one end of the connecting member 80 along the longitudinal direction. A pressing bar 82 is provided at a position near the end of the connecting member 80 opposite to the one end, that is, near the end on the movable contact 60 side. The pressing bar 82 is a columnar member, and its central axis is arranged along the depth direction of the paper surface of FIG. The pressing bar 82 is in contact with the holding member 62 from above in FIG. It should be noted that the pressing bar 82 may be in direct contact with the movable contact 60 without the holding member 62 interposed therebetween.

A tripping device 50 and a movable piece 110 are further arranged inside the housing 20 . The tripping device 50 is a device for generating a magnetic force when an overcurrent flows through the electric circuit inside the housing 20 to operate the movable piece 110 described below. As the configuration of the tripping device 50, a known configuration can be adopted, and therefore the detailed description of the configuration is omitted.

The movable piece 110 is arranged at a position between the tripping device 50 and the engaging piece 100 . The movable piece 110 has a first portion 111 arranged on the upper side of the tripping device 50 and a second portion 112 extending downward so as to substantially face the engaging piece 100 . Normally, the first portion 111 and the tripping device 50 are separated from each other, and the second portion 112 and the engaging piece 100 are also separated from each other.

When an overcurrent flows through the electric circuit inside the housing 20 , a magnetic force is generated in the tripping device 50 . The first portion 111 of the movable piece 110 is attracted toward the trip device 50 by the magnetic force. As a result, the entire movable piece 110 rotates clockwise, so that the lower end of the second portion 112 moves toward the engaging piece 100 and applies force to the engaging piece 100 . The engagement piece 100 rotates clockwise around the rotation axis 101 by the force from the second portion 112 .

As the engaging piece 100 rotates, the projecting portion 102 of the engaging piece 100 is disengaged from the engaged portion 93 of the guide member 90 . The fixation of the guide member 90 to the housing 20 is released, and the guide member 90 is in a freely rotatable state. As a result of such operation, the movable contactor 60 moves away from the fixed contactor 32 and the electric circuit is switched to the open state, the reason for which will be described later.

The operation of the circuit breaker 10 when the handle 70 is operated by the user will be described. From the state shown in FIG. 2, when an operation for switching the electric circuit to the closed state, that is, an operation for rotating the handle 70 counterclockwise is performed, the circuit breaker 10 enters the state shown in FIG. FIG. 3 shows an intermediate state when the electric circuit is switched to the closed state. Also, in the figure, the direction in which the handle 70 rotates is indicated by an arrow A1.

When the handle 70 rotates as described above, the position where the first elongated hole 72 and the second elongated hole 92 cross each other moves toward the lower right in FIG. Along with this, the rod-shaped member 81 moves to the lower right along the second elongated hole 92 . Also, the connecting member 80 and the pressing bar 82 provided thereon are gradually moved downward. That is, the connecting member 80 operates such that the rod-shaped member 81 moves along the second elongated hole 92 .

The movable contactor 60 receives force from the downwardly moving pressing bar 82, so that it rotates counterclockwise around a rotation axis (not shown). Incidentally, the “force from the pressing bar 82 ” can also be said to be the force received from the connecting member 80 . In FIG. 3, the direction in which the movable contactor 60 rotates is indicated by an arrow A2. As the movable contact 60 rotates, the movable contact 61 approaches the fixed contact 33 and finally comes into contact with the fixed contact 33 . In other words, the movable contact 60 and the fixed contact 32 are brought into contact with each other, and the electric circuit is closed. FIG. 4 shows a state in which the rotation of the handle 70 as described above is completed.

When the handle 70 is rotated clockwise from the state shown in FIG. 4, each member of the circuit breaker 10 operates in the direction opposite to that described above. Specifically, the position where the first elongated hole 72 and the second elongated hole 92 cross each other moves toward the upper left in FIG. Along with this, the rod-shaped member 81 moves to the upper left along the second elongated hole 92 . Also, the connecting member 80 and the pressing bar 82 provided thereon are gradually moved upward. As a result, the movable contactor 60 and the fixed contactor 32 are separated from each other, and the electric circuit is opened.

Thus, in the circuit breaker 10 according to this embodiment, when the handle 70 rotates, the connecting member 80 operates so that the rod-shaped member 81 moves along the second elongated hole 92, and the force received from the connecting member 80 The movable contact 60 is configured to operate by. The connecting member 80 is composed of a single member rather than a plurality of members, and is configured to directly transmit the movement of the handle 70 to the movable contact 60 .

The operation when an overcurrent flows through the electric circuit inside the housing 20 from the state shown in FIG. 4 will be described. As described above, in this case, the engaging piece 100 receives force from the movable piece 110, and the engaging piece 100 rotates in the direction indicated by arrow A3 in FIG. As a result, the guide member 90 is released from the housing 20 and becomes freely rotatable around the rotation shaft 91 .

In the state of FIG. 4, the movable contactor 60 is biased by an elastic member (not shown) and pressed against the pressing bar 82 via the holding member 62 . Therefore, the connecting member 80 is urged upward in FIG. 4 by the force from the pressing bar 82 .

When the guide member 90 is released from the housing 20, the guide member 90 moves in the direction indicated by arrow A4 in FIG. rotate to At this time, no force is exerted to hold the rod-shaped member 81 at a specific position. Therefore, the rod-shaped member 81 moves upward along the first elongated hole 72 , that is, in a direction away from the movable contactor 60 . The connecting member 80 also moves in the same direction as the rod-like member 81 does. As a result, the movable contact 60 is separated from the fixed contact 32, and the electric circuit is opened.

Since the rod-shaped member 81 moves along the first long hole 72 formed in the handle 70, the rod-shaped member 81 can move as described above even if the handle 70 does not rotate. In other words, even if the handle 70 is fixed by an external force, for example, when an overcurrent flows, the movable contactor 60 is reliably separated from the fixed contactor 32 to open the electric circuit. It can be in a broken state.

Thus, in the circuit breaker 10 according to this embodiment, when an overcurrent flows in the electric circuit, the guide member 90 is released from the housing 20 and the rod-shaped member 81 moves along the first elongated hole 72. It is configured to be movable.

In order to explain the advantages of the configuration as described above, the configuration of a circuit breaker according to a comparative example will be described.

FIG. 6 shows the configuration of a circuit breaker 10A according to the first comparative example. In this first comparative example, instead of the connecting member 80, a first connecting member 210 and a second connecting member 220 are provided. The first connecting member 210 has one end connected to the handle 70 via a rotating shaft 211 and the other end connected to one end of a second connecting member 220 via a rotating shaft 212 . A pressing bar 82 is provided at the other end of the second connecting member 220 .

Both the rotating shaft 211 and the rotating shaft 212 are rod-shaped members extending along the depth direction of the paper surface of FIG. The rotating shaft 211 rotatably connects the handle 70 and the first connecting member 210 . Further, the rotating shaft 212 rotatably connects the first connecting member 210 and the second connecting member 220 . However, the rotating shaft 212 and the portion denoted by reference numeral 230 in FIG. 6 are restrained by a mechanism (not shown) so that the distance therebetween is constant. Therefore, in normal times, the angle formed by the first connecting member 210 and the second connecting member 220 is kept substantially constant. A portion denoted by reference numeral 230 in FIG. 6 is hereinafter also referred to as a “restraining portion 230”.

In the state shown in FIG. 6, the handle 70 is rotating counterclockwise and the movable contactor 60 is in contact with the fixed contactor 32, that is, the electric circuit is closed. When the handle 70 is rotated clockwise from the state shown in FIG. 6, the first connecting member 210 and the second connecting member 220 are rotated while maintaining the angle between them substantially constant. Move in the direction opposite to 60. Therefore, the movable contact 60 is moved upward in FIG. 6 by a force from an elastic member (not shown) and separated from the fixed contact 32 . That is, the electric circuit is opened.

When an overcurrent flows in the electric circuit from the state shown in FIG. 6, the constraint between the rotating shaft 212 and the constraint portion 230 is released by a mechanism (not shown). As a result, the angle formed by the first connecting member 210 and the second connecting member 220 can be freely changed.

The upward force that the movable contactor 60 receives from the elastic member (not shown) is transmitted to the first connecting member 210 and the second connecting member 220 via the pressing bar 82 . Therefore, the angle formed by the two changes due to the force, resulting in the state shown in FIG. In FIG. 7, the direction in which the first connecting member 210 is rotated is indicated by an arrow A5.

As the angle formed by the first connecting member 210 and the second connecting member 220 changes, the movable contact 60 is separated from the fixed contact 32 . That is, the electric circuit is opened. Such movement of the movable contactor 60 is absorbed by the operations of the first connecting member 210 and the second connecting member 220, and is not transmitted to the handle 70. FIG.

Thus, even in this first comparative example, it is possible to perform operations similar to those described in the present embodiment. That is, even if the handle 70 is fixed by an external force, for example, when an overcurrent flows, the movable contactor 60 is reliably separated from the fixed contactor 32 to open the electric circuit. It is possible to put it in a broken state.

However, in this first comparative example, since the connecting member is composed of two members consisting of the first connecting member 210 and the second connecting member 220, the number of parts is increased. In contrast, in the circuit breaker 10 according to the present embodiment, the connecting member 80 is a single member, so the number of parts is reduced as compared with the first comparative example.

In addition, in the first comparative example, since there are relatively many link points between members such as the rotating shaft 212, there is also the problem that the internal structure of the housing 20 for supporting these members becomes complicated. is occurring. On the other hand, in the circuit breaker 10 according to the present embodiment, the number of parts and the number of links between members are small, so the internal structure of the housing 20 can be simplified.

Furthermore, in the first comparative example, the first connecting member 210 and the second connecting member 220 operate while changing the angle formed with each other. Therefore, it is necessary to secure a large space inside the housing 20 for the operation of each member. As a result, there arises a problem that the housing 20 is enlarged. The space on the left side of the rotating shaft 212 in FIG. 6 corresponds to the space that should be reserved.

On the other hand, in the circuit breaker 10 according to this embodiment, the connecting member 80 operates along the first elongated hole 72 of the handle 70, so there is almost no need to secure the space necessary for the operation. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to make the housing 20 smaller than the conventional one.

FIG. 8 shows the configuration of a circuit breaker 10B according to a second comparative example. In this second comparative example, a connecting member 310 is provided instead of the connecting member 80 . One end of the connecting member 310 is connected to the handle 70 via a rotating shaft 311 .

A roller 312 is provided at the other end of the connecting member 310 . The roller 312 is rotatably held with respect to the connecting member 310 . The connecting member 310 is in a state in which the roller 312 is in contact with the upper end of the pressing member 320 .

The pressing member 320 is a member provided in place of the pressing bar 82 . The pressing member 320 is a block-shaped member provided to extend along the vertical direction. A through hole 322 is formed in the pressing member 320 so as to extend through the pressing member 320 in the horizontal direction of FIG. The movable contact 60 is inserted through the through hole 322 .

The pressing member 320 is held inside the housing 20 so as to be movable only in the vertical direction in FIG.

A restraining member 500 is provided in the circuit breaker 10B. The restraining member 500 is a member for keeping the roller 312 of the connecting member 310 in contact with the upper end of the pressing member 320 . As shown in FIG. 8, the restraining member 500 supports the roller 312 from the right side of FIG. 8 and prevents the roller 312 from shifting to the right.

The restraint member 500 is attached to the frame 25 via a rotating shaft 510 . The rotating shaft 510 is a rod-shaped member extending along the depth direction of the paper surface of FIG. The restraining member 500 is rotatable around the rotating shaft 510 . However, normally, the rotation of the restraining member 500 is restrained by the engagement piece 400 .

The engagement piece 400 is attached to the frame 25 via a rotating shaft 410 . The rotating shaft 410 is a rod-shaped member extending along the depth direction of the paper surface of FIG. A projecting portion 420 projecting toward the restraining member 500 is formed on the engaging piece 400 . Normally, the tip of projection 420 is in contact with restraint member 500 . Therefore, the rotation of the restraining member 500 is suppressed.

In the state shown in FIG. 8, the handle 70 is rotating counterclockwise, and the connecting member 310 has moved to the lowest side in its movable range. Therefore, the pressing member 320 is also moved downward by the force from the connecting member 310 . As a result, the movable contact 60 is pressed against the fixed contact 32 by the force from the pressing member 320 . That is, the electric circuit is closed.

When the handle 70 is rotated clockwise from the state shown in FIG. 8, the roller 312 of the connecting member 310 moves upward. The pressing member 320 moves upward together with the movable contactor 60 while maintaining the roller 312 in contact with its upper end. As a result, the movable contact 60 is separated from the fixed contact 32 . That is, the electric circuit is opened.

When an overcurrent flows in the electric circuit from the state shown in FIG. 8 , the force received from the second portion 112 of the movable piece 110 causes the engagement piece 400 to rotate counterclockwise around the rotating shaft 410 . At this time, the distal end of the protruding portion 420 is separated from the restraining member 500, so that the restraining member 500 can be freely rotated. The binding member 500 rotates counterclockwise due to the force received from the roller 312 .

Since the roller 312 is no longer held by the binding member 500 , the roller 312 moves from the upper end of the pressing member 320 to the right side in FIG. FIG. 9 shows such a state.

In the state of FIG. 9, the pressing member 320 no longer receives the force from the roller 312, so it moves upward together with the movable contactor 60. As shown in FIG. As a result, the movable contact 60 is separated from the fixed contact 32 . That is, the electric circuit is opened. The movement of the pressing member 320 at this time is not transmitted to the handle 70 .

As described above, even in this second comparative example, it is possible to perform the same operation as described in the present embodiment. That is, even if the handle 70 is fixed by an external force, for example, when an overcurrent flows, the movable contactor 60 is reliably separated from the fixed contactor 32 to open the electric circuit. It is possible to put it in a broken state.

However, in this second comparative example, it is necessary to provide a roller 312 at the lower end of the connecting member 310 so that the lower end of the connecting member 310 is smoothly detached from the upper end of the pressing member 320 . Therefore, there is a problem that the number of parts ends up increasing. In addition, since the force from the roller 312 is always applied to the upper end of the pressing member 320 at normal times, it is necessary to increase the size of the pressing member 320 and increase its strength so that the pressing member 320 is not deformed. also occurs.

On the other hand, the circuit breaker 10 according to the present embodiment does not have a structure in which a large force is applied to specific parts, so there is no need to excessively increase the strength of specific parts.

Further devised points in the circuit breaker 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 2 again. As described above, the second long hole 92 of this embodiment is formed to extend in an arc shape. Therefore, in the process of rotating the handle 70 and shifting from the state shown in FIG. 2 to the state shown in FIG. The vicinity of the lower end portion of the handle 70 can be said to be the portion where the movement distance is the largest when the handle 70 rotates around the rotation axis 71 . Since the rod-shaped member 81 is held at such a position, it is possible to efficiently convert the rotational motion of the handle 70 into the motion of the connecting member 80 and the movable contactor 60 .

Further, the first elongated hole 72 of the present embodiment is formed so as to extend linearly. Therefore, when the state of FIG. 4 shifts to the state of FIG. 5 due to overcurrent, the bar member 81 moves the shortest distance along the first elongated hole 72 . As a result, it is possible to smoothly operate the connecting member 80 and the movable contactor 60 .

An example in which the first elongated hole 72 is a hole formed so as to penetrate the handle 70 along the depth direction of the paper surface of FIG. 2 has been described above. Instead of this aspect, the first long hole 72 is formed by retracting a portion of the surface of the handle 70 facing the connecting member 80 toward the front of the page of FIG. It may be formed as a "bottomed" hole. The first long hole 72 in this case can also be called a "groove" formed in a straight line. Further, in this case, "the rod-shaped member 81 is inserted through the first long hole 72" means that the tip portion of the rod-shaped member 81 is inserted inside the first long hole 72, which is a groove. means

Also, in the above description, an example in which the second elongated hole 92 is a hole formed so as to penetrate the guide member 90 along the depth direction of the paper surface of FIG. 2 has been described. Instead of such an aspect, the second long hole 92 is formed by retracting a part of the surface of the guide member 90 facing the connecting member 80 toward the back side of the paper surface of FIG. It may be formed as a so-called "bottomed" hole. The second long hole 92 in this case can also be called a "groove" formed in an arc shape. Further, in this case, "the rod-shaped member 81 is inserted through the second elongated hole 92" means that the tip portion of the rod-shaped member 81 is inserted inside the second elongated hole 92, which is a groove. means

The present embodiment has been described above with reference to specific examples. However, the present disclosure is not limited to these specific examples. Design modifications to these specific examples by those skilled in the art are also included in the scope of the present disclosure as long as they have the features of the present disclosure. Each element included in each specific example described above and its arrangement, conditions, shape, etc. are not limited to those illustrated and can be changed as appropriate. As long as there is no technical contradiction, the combination of the elements included in the specific examples described above can be changed as appropriate.

10: Circuit breaker 20: Housing 32: Fixed contact 60: Movable contact 70: Handle 72: First elongated hole 80: Connecting member 81: Rod-shaped member 90: Guide member 92: Second elongated hole

Claims (4)

A circuit breaker for switching opening and closing of an electric circuit,
a stationary contact fixed with respect to the housing;
a movable contact that switches between a state in contact with the fixed contact and a state separated from the fixed contact by operating inside the housing;
A handle rotated by an operation for switching opening and closing of the electric circuit,
a connecting member that connects between the handle and the movable contact;
a guide member that is fixed to the housing and arranged such that at least a portion thereof overlaps a portion of the handle when viewed along the central axis of rotation of the handle; prepared,
A first elongated hole is formed in the handle,
The guide member is formed with a second elongated hole that intersects with the first elongated hole when viewed along the rotation center axis,
A rod-shaped member penetrating the connecting member in a direction along the rotation center axis is arranged in each of the first elongated hole and the second elongated hole at a position where the first elongated hole and the second elongated hole intersect each other. is inserted into the
A circuit configured such that when the handle rotates, the connecting member operates such that the rod-shaped member moves along the second elongated hole, and the force received from the connecting member causes the movable contact to operate. circuit breaker. The guide member is unlocked from the housing when an overcurrent flows in the electric circuit, and the rod-like member is configured to move along the first elongated hole. 2. The circuit breaker according to 1. 3. The circuit breaker according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said second long hole is formed to extend in an arc shape when viewed along said rotation center axis. 4. The circuit breaker according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said first long hole is formed to extend linearly when viewed along said rotation center axis.

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