JP7230581B2 - service plug - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a service plug for interrupting power supply circuits.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a service plug (power supply circuit breaker) for disconnecting (opening) a power supply circuit is attached to a high-voltage electrical system of an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle. The service plug is provided with a plug that can be inserted into and removed from a main body that is interposed in the power supply circuit, and the power supply circuit is connected and disconnected by attaching and detaching the plug. Service plug applications include manual circuit interruption during maintenance. For example, when inspecting and servicing electrical components on a power supply circuit or the circuit itself, a worker removes the plug and reattaches it after the work is completed. By using the service plug in this way, it is possible to easily avoid electric leakage and electric shock during maintenance (see Patent Documents 1 to 3).

JP 2012-186074 A JP 2015-046277 A JP 2017-126493 A

By the way, in order to improve the electrical characteristics of the service plug (the electrical characteristics when the plug is inserted into the main body), it is preferable to increase the contact pressure of the terminals or increase the number of terminals. However, when these methods are adopted, the size of the plug and the service plug itself tends to increase, and the mountability of the plug on the vehicle decreases. In addition, since the plug insertion/extraction operation force also increases, the operability during maintenance may deteriorate. Although it is conceivable to improve the current-carrying characteristics by making the terminal shape of the service plug rod-shaped (cylindrical), it becomes necessary to improve the product accuracy of the connecting portion, which increases the manufacturing cost.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a service plug which has been invented in view of the above problems, and which can improve the current-carrying characteristics with a simple configuration. In addition to this purpose, it is also possible to achieve actions and effects derived from each configuration shown in the "Mode for Carrying out the Invention" described later and which cannot be obtained with the conventional technology. can be positioned as a goal.

(1) The disclosed service plug includes a main body, a plug, and a heat transfer member. The main body is interposed on a power supply circuit that connects a power supply and a load, and has a pair of terminals that are connected to a power supply side wire and a load side wire, respectively. The plug is provided to be insertable/removable with respect to the main body, and includes a conductor connecting between the pair of terminals, a non-conductive casing covering the conductor, and the casing protruding in a direction intersecting the inserting/removing direction. and an operation unit. The heat transfer member is built in the plug in contact with or integrated with the conductor, and extends from the conductor toward the operating portion. The operating portion has a groove that exposes the heat transfer member to the outside.

(2 ) It is preferable that the groove is formed on a non-operation surface of the operation portion opposite to the operation surface facing the main body with the heat transfer member interposed therebetween.
( 3 ) Another disclosed service plug comprises a main body, a plug, and a heat transfer member. The main body is interposed on a power supply circuit that connects a power supply and a load, and has a pair of terminals that are connected to a power supply side wire and a load side wire, respectively. The plug is provided to be insertable/removable with respect to the main body, and includes a conductor connecting between the pair of terminals, a non-conductive casing covering the conductor, and the casing protruding in a direction intersecting the inserting/removing direction. and an operation unit. The heat transfer member is built in the plug in contact with or integrated with the conductor, and extends from the conductor toward the operating portion. The heat transfer member has a comb-shaped portion having a comb-shaped cross section parallel to the insertion/extraction direction .

( 4 ) It is preferable that the comb-shaped portion has a base portion extending in a direction intersecting the insertion/removal direction, and a comb portion extending from the base portion toward the main body.
( 5 ) Another disclosed service plug comprises a main body, a plug, and a heat transfer member. The main body is interposed on a power supply circuit that connects a power supply and a load, and has a pair of terminals that are connected to a power supply side wire and a load side wire, respectively. The plug is provided to be insertable/removable with respect to the main body, and includes a conductor connecting between the pair of terminals, a non-conductive casing covering the conductor, and the casing protruding in a direction intersecting the inserting/removing direction. and an operation unit. The heat transfer member is built in the plug in contact with or integrated with the conductor, and extends from the conductor toward the operating portion. The heat transfer member has a wavy portion having a wavy cross-sectional shape parallel to the insertion/extraction direction .
( 6 ) Another disclosed service plug comprises a main body, a plug, and a heat transfer member. The main body is interposed on a power supply circuit that connects a power supply and a load, and has a pair of terminals that are connected to a power supply side wire and a load side wire, respectively. The plug is provided to be insertable/removable with respect to the main body, and includes a conductor connecting between the pair of terminals, a non-conductive casing covering the conductor, and the casing protruding in a direction intersecting the inserting/removing direction. and an operation unit. The heat transfer member is built in the plug in contact with or integrated with the conductor, and extends from the conductor toward the operating portion. The heat transfer member is made of the same material as the conductor .

By embedding the heat transfer member in the plug, the heat dissipation of the conductor can be improved. Further, by extending the heat transfer member from the conductor toward the operation portion, the surface area of the heat transfer member can be increased, and the heat of the conductor can be easily dissipated from the operation portion. As a result, the temperature of the plug can be lowered, and the energization characteristics of the service plug can be improved with a simple structure.

It is a perspective view of the service plug of this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a top view of the service plug; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the service plug (a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2); FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the service plug (cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 2); (A) to (C) are cross-sectional views for explaining modifications of the service plug.

A service plug 1 as an embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. The embodiments shown below are merely examples, and there is no intention to exclude various modifications and application of techniques not explicitly described in the embodiments below. Each configuration of this embodiment can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist thereof. Also, they can be selected or combined as needed.

[1. composition]
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view for explaining the structure of a service plug 1 interposed in a power supply circuit of an electric vehicle (electric vehicle, hybrid vehicle). 2 is a top view thereof, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are sectional views thereof. A service plug 1 comprises a body 2 and a plug 4 . The main body 2 is mounted on a power supply circuit that connects a power supply (for example, a battery for driving) and a load (for example, a motor), and is fixed at a predetermined position (for example, inside a battery case) of the vehicle. A pair of terminals 3 are provided on the main body 2 . One terminal 3 is connected to an electric wire 11 on the power supply side, and the other terminal 3 is connected to an electric wire 12 on the load side.

The plug 4 is a component that can be inserted into and removed from the main body 2 and has a function of connecting or disconnecting the power supply circuit by connecting or disconnecting the pair of terminals 3 . That is, the plug 4 incorporates a conductor 7 that connects the pair of terminals 3 when attached to the main body 2 . The composition of the conductor 7 includes, for example, copper, copper alloy, silver, etc. (metals with high conductivity). For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the conductor 7 of this embodiment has a shape in which a rectangular metal plate is bent into a U shape. By attaching the plug 4 to the main body 2 , both ends of the conductor 7 are sandwiched between the pair of terminals 3 and connected. On the other hand, by removing the plug 4 from the main body 2, the space between the pair of terminals 3 is opened and the power supply circuit is cut off. A power fuse (not shown) may be incorporated in the conductor 7 .

The circumference of the conductor 7 is covered with a casing 5 made of a non-conductor. The composition of the casing 5 is a highly insulating resin (for example, epoxy resin, phenol resin, etc.). The casing 5 of this embodiment is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape that surrounds the connecting portion between the terminal 3 and the conductor 7 . Further, an operating portion 6 is provided on the peripheral surface of the casing 5 . The operation part 6 is a part protruding outward from the peripheral surface of the casing 5 so that a finger can be put thereon when removing the plug 4 . The projecting direction of the operating portion 6 is set at least in a direction intersecting the insertion/removal direction of the plug 4 , preferably in a direction perpendicular to the insertion/removal direction of the plug 4 . As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the operation units 6 of the present embodiment are provided at four sides (four locations) of the casing 5. As shown in FIGS.

A heat transfer member 8 is provided inside the plug 4 as shown in FIGS. The heat transfer member 8 is a member that transfers heat from the conductor 7 and functions to promote heat dissipation from the plug 4 to the outside. The composition of the heat transfer member 8 includes a material with high heat transfer performance such as aluminum, copper, copper alloy, graphite, or a composite material thereof, and is incorporated in the plug 4 while being in contact with the conductor 7 . Note that the heat transfer member 8 may be made of the same material as the conductor 7 . In this case, the heat transfer member 8 is integrated with the conductor 7 and incorporated in the plug 4 .

The heat transfer member 8 is shaped so as to enter at least one of the operation portions 6 among the four operation portions 6 . That is, the heat transfer member 8 is formed in a shape that protrudes outward from the rectangular parallelepiped casing 5 . As a result, the heat of the conductor 7 is easily transferred from the casing 5 to the operating portion 6, and the heat dissipation of the plug 4 is improved. However, if the surface temperature of the operating portion 6 rises excessively, it becomes difficult to put a finger on the operating portion 6 when removing the plug 4 . Therefore, it is preferable to form a groove 9 for exposing the heat transfer member 8 to the outside in the operating portion 6 . As a result, heat is less likely to accumulate in the operating portion 6 . However, if the surface temperature of the operating portion 6 does not rise excessively, the groove 9 may be omitted.

In the plug 4 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, grooves 9 are formed not only on the upper surfaces of all the operation portions 6 (four operation portions 6), but also on the upper surface of the casing 5. FIG. Each groove 9 has a depth that reaches the surface of the heat transfer member 8 . The width of the groove 9 is preferably such that the operator does not accidentally touch the heat transfer member 8 when removing the plug 4 and that the desired heat radiation performance can be obtained. mm].

Here, of the surfaces of the operation portion 6, the surface facing the main body 2 is called the "operation surface 13", and the surface opposite to the operation surface 13 with the heat transfer member 8 interposed therebetween is called the "non-operation surface 14". call. In FIG. 3 , of the surfaces of the operation unit 6 , the lower surface side is the operation surface 13 and the upper surface side is the non-operation surface 14 . The position where the grooves 9 are formed on the surface of the operating portion 6 is preferably a non-operating surface 14 as shown in FIG. As a result, exhaust heat from the operation unit 6 is promoted, and the temperature of the operation unit 6 tends to be lowered. Also, the temperature of the operation surface 13 is relatively low compared to the non-operation surface 14 . This makes it easier for the finger to come into contact with the operation surface 13 when removing the plug 4 , thereby improving the workability of removing the plug 4 .

[2. Action/effect]
(1) In the above-described embodiment, the plug 4 contains the heat transfer member 8 and the heat transfer member 8 is in contact with the conductor 7 . By incorporating the heat transfer member 8 into the plug 4 in this way, the heat of the conductor 7 can be easily dissipated, and the conductor 7 can be cooled quickly. Further, since the heat transfer member 8 extends from the conductor 7 toward the operation portion 6 , the surface area of the heat transfer member 8 can be increased and heat can be easily dissipated from the operation portion 6 . As a result, the temperature of the plug 4 can be lowered, and the energization characteristics of the service plug 1 can be improved with a simple structure.

(2) In the above-described embodiment, the operating portion 6 is formed with the groove 9 that exposes the heat transfer member 8 to the outside. By providing the groove 9 that allows the heat transfer member 8 to come into direct contact with the outside air in this manner, the heat dissipation efficiency of the heat transfer member 8 can be improved, and the energization characteristics of the service plug 1 can be further improved with a simple structure. can be improved. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, by providing grooves 9 not only in the operating portion 6 but also in the casing 5, the heat radiation efficiency of the heat transfer member 8 can be further improved.

(3) In the above-described embodiment, the grooves 9 are formed in the non-operation surface 14 of the surface of the operation portion 6 . Thereby, exhaust heat from the operation unit 6 can be accelerated. Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, by providing a large number of grooves 9 not only on the operation portion 6 but also on the surface of the casing 5, heat exhaust can be further promoted. Furthermore, by forming the grooves 9 on the non-operating surface 14 on the side opposite to the operating surface 13, the temperature of the operating surface 13 can be relatively lowered, and the workability when removing the plug 4 can be improved. can be improved.
(4) If the heat transfer member 8 is made of the same material as that of the conductor 7, it is easy to manufacture, and the energization characteristics of the service plug 1 can be improved at low cost.

[3. Modification]
The above embodiment is merely an example, and there is no intention to exclude various modifications and application of techniques not explicitly described in this embodiment. Each configuration of this embodiment can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist thereof. Also, they can be selected or combined as needed. For example, the application target of the service plug 1 is not limited to power supply circuits of electric vehicles (electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles). It can be interposed in any power supply circuit as long as it is a power supply circuit that connects at least a power supply and a load.

The modification shown in FIG. 5(A) is obtained by forming a comb-shaped portion 15 on the heat transfer member 8 . The comb-shaped portion 15 is a portion having a comb-shaped cross-section parallel to the insertion/removal direction of the plug 4 . The comb-shaped portion 15 is provided with a base portion 16 extending in a direction intersecting the insertion/removal direction, and a comb portion 17 extending from the base portion 16 toward the main body 2 . The three-dimensional shape of the comb portion 17 may be needle-like or plate-like. In the former case, a comb-shaped portion 15 having a conical shape is formed, and in the case of the latter, a comb-shaped portion 15 having a louver shape is formed.

By providing the comb-shaped portion 15 on the heat transfer member 8, the surface area of the heat transfer member 8 can be easily increased, and the energization characteristics of the service plug 1 can be improved with a simple structure. The surface area of the heat transfer member 8 can be easily increased by increasing the number of comb portions 17 . Moreover, since the base portion 16 and the comb portion 17 are asymmetrical, it is possible to provide uneven heat distribution. Furthermore, by directing the comb portion 17 in the direction toward the main body 2, the temperature of the surface (operation surface 13) on the main body 2 side can be relatively lowered, and the workability when removing the plug 4 is improved. be able to.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 5B, both edges of the flat plate-like heat transfer member 8 may be bent downward so that the central portion thereof functions as the base portion 16 and both edges may function as the comb portion 17. . In this case, it is possible to improve heat dissipation with a simpler configuration, and to improve the current-carrying characteristics of the service plug 1 .
The modification shown in FIG. 5(C) is obtained by forming a corrugated portion 18 on the heat transfer member 8 . The wavy portion 18 is a portion having a wavy cross-sectional shape parallel to the insertion/extraction direction, and can be easily manufactured. By providing the corrugated portion 18, the surface area of the heat transfer member 8 can be easily increased, and the energization characteristics of the service plug 1 can be improved with a simple structure.

1 Service plug 2 Main body 3 Terminal 4 Plug 5 Casing 6 Operation part 7 Conductor 8 Heat transfer member 9 Groove 13 Operation surface 14 Non-operation surface 15 Comb part 16 Base part 17 Comb part 18 Waveform part

Claims (6)

a main body having a pair of terminals interposed on a power supply circuit that connects a power supply and a load and connected to the power supply side wire and the load side wire, respectively;
An operation of protruding a conductor connecting between the pair of terminals, a non-conductive casing covering the conductor, and the casing in a direction intersecting the insertion/removal direction. a plug having a portion;
a heat transfer member built into the plug in contact with or integrated with the conductor and extending from the conductor toward the operating portion ;
The operating portion has a groove that exposes the heat transfer member to the outside.
A service plug characterized by: 2. The service plug according to claim 1 , wherein said groove is formed on a non-operating surface of said operating portion opposite to an operating surface facing said main body with said heat transfer member interposed therebetween. a main body having a pair of terminals interposed on a power supply circuit that connects a power supply and a load and connected to the power supply side wire and the load side wire, respectively;
An operation of protruding a conductor connecting between the pair of terminals, a non-conductive casing covering the conductor, and the casing in a direction intersecting the insertion/removal direction. a plug having a portion;
a heat transfer member built into the plug in contact with or integrated with the conductor and extending from the conductor toward the operating portion ;
The heat transfer member has a comb-shaped portion having a comb-shaped cross section parallel to the insertion/extraction direction.
A service plug characterized by: 4. The service according to claim 3 , wherein the comb-shaped portion has a base portion extending in a direction intersecting the insertion/removal direction, and a comb portion extending from the base portion toward the main body. plug. a main body having a pair of terminals interposed on a power supply circuit that connects a power supply and a load and connected to the power supply side wire and the load side wire, respectively;
An operation of protruding a conductor connecting between the pair of terminals, a non-conductive casing covering the conductor, and the casing in a direction intersecting the insertion/removal direction. a plug having a portion;
a heat transfer member built into the plug in contact with or integrated with the conductor and extending from the conductor toward the operating portion ;
The heat transfer member has a wavy portion having a wavy cross-sectional shape parallel to the insertion/extraction direction.
A service plug characterized by: a main body having a pair of terminals interposed on a power supply circuit that connects a power supply and a load and connected to the power supply side wire and the load side wire, respectively;
An operation of protruding a conductor connecting between the pair of terminals, a non-conductive casing covering the conductor, and the casing in a direction intersecting the insertion/removal direction. a plug having a portion;
a heat transfer member built into the plug in contact with or integrated with the conductor and extending from the conductor toward the operating portion ;
The heat transfer member is made of the same material as the conductor
A service plug characterized by:

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