JPH0247814B2 - DENKIKAIROYOSHADANANZENSOCHI - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention aims to protect an electric circuit used in a corrosive atmosphere by using a corrosive member that has a higher corrosion rate than the members of the electric circuit. The invention relates to an electrical circuit interrupting safety device that interrupts the electrical circuit based on the progress of corrosion by exposing the corrosive member to the outside air using
For example, it is used in human body private parts cleaning devices.

(Prior Art) Electrical circuits used in corrosive atmospheres must be protected from the ingress of water and sewage because electrical components can be damaged by ingress of water and sewage.

Conventionally, as this device, for example,
There is one shown in Publication No. 32400.

This device concerns electric heated toilet seats;
The toilet seat body is rotatably attached to a box with an opening at the bottom, a removable board is fixed to the opening at the bottom of the box, and electrical components such as the temperature control device for the electric heater are fixed to the inside of the box. It is something.

As shown in Fig. 1, 22 is an electric heater 2 inside.
3 is the toilet seat body, and 24 is the toilet seat body 2.
This is a lid formed to cover the top surface of 2. The toilet seat main body 22 and the lid 24 are rotatably attached to a box body 26 by a rotating shaft 25, and the box body 26 has a seamless, generally chevron-shaped cross section with an open bottom, and a substrate is attached to cover the bottom opening. 27 is fixed with a screw.
An electrical component 29 such as a temperature control device is attached to the inner upper surface of the box body 26 with a space L between it and the back plate using screws or the like. The lid electric component 25 controls the appropriate temperature of the electric heater 23 for heating.

Power is supplied to the electrical appliances 29 and the electric heater 23 through a household power outlet (not shown).
This is done through the plug and power cord.

This equipment is often exposed to water containing acid, alkaline or chlorine detergents during cleaning, and even dirty water during refilling, and water and contamination cannot be avoided in all fittings and gaps.

According to the conventional example, the cross section of the box body is seamless and substantially mountain-shaped, so that it is possible to prevent the infiltration of sewage and water, and even if sewage should infiltrate through the gap S with the circuit board 27, the electrical components 29 and the substrate 27 are the space L
It is possible to reduce the influence of sewage etc. because it has voids caused by water.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, according to the conventional example, although the effect of preventing sewage etc. from coming into direct contact with the electrical parts can be obtained,
Contact with droplets and vaporized water vapor, especially acid, alkali, and chlorine-containing vapor atmospheres caused by detergents, as well as the filling of the box, are unavoidable, resulting in damage to the metal parts of electrical parts due to corrosion, short circuits due to rust, tracking, etc. It has been difficult to sufficiently prevent the occurrence of electrical problems.

Since such a problem occurs unexpectedly, it becomes impossible to use the device later, and the circuit cannot be repaired or replaced without causing inconvenience.

In order to prevent splashes or corrosive vapors from reaching the electrical components, any gaps communicating with the outside, such as S, must be hermetically sealed.

One method for this is to closely fit the members so that no gaps are formed, or to inject a sealant into the gaps created between the members, or to interpose a packing member.

However, such a method would hinder service operations such as assembly and maintenance, and the sealing of the rotating parts would prevent smooth rotation, leading to the risk of rotation failure. be. Furthermore, it is not guaranteed that complete sealing will be achieved even by the selection or combination of the above-mentioned means.

On the other hand, as a conventional example, only a fuse or breaker is installed in a desired electric circuit to prevent abnormal current, but this is a means to prevent abnormalities such as short circuits that occur in the electric circuit from spreading to other equipment. However, it is not intended to protect the electric circuit itself, and cannot prevent damage to the electric circuit.

The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a device that protects an electric circuit used in a corrosive atmosphere with a simple configuration.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) An electric circuit breaker comprising a corrosive member partially or wholly exposed to the outside air, a biasing means, and a switch, the biasing means The switch is arranged so as to shift to an activated or deactivated state, and the corrosive member is connected against the biasing force of the biasing means.

A corrosive conductor is a conductor and can be used in a desired corrosive atmosphere in which an electric circuit is used, such as an oxidizing atmosphere, a reducing atmosphere, or a chloridic atmosphere.
A material having a higher corrosion rate than the electrical components in the electrical circuit (load) can be appropriately selected.

Furthermore, it is also possible to select materials to obtain a desired corrosion rate.

Furthermore, the circuit breaker may be one in which the electrical contacts of a switch are connected in series to the electrical circuit (load), or one in which the electrical contacts of a switch are connected via other interrupting means, such as a relay, to interrupt the electrical circuit. .

It is possible to select the material of the corrosive member and the biasing force of the biasing member so as to obtain the shutoff operation due to the desired progress of corrosion. When the corrosion of the corrosive member progresses and the member breaks, the circuit breaker operates to interrupt the electrical circuit used in the desired corrosive atmosphere. Thus, the present invention has the effect of preventing and protecting the electric circuit from damage caused by corrosion, and detecting the degree of corrosion of the electric circuit, thereby eliminating inconvenience and danger due to unexpected failure.

(Function) If the electrical circuit interrupting safety device according to the present invention is installed together with a desired electrical circuit in a corrosive atmosphere,
Since some or all of the corrosive members are exposed to the outside air and the corrosive members are corroded at a higher rate than the electrical components in the electrical circuit, corrosion of the corrosive members progresses faster than the electrical components. As the corrosion progresses, the mass of the corrosive member decreases, and its cross-sectional radius also decreases, resulting in a decrease in strength against stress.

As corrosion of the corrosive member progresses over time, the strength against stress further deteriorates. Since the corrosive member is arranged to oppose the biasing force of the biasing member, the corrosive member is always stressed by the biasing member.

Therefore, as the corrosion progresses, the strength of the corrosive member against stress decreases, and the added stress eventually overcomes the strength, causing the corrosive member to break.
As a result, the stress opposing the biasing force of the biasing member disappears, and the biasing force is exerted.

The electrical contacts of the switch are driven based on the biasing force, and the electrical circuit is interrupted either linearly by the circuit breaker or indirectly by, for example, a relay provided on the circuit breaker.

(Example) An example of the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 1 to 6. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment in which the switch is a micro switch.

1 is a micro switch with NO, NC, and COM terminals 30, 31, and 32 connected to electrical contacts.
is provided. A lever 2 having an upward biasing force is provided on the upper part of the micro switch 1, and the lower surface of the lever 2 is connected to the actuator 3 of the micro switch 1.
It is in contact with the top surface of.

The actuator is used to start driving the electric contacts built into the micro switch 1, and is movable in the vertical direction. That is, when the actuator 3 moves upward, it connects only the COM terminal and either the NO or NC terminal, and when it moves downward, it connects only the COM terminal and the other terminal.

4 is a fixing member, and an adjustment screw 5 is screwed into the fixing member 4.

A corrosive member 6 is stretched between the tip of the adjustment screw 5 and the tip of the lever 2. The adjusting screw 5 can adjust the stress applied to the corrosive member 6, thereby making it possible to adjust the degree of corrosion that causes the interrupting operation of the circuit breaker.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state where corrosion has progressed and the corrosive member 6 has been cut in the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

Since the downward stress has disappeared, the lever 2 deforms upward due to its own biasing force. As a result, the actuator 3 also moves upward.

The actuator 3 has an upward biasing force and moves upward by itself as the lever 2 moves upward.

Alternatively, the actuator 3 may be coupled to the lever 2 and moved by the urging force of the lever 2 without applying any urging force. The upward movement of the actuator 3 drives the electrical contacts in the micro switch 1, causing the COM
The terminals are connected to different terminals from those to which they were connected in FIG.

The terminals of micro switch 1 are the COM terminal and the NC terminal.
It may be connected in series with the electrical circuit through terminals,
Another option, such as a relay, may be connected to the NO terminal, and the relay or the like may be used to interrupt the electrical circuit.Furthermore, when cutting a corrosive member, the electrical circuit may be interrupted and the terminal may be connected to the NO terminal. It may also be configured to activate a connected warning device, such as an alarm or a warning light.

3 to 5 are diagrams showing switches using a reed switch and a magnetic material. Reference numeral 7 designates a switch case, and a horizontal groove 8 is provided in the case 7, and a stepped portion 9 is provided on the left side of the groove 8. 10 is a magnet case in which a magnet 11 is housed;
A protruding piece 12 is provided at the left end of 0.

The magnetic case 10 is slidably disposed in the groove 8, and a coil spring 13 is disposed between the magnet case 10 and the stepped portion 9.

A lid 15 is fixed to the right side of the groove 8. A corrosive member 6 is coupled to the tip of the protruding piece 12, and the corrosive member 6 is attached to the magnetic case 10 via the curved surface of the tip of the magnetic case 10 so as to keep the coil spring in a compressed state. It is connected to the lower right end of.

A reed switch 14 is provided inside the magnet case 10 above the stop position of the magnet 11.

The reed switch 14 has two electrical contacts 14a,
14b are facing each other, and when the magnet 11 is located below the reed switch 14, the electrical contacts are brought into contact by the external magnetic field of the magnet 11.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state in which the corrosive member 6 is cut due to progress of corrosion.

The stress that opposes the coil spring 13 acting on the magnetic case 10 and stops the magnetic case 10 to the left disappears when the corrosive member 6 is cut. Move to the right and finally reach the lid 15
It comes into contact with and stops. Since the magnet 11 of the reed switch 14 moves together with the magnet case 10, the influence of the external magnetic field is removed, the electrical contacts separate from each other, and the electrical connection is broken. The actuation of each electrical contact directly or indirectly interrupts the electrical circuit as in the previous embodiment.

In this embodiment, a reed switch that closes due to the influence of an external magnetic field is used, but the reed switch is not limited to this. For example, a reed switch that closes due to the influence of an external magnetic field may be used.

Furthermore, although a reed switch and a magnet were used as the switch in this embodiment, a light receiving element was provided in place of the reed switch, a shielding plate was provided in place of the magnet, and a power source was provided at the bottom of the case to emit light to the light receiving element. The switch may be turned on and off by movement.

Furthermore, the switch uses a conductor instead of a magnet, forms a capacitor between the conductor and a conductor provided in the case, and turns on and off based on the change in capacitance caused by the change in effective electrode area due to movement of the conductor. Good too.

In other words, the switch can be changed to a known switch as appropriate.

FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram showing an embodiment of the connection state of the device of the present invention to an electric circuit.

16 is an electric circuit (load circuit), and a fuse 17 for abnormal current is connected in series to the electric circuit 16. 18 is a power source.

19 is a switch, and 2 with a gap between them.
A conductive plate 20, which forms two electrical contacts, is biased by the contact side by a biasing member 21, and one end of the corrosive member 6 is fixed to the conductive plate 20 so as to oppose the biasing force. The other end is fixed to another member, etc.

Each electrical contact is connected closer to the electrical circuit 16 than the fuse 17 and in parallel with the electrical circuit 16.

To explain the operation of this embodiment, the conductive plate 2
0 is positioned so as to be separated from each electrical contact by a corrosive member 6. When the strength of the corrosive member decreases due to the progress of corrosion, the member 6 is finally cut due to the elastic force of the biasing member 21, and the conductive plate 20 is brought into constant contact with each electrical contact due to the biasing force of the biasing member 21. , make an electrical connection. Therefore, an abnormal current flows through the fuse 17 and the switch 19, and the fuse 17 is melted and disconnected.

The electric circuit 16 is connected to a power supply 18 via a fuse 17.
Since the fuse 17 is disconnected, the electric circuit is interrupted by cutting the fuse 17.

In these embodiments, a thin wire is used as the corrosive member, but the corrosive member is not limited to this, and the shape thereof can be appropriately determined, for example, in the shape of a plate.

In these embodiments, the material of the corrosive member can be appropriately determined depending on the corrosive atmosphere; for example, aluminum, copper thin wire, alloy thin wire, or two or more materials with different ionization tendencies are used. It may be a combination of the following.

In the above bonding material, a local battery is formed between the materials, and the corrosion rate of the material with a high ionization tendency can be increased to obtain a desired corrosion rate.

By applying the present invention to the conventional Western-style toilets and human body private parts cleaning devices, desired electrical circuits can be protected from cleaning water, sewage, and even their vapors.

Further, the application of the present invention is not limited thereto, and can be used in any corrosive atmosphere by selecting a corrosive conductor to protect an electrical circuit used in a corrosive atmosphere.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, the present invention uses a corrosive member whose corrosion rate is higher than that of the electrical components in the electric circuit in a desired corrosive atmosphere, and interrupts the electric circuit by cutting the member. This has the effect of ensuring the safety of electrical circuits and preventing unexpected breakdowns due to corrosion.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial front view of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a partial front view showing the corrosive member cut away, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment, and FIG. 4 3 is a sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a state in which the corrosive member is cut in FIG. 3, and FIG. It is a circuit diagram showing a state. FIG. 7 is a partially sectional front view of the prior art. 1...Micro switch, 2...Lever, 6...
... Corrosive member, 11 ... Magnet, 13 ... Coil spring, 14 ... Reed switch, 16 ... Electric circuit, 21 ... Biasing means.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An electric circuit breaker comprising a corrosive member, a part or all of which is exposed to the outside air, a biasing means, and a switch, and the biasing means operates or deactivates the switch. 1. A breaking safety device for an electrical circuit, characterized in that the corrosive member is connected to oppose the biasing force of the biasing means, and the corrosive member is connected to the biasing force of the biasing means. 2. The electrical circuit interrupting safety device according to claim 1, wherein the switch is a micro switch. 3. The electrical circuit interrupting safety device according to claim 1, wherein the switch is made of a reed switch and a magnetic material. 4. The electrical circuit interrupting safety device according to claim 1, wherein the switch comprises a light receiving element, a shielding plate, and a light source. 5. The electrical circuit disconnection safety according to claim 1, wherein the switch is composed of a fixed electrode plate and a movable electrode plate, and is operated by a change in capacitance between the two electrodes. Device.