JP7633084B2 - Circuit Breaker - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electric circuit interrupting device, and in particular to an electric circuit interrupting device that can reliably interrupt an electric circuit to avoid a dangerous situation such as flooding of an electric circuit.

2. Description of the Related Art Storage batteries are becoming widespread for use as a power source in emergencies, for storing electricity generated by solar power generation devices, for storing electricity during the night, or for storing electricity generated during emergencies.
Such batteries are often installed at a low position due to their weight, which means they are subject to flooding during heavy rains, etc. This not only causes the batteries to deteriorate, but also leads to short circuits in the circuitry during the flooding process, which can cause fires, etc., so measures to prevent this have been proposed.
For example, in Patent Document 1, a water-swellable material is placed at an opening such as an exhaust port of a box that houses a storage battery, and this acts to close the opening when water enters the battery, thereby preventing water from entering the battery and preventing the battery itself from becoming flooded.

JP 2013-131416 A

However, with the technology of Patent Document 1, when a situation occurs in which the device becomes submerged due to a flood or the like, the water continues to enter the device for a long period of time, making it difficult to maintain a good waterproofing state. In addition, while there is no risk of fire when the device is submerged due to a power outage, fires are likely to occur due to electrical leakage when the water recedes and power is restored, so a structure was needed that would reliably cut off the electrical circuit when the device was submerged.

In view of these problems, the present invention aims to provide an electrical circuit interruption device that reliably cuts off electrical circuits if a storage battery or its electrical circuits become flooded.

In order to solve the above problem, the invention of claim 1 provides a structure in which a contact portion for connecting/disconnecting an electric circuit comprises a pair of fixed terminals provided at the ends of a divided electric circuit, and a movable conductor that is hung between the fixed terminals to electrically connect the fixed terminals, and a float that floats on water is connected to the movable conductor directly or via a connecting member, and when the float rises, the movable conductor separates from the fixed terminal, thereby cutting off the electric circuit, the fixed terminals are arranged horizontally, while the movable conductor is arranged to be hung across the upper part of the fixed terminal and has a guide member that guides the up and down movement of the movable conductor, and further, the float is connected to the lower part of the movable conductor and formed integrally therewith, and when the float rises, the movable conductor also rises and becomes disengaged from the fixed terminal, while the guide member has a holding means for holding the disengaged movable conductor in the disengaged position, and the held movable conductor does not descend even if the float descends or is in a state where it can descend .
With this configuration, the float rises when water gets in and the contacts open, so the electric circuit can be securely cut off when water gets in, preventing accidents caused by leakage or short circuits. In addition, because no control circuit or control power supply is required, a configuration that operates reliably can be realized at low cost.

Furthermore, since the float is directly connected to the movable conductor, the structure is simple and can be produced at low cost.

In addition, the contacts that open due to submersion or other reasons will not return to their original position even if the submersion is resolved because the movable conductor is held by the retaining means. This means that the circuit will not be reconnected when the submersion ceases, and the risk of fire due to leakage or malfunction can be avoided.

The invention of claim 2 is characterized in that, in the configuration described in claim 1 , the contact portion is housed in a box body that is open only downward, and is arranged so that only a portion of the float is exposed downward from the box body.
According to this configuration, even if the box is submerged in water, the air pressure inside the box prevents water from reaching the contact portion, thereby protecting the contact portion.

The invention of claim 3 is a structure in which a contact portion for connecting/disconnecting an electric circuit has a pair of fixed terminals provided at the ends of the divided electric circuit, and a movable conductor that is hung between the fixed terminals to electrically connect the fixed terminals, and a float that floats on water is connected to the movable conductor directly or via a connecting member, and when the float rises, the movable conductor separates from the fixed terminal, thereby cutting off the electric circuit, and the fixed terminals are arranged in a horizontal direction, while the movable conductor is arranged to be hung over the fixed terminals and has a guide member that guides the up and down movement of the movable conductor, and the float and the movable conductor are connected to two rod bodies, a first rod body to which the float is connected and a second rod body to which the movable conductor is connected, which are connected in a bendable manner, and each rod body is arranged to be swingable with a pivot point, and when the float rises, the tip of the second rod body to which the movable conductor is connected rises and the movable conductor becomes detached from the fixed terminal.
According to this configuration, the float rises when water enters and the contact opens, so the electric circuit can be reliably interrupted when water enters, preventing accidents caused by leakage or short circuits. In addition, since no control circuit or control power supply is required, a configuration that operates reliably can be realized at low cost. Also, since the float and the movable conductor are separated, it is easy to position the contact so that it is not submerged in water.

The invention of claim 4 is a structure in which a contact portion for connecting/disconnecting an electric circuit has a pair of fixed terminals provided at the ends of a divided electric circuit, and a movable conductor that is hung between the fixed terminals to electrically connect the fixed terminals, and a float that floats on water is connected to the movable conductor directly or via a connecting member, and when the float rises, the movable conductor separates from the fixed terminals, thereby cutting off the electric circuit, the fixed terminals are arranged vertically, while the movable conductor is arranged vertically so as to hang over both fixed terminals, and further has a guide member that guides the vertical sliding movement of the movable conductor along the fixed terminals, the float is connected to the movable conductor and formed integrally, and when the float rises, the movable conductor also slides upward, thereby eliminating the electrical connection with the fixed terminals.
According to this configuration, the float rises when water enters and the contact opens, so the electric circuit can be reliably interrupted when water enters, preventing accidents caused by leakage or short circuits. In addition, since no control circuit or control power supply is required, a configuration that operates reliably can be realized at low cost. Furthermore, when the float rises relative to the vertically arranged contact, the movable conductor slides upward, breaking the electrical connection. This makes it possible to interrupt the electric circuit with a simple structure.

The invention of claim 5 is a structure in which a contact portion for connecting/disconnecting an electric circuit has a pair of fixed terminals provided at the ends of the divided electric circuit, and a movable conductor that is hung between the fixed terminals to electrically connect the fixed terminals, and a float that floats on water is connected to the movable conductor directly or via a connecting member, and when the float rises, the movable conductor separates from the fixed terminals, thereby cutting off the electric circuit, the fixed terminals are arranged vertically, while the movable conductor is arranged vertically so as to hang over both fixed terminals, and further has a guide member that guides the vertical sliding movement of the movable conductor along the fixed terminals, and the movable conductor is connected to the float via the connecting member so that its relative position with the float does not change, and when the float rises, the movable conductor also slides upward, thereby eliminating the electrical connection with the fixed terminals.
According to this configuration, the float rises due to intrusion of water, and the contact portion opens, so that the electric circuit can be reliably interrupted when water intrudes, and accidents due to leakage or short circuit can be prevented. In addition, since no control circuit or control power supply is required, a configuration that operates reliably can be realized at low cost. Furthermore, when the float rises relative to the vertically arranged contact portion, the movable conductor slides upward, and the electrical connection is terminated, so that the electric circuit can be interrupted with a simple structure. Furthermore, since the float and the movable conductor are separated, the contact portion can be easily positioned so that it is not submerged in water.
The invention of claim 6 is an electric circuit interrupting device in which a contact portion for connecting/disconnecting an electric circuit has a pair of fixed terminals provided at ends of a divided electric circuit, and a movable conductor that is suspended between the fixed terminals to electrically connect the fixed terminals, and a float that floats on water is connected to the movable conductor directly or via a connecting member, and when the float rises, the movable conductor separates from the fixed terminals, thereby interrupting the electric circuit, wherein the fixed terminals are arranged in a horizontal direction, while the movable conductor is arranged to be suspended over the fixed terminals and has a guide member for guiding the up and down movement of the movable conductor, and further, the float is connected to the lower part of the movable conductor and formed integrally therewith, and when the float rises, the movable conductor also rises and becomes detached from the fixed terminals, while the contact portion is housed in a box that is open only at the bottom, and is arranged so that only a part of the float is exposed below the box.
According to this configuration, the float rises when water enters and the contact opens, so the electric circuit can be reliably cut off when water enters, preventing accidents caused by leakage or short circuits. In addition, since no control circuit or control power supply is required, a configuration that operates reliably can be realized at low cost. Furthermore, even if the box is submerged, the air pressure inside the box prevents water from reaching the contact, protecting the contact.

According to the present invention, the float rises due to ingress of water, opening the contacts, so that the electrical circuit can be reliably interrupted if water ingresses, preventing accidents and fires caused by leakage or short circuits. In addition, because it operates using the buoyancy of the float, no control circuit or control power supply is required, and a configuration that operates reliably can be realized at low cost.

1A and 1B are explanatory views showing an example of an electric circuit interrupting device according to the present invention, in which FIG. 2A and 2B show a state in which the movable conductor in FIG. 1 is raised, with FIG. 2A being a side view and FIG. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the circuit breaker device of FIG. 1 housed in a box body. 10A and 10B are front explanatory views showing another embodiment of an electric circuit interrupting device, in which FIG. 10A and 10B are explanatory views showing another embodiment of an electric circuit interrupting device, in which FIG. 6A and 6B are explanatory views showing a state in which the movable conductor in FIG. 5 is raised, FIG. 6A being a side view and FIG. 6B being a partial front view. 10A and 10B are explanatory views showing another embodiment of an electric circuit interrupting device, in which FIG. 8A and 8B are explanatory views showing a state in which the movable conductor in FIG. 7 is raised, in which (a) is a side view and (b) is a partial front view. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an electric circuit interrupting device of the present invention attached to an electric circuit equipped with a storage battery module.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an electric circuit interrupting device according to the present invention, (a) being a side view and (b) being a front view. The electric circuit interrupting device 1 is composed of a fixed terminal 2, a movable conductor 3, a guide member 4, and a float 5. The fixed terminal 2, the movable conductor 3, and the guide member 4 form a contact portion 6.
The fixed terminals 2 divide the horizontally arranged electric paths and are disposed at both ends of the divided paths with a predetermined distance between them. The movable conductor 3 is disposed above the pair of fixed terminals 2 so as to span across them.

The movable conductor 3 is composed of movable terminals 31, which are contacts provided at both ends and electrically connected to the fixed terminals 2, and a connecting conductor 32 that connects the movable terminals 31 together. When the two movable terminals 31 are connected to the respective fixed terminals 2, the contact portion 6 is in a closed state.
The connecting conductor 32 is connected to and integrated with the float 5 disposed below. The float 5 is made of, for example, foamed resin and has a cubic shape. It is formed so as to have sufficient buoyancy in water.

The guide members 4 are members that guide the vertical movement of the movable conductor 3, and are arranged upright on the left and right of both fixed terminals 2, so as to sandwich the movable terminal 31. The guide members 4 are provided with claw pieces 41 that engage with the raised movable conductor 3 and hold it in the raised position. The claw pieces 41 have a horizontal upper surface and an inclined lower surface, are configured to be retractable into the guide member 4, and are arranged while being biased in the protruding direction.
When the movable conductor 3 rises, the claw 41 is recessed and the movable conductor 3 rises smoothly. On the other hand, the protruding claw 41 is engaged with the lower surface of the raised movable conductor 3, preventing the movable conductor 3 from descending.

Figure 2 shows the movable conductor 3 in a raised state, with (a) being a side view and (b) being a front view. In Figure 2, W indicates the intruded water. As shown in Figure 2, when the float 5 rises due to buoyancy in response to the intrusion of water W, the movable conductor 3 also rises. The raised movable conductor 3 is prevented from descending by the action of the claw piece 41.

3 shows a configuration in which the contact unit 6 of FIG. 1 is housed in a box body 8, and shows a state in which the movable conductor 3 is raised. The entire bottom of the box body 8 is open, and the contact unit 6 is housed therein with the lower part of the float 5 exposed from the open bottom surface.
The box body 8 has a watertight and waterproof structure on each side, and is configured so that even if water W enters from below, the air pressure inside the box body 8 prevents the water W from entering the upper part of the inside of the box body 8. Therefore, the amount of water W that enters can be made small, and most of the internal area is made a waterproof area.

In this way, the float 5 rises due to the intrusion of water W, and the contacts 6 open to cut off the electrical circuit, so that the electrical circuit can be reliably cut off in response to the intrusion of water W, preventing accidents and fires caused by leakage or short circuits. In addition, since it operates using the buoyancy of the float 5, no control circuit or control power supply is required, and a configuration that operates reliably can be realized at low cost.
Furthermore, since the float 5 is directly connected to the movable conductor 3, the structure is simple and can be manufactured at low cost.
Furthermore, the contact 6 that has been opened will not return to its original position even if the submerged state is resolved, because the movable conductor 3 is held by the tab 41 provided on the guide member 4. Therefore, even if the submersion is resolved, the circuit will not be reconnected, and the risk of fire due to leakage or malfunction can be avoided.
In addition, when the circuit breaker 1 is provided with the box body 8, the air pressure inside the box body 8 can be configured to prevent water W from reaching the contact portion 6 even if the circuit breaker 1 is submerged, thereby protecting the contact portion 6.

Fig. 4 is a front explanatory view showing another embodiment of the electric circuit interrupting device 1, (a) showing the energized state and (b) showing the interrupted state. Fig. 4 shows a configuration in which the float 5 is separated from the movable conductor. The configuration of the contact part 6 is the same as that of Fig. 1, so the description will be omitted and the explanation will be centered on the connection structure between the float 5 and the contact part 6.
The movable conductor 3 of the contact portion 6 and the float 5 are connected via a rod body (connecting member) 11 made of an insulating material. The rod body 11 is configured by swingably connecting a first rod body 11a connected to the float 5 and a second rod body 11b connected to the movable conductor 3, and the pair of rod bodies 11 are attached to the front and rear ends of the movable conductor 3, respectively. In this example, the float 5 is cylindrical.

Furthermore, the first rod body 11a and the second rod body 11b have rotation fulcrums P1 and P2, respectively. The rotation fulcrum P1 of the first rod body 11a is provided and fixed to a fixed member (not shown). The rotation fulcrum P2 of the second rod body 11b is provided to the guide member 4.
By connecting the float 5 and the movable conductor 3 with the rod body 11 arranged in this manner, when the float 5 rises due to ingress of water, the movable conductor 3 also rises and, as shown in Fig. 4(b), becomes detached from the fixed terminal 2, and the contact part 6 performs an interruption operation. Furthermore, since the float 5 and the movable conductor 3 are separated, it is easy to arrange the contact part 6 so that it is not submerged in water.

5 and 6 are explanatory diagrams showing another embodiment of the electrical circuit interrupting device 1, showing a configuration in which the contact portion 6 is arranged vertically. Fig. 5 shows the energized state, and Fig. 6 shows the interrupted state, with (a) being a side view and (b) being a front view of the periphery of one of the guide members 4 arranged at the top.
As shown in the figure, the movable conductor 3 is vertically arranged so as to be in close contact with the vertically arranged fixed terminal 2, and is suspended between both fixed terminals 2. The vertical sliding movement of the movable conductor 3 is guided by guide members 4 provided on the left and right sides of the fixed terminal 2, and the movable conductor 3 is configured to slide upward by the action of a float 5.

The float 5 is disposed so as to surround the movable conductor 3, and is integrally connected to the movable conductor 3. The float 5 is also attached so that the movable conductor 3 can slide upward.
In this case, of the two guide members 4 arranged in accordance with both fixed terminals 2 as shown in the figure, a claw piece 41 is placed on the one arranged at the top, which is configured to slide upward to keep the movable conductor 3 disengaged from the lower fixed terminal 2 and prevent it from descending.

In this way, when the float 5 rises relative to the vertically arranged contact portion 6, the movable conductor 3 slides upward and separates from at least one of the fixed terminals 2, thereby breaking the electrical connection. This makes it possible to break the electrical circuit with a simple structure.
In this case, a part of the contact portion 6 is submerged before the electrical connection is released, but in the case of a large-scale disaster in which the contact portion 6 is submerged, a power outage will occur in the commercial power supply, etc., and it is more important to prevent a fire caused by electrical current when the power is restored than to prevent a leakage current caused by submersion. Therefore, this configuration is quite effective.

7 and 8 are explanatory diagrams showing another embodiment of the circuit breaker 1, in which the contact portion 6 is arranged vertically. Fig. 7 shows the conductive state, and Fig. 8 shows the cut-off state, with (a) being a side view and (b) being a front view of one of the guide members 4 arranged at the top. As shown in the figures, the fixed terminal 2 and the movable conductor 3 are arranged vertically as in the embodiment of Fig. 5, and the movable conductor 3 is configured to slide upward by the action of the float 5.
The float 5 and the movable conductor 3 are connected via a connecting rod (connecting member) 13. The connecting rod 13 is firmly connected to both of them so that the relative positions of both of them do not change.
The connecting rod 13 may be made of an insulating material such as synthetic resin, or may be made of metal.

In this manner, when the float 5 rises relative to the vertically disposed contact portion 6, the movable conductor 3 rises and at least one of the contacts separates. Therefore, the electric circuit can be broken with a simple structure.
Furthermore, since the float 5 and the movable conductor 3 are separated, it is easy to arrange the contact portion 6 so that it is not submerged in water.

Fig. 9 is an explanatory diagram of an electric circuit interrupting device 1 of the present invention attached to an electric circuit L1 equipped with a storage battery module 15. Fig. 9 shows a configuration in which a plurality of storage battery modules 15 are connected in series to the electric circuit L1 extending from a commercial power source 16 to a load 17. Reference numeral 18 denotes an input converter that converts the commercial power source 16 into direct current, and reference numeral 19 denotes an output converter that boosts the voltage of the storage battery module 15. An electric circuit interrupting device 1 is attached to each storage battery module 15, and the electric circuit interrupting device 1 is also disposed so that the commercial power source 16 is also interrupted from the electric circuit L1.
Since the circuit breaking device 1 does not require a control power supply, by attaching the circuit breaking device 1 to each storage battery module 15 in this way, the storage battery modules 15 connected in series can be individually separated even in a power outage, and the generation of high voltage in an emergency can be prevented. Therefore, even if the battery module is submerged, the generation of high voltage can be prevented, and damage caused by submersion can be kept to a minimum.

In the above embodiment, the movable conductor 3 is composed of the movable terminal 31 and the connecting conductor 32, but the entire movable conductor may be formed as a single rod body as a conductor.
Furthermore, the shape of the float 5 is a cube or a cylinder, but it may be another shape, such as a sphere.

1: Circuit interrupter, 2: Fixed terminal, 3: Movable conductor, 4: Guide member, 5: Float, 6: Contact part, 8: Box (case), 11: Rod body, 11a: First rod body, 11b: Second rod body, 13: Connecting rod, 41: Claw piece, P1, P2: Pivot fulcrum, W: Water.

Claims (6)

a contact portion for connecting/disconnecting an electric circuit includes a pair of fixed terminals provided at ends of the divided electric circuit, and a movable conductor that is stretched between the fixed terminals to electrically connect the fixed terminals to each other;
A float that floats on water is connected to the movable conductor directly or via a connecting member,
In response to the rise of the float, the movable conductor separates from the fixed terminal, thereby interrupting the electric circuit,
the fixed terminal is disposed in a horizontal direction, the movable conductor is disposed across an upper portion of the fixed terminal, and a guide member is provided for guiding the vertical movement of the movable conductor;
Furthermore, the float is connected to the lower part of the movable conductor and is formed integrally therewith, and when the float rises, the movable conductor also rises and is separated from the fixed terminal.
The guide member has a holding means for holding the movable conductor in the released position after the release operation, and the held movable conductor does not descend even if the float descends or is in a state where it can descend . The contact portion is housed in a box that is open only downward,
2. The circuit breaking device according to claim 1 , wherein the float is disposed so that only a portion of the float is exposed downward from the box body. a contact portion for connecting/disconnecting an electric circuit includes a pair of fixed terminals provided at ends of the divided electric circuit, and a movable conductor that is stretched between the fixed terminals to electrically connect the fixed terminals to each other;
A float that floats on water is connected to the movable conductor directly or via a connecting member,
In response to the rise of the float, the movable conductor separates from the fixed terminal, thereby interrupting the electric circuit,
the fixed terminal is disposed in a horizontal direction, the movable conductor is disposed across the upper portion of the fixed terminal, and a guide member is provided for guiding the vertical movement of the movable conductor;
The float and the movable conductor are connected to a first rod body to which the float is connected and a second rod body to which the movable conductor is connected in a bendable manner, and each of the rod bodies is arranged to be swingable about a pivot point.
When the float rises, the tip of the second rod body to which the movable conductor is connected rises, and the movable conductor becomes detached from the fixed terminal. a contact portion for connecting/disconnecting an electric circuit includes a pair of fixed terminals provided at ends of the divided electric circuit, and a movable conductor that is stretched between the fixed terminals to electrically connect the fixed terminals to each other;
A float that floats on water is connected to the movable conductor directly or via a connecting member,
In response to the rise of the float, the movable conductor separates from the fixed terminal, thereby interrupting the electric circuit,
The fixed terminals are disposed in a vertical direction, while the movable conductor is disposed vertically so as to span both the fixed terminals,
a guide member for guiding the movable conductor in a vertical sliding movement along the fixed terminal,
An electrical circuit interrupting device, characterized in that the float is connected to a movable conductor and formed as one unit, and when the float rises, the movable conductor also slides upward, thereby breaking the electrical connection with the fixed terminal. a contact portion for connecting/disconnecting an electric circuit includes a pair of fixed terminals provided at ends of the divided electric circuit, and a movable conductor that is stretched between the fixed terminals to electrically connect the fixed terminals to each other;
A float that floats on water is connected to the movable conductor directly or via a connecting member,
In response to the rise of the float, the movable conductor separates from the fixed terminal, thereby interrupting the electric circuit,
The fixed terminals are disposed in a vertical direction, while the movable conductor is disposed vertically so as to span both the fixed terminals,
a guide member for guiding the movable conductor in a vertical sliding movement along the fixed terminal,
The movable conductor is connected to the float via a connecting member so that the relative position of the movable conductor with respect to the float does not change,
When the float rises, the movable conductor also slides upward, thereby breaking the electrical connection with the fixed terminal. a contact portion for connecting/disconnecting an electric circuit includes a pair of fixed terminals provided at ends of the divided electric circuit, and a movable conductor that is stretched between the fixed terminals to electrically connect the fixed terminals to each other;
A float that floats on water is connected to the movable conductor directly or via a connecting member,
In response to the rise of the float, the movable conductor separates from the fixed terminal, thereby interrupting the electric circuit,
the fixed terminal is disposed in a horizontal direction, the movable conductor is disposed across an upper portion of the fixed terminal, and a guide member is provided for guiding the vertical movement of the movable conductor;
Furthermore, the float is connected to the lower part of the movable conductor and is formed integrally therewith, and when the float rises, the movable conductor also rises and is separated from the fixed terminal.
The contact portion is housed in a box that is open only downward,
13. An electric circuit breaking device, comprising: a float disposed so that only a portion of the float is exposed downward from the box body.

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