JP7715569B2 - Distribution board - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a distribution board and a breaker.

Distribution boards with a main breaker and branch breakers mounted on the base are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the distribution board, the primary terminal of the main breaker is connected to the wiring on the power source side, and the secondary terminal of the branch breaker is connected to the wiring on the load side. The primary terminal of the main breaker and the secondary terminal of the branch breaker are arranged to face in different directions.

JP 2015-12695 A

In the distribution board described above, the primary terminal of the main breaker and the secondary terminal of the branch breaker face in different directions. Therefore, the wires are inserted into the secondary terminal of the branch breaker and the primary terminal of the main breaker from different directions. As such, the wires are inserted in different directions into the main breaker and the branch breaker, which can make wiring work more time-consuming.

The present invention aims to provide a distribution board and breaker that allows for easy wiring work to be performed on the main breaker and branch breakers.

The distribution board according to the present invention comprises a base, a main breaker mounted on the base, and branch breakers mounted on the base so as to be aligned with the main breaker in a first direction; when viewed from the front of the base, the primary terminal of the main breaker and the secondary terminal of the branch breaker are arranged on the same side in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

In the distribution board of the present invention, when viewed from the front of the base, the primary terminal of the main breaker and the secondary terminal of the branch breaker are arranged on the same side in the second direction. In this case, wires are inserted into the primary terminal of the main breaker and the secondary terminal of the branch breaker from the same direction. This allows workers to easily run wires into the main breaker and branch breakers from the same direction. Furthermore, because the branch breakers are arranged on the base so that they are aligned with the main breaker in the first direction, it is easy to secure space for wire running work by moving the main breaker and branch breakers to the side of the base opposite the side where wire running work is being performed. As a result, wire running work into the main breaker and branch breakers can be easily performed.

The base portion is formed with a first opening through which a first wiring connected to the primary terminal of the main breaker passes from the rear side of the base portion, and a second opening through which a second wiring connected to the secondary terminal of the branch breaker passes from the rear side. The first opening and second opening may be located on the same side in the second direction relative to the main breaker and branch breaker. In this case, the worker can easily pull out the first wiring and second wiring from the wall through the first opening and second opening on the same side in the second direction. The worker can then insert the pulled out first wiring and second wiring into the main breaker and branch breaker from the same direction.

The secondary terminal of the main breaker may be a plug-in type terminal. In this case, it is easier to move the main breaker to the opposite side of the base from the side where the wiring work is performed, making it easier to secure space for the wiring work.

The primary terminal of the branch breaker is a plug-in terminal, and the secondary terminal of the main breaker and the primary terminal of the branch breaker may be plugged into the same conductive bar provided on the base. In this case, the main breaker and branch breaker can be easily arranged side by side in the first direction simply by plugging them into the conductive bar.

The conductive bar has a strip-like shape extending in a first direction, and the main surfaces on both sides of the conductive bar may remain flat from the connection position with the main breaker to the connection position with the branch breaker. By simplifying the configuration of the conductive bar in this way, the number of parts and costs can be reduced.

The main breaker and branch breakers may cover the conductive bars from the front side. In this case, the main breaker and branch breaker themselves can function as components covering the exposed parts of the conductor bars.

The secondary terminal of the breaker according to the present invention is a plug-in type terminal, allowing reverse connection.

With this breaker, the conductor bar to which the primary terminal of the branch breaker is connected can be plugged in as the primary terminal of the main breaker. In this case, the primary terminal of the main breaker can be easily positioned on the same side as the secondary terminal of the branch breaker. This makes it easy to run wires into the main breaker and branch breakers, just like with the distribution board described above.

This invention provides a distribution board and breakers that allow for easy wiring work to main breakers and branch breakers.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a distribution board according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a distribution board according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3( a ) is a schematic diagram of a distribution board according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the front, and FIG. 3( b ) is a schematic diagram of a distribution board according to a comparative example as viewed from the front. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a distribution board according to a modified example. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a distribution board according to a modified example.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that in the description of the drawings, identical or equivalent elements will be designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted.

1 is a perspective view of a distribution board 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a distribution board 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the main breaker 3 and the branch breakers 4 are separated from the base portion 2. As shown in FIG. 1, the distribution board 1 includes the base portion 2, the main breaker 3, and the branch breakers 4. In the following description, the configuration of each component may be described using XYZ coordinates, which are relative coordinates set with respect to the distribution board 1. The Y-axis direction is perpendicular to the X-axis direction (first direction). The Z-axis direction (second direction) is perpendicular to the X-axis and Y-axis directions. One side of the X-axis, Y-axis, or Z-axis direction is referred to as the "positive side," and the other side is referred to as the "negative side." In the figure, arrows point from the negative side to the positive side on each axis. When the distribution board 1 is installed on a wall, the X-axis direction is horizontal and runs along the wall. The positive side of the Y-axis direction is the horizontal direction, perpendicular to the wall, with the positive side being the front side and the negative side being the back side (wall side). The Z-axis direction is the up-down direction, with the positive side being the top side and the negative side being the bottom side. However, the orientation of the distribution board 1 during installation is not particularly limited, and it may be oriented so that the X-axis direction is the up-down direction.

The base unit 2 constitutes the main body of the distribution board 1 and is a unit that is attached to the wall on which it is to be installed. The base unit 2 includes a housing 6, a base plate 7, and copper bars 8 (conductive bars).

The housing 6 is a resin component that is attached to a wall and houses the internal devices of the distribution board 1, such as the breakers 3 and 4. The housing 6 also has a cover member, which is omitted from the drawing. The housing 6 is configured as a rectangular plate that extends parallel to the XZ plane and whose longitudinal direction is in the X-axis direction. The mounting surface 6a of the housing 6 on the positive side in the Y-axis direction is the surface on which the above-mentioned base plate 7, copper bar 8, and breakers 3 and 4 are mounted. The back surface 6b of the housing 6 on the negative side in the Y-axis direction is the surface that is joined to the wall.

The base plate 7 is a metal plate-like member for supporting the copper bar 8 and the breakers 3 and 4. There are no particular limitations on the shape of the base plate 7, but in this embodiment it has a shape that extends in the X-axis direction. The base plate 7 is attached to the upper end region of the housing 6 in the Z-axis direction. Two base plates 7 are provided on the housing 6 so as to be aligned in the Z-axis direction (see Figure 2 in particular), but the number of base plates 7 is not particularly limited.

The copper bar 8 is a conductive member for electrically connecting the main breaker 3 and the branch breakers 4. While the copper bar 8 is made of copper, conductive bars made of other materials may also be used. The copper bar 8 has a strip-like shape extending in the X-axis direction while standing in the Y-axis direction. The copper bar 8 has a main surface 8a on the positive side in the Z-axis direction and a main surface 8b on the negative side. The main surfaces 8a and 8b on both sides of the copper bar 8 maintain a flat surface from the connection position CP1 with the main breaker 3 to the connection position CP2 with the branch breaker 4 (see Figure 2). The state in which the main surfaces 8a and 8b maintain a flat surface means that the main surfaces 8a and 8b are parallel to the XY plane at connection positions CP1, CP2, and the entire area between connection positions CP1 and CP2. In this embodiment, three copper bars 8 are mounted on the upper base plate 7 with a gap in the Z-axis direction (see Figure 2 in particular).

The main breaker 3 detects the current in the building where the distribution board 1 is installed and shuts off the circuit in the event of an abnormality. The main breaker 3 is located on the negative side of the X-axis direction of the base unit 2, at a position where the base plate 7 is located on the positive side of the Z-axis direction. The main breaker 3 has a primary terminal 13A on the power source side and a secondary terminal 13B on the load side.

Branch breakers 4 are breakers provided for load equipment branching off from the main breaker 3. Multiple branch breakers 4 are provided on the distribution board 1, arranged in the X-axis direction. Branch breakers 4 are provided on the base 2, closer to the positive side in the X-axis direction, at a position where the base plate 7 is provided on the positive side in the Z-axis direction. Branch breakers 4 have a primary terminal 14A on the power supply side and a secondary terminal 14B on the load side. The relative positions of terminals 13 and 14 will be described later.

The secondary terminal 13B of the main breaker 3 is a plug-in terminal. The main breaker 3 can be reverse-connected. A plug-in terminal is a terminal that can be electrically connected to a mating terminal by inserting it from a specific direction, and the connection state can be structurally maintained without using screws or other fastening devices. The secondary terminal 13B is located on the back surface of the main breaker 3 on the negative side in the Y-axis direction so that it can be connected to a copper bar 8. In this embodiment, three copper bars 8 are aligned in the Z-axis direction and extend in the X-axis direction. Therefore, the main breaker 3 has three secondary terminals 13B aligned in the Z-axis direction and extending in the X-axis direction. The secondary terminals 13B are connected to the copper bar 8 by pressing the main breaker 3 against the copper bar 8 from the positive side to the negative side in the Y-axis direction.

The primary terminal 14A of the branch breaker 4 is a plug-in type terminal. The primary terminal 14A is provided on the back surface of the branch breaker 4 on the negative side in the Y-axis direction so that it can be connected to the copper bar 8. The primary terminal 14A of the branch breaker 4 has the same configuration as the main breaker 3.

With the above-described configuration, the secondary terminal 13B of the main breaker 3 and the primary terminal 14A of the branch breaker 4 are plugged into the same copper bar 8 provided on the base 2. As a result, the main breaker 3 and branch breaker 4 are electrically connected via the same copper bar 8, adjacent to each other in the X-axis direction. The copper bar 8 is covered near its positive end in the Y-axis direction by the main breaker 3 and branch breaker 4. Therefore, if an operator reaches out from outside, the main breaker 3 and branch breaker 4 will prevent them from touching the copper bar 8. Note that the portions of the copper bar 8 that are not covered by the main breaker 3 or branch breaker 4 may be covered with a separate cover material.

The primary side terminal 13A of the main breaker 3 is located at the negative end of the main breaker 3 in the Z-axis direction. The main breaker 3 has three primary side terminals 13A electrically connected to three secondary side terminals 13B and three copper bars 8, respectively. The secondary side terminal 14B of the branch breaker 4 is located at the negative end of the branch breaker 4 in the Z-axis direction. The branch breaker 4 has three secondary side terminals 14A electrically connected to three primary side terminals 14B and three copper bars 8, respectively.

Next, the wiring connected to the primary terminal 13A of the main breaker 3 and the secondary terminal 14B of the branch breaker 4 will be described with reference to Figure 3(a). As shown in Figure 3(a), the primary terminal 13A is located on the negative side of the main breaker 3 in the Z-axis direction, and therefore the first wiring L1 connected to the primary terminal 13A is located on the negative side of the main breaker 3 in the Z-axis direction. The first wiring L1 connected to the primary terminal 13A is connected to the primary terminal 13A while extending from the negative side to the positive side in the Z-axis direction. In other words, the incoming direction D1 of the first wiring L1 to the primary terminal 13A is the Z-axis direction, from the negative side to the positive side.

Since the secondary terminal 14B of the branch breaker 4 is located on the negative side of the branch breaker 4 in the Z-axis direction, the second wiring L2 connected to the secondary terminal 14B is located on the negative side of the branch breaker 4 in the Z-axis direction. The second wiring L2 connected to the secondary terminal 14B is connected to the secondary terminal 14B while extending from the negative side to the positive side in the Z-axis direction. In other words, the incoming wiring direction D2 of the second wiring L2 to the secondary terminal 14B is the Z-axis direction, from the negative side to the positive side.

With the above configuration, the primary terminal 13A of the main breaker 3 and the secondary terminal 14B of the branch breaker 4 are arranged on the same side in the Z-axis direction, i.e., the negative side. Furthermore, the incoming line direction D1 for the primary terminal 13A of the main breaker 3 and the incoming line direction D2 for the secondary terminal 14B of the branch breaker 4 are set on the same side, i.e., the Z-axis direction from the negative side to the positive side.

Next, with reference to Figures 1 and 2, the structure for drawing out the wiring L1, L2 to the breakers 3, 4 via the base portion 2 will be described. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the base portion 2 has a first opening 11 and a second opening 12. The first opening 11 is a location through which the first wiring L1 (see Figure 3(a)) connected to the primary terminal 13A of the main breaker 3 passes from the back surface 6b of the base portion 2. The second opening 12 is a location through which the second wiring L2 connected to the secondary terminal 14B of the branch breaker 4 passes from the back surface 6b. The openings 11, 12 are configured by forming penetrations that penetrate the base portion 2 in the Y direction from the mounting surface 6a to the back surface 6b.

The first opening 11 is formed in the region on the negative side of the X-axis of the base 2, in the region on the negative side of the Z-axis relative to the main breaker 3. The second opening 12 is formed in the region on the positive side of the X-axis of the base 2, in the region on the negative side of the Z-axis relative to the branch breaker 4. The openings 11 and 12 are configured as rectangular through-holes. A pillar 17 is formed between the openings 11 and 12 to separate the first wiring L1 and the second wiring L2. However, the shape and size of the openings 11 and 12 are not particularly limited and may be changed as appropriate. The openings 11 and 12 do not need to be separated by the pillar 17, and may be connected to each other as shown in Figure 3(a).

The following describes the operation and effects of the distribution board 1 and main breaker 3 according to this embodiment.

First, referring to Figure 3(b), a distribution board 100 according to a comparative example will be described. In the distribution board 100, the primary terminal 113A of the main breaker 103 is located on the positive side in the Z-axis direction, and the secondary terminal 113B is located on the negative side. The primary terminal 114A of the branch breaker 104 is located on the positive side in the Z-axis direction, and the secondary terminal 114B is located on the negative side. The secondary terminal 113B of the main breaker 103 and the primary terminal 114A of the branch breaker 104 are electrically connected by a copper bar 108. This copper bar 108 has a portion 108a extending on the negative side in the Z-axis direction, a portion 108b extending in the Z-axis direction, and a portion 108c extending on the positive side in the Z-axis direction. The secondary terminal 113B of the main breaker 103 is connected to the portion 108a extending below using a screw fastening method.

In the distribution board 100 described above, the primary terminal 113A of the main breaker 103 and the secondary terminal 114B of the branch breaker 104 face in different directions. Therefore, the secondary terminal 114B of the branch breaker 104 and the primary terminal 113A of the main breaker 103 are connected from different directions. The different wiring directions for the main breaker 103 and the branch breaker 104 can make wiring work more time-consuming. Furthermore, in a structure like the distribution board 100, where the wiring directions are different, it is difficult to create openings for pulling the wiring out of the wall. If the openings are narrow, it may be necessary to remove the internal components (units such as breakers, copper bars, and base plates) when connecting the power. Alternatively, making the openings larger would increase the overall size of the distribution board 100. Furthermore, the copper bars 108 have a complex shape and would be placed over a wide area. In this case, the overall size of the distribution board 100 increases by the widths W1, W2, and W3 of each section 108b. For example, the widths of each section of the copper bar 108 are set to "W1 = 20 mm," "W2 = 40 mm," and "W3 = 20 mm," the height of the distribution board 100 is set to "H = 220 mm," and the length of the distribution board 100 is set to "L = 510 mm." Furthermore, if holes or other processing is performed on the copper bar 108, the number of parts increases, raising costs. Furthermore, if the exposed portion of the copper bar 108 is large, it becomes more susceptible to the adhesion of dust and other foreign matter.

In contrast, as shown in FIG. 3(a), in the distribution board 1 according to this embodiment, when viewed from the front of the base 2, the primary terminal 13A of the main breaker 3 and the secondary terminal 14B of the branch breaker 4 are positioned on the same side (negative side) in the Z-axis direction. In this case, the wires are inserted into the primary terminal 13A of the main breaker 3 and the secondary terminal 14B of the branch breaker 4 from the same direction. This allows workers to easily run wires through the main breaker 3 and the branch breaker 4 from the same direction. Furthermore, because the branch breakers 4 are aligned with the main breaker 3 on the base 2 in the X-axis direction, positioning the main breaker 3 and the branch breaker 4 on the opposite side of the base 2 from the wire-running side (positive side in the Z-axis direction) makes it easier to secure space for the wire-running work. This makes it easier to run wires through the main breaker 3 and the branch breakers 4.

The base portion 2 is formed with a first opening 11 through which the first wiring L1, which connects to the primary terminal 13A of the main breaker 3, passes from the rear surface 6b of the base portion 2, and a second opening 12 through which the second wiring L2, which connects to the secondary terminal 14B of the branch breaker 4, passes from the rear surface 6b. The first opening 11 and the second opening 12 may be located on the same side in the Z-axis direction relative to the main breaker 3 and the branch breaker 4. In this case, the worker can easily pull the first wiring L1 and the second wiring L2 from the wall through the first opening 11 and the second opening 12 on the same side in the Z-axis direction. The worker can then insert the pulled-out first wiring L1 and the second wiring L2 into the main breaker 3 and the branch breaker 4 from the same direction, below.

The secondary terminal 13B of the main breaker 3 may be a plug-in terminal. In this case, it is easier to move the main breaker 3 to the positive side of the Z-axis, which is the side opposite the wiring work side, on the base part 2, making it easier to secure space below for wiring work. In this embodiment, the main breaker 3 and branch breakers 4 are plugged into the copper bar 8 on the rear side. Therefore, unlike the copper bar 108 in Figure 3(b), which requires space in the Z-axis direction for "W1" and "W3", they can be moved to the positive side of the Z-axis without being obstructed by the copper bar 8.

The primary terminal 14A of the branch breaker 4 is a plug-in terminal, and the secondary terminal 13B of the main breaker 3 and the primary terminal 14A of the branch breaker 4 may be plugged into the same copper bar 8 provided on the base 2. In this case, the main breaker 3 and the branch breaker 4 can be easily arranged side by side by simply plugging them into the copper bar 8.

The copper bar 8 has a strip-like shape extending in the X-axis direction, and the main surfaces 8a and 8b on both sides of the copper bar 8 may remain flat from the connection position CP1 with the main breaker 3 to the connection position CP2 with the branch breaker 4. By simplifying the configuration of the copper bar 8 in this way, the number of parts and costs can be reduced.

The main breaker 3 and branch breakers 4 may cover the copper bar 8 from the front side. In this case, the main breaker 3 and branch breakers 4 themselves can function as components covering the exposed parts of the copper bar 8.

In the main breaker 3 according to this embodiment, the secondary terminal 13B is a plug-in terminal, allowing for reverse connection. This main breaker 3 allows the primary terminal 13A of the main breaker 3 to be plugged into the copper bar 8 to which the primary terminal 14A of the branch breaker 4 is connected. In this case, the primary terminal 13A of the main breaker 3 can be easily positioned on the same side as the secondary terminal 14B of the branch breaker 4. This makes it easy to run wires through the main breaker 3 and branch breaker 4, just like the distribution board 1 described above.

The distribution board 1 according to this embodiment is designed to facilitate energization work, while eliminating the width dimensions W1, W2, and W3 of the exposed portion of the copper bar 108 in the comparative example, resulting in a compact overall configuration. For example, the height of the distribution board 1 can be set to "H = 200 mm" and the length of the distribution board 100 can be set to "L = 470 mm." Furthermore, since there is no need to drill holes or create complex structures in the copper bar 8, the number of parts can be reduced, leading to lower costs. Furthermore, by covering the main breaker 3 and branch breaker 4, the exposed portion of the copper bar 8 can be reduced, reducing foreign matter such as dust.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the secondary terminal 13B of the main breaker 3 and the primary terminal 14A of the branch breaker 4 were located on the back side of each breaker 3, 4. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4, the secondary terminal 13B of the main breaker 3 and the primary terminal 14A of the branch breaker 4 may be located at the positive end of each breaker 3, 4 in the Z-axis direction. In this case, the copper bar 8 is arranged with its main surface parallel to the XZ plane. The secondary terminal 13B of the main breaker 3 and the primary terminal 14A of the branch breaker 4 are plugged into the copper bar 8 by being inserted from the negative side to the positive side in the Z-axis direction. Even in this configuration, inserting the main breaker 3 and the branch breaker 4 into the positive side in the Z-axis direction makes it easier to move them toward the positive side in the Z-axis direction, making it easier to secure space for wiring work. In this case, as shown in FIG. 5, the copper bar 8 can be covered with a resin member 50 to eliminate exposed portions of the copper bar 8.

The relative positions of the main breaker 3 and branch breakers 4 within the base 2 can be changed as needed without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

1...Distribution board, 2...Base portion, 3...Main breaker, 4...Branch breaker, 8...Copper bar (conductor bar), 11...First opening, 12...Second opening, 13A...Primary side terminal of main breaker, 13B...Second side terminal of main breaker, 14A...Primary side terminal of branch breaker, 14B...Second side terminal of branch breaker.

Claims (7)

A base portion;
a main breaker provided on the base portion;
a branch breaker provided on the base portion so as to be aligned with the main breaker in a first direction,
When viewed from the front of the base portion, the primary side terminal of the main breaker and the secondary side terminal of the branch breaker are arranged on the same side in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction ,
The base portion has:
a first opening through which a first wiring connected to the primary terminal of the main breaker passes from the rear surface side of the base;
a second opening through which a second wiring connected to the secondary terminal of the branch breaker passes from the rear surface side;
the first opening and the second opening are arranged on the same side in the second direction with respect to the main breaker and the branch breaker;
the base portion includes a base plate that integrally supports the main breaker, the branch breakers, and conductive bars to which the main breaker and the branch breakers are connected,
The first opening and the second opening are in communication with each other . A base portion and
a main breaker provided on the base portion;
a branch breaker provided on the base portion so as to be aligned with the main breaker in a first direction,
When viewed from the front of the base portion, the primary side terminal of the main breaker and the secondary side terminal of the branch breaker are arranged on the same side in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction,
the base portion includes a base plate that integrally supports the main breaker, the branch breakers, and conductive bars to which the main breaker and the branch breakers are connected,
The plurality of conductive bars are provided on the base plate at intervals from one another. The base portion has:
a first opening through which a first wiring connected to the primary terminal of the main breaker passes from the rear surface side of the base;
a second opening through which a second wiring connected to the secondary terminal of the branch breaker passes from the rear surface side;
The distribution board according to claim 2 , wherein the first opening and the second opening are arranged on the same side in the second direction with respect to the main breaker and the branch breaker. The distribution board according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the secondary terminal of the main breaker is a plug-in type terminal. the primary side terminal of the branch breaker is a plug-in type terminal,
The distribution board according to claim 4 , wherein the secondary terminal of the main breaker and the primary terminal of the branch breaker are plugged into the same conductive bar provided on the base portion. the conductive bar has a strip shape extending in the first direction,
The distribution board according to claim 5 , wherein the main surfaces on both sides of the conductive bar remain flat from the connection position with the main breaker to the connection position with the branch breaker. The distribution board according to claim 5 or 6 , wherein the main breaker and the branch breakers cover the conductive bar from a front side.