JP7734396B2 - contact device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a contact device that opens and closes a current path in an electrical circuit.

As an example of such a contact device, a switch device configured to alternately open and close two current paths, such as the one shown in Figure 4 of Patent Document 1, is known.

Such a switch device is
a pair of fixed contacts fixed in position;
a long plate-shaped conductive plate;
a pair of movable contacts attached to respective ends of the conductor plate in the longitudinal direction;
a central terminal for supporting the central portion of the conductive plate in a fixed position;
It is equipped with a driver that can be switched between a state in which the surface of the conductor plate is pressed between one movable contact and the central terminal, and a state in which the surface of the conductor plate is pressed between the other movable contact and the central terminal.

With the switch device configured as described above, when the driver switches to a state in which one movable contact and the central terminal are pressing against the surface of the conductor plate, one movable contact and one fixed contact are closed and the other movable contact and the other fixed contact are open. When the driver switches to a state in which the driver switches to a state in which the other movable contact and the central terminal are pressing against the surface of the conductor plate, one movable contact and one fixed contact are open and the other movable contact and the other fixed contact are closed.

In this way, the switch device configured as described above can switch the current path leading to the center terminal by alternately switching between the open/closed state of one movable contact and one fixed contact, and the open/closed state of the other movable contact and the other fixed contact.

Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open Publication No. 6-17067

However, with the conventional switch devices described above, even when one fixed contact and one movable contact are closed, the two may separate. Similarly, even when the other fixed contact and the other movable contact are closed, the other fixed contact and the other movable contact may separate. Therefore, it is desirable to eliminate the causes of the current path opening at unintended times.

In light of this situation, the present invention aims to provide a contact device with a high contact force that presses the movable contact against the fixed contact.

The contact device of the present invention comprises:
a conductive plate having a long plate shape and conductivity;
a movable contact attached to one end of the conductive plate in a longitudinal direction while being exposed on the surface side of the conductive plate, the movable contact being movable toward and away from a fixed contact fixed in a fixed position;
a passive member having a support portion that supports the conductive plate from a back surface, the support portion being configured to move in a manner that pushes and operates the conductive plate so that the movable contact approaches the fixed contact;
and a biasing means for biasing a portion of the conductive plate, in the longitudinal direction, of the other end side of the conductive plate relative to the support portion, from the surface side,
The distance between the biasing position of the conductive plate by the biasing means and the support position of the conductive plate by the support portion is equal to or greater than the distance between the support position of the conductive plate by the support portion and the movable contact.

In the contact device configured as described above, the biasing means is configured to bias the central portion of the conductive plate rather than the support portion that pushes and operates the conductive plate. Therefore, the support portion serves as the fulcrum of the conductive plate, the force point at which the biasing means applies an external force to the conductive plate, and the movable contact serves as the point of action.

The contact force is improved by making the distance between the biasing position of the conductive plate by the biasing means and the support position of the conductive plate by the support portion equal to or greater than the distance between the support position of the conductive plate by the support portion and the movable contact.

There are various causes for the phenomenon of contacts opening when in a closed state, but the contact device configured as described above focuses on the relationship between the phenomenon of contacts opening when in a closed state and the contact force, and is designed to generate a higher contact force than conventional devices by devising the positional relationship between the support part which serves as the fulcrum, the biasing means which serves as the force point, and the movable contact which serves as the point of action.

In addition, in the contact device of the present invention,
The support portion may be configured to support the conductive plate at a position on one end side of the biasing means and a position on the other end side of the biasing means in the longitudinal direction.

The contact device configured as described above allows the conductive plate to be stably positioned relative to the passive member.

Furthermore, in the contact device of the present invention,
The support portion is
a one-end contact portion disposed at a position on the one end side of the conductive plate;
an other-end contact portion disposed at a position on the other end side of the conductive plate,
In a state in which the movable contact is pressed against the fixed contact, the one end contact portion may be in contact with the conductive plate, and the other end contact portion may be separated from the conductive plate.

With the contact device configured as described above, the passive member can be rotated until only the one-end abutment portion contacts the conductive plate. As a result, the biasing force of the biasing means is not dispersed but is converted into a force pressing the movable contact against the one-end abutment portion, improving the contact force between the movable contact and the fixed contact.

Furthermore, in the contact device of the present invention,
The conductive plate has a plate length engaging portion,
the passive member has a receiving length engaging portion that engages with the plate length engaging portion,
The conductive plate may be positioned in the longitudinal direction relative to the passive member by the plate length engaging portion and the receiving length engaging portion engaging with each other.

With the contact device configured as described above, the conductive plate placed on the passive member is positioned in the longitudinal direction.

Furthermore, in the contact device of the present invention,
The conductive plate has a plate width engagement portion,
the passive member has a receiving width engaging portion that engages with the plate width engaging portion,
The conductive plate may be positioned in the width direction relative to the passive member by the plate width engaging portion and the receiving width engaging portion engaging with each other.

With the contact device configured as described above, the conductive plate placed on the passive member is positioned in the width direction.

As described above, the contact device of the present invention has the excellent effect of being able to exert a high contact force.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a changeover switch equipped with a contact device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of the changeover switch according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the contact device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the inside of the contact device according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a region including a passive member of the contact device according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a view of the conductive plate of the contact device according to the embodiment as viewed from the front side. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the state in which the conductive plate of the contact device according to the embodiment is viewed from the front side, and is an explanatory diagram of the positional relationship between the fulcrum, the point of force, and the point of action. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the contact device according to the embodiment in a state switched to the first state. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of the contact device according to the embodiment in a state switched to the second state.

The following describes a contact device according to one embodiment of the present invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

A contact device is configured to open and close a current path. The contact device of this embodiment is configured to alternately switch the open and closed states of two current paths.

In this embodiment, the following explanation will be given using as an example a case in which the contact device is incorporated into a changeover switch.

First, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the changeover switch S has a changeover main body S1 having a changeover unit S10 incorporating an opening and closing mechanism that opens and closes the current path, and a changeover control unit S2 that controls the opening and closing operation of the changeover main body (opening and closing mechanism).

In this embodiment, the switching body S1 has three switching units S10, each of which is composed of a contact device 1.

The switching unit S10 also has three terminals connected to different electrical circuit systems. In this embodiment, these three terminals are a first-side terminal S100 connected to a power system, a second-side terminal S101 connected to a power system different from the first-side terminal S100, and a load-side terminal S102 connected to a load system that receives power from the power system.

Note that power grids include commercial power grids and power grids that include distributed power sources.

As shown in Figure 3, the contact device 1 includes an exterior part 2, and as shown in Figure 4, a switching circuit part 3 that is configured to be able to be opened and closed, a switching mechanism part 4 for opening and closing the switching circuit part 3, and an operating part 5 for operating the switching mechanism part 4.

In this embodiment, the following explanation will be given using as an example a case where the contact device 1 is a single-pole, double-throw switch.

The exterior portion is constructed by butting together and fixing a pair of exterior forming portions 20 (see Figure 2). Furthermore, the wall portions of the pair of exterior forming portions 20, which are arranged opposite each other in the butting direction (hereinafter referred to as the butting direction), form the side wall portions 200 of the exterior portion 2.

The switching circuit section 3 has a fixed contact 30 that is fixed in a fixed position inside the exterior section 2, a fixed-side external terminal section 31 that electrically connects the fixed contact 30 to an external electrical circuit, a movable contact 32 that moves in and out of contact with the fixed contact 30 inside the exterior section 2, and a movable-side external terminal section 33 that electrically connects the movable contact 32 to an external electrical circuit.

As described above, the contact device 1 of this embodiment is a single-pole, double-throw switch, and therefore has a pair of fixed contacts 30 and a pair of movable contacts 32. It also has a pair of fixed-side external terminal portions 31 corresponding to the number of fixed contacts 30.

Furthermore, since the contact device 1 of this embodiment is incorporated into a changeover switch S, one fixed-side external terminal portion 31 constitutes the first-side terminal portion S100, the other fixed-side external terminal portion 31 constitutes the second-side terminal portion S101, and the movable-side external terminal portion 33 constitutes the load-side terminal portion S102 (see Figures 1 and 2).

The fixed-side external terminal portion 31 is a conductive fixed-side terminal body portion 310 having a contact-side end portion 3100 to which the fixed contact 30 is fixed and an outer end portion 3101 to which a power distribution material connected to an external electrical circuit is connected, and an outer fixing structure 311 for fixing the electrical circuit to the outer end portion 3101 of the fixed-side terminal body portion 310.

The contact side end 3100 and outer end 3101 are fixed to the exterior part 2. In this embodiment, the fixed side terminal main body 310 is made of a plate material, so the contact side end 3100 and outer end 3101, and the part between the contact side end 3100 and outer end 3101, are integrally formed.

In this embodiment, the fixed terminal body 310 is configured so that the power distribution material is connected to the front side of the outer end 3101, and the fixed contact 30 is exposed on the back side of the contact end 3100.

The outer fixing structure 311 of this embodiment is configured to screw the electrical distribution material to the outer end 3101. More specifically, the outer fixing structure 311 has a terminal screw 3110 that is inserted from the front side of the outer end 3101 into a through hole formed in the outer end 3101, and a screw receiving portion 3111 that is arranged on the back side of the outer end 3101 and into which the terminal screw 3110 can be screwed.

The movable side external terminal portion 33 is a conductive movable side terminal body portion 330 having a contact side end portion 3300 to which the movable contact 32 is fixed and an outer end portion 3301 to which a distribution material connected to an external electrical circuit is connected, and an outer fixing structure 331 (see Figure 2) for fixing the electrical circuit to the outer end portion 3301 of the movable side terminal body portion 330.

In this embodiment, the movable terminal body 330 is constructed with a contact end 3300 and an outer end 3301 as separate components.

The contact side end 3300 is formed from a long, conductive plate. Hereinafter, the contact side end 3300 of the movable side terminal main body 330 will be referred to as the conductive plate 3300. In this embodiment, the conductive plate 3300 is approximately rectangular. Movable contacts 32 are attached to both longitudinal ends (one end and the other end), and the movable contacts 32 are exposed on the surface F1 of the conductive plate 3300.

The outer end 3301 is made of a conductive plate material.

In addition, in the movable side terminal main body 330 of this embodiment, the conductive plate 3300 and the outer end 3301, which are constructed separately, are electrically connected by a connection wire 3302. The connection wire 3302 includes an inner connection wire 3302a that is arranged inside the exterior part 2, and an outer connection wire 3302b that is arranged outside the exterior part 2. The position of the outer end 3301 can be changed within the range of allowable movement of the outer connection wire 3302b.

As shown in FIG. 2, the outer fixing structure 331 is configured to screw the electrical distribution material to the outer end 3301. More specifically, the outer fixing structure 331 has a terminal screw 3310 that is inserted from the front side of the outer end 3301 into a through hole formed in the outer end 3301, and a screw receiving portion (not shown) that is arranged on the back side of the outer end and into which the terminal screw 3310 can be screwed.

As shown in Figure 4, the opening/closing mechanism 4 has a passive member 40 that moves so that the movable contact 32 approaches the fixed contact 30, and a biasing means 41 that biases the conductive plate 3300 toward the passive member 40.

As shown in Figure 5, the passive member 40 has a support portion 400 that supports the conductive plate 3300 from the rear surface F2, and a holding structure 401 that holds the support portion 400 within the exterior portion 2 while allowing it to move.

The support portion 400 has a mounting surface 4000 on which the conductive plate 3300 is placed, a one-end contact portion 4001 that is positioned to match the position of one end of the conductive plate 3300, and an other-end contact portion 4002 that is positioned to match the position of the other end of the conductive plate 3300.

The mounting surface 4000 is formed in a rectangular shape to match the shape of the conductive plate 3300.

The one-end contact portion 4001 and the other-end contact portion 4002 each constitute an end portion in the longitudinal direction. The one-end contact portion 4001 and the other-end contact portion 4002 each have a rounded shape. One end of the mounting surface 4000 is included in the one-end contact portion 4001, and the other end of the mounting surface 4000 is included in the other-end contact portion 4002.

The longitudinal length of the conductive plate 3300 is greater than the longitudinal length of the mounting surface 4000. Therefore, when the conductive plate 3300 is placed on the mounting surface 4000, both longitudinal ends of the conductive plate 3300 itself extend outward from the mounting surface 4000.

Furthermore, the one-end abutment portion 4001 is configured to abut against the back surface F2 of one end of the conductive plate 3300 when one movable contact 32 and one fixed contact 30 are closed, and the other-end abutment portion 4002 is configured to abut against the back surface F2 of the other end of the conductive plate 3300 when the other movable contact 32 and the other fixed contact 30 are closed.

Furthermore, the passive member 40 of this embodiment is configured so that, when one movable contact 32 and one fixed contact 30 are closed, the one end contact portion 4001 can be in contact with the back surface F2 of one end of the conductive plate 3300 and the other end contact portion 4002 can be spaced apart from the back surface F2 of the other end of the conductive plate 3300; and, when the other movable contact 32 and the other fixed contact 30 are closed, the one end contact portion 4001 can be spaced apart from the back surface F2 of one end of the conductive plate 3300 and the other end contact portion 4002 can be in contact with the back surface F2 of the other end of the conductive plate 3300.

As shown in Figure 7, when one movable contact 32 and one fixed contact 30 are brought into contact, the support position where the one end contact portion 4001 contacts the conductive plate 3300 (one end side of the conductive plate 3300) is the fulcrum P1, the biasing position on the conductive plate 3300 where the biasing means 41 biases the movable contact 32 is the force point P2, and the movable contact 32 (more specifically, the position where the movable contact 32 contacts the fixed contact 30) is the action point P3. The distance (spacing) D1 between the fulcrum P1 and the force point P2 is set to be greater than the distance (spacing) D2 from the fulcrum P1 to the action point P3.

Furthermore, when the other movable contact 32 and the other fixed contact 30 are brought into contact, the support position where the other end abutment portion 4002 contacts the conductive plate 3300 (the other end side of the conductive plate 3300) is the fulcrum P1, the biasing position on the conductive plate 3300 where the biasing means 41 biases the movable contact 32 is the force point P2, and the movable contact 32 (more specifically, the position where the movable contact 32 contacts the fixed contact 30) is the action point P3. The distance (spacing) D1 between the fulcrum P1 and the force point P2 is set to be greater than the distance (spacing) D2 from the fulcrum P1 to the action point P3.

As shown in Figure 6, the holding structure 401 has a shaft portion 4010 provided on the support portion 400, and a bearing portion 4011 provided inside the exterior portion 2 and rotatably holding the shaft portion.

The shaft portion 4010 is the part that serves as the rotation center of the passive member 40. If the shaft portion 4010 is positioned in front of the mounting surface 4000 in the planar direction, it becomes easier to set a large rotation range (swing range) for the support portion 400. If the shaft portion 4010 is positioned behind the mounting surface 4000 in the planar direction, it becomes easier to reduce the rotation range (swing range) of the support portion 400.

The shaft portions 4010 are provided on one end and the other end of the passive member 40 in the butt direction, and the bearing portions 4011 are provided on the inner surface of one side wall portion 200 and the inner surface of the other side wall portion 200. The passive member 40 is sandwiched between the pair of side wall portions 200 (bearing portions 4011) together with the shaft portions 4010, allowing it to rotate (swing) around the shaft portions 4010.

Here, the contact device 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a positioning structure 6 for positioning the conductive plate 3300 relative to the passive member 40.

The positioning structure 6 has a positioning structure (hereinafter referred to as the first positioning structure) 60 that positions the conductive plate 3300 in the longitudinal direction, and a positioning structure (hereinafter referred to as the second positioning structure) 61 that positions the conductive plate 3300 in the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the plate surface direction.

The first positioning structure 60 has a plate length engaging portion 600 formed on the conductive plate 3300 and a receiving length engaging portion 601 formed on the passive member 40 that engages with the plate length engaging portion 600. The plate length engaging portion 600 and the receiving length engaging portion 601 engage in the longitudinal direction of the conductive plate 3300, thereby positioning the conductive plate 3300 in the longitudinal direction relative to the passive member 40.

The second positioning structure 61 has plate width engaging portions 610 formed on the conductive plate 3300, and has receiving width engaging portions 611 that engage with the plate width engaging portions 610 formed on the passive member 40. The plate width engaging portions 610 and receiving width engaging portions 611 engage with each other in the width direction of the conductive plate 3300, thereby positioning the conductive plate 3300 in the width direction relative to the passive member 40. In this embodiment, the receiving width engaging portions 611 are erected at the four corners of the mounting surface 4000 and are configured to engage (abut) with the long sides of the conductive plate 3300 in the width direction.

As shown in Figure 4, the biasing means 41 is composed of a compression spring placed inside the exterior part 2. In this embodiment, the biasing means is housed in a housing part 410 provided inside the exterior part 2, which is formed to have a recess that opens toward the conductive plate 3300.

The operating unit 5 has a driven rotation unit 50 that rotates in response to an external force, an interlocking unit 51 that is attached to the passive member 40 and moves in conjunction with the movement of the driven rotation unit 50, and an auxiliary biasing unit 52 that assists the rotational movement of the driven rotation unit 50.

As shown in Figure 5, the driven rotation unit 50 has a rotational movement unit 500 rotatably attached to the exterior unit 2, and an arm unit 501 extending outward from the rotational movement unit 500.

The rotary operating unit 500 is configured to be rotatable from outside the exterior unit 2, and in this embodiment, an operating lever L extending from the switching control unit is inserted through it. In this embodiment, the operating lever L is automatically rotated by the switching control unit S2. In other words, the contact device 1 of this embodiment is configured to automatically switch between the open/closed state of one fixed contact 30 and one movable contact 32 and the open/closed state of the other fixed contact 30 and the other movable contact 32. However, it is also possible to manually switch between the open/closed state of one fixed contact 30 and one movable contact 32 and the open/closed state of the other fixed contact 30 and the other movable contact 32, for example.

The interlocking portion 51 is provided on the back side of the passive member 40 (the side opposite the mounting surface 4000). The interlocking portion 51 also has a rotational engagement portion 510 that engages with the arm portion 501 so that it can rotate relative to the arm portion 501. In this embodiment, the rotational engagement portion 510 is configured as a recess, and the arm portion 501 is formed in the shape of a shaft that engages within this recess.

The auxiliary biasing portion 52 is formed on the back side of the passive member 40 and has an auxiliary housing portion 520 that forms a recess that opens toward the arm portion 501, and an auxiliary biasing portion 521 that biases the arm portion 501 when placed within the auxiliary housing portion 520. The auxiliary biasing portion 521 is composed of a compression spring.

The configuration of the contact device 1 according to this embodiment is as described above. Next, we will explain the operation of the contact device 1.

The contact device 1 can be switched between a first state, as shown in Figure 8, in which one fixed contact 30 and one movable contact 32 are closed and the other fixed contact 30 and the other movable contact 32 are open, and a second state, as shown in Figure 9, in which one fixed contact 30 and one movable contact 32 are open and the other fixed contact 30 and the other movable contact 32 are closed.

When the state of the contact device 1 switches from the first state to the second state, first, in the first state shown in Figure 8, when the switching control unit S2 starts to rotate the operating lever L clockwise, the driven rotation unit 50 (rotational operation unit 500 and arm unit 501) also starts to rotate clockwise at the same time.

Then, because the arm portion 501 is engaged with the rotational engagement portion 510, the passive member 40 begins to rotate counterclockwise around the shaft portion 4010. At this time, the auxiliary biasing portion 521 is gradually compressed as it rotates, accumulating elastic energy.

Furthermore, as the arm portion 501 continues to rotate clockwise, the center of rotation of the rotational motion unit 500, the point of abutment between the arm portion 501 and the auxiliary biasing portion 521, and the center of rotation of the passive member 40 become aligned on a straight line. Then, when the point of abutment between the arm portion 501 and the auxiliary biasing portion 521 passes a position where the center of rotation of the rotational motion unit 500 and the center of rotation of the passive member 40 are aligned on a straight line, the elastic energy stored in the auxiliary biasing portion 521 is released, and the arm portion 501 continues to rotate until it receives elastic energy from the auxiliary biasing portion 521 and switches to the second state.

Furthermore, when the state of the contact device 1 switches from the second state to the first state, first, in the second state of Figure 9, when the switching control unit S2 starts to rotate the operating lever L counterclockwise, the driven rotation unit 50 (rotational operation unit 500 and arm unit 501) also simultaneously starts to rotate counterclockwise.

Then, because the arm portion 501 is engaged with the rotational engagement portion 510, the passive member 40 begins to rotate clockwise around the shaft portion 4010. At this time, the auxiliary biasing portion 521 is gradually compressed again as it rotates, accumulating elastic energy.

Furthermore, as the arm portion 501 continues to rotate counterclockwise, the center of rotation of the rotational motion unit 500, the contact point between the arm portion 501 and the auxiliary biasing portion 521, and the center of rotation of the passive member 40 become aligned on a straight line. Then, when the contact point between the arm portion 501 and the auxiliary biasing portion 521 passes a position where the center of rotation of the rotational motion unit 500 and the center of rotation of the passive member 40 are aligned on a straight line, the elastic energy stored in the auxiliary biasing portion 521 is released, and the arm portion 501 continues to rotate until it receives elastic energy from the auxiliary biasing portion 521 and switches to the first state.

In addition, when switching from the first state to the second state, if one fixed contact 30 and one movable contact 32 are opened, both the one fixed contact 30 and one movable contact 32 and the other fixed contact 30 and the other movable contact 32 remain open until the other fixed contact 30 and the other movable contact 32 are closed.

Also, when switching from the second state to the first state, if the other fixed contact 30 and the other movable contact 32 are opened, both the one fixed contact 30 and the one movable contact 32, and the other fixed contact 30 and the other movable contact 32, remain open until the one fixed contact 30 and the one movable contact 32 are closed.

When switching from the first state to the second state, or from the second state to the first state, when one fixed contact 30 and one movable contact 32, and the other fixed contact 30 and the other movable contact 32, are in an open state, the entire back side of the central portion in the longitudinal direction of the conductive plate abuts against the mounting surface 4000.

Furthermore, when the contact device 1 switches from the second state to the first state, when one fixed contact 30 and one movable contact 32 are closed, the entire back surface F2 of the central portion of the conductive plate 3300 comes into contact with the mounting surface 4000. However, as the passive member 40 further rotates, as shown in FIG. 8, the one-end contact portion 4001 comes into contact with the back surface F2 of one end of the conductive plate 3300, and the other-end contact portion 4002 comes into contact with the back surface F2 of the other end of the conductive plate 3300.

When switching from the first state to the second state, when the other fixed contact 30 and the other movable contact 32 close, the entire back surface F2 of the central portion of the conductive plate 3300 abuts against the mounting surface 4000. However, as the passive member 40 rotates further, the other end abutment portion 4002 abuts against the back surface F2 on the other end of the conductive plate 3300, and the one end abutment portion 4001 moves away from the back surface F2 on the other end of the conductive plate 3300, as shown in FIG. 9.

As described above, with the contact device 1 according to this embodiment, when switching from the first state to the second state, the distance D1 between the fulcrum P1 and the force point P2 is set to be greater than the distance D2 from the fulcrum P1 to the action point P3. Even when switching from the second state to the first state, the distance D1 between the fulcrum P1 and the force point P2 is set to be greater than the distance D2 from the fulcrum P1 to the action point P3. This improves the contact force of one movable contact 32 against one fixed contact 30 (the force pressing one movable contact 32 against one fixed contact 30) and the contact force of the other movable contact 32 against the other fixed contact 30 (the force pressing the other movable contact 32 against the other fixed contact 30).

There are various causes for the phenomenon of contacts opening when in a closed state, but the contact device 1 of this embodiment focuses on the relationship between the phenomenon of contacts opening when in a closed state and the contact force, and by devising the positional relationship between the support part 400 (one end abutment part 4001, the other end abutment part 4002) which serves as the fulcrum P1, the biasing means 41 which serves as the force point P2, and the movable contact 32 which serves as the point of action, it is possible to achieve the excellent effect of generating a higher contact force than conventional devices.

Furthermore, since the support portion 400 is configured to support the conductive plate 3300 at a position closer to one end than the biasing means 41 and at a position closer to the other end than the biasing means 41, the conductive plate 3300 can be positioned stably relative to the passive member 40.

The support portion 400 of this embodiment has a one-end abutment portion 4001 arranged at one end of the conductive plate 3300 and an other-end abutment portion 4002 arranged at the other end of the conductive plate 3300. When one movable contact 32 and one fixed contact 30 are closed, the one-end abutment portion 4001 abuts against the back surface F2 of one end of the conductive plate 3300, and the other-end abutment portion 4002 is separated from the back surface F2 of the other end of the conductive plate 3300. When the other movable contact 32 and the other fixed contact 30 are closed, the one Because the end-side contact portion 4001 is configured to be separated from the back surface F2 of one end of the conductive plate 3300 and the other-end contact portion 4002 is configured to be in contact with the back surface F2 of the other end of the conductive plate 3300, when switching from the first state to the second state, the passive member 40 can be rotated until only the other-end contact portion 4002 is in contact with the conductive plate 3300. When switching from the second state to the first state, the passive member 40 can be rotated until only the one-end contact portion 4001 is in contact with the conductive plate 3300. As a result, in the contact device 1 of this embodiment, the biasing force of the conductive plate by the biasing means is not dispersed but is converted into a force pressing one movable contact 32 against one fixed contact 30 via the one-end contact portion 4001 and a force pressing the other movable contact 32 against the other fixed contact 30 via the other-end contact portion 4002, thereby improving the contact force.

Furthermore, in the contact device 1 of this embodiment, when the conductive plate 3300 is placed on the mounting surface 4000, the plate length engaging portion 600 and the receiving length engaging portion 601 engage to position the conductive plate 3300 in the longitudinal direction relative to the passive member 40, and the plate width engaging portion 610 and the receiving width engaging portion 611 engage to position the conductive plate 3300 in the width direction relative to the passive member 40, thereby stabilizing the position of the conductive plate 3300 on the mounting surface 4000.

The contact device of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can of course be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

In the above embodiment, the contact device 1 is described as a contact device for a changeover switch S (constituting a switching unit S10 for the changeover switch S) as an example, but is not limited to this configuration. For example, the contact device 1 may be used alone, or may be incorporated into a type of device other than the changeover switch S.

In the above embodiment, the contact device 1 is described as a single-pole, double-throw switch, but this configuration is not limiting. For example, the contact device may be a single-pole, single-throw switch. When the contact device 1 is a single-pole, single-throw switch, the opening/closing circuit unit 3 only needs to be configured to include one fixed contact 30, one fixed-side external terminal unit 31, one movable contact 32, and one movable-side external terminal unit 33.

In this way, the contact device may open and close one current path, or it may open and close two current paths alternately (i.e., switch the current paths).

In the above embodiment, the entire fixed-side terminal body 310 is made of plate material, but this configuration is not limited to this. For example, the fixed-side terminal body 310 may have the contact-side end 3100 and outer end 3101 made of plate material, and the contact-side end 3100 and outer end 3101 may be connected by a lead wire.

In the above embodiment, the outer fixing structure 311 of the fixed-side external terminal portion 31 is configured to screw the distribution material to the outer end portion 3101, but this configuration is not limited to this. For example, the outer fixing structure 311 may be a clamp type or a plug-in type, as long as it can fix the distribution material in a state of contact (conductivity) with the outer end portion 3101. The same applies to the outer fixing structure 330 of the movable-side external terminal portion 33.

In the above embodiment, the outer fixing structure 330 of the movable-side external terminal portion 33 was located at a position away from the exterior part 2, but this configuration is not limited to this. For example, the outer fixing structure 330 of the movable-side external terminal portion 33 may be located on the exterior part 2, similar to the outer fixing structure 311 of the fixed-side external terminal portion 31. In this case, the connecting wire 3302 may be composed of only the inner connecting wire 3302a.

In the above embodiment, the conductive plate 3300 is configured so that both longitudinal ends extend outward from the mounting surface 4000, but this configuration is not limited to this. For example, the conductive plate 3300 may be configured so that only one of both longitudinal ends extends outward from the mounting surface 4000.

Furthermore, when only one of the longitudinal ends of the conductive plate 3300 is configured to extend outward from the mounting surface 4000, it is sufficient that at least one of the one-end abutment portion 4001 and the other-end abutment portion 4002 is configured to abut against the back surface F2 of the conductive plate 3300. When only the other end of the conductive plate 3300 is configured to extend outward from the mounting surface 4000, it is sufficient that at least one of the one-end abutment portion 4001 and the other-end abutment portion 4002 is configured to abut against the back surface F2 of the conductive plate 3300.

In the above embodiment, the holding structure 401 has the shaft portion 4010 provided on the support portion 400 and the bearing portion 4011 provided inside the exterior portion 2, but this configuration is not limited to this. For example, the holding structure 401 may have the shaft portion 4010 provided inside the exterior portion 2 and the bearing portion 4011 provided on the support portion 400.

In other words, the holding structure 401 includes a shaft portion 4010 and a bearing portion 4011 that rotatably holds the shaft portion 4010, and one of the shaft portion 4010 or the bearing portion 4011 is provided on the support portion 400, while the other of the shaft portion 4010 or the bearing portion 4011 is provided inside the exterior portion 2.

In the above embodiment, the conductive plate 3300 is positioned relative to the passive member 40 in the longitudinal and width directions using two positioning structures 60, 61, but this configuration is not limited to this. For example, the conductive plate 3300 may be positioned relative to the passive member 40 in the longitudinal and width directions using a single positioning structure.

In the above embodiment, the arm portion 501 and the rotational engagement portion 510 are configured to be relatively rotatable while engaged with each other, and a recess is formed in the rotational engagement portion 510. However, this configuration is not limited to this. As long as the arm portion 501 and the rotational engagement portion 510 are configured to be able to rotate relatively while maintaining their engaged state, for example, a recess may be formed in the arm portion 501, the auxiliary biasing portion 521 may be disposed within the recess of the arm portion 501, and the rotational engagement portion 510 may be engaged within the recess of the arm portion 501.

1...contact device, 2...exterior portion, 3...opening/closing circuit portion, 4...opening/closing mechanism portion, 5...operation operation portion, 6...positioning structure, 20...exterior forming portion, 30...fixed contact, 31...fixed side external terminal portion, 32...movable contact, 33...movable side external terminal portion, 40...passive member, 40...fixed contact, 41...urging means, 50...driven rotation portion, 51...interlocking portion, 52...auxiliary urging portion, 60...first positioning structure, 61...second positioning structure, 200...side wall portion, 310...fixed side terminal main body portion, 311...outer fixed structure, 330...movable side terminal main body portion, 331...outer fixed structure, 400...support portion, 401...holding structure, 410...accommodation portion, 500...rotational operation portion, 501...arm portion, 510...rotational engagement portion, 520...auxiliary accommodation portion, 521...auxiliary urging portion, 600... Plate length engaging portion, 601... Receiving length engaging portion, 610... Plate width engaging portion, 611... Receiving width engaging portion, 3100... Contact side end portion, 3101... Outer end portion, 3111... Receiving portion, 3300... Conductive plate, 3301... Outer end portion, 3302... Connection line, 3302a... Inner connection line, 3302b... Outer connection line, 4000... Placement surface, 4001... One end side abutment portion, 4002... Other end contact portion, 4010...shaft portion, 4011...bearing portion, D1...distance, D2...distance, F1...surface, F2...back surface, L...operating lever, P1...fulcrum, P2...force point, P3...point of action, S...switching switch, S1...switching main body, S10...switching unit, S100...first side terminal portion, S101...second side terminal portion, S102...load side terminal portion, S2...switching control portion

Claims (5)

a conductive plate having a long plate shape and conductivity;
a movable contact attached to one end of the conductive plate in a longitudinal direction while being exposed on the surface side of the conductive plate, the movable contact being movable toward and away from a fixed contact fixed in a fixed position;
a passive member having a support portion that supports the conductive plate from a back surface, the support portion being configured to move in a manner that pushes and operates the conductive plate so that the movable contact approaches the fixed contact;
and a biasing means for biasing a portion of the conductive plate, in the longitudinal direction, of the other end side of the conductive plate relative to the support portion, from the surface side,
a distance between a position where the conductive plate is biased by the biasing means and a position where the conductive plate is supported by the support portion is equal to or greater than a distance between a position where the conductive plate is supported by the support portion and the movable contact.
Contact device. the support portion is configured to support the conductive plate at a position on one end side of the biasing means and a position on the other end side of the biasing means in the longitudinal direction.
The contact device according to claim 1 . The support portion is
a one-end contact portion disposed at a position on the one end side of the conductive plate;
an other-end contact portion disposed at a position on the other end side of the conductive plate,
With the movable contact pressed against the fixed contact, the one end contact portion contacts the conductive plate, and the other end contact portion moves away from the conductive plate.
The contact device according to claim 2 . The conductive plate has a plate length engaging portion,
the passive member has a receiving length engaging portion that engages with the plate length engaging portion,
The plate length engaging portion and the receiving length engaging portion engage with each other, thereby positioning the conductive plate relative to the passive member in the longitudinal direction.
The contact device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The conductive plate has a plate width engagement portion,
the passive member has a receiving width engaging portion that engages with the plate width engaging portion,
The plate width engaging portion and the receiving width engaging portion engage with each other, thereby positioning the conductive plate in the width direction relative to the passive member.
The contact device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.