Electrical connectors – With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in... – Retaining means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-26
2001-03-06
Donovan, Lincoln (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...
Retaining means
C335S132000, C337S194000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06196858
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a circuit breaking device and, in particular, to a circuit breaking device which, when checking and maintaining an electric car, a hybrid car or a similar car which includes a high-voltage circuit used to drive a motor, can cut off the circuit current of the high-voltage circuit temporarily.
2. Related Art
In recent years, when checking and maintaining a car such as an electric car, a hybrid car or a similar car which is in the spotlight as a low-pollution car and includes a high-voltage circuit used to drive a motor, in order to prevent an operator from getting an electric shock, it is necessary to cut off the circuit current of the high-voltage circuit temporarily.
In view of this, in a conventional electric car or the like, as a circuit breaking device for cutting off the circuit current of a high-voltage circuit temporarily, there is proposed a circuit breaking device which comprises a plug box including a circuit terminal connected to the open end of an electric circuit, and a plug main body including a short-circuit terminal and structured such that it can bring the short-circuit terminal into fit with the circuit terminal of the plug box to thereby close the electric circuit.
According to the above-mentioned conventional circuit breaking device, when checking and maintaining the electric car or the like, an operator pulls the plug main body out of the plug box completely and removes the short-circuit terminal of the plug main body from the circuit terminal of the plug box, there by being able to open the electric circuit and thus cut off the circuit current of the electric circuit.
However, in the above-mentioned conventional circuit breaking device, in a state where the plug main body is pulled out of the plug box completely in the car check and maintenance, on the plug box, there is exposed a terminal insertion hole through which the short-circuit terminal of the plug main body can be inserted. Therefore, there is a fear that the fingertips of the operator or a conductive part (a wire or the like) can be inserted into the terminal insertion hole by mistake to thereby come into contact with the circuit terminal provided within the plug box. In order to prevent the operator's fingertips or conductive part from coming into direct contact with the circuit terminal, it is necessary to work the plug box specially, with the result that the structure of the plug box is complicated.
Also, since the plug main body pulled out of the plug box is separated completely from the plug box, there is a fear that the plug main body can be lost by accident.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention aims at eliminating the above-mentioned drawbacks found in the conventional circuit breaking device. Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved circuit breaking device which not only is capable of opening and closing an electric circuit quickly and easily but also is high in safety and can eliminate a fear that a plug main body can be lost.
In attaining the above object, according to the invention, there is provided a circuit breaking device, comprising:
a plug box including a circuit terminal connected to the open end of an electric circuit; and, a plug main body including a short-circuit terminal and disposed in such a manner that it can be shifted by a given amount with respect to the plug box, the plug main body being able not only to bring the short-circuit terminal into fit with the circuit terminal of the plug box to thereby close the electric circuit but also to remove the short-circuit terminal from the circuit terminal to thereby open the electric circuit and thus cut off the circuit current of the electric circuit,
wherein the plug main body is allowed to shift with respect to the plug box between an actually securing position where the short-circuit terminal can be fitted with the circuit terminal and a temporarily securing position where the short-circuit terminal can be removed from the circuit terminal.
According to the above-mentioned structure, when checking and maintaining an electric car or the like, an operator, by shifting the plug main body from the actually securing position to the temporarily securing position, can remove the short-circuit terminal from the circuit terminal of the plug box to thereby open the electric circuit and thus cut off the circuit current of the electric circuit.
Therefore, even when the electric circuit is cut off, the plug main body is prevented from being separated completely from the plug box and thus the plug main body at the temporarily securing position is able to cover the upper portion of the circuit terminal.
By the way, preferably, in the plug main body, there may be formed protective peripheral side walls which cooperate with the plug main body at the temporarily securing position to be able to cover the circuit terminal.
According to the present structure, the protective peripheral side walls are able to cover the obliquely upper portion of the circuit terminal that cannot be covered completely only the plug main body.
Also, preferably, the plug main body may be prevented at the temporarily securing position from shifting in a direction to part away from the plug box by plug main body removal preventive means which is disposed in the plug box.
According to the present structure, even if an operator tries to shift the plug main body at the temporarily securing position further in the direction to part away from the plug box with a greater operation force than necessary, the plug main body, which is blocked by the plug main body removal preventive means, is prevented from shifting any further; that is, there is eliminated the possibility that the plug main body can be removed from the plug box in error.
Further, preferably, the plug main body may be held at the temporarily securing position because a temporarily securing projection provided on the flexible locking arm is engaged with the portion to be secured formed in the plug box, and, to shift the plug main body from the temporarily securing position to the actually securing position, while flexing the locking arm to thereby remove the engagement between the temporarily securing projection and the portion to be secured, the plug main body may be shifted.
According to the present structure, to shift the plug main body from the temporarily securing position to the actually securing position, there are necessary two operations: in particular, one operation to flex the locking arm to thereby remove the engagement between the temporarily securing projection and the portion to be secured; and, the other operation to shift the plug main body, which is held at the temporarily securing position, to the actually securing position.
Therefore, according to the present plug main body, the fitting operation to fit the short-circuit terminal with the circuit terminal is carried out in two stages or by two actions, which eliminates the possibility that, even if the plug main body, which is held in the temporarily secured state, is energized unexpectedly by an external force in the actually securing position direction, the short-circuit terminal can be fitted with the circuit terminal in error.
More preferably, between the temporarily securing projection and the portion to be secured, there may be formed a tapered surface which, when shifting the plug main body from the temporarily securing position to the actually securing position, can flex the locking arm in an engagement removing direction to thereby remove the engagement of the temporarily securing projection with respect to the portion to be secured.
According to the present structure, to shift the plug main body from the actually securing position to the temporarily securing position, there is necessary only the operation to shift the plug main body, which is held at the actually securing position, in the temporarily securing position direction, while there is eliminated the need for the operation to flex the locking arm.
Acc
Deno Masahiro
Matsumoto Mitsuhiro
Donovan Lincoln
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
Webb Brian S.
Yazaki -Corporation
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