Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Control circuits for electromagnetic devices – For relays or solenoids
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-09
2003-12-30
Jackson, Stephen W. (Department: 2836)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Control circuits for electromagnetic devices
For relays or solenoids
C361S160000, C361S058000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06671159
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electric power source breaker which isolates a power supply circuit by means of sublimation of a gaseous actuating reagent, and relates in particular to a compact power source breaker which can forcedly and surely isolate a power supply circuit in case of something unusual such as short circuiting of a wire harness, collision of road vehicles.
FIG. 1
is a systematic diagram showing an example for electronic automobile parts to which a conventional power source breaker is applied. As shown in the figure, the electronic automotive part
100
includes a power supply circuit assembled by connecting a battery
101
of an automobile to each load
102
-
104
disposed at each location of the automobile using a wire harness
106
with electric wires
105
, and a power source breaker
107
intervened in the power supply circuit.
When a circuit-cut signal generated at a power source controller
108
is input in case of something unusual such as short circuiting of a wire harness
106
, collision of road vehicles, the power source breaker
107
can stop supplying power from the battery
101
to each load
102
-
104
etc. through releasing a lock in a manner as described hereinafter according to FIG.
2
.
FIG. 2
is a configuration of a solenoid-type power source breaker
107
A showing an example of the power source breaker
107
in
FIG. 1
, and
FIG. 2A
is a top view and
FIG. 2B
is a side view. The solenoid-type power source breaker
107
A includes a shaft
111
, disposed on a base body
110
as shown in
FIG. 2A
, which is constrained with a lock
113
pressing down the shaft
111
to maintain a terminal
112
a
and a terminal
112
b
electrically continued in a connected state, before the circuit-cut signal is input to the solenoid-type power source breaker
107
A at the initial state.
At this initial state, electric current in the power supply circuit flows through the rout of the terminal
112
a
the shaft
111
the terminal
112
b
, and the terminal
112
a
and the terminal
112
b
can supply a large current because of their having the multicontact spring structures.
When the circuit-cut signal is input, by supplying current to a solenoid
115
for drawing a plunger
116
in order to release the lock
113
in a linked state with the shaft
111
, pushing forward the shaft
111
by means of pushing force provided by a release spring
114
to make the terminal
112
a
isolated from the terminal
112
b
, finally making the terminal
112
a
electrically open off from the terminal
112
b
to stop supplying power from the battery
101
to each load
102
-
104
etc.
However, in the conventional structure shown in
FIG. 2
, once an impulse is applied to the shaft
111
in the axial direction shown as an arrow A in the figure, the plunger
116
of the solenoid
115
is liable to malfunction to draw a lever
118
, and the malfunction may result in a problem of releasing the lock
113
out of a linked state with the shaft
111
. There has been also a problem that a need of miniaturization cannot have been coped with due to the use of the solenoid
115
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention, in consideration of the situation described above, aims to provide a power source breaker which can forcedly and surely isolate a power supply circuit in case of abnormalities such as short circuiting of a wire harness, collision of road vehicles, and also has a structure suitable for miniaturizing itself.
In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention at the initial position where a pair of terminals intervened in a power supply circuit is set in a connected state, and a shaft
16
forcedly provided by a release spring
17
with pushing force for sliding movement of itself is linked with a lock
18
forcedly provided by a reset spring
19
with pushing force for constraining sliding movement of the shaft, and a pushing force of a linear actuator
25
is converted into a force in the direction for liberating the linkage with the lock against the reset spring by means of a lock operation plate
20
as a lock liberating means.
According to the present invention, only when the pushing force of the linear actuator
25
goes beyond the pushing force of the reset spring
19
, the lock liberating means is actuated, and it can be avoided that the lock may be liberated resulting in the sliding movement of the shaft.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a linear motor has an actuating reagent and an internal gas pressure is changed by vaporization or sublimation of the actuating reagent when the linear motor operates. Because of no adoption of any solenoid, the power source breaker can further be miniaturized, and that will be preferable in order to cut down manufacturing cost.
Further, according to the present invention, since the shaft can be reset immediately after an operation of the shaft, it is easy to make the power supply circuit reset again at an electrically closed state.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5535842 (1996-07-01), Richter et al.
patent: 6462293 (2002-10-01), Nakamura et al.
patent: 11-204015 (1999-07-01), None
Nakamura Goro
Sato Takahiro
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Jackson Stephen W.
Yazaki -Corporation
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