Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electrical power distribution systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-25
2001-12-25
Thompson, Gregory (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electrical power distribution systems and devices
C337S198000, C361S833000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06333846
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power supply shut-off apparatus disposed between a power supply and a load for connecting the power supply and the load through a fuse and for cutting the connection between the power supply and the fuse or the connection between the load and the fuse, and more particularly, to a power supply shut-off apparatus suitable to be mounted on the side of the power supply of an electric car for electrically cutting the connection between the power supply and the load.
2. Description of the Related Art
A knife type power source shut-off apparatus is mounted on a base such that an operation lever of the apparatus can turn around a fulcrum. A receiving terminal connected to the power supply is fixed to one side in the turning direction of the operation lever, and operation terminal is fixed to the operation lever. The operation terminal is connected to a load. The receiving terminal comprises a pair of resilient pieces, and the operation terminal is resiliently sandwiched between the pair of resilient pieces by inserting a plate-like operation terminal between the resilient pieces.
If the operation lever is turned from the right side position into a counterclockwise direction around the fulcrum, the operation terminal is inserted between the resilient pieces of the receiving terminal and resiliently sandwiched therebetween, thereby establishing electrical conduction. If the operation terminal is pulled out between the pair of resilient pieces by turning the operation lever in the clockwise direction from this state so that the operation terminal is separated from the receiving terminal, the electric conduction between the power supply and the load is shut off.
In the case of the knife type power source shut-off apparatus, the electric conduction between the power supply and the load can easily be shut off by turning the operation lever around the fulcrum.
However, if a position between the pair of resilient pieces of the receiving terminal is deviated from orbit of the turning movement of the operation lever, or if positions of the pair of resilient pieces of the receiving terminal are deviated, the operation terminal is deviated toward one of the resilient pieces when the operation terminal is inserted between the resilient pieces, deflection amount of the one resilient piece is increased, the operation terminal receives resilient force more than necessary from the one resilient piece. Therefore, when the operation terminal is inserted between the resilient pieces, excessive force is required.
Also when the operation lever is turned to pull out the operation terminal from between the resilient pieces from the state where the operation terminal is inserted between the resilient pieces, since one of the resilient pieces has greater resistance, excessive force is required.
Therefore, in the case of the knife switch type power supply shut-off apparatus, if the operation lever is deviated from orbit of the turning movement of the operation lever, there is a problem that inserting force and pulling-out force are increase and operability is deteriorated.
Further, if external forces are applied to the operation lever and the latter is turned, there is an adverse possibility that the receiving terminal and the operation terminal are unintentionally connected to each other, and there is a problem that reliably insulation can not be secured.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a power supply shut-off apparatus capable of sufficiently ensure the insulation state and having excellent operability.
To achieve the above object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, a power supply shut-off apparatus, comprises: a fuse having a pair of terminals, a fuse-accommodating box in which the fuse is accommodated, a power supply-side bus bar for connecting a power supply to either one of the terminals accommodated in the fuse-accommodating box, a load-side bus bar for connecting a load to the other terminal, and a plug which is mounted to a mounting portion of the fuse-accommodating box or separated from the mounting portion, thereby interrupting either one of connections between the one terminal and the power supply-side bus bar and between the other terminal and the load-side bus bar through the fuse, wherein the mounting portion is provided with an insulation wall, the terminal of the power supply-side bus bar or the terminal of the load-side bus bar is located on one surface side of the insulation wall, and a terminal of the fuse is located on the other surface side of the insulation wall, the plug is formed of a plug housing and a terminal member having a U-shaped cross section, the terminal member being assembled into the plug housing and mounted astride the insulation wall for electrically connecting the terminal of the fuse to either one of terminals of the power supply-side bus bar and the load-side bus bar, and the insulation wall is provided with wobble-suppressing means for preventing each of the terminals from moving from a wall surface of the insulation wall and preventing each of the terminals from wobbling.
In this power supply shut-off apparatus, when the power supply and the load is connected, the terminal of the fuse is electrically connected to the terminal of the load-side bus bar or the power supply-side bus bar by mounting the terminal member of the plug astride the insulation wall of the fuse-accommodating box. When the power supply and the load are disconnected, the terminal member is detached from the insulation wall by separating the plug housing from the mounting portion, and the conductive state between the terminal of the fuse and the terminal of the load-side bus bar or the power supply-side bus is released.
In this power supply shut-off apparatus, the terminal of the load-side bus bar or the power supply-side bus and the terminal of the fuse are prevented from moving by the wobble-suppressing means. Therefore, when the terminal member of the plug is mounted astride the insulation wall, the insertion force is not varied. When the terminal member is pulled out from the insulation wall, since the terminals of the bus bars and the terminal of the fuse do not wobble, the terminal member can easily be pulled out from the insulation wall. Therefore, excellent operability can be obtained.
Further, since the terminal of the load-side bus bar or the power supply-side and the terminal of the fuse are located such as to sandwich the insulation wall therebetween, a reliable insulating state can be obtained by this insulation wall. Further, since the terminal member assembled into the plug is mounted to the mounting portion, the terminal of the load-side bus bar or the power supply-side bus bar and the terminal of the fuse are not unintentionally connected, and the insulation state can be secured sufficiently.
According to a second aspect of the invention, the wobble-suppressing means is a groove formed in the insulation wall into which a side end of the terminal is fitted.
In this power supply shut-off apparatus, a side end of the terminal of the load-side bus bar is fitted to the groove formed in the insulation wall, and the side end of the terminal of the fuse is fitted to the groove, each of the terminals does not move with respect to the wall surface of the insulation wall, and the wobbling is prevented.
According to a third aspect of the invention, an insulation flange is formed on an end of the insulation wall on an insertion side of the terminal member.
In this power supply shut-off apparatus, since the insulation flange is provided between the terminal of the fuse and the terminal of the load-side bus bar or the power supply-side bus bar located on opposite sides of the insulation wall, the insulating distance between the terminals on opposite surface of the insulation wall is elongated, and a sufficient insulation state can be obtained.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, an intermediate bus bar is provided between the other term
Hashizawa Shigemi
Karamatsu Masayuki
Kuboshima Hidehiko
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Thompson Gregory
Yazaki -Corporation
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