Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electrical power distribution systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-26
2002-04-02
Picard, Leo P. (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electrical power distribution systems and devices
C361S626000, C361S646000, C337S194000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06366449
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power supply shut-off apparatus for electrically interrupting the connection between a power supply and a load, and more particularly, to a small and space-saving power supply shut-off apparatus in which a fitting-detection ability is enhanced, the number of parts is small and cost-reduction can be realized.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, in the case of an electric car, since a capacity of a power supply which is a battery is great as compared with that of a gasoline engine car, for maintenance of its electrical system, a power supply shut-off apparatus is provided for ensuring safety of operation.
As such a power supply shut-off apparatus, one as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No.H9-265874 is known for example. As shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
, this power supply shut-off apparatus comprises a shut-off apparatus body
501
, and a service plug
502
which is detachable and attachable with respect to the shut-off apparatus body
501
.
As shown in
FIG. 1
, the shut-off apparatus body
501
includes a lower casing
503
and an upper casing
504
mounted on an upper end of the lower casing
503
. Accommodated in the lower casing
503
are a pair of stationary electrodes
505
,
506
, a fuse
507
, a terminal hardware
509
of a power supply-side wire
508
connected to the one stationary electrode
505
, a terminal hardware
512
of a load-side wire
511
connected to one terminal
510
of the fuse
507
, and a bus bar
514
for connecting the other terminal
513
of the fuse
507
and the other stationary electrode
506
.
As shown in
FIG. 1
, the stationary electrodes
505
and
506
are threadedly engaged with and vertically rising from female screw members
515
,
515
formed by insert molding such as to be embedded in the lower casing
503
at a predetermined distance from each other. The upper casing
503
is formed with circular holes
516
,
516
at locations corresponding to the stationary electrodes
505
,
506
, and the stationary electrodes
505
,
506
faces the circular holes
516
,
516
.
As shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
, the service plug
502
comprises a movable electrode
518
having a pair of louver terminals
517
,
517
mounted to the pair of stationary electrodes
505
,
506
through the circular holes
516
,
516
, a handle mounting body
519
for mounting the movable electrode
518
, a handle
521
supported such that the handle
521
can turn around a turning-movement supporting shaft
520
with respect to the handle mounting body
519
, a spring member
522
provided between the handle
521
and the handle mounting body
519
for holding the handle
521
using toggle effect between a state where the handle
521
rises vertically and a state where the handle
521
lies horizontally, and magnets
524
,
524
provided in the handle
521
and opposed to lead switch
523
provided on the upper casing
504
when the handle
521
is tilted down horizontally.
In the power supply shut-off apparatus constituted in the above manner, as shown in
FIG. 1
, if the pair of louver terminals
517
,
517
are inserted into the circular holes
516
,
516
formed in the upper casing
504
and are fitted to the stationary electrodes
505
,
506
in a state where the handle
521
vertically stands up, the terminal hardware
509
of the power supply-side wire
508
and the terminal hardware
512
of the load-side wire
511
are electrically connected while the fuse
507
is arranged in series.
Then, the handle
521
is horizontally tilted down as shown in FIG.
2
. With this, the magnets
524
provided in he handle
512
are disposed such as to be opposed to the lead switch
523
, the conductive state between the terminal hardware
509
of the power supply-side wire
508
and the terminal hardware
512
of the load-side wire
511
is detected, and the detection result is transmitted to a computer.
According to the power supply shut-off apparatus constituted in this manner, by forming the service plug
502
such that it can be attached to and detached from the shut-off apparatus body
501
, the terminal hardware
509
of the power supply-side wire
508
and the terminal hardware
512
of the load-side wire
511
can easily be electrically connected or disconnected. Therefore, the operation safety at the time of maintenance of the electrical system in an electric car for example can be ensured.
However, in the power supply shut-off apparatus of the above structure, the number of parts constituting the shut-off apparatus body
501
and a service plug
502
is great, the apparatus itself is increased in size, and an installation space must be ensured sufficiently. Especially, the structure of the service plug
502
is complicated, and this is disadvantageous in terms of the cost.
Further, in the above power supply shut-off apparatus, when the service plug
502
is mounted to the shut-off apparatus body
501
, since it is necessary to insert and fit the louver terminals
517
,
517
into the circular holes
516
,
516
formed in the upper casing
504
, this mounting operation of the service plug
502
is not easy. Especially when the power supply shut-off apparatus is mounted to a place where an operator can not easily to see, the mounting operation of the service plug
502
to the shut-off apparatus body
501
becomes more difficult.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a small and space-saving power supply shut-off apparatus in which a fitting-detection ability is enhanced, the number of parts is small and cost-reduction.
To achieve the above object, a power supply shut-off apparatus of the present invention comprises: an apparatus body including, bus bar mounting portions for respectively mounting one bus bar and another bus bar, a fuse mounting portion for mounting a fuse having one fuse terminal connected to a terminal of the one bus bar and having another fuse terminal connected to a one side edge terminal of an intermediate bus bar, a plug mounting portion which accommodates a terminal holding member in which a terminal of the other bus bar and the other side edge terminal of the intermediate bus bar are disposed on the opposite sides with respect to an insulation wall, and which is formed of a partition wall surrounding an outer periphery of the terminal holding member, and a conduction detecting means mounting portion for mounting conduction detecting means which detects a conduction state in which the one bus bar and the other bus bar are in conduction through the fuse and a nonconduction state therebetween; and a service plug including, a plug housing having a terminal member which is detachably mounted to the plug mounting portion and which is mounted astride the terminal holding member to come contact with the terminal of the other bus bar and to come contact with the terminal of the other side edge of the intermediate bus bar, thereby bringing the one bus bar and the other bus bar into conduction, and a service plug comprising a tilting lever which is tiltable between a substantially vertical state and a substantially horizontal state with respect to the plug housing; wherein when the plug housing is mounted to the plug mounting portion and the tilting lever is tilted down substantially horizontally in a state where the tilting lever of the service plug is held in the substantially vertical state, a projection provided on the tilting lever falls a movable lever of the conduction detecting means so as to allow the conduction detecting means to detect the conduction state between the one bus bar and the other bus bar.
In this manner, the terminal holding member in which a terminal of the other bus bar and the other side edge terminal of the intermediate bus bar are disposed on the opposite sides of an insulation wall is provided in the plug mounting portion which mounts the service plug to the apparatus is body, the plug housing having a terminal member which is mounted astride the terminal holding member and which co
Hashizawa Shigemi
Kuboshima Hidehiko
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Picard Leo P.
Vortman Anatoly
Yazaki -Corporation
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