Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Safety and protection of systems and devices – Circuit interruption by thermal sensing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-29
2002-10-01
Leja, Ronald W. (Department: 2836)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Safety and protection of systems and devices
Circuit interruption by thermal sensing
C337S186000, C337S228000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06459558
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power breaking device that is arranged between a power source and an electric load thereby to connect the power source with the electric load through a fuse and also insulate the power source from the electric load by detaching the fuse. Particularly, the invention relates to a power breaking device which is attached on the side of a power source of an electric car and which is suitable for insulating the power from the load electrically.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 1 and 2
show a power breaking device
1
which is used in an electric car or the like and which is capable of insulating a power (battery) from a load (e.g. driving motor etc.) electrically. In the power breaking device
1
, a pair of terminals
3
are disposed at a designated distance in a housing
2
made of insulating material. Connected to the terminals
3
,
3
are respective ends of wires
4
,
4
that extend to the exterior of the housing
2
. The housing
2
is provided, on its upside, with an opening which can be closed by a cover
5
rotatably connected to one side of the housing
2
. A fuse
6
is fixed on the back face of the cover
5
through a band
7
.
On condition that the opening of the housing
2
is covered with the cover
5
, respective terminals
8
,
8
of the fuse
6
are connected to the terminals
3
,
3
in the housing
2
, respectively. In this state, since the terminals
3
,
3
are connected to each other through the fuse
6
, the wires
4
,
4
are electrically connected to each other.
When the cover
5
is opened, the terminals
8
,
8
of the fuse
6
are detached from the terminals
3
,
3
or electrical disconnection, so that the wires
4
,
4
are insulated from each other, certainly.
In case of using the so-constructed power breaking device in the electric car, when carrying out the maintenance work (inspection of circuits, change of fuses, etc.), it is possible to certainly insulate the power source from the load by only opening the cover
5
, whereby the safety in operation can be ensured.
In the above-constructed power breaking device, however, it is impossible to properly connect the terminals
8
,
8
of the fuse
6
to the terminals
3
,
3
in the housing
2
due to the structure where the fuse
6
is fixed on the back side of the cover
5
rotatably attached to the housing
2
. Therefore, when fixing the fuse
6
on the back side of the cover
5
, it is necessary to position the fuse
6
precisely, raising a problem that enormous care and labor is required for exchanging the fuse
6
.
In order to solve the problem, the applicant has proposed a power breaking device
16
shown in
FIG. 3
(Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-83753). In the device
16
, a lever assembly
10
is provided with male terminals
11
,
11
to which terminals
13
,
13
of a fuse
12
are fixed by means of screws. While, a box part
14
is provided with
15
female terminals
15
,
15
. The connection between the male terminals
11
,
11
and the female terminals
15
,
15
is carried out while adjusting the lever assembly
10
to the box part
14
.
In the power breaking device
16
, the positioning of the lever assembly
10
against the box part
14
allows the male terminals
11
to be connected to the female terminals
15
,
15
appropriately. Additionally, since the exchange of the fuse
12
is attained by only fixing the terminals
13
,
13
of the fuse
12
to the male terminals
11
,
11
by screws, there is no need of enormous care and labor in the exchange operation.
However, the above-mentioned power breaking device
16
also requires a structure for fitting the lever assembly
10
to a designated position on the box part
14
, a structure for fixing the female terminals
15
,
15
to designated positions in the box part
14
and a structure for fixing the terminals
13
,
13
of the fuse
12
to the lever assembly
10
. Therefore, the whole structure of the device
16
is complicated with an increased number of components.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Under such a circumstance, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a power breaking device which facilitates the exchanging operation of the fuse and which can be constructed by a reduced number of components owing to the device's simple structure.
The object of the present invention described above can be accomplished by a power breaking device arranged between a power source and an electric load for connecting the power source with the electric load through a fuse and disconnecting the power source from the electric load by detachment of the fuse, the power breaking device comprising:
a stationary box provided, therein, with a power connection part connected to the power source and a load connection part connected to the electric load;
a fuse carrying box which is constructed so as to accommodate and retain the fuse therein, the fuse carrying box being detachably attached to the stationary box and also insulating the power source from the electric load when the fuse carrying box is detached from the stationary box; and
a guide and restricting mechanism for respectively guiding both terminals of the fuse into the power connection part and the load connection part while restricting the terminals movements on condition that the fuse carrying box is fitted to the stationary box.
Owing to the provision of the guide and restricting mechanism, it is possible to position the fuse with ease.
In the above-mentioned power breaking device, preferably, the stationary box comprises:
a fixed housing;
a load-side bus bar which is provided, on one end thereof, with a load-side terminal connected with the electric load and which is also provided, on the other end, with a first elastic connecting part for connection with one terminal of the fuse, the first elastic connecting part being retained in the fixed housing; and
a power-side bus bar which is provided, on one end thereof, with a power-side terminal connected with the power source and which is also provided, on the other end, with a second elastic connecting part for connection with the other terminal of the fuse, the second elastic connecting part being retained in the fixed housing.
According to the present invention, since the terminals of the fuse are directly connected to the first and second elastic connecting parts of the load-side bus bar and the power-side bus bar, it is possible to reduce the number of components.
In the power breaking device, more preferably, the fuse carrying box comprises:
a box body detachably mounted to the stationary box; and
a fuse fixing part arranged in the box body to accommodate the fuse therein.
In the power breaking device, more preferably, the guide and restricting mechanism is constructed so as to guide the connection of the respective terminals of the fuse with the first and second elastic connecting parts and also constructed so as to restrict the movements of the respective terminals of the fuse on condition that the terminals of the fuse are connected with the first and second elastic connecting parts, respectively.
In the power breaking device, more preferably, the guide and restricting mechanism comprises:
a partition wall formed integrally with the fixed housing to define an accommodating part for accommodating the fuse therein; and
a pair of slits formed in the partition wall;
whereby the respective terminals of the fuse are connected with the first and second elastic connecting parts since the respective terminals pass through the pair of slits.
In this case, when the fuse carrying box is fitted to the stationary box, the terminals of the fuse are introduced to the first and second elastic connecting parts through the slits. On condition that the terminals of the fuse are connected to the first and second elastic connecting parts, the movements of the terminals are restricted by respective inner walls of the slits.
In the power breaking device, more preferably, the fixed housing is provided with at least one guide ri
Hashizawa Shigemi
Karamatsu Masayuki
Kuboshima Hidehiko
Uesugi Hitoshi
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Leja Ronald W.
Yazaki -Corporation
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