Shield and circuit breaker with the shield

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a terminal shield and to a circuit breaker with said terminal shield. The terminal shield comprises: a bottom wall (10); a top wall (20); and two or more deflector walls, each deflector wall extending from one of the bottom wall (10) and the top wall (20) toward the other and ending at a distance therefrom, so that a meandering gas-flow channel is formed by the bottom wall (10), the top wall (20) and the deflector walls.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a terminal shield and to a circuit breaker with the terminal shield.BACKGROUND

[0002] A circuit breaker, being a protective switch, may generate an electric arc when it interrupts a short-circuit current. The arc and high-energy charged particles are ejected from the exhaust port of the arc-extinguishing chamber of the breaker, and may cause a short-circuit fault or affect adjacent devices.

[0003] To prevent arc flashover, the conventional solution is to add a long terminal shield and to require a big installation spacing for the shield. A single long terminal shield of the prior art increases the product length in the longitudinal direction by, for example, more than 80 mm. In addition, the long terminal shield is composed of a plurality of parts that have to be assembled together, and punching is required during installation. It can be seen that the conventional solution suffers from complicated structure, large size and troublesome use.

[0004] To solve the above problem, the present disclosure provides a small-size arcblocking terminal shield for a circuit breaker that is structurally simple, space-saving and easy to install.SUMMARY

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned problems and needs, the present disclosure provides a terminal shield and a circuit breaker having the terminal shield.

[0006] The terminal shield provided herein comprises: a bottom wall; a top wall; and two or more deflector walls. Each deflector wall extends from one of the bottom wall and the top wall toward the other one of the bottom wall and the top wall and ends at a distance from the other one, so that a meandering gas-flow channel is formed by the bottom wall, the top wall and the deflector walls.

[0007] According to an optional solution, the deflector walls extending from the bottom wall and the deflector walls extending from the top wall are arranged in an alternating manner.

[0008] According to an optional solution, the deflector walls comprise a first deflector wall and a second deflector wall extending from the bottom wall, and a third deflector wall and a fourth deflector wall extending from the top wall.

[0009] According to an optional solution, the first deflector wall is connected to the third deflector wall via a connecting portion.

[0010] According to an optional solution, the deflector wall of the two or more deflector walls that is closest to an inlet of the gas-flow channel is provided with a plurality of through-holes.

[0011] According to an optional solution, both side edges of the bottom wall are provided with latching protrusions configured for snap-fit engagement with corresponding structures of a circuit-breaker housing.

[0012] According to an optional solution, the top wall is provided with one or more screw through holes.

[0013] According to an optional solution, the terminal shield is a one-piece structure, and the top wall and the bottom wall are elastically deformable relative to each other.

[0014] According to an optional solution, an inlet and an outlet of the gas-flow channel open in different directions.

[0015] The present disclosure further provides a circuit breaker comprising a circuit-breaker housing and the terminal shield described above.

[0016] According to an optional solution, the circuit-breaker housing comprises a latching groove and an abutment surface located at one end of the latching groove, the abutment surface cooperating with the latching protrusions of the terminal shield to position the terminal shield relative to the circuit-breaker housing.

[0017] According to an optional solution, the circuit-breaker housing further comprises a sliding channel communicating with the latching groove, the abutment surface being situated between the sliding channel and the latching groove, and a bottom of the latching groove being lower than a bottom of the sliding channel; wherein to mount the terminal shield to the circuit-breaker housing, the latching protrusions of the terminal shield slides along the sliding channel into the latching groove.

[0018] According to an optional solution, the circuit-breaker housing comprises a mating wall that contacts, or is separated by a narrow gap from, a side surface of the deflector walls of the terminal shield.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] To make the technical solution of the embodiments of the present disclosure clearer, a brief introduction to the drawings of the embodiments is given below. The drawings are merely examples for illustrating some embodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the full scope of the present disclosure. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a terminal shield according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is a schematic view showing gas flow passing through the terminal shield of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top view of the terminal shield of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a front view of the terminal shield of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a partial view of a circuit-breaker housing according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 6 is a view showing the terminal shield installed in the circuit-breaker housing. Fig. 7 is a partial view of the circuit-breaker housing according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 8 is a schematic view illustrating the process of mounting the terminal shield to the circuit-breaker housing. List of Reference Numerals

[0020] 10 bottom wall 11 first deflector wall 111 through-hole 12 second deflector wall 13 latching protrusion 14 connecting portion 20 top wall 21 third deflector wall 22 fourth deflector wall 23 screw through hole 30 circuit-breaker housing 31 sliding channel 32 latching groove 33 abutment surface 34 mating wall 35 fastener 36 outer wall DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] To make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the technical solutions of the present disclosure clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the drawings of the embodiments. The described embodiments are merely part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all of them. Based on the described embodiments of the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by a person of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0022] Compared with the embodiments shown in the drawings, feasible solutions within the protection scope of the present disclosure may have fewer components, have additional components not shown in the drawings, employ different components, be arranged differently, or be connected differently. Moreover, two or more components shown in the drawings may be combined into a single component, or a single component shown in the drawings may be implemented as a plurality of separate components.

[0023] Unless otherwise defined, technical or scientific terms used herein shall have the ordinary meaning understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. The terms "first", "second" and the like used in the specification and claims of the present disclosure do not denote any order, quantity or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Similarly, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" do not necessarily denote quantity limitations. The terms "comprise", "include" and the like mean that an element or item preceding the word encompasses the element or item listed after the word and equivalents thereof, without excluding additional elements or items. The terms "connect", "join" and the like are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. The directional terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right" and the like are merely used to denote relative positional relationships, and when the absolute position of the object being described changes, the relative positional relationships may also change accordingly.

[0024] The present disclosure relates to a terminal shield and to a circuit breaker having the terminal shield.

[0025] The circuit breaker includes a stationary contact and a movable contact that cooperates with the stationary contact. The stationary contact and the movable contact work together to control the opening and closing of the circuit. During separation of the movable contact from the stationary contact, an electric arc tends to form between the stationary contact and the movable contact.

[0026] The circuit breaker may further include an arc-extinguishing chamber. The arc-extinguishing chamber may have a plurality of arc-extinguishing plates spaced from each other at a uniform distance in the height direction of the arc-extinguishing structure. The arc-extinguishing chamber has a front end close to the arc-generation region and a rear end away from the arc-generation region. The arc and hot gas can enter the interior of the arc-extinguishing chamber from the front end and exit from the rear end. The rear end of the arc-extinguishing chamber is an arc-exhaust port. The terminal shield of the present disclosure is, for example, arranged at or behind the arc-exhaust port.

[0027] The specific features of the terminal shield of the present disclosure will first be described below with reference to the exemplary embodiments shown in Figs. 1 to 4. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a terminal shield according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is a schematic view showing gas flow passing through the terminal shield of Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are a top view and a front view, respectively, of the terminal shield of Fig. 1.

[0028] The terminal shield proposed by the present disclosure mainly comprises a bottom wall 10, a top wall 20 and two or more deflector walls.

[0029] The bottom wall 10 is, for example, a substantially flat wall structure and may have a uniform wall thickness.

[0030] The top wall 20 is, for example, arranged parallel to or substantially parallel to the bottom wall 10. The top wall 20 is, for example, a substantially flat wall structure and, for example, has a uniform wall thickness.

[0031] Each of the two or more deflector walls extends from one of the bottom wall 10 and the top wall 20 toward the other one of the bottom wall 10 and the top wall 20 and ends at a distance from the other one. In other words, a deflector wall extending from the bottom wall 10 extends toward the top wall 20 and ends at a distance from the top wall 20, so that gas can flow through the gap between the end of the deflector wall and the top wall 20. Similarly, a deflector wall extending from the top wall 20 extends toward the bottom wall 10 and ends at a distance from the bottom wall 10, so that gas can flow through the gap between the end of the deflector wall and the bottom wall 10. In this way, a meandering gas-flow channel is formed by the bottom wall 10, the top wall 20 and the two or more deflector walls.

[0032] By such an arrangement, the breaking arc will travel a longer distance in a limited space. Thus, the cooling effect is improved, and a better arc-extinguishing effect can be achieved with a very small terminal shield. The terminal shield may not extend beyond the overall dimensions of the circuit-breaker product itself.

[0033] The two or more deflector walls are, for example, parallel to one another. Alternatively, some of the deflector walls may be non-parallel to one another.

[0034] Optionally, the deflector walls extending from the bottom wall 10 and the deflector walls extending from the top wall 20 are arranged in an alternating manner. Fig. 2 illustrates an example of such an alternating / staggered arrangement. This alternating / staggered arrangement may also be referred to as a labyrinth arrangement. Each deflector wall defines a portion of the meandering gas-flow channel, so that a good arc-extinguishing effect is achieved while the size of the terminal shield is reduced.

[0035] In the exemplary embodiment shown in the drawings, the terminal shield comprises four deflector walls: a first deflector wall 11 and a second deflector wall 12 extending from the bottom wall 10, and a third deflector wall 21 and a fourth deflector wall 22 extending from the top wall 20. These deflector walls are arranged in the order of the first deflector wall 11, the third deflector wall 21, the second deflector wall 12 and the fourth deflector wall 22, and are arranged in an alternating manner. In embodiments not shown, the terminal shield may comprise a different number of deflector walls. For example, there may be only one deflector wall extending from the bottom wall 10, or only one deflector wall extending from the top wall 20, or more than two deflector walls extending from the bottom wall 10 or the top wall 20. Moreover, the deflector walls may be arranged in other ways. For example, there may be additional deflector walls that do not extend from the bottom wall 10 and the top wall 20, or the deflector walls extending from the bottom wall 10 and the top wall 20 may not be strictly alternating.

[0036] Optionally, the terminal shield is designed as a one-piece structure. The term "one-piece" used herein is relative to a split structure. Without violent disassembly, the one-piece terminal shield cannot be easily separated into a plurality of parts. The one-piece structure can provide better overall strength and stability, and reduce assembly time and cost.

[0037] With continued reference to Figs. 1 and 2, optionally, the first deflector wall 11 extends from the upper surface of the bottom wall 10 toward the top wall 20, and the second deflector wall 12 forms an L-shaped bent structure with the bottom wall 10. Similarly, the third deflector wall 21 extends from the lower surface of the top wall 20 toward the bottom wall 10, and the fourth deflector wall 22 forms an L-shaped bent structure with the top wall 20. The terminal shield generally comprises two parts: a first part composed of the bottom wall 10, the first deflector wall 11 and the second deflector wall 12, and a second part composed of the top wall 20, the third deflector wall 21 and the fourth deflector wall 22. The first part and the second part are fixed together, so that the entire terminal shield is formed as one piece. Optionally, a connecting portion 14 is arranged between the first deflector wall 11 and the third deflector wall 21, and the first deflector wall 11 is connected to the third deflector wall 21 via the connecting portion 14, so that the first part and the second part of the terminal shield are fixed together. By forming the terminal shield as a one-piece structure, installation and storage are facilitated.

[0038] Optionally, for the one-piece terminal shield, the top wall 20 and the bottom wall 10 are elastically deformable relative to each other. By making the top wall 20 and the bottom wall 10 elastically deformable relative to each other, the steps of assembling and disassembling the terminal shield are simplified. The specific assembly method will be described below.

[0039] Optionally, the inlet and the outlet of the gas-flow channel open in different directions. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, the inlet of the gas-flow channel opens in the horizontal direction, and the outlet opens in the vertical direction. Gas can flow in horizontally from the right and be turned to flow out vertically downward. In the absence of the terminal shield, the arc gas would be ejected directly from the filter screen port of the breaking unit. By using the terminal shield of the present disclosure to change the ejection direction of the gas, the installationspacing in the circuit breaker required by the terminal shield can be reduced, and external components can be protected by changing the ejection direction.

[0040] Optionally, the deflector wall of the two or more deflector walls that is closest to the inlet of the gas-flow channel is provided with a plurality of through-holes. As shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the deflector wall closest to the inlet of the gas-flow channel is the first deflector wall 11, and the first deflector wall 11 is provided with a plurality of through-holes 111. These through-holes 111 may be arranged in an array. When the circuit breaker interrupts an arc, the arc will generate high-temperature and high-pressure gas, and a relatively high pressure may be generated in front of the first deflector wall. The through-holes 111 can form a plurality of pressure-release passages to help release the pressure generated by the arc and reduce pressure buildup in the region of highest pressure.

[0041] Optionally, both side edges of the bottom wall 10 are provided with latching protrusions 13 configured for snap-fit engagement with corresponding structures of a circuit-breaker housing 30. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the latching protrusion 13 is a substantially rectangular-parallelepiped structure projecting outward from each side edge of the bottom wall 10. The specific structure or shape of the latching protrusions 13 may be varied in many alternative designs. For example, the latching protrusions 13 may be cylindrical, conical, hook-shaped, cubic, rectangular or irregular, as long as they can be matched with corresponding structures on the housing. By the design of the latching protrusions 13, the installation process of the terminal shield is simplified and the installation reliability is improved: the latching protrusions 13 and the corresponding structures on the circuit-breaker housing 30 allow a quick installation and removal of the terminal shield, without additional fasteners, and the connection process between the terminal shield and the circuit-breaker housing 30 is simplified. Also, the latching protrusions 13 provide a mechanical locking mechanism to ensure that the position of the terminal shield in the circuit-breaker housing 30 is fixed, and displacement due to vibration or impact is prevented.

[0042] As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, for example, the top wall 20 is provided with one or more screw through holes 23. After the terminal shield is positioned in the appropriate position of the circuit-breaker housing 30, screws can be passed through the screw through holes 23 of the circuit-breaker housing 30 and the terminal shield to further enhance the fixing of the two.

[0043] The structure of the circuit-breaker housing 30 for receiving the above-described terminal shield will be described below with reference to Figs. 5 to 7. Figs. 5 and 7 are partial views of the circuit-breaker housing 30, and Fig. 6 is a view showing the terminal shield installed in the circuit-breaker housing 30.

[0044] As shown in Fig. 7, the circuit-breaker housing 30 comprises a latching groove 32 configured to cooperate with the latching protrusions 13 of the terminal shield. The latching groove 32 may be a through-slot or a recess provided in a wall of the circuit-breaker housing 30. An abutment surface 33 is provided at one end of the latching groove 32. The abutment surface 33 cooperates with the latching protrusions 13 of the terminal shield to position the terminal shield relative to the circuit-breaker housing 30. In other words, after the terminal shield is installed, the abutment surface 33 can block the latching protrusions 13 of the terminal shield to prevent the terminal shield from coming off the circuit-breaker housing 30.

[0045] Optionally, as shown in Fig. 7, a sliding channel 31 communicating with the latching groove 32 is further provided. The abutment surface 33 is situated between the sliding channel 31 and the latching groove 32, and the bottom of the latching groove 32 is lower than the bottom of the sliding channel 31. In the process of mounting the terminal shield to the circuit-breaker housing 30, the latching protrusions 13 of the terminal shield can slide along the sliding channel 31 into the latching groove 32.

[0046] In addition, as shown in Fig. 7, the circuit-breaker housing 30 may have a receiving slot for receiving the top wall 20. The receiving slot may be formed by two plates, or may be a recess formed in the body of the circuit-breaker housing 30. By sliding the terminal shield, the top wall 20 can enter the receiving slot.

[0047] Optionally, as shown in Fig. 6, the circuit-breaker housing 30 comprises a mating wall 34. The mating wall 34 contacts, or is separated by a narrow gap from, a side surface of the deflector walls of the terminal shield, so that a large space is avoided between the circuit-breaker housing 30 and the side surface of the deflector walls, and gas overflow is prevented. Optionally, the mating wall 34 is an additional wall structure different from the outer wall 36 of the circuit-breaker housing 30, is located inside the outer wall 36, and may be arranged substantially parallel to the outer wall 36.

[0048] Fig. 8 illustrates the process of installing the terminal shield into the circuit-breaker housing 30. The installation process comprises the following steps. After the terminal shield is placed near the circuit-breaker housing 30, applying two forces F 1 and F 2 to the top wall 20 and the bottom wall 10 of the terminal shield, so that the terminal shield is elastically deformed. The dashed lines in Fig. 8 indicate the elastically deformed bottom wall 10 and the position of the latching protrusions 13 on the bottom wall 10. When the degree of elastic deformation allows the top wall 20 to enter the receiving slot and the latching protrusions 13 to enter the sliding channel 31, a horizontal force F X is applied to push the terminal shield into the circuit-breaker housing 30. After the terminal shield moves a certain distance, the latching protrusions 13 enter the latching groove 32 and restore their original shape downward in the latching groove 32, so that snap-fit engagement with the housing is completed. Thereafter, optionally, the terminal shield is further secured by a fastener 35. For example, a self-tapping screw is passed through a portion of the circuit-breaker housing 30 and the screw through hole of the terminal shield to lock the terminal shield and prevent the terminal shield from loosening.

[0049] In the above description, the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail with reference to the specific embodiments. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that, without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure, various variations and modifications can be made to the specific embodiments described above, and various technical features and structures disclosed in the present disclosure can be combined in different ways without departing from the protection scope of the present disclosure, which is defined by the appended claims..

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0021]To make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the technical solutions of the present disclosure clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the drawings of the embodiments. The described embodiments are merely part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all of them. Based on the described embodiments of the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by a person of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0022]Compared with the embodiments shown in the drawings, feasible solutions within the protection scope of the present disclosure may have fewer components, have additional components not shown in the drawings, employ different components, be arranged differently, or be connected differently. Moreover, two or more components shown in the drawings may be combined into a s...

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a terminal shield and to a circuit breaker with the terminal shield.BACKGROUND

[0002] A circuit breaker, being a protective switch, may generate an electric arc when it interrupts a short-circuit current. The arc and high-energy charged particles are ejected from the exhaust port of the arc-extinguishing chamber of the breaker, and may cause a short-circuit fault or affect adjacent devices.

[0003] To prevent arc flashover, the conventional solution is to add a long terminal shield and to require a big installation spacing for the shield. A single long terminal shield of the prior art increases the product length in the longitudinal direction by, for example, more than 80 mm. In addition, the long terminal shield is composed of a plurality of parts that have to be assembled together, and punching is required during installation. It can be seen that the conventional solution suffers from complicated structure, large size and troublesome use.

[0004] To solve the above problem, the present disclosure provides a small-size arcblocking terminal shield for a circuit breaker that is structurally simple, space-saving and easy to install.SUMMARY

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned problems and needs, the present disclosure provides a terminal shield and a circuit breaker having the terminal shield.

[0006] The terminal shield provided herein comprises: a bottom wall; a top wall; and two or more deflector walls. Each deflector wall extends from one of the bottom wall and the top wall toward the other one of the bottom wall and the top wall and ends at a distance from the other one, so that a meandering gas-flow channel is formed by the bottom wall, the top wall and the deflector walls.

[0007] According to an optional solution, the deflector walls extending from the bottom wall and the deflector walls extending from the top wall are arranged in an alternating manner.

[0008] According to an optional solution, the deflector walls comprise a first deflector wall and a second deflector wall extending from the bottom wall, and a third deflector wall and a fourth deflector wall extending from the top wall.

[0009] According to an optional solution, the first deflector wall is connected to the third deflector wall via a connecting portion.

[0010] According to an optional solution, the deflector wall of the two or more deflector walls that is closest to an inlet of the gas-flow channel is provided with a plurality of through-holes.

[0011] According to an optional solution, both side edges of the bottom wall are provided with latching protrusions configured for snap-fit engagement with corresponding structures of a circuit-breaker housing.

[0012] According to an optional solution, the top wall is provided with one or more screw through holes.

[0013] According to an optional solution, the terminal shield is a one-piece structure, and the top wall and the bottom wall are elastically deformable relative to each other.

[0014] According to an optional solution, an inlet and an outlet of the gas-flow channel open in different directions.

[0015] The present disclosure further provides a circuit breaker comprising a circuit-breaker housing and the terminal shield described above.

[0016] According to an optional solution, the circuit-breaker housing comprises a latching groove and an abutment surface located at one end of the latching groove, the abutment surface cooperating with the latching protrusions of the terminal shield to position the terminal shield relative to the circuit-breaker housing.

[0017] According to an optional solution, the circuit-breaker housing further comprises a sliding channel communicating with the latching groove, the abutment surface being situated between the sliding channel and the latching groove, and a bottom of the latching groove being lower than a bottom of the sliding channel; wherein to mount the terminal shield to the circuit-breaker housing, the latching protrusions of the terminal shield slides along the sliding channel into the latching groove.

[0018] According to an optional solution, the circuit-breaker housing comprises a mating wall that contacts, or is separated by a narrow gap from, a side surface of the deflector walls of the terminal shield.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] To make the technical solution of the embodiments of the present disclosure clearer, a brief introduction to the drawings of the embodiments is given below. The drawings are merely examples for illustrating some embodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the full scope of the present disclosure. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a terminal shield according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is a schematic view showing gas flow passing through the terminal shield of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top view of the terminal shield of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a front view of the terminal shield of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a partial view of a circuit-breaker housing according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 6 is a view showing the terminal shield installed in the circuit-breaker housing. Fig. 7 is a partial view of the circuit-breaker housing according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 8 is a schematic view illustrating the process of mounting the terminal shield to the circuit-breaker housing. List of Reference Numerals

[0020] 10 bottom wall 11 first deflector wall 111 through-hole 12 second deflector wall 13 latching protrusion 14 connecting portion 20 top wall 21 third deflector wall 22 fourth deflector wall 23 screw through hole 30 circuit-breaker housing 31 sliding channel 32 latching groove 33 abutment surface 34 mating wall 35 fastener 36 outer wall DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] To make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the technical solutions of the present disclosure clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the drawings of the embodiments. The described embodiments are merely part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all of them. Based on the described embodiments of the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by a person of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0022] Compared with the embodiments shown in the drawings, feasible solutions within the protection scope of the present disclosure may have fewer components, have additional components not shown in the drawings, employ different components, be arranged differently, or be connected differently. Moreover, two or more components shown in the drawings may be combined into a single component, or a single component shown in the drawings may be implemented as a plurality of separate components.

[0023] Unless otherwise defined, technical or scientific terms used herein shall have the ordinary meaning understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. The terms "first", "second" and the like used in the specification and claims of the present disclosure do not denote any order, quantity or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Similarly, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" do not necessarily denote quantity limitations. The terms "comprise", "include" and the like mean that an element or item preceding the word encompasses the element or item listed after the word and equivalents thereof, without excluding additional elements or items. The terms "connect", "join" and the like are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. The directional terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right" and the like are merely used to denote relative positional relationships, and when the absolute position of the object being described changes, the relative positional relationships may also change accordingly.

[0024] The present disclosure relates to a terminal shield and to a circuit breaker having the terminal shield.

[0025] The circuit breaker includes a stationary contact and a movable contact that cooperates with the stationary contact. The stationary contact and the movable contact work together to control the opening and closing of the circuit. During separation of the movable contact from the stationary contact, an electric arc tends to form between the stationary contact and the movable contact.

[0026] The circuit breaker may further include an arc-extinguishing chamber. The arc-extinguishing chamber may have a plurality of arc-extinguishing plates spaced from each other at a uniform distance in the height direction of the arc-extinguishing structure. The arc-extinguishing chamber has a front end close to the arc-generation region and a rear end away from the arc-generation region. The arc and hot gas can enter the interior of the arc-extinguishing chamber from the front end and exit from the rear end. The rear end of the arc-extinguishing chamber is an arc-exhaust port. The terminal shield of the present disclosure is, for example, arranged at or behind the arc-exhaust port.

[0027] The specific features of the terminal shield of the present disclosure will first be described below with reference to the exemplary embodiments shown in Figs. 1 to 4. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a terminal shield according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is a schematic view showing gas flow passing through the terminal shield of Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are a top view and a front view, respectively, of the terminal shield of Fig. 1.

[0028] The terminal shield proposed by the present disclosure mainly comprises a bottom wall 10, a top wall 20 and two or more deflector walls.

[0029] The bottom wall 10 is, for example, a substantially flat wall structure and may have a uniform wall thickness.

[0030] The top wall 20 is, for example, arranged parallel to or substantially parallel to the bottom wall 10. The top wall 20 is, for example, a substantially flat wall structure and, for example, has a uniform wall thickness.

[0031] Each of the two or more deflector walls extends from one of the bottom wall 10 and the top wall 20 toward the other one of the bottom wall 10 and the top wall 20 and ends at a distance from the other one. In other words, a deflector wall extending from the bottom wall 10 extends toward the top wall 20 and ends at a distance from the top wall 20, so that gas can flow through the gap between the end of the deflector wall and the top wall 20. Similarly, a deflector wall extending from the top wall 20 extends toward the bottom wall 10 and ends at a distance from the bottom wall 10, so that gas can flow through the gap between the end of the deflector wall and the bottom wall 10. In this way, a meandering gas-flow channel is formed by the bottom wall 10, the top wall 20 and the two or more deflector walls.

[0032] By such an arrangement, the breaking arc will travel a longer distance in a limited space. Thus, the cooling effect is improved, and a better arc-extinguishing effect can be achieved with a very small terminal shield. The terminal shield may not extend beyond the overall dimensions of the circuit-breaker product itself.

[0033] The two or more deflector walls are, for example, parallel to one another. Alternatively, some of the deflector walls may be non-parallel to one another.

[0034] Optionally, the deflector walls extending from the bottom wall 10 and the deflector walls extending from the top wall 20 are arranged in an alternating manner. Fig. 2 illustrates an example of such an alternating / staggered arrangement. This alternating / staggered arrangement may also be referred to as a labyrinth arrangement. Each deflector wall defines a portion of the meandering gas-flow channel, so that a good arc-extinguishing effect is achieved while the size of the terminal shield is reduced.

[0035] In the exemplary embodiment shown in the drawings, the terminal shield comprises four deflector walls: a first deflector wall 11 and a second deflector wall 12 extending from the bottom wall 10, and a third deflector wall 21 and a fourth deflector wall 22 extending from the top wall 20. These deflector walls are arranged in the order of the first deflector wall 11, the third deflector wall 21, the second deflector wall 12 and the fourth deflector wall 22, and are arranged in an alternating manner. In embodiments not shown, the terminal shield may comprise a different number of deflector walls. For example, there may be only one deflector wall extending from the bottom wall 10, or only one deflector wall extending from the top wall 20, or more than two deflector walls extending from the bottom wall 10 or the top wall 20. Moreover, the deflector walls may be arranged in other ways. For example, there may be additional deflector walls that do not extend from the bottom wall 10 and the top wall 20, or the deflector walls extending from the bottom wall 10 and the top wall 20 may not be strictly alternating.

[0036] Optionally, the terminal shield is designed as a one-piece structure. The term "one-piece" used herein is relative to a split structure. Without violent disassembly, the one-piece terminal shield cannot be easily separated into a plurality of parts. The one-piece structure can provide better overall strength and stability, and reduce assembly time and cost.

[0037] With continued reference to Figs. 1 and 2, optionally, the first deflector wall 11 extends from the upper surface of the bottom wall 10 toward the top wall 20, and the second deflector wall 12 forms an L-shaped bent structure with the bottom wall 10. Similarly, the third deflector wall 21 extends from the lower surface of the top wall 20 toward the bottom wall 10, and the fourth deflector wall 22 forms an L-shaped bent structure with the top wall 20. The terminal shield generally comprises two parts: a first part composed of the bottom wall 10, the first deflector wall 11 and the second deflector wall 12, and a second part composed of the top wall 20, the third deflector wall 21 and the fourth deflector wall 22. The first part and the second part are fixed together, so that the entire terminal shield is formed as one piece. Optionally, a connecting portion 14 is arranged between the first deflector wall 11 and the third deflector wall 21, and the first deflector wall 11 is connected to the third deflector wall 21 via the connecting portion 14, so that the first part and the second part of the terminal shield are fixed together. By forming the terminal shield as a one-piece structure, installation and storage are facilitated.

[0038] Optionally, for the one-piece terminal shield, the top wall 20 and the bottom wall 10 are elastically deformable relative to each other. By making the top wall 20 and the bottom wall 10 elastically deformable relative to each other, the steps of assembling and disassembling the terminal shield are simplified. The specific assembly method will be described below.

[0039] Optionally, the inlet and the outlet of the gas-flow channel open in different directions. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, the inlet of the gas-flow channel opens in the horizontal direction, and the outlet opens in the vertical direction. Gas can flow in horizontally from the right and be turned to flow out vertically downward. In the absence of the terminal shield, the arc gas would be ejected directly from the filter screen port of the breaking unit. By using the terminal shield of the present disclosure to change the ejection direction of the gas, the installationspacing in the circuit breaker required by the terminal shield can be reduced, and external components can be protected by changing the ejection direction.

[0040] Optionally, the deflector wall of the two or more deflector walls that is closest to the inlet of the gas-flow channel is provided with a plurality of through-holes. As shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the deflector wall closest to the inlet of the gas-flow channel is the first deflector wall 11, and the first deflector wall 11 is provided with a plurality of through-holes 111. These through-holes 111 may be arranged in an array. When the circuit breaker interrupts an arc, the arc will generate high-temperature and high-pressure gas, and a relatively high pressure may be generated in front of the first deflector wall. The through-holes 111 can form a plurality of pressure-release passages to help release the pressure generated by the arc and reduce pressure buildup in the region of highest pressure.

[0041] Optionally, both side edges of the bottom wall 10 are provided with latching protrusions 13 configured for snap-fit engagement with corresponding structures of a circuit-breaker housing 30. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the latching protrusion 13 is a substantially rectangular-parallelepiped structure projecting outward from each side edge of the bottom wall 10. The specific structure or shape of the latching protrusions 13 may be varied in many alternative designs. For example, the latching protrusions 13 may be cylindrical, conical, hook-shaped, cubic, rectangular or irregular, as long as they can be matched with corresponding structures on the housing. By the design of the latching protrusions 13, the installation process of the terminal shield is simplified and the installation reliability is improved: the latching protrusions 13 and the corresponding structures on the circuit-breaker housing 30 allow a quick installation and removal of the terminal shield, without additional fasteners, and the connection process between the terminal shield and the circuit-breaker housing 30 is simplified. Also, the latching protrusions 13 provide a mechanical locking mechanism to ensure that the position of the terminal shield in the circuit-breaker housing 30 is fixed, and displacement due to vibration or impact is prevented.

[0042] As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, for example, the top wall 20 is provided with one or more screw through holes 23. After the terminal shield is positioned in the appropriate position of the circuit-breaker housing 30, screws can be passed through the screw through holes 23 of the circuit-breaker housing 30 and the terminal shield to further enhance the fixing of the two.

[0043] The structure of the circuit-breaker housing 30 for receiving the above-described terminal shield will be described below with reference to Figs. 5 to 7. Figs. 5 and 7 are partial views of the circuit-breaker housing 30, and Fig. 6 is a view showing the terminal shield installed in the circuit-breaker housing 30.

[0044] As shown in Fig. 7, the circuit-breaker housing 30 comprises a latching groove 32 configured to cooperate with the latching protrusions 13 of the terminal shield. The latching groove 32 may be a through-slot or a recess provided in a wall of the circuit-breaker housing 30. An abutment surface 33 is provided at one end of the latching groove 32. The abutment surface 33 cooperates with the latching protrusions 13 of the terminal shield to position the terminal shield relative to the circuit-breaker housing 30. In other words, after the terminal shield is installed, the abutment surface 33 can block the latching protrusions 13 of the terminal shield to prevent the terminal shield from coming off the circuit-breaker housing 30.

[0045] Optionally, as shown in Fig. 7, a sliding channel 31 communicating with the latching groove 32 is further provided. The abutment surface 33 is situated between the sliding channel 31 and the latching groove 32, and the bottom of the latching groove 32 is lower than the bottom of the sliding channel 31. In the process of mounting the terminal shield to the circuit-breaker housing 30, the latching protrusions 13 of the terminal shield can slide along the sliding channel 31 into the latching groove 32.

[0046] In addition, as shown in Fig. 7, the circuit-breaker housing 30 may have a receiving slot for receiving the top wall 20. The receiving slot may be formed by two plates, or may be a recess formed in the body of the circuit-breaker housing 30. By sliding the terminal shield, the top wall 20 can enter the receiving slot.

[0047] Optionally, as shown in Fig. 6, the circuit-breaker housing 30 comprises a mating wall 34. The mating wall 34 contacts, or is separated by a narrow gap from, a side surface of the deflector walls of the terminal shield, so that a large space is avoided between the circuit-breaker housing 30 and the side surface of the deflector walls, and gas overflow is prevented. Optionally, the mating wall 34 is an additional wall structure different from the outer wall 36 of the circuit-breaker housing 30, is located inside the outer wall 36, and may be arranged substantially parallel to the outer wall 36.

[0048] Fig. 8 illustrates the process of installing the terminal shield into the circuit-breaker housing 30. The installation process comprises the following steps. After the terminal shield is placed near the circuit-breaker housing 30, applying two forces F 1 and F 2 to the top wall 20 and the bottom wall 10 of the terminal shield, so that the terminal shield is elastically deformed. The dashed lines in Fig. 8 indicate the elastically deformed bottom wall 10 and the position of the latching protrusions 13 on the bottom wall 10. When the degree of elastic deformation allows the top wall 20 to enter the receiving slot and the latching protrusions 13 to enter the sliding channel 31, a horizontal force F X is applied to push the terminal shield into the circuit-breaker housing 30. After the terminal shield moves a certain distance, the latching protrusions 13 enter the latching groove 32 and restore their original shape downward in the latching groove 32, so that snap-fit engagement with the housing is completed. Thereafter, optionally, the terminal shield is further secured by a fastener 35. For example, a self-tapping screw is passed through a portion of the circuit-breaker housing 30 and the screw through hole of the terminal shield to lock the terminal shield and prevent the terminal shield from loosening.

[0049] In the above description, the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail with reference to the specific embodiments. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that, without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure, various variations and modifications can be made to the specific embodiments described above, and various technical features and structures disclosed in the present disclosure can be combined in different ways without departing from the protection scope of the present disclosure, which is defined by the appended claims..

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0021]To make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the technical solutions of the present disclosure clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the drawings of the embodiments. The described embodiments are merely part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all of them. Based on the described embodiments of the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by a person of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0022]Compared with the embodiments shown in the drawings, feasible solutions within the protection scope of the present disclosure may have fewer components, have additional components not shown in the drawings, employ different components, be arranged differently, or be connected differently. Moreover, two or more components shown in the drawings may be combined into a s...

Claims

1. A terminal shield, comprising: a bottom wall (10); a top wall (20); and two or more deflector walls, each deflector wall extending from one of the bottom wall (10) and the top wall (20) toward the other one of the bottom wall (10) and the top wall (20) and ending at a distance from the other one, so that a meandering gas-flow channel is formed by the bottom wall (10), the top wall (20) and the deflector walls.

2. The terminal shield of claim 1, wherein the deflector walls extending from the bottom wall (10) and the deflector walls extending from the top wall (20) are arranged in an alternating manner.

3. The terminal shield of claim 2, wherein the deflector walls comprise a first deflector wall (11) and a second deflector wall (12) extending from the bottom wall (10), and a third deflector wall (21) and a fourth deflector wall (22) extending from the top wall (20).

4. The terminal shield of claim 3, wherein the first deflector wall (11) is connected to the third deflector wall (21) via a connecting portion (14).

5. The terminal shield of claim 1, wherein deflector wall of the two or more deflector walls that is closest to an inlet of the gas-flow channel is provided with a plurality of through-holes (111).

6. The terminal shield of claim 1, wherein both side edges of the bottom wall (10) are provided with latching protrusions (13) configured for snap-fit engagement with corresponding structures of a circuit-breaker housing (30).

7. The terminal shield of claim 1, wherein the top wall (20) is provided with one or more screw through holes (23).

8. The terminal shield of claim 1, wherein the terminal shield is a one-piece structure, and the top wall (20) and the bottom wall (10) are elastically deformable relative to each other.

9. The terminal shield of claim 1, wherein an inlet and an outlet of the gas-flow channel open in different directions.

10. A circuit breaker, comprising a circuit-breaker housing (30) and the terminal shield of any one of claims 1-9.

11. The circuit breaker of claim 10, wherein the circuit-breaker housing (30) comprises a latching groove (32) and an abutment surface (33) located at one end of the latching groove (32), the abutment surface (33) cooperating with the latching protrusions (13) of the terminal shield to position the terminal shield relative to the circuit-breaker housing (30).

12. The circuit breaker of claim 11, wherein the circuit-breaker housing (30) further comprises a sliding channel (31) communicating with the latching groove (32), the abutment surface (33) being situated between the sliding channel (31) and the latching groove (32), and a bottom of the latching groove (32) being lower than a bottom of the sliding channel (31); wherein to mount the terminal shield to the circuit-breaker housing (30), the latching protrusions (13) of the terminal shield slides along the sliding channel (31) into the latching groove (32).

13. The circuit breaker of claim 10, wherein the circuit-breaker housing (30) comprises a mating wall (34) that contacts, or is separated by a narrow gap from, a side surface of the deflector walls of the terminal shield.

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