Vacuum valve, switchgear, and method for manufacturing a vacuum valve

Abstract

The present invention provides a vacuum valve that suppresses heat transfer to conductive components while simultaneously improving the heat dissipation or cooling performance of the conductive components themselves, thereby enabling the reuse of conductive components and the recycling of non-conductive components. [Solution] The device has an insulating shield 12 that covers at least a portion of a plurality of exposed metal parts. The insulating shield comprises a non-conductive member 13 configured to be unable to conduct electricity, a void 14 provided continuously along the interior of the non-conductive member and configured as a space, and a conductive member 15 provided continuously from the non-conductive member to the void and configured to be able to conduct electricity. The conductive member extends along the space between the non-conductive member and the exposed metal parts, and also extends along the entire or partial surface of the void so as to face the entire or partial space.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a vacuum valve, a switching gear, and a method for manufacturing a vacuum valve.

Background Art

[0002] As a switching device for power reception and distribution provided in buildings and large facilities, for example, a switching gear including a switch such as a circuit breaker or a disconnector is known. A vacuum valve is applied as a component of the switch in the switching gear. The inside of the vacuum valve is maintained in a certain insulating state by an insulating container, and a pair of electrodes (i.e., metal parts) are accommodated in the insulating container so as to be separable and connectable. In this case, by separating and connecting the pair of electrodes, the interruption of accident current and the opening and closing of load current are performed, and power is stably supplied from the switching gear.

[0003] Furthermore, high insulation performance (current interruption performance) is required for the vacuum valve. As a measure to meet this requirement, for example, a technique of covering a metal exposed portion (hereinafter referred to as a metal exposed part) exposed outside the insulating container with an insulating shield (also referred to as an electric field relaxation shield) is applied.

[0004] The metal exposed part corresponds to a part of a plurality of metal parts of a vacuum valve (insulating container) made of a predetermined metal material, in which a part of these plurality of metal parts is exposed to the outside.

[0005] The plurality of metal parts include, for example, a pair of electrodes (current-carrying shafts) accommodated in the insulating container, an arc shield, a bellows (airtight maintenance mechanism), a sealing member for closing both ends of the insulating container, and various conductors made of metal that penetrate the sealing member from the current-carrying shaft and are exposed to the outside.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

[0007] Incidentally, inside a vacuum valve (insulating container), a lot of heat is generated, for example, heat loss due to contact resistance between electrodes when energized, and arc heat due to discharge between electrodes when the current is cut off. The heat generated at this time is transferred, for example, from the conductors that make up the electrodes (i.e., the current-carrying shafts) to the insulating shield via the exposed metal parts mentioned above.

[0008] An insulating shield has a metal shield member (also called a conductive member) molded with an insulating material (also called a non-conductive member), and the metal shield member (conductive member) is positioned in contact with the exposed metal. As a result, heat transferred to the insulating shield is transferred through the metal shield member (conductive member), heating the insulating material (non-conductive member) molded into the metal shield member (conductive member). For this reason, a thermosetting resin with high heat resistance is used as the insulating material (non-conductive member).

[0009] In recent years, there has been a demand for insulating shields to recycle their insulating materials (non-conductive components) and reuse their metal shielding components (conductive components). To meet this demand, for example, a thermoplastic resin with excellent recyclability can be used as the insulating material (non-conductive component).

[0010] However, thermoplastic resins have lower heat resistance than the thermoplastic resins mentioned above. Therefore, in order to use thermoplastic resins as insulating materials (non-conductive components), it is necessary to suppress the degree of heating of the thermoplastic resin. To address this, for example, it would be desirable to realize a technology that suppresses heat transfer to the metal shielding component (conductive component) while simultaneously improving the heat dissipation or cooling performance of the metal shielding component (conductive component) itself, but such a technology is not currently known.

[0011] The object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum valve that suppresses heat transfer to the conductive member while simultaneously improving the heat dissipation or cooling performance of the conductive member itself, thereby enabling the reuse of the conductive member and the recycling of the non-conductive member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] According to the embodiment, the device has an insulating shield that covers at least a portion of a plurality of exposed metal parts, the insulating shield comprising a non-conductive member configured to be unable to conduct electricity, a void portion provided continuously along the interior of the non-conductive member and configured as a space, and a conductive member provided continuously from the non-conductive member to the void portion and configured to be able to conduct electricity, the conductive member extending along the space between the non-conductive member and the exposed metal parts, and also extending along the entire or partial surface of the void portion so as to face the entire or partial space. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] A cross-sectional view of a vacuum valve according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] A cross-sectional view showing the primary molding process when manufacturing insulating shields. [Figure 3] A cross-sectional view showing the digging process used in manufacturing insulating shields. [Figure 4] A cross-sectional view showing the conductive coating process when manufacturing insulating shields. [Figure 5] A cross-sectional view showing the connection (joining) process when manufacturing insulating shields. [Figure 6]Cross-sectional view of the vacuum valve according to the modified example.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] "One embodiment" FIG. 1 is an internal configuration diagram of the vacuum valve P according to the present embodiment. FIG. 1 shows a vacuum valve P including a plurality of metal parts made of a plurality of metal materials. Examples of the metal parts include a fixed electrode E1, a movable electrode E2, a fixed-side sealing member 2, a movable-side sealing member 3, an airtight maintenance mechanism 4, an arc shield 5, and the like. The fixed electrode E1, the movable electrode E2, the airtight maintenance mechanism 4, and the arc shield 5 are housed inside the insulating container 1.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 示すように, the insulating container 1 has a concentric hollow cylindrical shape centered on the virtual axis Px that defines the center of the vacuum valve P. The insulating container 1 is formed of an insulating material such as alumina ceramic, for example.

[0016] When viewed in the direction of the virtual axis Px, both ends of the insulating container 1 are circularly opened. A circular fixed-side sealing member 2 is joined to one end of the insulating container 1, and a circular movable-side sealing member 3 is joined to the other end of the insulating container いる。 As a result, both openings (fixed-side opening K1, movable-side opening K2) are covered by the fixed-side sealing member 2 and the movable-side sealing member 3.

[0017] The inside of the insulating container 1 is configured to be maintained in a vacuum atmosphere. The fixed-side sealing member 2 and the movable-side sealing member 3 are made of a metal material mainly composed of stainless steel, for example. As a result, the sealing members 2 and 3 joined to the insulating container 1 are in a state of being exposed to the outside from the insulating container 1 (vacuum valve P) as so-called metal exposed portions.

[0018] Inside the insulating container 1 (i.e., in a vacuum atmosphere), a pair of electrodes (fixed electrode E1 and movable electrode E2) are accommodated so as to be separable and contactable, and an arc shield 5 is accommodated so as to surround these electrodes E1 and E2. The arc shield 5 forms a concentric hollow cylindrical shape centered on the virtual axis Px. The arc shield 5 is made of a metal material mainly composed of, for example, copper or stainless steel.

[0019] The fixed electrode E1 and the movable electrode E2 are concentrically configured around the virtual axis Px and extend in alignment along the virtual axis Px. In this state, the fixed electrode E1 and the movable electrode E2 are positioned so as to face each other in parallel.

[0020] The fixed electrode E1 includes a fixed contact 6 and a fixed current-carrying shaft 7. The movable electrode E2 includes a movable contact 8 and a movable current-carrying shaft 9. The fixed contact 6 and the movable contact 8 form a disk shape having the same diameter, and are made of an alloy of a current-carrying material such as Cu or Ag and an arc-resistant material such as chromium (Cr), tungsten (W), or tungsten carbide (WC). The fixed current-carrying shaft 7 and the movable current-carrying shaft 9 form a cylindrical shape having the same diameter and are made of a metal material with high conductivity (for example, Cu).

[0021] The fixed contact 6 is connected to one end of the fixed current-carrying shaft 7, and the other end of the fixed current-carrying shaft 7 penetrates through the fixed-side sealing member 2 while maintaining its seal and is fixed to the vacuum valve P in a non-movable manner along the virtual axis Px. The movable contact 8 is connected to one end of the movable current-carrying shaft 9, and the other end of the movable current-carrying shaft 9 penetrates through the movable-side sealing member 3 while maintaining its seal and is connected to an operating mechanism (not shown).

[0022] In the example of FIG. 1, the other end of the fixed current-carrying shaft 7 is connected to the connection conductor 11 via the protruding conductor 10. The protruding conductor 10 and the connection conductor 11 are made of a metal material. The protruding conductor 10 is connected to the other end of the fixed current-carrying shaft 7 and protrudes through the fixed-side sealing member 2. The connection conductor 11 is connected to the protruding conductor 10.

[0023] Here, the movable energizing shaft 9 is moved along the virtual axis Px by the operating mechanism. This allows the movable contact 8 to move toward and away from the fixed contact 6. As a result, the vacuum valve P can be opened and closed (i.e., electrodes E1 and E2 can be moved toward and away from each other).

[0024] Furthermore, an airtightness maintenance mechanism 4 is positioned between the movable energizing shaft 9 and the movable side sealing member 3. The airtightness maintenance mechanism 4 is composed of a bellows that is expandable and contractible. The bellows (airtightness maintenance mechanism) 4 is made of a thin metal such as stainless steel. The bellows 4 is bellows-shaped and expandable in the direction of the virtual axis Px, and covers the outside of the movable energizing shaft 9 without any gaps.

[0025] The bellows 4 is joined to the movable sealing member 3 at one end without any gaps, and to the movable energizing shaft 9 at the other end without any gaps. As a result, the inside of the insulating container 1 is always maintained in an airtight state (i.e., a vacuum state). Consequently, even when the movable energizing shaft 9 is moved along the virtual axis Px during the opening and closing operation of the vacuum valve P, no air enters the inside of the insulating container 1.

[0026] Incidentally, the vacuum valve P described above is housed inside a switchgear (not shown) filled with an insulating gas such as dry air (compressed air from which moisture has been removed) or SF6 gas (hexavalent fluorine sulfur gas). In order to improve the insulating performance (current interruption performance) of the vacuum valve P, an insulating shield 12, which will be described later, may be applied. In this case, the insulating shield 12 is required to improve its heat dissipation or cooling performance while simultaneously ensuring recyclability or reusability.

[0027] As shown in Figure 1, the vacuum valve P has several metal components (for example, the fixed electrode E1, the movable electrode E2, the fixed-side sealing member 2, the movable-side sealing member 3, the airtightness maintenance mechanism 4, and the arc shield 5) that are exposed to the outside as exposed metal parts.

[0028] The exposed metal portion corresponds to the part of the fixed-side sealing member 2, the movable-side sealing member 3, and the arc shield 5 that is exposed to the outside from the insulating container 1. In Figure 1, as an example, the exposed metal portion is assumed to be the part of the fixed-side sealing member 2 and the movable-side sealing member 3 that are joined to the insulating container 1 and are exposed to the outside from the vacuum valve P (insulating container 1).

[0029] The insulating shield 12 is provided to cover at least a portion of the multiple exposed metal parts of such a vacuum valve P (insulating container 1). Possible configurations for covering at least a portion include, for example, a full covering variation in which the insulating shield 12 covers all exposed metal parts, or a partial covering variation in which the insulating shield 12 covers only some of the exposed metal parts.

[0030] In the full covering variation, the insulating shield 12 covers all of both sealing members 2 and 3. In the partial covering variation, the insulating shield 12 covers only one of the sealing members 2 or 3. As an example, Figure 1 shows that the insulating shield 12 covers the entire exposed portion of the circular fixed-side sealing member 2, which is the exposed metal part.

[0031] In this state, the insulating shield 12 is configured to form a concentric cylindrical shape centered on a virtual axis Px. With this configuration, after manufacturing the insulating shield 12 through the manufacturing process described later (see Figures 2 to 5), as shown in Figure 1, the manufactured insulating shield 12 is fitted to the fixed side of the vacuum valve P (insulating container 1), thereby covering the entire exposed portion of the circular fixed-side sealing member 2, which is the exposed metal part, with the insulating shield 12.

[0032] In the example shown in Figure 1, the insulating shield 12 comprises a non-conductive member 13, a void 14, and a conductive member 15. The non-conductive member 13 is continuously provided to cover the exposed metal portion (i.e., the entire exposed portion of the circular fixed-side sealing member 2) and is configured to be non-conductive. The void 14 is continuously provided along the interior of the non-conductive member 13 and is configured as a space where no objects exist. The conductive member 15 is continuously provided from the non-conductive member 13 (the opposing portion 17p of the void support structure 17, which will be described later) to the void 14 and is configured to be electrically conductive. A detailed explanation follows below.

[0033] As shown in Figure 1, the non-conductive member 13 is constructed by concentrically connecting (stacking) two structures having a cylindrical contour (a void-forming structure 16 and a void-supporting structure 17, which will be described later) to each other via a single circular (ring-shaped) interface Pb. The interface Pb can be defined as a common connection surface between the two structures (void-forming structure 16 and void-supporting structure 17).

[0034] The two structures (void structure 16 and void support structure 17) are set to be large enough to cover the entire exposed portion of the circular fixed-side sealing member 2. In other words, the two structures (void structure 16 and void support structure 17) are set to be larger than the fixed-side sealing member 2. The two structures (void structure 16 and void support structure 17) are set to have the same diameter as each other.

[0035] Furthermore, it is preferable that both structures (the void-forming structure 16 and the void-supporting structure 17) are made of insulating materials. Examples of insulating materials include thermoplastic resins and thermosetting resins.

[0036] In this case, it is preferable that at least one of the two structures (void structure 16 and void support structure 17) be made of thermoplastic resin. For example, both the void structure 16 and the void support structure 17 may be made of thermoplastic resin, or one of the void structure 16 and the void support structure 17 may be made of thermoplastic resin and the other of another material (for example, thermosetting resin).

[0037] The void structure 16 is a hollow cylinder. The hollow cylindrical void structure 16 has a contour shape in which its central part 16p is hollowed out in a cylindrical shape. In Figure 1, as an example, the inner diameter of the hollowed-out central part 16p is set to be larger than the outer diameter of the insulating container 1 of the vacuum valve P described above. As a result, when the insulating shield 12 is fitted to the fixed side of the vacuum valve P (insulating container 1), the void structure 16 is positioned so as not to come into contact with the vacuum valve P (insulating container 1).

[0038] At this time, a communication portion 18 is provided between the air gap structure 16 and the vacuum valve P (insulating container 1) as a space communicating with the air gap 14. The size (width) of the communication portion (space) 18 can be set to be wider or narrower by changing the inner diameter of the central portion 16p of the air gap structure 16.

[0039] The hollow cylindrical void structure 16 is provided with a continuous void portion 14 along its interior. The void portion 14 is configured as a space where no objects exist. As a result, the void portion 14 is configured as a continuous, annular space along the interior of the void structure 16.

[0040] The annular void (space) 14 is formed by drilling (excavating) from the interface Pb towards the interior of the void structure 16 without penetrating the void structure 16. In this case, it is preferable to set the drilling (excavation) depth (width) to be a constant value along the circumferential direction throughout the entire hollow cylindrical void structure 16.

[0041] The drilling (excavation) direction may be set perpendicular to the interface Pb, or it may be set intersecting the interface Pb. The shape of the drilling (excavation) may extend straight from the interface Pb, or it may extend curved or bent from the interface Pb. In addition, the bottom surface of the drilling (excavation) (i.e., corresponding to the bottom surface portion 14c described later) may have a R-chamfered shape.

[0042] In Figure 1, as an example, the annular void (space) 14 extends straight from the interface Pb in a direction perpendicular to the interface Pb, and its drilling (excavation) depth (width) is set to be a constant value along the circumferential direction throughout the entire void structure 16.

[0043] As shown in Figure 1, the annular void (space) 14 is composed of an annular outer surface portion 14a that defines its outer circumference, an annular inner surface portion 14b that defines its inner circumference, and an annular bottom surface portion 14c interposed between the outer surface portion 14a and the inner surface portion 14b. The outer surface portion 14a and the inner surface portion 14b are arranged parallel to each other and facing each other. The bottom surface portion 14c is arranged perpendicular to both the outer surface portion 14a and the inner surface portion 14b.

[0044] The inner surface of the void (space) 14 is surrounded by these three components (i.e., the outer peripheral surface 14a, the inner peripheral surface 14b, and the bottom surface 14c). As a result, one end of the void (space) 14 is closed off inside the non-conductive member 13 (i.e., the void structure 16), while the other end is open to the outside from the non-conductive member 13 (void structure 16) via the communication portion (space) 18.

[0045] In a void structure 16 in which such a void (space) 14 is formed, the interface Pb is divided into an outer portion and an inner portion, centered on the void (space) 14. The outer portion is defined as an annular void structure outer interface portion 16a, and the inner portion is defined as an annular void structure inner interface portion 16b.

[0046] The drilling depth described above can be defined by the distance (length) between the interface Pb (outer interface portion 16a of the void structure, inner interface portion 16b of the void structure) and the bottom surface portion 14c. The drilling width can be defined by the distance (length) between the outer surface portion 14a and the inner surface portion 14b. If the bottom surface portion 14c has a rounded chamfer, the drilling depth described above is defined by the distance (length) between the interface Pb described above and the deepest part of the bottom surface portion 14c.

[0047] The void support structure 17 is connected to the void structure 16 via an interface Pb in a planar manner without any gaps, so as to support the void structure 16 described above. The void support structure 17 is a solid cylinder (i.e., a columnar shape). The cylindrical void support structure 17 is provided with an opposing portion 17p that is configured to face the exposed metal portion parallel to it. The opposing portion 17p is configured to be continuous with the void portion (space) 14 described above when the void structure 16 and the void support structure 17 are connected to each other.

[0048] The opposing portion 17p is constructed by excavating a predetermined amount (i.e., recessing (indenting) it so that it is separated from the void structure 16) the portion of the void support structure 17 that faces the void structure 16, while maintaining a positional relationship parallel to the interface Pb. As a result, the opposing portion 17p is constructed as a cylindrical recess (space) in which the portion of the interface Pb of the void support structure 17 that faces the void structure 16 is excavated (recessed (indented)) in a circular shape.

[0049] The opposing portion 17p, as a cylindrical recess (space), is configured to secure a relay portion 13p (i.e., a space) for connecting the communication portion (space) 18 and the gap portion (space) 14, which will be described later, when the two structures described above (gap-forming structure 16 and gap-supporting structure 17) are connected to each other to form an insulating shield 12.

[0050] In the gap support structure 17 configured with such opposing portions 17p, the interface Pb is divided into annular sections along the outer portion of the cylindrical opposing portion 17p. This outer portion is defined as an annular gap support outer interface portion 17a. As a result, when connecting the two structures (gap configuration structure 16 and gap support structure 17), the gap configuration outer interface portion 16a and the gap support outer interface portion 17a are connected to each other in a planar manner without any gaps.

[0051] On the other hand, the inner portion of the outer interface portion 17a of the gap support is defined as the inner surface 17s of the cylindrical opposing portion 17p. The inner surface 17s of the opposing portion 17p is configured as a cylindrical surface that demarcates the cylindrical recess (space) described above. The diameter of this cylindrical surface (inner surface 17s of the opposing portion 17p) is the same as the diameter of the outer peripheral surface portion 14a of the gap (space) 14 described above. That is, the diameters of both are set to be the same. As a result, when the two structures (gap-forming structure 16, gap support structure 17) are connected to each other to form an insulating shield 12, a series of smooth surfaces are formed that are smooth and continuous without irregularities from the inner surface 17s of the opposing portion 17p to the inner surface of the gap (space) 14 (i.e., from the outer peripheral surface portion 14a through the bottom surface portion 14c to the inner peripheral surface portion 14b).

[0052] With this configuration, the conductive member 15 can be provided with a continuous and uniform thickness from the inner surface 17s of the opposing portion 17p to the inner surface of the void (space) 14. Possible methods for providing the conductive member 15 include, for example, painting the conductive member 15 from the inner surface 17s of the opposing portion 17p to the inner surface of the void (space) 14 using existing manual methods, or painting the conductive member 15 from the inner surface 17s of the opposing portion 17p to the inner surface of the void (space) 14 using existing surface treatments (conductive treatment, vapor deposition, plating, sputtering, etc.).

[0053] As an example, Figure 1 shows that the conductive member 15 is coated from the inner surface 17s of the cylindrical opposing portion 17p to the inner surface of the annular void (space) 14 (i.e., from the outer peripheral surface 14a through the bottom surface 14c to the inner peripheral surface 14b) by applying an existing conductive (surface) treatment.

[0054] A conductive member 15 extends along the inner surface 17s of the opposing portion 17p, making seamless contact with the exposed metal portion. On the inner surface of the void (space) 14, the conductive member 15 is provided so as to face the entire void (space) 14 partitioned by the inner surface (i.e., so as to surround the void (space) 14 in a U-shaped cross-section), and the conductive member 15 extends along the entire inner surface of the void (space) 14.

[0055] In this state, with the insulating shield 12 coated with the conductive member 15 fitted to the fixed side of the vacuum valve P (insulating container 1), the conductive member 15 extends along the space between the non-conductive member 13 (i.e., the gap support structure 17) and the exposed metal portion (i.e., the fixed side sealing member 2), thereby making gap-free contact with the exposed metal portion.

[0056] Furthermore, it is preferable to set the thickness of the conductive (surface) treatment to be thinner than the thickness of the existing metal plate applied to conventional insulating shields (electric field relaxation shields). For example, the thickness should be set to several tens of micrometers to 400 micrometers, or several tens of micrometers to 300 micrometers.

[0057] Figures 2 to 5 are manufacturing process diagrams for the insulating shield 12. Figures 2 to 5 show the process of coating the conductive member 15 by conductive treatment. Conductive treatment is a technique for coating (covering) the conductive member 15, and the conductive member 15 can be made of materials such as copper, silver, carbon, zinc, nickel, or chromium.

[0058] Figure 2 shows the process of forming the void structure 16 and the void support structure 17. In this process, a void structure base material 19, as shown in Figure 2, is formed as a base material for forming the void structure 16 (see Figure 1) described above. The void structure base material 19, like the void structure 16, has a hollow cylindrical shape with the central part 16p hollowed out in a cylindrical shape. In this process, a void support base material 20, as shown in Figure 2, is formed as a base material for forming the void support structure 17 (see Figure 1) described above. The void support base material 20, like the void support structure 17, is a solid cylinder (i.e., a cylindrical shape).

[0059] Figure 3 shows the process of forming the void portion 14 and the opposing portion 17p. In this process, an annular void portion 14 is formed as a continuous space along the interior of the hollow cylindrical void-forming base material 19 (see Figure 2), as shown in Figure 3. This forms a void-forming structure 16 having inner surfaces (outer surface portion 14a, inner surface portion 14b, and bottom surface portion 14c) that constitute the annular void portion (space) 14. At this time, an annular void-forming outer interface portion 16a is defined on the outside of the void portion (space) 14, and an annular void-forming inner interface portion 16b is defined on the inside of the void portion (space) 14. In this process, a cylindrical opposing portion 17p (see Figure 3) is formed on a cylindrical gap support base material 20 (see Figure 1) so as to be parallel to and facing the exposed metal portion (fixed side sealing member 2 in Figure 1). This forms a gap support structure 17 with a cylindrical opposing portion 17p as shown in Figure 3. At this time, an annular gap support outer interface portion 17a is defined on the outer part of the opposing portion 17p.

[0060] Figure 4 shows the process of applying a conductive treatment to the gap portion 14 and the opposing portion 17p and then painting the conductive member 15. In this process, a conductive treatment is applied to the annular void (space) 14, thereby coating the inner surface (outer surface 14a, inner surface 14b, bottom surface 14c) of the void (space) 14 with a conductive material 15. At this time, for example, an annular stopper 21 continuous along the outer interface 16a of the void structure may be placed. This allows the coating area of ​​the conductive material 15 to be defined (limited). Simultaneously, the inner interface 16b of the void structure may be inclined downwards toward its interior. As a result, the conductive material 15 coated on the inner interface 16b of the void structure flows inward along the annular downward-sloping inner interface 16b of the void structure and does not flow back into the void (space) 14. In this process, a conductive treatment is applied to the cylindrical opposing portion 17p, thereby coating the inner surface 17s of the opposing portion 17p with a conductive material.

[0061] Figure 5 shows the process of connecting the void structure 16 and the void support structure 17 to each other. In this step, the outer interface portion 16a of the void structure and the outer interface portion 17a of the void support are connected to each other. Existing methods such as bonding, screwing, and welding can be applied as connection methods. As a result, the outer interface portion 16a of the void structure and the outer interface portion 17a are connected to each other in a planar manner without any gaps. As a result, an insulating shield 12 is manufactured in which the void structure 16 and the void support structure 17 are integrated.

[0062] At this time, a series of smooth surfaces are formed that are smooth and continuous without irregularities, extending from the inner surface 17s of the opposing portion 17p to the inner surface of the void (space) 14 (i.e., from the outer peripheral surface 14a through the bottom surface 14c to the inner peripheral surface 14b). As a result, the conductive member 15 extends continuously and uniformly in thickness from the inner surface 17s of the opposing portion 17p to the inner surface of the void (space) 14.

[0063] As described above, according to this embodiment, an annular void (space) 14 is continuously provided along the inside of the non-conductive member 13 (hollow cylindrical void structure 16), and a conductive member 15 of uniform thickness is provided extending from the exposed metal portion to the void (space) 14. In this case, the heat transferred from the exposed metal portion to the conductive member 15 can be efficiently dissipated and cooled in the void (space) 14. This allows the use of a thermoplastic resin with low heat resistance (in other words, excellent recyclability) as the non-conductive member 13. As a result, the conductive member 15 can be reused, and the non-conductive member 13 can be recycled.

[0064] According to this embodiment, the void (space) 14 is configured such that one end is closed and the other end is open to the outside. In this case, the void (space) 14 is maintained in a state of spatial connection with the outside through the opening. As a result, the heat accumulated in the void (space) 14 can be easily dissipated to the outside through the opening. Consequently, the heat dissipation performance of the heat transferred from the exposed metal portion to the conductive member 15 is improved, and the insulating shield 12 can be cooled in a short time.

[0065] According to this embodiment, a conductive member 15, thinly coated by a conductive (surface) treatment, is provided extending from the exposed metal portion to the void (space) 14. In this case, the conductive member 15 can be set to be extremely thin (for example, set to a thickness of several tens of micrometers to 400 micrometers, or several tens of micrometers to 300 micrometers) compared to the thickness of existing metal plates applied to conventional insulating shields (electric field mitigation shields). This makes it difficult for heat to be transferred from the exposed metal portion to the conductive member 15, thus reducing the amount of heat transferred from the exposed metal portion to the conductive member 15.

[0066] According to this embodiment, by applying a conductive treatment, the conductive member 15 is coated from the inner surface 17s of the cylindrical opposing portion 17p to the inner surface of the annular void (space) 14. In this case, for example, the conductive member 15 can be extended over a wide area across the entire inner surface of the void (space) 14 (i.e., from the outer peripheral surface 14a through the bottom surface 14c to the inner peripheral surface 14b) so as to surround the void (space) 14 in a U-shaped cross-section. This increases the distance over which heat is transferred along the conductive member 15 in the heat transfer direction (i.e., lengthens the heat transfer path). As a result, heat can be easily dissipated from the conductive member 15 itself, improving heat dissipation performance.

[0067] According to this embodiment, the annular void (space) 14 is configured to increase its volume. For example, the outer circumferential surface 14a and the inner circumferential surface 14b are kept constant, and the bottom surface 14c is made larger. In this case, the distance between the outer circumferential surface 14a and the inner circumferential surface 14b can be increased. As a result, the volume of the void (space) 14 can be increased by the amount by which the distance between the outer circumferential surface 14a and the inner circumferential surface 14b has increased. Consequently, the cooling performance can be improved by the amount by which the occupied space in the void 14 has increased.

[0068] According to this embodiment, the conductive member 15 is arranged so that its entirety is covered by the non-conductive member 13. In this case, the conductive member 15 is positioned so that its entirety is not exposed to the outside. As a result, when the vacuum valve P having the insulating shield 12 is housed inside the switchgear, the conductive member 15 is not electrically affected, for example, by the electrical system inside the switchgear. As a result, the insulating shield 12 can maintain a constant insulating performance (current interruption performance) of the vacuum valve P.

[0069] According to this embodiment, a communication portion (space) 18 is provided between the void structure 16 and the vacuum valve P (insulating container 1), configured as a space communicating with the void portion 14. In this case, when fitting the insulating shield 12 manufactured by the above-described manufacturing process into the vacuum valve P (insulating container 1), the communication portion (space) 18 functions as play. This makes it easier to fit the insulating shield 12 into the vacuum valve P. As a result, the effort and time required to manufacture the vacuum valve P having the insulating shield 12 can be significantly reduced.

[0070] "Variations" Figure 6 is an internal configuration diagram of the vacuum valve P according to this modified example. In the embodiment described above, a variation was assumed in which the insulating shield 12 is fitted to the fixed side of the vacuum valve P (insulating container 1), thereby covering the entire exposed portion of the fixed-side sealing member 2 (metal exposed portion) with the insulating shield 12 (see Figure 1). However, instead, as shown in Figure 6, the insulating shield 12 may be fitted to the movable side of the vacuum valve P (insulating container 1).

[0071] According to this modified example, by fitting the insulating shield 12 to the movable side of the vacuum valve P (insulating container 1), the entire exposed portion of the movable side sealing member 3 (exposed metal part) can be covered with the insulating shield 12. The other configurations and effects are the same as those of the embodiment described above, so their explanation will be omitted.

[0072] "Other variations" In the embodiment described above, a variation was assumed in which the conductive member 15 extends along the entire inner surface of the void (space) 14 so as to face the entire void (space) 14 (i.e., surround the void (space) 14 in a U-shaped cross-section). However, instead, although not specifically shown, the conductive member 15 may be extended along a part of the inner surface of the void (space) 14 so as to face a part of the void (space) 14 (i.e., along a part of the void (space) 14 in an L-shaped cross-section).

[0073] For example, the conductive member 15 may extend along the outer circumferential surface 14a of the inner surface (outer circumferential surface 14a, inner circumferential surface 14b, bottom surface 14c) of the void (space) 14, or it may extend from the outer circumferential surface 14a along the bottom surface 14c.

[0074] This modified version can achieve the same effects as the embodiment described above. Note that the other configurations and effects are the same as those of the embodiment described above, and therefore their description will be omitted.

[0075] "Other variations" In the embodiment described above, a variation was assumed in which a gap (i.e., a communication space 18) is secured between the air gap structure 16 and the vacuum valve P (insulating container 1). However, instead, although not specifically shown, the gap (i.e., the communication space 18) between the air gap structure 16 and the vacuum valve P (insulating container 1) may be eliminated, and the air gap structure 16 may be positioned in contact with the vacuum valve P (insulating container 1).

[0076] This modified version can achieve the same effects as the embodiment described above. Note that the other configurations and effects are the same as those of the embodiment described above, and therefore their description will be omitted.

[0077] Although one embodiment of the present invention and several variations have been described above, these embodiments and variations are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments and variations can be implemented in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims of the invention and its equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0078] 1...Insulating container, 2...Fixed side sealing member, 3...Movable side sealing member, 4...Airtightness maintenance mechanism, 5...Arc shield, 6...Fixed contact, 7...Fixed current carrying shaft, 8...Movable contact, 9...Movable current carrying shaft, 10...Protruding conductor, 11...Connecting conductor, 12...Insulating shield, 13...Non-conductive member, 13p...Intermediate section, 14...Gap (space), 14a...Outer peripheral surface, 14b...Inner peripheral surface, 14c...Bottom surface, 15...Conductive member, 16...Air Gap structure, 16p...Central part, 16a...Gap structure outer interface part, 16b...Gap structure inner interface part, 17...Gap support structure, 17a...Gap support outer interface part, 17p...Opposing part, 17s...Inner surface, 18... Communication part (space), 19...Gap forming base material, 20...Gap supporting base material, 21...Stopper, P...Vacuum valve, E1...Fixed electrode, E2...Movable electrode, K1...Fixed side opening, K2...Movable side opening, Pb...Interface.

Claims

1. A vacuum valve comprising a plurality of metal parts made of a predetermined metal material, wherein a portion of the plurality of metal parts is exposed to the outside at multiple locations as exposed metal parts, It has an insulating shield that covers at least a portion of the entirety of the multiple exposed metal parts, The aforementioned insulating shield is A non-conductive member is provided continuously to cover the exposed metal portion and is configured to be unable to conduct electricity. A void portion is continuously provided along the interior of the non-conductive member and is configured as a space, A conductive member is provided continuously from the non-conductive member to the gap and configured to conduct electricity, The conductive member extends along the space between the non-conductive member and the exposed metal portion, and also extends along the entire or partial surface of the void portion so as to face the entire or partial space of the vacuum valve.

2. The vacuum valve according to claim 1, wherein one end of the gap is closed inside the non-conductive member and the other end is open from the non-conductive member to the outside.

3. The non-conductive member is The air gap structure that constitutes the air gap in which the conductive member is provided, The system includes a gap support structure that is connected planarly to the gap structure via an interface, without any gaps between them, so as to support the gap structure. The gap support structure is provided with an opposing portion configured to be continuous with the gap and to be able to face the exposed metal portion parallel to it. The vacuum valve according to claim 1, wherein the conductive member extends from the inner surface of the opposing portion and is in contact with the exposed metal portion without any gaps.

4. The aforementioned void structure is positioned so as not to contact the vacuum valve, A communication portion is provided between the aforementioned void structure and the vacuum valve, which is configured as a space communicating with the void portion. The vacuum valve according to claim 3, wherein the gap is open to the outside via the communication portion.

5. The vacuum valve according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the void structure and the void support structure is made of a thermoplastic resin.

6. The vacuum valve according to claim 1, wherein the conductive member is continuously coated from the non-conductive member to the void portion by surface treatment.

7. A switchgear equipped with the vacuum valve according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The aforementioned switchgear is filled with insulating gas inside, The vacuum valve is a switchgear housed in an atmosphere filled with the insulating gas.

8. A method for manufacturing the vacuum valve according to any one of claims 3 to 5, The process of forming the aforementioned void structure, The process of forming the aforementioned gap support structure, The process includes connecting the aforementioned void structure and the aforementioned void support structure to each other, A method for manufacturing a vacuum valve, comprising a step of forming the void structure and the void support structure, in which a surface treatment is applied to the void portion and the opposing portion to paint the conductive member onto the inner surface of the void portion and the inner surface of the opposing portion.

Images