Changeover switch

Abstract

The objective is to provide a changeover switch that contributes to reducing the height of the device while suppressing short circuits. [Solution] The changeover switch 100, which switches the connection state between the first battery 4 and the second battery 5 between series and parallel, comprises a fixed conductive part 20 and a movable connecting part 30 that moves in a predetermined direction. The movable connecting part 30 comprises a series terminal 62 that constitutes a series circuit 60 and a parallel terminal 72 that constitutes a parallel circuit 70. The fixed conductive part 20 comprises a series disconnection point 61 connected by the series terminal 62 and a parallel disconnection point 71 connected by the parallel terminal 72. When the movable connecting part 30 is located at the right Y2 position, the series disconnection point 61 becomes conductive, thereby forming a series circuit 60. When the movable connecting part is located at the left Y1 position, the parallel disconnection point 71 becomes conductive, thereby forming a parallel circuit 70.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a switching switch.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, the voltage of batteries installed in electric vehicles (EVs) and the like has been on the rise, and products with a voltage approximately twice as high as that of conventional batteries are also being offered. On the other hand, while there are some rapid chargers that comply with the standards for batteries with high voltages, it is difficult for all rapid chargers to support high-voltage batteries. To address this, within a vehicle, there are configurations provided that have a switching-capable structure including a series circuit for making the battery compatible with high voltages and a parallel circuit for making the battery compatible with low voltages (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The power supply system described in Patent Document 1 includes a charging switching unit composed of a relay capable of switching between a series circuit and a parallel circuit.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, relays in the power supply system as described in Patent Document 1 often use a plurality of mechanical relays. For example, since a mechanical relay is configured with a coil part, fixed contacts, movable contacts, etc. within a cubic box-shaped case, a box-shaped space is required for installation, and accordingly, the device at the installation location is likely to become taller. Also, in such a configuration, there is a possibility of a short circuit occurring in the electrical circuit, such as when multiple mechanical relays are accidentally turned on simultaneously.

[0005] The objective of the present invention is to provide a changeover switch that contributes to reducing the height of the device while suppressing short circuits. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the aforementioned problems and achieve the objective, the changeover switch is a changeover switch that switches the connection state of a first power supply and a second power supply between series and parallel, and comprises a fixed conductive part that constitutes a part of the electrical circuit connecting the first power supply and the second power supply, and a movable connecting part that moves in a predetermined direction, wherein the movable connecting part comprises a series terminal that constitutes a series circuit of the electrical circuit, and a parallel terminal that constitutes a parallel circuit of the electrical circuit, and the fixed conductive part is provided with a series disconnected section that is partially disconnected, and a parallel disconnected section that is disconnected in a part different from the series disconnected section. Furthermore, when the movable connection portion is positioned at the first position in the predetermined direction, the parallel disconnection portion remains disconnected and in a non-conductive state, and the series disconnection portion is connected by the series terminal and becomes conductive, thereby connecting the first power supply and the second power supply in series. When the movable connection portion is positioned at the second position in the predetermined direction, the series disconnection portion remains disconnected and in a non-conductive state, and the parallel disconnection portion is connected by the parallel terminal and becomes conductive, thereby connecting the first power supply and the second power supply in parallel. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a changeover switch that contributes to reducing the height of the device and suppresses short circuits. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] An overall perspective view of the changeover switch according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 1 shows an exploded perspective view of the changeover switch. [Figure 3] A schematic diagram of a series circuit in a conductive state. [Figure 4] A schematic diagram of a parallel circuit in a conductive state. [Figure 5] (A) is a plan view showing a part of a changeover switch in which the series circuit is in a conductive state, (B) is a cross-sectional view of line AA in Figure 5(A), and (C) is a cross-sectional view of line BB in Figure 5(A). [Figure 6] (A) is a plan view showing a part of a changeover switch in which the parallel circuit is in a conductive state, (B) is a cross-sectional view of line CC in Figure 6(A), and (C) is a cross-sectional view of line DD in Figure 6(A). [Figure 7] (A) is a cross-sectional view showing the movable connection in the process of changing the destination of the electrical current, and (B) is a cross-sectional view showing the movable connection in the electrical current state. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The following describes the changeover switch 100. The changeover switch 100 is installed, for example, in an EV (Electric Vehicle) equipped with a high-voltage battery, and performs the operation of switching the high-voltage battery inside the vehicle between series connection and parallel connection. As shown in Figure 1, the changeover switch 100 comprises a base 1 that forms the bottom, a conductive part 2 housed in the base 1, and a cover 3 that covers the conductive part 2.

[0010] In the drawings, the height direction of the changeover switch 100 is indicated by the symbol Z. One side of the "height direction Z" is designated as "upper Z1," and the other side as "lower Z2." One of the directions perpendicular to the height direction Z is designated as the front-rear direction and is indicated by the symbol X. One side of the "front-rear direction X" is designated as "front X1," and the other side as "rear X2." The direction perpendicular to the height direction Z and the front-rear direction X is designated as the left-right direction and is indicated by the symbol Y. One side of the "left-right direction Y" is designated as "left Y1," and the other side as "right Y2." In this embodiment, the left-right direction Y is the sliding direction (predetermined direction) in which the movable connection part 30 (see Figure 2), described later, slides, and the front-rear direction X is the intersecting direction in this embodiment. These direction definitions are for the convenience of explanation and do not limit the direction in which the changeover switch 100 is assembled or used.

[0011] First, the base 1 and cover 3 will be described. As shown in Figure 2, the base 1 is formed in the shape of a roughly rectangular plate. In the center of the base 1, there is a housing section 10 that houses the movable connecting section 30 so that it can slide in the left-right direction Y. The housing section 10 consists of a rear space 11 and a front space 12. The rear space 11 is formed in the shape of a rectangular box, extending from the left edge Y1 of the base 1 to the right edge Y2, and protruding from the right edge Y2 of the base 1 to the right edge Y2. The front space 12 is formed in the shape of a rectangular box, communicating with the rear space 11 and extending to the front edge X1. Around the housing section 10, there is an installation section 13 for installing the fixed conductive section 20, which will be described later. The installation section 13 has an installation surface 14 that surrounds the upper edge of the housing section 10 and faces upward Z1. Multiple fixing protrusions 15 that protrude upward Z1 are formed on the upper surface of the installation surface 14. The cover 3 is formed in a box shape that covers the entire housing section 10 and a part of the installation section 13.

[0012] Next, the conductive part 2 will be described. As shown in Figure 3, the conductive part 2 connects the first battery 4 (first power source) and the second battery 5 (second power source) to form part of the electrical circuit 6. This conductive part 2 includes a fixed conductive part 20 fixed to the mounting surface 14 of the base 1, and a movable connecting part 30 that slides in the left-right direction Y relative to the fixed conductive part 20. The fixed conductive part 20 has a plurality of plate-shaped busbars. Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, the busbars include an inverted L-shaped busbar 21 positioned to the left rear and an L-shaped busbar 22 positioned in front of the inverted L-shaped busbar 21 X1. The inverted L-shaped busbar 21 is connected to the positive terminal side of the first battery 4, and the L-shaped busbar 22 is connected to the positive terminal side of the second battery 5.

[0013] Furthermore, the fixed conductive part 20 includes a hook-shaped busbar 23 positioned behind the L-shaped busbar 22, and a straight busbar 24 positioned in front of the hook-shaped busbar 23 X1. The hook-shaped busbar 23 is connected to the negative terminal side of the first battery 4, and the straight busbar 24 is connected to the negative terminal side of the second battery 5. The inverted L-shaped busbar 21, the L-shaped busbar 22, the hook-shaped busbar 23, and the straight busbar 24 each have fixing holes 25 that penetrate in the thickness direction of the plate. By inserting the fixing projection 15 of the base 1 into the fixing holes 25, the inverted L-shaped busbar 21, the L-shaped busbar 22, the hook-shaped busbar 23, and the straight busbar 24 are positioned with respect to the installation surface 14 and fixed to the installation surface 14.

[0014] The inverted L-shaped busbar 21, L-shaped busbar 22, hook-shaped busbar 23, and straight busbar 24 can each be configured to form a series circuit 60 as shown in Figure 3 and a parallel circuit 70 as shown in Figure 4 by switching the connection destination. The front end 21a (first end) of the inverted L-shaped busbar 21 facing X1 and the left end Y1 of the rear end 22a (second end) of the L-shaped busbar 22 facing X2 are spaced apart in the front-to-back direction X (crossing direction) and face each other. These ends 21a and 22a are connected by a parallel terminal 72 described later, forming a parallel disconnection point 71 for creating the parallel circuit 70.

[0015] Furthermore, the right Y2 end 22b (first end) of the L-shaped busbar 22 facing the rear X2 and the left Y1 end 23a (second end) of the hook-shaped busbar 23 facing the front X1 are spaced apart in the front-to-back direction X (crossing direction) and face each other. These ends 22b and 23a are connected by the series terminal 62 described later to form a series circuit 60, forming a series disconnection point 61. Also, the right Y2 end 23b (first end) of the hook-shaped busbar 23 facing the front X1 and the rear X2 end 24a (second end) of the straight-shaped busbar 24 are spaced apart in the front-to-back direction X (crossing direction) and face each other. These ends 23b and 24a are connected by the parallel terminal 72 described later to form a parallel circuit 70, forming a parallel disconnection point 71.

[0016] As described above, the ends 21a, 22b, and 23b (first ends) of one of the multiple busbars and the ends 22a, 23a, and 24a (second ends) of the other busbars are spaced apart in the front-rear direction X (crossing direction) and face each other, forming series disconnection points 61 or parallel disconnection points 71. Thus, the fixed conductive part 20 is provided with series disconnection points 61 that are partially cut and parallel disconnection points 71 that are cut in a different portion than the series disconnection points 61. In this embodiment, two parallel disconnection points 71 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction Y (sliding direction, predetermined direction), and one series disconnection point 61 is arranged between the two parallel disconnection points 71 in the left-right direction Y.

[0017] Next, the movable connection part 30 will be described. As shown in Figure 2, the movable connection part 30 is composed of members that sandwich the fixed conductive part 20 from the upper Z1 and lower Z2 sides, and is housed in the housing part 10 of the base 1 so as to be able to slide (linearly) in the left-right direction Y. The movable connection part 30 includes a rear slider 31 housed in the rear space 11 of the base 1, and a front slider 32 housed in the front space 12. As shown in Figure 5(A), the rear slider 31 is composed of two rectangular plates whose dimensions in the left-right direction Y are smaller than the rear space 11, and forms a pair with the upper Z1 and lower Z2 sides of the fixed conductive part 20. As shown in Figure 5(B), the upper rear slider 31 of Z1 and the lower rear slider 31 of Z2 have protrusions 31a that project in a direction toward each other. Two protrusions 31a are formed with a gap between them in the left-right direction Y.

[0018] At the position covering the convex portion 31a, a parallel terminal 72 for connecting the above-described intermittent portion 71 for parallel connection is provided. The parallel terminal 72 on the upper side Z1 constitutes a front-side terminal 72a. The front-side terminal 72a contacts the upper-side Z1 surface (front surface) of the end portions 21a, end portion 23b (first end portion), end portions 22a, and end portions 24a (second end portion) of the bus bar constituting the intermittent portion 71 for parallel connection. The parallel terminal 72 on the lower side Z2 constitutes a back-side terminal 72b. The back-side terminal 72b contacts the lower-side Z2 surface (back surface) of the end portions 21a, end portion 23b (first end portion), end portions 22a, and end portions 24a (second end portion) of the bus bar constituting the intermittent portion 71 for parallel connection.

[0019] Next, the front slider 32 will be described. As shown in Fig. 6(A), the front slider 32 is composed of two rectangular plates with dimensions in the left-right direction Y smaller than those of the rear slider 31 and is integrally formed with the rear slider 31. The front slider 32 on the upper side Z1 and the front slider 32 on the lower side Z2 of the fixed conductive portion 20 form a pair. As shown in Fig. 6(C), on the front slider 32 on the upper side Z1 and the front slider 32 on the lower side Z2, convex portions 32a protruding in a direction approaching each other are formed. The convex portion 32a is formed one between the two convex portions 31a of the rear slider 31 described above in the left-right direction Y. At the position covering the convex portion 32a, a series terminal 62 for connecting the series intermittent portion 61 shown in Fig. 6(A) is provided. The series terminal 62 on the upper side Z1 constitutes a front-side terminal 62a. The front-side terminal 62a contacts the upper-side Z1 surface (front surface) of the end portion 22b (first end portion) and the end portion 23a (second end portion) of the bus bar constituting the series intermittent portion 61. The series terminal 62 on the lower side Z2 constitutes a back-side terminal 62b. The back-side terminal 62b contacts the lower-side Z2 surface of the end portion 22b and the end portion 23a of the bus bar constituting the series intermittent portion 61.

[0020] Next, the structures of the series connection terminal 62 and the parallel connection terminal 72 will be described in more detail. Note that the front terminal 62a and the back terminal 62b of the series connection terminal 62, and the front terminal 72a and the back terminal 72b of the parallel connection terminal 72 have the same structure except that their arrangements, postures, or displaceability in the height direction Z are different. Therefore, in the following description, the front terminal 62a of the series connection terminal 62 will be taken as an example and described in detail, and the detailed description of the back terminal 62b of the series connection terminal 62, the front terminal 72a and the back terminal 72b of the parallel connection terminal 72 will be omitted or simplified.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 4, the front terminal 62a has a dimension larger than the separation distance between the end 22b and the end 23a of the bus bar in the front-rear direction X. And, as shown in FIG. 7(A), the front terminal 62a includes a contact surface portion 63 having a predetermined width in the left-right direction Y. The contact surface portion 63 is inclined at an angle such that the left Y1 portion is located on the lower Z2 side with respect to the left-right direction Y. Thereby, the contact surface portion 63 is inclined in a direction in which the right Y2 portions (one end side in the width direction) are separated from each other. Due to this inclination, an opening S1 facing the right Y2 (slide direction) is formed in the right Y2 portions of the two contact surface portions 63. That is, the one end sides in the width direction of the contact surface portions 63 constitute an opening S1 facing the slide direction. Note that the size of the opening S1 in the height direction Z is preferably set to be not less than the thickness of the bus bar. The end of the left Y1 of the contact surface portion 63 constitutes a contact portion 64 that contacts the upper Z1 surfaces of the ends 22b and 23a of the bus bar. That is, at least a part of the front terminal 62a contacts the surfaces of the first end and the second end. Note that, as shown in FIG. 7(A), the contact portion 64 is in contact with the contact portion 64 of the back terminal 62b in a non-conductive state where the front terminal 62a does not contact the upper Z1 surface of the end 22b (and the end 23a) of the bus bar.

[0022] The right Y2 portion of the contact point 64 forms a guide surface portion 65 that extends in the left-right direction Y while being inclined. The guide surface portion 65 is capable of sliding contact with the ends 22b and 23a of the busbar, and this sliding contact guides the ends 22b and 23a of the busbar to the contact point 64. A first curved portion 66 is formed at the left Y1 end of the contact surface portion 63, which curves upward Z1, and the upper end of the first curved portion 66 is housed in a first groove portion 32b formed between the lower surface of the front slider 32 and the convex portion 32a. A second curved portion 67 is formed at the right Y1 end of the contact surface portion 63, which curves upward Z1, and the upper end of the second curved portion 67 is housed in a second groove portion 32c formed between the lower surface of the front slider 32 and the convex portion 32a. As shown in Figure 7(A), a gap S2 in the height direction Z is created between the front terminal 62a and the front slider 32 when there is no conductivity. Then, as shown in Figure 7(B), when there is conductivity and the front terminal 62a is in contact with the upper surface Z1 of the ends 22b and 23a of the busbar, the front terminal 62a is displaced upward Z1 by the amount of the gap S2 compared to the non-conductive state. In other words, the front terminal 62a (contact point 64) is relatively displaceable with respect to the height direction Z (the thickness direction of the first and second ends).

[0023] Next, the operation of the changeover switch 100 will be explained. The changeover switch 100 drives the movable connector 30 by a drive unit (not shown) and slides it in the left-right direction Y, thereby switching the connection state of the first battery 4 and the second battery 5 between series and parallel. First, as shown in Figure 5(A), when the movable connector 30 is slid to the rightmost position Y2 (first position), the following occurs. That is, as shown in Figure 3, the series disconnection point 61, which is composed of the end 22b of the L-shaped busbar 22 and the end 23a of the hook-shaped busbar 23, is connected by the series terminal 62. This connection makes the series disconnection point 61 conductive. On the other hand, the parallel disconnection point 71 on the left Y1 and the parallel disconnection point 71 on the right Y2 are not connected to the parallel terminal 72 and remain disconnected and non-conductive. Through this connection and disconnection, the first battery 4 and the second battery 5 are connected in series, and a series circuit 60 is formed inside the changeover switch 100.

[0024] From this state, when the movable connector 30 is moved to the left Y1 and slid to the leftmost Y1 position (second position) as shown in Figure 6(A), the conductivity of the series disconnection point 61 is released. This release returns the series disconnection point 61 to a non-conductive state, remaining disconnected. On the other hand, in this state, as shown in Figure 4, the parallel disconnection point 71, composed of the end 21a of the inverted L-shaped busbar 21 and the end 22a of the L-shaped busbar 22, is connected by the parallel terminal 72 on the left Y1 and becomes conductive. Also, the parallel disconnection point 71, composed of the end 23b of the hook-shaped busbar 23 and the end 24a of the straight-shaped busbar 24, is connected by the parallel terminal 72 on the right Y2 and becomes conductive. Through these connections and disconnections, the first battery 4 and the second battery 5 are connected in parallel, and a parallel circuit 70 is formed within the changeover switch 100.

[0025] When switching between the series circuit 60 and the parallel circuit 70, the changeover switch 100 operates as follows. To avoid complicating the explanation, an example is given here of the connection between the end 23a of the hook-shaped busbar 23 and the series terminal 62 (front terminal 62a, back terminal 62b). However, the operation is similar when connecting the ends of other busbars to the series terminal 62 and the parallel terminal 72. First, as shown in Figure 7(A), in a non-conductive state where the contact points 64 of the series terminal 62 (front terminal 62a, back terminal 62b) are not in contact with the end 23a, the upper contact point 64 on Z1 and the lower contact point 64 on Z2 are in contact with each other. Then, as shown by the white arrow α in Figure 7(A), when the front slider 32 moves to the right Y2, the end 23a enters between the front terminal 62a and the back terminal 62b from the left Y1 portion.

[0026] During this entry, the upper surface Z1 of end 23a slides against the guide surface 65 of the front terminal 62a, and the lower surface Z2 of end 23a slides against the guide surface 65 of the back terminal 62b. This state of sliding contact is called the guided state. In the guided state, the front terminal 62a is pushed by end 23a and displaced upward Z1 due to the sliding contact. End 23a is then guided towards the contact point 64. In this embodiment, the right Y2 portion of the two contact surfaces 63 is provided with an opening S1 facing to the right Y2 (slide direction). Therefore, even if there is a slight height Z displacement between end 22b and its connected end 23a, as shown in Figure 4(A), the impact of this displacement is minimal. In other words, end 22b and end 23a can be reliably inserted between the front terminal 62a and the back terminal 62b. Furthermore, the end portions 22b and 23a can be guided by the guide surface portion 65.

[0027] Once the guidance by the guide surface 65 is complete, the contact point 64 comes into contact with the end portion 23a and becomes electrically conductive. In this electrically conductive state, the displacement of the front terminal 62a may be adjusted so that the front terminal 62a and the back terminal 62b are in contact with the end portions 22b and 23a in a pressing state. By doing so, misalignment between the fixed conductive portion 20 and the movable connecting portion 30 can be suppressed, and the electrically conductive state between the fixed conductive portion 20 and the movable connecting portion 30 can be stably maintained. Furthermore, by doing so, the sliding contact portion between the fixed conductive portion 20 and the movable connecting portion 30 is worn down by friction. As a result, dirt and other contaminants can be removed from the sliding contact portion, and a so-called cleaning effect can be expected.

[0028] According to the embodiment described above, by moving a single movable connector 30 in the left-right direction Y (a predetermined direction) between the rightmost position Y2 (first position) and the leftmost position Y1 (second position), the following can be achieved: The connection state between the first battery 4 (first power source) and the second battery 5 (second power source) can be switched between series and parallel. Therefore, in the device on which the changeover switch 100 is installed, the dimensions in directions other than the left-right direction Y (for example, the height direction Z) can be reduced. Furthermore, in this configuration, the conductivity state of the series disconnection point 61 and the parallel disconnection point 71 is switched by different positions of the single movable connector 30. Therefore, simultaneous connection of the series disconnection point 61 and the parallel disconnection point 71 is impossible. This prevents short circuits caused by simultaneous connection of each disconnection point. Thus, a changeover switch 100 can be provided that contributes to reducing the height of the device and suppresses short circuits.

[0029] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the conductivity state between the first battery 4 and the second battery 5 can be easily switched by linearly sliding the movable connection part 30. In addition, by configuring the fixed conductive part 20 with a plate-shaped busbar, the dimensions in the plate thickness direction (height direction Z) can be easily suppressed compared to conventional configurations using mechanical relays that require a box-shaped space, and the height of the equipment on which the changeover switch 100 is mounted can be made lower.

[0030] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the series terminal 62 and the parallel terminal 72 can make contact with the ends 21a, 23b, and 22b (first end) and the ends 22a, 24a, and 23a (second end) via the front terminal 62a (front terminal 72a) and the back terminal 62b (back terminal 72b). As a result, the series terminal 62 and the parallel terminal 72 can stably maintain a state in which they are connected to the series disconnection point 61 and the parallel disconnection point 71. In addition, by making contact as described above, the contact surface area between the series terminal 62 and the parallel terminal 72 and the busbar can be increased. As a result, the changeover switch 100 can supply a large current corresponding to a high-voltage battery while suppressing heat generation, etc.

[0031] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, in the movable connection portion 30, the right Y2 portion (one end in the width direction) of the two contact surfaces 63 is provided with an opening S1 facing the right Y2 (slide direction). Therefore, even if the positions of ends 22b and 23a (ends of the busbar) are slightly misaligned in the height direction Z, the misalignment can be absorbed, allowing ends 22b and 23a to enter between the front terminal 62a and the back terminal 62b. The guide surface 65 can then guide ends 22b and 23a. Thus, the front terminal 62a and the back terminal 62b can be reliably brought into contact with the ends of the busbar. As described above, the configuration of the opening S1 and its effects were explained using the front terminal 62a of the series terminal 62 as an example, but the same configuration and effects apply to the parallel terminal 72. For example, as shown in Figure 5(B), the parallel terminal 72 is also provided with an opening S1, a contact surface 73, a contact point 74, and a guide surface 75. This absorbs any misalignment of the busbar's end and ensures that the busbar's end makes secure contact with the contact point 74.

[0032] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when the fixed conductive part 20 and the movable connecting part 30 are connected, the fixed conductive part 20 is pressed by the front terminal 62a and the back terminal 62b when it moves from a non-conductive state to a guide state and then to a conductive state. As a result, the fixed conductive part 20 and the movable connecting part 30 are less likely to shift position, and the state in which the fixed conductive part 20 and the movable connecting part 30 are connected can be stably maintained. In addition, with this configuration, the friction when the front terminal 62a and the back terminal 62b and the busbar slide against each other can remove dirt and other contaminants from the sliding contact area between the movable connecting part 30 and the busbar. Therefore, a so-called cleaning effect can be expected, and the connection stability between the movable connecting part 30 and the busbar can be maintained.

[0033] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, one series-only disconnection point 61 is placed between two parallel-only disconnection points 71. This configuration allows for the simultaneous operation of a series circuit 60 and a parallel circuit 70 without overlapping multiple busbars, thereby suppressing the need to increase the size of the changeover switch 100.

[0034] It should be noted that the embodiments described above represent only one aspect of the changeover switch 100, and the embodiments are not limited to these. For example, in this embodiment, the movable connector 30 is formed to slide linearly, but this is merely an example, and the direction of movement of the movable connector 30 is not limited to one direction, but may be in various directions such as rotation. Also, in this embodiment, the front terminal 62a of the front terminal 62a and the back terminal 62b is made displaceable upward Z1, but it is not limited to this, and the back terminal 62b may be made displaceable downward Z2. That is, the front terminal 62a and the back terminal 62b may be provided so as to be relatively displaceable with respect to the thickness direction of the busbar. Furthermore, not limited to relative displacement, for example, the front terminal 62a and the back terminal 62b may be configured like leaf springs to be relatively deformable.

[0035] Furthermore, the fixed conductive part 20 may be made of a conductive material other than a busbar. However, compared to electric wires, etc., using a busbar makes it less likely for the fixed conductive part 20 to be displaced and deformed when connected to the movable connector 30. For this reason, from the viewpoint of stable switching operation, it is preferable to use a busbar. In addition, although the drive unit that drives the movable connector 30 is not shown in this embodiment, this drive unit can have various configurations. For example, a motor unit consisting of a motor and a pinion gear that rotates in accordance with the rotation of the motor may be prepared, and a rack gear that meshes with the pinion gear may be formed on the edge of the rear slider 31 or the front slider 32, and these may be used as the drive unit.

[0036] Furthermore, the drive unit may use magnetism. Alternatively, the drive unit may manually displace the movable connection part 30. In this case, for example, a handle for the operator may be formed on the movable connection part 30, and a guide groove or the like that defines the direction of displacement of the handle may be formed on the cover 3 or the like. When preparing the drive unit, since the rear slider 31 and the front slider 32 are integrated as described above, there is no need to prepare separate drive units; one drive unit is sufficient. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 4. First Battery (First Power Source) 5. Second battery (second power source) 6. Electrical Circuits 20 Fixed conductive part 30 Movable connection part 61 Intermittent points for series connections 62 Series terminal 71 Intermittent points for parallel use 72 Parallel terminal 100 changeover switch

Claims

1. A changeover switch that switches the connection state of the first power supply and the second power supply between series and parallel, A fixed conductive part that constitutes part of the electrical circuit connecting the first power supply and the second power supply, It comprises a movable connecting part that moves in a predetermined direction, The movable connection part comprises a series terminal that constitutes a series circuit in the electrical circuit, and a parallel terminal that constitutes a parallel circuit in the electrical circuit. The fixed conductive portion is provided with a series disconnection section in which a portion is partially cut, and a parallel disconnection section in which a portion different from the series disconnection section is cut. When the movable connection portion is in the first position in the predetermined direction, the parallel disconnection portion remains disconnected and in a non-conductive state, and the series disconnection portion is connected by the series terminal and becomes conductive, thereby connecting the first power supply and the second power supply in series. A changeover switch characterized in that, when the movable connection portion is in the second position in the predetermined direction, the series disconnection portion remains disconnected and in a non-conductive state, and the parallel disconnection portion is connected by the parallel terminal and becomes conductive, thereby connecting the first power supply and the second power supply in parallel.

2. The movement of the aforementioned movable connection is a linear sliding movement. The predetermined direction is the sliding direction of the movable connection part, The changeover switch according to claim 1, characterized in that the fixed conductive part comprises a plurality of plate-shaped busbars.

3. One of the multiple busbars has a first end, Other busbars among the plurality of busbars are provided with a second end, The first end and the second end are spaced apart in a direction intersecting the sliding direction and face each other, forming the series interlocking portion or the parallel interlocking portion. The changeover switch according to claim 2, characterized in that the series terminal and the parallel terminal have dimensions longer than the distance between the first end and the second end, and each set consists of a front terminal that contacts at least a portion of the surface of the first end and the second end, and a back terminal that contacts at least a portion of the back surface of the first end and the second end.

4. The front terminal and the back terminal are each provided with a contact surface portion having a predetermined width in the sliding direction and one end in the width direction being inclined to move away from each other. The two ends of the contact surface portion in the width direction form an opening facing the sliding direction. The changeover switch according to claim 3, characterized in that the busbar enters the opening.

5. The front terminal and the back terminal each have a guide surface portion that slides against the first end or the second end, A portion of the contact surface between the front terminal and the back terminal constitutes a contact area that is relatively displaceable or relatively deformable with respect to the thickness direction of the first end and the second end. In a non-conductive state where the contact points do not come into contact with the first end and the second end, the contact points come into contact with each other. In a guiding state in which the first end and the second end are in sliding contact with the guide surface, the contact points are displaced or deformed in a direction away from each other. The changeover switch according to claim 4, characterized in that, in a conductive state in which the first end and the second end are in contact with the contact location, the contact location is in contact with the first end or the second end in a pressing state.

6. The aforementioned parallel intermittent locations are arranged in pairs in the predetermined direction. The changeover switch according to claim 1, characterized in that the series interruption point is arranged one between two parallel interruption points in the predetermined direction.

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