circuit breaker

Abstract

To obtain a circuit breaker capable of fixing a round crimp terminal without using a crimp terminal tightening screw and reducing restrictions on an insertion direction of the round crimp terminal.SOLUTION: A terminal device includes: a terminal fitting 8 that has a fixed portion 8b fixed to a circuit breaker terminal, a connecting portion 8a2 connected to a round crimp terminal, extending from the fixed portion 8b, and having a round hole in a plane parallel to a side surface of the circuit breaker main body, and a pressing spring piece 8c having a pressing portion 8c2 pressing the connected round crimp terminal against the connecting portion 8a2; and a rod 10 that has an engaging portion 10a and rotates. Either or both of an upper side and a lower side of the connecting portion 8a2 and a power supply side or a load side of the connecting portion 8a2 are open, and the round crimp terminal can be inserted from an opening direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a circuit breaker in which a round crimp terminal is used for connection to an electric wire. [Background technology]

[0002] The method of fastening round crimp terminals with crimp terminal tightening screws is widely used to connect circuit breakers, including molded-case circuit breakers and earth leakage circuit breakers, to electric wires. Crimp terminal tightening screws generate heat if the tightening torque is too small, and break if the tightening torque is too high, so strict torque management is required. In addition, crimp terminal tightening screws can loosen due to vibration and heat cycles, so regular retightening is essential.

[0003] Therefore, a connection method has been proposed in which a spring material is used to hold the round crimp terminal instead of a crimp terminal tightening screw. In Patent Document 1, a leaf spring is provided below the terminal fitting, and the round crimp terminal is inserted between the terminal fitting and the leaf spring so that the terminal surface is horizontal. The leaf spring acts as a retainer and ensures contact pressure. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2016 / 038778 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In Patent Document 1, due to structural constraints of the portion that holds the round crimp terminal, the insertion direction of the round crimp terminal is limited to one direction from the power supply side or the load side facing the circuit breaker. Wire connections are generally performed with the circuit breaker fixed in a box-shaped enclosure such as a switchboard, and the power supply side or the load side often has only minimal wiring space between it and the wall of the panel or other equipment. Such narrow wiring spaces present a problem of poor workability. In particular, when using thick wires that are difficult to bend freely, it is difficult to secure enough space to firmly grip the round crimp terminal when inserting or removing it, or enough space to allow the wire to escape.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a circuit breaker that can fix a round crimp terminal without using a crimp terminal tightening screw and that can reduce restrictions on the insertion direction of the round crimp terminal. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the circuit breaker of the present disclosure comprises a terminal fitting having a fixing portion fixed to the circuit breaker terminal so as to face the circuit breaker terminal, and a connecting portion to be connected to a round crimp terminal having a first round hole, the connecting portion extending from the fixing portion and having a second round hole on a plane parallel to a side surface of the circuit breaker body, and a pressing spring piece having a pressing portion for pressing the connected round crimp terminal against the connecting portion; The lever and the tip of the lever The locking portion has a first locking portion. 2 The first position is inserted into the round hole, and the locking part is the second position. 2 The terminal device includes a rod that rotates between a first position where it is pulled out of the round hole and a second position where it is pulled out of the round hole. The connecting portion of the terminal fitting, the pressing portion of the pressure spring piece, and the lever portion and locking portion of the rod are exposed and can be directly seen. The upper and / or lower sides of the connection and the power or load side of the connection Or It is characterized by being able to insert round crimp terminals. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the circuit breaker of the present disclosure, it is possible to fix the round crimp terminal without using a crimp terminal fastening screw, and it is possible to reduce restrictions on the insertion direction of the round crimp terminal. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a round crimp terminal is connected to a circuit breaker according to a first embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a top view showing a state in which a round crimp terminal is connected to the circuit breaker of the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a terminal device is removed from the circuit breaker according to the first embodiment; [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a state in which a terminal device is removed from the circuit breaker according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing components of a terminal device for a circuit breaker according to a first embodiment; [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a top view showing a configuration of a terminal fitting of a terminal device of a circuit breaker according to a first embodiment; [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a configuration of a terminal fitting of a terminal device for a circuit breaker according to a first embodiment; [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a side view showing the configuration of the terminal device of the circuit breaker according to the first embodiment, illustrating a state before the operating lever is rotated. [Figure 9] 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the terminal device of the circuit breaker according to the first embodiment, taken along line IX-IX of FIG. [Figure 10] 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the terminal device of the circuit breaker according to the first embodiment, taken along line XX in FIG. [Figure 11] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the terminal device of the circuit breaker according to the first embodiment, taken along line XI-XI of FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a side view showing the configuration of the terminal device of the circuit breaker according to the first embodiment, illustrating a state after the operating lever has been rotated. [Figure 13] 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the terminal device of the circuit breaker according to the first embodiment, taken along line XIII-XIII of FIG. [Figure 14] 14 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the terminal device of the circuit breaker according to the first embodiment, taken along line XIV-XIV of FIG. [Figure 15] 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the terminal device of the circuit breaker according to the first embodiment, taken along line XV-XV of FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a state in which a round crimp terminal is inserted from above into a terminal device of a circuit breaker according to a first embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a state in which a round crimp terminal is inserted from below into the terminal device of the circuit breaker according to the first embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a state in which round crimp terminals are inserted into the terminal device of the circuit breaker according to the first embodiment from multiple lateral directions. [Figure 19] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a round crimp terminal is connected to the circuit breaker of the first embodiment using a crimp terminal fastening screw; [Figure 20] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a state in which a round crimp terminal compatible with a thin electric wire is connected to the circuit breaker of the first embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a circuit breaker according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, a circuit breaker according to an embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0011] Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a round crimp terminal is connected to a circuit breaker according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a top view showing a state in which a round crimp terminal is connected to a circuit breaker according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a plurality of electric wires 4 are connected to a circuit breaker 1 for connection to a power source side and a load side. Round crimp terminals 3 are provided at the ends of the plurality of electric wires 4. The circuit breaker 1 and the plurality of electric wires 4 are connected via the round crimp terminals 3. A terminal device 2 is provided at a connection point of the circuit breaker 1 to the round crimp terminal 3. The terminal device 2 is detachable from the circuit breaker 1. The round crimp terminal 3 has a connection portion 3a in which a round hole 3b serving as a first round hole is formed, and a barrel portion 3c for connecting the electric wire 4 (see FIG. 16 ). The round hole 3b of the round crimp terminal 3 is conventionally used to fasten a crimp terminal fastening screw, but in the first embodiment, it is used in a different manner.

[0012] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the circuit breaker 1 of the first embodiment with the terminal device 2 removed. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the circuit breaker 1 of the first embodiment with the terminal device 2 removed. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , a plurality of spaces E for inserting a plurality of terminal devices 2 are provided at both ends of the circuit breaker 1. Circuit breaker terminals 6 are provided at the bottom of these spaces E. As shown in FIG. 4 , the circuit breaker terminals 6 have a stepped shape and connect the terminal devices 2 inserted into the spaces E to an internal electric circuit (not shown) in the body of the circuit breaker 1. As shown in FIG. 3 , before the terminal devices 2 are fitted, a crimp terminal fastening screw 5 is fixed in a fixing screw hole 6b, which is a first hole of the circuit breaker terminal 6. After the crimp terminal fastening screw 5 is removed from the circuit breaker terminal 6, the terminal device 2 is installed on the circuit breaker terminal 6. The terminal device fixing screws 7 are inserted into the fixing screw holes 6b of the circuit breaker terminals 6 from the rear surface of the circuit breaker 1 and screwed into the terminal device 2, thereby attaching the terminal device 2 to the circuit breaker 1.

[0013] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing components of the terminal device 2 of the circuit breaker 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a top view showing the configuration of the terminal fitting 8 of the terminal device 2 of the circuit breaker 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a side view showing the configuration of the terminal fitting 8 of the terminal device 2 of the circuit breaker 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a side view showing the configuration of the terminal device 2 of the circuit breaker 1 according to the first embodiment, showing a state before the operation lever 16 is rotated. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the terminal device 2 of the circuit breaker 1 according to the first embodiment, taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the terminal device 2 of the circuit breaker 1 according to the first embodiment, taken along line XX in FIG. 8. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the terminal device 2 of the circuit breaker 1 according to the first embodiment, taken along line XI-XI in FIG. 8. FIG. 12 is a side view showing the configuration of the terminal device 2 of the circuit breaker 1 according to the first embodiment, showing a state after the operation lever 16 is rotated. Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the terminal device 2 of the circuit breaker 1 of the first embodiment, taken along line XIII-XIII in Fig. 12. Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the terminal device 2 of the circuit breaker 1 of the first embodiment, taken along line XIV-XIV in Fig. 12. Fig. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the terminal device 2 of the circuit breaker 1 of the first embodiment, taken along line XV-XV in Fig. 12.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 5, the terminal device 2 has a terminal fitting 8, a rod spring 9, a rod 10, a spacer 11, two cover screws 12a and 12b, a cover 13, a wire spring 14, an operating shaft 15, and an operating lever 16. In addition to the components of the terminal device 2, Fig. 5 also shows a circuit breaker terminal 6 and a terminal device fixing screw 7 to which the components of the terminal device 2 are fixed.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the terminal fitting 8 has a connection plate 8a, a fixing portion 8b, a pressing spring piece 8c, and a side plate 8d.

[0016] The fixing portion 8b is a plate body fixed to the circuit breaker terminal 6 so as to face the circuit breaker terminal 6, and has a fixing screw hole 8b1, two cover screw holes 8b2 and 8b3, and an operating shaft hole 8b4. The terminal device fixing screw 7 is screwed into the fixing screw hole 8b1. The cover screws 12a and 12b are screwed into the two cover screw holes 8b2 and 8b3. The lower end of the operating shaft 15 is inserted into the operating shaft hole 8b4.

[0017] The connecting plate 8a has a base 8a1 that stands upright from the fixed portion 8b, and a connecting portion 8a2 that is cantilevered by the base 8a1 and protrudes laterally from the base 8a1. The connecting portion 8a2 is provided with a round hole 8a3 as a second round hole. The round hole 8a3 is provided with an engaging portion that protrudes from the tip of the rod 10. (Latching part) The connecting portion 8a2 is brought into contact with the connecting portion 3a of the round crimp terminal 3 on a plane parallel to the side surface 1a of the body of the circuit breaker 1 (see FIG. 1).

[0018] The pressure spring piece 8c is a leaf spring formed integrally with the connection plate 8a. It has a flexible portion 8c1 extending in a U-shape and a pressing portion 8c2 extending from the flexible portion 8c1 toward its tip. The pressing portion 8c2 has a central space to ensure space for the rod 10 to rotate. The connection portion 3a of the round crimp terminal 3 is inserted between the connection portion 8a2 and the pressing portion 8c2. A pair of wire spring grooves 8c3 into which the wire spring 14 is fitted is formed at the base end of the flexible portion 8c1 of the pressure spring piece 8c. The flexible portion 8c1 is elastically deformed and biased in a direction that presses the pressing portion 8c2 against the round crimp terminal 3 and the connection portion 8a2. The side plate 8d extends from the fixed portion 8b.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 5, the rod spring 9 is a torsion coil spring and includes a coil spring portion 9a, a first fixed portion 9b, and a second fixed portion 9c. The rod 10 includes an engagement portion 10a, a lever portion 10b, an operating shaft abutment portion 10c, a cover screw hole 10d, and a spring hole 10e. As shown in FIG. 10, the rod 10 rotates between a first position where the engagement portion 10a is inserted into the circular hole 8a3 of the connecting portion 8a2, and a second position where the engagement portion 10a is removed from the circular hole 8a3 of the connecting portion 8a2, as shown in FIG. 14. The engagement portion 10a protrudes from the tip of the lever portion 10b and has a cylindrical shape. The engagement portion 10a is not limited to a cylindrical shape and may be polygonal. As described above, the engagement portion 10a is inserted into the circular hole 8a3 of the connecting portion 8a2. The operating shaft abutment portion 10c protrudes from the lever portion 10b in the opposite direction to the engagement portion 10a. The operating shaft abutment portion 10c transmits the rotation of the operating shaft 15 to the lever portion 10b. A cover screw 12a passing through the coil spring portion 9a of the rod spring 9 is inserted into the cover screw hole 10d. The bent tip of the first fixing portion 9b of the rod spring 9 is inserted into the spring hole 10e to fix one end of the rod spring 9. The second fixing portion 9c of the rod spring 9 abuts against the cover screw 12b, as shown in FIG. 9 . The spacer 11 is sandwiched between the cover screw hole 8b2 of the fixing portion 8b of the terminal fitting 8 and the cover screw hole 10d of the rod 10, ensuring a space between the fixing portion 8b and the rod 10. The spacer 11 is cylindrical, and the cover screw 12a is inserted into the spacer 11.

[0020] The cover 13 has cover screw holes 13a and 13b into which the cover screws 12a and 12b are inserted, and an operating shaft hole 13c into which the upper end portion 15c of the operating shaft 15 is inserted.

[0021] The operating lever 16 is press-fitted into a hole formed at the upper end of the operating shaft 15. The operating shaft 15 has two wire spring contact portions 15b at the top and bottom, against which the wire spring 14 contacts to open and close the wire spring 14. The operating shaft 15 also has a rod contact portion 15a between the two wire spring contact portions 15b, which opens and closes the rod 10. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 15, the wire spring contact portion 15b has a semi-cylindrical shape (D-cut shape). As shown in FIGS. 10 and 14, the rod contact portion 15a has a semi-cylindrical shape (D-cut shape). The wire spring contact portion 15b and the rod contact portion 15a have the same semi-cylindrical shape, but the angular positions of the D-cut portions are different. The upper end portion 15c of the operating shaft 15 has a stepped structure with a smaller diameter than the other portions and is inserted into the operating shaft hole 13c of the cover 13.

[0022] The wire spring 14 has a base end portion 14a, an intermediate portion 14b, and a tip pressing portion 14c. The wire spring 14 is a spring that reinforces the pressing force of the pressure spring piece 8c against the connection plate 8a of the terminal fitting 8. The wire spring 14 is attached so as to surround the terminal fitting 8 and the operating shaft 15 in a state in which it is elastically deformed according to the required reinforcing load. The intermediate portion 14b of the wire spring 14 fits into the wire spring groove 8c3, and the tip pressing portion 14c of the wire spring 14 abuts against the wire spring abutment portion 15b of the operating shaft 15. As shown in FIG. 11, the wire spring 14 is in a first state in which it presses the pressing portion 8c2 of the pressure spring piece 8c toward the connection portion 8a2, and as shown in FIG. 15, it is in a second state in which it releases the pressure on the pressing portion 8c2.

[0023] The circuit breaker terminal 6 includes a terminal device-side terminal 6a and a main body-side terminal 6e. The terminal device 2 is installed and attached to the terminal device-side terminal 6a. The main body-side terminal 6e is connected to an internal electric circuit (not shown) in the main body of the circuit breaker 1. The terminal device-side terminal 6a has a fixing screw hole 6b into which a terminal device fixing screw 7 is inserted.

[0024] Next, the procedure for assembling the terminal device 2 will be described. The spacer 11, cover screw hole 10d of the rod 10, and rod spring 9 are placed over the cover screw hole 8b2 of the fixed portion 8b of the terminal fitting 8 to which the wire spring 14 is attached. Furthermore, the operating shaft 15 is placed over the operating shaft hole 8b4 of the fixed portion 8b of the terminal fitting 8. The cover 13 is placed over the connecting plate 8a and side plate 8d. The cover 13 is placed so that the operating shaft hole 13c is positioned over the operating shaft 15 and the cover screw hole 13a is positioned over the rod spring 9. Cover screw 12a is screwed into cover screw hole 13a of cover 13, coil spring portion 9a of rod spring 9, cover screw hole 10d of rod 10, spacer 11, and cover screw hole 8b2 of fixed portion 8b, and cover screw 12b is screwed into cover screw hole 13b of cover 13 and cover screw hole 8b3 of fixed portion 8b, and spacer 11, rod 10, rod spring 9, cover 13, and operating shaft 15 are positioned between terminal fitting 8 with wire spring 14 attached and cover 13. Operating lever 16 is press-fitted into operating shaft 15.

[0025] Next, the operation of the terminal device 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 15. First, the state before the operating lever 16 of the terminal device 2 is rotated will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 11. Before the operating lever 16 is rotated, the terminal device 2 is in a state for engaging the round crimp terminal 3. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the rod 10 is biased clockwise around the cover screw 12a by the rod spring 9. Furthermore, the flat portion of the rod abutment portion 15a of the operating shaft 15 abuts against the operating shaft abutment portion 10c of the rod 10, and the rod 10 is not subjected to force from the operating shaft 15. Therefore, the engaging portion 10a of the rod 10 is inserted into the round hole 8a3 of the connecting portion 8a2 of the connecting plate 8a by the biasing force of the rod spring 9.

[0026] 11, before the operating lever 16 is rotated, the flat portion of the wire spring abutment portion 15b of the operating shaft 15 abuts against the tip pressing portion 14c of the wire spring 14, and the wire spring 14 does not receive any force from the operating shaft 15. Therefore, the pressing portion 8c2 of the presser spring piece 8c is pressed toward the connecting portion 8a2 of the connecting plate 8a by the urging force of the wire spring 14, and the pressing portion 8c2 and the connecting portion 8a2 are in a positional relationship close to each other.

[0027] Next, the state after the operating lever 16 of the terminal device 2 has rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise will be described with reference to Figures 12 to 15. When the operating lever 16 rotates 90 degrees counterclockwise, the operating shaft 15 also rotates 90 degrees counterclockwise. As a result, the arc portion of the rod abutment portion 15a of the operating shaft 15 abuts against the operating shaft abutment portion 10c of the rod 10, and the rod abutment portion 15a presses the operating shaft abutment portion 10c. As a result, the rod 10 rotates counterclockwise around the cover screw 12a against the biasing force of the rod spring 9, and the engaging portion 10a of the rod 10 comes out of the round hole 8a3 of the connecting portion 8a2 of the connecting plate 8a. Therefore, the terminal device 2 is ready to insert the round crimp terminal 3. At this time, the arcuate portion of wire spring abutment portion 15b of operating shaft 15 comes into contact with tip pressing portion 14c of wire spring 14, pressing tip pressing portion 14c in the direction in which wire spring 14 opens. This reduces the force with which wire spring 14 presses pressing portion 8c2 of terminal fitting 8 in the closing direction, and pressing portion 8c2 and connecting portion 8a2 open. This reduces the frictional force when inserting round crimp terminal 3.

[0028] When the round crimp terminal 3 is connected to the terminal device 2, the operating lever 16 is rotated 90 degrees clockwise to return the terminal device 2 to its original state shown in Figures 8 to 11, thereby inserting the engagement portion 10a of the rod 10 into the round hole 8a3 of the connection portion 8a2 of the connection plate 8a, and the wire spring 14 presses the pressing portion 8c2 of the pressure spring piece 8c toward the connection portion 8a2 of the connection plate 8a.

[0029] According to the terminal device 2 of the first embodiment, the connection portion 8a2 of the terminal fitting 8, to which the connection portion 3a of the round crimp terminal 3 is connected, is formed as a flat surface parallel to the side surface 1a of the body of the circuit breaker 1. The connection portion 8a2 and the pressing portion 8c2 of the terminal fitting 8, to which the connection portion 3a of the round crimp terminal 3 is connected, protrude laterally from the fixing portion 8b of the terminal fitting 8. The upper side of the connection portion 8a2, which is the operation surface side of the body of the circuit breaker 1, the lower side of the connection portion 8a2, which is the bottom surface side of the body of the circuit breaker 1, and the power supply side or load side, which are the lateral sides of the connection portion 8a2, are open. This allows the round crimp terminal 3 to be inserted from any direction between the upper side of the connection portion 8a2 and the lower side of the connection portion 8a2. This allows the round crimp terminal 3 to be fixed without using the crimp terminal fastening screw 5, thereby reducing restrictions on the insertion direction of the round crimp terminal 3.

[0030] FIG. 16 is a side view showing a state in which the round crimp terminal 3 is inserted from above into the terminal device 2 of the circuit breaker 1 of the first embodiment. FIG. 17 is a side view showing a state in which the round crimp terminal 3 is inserted from below into the terminal device 2 of the circuit breaker 1 of the first embodiment. FIG. 18 is a side view showing a state in which the round crimp terminal 3 is inserted from multiple lateral directions into the terminal device 2 of the circuit breaker 1 of the first embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 16 to 18 , the terminal device 2 of the first embodiment allows the round crimp terminal 3 to be inserted from any direction from above the connection portion 8a2 to below the connection portion 8a2. In particular, as shown in FIG. 16 , when the round crimp terminal 3 is inserted from above, the round crimp terminal 3 can be inserted from an open space on the operation surface side of the main body of the circuit breaker 1 without having to secure a space for firmly gripping the electric wire 4 or a space for releasing the electric wire 4, which are required when inserting the round crimp terminal 3 from the power source side or the load side. Therefore, particularly when using thick electric wires 4 that are difficult to bend freely, it is expected that the panel on which the circuit breaker 1 is installed will be smaller and work efficiency will be improved. Also, as shown in Figure 17, when the round crimp terminal 3 is inserted from below, it is possible to connect the back surface, which previously required a dedicated connection terminal, without using the crimp terminal tightening screw 5. Also, as shown in Figure 18, because the round crimp terminal 3 can be inserted from multiple directions from the side, it is possible to connect the electric wires 4 from a direction that is appropriate for the surrounding conditions where the circuit breaker 1 is installed, and work efficiency is expected to be improved.

[0031] Furthermore, according to the terminal device 2 of the first embodiment, the rod 10 functions as a retainer for the round crimp terminal 3, and the retainer spring piece 8c having the pressing portion 8c2 for pressing the round crimp terminal 3 is provided separately from the rod 10 as a retainer. This makes it possible to apply the device to applications requiring a larger pull-out load or contact pressure, and to accommodate the connection of round crimp terminals of a wide range of thicknesses.

[0032] Furthermore, according to the terminal device 2 of the first embodiment, after the round crimp terminal 3 is connected, the round crimp terminal 3 can be rotated around the engaging portion 10a of the rod 10 as an axis. This allows for easy fine adjustment of the angle of the electric wire 4, and is expected to improve the degree of freedom in the layout on the panel when there are differences in the height of devices on the panel on which the circuit breaker 1 is installed.

[0033] Furthermore, according to the terminal device 2 of the first embodiment, the terminal device 2 is fixed by inserting the terminal device fixing screw 7 from the back side of the circuit breaker 1, so that it is possible to prevent the terminal device 2 from being inadvertently removed after the circuit breaker 1 is installed on the panel. Furthermore, even if the circuit breaker terminal 6 has a screw hole to be used as the crimp terminal fastening screw 5, the screw hole is used as a through hole, so there is no need to change the shape of the circuit breaker terminal 6.

[0034] Furthermore, according to the terminal device 2 of the first embodiment, as shown in Fig. 3, the circuit breaker terminal 6 is provided with a fixing screw hole 6b for fixing the crimp terminal fastening screw 5. Therefore, by removing the terminal device 2 from the circuit breaker terminal 6, it can be used as a general circuit breaker compatible with the crimp terminal fastening screw 5. Fig. 19 is a perspective view showing the state in which the round crimp terminal 3 is connected to the circuit breaker 1 of the first embodiment using the crimp terminal fastening screw 5. As shown in Fig. 19, the circuit breaker 1 of the first embodiment can also be used as a general circuit breaker compatible with the crimp terminal fastening screw 5.

[0035] Furthermore, according to the terminal device 2 of the first embodiment, the wire spring 14 fixed to the terminal fitting 8 presses the pressing portion 8c2 of the presser spring piece 8c. This ensures the necessary pressing force on the connection portion 8a2 regardless of the material or shape of the terminal fitting 8. Furthermore, by preparing a plurality of wire springs 14 with different materials, wire diameters, or heat treatments, a wider range of pressing forces can be accommodated. FIG. 20 is a side view showing a state in which a round crimp terminal compatible with a thin electric wire is connected to the circuit breaker 1 of the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 20, the terminal device 2 of the first embodiment can be adapted to both a round crimp terminal compatible with a thin electric wire and a round crimp terminal compatible with a thick electric wire by using the wire spring 14, thereby enabling a wider range of pressing forces to be accommodated.

[0036] Furthermore, according to the terminal device 2 of the first embodiment, the rod 10 and the wire spring 14 are driven by the operating shaft 15, so that the rod 10 and the wire spring 14 can be rotated by the required angle without directly touching them, preventing deformation of the rod 10 and the wire spring 14 due to excessive operation or damage to surrounding components due to contact with them. Furthermore, because the operating lever 16, whose rotation angle can be visually confirmed from the operating surface side of the circuit breaker 1, is connected to the operating shaft 15, it is possible to recognize that the rod 10 has been left closed, and when a load is applied in the direction that opens the terminal device 2 due to vibration or the like, it is possible to easily recognize that the rod 10 has moved, thereby preventing an accident in which the round crimp terminal 3 is accidentally pulled out.

[0037] In the above description, the terminal fitting 8 is configured with the connecting plate 8a, the fixed portion 8b, the pressure spring piece 8c, and the side plate 8d, but the terminal fitting 8 only needs to have at least the connecting plate 8a and the fixed portion 8b, and the pressure spring piece 8c and the side plate 8d may be configured as separate parts. Also, the connecting portion 8a2 and the pressing portion 8c2 of the terminal fitting 8 do not necessarily have to protrude laterally from the fixed portion 8b, but only need to extend from the fixed portion 8b.

[0038] In the above description, the terminal fitting 8 is configured so that the upper side of the connecting portion 8a2, the lower side of the connecting portion 8a2, and the lateral side of the connecting portion 8a2 (the power supply side or the load side) are open, but either or both of the upper side and the lower side of the connecting portion 8a2 and the lateral side of the connecting portion 8a2 (the power supply side or the load side) may be open so that the round crimp terminal 3 can be inserted from the opening direction. That is, any of a first pattern in which the upper and lateral sides of the connecting portion 8a2 are open, a second pattern in which the lower and lateral sides of the connecting portion 8a2 are open, and a third pattern in which the upper, lower, and lateral sides of the connecting portion 8a2 are open may be employed.

[0039] Embodiment 2 21 is a perspective view showing a circuit breaker according to embodiment 2. In embodiment 2, the operating lever 16 is not connected to the operating shaft 15, and a tool insertion hole 15d for inserting a turning operation tool 17 is provided at the tip of the operating shaft 15. The other configurations are the same as those of embodiment 1, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0040] According to the circuit breaker 1 of the second embodiment, when the turning tool 17 is inserted, the rod 10 and the wire spring 14 can be opened and closed in the open space on the operating surface side of the circuit breaker 1. In the method of using spring material to ensure the contact pressure of the round crimp terminal 3, as in the first and second embodiments, periodic retightening is not required, and it is expected that there will be almost no need to remove the round crimp terminal 3. In the second embodiment, after the turning tool 17 is removed, it is possible to prevent inadvertent operation of the operating shaft 15.

[0041] The configurations shown in the above embodiments are examples of the contents of the present disclosure, and may be combined with other known technologies, and parts of the configurations may be omitted or modified within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 1 circuit breaker, 1a side, 2 terminal device, 3 round crimp terminal, 3a, 8a2 connection portion, 3b round hole, 3c barrel portion, 4 electric wire, 5 crimp terminal tightening screw, 6 circuit breaker terminal, 6a terminal device side terminal, 6b, 8b1 fixing screw hole, 6e main body side terminal, 7 terminal device fixing screw, 8 terminal fitting, 8a connection plate, 8a1 base, 8a3 round hole, 8b fixing portion, 8b2, 8b3, 10d, 13a, 13b cover screw hole, 8b4, 13c operation shaft hole, 8c pressing spring piece, 8c1 deflection portion, 8c2 pressing portion, 8c3 wire spring groove, 8d side plate, 9 rod spring, 9a coil spring portion, 9b first fixing portion, 9c second fixing portion, 10 rod, 10a Engagement portion, 10b lever portion, 10c operating shaft abutment portion, 10e spring hole, 11 spacer, 12a, 12b cover screws, 13 cover, 14 wire spring, 14a base end portion, 14b middle portion, 14c tip pressing portion, 15 operating shaft, 15a rod abutment portion, 15b wire spring abutment portion, 15c upper end portion, 15d tool insertion hole, 16 operating lever, 17 tool for rotating operation, E space.

Claims

1. a terminal fitting including: a fixing portion fixed to the circuit breaker terminal so as to face the circuit breaker terminal; and a connecting portion to be connected to a round crimp terminal having a first round hole, the connecting portion extending from the fixing portion and having a second round hole in a plane parallel to a side surface of the circuit breaker body; a pressure spring piece having a pressing portion that presses the connected round crimp terminal against the connection portion; a rod having a lever portion and a locking portion provided at a tip of the lever portion, the rod rotating between a first position where the locking portion is inserted into the second round hole and a second position where the locking portion is removed from the second round hole; a terminal device including: the connecting portion of the terminal fitting, the pressing portion of the pressure spring piece, and the lever portion and the locking portion of the rod are exposed and directly visible; The round crimp terminal can be inserted from either one or both of the upper and lower sides of the connection part and the power supply side or the load side of the connection part. A circuit breaker characterized by:

2. A terminal fitting having a fixing part fixed to a circuit breaker terminal so as to face the circuit breaker terminal, and a connecting part connected to a round crimp terminal having a first round hole, the connecting part extending from the fixing part and having a second round hole in a plane parallel to the side of the circuit breaker body; a pressure spring piece having a pressing portion that presses the connected round crimp terminal against the connection portion; a rod having a locking portion, the rod being rotatable between a first position where the locking portion is inserted into the second round hole and a second position where the locking portion is removed from the second round hole; a terminal device including: The connecting portion has an opening at one or both of an upper side and a lower side and a power supply side or a load side of the connecting portion, and the round crimp terminal can be inserted from the opening direction, After the round crimp terminal is connected and the locking portion is inserted into the first round hole and the second round hole, the round crimp terminal is rotatable around the locking portion of the rod. A circuit breaker characterized by:

3. A terminal fitting having a fixing part fixed to a circuit breaker terminal so as to face the circuit breaker terminal, and a connecting part connected to a round crimp terminal having a first round hole, the connecting part extending from the fixing part and having a second round hole in a plane parallel to the side of the circuit breaker body; a pressure spring piece having a pressing portion that presses the connected round crimp terminal against the connection portion; a rod having a locking portion, the rod being rotatable between a first position where the locking portion is inserted into the second round hole and a second position where the locking portion is removed from the second round hole; a terminal device including: The connecting portion has an opening at one or both of an upper side and a lower side and a power supply side or a load side of the connecting portion, and the round crimp terminal can be inserted from the opening direction, The terminal fitting is provided with a wire spring that assumes a first state in which the pressing portion is pressed toward the connecting portion. A circuit breaker characterized by:

4. The locking portion of the rod is biased by a spring in a direction from the second position toward the first position.

2. The circuit breaker of claim 1.

5. an operating shaft for rotating the rod between the first position and the second position; 2. The circuit breaker of claim 1.

6. An operating shaft is provided for moving the wire spring between the first state and a second state in which the wire spring is released from pressing against the pressing portion.

4. The circuit breaker according to claim 3.

7. A terminal fitting having a fixing part fixed to a circuit breaker terminal so as to face the circuit breaker terminal, and a connecting part connected to a round crimp terminal having a first round hole, the connecting part extending from the fixing part and having a second round hole in a plane parallel to the side of the circuit breaker body; a pressure spring piece having a pressing portion that presses the connected round crimp terminal against the connection portion; a rod having a locking portion, the rod being rotatable between a first position where the locking portion is inserted into the second round hole and a second position where the locking portion is removed from the second round hole; a terminal device including: The connecting portion has an opening at one or both of an upper side and a lower side and a power supply side or a load side of the connecting portion, and the round crimp terminal can be inserted from the opening direction, The fixing portion of the terminal device is detachably fixed by a screw from the rear surface side of the circuit breaker body using the first hole of the circuit breaker terminal. A circuit breaker characterized by:

8. The first hole of the circuit breaker terminal is a screw hole for fixing a crimp terminal fastening screw from the operation surface side of the circuit breaker body.

8. The circuit breaker of claim 7.

9. A terminal fitting having a fixing part fixed to a circuit breaker terminal so as to face the circuit breaker terminal, and a connecting part connected to a round crimp terminal having a first round hole, the connecting part extending from the fixing part and having a second round hole in a plane parallel to the side of the circuit breaker body; a pressure spring piece having a pressing portion that presses the connected round crimp terminal against the connection portion; a rod having a locking portion, the rod being rotatable between a first position where the locking portion is inserted into the second round hole and a second position where the locking portion is removed from the second round hole; a terminal device including: The connecting portion has an opening at one or both of an upper side and a lower side and a power supply side or a load side of the connecting portion, and the round crimp terminal can be inserted from the opening direction, an operating shaft that rotates the rod between the first position and the second position; A circuit breaker characterized in that an operating lever, the rotation angle of which can be visually observed from the operating surface side of the circuit breaker body, is connected to the operating shaft.

10. 6. The circuit breaker according to claim 5, wherein the operating shaft has a tool insertion hole, and a tool for rotating the operating shaft can be attached to and detached from the tool insertion hole.

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