Circuit breaker connector

Abstract

To provide a circuit breaker connector capable of wire connection processing in a large space of a distribution board before assembling a circuit breaker.SOLUTION: A circuit breaker connector has a first branch unit 4a that has a terminal fitting 41 connected to a secondary side terminal 32 on a branch breaker 3 and is mounted to the branch breaker 3 and a second branch unit 4b that has a wire connecting portion 44 to which a branch wiring 9 is connected and is attached to a housing 10 of a distribution board 1. The first branching unit 4a and the second branching unit 4b have a connecting part for connecting them to each other. By connecting them, the terminal fitting 41 and the wire connecting portion 44 are electrically connected to each other. By assembling the branch breaker 3 with the first branch unit 4a to the distribution board 1, a connecting portion 43 of a second branch unit 4b attached to the housing 10 is connected to a connecting portion 42 of the first branch unit 4a. Thereby, the branch wiring 9 is connected to the secondary-side terminal 32 of the branch breaker 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a circuit breaker connector interposed when connecting an electric wire to a secondary side terminal of a circuit breaker.

Background Art

[0002] Among circuit breakers, a branch breaker is configured such that a primary side terminal is connected to a main electric path such as a copper bar connected to a main breaker and assembled in a distribution board, and a secondary side terminal is a quick-connect terminal for inserting and connecting an electric wire which is a branch wiring, and such a configuration has become widespread. For the connection of the electric wire which is the branch wiring of this branch breaker, after pulling the electric wire into the distribution board through an opening provided in the back of the distribution board, it is routed to the branch breaker to be connected and then connected. At that time, for a branch breaker with a downward-facing secondary side terminal in the assembled state in the distribution board, the tip of the electric wire was connected with the tip facing upward. Also, for a branch breaker with an upward-facing secondary side terminal, the tip of the electric wire was connected with the tip facing downward (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the conventional electric wire connection form of the above branch breaker, even if a large opening for inserting or routing the electric wire is formed in the back of the distribution board, most of the opening is blocked by the branch breaker or the base at the stage of assembling the branch breaker, making it difficult to pull in and connect the electric wire. Furthermore, if the branch circuit breaker at the connection point was far from where the wire was brought in, the wire had to be longer, requiring a larger amount of excess wire length. In addition, although voltage testing was performed after connecting the wires, the voltage test port was located near the secondary terminal, and the connected wires got in the way, making the voltage testing process difficult.

[0005] Therefore, in view of these problems, the present invention aims to provide a circuit breaker connector that enables the routing and connection of electrical wires in the spacious area of ​​a distribution board before the circuit breaker is installed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above problems, the circuit breaker connector according to claim 1 comprises a first unit that is attached to a circuit breaker and has terminal fittings connected to the secondary terminals of the circuit breaker, It has a second unit which is attached to the housing of a distribution board and has a wire connection part to which electric wires are connected, The first unit and the second unit have a connecting portion that connects them to each other, and by connecting them, an electrical connection is made between the terminal fitting and the wire connection portion. By assembling the circuit breaker with the first unit attached to the distribution board, the connecting portion of the second unit, which is attached to a predetermined part of the housing, and the connecting portion of the first unit are connected, and electric wires are connected to the secondary terminals of the circuit breaker. Re, The first unit has a voltage detection port on the back of the surface on which the terminal fittings are provided, for performing voltage detection. It is characterized by the following. With this configuration, if the second unit is attached to the distribution board housing before the circuit breaker is installed and the wires are connected, the wires will be connected to the circuit breaker when the circuit breaker is subsequently installed in the distribution board. Therefore, the wiring and connection work can be done in the spacious area before the circuit breaker is installed in the distribution board. In addition, voltage testing can be performed even if the secondary terminal of the circuit breaker is blocked by the first unit. Moreover, since the wires are connected to the second unit, there are no wires around the voltage testing port, making the voltage testing work easier.

[0007] The invention of claim 2 is characterized in that, in the configuration described in claim 1, the circuit breaker is configured to have three terminals consisting of two voltage poles and a neutral pole, the terminal fitting of the first unit has two terminals that connect to two specific terminals among the three terminals of the secondary side terminal of the circuit breaker, and the wire connection part of the second unit is configured to have two wire connection parts corresponding to the two terminals of the terminal fitting. With this configuration, by attaching one first unit to a circuit breaker, two specific terminals are selected and connected to the wires. Therefore, there is no need to select one of the three terminals when connecting the wires to the distribution board, and the wire connection work is simplified.

[0009] Claim 3 The present invention is characterized in that, in the configuration described in claim 1 or 2, the second unit has multiple rows of connecting portions and wire connection portions spaced apart from each other, and allows for the connection of multiple first units when they are mounted on a circuit breaker. With this configuration, the second unit requires fewer parts than the first unit, reducing the number of components and installation time.

[0010] Claim 4 The present invention is characterized in that, in the configuration described in claim 1 or 2, the terminal fitting connected to the circuit breaker of the first unit and the wire connection part connecting the wires of the second unit are facing the same direction. With this configuration, the terminal fittings and the wire connection part are in the same direction, so the wires connected to the wire connection part are routed in the opposite direction to the direction in which they are directly connected to the circuit breaker. Therefore, the wires pulled in from the back of the distribution board can be connected smoothly, eliminating the need to route and connect the wires in the narrow space next to the circuit breaker as in conventional systems. Furthermore, "same direction" includes not only exactly the same direction but also approximately the same direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, if the second unit is attached to the housing of the distribution board before assembling the circuit breaker and the electric wire is connected, then when the circuit breaker is assembled to the distribution board afterwards, the electric wire is connected to the circuit breaker. Therefore, the routing and connection process of the electric wire can be performed in the wide space before assembling the circuit breaker to the distribution board.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012] [Figure 1] An example of the circuit breaker connector according to the present invention is shown, and a perspective view of the distribution board assembled together with the circuit breaker to the distribution board housing is shown. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view of the distribution board with the base on which the circuit breaker of FIG. 1 is assembled separated from the distribution board housing. [Figure 3] It is a view of extracting the group of branch breakers in the upper stage of FIG. 1, and a part of the branch connectors connected to the branch breakers is shown together. [Figure 4] A state where the first branch unit and the second branch unit are separated is shown, (a) is a perspective view seen from the angle shown in FIG. 1, and (b) is a perspective view seen from the opposite direction. [Figure 5] The position of the terminal fitting of the first branch unit is shown, (a) shows a configuration including terminal fittings for the first voltage pole and the neutral pole, and (b) shows a configuration including terminal fittings for the second voltage pole and the neutral pole. [Figure 6] The internal structure of the first branch unit is shown, (a) is a plan view, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A, and (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B. [Figure 7] It is a perspective view of the circuit fitting disposed inside the first branch unit. [Figure 8] It is a perspective view of extracting the first main unit of the main breaker and the main connector, and the first main unit is shown separated. [Figure 9] A state where the first main unit and the second main unit are separated is shown, (a) is a perspective view seen from the angle shown in FIG. 8, and (b) is a perspective view seen from the opposite direction.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1 and 2 show an example of a circuit breaker connector according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a distribution board assembled with a circuit breaker in a housing of the distribution board, and FIG. 2 shows a state in which a circuit breaker unit assembled with the circuit breaker on a base is separated from the housing of the distribution board. Note that the door closing the front surface of the distribution board is omitted. In the housing 10 of the distribution board 1, a main breaker 2 which is a circuit breaker and a plurality of branch breakers 3 which are also circuit breakers are assembled.

[0014] A branch connector 4 as a circuit breaker connector is connected to the secondary side terminal 32 (shown in FIG. 3) of the branch breaker 3, and an electric wire of a branch wiring 9 is connected to the secondary side terminal 22 through this branch connector 4 as will be described later. Also, a main connector 5 as a circuit breaker connector is connected to the primary side terminal 21 of the main breaker 2, and an electric wire of an incoming line 8 is connected to the primary side terminal through this main connector 5 as will be described later.

[0015] The branch connector 4 is composed of a first branch unit (first unit) 4a attached to the branch breaker 3 and a second branch unit (second unit) 4b attached to the housing 10 of the distribution board 1. The main connector 5 is composed of a first main unit (first unit) 5a attached to the main breaker 2 and a second main unit (second unit) 5b attached to the housing 10 of the distribution board 1.

[0016] And, as shown in FIG. 2, the branch wiring 9 is connected to the second branch unit 4b attached to the housing 10. Also, the incoming line 8 is connected to the second main unit 5b attached to the housing 10. By this connection, the connection of the branch wiring 9 and the incoming line 8 to the distribution board 1 is completed.

[0017] Here, we will describe unit D, in which the main circuit breaker 2 and branch circuit breakers 3 are assembled on a base 11. In unit D, the main circuit breaker 2, branch circuit breakers 3, and a main breaker bar 12 made of copper bar connecting the main circuit breaker 2 and branch circuit breakers 3 are assembled on a base 11 made of metal plate. However, the main breaker bar 12 is covered with a protective cover 13. When this unit D is assembled into the housing 10, the main breaker 2 and the incoming wire 8 are connected at the same time, and the branch breaker 3 and the branch wiring 9 are connected.

[0018] The service drop 8 is a single-phase three-wire circuit with two voltage phases (voltage poles) L1 and L2 and a neutral phase (neutral pole) N. The primary side terminal 21 and secondary side terminal 22 of the main breaker 2 are composed of three terminals, and the main breaker bar 12 is composed of three copper bars. Then, two specific copper bars are selected and connected to the primary terminal of branch breaker 3. By selecting two of the three copper bars, 100V / 200V is selected and output to branch wiring 9 connected to the secondary side.

[0019] Figure 3 is a diagram showing the group of branch breakers 3 in the upper section of Figure 1, along with the first branch unit 4a which forms part of the branch connector 4 connected to the branch breaker 3. However, one of the first branch units 4a is shown in a removed state. As shown in Figure 3, the branch breaker 3 has a primary side terminal 31 formed with three recesses, and is configured to grip and connect to the inserted main breaker bar 12. Terminal fittings are placed in two of the three recesses and connected to the main breaker bar 12. Furthermore, the secondary terminal 32 has three terminals, but the unused terminals are covered by a cover member 33, leaving the two terminals that are used exposed. This secondary terminal 32 is made up of quick-connect terminals.

[0020] Furthermore, the branch breaker 3 with the first branch unit 4a shown in Figure 3 removed has the secondary terminal 32 of the neutral pole N blocked, and the secondary terminals 32 of the two voltage poles L1 and L2 are used, meaning it is configured to branch out 200V. The corresponding first branch unit 4a also has terminal fittings 41, which will be described later, arranged to connect to the secondary terminals 32 of the two voltage poles L1 and L2.

[0021] Next, we will specifically describe the branch connector 4 of the circuit breaker connector. Figure 4 shows the branching connector 4 alone with the first branching unit 4a and the second branching unit 4b separated, where (a) is a perspective view from the angle shown in Figure 1 and (b) is a perspective view from the opposite direction. Figure 5 shows the position of the terminal fittings of the first branching unit 4a, where (a) shows a configuration with terminal fittings 41 for the first voltage pole L1 and the neutral pole N, and (b) shows a configuration with terminal fittings 41 for the second voltage pole L2 and the neutral pole N. Figure 4 shows a configuration that includes terminal fittings 41 connected to the first voltage pole L1 and the neutral pole N.

[0022] The terminal fitting 41 provided on the first branch unit 4a is formed with a pair of rod-shaped protrusions that can be connected to the secondary terminal 32, which consists of quick-connect terminals of the branch breaker 3. On the other hand, the connecting portion 42 with the second branch unit 4b is formed in a female type with a recess. Furthermore, a voltage detection port 4c is provided on the side opposite to the side where the terminal fittings 41 are located. These voltage detection ports 4c are provided for each terminal fitting 41 and are arranged in pairs.

[0023] As described above, the first branch unit 4a is formed independently for each branch breaker 3, but the second branch unit 4b has multiple rows of connecting parts to the first branch unit 4a, as shown in Figure 4. The spacing of these connecting parts is arranged to match the width of the branch breaker 3 on which the first branch unit 4a is mounted. As a result, one second branch unit 4b is formed to correspond to multiple first branch units 4a mounted on branch breakers 3.

[0024] The connecting portion 43 of the second branch unit 4b is formed in a male shape with a protrusion, which consists of a connecting fitting 43a. This fitting is inserted into the connecting portion 42 formed in the recess of the first branch unit 4a to connect the two units and establish an electrical connection. In addition, each connecting portion 43 is provided with a wire connection portion 44 for connecting the branch wiring 9.

[0025] Figures 6 and 7 show the internal structure of the first branch unit 4a. Figure 6(a) is a plan view with the side where the voltage detection port 4c is located facing forward, Figure 6(b) is a cross-sectional view along line AA, Figure 6(c) is a cross-sectional view along line BB, and Figure 7 is a view of the electrical circuit fittings 45 installed inside the first branch unit 4a. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the connecting portion 42 and terminal fitting 41, which are formed in pairs, are connected internally by two circuit fittings 45 with corresponding poles. The connecting portion 42 has a gripping fitting 42a that grips the connecting fitting 43a which constitutes the protrusion of the inserted second branch unit 4b, and the circuit fitting 45 has a voltage detection fitting 45a that is exposed to the voltage detection port 4c in the middle.

[0026] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 4, the second branch unit 4b has a wire connection section 44 for connecting the branch wiring 9, and the surface on which the wire connection section 44 is located and the surface on which the connecting section 43 for connecting to the first branch unit 4a is located are formed to be approximately perpendicular to each other. That is, the protruding direction of the terminal fitting 41 of the first branch unit 4a and the wire connection section 44 of the second branch unit 4b are facing approximately the same direction. Furthermore, the connecting fitting 43a of the connecting section 43 and the wire connection section 44 each form a pair, and the corresponding poles are connected internally. The wire connection section 44 is a quick-connect terminal (not shown) that clamps the inserted wire (branch wiring 9) to make an electrical connection.

[0027] The second branch unit 4b is installed in accordance with its mounting position within the housing 10 of the branch breaker 3. More specifically, it is installed in a predetermined location in the housing 10 so as to be connected to the first branch unit 4a, which is mounted on the branch breaker 3. At that time, the wire connection part 44 is positioned toward the branch breaker 3 to which it is installed, and the branch wiring 9 is connected to the second branch unit 4b from the opposite direction to the connection direction of the secondary terminal 32 of the branch breaker 3. Then, when the branch breaker 3 is installed into the housing 10 of the distribution board 1, the connecting parts 42 and 43 on both sides are connected to each other, and the branch wiring 9 is connected to the branch breaker 3.

[0028] In this way, by attaching the second branch unit 4b to the housing 10 of the distribution board 1 before assembling the branch breaker 3, and connecting the wires of the branch wiring 9, the wires of the branch wiring 9 will be connected to the branch breaker 3 when the branch breaker 3 is subsequently assembled into the distribution board 1. Therefore, the wiring and connection work can be done in the spacious area before the branch breaker 3 is assembled into the distribution board 1. Furthermore, by attaching one first branch unit 4a to the branch breaker 3, two specific terminals of the secondary terminal 32 are selected simultaneously. Therefore, when connecting the branch wiring 9, which consists of two wires, to the wire connection part 44 of the second branch unit 4b, there is no need to select one of the three poles, and the wire connection work is simplified. Furthermore, even if the secondary terminal 32 of the branch breaker 3 is blocked by the first branch unit 4a, voltage testing can still be performed. Moreover, since the wires are connected to the second branch unit 4b, there are no wires around the voltage testing port 4c, making the voltage testing work easier. Furthermore, the second branching unit 4b requires fewer units than the first branching unit 4a, thus reducing the number of components and installation time. In addition, since the terminal fitting 41 and the wire connection part 44 are in the same direction, the wire connected to the wire connection part 44 is routed in the opposite direction to the direction of direct connection to the branch breaker 3. Therefore, the wires pulled in from the back of the distribution board 1 can be connected smoothly, and there is no need to route the wires in the narrow space next to the branch breaker 3 and connect them as in the conventional method.

[0029] In the above embodiment, the connection between the first branch unit 4a and the second branch unit 4b is made by insertion using a recess and a protrusion, but the connection between the connecting parts 42 and 43 may be in other forms, for example, they may be connected to each other by screw fastening using screw terminals. Furthermore, if the secondary terminal 32 of the branch breaker 3 is not a quick-connect terminal but is connected by screw fastening, then the terminal fitting 41 of the first branch unit 4a will also have a screw-fastening terminal shape. Furthermore, although the second branch unit 4b is configured to connect multiple first branch units 4a, it may also be configured independently for each branch breaker 3, similar to the first branch unit 4a.

[0030] Next, the main circuit breaker 2 and the main circuit connector 5 will be described. Figure 8 is a perspective view of the main circuit breaker 2 and the first main circuit unit 5a of the main circuit connector 5 from Figure 1, showing the first main circuit unit 5a separated. Figure 9 shows the separated main circuit connector 5, where (a) is a perspective view from the angle shown in Figure 8 and (b) is a perspective view from the opposite direction. The main circuit breaker 2 consists of three terminals used in a single-phase three-wire circuit, with the primary terminal 21 and secondary terminal 22 being screw-fastened terminals. However, the screws are omitted in the diagram. The first main unit 5a of the main connector 5 is connected to the primary terminal 21. The main bar 12 is connected to the secondary terminal 22.

[0031] The first main unit 5a has three terminal fittings 51 that connect to the primary side terminal 21 of the main breaker 2, and is connected by terminal screws (not shown). It also has a connecting portion 52 at its rear end that connects to the second main unit 5b. This connecting portion 52 has a recess and is formed in a female shape, and has a gripping fitting 52a inside that grips the connecting fitting 53a of the second main unit 5b, which will be described later, and the gripping fitting 52a and the terminal fittings 51 are connected within the unit.

[0032] On the other hand, the second main unit 5b includes a connecting section 53 that connects to the first main unit 5a and a wire connection section 54 to which the service drop wire is connected. The connecting section 53 has three protruding connecting fittings 53a and is formed in a male shape. The connecting section 53 and the wire connection section 54 are arranged in orthogonal directions and are connected to each other within the unit. In other words, the protruding direction of the terminal fitting 51 of the first main unit 5a and the wire connection portion 54 of the second main unit 5b are oriented in approximately the same direction.

[0033] The second main unit 5b is installed in a predetermined location within the housing 10 of the main breaker 2, in accordance with its assembly position. Specifically, it is installed in a predetermined location in the housing 10 so as to be connected to the first main unit 5a, in accordance with the position of the first main unit 5a which is mounted on the assembled main breaker 2. At this time, the wire connection section 54 is positioned parallel to the mounting surface of the housing 10, facing the back of the main breaker 2, and the incoming wire 8 is connected from the opposite direction to the connection direction of the primary side terminal 21 of the main breaker 2. Then, when the main breaker 2 is installed in the housing 10 of the distribution board 1, the connecting parts 52 and 53 of both are connected to each other, and the service drop wire 8 is connected to the main breaker 2.

[0034] In this way, by attaching the second main unit 5b to the housing 10 of the distribution board 1 before installing the main breaker 2, which is a circuit breaker, and connecting the wires of the service drop 8, the service drop 8 will be connected to the main breaker 2 when the main breaker 2 is installed in the distribution board 1. Therefore, the connection work of the service drop 8 can be performed in the spacious area before installing the main breaker 2 in the distribution board 1, making the connection work easier.

[0035] In the above embodiment, the connection between the first main unit 5a and the second main unit 5b is configured with a recess and a protrusion for insertion connection. However, the connection configuration of the connecting parts 52 and 53 may be other configurations. For example, they may be connected to each other by screw fastening using screw terminals. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0036] 1...Distribution board, 3...Branch breaker (circuit breaker), 4...Branch connector, 4a...First branch unit (first unit), 4b...Second branch unit (second unit), 4c...Voltage detection port, 9...Branch wiring (electric wire), 10...Housing, 31...Primary side terminal, 32...Secondary side terminal, 41...Terminal fitting, 42,43...Connecting part, 44...Electric wire connection part.

Claims

1. A first unit that is attached to a circuit breaker and has terminal fittings connected to the secondary terminals of the circuit breaker, It has a second unit which is attached to the housing of a distribution board and has a wire connection part to which electric wires are connected, The first unit and the second unit have a connecting portion that connects them to each other, and by connecting them, an electrical connection is made between the terminal fitting and the wire connection portion. By assembling the circuit breaker with the first unit attached to the distribution board, the connecting portion of the second unit, which is attached to a predetermined part of the housing, and the connecting portion of the first unit are connected, and electric wires are connected to the secondary terminals of the circuit breaker. The first unit is a circuit breaker connector characterized in that it has a voltage detection port for performing voltage detection on the back surface of the surface on which the terminal fittings are provided.

2. The circuit breaker is configured to have three terminals consisting of two voltage poles and a neutral pole. The terminal fitting of the first unit has two terminals that connect to two specific terminals out of the three terminals of the secondary side terminal of the circuit breaker, The circuit breaker connector according to claim 1, characterized in that the wire connection portion of the second unit has two wire connection portions corresponding to the two terminals of the terminal fitting.

3. The circuit breaker connector according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the second unit has multiple rows of connecting portions and wire connection portions spaced apart, and allows for the connection of multiple first units when they are attached to the circuit breaker.

4. The circuit breaker connector according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the terminal fitting connected to the circuit breaker of the first unit and the wire connection portion connected to the wire of the second unit are facing the same direction.

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