Electric circuit breaker device

Abstract

An electric circuit breaker device (1) comprises: a housing (10) which has a metal outer shell container (120) that defines at least a portion of an accommodation space (13); an igniter (20) which is provided in the housing (10); a projectile (40) which is disposed in the accommodation space (13); a conductor strip (50) which forms part of an electric circuit, wherein the conductor strip (50) has a cutout target portion (53) that is to be cut out by the projectile (40), and the conductor strip (50) is disposed such that the cutout target portion (53) crosses the accommodation space (13); a conductive coolant material (60) which is disposed in an arc extinguishing region (R2) for receiving the cutout target portion (53) that has been cut, by the projectile (40), out of the accommodation space (13); and an insulating cover member (70) which is disposed between the outer shell container (120) inside the accommodation space (13) and the coolant material (60) and which covers the outside of the arc extinguishing region (R2).

Description

Electrical Circuit Breaker

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical circuit interruption device.

[0002] An electric circuit may be provided with a circuit breaker that operates to emergency shut off continuity in the event of an abnormality in a device that constitutes the electric circuit or an abnormality in a system in which the electric circuit is installed. One proposed example of such an electric circuit breaker is one that uses energy applied from an igniter or the like to move a projectile at high speed to forcibly and physically cut off conductor pieces that form part of the electric circuit. In such an electric circuit breaker, if an arc discharge occurs when the conductor edges are cut, the conductor pieces may evaporate and adhere to the cut portions of the conductor pieces, which may reduce the insulation between the cut conductor pieces. Therefore, it is desirable to quickly extinguish the arc discharge.

[0003] Patent Document 1 proposes an electric circuit interrupter including a housing including a metallic top holder and a bottom container, an igniter provided in the housing, a projectile disposed in an accommodation space within the housing, and a conductor piece forming part of an electric circuit. The electric circuit interrupter is configured to provide a metallic coolant material in an arc-extinguishing region of the accommodation space for receiving the cut-off portion of the conductor piece cut off by the projectile, and to quickly extinguish the arc by cooling the cut-off portion.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-107404

[0005] When an electric circuit breaker includes a metal bottom container and a metal coolant material as in Patent Document 1, arc discharge generated when the conductive piece is cut may reach the metal coolant and the bottom container and be transmitted to the control system circuit connected to the igniter via the housing. The control system circuit has a lower rated current than the power system circuit connected to the conductive piece, and there is a problem that the control system circuit may be damaged if the power system current flows through the housing.

[0006] The technology disclosed herein has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide technology that prevents current from flowing from one conductive side to the circuit on the igniter side through the housing when the electrical circuit interrupter is activated, thereby preventing damage to the circuit on the igniter side.

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the electrical circuit interruption device of the present disclosure comprises: a housing having an accommodating space formed therein that extends in one direction and having a metal outer shell container that defines at least a portion of the accommodating space; an igniter provided in the housing; a projectile disposed in the accommodating space, the projectile being fired along the accommodating space by energy received from the igniter; a conductor piece provided in the housing and forming part of an electric circuit, the conductor piece having a portion to be cut off by the projectile that moves by energy received from the igniter, the conductor piece being arranged so that the portion to be cut off crosses the accommodating space; a conductive coolant material located in the accommodating space on the opposite side of the projectile with respect to the portion to be cut off before activation of the igniter, and arranged in an arc-extinguishing area for receiving the portion to be cut off by the projectile; and an insulating cover material disposed in the accommodating space between the outer shell container and the coolant material, and covering the outside of the arc-extinguishing area.

[0008] The electrical circuit interruption device includes a housing comprising a housing main body that holds the conductor piece, and an outer shell container that is positioned on the opposite side of the housing main body from the projectile before activation and covers the outside of the arc-extinguishing area, wherein the outer shell container has an opening that receives the portion to be cut, and a portion of the open end side of the outer shell container is attached to the housing main body via a sealing material.

[0009] The electrical circuit interruption device may include a housing comprising: a housing main body that holds the conductor piece; and an outer shell container that is positioned on the opposite side of the housing main body from the projectile before activation and covers the outside of the arc-extinguishing area, and the cover material may cover the inside of the outer shell container.

[0010] In the electrical circuit breaker, the coolant material may be formed from metal fibers.

[0011] In the electrical circuit breaker, the cover material may cover the outside of the coolant material.

[0012] In the electrical circuit interruption device, the cover material may be made of polyamide or polycarbonate.

[0013] The electrical circuit interrupter includes a housing including a housing main body that holds the conductor piece, and an outer shell container that is arranged on the opposite side of the housing main body from the projectile before activation and covers the outside of the arc-extinguishing area, and the housing main body and the projectile may be formed from an insulating material.

[0014] In the electrical circuit interruption device, the housing may include: a holder that houses the igniter; and a metal fastener that fastens the holder, the housing body, and the projectile.

[0015] In the electrical circuit interruption device, the igniter is connected to a control circuit that controls the igniter, and the control circuit may have a smaller allowable current value or allowable voltage value than the electrical circuit to which power is supplied via the conductor piece.

[0016] The electrical circuit breaker may include a mounting fitting protrusion provided on a portion of the housing body on the arc-extinguishing area side, a mounting fitting recess provided on a portion of the open end side of the outer shell container, the mounting fitting recess fitted onto the mounting fitting protrusion of the housing body, and the sealing material provided between the mounting fitting protrusion and the mounting fitting recess.

[0017] The electrical circuit breaker may have a groove formed on an outer peripheral surface of the cover material, the groove extending in the extension direction of the accommodation space.

[0018] According to the present disclosure, a technology can be provided that prevents current from flowing from one conductive side of an electrical circuit breaker device to the circuit on the igniter side through the housing when the electrical circuit breaker device is activated, thereby preventing damage to the circuit on the igniter side.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the internal structure of an electric circuit interrupting device 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as "interrupting device") according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view of an inner cover. FIG. 3A is a vertical cross-sectional view of the inner cover taken along line A-A in FIG. 2. FIG. 3B is a vertical cross-sectional view of the inner cover taken along line B-B in FIG. 2. FIG. 4A is a diagram illustrating the vicinity of the mounting portion of the inner cover. FIG. 4B is an explanatory diagram illustrating the assembly of the housing main body and the bottom container. FIG. 4C is a diagram illustrating an example in which a chamfer is provided at the upper end of the peripheral surface of the mounting portion of the inner cover. FIG. 4D is a diagram illustrating an example in which a groove is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the bottom container. FIG. 5 is a top view of a conductor piece according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the operating status of the interrupting device according to an embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a test apparatus used in an electric circuit interrupting test. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating measurement results for a comparative example. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating measurement results for Sample 1. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating measurement results for Sample 2.

[0020] First Embodiment An electrical circuit interruption device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that each configuration and combination thereof in the embodiment is merely an example, and addition, omission, substitution, and other modifications of the configuration are possible as appropriate within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is not limited by the embodiment, but is limited only by the claims.

[0021] <Configuration> Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating the internal structure of an electrical circuit interruption device (hereinafter simply referred to as "interruption device") 1 according to an embodiment. The interruption device 1 is a device for preventing major damage by interrupting an electrical circuit in the event of an abnormality in, for example, an electrical circuit included in an automobile, a household appliance, a solar power generation system, or a system including a battery (e.g., a lithium-ion battery) of the electrical circuit. In this specification, a cross section taken along the height direction (the direction in which a housing space 13 described later extends) shown in Fig. 1 is referred to as a longitudinal cross section of the interruption device 1, and a cross section taken in a direction perpendicular to the height direction is referred to as a transverse cross section of the interruption device 1. Fig. 1 shows the state of the interruption device 1 before it is activated.

[0022] The circuit breaker 1 includes a housing 10 as an outer shell member, an igniter 20, a projectile 40, a conductor piece 50, a coolant material 60, an inner cover 70, etc. The housing 10 has an accommodating space 13 extending in one direction from a first end 11 on the upper end side to a second end 12 on the lower end side. The accommodating space 13 is a linear space that allows the projectile 40 to move, and extends along the vertical direction of the circuit breaker 1. As shown in FIG. 1 , the projectile 40 is accommodated in the accommodating space 13 formed inside the housing 10. However, in this specification, the vertical direction of the circuit breaker 1 merely indicates the relative positional relationship of each element in the circuit breaker 1 for the convenience of explaining the embodiment.

[0023] [Housing] The housing 10 includes a housing body 100, a top holder 110, and a bottom container 120. The top holder 110 and the bottom container 120 are coupled to the housing body 100, thereby forming the integrated housing 10.

[0024] The housing main body 100 has, for example, a generally rectangular prism-shaped outer shape. However, the shape of the housing main body 100 is not particularly limited. A hollow portion is formed in the housing main body 100 so as to extend vertically through the housing main body 100, and this hollow portion forms a part of the storage space 13. The housing main body 100 further has an upper surface 101 to which the flange portion 121 of the bottom container 120 is fixed, and a lower surface 102 to which the flange portion 121 of the bottom container 120 is fixed. In this embodiment, a cylindrical upper cylindrical wall 103 extends upward from the outer periphery of the upper surface 101 of the housing main body 100. In this embodiment, the upper cylindrical wall 103 has, for example, a rectangular cylindrical shape, but may have other shapes. Furthermore, a cylindrical lower cylindrical wall 104 extends downward from the outer periphery of the lower surface 102 of the housing main body 100. In this embodiment, the lower cylindrical wall 104 has, for example, a rectangular cylindrical shape, but may have other shapes. Furthermore, a cylindrical mounting portion 106 is provided on the underside 102 of the housing main body 100, extending downward from the underside 102 around the periphery of the hollow portion. In this embodiment, the mounting portion 106 is cylindrical to fit the hollow portion, but it may have other shapes. The housing main body 100 configured as described above can be formed from an insulating material such as a synthetic resin. For example, the housing main body 100 may be formed from nylon, which is a type of polyamide synthetic resin.

[0025] [Top Holder] Next, the top holder 110 will be described. The top holder 110 is, for example, a cylinder member having a stepped cylindrical shape and a hollow interior. The top holder 110 is configured to include a small-diameter cylinder portion 112 located on the upper side (first end 11 side), a large-diameter cylinder portion 113 located on the lower side, a connection portion 114 connecting these, and a flange portion 111 extending outward from the lower end of the large-diameter cylinder portion 113. For example, the small-diameter cylinder portion 112 and the large-diameter cylinder portion 113 are arranged coaxially, and the large-diameter cylinder portion 113 has a diameter slightly larger than that of the small-diameter cylinder portion 112.

[0026] The flange portion 111 of the top holder 110 has a generally rectangular outline that fits inside the upper cylindrical wall 103 of the housing main body 100. The flange portion 111 may be disposed inside the upper cylindrical wall 103 and fastened to the upper surface 101 of the housing main body 100 using screws or the like, or may be fixed with rivets or the like. The top holder 110 may be joined to the housing main body 100 with a sealant applied between the upper surface 101 of the housing main body 100 and the lower surface of the flange portion 111 of the top holder 110. This can improve the airtightness of the storage space 13 formed in the housing 10. Alternatively, instead of or in addition to a sealant, an O-ring may be interposed between the upper surface 101 of the housing main body 100 and the flange portion 111 of the top holder 110 to improve the airtightness of the storage space 13.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 1 , a hollow portion formed inside the small-diameter cylinder portion 112 of the top holder 110 functions as an accommodating space that accommodates a portion of the igniter 20. Furthermore, a hollow portion formed inside the large-diameter cylinder portion 113 of the top holder 110 communicates with a hollow portion of the housing main body 100 located below, and forms a portion of the accommodating space 13. The top holder 110 configured as described above can be formed from an appropriate metal member such as stainless steel or aluminum that has excellent strength and durability. However, the material from which the top holder 110 is formed is not particularly limited. Furthermore, the above-described embodiment of the shape of the top holder 110 is also an example, and other shapes may be adopted.

[0028] [Bottom Container] Next, the bottom container 120 will be described. The bottom container 120 in this embodiment is a form of outer shell container. The bottom container 120 has a generally hollow, bottomed cylindrical shape and includes a side wall 122, a bottom wall 123 connected to the lower end of the side wall 122, and a flange 121 connected to the upper end of the side wall 122. The side wall 122 has, for example, a cylindrical shape, and the flange 121 extends outward from the upper end of the side wall 122. The flange 121 of the bottom container 120 has a generally rectangular outline that fits inside the lower tube wall 104 of the housing main body 100. The flange 121 may be disposed inside the lower tube wall 104 and fastened to the lower surface 102 of the housing main body 100 using screws or the like, or may be fixed by rivets or the like. Here, the bottom container 120 may be coupled to the housing body 100 with a sealant applied between the lower surface 102 of the housing body 100 and the upper surface of the flange portion 121 of the bottom container 120. This can improve the airtightness of the receiving space 13 formed in the housing 10. Also, instead of or in addition to the sealant, an O-ring may be interposed between the lower surface 102 of the housing body 100 and the flange portion 121 of the bottom container 120 to improve the airtightness of the receiving space 13.

[0029] The above-described embodiment regarding the shape of the bottom container 120 is merely an example, and other shapes may be adopted. Furthermore, the cavity formed inside the bottom container 120 communicates with the housing main body 100 located above, forming part of the storage space 13. The bottom container 120 configured as described above can be formed from an appropriate metal member such as stainless steel or aluminum, which has excellent strength and durability. By forming the bottom container 120 from a metal member, it is possible to achieve a compact size while ensuring rigidity to withstand pressure during operation.

[0030] As described above, the housing 10 in this embodiment is configured to include the housing main body 100, the top holder 110, and the bottom container 120, which are assembled together, and an accommodating space 13 is formed inside the housing 10, extending from the first end 11 to the second end 12. The accommodating space 13 accommodates the igniter 20, the projectile 40, the cut portion 53 of the conductor piece 50, the coolant material 60, the inner cover 70, and the like, which will be described in detail below.

[0031] The housing 10 is assembled together such that the flange portion 111 of the top holder 110 and the flange portion 121 of the bottom container 120 sandwich the housing main body 100 and are fastened together by metal bolts 130. Note that the fastening of the housing 10 is not limited to the bolts 130 and may be performed using other fasteners. In this case, the fasteners may be made of metal.

[0032] [Inner cover] Fig. 2 is a plan view of inner cover 70, Fig. 3A is a vertical cross-sectional view of inner cover 70 taken along line A-A in Fig. 2, and Fig. 3B is a vertical cross-sectional view of inner cover 70 taken along line B-B in Fig. 2. Inner cover 70 has a generally hollow, bottomed cylindrical shape and is configured to include a side wall portion 71, a bottom wall portion 72 connected to the lower end of side wall portion 71, etc. In this embodiment, inner cover 70 is one form of a cover material.

[0033] The inner cover 70 is housed inside the bottom container 120 and is shaped to cover the inside of the bottom container 120. The inner cover 70 is also arranged outside the coolant material 60 and is shaped to cover the outside of the coolant material 60. That is, the inner cover 70 of this embodiment is arranged between the bottom container 120 and the coolant material 60. By arranging the coolant material 60 inside the inner cover 70 in this manner, the coolant material 60 can quickly extinguish the arc and prevent the inner cover 70 from melting due to the heat of the arc. If the coolant material 60 were not arranged, the arc would not be cooled by the coolant material 60, making it impossible to quickly extinguish the arc. Furthermore, the heat of the arc could melt the inner cover 70, potentially causing a current due to arc discharge to flow through the melted portion. In contrast, in the circuit breaker 1 of this embodiment, the inner cover 70 is arranged outside the coolant material 60, thereby quickly extinguishing the arc with the coolant material 60 and preventing the inner cover 70 from melting.

[0034] The inner cover 70 of this embodiment has a thickness (wall thickness) of 1.0 mm from the outer surface on the bottom container 120 side to the inner surface on the coolant material 60 side. The thickness of the inner cover 70 is not limited to this, and may be any thickness that can withstand pressure enough to prevent arc discharge from reaching the bottom container 120, such as 0.5 mm or more. The inner cover 70 is made of an insulating material such as synthetic resin. For example, the inner cover 70 may be made of silicone resin, polyamide, or polycarbonate.

[0035] The inner cover 70 has an opening 73 at its upper end, and a cavity formed inside the opening 73 communicates with the cavity of the housing main body 100 located above. Fig. 4A is a view showing the vicinity of an attachment portion 74 of the inner cover 70. The inner diameter of a portion of the side wall portion 71 of the inner cover 70 near the opening end is wider than that of the bottom wall portion 72, and this expanded diameter portion serves as an attachment portion (attachment fitting recess) 74 for the housing main body 100. In other words, the attachment portion 74 has an attachment portion circumferential surface 702 located outside an inner circumferential surface 701 of the inner cover 70 that is located below the attachment portion 74 (the side farther from the conductor piece 50 in the extension direction of the accommodation space 13). The attachment portion 74 also has an abutment surface 703 that connects the inner circumferential surface 701 and the attachment portion circumferential surface 702 and has a flat surface facing upward. That is, the inside of the upper end of the inner cover 70 is formed as if cut out by an attachment portion peripheral surface 702 and an abutment surface 703. In this embodiment, the abutment surface 703 is a surface that is approximately perpendicular to the extension direction (hereinafter also referred to as the axial direction) of the accommodation space 13, but is not limited to this. For example, the abutment surface 703 may be a tapered surface that is inclined so that the outside of the inner cover 70 is higher than the inside (closer to the conductor piece 50).

[0036] The inner cover 70 is attached so that the attachment portion 74 fits into the attachment portion (attachment engagement protrusion) 106 of the housing main body 100 (in the example of FIG. 4A , the attachment portion 74 fits over the attachment portion 106). As shown in FIG. 4A , a sealant 75 is provided between the attachment portion 74 of the inner cover 70 and the attachment portion 106 of the housing main body 100. Even if the inner cover 70 and the housing main body 100 are designed to have no gap between the attachment portions 74 and 106, it is possible that a gap will be created due to the pressure of combustion gases generated when the circuit breaker 1 is activated, allowing combustion gas to flow between the attachment portions 74 and 106. For this reason, in this embodiment, the sealant 75 is provided between the attachment portion 74 of the inner cover 70 and the attachment portion 106 of the housing main body 100 to prevent a gap from being created between the attachment portions 74 and 106. The sealant 75 is made of an insulating material, for example, a synthetic resin such as silicone resin. The sealant 75 may also be an adhesive.

[0037] As described above, the inner cover 70 of this embodiment has an opening 73 at its upper end, inside which the lower end of the mounting portion 106 fits, so that during assembly the mounting portion of the housing main body 100 is positioned by the mounting portion circumferential surface 702 of the inner cover 70, thereby facilitating the alignment of the bottom container 120 with respect to the housing main body 100. Figure 4B is an explanatory diagram illustrating the assembly of the housing main body 100 and the bottom container 120.

[0038] First, the inner cover 70 is press-fitted into the bottom container 120. Then, the coolant material 60 is inserted into the inner cover, and the housing main body 100 and the bottom container 120 are brought close together, as shown in State I. If the mounting portion 106 of the housing main body 100 and the mounting portion 74 of the inner cover 70 are not aligned, as shown in State II, the housing main body 100 and the bottom container 120 will not be properly joined. For example, if the mounting portion 106 of the housing main body 100 abuts against the upper end surface of the inner cover 70 when the housing main body 100 and the bottom container 120 are fastened together with screws, as shown in State II, the inner cover 70 may be crushed, leading to damage such as chipping or cracking. This may cause current to re-conduct through the chipped or cracked area through the metal bottom container, reducing its insulation. Furthermore, fragments of the broken inner cover 70 may become trapped between the inner cover 70 and the housing main body 100, creating a gap between the inner cover 70 and the housing main body 100.

[0039] On the other hand, when the housing main body 100 and the bottom container 120 are aligned as shown in State III, they are assembled with the outer peripheral surface of the mounting portion 106 of the housing main body 100 and the mounting portion circumferential surface 702 of the inner cover 70 in contact with each other. In this case, the mounting portion 106 of the housing main body 100 is inserted along the mounting portion circumferential surface 702 of the inner cover 70, which facilitates assembly and prevents damage to the inner cover 70 and a decrease in insulation. FIG. 4C is a diagram showing an example in which a tapered portion 704 is provided at the upper end of the mounting portion circumferential surface 702 of the inner cover 70. As shown in FIG. 4C , the inner cover 70 may be tapered at the upper end of the mounting portion circumferential surface 702 so that the inner diameter widens upward, i.e., the height of the upper inner edge of the inner cover 70 gradually decreases inward (toward the center). As a result, when assembling the housing main body 100 and the bottom container 120, even if the position of the attachment portion 106 of the housing main body 100 is slightly misaligned, the attachment portion 106 is correctly positioned along the tapered portion 704, making it even easier to align the housing main body 100 and the bottom container 120. In this way, the inner cover 70 of this embodiment can correctly join the housing main body 100 and the bottom container 120, and can also prevent gaps from occurring due to damage such as chipping or cracking of the inner cover 70.

[0040] Further, grooves 710 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the inner cover 70 along approximately the axial direction. As shown in FIG. 2 , when the inner cover 70 is viewed from above in the axial direction, the grooves 710 are provided at four locations on the outer peripheral surface, each of which is rotationally symmetrical. The number of grooves 710 is not particularly limited. When multiple grooves 710 are provided, the grooves 710 may be arranged so that the spacing between each groove 710 is uniform in the circumferential direction of the inner cover 70. By forming the grooves 710 on the outer peripheral surface of the inner cover 70 in this manner, air present in the bottom container 120 can escape through the grooves 710 when the inner cover 70 is press-fitted into the bottom container 120. For example, if an inner cover 70 without grooves 710 is press-fitted into the bottom container 120, air may accumulate between the bottom of the inner cover 70 and the bottom of the bottom container 120, making it difficult to press-fit the inner cover 70 until the bottoms come into contact. For this reason, the blocking device 1 of this embodiment includes grooves 710 on the outer peripheral surface of the inner cover 70, facilitating assembly. Alternatively, a groove may be provided on the inner circumferential surface of the bottom container 120. FIG. 4D is a diagram showing an example in which a groove 129 is provided on the inner circumferential surface 128 of the bottom container 120. In the example of FIG. 4D , a groove 129 is formed along the axial direction on the inner circumferential surface (inner circumferential surface 128) of the side wall portion 122 of the bottom container 120. The groove 129 continues to the upper opening of the bottom container 120 and serves as an escape route (flow path) for air inside the bottom container 120 when the inner cover 70 is press-fitted into the bottom container 120. This groove serving as an escape route for air may be provided only on the bottom container 120, only on the inner cover 70, or on both the bottom container 120 and the inner cover 70. Note that when grooves 710 and 129 are provided on both the bottom container 120 and the inner cover 70, they may be provided at opposing positions so as to be in communication with each other.

[0041] [Igniter] Next, the igniter 20 will be described. The igniter 20 is an electric igniter including an ignition unit 21 containing an ignition charge and an igniter body 22 having a pair of conductive pins (not shown) connected to the ignition unit 21. The igniter body 22 is surrounded by, for example, insulating resin. Furthermore, the tip sides of the pair of conductive pins in the igniter body 22 are exposed to the outside and are electrically connected to the control circuit 80 via a cable 81, and an operating current is supplied when the circuit breaker 1 is in use.

[0042] The igniter main body 22 includes a generally cylindrical main body portion 221 housed inside the small-diameter cylinder portion 112 of the top holder 110, and a connector portion 222 located on top of the main body portion 221. The igniter main body 22 is fixed to the small-diameter cylinder portion 112, for example, by press-fitting the main body portion 221 into the inner circumferential surface of the small-diameter cylinder portion 112. Furthermore, a constricted portion, whose outer circumferential surface is recessed compared to other portions, is formed in an annular shape along the circumferential direction of the main body portion 221 at an axially intermediate portion of the main body portion 221, and an O-ring 223 is fitted into this constricted portion. The O-ring 223 is made of, for example, rubber (e.g., silicone rubber) or synthetic resin, and functions to increase the airtightness between the inner circumferential surface of the small-diameter cylinder portion 112 and the main body portion 221.

[0043] Connector portion 222 of igniter 20 is disposed so as to protrude to the outside through opening 112A formed at the upper end of small-diameter cylinder portion 112. Connector portion 222 has, for example, a cylindrical shape that covers the side of the conductive pin, and is configured so as to be connectable to a connector on the power supply side.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 1 , the ignition unit 21 of the igniter 20 is disposed so as to face the accommodation space 13 of the housing 10 (more specifically, the hollow portion formed inside the large-diameter cylinder portion 113). The ignition unit 21 is configured, for example, as an igniter cup in which an ignition charge is accommodated. For example, the ignition charge is accommodated in the igniter cup of the ignition unit 21 while in contact with a bridge wire (resistor) that connects the base ends of a pair of conductive pins. As the ignition charge, for example, ZPP (zirconium potassium perchlorate), ZWPP (zirconium tungsten potassium perchlorate), THPP (titanium hydride potassium perchlorate), lead tricinate, etc. may be used.

[0045] When the igniter 20 is operated, an operating current for igniting the ignition charge is supplied from the power source to the conductive pin, causing the bridge wire in the ignition portion 21 to heat up, igniting and burning the ignition charge in the igniter cup and generating combustion gas. As the ignition charge in the igniter cup of the ignition portion 21 burns, the pressure in the igniter cup increases, causing the cleavage surface 21A of the igniter cup to cleave, and the combustion gas is released from the igniter cup into the accommodating space 13. More specifically, the combustion gas from the igniter cup is released into a recess 411 in a piston portion 41 (described later) of the projectile 40 placed in the accommodating space 13.

[0046] [Projectile] Next, the projectile 40 will be described. The projectile 40 is formed of an insulating material such as synthetic resin, and includes a piston portion 41 and a rod portion 42 connected to the piston portion 41. The piston portion 41 has a roughly cylindrical shape and an outer diameter that roughly corresponds to the inner diameter of the large-diameter cylinder portion 113 in the top holder 110. For example, the diameter of the piston portion 41 may be slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the large-diameter cylinder portion 113. The shape of the projectile 40 can be changed as appropriate depending on the shape of the housing 10, etc.

[0047] Furthermore, a recess 411 having, for example, a cylindrical shape is formed on the upper surface of the piston portion 41, and this recess 411 receives the ignition portion 21. The bottom surface of the recess 411 is formed as a pressure-receiving surface 411A that receives energy from the igniter 20 when the igniter 20 is activated. Furthermore, a constricted portion, whose outer peripheral surface is recessed compared to other portions, is formed in an annular shape along the circumferential direction of the piston portion 41 in the axial middle portion of the piston portion 41, and an O-ring 43 is fitted into this constricted portion. The O-ring 43 is made of, for example, rubber (e.g., silicone rubber) or synthetic resin, and functions to increase the airtightness between the inner peripheral surface of the large-diameter cylinder portion 113 and the piston portion 41.

[0048] The rod portion 42 of the projectile 40 is, for example, a rod-shaped member having an outer circumferential surface with a smaller diameter than the piston portion 41 and is integrally connected to the lower end side of the piston portion 41. The lower end surface of the rod portion 42 is formed as a cutting surface 421 for cutting the cut portion 53 from the conductor piece 50 when the interrupter 1 is activated. Note that, although the rod portion 42 in this embodiment has a generally cylindrical shape, its shape is not particularly limited and may be changed depending on the shape and size of the cut portion 53 to be cut from the conductor piece 50 when the interrupter 1 is activated. The rod portion 42 may have a columnar shape, such as a cylindrical column or a rectangular column. Note that, in the initial position of the projectile 40 shown in FIG. 1 , the tip end region of the rod portion 42 of the projectile 40, including the cutting surface 421, is positioned in the hollow portion of the housing main body 100 (forming part of the storage space 13). The diameter of the rod portion 42 is, for example, slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the inner surface of the housing main body 100, and is configured so that the outer surface of the rod portion 42 is guided along the inner surface when the projectile 40 is launched.

[0049] As will be described in detail later, when the igniter 20 is activated, the projectile 40 configured as described above is launched from the initial position shown in FIG. 1 and moves at high speed toward the second end 12 (downward) along the accommodation space 13 due to the energy from the igniter 20 being received by the upper surface of the piston portion 41, including the pressure-receiving surface 411A. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1 , the piston portion 41 of the projectile 40 is accommodated inside the large-diameter cylinder portion 113 of the top holder 110 and is capable of sliding axially along the inner wall surface of the large-diameter cylinder portion 113. In this embodiment, the piston portion 41 of the projectile 40 has a generally cylindrical shape, but the shape is not particularly limited. The outer shape of the piston portion 41 may be an appropriate shape and size depending on the shape and size of the inner wall surface of the large-diameter cylinder portion 113.

[0050] [Conductor Piece] Next, the conductor piece 50 will be described. FIG. 5 is a top view of the conductor piece 50 according to the embodiment. The conductor piece 50 is a conductive metal body that constitutes part of the components of the circuit breaker 1 and forms part of a predetermined electric circuit when the circuit breaker 1 is attached to the electric circuit, and is sometimes called a bus bar. The conductor piece 50 can be formed of a metal such as copper (Cu). However, the conductor piece 50 may be formed of a metal other than copper, or may be formed of an alloy of copper and another metal. Examples of metals other than copper contained in the conductor piece 50 include manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), platinum (Pt), etc.

[0051] In one embodiment shown in FIG. 5 , the conductor piece 50 is formed as an elongated flat piece overall, including a first connecting end 51 and a second connecting end 52 at both ends, and a cut-out portion 53 located in the middle. The first connecting end 51 and the second connecting end 52 of the conductor piece 50 are provided with connection holes 51A and 52A, respectively. These connection holes 51A and 52A are used to connect to other conductors (e.g., lead wires) in an electrical circuit. Note that the connection holes 51A and 52A of the conductor piece 50 are not shown in FIG. 1 . The cut-out portion 53 of the conductor piece 50 is positioned across the housing space 13 and is a portion that is forcibly and physically cut by the rod portion 42 of the projectile 40 in the event of an abnormality, such as an excessive current, occurring in the electrical circuit to which the circuit breaker 1 is applied. Slits 54 are formed at both ends of the cut-out portion 53 of the conductor piece 50 to facilitate cutting and cutting the cut-out portion 53.

[0052] Here, the conductor piece 50 can have various shapes, and its shape is not particularly limited. In the example shown in FIG. 5 , the surfaces of the first connection end 51, the second connection end 52, and the cut-out portion 53 form the same plane, but this is not limited thereto. For example, the cut-out portion 53 of the conductor piece 50 may be connected perpendicular to the first connection end 51 and the second connection end 52 or at an angle. The planar shape of the cut-out portion 53 of the conductor piece 50 is also not particularly limited. Of course, the shapes of the first connection end 51 and the second connection end 52 of the conductor piece 50 are also not particularly limited. Furthermore, the notches 54 of the conductor piece 50 can be omitted as appropriate. In this embodiment, the cut-out portion 53 is cut at two locations where the notches 54 are formed and removed from the first connection end 51 and the second connection end 52. However, the cut-out portion (also referred to as the cut-out portion) 53 is not limited thereto. It may also be configured such that the rod portion 42 cuts the portion near its center and bends the cut ends toward the bottom container 120 to separate them.

[0053] Here, a pair of conductor piece retaining holes 105A, 105B are formed in the housing main body 100 according to the embodiment. The pair of conductor piece retaining holes 105A, 105B extend in a cross-sectional direction perpendicular to the up-down direction (axial direction) of the housing main body 100. More specifically, the pair of conductor piece retaining holes 105A, 105B extend in a straight line across the hollow portion (accommodation space 13) of the housing main body 100. The conductor piece 50 configured as described above is retained in the housing main body 100 by being inserted into the pair of conductor piece retaining holes 105A, 105B formed in the housing main body 100. In the example shown in FIG. 1 , the first connecting end 51 of the conductor piece 50 is retained by being inserted into the conductor piece retaining hole 105A, and the second connecting end 52 is retained by being inserted into the conductor piece retaining hole 105B. In this state, the cut-out portion 53 of the conductor piece 50 is positioned in the hollow portion (accommodation space 13) of the housing main body 100. As described above, the conductor piece 50 attached to the housing main body 100 is held in an orientation perpendicular to the extension direction (axial direction) of the accommodation space 13, with the cut-out portion 53 crossing the accommodation space 13. Note that the symbol L1 shown in FIG. 5 indicates the outer circumferential position of the rod portion 42 located above the conductor piece 50 when attached to the housing main body 100 of the circuit breaker 1. In this embodiment, the conductor piece 50 is installed so that the outer circumferential position L1 of the rod portion 42 roughly overlaps the positions of the notches 54 located at both ends of the cut-out portion 53. In this embodiment, for example, because the cross-sectional area of ​​the accommodation space 13 is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the cut-out portion 53, gaps are formed on the sides of the cut-out portion 53.

[0054] [Coolant Material] Next, the coolant material 60 disposed in the accommodation space 13 of the housing 10 will be described. Here, as shown in FIG. 1 , before activation of the circuit breaker 1 (igniter 20), the excised portion 53 of the conductor piece 50 held in the pair of conductor piece holding holes 105A, 105B in the housing main body 100 is horizontally disposed across the accommodation space 13 of the housing 10. Hereinafter, within the accommodation space 13 of the housing 10, the region (space) on the side where the projectile 40 is disposed across the excised portion 53 of the conductor piece 50 will be referred to as the "projectile initial placement region R1," and the region (space) located on the opposite side of the projectile 40 will be referred to as the "arc-extinguishing region R2." Note that, as described above, because a gap is formed on the side of the excised portion 53 disposed across the accommodation space 13, the projectile initial placement region R1 and the arc-extinguishing region R2 are not completely isolated by the excised portion 53, but are instead connected to each other. Of course, depending on the shape and size of the cut-out portion 53, the projectile initial placement region R1 and the arc-extinguishing region R2 may be completely isolated by the cut-out portion 53.

[0055] The arc-extinguishing region R2 of the accommodation space 13 is a region (space) for receiving the excised portion 53 excised by the rod portion 42 of the projectile 40 fired when the circuit breaker 1 (igniter 20) is activated. A coolant material 60 is disposed in this arc-extinguishing region R2 as an arc-extinguishing material. The coolant material 60 is a coolant that absorbs and cools the arc and the thermal energy of the excised portion 53 that are generated when the projectile 40 excises the excised portion 53 of the conductor piece 50, thereby suppressing the generation of an arc when the current is interrupted or extinguishing (extinguishing) the generated arc.

[0056] The arc-extinguishing region R2 in the circuit breaker 1 is a space for receiving the excision target portion 53 excised from the first connection end 51 and the second connection end 52 of the conductor piece 50 by the projectile 40, and also serves as a space for effectively extinguishing the arc generated when the projectile 40 excises the excision target portion 53. In order to effectively extinguish the arc generated when the excision target portion 53 is excised from the conductor piece 50, a coolant material 60 is disposed in the arc-extinguishing region R2 as an arc-extinguishing material.

[0057] In one embodiment, the coolant material 60 is solid. In another embodiment, the coolant material 60 is formed from a shape-retaining material. The shape-retaining material here refers to a material that maintains a certain shape when no external force is applied and maintains its integrity (does not break apart) even if it is deformed when an external force is applied. For example, a fibrous material formed into a desired shape can be used as the shape-retaining material. In this embodiment, the coolant material 60 is formed from metal fibers, which are shape-retaining materials. Examples of metal fibers that form the coolant material 60 include at least one of steel wool and copper wool. However, the above-described embodiments of the coolant material 60 are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. For example, the coolant material 60 may be formed from conductive materials other than metal fibers, such as carbon fibers or resin materials mixed with conductive fillers.

[0058] The coolant material 60 is formed, for example, in a generally disk shape and is placed at the bottom of the bottom container 120 .

[0059] <Operation> Next, a description will be given of the operation when the circuit breaker 1 is activated to interrupt the electric circuit. As described above, Fig. 1 shows the state before activation of the circuit breaker 1 (hereinafter also referred to as the "initial state before activation"). In this initial state before activation, the projectile 40 in the circuit breaker 1 is set to an initial position in which the piston portion 41 is positioned on the first end 11 side (upper end side) in the accommodating space 13 and the cut surface 421 formed on the lower end of the rod portion 42 is positioned on the upper surface of the cut portion 53 of the conductor piece 50.

[0060] Furthermore, the circuit breaker 1 according to the embodiment includes an abnormality detection sensor (not shown) that detects an abnormal state of a device (e.g., a vehicle, a power generation facility, or a storage facility) connected to the electrical circuit to be interrupted, and a control circuit 80 that controls the operation of the igniter 20. The abnormality detection sensor may detect an abnormal state based on the voltage or temperature of the conductor piece 50 in addition to the current flowing through the conductor piece 50. The abnormality detection sensor may also be, for example, an impact sensor, a temperature sensor, an acceleration sensor, or a vibration sensor, and may detect an abnormal state such as an accident or fire based on impact, temperature, acceleration, or vibration in a device such as a vehicle. The control circuit 80 of the circuit breaker 1 is, for example, a computer that can perform a predetermined function by executing a predetermined control program. The predetermined function of the control circuit 80 can also be realized by corresponding hardware. When an excessive current flows through the conductor piece 50, which forms part of the electrical circuit to which the circuit breaker 1 is applied, or when an excessive impact occurs due to a vehicle collision, the abnormality detection sensor detects the abnormal state. Abnormality information regarding the detected abnormal state is passed from the abnormality detection sensor to the control circuit 80. For example, when the control circuit 80 determines that an abnormal state has occurred based on abnormality information from the abnormality detection sensor, it supplies an operating current to the conductive pin of the igniter 20 to activate the igniter 20. Note that the abnormality detection sensor and control circuit 80 described above do not have to be included as components of the circuit breaker 1, and may be included in, for example, a device separate from the circuit breaker 1. Furthermore, the abnormality detection sensor and control circuit 80 described above are not essential components of the circuit breaker 1.

[0061] For example, when an abnormal current in the electric circuit is detected by an abnormality detection sensor that detects abnormal current in the electric circuit, the control circuit 80 of the circuit breaker 1 activates the igniter 20. That is, as a result of an operating current being supplied from an external power source (not shown) to the conductive pin of the igniter 20, the ignition charge in the ignition portion 21 is ignited and burned, and combustion gas is generated. Then, due to a pressure increase in the ignition portion 21, the cleavage surface 21A cleaves, and the combustion gas of the ignition charge is released from the ignition portion 21 into the accommodation space 13.

[0062] Here, the ignition portion 21 of the igniter 20 is received in the recessed portion 411 of the piston portion 41, and the cleavage surface 21A of the ignition portion 21 is disposed opposite the pressure-receiving surface 411A of the recessed portion 411 of the projectile 40. Therefore, the combustion gas from the ignition portion 21 is released into the recessed portion 411, and the pressure of the combustion gas (combustion energy) is transmitted to the upper surface of the piston portion 41, including the pressure-receiving surface 411A. As a result, the projectile 40 moves downward through the accommodation space 13 along the extension direction (axial direction) of the accommodation space 13.

[0063] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the circuit breaker 1 according to the embodiment. The upper part of FIG. 6 illustrates the state during operation of the circuit breaker 1, and the lower part of FIG. 6 illustrates the state after completion of operation of the circuit breaker 1. As described above, when the igniter 20 is activated, the projectile 40 is subjected to the pressure (combustion energy) of the combustion gas of the ignition charge and is forcefully pushed downward. As a result, the cutting surface 421 formed on the lower end of the rod portion 42 shears and cuts through the boundaries between the first connection end 51 and the second connection end 52 and the cut-out portion 53 of the conductor piece 50. As a result, the cut-out portion 53 is cut off from the conductor piece 50. The shape and dimensions of the projectile 40 can be freely determined as long as it can move smoothly along the extension direction (axial direction) of the accommodating space 13 when the igniter 20 is activated. For example, the outer diameter of the piston portion 41 of the projectile 40 may be set equal to the inner diameter of the large-diameter cylinder portion 113 of the top holder 110.

[0064] 6, the projectile 40 moves downward a predetermined stroke in the extension direction (axial direction) of the accommodation space 13 until the lower end surface of the piston portion 41 abuts (collides) against the upper surface 101 of the housing main body 100. In this state, the excised portion 53 excised from the conductor piece 50 by the rod portion 42 of the projectile 40 is received in the arc-extinguishing region R2 in which the coolant material 60 is disposed. As a result, the first connection end 51 and the second connection end 52 located at both ends of the conductor piece 50 are electrically disconnected, and the predetermined electric circuit to which the circuit breaking device 1 is applied is forcibly interrupted.

[0065] In the circuit breaker 1 according to the embodiment, the coolant material 60 is disposed in the arc-extinguishing region R2. Therefore, the excised portion 53 received in the arc-extinguishing region R2 can be rapidly cooled by the coolant material 60. As a result, even if an arc occurs at the cut surface of the excised portion 53 of the conductor piece 50 when the excised portion 53 is excised from the conductor piece 50 that constitutes part of a predetermined electric circuit by the projectile 40, the generated arc can be quickly and effectively extinguished.

[0066] Furthermore, in the circuit breaker 1 of this embodiment, an insulating inner cover 70 is disposed between the bottom container 120 and the coolant material 60, covering the outside of the arc-extinguishing region R2. As a result, in the circuit breaker 1 of this embodiment, the insulating inner cover 70 prevents arc discharge during activation from reaching the bottom container 120, preventing overcurrent from flowing to the control circuit 80 connected to the igniter 20 via the housing 10 and preventing damage to the control circuit 80.

[0067] In particular, in the circuit breaker 1 of this embodiment, the housing body 100, the projectile 40, and the inner cover 70 are all insulating, and when activated, the arc extinguishing region R2 is surrounded by insulating materials, thereby effectively preventing current leakage due to arc discharge.

[0068] Furthermore, in the circuit breaking device 1 of this embodiment, a sealant 75 is provided between the mounting portion 74 of the inner cover 70 and the mounting portion 106 of the housing main body 100, preventing a gap from occurring between these mounting portions 74, 106. As a result, even if pressure is applied between the mounting portions 74, 106 by combustion gases during activation, the circuit breaking device 1 of this embodiment does not allow combustion gases to enter between the mounting portions 74, 106, and can prevent an overcurrent from flowing to the control circuit 80.

[0069] In particular, in the breaking device 1 of this embodiment, the mounting portion 74 is formed by the mounting portion peripheral surface 702 and the abutment surface 703, such that the upper end of the inner peripheral surface of the inner cover 70 is cut out. If the mounting portion 106 of the housing main body 100 were to be fitted into an inner cover 70 that does not have the mounting portion 74, the housing main body 100 and the inner cover 70 would only be in contact with each other at the outer peripheral surface of the mounting portion 106 and the inner peripheral surface of the inner cover 70.

[0070] In contrast, in the circuit breaking device 1 of this embodiment, the lower end of the mounting portion 106 of the housing main body 100 abuts against the abutment surface 703 of the mounting portion 74, and the outer peripheral surface of the mounting portion 106 abuts against the mounting portion peripheral surface 702 of the inner cover 70, increasing the contact area between the housing main body 100 and the inner cover 70 and improving the level of sealing. Furthermore, when the flange portion 121 of the bottom container 120 is fastened to the housing main body 100 with screws or the like while the mounting portion 106 of the housing main body 100 abuts against the abutment surface 703 of the mounting portion 74, the mounting portion 106 of the housing main body 100 and the mounting portion 74 of the inner cover 70 are compressed against each other, expanding radially, and improving the level of sealing. With these configurations, the circuit breaking device 1 of this embodiment can improve the level of sealing between the housing main body 100 and the inner cover 70, suppressing leakage of combustion gas, and preventing overcurrent from flowing to the control circuit 80.

[0071] In the present embodiment, the inner cover 70 (cover material) is formed separately from the bottom container 120, but the inner cover 70 may be formed integrally with the bottom container 120. For example, the cover material may be an insulating layer formed on the inner surface of the bottom container 120. The cover material may also be formed integrally with the coolant material 60. For example, the cover material may be an insulating layer formed so as to cover the outer peripheral surface and bottom surface of the coolant material 60.

[0072] <Electrical Circuit Interruption Test> Next, an electrical circuit interruption test performed on the circuit breaker 1 will be described. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an outline of the test equipment used in the electrical circuit interruption test. Reference numeral 1000 denotes a power source, reference numeral 2000 denotes an insulation resistance meter, and reference numeral 3000 denotes a test control device. Reference numeral 4000 denotes wiring for forming the electrical circuit EC in cooperation with the conductor piece 50 in the circuit breaker 1. Reference numeral 5000 denotes wiring for passing an operating current supplied from the control device 3000 to a conductive pin in the igniter 20 of the circuit breaker 1.

[0073] Next, the procedure for the electrical circuit interruption test will be described. (Step 1) As shown in Figure 7, the first connection end 51 and the second connection end 52 of the conductor piece 50 in the circuit breaker 1 are connected to the power supply 1000 by wiring 4000, and the igniter 20 in the circuit breaker 1 is connected to the control device 3000 by wiring 5000. (Step 2) Current from the power supply 1000 is passed through the electrical circuit EC. (Step 3) An operating current is passed from the control device 3000 to the igniter 20 of the circuit breaker 1, thereby activating the igniter 20. (Step 4) The power supply 1000 is turned off.

[0074] In this interruption test, the interruption device 1 having the above-described configuration was used as sample 1, the interruption device having a configuration in which the sealing material 75 was removed from the interruption device 1 was used as sample 2, and the interruption device having a configuration in which the sealing material 75 and inner cover 70 were removed from the interruption device 1 was used as a comparison example.The test was conducted according to the above procedure, and the voltage applied between the second connection end 52 and the control circuit 80 when the projectile 40 removed the portion to be cut 53 from the conductor piece 50 was measured.

[0075] Fig. 8 shows the measurement results of the comparative example, Fig. 9 shows the measurement results of Sample 1, and Fig. 10 shows the measurement results of Sample 2. In Figs. 8 and 9, the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents voltage.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 8 , in the comparative example, a high voltage was applied to the control circuit 80 after activation. This is thought to be because the current flowing through the coolant material 60 due to arc discharge during activation was transmitted from the coolant material 60 to the bottom container 120, the bolt 130, the top holder 110, the igniter 20, the cable 81, and the control circuit 80. The control circuit 80 is a control system circuit that controls the igniter 20 and other components, and is designed to have a lower allowable current value and allowable voltage value than the electrical circuit of the power supply system to which power is supplied via the conductor piece 50. That is, the allowable current value and allowable voltage value of the control circuit 80 are lower than the current value and power value of the power supplied via the conductor piece 50. Therefore, if the current flowing through the conductor piece 50 is transmitted to the control circuit 80 as described above, the control circuit 80 may be damaged. In contrast, in Sample 1 shown in FIG. 9 , the inner cover 70 and the sealing material 75 block the current due to arc discharge, so the voltage of the control circuit 80 does not increase even after activation, confirming the effect of preventing damage to the control circuit 80.

[0077] In sample 2 of Fig. 10, after activation, the voltage applied to the control circuit 80 increases, but the voltage decreases in a shorter time than in Fig. 8, and less power is transmitted to the control circuit 80, confirming the effect of preventing damage to the control circuit 80. Furthermore, a comparison of Fig. 9 and Fig. 10 confirms that providing the sealant 75 between the mounting portions 74 and 106 effectively prevents damage to the control circuit 80.

[0078] Although the embodiments of the electrical circuit interruption device according to the present disclosure have been described above, each aspect disclosed herein can be combined with any other feature disclosed herein.

[0079] 1: Breaker device 10: Housing 13: Storage space 20: Igniter 40: Projectile 50: Conductor piece 53: Part to be cut 60: Coolant material 70: Inner cover

Claims

1. An electrical circuit interruption device comprising: a housing having an accommodating space formed therein and having a metal outer shell container that defines at least a portion of the accommodating space extending in one direction; an igniter provided in the housing; a projectile disposed in the accommodating space, the projectile being fired along the accommodating space by energy received from the igniter; a conductor piece provided in the housing and forming part of an electric circuit, the conductor piece having a portion to be cut off by the projectile that moves by energy received from the igniter, the conductor piece being arranged so that the portion to be cut off crosses the accommodating space; a conductive coolant material located in the accommodating space on the opposite side of the projectile with respect to the portion to be cut off before activation of the igniter, and arranged in an arc-extinguishing area for containing at least a portion of the portion to be cut off by the projectile; and an insulating cover material disposed in the accommodating space between the outer shell container and the coolant material, covering the arc-extinguishing area side of the outer shell container.

2. An electrical circuit interrupter as set forth in claim 1, wherein the housing comprises: a housing main body that holds the conductor piece; and an outer shell container that is positioned on the opposite side of the housing main body from the projectile before activation and covers the outside of the arc-extinguishing area, the outer shell container having an opening that receives the portion to be cut, and a portion of the open end side of the outer shell container being attached to the housing main body via a sealing material.

3. An electrical circuit interrupter according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises: a housing main body that holds the conductor piece; and an outer shell container that is disposed on the opposite side of the housing main body from the projectile before activation and covers the outside of the arc-extinguishing region, and the cover material covers the inside of the outer shell container.

4. The electrical circuit breaker according to claim 1, wherein said coolant material is formed from metal fibers.

5. An electric circuit breaker according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the cover material covers the outside of the coolant material.

6. An electric circuit breaker according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the cover material is made of polyamide or polycarbonate.

7. An electrical circuit interrupter according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises: a housing main body for holding the conductor piece; and an outer shell container arranged on the opposite side of the housing main body from the projectile before activation and covering the outside of the arc-extinguishing region, wherein the housing main body and the projectile are formed from an insulating material.

8. The electrical circuit interrupter according to claim 7, wherein the housing comprises: a holder for accommodating the igniter; and a metal fastener for fastening the holder, the housing body, and the projectile together.

9. An electric circuit breaker according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the igniter is connected to a control circuit that controls the igniter, and the control circuit has a smaller allowable current value or allowable voltage value than the electric circuit to which power is supplied via the conductor piece.

10. An electrical circuit breaker as described in claim 2, wherein a mounting fitting protrusion is provided on a portion of the housing body on the side of the arc-extinguishing area, a mounting fitting recess is provided on a portion of the open end side of the outer shell container, the mounting fitting recess fits externally onto the mounting fitting protrusion of the housing body, and the sealing material is provided between the mounting fitting protrusion and the mounting fitting recess.

11. An electric circuit breaker according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein a groove is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cover material along the extension direction of the storage space.

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