Power Shutoff Device with Fitting Detection and Arc Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power shutoff devices face issues with arcing and terminal damage when disconnecting connectors, and they are not designed to be waterproof, leading to increased size and potential for electrical hazards.
Innovation Solution
A connector-type power shutoff device with a rotatable and pivotally supported operation lever, a fitting detecting connector system, and a waterproof structure that includes annular and pipe-like waterproof packings to prevent arcing and reduce size by integrating the fitting detecting connectors within the existing connector design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the connector is separated to disconnect power, then the load can be checked or maintained, but an arc is produced between connector terminals causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The power shutoff device activates the relay contact to cut off power supply before the connector is fully separated. The detection signal from the fitting detecting connector triggers the relay to open, eliminating power before arc-causing separation occurs, thus preventing terminal damage while maintaining operational ease
Solution Approach 2:
The fitting detecting connector provides real-time feedback on the connector's fitting state. When the connector is separated, the detection signal changes, automatically triggering the relay contact to open and cut power. This closed-loop feedback system ensures power is shut off precisely when needed, preventing arcs without requiring manual intervention
2Object-generated harmful factors
If a power shutoff device with relay contact is added to prevent arc, then arc damage is prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fitting detecting connector serves dual purposes: it detects both the main connector's fitting state and triggers the power shutoff function. By combining the detection and control functions into one integrated component, the design avoids adding separate sensors and control circuits, thus preventing arc damage while minimizing increases in device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The operation lever performs multiple functions: it mechanically connects the connector, triggers the fitting detection, and controls the relay contact. This multi-functional design consolidates several components into one, achieving arc prevention through relay control without significantly increasing overall device complexity
3Volume of moving object
If the fitting detecting connector is integrated into the operation lever, then the device size is reduced, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fitting detecting connector is nested within or integrated into the operation lever structure. This nesting arrangement eliminates the need for separate mounting spaces and reduces overall device volume, while the integrated design ensures precise relative positioning between detection components, meeting manufacturing precision requirements through structural alignment rather than separate adjustments
Data Source
AI summary
In a power shutoff device, an operation lever is provided to be rotatable between a first position where a receiving connector and the plug connector are separated and a second position where the receiving connector and the plug connector are fitted. The operation lever is slidable in a direction perpendicular to the fitting direction at the second position. A fitting detecting connector includes a fitting detecting receiving connector accommodating a pair of fitting detecting terminals in a pipe body penetrating and protruding from a side wall of a housing of the receiving connector, and a fitting detecting plug connector accommodating a conductive member electrically connecting the fitting detecting terminals in a pipe body. The fitting detecting plug connector is provided at a distal end part of the operation lever so as to be fitted to the fitting detecting receiving connector when the operation lever slides at the second position.