Segmented Conductor Plates for Circuit Breaker Heat Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric circuit breaker devices experience heat buildup during energization due to the thinner conductor plate sections, leading to increased device size and inefficiency.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a housing made of synthetic resin with a rod-like projectile and a conductor portion featuring a first conductor plate with a recess portion and a second conductor plate coupled to it, or multiple conductor plates with overlapping edges, to facilitate cutting and reduce heat buildup while maintaining a compact size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a single conductor plate with a notch groove is used to facilitate cutting, then the conductor plate can be easily cut by the projectile, but heat build-up occurs at the thinner portion during energization
Solution Approach 1:
The conductor plate is divided into multiple separate conductor plates (first conductor plate and second conductor plate) that are stacked together. This segmentation allows each plate to maintain sufficient thickness for heat dissipation while the stacked configuration provides multiple cutting surfaces for the projectile, facilitating effective circuit interruption without excessive heat build-up at any single location.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution transitions from a single-plane conductor plate to a multi-layer stacked configuration, adding the vertical dimension (thickness direction) to the conductor structure. This dimensional change allows heat to dissipate through multiple surfaces and paths, reducing heat build-up while maintaining effective cutting capability through the stacked arrangement.
2Temperature
If the conductor plate is made thicker to suppress heat build-up, then heat dissipation is improved, but the size of the device increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a single thick conductor plate, the invention segments the conductor into multiple thinner plates stacked together. The total conductor volume remains sufficient for heat dissipation, but the distributed structure reduces the vertical space required compared to a single thick plate, thereby suppressing heat build-up without significantly increasing device size.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple conductor plates are merged in a stacked configuration to achieve the thermal performance of a thick conductor while maintaining a compact overall structure. The combined effect of multiple plates provides adequate heat dissipation surface area without requiring excessive space in any single dimension.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration effectively minimizes heat buildup during energization and allows for efficient cutting of the conductor plates, reducing the overall size of the circuit breaker device without compromising performance.
Implementation Method 1
an igniter arranged in the housing to face another end portion of the rod-like projectile and configured to generate pressure to fire the rod-like projectile toward the conductor portion
Data Source
AI summary
To provide an electric circuit breaker device including a conduction part that can be easily cut. An electric circuit breaker device includes a housing made of synthetic resin, a rod-like projectile made of synthetic resin and arranged in the housing, a conductor portion arranged in the housing to extend across a front face of one end portion of the rod-like projectile, and an igniter arranged in the housing to face another end portion of the rod-like projectile and configured to generate pressure to fire the rod-like projectile toward the conductor portion. In one embodiment, the conductor portion includes a first conductor plate extending across the front face of the one end portion of the rod-like projectile and including a recess portion, and a second conductor plate coupled to the recess portion of the first conductor plate. In another example, the conductor portion includes a first conductor plate arranged on the front face of one end portion of the rod-like projectile, and a second conductor plate and a third conductor plate coupled, at a corresponding one of edge portions of the second conductor plate and the third conductor plate, to respective opposing edge portions of the first conductor plate.