CN217768244U - Circuit breaker - Google Patents

Abstract

The application discloses circuit breaker, wherein the circuit breaker includes: a housing; a conductor extending through the housing; a severing mechanism disposed within the housing, the severing mechanism configured to sever the conductor extending through the housing; and an arc extinguishing mechanism associated with the conductor, the arc extinguishing mechanism configured to blow when the severing mechanism severs the conductor. The arc quenching mechanism is associated with the conductor at a first connection point and a second connection point, and wherein the first connection point and the second connection point are equipotential points.

Description

Circuit breaker

Technical Field

The present application relates generally to a circuit breaker.

Background

The product of circuit overcurrent protection is a fuse which is fused based on heat generated by current flowing through the fuse, and the main problem is the matching relationship between the thermal fuse and a load. For example, in the case of main loop protection of a new energy vehicle, if the load is overloaded by a low multiple or short-circuited, the fuse with the low current specification cannot meet the condition of short-time overshoot of current, and if the fuse with the high current specification is selected, the requirement of rapid protection cannot be met. In the lithium battery pack which provides energy for the current new energy vehicles, the output current is about several times of the rated current under the condition of short circuit, and the protection time of the fuse can not meet the requirement, so that the battery pack generates heat and burns. Because the resistance current heating and the breaking current heating melting are both from the current flowing through the fuse, the protection device adopting the heating melting of the current cannot achieve the breaking speed of the fault current with a certain amplitude value which is fast enough under the condition of having a larger rated current or resisting stronger short-time overload/impact current (such as short-time heavy current when an electric automobile is started or climbs a slope), or achieve a higher rated current under the condition of the protection speed of the fault current with a certain amplitude value which is fast enough, or can resist the larger overload/impact current without damage.

At present, a quick-breaking cut-off opening structure exists in the market, and mainly comprises an electronic ignition device, a conductive plate and a containing cavity after the conductive plate falls off, wherein the electronic ignition device generates high-pressure gas to drive a power device to break the conductive plate, and the conductive plate falls downwards into the containing cavity after being broken, so that the purpose of quickly breaking a circuit is achieved. However, there are some disadvantages and drawbacks, such as a high temperature rise at the time of disconnection, a weak arc extinguishing capability, a deterioration of the arc extinguishing mechanism, and the like.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

It is an object of the present application to provide a circuit breaker that overcomes at least one of the deficiencies of the prior art.

It is an object of the present application to provide a circuit breaker which has a small temperature rise during operation.

Another object of the present application is to provide a circuit breaker having high arc extinguishing capability and breaking capability.

It is yet another object of the present application to provide a circuit breaker with an arc extinguishing mechanism that is less prone to aging and has a longer service life.

According to an aspect of the present application, there is provided a circuit breaker, wherein the circuit breaker includes:

a housing;

a conductor extending through the housing;

a severing mechanism disposed within the housing, the severing mechanism configured to sever the conductor extending through the housing; and

an arc extinguishing mechanism associated with the conductor, the arc extinguishing mechanism configured to blow when the severing mechanism severs the conductor;

wherein the arc quenching mechanism is associated with the conductor at a first connection point and a second connection point, and wherein the first connection point and the second connection point are isoelectric points.

Equipotential means that the first connection point and the second connection point are at the same potential or potential, and there is no voltage difference between the first connection point and the second connection point. Therefore, when the main loop is in a normal operation state, no pressure difference exists on two sides of the arc extinguishing mechanism, no current flows through the arc extinguishing mechanism, the aging problem of the arc extinguishing mechanism caused by the current is avoided, the service life of the arc extinguishing mechanism is prolonged, and a remarkable and beneficial effect is provided for the long-term reliability of the circuit breaker.

In some embodiments of a circuit breaker, the conductor has a first end portion, a second end portion, and an intermediate section extending between the first and second end portions, the intermediate section including first and second intermediate sections disposed in parallel between the first and second end portions, wherein the first and second intermediate sections are simultaneously severed by the severing mechanism during operation of the circuit breaker.

In some embodiments of the circuit breaker, the first connection point is located on the first intermediate section and the second connection point is located on the second intermediate section.

The above-mentioned design of double-circuit characteristic is the equipotential connection that will cooperate the arc extinguishing mechanism on the one hand, and on the other hand still has following advantage: because the two-way heat dissipation structure is divided into two ways, under the requirement of the same sectional area, the heat dissipation area of the two-way design is larger, the resistance is smaller, and the temperature rise of the conductor is smaller under the condition of continuous current carrying.

In some embodiments of the circuit breaker, the first intermediate section and the second intermediate section have the same shape and size.

In some embodiments of the circuit breaker, the first connection point is located on the first intermediate section and the second connection point is located on the second intermediate section, and wherein the first connection point and the second connection point are aligned along a lateral direction of the conductor.

In some embodiments of the circuit breaker, the first intermediate section and the second intermediate section have different shapes and sizes.

In some embodiments of the circuit breaker, the first connection point is located on the first intermediate section and the second connection point is located on the second intermediate section, and wherein the first and second connection points are offset from each other relative to a lateral direction of the conductor.

In some embodiments of the circuit breaker, the interrupting mechanism has a first primary interrupting portion and a second primary interrupting portion, the first intermediate section having a first primary interrupting point and the second intermediate section having a second primary interrupting point, wherein when the interrupting mechanism interrupts the conductor, the first primary interrupting portion performs an interrupting action at the first primary interrupting point and the second primary interrupting portion performs an interrupting action at the second primary interrupting point such that the conductor conducts through the arc extinguishing mechanism, and wherein the first primary interrupting point and the second primary interrupting point are aligned along a transverse direction of the conductor.

In some embodiments of the circuit breaker, the interrupting mechanism has a first primary interrupting portion and a second primary interrupting portion, the first intermediate section having a first primary interrupting point and the second intermediate section having a second primary interrupting point, wherein when the interrupting mechanism interrupts the conductor, the first primary interrupting portion performs an interrupting action at the first primary interrupting point and the second primary interrupting portion performs an interrupting action at the second primary interrupting point such that the conductor conducts through the arc extinguishing mechanism.

In some embodiments of the circuit breaker, the trip mechanism has a first secondary trip portion and a second secondary trip portion, the first intermediate section having a first secondary trip point and the second intermediate section having a second secondary trip point, wherein the first secondary trip portion performs a trip action at the first secondary trip point and the second secondary trip portion performs a trip action at the second secondary trip point after the first and second primary trip portions complete a trip action.

The double cutting action of the cutting mechanism improves the breaking capacity and the arc extinguishing capacity of the circuit breaker, and provides insulation performance after breaking, so that the reliability of the circuit breaker is enhanced.

In some embodiments of the circuit breaker, the arc extinguishing mechanism is electrically connected to the conductor, either directly or indirectly.

In some embodiments of a circuit breaker, the arc quenching mechanism includes a first lead, a second lead, and a melt connected between the first lead and the second lead, wherein the first lead is connected to the conductor at the first connection point, and the second lead is connected to the conductor at the second connection point, such that current flowing through the conductor is able to flow through the melt via the first lead and the second lead.

In some embodiments of the circuit breaker, the arc quenching mechanism includes a first lead and a second lead, wherein an end of the first lead is positioned proximate to and forms a first arcing gap with the first connection point, and an end of the second lead is positioned proximate to and forms a second arcing gap with the second connection point.

In some embodiments of the circuit breaker, the arc extinguishing mechanism is a fuse or a PTC (positive temperature coefficient) thermistor.

Drawings

The various aspects of the disclosure will be better understood upon reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings in which:

fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a circuit breaker according to some embodiments of the present application.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a conductor and an arc extinguishing mechanism of a circuit breaker according to some embodiments of the present application.

Fig. 3 is a simplified schematic diagram of a conductor and an arc extinguishing mechanism of a circuit breaker according to other embodiments of the present application, illustrating a state before the conductor is severed.

Fig. 4 is a simplified schematic diagram of a conductor and an arc extinguishing mechanism of a circuit breaker according to other embodiments of the present application, illustrating a state after the conductor has been severed.

Fig. 5 is a simplified schematic diagram of a conductor and an arc extinguishing mechanism of a circuit breaker according to other embodiments of the present application, showing a state before the conductor is severed.

Fig. 6 is a simplified schematic diagram of a conductor and an arc extinguishing mechanism of a circuit breaker according to other embodiments of the present application, illustrating a state after the conductor has been severed.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a disconnect mechanism of a circuit breaker according to some embodiments of the present application.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a conductor and an arc extinguishing mechanism of a circuit breaker according to some embodiments of the present application, showing a state after the conductor is initially cut.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a conductor and an arc extinguishing mechanism of a circuit breaker according to some embodiments of the present application, showing a state after the conductor is severed again.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a conductor and an arc extinguishing mechanism of a circuit breaker according to other embodiments of the present application.

Detailed Description

The present application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate several embodiments of the present application. It should be understood, however, that the present application may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, the embodiments described below are intended to provide a more complete disclosure of the present application and to fully convey the scope of the present application to those skilled in the art. It is also to be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein can be combined in various ways to provide further additional embodiments.

It should be understood that throughout the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like elements. In the drawings, the size of some of the features may be varied for clarity.

It is to be understood that the terminology used in the description is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the application. All terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in the specification have the meaning commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art unless otherwise defined. Well-known functions or constructions may not be described in detail for brevity and/or clarity.

As used in this specification, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. The terms "comprising," "including," and "containing" as used in this specification specify the presence of stated features, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features. The term "and/or" as used in this specification includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. The terms "between X and Y" and "between about X and Y" as used in the specification should be construed to include X and Y. The term "between about X and Y" as used herein means "between about X and about Y" and the term "from about X to Y" as used herein means "from about X to about Y".

In the description, when an element is referred to as being "on," "attached" to, "connected" to, "coupled" with, or "contacting" another element, etc., it can be directly on, attached to, connected to, coupled with, or contacting the other element, or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on," "directly attached to," directly connected to, "directly coupled to," or "directly contacting" another element, there are no intervening elements present. In the description, one feature is disposed "adjacent" another feature, and may mean that one feature has a portion overlapping with or above or below an adjacent feature.

In the specification, spatial relations such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "rear", "high", "low", and the like may explain the relation of one feature to another feature in the drawings. It will be understood that the spatial relationship terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, features originally described as "below" other features when the device in the drawings is turned over may now be described as "above" the other features. The device may also be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the relative spatial relationships may be interpreted accordingly.

Hereinafter, a circuit breaker 1 according to some embodiments of the present application will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. As shown in fig. 1-3, which illustrate a circuit breaker 1 according to some embodiments of the present application, a conductor 10 extends through the circuit breaker 1 such that, upon the occurrence of a fault, the circuit breaker 1 is able to break the conductor 10 such that the circuit is broken to protect the circuit.

Referring to fig. 1, a cross-sectional view of a circuit breaker 1 according to some embodiments of the present application is shown, the circuit breaker 1 including a conductor 10, a housing 20, a cutoff mechanism 30, and an arc extinguishing mechanism 40, the conductor 10 extending through the housing 20, e.g., in the illustrated embodiment, the conductor 10 extends generally in a longitudinal direction through the housing 20.

The longitudinal direction mentioned above generally refers to a direction in which a current flows through the conductor 10 or an extending direction of the conductor 10, for example, a left-right direction or a horizontal direction along a page of fig. 1 in a view of fig. 1. Accordingly, the transverse direction described herein is a direction perpendicular to the above-described longitudinal direction, and in the view of fig. 1, is a direction substantially perpendicular to the page of fig. 1.

A disconnect mechanism 30 may be disposed in the housing 20 and configured to disconnect the conductor 10 extending through the housing 20, such as to disconnect the conductor 10 in the event of a failure of the electrical circuit or other condition requiring the electrical circuit to be disconnected.

The arc extinguishing mechanism 40 may be disposed in the housing 20 in association with the conductor 10, e.g., electrically connected to the conductor 10, either directly or indirectly. The arc extinguishing mechanism 40 may be configured to function, e.g., blow, when the severing mechanism 30 severs the conductor 10, so as to extinguish the arc when the severing mechanism 30 severs the conductor 10.

The arc extinguishing mechanism 40 may be a fuse, a PTC thermistor, or the like. For example, the fuse may include a fuse or other type of fuse.

For low power applications, the cutting mechanism 30 has sufficient arc extinguishing capability to cut the conductor 10 itself, and can meet the application requirements. In case of high power applications, the requirements for arc extinction are further increased, in which case the arc extinction mechanism 40 in the circuit breaker 1 may further enhance the arc extinction capability of the circuit breaker 1.

For high power applications, when the cutting mechanism 30 cuts the conductor 10, a high voltage arc may be generated between the cut portions of the conductor 10, i.e., even if the conductor 10 is cut, an arc may be generated at the cut, with a certain risk. The arc extinguishing mechanism 40 may, for example, have a melt through which the circuit can still be conducted when the severing mechanism 30 severs the conductor 10, but which will melt due to the high current in the circuit, causing the circuit to open, thereby extinguishing the generation of an arc that may result from severing the conductor 10. The addition of the arc extinguishing mechanism 40 significantly improves the arc extinguishing capability of the circuit breaker 1, so that the circuit breaker 1 can be applied to high-power occasions without risks.

In the example shown in fig. 1, a receiving chamber 220 may be formed in the housing 20, and at least a portion of the arc extinguishing mechanism 40 may be received in the receiving chamber 220 so as to isolate the influence of the arc extinguishing mechanism 40 acting on other portions of the circuit breaker 1.

In the current scheme, most of the arc extinguishing mechanisms are connected in parallel with the conductor in the main loop, so that when the conductor is cut off, the arc extinguishing mechanisms still make the main loop conductive, and then a large current flows through the arc extinguishing mechanisms, so that the arc extinguishing mechanisms are disconnected to extinguish the arc. Under this condition, when the major loop was in normal operating condition, there was certain pressure differential in arc extinguishing mechanism both sides, though this pressure differential is very little, can lead to after all to have certain electric current among the arc extinguishing mechanism all the time, and this can accelerate the ageing of arc extinguishing mechanism, shortens its life, causes unfavorable influence to the long-term reliability of circuit breaker.

To this end, according to some embodiments of the present application, as shown in fig. 2, fig. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the conductor 10 and the arc extinguishing mechanism 40 in the circuit breaker 1 according to the present application. The arc extinguishing mechanism 40 is associated with, e.g., directly or indirectly electrically connected to, the conductor 10 at a first connection point 112 and a second connection point 114, respectively. The first connection point 112 and the second connection point 114 are isoelectric points. Equipotential means that the first connection point 112 and the second connection point 114 are at the same potential or potential, and there is no voltage difference between the first connection point 112 and the second connection point 114. Therefore, when the main loop is in a normal operation state, no voltage difference exists between two sides of the arc extinguishing mechanism 40, no current flows through the arc extinguishing mechanism 40, the aging problem of the arc extinguishing mechanism 40 caused by the current is avoided, the service life of the arc extinguishing mechanism 40 is prolonged, and a remarkable and beneficial effect is provided for the long-term reliability of the circuit breaker 1.

To cooperate with the arc extinguishing mechanism 40 to be associated with the conductor at the first and second connection points 112 and 114, respectively, according to some embodiments of the present application, the conductor 10 may have a first end 120, a second end 140, and an intermediate section 160 extending between the first and second ends 120 and 140, as shown in fig. 2. The circuit breaker 1 is connected in the main circuit by a first end 120 and a second end 140 of the conductor 10.

The middle section 160 may be designed with a two-pass feature, i.e., the middle section 160 includes a first middle section 162 and a second middle section 164 disposed in parallel between the first end portion 120 and the second end portion 140. During normal operation of the main circuit, current flows through the circuit breaker 1 through both the first intermediate section 162 and the second intermediate section 164. In the event of a fault in the main circuit or other need to open the circuit, the first and second intermediate sections 162, 164 are simultaneously severed by the severing mechanism 30 during operation of the circuit breaker 1, thereby opening the main circuit.

According to some embodiments of the present application, as shown in fig. 2, the first connection point 112 may be located on a first intermediate section 162, and the second connection point 114 may be located on a second intermediate section 164. The first and second connection points 112 and 114, respectively, are disposed at equipotential points on two parallel paths to provide for association of the arc extinguishing mechanism 40 with the conductor 10.

The two-way design has the following advantages besides the equipotential connection of the arc extinguishing mechanism 40: because the conductor is divided into two paths, under the requirement of the same sectional area, the heat dissipation area of the two-path design is larger, the resistance is smaller, and the temperature rise of the conductor 10 is smaller under the condition of continuous current carrying.

According to some embodiments of the present application, as shown in fig. 2-4, the first intermediate section 162 and the second intermediate section 164 may have the same shape and size. Fig. 3 and 4 show simplified schematic diagrams of the conductor 10 and the arc extinguishing mechanism 40 in the circuit breaker 1 according to the present application. As can be seen in fig. 2-4, the structural design of the first intermediate section 162 and the second intermediate section 164 is identical such that points on the first intermediate section 162 and the second intermediate section 164 that are aligned with each other along the lateral direction of the conductor 10 (e.g., along the lateral midpoint of the conductor 10) are equipotential points. In fig. 2-4, the first connection point 112 and the second connection point 114 are each at such isoelectric points aligned with each other along the transverse direction of the conductor 10.

According to some embodiments of the present application, as shown in fig. 5-6, the first intermediate section 162 and the second intermediate section 164 may have different shapes and sizes. Fig. 5 and 6 show simplified schematic diagrams of the conductor 10 and the arc extinguishing mechanism 40 in the circuit breaker 1 according to the present application. As can be seen from fig. 5-6, the structural design of the first intermediate section 162 and the second intermediate section 164 is different, and therefore the potentials at the points on the first intermediate section 162 and the second intermediate section 164 that are aligned with each other in the transverse direction of the conductor 10 are generally different, i.e. in this case the equipotential points on the first intermediate section 162 and the second intermediate section 164 are offset from each other with respect to the transverse direction of the conductor. In fig. 5-6, the first connection point 112 and the second connection point 114 are offset from each other with respect to the transverse direction of the conductor 10, rather than being aligned with each other along the transverse direction of the conductor 10.

The isoelectric point may be determined based on the shape and size of the first and second intermediate sections 162 and 164, by measuring the voltage, potential or potential at each point on the first and second intermediate sections 162 and 164, or by directly measuring the voltage, potential or potential difference between each point on the first and second intermediate sections 162 and 164. Such determination may be by any suitable method known in the art.

In some embodiments, after the shape of the conductor 10 is determined, the location of the same resistance in the first intermediate section 162 and the second intermediate section 164 is an isoelectric point calculated from the shape and resistivity of the conductor.

In some embodiments, parameters of the conductor 10 may be imported into simulation software, and simulation calculation may be performed under the condition that a current or a voltage is applied to both sides of the conductor 10, and the positions where the voltage difference is the same in the first middle section 162 and the second middle section 164 are equipotential points.

In some embodiments, the isoelectric point may be determined by measurement, for example, by applying a voltage across the conductor 10, and measuring the actual voltage or voltage difference between the first intermediate section 162 and the second intermediate section 164, wherein the voltage is equal or the position where the voltage difference is zero is the isoelectric point.

According to some embodiments of the present application, as shown in fig. 1 and 7, wherein fig. 7 shows a schematic perspective view of a shutdown mechanism 30 of a circuit breaker 1 according to the present application. The cutting mechanism 30 includes an actuating portion 320 and a cutting portion 340, the actuating portion 320 moving within the housing 20 when actuated, the cutting portion 340 being driven by the actuating portion 320 to move so as to cut the conductor 10.

As shown in fig. 1, the circuit breaker 1 according to the present application may further include an actuating mechanism 50, the actuating mechanism 50 being configured to actuate the interrupting mechanism 30 to interrupt the conductor 10 when an abnormal condition such as a short circuit or an overload occurs in the main circuit or when an external trigger signal is received, and specifically, the actuating mechanism 50 may actuate the actuating portion 320 of the interrupting mechanism 30. The actuation mechanism 50 may be any suitable actuation mechanism known in the art, such as an explosive actuator. In the event of a short circuit or overload or receipt of an actuation signal, actuation mechanism 50 is energized, generating explosive gas that acts on actuation portion 320 of shutoff mechanism 30, thereby urging shutoff mechanism 30 downward.

In the illustrated example, the actuator 320 may be in the form of, for example, a piston that is slidable up and down within a slide chamber formed by the housing 20. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the actuator 320 may take any suitable configuration known in the art. The cut-off portion 340 may be fixedly or movably coupled to the actuating portion 320, or the cut-off portion 340 may also be formed as an integral structure with the actuating portion 320.

The cut portion 340 may have a first primary cut portion 342 and a second primary cut portion 344, the first primary cut portion 342 and the second primary cut portion 344 being configured to simultaneously cut the first intermediate section 162 and the second intermediate section 164 of the conductor 10 so as to break the conductor 10.

Accordingly, the first intermediate section 162 has a first primary cut point 1622 and the second intermediate section 164 has a second primary cut point 1642. When the cutting mechanism 30 is moved toward the conductor 10 to cut the conductor 10, the first primary cutting portion 342 performs a cutting action at a first primary cutting point 1622, and the second primary cutting portion 344 performs a cutting action at a second primary cutting point 1642.

According to some embodiments of the present application, as shown in fig. 4, 6 and 8, when the first primary cutting portion 342 performs a cutting action at the first primary cutting point 1622 and the second primary cutting portion 344 performs a cutting action at the second primary cutting point 1642, the conductor 10 itself is broken and cannot function as a conduction in the main circuit, but at this time, due to the presence of the arc extinguishing mechanism 40, the conductor 10 may conduct through the arc extinguishing mechanism 40. At this time, a large current flows through the arc extinguishing mechanism 40, and the melt in the arc extinguishing mechanism 40 melts to perform an arc extinguishing operation.

As shown in fig. 2 and 3, in a case where the first and second connection points 112 and 114 are aligned with each other along the transverse direction of the conductor 10, the first and second primary cutting points 1622 and 1642 may be offset from each other with respect to the transverse direction of the conductor 10 and on opposite sides of the first and second connection points 112 and 114, respectively, along the longitudinal direction of the conductor 10, so that the conductor 10 can conduct through the arc extinguishing mechanism 40 when the conductor 10 is cut by the cutting mechanism 30, as shown in fig. 4 and 8.

Fig. 3 shows the variant of fig. 2, without the need for a secondary cutting section. Fig. 4 is a schematic cut-away view.

The isoelectric points of FIG. 5 are offset from each other to align fracture locations. The breaking action of the two fractures can be completed only by one primary cutting part. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram after disconnection.

As shown in fig. 5, in the case where the first and second connection points 112 and 114 are offset from each other with respect to the transverse direction of the conductor 10, the first and second primary cutting points 1622 and 1642 may be aligned with each other along the transverse direction of the conductor 10 and between the first and second connection points 112 and 114 in the longitudinal direction of the conductor 10, so that the conductor 10 can conduct through the arc extinguishing mechanism 40 when the conductor 10 is cut by the cutting mechanism 30, as shown in fig. 6.

According to some embodiments of the present application, as shown in fig. 2 and 7-10, the severing mechanism 30 may have a first secondary severing section 346 and a second secondary severing section 348, the first secondary severing section 346 and the second secondary severing section 348 being configured to perform an action of severing the conductor 10 after the first primary severing section 342 and the second primary severing section 344 complete the severing action.

Accordingly, the first intermediate section 162 has a first secondary cut point 1624 and the second intermediate section 164 has a second secondary cut point 1644. When the cutting mechanism 30 cuts the conductor 10, the first secondary cutting portion 346 performs a cutting operation at a first secondary cutting point 1624, and the second secondary cutting portion 348 performs a cutting operation at a second secondary cutting point 1644.

According to some embodiments of the present application, after the first primary cutting portion 342 and the second primary cutting portion 344 complete the cutting action, the conductor 10 becomes the state shown in fig. 8, at which time the arc extinguishing mechanism 40 performs the arc extinguishing action as described above. Then, with the cutting mechanism 30 continuing to move toward the conductor 10, the first secondary cutting portion 346 performs a cutting action at a first secondary cutting point 1624, and the second secondary cutting portion 348 performs a cutting action at a second secondary cutting point 1644 to further cut the conductor 10. In some embodiments, as severing mechanism 30 continues to move toward conductor 10 such that first and second secondary severing portions 346, 348 perform the severing action, first and second primary severing portions 342, 344 may continue to move downward such that conductor 10 at first and second primary severing points 1622, 1642 that have been severed is bent, enlarging the gap at first and second primary severing points 1622, 1642, reducing the occurrence of arcing. The above-described double breaking action of the breaking mechanism 30 improves the breaking capacity and arc extinguishing capacity of the circuit breaker 1 and provides better post-breaking insulation performance, so that the reliability of the circuit breaker 1 is enhanced. Fig. 9 is a schematic view of 2 cuts.

According to some embodiments of the present application, as shown in fig. 2, the first primary cut point 1622 and the first secondary cut point 1624 are located on both sides of the first connection point 112 along the longitudinal direction of the conductor 10, and the second primary cut point 1642 and the second secondary cut point 1644 are located on both sides of the second connection point 114 along the longitudinal direction of the conductor 10, such that the first secondary cut point 1624 and the second secondary cut point 1644 are in series with the arc extinguishing mechanism 40 after the first primary cut portion 342 and the second primary cut portion 344 complete the cutting action, as shown in fig. 8.

In the example shown in fig. 3-6, the severing portion 340 has only a first primary severing portion 342 and a second primary severing portion 344, respectively the first intermediate section 162 having a first primary severing point 1622 and the second intermediate section 164 having a second primary severing point 1642. In this case, the cutting operation is completed only by the first primary cutting portion 342 and the second primary cutting portion 344, and then the arc is extinguished by the arc extinguishing mechanism 40, so that the breaking time is long. In the example shown in fig. 2 and 7-10, the cutout 340 also has a first secondary cutout 346 and a second secondary cutout 348, and accordingly the first intermediate section 162 has a first secondary cutout point 1624 and the second intermediate section 164 has a second secondary cutout point 1644. In this case, after the first primary cutting portion 342 and the second primary cutting portion 344 complete the cutting operation, the first secondary cutting portion 346 and the second secondary cutting portion 348 may perform a further cutting operation, which also acts to cut the conductor 10, thereby improving the arc extinguishing efficiency and shortening the cutting time.

Further, according to some embodiments of the present application, the cutout 340 may have only the first secondary cutout 346 or the second secondary cutout 348, and accordingly, the first intermediate section 162 may have the first secondary cutout point 1624 or the second intermediate section 164 may have the second secondary cutout point 1644. In this case, after the first primary cutting portion 342 and the second primary cutting portion 344 complete the cutting action, the cutting mechanism 30 performs further cutting action only at a single position of the conductor 10. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the severing mechanism 30 may include a greater number of severing portions without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application.

According to some embodiments of the present application, the arc extinguishing mechanism 40 may be electrically connected to the conductor 10, either directly or indirectly, as described above.

As shown in fig. 2, the arc extinguishing mechanism 40 may include a first lead 420, a second lead 440, and a fuse element 460 connected between the first lead 420 and the second lead 440. Fuse element 460 may be a fuse element or any other suitable fuse element. The first lead 420 may be connected to the conductor 10 at the first connection point 112 by means such as welding, and the second lead 440 may be connected to the conductor 10 at the second connection point 114 by means such as welding, so that, for example, after the first primary cutout 342 and the second primary cutout 344 complete the cutout action, the current flowing through the conductor 10 can flow through the melt 460 via the first lead 420 and the second lead 440.

As shown in fig. 10, the first and second leads 420 and 440 of the arc extinguishing mechanism 40 are not connected to the conductor 10. The end of the first wire 420 is positioned near the first connection point 112 and forms a first arc discharge gap with the first connection point 112, and the end of the second wire 440 is positioned near the second connection point 114 and forms a second arc discharge gap with the second connection point 114. After the first primary cut portion 342 and the second primary cut portion 344 complete the cutting action, further arc discharge is performed through the first arc discharge gap and the second arc discharge gap to complete the arc extinguishing action.

Although exemplary embodiments of the present application have been described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made to the exemplary embodiments of the present application without substantially departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Accordingly, all changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present application as defined in the appended claims. The application is defined by the following claims, with equivalents of the claims to be included therein.

Claims (14)

1. A circuit breaker, characterized in that the circuit breaker comprises:

a housing;

a conductor extending through the housing;

a severing mechanism disposed within the housing, the severing mechanism configured to sever the conductor extending through the housing; and

an arc extinguishing mechanism associated with the conductor, the arc extinguishing mechanism configured to blow when the severing mechanism severs the conductor;

wherein the arc quenching mechanism is associated with the conductor at a first connection point and a second connection point, and wherein the first connection point and the second connection point are isoelectric points.

2. The circuit breaker of claim 1, wherein the conductor has a first end portion, a second end portion, and an intermediate section extending between the first and second end portions, the intermediate section including first and second intermediate sections disposed in parallel between the first and second end portions, wherein the first and second intermediate sections are simultaneously severed by the severing mechanism during operation of the circuit breaker.

3. The circuit breaker of claim 2, wherein the first connection point is located on the first intermediate section and the second connection point is located on the second intermediate section.

4. The circuit breaker of claim 2, wherein the first and second intermediate sections have the same shape and size.

5. The circuit breaker of claim 4, wherein the first connection point is located on the first intermediate section and the second connection point is located on the second intermediate section, and wherein the first connection point and the second connection point are aligned along a transverse direction of the conductor.

6. The circuit breaker of claim 2, wherein the first intermediate section and the second intermediate section have different shapes and sizes.

7. The circuit breaker of claim 6, wherein the first connection point is located on the first intermediate section and the second connection point is located on the second intermediate section, and wherein the first and second connection points are offset from each other relative to a transverse direction of the conductor.

8. The circuit breaker of claim 7, wherein the trip mechanism has a first primary trip portion and a second primary trip portion, the first intermediate section having a first primary trip point, the second intermediate section having a second primary trip point, wherein when the trip mechanism trips the conductor, the first primary trip portion performs a trip action at the first primary trip point, the second primary trip portion performs a trip action at the second primary trip point such that the conductor conducts through the arc extinguishing mechanism, and wherein the first primary trip point and the second primary trip point are aligned along a transverse direction of the conductor.

9. The circuit breaker of claim 3, wherein the trip mechanism has a first primary trip portion and a second primary trip portion, the first intermediate section having a first primary trip point and the second intermediate section having a second primary trip point, wherein when the trip mechanism trips the conductor, the first primary trip portion performs a trip action at the first primary trip point and the second primary trip portion performs a trip action at the second primary trip point such that the conductor conducts through the arc extinguishing mechanism.

10. The circuit breaker of claim 9, wherein the trip mechanism has a first secondary trip portion and a second secondary trip portion, the first intermediate section having a first secondary trip point and the second intermediate section having a second secondary trip point, wherein the first secondary trip portion performs a trip action at the first secondary trip point and the second secondary trip portion performs a trip action at the second secondary trip point after the first primary trip portion and the second primary trip portion complete a trip action.

11. The circuit breaker of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the arc quenching mechanism is electrically connected to the conductor directly or indirectly.

12. The circuit breaker of claim 11, wherein the arc quenching mechanism includes a first lead, a second lead, and a fuse body connected between the first lead and the second lead, wherein the first lead is connected to the conductor at the first connection point, and the second lead is connected to the conductor at the second connection point such that current flowing through the conductor can flow through the fuse body via the first lead and the second lead.

13. The circuit breaker of claim 11, wherein the arc quenching mechanism includes a first lead and a second lead, wherein an end of the first lead is positioned proximate to the first connection point and forms a first arcing gap with the first connection point, and an end of the second lead is positioned proximate to the second connection point and forms a second arcing gap with the second connection point.

14. The circuit breaker of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the arc extinguishing mechanism is a fuse or a PTC thermistor.

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