Vehicle circuit breaker

A vehicle circuit breaker includes a housing configured with a electrode assembly including a first electrode and second electrode; the first electrode is configured with a first conducting element and first insertion portion, and the second electrode is configured with an electrode connection portion and second insertion portion; a bimetal conducting sheet and blocking element are configured inside the housing, where the bimetal conducting sheet has a plurality of conducting concave portions for the installment of a second conducting element and the connection with the electrode connection portion, thereby carrying out a blocking action when current is abnormal and therefore making it easier for assembly.

(a) TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a smaller and reusable vehicle circuit breaker.

(b) DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Many circuit breakers must be used in an electric vehicle. The current smaller vehicle circuit breakers mostly are fused circuit breakers; they must be replaced and discarded after used only once. If they are needed to use in large quantities, a lot of cost will be caused, and if they can be repeatedly used, they must be made larger, which makes them have no way to be installed in smaller spaces.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle circuit breaker, utilizing a bimetal conducting sheet to match a blocking element to achieve a reusable effect, and allowing the assembly to be more convenient and quicker through conducting concave portions.

To achieve the above object, the present invention proposes a vehicle circuit breaker, mainly including: a housing; an electrode assembly, configured on the housing and including a first electrode and second electrode; a first conducting element, configured on the first electrode; an electrode connection portion, configured on the second electrode; a first insertion portion, configured on the first electrode; a second insertion portion, configured on the second electrode; a bimetal conducting sheet, configured inside the housing; a plurality of conducting concave portions, configured on the bimetal conducting sheet; a second conducting element, configured on the conducting concave portion; a blocking element, movably configured inside the housing; an elastic element, configured between the blocking element and electrode assembly; and a pressing portion, configured on the blocking element.

A user may connect the electrode assembly to a vehicle by engaging the first insertion portion with second insertion portion. Upon use, one end of the bimetal conducting sheet configured with the second conducting element will be close to the electrode assembly, and the current flow will be more stable to allow the current to pass through the electrode to be used normally because both the first conducting element and second conducting element are silver contacts. When the current is abnormal, the temperature of the bimetal conducting sheet will be increased, thereby generating deformation to cause the end having the first conducting element to become warped, allowing the first conducting element to be away from the second conducting element and at the same time, the blocking element will be pushed by the elastic element to move to between the first conducting element and second conducting element, and the pressing portion will be pushed out of the housing so that the first conducting element and second conducting element will not be in contact with each other because of the blocking of the blocking element even if the bimetal conducting sheet returns to its original shape due to temperature drop. When the present invention wants to be used again, the pressing portion can be pressed down to cause the blocking element to be separated from between the first conducting element and second conducting element, and the bimetal conducting sheet will then drive the first conducting element to be in contact with the second conducting element to continue conducting the electrode assembly.

Since the first conducting element is installed on the conducting concave portion, and the electrode connection portion is also in connection with the bimetal conducting sheet through the conducting concave portion so that the assembly is more convenient and quicker. In addition, the depression depth of the conducting concave portion is set between 0.15 and 0.4 mm so that the present invention can be used in a smaller housing and so has a small volume.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring toFIGS. 1 to 3, a vehicle circuit breaker includes a housing1, a plurality of slip stops122, an electrode assembly2, a first conducting element211, an electrode connection portion221, a first insertion portion212, a second insertion portion222, a bimetal conducting sheet3, a plurality of conducting concave portions31, a metal gasket32, a second conducting element33, a blocking element4, an elastic element43, a blocking limit42and a electrode limit42.

The housing1has a bearing element11and a covering element12covered on the bearing element11, where the bearing element11has a plurality of first connection portions111, and the covering element12has a plurality of second connection portions121corresponding to the plurality of first connection portions111, allowing the covering element12to be fixed to the bearing elements11by engaging the first connection portions111with the corresponding second connection portions121. In a preferred embodiment, both the bearing element11and covering element12respectively are a plastic shell, and each first connection portion111is an engagement convex portion and each second connection portion121is a through hole adapted to be in engagement with the corresponding first connection portion111, but the number of first connection portions111and the one of the second connection portions121are not limited in the present invention.

The plurality of slip stops122are configured on the covering element12. In a preferred embodiment, the slip stops122are formed on a groove of the covering element12.

The electrode assembly2is configured in the housing1and includes a first electrode21configured on the bearing element11and a second electrode22configured on the bearing element11and positioned at one side of the first electrode21.

The conducting element211is configured on the first electrode21and riveted to a silver contact of the first electrode21.

The electrode connection portion221is configured on the second electrode22and positioned in the housing1.

The first insertion portion212is configured on the first electrode21and positioned outside the housing1.

The second insertion portion222is configured on the second electrode22and also positioned outside the housing1, and the first insertion portion212and second insertion portion222can be correspondingly plugged into a required vehicle body so as to allow the electrode assembly2to be in electric connection with a circuit inside the vehicle body.

The bimetal conducting sheet3is configured inside the housing1.

The plurality of conducting concave portions31are configured on the bimetal conducting sheet3and positioned on the respective ends of the bimetal conducting sheet3, where the depth of the depression of the conducing concave portion31is between 0.15 and 0.4 mm. Furthermore, the bimetal conducting sheet3is in connection with the electrode connection portion221through one of the conducting concave portions31; the connection way is spot weld connection or rivet connection; the spot weld connection is exemplified in a preferred embodiment.

The metal gasket32is configured on the conducting concave portion31and on one side of the conducting concave portion31and electrode connection portion221because the spot weld connection is carried out in the embodiment, allowing the spot weld effect to be more stable.

The second conducting element33is configured on the conducting concave portion31and adapted to be in corresponding contact with the first conducting element211.

The blocking element4is movably configured inside the housing1and has a pressing portion42passed out of the housing1.

The elastic element43is respectively connected with the electrode assembly2and blocking element4, allowing the blocking element4to be moved to between the first conducting element211and second conducting element33through the elastic force of the elastic element43.

The blocking limit42is formed on the blocking element4, allowing the sliding of the blocking element4to be limited on the electrode assembly2through the blocking limit42.

The electrode limit213is formed on the first electrode21and positioned correspondingly to the blocking limit42. In a preferred embodiment, the blocking limit42is a groove formed on the blocking element4, and the electrode limit213is a rod adapted to limit the sliding of the groove.

Referring toFIGS. 1 to 7, the bimetal conducting sheet3is a metal sheet made by combining two metals with different coefficients of thermal expansion together so that it usually is a bent metal sheet with a curved surface, which makes the assembly often troublesome. But, the present invention is configured with the two conducting concave portions31on the bimetal conducting sheet3, the assembly can then be carried out through the planes of the conducting concave portions31to increase assembly convenience. In the embodiment, the second conducting element33may be riveted in one of the conducting concave portions31, and the metal gasket32is then positioned in another conducting concave portion31to match the spot weld effect, allowing the bimetal conducting sheet to be assembled with and connected to the electrode connection portion221more completely. In addition, since the present invention is a smaller circuit breaker in which the thickness of the bimetal conducting sheet3is approximately 0.8 mm and the space inside the housing1is only approximately 6.6 mm, so that the depression depth of the conducting concave portion31will be set between 0.15 and 0.4 mm, and the metal conducting sheet3can then have a swinging space.

With the above assembly method, the bimetal conducting sheet3can then be fixed to the electrode assembly2, and the bearing element11and covering element12are further formed into the housing1by engaging the first connection portions111with the respective second connection portions121. Thereafter, the slip stop22is held to plug the first insertion portion212and second insertion portion222into a vehicle body to allow the electrode assembly2to be in electric connection with a circuit (a circuit type is not limited, the present invention can be used on any circuit that requires a circuit breaker, such as a power box) inside the vehicle body. On normal use, one end of the bimetal conducting sheet3having the second conducting element33will be in contact with the first electrode21, thereby allowing the first conducting element211to be in contact with the second conducting element33to enable the first electrode21to be in electric connection with the second electrode22and thus enable the circuit in the vehicle body to be operated normally. It is particularly mentioned here that the first conducting element211and second conducting element33are respectively made of a silver contact so as to make current flow more smoothly by virtue of the superior conductivity of silver because the present invention may be used in a circuit of larger current.

When the circuit is abnormal and the current flow is increased, the bimetal conducting sheet3will be caused to be increased in temperature. Since the bimetal conducting sheet3is made of two metal sheets with a different coefficient of thermal expansion, the bimetal conducting sheet3will be bent toward one side of the lower coefficient of thermal expansion when the temperature is increased so that the first conducting element211will be caused to be away from the second conducting element33, allowing the circuit to be broken. Furthermore, in a conduction state, the blocking element4will also be blocked by the first conducting element211even if it is pushed by the elastic element43and will not be moved to between the first conducting element211and second conducting element33, But, when the first conducting element211is away from the second conducting element33, the blocking element4will be driven by the elastic element43to move to between the first conducting element211and second conducting element33; the movement of the blocking element4is allowed to be more accurate by matching the blocking limit with electrode limit213. Therefore, when the bimetal conducting sheet3drives the first conducting211to move toward the second conducting element33after the temperature of the bimetal conducting sheet3is decreased, but this movement will still be stopped by the blocking element4, thereby increasing use safety. When a user confirms that the circuit is not abnormal and needs to continue to use it, they may push the pressing portion41to drive the blocking element4to be away from between the first conducting element211and second conducting element33. meanwhile, the bimetal conducting sheet3will then drive the first conducting element211to be in contact with the second conducting element33again, thereby achieving reusability.