JP7690215B2 - Connection adapter and how to fix the connection adapter - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a connection adapter that is used by connecting it to a breaker and a method for fixing the connection adapter.

Breakers installed in distribution boards and other locations are electrically maintained and inspected by touching the test cord of an electrical measuring instrument to the breaker terminal to check the electrical condition, such as insulation and power quality. Until now, checking a breaker with an electrical measuring instrument has been done by clamping the breaker terminal with an alligator clip and connecting the connection cord of the electrical measuring instrument to the breaker terminal, or by forming the end of the connection cord with a magnet and attaching this end to the breaker terminal and connecting it. However, if the area in which the breaker terminal is located is small, it is difficult to clamp it with an alligator clip, and if a magnet is used, it will easily come off when an external force is applied.

Various means have been disclosed for connecting an electric measuring instrument to a breaker terminal (for example, Patent Document 1). The measurement adapter described in Patent Document 1 includes a rod-shaped member that is electrically connected to the measurement side connection part and is arranged to penetrate the part of the cover member corresponding to the current-carrying terminal part in a slidable state, and the tip of the rod-shaped member is in contact with the current-carrying terminal part of the measurement target and electrically connected; a covering member that is provided on the outside of the cover member, covers the rod-shaped member and the measurement side connection part, and has an opening formed at the part corresponding to the measurement side connection part into which the measurement terminal can be inserted and connected to the measurement side connection part; and a spring member that is arranged on the rod-shaped member and presses the rod-shaped member toward the current-carrying terminal part. With this measurement adapter, the measurement terminal can be easily connected to the measurement side connection part through the opening of the covering member, preventing it from coming into contact with other parts of the measurement adapter, and the measurement terminal of the measuring instrument can be safely connected to the current-carrying terminal part exposed to the outside to measure voltage, etc.

JP 2008-180680 A

The measurement adapter described in Patent Document 1 is troublesome because the measurement terminal, which is an alligator clip, is connected to the measurement side connection part through the opening of the covering member after the cover member is attached. In addition, the size of the breaker and the distance between the terminals of the breaker vary, and when using the above measurement adapter, it is necessary to prepare one that matches the size of the breaker and the distance between the terminals of the breaker each time, which is poor in versatility.
Currently, there is a demand for an adapter and a method of fixing the adapter that is versatile, easy to attach and detach, and does not easily come off the breaker, in relation to the connection between an electrical measuring instrument and a breaker terminal.

The present invention aims to provide a connection adapter and a method for fixing the connection adapter that is highly versatile, easy to attach and detach, and will not easily come off the breaker.

The connection adapter according to the present invention is connected to a breaker having a first groove portion in which a first breaker terminal body is arranged and a second groove portion in which a second breaker terminal body is arranged, and is equipped with a first connection terminal body provided with a first connection terminal, a second connection terminal body provided with a second connection terminal and movable toward the first connection terminal body, and an adapter body having an elastic member provided between the first connection terminal body and the second connection terminal body, a first measurement cord electrically connected to the first connection terminal body, and a second measurement cord electrically connected to the second connection terminal, characterized in that when the second connection terminal body is moved toward the first connection terminal body, an elastic force of the elastic member is applied to the second connection terminal body in a direction opposite to the first connection terminal body side.

The connection adapter according to the present invention is characterized in that a first spring member that presses the first connection terminal toward the first breaker terminal is provided inside the first connection terminal body, and a second spring member that presses the second connection terminal toward the second breaker terminal is provided inside the second connection terminal body.

The connection adapter according to the present invention is characterized in that the first connection terminal and the first measurement cord, and the second connection terminal and the second measurement cord are each connected by a flexible wire, and the wire is arranged in a curved state.

The connection adapter according to the present invention is characterized in that the tip of the first connection terminal and the tip of the second connection terminal are each provided with a conductive cap material having a flat portion.

The connection adapter according to the present invention is characterized in that a slide portion is formed on the first connection terminal body, a slide member is provided on the second connection terminal body that is inserted into the slide portion, and a pressing portion is formed on the adapter body, and by pressing this pressing portion, the second connection terminal body is slid toward the first connection terminal body.

The connection adapter according to the present invention is characterized in that a rubber member is provided on at least the side of the second connection terminal body, and when the connection adapter is fixed to the breaker, the second connection terminal body abuts against the second groove portion via the rubber member.

The method for fixing the connection adapter according to the present invention is a method for fixing the above connection adapter to a breaker, and is characterized in that the first connection terminal body presses the wall of the first groove portion and the second connection terminal body presses the wall of the second groove portion by the elastic force of the elastic member, thereby fixing the connection adapter to the breaker, and in a state in which the second connection terminal body is moved toward the first connection terminal body, the first connection terminal body is fitted into the first groove portion and the second connection terminal body is fitted into the second groove portion, respectively, so that the first spring member presses the first connection terminal toward the first breaker terminal side, and the second spring member presses the second connection terminal toward the second breaker terminal side, thereby electrically connecting the first connection terminal to the first breaker terminal, and the second connection terminal to the second breaker terminal, respectively.

The connection adapter according to the present invention has an adapter body having a first connection terminal body provided with a first connection terminal, a second connection terminal body provided with a second connection terminal and movable toward the first connection terminal body, and an elastic member provided between the first connection terminal body and the second connection terminal body, and when the second connection terminal body is moved toward the first connection terminal body, the elastic force of the elastic member is applied to the second connection terminal body in the opposite direction to the first connection terminal body. The connection adapter according to the present invention can be operated with one hand and can be connected to multiple breaker terminals at the same time, so there is no hassle involved. By utilizing the elastic member, this connection adapter can be reliably fixed to the breaker and can be easily attached and detached to the breaker. Furthermore, the connection adapter according to the present invention can easily adjust the position of the connection terminal body to match the shape of the breaker, so it can be used with all breaker sizes and is highly versatile.

In the fixing method of the connection adapter according to the present invention, the first connection terminal body presses the wall of the first groove portion and the second connection terminal body presses the wall of the second groove portion by the elastic force of the elastic member of the connection adapter. Therefore, the connection adapter can be reliably fixed to the breaker and the connection adapter can be prevented from coming off the breaker. Furthermore, in the fixing method of the connection adapter according to the present invention, the first connection terminal body is moved toward the first connection terminal body, and the second connection terminal body is fitted into the first groove portion and the second groove portion, respectively, so that the first spring member presses the first connection terminal toward the first breaker terminal side, and the second spring member presses the second connection terminal toward the second breaker terminal side. Therefore, the first connection terminal is reliably electrically connected to the first breaker terminal, and the second connection terminal is reliably electrically connected to the second breaker terminal.

1A and 1B are diagrams for explaining a fixed connection of a connection adapter to a breaker according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a connection adapter according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a connection adapter according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a connection adapter according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a view from below and (b) is a view from above. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating an internal structure of a connection adapter according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which a connection adapter according to an embodiment of the present invention is connected to a breaker.

The connection adapter according to this embodiment is fixed and connected to an electrical device or an earth leakage breaker. In this embodiment, the object to be connected is taken as an example of a circuit breaker, which is an earth leakage breaker, and will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 6. Note that the state of the connection adapter in Fig. 2 is used as a reference to define the front-rear direction X, the left-right direction Y, and the height direction Z.

As shown in FIG. 1, the breaker 100 includes a breaker body 101, three grooves 102 formed at the end of the breaker body 101, and a connection terminal (breaker terminal) 103 fixed to these grooves 102. The connection terminal 103 is formed by a screw.

2 and 3, the connection adapter 1 includes an adapter body 2 and a number of measurement cords 3 connected to the adapter body 2. A plug 4 is attached to the tip of each measurement cord 3 (FIG. 6), and these plugs 4 are connected to a measuring instrument (not shown).
4(a), the adapter body 2 includes a first connecting terminal body 10 having a first terminal (first connecting terminal) 11, a second connecting terminal body 20 arranged on one side of the first connecting terminal body 10 and having a second terminal (second connecting terminal) 21, and a third connecting terminal body 30 arranged on the other side of the first connecting terminal body 10 and having a third terminal (third connecting terminal) 31. The second connecting terminal body 20 and the third connecting terminal body 30 are arranged opposite each other with the first connecting terminal body 10 in between. The width of each connecting terminal body 10, 20, 30 is designed to be smaller than the width of each corresponding groove portion 102 of the breaker 100.
A first measurement cord 3A is connected to the first connecting terminal body 10, a second measurement cord 3B is connected to the second connecting terminal body 20, and a third measurement cord 3C is connected to the third connecting terminal body 30, respectively.

The first connecting terminal body 10 has a housing 12 and a plate material 12A provided in front of the housing 12. As shown in FIG. 4(a), two slide holes 12B are formed in the plate material 12A. The slide member (movable piece) 22A of the second connecting terminal body 20 is inserted into one slide hole 12B, and the slide member (movable piece) 32A of the third connecting terminal body 30 shown in FIG. 4(b) is inserted into the other slide hole 12B, and the second connecting terminal body 20 and the third connecting terminal body 30 are connected to the first connecting terminal body 10.

The second connection terminal body 20 has a housing 22, a slide member 22A formed on the lower part of the housing 22, a pressing portion 28 formed on the front right side of the housing 22, and a pair of partition pieces 22B formed on the front left side of the housing 22 (Fig. 4(a)). A spring 12C is provided between the partition pieces 22B. In addition, a rubber member 29 is provided on the right side of the second connection terminal body 20.

The third connection terminal body 30 has a housing 32, a sliding member 32A, a pressing portion 38 formed on the front left side of the housing 32, and a pair of partition pieces 32B formed on the front right side of the housing 32. A spring 12D is provided between the partition pieces 32B. A rubber member 39 is provided on the left side of the third connection terminal body 30.

The second connection terminal body 20 and the third connection terminal body 30 can slide in the left-right direction Y by the movement of the slide members 22A and 32A through the slide holes 12B. In addition, springs 12C and 12D as elastic members are provided on the plate material 12A. The spring 12C is provided between the first connection terminal body 10 and the second connection terminal body 20, and the spring 12D is provided between the first connection terminal body 10 and the third connection terminal body 30, and these springs 12C and 12D expand and contract in the left-right direction Y. Therefore, when the second connection terminal body 20 is slid toward the first connection terminal body 10, the elastic force of the spring 12C is applied to the second connection terminal body 20 in the right direction opposite to the first connection terminal body 10 side, and when the third connection terminal body 30 is slid toward the first connection terminal body 10, the elastic force of the spring 12D is applied to the third connection terminal body 30 in the left direction opposite to the first connection terminal body 10 side.

Next, the internal structure of the first connecting terminal body 10 will be described.
In addition, since the internal structures of the second connecting terminal body 20 and the third connecting terminal body 30 are identical to the internal structure of the first connecting terminal body 10, except for the shape of the internal space, a description of the internal structures of the second connecting terminal body 20 and the third connecting terminal body 30 will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 5(a), the inside of the first connection terminal body 10 is divided into a first space 10A and a second space 10B. The first space 10A occupies most of the internal space, and the second space 10B is formed in the lower rear part of the housing 12. Inside the first connection terminal body 10, there are provided a rod-shaped first terminal 11 having a stopper portion 18, a spring member 13 provided around the first terminal 11, a wire 14 connected to the first measurement cord 3A, and a crimp terminal 15 connecting the wire 14 and the first terminal 11. In addition, a conductive cap material 16 having a flat circular plate 16A is attached to the tip of the first terminal 11. The conductive cap material 16, the first terminal 11, the crimp terminal 15, the wire 14, and the first measurement cord 3A are electrically connected.

The first terminal 11 is disposed outside the housing 12, in the second space 10B, and in the first space 10A. Specifically, one end of the first terminal 11 is exposed to the first space 10A, and the other end is exposed to the outside of the housing 12. The end of the first terminal 11 exposed to the outside of the housing 12 comes into contact with the connection terminal 103 of the breaker 100. A compression coil spring is used for the spring member 13, and the natural length of the spring member 13 is approximately the same as the height of the second space 10B. The second terminal 21 and the third terminal 31 also have a similar structure.

The tip of the first measurement cord 3A and the wire 14 are connected by soldering, and a heat shrink tube 17 is provided around the connection. The wire 14 may be flexible, and is connected to the first measurement cord 3A and the crimp terminal 15 in an S-shaped curve.
The area of the circular plate 16A is larger than the cross-sectional area of the first terminal 11, and the circular plate 16A is in surface contact with the connection terminal 103.

Next, we will explain the method of fixing the connection adapter 1 according to this embodiment to the breaker 100 and the method of connecting each terminal 11, 21, 31 to the connection terminal 103 of each breaker 100.

First, the pressing portion 28 of the second connecting terminal body 20 is pressed leftward, and the pressing portion 38 of the third connecting terminal body 30 is pressed rightward (Fig. 2). Then, while sliding the second connecting terminal body 20 and the third connecting terminal body 30 toward the first connecting terminal body 10, the positions of the connecting terminal bodies 10, 20, 30 are adjusted to match the shape of the breaker 100 so that they correspond to the position of the groove portion 102 of the breaker 100. When sliding, an elastic force is applied to the second connecting terminal body 20 from the spring 12C in the rightward direction, and an elastic force is applied to the third connecting terminal body 30 from the spring 12D in the leftward direction. The above-mentioned sliding of the second connecting terminal body 20 and the third connecting terminal body 30 is performed with one hand.

Next, each of the connection terminal bodies 10, 20, 30 whose positions have been adjusted is fitted into the corresponding groove portion 102, and the pressure on the pressing portions 28, 38 is released. Then, due to the elastic force of the springs 12C, 12D, the second connection terminal body 20 presses against the wall portion of the groove portion 102 into which it is fitted via the rubber member 29, and similarly, the third connection terminal body 30 presses against the wall portion of the groove portion 102 into which it is fitted via the rubber member 39, and thus the connection adapter 1 is fixed to the breaker 100 as shown in FIG. 6.

When each connection terminal body 10, 20, 30 is fitted into each groove portion 102, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the conductive cap material 16 (circular plate 16A) exposed to the outside abuts against the connection terminal 103, and the first terminal 11 is further pushed upward. When the first terminal 11 is pushed upward, the first terminal 11 is pushed into the second space 10B and the spring member 13 contracts, and a downward elastic force is applied from the spring member 13 to the stopper portion 18 of the first terminal 11. Then, the conductive cap material 16 attached to the first terminal 11 abuts against the connection terminal 103 and is electrically connected. The second terminal 21 and the third terminal 31 are also abutted against the connection terminal 103 by a similar mechanism.

Next, we will explain the effects of the connection adapter 1 according to this embodiment.

The connection adapter 1 according to this embodiment can adjust the positions of the connection terminal bodies 10, 20, and 30 by sliding the second connection terminal body 20 and the third connection terminal body 30 toward the first connection terminal body 10, and fit each connection terminal body 10, 20, and 30 into the corresponding groove portion 102. At this time, the elastic force of the springs 12C and 12D causes the second connection terminal body 20 and the third connection terminal body 30 to press the walls of the groove portion 102, and the connection adapter 1 is fixed to the breaker 100. Therefore, the connection adapter 1 is securely fixed to the breaker 100 and does not easily come off from the breaker 100. Therefore, the state in which the connection adapter 1 is connected to the breaker 100 (a fitted state that does not easily come off) can be maintained for a long time, and it is possible to prevent the need to redo the measurement in the middle of recording the test.

The connection adapter 1 can be operated with one hand and can be connected to the three connection terminals 103 of the breaker 100 simultaneously, while the other hand can be used to operate the measuring instrument, eliminating the need for labor. This connection adapter 1 can be easily fixed to the breaker 100, regardless of the user's level of skill. Furthermore, when removing the connection adapter 1, it can be easily removed by pressing the pressing portions 28, 38 again, making it easy to attach and detach the connection adapter 1 to and from the breaker 100.

The connection adapter 1 according to this embodiment is highly versatile because the positions of the connection terminal bodies 10, 20, and 30 can be easily adjusted, making it possible to use it with breakers with different spacing between the connection terminals 103 and compatible with all breaker sizes.

In the connection adapter 1 according to this embodiment, when each connection terminal body 10, 20, 30 is fitted into each groove portion 102 and the first terminal 11 is pushed upward, a downward elastic force is applied from the spring member 13 to the stopper portion 18 of the first terminal 11. This ensures that the conductive cap material 16 abuts against the connection terminal 103 and is electrically connected. In this way, the spring member 13 always presses the first terminal 11 against the connection terminal 103, preventing poor contact. Similarly, the second terminal 21 and the third terminal 31 are always pressed against the connection terminal 103.

The first terminal 11 of the connection adapter 1 according to this embodiment is fitted with a conductive cap material 16 having a circular plate 16A larger than the cross-sectional area of the first terminal 11, so that it comes into surface contact with each connection terminal 103 and is securely electrically connected. In addition, since the conductive cap material 16 can be attached and detached, it can be easily replaced when worn.

In the connection adapter 1, the wire 14 is connected to the first measurement cord 3A and the crimp terminal 15 in an S-shaped curve, and can easily move upward and downward. This allows the first terminal 11 to move upward and downward smoothly.
When the connection adapter 1 is fixed to the breaker 100, the rubber members 29, 39 on the sides of the second connection terminal body 20 and the third connection terminal body 30 are in close contact with the walls of the grooves 102. Since the rubber members 29, 39 have a large coefficient of friction, the adhesion between the sides of the second connection terminal body 20 and the third connection terminal body 30 and the grooves 102 can be increased, and the connection adapter 1 can be firmly fixed to the breaker 100.

The springs 12C and 12D, which are elastic members, constantly apply a force that spreads in the left-right direction Y to the second connection terminal body 20 and the third connection terminal body 30. In this way, in the method of fixing the connection adapter 1, the second connection terminal body 20 and the third connection terminal body 30 press against the walls of each groove portion 102, so that the connection adapter 1 can be securely fixed to the breaker 100.

When each of the connection terminal bodies 10, 20, 30 is fitted into each of the grooves 102, a force is applied to each of the terminals 11, 21, 31 from the spring member 13 provided around them toward the connection terminal 103 side (downward) of the breaker 100. Then, each of the connection terminal bodies 10, 20, 30 is pressed against the connection terminal 103. Therefore, the connection method of the connection adapter 1 can reliably electrically connect each of the connection terminal bodies 10, 20, 30 to the connection terminal 103.

Although the present embodiment has been described above, it is possible to select from the configurations described in the above embodiment or to change to other configurations as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the present embodiment, a configuration in which the connection terminal bodies on both sides are moved has been described, but it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which only the connection terminal body on one side is slid.

1 Connection adapter 2 Adapter body 3 Measurement cord 3A First measurement cord 3B Second measurement cord 3C Third measurement cord 4 Plug 10 First connection terminal body 10A First space 10B Second space 11 First terminal (first connection terminal)
Reference Signs List 12, 22, 32 Housing 12A Plate material 12B Slide hole 12C, 12D Spring 13 Spring member 14 Wire material 15 Crimp terminal 16 Conductive cap material 16A Circular plate 17 Heat shrink tube 18 Stopper portion 20 Second connection terminal body 21 Second terminal (second connection terminal)
22A, 32A Slide member (movable piece)
22B, 32B Partition pieces 28, 38 Pressing portions 29, 39 Rubber member 30 Third connection terminal body 31 Third terminal (third connection terminal)
100 Breaker 101 Breaker body 102 Groove portion 103 Connection terminal (breaker terminal)
X: Front-back direction Y: Left-right direction Z: Height direction

Claims (7)

A connection adapter to be connected to a breaker having a first groove portion in which a first breaker terminal is arranged and a second groove portion in which a second breaker terminal is arranged,
an adapter body having a first connection terminal body provided with a first connection terminal, a second connection terminal body provided with a second connection terminal and movable toward the first connection terminal body, and an elastic member provided between the first connection terminal body and the second connection terminal body;
a first measurement cord electrically connected to the first connection terminal body and a second measurement cord electrically connected to the second connection terminal;
When the second connection terminal body is moved toward the first connection terminal body, an elastic force of the elastic member is applied to the second connection terminal body in a direction opposite to the first connection terminal body.
A connection adapter characterized by: a first spring member that presses the first connection terminal toward the first breaker terminal is provided inside the first connection terminal body,
a second spring member that presses the second connection terminal toward the second breaker terminal is provided inside the second connection terminal body;
2. The connection adapter according to claim 1 . the first connection terminal and the first measurement cord, and the second connection terminal and the second measurement cord are connected by a flexible wire, respectively, and the wire is provided in a curved state;
3. The connection adapter according to claim 1 or 2. a conductive cap member having a flat plate portion is provided on a tip portion of the first connection terminal body and a tip portion of the second connection terminal body,
3. The connection adapter according to claim 1 or 2. a slide hole is formed in the first connection terminal body, a slide member is provided in the second connection terminal body and a pressing portion is formed in the adapter body;
By pressing the pressing portion, the second connection terminal body is slid toward the first connection terminal body.
3. The connection adapter according to claim 1 or 2. A rubber member is provided on at least a side portion of the second connection terminal body,
When the terminal block is fixed to the breaker, the second connection terminal body is brought into contact with the second groove portion via the rubber member.
3. The connection adapter according to claim 1 or 2. A method for fixing the connection adapter according to claim 2 to the breaker, comprising the steps of:
the second connecting terminal body is pressed and moved toward the first connecting terminal body, and the first connecting terminal body is fitted into the first groove portion and the second connecting terminal body is fitted into the second groove portion, respectively, and then the pressure on the second connecting terminal is released, whereby the elastic force of the elastic member causes the first connecting terminal body to press the wall portion of the first groove portion and the second connecting terminal body to press the wall portion of the second groove portion, respectively , and the connection adapter is fixed to the breaker ;
the first spring member presses the first connection terminal toward the first breaker terminal, and the second spring member presses the second connection terminal toward the second breaker terminal, so that the first connection terminal is electrically connected to the first breaker terminal, and the second connection terminal is electrically connected to the second breaker terminal.
A method for fixing a connection adapter.

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