Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Kenji Kanematsu

Shinya Kimoto

Kazuhisa Kinoshita

Yoshihisa Fukuda

Masato Nakamura

Shun Ito

Masakazu Kobayashi

Kazuhiro Kodama

Riichi Uotome

An interrupter system includes a first coil and an interrupter electrically connected to the first coil. The interrupter includes: a first terminal; a second terminal electrically connected to the first terminal; a third terminal electrically separated from the first terminal and the second terminal; a heat generating element electrically connected to the third terminal; and an explosive configured to be ignited by the heat generating element to produce a gas for interrupting an electrical connection between the first terminal and the second terminal. The first coil is electrically connected to the heat generating element via the third terminal. Moreover, the first coil is configured to, when an abnormal current flows between the first terminal and the second terminal, generate an electric power for igniting the explosive from the abnormal current.

Control system and interrupter system

A control system is designed to control an interrupter. The interrupter is started by a startup current to interrupt a main electric circuit. The startup current flows through an auxiliary electric circuit and has a current valve equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The control system includes a driving unit and a driven unit. The driving unit includes an intermediate electrical path to be connected to the main electric circuit. The driven unit is to be connected to the auxiliary electric circuit. When an abnormal current having a current value equal to or greater than a prescribed value flows through the intermediate electrical path, the driving unit uses, as a drive source for driving the driven unit, the abnormal current flowing through the intermediate electrical path. The driven unit supplies the auxiliary electric circuit with the startup current by being driven by the driving unit.

An interrupter includes a gas producer, an actuator pin, and an electrical conductor. The electrical conductor includes a first terminal portion, a first separable portion, a second terminal portion, and a second separable portion. The second separable portion is electrically connected to the first separable portion in parallel. A first timing when the first separable portion starts to be cut off from the first terminal portion is earlier than a second timing when the second separable portion starts to be cut off from the second terminal portion.

Interrupter and interrupter system

A circuit interrupter includes: a first fixed terminal including a first fixed contact; a movable contactor which is formed as a separate part from the first fixed terminal and includes a first movable contact; a holding unit configured to hold the movable contactor so that the first movable contact is connected to the first fixed contact; and a squib configured to generate gas by combustion. In the circuit interrupter, pressure of the gas generated by the squib causes movement of the movable contactor in a direction away from the first fixed terminal so that the first movable contact is separated from the first fixed contact.

Circuit interrupter

A circuit interrupter includes a fixed terminal, a movable contactor, a moving mechanism, a squib, and accommodation. The fixed terminal includes a fixed contact. The movable contactor includes a movable contact connected to the fixed contact. The moving mechanism is configured to move the movable contactor from a closed position where the movable contact is connected to the fixed contact to an open position where the movable contact is separated from the fixed contact. The squib is configured to generate gas by combustion. The accommodation is for accommodating the fixed contact and the movable contactor. In the circuit interrupter, the gas is introduced into the accommodation.

An electromagnetic relay includes an electromagnet device, a contactor, and a trip device turning the contactor into an open state in which the contactor opens when an abnormal current flows. The electromagnet device includes a first excitation coil, a fixed element, first and second movable elements, and a permanent magnet. The contactor includes a fixed contact and a movable contact. In the electromagnetic relay, while the permanent magnet causes the first movable element to attractingly contact the second movable element, the fixed element attracts the first movable element due to a magnetic flux generated by the first excitation coil so as to move the second movable element together with the first movable element from a normal position to an attracted position. In the contactor, the movable contact moves, as the second movable element moves, so as to switch between a closed state in which the movable contact contacts the fixed contact and the open state in which the movable contact is removed from the fixed contact. The contactor is turned into the closed state when the second movable element is located at the attracted position. The trip device includes a second excitation coil connected in series to the contactor and a spring for acting a force on the second movable element in a direction away from the first movable element.

Electromagnetic relay

The contact apparatus includes a fixed contact, a movable contact, and an arc extinguishing member. The movable contact is movable between a closed position where the movable contact is in contact with the fixed contact and an open position where the movable contact is separate from the fixed contact. The arc extinguishing member is for discharging an arc extinguishing gas offering a capacity for extinguishment of an arc, into a space containing the fixed contact and the movable contact.

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Osaka, Japan

Kenji Kanematsu