PYROTECHNIC CIRCUIT BREAKER

Abstract

A pyrotechnic circuit breaker comprising: a casing, at least two connection terminals, an internal electrical circuit connecting the two connection terminals and formed for example by an electrical conductor, an opening member, which is movable and arranged to open a part to be opened of the internal electrical circuit when moving between an initial position and a final position, so as to form at least two discrete portions of conductor after opening, a pyrotechnic actuator arranged to move the opening member from the initial position to the final position, an inner chamber defined by an internal wall formed in the casing, and receiving the part to be opened, an insulating grease, arranged in the inner chamber, wherein the insulating grease is arranged on or covers at least two predetermined parts of the internal wall.

Claims

1-14. (canceled)

15. A pyrotechnic circuit breaker comprising: a casing, at least two connection terminals, an inner electrical circuit connecting the two connection terminals and formed, for example, by an electrical conductor, an opening member, movable and arranged to open a part to be opened of the inner electrical circuit during a movement between an initial position and a final position, so as to form at least two discrete portions of conductor after opening, a pyrotechnic actuator arranged to move the opening member from the initial position to the final position, an inner chamber defined by an inner wall formed in the housing, and receiving the part to be opened, an insulating grease arranged in the inner chamber, wherein the insulating grease is arranged on or covers at least two predetermined parts of the inner wall.

16. The pyrotechnic circuit breaker according to claim 15, wherein, said at least two predetermined parts of the inner wall are arranged on both sides of the opening members, according to a transverse direction to the moving direction of the opening member.

17. The pyrotechnic circuit breaker according to claim 15, wherein the insulating grease is arranged on or covers only said at least two predetermined parts of the inner wall.

18. The pyrotechnic circuit breaker according to claim 15, wherein, once the opening member is in final position, said at least two predetermined parts of the inner wall are arranged on or cross the shortest leakage current path between the two discrete portions of conductor.

19. The pyrotechnic circuit breaker according to claim 18, wherein the leakage current path has a total length, wherein the part of the leakage current path whereupon the insulating grease is arranged or covered by the insulating grease has an insulated length, and wherein a ratio of the insulated length to the total length is in a range from 0.08 to 0.60, preferably from 0.18 to 0.48 and more preferentially from 0.20 to 0.26.

20. The pyrotechnic circuit breaker according to claim 18, wherein, upon movement from the initial position to the final position, the opening member separates the part to be opened of the electrical conductor into at least two discrete portions of conductor at two inner ends forced apart from one another by the opening member upon movement from the initial position to the final position, so as to have, once the opening member is in final position, a free distance between the two inner ends, matching an arc path, less than the total length of the leakage current path between the two discrete portions of conductor, and in particular less than the total length of the shortest leakage current path between the two discrete portions of conductor.

21. The pyrotechnic circuit breaker according to claim 15, wherein the part of conductor to be opened has a width to be opened, wherein the opening member has, in the direction of the width to be opened, an opening size greater than the width to be opened.

22. The pyrotechnic circuit breaker according to claim 15, wherein, whereupon the opening member is in initial position, the insulating grease is collected in the path of the opening member between the initial position and the final position, and wherein the opening member is arranged to move at least one part of the insulating grease upon movement between the initial position and the final position.

23. The pyrotechnic circuit breaker according to claim 15, comprising at least one guide unit with: at least one guide protrusion arranged on either one of the opening member or the casing, at least one guide groove arranged on the other of the opening member or the casing, wherein the guide protrusion is engaged in the guide groove to form the guide unit of the opening member (40) on the casing, wherein the guide groove comprises at least one bottom or one side wall, and wherein the insulating grease is arranged on or covers at least one part of the bottom or of the side wall.

24. The pyrotechnic circuit breaker according to claim 15, wherein the opening member is arranged to open the part to be opened of the electrical conductor, so as to form at least three discrete portions of conductor after opening, wherein at least one of the three discrete portions of conductor forms at least one central portion, wherein two of the three discrete portions of conductor form two discrete lateral portions of conductor, wherein at least one leakage current path leads from the central portion towards each of the other two discrete lateral portions of conductor, and wherein once the opening member is in final position, said at least two predetermined parts are arranged on or cross a part of said at least one leakage current path going from the central portion towards one of the other two discrete lateral portions of conductor.

25. The pyrotechnic circuit breaker according to claim 24, wherein two leakage current paths lead from the central portion towards each of the two other discrete portions of conductor, and wherein once the opening member is in final position, said at least two predetermined parts are arranged on or cross a part of each of the two leakage current paths going from the central portion towards one of the other two discrete lateral portions of conductor.

26. The pyrotechnic circuit breaker according to claim 18, wherein said at least part of the leakage current path covered by the insulating grease has a length of less than 13 mm, preferably less than 10 mm.

27. The pyrotechnic circuit breaker according to claim 15, wherein the inner wall, at said at least two predetermined parts, has a roughness greater than Ra 1.6, and preferably greater than Ra 3.2.

28. The pyrotechnic circuit breaker according to claim 15 in combination with a motor vehicle.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0082] Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading the detailed description of an embodiment of the invention, which is provided by way of example but in no manner limited thereto, and illustrated by the attached drawings, in which:

[0083] FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a pyrotechnic circuit breaker, comprising in particular a casing traversed by an electrical conductor forming an internal electrical circuit, a pyrotechnic actuator, and an opening member arranged to open the internal electrical circuit when the pyrotechnic actuator is actuated or triggered;

[0084] FIG. 2 shows a detail of the casing of the circuit breaker of FIG. 1;

[0085] FIG. 3 shows a detail of the opening member of the circuit breaker of FIG. 1;

[0086] FIG. 4 shows a detail of a cross-section of the circuit breaker of FIG. 1 after the pyrotechnic actuator is actuated or triggered;

[0087] FIG. 5 schematically represents a cross section in top view of the circuit breaker of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT(S)

[0088] FIG. 1 shows a circuit breaker especially comprising: [0089] a casing 10 formed by a lower casing portion 12 and an upper casing portion 11, [0090] two connection terminals 21 and 22, [0091] an internal electrical circuit connecting the two connection terminals 21 and 22 and formed by an electrical conductor 31, [0092] an opening member 40, movable and arranged to open a part to be opened 31A of the internal electrical circuit when moving between an initial position (according to FIG. 1) and a final position (according to FIG. 4), so as to form at least two discrete portions of conductor 32 and 33 (visible in FIG. 4) after opening, [0093] a pyrotechnic actuator 50 arranged to move the opening member 40 from the initial position to the final position, [0094] an inner chamber 60 (comprising a lower chamber 62 and an upper chamber 61), defined by an inner wall formed in the casing 10, and receiving the part to be opened 31A, [0095] coolers 70 arranged inside the casing 10 and defined to lower the temperatures of the gases during operation and thus increase the breaking capacity of the circuit breaker.

[0096] The circuit breaker of the figure is typically integrated into a power circuit of a motor vehicle (an electric vehicle, for example) and can be used to cut off the power circuit if an emergency occurs. One of the functions of this circuit breaker is therefore to be able to break a power circuit quickly, even if high currents are present (more than 500 amperes for example). Another function of this circuit breaker is to guarantee good insulation resistance between the connection terminals 21 and 22 after the internal electrical circuit is opened.

[0097] In order to address the opening function, the pyrotechnic actuator 50 (typically an electro-pyrotechnic igniter) is triggered and a high pressure is generated in the space between the pyrotechnic actuator 50 and the opening member 40, which pushes the latter towards the top of FIG. 1, to move from the initial position shown to the final position of FIG. 4.

[0098] During this movement, the opening member comes into contact with the part to be opened 31A of the electrical conductor, and therefore opens the internal electrical circuit by cutting the electrical conductor 31, by a mechanical shearing.

[0099] In fact, as shown in FIG. 3, the opening member 40 comprises two projections 41, separated by a groove 42, and which form knives to cut the part to be opened 31A. In detail, and as shown in FIG. 1, the part to be opened 31A comprises a central portion supported by a return 13 of the upper casing portion 11, engaged with a bar 14 overmolded on the central portion of the part to be opened 31A and integral with an overmolded body 15, overmolded on the electrical conductor 31.

[0100] When the opening member 40 moves from the initial position to the final position, the projections 41 of the opening member 40 bear on the non-supported parts of the electrical conductor 31 and shear it on either side of the bar 14 and the return 13 (at the part to be opened 31A opposite the upper chamber 61).

[0101] As shown in FIG. 4, the shearing of the electrical conductor 31 forms: [0102] two discrete lateral portions 32 with an inner end 34 in the inner chamber 60 (and in particular in the upper chamber 61), and [0103] a central portion 33, which remained engaged with the bar 14.

[0104] Furthermore, at the very beginning of opening, when the inner ends 34 are still in the vicinity of the central portion 33, an electric arc can form (depending on whether current passes through the electrical conductor 31 or not) between each inner end 34 and the central portion 33, at an arc path TA shown in dotted lines in FIG. 4. During the movement from the initial position to the final position, the opening member 40 pushes and causes each discrete lateral portion 32 to bend, so that the arc path TA “stretches” or “elongates” in order to present at the end of operation a sufficient free distance to guarantee an electric arc extinguishing and a rapid cutting or opening of the internal electrical circuit.

[0105] FIGS. 2 and 3 show the mounting of the opening member 40 in the casing 10, and in particular, guide units are provided between the opening member 40 and the casing 10, at the overmolded body 15. Indeed, the opening member (FIG. 3) is provided with lateral projections 43 forming guide protrusions, and the overmolded body 15 with lateral grooves 613 forming guide grooves, formed in lateral walls 611 of the upper chamber 61.

[0106] The opening member 40 is therefore mounted in a sliding or translational connection relative to the casing 10 and slides during its movement from the initial position to the final position, which provides a reproducible, controlled final operation and position in order to guarantee rapid opening and arc extinguishing at the end of operation with a sufficient free distance.

[0107] However, the operation of the pyrotechnic actuator 50 can generate numerous hot particles and gases which are projected into the inner chamber 60, and which typically cover or condense on the walls of the latter, and in particular the walls 611, the lateral projections 43 and the lateral grooves 613. Such deposits can form an electrically conductive or slightly electrically conductive layer, and an insulation resistance, after opening of the electrical conductor 31, may be affected.

[0108] Such an insulation resistance, measured after operation, between the connection terminals 21 and 22 must be high, to guarantee an absence of leakage current between the connection terminals 21 and 22 after opening the internal electrical circuit of the circuit breaker.

[0109] Such leakage currents typically pass through leakage current paths between the discrete portions of conductor after opening, which extend along the inner wall of the inner chamber 60.

[0110] FIG. 5 shows a schematic cross-section (not showing all the details of FIG. 1) of the circuit breaker of FIG. 1 after opening, in a plane passing through the upper face of the electrical conductor 31, seen from above.

[0111] The electrical conductor 31 has therefore been opened in three discrete portions of conductor, that is two discrete lateral portions 32 and a central portion 33. The central portion 33 is separated from the two discrete lateral portions 32 by the lateral projections 43 of the opening member 40.

[0112] Detail A and detail B of FIG. 5 show that a leakage current can travel a leakage current path CCF formed along the inner wall of the inner chamber, between the lower corner 32A of the discrete lateral portion 32 and the lower corner 33A of the central portion 33. It should be noted that the function of providing good insulation resistance is to be ensured after operation, once the electrical conductor 31 has been broken or opened. Typically, a leakage current cannot be established along the arc path TA because the resistivity of the air is too great. Consequently, a leakage current can only pass along the walls of the circuit breaker, in particular the inner walls of the inner chamber 60 or the walls of the opening member 40, doing so on the shortest path, which has the lowest insulation resistance.

[0113] In order to guarantee good insulation resistance, it is proposed to position insulating grease 70 on the inner wall (and/or on the walls of the opening member 40) so as to cut off the leakage current path, and preferably the shortest leakage current path. Generally, it is proposed to arrange insulating grease 70 on at least part of the leakage current path CCF. Preferentially, it is proposed to arrange insulating grease on at least two predetermined parts of the inner wall of the inner chamber 60.

[0114] As shown by details A and B of FIG. 5, insulating grease 70 is placed on the leakage current path CCF, so as to cut it over a limited part. Consequently, the leakage current can no longer get through, which guarantees good insulation resistance In practice, with such an implementation, the insulation resistance between the connection terminals is greater than 30 Mohms, preferably greater than 50 Mohms, preferably greater than 100 Mohms, preferably greater than 500 Mohms, and very preferentially greater than 1 Gohms. Indeed, insulating grease 70 prevents leakage current from being established, even if particles or condensed gases are deposited on the inner wall of the inner chamber.

[0115] As shown in FIG. 5, insulating grease is placed on four predetermined parts of the inner wall of the inner chamber 60, so that all the leakage current paths CFF starting from the central portion 33 are cut at least in one place. As shown in FIG. 5, the insulating grease 70 is placed on either side of the opening member 40, in a vertical direction (transverse to the direction of movement).

[0116] FIG. 5, a section at the electrical conductor 31, contains in this example the shortest leakage path, that shown in detail B. However, it is provided that insulating grease be placed above, below and at the electrical conductor 31 (and thus along an axis normal in FIG. 5) to ensure that all the leakage current paths having a length equal to [0%; 15%] of the length of the shortest leakage current path are also cut.

[0117] According to the example presented here, the insulating grease 70 is positioned on the parts of the inner wall forming the bottom of the lateral groove 613, which allows for localized, simultaneous application on the inner wall of the inner chamber and on the wall of the lateral projections 43 of the opening member 40, which guarantees an effective cutting of all possible leakage current paths. However, the insulating grease 70 could be positioned on another surface of the lateral groove 613.

[0118] The insulating grease 70 is placed on delimited parts of the inner wall, and not over the entire inner wall, since the applicant has noticed that this limits the influences on the cut-off times. Indeed, tests were conducted with insulating grease over the entire inner wall of the inner chamber 60, with a cut-off time of up to 0.3 ms, and were tests with the same conditions, but insulating grease 70 only on the predetermined portions shown in FIG. 5, with a cut-off time of less than 0.2 ms were conducted. In general, the insulating grease 70 is therefore provided only at the predetermined locations described, and is not located on the rest of the walls of the chamber, nor on the electrical conductor 31 before cut-off, or the discrete portions of conductor 33, 32 after cut-off. In particular, the zones where the electrical conductor 31 is cut off by the opening member 40 are free of insulating grease 70.

[0119] In general, two possibilities for positioning the insulating grease 70 on the predetermined parts are available: positioning the insulating grease 70 on the predetermined parts directly upon mounting the circuit breaker, or providing that the insulating grease 70 is placed or moved or projected onto the predetermined parts during the operation of the circuit breaker.

[0120] In the first case, it is possible to refer to FIG. 5 to identify where the insulating grease 70 is placed as soon as the circuit breaker is mounted: on the inner wall of the inner chamber 60, on either side of the opening member 40, and on either side and at the electrical conductor 31 (that is in the lower chamber 62, in the upper chamber 61, and at the edge of the electrical conductor 31).

[0121] In the second scenario, it is possible to provide a dab of the insulating grease 70 above each side of the opening member 40, just above each lateral projection 43. Consequently, the insulating grease 70 will be spread over the entire height of each predetermined portion of the inner surface by the opening member 40 when it moves from the initial position to the final position. A layer of insulating grease is therefore spread over at least a portion of the lateral groove 613.

[0122] In the second scenario, it is alternatively possible to provide a dab of the insulating grease 70 over the stroke of the opening member 40 so that the latter projects the insulating grease 70 at the desired locations. It is in particular possible to provide a closed tank or enclosure containing the insulating grease 70. Preferably, an enclosure can be provided with two zones of weakness to project insulating grease 70 at the desired locations.

[0123] The insulating grease 70 may be chosen from silicone grease (containing siloxanes or polysiloxanes). It is possible to provide a thickness of at least 0.1 mm on each predetermined part of the inner wall over a width of at least 1 mm, or 2 mm, and over a length (or height in FIG. 1) of at least 5 mm, and preferably at least 7 mm. With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, insulating grease 70 can be provided over at least 80% of the bottom of the groove 613, and at least 80% of the surface of the lateral projection 43.

[0124] It will be understood that various modifications and/or improvements which are obvious for the person skilled in the art may be made to the different embodiments of the invention described in the present description without departing from the scope of the invention.