Power supply interrupting apparatus using a contact unit to switch between an interrupted and non-interrupted state

• US 7,688,031 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2006
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Asakura, Toshiyuki, Yamaji, Shigeo
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, ARUN C
• Application Number:
  US11/447,060
• Publication Number:
  US 20060284579A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,393 Days
• Field of Search: 320/127, 320/103, 320/104, 320/109, 320/124, 320/129, 320/146, 713/323
• US Class Current: 320/127
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 19/58 having only axial contact pressure, e.g. disc switch, wafer switch
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00306 Overdischarge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence

Abstract

Provided is a power supply interrupting apparatus. The apparatus includes a switch, for switching between a first connection connecting a primary terminal and an output terminal and a second connection connecting a secondary terminal and the output terminal; a motor, which is driven by a current outputted from the output terminal; an interlock switch, which is driven to rotate by the motor so as to choose to feed or not to feed to the secondary terminal in accordance with a resultant rotational angle; and a contact unit, which is driven to rotate by the motor so as to switch the state of a current supplied from the battery to an interrupted or non-interrupted state.

Claims

1. A power supply interrupting apparatus for interrupting a current supplied from a battery, comprising:

a switch, for switching between a first connection and a second connection, the first connection being between a primary terminal and an output terminal, the primary terminal being fed, when an operating portion is operated, and the second connection being between a secondary terminal and the output terminal, when the operation of the operating portion is released;

a motor, which is driven by a current outputted from the output terminal;

an interlock switch, which is driven to rotate by the motor so as to choose to feed or not to feed to the secondary terminal in accordance with a resultant rotational angle; and

a contact unit, which is driven to rotate by the motor so as to switch the state of a current supplied from the battery to an interrupted or non-interrupted state;

wherein the motor is continuously driven from a time when the primary terminal is connected to the output terminal to a time when the interlock switch chooses not to feed to the secondary terminal in case that the operating portion of the switch is operated; and

the contact unit switches the state of the current supplied from the battery from the non-interrupted state to the interrupted state or from the interrupted state to the non-interrupted state while the motor is being driven continuously.

2. The power supply interrupting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a primary indicator, which is illuminated by a current supplied from the battery via the contact unit.

3. The power supply interrupting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a secondary indicator, which is illuminated by a branch current of a current outputted to the output terminal of the switch.

4. The power supply interrupting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a switch, not to be on at any other time than when a vehicle is parked, is connected in series to the primary indicator or the secondary indicator.

5. The power supply interrupting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a switch, not to be on at any other time than when a vehicle is parked, is connected in series to the primary indicator or the secondary indicator.

6. The power supply interrupting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the contact unit comprises:

a stator; and

a rotor;

wherein the rotor is rotated together with the interlock switch when the motor drives each of the interlock switch and the contact unit.