High voltage electric line cutter device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10622176-B2
Application number	US-201816150486-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2018
Priority date	Oct 11, 2017
Publication date	Apr 14, 2020
Grant date	Apr 14, 2020

Abstract

An electric line cutter device for high voltage busbars has a two-part housing, a piston, an igniter and a busbar. The upper housing includes a cylinder, cuboid or prism chamber. The lower housing also includes a cylinder, cuboid or prism chamber. The piston is contained inside one of either the upper housing chamber or the lower housing chamber. Upon igniting the igniter, the piston breaks a portion of the busbar moving the piston and the portion of the busbar into the opposite chamber thereby stopping the electric current flow. The piston is at least partially formed as an insulator to prevent electric discharge. The piston design together with chamber design includes integrated “squeeze areas” and “blow channels” for the appearing arc. A channel system outside or from inside the piston allow the pyro gases to push the arc plasma into a filter system to cool down the gases.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electric line cutter device for high voltage busbars comprises:
a first housing with a first housing chamber;
a second housing with a second housing chamber, the second housing affixed to the first housing;
a piston contained inside the first housing chamber;
an igniter for driving the piston from the first housing chamber to the second housing chamber;
a busbar for carrying an electric current flow in the busbar rigidly held between the first and second housing and spanning across said first and second housing chambers wherein the busbar has two stub ends extending external of the first and second housings, each of the stub ends configured to be attached to electrical wiring or cable to complete a circuit wherein the busbar extends across the first and second housing chambers held rigidly at the stub ends by a compression force between the first and second housing on two opposed sides of the first and second housing;
wherein upon igniting the igniter, the piston moves breaking a middle portion of the busbar between the two stub ends, moving the piston and the middle portion of the busbar into the second housing chamber thereby stopping the electric current flow and wherein the busbar, when broken at the middle portion, remains rigidly held at the two opposed sides of the first and second housing at the stub ends of the busbar; and
wherein the first and second housing are made at least partially non-electrically conductive wherein the piston is at least partially formed as an insulator to prevent electric discharge wherein the piston has an end that impacts and cuts the busbar and a side region which lies flush against the second housing chamber when the piston is moved in a lowest piston position, a space along the side region and the second housing being sufficiently narrow to squeeze, hinder or block any electric arc and wherein the second housing chamber has a length allowing the cut middle portion and the end of the piston to move away from the cut stub ends lengthening the distance to prevent arcing.

2. The electric line cutter device of claim 1 wherein the first and second housing are removably attached to the other by one or more fasteners.

3. The electric line cutter device of claim 1 wherein the busbar further comprises a pair of fracture locations, each fracture location being internal and adjacent to the first and second housings and of a reduced thickness when viewed in a cross-section of the busbar, the fracture location configured to break upon an impact from the piston.

4. The electric line cutter device of claim 1 wherein the igniter is electrically activated in the event of a signal from an Electronic Control Unit (ECU).

5. The electric line cutter device of claim 4 wherein the electric line cutter device is configured to be used in a vehicle capable of generating high voltages.

6. The electric line cutter device of claim 5 wherein the electric line cutter device is activated by the Airbag Electronic Control Unit in the event of a vehicle crash.

7. The electric line cutter device of claim 1 wherein the igniter is a pyrotechnic device and further comprises a propellant charge squib.

8. The electric line cutter device of claim 1 wherein the first or second housing further comprises at least one vent passage extending from inside the second housing chamber below the busbar and externally out through the second housing.

9. The electric line cutter device of claim 1 further comprises at least one filter for cooling and deionization of a gas plasma from an arc and the ignitor and to capture debris generated by the ignitor and during the breaking of the busbar.

10. The electric line cutter device of claim 9 wherein the at least one filter is made of a high temperature resistant material.

11. The electric line cutter device of claim 1 wherein the at least one filter is made of metal, steel or woven steel.

12. The electric line cutter device of claim 8 wherein upon activation, the igniter moves the piston to break the busbar and the piston is configured to create channels in interior surfaces of the first and second housings to guide the gas from the igniter in the chambers to the at least one vent passages below the busbar.

13. The electric line cutter device of claim 12 wherein the channels are first formed respectively between the piston and housings along the interior surfaces of the first and second housing.

Assignees

• Key Safety Systems Inc

Inventors

• Volkmann Matthias
• Pieruch Martin
• Struss Heiko
• Mauthofer Alois

Classifications

• H01H2039/008

  using the switch for a battery cutoff · CPC title

• H01H9/342

  Venting arrangements for arc chutes · CPC title

• H02B1/20

  Bus-bar or other wiring layouts, e.g. in cubicles, in switchyards (installations of bus-bars H02G5/00) · CPC title

• B60L3/04

  Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions (protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H) · CPC title

• B23D15/145 Primary

  actuated by explosion · CPC title