High voltage electric line cutter device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019108957-A1
Application number	US-201816150486-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 3, 2018
Priority date	Oct 11, 2017
Publication date	Apr 11, 2019
Grant date	—

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:
an upper housing with a cylinder, cuboid or prism chamber; a lower housing with a cylinder, cuboid or prism chamber, the lower housing affixed to the upper housing; a piston contained inside one of either the upper housing chamber or the lower housing chamber; an igniter for driving the piston from one chamber to the other chamber; a busbar for carrying an electric current flow in the busbar rigidly held between the upper and lower housing and spanning across said chambers; and wherein 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.

2 . The electric line cutter device of claim 1 wherein the piston is at least partially formed as an insulator to prevent electric discharge.

3 . The electric line cutter device of claim 1 wherein the upper and lower housing are made at least partially non-electrically conductive.

4 . The electric line cutter device of claim 1 wherein the upper and lower housing are removably attached to the other by one or more fasteners.

5 . The electric line cutter device of claim 4 wherein the busbar is held rigidly by a compression force between the upper and lower housing on two opposed sides of the chamber.

6 . The electric line cutter device of claim 5 wherein the busbar, when broken, remains rigidly held at the two opposed sides.

7 . The electric line cutter device of claim 6 wherein the busbar has two stub ends extending external of the upper and lower housings, each of the stub ends configured to be attached to electrical wiring or cable to complete a circuit.

8 . The electric line cutter device of claim 7 wherein the busbar further comprises a pair of fracture locations, each fracture location being internal and adjacent to the upper and lower 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.

9 . 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).

10 . The electric line cutter device of claim 9 wherein the electric line cutter device is configured to be used in a vehicle capable of generating high voltages.

11 . The electric line cutter device of claim 10 wherein the electric line cutter device is activated by the Airbag Electronic Control Unit in the event of a vehicle crash.

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

13 . The electric line cutter device of claim 1 wherein the upper or lower housing further comprises one or more vent passages extending from inside on top of the chamber via the appearing arc area below the busbar to externally through one of said upper or lower housings and the piston.

14 . The electric line cutter device of claim 1 further comprises one or more filters for cooling and deionization of gas plasma from arc and ignitor and to capture debris generated by the ignitor and during the breaking of the busbar.

15 . The electric line cutter device of claim 1 wherein the filter is made of a high temperature resistant material.

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

17 . The electric line cutter device of claim 1 wherein the piston that breaks the busbar is designed to create channels to guide the gas from the igniter pyrotechnic gases to the appearing arc plasma.

18 . The electric line cutter device of claim 1 wherein the channels are at the outside, respectively between the piston and housing.

19 . The electric line cutter device of claim 1 wherein the channels are internal, respectively inside the piston.

20 . The electric line cutter device of claim 1 wherein the piston lower design that impacts the busbar wherein the space between lower housing and piston is in the lowest piston position sufficient narrow to squeeze the appearing arc.

21 . An electric line cutter device for high voltage busbars comprises:
an upper housing with a cylinder chamber; a lower housing with a cylinder chamber, the lower housing affixed to the upper housing; a piston contained inside one of either the upper housing chamber or the lower housing chamber; an igniter for driving the piston from one chamber to the other chamber; a busbar for carrying an electric current flow in the busbar rigidly held between the upper and lower housing and spanning across said chambers; and wherein 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 as the piston is at least partially formed as an insulator to prevent electric discharge and the opposite chamber is tapered to squeeze the discharge arc to suppress the arc.

22 . The electric line cutter device of claim 21 wherein the upper or lower chamber has a pair of blow out passages to vent the chamber after ignition and as the discharge arc enters the blow out passages the arc cools prior to being fully suppressed.

23 . The electric line cutter device of claim 22 wherein each of the blow out passages has a filter packed in the passage to capture debris and assist in extinguishing the discharge arc.

24 . The electric line cutter device of claim 23 wherein the electric line cutter device is configured to suppress any discharge arc by a combination of cutting the bus bar and squeezing, venting and cooling and filtering the arc to suppress and extinguish the arc.

Assignees

• Key Safety Systems Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• B23D15/145 Primary

  actuated by explosion · CPC title

• B60L3/0007

  Measures or means for preventing or attenuating collisions · CPC title

• H01H39/006 Primary

  Opening by severing a conductor · CPC title

• H01H9/342

  Venting arrangements for arc chutes · CPC title

• H01H2039/008

  using the switch for a battery cutoff · CPC title