JPH03155318A - Distributing bus-line device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To achieve mutual connection to a plurality of power take-out assemblies by providing close conductor tabs at each of a rectangular power bus conductors and constituting a power take-out region for electrical connection to the power take-out assemblies. CONSTITUTION: An offset contact blade tab (biased tab) 43 is demarcated on a perpendicular flat surface 44 and a curved surface 45. A bottom part 46 of the biased tab 43 is welded or brazed to a top surface 42 of a bus 42, thus arranging the flat surface 44, so that it is properly connected electrically to a power take-out receiver. After the biased tab 43 has been welded to a bus 41, epoxy covering 48 is performed on both the bus 41 and the biased tab 43. The epoxy covering 48 performs an electrical insulation, excluding a part 44A for performing the electrical connection of the latter perpendicular flat surface 44. A surface at the opposite side (not shown) of the biased tab 43 is masked during epoxy painting, thus securing an improved electrical contact with the power take-out receiver.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] The present invention relates to a power distribution busway device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Power bus lines used in industrial power distribution systems typically consist of a plurality of rectangular copper or aluminum bars arranged in close proximity and separated by electrically insulating coatings. Approximately every two feet, the bars are suitably shaped to create gaps between each other, whereupon the bottom of each bar is scraped to remove the insulation and expose the contact areas on both flat sides of the bar. This exposed contact area is then tin or silver plated to form an electrical contact blade for connection to a power extraction assembly.

The power take-off assembly includes a corresponding number of blade stubs that mate with the blade portions of the shaped bar. With each bar carrying the current of one phase of the multiphase power system, the air gap between the shaped bars provides sufficient electrical insulation spacing to prevent arcing between different phases of the multiphase power system. It is something. So-called "enlarged connector areas" containing such shaped bars are useful for ensuring electrical access to the busway by the contact blades. When using a four-bus distribution system, the length increase due to each enlarged connector area corresponds to an approximately 6% increase for each bar. 4
In a busbar distribution system, this represents a 6% increase in the weight of the conductor material compared to the same linear distance occupied by closely spaced bars in the remaining area of the busbar system. With the long busways required for most industrial applications, the amount of extra conductor material required to provide sufficient enlarged connector area can be significant.

U.S. Patent Application No. 122.863 (November 1, 19g7)
The application filed on the 9th for “thermal efficient power bus path housing” includes:
A lightweight power busbar assembly is described in which power busbar conductors are bolted to a power busbar housing. Enlarging these buses to allow connection with power extraction assemblies would place a thermal load on the system and significantly reduce overall thermal efficiency. This application is cited as an earlier application of the present invention, and please refer to the description in particular regarding the thermally conductive and electrically insulating coatings.

U.S. Patent Application No. 107.320 (October 1, 1987)
3rd filing) The "power distribution bus line device" uses enlarged contact blades that are integrally formed on each bus bar in the power extraction area of the device, making it possible to connect to the power extraction assembly without enlarging each bus bar. It is stated that it should be done. However, the use of negative-shaped contact blades requires expensive forming equipment, which must be incorporated into the busbar fabrication operation. The present invention provides a simpler and more economical method of forming extended contact blades.

U.S. Patent No. 4.394.532 and Japanese Patent No. 4
No. 0590 describes the attachment of linear contact blades to miniature busbars used in electronic computers to ensure electrical connection with the individual busbars. However, it has not been determined that it is industrially possible to install straight contact blades in industrial power distribution systems that carry currents in excess of several hundred amperes.

It is therefore an object of this invention to enable interconnection with multiple power extraction assemblies without increasing the amount of conductor material at each individual power extraction location and without having to extend portions of the individual power busbars. The object of the present invention is to provide a power bus line device that provides the following advantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, each rectangular power bus conductor closely spaced in a power busway arrangement is provided with an offset conductor tab therefrom to provide a power tap for electrical connection with a power tap assembly. area, so it does not increase the amount of copper material used in the power busway device. Each conductor tab is offset from the previous tab in the power extraction area to provide sufficient phase-to-phase air gap for electrical isolation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Before entering into a description of the power bus line system of the present invention, it will be helpful to explain one example of a currently used power bus line system. The current power bus line device 10 shown in FIG.
(referred to as bars), each bar transmitting a different phase of the polyphase distribution system. Each bar is provided with an insulating coating 15 to electrically insulate the bars from each other and from the housing (not shown). Along the bars an enlarged connector area 9 is shown, in which each bar has a corresponding space of 20° 21.22
The insulation is removed to expose the copper or aluminum contact blades 16-19. Note that the contact blades 16 to 19 are plated or silver plated after exposure.

Such enlarged connector areas 9 are provided approximately every two feet to connect power extraction assemblies 27 for transmitting power to associated electrical equipment. A commonly used power take-off assembly 27 typically includes a metal enclosure 28 supporting three or four corresponding spring-loaded contact blade receiving stubs 23-26.
3-26 are electrically isolated from each other and from enclosure 28. A pair of metal grounding plates 29 and 30 are provided on the outside of the power receiving stubs 23 to 26. enclosure 28
A knockout 31 is formed on one surface of the contact blade to enable wire connection between the contact blade power receiving stub and related electrical equipment. A similar enlarged connector area, minus the contact blades, is used when electrically connecting two separate power busway devices.

Examples of such power bus interconnection configurations are U.S. Pat. It is listed in "Joint". These applications are cited as prior applications of the present invention, and reference is made in particular to their descriptions of busway joint connectors.

A thermally efficient busway device 32, such as that described in the aforementioned U.S. Patent Application No. 122,683, includes a busbar (busbar) between a pair of side plates 33, 34, as shown in FIG.
35 to 38 are sandwiched therebetween. Side plate 33.
34 and busbars 35-38 are tightened by through bolts 39, and an insulating epoxy coating 40 electrically insulates the busbars from each other and from the side plates. As described in the above-mentioned U.S. patent application, the close placement of the busbars facilitates heat transfer to the outwardly facing side plates 33,34;
This dissipates heat to the outside air. Therefore, it is important that the busbars do not have to be pulled apart from each other in order to make interconnections with the busbars. Accordingly, the present invention provides a means to enable electrical connections to individual busbars in a thermally efficient busway system without the need to separate the individual busbars.

3A and 3B show means for electrically connecting the busbar in the busway device 32 according to the present invention. Offset contact blade tabs 43 (hereinafter referred to as "offset tabs") are formed from copper or aluminum plate to define a vertical plane 44 and a curved surface 45. By welding or brazing the bottom 46 of the offset tab 43 to the top surface 42 of the copper or aluminum bus bar, 42, the flat surface 4
4 is placed in good electrical connection with the power extraction receiver. 49 in FIG. 3B with the offset tab 43 on the bus bar 41
After welding as shown in , the epoxy coating 48 is applied to the bus bar 41
and the offset tab 43. The epoxy coating consists of rectangular copper or aluminum bars 47 and offset tabs 4.
3 to the part 44 for electrical connection of the latter vertical plane 44.
All parts except A shall be electrically insulated. The opposite surface (not shown) of offset tab 43 is also masked during the epoxy application to ensure good electrical contact with the power extraction receiver.

The function of the curved surface 45 can be better understood with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 shows busbars 35 to which offset tabs 43 are welded, respectively.
A cross-section of the busway 50 is shown including ' to 38'. A corresponding slot 5 formed in the cross member 51 joining the upright rail 53 to the busway enclosure side plate 33.34
2, the offset tabs 43 extend upwardly, with insulating spaces 54, 55, .
56. The busbars 35'-38' are coated with epoxy except for the exposed surface portion 44A. The epoxy coating provides good electrical insulation of the offset tabs to prevent accidental contact other than by the power take-off assembly.

Automatic welding methods can easily be applied to provide a welded connection between the offset tab and the generatrix. In other words, the robot can weld the offset tabs to predetermined positions on the busbar during busbar manufacturing and assembly operations.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view from below of a conventional multiphase busway device and power take-off assembly; FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-section of a thermally efficient busway device for use with busbars provided with contact blade tabs in accordance with the present invention; 3A and 3B are perspective views of a contact blade tab and busbar according to the invention, and FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section of a busway arrangement similar to that of FIG. 2 with a busbar provided with contact blade tabs according to the invention. It is a front view. 10.32.50: Busway device, 33.34: Side plate, 35-38: Busbar (bar), 40: Epoxy coating, 41: Busbar (bar), 43: Offset tab, 44: Vertical plane, 45 : Curved surface, 47: Bar 51 = cross member, 54.55.56 44A: Exposed surface, 46: Bottom, 48: Epoxy coating, 52 Nislot, : Insulating space.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of conductive bars extending in a first plane and electrically insulated from each other, and a pair of metals sandwiching both sides of the plurality of conductive bars and forming a housing enclosure for the conductive bars. and a plurality of tabs attached to the conductive bar and extending in a second plane perpendicular to the first plane, the tabs being offset from each other so as to prevent external contact between the tabs. An electric bus line device characterized in that a space is defined in which an electric connection means for making an electric connection can be inserted. 2. An insulating coating is present on the surface of the tab except for a predetermined surface adjacent to the space, and the predetermined surface is in a conductive state and forms an electrical contact with the electrical connection means.
The busway device described in . 3. Each of the tabs has a flat surface and a curved surface;
2. The busway arrangement of claim 1, wherein a curved surface is located adjacent the conductive bar and a flat surface is located remote from the conductive bar. 4. The busway device according to claim 1, wherein the conductive bar and tab are made of non-ferrous metal. 5. The bus line device according to claim 2, wherein the insulating coating is made of epoxy. 6. The busway device according to claim 2, wherein a tin or silver coating is present on a predetermined surface of the tab. 7. The busway system of claim 1, wherein said side plates include a slotted top plate, each of said tabs protruding from a different slot in the top plate. 8. The busway device according to claim 1, wherein the tab is attached to the conductive bar at a predetermined distance along the first plane thereof.