AU755647B2 - Overvoltage protection magazine - Google Patents

Description

1

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant: QUANTE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT Friedrich Wilhelm DENTER Stefan WILDNER Wolfgang EDELMANN Actual Inventors: Address for Service: CULLEN CO., Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, 239 George Street, Brisbane, QId. 4000, Australia.

OVERVOLTAGE PROTECTION MAGAZINE Invention Title: The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us -la- Overvoltage Protection Magazine BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The invention relates to an overvoltage protection magazine as set forth in the preamble of claim i.

Overvoltage protection magazines find wide application in telecommunications systems, they being mounted on go.coi such means as for example edge connectors of the telecommunications system to protect electronic components :or instrumentation connected to such means from overvoltages. Unlike protection connectors assigned to individual pairs protection magazines usually comprise several overvoltage arresters and are in addition configured so that they can be mounted on mostly striptype telecommunication system means such that the voltage applied to each of all contacts of such a means can be tapped. Electrically conductive connected to the tap contacts are overvoltage arresters for insertion in the overvoltage protection magazine so that an overvoltage applied to the tap contact of the overvoltage protection magazine is also applied to the individual overvoltage arresters. When a critical voltage is exceeded the overvoltage arrester is activated to earth the electrical energy. For this purpose the overvoltage protection magazines as described includes an earth bus electrically conductive connected to the earth contact of each overvoltage arrester. To earth the electrical energy a so-called earth tap is finally provided which is electrically conductive connected to the earth bus and projects from the housing so that it is connected to a supporting system and thus to earth in the mounted condition.

Prior art An overvoltage protection magazine as set forth in the preamble of claim 1 is known from DE 30 14 796 C3. This comprises substantially the features as cited above, the earth tap being configured integrally with the earth bus. Furthermore, the configuration of the earth tap is adapted to a specific supporting system so that this overvoltage protection magazine can only be put to use in conjunction with this specific supporting system.

To make an overvoltage protection magazine usable also for other supporting systems it is proposed in DE 298 02 727 to provide the earth tap of the overvoltage protection magazine with several contacts to form a conductive connection with differing supporting systems.

In this arrangement there is a limit to the possibilities of configuring the earth tap so that the eoee number of supporting systems in which such an overvoltage protection magazine may be employed is likewise .limited.

An earthing module is known from DE 196 17 114 C2 in which differing earth taps can be incorporated before the final assembly of the housing. The complete module is consequently also adapted, as regards an earth tap, to a certain support system.

Finally an earthed conductor terminal block is known from DE 92 03 970 U1, in which an insertable connector connects the busbar, to which the earthed conductor wiring is connected, with a support rail guiding the earth potential. The connector is releasably mounted, and there is no indication that the connector can have another shape that that shown in said specification.

For this reason no adaptation to differing support systems is possible with this known subject matter either which also differs as regards its function from the overvoltage protection magazine to be improved according to the invention.

Summary of the Invention The invention is based on the object of providing an overvoltage protection magazine which can be put to use in numerous differing supporting systems.

Achieving this object is as set forth in the features of claim 1.

In accordance therewith a completely new approach is taken by the invention in initially completing assembly of the overvoltage protection magazine without the earth tap and to configure the overvoltage protection magazine so that an earth tap can be retrofitted to the overvoltage protection magazine fully assembled except for the earth tap such that a contact is made with the earth bus. In other words, the overvoltage protection magazine is now unitized for numerous differing supporting systems without the earth tap, it not receiving its final configuration until an earth tap adapted to the specific supporting system is retrofitted.

This not only results in cost-effective benefits in production and warehousing the unitized overvoltage protection magazine, it also sets no limits to the variety of the earth taps compatible therewith. These may, for example, differ in length to be combinable with supporting systems located at differing levels as regards the mounted overvoltage protection magazine.

Commercially available trays and profiles are conceivable, for example, as supporting systems. In addition thereto an earth tap can now be fitted to the overvoltage protection magazine in accordance with the invention which is configured in accordance with the teaching of DE 298 02 727 and is suitable for supporting systems differing in width. The possibilities of varying the novel overvoltage protection magazine may also be made use of in that it is marketed together with a set of differing earth taps and not provided with the matching earth tap in each case until the overvoltage protection magazine is fitted to the telecommunication system means.

S"Preferred further embodiments read from the further claims.

Thus, for fitting the earth tap it is currently preferred that it is non-releasably locked to the overvoltage protection magazine in the fitted condition. This offers the advantage that when removing the overvoltage protection magazine from the telecommunication system means there is no danger of the earth tap(s) remaining on this means accidentally, because the force needed for removal from the supporting system is possibly greater than the force needed for removal from the overvoltage protection magazine. However, in some applications it is just as conceivable to configure the earth tap compatible with the overvoltage protection magazine so that it can be released from the magazine rendering the latter retrofittable to another supporting system by changing the earth tap.

For fitting the earth tap it is good practice to configure it latchable, thus making completion of the overvoltage protection magazine in accordance with the invention particularly simple by fitting the necessary earth taps.

In this case it is furthermore of advantage to provide a latching hook to the housing of the overvoltage protection magazine which latches in place in a recess configured in the earth tap when the earth tap is introduced into the overvoltage protection magazine at the location provided for.

In conclusion, the overvoltage protection magazine is preferably combinable with a set of differing earth taps optionally fittable to the overvoltage protection magazine depending on the requirements.

Brief Description of the Drawings An example embodiment of the invention will now be detailled with respect to the attached drawings in which Fig. 1 is a partial section view of the overvoltage protection magazine in accordance with the invention including a first kind of earth tap; Fig. 2 is a partial section view of the overvoltage Protection magazine in accordance with the invention including a second kind of earth tap; Fig. 3 is a partial section view of the overvoltage protection magazine in accordance with the invention including a third kind of earth tap.

Detailled Description of the Preferred Example Embodiment Referring now to Fig. 1 there is illustrated a section through an overvoltage protection magazine 10 in accordance with the invention, the left-hand edge being shown as a section view. Extending from the (as installed) rear side of the overvoltage protection magazine 10 is a plurality of tap contacts 12 in the direction of a (not shown) mostly strip-type telecommunication system means on which the overvoltage protection magazine 10 is mountable. Each of the tap contacts 12 electrically conductive connects an overvoltage arrester (not shown).

Furthermore provided is an earth bus 14 producing with each earth contact of the overvoltage arrester an electrically conductive connection. In prior art the earth bus 14 is configured mostly integrally with the earth tap. The earth tap extends laterally from the tap contacts 12 and the means on which the overvoltage protection magazine is mounted to a supporting system.

With an element of the supporting system an electrical ontact is made between the earth tap and the Ssupporting system so that on activation of an overvoltage arrester the electrical energy can be earthed. In the case as shown, the earth tap 18 is adapted for contacting the side wall of a supporting tray.

In accordance with the invention the earth tap 18 is provided separate from the earth bus 14, as evident at its upper end which, in the fitted condition of the overvoltage protection magazine 10 as shown in Fig. 1, is fitted to the overvoltage protection magazine such that an electrical contact exists between these elements. However, in accordance with the invention the overvoltage protection magazine 10 is first completed without the earth tap 18 so that differing earth taps 18 of which only a few embodiments are shown in the following Figs. and described in the following can be combined with one and the same overvoltage protection magazine 10. For this purpose there is provided in the example embodiment shown, in the earth tap 18 in the region of its upper end a recess 20 cooperating with a key 22 provided on the housing 16 such that the earth tap on being fitted to the overvoltage protection magazine 10 latches in place and connects electrically conductive the earth bus 14 in this condition. For this purpose the earth tap 18 in the example embodiment shown comprises at its upper end a contact slot 24 in which a portion of the earth bus 14 is located in the fitted condition as shown.

Referring now to Fig. 2 there is illustrated the overvoltage protection magazine identical to that as shown in Fig. 1 except for the earth tap 18 being latched in place. This overvoltage protection magazine can thus be unitized and equipped with differing earth taps 18 depending on the requirements. In the case as shown in Fig. 2 this is an earth tap having a contact slot 26 configured slightly different for contacting a supporting system. As evident from the Figure the edges adjoining the contact slot 26 are configured at the lower end parallel to each other slightly corrugated.

In addition, the earth tap 18 as shown in Fig. 2 is shorter than the one as evident from Fig. 1 and is thus suitable for a telecommunication system means which when fitted to the supporting system has a lower profile than the situation as shown in Fig. 1. This is why a shorter earth tap 18 is sufficient to produce an electrically conductive connection with part of the supporting system.

Referring now to Fig. 3 there is illustrated in conclusion the same overvoltage protection magazine fitted in this case with an earth tap of a third embodiment. As immediately apparent from the Figure the earth tap 18 comprises in this example embodiment two contacts 28 and 30, the contact 28 substantially corresponding to the configuration of the earth tap 18 as shown in Fig. 1. Formed on this contact 28 laterally and roughly half-way up is a further contact 30. In this embodiment the overvoltage protection magazine completed by the earth tap 18 is suitable for two supporting systems differing as regards their height and width. With the contact 30 provided outside of the first contact 28 the earth tap 18 and thus ultimately the earth contacts of the overvoltage arresters inserted in the magazine 10 can be connected to a wider supporting system and thus to earth.

Applicable to all embodiments shown is that the other earth tap 18 in each case is usually also inserted in the other side edge, omitted in the Figures, so that the finished overvoltage protection magazine 10 is suitable for contacting a symmetrical supporting system at both side edges. It is again to be noted that a complete overvoltage protection magazine is shown in the Figures which, however, is not provided with the suitable earth tap 18 in each case until it has been fully completed, except for the earth tap 18.

Claims (5)

1. An overvoltage protection magazine (10) for a telecommunication system means, including a housing (16) several overvoltage arresters, each comprising an earth contact, and an earth bus (14) electrically conductive connecting said earth contacts, e characterized in that at least one earth tap (18) can be retrofitted to said except for said earth tap (18) fully assembled overvoltage protection magazine (10) so that a contact with said earth bus (14) is made.

2. The overvoltage protection magazine as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that said earth tap (18) is fittable so that it is non-releasably locked to said overvoltage protection magazine

3. The overvoltage protection magazine as set forth in claim 2, characterized in that said earth tap (18) is latchable in place.

4. The overvoltage protection magazine as set forth in claim 3, characterized in that said housing (16) comprises at least one latching hook (22). The overvoltage protection magazine as set forth in any of the preceding claims, comprising a set of differing earth taps (18) optionally fittable to said overvoltage protection magazine.

6. An overvoltage protection magazine substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this 6th day of April 2000 QUANTE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT By their Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO. a