DE29716201U1 - Connection device - Google Patents

Description

PALGEN, SCHUMACHER & KLUIN

DÜSSELDORF ESSEN PATENT ATTORNEYS

OUR SIGN: 97 778 K/at Düsseldorf, September 9, 1997

FILE NO. 22

ELECTRICAL GMBH
Am Alten Bach 18

D-41470 Neuss

Connection direction

The invention relates to a connection device of the type corresponding to the preamble of claim 1 and also comprises a control cabinet equipped with this connection device.
5

Electrical control cabinets are used in switchgear to accommodate switching devices and switching elements, such as contactors, fuse elements or the like, or display instruments that characterize the operating status of downstream consumers, for example, and to arrange them in a clear and easily accessible manner.

Such switch cabinets, which can usually be closed on the side from which the switchgear is accessible using one or more doors, usually have at least the following functional spaces:

D-40239 DÜSSELDORF MULVANYSTRASSE 2 TELEPHONE 49 / 211 / 96 145 - 0 FAX 49 / 211 / 96 145 - 20 D-45133 ESSEN FRÜHLINGSTRASSE 43 A !TELEPHONE 49 / 201 / 84 230 - 0 FAX 49 /201/84 230 - 20

a first one, which is connected to the door opening and comprises means - usually frame profiles surrounding this functional space - which serve to fix the switching devices;

a second one, which is connected to the back of the control cabinet and which accommodates current-carrying components, usually power supply and power distribution rails connected to them, with which the switching devices must be contacted.

The switching devices are connected to the associated power distribution rails in different ways. A number of switching devices have terminal contacts on their backs, the position and distances of which from one another allow the respective switching device to be pushed on directly while simultaneously making contact between the terminal connections with the power distribution rails.

However, the position of the terminal contacts and/or the distance between them often does not match the distance between two adjacent power distribution rails (known as the phase distance) or the dimensions of the switching device and/or simply the type of connections do not allow direct contact with the power distribution rails. In these cases, contact is made using separate connectors.

ICORE International GmbH, Bad Homburg, has developed a "sotax" connector system that includes an insulating housing that, on the one hand, has four clamping contacts that are arranged to match a standard phase spacing and that are electrically connected to connecting cables that lead out of the insulating housing. The connecting cables are used to establish the electrical connection to the connection of the switching device assigned to the respective power distribution rail.

Although the free ends of the connecting cables can be adapted to the individual design of the connections of the respective switching device and there are generally no difficulties in adapting to different connection distances and positions, the relatively high effort required to establish the electrical connections is a disadvantage. Furthermore, the considerable space required for the connecting cables can lead to installation difficulties.
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The invention is based on the object of creating a connection device in which these disadvantages are improved.

This object is solved by the invention set out in claim 1.

The connection device according to the invention comprises a carrier component made of electrically insulating material, which can optionally be equipped with one or more contact means for electrically contacting the desired busbars at the required locations. This makes it possible, on the one hand, to use the connection device with busbar arrangements with different phase spacings, and, on the other hand, if required, it is also possible to provide the carrier component with only individual contact means in order to contact only individual busbars. Furthermore, one or more connection means for electrically contacting electrical connections of the switching device can optionally be attached to the carrier component either at positions predetermined by the contact means or laterally offset from these. This allows the connection means to be optimally adapted to the requirements specified by the respective switching device. Furthermore, the carrier component can be equipped with electrical connection means with which the contact means

can be electrically connected to the connection means for contacting the assigned electrical connections of the switching device. The assignment of contact and connection means can be varied by using different connection means. If the positions of the connection means are matched to the positions of the contact means, which in turn are adapted to the position and phase spacing of the busbars, the connection device is particularly suitable for connecting switching devices whose connections are arranged in a row running transversely to the longitudinal extension of the power distribution rails. Such switching devices are often referred to as vertically installable or "vertical" switching devices for short. Because it is also possible according to the invention to install the connection means laterally offset from the contact means, it is also possible to adapt the connection device to switching devices in which the connections are arranged in a row parallel to the longitudinal direction of the busbars, but laterally offset, in other words for switching devices that are installed at a 90° angle to the first-mentioned ones. These switching devices are therefore also called horizontally installable or "horizontal" switching devices for short.

A particularly advantageous embodiment of the connection device according to claim 2 is one in which the carrier component extends over all the busbars of the respective busbar arrangement. This design gives the connection device maximum variability, since any desired assignment of the connection of the switching device to the busbar of the busbar arrangement can be made by appropriate arrangement of contact and connection means and selection of the required electrical connection means.

It is particularly advantageous to design the support component essentially in the shape of a trough, i.e. U-shaped in cross-section with a base and side parts and with closed, front ends. The contact means to be electrically connected to the busbars are then preferably arranged on the open side of the support component, the connection means leading to the connections of the switching device on the closed side and the connection means for contacting are then preferably housed in the "warm" part. With a connection piece designed in this way, the current-carrying parts are electrically insulated from the functional space of the switch cabinet used to accommodate the switching device - with the exception of the connection means leading to the switching device, which significantly reduces the risk of accidental contact by operating personnel and the occurrence of other faults, for example those caused by unintentional contact by other, electrically non-insulated components.

The connector according to the invention is particularly suitable for horizontal switching devices having a plurality of connections if, according to claim 4, it corresponds to one of the number of busbars belonging to the respective busbar arrangement. In the installed state, this connector is equipped with a contact means per "trough" at a position determined by the position of the respective busbar to be contacted and is connected to the respective row of connection means offset laterally to the busbar arrangement by means of a connecting means whose length is adapted to the position of the contact means.

The carrier component can be adapted to the various desired contact means positions without great effort if, according to claim 5, it has openings in its base area, the distances between which correspond to the phase distances.

those of the busbars. In the case of contacting a "vertical" switching device, the connection between the contact and the connection means can be made via simple bridges, which are formed, for example, by electrically conductive screws that simultaneously serve to fasten the contact and connection means.

Accordingly, with regard to a "horizontal" switching device, it is advantageous to provide a further opening in the base part of the support component in the area that protrudes laterally, through which the connection means can then be contacted and/or fastened to the connecting means located in the "trough".

Despite the openings, complete protection against unwanted contact with the live parts of the connection device by operating personnel or other components is guaranteed if these are closed with thin-walled, breakable walls. Depending on the respective requirements, only those walls are broken through when installing the connection device through which electrical connecting means must be routed.

The electrical connecting means preferably have the features of claims 8 and 9. An electrical connecting means accordingly comprises an electrical bridge passing through an opening and an electrical bridge inserted into the interior of the "trough" of the carrier component, the latter not being necessary if contact and connection means are to be arranged directly opposite one another.

Preferably, the contact means according to claim 10 are designed as clamp contacts, since this design enables the connection device - similar to the ones mentioned at the beginning -

directly contactable switching devices - can be pushed onto the busbar arrangement.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawing. It shows:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a frame of a control cabinet with a — three busbars comprising busbars

~~ inner arrangement - partially surrounded by contact protection profiles - with a connection device according to the invention;

Fig. 2 a perspective view of a connection device in a view according to

Fig. 1 from behind;

Fig. 3 a to c different views of the carrier component,

Fig. 3 b a section through the central longitudinal axis

of the supporting component;

Fig. 4 is an exploded view of all components of a segment of a "horizontal" switching device.

Connection device including mounting plate;

Fig. 5 a and b different views of a device intended for mounting a "vertical" switching device

segment of a connecting device including mounting plate;

Fig. 6 a single segment connector with mounted "vertical"

Switchgear and

Fig. 7 a connector consisting of three segments with mounted, "horizontal" switching device.

When reference is made to "front", "horizontal" or "vertical" in the following, these details refer to an observer standing in front of a control cabinet in the operating position.

The frame of a switch cabinet, designated 100 in Fig. 1, comprises a plurality of plastic support blocks 2 arranged on vertical frame profiles 1 of the frame 100, to which pairs of horizontal power supply rails 3 spaced apart from one another and each carrying a phase are fastened. Vertically running power distribution rails 6 are attached to the power supply rails 3 with the aid of fastening elements 5 not to be explained in detail here, each of which is electrically contacted with a phase of the power supply rails 3. With the exception of the area in which the power distribution rails 6 are fastened to the power supply rails 3, the power distribution rails 6 are each surrounded by a channel-like contact protection profile 7, which has a series of openings 8 on its front side, which allow the passage of a contact means, usually designed as a clamp contact surrounding the power distribution rail 6 in the manner of a clip, but prevent accidental contact with the power distribution rail with a finger. The upper area of the power distribution rails 6, which in the illustrated embodiment is not surrounded by the contact protection profiles 7, is completely covered when the control cabinet is assembled. In another embodiment of the control cabinet, not shown in the drawing, the contact protection profiles 7 extend over the entire length of the power distribution rail 6.

The frame 100 of the switch cabinet is divided into a front and a rear functional space 11, 12 by vertical struts 9 and horizontal dividing profiles 10 arranged in a recessed manner with respect to the planes defined by the side surfaces of the switch cabinet. The rear functional space 12 usually contains all current-carrying parts, and the front functional space 11 contains switching devices not shown in the drawing, which either have terminal contacts on their rear side which ^can be pushed onto the power distribution rails from the front, or are contacted with the power distribution rails 6 using separate connection devices 20.

In Fig. 2, an embodiment of a connection device 20 according to the invention is shown in detail. In the embodiment shown, this comprises four segments 21', 21'', 21''', 21'''', which are essentially constructed in the same way. Depending on the number of power distribution rails 6 to be contacted and/or the connections of the switching device to be contacted, the connection piece can also comprise a number of segments different from four.

Each segment 21' to 21'''' comprises a carrier component 22 made of an electrically insulating material, which is shown in detail in various views in Fig. 3. It is essentially trough-shaped, i.e. U-shaped in cross section and designed with closed, front ends. Electrical connecting means 26 can be inserted into the interior 25 delimited by the side parts 2 3 and the base part 24, which extend over the entire length of the interior 2 5 in the embodiment shown in Fig. 2. However, depending on the conditions specified in the individual case by the switching devices and/or power distribution rails to be contacted, shorter electrical connecting means can also be used.

The electrical connecting means 26 carry on their side 27 facing the open side of the carrier component 20 contact means 28, which in the embodiment shown in Fig. 2 are designed as clamp contacts, which can be pushed onto a power distribution rail 6 from a narrow side and, when pushed on, enclose it like a clip. In the end area shown at the bottom in Fig. 2, the electrical connecting means 26 carries a pin contact 29, which pierces the carrier component 20 in an extension 30 on the essentially closed side opposite the contact means 28 and forms a connection means 31 for contacting a connection of a switching device.

The contact means 28 provided on the individual segments 21' to 21'''' are arranged offset by the phase spacing of the power distribution rails 6, so that when the connection device 20 is pushed on, each contact means 28 and thus each connection means 31 is in contact with a different power distribution rail 6.

As can be seen in particular from Fig. 3a to c, the support component 22 comprises, in addition to the opening 33 provided in the extension 30, a series of further openings 34 which have a center distance M from one another corresponding to the phase spacing of the power distribution rails 6. The opening 33 and the openings 34 are closed with thin walls before the support component 22 is used, so that only those openings 33 and/or openings 34 of the connection device are provided by breaking out the thin wall 2 which are required for the respective intended use for passing components through the base part 24.

The connection device 20 is mounted in the control cabinet using a mounting shown in Figs. 4 to 7.

mounting plate 32. As shown in Fig. 4, this has a series of longitudinal slots 35, the number of which corresponds to that of the maximum number of segments 21 of the connection device 20 that can be mounted and which - based on the mounted state of the mounting plate 32 - are aligned parallel to the power distribution rails 6. The longitudinal slots 35 serve to pass through an angled extension 36 shown at the upper end of the connection device 20 according to Fig. 2, which is designed and dimensioned in such a way that it can be inserted into a longitudinal slot 35 when the connection device 20 is approximately at a right angle to the mounting plate 32, but a contact surface 37 formed by the extension 36 engages behind the side of the mounting plate 32 facing away from the connection device when the connection device 20 is aligned parallel to the mounting plate 32.

The mounting plate 32 also includes an elongated hole-shaped opening 38 through which the extensions 30 of the support components 22 can pass. The locking of the connection device 20 in its folded state on the mounting plate 32 is done by a screw 40 which reaches through a corresponding hole 39 in the connection plate 32 and can be screwed into a hole 41 in the support component 22 from the side of the mounting plate facing away from the connection device 20. For this purpose, the hole 41 can either be provided with a thread or a self-tapping screw can be used. To fix the contact means 28 and the pin contact 29, the electrical connection means 26 includes a series of holes 42. The electrical connection means 26 is attached to the support component 22 by means of screws 43 which can be screwed into corresponding holes provided in the base part 24 (see Fig. 3). Again, the holes can be provided with a thread or the screws can be self-tapping.

In an assembly as shown in Fig. 4, the connection device 20 is used to electrically contact a so-called horizontal switching device 45 as shown in Fig. 7. In a horizontal switching device, the connections 46 are arranged in a row running parallel to the busbars 6. The individual connections 46 are contacted via the pin contacts 29, which - as already explained in Fig. 2 - are connected to the respective associated power distribution bar 6 via the electrical connection means 26 by the different arrangements of the contact means 28. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 7, the connection device 20, the mounting plate 32 and the switching device 45 are combined to form a slide-in unit, which is equipped with two handles 47 on the side.

In the case of an assembly of the connection device 20 according to the invention shown in Figs. 5a and b in a view from the front at an angle or from the back at an angle, this is designed for the electrical connection of a so-called vertical switching device, the connections of which are arranged in a row running transversely to the power distribution rails. A switching device of this type is shown in Fig. 6. In this assembly, no electrical connection means extending over the entire length is provided in the interior 27. Rather, the interior comprises a number of contact means 28 corresponding to the number of switching device connections, which are arranged at a distance adapted to the phase spacing of the power distribution rails. The contact means 28, which are of course insulated from one another, are led outwards through the openings 34 in the carrier component 22 and correspondingly arranged bores 48 in the mounting plate 32. In order to avoid the mounting plate coming into contact with one or more of the protruding pin contacts 49 in

To prevent contact, they are surrounded by an insulating jacket 50 in the area of the passage.

The electrical connection of a vertical switching device, designated 51 in Fig. 6, is made by connecting the individual pin contacts to the respective connection of the switching device 51 via electrical bridges 52. As can be seen from Figs. 5 and 6, in the case of contacting a vertical switching device, the connection device 20 will only comprise one segment 21.

Claims (11)

Protection claims 1. Connection device for establishing an electrical connection between the busbars of a busbar arrangement of an electrical switch cabinet arranged at specific phase distances from one another and the associated electrical connections of an electrical switching device that can be inserted into the switch cabinet, with a carrier component made of electrically insulating material, with at least one contact means (28) provided on the carrier component (20) for contacting a current distribution rail (6) and with at least one connection means provided on the carrier component (20) for electrically contacting associated electrical connections of the switching device (45, 51),
characterized , that one or more contact means (28) can be optionally attached to the carrier component (20), D-40239 DÜSSELDORF MULVANYSTRASSE 2 TELEPHONE 49 / 211 / 96 145 - 0 FAX 49 / 211 / 96 145 - 20 D-45133 ESSEN FRÜHLINGSTRASSE 43 A TELEPHONE 49 / 201 / 84 230 - 0 FAX 49 /201/84 230 - 20 that the connection means (pin contacts 29,49) can be attached at positions predetermined by the contact means (28) or laterally offset from these and
that the carrier component can optionally be equipped with electrical connecting means (26) with which, in the case of a laterally offset arrangement of contact means and associated connection means, these can be electrically connected. 2. -Connection device according to claim 1, characterized in that the carrier component (20) extends over all the current distribution rails (6) of the busbar arrangement. 3. Connection device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the carrier component (20) is essentially trough-shaped, ie essentially U-shaped in cross section with a base part (24) and side parts (23) and with closed, front ends. 4. Connection device according to claim 3, characterized in that the connection device comprises a number of support components (segments 21) arranged parallel to one another, which corresponds to the number of current distribution rails belonging to a busbar arrangement. 5. Connection device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the carrier component or components in the base parts (27) have openings (34) whose center distances (M) correspond to the phase distances of the power distribution rails. 6. Connection device according to one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the carrier component (20) is dimensioned such that in the assembled state it projects laterally beyond the busbar arrangement and that the support component (20) has at least one opening (33) in the base part (24) in the laterally projecting area. 7. Connection device according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the openings (34) and the opening (33) are closed with thin-walled, breakable walls after the manufacture of the carrier component. 8. Connection device according to one of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that the electrical connection means (26) comprise at least one electrical bridge (pin contacts 29,
49). 9. Connection device according to claim 8, characterized in that the electrical connection means (26) comprise an electrical bridge inserted into the interior of the "trough". 10. Connection device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the contact means (28) are designed as clamp contacts which can be pushed onto a power distribution rail (6) from a narrow side and which, when pushed on, engage around the rail like a clip.
30 11. Switch cabinet equipped with a connection device according to one of claims 1 to 10.