PANELBOARD FOR CIRCUIT BREAKER LOAD CENTERS WITH INSULATOR BLOCK SUPPORTING CONNECTOR AND CONNECTOR SUPPORTING BUS BAR

• US 3,611,048 A
• Filed: 07/07/1970
• Issued: 10/05/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bertrum S. Shelvik
• Original Assignee: Bertrum S. Shelvik
• Inventors: Shelvik, Bertrum S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Myers, Lewis H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tolin, Gerald P.
• Application Number:
  US05/052,856
• Time in Patent Office: 455 Days
• Field of Search: 317/118,119 339/198G,198GA,198H,198N
• US Class Current: 361/650
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/2408 Modular blocks H01R9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02B 1/056 Mounting on plugboards

Abstract

A selected plurality of two distinct insulating base members are secured to a sheet metal pan in a longitudinal row to form a desired one of the various types of panelboard arrangements. Adjacent bases are spaced and their opposite external surfaces cooperate to provide an additional circuit breaker mounting space. Electric branch connectors for the circuit breaker are electrically connected to longitudinally extending bus bars and the resulting physical connections therebetween cooperate with interlocking structure formed on the connectors and bases to mount the bus bars to the bases. The line terminal ends of the bus bars are provided with wiring connectors and an insulating headblock which are also designed to cooperatively interlock with the bus bars to support the latter.

Claims

1. In an electrical panelboard assembly including a panel and insulating base means secured thereto, means for attaching a bus bar adjacent one edge of the base in a cantilevered fashion comprising, in combination:

insulating base means;

electrical connector means on said insulating base means and extending beyond one edge of said base means;

means on said insulating base means engaging with said electrical connector means to limit movement thereof toward said edge;

means on said insulating base means overlying a portion of said electrical connector means between the ends thereof;

a bus bar adjacent said edge of said insulating base means; and

means joining said bus bar and the portion of said electrical connector means extending beyond said edge to retain said bus bar against said edge and to prevent movement of said electrical connector means away from engagement with said overlying means of said insulating base means.

2. The combination according to claim 1, together with:

electrical connector means on said insulating base means extending beyond an opposite edge thereof;

means on said insulating base means engaging with said last-mentioned electrical connector means to limit movement thereof toward said opposite edge;

means on said insulating base means overlying a portion of said last-mentioned electrical connector means between the ends thereof;

a bus bar adjacent said opposite edge of said insulating base means; and

means joining said last-mentioned bus bar and the portion of said last-mentioned electrical connector means extending beyond said opposite edge to retain said last-mentioned bus bar against said opposite edge and to prevent movement of said last-mentioned electrical connector means away from engagement with said last-mentioned overlying means of said insulating base means.

3. The combination according to claim 2 wherein the ends of said electrical connector means positioned on said insulating base means overlap each other to form a row intermediate said bus bars and parallel thereto, said electrical connector means being longitudinally spaced apart along said row.

4. In an electrical panelboard assembly including a panel and at least one insulating base member secUred thereto, means for attaching a bus bar to said insulating base member comprising, in combination:

an insulating base member having spaced-apart upstanding portions formed thereon;

electrical connector means positioned on said insulating base member between said upstanding portions and having a portion thereof extending beyond an edge of said insulating base member;

a slot formed in each of said upstanding portions, said slots being closed toward said edge of said insulating base member and open toward an opposite edge thereof;

lateral projections on said electrical connector means, said projections engaging with said slots to abut against the closed ends thereof;

a bus bar adjacent said edge of said insulating base member; and

means joining said bus bar and the portion of said electrical connector means extending beyond said edge of said insulating base member to retain said bus bar against said edge and to prevent movement of said electrical connector means lateral projections out of engagement with said slots.

5. The combination according to claim 4 together with:

a second slot formed in each of said upstanding portions of said base members, said second slots being closed toward said opposite edge of said insulating base member and open toward the first-mentioned edge thereof; and

wherein said electrical connector means is reversed upon said insulating base member to extend beyond said opposite edge to be jointed to and retain a bus bar thereagainst.

6. The combination according to claim 4 wherein:

a plurality of said insulating base members are secured to said panel in a longitudinally extending row, adjacent ones thereof being spaced apart and having projections formed on their adjacent sides;

another of said electrical connector means being positioned between respective adjacent upstanding portions of adjacent ones of said insulating base members upon said projections and extending beyond the aligned edges of adjacent insulating base members;

a slot formed in each of said upstanding portions, said slots of adjacent upstanding portions being closed toward said edge of said insulting base members and open toward an opposite edge thereof;

said lateral projections on said electrical connector means engaging with the closed ends of the respective slots; and

means joining said portion of the last-mentioned electrical connector means and said bus bar to retain said bus bar against said edges of the respective adjacent insulating base members

7. The combination according to claim 6 together with insulating means inserted between said adjacent base members and cooperating with the adjacent sides thereof to be positioned against lateral movement relative thereto, said last-mentioned insulator providing additional support for said electrical connector means.

8. The combination according to claim 4 wherein:

a plurality of said insulating base members are secured to said panel in a longitudinally extending row, adjacent ones thereof being spaced apart and having projections formed on the adjacent side surfaces thereof substantially intermediate the opposite edges thereof;

together with;

a bus bar extending along said row of insulating base members substantially intermediate the opposite edges and at the underside thereof;

electrical connector means positioned between adjacent ones of said insulating base members upon said projections to overlie said last-mentioned bus bar, said last-mentioned electrical connector means having portions engaging the respective upstanding portions of said adjacent insulating base members to be positioned against longitudinal movement and having portions thereof in engagement with said projections to be positioned against lateral movement; and

means joining said last-mentioned electrical connector means and said last-mentioned bus bar to retain the latter against the undersides of said insulating base members.

9. An electrical panelboard assembly comPrising;

in combination;

a panel;

a plurality of insulating base members secured to said panel in a longitudinally extending row;

electrical connector means positioned in certain ones of said insulating base members to extend outwardly beyond one end of the respective base member transversely of the row of insulating base members, said connector means each having opposed lateral tabs formed thereon;

stop means formed on each of said insulating base members, said stop means engaging said opposed lateral tabs to limit movement of said connector means outwardly of the respective base member;

ledge portions formed on each of said insulating base members, said ledge portions overlying at least a portion of said opposed lateral tabs of said connector means when the latter are engaged with said stop means;

a bus bar extending longitudinally along said row of insulating base members, said bus bar being adjacent the ends of said insulating base members which define a lateral edge of said row of insulating base members and said bus bar also being adjacent said outwardly extending portions of said electrical connector means; and

means joining said bus bar and said outwardly extending portions of said electrical connector means to hold said bus bar against said lateral edge of said row of insulating base members.

10. The combination according to claim 9, wherein:

adjacent ones of said insulting base members are longitudinally spaced apart upon said panel;

the external side surfaces of said insulating base members have one-half of said stop means and said ledge portions formed thereon along with outwardly extending shelf portions spaced from said ledge portions;

adjacent side surfaces of said spaced-apart insulating base members cooperate to receive another of said electrical connector means therebetween, said connector means resting upon said shelf portions to extend outwardly beyond a lateral edge of said row of insulating base members, said stop means of said adjacent side surfaces engaging said opposed lateral tabs of said connector means to limit outward movement of said connector means and said ledge portions overlying at least a portion of said opposed lateral tabs of said connector means when the latter are engaged with said last-mentioned stop means;

together with means joining said outwardly extending portions of said electrical connector means and said bus bar to hold said bus bar against said lateral edge of said row of insulating base members.

11. The combination according to claim 10 together with insulating means inserted between said adjacent base members and cooperating with the adjacent sides thereof to be positioned against lateral movement relative thereto, said last-mentioned insulator providing additional support for said electrical connector means.

12. The combination according to claim 9 wherein adjacent ones of said insulating base members are longitudinally spaced apart upon said panel member;

together with;

projections formed on the external side surfaces on each of said insulating base members substantially intermediate the opposite ends thereof, said projections including a pair of coplanar ledge portions;

a bus bar extending longitudinally along said row of insulating base members substantially intermediate the opposite ends of said insulating base members and at the underside thereof;

electrical connector means positioned between said adjacent insulating base members upon said last-mentioned coplanar ledge portions to overlie said last-mentioned bus bar, said last-mentioned connector means having portions thereof engaging the respective adjacent external side surfaces to be positioned against longitudinal movement therebetween and further having portions thereon engaging said projections to be positioned against lateral movement therebetween; and

means joining said last-mentioned connector means and last-mentioned bus bar to hold the against the underside of said row of insulating Base members.

13. The combination according to claim 12 together with:

a third bus bar extending longitudinally along an opposite lateral edge of said row of insulating base members;

electrical connector means positioned in certain ones of said insulating base members to extend outwardly beyond an end of the respective base member defining said opposite lateral edge of said row of insulating base members, said connector means each having opposed lateral tabs formed thereon;

stop means formed on each of said insulating base members, said stop means engaging with said opposed lateral tabs to limit movement of said connector means outwardly of the respective base member;

ledge portions formed on each of said insulating base members, said ledge portions overlying at least a portion of said opposed lateral tabs of said connector means when the latter are engaged with said stop means; and

means joining said third bus bar and said portions of said electrical connector means extending beyond said opposite lateral edge to hold said third bus bar against said opposite lateral edge of said row of insulating base members.

14. The combination according to claim 13 wherein said insulating base members are provided with extensions at the opposite ends thereof to overlie portions of the respective bus bars, the underside of said projections being substantially coplanar with the upper surfaces of said bus bars to provide additional support for said bus bars when the latter are joined with said first-mentioned electrical connector means.

15. The combination according to claim 3 wherein said bus bars project longitudinally beyond the endmost insulating base member of said longitudinally extending row, together with:

pressure-type wiring connector means secured to said bus bars at the projecting ends thereof to provide supply line termination assemblies for said panelboard; and

an insulating headblock member disposed over said termination assemblies and secured to said mounting pan, said headblock having a first wall portion adjacent said endmost insulating base member formed to rest upon said bus bars and having a second wall portion opposite the first wall portion underlying said termination assemblies to support the latter.