Arrangement for connecting bus bars

• US 5,206,461 A
• Filed: 08/16/1991
• Issued: 04/27/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Genzel, Rolf-Gunter, Zeimetz, Karl-Josef
• Primary Examiner(s): NIMMO, MORRIS
• Application Number:
  US07/746,423
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• Field of Search: 174/88 B, 174/68.2, 174/99 B, 174/70 B, 174/71 B, 174/72 B, 439/115, 439/210, 439/212, 439/213
• US Class Current: 174/88.00B
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/162 Electrical connections between or with rails or bus-bars rails having primarily a non electrical function H01R4/64
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/44 Clamping areas on both sides of screw
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 5/002 Joints between bus-bars for compensating thermal expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 5/02 Open installations

Abstract

An arrangement for connecting aligned sections of a bus bar includes connecting pieces of approximately rectangular basic shape. Crown-rounded contact surfaces are provided at the ends of the connecting pieces to rest on the narrow sides of the rectangular profile of the bus bars. Two contact surfaces flanked by elevations are provided on one of the sides of the connecting piece, while two pairs of contact surfaces are provided on the opposite side. To connect the sections of single bus bars, the connecting pieces are used in such a manner that the sections are flanked by the elevations, while to connect double bus bars the reversed position is provided, in which elevations between the pairs of contact surfaces are situated between the parallel sections of the bus bar set.

Claims

1. An arrangement for connecting a first and second aligned section of a bus bar, comprising:

a) a first connecting piece for gripping a first side of the first and second aligned sections, including;

(i) a first end having;

(A) a first pair of elevations; and

(B) a first crown-rounded contact surface, said first crown-rounded contact surface adapted for resting on the first side of the first aligned section and being disposed between said first pair of elevations; and

(ii) a second end having;

(A) a second pair of elevations; and

(B) a second crown-rounded contact surface, said second crown-rounded contact surface adapted for resting on the first side of the second aligned section and being disposed between said second pair of elevations; and

b) a second connecting piece for gripping a second side of the first and second aligned sections, including;

(i) a third end having;

(A) a third pair of elevations; and

(B) a third crown-rounded contact surface, said third crown-rounded contact surface adapted for resting on the second side of the first aligned section and being disposed between said second pair of elevations; and

(ii) a fourth end having;

(A) a fourth pair of elevations; and

(B) a fourth crown-rounded contact surface, said fourth crown-rounded contact surface adapted for resting on the second side of the second aligned section and being disposed between said second pair of elevations; and

c) a clamping screw for holding the first and second aligned sections between the first and second connecting pieces.

2. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein:

a) said first end further comprises a first pair of crown-rounded contact surfaces and a first elevation disposed therebetween, on a side opposite said first crown-rounded contact surface and said first pair of elevations;

b) said second end further comprises a second pair of crown-rounded contact surfaces and a second elevation disposed therebetween, on a side opposite said second crown-rounded contact surface and said second pair of elevations;

c) said third end further comprises a third pair of crown-rounded contact surfaces and a third elevation disposed therebetween, on a side opposite said third crown-rounded contact surface and said third pair of elevations; and

d) said fourth end further comprises a fourth pair of crown-rounded contact surfaces and a fourth elevation disposed therebetween, on a side opposite said fourth crown-rounded contact surface and said fourth pair of elevations.

3. The arrangement according to claim 2, wherein said first, second, third and fourth elevations comprise a width corresponding to a spacing of parallel sections of a double bus bar.

4. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said first and second connecting pieces further comprise a central passage for said clamping screw.

5. The arrangement according to claim 2, wherein said first and second connecting pieces further comprise a central passage for said clamping screw.

6. The arrangement according to claim 3, wherein said first and second connecting pieces further comprise a central passage for said clamping screw.

7. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said first and second connecting pieces are resiliently flexible under an influence of a desired clamping force.

8. The arrangement according to claim 2, wherein said first and second connecting pieces are resiliently flexible under an influence of a desired clamping force.

9. The arrangement according to claim 3, wherein said first and second connecting pieces are resiliently flexible under an influence of a desired clamping force.

10. The arrangement according to claim 4, wherein said first and second connecting pieces are resiliently flexible under an influence of a desired clamping force.

11. The arrangement according to claim 5, wherein said first and second connecting pieces are resiliently flexible under an influence of a desired clamping force.

12. The arrangement according to claim 6, wherein said first and second connecting pieces are resiliently flexible under an influence of a desired clamping force.

16. The arrangement according to claim 2 wherein said first and second connecting pieces may be rearranged for connecting a double bus bar.

13. A bus bar connector comprising:

a) a central portion;

b) two end portions;

c) a first of said end portions including a first side and a second side opposite said first side;

i) two elevated portions having a crown rounded first contact surface disposed therebetween on said first side;

ii) a pair of crown rounded contact surfaces having an elevated portion disposed therebetween on said second side; and

d) a second of said end portions including a side corresponding to said first side and a side corresponding to said second side;

i) a crown rounded contact surface disposed between two elevated portions on said side corresponding to said first side;

ii) a pair of crown rounded contact surfaces having an elevated portion disposed therebetween on said side corresponding to said second side.

14. The connector of claim 13 wherein said central portion includes an aperture for receiving a damping screw.

15. The connector of claim 13 wherein the elevated portions on the second side and the side corresponding to the second side have a width corresponding to the spacing of parallel sections of a double bus bar.

17. An arrangement for connecting first and second sections of a double bus bar, comprising:

a) a first connecting piece, said first connecting piece having

i) a first side, said first side having an inner surface including a first crown-rounded contact surface for contacting a first narrow side of one of said first sections of said double bus bar, a second crown-rounded contact surface for contacting a first narrow side of a second of said first sections of said double bus bar, and a first elevation, said first elevation being disposed between said first and second crown-rounded contact surfaces and adapted for providing a spacing between said first sections of said double bus bar, and

ii) a second side, said second side having an inner surface including a third crown-rounded contact surface for contacting a first narrow side of one of said second sections of said double bus bar, a fourth crown-rounded contact surface for contacting a first narrow side of a second of said second sections of said double bus bar, and a second elevation, said second elevation being disposed between said third and fourth crown-rounded contact surfaces and adapted for providing a spacing between said second sections of said double bus bar;

b) a second connecting piece, said second connecting piece having

i) a first side, said first side having an inner surface including a first crown-rounded contact surface for contacting a second narrow side of one of said first sections of said double bus bar, a second crown-rounded contact surface for contacting a second narrow side of a second of said first sections of said double bus bar, and a first elevation, said first elevation of said second connecting piece being disposed between said first and second crown-rounded contact surfaces of said second connecting piece and adapted for providing a spacing between said first sections of said double bus bar, and

ii) a second side, said second side having an inner surface including a third crown-rounded contact surface for contacting a second narrow side of one of said second sections of said double bus bar, a fourth crown-rounded contact surface for contacting a second narrow side of a second of said second sections of said double bus bar, and a second elevation, said second elevation of said second connecting piece being disposed between said third and fourth crown-rounded contact surfaces of said second connecting piece and adapted for providing a spacing between said second sections of said double bus bar; and

c) a screw, said screw for clamping said first and second sections of said double bus bar between said first and second connecting pieces.

18. The arrangement of claim 17, wherein:

i) said first side of said first connecting piece further includes an outer surface, said outer surface of said first side including a first and a second elevation, and a crown-rounded surface disposed between said first and second elevations of said outer surface of said first side;

ii) said second side of said first connecting piece further includes an outer surface, said outer surface of said second side including a third and a fourth elevation, and a second crown-rounded surface disposed between said third and fourth elevations of said outer surface of said second side;

iii) said first side of said second connecting piece includes an outer surface, said outer surface of said first side of said second connecting piece including a first and second elevation, and a first crown-rounded surface disposed between said first and second elevations of said outer surface of said first side of said second connecting piece; and

iv) said second side of said second connecting piece includes an outer surface, said outer surface of said second side including a third and a fourth elevation, and a second crown-rounded surface disposed between said third and fourth elevations of said outer surface of said second side of said second connecting piece.

19. The arrangement of claim 18 wherein said first and second connecting pieces may be rearranged for connecting a single bus bar.