Busbar connector for plug-in busways

• US 6,296,498 B1
• Filed: 01/25/2000
• Issued: 10/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Universal Electric Corp. (Legrand SA)
• Original Assignee: Universal Electric Corp. (Legrand SA)
• Inventors: Ross, Steven L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luebke, Renee
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hammond, Briggitte R
• Application Number:
  US09/490,939
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• Field of Search: 439/110-115, 439/213, 439/210, 439/723, 439/724, 174/80.B
• US Class Current: 439/115
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/145 Details, e.g. end pieces or joints H01R25/147 takes precedence

Abstract

A busbar connector for an electrical busway system is disclosed which includes shunt wires in an insulating housing and opposed spreader springs between the shunt wires that press contacts on the shunt wires against busbars in the busway when tapered screws are advanced between the spreader springs.

Claims

1. In an electrical plug-in busway including at least two elongated track sections connected end-to-end and at least one electrically conducting busbar in each track section for providing electricity to a take-off device installed in the track, the improvement comprising:

a connector between the ends of adjoining track sections, said connector including an insulating connector body and at least one shunt wire in the insulating connector body with a lug on both ends of the shunt wire, a spreader spring in said connector body adjacent each said lug, and a set screw for wedging each said spreader spring toward the associated lug and thereby pressing the the lugs into spring pressure contact with said busbars in said connected track sections.

2. A busway as set forth in claim 1 in which each track section has four busbars in it with two on each side of the channel in the track section, and each connector has four flexible shunt wires in it with electrical contacts on opposite ends of each shunt wire, a spreader spring opposite each electrical contact and a tapered set screw between each adjacent pair of spreader springs.

3. A busway as set forth in claim 1 in which said track sections are channel-shaped, each track section includes busbars on opposite sides of said channel, and said connector has shunt wires on opposite sides of the connector for connecting the busbars on opposite sides of the channel and at least one spreader spring between said lugs on the shunt wires for pressing the lugs against the busbars.

4. A busway as set forth in claim 3 in which said connection includes an insulating connector body having at least two spreader springs in the connector body, shunt wires in the spreader member, and electrical contacts on each shunt wire projecting from said connector body for contacting and electrically connecting the busbars in said adjacent track sections, spreader springs for each pair of shunt wires on the opposite side thereof from each electrical contact and a screw having a tapered end for wedging between adjacent spreader springs to press the springs against the shunt wires and said electrical contacts against busbars in the track sections.

5. A busway as set forth in claim 4 in which said insulating body has a hole in it for each set screw which is open at the exposed side of the body in the track section for access to the set screws to tighten them after the connector has been positioned between the ends of adjacent track sections.

6. A busway as set forth in claim 1 in which each said shunt wire is a flat strip of copper.

7. A busway as set forth in claim 6 in which each strip of copper is about ¼

to ½

inch wide and about {fraction (1/16)} to ⅛

inch thick.

8. In an electrical plug-in busway including at least two elongated track sections connected end-to-end and at least one electrically conducting busbar in each track section for providing electricity to a take-off device installed in the track, the improvement comprising:

a connector between the ends of the adjoining track sections, said connector including an insulating connector body and at least one shunt wire in the insulating connector body with a lug on both ends of said shunt wire in spring pressure contact with said busbars in said connected track sections, and in which said spring pressure is provided by a spreader spring having a generally half-cylinder spring section between flat edge portions.

9. A busway as set forth in claim 8 in which each said spreader spring is made of spring steel.

10. A busbar connector for an electrical busway having at least one channel-shaped track section having at least one open end and busbars in opposite sides of the channel-shaped track section for providing electricity to plug-in devices inserted into the track sections, said connector comprising an insulating connector body for insertion into said at least one open end of said track section, at least two insulative spreader extrusions in the connector body, a shunt wire in each said spreader extrusion, each said shunt wire having an electrical contact lug on at least one end thereof projecting from said connector body for contacting one of said busbars in said track section, spreader springs between the shunt wires and a tapered screw for pressing said spreader springs against said shunt wires and said electrical contact on the shunt wires against the busbars in the track sections.

11. A busbar connector as set forth in claim 10 which includes at least four of said spreader members.

12. A busbar connector as set forth in claim 10 that includes an electrical contact lug on both ends of each said shunt wire.

13. A busbar connector as set forth in claim 10 which is secured to a terminal box and each of said shunt wires has one end thereof electrically connected to a terminal block in said terminal box for feeding power to an electrical busway.

14. A busbar connector as set forth in claim 13 that includes four said shunt wires.

15. A busbar connector connecting channel-shaped track sections in an electrical busway, said track sections each having busbars in opposite sides thereof, said connector comprising an insulating connector boy, four parallel insulative spreader members in said connector body, a flexible shunt wire in each spreader member, each shunt wire having an electrical contact lug on both ends thereof projecting outwardly from the connector body, spreader springs in said spreader members on both ends thereof inside said connector body opposite said contact lugs on each shunt wire, and set screws having tapered ends between said spreader springs for pressing said contact lugs against said busbars in said track sections.

16. A connector as set forth in claim 15 in which said connector body comprises two halves, each of which has channels in it for receiving said spreader members, shunt wires and spreader springs.

17. A connector as set forth in claim 15 in which each said spreader member comprises an elongated plastic extrusion.

18. A connector power head assembly for an electrical busway that includes at least one channel-shaped track section having at least one open end with parallel busbars in the channel for receiving plug-in devices, said connector head assembly comprising an insulating connector body for insertion into said at least one open end of said track section, at least two insulative spreader members in said connector body, a shunt wire in each said spreader member, a spreader spring in each said spreader member, a contact lug on one end of each shunt wire projecting outwardly from said connector body opposite said spreader spring and a set screw having a tapered end between said spreader springs for pressing said springs and said contact lugs against said busbars in said track section.

19. A connector power head assembly as set forth in claim 18 which is assembled with a terminal box having a terminal block secured therein and one end of each said shunt wire is electrically connected to said terminal block.

20. A busbar power head assembly as set forth in claim 19 in which said connector body has a portion thereof that projects from said terminal box for insertion into said track section, with said contact lugs projecting from said portion of the connector body for insertion into the track section.