Device for connecting bus bars of a bus bar system with the connectors of a piece of electric installation equipment

• US 6,489,567 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2001
• Issued: 12/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rittal Rudolf LOH GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Rittal Rudolf LOH GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Zachrai, Jürgen
• Primary Examiner(s): Reichard, Dean A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nino, Adolfo
• Application Number:
  US09/760,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20010050178A1
• Time in Patent Office: 686 Days
• Field of Search: 174/68.2, 174/70.B, 174/71.B, 174/72.B, 174/99.B, 174/149.B, 439/212, 403/394, 403/396, 361/611, 361/650
• US Class Current: 174/149.00B
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 5/025 Supporting structures

Abstract

A device for connecting bus bars of a bus bar system with connectors of a piece of electric installation equipment using connecting pieces, which are cut, angled and/or bent from a rectangular flat material. The cost for different bar elements for the connection can be reduced without a need to surrender adaptation to the transmission of current strenghts of different sizes because the connecting pieces are respectively formed by several identical bar elements which are held, vertically with respect to their width, at a distance from each other which corresponds to a thickness of the flat material. The bar elements are maintained apart by a packaging holder which has alternating spacers and holding plates perpendicular with respect to a broad side of the bar elements. The holding plates delimit receivers for the bar elements on both sides of the packaging holders.

Claims

1. In a device for connecting bus bars of a bus bar system with connectors of a piece of electric installation equipment using connecting pieces which are at least one of cut, angled and bent from a flat material, the improvement comprising:

the connecting pieces formed by a plurality of bar elements (10.1, 10.2, 10.3) each having a rectangular cross section, the bar elements (10.1, 10.2, 10.3) held vertically with respect to a width of the bar elements (10.1, 10.2, 10.3), the bar elements (10.1, 10.2, 10.3) held at a distance from each other, the distance corresponding to a thickness of the flat material, a rail (30.1, 30.2) extending in a longitudinal direction.

the bar elements (10.1, 10.2, 10.3) maintained apart by a packaging holder (40) having a spacer (41) attached to the rail (30.1, 30.2) and a plurality of holding plates (42) spaced and aligned in a direction perpendicular with respect to a broad side of each of the bar elements (10.1, 10.2, 10.3), and

the spaced holding plates (42) forming a plurality of receivers (45) on opposite sides of the packaging holder (40) for accommodating the bar elements (10.1, 10.2, 10.3).

2. In the device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the rail (30.1, 30.2) is a C-profiled fastening rail (30.1, 30.2) with fastening screws (43) that pass through a first bore (44) of the spacer (41) and through second bores of the holding plates (42) and with sliding nuts pushed into the C-profiled fastening rail (30.1, 30.2).

3. In the device in accordance with claim 1, wherein one of the spacers (41) is one of pushed into a C-profiled fastening rail (30.1, 30.2) and inserted in an insertion position and rotatably fastened, wherein the packaging holder (40) is fastened with a fastening screw (43) that passes through a first bore (44) in the spacer (41) and through second bores of the holding plates (42) to prevent displacement in the C-profiled fastening rail (30.1, 30.2).

4. In the device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the bar elements (10.1, 10.2, 10.3) are designed as flat bar sections.

5. In the device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the bar elements are connected to L-shaped elbows.

6. In the device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the bar elements (10.1, 10.2, 10.3 and 20.1, 20.2, 20.3) have fastening bores (12, 22) at least in one end area.

7. In the device in accordance with claim 6, wherein the packaging holder (40) is assembled from an individual said spacer (41) and individual said holding plates (42).

8. In the device in accordance with claim 6, wherein the spacer (41) and the holding plates (42) are combined into one piece.

9. In the device in accordance with claim 8, wherein the packaging holder (40) has a first number of the holding plates (42) forming the receivers (45) for the bar elements (10.1, 10.2, 10.3 or 20.1, 20.2, 20.3) which corresponds to a second number of the bar elements in the connecting piece.

10. In the device in accordance with claim 9, wherein with the bar elements designed as connecting elbows, at least one leg is held at a prescribed distance by the packaging holder (40).

11. In the device in accordance with claim 8, wherein the spacer (41) of the packaging holder (40) is one of pushed into a C-profiled fastening rail (30.1, 30.2) and inserted in an insertion position and rotatably fastened, wherein the packaging holder (40) is fastened with a fastening screw (43) that passes through a first bore (44) in the spacer (41) and through second bores of the holding plates (42) to prevent displacement in the C-profiled fastening rail (30.1, 30.2).

12. In the device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the bar elements (10.1, 10.2, 10.3 and 20.1, 20.2, 20.3) have fastening bores (12, 22) at least in one end area.

13. In the device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the packaging holder (40) is assembled from an individual said spacer (41) and individual said holding plates (42).

14. In the device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the spacer (41) and the holding plates (42) are combined into one piece.

15. In the device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the packaging holder (40) has a first number of the holding plates (42) forming the receivers (45) for the bar elements (10.1, 10.2, 10.3 or 20.1, 20.2, 20.3) which corresponds to a second number of the bar elements in the connecting piece.

16. In the device in accordance with claim 1, wherein with the bar elements designed as connecting elbows, at least one leg is held at a prescribed distance by the packaging holder (40).