Electrical distribution system

• US 9,564,726 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2015
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E&I Engineering Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Powerbar Limited (Vertiv Holdings Co.)
• Inventors: McCauley, Damian Martin, McLaughlin, Cathal Diarmuid, McDermott, Karol Angelo, Kerr, Stephen James Milton
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey, James
• Application Number:
  US14/698,369
• Publication Number:
  US 20150311654A1
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/5866 characterised by the use of a plug and socket connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/22 for interlocking between casing, cover, or protective shutter and mechanism for operating contacts explosion-proof cases H01H9/045; built-in fuses and interlocking mechanisms H01H9/104; by automatic release of circuit breakers H01H71/126
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/142 Their counterparts
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 5/08 Connection boxes therefor

Abstract

An electrical distribution system comprising at least one busway section comprising an elongate trunking, a plurality busbars being disposed within the trunking, a respective elongate opening formed in a mounting face of the busway section permitting a respective male busbar engaging contact to engage the respective busbar, the system further comprising at least one tap off unit comprising a housing arranged to be mounted on the busway section, abutting the mounting face thereof, at any desired location along the length of the busway section, the at least one tap off unit having a plurality of conductive busbar engaging male contacts, the contacts being moveable between a retracted position, wherein the contacts are located within the housing, and an extended position, wherein the contacts extend out of the housing to engage a respective busbar via the elongate openings.

Claims

1. An electrical distribution system comprising:

a busway section comprising an elongate trunking and a plurality of linear busbars disposed within the elongate trunking and supported in spaced parallel relationship to one another, wherein each busbar is aligned with a respective elongate opening in a mounting face of the busway section to permit access to engage the respective busbar; and

a tap off unit comprising a housing arranged to be mounted on the busway section, abutting said mounting face thereof, at any desired location along a length of the busway section, the tap off unit having a plurality of electrically conductive busbar engaging male contacts being moveable between a retracted position, wherein said contacts are located within the housing of the tap off unit, and an extended position, wherein said contacts extend out of the housing of the tap off unit to engage a respective busbar via the respective elongate openings.

2. The electrical distribution system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the busbars are mounted within one or more electrically insulating bodies located within the busway section.

3. The electrical distribution system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tap off unit is adapted to be mounted on the busway section to be supported thereon.

4. The electrical distribution system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the tap off unit is provided with one or more retaining members for engaging the busway section.

5. The electrical distribution system as claimed in claim 4, wherein at least one of said retaining members is moveable between a release position, wherein the tap off unit can be attached to and detached from the busway section, and an operative position, wherein the tap off unit is secured to the busway section by the retaining members.

6. The electrical distribution system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the tap off unit comprises a first retaining member located at or adjacent a first lateral side of the tap off unit, said first retaining member being adapted to engage a first retaining channel in the busway section at or adjacent a first lateral side thereof, and a second retaining member located at or adjacent a second lateral side of the tap off unit opposite said first lateral side, said second retaining member being adapted to engage a second retaining channel in the busway section at or adjacent a second lateral side thereof, opposite said first lateral side, at least one of said first and second retaining members being moveable between a release position, wherein the respective retaining member is spaced from the respective retaining channel, and an operative position, wherein the respective retaining member engages the respective retaining channel to retain the tap off unit in engagement with the busway section.

7. The electrical distribution system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the said first retaining member is fixed with respect to the tap off unit and said second retaining member is moveably mounted on the tap off unit to be moveable laterally between the release and operative positions.

8. The electrical distribution system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said first retaining member and the cooperating first retaining channel are shaped such that the tap off unit must be tilted with respect to the busway section to permit the insertion of said first retaining into or out of the first retaining channel.

9. The electrical distribution system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said first retaining member comprises an elongate flange adapted to engage the first retaining channel of the busway section.

10. The electrical distribution system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said elongate flange is curved laterally towards said first lateral side of the busway section so that the tap off unit must be tilted with respect to the busway section to initially insert the flange into the first retaining channel, the first retaining channel extending laterally towards said first lateral side of the busway section to allow the flange to enter into the first retaining channel as the tap off unit is rotated and raised into abutment with the mounting face of the busway section.

11. The electrical distribution system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first retaining member forms an earth connection between the tap off unit and the busway section.

12. The electrical distribution system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said at least one moveable retaining member is provided on a laterally sliding plate mounted on or adjacent an outer face of the tap off unit, said plate having apertures therein, said apertures are aligned with one or more of said male contacts when the retaining member is in its operative position, such that said one or more male contacts may extend through said apertures when moving from their retracted to their extended positions, said apertures being positioned out of alignment with said one or more male contacts when the retaining member is in its release position, preventing extension of the male contacts from their retracted to their extended positions.

13. The electrical distribution system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said male contacts are moveable between their retracted and extended positions by means of a lever coupled to a cam mechanism engaging said male contacts.

14. The electrical distribution system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the busway section comprises a casing comprising an upper side and opposed lateral sides, a plurality of substantially parallel ribs depending from an inner face of said upper side to extend between the busbars, such that each busbar is located between a respective adjacent pair of said ribs.

15. The electrical distribution system as claimed in claim 14, wherein each rib has an enlarged head portion at a distal end thereof for retaining respective insulating bodies within the casing within which the plurality of busbars are mounted to be electrically insulated from said casing, said insulating bodies having lower openings defining the elongate openings of the busway section.

16. An electrical distribution system comprising:

a busway section comprising an elongate trunking and a plurality of linear busbars being disposed within the elongate trunking and being supported in spaced parallel relationship to one another; and

a tap off unit comprising a housing removably mounted to a mounting face of the busway section and configured to be mountable at a desired location of a plurality of mounting locations along a length of the busway section, wherein the tap off unit includes a plurality of male contacts being moveable between a retracted position, having the male contacts located within the housing of the tap off unit, and an extended position, wherein the male contacts extend out of the housing of the tap off unit and each engage a respective busbar of the plurality of linear busbars.

17. The electrical distribution system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the tap off unit includes a retaining member for removably engaging the busway section, the retaining member movable between a release position and an operative position that secures the tap off unit to the busway section.

18. The electrical distribution system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the plurality of male contacts are prevented from moving to the extended position when the retaining member is in the release position.

19. An electrical distribution system comprising:

a busway section comprising an elongate trunking and a plurality of busbars being disposed within the elongate trunking in spaced relationship to one another; and

a tap off unit comprising a housing removably engaged to a mounting face of the busway section and configured to be engagable at a desired location of a plurality of mounting locations on the busway section, wherein the tap off unit includes a plurality of male contacts being extendable from the housing of the tap off unit to each engage a respective busbar of the plurality of busbars, and wherein the plurality of male contacts are prevented from extending to engage the plurality of busbars when the tap off unit is disengaged from the mounting face of the busway section.

20. The electrical distribution system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the tap off unit includes a retaining member for removably engaging a lateral side of the busway section to support the tap off unit in engagement with the busway section.