Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Description
Busbar trunking unit and busbar trunking system comprising a
busbar trunking unit
When constructing a daisychained busbar configuration of a
busbar trunking system by coupling together preassembled
busbar trunking units by their front faces it is necessary to
compensate for gaps formed in the busbar daisychain due to
assembly tolerances occurring at the installation site. In the
prior art such gaps were compensated for by adapter pieces
that had to be measured precisely. For this purpose the gap
was measured and the adapter piece was individually
manufactured and subsequently installed. This approach
necessitated a high investment in terms of both time and
costs.
The invention relates to a busbar trunking unit for a busbar
trunking system comprising busbars which are elongated in a
longitudinal direction, are encased by a busbar housing, and
are arranged flat next to one another in the busbar housing,
wherein each of the busbars consists of two separate sections
embodied as rigid profiled elements and connected to one
another in series in an electrically conductive manner in the
longitudinal direction, wherein the sections can be displaced
independently of one another in the busbar housing in the
longitudinal direction and are held fixedly in place
transversely to the longitudinal direction.
The invention further relates to a busbar trunking system
comprising at least one busbar trunking unit of said type as
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part of a daisychained busbar configuration formed from busbar
trunking units coupled to one another by their front face.
A generic busbar trunking unit known from practice is shown in
Figures 1 and 2. With said known busbar trunking unit in the
form of an expansion unit, the two sections of each of the
busbars are in each case connected to one another in an
electrically conductive manner by means of a flexible
conductor strip, the two ends of the conductor strip being
welded to the front faces of the two sections facing toward
one another.
A further generic busbar trunking unit is known from the
publication EP 0 933 855 Al. In said busbar trunking unit the
busbar housing consists of two partial sheaths which are
slidable into one another in a telescope-like manner in order
to change the length of the busbar housing.
Starting from a busbar having the features of the preamble of
claim 1 (EP 0 933 855 Al), the object underlying the invention
is to design the busbar trunking unit in a more cost-effective
manner.
This object is achieved by means of a generic busbar trunking
unit in which the busbar housing consists of two partial
sheaths which are slidable into one another in a telescope-
like manner in order to change the length of the busbar
housing and in which the two partial sheaths are each made of
a current-conducting material and are connected to one another
in an electrically conductive manner in such a way that they
form a current path which can be used as a PE conductor.
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In this arrangement, in order to establish their electrically
conductive connection, the two partial sheaths preferably form
mutually associated electrical contact surfaces which are held
under contact force directly against one another in an
electrically conductive manner.
Preferably a first of the two sections of each of the busbars
is displaceable in the longitudinal direction and is held
fixedly in place transversely to the longitudinal direction in
a first of the two partial sheaths of the busbar trunking unit
and the second of the sections of each of the busbars is
displaceable in the longitudinal direction and is held fixedly
in place transversely to the longitudinal direction in the
second of the two partial sheaths of the busbar trunking unit,
wherein the two sections on the one hand and the two partial
sheaths on the other hand are in each case captively connected
to one another.
First fixing means are preferably provided for mutual fixing
of the two partial sheaths of the busbar housing, which fixing
means engage through slotted holes of the first of the two
partial sheaths and associated fixing holes of the second of
the two partial sheaths.
A further preferred embodiment of the novel busbar trunking
unit provides that in order to establish the current-
conducting connection the sections overlap at their front
faces facing toward one another, wherein a second fixing means
can be provided for mutual fixing of the sections, which
fixing means engages through mutually associated slotted holes
of the busbars in the overlap zone, as is already known from
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busbars which serve for driving rail vehicles (US 5,224,575 A,
DE 196 09 006 C2).
In order to facilitate the assembly and installation of the
busbar trunking unit and the adjustment of the length of the
busbar housing it is furthermore advantageously provided to
furnish each of the two partial sheaths with handles.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a busbar trunking unit for a busbar trunking system
comprising busbars which are elongated in a longitudinal
direction, are encased by a busbar housing, and are arranged
flat next to one another in the busbar housing, wherein each of
the busbars consists of two separate sections embodied as rigid
profiled elements and connected to one another in series in an
electrically conductive manner in the longitudinal direction,
wherein the sections can be displaced independently of one
another in the busbar housing in the longitudinal direction and
are held fixedly in place transversely to the longitudinal
direction, and wherein the busbar housing consists of two
partial sheaths which are slidable into one another in a
telescope-like manner in order to change the length of the
busbar housing, wherein the length of the busbars formed from
the sections and a length of the busbar housing formed from the
partial sheaths are freely adjustable independently of one
another, wherein the two partial sheaths are each made of a
current conducting material and in order to establish their
electrically conductive connection the two partial sheaths form
mutually associated electrical contact surfaces which are held
under contact force directly against one another in an
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electrically conductive manner and form a current path of the
busbar trunking unit.
The invention is described hereinbelow with reference to the
following figures, in which:
Figures 1 and 2 show a busbar trunking system known from
practice comprising a busbar trunking unit
in the form of an expansion unit,
Figure 3 shows a busbar trunking system comprising
a busbar trunking unit according to the
invention in a perspective view with
busbar and busbar housing,
Figures 4, 11 and 12 show three different sectional views of
the busbar trunking unit according to
Figure 3,
Figures 5 to 9 show individual parts of the busbar
housing,
Figure 10 shows two sections of one of the busbars
with connecting means in an exploded view,
and
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Figures 13 to 15 show the
busbar trunking unit partially in
an exploded view, with the busbars and the
busbar housing being independently
adjusted to different lengths in each
case.
Figures 1 and 2 show a busbar trunking system 1 known from
practice comprising a busbar trunking unit 2 in the form of an
expansion unit which is part of a busbar daisychain of the
busbar trunking system. In a longitudinal direction 3, the
expansion unit 2 has elongated busbars 4 which are encased by
a busbar housing 5 and are arranged flat next to one another
in the busbar housing 5. With said known busbar trunking unit,
each of the busbars 4 consists of two separate sections 4a, 4b
which are embodied as rigid profiled elements and are
connected to one another in series in an electrically
conductive manner in the longitudinal direction 3, wherein the
sections 4a, 4b can be displaced independently of one another
in the busbar housing 5 in the longitudinal direction and are
held fixedly in place transversely to the longitudinal
direction 3. Supporting and retaining devices 7, as already
known from the publication EP 0 530 521 Bl, serve for that
purpose.
The two sections 4a, 4b of each of the busbars 4 are in each
case connected to one another in an electrically conductive
manner by means of a flexible conductor strip 6, the two ends
of the conductor strip being welded to the front faces of the
two sections 4a, 4b facing toward one another.
Figures 3 and 4 show a busbar trunking system 101 according to
the invention comprising a busbar trunking unit 102 according
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to the invention. The busbar trunking unit 102 according to
the invention also has busbars 104 which are elongated in a
longitudinal direction 103, form a conductor rail pack and are
arranged, enclosed by a busbar housing 105, flat next to one
another in the busbar housing 105. Furthermore, in this case
too, each of the busbars 104 consists of two separate sections
104a, 104b which are embodied as rigid profiled elements and
are connected to one another in series in an electrically
conductive manner in the longitudinal direction 103. Here too,
the sections 104a, 104b can be displaced independently of one
another in the busbar housing 105 in the longitudinal
direction 103 and are held fixedly in place transversely to
the longitudinal direction 103 by means of supporting and
retaining devices 107 in the manner known from the publication
EP 0 530 521 21. The two sections are - as will be shown
hereinafter - connected to one another in a captive but
releasable manner.
The busbar housing 105 consists of two partial sheaths 105a
and 105b, which engage in one another in a telescope-like
manner and which are slidable, telescope-like, into one
another continuously to different depths in order to change
the length of the busbar housing 105.
In this case a first 105a of the two partial sheaths is formed
by nine housing parts 111 to 119. The second partial sheath is
formed by five housing parts 121 to 125. Several of the
housing parts in each case are common parts which are shown
again individually in Figures 5 to 9.
Thus, the housing parts designated by 111-and 121 in Figures 3
and 4 are embodied according to Figure 5 as first covering
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profiled elements 130 bent into a U shape, each forming an
end-side flange. Each of said end-side flanges serves to
connect to a further busbar trunking unit of the busbar
daisychain and for this purpose has first fixing holes 131.
According to Figure 6, the housing parts designated by 112,
113, 122 and 123 in Figures 3 and 4 are first lateral profiled
elements 132 bent into a W shape. These have second fixing
holes 133 for connecting to a further busbar trunking unit of
the busbar daisychain, as well as third 134 and fourth 135
fixing holes.
According to Figure 7, the housing parts designated by 114,
115, 124 and 125 in Figures 3 and 4 are flat ventilation
grilles 136 having fifth fixing holes 137. In this case the
fourth 135 and fifth 137 fixing holes serve for connecting the
first lateral profiled elements 132 to the ventilation grilles
136.
The housing parts designated by 116 and 117 and 118 and 119 in
Figures 3 and 4 form a further flange overlapping and
connecting the ventilation grilles and the first lateral
profiled elements and fulfilling the function of guiding the
second partial sheath 105b in the first partial sheath 105a in
a telescope-like manner. For this purpose the housing parts
116 and 117, which according to Figure 8 form W-shaped second
lateral profiled elements 138, and the housing parts 118 and
119, which according to Figure 9 form U-shaped second covering
profiled elements 141, each have slotted holes 140 and 143
respectively on opposite sides, in which holes, according to
Figure 3, first fixing means 150 in the form of fixing screws
are guided. The two partial sheaths 105a, 105b are captively
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connected to one another by means of the fixing screws,
because said fixing means engage through the slotted holes
140, 143 of the first of the two partial sheaths 105a and the
associated fixing holes 134 of the second 105b of the two
partial sheaths.
The two partial sheaths 105a, 105b are each made of a current-
conducting material - in particular galvanized steel or
aluminum - and are connected to one another in an electrically
conductive manner in such a way that they form a current path
which can be used as a PE conductor. In order to establish the
electrically conductive connection the two partial sheaths
105a, 105b in this case form contact pairs composed of
mutually associated electrical contact surfaces which are held
under contact force directly against one another in an
electrically conductive manner.
In this arrangement said contact surfaces are embodied on the
U-shaped first covering profiled elements 130, the W-shaped
first lateral profiled elements 132, the W-shaped second
lateral profiled elements 138 and the U-shaped second covering
profiled elements 141 in the manner shown in Figures 5 and 6
and 8 and 9.
Thus, according to Figure 5, the inward-facing surfaces of the
first covering profiled elements 130 provided with the fixing
holes 131 form the first 130a and 130b of the contact
surfaces, and, according to Figure 9, the inward-facing
surfaces of the second covering profiled elements 141 provided
with the fixing holes 142 and the slotted holes 143 form the
second 141a and 141b of the contact surfaces. For this purpose
the said surfaces forming the first and second of the contact
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surfaces are kept metallically bare, while the remaining
surfaces of the covering profiled elements 130 and 141 formed
from current-conducting material - in particular made of
galvanized steel or aluminum - are additionally provided with
a color coating.
Furthermore, according to Figure 6, sections of the outward-
facing surfaces of the first lateral profiled elements 132
provided with the fixing holes 133 and 134 form the third 132a
to 132d of the contact surfaces. In addition, according to
Figure 8, the sides of the second lateral profiled elements
138 provided with the fixing holes 139 and the slotted holes
140 form the fourth 138a to 138d of the contact surfaces with
their inward- and outward-facing surfaces. In this case too
the said surfaces forming the third and fourth of the contact
surfaces are kept metallically bare, while the remaining
surfaces of the lateral profiled elements 132 and 138 formed
from current-conducting material - in particular made of
galvanized steel or aluminum - are additionally provided with
a color coating.
Thus, the housing parts 122 and 116 and 123 and 117 are
metallically bare in overlapping areas and are connected in an
electrically conductive manner via contact pairs accordingly
formed from the contact surfaces 132a, 132b, 138a and 138b.
In addition, however, the housing parts 116, 118; 116, 119;
117, 118; 117, 119 are also metallically bare in their
overlapping area and are connected in an electrically
conductive manner via contact pairs accordingly formed from
the contact surfaces 138c, 138d, 141a and 141b.
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Furthermore, the housing parts 112 and 116 and 113 and 117 are
metallically bare in overlapping areas and are connected in an
electrically conductive manner via contact pairs accordingly
formed from the contact surfaces 132a, 132b, 138a and 138b.
The fixing means (in this case screwed connections) designated
by 150 serve to press the mutually associated surfaces of the
bare contact surfaces 130a, 130b, 132a to 132d, 138a to 138d
and 141, 142 onto one another and to establish a conductive
connection capable of carrying current.
The conductive connection is implemented in such a way that
short-circuit currents in the fault situation "single-pole
short-circuit to ground (PE)" can also be conducted by the
busbar housing 105. Toward that end the contact surfaces are
dimensioned large enough that even at the maximum length of
the busbar housing 105 the contact surfaces of each of the
housing part pairs resulting due to the electrical connection
of the individual housing parts in total form an overlap in
each case of at least 450=2 per kA short-circuit current. The
busbar housing 105 can therefore be used as a PE conductor.
According to Figure 10, the section 104b of the busbars is
stepped at its end facing toward the section 104a and the two
sections are arranged overlapping at their front faces facing
toward one another in order to establish a current-conducting
connection.
According to Figure 11, two of the supporting and retaining
devices 107 which carry the first sections 104a of the busbars
are in each case braced against the W-shaped first lateral
profiled elements 132 of the first partial sheath 105a. Two
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more of the supporting and retaining devices 107 which carry
the second sections of the busbars are in each case braced
against the W-shaped first lateral profiled elements 132 of
the second partial sheath 105b. In this way the first 104a of
the two sections of each of the busbars can be displaced in
the longitudinal direction 103 and is held fixedly in place
transversely to the longitudinal direction in the first 105a
of the two partial sheaths of the busbar trunking unit and the
second 104b of the sections of each of the busbars can be
displaced in the longitudinal direction 103 and is held
fixedly in place transversely to the longitudinal direction in
the second 105b of the two partial sheaths of the busbar
trunking unit.
According to Figure 11, a second fixing means 151 in the form
of a single bolt connection known from the publication DE 42
25 837 C2 is provided for the mutual fixing of the sections
104a and 104b, a bolt 152 of said single bolt connection
engaging through mutually associated slotted holes 153, 154 of
the sections 104a, 104b in the overlap zone. The busbar
housing 105 and the conductor rail pack formed from the
busbars 104 are simultaneously connected captively to one
another mechanically by means of said single bolt connection.
According to Figures 13 to 15, in the busbar trunking unit
according to the invention the length Ll of the busbars 104
formed from the sections 104a and 104b (the length Ll of the
conductor rail pack) and the length L2 of the busbar housing
105 formed from the partial sheaths 105a and 105b are freely
(continuously) adjustable independently of one another over a
large length range in each case (of in particular up to 60mm
in each case). Accordingly, Figure 13 shows the busbar
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trunking unit in a first end position in which both the length
Li of the busbars 104 and the length L2 of the busbar housing
105 are set to their shortest value. Figure 14 shows a middle
position in which the lengths Li and L2 are set to
intermediate values, and Figure 15 shows a second end position
in which both the length Li of the busbars 104 and the length
L2 of the busbar housing 105 are set to their longest value.
By means of the busbar trunking unit 102 according to the
invention it is possible to compensate for tolerances
occurring at the installation site during the assembly and
installation of a daisychained busbar configuration of a
busbar trunking system in a simple, time- and cost-saving
manner. Assembly and manufacturing tolerances as well as
preliminary configuration inaccuracies can be compensated for
by simple on-site assembly and installation of the busbar
trunking unit according to the invention. Time-consuming
retrofitting of adapter pieces - as was previously required in
practice - is no longer necessary. At the same time the
technical features of the busbar trunking system in terms of
current-carrying capacity, short-circuit resistance, PE
connection, IP protection class, or the freedom of movement of
the conductor rail pack with respect to the busbar housing in
the event of linear thermal expansion are advantageously
maintained. It is also important that the external contours of
the adjustable busbar trunking unit 102 according to the
invention are very similar to the external contours of the
rest of the busbar daisychain and therefore can be integrated
visually into the busbar trunking system in an optimum manner.
Special planning rules for the configuration of the busbar
trunking system are not to be taken into account in this case.
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To facilitate installation of the busbar trunking unit 102 in
the busbar daisychain of the busbar trunking system 101 and to
adjust the length of the busbar housing 105, the two partial
sheaths 105a and 105b are each provided with two handles 155.
