Electrical connectors – Uninterrupted support rail or uninterrupted contact
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-02
2001-01-23
Patel, T. C. (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Uninterrupted support rail or uninterrupted contact
C439S210000, C174S098000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06176711
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the priority of German Patent Application, Serial No. DE 198 07 792, filed Feb. 19, 1998, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a connector for coupling two contact line segments placed in end-to-end flush disposition and made of elongate profiles of plastic for accommodating current conductor rails which cooperate with a current collector traveling inside the contact line arrangement.
A publication, issued by the company Akapp and entitled “Multiconductor” discloses a current contact line arrangement which is comprised of separate contact line segments of pre-assembled lengths that are joined together by coupling sleeves. The contact line segments are made of elongate profiles of plastic to form a casing for receiving the current conductor rails. The placement of the contact line segments inside the coupling sleeves is realized in such a manner that the end faces of the confronting elongate plastic profiles and the end faces of confronting conductor rails abut one another in end-to-end disposition. The difference of the thermal expansion coefficients between conductor rail and plastic casing is compensated by expansion joints which are spaced apart at certain distances. The expansion joints are so configured that the elongate plastic profiles are in alignment at a distance from one another within each expansion joint. The differences in expansion encountered between the elongate plastic profiles during temperature fluctuations and added up along several contact line segments is thus compensated by the expansion gap formed by the expansion joints.
A drawback of this contact line arrangement is the need for separate expansion joints and the requirement to particularly design current collectors for traveling over the expansion gap, i.e. the current collectors must be designed of greater length and/or include an additional pair of wheels. Moreover, additional mountings and guides for the elongate plastic profiles become necessary.
Brochures published in 1997 and in 1996 by the company Paul Vahle GmbH & Co. KG and entitled “Sicherheits-Schleifleitungen” and “Sicherheits-Schlelfleitungen—MKL”, respectively, describe the use of expansion pieces for compensating varying length expansions. These expansion joints are utilized in addition to coupling sleeves which join together the pre-assembled contact line segments. Also disadvantageous in these configurations is the need for the use of expansion pieces spaced from one another at defined distances.
From a brochure published in 1993 by Mannesmann Demag Fordertechnik AG and entitled “Kompakt-Kleinschleifleitung DKK”, it is also known to use an expansion joint for contact line segments which are made of elongate plastic profiles and accommodate the current conductor rails and the current collectors of vehicles traveling in the plastic profiles. Confronting ends of the contact line segments are rectilinear in the transition zone and arranged in spaced-apart flush disposition. Moreover, the confronting ends of the contact line segments are provided with a funnel-shaped attachment to ensure a passage of the collector vehicle from one contact line segment to the succeeding contact line segment. The funnels of confronting ends of contact line segments are mirror images of one another and are spaced at a distance of few centimeters to compensate temperature-based length changes of the elongate plastic profiles. The distance between the funnels is so selected as to ensure a passage of two linked collector vehicles, with the funnels serving as guide for the linked collector vehicles on the inlet end. A drawback of this type of connector is the need for interrupting the conductor rails for safety reasons and the fact that only linked collector vehicles are able to pass the expansion gap.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide an improved connector for coupling two contact line segments placed in end-to-end disposition, obviating the afore-stated drawbacks.
In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved connector for coupling two contact line segments placed in end-to-end disposition, which is free from any distortions and deformations despite varying thermal expansion coefficients between metal and plastic, in particular PVC.
These objects, and others which will become apparent hereinafter, are attained in accordance with the present invention by providing a coupling sleeve of plastic material for positively enveloping the contact line segments in an area of their confronting ends, with the ends of the contact line segments being freely shiftable in a longitudinal direction within a predetermined range, wherein the coupling sleeve is split in a direction transversely to the longitudinal direction so as to define two sleeve members which are detachably connected to one another, whereby one sleeve member can be placed on one of the confronting ends of the contact line segments and the other sleeve member can be placed on the other one of the confronting ends of the contact line segments, before the contact line segments are joined.
A connector in the form of a coupling sleeve in accordance with the present invention meets all safety aspects as the conductor rails extending through the contact line arrangement are covered by the coupling sleeve and thus made inaccessible from outside in the transition zone between the contact line segments. The ability of the elongate plastic profiles inside the coupling sleeve and/or of the coupling sleeve to freely move in longitudinal direction ensures that no mechanical warping or deformation occurs even when the thermal expansion coefficients between the metallic conductor rails and the elongate plastic profiles vary significantly.
The present invention is thus based on the teaching to provide a connector which not only reliably couples the current contact line segments but also compensates for expansions so that the need for separate expansion pieces or expansion joints, as typically incorporated conventionally and arranged in spaced-apart relationships inside the contact line segments, is eliminated. As a consequence of a detachable connection between the sleeve members of the coupling sleeve, the sleeve members can be placed over the confronting ends of the respective contact line segments before the contact line segments are joined together so that the contact line arrangement can be pre-assembled with the sleeve members. Thus, the sleeve members with attached contact lines can easily be joined to one another on site, e.g. by simply pushing the sleeve members together.
According to another feature of the present invention, the sleeve members of the coupling sleeve are so configured that their confronting end faces at the longitudinal edges of the sleeve members abut one another, thereby ensuring a complete protection from touching the required electrical contacts as the conductor rails are completely screened to the outside.
Suitably, in particular for reasons of stability, the longitudinal edges of one of the sleeve members extend tangentially relative to the longitudinal edges of the other one of the sleeve members.
According to another feature of the present invention, the two sleeve members are provided with complementary locking elements which so interact with one another as to realize the detachable connection between the sleeve members.
According to still another feature of the present invention, the sleeve members of the coupling sleeve have outwardly directed cambers in the coupling zone between successive sleeve members, with cambers of the sleeve members accommodating connecting assemblies for the conductor rails to thereby ensure a proper connection of the conductor rails.
Suitably, each of the elongate plastic profiles is formed with an oblong hole of predetermined length at its ends, with the coupling sleeve being formed with an inwardly directed protrusion for engagem
Kohlenberg Thomas
Oemus Klaus-Dieter
Röhr Michael
Schulte Uwe
Feiereisen Henry M.
Mannesmann AG
Patel T. C.
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