Electrical connectors – Bus duct
Patent
1997-09-26
1999-08-17
Paumen, Gary
Electrical connectors
Bus duct
H01R 460
Patent
active
059384611
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device adapter for busbars of a busbar system. The busbars are arranged in a trough-like lower securing element extending over their length and have a clamping leg oriented perpendicularly with respect to the securing surface of the lower securing element on which terminal connectors of the device adapter can be pushed. The terminal connectors are placed into a housing, which can be mechanically connected to the lower securing element by catches and which supports a section of a top hat rail for placing a device with a top hat fitting on it.
2. Description of Prior Art
A busbar system of this type is taught by German patent Publication DE 38 11 456 C2 in which the devices provided with terminal connectors can be pushed on the clamping legs of the busbars. The devices are mechanically locked to the lower securing element, so that the electrical connections between the devices and the busbars are also maintained. The disadvantage of this connecting technique is the complicated structure of the device adapter on which devices can be placed and connected.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to provide a device adapter of the type described above, which can be rapidly assembled from simple elements, which can be securely connected to the known busbar system, and which facilitates the assembly and connection of devices to be placed on it.
This and other objects are attained by a device adapter in accordance with one embodiment of this invention comprising an adapter housing divided into two housing halves in the longitudinal direction of the busbars and perpendicular with respect to the securing surface of the lower securing element. On the sides where they face each other, the housing halves support securing elements distributed in the longitudinal direction over the separating plane, but offset in a step-like manner transversely to the arrangement of the busbars for the securing, fixed against relative rotation, of U-shaped flat plug connectors, which can be pushed on the clamping legs of the busbars. The housing halves are connected to each other, and the flat plug connectors are connected through conductors to terminal connectors housed in a contact block or directly to the device placed on the bus bars.
The flat plug connectors are fixed in the correct association with the busbars by the division of the adapter housing into two housing halves, and they can be easily inserted prior to connecting the housing halves and are maintained, fixed against relative rotation, in the area of the separation plane offset in a step-like manner.
The housing halves are preferably arranged in such a way that the housing halves essentially constitute the lateral walls of the adapter housing located transversely with respect to the busbars and are provided with horizontal separating walls complementing each other, which are offset in a step-like manner in the longitudinal direction of the busbars. The holding elements for the reception, fixed against relative rotation, of the flat plug connectors are arranged in the area of contact between the separating walls.
In accordance with a particularly preferred embodiment, the flat plug connectors are divided by a slit into two contact legs, whose distance is slightly less than the thickness of the clamping leg of the busbars. The slits of the flat plug connectors terminate in a round end section, through which holding elements embodied as screw receivers are conducted. The two housing halves are connected to each other through these screw receivers. As a result, the holding elements are simultaneously employed for connecting the two housing halves. Portions of the housing halves can also partially enclose the flat plug connectors outside the contact legs and in this way contribute to their fixing in place, secure against relative rotation.
In accordance with one embodiment of this invention, the conductors are riveted or welded on.
In accordance with another embodiment, the m
REFERENCES:
patent: 2124269 (1938-07-01), Anderson et al.
patent: 3009011 (1961-11-01), Fisher
patent: 3732523 (1973-05-01), Fouse et al.
patent: 4758172 (1988-07-01), Richards et al.
Biermeier Eberhard
Ousmane Mouhamadou
Wagener Hans
Paumen Gary
Rittal--Werk Rudolf Loh GmbH & Co. KG
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