Utility metering transocket

Details Utility metering transocket Utility metering transocket

1999-02-02

2001-07-03

Donovan, Lincoln (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

With insulation other than conductor sheath

Insulating body having plural mutually insulated terminals...

C439S719000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06254437

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
In general, the present invention relates to electrical junction boxes and, in particular, the present invention relates to an improved utility metering transocket.
BACKGROUND
Present transockets have bus bars of equal length that are mounted therein and are spaced at equal distances. On one end of the bus bars is a line connector and the other end a load connector. Great routing difficulty is encountered if a line wire is introduced into the transocket from below, such as from a ground feed, and must be run to the top of the bus bars for connection to one of the line connectors. This results in multiple bends of the line wire, which could break the insulation or result in a faulty connection. This is especially true because the line and load connectors are also fixed to the bus bars and are therefore not rotatable to accommodate the wires.
Another shortcoming with present transockets is that they are difficult to service because wires coupled to the meter socket must be disconnected in order to reach the bus bars. What's more, even when the wires are disconnected from the meter socket, the door on which the socket is mounted is typically hinged and thus can still prevent full access to the bus bars.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention eliminates the above difficulties and disadvantages by providing a utility metering transocket for mounting to a wall and for receiving a line wire and a load wire therein. The transocket has a bottom side, a back side, a top side, a top cover at least partially covering the back side, and opposing sides coupled to the bottom, back, and top sides. A plurality of bus bars of differing length are mounted to the back side, each bus bar having a load connector and a spaced apart line connector secured thereon.
The plurality of bus bars are further arranged toward one of the opposing sides of the transocket thereby providing increased space within the transocket for routing the line wire and the load wire within the transocket such that the line wire and the load wire can be gradually bent for coupling to the line connector and the load connector, respectively, of at least one of the plurality of bus bars. Rotating line and load connectors are disposed on the bus bars to further aid in routing. Two spaced apart pan supports are mounted on the opposing sides of the transocket, the two pan supports have at least one raised screw mounted thereon. A pan is also provided that has a meter socket disposed thereon and a plurality of key apertures for receiving the at least one raised screw therein for releasably mounting the pan on the pan supports.
A connector aperture is disposed in one of the opposing sides and a wire cutout is adjacent thereto and partially covered by the top cover. A transformer connector is secured in the connector aperture and has a plurality of bus bar wires electrically and mechanically coupled thereto. A meter connector is releasably secured in the connector aperture and to the transformer connector. The meter connector has a plurality of meter socket wires electrically and mechanically coupled thereto. The meter socket wires extend from the meter connector through the wire cutout. When the top cover is removed from the transocket, the meter connector can be released from the transformer connector such that easy access is obtained to the bus bars of the transocket when the pan is removed from the pan supports.


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