WO1997030492A1

WO1997030492A1 - Busbar system

Info

Publication number: WO1997030492A1
Application number: PCT/EP1997/000750
Authority: WO
Inventors: Eckhard Halemeier
Original assignee: Bruck Gmbh & Co. Kg
Priority date: 1996-02-17
Filing date: 1997-02-17
Publication date: 1997-08-21
Also published as: DE19605982C1

Abstract

The invention concerns a busbar system comprising a busbar (11) in the form of a profiled member which forms at least two engagement grooves which open towards opposite sides of the busbar. The system further comprises at least one adapter (44) which is used to connect a consumer electrically to the busbar and can be securely clamped on the busbar in a locking position in which it engages over the busbar and engages with engagement parts (48) in the engagement grooves on the opposite sides of the busbar. The busbar system is characterized in that, in positions which are mutually offset in the longitudinal direction of the busbar, the engagement parts (48) engage on the busbar and can be released from their engagement therewith by rotating the adapter about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the busbar.

Description

BUS-BAR SYSTEM

The invention relates to a busbar system with a busbar in the form of a profile body which forms at least two engaging grooves which open on opposite sides of the busbar, and with at least one adapter which serves to electrically connect a consumer to the busbar and which in a locking position in which it engages over the busbar and engages with engagement parts in the engaging grooves (14) on the opposite sides of the busbar, can be clamped to the busbar.

Such busbar systems serve to supply electricity to lights or other electrical consumers. The busbar is to be fastened to a wall or ceiling with suitable holders and has at least two electrical conductors which are insulated from one another, and the adapters are to be mechanically locked in different longitudinal positions on the busbar and allow the electrical voltage from tap the conductors of the busbar and feed them to the respective consumer.

From DE-C-38 17 133 a busbar system of the type mentioned above is known, in which the adapter engages around the busbar in the form of pliers and is mechanically held on the busbar by engagement in the two engagement grooves. Although this design enables a narrow, delicate conductor rail profile, a relatively complex spreading mechanism is required for the clamp arms of the adapter.

EP-A-0 666 621 describes a busbar system in which a holder is provided for fastening the busbar to a mounting surface, said holder engaging over the busbar and can be brought into engagement with the engagement grooves by rotating about an axis perpendicular to the busbar . A loosening of the gripping is prevented here by the holder being fixed in a rotationally fixed manner to the mounting surface with a screw.

The object of the invention is to provide a busbar system of the type mentioned at the outset, which allows simple and secure releasable attachment of the adapter to the busbar. This object is achieved with the features specified in claim 1.

According to the invention, the adapter is designed in such a way that the engaging parts act on the busbar in positions offset from one another in the longitudinal direction of the busbar and can be disengaged from the busbar by rotating the adapter about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the busbar. In the locking position, the adapter can be clamped onto the busbar. The mechanical locking of the adapter on the busbar and the detachment of the adapter from the busbar can thus be achieved by simply rotating the adapter or the part of the busbar that crosses the busbar. If the engaging parts also form electrical contacts, the production or removal of the electrical contact can be effected in one go with the production and removal of the mechanical interlock.

Advantageous further developments and refinements of the invention result from the subclaims.

Preferred exemplary embodiments are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing.

Show it:

1 shows the profile of a busbar of a busbar system according to an embodiment of the invention;

2 shows a side view of the busbar from FIG. 1 and an associated holder;

3 shows a reduced section through the busbar and engagement parts of the holder according to FIG. 2;

Figure 4 is a side view of the holder together with a section through a mounting base for the holder.

Fig. 5 shows a section through the busbar according to Figure 1 and one associated adapter;

6 is a side view of the adapter;

Figure 7 shows the adapter in plan view.

8 shows a plan view of the adapter and a partial section through one of the engagement parts;

9 is a partially cutaway front view of the adapter;

10 is a partially cutaway side view of the adapter;

11 shows a plan view of the adapter in an unlocked position with respect to the schematically illustrated busbar;

12 shows a plan view of the adapter in a pre-locking position with respect to the busbar;

13 shows a cross section through the busbar and the adapter in the pre-locking position;

14 shows a plan view of the adapter in the final locking position;

15 is a side view of a connector for two bus bars; and

FIG. 16 shows the connector from FIG. 15 in a top view.

The busbar 11 shown in cross section in FIG. 1 is formed by an extruded plastic profile in the form of a double-walled channel which is open at the bottom in the drawing. The groove delimited by an inner wall of the profile forms an engagement space 13 which serves to receive adapters or parts of adapters which are fastened to lamp holders or the like. The walls of the engaging space 13 are provided with undercuts in which locking elements of the adapters are can be taken.

A lateral engagement groove 14 is provided on each of the two outer walls of the busbar 11.

In the inner end regions of these engagement grooves 14, one conductor 15 (metal wire) serving for the power line is embedded in the profile wall, leaving free contact surfaces over the entire profile length. The engaging grooves are so deep that the conductors 15 arranged therein cannot be touched with the fingers or with the tools customary in normal use. In the depth of the engaging space 13, a further conductor 16 (metal wire) is embedded in the inner wall, which forms a ground line or a protective conductor.

Channel-like cavities in the busbar can be used to hold separate cables such as antenna cables, telephone lines, power lines with a different voltage and the like.

The profile of the conductor rail forms two locking ribs 20 and an undercut groove 22 on the side (top side) opposite the engagement space 13, into which a holding profile for fastening the conductor rail to a mounting surface can be inserted.

The engagement space 13 has an asymmetrical cross section, so that an unmistakable device is formed for an appropriately designed adapter. The lateral engagement grooves 14 are designed as undercut grooves and have openings with a relatively large clear width, so that the associated current contacts of the adapters can be excluded with vertical play.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a holder 24 which can be used as an alternative to the holding profile mentioned above for attaching the busbar 11 to a mounting surface 26. This holder 24 has a mounting base 28 to be attached to the mounting surface 26, on which an approximately circular bracket 30 is held so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis running perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the busbar 11. At the free ends of the bracket 30 engaging parts 32 are formed are axially symmetrical with respect to the aforementioned vertical axis of rotation. In the fastening position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the engagement parts 32 engage with the lateral engagement grooves 14 of the busbar 11. As can be seen specifically in FIG. 3, each engagement part 32 has a locking lug 34 projecting into the engagement groove 14 and a resilient latching tongue 36 which snaps into place on one of the latching ribs 20 of the busbar. In this position, the bracket 30 forms an angle of approximately 45 ° with the longitudinal direction of the current rail 11.

According to FIG. 4, the fastening base 28 is fastened to the mounting surface 26 with a screw 38. The bracket 30 is anchored with anchoring parts 40 in a bayonet-like manner in an opening 42 in the fastening base. When the busbar 11 runs between the engaging parts 32 of the holder, the pivoting range of the bracket 30 is limited by the busbar to an angular range of approximately 45 °. The fastening base 28 is preferably oriented such that the anchoring between the anchoring parts 40 and the opening 42 cannot be removed if the bracket 30 is pivoted within this angular range.

If the bracket 30 is oriented approximately perpendicular to the busbar 11, the busbar can be freely inserted into the space between the engagement parts 32. Then the bracket is rotated into the 45 ° position according to FIG. 2, so that the engaging parts 32 engage on the busbar 11. The two engagement parts 32 are then offset from one another in the longitudinal direction of the busbar 11, as can be seen in FIG. When the bracket 30 is rotated back into the position perpendicular to the busbar after overcoming the latching resistance of the latching claws 36, the locking lugs 34 emerge from the engagement grooves 14 of the busbar, so that the latter is released again.

The approximately semicircular arms of the bracket 30 have an approximately triangular cross section according to FIGS. 2 and 4, which gives the bracket a high torsional rigidity.

The structure of an adapter 44 is to be explained below with reference to FIGS. 5 to 14, which is to be fastened to the busbar in a manner similar to the holder 34 described above. The adapter 44 has an approximately circular bracket 46, the shape of which corresponds to the bracket 30 of the holder 24. However, while the bracket 30 of the holder overlaps the conductor rail from above in the usual ceiling mounting, the bracket 46 of the adapter 44 is designed such that it engages around the conductor rail from below. At the free ends of the bracket 46 engaging parts 48 are formed which engage with the engaging grooves 14 and the locking ribs 20 of the busbar. In each of these engagement parts 48 a contact blade 50 is mounted, which makes the electrical contact with the relevant conductor 15 of the busbar and is electrically connected to a connecting cable 52 running through the hollow interior of the bracket 46.

The bracket 46, including the engaging parts 48, is axially symmetrical with respect to an axis A running perpendicular to the busbar 11 (FIGS. 5 and 6). It is preferably composed of two identical half-shells, the division plane of which extends in the middle in the longitudinal direction of the bracket arms. As can be seen from FIGS. 5 to 7, each engagement part 48 has three walls 52, 54, 56 which are arranged at an angle to one another and, in the engagement position, run parallel to the busbar and which have a triangular cross-section which transitions into the hollow interior of the relevant arm Form cavity. The walls 52 and and 54 are formed in one piece with one of the half shells, while the third wall 56 belongs to the other half shell. In order to hold the half-shells together at the free end of the bracket, the walls 52 and 56 are locked together. In addition, these walls form a locking claw 58, which engages on the locking rib 20 of the busbar.

As can be seen most clearly from FIG. 8, the contact blade 50 is held in a pocket 60, which in turn is pivotally mounted in the interior of the engagement part 48 and protrudes through the wall 56 to the outside. A spring 62 arranged between the contact blade 50 and the rear wall of the pocket 60 elastically pretensions the contact blade 50 in the direction of the conductor of the busbar.

In addition to the bracket 46, the adapter 44 also has a central finger 64 which projects along the axis of symmetry A from the base region of the bracket 46. An engagement part 66 is provided at the free end of the central finger 64. hen, the tip engages with a precise fit in the engaging space 13 of the busbar. As can be seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, the engagement part 66 forms two wings 68 which, in the engagement position, are oriented parallel to the longitudinal direction of the busbar. A contact blade 70 oriented parallel to the wings 68 is held axially displaceably in the engagement part 66 and is biased by a spring 72 in the direction of the earth conductor 16 of the busbar. As can be seen most clearly in FIG. 10, the spring 72 lies in an opening of the contact blade 70. The contact blade 70 is connected to the ground connection of the consumer belonging to the adapter via a connection cable (not shown).

The engagement part 66 is composed of two complementary half shells. The division plane between these half-shells can be seen in FIGS. 7 and 8 as a line running centrally through the wings 68. In Figure 10 one looks at one of these half shells. In the area of the wings 68, the half-shells are provided with mutually complementary engaging members (pins and holes) 74, 76 with which the half-shells are held together in the area of the free end of the engaging part 66. At the opposite end, the engagement part 66 forms a shaft which is axially displaceable and rotatable within a limited area in a base 78 which is formed in one piece with the bracket 46.

In the central area, the engagement part 66 is surrounded by an adjusting ring 80 which has two wings 82 serving as a handle. The adjusting ring 80 is rotatably supported on the base 78 and engages over an end section of this base, so that it holds the two half-shells of the bracket 46 together. The engagement part 66 is supported on a corresponding counter surface of the adjusting ring 80 via a helical ramp surface of a shoulder 84 (FIGS. 5 and 10). By rotating the adjusting ring 80, the engaging part 66 can thus be axially clamped against the busbar 11. The axial adjustment range of the engaging part 66 is limited by ribs 86 formed in the base 78, which engage in corresponding grooves (without reference numerals) of the engaging part.

6 and 10 that the adjusting ring 80 has a thickening 88 on its circumference which receives a grub screw 90. The set ring can be fixed to the base 78 with this grub screw. In the base region of the bracket 46, a hollow cylindrical connecting piece 92 is formed coaxially to the base 78 and opposite thereto, through which the connecting cables 52 are guided and which is surrounded by a sleeve 94. In the example shown, a pendulum 96 of a lamp (not shown) is held in the sleeve 94.

Figure 1 1 shows the adapter in the position immediately before attachment to the busbar 1 1, the floor plan is shown there in dashed lines. The bracket 46 is oriented at right angles to the busbar, while the engaging parts 48 form an angle of approximately 45 ° with the longitudinal direction of the busbar and are spaced so far apart that they can receive the busbar freely between them. The wings 68 of the central fin 64 are oriented parallel to the busbar, and the tip of the engaging part 66 engages in the engaging space 13 of the busbar from below, so that the adapter is centered on the busbar.

While the engaging part 66 is held in the engaging space 13 in a rotationally fixed manner, the bracket 46 is rotated about 45 ° about the axis A, so that the engaging parts 48 rest against the busbar 11 from both sides, as shown in FIG . Since the contact blade 70 of the engaging part 66 is already in contact with the earth conductor 16 of the busbar in the state shown in FIG. 11, it is ensured that the earth contact is made before the two contact blades 50 with the current-carrying conductors 15 Contact the busbar.

At the latest when the bracket 46 is rotated, the adjusting ring 80 is brought into a position relative to the engaging part 66, in which the helical ramp surface on the shoulder 84 is released, so that the engaging part 66 presses back towards the base 78 leaves. This can be seen in FIG. 12 by the fact that the wings 82 of the adjusting ring form an angle of 45 ° with the wings 68 of the engagement part.

While the engaging part 66 is supported on the busbar, the remaining parts of the adapter 44 can be pushed upwards so that the latching claws 58 can slide over the latching ribs 20 of the busbar with little latching resistance, as shown in FIG . The contact blades 50 are guided through the inner walls of the engagement grooves 14 and come into contact with the conductors 15 of the busbar. Due to the pivotable mounting of the pockets 60, they can tilt slightly downward, as can also be seen in FIG. 13. In this state, the adapter 44 is provisionally locked on the busbar 11.

In order to complete the locking, the adjusting ring 80 is now gripped on the wings 82 and rotated through 45 ° into the position shown in FIG. 14, in which the wings 82 are again perpendicular to the conductor rail. The engaging part 66 is tensioned upward so that the bracket 46 of the adapter is pulled down with respect to the busbar 11 and the locking claws 58 are placed behind the locking ribs 20 in a locking manner. The contact blades 50 are pivoted back into the horizontal position (FIG. 5). In this state, the shoulder 84 of the locking part 66 lies with a horizontal surface against a corresponding horizontal counter surface of the adjusting ring 80, so that no torque acting in the sense of unlocking is exerted on the adjusting ring 80. By tightening the grub screw 90 with the aid of a screwdriver, the adjusting ring can then be finally fixed in the position reached, thus completing the assembly process.

When the adapter is detached from the busbar, the steps described above are carried out in the reverse order. The contact blade 70 remains in contact with the grounding conductor 16 of the busbar until the latching claws 58 have slid again over the latching ribs 20 and accordingly the contact blades 50 have moved away from the current-carrying conductors 15 again.

The socket 92 is preferably rotatably received in the sleeve 94, so that the sleeve and the lamp pendulum 96 do not rotate when the bracket 46 is pivoted between the release position according to FIG. 11 and the locking position according to FIGS. 12 and 14.

FIGS. 15 and 16 show a connector 98 which allows two busbars 11 to be mechanically and electrically connected to one another axially or in any relative orientation. This connector 98 is formed by two adapters 44 of the construction described above, the sleeves 94 of which are connected to one another by a hollow rod 100. Who are mutually speaking contact blades 50, 70 of the two adapters are electrically connected to one another via connecting cables running through the rod 100.

The above-described exemplary embodiments of the busbar system according to the invention can be varied in many ways. For example, it is possible to implement a multi-phase busbar which has a plurality of phase conductors accessible via engagement grooves 14 on each side.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. busbar system with a busbar (1 1) in the form of a profile body, which forms at least two engaging grooves (14) opening on opposite sides of the busbar, and with at least one adapter (44 used for the electrical connection of a consumer to the busbar ) which, in a locking position in which it engages over the busbar (11) and engages with engagement parts (48) in the engaging grooves (14) on the opposite sides of the busbar, can be clamped to the busbar, characterized in that the engagement parts (48) engage in positions offset against one another in the longitudinal direction of the busbar and can be brought out of engagement with the busbar by rotating the adapter about an axis (A) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the busbar.

2. Busbar system according to claim 1, characterized in that the adapter (44) has a coaxially to its axis of rotation (A) protruding Zen¬ tralfinger (64) which is supported with its free end on the busbar ne.

3. Busbar according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the profile of the busbar (1 1) on the two sides to which the engaging grooves (14) open, each form a locking rib (20) and that the adapter ( 44) has two locking claws (58) which engage on the locking ribs (20).

4. busbar system according to claims 2 and 3, characterized gekenn¬ characterized in that the locking ribs (20) with respect to a through the opposite engaging grooves (14) extending level project to the same side of the busbar and that the central finger (64 ) is supported with its free end on the side of the busbar opposite the locking ribs (20).

5. Busbar system according to claim 2 or 4, characterized in that the central finger (64) engages with its free end in a centrally in the relevant side of the busbar (11) extending engaging space (13).

6. Busbar system according to claim 5, characterized in that the central finger (64) at the free end has a rotatable relative to the adapter (44) engaging part (66) which is held relative to the busbar rotatably in the engaging space (13).

7. Busbar system according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized ge _¬ indicates that at the bottom of the engaging groove (14) each has an electrical conductor (15) in the electrically insulating profile body of the busbar (1 1) and that the engaging parts (48 ) of the adapter each have a contact blade (50) which engages in the engagement groove (14) and comes into contact with the conductor (15) there.

8. conductor rail system according to claims 6 and 7, characterized gekenn¬ characterized in that another electrical conductor (16), preferably an earth conductor, is embedded at the bottom of the engaging space (13) in the conductor rail and that the engaging part (66) of Central finger (64) has a contact blade (70) for contacting this conductor (16).

9. Busbar system according to one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the engagement part (66) of the central finger (64) is axially adjustable between a pre-locking position (FIG. 15) in which the locking connection between the locking claws ( 58) and the locking ribs (80) can be produced and released, and a locking position (FIG. 7) in which the locking claws (58) are held firmly in engagement with the locking ribs (20).

10. Busbar system according to claim 9, characterized in that the contact blades (50) engaging in the lateral engagement grooves (14) of the busbar in the associated engagement parts (48) are each pivotable within a limited range about an axis parallel to the longitudinal direction of the busbar .

11. Busbar system according to claim 9 or 10, characterized gekennzeich¬ net that the engaging part (66) of the central finger (64) can be locked in the locking position.

12. Busbar system according to one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the central finger (64) has an adjusting ring (80) for the axial Has adjustment of the engagement part (66).

13. Busbar system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the adapter (44) has the shape of an approximately annular bracket (46) with a preferably triangular cross section, at its free ends the engagement parts (48) are arranged so that their surfaces coming into contact with the sides of the busbar (1 1) form an angle of approximately 45 ° with the plane of the bracket.

14. Busbar system according to one of claims 2 to 13, gekennzeich¬ net by a connector (98) for connecting two busbars (11), which is formed by two of the adapter (44), the bracket (46) encompassing the busbars are held on a common component (100, 94) so as to be rotatable about parallel axes.

15. Busbar system according to claim 13, characterized by a on a mounting surface (26) to be fastened holder (24) for the Stromschie¬ ne, which also has the shape of an approximately circular bracket (30) with a preferably triangular cross section and with its free ends - The seated engaging parts (32) engages in the engaging grooves (14) of the busbar and, if necessary, can be locked on the locking ribs (20).