CN209804914U - Connector for switch cabinet and switch cabinet - Google Patents

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a connector (100) and a switchgear. The connector (100) includes: a first housing (110) including a first flange (111) and a first protrusion (112) surrounded by the first flange (111), the first protrusion (112) having a first slot (114) disposed therein adapted to insert a first conductor; a second housing (120) comprising a second flange (121) adapted to interface with the first flange (111) and a second protrusion (122) surrounded by the second flange (121), the second protrusion (122) having a second slot (124) disposed therein adapted to receive a second conductor (140); and a conductor clamping member (130) which is arranged in a cavity (160) enclosed by the first protrusion (112) and the second protrusion (122) and comprises a first clamping part (131) and a second clamping part (132) which are opposite to each other. According to the embodiment of the disclosure, the connector which is safely and firmly connected in the switch cabinet, compact in structure and small in number of parts is realized.

Description

Connector for switch cabinet and switch cabinet

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a connector for use in a switchgear and to a switchgear, and more particularly, to a connector for connecting conductors in a switchgear.

Background

Switch cabinets have been widely used in applications such as power generation, power distribution, and electrical energy measurement. In a switchgear cabinet, a drawer for placing on/off elements such as a circuit breaker and a bus bar compartment for placing in/out bus bars are generally provided. In conventional implementations, the conductors leading from the drawer are electrically connected with the conductors of the bus bar compartment via connectors mounted on the mounting plate. When the drawer needs to be pulled out for maintenance or the like, the conductor on the drawer side moves outward to be separated from the connector, thereby disconnecting the electrical connection with the conductor on the bus bar chamber side. In this implementation, since the connector only serves to clamp the conductors on both sides, the conductors on the bus bar compartment side still need additional fixing brackets and additional mounting plates for fixing, which significantly increases the number of parts in the switchgear and occupies a larger volume. In addition, the conventional connector is fixed on the mounting plate only by means of snap connection, and when the drawer is pulled in and pulled out of the switch cabinet, the snap part is often broken.

In this regard, there is a need for a connector that securely fastens the connection in the switchgear, reduces the number of parts, and is compact.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an improved connector and switchgear to solve or at least alleviate the problems present in conventional connectors.

according to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a connector for use in a switchgear, the connector comprising: the first shell comprises a first flange and a first bulge surrounded by the first flange, and a first slot suitable for inserting the first conductor is arranged in the first bulge; a second housing including a second flange adapted to be abutted against the first flange and a second projection surrounded by the second flange, the second projection having a second slot provided therein adapted to insert a second conductor; and a conductor clamping member disposed in a cavity surrounded by the first protrusion and the second protrusion and including a first clamping portion and a second clamping portion opposite to each other, the first clamping portion being disposed adjacent to the first slot and adapted to clamp and electrically connect a first conductor inserted through the first slot, the second clamping portion being disposed adjacent to the second slot and adapted to clamp and electrically connect a second conductor inserted through the second slot.

In the embodiment according to the present disclosure, by disposing the first socket and the second socket in the first projection and the second projection, respectively, and disposing the conductor holder in the cavity, a connector having a reduced number of parts and a compact structure is realized.

In some embodiments, the first flange and the second flange are correspondingly provided with first through holes suitable for the fasteners to pass through. In such an embodiment, the connector may be fastened to the mounting plate via a fastener, thereby achieving a secure fastening connection of the connector.

In some embodiments, the second projection includes a securing portion disposed about the second slot, the securing portion adapted to secure the second conductor with the second conductor inserted into the cavity. In such an embodiment, the connector further performs the function of securing the second conductor.

In some embodiments, the fixing portion is provided with a second through hole adapted to pass therethrough a fastener for fixing the second conductor. In such an embodiment, the second conductor may be secured by passing a fastener through the second through hole in the securing portion.

in some embodiments, a snap hole is provided on one of the first and second flanges, and a snap portion adapted to snap connect with the snap hole is provided on the other of the first and second flanges. In such an embodiment, it is possible to achieve pre-connection of the first housing and the second housing at the time of factory assembly without the need for an installation tool.

In some embodiments, the clamping side of the first clamping portion and the clamping side of the second clamping portion comprise a first electrical contact and a second electrical contact, respectively, and the first electrical contact is electrically connected with the second electrical contact. In such embodiments, the first conductor and the second conductor may be electrically connected by the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact.

According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a switchgear comprising a connector according to the first aspect of the present disclosure.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, by providing the connector according to the first aspect of the present disclosure in the switchgear, a reduction in the number of parts of the switchgear is made possible, which contributes to further optimizing the spatial arrangement of the switchgear.

The summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. The summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.

Drawings

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent from the following more particular descriptions of exemplary embodiments of the disclosure as illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numbers generally represent like parts throughout the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure.

Fig. 1 illustrates a perspective schematic view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Fig. 2 illustrates a side cross-sectional view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Fig. 3 illustrates a front view of a first housing of a connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Fig. 4 illustrates a rear view of a first housing of a connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Fig. 5 illustrates a perspective schematic view of a second housing of a connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 6 illustrates a front view of a second housing of a connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

Fig. 7 illustrates a perspective view of a conductor clamp of a connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. While the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure may be embodied in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.

The term "include" and variations thereof as used herein is meant to be inclusive in an open-ended manner, i.e., "including but not limited to". Unless specifically stated otherwise, the term "or" means "and/or". The term "based on" means "based at least in part on". The terms "one example embodiment" and "one embodiment" mean "at least one example embodiment". The term "another embodiment" means "at least one additional embodiment". The terms "first," "second," and the like may refer to different or the same object. Other explicit and implicit definitions are also possible below.

As described above, in the conventional connector, the conductor on the bus bar chamber side requires an additional fixing bracket for fixing, which significantly increases the number of parts in the switchgear and occupies a larger volume. In addition, the conventional connector is fixed on the mounting plate only by means of snap connection, and when the drawer is pulled in and pulled out of the switch cabinet, the snap part is often broken.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide various embodiments to solve the above-described problems. The principles of the present disclosure will be described in detail below in connection with exemplary embodiments with reference to fig. 1-7.

an overall structure of a connector 100 for a switchgear according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described first with reference to fig. 1 and 2. Fig. 1 illustrates a perspective schematic view of a connector 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and fig. 2 illustrates a side cross-sectional view of the connector 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 1 and 2, the connector 100 includes a first housing 110, a second housing 120, and a conductor clamp 130.

Fig. 3 and 4 illustrate front and rear views, respectively, of the first housing 110 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 1 to 4, the first housing 110 includes a first flange 111 and a first protrusion 112 surrounded by the first flange 111. The first projection 112 has a first slot 114 therein adapted to receive a first conductor (not shown).

In some embodiments, the first conductor is a movable conductor that is able to enter or exit the connector 100 via the first slot 114 during operation or shutdown of the switchgear. For example, the first conductor may be an outgoing conductor of a drawer of a switchgear cabinet, which is electrically connected to various electrical components arranged within the drawer, such as a circuit breaker, a contactor, a frequency converter or a capacitor. In such an embodiment, when the drawer is pulled horizontally outward a distance, the first conductor exits the connector 100 and thus breaks the electrical connection with the connector 100. Further, when the drawer that has been pulled out is pushed horizontally inward by a certain distance, the first conductor enters the connector 100 (specifically, the first slot 114) and is held and electrically connected by the conductor holder 130 (see fig. 2) inside the connector 100.

In some embodiments, the first conductor is in the form of a copper bar. For example, the first conductor may include bare copper bars, silver-plated copper bars, or copper bars treated by epoxy spraying or the like. In other embodiments, the first conductor may also be in other forms, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

fig. 5 and 6 illustrate a perspective view and a front view, respectively, of the second housing 120 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 1-2 and 5-6 in conjunction, the second housing 120 includes a second flange 121 and a second protrusion 122 surrounded by the second flange 121. The second protrusion 122 has a second slot 124 therein adapted to receive a second conductor 140.

As can be seen from fig. 1 and 2, the second flange 121 is butted against the first flange 111 of the first housing 110 so that the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 can be assembled together. Although the first and second flanges 111, 121 are each shown in fig. 1 and 2 as being generally flat in shape, it should be understood that the first and second flanges 111, 121 may have any shape suitable for mating.

in some embodiments, the second conductor 140 is a stationary conductor that is fixedly connected with the connector 100 via the second slot 124 during operation or shutdown of the switchgear. For example, the second conductor 140 may enter the connector 100 (specifically, the second receptacle 124) and be gripped and electrically connected by the conductor gripper 130 (see fig. 2) within the connector 100.

In some embodiments, the second conductor 140 is an outlet conductor of a bus bar compartment of the switchgear such that electrical energy from the drawer (or other portion of the switchgear) is transferred out of the switchgear via the connector 100 and the second conductor 140. In some embodiments, the second conductor 140 is an incoming conductor of a bus bar compartment of the switchgear, such that electrical energy from outside the switchgear is transferred to the drawer (or other portion of the switchgear) via the second conductor 140 and the connector 100.

In the case where the second conductor 140 is a fixed conductor, when the drawer is pulled out or pushed in the horizontal direction, the second conductor 140 remains stationary due to the fixing action by the connector 100. In other words, the connector 100 always maintains the clamping and electrical connection to the second conductor 140. In the case where the first conductor is electrically disconnected or connected to the connector 100 due to the drawer being pulled out or pushed in, the first conductor is also electrically disconnected or connected to the fixedly provided second conductor 140.

In some embodiments, the second conductor 140 is in the form of a copper bar. For example, the second conductor 140 may include bare copper bars, silver-plated copper bars, or copper bars treated by epoxy spraying or the like. In other embodiments, second conductor 140 may also be in other forms, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 1 and 3-6, the first flange 111 and the second flange 121 are correspondingly provided with first through holes 113, and the first through holes 113 are suitable for fasteners to pass through. As described above, since the first and second flanges 111 and 121 are butted, the fastening member passing through the first through hole 113 is adapted to fasten the connector 100 to the mounting plate, thereby achieving a secure fastening connection of the connector 100. In some embodiments, the fasteners include, but are not limited to, bolts, screws, studs, nuts, rivets, pins, and the like.

By corresponding to the first through holes 113 formed on the first and second flanges 111 and 121, the connector 100 can be fixedly mounted on the mounting board by using the fastening members, thereby improving the connection stability of the connector 100 and the mounting board

In some embodiments, a snap hole 116 is provided on one of the first and second flanges 111, 121, and a snap portion 126 adapted to snap connect with the snap hole 116 is provided on the other of the first and second flanges 111, 121. In fig. 1 and 3-6, the snap-in portion 126 is shown as being provided on the second flange 121 and the snap-in connection is achieved through the snap-in hole 116 provided on the first flange 111. In some embodiments, the snap 126 may be disposed on the first flange 111 and the snap hole 116 may be disposed on the second flange 121, as opposed to the situation shown in fig. 1 and 3-6.

by providing the snap holes 116 and the snap portions 126 on the first flange 111 and the second flange 121, respectively, pre-connection of the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 at the time of factory assembly is achieved without the need for an installation tool, and the connector 100 can be installed to a mounting plate as a whole in the field.

The snap connection of the first flange 111 and the second flange 121 enables a pre-connection before fastening the connector 100 on the mounting plate. Thus, when the connector 100 is assembled in the factory, the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 may be pre-connected by means of a snap connection, so that the connector 100 as a whole may be mounted to a mounting plate. In this way, simple installation of the connector 100 can be achieved. This makes it possible to achieve pre-connection of the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 at the time of factory assembly without an installation tool.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 1, 2 and 5, the second protrusion 122 includes a securing portion 125 disposed around the second slot 124, the securing portion 125 adapted to secure the second conductor 140 with the second conductor 140 inserted into the connector 100. Thus, the connector 100 further fulfills the function of fixing the second conductor 140.

In some embodiments, the fixing portion 125 extends a distance in the length direction 150 of the connector 100, such that the fixing portion 125 can function to reliably support and fix the second conductor 140.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 1 and 2, the fixing portion 125 is provided with a second through hole 128 adapted to pass a fastener for fixing the second conductor 140 therethrough. Accordingly, as shown in fig. 2, the second conductor 140 is also provided with a through hole 141 corresponding to the position of the second through hole 128. When the second conductor 140 is inserted into the connector 100 and clamped and electrically connected by the conductor clamp 130, the second through hole 128 on the fixing portion 125 and the through hole 141 on the second conductor 140 are adapted for a fastener to pass therethrough, thereby further fastening the second conductor 140 to the connector 100. In some embodiments, the fasteners include, but are not limited to, bolts, screws, studs, nuts, rivets, pins, and the like.

As shown in fig. 2, the conductor clamp 130 is disposed within a cavity 160 bounded by the first protrusion 112 and the second protrusion 122. The conductor clamp 130 is adapted to clamp and electrically connect the first and second conductors 140 when the first and second conductors 140 are inserted into the connector 100 as described above.

Fig. 7 illustrates a perspective view of a conductor clamp 130 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 2 and 7, the conductor clamping member 130 includes a first clamping portion 131 and a second clamping portion 132 opposite to each other, wherein the first clamping portion 131 is disposed adjacent to the first slot 114, and the second clamping portion 132 is disposed adjacent to the second slot 124. In some embodiments, first clip portion 131 is disposed proximate to inner surface 115 of first protrusion 112 and second clip portion 132 is disposed proximate to inner surface 127 of second protrusion 122. The first clamping portion 131 is adapted to clamp and electrically connect a first conductor inserted through the first socket 114, and the second clamping portion 132 is adapted to clamp and electrically connect a second conductor 140 inserted through the second socket 124.

In fig. 1 and 2, the case is shown where the second conductor 140 has been inserted into the cavity 160 and is clamped and electrically connected by the second clamping portion 132 of the conductor clamp 130. Similarly, the first conductor may also be inserted into the cavity 160 via the first socket 114 and clamped and electrically connected by the first clamping portion 131 of the conductor clamp 130. By disposing the first and second sockets 114, 124 in the first and second projections 112, 122, respectively, and disposing the conductor clamp 130 within the cavity 160, a compact connector 100 having a reduced number of parts is achieved.

In some embodiments, the first clamping portion 131 is electrically connected with the second clamping portion 132, such that when the first clamping portion 131 and the second clamping portion 132 clamp the first conductor and the second conductor 140, respectively, the first conductor and the second conductor 140 are electrically connected by means of the conductor clamp 130.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 7, the clamping side of the first clamping portion 131 and the clamping side of the second clamping portion 132 include a first electrical contact 133 and a second electrical contact 134, respectively. The first electrical contact 133 is electrically connected to the second electrical contact 134 such that the first conductor is electrically connected to the second conductor 140 with the first and second clamping portions 131 and 132 clamping the first and second conductors 140, respectively.

Turning now to fig. 2, fig. 2 also illustrates details of the first slot 114, the second slot 124, and the retainer 125 relative to fig. 1. In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 2, the width of the first slot 114 is larger and the inside of the first slot 114 is designed with a rounded outer surface to facilitate the entry and exit of the first conductor into the cavity 160. The width of the second slot 124 is designed to accommodate the size of the second conductor 140 to facilitate securing the second conductor 140 when the second conductor 140 is inserted into the connector 100. The retainer portion 125 of the second protrusion 122 is elongated and extends a distance in a length direction 150 of the connector 100. As discussed above, this arrangement allows the fixing portion 125 to function to support and fix the second conductor 140.

In some embodiments, the clamping opening of the first clamping portion 131 corresponds to the position of the first socket 114, and the clamping opening of the second clamping portion 132 corresponds to the position of the second socket 124.

In some embodiments, a positioning member (not shown) for positioning the conductor clamp 130 is also disposed within the cavity 160.

In some embodiments, the conductor clamp 130 further comprises a resilient element (not shown) adapted to apply a force to the first and second clamp portions 131, 132 such that the first and second clamp portions 131, 132 return to their initial positions without clamping any conductor.

In some embodiments, the conductor clamp 130 further includes a locating hole (not shown) for connecting with a locating member disposed inside the cavity 160 to properly mount the conductor clamp 130 inside the cavity 160.

So far, a connector 100 for a switchgear according to an embodiment of the present disclosure has been described.

The connector 100 of the present disclosure achieves the functions of conductor connection and conductor fixation with a simple structure as compared with a conventional connector. Therefore, it is not necessary to additionally provide a mounting bracket and a mounting plate for fixing the bus bar chamber side conductor, thereby reducing the number of parts and achieving a compact structure. This also contributes to the miniaturization of the switchgear cabinet in which the connector 100 is employed, and further optimizes the spatial arrangement of the switchgear cabinet.

In addition, since the connector 100 of the present disclosure realizes connection of a single movable conductor and a single fixed conductor, the connector 100 has good installation versatility, and can be applied to various switch cabinets and other electrical cabinets.

the above description is intended only as an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, which may be modified and varied by those skilled in the art. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present disclosure should be included in the protection scope of the present disclosure.

Claims (8)

1. Connector (100) for use in a switchgear cabinet, characterized in that it comprises:

A first housing (110) comprising a first flange (111) and a first protrusion (112) surrounded by the first flange (111), the first protrusion (112) having a first slot (114) disposed therein adapted to insert a first conductor;

A second housing (120) comprising a second flange (121) adapted to interface with the first flange (111) and a second protrusion (122) surrounded by the second flange (121), the second protrusion (122) having a second slot (124) disposed therein adapted to receive a second conductor (140); and

A conductor clamping member (130) disposed in a cavity (160) enclosed by the first protrusion (112) and the second protrusion (122), and including a first clamping portion (131) and a second clamping portion (132) opposite to each other, the first clamping portion (131) being disposed adjacent to the first slot (114) and adapted to clamp and electrically connect the first conductor inserted through the first slot (114), the second clamping portion (132) being disposed adjacent to the second slot (124) and adapted to clamp and electrically connect the second conductor (140) inserted through the second slot (124).

2. Connector (100) according to claim 1, wherein said first flange (111) and said second flange (121) are correspondingly provided with first through holes (113) adapted for the passage of fasteners therethrough.

3. The connector (100) of claim 1, wherein the second protrusion (122) comprises a securing portion (125) disposed around the second slot (124), the securing portion (125) adapted to secure the second conductor (140) with the second conductor (140) inserted into the cavity (160).

4. The connector (100) of claim 3, wherein the retainer portion (125) extends a distance in a length direction (150) of the connector (100).

5. Connector (100) according to claim 4, characterized in that said fixing portion (125) is provided with a second through hole (128) adapted for the passage therethrough of a fastener for fixing said second conductor (140).

6. Connector (100) according to claim 1, wherein one of the first flange (111) and the second flange (121) is provided with a snap hole (116) and the other of the first flange (111) and the second flange (121) is provided with a snap portion (126) adapted to snap connect with the snap hole (116).

7. The connector (100) of claim 1, wherein the clamping side of the first clamping portion (131) and the clamping side of the second clamping portion (132) comprise a first electrical contact (133) and a second electrical contact (134), respectively, and the first electrical contact (133) is electrically connected with the second electrical contact (134).

8. A switchgear cabinet, characterized in that it comprises a connector (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 7.