GB2108781A

GB2108781A - A movable cover arrangement, especially for busbars

Info

Publication number: GB2108781A
Application number: GB08228004A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Harald Peters
Original assignee: Licentia Patent Verwaltungs GmbH
Current assignee: Licentia Patent Verwaltungs GmbH
Priority date: 1981-09-30
Filing date: 1982-09-30
Publication date: 1983-05-18
Also published as: DE3138801C2; GB2108781B; DE3138801A1; NL8203769A

Abstract

The flap 18 of a busbar cover arrangement is opened by the insertion of a plug 15 having an extension 32 which causes upward movement of a slide member 23; an interlocking arrangement of groove 26 on the slide member and a pin (22, Figure 1 not shown) on a flap causes the flap to open, see bottom of Figure 2. The flap returns under gravity to its original position upon removal of the plug 15. A locking bolt (35, Figures 9 and 10 not shown) may be provided to prevent manual opening of the flap 18. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A movable cover arrangement, especially for busbars The invention relates to a movable cover arrangement and more particularly to a cover arrangement for busbars, especially in a switch gear installation. German GM 7607535 discloses a busbar cover which can be moved to expose areas of contact as in insert or plug member is inserted. The busbar cover is arranged in a busbar channel between a fixed channel aperture and the front face of the busbars. As it is raised there are exposed at the opening busbar contract points which lie underneath the channel aperture.

The present invention seeks to provide a busbar cover which can achieve optimum contract protection and which can be manufactured and assembled easily and has as few individual parts as possible. According to the present invention there is provided a cover arrangement which can be opened by the insertion of an insert member to permit access behind the cover arrangement, comprising a slide member actuable by a said insert member, and a pivotally-mounted flap which, upon insertion of a said insert member, is arranged to be pivoted by the slide member such that the flap moves in a direction which has both an upward component and a component in the direction opposite to the direction of insertion of said insert member.

When the insert is not in place the flap hangs down under its own weight and therefore blocks off access to the busbar contact points for the insert contacts. Access to the busbar contact points is only possible when the flap is pivoted forwards and upwards. This sort of construction gives a higher degree of protection from unintentional contact than upwardly sliding flaps or covers. Since the flap is mounted in its upper region and therefore hangs down under its own weight it is not even possible for parts which fall down unintentionally to open the flap; instead this type of suspension tends to close the flap. Even with assembly work in the region in front of the flap the space in front of the flap is generally so small that it is not possible to open it up unintentionally since tools or mountings are in the way.The flap is opened automatically as the insert is inserted by means of a slide member which can be slid longitudinally of the busbars, said slide member being actuated by the insert and opening the flap forwards and upwards against the insertion direction. As the insert is withdrawn the flap drops automatically into its stationary position, i.e. into its closed position without the necessity for any additional components, such as springs, levers etc.

When the insert has not been put into place this type of flap usually has to be opened by hand by pivoting the flap forwards and upwards. If this is to be prevented, i.e. if the flap cannot be opened by hand but only with the aid of a special tool, for example with the aid of a screwdriver then in accordance with a further feature of the invention it is possible to provide a lock for the slide member. This can be affected by pivotally mounting a bolt in the pivot point of the flap on the slide member side, the free end of the bolt hanging down under its own weight when the flap is closed and having a locking surface at its end.

The locking is released by the insert before the slide member is actuated. Consequently, when the insert is inserted normally the locking position is first of all released and then the flap is pivoted upwards by actuating the slide member. When the insert is not in position however, the flap can no longer be actuated by hand because the locking surface of the bolt locks the slide member together with the corresponding mating surface of the slide member. The flap can only be opened when the insert is not in place if the bolt is moved into its unlocked position by a special tool, e.g. a screwdriver.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figures 1 to 3 respectively show a front view, a side view and a plan view of a switch cabinet having a cover arrangement in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; Figures 4 to 6 show a front view and two side views of a slide member of the arrangement of Figure 1 on an enlarged scale; Figure 7 shows a plan view of the slide member of Figure 4; Figure 8 shows a front view and two side views of a flap; Figure 9 shows two views of a bolt member of a second embodiment of the present invention; and Figures 1 Oa to d show views of the second embodiment of the present invention incorporating the bolt member of Figure 9 and showing the bolt member in different positions, the views being taken in a direction equivalent to arrow A in Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings, Figs. 1 to 3 show an insulated busbar system arranged in a switching cabinet 10 and having three busbars 1 1, 12 and 13. The busbars 11-13 are surrounded by insulation on all sides up to an opening 14. According to Fig. 2 an insert or plug indicated as 15 is provided and is equipped with contacts 16. When the insert is actuated in the direction 17 the contact 16 comes into contact with the contact points of the busbars 11-13 in the region of the opening 14.

For safety reasons the contact points in the region of the opening 14 of the busbars have to be protected from unintentional contact. In order to achieve this a flap 1 8 is provided in each case in the region of the opening 14. As the insert 1 5 is retracted this flap lies in front of the opening 14 and closes it. The flap is pivoted upwards by the insert when it is inserted so that the contact points of the busbars are exposed for the contacts 16. In Figs. 1 and 2 the upper flap 18 is closed and the lower flap 18 is open.

Each flap 18 is pivotally mounted by two opposite bearing pins 19 and 20 in a fixed support in the form of fixed angled portions 21 on both sides of the busbars. In addition the flap 18 has a further pin 22 on one side, said pin 22 being arranged underneath the imaginary pivot axis for the bearing pins 19, 20 and being arranged in front of this pivot axis contrary to the direction of insertion 17.

A slide member is designated 23 and is placed onto the forwardly directed edge of the right hand angled portion 21. The slide member construction is apparent from Figs. 4 to 7. The slide member 23 has a groove 24 for engagement of the angled portion 21 and a locking projection 25 which prevents the slide member from falling out and becoming disengaged. A transverse groove engaging the pin 22 is designated 26 and a blind bore engaging the bearing pin 20 is designated 27. An inclined surface arranged inside the slide member is designated 28 and is provided with a recess 29 and is limited on both sides by side walls 30, 31 of the slide member. The inclined surface 28 co-operates with an extension 32 of the insert as the insert 15 is put into place, said extension 32 also having an inclined surface 33.

Assembly of the cover device comprising the flap or lid 18 and the slide member 23 is extremely simple. The flap or lid 18 is hooked in by its two pivot pins 19 and 20 into the angled portion 21. The slide member 23 with its groove 24 is then placed onto the angled portion 21 and locks due to the locking projection 25 in a corresponding opening of the angled portion 21, such that the slide member 23 can be moved longitudinally 34 of the busbars but is unable to fall out because of the locking projection 25.

Alternatively locking projection 25 may engage behind an edge of the angled section 21. As it locks in place the pin 22 engages the transverse groove 26 and the pivot pin 20, which is longer than the pivot pin 19, engages into the blind bore 27. The pin 20 slides in this blind bore 27 when the flap 18 or the slide member 23 moves.

In a modification the slide member has an elongate opening extending in its direction of sliding, and the fixed support has a projecting screw head which engages in the opening to guide the movement of the slide member.

In the starting position, i.e. when the insert 1 5 is not in place, the flap 18 hangs down under its own weight and therefore covers the opening 14.

As the insert 1 5 is put into place in the direction 1 7 the extension 32 with its inclined surface 33 acts on the inclined surface 28 of the slide member so that the latter is raised in the direction 34. Therefore the flap 1 8 rotates about its fixed pivot pins 19, 20 and the slide member entrains the flap 18 by means of the pin 22 which slides in the transverse groove and pivots upwards and forwards so that the flap has an opening of 135 degrees approximately in its final position (see Fig. 2). Therefore the opening 14 for engagement of the contacts 16 with the contact points of the busbars 11 to 1 3 is exposed.If the insert 1 5 is withdrawn from the inserted position in a reverse direction then the flap falls back out of its 135 degrees position under its own weight into the closed starting position.

The above-described cover arrangement therefore requires only three components, namely the flap 18, the slide member 23 and the extension 32. There is very good contact protection but the flap can still be raised by hand.

In order to prevent this a second embodiment of the present invention is provided with an additional lock. A further component, namely a bolt 35 which is shown in two views in Fig. 9, is provided in addition to the three components already mentioned. This bolt also acts under its own weight and is pivotally suspended at one end from a bore on the longer bearing pin 20 of the flap 18. The bolt 35 lies between the angled portion 21 and the blind bore 27 inside the slide member 23 so that a projection 36 of the bolt passes through the recess 29 inside the inclined surface 28 of the slide member in the stationary position, i.e. when the insert is not in place. In this starting position a locking surface 37 of the bolt 35 acts together with a corresponding mating surface 38 of the recess 29 to provide a locking arrangement (see Fig. 1 0a).

In this starting position according to Fig. 1 0a it is clear that the slide member 23 cannot be moved upwards in the direction 34 since the surfaces 37 and 38 prevent it. The projection 36 of the bolt 35 cannot be pushed back by hand since the projection 36 is inside the two side surfaces 30, 31 of the slide member 23. In this condition, apart by means of the extension 32 of the insert 15 it would only be possible to pivot the bolt 35 back with the aid of a special tool, e.g. a screwdriver.

According to Fig. 1 Ob the inclined surface 33 of the extension 32 of the insert 1 5 has reached the inclined surface 28 of the slide member 23 and therefore the projection 36 of the bolt 35 has been pushed back. The lock is raised and the slide member 23 can be pressed upwards by the extension 32 as shown in Fig. 1 Oc. At the same time pivot movement of the flap 18 about an angle of 1 35 degrees takes place both upwards and forwards (see Fig. 2). According to Fig. 1 Od the insert 1 5 arrives in its final position together with the extension 32. Therefore the contacts of the insert 1 5 can be actuated, for example with the aid of special actuating device, in order to provide contact with the busbars 11 to 13. The flap drops automatically back into its position of rest as the insert 1 5 is withdrawn and therefore the bolt 35 does the same so that as the insert 1 5 is withdrawn the bolt provides a lock with the mating surface with its locking surface 37.

Claims

1. A cover arrangement which can be opened by the insertion of an insert member to permit access behind the cover arrangement, comprising a slide member actuable by a said insert member, and a pivotally-mounted flap which, upon insertion of a said insert member, is arranged to be pivoted by the slide member such that the flap moves in a direction which has both an upward component and a component in the direction opposite to the direction of insertion of said insert member.

2. A cover arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the flap is arranged to fall back to its original position when said insert member is withdrawn.

3. A cover arrangement according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the insert member is provided with an extension which co-operates with the slide member.

4. A cover arrangement according to any preceding claim wherein the insert member and/or the slide member is/are provided at the region of co-operation with an inclined surface.

5. A cover arrangement according to any preceding claim wherein the flap is pivotally mounted in a fixed support by means of two oppositely-arranged bearing pins, and a further, laterally projecting pin is provided on the flap below and in front of the pivot axis of the flap, the further pin projecting into a mating groove of the slide member which extends in the direction of insertion of said insert member.

6. A cover arrangement according to claim 5 wherein the bearing pins, the further pin and the mating groove are so arranged that the flap moves through an angle of approximately 135 degrees between its original position and its fully open position.

7. A cover arrangement according to any preceding claim, wherein the slide member is provided with a guide groove which extends in the direction of sliding of the slide member and which is arranged to engage with a portion of a or the fixed support.

8. A cover arrangement according to any preceding claim wherein the slide member is provided with a locking projection for securing it to a or the fixed support.

9. A cover arrangement according to any of claims 1 to 7 wherein the slide member has an elongate opening extending in its direction of sliding, and the fixed support has a projecting screw head which engages in the opening to guide the movement of the slide member.

10. A cover arrangement according to any preceding claim comprising a bolt which is pivotally mounted adjacent to the slide member, the free end of the bolt hanging down under its own weight when the flap is closed and having a locking surface at said free end which is arranged to lock with a mating surface of the slide member, the locking arrangement being released by insertion of the insert member.

11. A cover arrangement according to claim 10 wherein the bolt is provided with a projection which extends towards said insert member, said projection penetrating a recess in an inclined surface of the slide member when the flap is closed, and projecting in front of the inclined surface.

12. A cover arrangment according to claim 11 wherein, when the flap is closed, the projection on the bolt is protected at the sides by wall elements on the slide member.

1 3. A cover arrangement according to any preceding claim for a plurality of busbars, which extend parallel to the direction of sliding of the slide member.

1 4. A cover arrangement substantially as herein described with reference to Figs. 1 to 8 or Figs. 9 and 10 of the accompanying drawings.

1 5. A busbar installation having a cover arrangement according to any preceding claim.