GB2374212A

GB2374212A - A consumer unit

Info

Publication number: GB2374212A
Application number: GB0108848A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Shaw
Original assignee: BONUS ELECTRICAL Ltd
Current assignee: BONUS ELECTRICAL Ltd
Priority date: 2001-04-07
Filing date: 2001-04-07
Publication date: 2002-10-09
Anticipated expiration: 2021-04-07
Also published as: GB2374212B; GB0108848D0

Abstract

An electrical consumer unit housing comprises a plurality of fuse breakers (2,3,4) internally wired to one or more male or female connectors (12,13,14) each of which is adapted for connection to an external electrical circuit by means of a mating connector. One or more knockout plates (figures 2, 3 not shown may mount the mating connectors.

Description

DESCRIPTION "A CONSUMER UNIT" The present invention relates to electrical consumer units. More especially the present invention relates to a consumer unit for use in boats, mobile homes, caravans and the like where production line techniques are employed in the manufacture and assembly thereof.

Known consumer units generally comprise an outer casing housing, a plurality of circuit breakers, each hardwired to the terminals of a terminal block. Cables carrying mains electricity to and from the unit are inserted through apertures in the side walls or back wall of the casing and the wires in the cables are connected the terminal block to make the appropriate circuits. To prevent chafing of the cables on the edges of the apertures through which they are inserted into the casing, a grommet may be fitted in each aperture.

In order to make the required connections between the cable wires and the terminals of the terminal block, the plastic insulation on each wire must be stripped away to expose the conductor, and the conductor inserted in the appropriate terminal and secured. Each terminal in the terminal block may comprise a grub screw which is tightened onto the exposed conductor, a wire clamp or some other securing means. This method of connecting the cables to the consumer unit does not readily accord with production line techniques, such as are now widely used in the manufacture and assembly of boats, mobile homes, caravans and the like. Skilled personnel are required

to carry out the wiring of these units, including connection to the consumer units. Often there is restricted access to the terminal block within the consumer unit which makes bringing the cables in and connecting each wire to the terminal block difficult. In the event that a wire is connected to the wrong terminal this may go undetected until the circuit in question is put into use. Since this may not happen on the site of production expensive after sales service must be provided.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a consumer unit for use in boats, mobile homes, caravans and the like which can be quickly and easily connected to the wiring circuits thereof.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a system which greatly simplifies the electrical wiring of a boat, mobile home, caravan or the like.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an electrical consumer unit housing a plurality of fuse breakers, wherein the fuse breakers are internally wired to one or more male or female connectors, each of which is adapted for connection to an external electrical circuit by means of a mating connector.

It will be appreciated that the internal connections within the consumer unit can be made and tested during production of the consumer unit, thus greatly mitigating the likelihood of a consumer unit being installed with the wrong connections made. Once installed it is a simple matter to connect the consumer unit up to the relevant electrical circuits by plugging in each of the mating connectors.

Conveniently, the or each connector in the consumer unit comprises a female connector or socket mounted in a side wall of the consumer unit housing and the or each

mating connector comprises a male connector or plug.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the consumer unit comprises a slot into which one of a plurality of different output plates is received, each output plate being adapted to support a different combination of connectors. Conveniently an output plate is provided having knockouts in it through which cables can be introduced into the consumer unit to be connected to a terminal block to allow the consumer unit to be wired up after the conventional method.

Preferably, the fuse breakers are mounted on a DIN rail which is removable from the consumer unit housing. To this end the DIN rail comprises an elongate bar on which the fuse breakers are mounted and at each end of the bar a clip which releaseably engages with an internal surface of the consumer unit housing.

According to the present invention there is provided a system for wiring a boat, mobile home, caravan or the like, comprising a consumer unit in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention and a wiring harness having one or more of said mating sockets for connection to the said sockets of the consumer unit.

It will be understood that the wiring harness for a particular unit can be manufactured and tested separately, thus reducing the likelihood of any incorrect connections being made. Having installed the wiring harness throughout the unit in question the connectors thereof are simply connected to the connectors in the consumer unit. To this end the connectors conveniently take the form of plugs and sockets.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a plan view of a consumer unit in accordance with the present invention with the cover removed ; Figure 2 is a view of an interchangeable knockout plate for use in the consumer unit of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a view of another interchangeable knockout plate for use in the consumer unit of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a side view in the direction of Arrow A of the consumer unit shown in Figure 1 and shows a removable DIN rail supporting the fuse breakers; and Figure 5 is an end view in the direction of Arrow B of the consumer unit shown in Figure 1 and further illustrates the removable DIN rail supporting the fuse breakers.

Referring to Figures 1,4 and 5 in combination there is shown an electrical consumer unit such as might be used in a caravan, mobile home, boat or the like for distributing a mains electricity supply to various circuits through fuse breakers.

Typically, the mains supply will be distributed to an electrical cooker, one or more sockets for plug-in electrical appliances, a lighting circuit and, possibly, an electrical heater. To this end the consumer unit shown in Figure 1 comprises a main circuit breaker I which may have a fuse rating of 30 amps or even higher, and three lower rated fuse breakers 2,3 and 4. A knockout panel 5 in the left hand side of the consumer unit casing 6 allows a fourth fuse breaker to be inserted if required.

The main circuit breaker 1 and the fuse breakers 2,3 and 4 are clipped onto a DIN rail 7 which is releaseably secured within the casing 6 by means of clips 8 and 9 provided at each end thereof. Each of the clips 7 and 8 engages in a respective recess

in the side wall of the casing 6. To this end the clips 7 and 8 have a ramped profile.

In the lower half of the consumer unit casing 6, below the fuse breakers 1, 2, 3, and 4, there are provided two 7 way earth and neutral terminal bars 10 and 11. Wires (not shown) are connected between these terminal bars 10 and 11 and the fuse breakers 1,2, 3 and 4. A further set of wires is then connected from the terminal bars 10 and 11 to each of three sockets 12,13 and 14. In the consumer unit as shown in Figures 1,4 and 5 the sockets may be dispensed with to allow the option of connecting external wiring directly to the terminal bars 10 and 11 after the fashion of a conventional consumer unit. However, where this option is not required to be made available the fuse breakers 1,2, 3 and 4 may be wired directly to the sockets 12,13 and 14.

The sockets 12,13 and 14 are mounted in an output plate 15, shown in detail in Figure 2. This output plate 15 is slidably received within a slot in the lower end of the casing 6. By making the output plate 15 removable it is possible to quickly and simply modify the consumer unit for different applications. For example, instead of three sockets, a single socket might be used. Or as yet another alternative, an output plate having knockouts in it, as shown in Figure 3, can be used, through which cables can be introduced for connection to the terminal bars 10 and 11.

It will be understood that the consumer unit of the present invention can be assembled, wired up and tested with relative ease. Moreover, on installation in a boat, mobile home, caravan or the like, it is connected to the various wiring circuits thereof by the simple expedient of plugging into the sockets plugs connected to this wiring. It is, of course, possible to connect the plugs to the wiring on site. However, the most effective implementation of the present invention involves the use of standardised, preassembled wiring harnesses. These wiring harnesses can be manufactured with the plugs wired into them as a separate operation and then used in the assembly and manufacture of the unit in question. This is much more efficient than the conventional technique of running individual cables through the unit for connecting up to the

Claims

1. An electrical consumer unit housing a plurality of fuse breakers, wherein the fuse breakers are internally wired to one or more male or female connectors, each of which is adapted for connection to an external electrical circuit by means of a mating connector.

2. An electrical consumer unit according to claim 1, wherein the or each connector in the consumer unit comprises a female connector or socket mounted in a side wall of the consumer unit housing and the or each mating connector comprises a male connector or plug.

3. An electrical consumer unit according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a slot in an external wall thereof into which one of a plurality of different output plates is received, each output plate being adapted to support a different combination of connectors.

4. An electrical consumer unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein knockouts are provided in an external wall of the electrical consumer unit through which cables can be introduced to be connected to a terminal block.

5. An electrical consumer unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a slot is provided into an external wall thereof into which an output plate is received, the output plate having knockouts in it through which cables can be introduced to be connected to a terminal block.

6. An electrical consumer unit according to any preceding claim, wherein

the fuse breakers are mounted on a DIN rail which is removable from the consumer unit housing.

7. An electrical consumer unit according to claim 6, wherein the DIN rail comprises an elongate bar on which the fuse breakers are mounted and at each end of the bar a clip which releaseably engages with an internal surface of the consumer unit housing.

8. A system for wiring a boat, mobile home, caravan or the like, comprising a consumer unit in accordance with any of the preceding claims and a wiring harness having one or more of said mating sockets for connection to the said sockets of the consumer unit.