GB2575887A

GB2575887A - Electrical installation retro-fitting insulation and security device

Info

Publication number: GB2575887A
Application number: GB1813793.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Wilson Saqib
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2018-07-10
Filing date: 2018-08-23
Publication date: 2020-01-29
Anticipated expiration: 2038-08-23
Also published as: GB201813793D0; GB2575887A8; GB201811277D0; GB2575887B

Abstract

An insulator 22 for fitting at the head of a feed cable (12, figure 3) installed in a port on an electrical item, the insulator including: two half portions (30, 32, figure 5) joined by a hinge (34) and foldable about the feed cable, wherein the portions each include a snap fit clip (40, 42) at a predetermined distance from the hinge, co-operable when the portions are closed against one another to retain the insulator in a closed condition; and wherein the portions, when closed, form a blocking collar 24 which is slidable on the cable to block the joint between the cable and the electrical item. The insulator may include a plug 26 to seal the entrance to the electrical item, and wedges 44 on its inner surface to grip the feed cable and permit movement only towards the electrical item. The insulator can be retrofitted to electrical items such as a smart meter with at least four ports, or an electrical plug, to prevent shock, tampering, illegal ingress and theft.

Description

Electrical installation retro-fitting insulation and security device.

Field of the invention.

The present invention relates to domestic and industrial power wiring installations. It particularly relates to installation of all kinds of electricity meters and so-called “smart” metres. The invention also provides means for allowing provision of safety and security to the electrical wiring of consumer units and other terminals all boxes.

Background to the invention.

Electrical mains consumption meters have been fitted for more than 100 years in United Kingdom buildings as a phase correcting VA meter in order to record true electricity used be billed to the building occupied.

The electricity meter has a supply line passed from an outside alternating current supply main providing power through the consumption meter to electrical circuits situated beyond the consumption meter within the dwelling. The dwelling wiring is usually provided through safety fuses located in a consumer unit.

Privatisation of the electricity industry and the resultant provision of contracts individually to supply electricity to members of the general public despite the suppliers not having any necessary connection with the generation or distribution of electricity has resulted in privatised electricity suppliers seeking to have a smart meter installed whereby a supplier can automatically interrogate the “smart” meter to discover how much the customer can be said to owe and automatically charge the customer.

The rate of electricity meter installation is, for the moment, very high due to the peak in installation of smart meters. There are many different models of smart meters.

Consistency in safety of installation is a problem, as is security against theft and any other tampering. There is also a need for mechanical robustness of an installed smart meter.

The present invention seeks to provide an insulator which can be installed on an existing electricity meter installation and which contributes to the mechanical robustness of the installed electricity meter as well is providing assurance of safety and preventing interference with the supply.

The present invention, though aimed at use for installing electricity meters, is not limited to smart meter installation, but can be applied to all manner of other other types of meter and general electrical installations.

Field of the invention.

The present invention consists in an insulator applicable at their head of a feed cable installed into a port on an electrical item, the insulator comprising::

a first half portion joined by a hinge portion to a second half portion; the first half portion being foldable about the feed cable along the line of the hinge portion;

the first half portion comprising a first snap fit clip at a predetermined distance from the hinge portion and the second half portion comprising a second snap fit clip at the predetermined distance from the hinge portion, where the first and second snap fit clips are co-operable when the first and second portions are closed against one another to retain the insulator in a closed condition;

where the first half portion and second half portion are co-operable, when closed to form a blocking collar which is slidable on the cable to block the joint between the feed cable and the electrical item.

The invention can further comprise a plug, movable when slid with the closed insulator, to enter and seal the entrance to the electrical item and co-operable to maintain the insulator in the closed position.

The invention can also provides that, when closed, the insulator can comprise a plurality of continuous unidirectional wedges on its inner surface at a right angle to the hinge portion, stacked in the direction of the hinge portion, operable to grip the feed cable, operable to permit movement of the closed insulator on the feed cable only towards the electrical item and operable to prevent passage of foreign objects into the electrical item.

The invention still further provides that the blocking collar can be adjustable to be contiguous with the surface of the electrical item.

The invention yet further provides that the insulator can be for use where the electrical item can be an electrical consumption meter, or an electrical smart meter smart meter and that the smart meter can have at least four ports.

The invention also provides that the electrical item can be an electrical plug, insertable to connect into an electrical wall socket.

The invention is described, in particular exemplary detail, by the following drawings when considered with the following description, in which:

Figure 1 is a front view in vertical elevation of an exemplary no smart meter having four ports into which four feet cables are already connected.

Figure 2 is a side view of the smart meter.

Figure 3 is figure 1 with insulators installed on all of the ports.

Figure 4 is a view of the insulator in a closed condition.

Figure 5 is a top view of figure 4 showing the different features from the outside of the closed insulator.

Figure 6 is a view with the closed insulator of figure figure 4 bisected along a plane of the paper showing the interior features.

Figures 7 shows a first stage of installation of the insulator as it is closed around the wiring shown.

Figure 8 shows the final stage from figure 7 where the insulator is slid into position as a final installation move.

Figure 9 shows how smart meters can be of varied proportions, and goes on in figures 10 and 11 to show how the insulator can be adapted to accommodate every form of smart meter.

Figure 10 shows the insulator of figure 4 adapted to accommodate the port shown in figure

9.

And

Figure 11 is a side view of the assembled insulator showing a completed installation of an insulator on a port similar to as in figure 3.

Exemplary detailed description.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, my way of a non-limiting example.

Attention is first drawn to figure 1 showing a first example of only one of many different applications for the invention. Figure 1 shows an exemplary so-called smart meter 10 which are presently being installed in domestic installation. The smart meter 10, shown here in its lower parts, measures the amount of electricity consumption and reports to the electricity supplier and to the electricity user the amount of electricity consumed.

The smart meter 10 is fed, in this example, by four ports in the form of cylindrical feed cables 12 each comprising an outer cylindrical insulator sheath 14 and each enclosing a plurality of individually insulated electrical conductors 16. Smart meters generally comprise at least four ports. The ports provide alternating current supplies to be measured by the smart meter 10 and to be consumed within the household.

The electrical conductors 16 are fed through a feed collar 18 to terminals (not shown) within the smart meter. In this example, the feed collar 18 is also cylindrical. As will become apparent, the feed collar can be of vanishingly short length and is he as shown as being of substantial late for purposes of clarity.

Attention is next drawn to figure 2 showing a side view of figure 1 where the smart meter 10 is affixed to a wall 20. The feed collar 18 is a sufficient distance from the wall 20 to allow access, when installing the invention between the wall 20 and the innermost surface of the feeder collar 18.

Items in Figure 2 are shown with designating numerals common also to those shown in figure 1. It is to be understood that like numerals designate like items.

Attention is next drawn to figure 3 showing the smart electricity meter 10 of figure 1 completely installed with wrap around wiring shields 22 installed, in a manner to be later described, to protect and secure electrical, personal and mechanical access to the smart meter 10 by means of an up abutting blocking collar 24 of greater diameter than the feed collar 18 that block off each of the feeder collars 18.

Items in Figure 3 are shown with designating numerals common also to those shown in earlier figures. It is to be understood that like numerals designate like items.

The shields 22 are wrapped around the top of the insulator sheath 14 and of the electrical conductors 16 and snapped shut. The closed wiring shields are then pushed up for the blocking collar to abut the lower edge of the feeder collar 18.

As shown in figure 4, which shows the closed wiring shield 22 in isolation the wiring shield 22 comprises a collar plug 26 that is of a lesser diameter than the inside diameter of the feeder collar no 18 and forms a snug fit between the inside surface of the feeder collar 18 and the electrical conductors 16, and serves to hold the closed wiring shield from opening.

Items in Figure 4 are shown with designating numerals common also to earlier figures. It is to be understood that like numerals designate like items.

As will also become clear, the wrap around wiring shield 22 contains internal features which serve as a unidirectional drive, allowing each wiring shield 22 to move only in one direction, namely inward towards the feeder collar 18, thereby eliminating the risk of the wiring shield 22 ever coming loose.

The closed wiring shield 22 forms, atop the collar 18 plug 26, a circularly symmetric truncated conical tip 28 that is circularly symmetrically forced together by entry into the feeder collar 18 and maintains the closed wrap around wiring shield 22 in a closed condition independently of whatever may happen to the snap clips 40 42.

Attention is next drawn to figure 5, which shows a view from above of the closed wraparound wiring shield 22 otherwise shown in figure 4.

Items in Figure 5 are shown with designating numerals common also to earlier figures. It is to be understood that like numerals designate like items.

The wiring shield 22 is formed in a mould (such as an injection mould) in a spread-apart configuration having a first half portion 30 joined to a second half portion 32 by a flexible hinge portion 34. During installation, the individual installer moves the extreme edges of the moulded part 30 32 remote from the hinge portion 34 as indicated by first arrow 36 and second arrow 38 for a first snap-fit clip 40 to snap closed against a second snap fit clip 42 to hold the first 30 and second 32 half portions, hinged by flexure of the hinge portion 34, in abutment along a common radius.

The snap fit clips 40 42 run for preferably the entire height of the widest diameter portion of the wiring shield 22.

The material of the shield 22 is, for preference, a flexible plastisised insulating polymer being any one from an extensive list. The shield 22 may also be made from rubber or synthetic rubber. The only requirement for the material of the shield 22 is that it is flexible and electrically insulating.

Attention is next drawn to Figure 6, showing a view of the wiring shield 22 otherwise shown in Figure 4 sliced in half with the cutting plane coincident with the plane of the paper.

The closed shield 22 is substantially hollow, with a plurality of vertically stacked unidirectional wedges 44 arrayed in the portion of the shield 22 beneath the blocking collar. 24. The wedges 44, in the closed shield 22, extend completely around the inside surface of the shield. When installed, the wedges elastically abut against one, the other, or both of the insulator sheath 14 and the electrical conductors 16.

When gripping the insulator sheath 14 or the conductors 16, the slope of the “jaws” of the wedges 44 allows movement of the shield 18 only in the same one direction relative to either of them 14 16, in this example for the blocking collar 24 to move towards abutment with the feeder collar 18 and for the plug 26 and truncated conical tip 28 to be accepted into the feeder collar 18.

Attention is next drawn to Figure 7, showing a first step in installation by an installer of the wrap around wiring shield 22.

The installer moves one half portion 30, 32 of an open shield 22 against the already present insulator sheath 14 and electrical conductors 16 and the urges the second half portion 32 30 as indicated by a third arrow 46 and a fourth arrow 48 until the first snap fit clip 40 snaps closes against the second snap fit clip 42 to leave the closed shield 22 as shown in Figure 7 , the collar 18 plug and the conical tip still being outside of the feeder collar 18.

Attention is next directed towards Figure 8, showing the final stage in installation of the shield 22. The installer urges the feeder collar 22 as indicated by a fifth arrow 50 in the allowed direction of movement for the collar 18 plug 26 and the conical tip 28 to disappear into the base of the feeder collar 18 as the blocking collar 24 comes into abutment with the edge of the collar 18.

The wedges 44 prevent the sheath from being pulled back down the conductors 16 and insulator sheath 14.thereby preventing customer tampering and further preventing insertion of foreign objects between the insulator sheath 14 and electrical conductors 16 and the overlying insulator 22.

The blocking collar 24, alone or in combination with the tight packing of the plug 26, prevent insertion of wires into the smart meter port, thereby preventing electricity theft.

The close packing inside the collar 18 between the shield 22 plug 26 and the inside surface of the collar 18 holds the collar 26 from moving and opening, thereby preventing the shield 22 from potential removal.

The insulated material of the shield 22 means that should electrical conductor become exposed for whatever reason beneath the shield, there is no risk of exposure to electrocution.

The Shield 22 thus not only makes various potential problems and malpractices less possible, but also makes proper installation easier to achieve for the installer, causing employer-employee problems and conflicts to become fewer.

It has earlier been observed that there are many different varieties of electricity meters smart meter (and, indeed, many different enclosures for all electrical installations) and, as a consequence, the invention requires to be of different confirmation if it is to be.

Attention is next drawn to figure 9 showing a side view similar to figure 2, of a second style of smart meterlO’ where the length of the second style of feeder collar 18’is very short. A second style of shield 22’ has a shortened collar 26’ and a shortened conical tip 28’ as shown in figure 10. The shortened collar 26’ and the shortened conical tip 28, as shown in figure 11, disappear within the second style of feeder collar 18’ and fulfil the same function and provide the same utility as well is provided in the first example of figures 1 to 8.

The shape and size of the shields 22 22’ and the shape and size of the blocking collars 24 24’ can vary with different models of smart meters 10 10’, electricity meters, general boxed electrical installations, electrical distribution installations, fuse boxes, cut-out boxes, connector blocks, isolator units and consumer units.

Those skilled in the art will be aware of many variations that can be made to the invention without departing from the invention as claimed in the subsequent claims. In particular, the invention need not be circularly symmetric, but can be used in ports that have other configurations, such as but not limited to: square, rectangular, polygonal, and elliptical.

While it is preferred that shields should be installed on all of the ports of a smart meter, shields 22 22’ can be installed on one or only some of the ports 18 18’.

These shield 22 can be made in many different sizes in particular having many different internal diameters and external tip styles 24, 26, 28. The shield can be configured to fit onto wiring already applied to a large variety of different items. One field of such application is as a safety measure that can be applied to plugs for inserting into wall sockets thereby rendering secure what might otherwise be insecure.

Individuals shields can be pigmented to indicate the nature of the cable to which each shield is attached.

.The invention is further clarified by the following claims.

Claims

1. An insulator applicable at the head of a feed cable installed into a port on an electrical item, the insulator comprising::

2. The insulator, according to claim 1, further comprising a plug, movable when slid with the closed insulator, to enter and seal the entrance to the electrical item and cooperable to maintain the insulator in the closed position.

3. The insulator, according to claim 1 or claim 2, where, when closed, the insulator comprises a plurality of continuous unidirectional wedges on its inner surface at a right angle to the hinge portion, stacked in the direction of the hinge portion, operable to grip the feed cable, operable to permit movement of the closed insulator on the feed cable only towards the electrical item and operable to prevent passage of foreign objects into the electrical item.

4. The insulator according to claim 3 where in the plurality of wedges serve as an inhibition to ingress of wires or foreign objects into the electrical item along the surface of the cable.

5. The insulator, according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the blocking collar is adjustable to be contiguous with the surface of the electrical item.

6. The insulator, according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the electrical item is an electrical meter.

7. The insulator, according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the electrical meter is a smart meter.

8. The insulator according to claim 6, wherein the smart meter has at least four ports.

9. The insulator according to any of claims 1 to 4, where in the electrical item is an electrical plug, insertable to connect into an electrical wall socket.

10.. The insulator, substantially as described and claimed, with reference to the appended drawings.