Adapter for contacting a circuit breaker to a busbar system

Abstract

An adapter for contacting a circuit breaker to a busbar system, with a casing having a first mounting side to attach and electrically contact the adapter to at least one busbar of a busbar system and a second mounting side to attach and electrically contact a circuit breaker to the casing, characterized in that, on the second mounting side, at least one rotary disk with several sets of threaded inserts for attaching a circuit breaker is fitted so that it can pivot around a rotational axis perpendicular to the mounting sides, wherein each set of threaded inserts is equipped for mounting a particular type of circuit breaker so that for each position of the rotary disk one of the sets of threaded inserts is positioned in a mounting position for a particular type of circuit breaker.

Claims

1. An adapter for connecting any one of a plurality of circuit breakers of different types to a busbar system, the adaptor comprising: a casing having a first mounting side to attach and electrically connect the adapter to at least one busbar of the busbar system, and a second mounting side to attach and electrically connect any one of the plurality of circuit breakers of different types to the casing; and on the second mounting side is at least one rotary disk with several sets of threaded inserts, the rotary disk and threaded inserts thereof pivot around a rotational axis perpendicular to the mounting sides; wherein each one of the several sets of threaded inserts is equipped for mounting the adaptor to a different one of the plurality of circuit breakers of different types, for each rotational position of the rotary disk one of the plurality of sets of threaded inserts is positioned in a mounting position for one of the plurality of circuit breakers of different types; wherein the rotary disk is incorporated in the casing, wherein the rotary disk has inscriptions identifying the several sets of threaded inserts; wherein the second mounting side has a viewing window through which exactly one of the inscriptions can be seen according to the position of the rotary disk; and wherein the sets of threaded inserts, the inscriptions and the viewing window are positioned so that the inscription indicating a particular set of the several sets of threaded inserts is visible through the viewing window when the particular set of the several sets of threaded inserts is positioned in the mounting position.

2. The adapter according to claim 1, wherein the at least one rotary disk includes a first rotary disk and a second rotary disk that are positioned staggered on the second mounting side; wherein the several sets of threaded inserts are first several sets of threaded inserts included with the first rotary disk; wherein the second rotary disk includes second several sets of threaded inserts each equipped for mounting the adaptor to a different one of the plurality of circuit breakers of different types; wherein the first rotary disk provides at least a first fastening point for any one of the plurality of circuit breakers of different types formed by the first set of threaded inserts, and the second rotary disk provides at least a second fastening point formed by the second set of threaded inserts and positioned staggered to the first fastening point.

3. The adapter according to claim 1, wherein the rotary disk is incorporated in the casing, wherein the casing, in particular on the second mounting side, has a grip aperture to manually turn the rotary disk on the periphery of the rotary disk.

4. The adapter according to claim 1, wherein the second mounting side has at least one opening through which only the particular set of the several sets of threaded inserts in the mounting position is visible, and all other ones of the several sets of threaded inserts are not visible.

5. The adapter according to claim 1, wherein the rotary disk is seated within a recess inside of the casing; wherein the rotary disk has a substantially circular exterior circumference having latches; wherein a latch site is located on the substantially circular inner circumference of the recess in the inside of the casing, and the latch site corresponds to the latches to receive any one of the latches therein; and wherein the sets of threaded inserts, the latches and the latch site are positioned so that the rotary disk is in a corresponding lock-in position when one of the sets of threaded inserts is in the mounting position.

6. The adapter according to claim 1, wherein the second mounting side is formed as an optionally removable cover for the inside of the casing in which the at least one rotary disk is incorporated, wherein the at least one rotary disk is interchangeably fixed to a turning shaft in the inside of the casing and is particularly clipped.

7. The adapter according to claim 1, further having an adapter plate formed as a separate component having the at least one rotary disk, wherein the adapter plate is attached to the casing with the at least one rotary disk.

8. The adapter according to claim 7, wherein the adapter plate is attached to an adapter plate insert of the casing with a releasable connection, the releasable connection including a screw or latch connection.

9. The adapter according to claim 7, wherein the adapter plate is pre-mounted to any one of the plurality of circuit breakers of different types so that the circuit breaker to which the plate is pre-mounted and the adapter plate can be attached to the casing by inserting the adapter plate into the adaptor plate insert.

Description

DRAWINGS

(1) The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view from the second mounting side of an embodiment of the invented adapter, wherein the second mounting side has been removed for improved clarity;

(3) FIG. 2 shows the adapter according to FIG. 1 with a fitted second mounting side;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a detailed view of the lower half of the adapter according to FIG. 2;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a detailed view of the adapter's rotary disk according to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 through 3;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a detailed view of the adapter's rotary disk according to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 through 4 incorporated into the adapter casing;

(7) FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the adapter, wherein at least one rotary disk is a component of a separate adapter plate, which is shown in a perspective front view;

(8) FIG. 7 shows the adapter plate according to FIG. 6 in a perspective rear view; and

(9) FIG. 8 shows the adaptor of FIG. 1 connected to two circuit breakers and two busbars forming a busbar system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(10) Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(11) In the embodiment of the invented adapter depicted in FIG. 1, the mounting side 3 has been removed apart from the exterior border for increased clarity. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, the mounting side 3 is basically provided by a cover which can be removed if needed, for example to access the rotary disks 4 incorporated inside the casing.

(12) The adapter according to FIG. 1 has two rotary disks, wherein an upper rotary disk 4 is provided for the deployment of the first set of threaded inserts 5 and a lower rotary disk 4, arranged vertically below, for the deployment of a second set of threaded inserts 5. The upper rotary disk 4 provides the threaded inserts 5 for an upper row of mounting holes for the circuit breaker 16 while the lower rotary disk 4 provides a second set of threaded inserts 5 for a lower row of mounting holes for the circuit breaker 16. For example, the circuit breaker 16 can be fixed to the adapter using two upper mounting holes which correspond to two threaded inserts 5 of the upper rotary disk 4 and with two lower mounting holes which correspond to two threaded inserts 5 of the lower rotary disk 4. Inscriptions 7 indicating the sets of threaded inserts 5 are affixed to the upper and lower rotary disks 4.

(13) FIG. 2 shows the adapter according to FIG. 1 closed, i.e. with attached cover which substantially forms the second mounting side 3. The second mounting side 3, or this cover, has various openings and apertures. For one, the second mounting side 3 has a grip aperture 6 to manually turn the rotary disk 4. The grip aperture 6 is formed as a side cut-out in the cover which forms the mounting side 3. There is a cut-out 6 for the upper and lower rotary disks 4.

(14) Furthermore, the second mounting side 3 has two openings 9 per rotary disk in which the threaded inserts 5 appear which belong to the respective set of threaded inserts 5 which is currently in the mounting position. There is one opening 9 per threaded insert 5. The second mounting side 3 furthermore has a viewing window 8 where it is possible to see the respective inscription 7 which indicates which set of threaded inserts 5 is currently in the mounting position and is therefore accessible through the openings 9.

(15) This makes the invented adapter easy to use. The user must simply manually align the rotary disks 4 via the grip apertures 6 so that the inscription 7 of the circuit board which is to be mounted appears in the viewing window 8. Then it is guaranteed that the respective threaded inserts 5 are accessible through the openings 9 and are brought into the mounting position which is needed to mount the desired type of circuit breaker.

(16) FIG. 3 shows a detailed view of the lower half of the adapter according to FIG. 2. One opening 9 per threaded insert 5 of the set of threaded inserts consisting of two threaded inserts 5 can be seen. The cover forming the second mounting side 3 and the openings 9 which are part of it are formed so that only the threaded inserts 5 which are needed for mounting the type of circuit breaker which is apparent by looking through the viewing window 8 are accessible through the openings 9. All other threaded inserts 5 from other sets of threaded inserts for the mounting of other types of circuit breakers are covered by the cover which forms the mounting side 3.

(17) FIG. 4 shows the rotary disk 4 of the invented adapter in detail. In a middle area the inscriptions 7 stretch away from each other at angles to indicate the threaded inserts 5. The inscriptions stretch radially so that by turning the rotary disk 4 a desired inscription 7 lines up with the viewing window 8 (see FIG. 3). The inscriptions 7 are arranged regarding the sets of threaded inserts consisting of threaded inserts 5 so that, taking the openings 9 and the viewing window 8 into consideration, the threaded inserts 5 are accessible in the openings 9 the indicatory inscription 7 of which appears in the viewing window 8.

(18) The rotary disk 4 has latches 10 on its exterior circumference. The latches 10 are spaced regularly. As can be seen in FIG. 5, the casing 1 has an insert inside for the rotary disk 4 having a latch site 11 in which the rotary disk's 4 latches 10 can be brought into a lock-in position by turning the rotary disk 4. The latches 10 on the exterior circumference of the rotary disk 4 are arranged in respect to the sets of threaded inserts and the inscriptions 7 so that the rotary disk 4 is precisely in the lock-in position when one of the sets of threaded inserts 5 is positioned in the mounting position and consequently the corresponding threaded inserts 5 are accessible via the openings 9 (see FIG. 3) and the indicatory inscription 7 for the appropriate type of circuit breaker is visible through the viewing window 8.

(19) The casing has a turning shaft 12 on which the locking disk is clipped. The locking disk itself can therefore be formed as a comparably simple sheet metal part with a central through bore as bearing.

(20) The FIGS. 6 and 7 depict an embodiment of the invented adapter, more precisely, an adapter plate 13 which can be used in connection with a casing that deviates from the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-5 and instead of having fixed constructed rotary disks 4 it has an adapter plate insert 19 for receiving the adapter plate 13. To receive the adapter plate 13 in the adapter plate insert 19, the adapter plate 13 has a suspension ledge 15 on its horizontal lower longitudinal side which can be inserted into an appropriate socket opening of the casing's adapter plate insert 19. On the opposite upper horizontal longitudinal side there are fastening apertures for screws or similar fixings through which the adapter plate 13 can be attached to the casing's adapter plate insert 19.

(21) To attach a circuit breaker 16 to a busbar 17 of a busbar system 18, in one first step, the adapter plate 13 can be fixed to a circuit breaker using the threaded inserts 5 as described above. Once the prepared circuit breaker is connected to the adapter plate 13, the adapter plate can be attached to the casing of the adapter using the suspension ledge 15 and the fastening apertures 14. So, for example, this means that the circuit breakers can be pre-assembled with the adapter plates 13 so that the final mounting simply consists of having to attach or screw the circuit breakers to casing's adapter plate inserts using the adapter plate 13. Instead of screw connecting there are also other connection technologies which can be considered to connect the adapter plate 13 with the casing, clip connections for example.

(22) The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.