Grounding type elbow connector having electroscope therein

Abstract

A ground type elbow connector includes an elbow housing 100, and an electroscope 200 that is assembled onto the elbow housing to allow both a visual check on an activated state of a power cable and a grounding operation to occur. The elbow housing is connected to an insulation plug of an elbow connection unit for a power cable that is assembled onto a voltage detection part opposite to a bushing coupling part via which the elbow connection unit is connected with a bushing insert of a switch.

Claims

1. A ground type elbow connector comprising: an elbow housing including: a vertical cable assembly part in which a connection conductor is provided to connect a ground cable; a horizontal coupling part to accommodate and couple one circumferential side of an insulation plug while internally holding a connection probe that extends from the horizontal coupling part to a conductor part of the insulation plug through a through hole in the insulation plug such that a leading end of the connection probe is to be connected with the conductor part and a rear end of the connection probe is to be screwed onto the connection conductor; and an electroscope cover part that is provided on an upper portion of the horizontal coupling part, and an electroscope installed in the electroscope cover part to sense a connection of the connection probe to the conductor part of the insulation plug to provide a visual indication of whether or not the connection probe is activated.

2. The ground type elbow connector of claim 1, wherein the electroscope includes: an antenna connected to a sensor located in the through hole of the insulation plug to sense an activation state of the connection probe; an internal circuit board to receive a signal from the sensor and identify an activation state of the connection probe based on the signal; an LED lamp connected to the internal circuit board to indicate the activation state of the connection probe via an optical signature; a buzzer connected to the internal circuit board to indicate the activation state of the connection probe via an acoustic signature; and a battery supplying electric power to the internal circuit board, wherein the internal circuit board, the LED lamp, the buzzer, and the battery are provided in a housing section that allows transmission of the optical signature and the acoustic signature to the outside of the housing section.

3. The ground type elbow connector of claim 2, further comprising: a test button located in an outside surface of the housing section, the test button being electrically connected with the internal circuit board, wherein the internal circuit board checks and displays a discharge state of the battery when the test button is pushed.

4. The ground type elbow connector of claim 2, wherein the housing section further comprises: a first half case and a second half case joined to each other to form the housing section, wherein the housing section defines an upper opening to receive the battery; and a battery cover to removably engage the housing section to open and close the upper opening.

5. The ground type elbow connector of claim 2, further comprising: a display case connected with the housing section, the display case having speaker to transmit the acoustic signal from the buzzer, and openings to receive and expose the LED lamp and the test button.

6. The ground type elbow connector of claim 1, wherein the electroscope includes: a sensor sensing an activated state of the connection probe; an internal circuit board to receive a signal from the sensor and identify an activation state of the connection probe based on the signal; an LED lamp connected to the internal circuit board to indicate the activation state of the connection probe via an optical signature; a buzzer connected to the internal circuit board to indicate the activation state of the connection probe via an acoustic signature; and a battery supplying electric power to the internal circuit board, wherein the internal circuit board, the LED lamp, the buzzer, and the battery are provided in a housing section that allows transmission of the optical signature and the acoustic signature to the outside of the housing section.

7. The ground type elbow connector of claim 6, further comprising: a test button located in an outside surface of the housing section, such that the test button being electrically connected with the internal circuit board, wherein the internal circuit board checks and displays a discharge state of the battery when the test button is pushed.

8. The ground type elbow connector of claim 6, wherein the housing section further comprises: a first half case and a second half case joined to each other to form the housing section, wherein the housing section defines an upper opening to receive the battery, and a battery cover to removably engage the housing section to open and close the upper opening.

9. The ground type elbow connector of claim 6, further comprising: a display case connected with the housing section, the display case having a speaker to transmit the acoustic signal from the buzzer, and openings to receive and expose the LED lamp and the test button.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a ground type elbow connector having an electroscope therein according to an embodiment of the present invention;

(2) FIG. 2 is a rear view of the ground type elbow connector having the electroscope;

(3) FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the ground type elbow connector in which the electroscope is disassembled from an elbow housing;

(4) FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the electroscope as a major component of the ground type elbow connector;

(5) FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of another embodiment of the electroscope as a major component of the ground type elbow connector; and

(6) FIGS. 6 and 7 are views showing sequential connection of the ground type elbow connector to an elbow connection unit for a power cable connected to a switch.

BEST MODE

(7) The present invention is directed to a ground type elbow connector having an electroscope therein, in which replacement or maintenance of a switch can be safely provided in case of discharge of a current that is charged in the switch at the same time as a grounding operation through a connection in a state where a grounded state of a power cable is stably and rapidly identified through the embedded electroscope.

(8) Hereinbelow, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(9) FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a ground type elbow connector having an electroscope therein according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a rear view of the ground type elbow connector having the electroscope, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the ground type elbow connector in which the electroscope is disassembled from an elbow housing.

(10) Referring to these drawings, the ground type elbow connector serves as a grounding unit that, when maintenance or replacement is performed on ground or underground equipment, such as a transformer, a high-voltage switch (S/W) or the like, is connected directly to an elbow connection unit 10 for a power cable, which has been connected to the equipment, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, so as to provide a ground thereto.

(11) That is, the ground type elbow connector includes an elbow housing 100 and an electroscope 200 that is assembled onto the elbow housing 100 to allow both a visual check on an activated state of a power cable (C/A) and a grounding operation to occur. The elbow housing is connected to an insulation plug 20 of an elbow connection unit for a power cable (C/A) that is assembled onto a voltage detection part 13 opposite to a bushing coupling part 12 via which the elbow connection unit is connected with a bushing insert (B/S) of a switch (S/W) with the power cable (C/B) connected by a cable assembly 11.

(12) A detailed configuration of the ground type elbow connector will be described as follows.

(13) The elbow housing 100 includes a vertical cable assembly part 110 in which a connection conductor 111 is provided to connect a ground cable (G/C), a horizontal coupling part 120 serving to accommodate and couple one circumferential side of the insulation plug 20 while internally holding a connection probe 130, which extends from the coupling part 120 to a conductor part 22 through a through hole 21 of the insulation plug 20 such that a leading end thereof is to be connected with the conductor part 22 by a stud bolt and a rear end thereof is screwed onto the connection conductor 111, and an electroscope cover part 140 that is provided on an upper portion of the coupling part 120.

(14) The electroscope 200 is installed in the electroscope cover part 140, and serves to sense the connection probe 130 to be connected with the conductor part 22 of the insulation plug 20 to visually check an activated state of the switch (S/W).

(15) As shown in FIG. 4, the electroscope 200 includes a housing section 210, a sensor 220, an internal circuit board 230, an LED lamp 240, a buzzer 150, and a battery 260.

(16) The housing section 210 is formed with plastic into two half cases that will be easily fastened to each other by screws.

(17) The internal circuit board 230 and the battery 260 are accommodated between the two cases, which define an upper opening, to which a battery cover 270 is assembled to open and close for replacement of the battery 260.

(18) The housing section 210 is provided with an antenna part 211 having a sensor 220 that is closely assembled in the through hole 21 of the insulation plug 20 while accommodating the connection probe 130 therein so as to sense an activated state of the connection probe with the sensor 220.

(19) The sensor 220 may be a proximity sensor that is electrically connected with the internal circuit board 230.

(20) The internal circuit board 230 is electrically connected with the battery 260 accommodated in the housing section 210, and the battery can be replaced with new one through the battery cover 270.

(21) The internal circuit board 230 is electrically connected with the LED lamp 240 and the buzzer 250 that are exposed to the outside so as to indicate the activated state, which is obtained by calculating a sensing signal from the sensor 220, via optical and acoustic signatures, respectively.

(22) A test button 280 is provided to the outside of the housing section 210, such that the test button is electrically connected with the internal circuit board 230 so as to check an operation (discharged state) of the battery 260.

(23) A display case 290 is also provided such that it is connected with the two cases of the housing section 210. Here, the display case is provided with an echo speaker 251 to diffuse an echo sound, and the LED lamp 240 and the test button 280 are exposed to the outside through the display case.

(24) The connection of the ground type elbow connector will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.

(25) First, a discharged state of the battery 260 is preferably checked prior to use of the electroscope, since the electroscope 200 plays an important role in the present invention.

(26) That is, when the test button 280 is pushed, if the LED lamp 240 switches on and the buzzer makes a buzzing sound, it is determined that the battery 260 is in a normal state that is not a discharged state. Further, if the LED lamp 240 does not switch on and the buzzer does not make a buzzing sound, it is determined that the battery 260 is in a discharged state, so the battery is replaced with new one.

(27) After it is determined that the battery 260 is in an available state, an insulation cap 30 is disassembled from the insulation plug 20, which is assembled to the voltage detection part 13 of the elbow connection unit 10 for a power cable connected with a transformer or a switch (S/W), using a hot-stick.

(28) After the insulation cap 30 is disassembled, for the connection to the elbow connection unit, the coupling part 120 of the ground type elbow connector 100 is manipulated to move towards the insulation plug 20.

(29) In this process, as the coupling part 120 comes close to the insulation plug, a leading end of the connection probe 130 first reaches the insulation plug, so that, if the switch (S/W) is in a power-on state, the sensor 220 senses it so the busier 250 is activated to generate an alarm sound through the echo speaker 251 of the display case 290.

(30) Therefore, an operator can do his/her work in a grounded state that is obtained by the connection of the elbow connector in a state of the switch (S/W) being turned off.

(31) In this state, even when the coupling part 120 of the ground type elbow connector 100 is connected to the insulation plug 20 so that the connection probe 130 contacts the conductor part 22 in the insulation plug 20 that has been connected to the switch (S/W), the sensor does not sense a voltage of the conductor part 22, resulting in the buzzer 250 generating no alarming sound.

(32) As shown in FIG. 7, with the above-mentioned process, the complete connection of the ground type elbow connector, i.e. the connection of the insulation plug 20 by the coupling part 120 of the ground type elbow connector 100 along with the connection of the connection probe 130 with the conductor part 22 of the insulation plug 20 through the through hole 21 of the insulation plug 20 by a stud bolt is obtained.

(33) Such a connection facilitates safe replacement or maintenance of a distribution line with the discharge of a charged current in a switch (S/W).

(34) As described before, according to the present invention, when the sensor 220 senses that a switch (S/W) to be replaced or repaired is in an activated state, a buzzer 250 generates an alarm sound. Further, when the sensor 220 senses that the switch is in an inactivated state, the buzzer does not generate an alarm sound. At this time, the connection probe 130 is inserted into the through hole 21 of the insulation plug 20 in the elbow connection unit 10 connected to the switch (S/W) so that a charged current of the switch (S/W) is discharged, allowing safe replacement or maintenance of the switch (S/W). This is a key feature of the present invention.

(35) In other words, according to the present invention, a switch (S/W) can be safely replaced or repaired in a state where a grounded state of the switch has been safely checked, thereby ensuring a safe, quick, and convenient operation.

(36) As set forth in the foregoing, the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be diversely modified without departing from the technical scope of the present invention.

(37) For example, the antenna part 211 having the sensor 220 therein may be provided on one side of the housing section 210, rather than being provided to protrude from the housing section 210 as shown in FIG. 5.

(38) Further, a material of the housing section 210 is not limited to that described in the former embodiment.

(39) Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed in the detailed description, it is possible to make various modifications without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention should not be limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, but may be defined by the accompanying claims and equivalents thereof.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

(40) The present invention is very conveniently and usefully applicable to various industrial applications in that, when a ground is required during replacement or maintenance of a switch, the ground type elbow connector can be instantly and safely used by the connection to a connection unit connected with the switch.