Busbar fixing

Abstract

A conductor rail has at least one electrically conductive conductor rail element and an electrically insulating sheath. The electrically insulating sheath includes at least one first component and at least one second component. The at least one first component includes a material having an elastic modulus of greater than or equal to 800 N/mm.sup.2. The at least one second component includes a material having an elastic modulus of less than or equal to 300 N/mm.sup.2.

Claims

1. A conductor rail, comprising: at least one stiff electrically conductive conductor rail element, wherein the conductor rail element has at least two coupling regions for mechanical fastening, and an intermediate region which is arranged between the at least two coupling regions, wherein the intermediate region comprises at least one first region and at least one second region and the at least one first region is a region in which mechanical stresses occur, and the at least one second region is a region in which no mechanical stresses occur; and an electrically insulating sheath, wherein the electrically insulating sheath comprises at least one first component and at least one second component, wherein the electrically insulating sheath is a multiple piece sheath, wherein the at least one first component comprises a material having an elastic modulus of greater than or equal to 1300 N/mm.sup.2, wherein the at least one second component comprises a material having an elastic modulus of less than or equal to 300 N/mm.sup.2, and wherein the at least one first component and the at least one second component each comprise independent segments of the multiple piece sheath.

2. The conductor rail according to claim 1, wherein the at least one electrically conductive conductor rail element comprises at least two electrical connection regions and at least one intermediate region which is arranged between the at least two electrical connection regions.

3. The conductor rail according to claim 2, wherein the intermediate region comprises at least one first region and at least one second region.

4. The conductor rail according to claim 3, wherein the at least one first region comprises the at least one second component and the at least one second region comprises the at least one first component.

5. The conductor rail according to claim 2, wherein the two electrical connection regions comprise the first component.

6. The conductor rail according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first component and the at least one second component are directly in contact and wherein a contact surface between the at least one first component and the at least one second component has a contoured shape.

7. The conductor rail according to claim 6, wherein the contoured shape of the contact surface has a serrated shape, a slope, a step shape, a straight shape, a half-ellipse shape, a pyramid shape, a conical shape and/or a plug shape.

8. The conductor rail according to claim 1, wherein the material of the at least one first component and/or of the at least one second component comprises a flame retardant halogen-free plastic.

9. The conductor rail according to claim 1, wherein the material of the at least one first component and the material of the at least one second component are connected to one another.

10. A method for producing a conductor rail including at least one electrically conductive conductor rail element and an electrically insulating sheath, wherein the electrically insulating sheath comprises at least one first component and at least one second component, wherein the at least one first component comprises a material having an elastic modulus of greater than or equal to 1300 N/mm.sup.2, and wherein the at least one second component comprises a material having an elastic modulus of less than or equal to 300 N/mm.sup.2, said method comprising: providing at least one stiff electrically conductive conductor rail element with at least two coupling regions for mechanical fastening, and an intermediate region which is arranged between the at least two coupling regions, wherein the intermediate region comprises at least one first region and at least one second region and the at least one first region is a region which is configured for mechanical stresses to occur, and the at least one second region is a region which is configured for no mechanical stresses to occur; applying an electrically insulating sheath as a multiple piece sheath on the at least one electrically conductive conductor rail element by means of the following steps: applying at least one first component comprising the material having an elastic modulus of greater than or equal to 800 N/mm.sup.2, and applying at least one second component comprising the material having an elastic modulus of less than or equal to 300 N/mm.sup.2, wherein the at least one first component and the at least one second component each comprise independent segments of the multiple piece sheath.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of applying the at least one first component is conducted before the step of applying the at least one second component.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the applying of the at least one first component and/or the at least one second component is applied by means of an injection molding method.

13. The conductor rail according to claim 1, wherein the at least one second component comprises a material having an elastic modulus of less than or equal to 50 N/mm.sup.2.

14. The conductor rail according to claim 13, wherein the at least one first component comprises a material having an elastic modulus between 1300 N/mm.sup.2 and 1800 N/mm.sup.2 and wherein the at least one second component comprises a material having an elastic modulus of about 8.5 N/mm.sup.2.

15. The method according to claim 10 wherein the at least one second component comprises a material having an elastic modulus of less than or equal to 50 N/mm.sup.2.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the at least one first component comprises a material having an elastic modulus between 1300 N/mm.sup.2 and 1800 N/mm.sup.2 and wherein the at least one second component comprises a material having an elastic modulus of about 8.5 N/mm.sup.2.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The conductor rail is now described, by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a conductor rail according to some embodiments;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic sectional view of a first embodiment of a contact surface of the at least one first component and of the at least one second component according to some embodiments;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic sectional view of a second embodiment of a contact surface of the at least one first component and of the at least one second component according to some embodiments;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a schematic sectional view of a third embodiment of a contact surface of the at least one first component and of the at least one second component according to some embodiments; and

(6) FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of a method for producing a conductor rail according to some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(7) FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a conductor rail 10. The conductor rail 10 has an electrically conductive conductor rail element 11, which consists of copper, and a sheath 12, which includes a first component 121 made of polypropylene having an elastic modulus of 1300 to 1800 N/mm.sup.2 and a second component 122 made of thermoplastic elastomer, TPE, having an elastic modulus of 8.5 N/mm.sup.2. The sheath 12 is provided along the entire extension or over the entire length of the conductor rail 10, Only the coupling regions, in particular electrical contacting regions 13 are free of the sheath 12. The second component 122 is arranged in first regions 14, which are present at the bends of the electrically conductive conductor rail element 11, and the first component 121 is arranged in second regions 15, which are present at straight sections or planar sections of the electrically conductive conductor rail element 11.

(8) FIG. 2 shows a schematic sectional view of a first embodiment of a contact surface 16 of the at least one first component 121 and of the at least one second component 122. The contact surface 16 is inclined or a slope, wherein the inclination has an angle of 45.

(9) FIG. 3 shows a schematic sectional view of a second embodiment of a contact surface 16 of the at least one first component 121 and of the at least one second component 122. The contact surface 16 is formed in a stepped manner. The stepped formation of the contact surface 16 has a single step.

(10) FIG. 4 shows a schematic sectional view of a third embodiment of a contact surface 16 of the at least one first component 121 and of the at least one second component 122. The contact surface 16 is formed perpendicularly and straight.

(11) FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of a method for producing a conductor rail. The method has the following steps: providing at least one electrically conductive conductor rail element and providing an electrically insulating sheath on the at least one electrically conductive conductor rail element. The electrically conductive conductor rail element is provided in a previous step or method by means of a rolling and punching method or application method of a surface coating at least in the connection regions. The electrically insulating sheath is provided by means of an injection molding method on, in particular directly on, the at least one electrically conductive conductor rail element. The electrically insulating sheath is provided by initially providing or arranging an at least one first component, which includes a material having an elastic modulus of greater than or equal to 800 N/mm.sup.2, by means of a first injection molding method on, in particular directly on, regions on which no mechanical stresses act, of the at least one electrically conductive conductor rail. Subsequently, an at least one second component, which includes a material having an elastic modulus of less than or equal to 300 N/mm.sup.2, is provided or arranged by means of a second injection molding method on, in particular directly on, regions on which a mechanical stress acts, of the at least one electrically conductive conductor rail and/or on the at least one first component.

(12) Many other embodiments and modifications within the spirit and scope of the claims will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined with reference to the following claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

(13) As used herein, one or more includes a function being performed by one element, a function being performed by more than one element, e.g., in a distributed fashion, several functions being performed by one element, several functions being performed by several elements, or any combination of the above.

(14) It will also be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. are, in some instances, used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first contact could be termed a second contact, and, similarly, a second contact could be termed a first contact, without departing from the scope of the various described embodiments. The first contact and the second contact are both contacts, but they are not the same contact.

(15) The terminology used in the description of the various described embodiments herein is for the purpose of describing embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used in the description of the various described embodiments and the appended claims, the singular forms a, an and the are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that the term and/or as used herein refers to and encompasses all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It will be further understood that the terms includes, including, includes, and/or including, when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

(16) As used herein, the term if is, optionally, construed to mean when or upon or in response to determining or in response to detecting, depending on the context. Similarly, the phrase if it is determined or if [a stated condition or event] is detected is, optionally, construed to mean upon determining or in response to determining or upon detecting [the stated condition or event] or in response to detecting [the stated condition or event], depending on the context.

(17) Additionally, while terms of ordinance or orientation may be used herein these elements should not be limited by these terms. All terms of ordinance or orientation, unless stated otherwise, are used for purposes distinguishing one element from another, and do not denote any order of arrangement, order of operations, direction or orientation unless stated otherwise.