Description

The invention is related to an arrangement, comprising a plate and a prefabricated laminated busbar, whereas the prefabricated laminated busbar comprises a base body composed of conducting layers and insulating materials to electrically insulate said conducting layers from each other, whereas at least one conducting layer has at least one pin to allow an electrical contact between the said conducting layer and a device.

Laminated busbars may be prefabricated by casting resins or by coating conducting layers with insulating materials. Also the pins have to be insulated in an efficient manner. Those pins can be connected with devices like withdrawable modules or plug-in-modules. Such laminated busbars can be used in low voltage switch gear applications.

One application in a low voltage switchgear is to use a three-pole busbar system. Also in the market exist four-pole-systems as well. Such a fourth pole is neutral. In conventional busbar systems the fourth pole is added as an additional copper bar to the system, using respective busbar supports and connection items.

The object of the invention is to ensure an easy addition of a further pole to an already existing prefabricated laminated busbar. The object of the invention is achieved by means of the features of claim 1 .

According to this claim the plate comprises a conducting layer comprising an additional pin, whereas at least one first cutout, hole or void is developed in the base body of the prefabricated laminated busbar to receive said additional pin.

It has been found out by an inventive step that each conducting layer of the above mentioned prefabricated laminated busbar is related to a pole. Further it has been found out that for the above mentioned laminated busbar the additional pole therefore is an additional conducting layer which needs to be casted as a specific variant of the laminated busbar. According to the invention the above mentioned object is achieved by adding a further pin to a prefabricated laminated busbar using a separate plate.

Advantageously the prefabricated laminated busbar comprises three neighbouring pins each representing a phase or pole, whereas the additional pin represents a neutral phase or pole and is also neighbouring the said three pins of the prefabricated laminated busbar. Through that a standard three pole laminated busbar comprises pins, namely contact pins, for three pole modules and at least one additional cutout or hole or void for a fourth pin, namely a fourth contact pin. If a four pole busbar is required an additional fully insulated neutral conducting layer with a contact pin for the fourth pole will be added from the back side or rear side of the prefabricated laminated busbar. The fourth conducting layer may be glued or clamped to the already casted and prefabricated three pole laminated busbar to form a four pole laminated busbar.

Further advantageously at least one second cutout or hole or void is developed in the base body. To allow a rear cable connection the laminated busbar has got second coutouts, holes or voids where cable connection units can be routed through. The cable connection can be done from a rear side of a cabinet or section, whereas modules can be inserted from a front side of the cabinet or section.

Further advantageously at least one third cutout or hole or void is developed in the plate, whereas at least one second and at least on third cutout or hole or void overlap each other or are aligned with each other. This allows also a rear cable connection after the plate has been combined with the prefabricated laminated busbar.

To align the additional or neutral pins with the phase contacts a gauge or gauges will be used to glue or clamp the further or neutral conducting layer to a the three pole laminated busbar.

Advantageously at least one cutout, hole or void is surrounded by a closed border. Hereby a cable or cable connection unit is surrounded by a support. A pin is surrounded preferably by a circle.

Further advantageously the inner surface of the border is electrically insulated.

Through that a technician is protected. The three pole laminated busbar has got insu- lated cutouts, holes or voids through the copper sheets of the individual phases and insulation sheets inbetween at the position where the additional or fourth pin will be located, if needed. In case of a three pole system this cutout, hole or void will be open. If a four pole laminated busbar is needed the above mentioned three pole laminated busbar will be taken and a fully insulated neutral conducting layer, the fourth pole, will be added from the back side of the prefabricated laminated busbar. The neutral conducting layer is equipped with at least one pin, which allow a four pole module to be connected once the additional neutral conducting layer is added.

Advantageously several cutouts, holes or voids are arranged and/ or one conducting layer comprises several pins. Hereby lots of cables or cable connection units can be led through the base body of the laminated busbar. Several pins ensure a good electrical connection. Especially a multi-pole connection is given by several pins.

In a further embodiment at least one of the contact pins may be integrally formed with the respective conducting layer, when manufacturing the same or may be soldered or mechanically attached to the sheet metal by screwing or clamping. In a further embodiment at least one contact pin may be built as solid or hollow cylinder, which cylinder when mounted is in electrical contact with one conductive layer of the busbar. In a further embodiment more than one conducting pin, in particular three or four or five or more pins, are electrically connected to and detachably and/or mechanically connected to one conducting layer and in particular the same conducting layer. In a further embodiment, the contact pins may be arranged in line in groups, in particular within a group in vertical or horizontal arrangement, or in an array.

In another embodiment the respective contact pin may comprise further mounting means, like internal screw threads or external screw threads, in particular for the at- tachment of electrical devices as well as for the attachment to the bus bar.

Further advantageously the base body is formed like a wall and is flat. Hereby the laminated busbar can be used as a protection or cover of a cabinet or within a cabinet.

A cabinet, comprising a housing, whereas the housing comprises at least a rear side and a front side to insert modules, is characterized in that the arrangement is arranged on the rear side of the cabinet and/ or forms at least a part of a back wall of the housing, whereas the prefabricated laminated busbar is directed to the front side of the housing and the plate is directed to the back side or rear side. Hereby is ensured an easy arrangement of modules, especially withdrawable modules or plug-in modules, within a cabinet. The modules can be plugged on the pins and the laminated busbar can be designed as a replacement part. The laminated busbar can be designed according to the types and to the number of modules to be used.

Further advantageously at least one module, especially a withdrawable module or at least one plug-in module, is arranged in the housing, whereas the said module is the device which is electrically connected with at least one pin. Such modules can easily be inserted into the cabinet.

Advantageously the housing comprises a back wall which covers the laminated bus bar. Hereby the laminated bus bar is protected from unauthorized access.

Further advantageously the cabinet is a switchgear cabinet or is a low voltage switchgear cabinet. The invention can be used in a low voltage switchgear.

A laminated busbar according to this invention may comprise insulating materials between the conducting layers, whereas the said insulating materials comprise sepa- rate prefabricated sheets and/ or whereas the insulating materials comprise a substance which can be cast to form a solid block when the substance is cured. All the sheets may be composed of one substance or different sheets may be composed of different substances. The front side and the back side of the laminated busbar also may be insulated by insulating materials, namely by said sheets or by a substance which can be cast.

In the drawings: shows a prefabricated laminated busbar with four poles comprising several conducting layers and several insulating sheets, whereas the conducting layers comprise pins, namely contact pins, shows a laminated three pole base version of a prefabricated laminated main busbar, shows a separate neutral conducting layer of a laminated busbar to be completed, shows the prefabricated laminated main busbar according to Fig. 2 combined with the neutral conducting layer according to Fig. 3, so that a required combined laminated busbar is completed, and shows a cabinet, comprising the combined laminated busbar.

Fig. 1 shows a prefabricated laminated busbar 1 ', comprising a flat base body 2 composed of conducting layers 3a-d and insulating materials 4a-c to electrically insulate said conducting layers 3a-d from each other, whereas at least one conducting layer 3a-d has at least one pin 5a-d to allow an electrical contact between the said conducting layer and a device. Fig. 1 shows an example of a laminated busbar 1 ' having four poles. Fig. 1 also shows schematically one possible method to produce such a laminated busbar 1 '. Each conducting layer 3a-d has four pins 5a-d. Some of the conducting layers 3a-d and some of the insulating materials comprise spaces 6 or cavities 7 to allow a reach-through of a pin 5a-d. Further the spaces 6 or cavities can be filled with a resin 8 to fix or mechanically connect conducting layers 3a-d and the insulating materials 4a-c. Each conducting layer 3a-d is a flat sheet and is current-carrying. Electrical current can be introduced by a pin 5a-d which is electrically connected with its associated conducting layer 3a-d. For example pin 5d is associated with conducting layer 3d.

Fig. 2 shows a prefabricated laminated busbar 1 which is in the base version a 3 pole fully insulated sandwich of copper sheets of 0.5 - 5 mm thickness with insulation sheets between the phases as well as on the front and back side. The conducting layers 3b-d of Fig. 1 insofar are copper sheets and the insulating materials 4a-c of Fig. 1 are insofar insulation sheets between the copper sheets. The prefabricated laminated busbar 1 is equipped with three pins 5b-d, namely contact pins, for the three phases to allow a pluggable connection to withdrawable modules or also plug-in modules.

The three pole version of the laminated busbar 1 covers some switchgear applica- tions. Nevertheless there is a need to have four pole busbar versions as well. It is described a scalable laminated busbar 1 , where the standard three pole laminate has got insulated holes 9a in the area where the fourth pole shall be located. This is shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 3 shows the fourth pole to be a single insulated plate 1 a with the neutral pin 5a at the position where the neutral contact of the later on connected module is required. By combining the standard three pole laminate with the separate neutral plate 1 a a four pole version of the laminated busbar 1 is formed. This is shown in Fig. 4. For that the fourth conducting layer 3a will be attached to the back side of the stand- ard laminate. The fixing of the plate 1 a can be done, either by gluing or casting. So a combined laminated bus bar 1 " is created.

Fig. 4 insofar shows an arrangement, comprising a plate 1 a and a prefabricated lam- inated busbar 1 , whereas the prefabricated laminated busbar 1 comprises a base body 2 composed of conducting layers 3b-d and insulating materials 4a-c to electrically insulate said conducting layers 3b-d from each other, whereas at least one conducting layer 3b-d has at least one pin 5b-d to allow an electrical contact between the said conducting layer 3b-d and a device.

The plate 1 a comprises a conducting layer 3a comprising an additional pin 5a, whereas at least one first cutout 9a, hole or void is developed in the base body 2 of the prefabricated laminated busbar 1 to receive said additional pin 5a. The prefabricated laminated busbar 1 comprises three neighbouring pins 5b-d each representing a phase or pole, whereas the additional pin 5a represents a neutral phase or pole and is also neighbouring the said three pins 5b-d of the prefabricated laminated busbar 1 . At least one second cutout 9, 10 or hole or void is developed in the base body 2. This is best shown in Fig. 2 and 4.

At least one third cutout 9b, 10b or hole or void is developed in the plate 1 a, whereas at least one second and at least on third cutout 9, 10, 9b, 10b or hole or void overlap each other and are aligned with each other. This is best shown in Fig. 3 and 4.

All cutouts 9a, 9, 10, 9b, 10b, holes or voids are surrounded by a closed border 9'a, 9', 10', 9'b, 10'b. The inner surface of the borders 9'a, 9', 10', 9'b, 10'b are electrically insulated.

Several cutouts 9, 9b, 10, 10b holes or voids are arranged and each conducting layer 3a-d comprises several pins 5a-d. The base body 2 is formed like a wall and is flat.

Fig. 5 shows a cabinet 13, comprising a housing 14, whereas the housing 14 com- prises at least a rear side 15 and a front side to insert modules 12. An arrangement as described with respect to Fig. 4 is arranged on the rear side 15 of the cabinet 13, whereas the prefabricated laminated busbar 1 is directed to the front side of the housing and the plate 1 a is directed to the back side or rear side 15. So a combined laminated busbar 1 " is used in the cabinet 13.

The combined laminated busbar 1 " is a laminated busbar comprising cutouts 9, 9b, 10, 10b. At least one withdrawable module 12 or at least one plug-in module 12 is arranged in the housing 14, whereas the said module 12 is the device which is elec- trically connected with at least one pin 5a-d.

The housing 14 comprises a back wall 1 6 which covers the laminated bus bar 1 ". The cabinet 14 is a switchgear cabinet and is a low voltage switchgear cabinet. It is described a laminated main busbar system which is located at the back side or rear side 15 of a low voltage switchgear cabinet.

The cable connection area 1 1 in this case is on the back side or rear side 15 of the switchgear cabinet. Cable connection units 17 are positioned in the cutouts 9, 9b, 10, 10b.

The insulation of the laminated busbar 1 " is forming the segregation to the module area in case of rear cable connection. Since the laminated busbar 1 " is fully insulated it is at the same time forming the segregation to a module 12. Nevertheless Fig. 1 shows casting resin, the invention described here is not limited to casting. Embodiments of laminated busbars fabricated without casting are also possible and are also kept in the scope of the claims.

All layers and insulating materials or sheets may be fixed and/ or coated by any pos- sible mechanical or chemical method, especially with or without casting, with or without glueing or with or without epoxy coating.

A module described here may be embodied as a withdrawable module, a plug-in module or a fixed module or fixed device. The scope of the respective claim covers all the aforementioned embodiments of a module.

Reference numbers

1 , 1 ' Prefabricated laminated busbar

1 " Combined laminated busbar

1 a Plate

2 Base body

3a-d Conducting layer

4a-c Insulating material

5a-d Pin

6 Space

7 Cavity

8 Resin

9a First cutout of 1

9'a Border of 9a

9 Second cutout of 1

9' Border of 9

9b Third cutout of 1 a

9'b Border of 9b

10 Second cutout of 1

10' Border of 10

10b Third cutout of 1 a

10'b Border of 10b

1 1 Cable connection area

12 Module

13 Cabinet

14 Housing

15 Rear side

1 6 Back wall

17 Cable connection unit