Conductor assembly for power distribution systems

Abstract

The present invention is entitled "Conductor Assembly for Power Distribution System". This disclosure provides an electrical conductor assembly for use in a power distribution assembly, the electrical conductor assembly including an electrical conductor. A housing covers at least a portion of the electrical conductor. The housing insulates the at least a portion of the electrical conductor.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 62 / 927035, filed on October 28, 2019, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates generally to power distribution systems, and more specifically to flexible conductor base assemblies for power distribution systems. Background Technology

[0004] Electrical installations, such as electrical switching devices or electrical instruments used in power distribution systems, are typically mounted individually on or within electrical enclosures (e.g., but not limited to: panels; load centers; instrumentation circuit breaker panels), or in combination with other electrical instruments or switching devices (e.g., but not limited to circuit switching equipment and circuit breakers (such as circuit breakers), contactors, motor starters, motor controllers, and other load controllers) on or within electrical enclosures. Electrical enclosures are typically coupled to and supported by a structure such as, for example, the walls of a building, and include multiple electrical bus components.

[0005] In industrial applications, available space is limited. Therefore, it is advantageous to design power distribution equipment (such as switchboards) with the smallest possible footprint to maximize space for processing equipment and minimize installation costs. In typical residential and commercial applications, circuit breakers have consistent pole-to-pole spacing because the electromechanical equipment created for one pole is often replicated equally when two, three, or more poles are required. In hazardous locations, those identical circuit breakers are enclosed or packaged to make them suitable for flammable environments. Doing so minimizes the footprint of the enclosure around each circuit breaker, reducing the impact of internal explosions. Therefore, the pole-to-pole spacing of circuit breakers in hazardous areas may not have the consistent pole-to-pole spacing increments of ordinary circuit breakers. Flexible busbars offer significant advantages in manufacturing circuit breaker panel systems with any type of circuit breaker (especially those rated for hazardous areas) or when using designs from different manufacturers within the same panel (where pole-to-pole spacing is inconsistent). Additionally, switchboards typically include at least one rigid busbar serving as an electrical conductor for delivering electricity to electrical switching devices. The rigid nature of busbars limits the placement of switchgear within the switchboard and the types of switchgear that can be used within it. Typical rigid busbars involve multiple connection points, which are expensive to manufacture and increase assembly time. Furthermore, the joints between two attached conductors can increase resistance, creating hot spots within the enclosure, potentially leading to increased maintenance frequency and costs. For example, when a circuit breaker is directly bolted to the busbar, relatively high resistance may exist between these joints. This is... Figure 1A As shown, conductor 1A includes an elongated rigid busbar portion 3A, which has rigid branch conductors 5A attached to the busbar portion by fasteners 7A. This system has increased resistance, resulting in increased heat resistance, leading to higher temperatures or more hot spots, further increasing maintenance frequency and costs. Additionally, due to increased resistance from temperature cycling and temperature rise at connection points, joints may loosen. Loose connections can also lead to arcing, which can be an ignition source in hazardous / flammable environments. The distribution board may also have exposed live conductors, posing a risk of electric shock to operators and maintenance personnel.

[0006] Another example of a rigid conductor component in the prior art is in Figure 1B As shown in the diagram, each conductor 1B includes an elongated rigid central busbar portion 3B and multiple rigid branch portions 5B extending laterally from the central busbar portion. The branch portions 5B are bent to accommodate stacking multiple conductor assemblies on top of each other to distribute electricity across multiple phases. However, the system is configured only to accommodate one switching arrangement and a limited range of switching device types. Additionally, Figure 1B The busbars are arranged for circuit breakers with consistent pole-to-pole spacing. Figure 1BThis busbar is specifically designed for circuit breakers with inconsistent pole-to-pole spacing. However, due to this and its inherent rigidity, the busbar must be replaced if the circuit breaker needs to be replaced. If circuit breakers with different pole numbers are required in the same system, multiple sections must also be spliced ​​together. Therefore, this busbar arrangement requires a unique busbar assembly for each circuit breaker system layout. Consequently, assuming the electrical system requires a new circuit breaker layout for any reason during the system's lifespan, the entire busbar assembly needs to be replaced due to component availability, increasing costs and complicating the planning required for these maintenance events. Furthermore, these logistical challenges impact the production and inventory costs of products not yet configured for customer orders. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In one aspect, an electrical conductor assembly for use in a power distribution assembly typically includes an electrical conductor. A housing covers at least a portion of the electrical conductor. The housing insulates said at least a portion of the electrical conductor.

[0008] On the other hand, power distribution assemblies typically include an enclosure and a flexible electrical conductor disposed within the enclosure. The flexible electrical conductor includes: a main body portion comprising a conductive material; and multiple branch members, also comprising conductive material, extending laterally from the main body portion. Each branch member is selectively bendable and configured for electrical connection to an electrical switching device. Multiple housings cover portions of the flexible electrical conductor. Each housing insulates a portion of the flexible electrical conductor.

[0009] In another aspect, the housing used with the electrical conductor typically includes a first housing member configured to cover at least a first portion of the electrical conductor. A second housing member may be attached to the first housing member and is configured to cover at least a second portion of the electrical conductor. The first and second housing members insulate the at least first and second portions of the electrical conductor. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1A This is a perspective view of a prior art conductor assembly;

[0011] Figure 1B This is a perspective view of another existing conductor assembly;

[0012] Figure 2A It is a perspective view of the power distribution assembly including the encapsulation components;

[0013] Figure 2B yes Figure 2A The front view of the power distribution assembly, with the door and internal cover removed, shows conductors inside the enclosure and connected to multiple switching devices.

[0014] Figure 2C yes Figure 2AThe front view of the power distribution assembly, with the door and internal cover removed, shows conductors within the enclosure that connect to multiple switching devices and fold back into the mounting plate of the enclosure.

[0015] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of a conductor assembly, showing a branch member of the conductor in a bent configuration for attachment to a switching device.

[0016] Figure 4 This is a front view of a segment of the conductor;

[0017] Figure 5 It is a perspective view of a conductor in a curved configuration;

[0018] Figure 6 yes Figure 3 A perspective view of the conductor assembly, showing the branching member in a folded configuration;

[0019] Figure 7 It is a perspective view of a conductor in a folded configuration;

[0020] Figure 8 This is a perspective view of the housing of the conductor assembly;

[0021] Figure 9 This is a front perspective view of the shell components of the housing;

[0022] Figure 10 This is a rear perspective view of the shell structure;

[0023] Figure 11 This is a front view of the shell component; and

[0024] Figure 12 This is a rear view of the shell component.

[0025] Throughout the accompanying drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate the corresponding parts. Detailed Implementation

[0026] See Figures 2A to 3One embodiment of the power distribution assembly is generally shown as 20. The power distribution assembly 20 includes an electrical enclosure, generally shown as 22. The enclosure 22 includes a housing 24, which can be made of any suitable material, such as stainless steel, plastic, etc. The housing 24 may include a door or cover 25 or any other structure for providing access to the internal components of the enclosure 22. The housing 24 may also include an internal cover or a "fixed panel" cover 27 inside the housing. The "fixed panel" cover 27 has a cutout for receiving a switching device 32. An electrical conductor assembly 26 is housed within the enclosure 22 and includes a plurality of electrical conductors 30. The electrical conductors 30 are separated from each other by a housing 33, which mounts the conductors within the enclosure and at least partially covers the conductors to ensure proper electrical spacing within the assembly 26. Therefore, the housing 33 also insulates the conductors 30. In the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of conductors 30 and the plurality of housings 33 form the conductive assembly 26. However, a single electrical conductor 30 and a single housing 33 may also be considered as an electrical conductor assembly.

[0027] Each conductor 30 of conductor assembly 26 is configured to be electrically connected to a plurality of electrical switching devices 32, such as, but not limited to, circuit breakers. In the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of conductors 30 facilitates the distribution of electricity to multiple phases. Although the switching device 32 is described as a circuit breaker, any known or suitable type and / or configuration of electrical switching device may be employed without departing from the scope of this disclosure. For this purpose, conductors 30 enable the combination of devices from different circuit breaker manufacturers with different structures within a single system. Such combination of different circuit breakers is not possible in rigid busbar systems. For this reason, for distribution board systems containing rigid busbars, it is standard practice to specify a single suitable switch manufacturer for use in the system. Conductor assembly 26 of this disclosure alleviates the need for such limitations. In one embodiment, the electrical conductors 30 are electrical buses that carry or transmit voltage, current, or power.

[0028] As used herein, the term “enclosure” means any suitable structure for housing electrical switching devices (e.g., not limited to circuit switching equipment and circuit interrupters (such as circuit breakers), contactors, motor starters, motor controllers and other load controllers), and explicitly includes, but is not limited to, switchboards, load centers and switchgear boxes, as well as other structures or compartments covered with panels, such as, for example, but not limited to, on the walls of a building, on the workpiece of a machine, or in a prepared opening in a vehicle.

[0029] As used herein, the expression “attached” to two or more parts should be understood to mean that the parts are joined together directly or through one or more intermediate parts.

[0030] As used herein, the term "fastener" means any suitable connection or tightening mechanism, including but not limited to rivets, screws, bolts, and combinations of bolts and nuts (e.g., but not limited to lock nuts), and combinations of bolts, washers, and nuts.

[0031] See Figure 4 Each conductor 30 includes a portion of flexible conductor. In the illustrated embodiment, each conductor 30 includes an elongated rigid central conductor portion 35, an elongated flexible central conductor portion 34 attached to the rigid conductor portion, and a plurality of elongated flexible branch members 36 attached to the rigid central conductor portion 35 and extending laterally outward from the rigid central conductor portion. The branch members 36 can be attached to the rigid conductor portion 35 by any suitable means. For example, threaded fasteners, rivets, welding, adhesives, clamps, or any other suitable attachment mechanism can be used to attach the branch members 36 to the rigid conductor portion 35. In the illustrated embodiment, a weld 37 attaches the branch members 36 to the rigid central conductor portion 35. Thus, in one embodiment, the flexible branch members 36 are formed separately from the central conductor portion 35. Alternatively, a housing 33 can be used to attach the branch members 36 and the flexible central conductor portion 34 to the central conductor portion 35, as will be explained in more detail below. Additionally, the branch members 36 can be integrally formed with the central conductor portion 35. Each branch member 36 is configured for electrical connection to a switching device 32. Therefore, each conductor 30 provides a flexible conductive base for multiple electrical connections with different switching devices 32. The elongated rigid center conductor portion 35 and the elongated flexible center conductor portion 34 can be broadly considered as the dominant body portion. Alternatively, only the rigid center conductor portion 35 can be considered as the dominant body portion. Additionally, the entire center conductor portion can be flexible.

[0032] The rigid conductor portion 35, the flexible conductor portion 34, and each flexible branch member 36 each comprise a generally rectangular component. Other configurations of the conductor portions 34, 35, and branch members 36 are also contemplated without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Figure 4 The diagram shows three (3) branch members 36 extending vertically outward from opposite sides of the rigid central conductor portion 35, and... Figure 5Eleven (11) branch members 36 are shown in the figure. It should be understood that other numbers of branch members 36 are also contemplated. Furthermore, the central conductor portion 34 can be shortened or lengthened to accommodate the desired number of branch members 36. In addition, although each branch member 36 is shown as extending laterally from both sides of the rigid conductor portion 35, one or more branch members can be separated into two separate branch members and suitably attached to opposite sides of the rigid conductor portion. As shown, portions of the branch members 36 on one side of the central conductor portion 34 are aligned along the longitudinal axis of the central conductor portion with portions of the branch members on the opposite side of the central conductor portion. Alternatively, one or more branch members can be staggered or offset relative to the branch members on the opposite side of the rigid central conductor portion along the longitudinal axis of the rigid central conductor portion 35.

[0033] The rigid center conductor portion 35 may include a standard copper busbar component, and the flexible center conductor portion 34 and branch component 36 may each include multiple laminated conductive material layers, such as copper, aluminum, or any other suitable conductive material. The conductive material layers may also be plated with the same conductive material or another conductive material, such as tin, silver, aluminum, or any other suitable conductive coating. It should be understood that the center conductor portions 34, 35, and branch component 36 may have transitional configurations without departing from the scope of this disclosure. An insulating cover or sleeve 40 surrounds the flexible center conductor portion 34 and flexible branch component 36 of the conductor 30. In the illustrated embodiment, the cover 40 surrounds the main portion of the flexible center conductor portion 34 and branch component 36, but not their entirety. As shown, the cover 40 substantially surrounds the entirety of the flexible center conductor portion 34, but does not cover the free end portion 42 of the flexible center conductor portion. Figure 5 Similarly, the cover 40 substantially surrounds the entire branch member 36, but does not cover the free end portion 44 of the branch member. The exposed free end portions 42, 44 are configured for electrical connection with the switching device 32. For example, a main circuit breaker may be electrically connected to the free end portion 42 of the flexible center conductor portion 34, and a branch circuit breaker may be electrically connected to the free end portion 44 of the branch member 36. See also Figure 4The cap 50 may cover the free end portions 44 of at least some of the branch members 36. For example, the cap 50 may be placed on the free end portions 44 of the branch members 36 that are not connected to the switching device 32. The cover 40 and the cap 50 may be formed by overmolding or by extrusion. In one embodiment, the cover 40 surrounding the central conductor portion 34 of the conductor 30 is overmolded onto the conductor, and the cover surrounding the branch member 36 is extruded. However, without departing from the scope of this disclosure, all covers 40 may be overmolded or extruded. Suitable materials for forming the covers 40 include, but are not limited to, thermoplastics, including polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and saniprid.

[0034] Alternatively, although the insulating material of the cover 40 is shown as part, but not all, of the conductive material covering the conductor 30, the insulating material of the cover 40 may extend over the entirety of the central conductor portion 34 and / or one or more branch members 36. In this case, a portion of the cover 40 may be removed from the central conductor portion 34 and / or one or more branch members 36 to expose the conductive material for connection to the switching device 32.

[0035] Branch member 36 is selectively bendable, allowing it to bend in a first configuration to accommodate a first switching device arrangement, and subsequently in a second or more configurations different from the first to accommodate a second or more switching device arrangements. Therefore, branch member 36 is elastically deformable. The center conductor portion 34 can also be elastically deformable. Conductor 30 (including center conductor portion 34 and branch member 36) can be bent or folded and / or twisted about multiple axes to configure the conductor in a desired configuration for a specific application. Bending, folding, and / or twisting can be performed manually by the end user. Therefore, conductor 30 can be configured as needed to accommodate switching devices 32 of different sizes and shapes. Furthermore, as will be explained in more detail below, the flexibility of conductor 30 allows switching devices 32 to be properly positioned when multiple conductors are stacked on top of each other within the package 22 for distributing electricity to multiple phases.

[0036] See Figure 6 and Figure 7 Branch members 36 not connected to the switching device 32 may be bent or otherwise removed from the area of ​​other branch members to provide additional space within the enclosure for the switching device and to further insulate the exposed conductor ends from maintenance personnel. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, unused branch members 36 may be bent rearward toward the housing 33, and free end portions 44 may be inserted into the housing to shield the free ends of the branch members, as will be explained in more detail below.

[0037] like Figure 2B , Figure 3 and Figure 6 As shown, the flexible and insulated configuration of conductor assembly 26 also facilitates stacking two or more conductors on top of each other to configure the distribution assembly for delivering power to multiple phases. In this arrangement, a first conductor 30 mounted within a first housing 33 can be configured to distribute power of the first phase to a first set of switching devices 32 in the package 22; a second conductor 30 mounted within a second housing 33 and generally positioned above the first conductor can be configured to distribute power of the second phase to a second set of switching devices 32 in the package; a third conductor 30 mounted within a third housing 33 and generally positioned above the second conductor can be configured to distribute power of the third phase to a third set of switching devices 32 in the package, and so on. With conductors 30 stacked on top of each other, branch members 36 may not be perfectly aligned with the corresponding switching devices 32. This is particularly true for multi-pole circuit breakers 32. Figure 2B 32 two-pole circuit breakers were identified. (2p) and 3-pole circuit breaker 32 (3p) The flexible configuration of conductor 30 and, in particular, branch member 36, by bending, twisting, or otherwise manipulating the branch member to connect with the switching device, allows for continued connection with the switching device (including multi-pole circuit breaker 32). (2p) 32 (3p) They are electrically connected together. The housing 33 surrounding each conductor in the conductor 30 insulates each conductor from any other conductor within the package 22, thereby allowing the conductors 30 to be placed on top of each other without any interference between them.

[0038] See Figure 3 and Figures 8 to 12 Each housing 33 covers a portion of one conductor in the conductor 30 to cover the exposed conductor portion (i.e., the portion not covered by the cover 40), thereby forming a touch safety barrier on the conductor, allowing maintenance personnel to safely access the package 22. The housing 33 also spaces the conductor 30 from the other conductors in the package 22, preventing electrical interference between the conductors in the conductor assembly 26. Each housing 33 includes a first housing member 41 and a second housing member 41 attachable to the first housing member. The housing members 41 are configured such that a portion of the conductor 30 can be disposed between the housing members, and the housing members can be attached to each other to cover that portion of the conductor. Additionally, fasteners (not shown) may extend through the housing 33 and engage the rear surface of the package 22 to mount the housing 33 and the conductor 30 within the package. In one embodiment, the housing member 41 is typically a rigid structure.

[0039] The first and second housing members 41 are structurally identical and each comprises a generally elongated plate-like configuration. Each housing member 41 includes a body 43 comprising a body portion 45 and an extension portion 47 extending from the bottom end of the body portion. The body portion 45 has an elongated octagonal shape. However, other shapes and configurations are also within the scope of this disclosure. The extension portion 47 includes a first extension portion 49 and a second extension portion 51 extending from the first extension portion. The second extension portion 51 descends in a stepped manner from the first extension portion 49, thereby forming a shoulder 53 between these extension portions. The body 43, including the body portion 45 and the extension portion 47, has an inner surface 55 and an outer surface 57. A hole 59 extends from the outer surface 57 through the body 43 to the inner surface 55. The hole 59 allows fasteners to extend through the housing 33 to attach the housing to the package 22. In the illustrated embodiment, four (4) holes 59 are present. However, any number of holes may be present without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Additionally, the holes can be omitted, and the housing can be mounted to the package using other means.

[0040] Each housing member 41 has a body 43 defining a hole alignment structure around each hole 59 at an inner surface 55 and an outer surface 57. A first hole alignment structure 61 is located on the outer surface 57 of the housing member 41 and is disposed around the top two holes 59. The first hole alignment structure 61 includes an annular protrusion 63 extending outward from the outer surface 57 and configuring the top two holes 59 as countersunk holes on the outer surface of the housing member 41. Thus, the first hole alignment structure 61 includes a flat-bottomed hole portion 65 that enlarges another coaxial hole portion. A second hole alignment structure 67 is located on the outer surface 57 of the housing member 41 and is disposed around the bottom two holes 59. The second hole alignment structure 67 includes an annular protrusion 69 extending outward from the outer surface 57 and an annular recess 71 disposed around the annular protrusion 69 in the outer surface. The second hole alignment structure 67 (and specifically, the annular protrusion 69) also configures the bottom two holes 59 as countersunk holes on the outer surface of the housing member 41. The third hole alignment structure 73 is located on the inner surface 55 of the housing member 41 and is disposed around the two left-side holes 59 in the housing member (as viewed from the outer surface 57). The third hole alignment structure 73 includes an annular protrusion 75 extending inward from the inner surface 55 and an annular recess 77 disposed in the inner surface and around the annular protrusion 75. The third hole alignment structure 73 (and specifically, the annular protrusion 75) configures the two left-side holes 59 (as viewed from the outer surface 57) as countersunk holes on the inner surface of the housing member 41. The fourth hole alignment structure 79 is located on the inner surface 55 of the housing member 41 and is disposed around the two right-side holes 59 in the housing member 41 (as viewed from the outer surface 57). The fourth hole alignment structure 79 includes a first annular protrusion 81 extending inward from the inner surface 55 and a second annular protrusion 83 extending inward from the inner surface and disposed around the first annular protrusion 81, thereby forming an annular base plate 85 between the two protrusions. It should be understood that the hole alignment structure may have other configurations without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, the hole alignment structure can be omitted.

[0041] See Figure 10 and Figure 12A longitudinal channel 91 is formed in the inner surface 55 of the body 43, and the longitudinal channel extends longitudinally along the body between opposite ends of the body. The size and shape of the longitudinal channel 91 are configured to receive the central conductor portion 35 of the conductor 30. For example, the width of the longitudinal channel 91 may be slightly larger than the width of the central conductor portion 35, such that the central conductor portion is securely held within the channel. The longitudinal channel 91 has a first portion 93, a second portion 95, and a third portion 97, the first portion extending from near the top end of the housing member 41 toward the bottom end of the housing member, the second portion extending from the bottom end of the housing member toward the top end of the housing member, and the third portion between the first and second portions. The first portion 93 is recessed below the second portion, such that the portion of the longitudinal channel 91 at the first portion is deeper than the portion of the longitudinal channel at the second portion. As will be explained in more detail below, when multiple housings are joined together in a linear arrangement, the recessed first portion 93 provides a gap between the central conductor portion 35 and the extension portion 47 of the housing member 41 of another housing 33.

[0042] A transverse channel 99 is formed in the inner surface 55 of the body 43, and this transverse channel extends laterally through the body between opposite sides. The transverse channel 99 is sized and shaped to receive branch members 36 of the conductor 30. For example, the width of the transverse channel 99 may be slightly larger than the width of the branch member 36, such that the branch member is securely held within the channel. A clamp 101 is provided in the transverse channel 99 on opposite sides of the longitudinal channel 91. The clamp 101 is configured to engage the branch member 36, and specifically engage the cover 40 on the branch member to prevent the cover from slipping. In the illustrated embodiment, the clamp 101 includes a bar extending the entire width of the transverse channel 99. However, the clamp 101 may have other configurations without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0043] See Figures 8 to 10The clamping arms 103 extend from the right side of the body 43 (as viewed from the front of the housing member 41) toward the inner surface 55 of the housing member 41. Each clamping arm 103 includes an arm member 105 and a fastener 107 extending laterally from the arm member 105. A slot 109 is formed on the left side of the body 43 (as viewed from the front of the housing member 41), and the slot is sized and shaped to receive a clamping arm 103 of another housing member 41 for attaching the housing members together to form a housing 33. Each fastener 107 has an angled surface 111 that is configured to engage the ramp surface 113 in the slot 109 when the clamping arm is inserted into the slot. Once fully inserted into the slot 109, the fastener 107 clamps onto the surface of the body 43 adjacent to the slot to secure the housing members 41 together. It should be understood that the clamping arms 103 may have other configurations without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Additionally, without departing from the scope of this disclosure, the housing members 41 may be attached to each other in other ways. Furthermore, without departing from the scope of this disclosure, other suitable configurations of the housing 33 and other means for mounting the conductor 30 in the package 22 may also be incorporated.

[0044] See Figure 3A conductor assembly 26 is formed by receiving a conductor 30 between two housing members 41 and securing the housing members together around the conductor. A central conductor portion 35 of the conductor 30 is received in a longitudinal channel 91 of the housing member 41, and branch members 36 of the conductor are received in a transverse channel 99. The longitudinal channels 91 together form a longitudinal passage for receiving the central conductor portion 35, and the transverse channels 99 together form a transverse passage for receiving the branch members 36. To align the housing members 41 relative to each other for attachment, hole alignment structures 73, 79 on the inner surfaces 55 of the housing members are aligned and engaged to guide the housing members into a fixed engagement. In one embodiment, a third hole alignment structure 73 surrounding the two holes 59 on the left side of the first housing member 41 mates with a fourth hole alignment structure 79 surrounding the two holes on the right side of the second housing member 41. Specifically, an annular protrusion 75 of the third hole alignment structure 73 is inserted between the first annular protrusion 81 and the second annular protrusion 83 of the fourth hole alignment structure 79 and positioned on a base plate 85 between the first and second protrusions. The first annular protrusion 81 of the fourth hole alignment structure 79 is simultaneously positioned on the countersunk hole of the third hole alignment structure 73. During the placement of the annular protrusions 75, 81, and 83, the clamping arm 103 is fully inserted into the slot 109, whereby the fastener 107 clamps onto the surface of the body 43 adjacent to the slot and secures the housing members together. Thus, the conductor 30 is securely held within the housing 33 formed by the two housing members 41. For example, the surface of the longitudinal channel 91 engages at least a portion of the central conductor portion 35 to hold the central conductor in place. The clamp 101 in the transverse channel 99 engages the branch member 36 to secure the branch member in place. More specifically, the clamp 101 engages the cover 40 of the branch member 36 to prevent the cover from slipping. If the branch member 36 and / or the flexible central conductor portion 34 were not previously attached to the rigid central conductor portion 35, attaching the housing members 41 to each other can also attach the conductor portions together. The transverse channel 99 also provides open space for the end of the branch member 36 not attached to the switching device to fold it back and insert it into the housing, so that the exposed end 44 is shielded by the housing to prevent contact with the user. Figure 6 and Figure 7 This arrangement is illustrated. In one embodiment, the free end of the branch member 36 is held in the transverse channel 99 by a pressure fit. Alternatively, a slot 112 in the mounting plate 114 of the package 22 may receive the exposed end 44 of the branch member 36 that is not connected to the circuit breaker 32, so that the end of the branch member is insulated from the user. Figure 2C ).

[0045] Two or more housings 33 can also be connected to each other in a linear manner, such as Figure 3 and Figure 6As shown. For example, an extension 47 of the housing member 41 of the first housing 33 is received in the top of the second housing 33 between the two housing members forming the second housing, to connect the first housing to the top of the second housing. A shoulder 53 between the first extension 49 and the second extension 51 of the extension 47 of the first housing 33 abuts against a stop 115 placed on the inner surface 55 of the housing member 41 of the second housing 33 to properly position the first housing in the second housing. With the extension member 47 of the first housing 33 located between the housing members 41 of the second housing 33, when the housing members of the second housing are secured together, the first housing will be captured between the housing members of the second housing, thereby connecting the first housing and the second housing together. Overlapping the housings 33 in this way further ensures that leakage and clearance requirements are met by insulating the intersection between the housings. This process can be repeated to connect any desired number of housings 33 together. The housings 33 may also be connected to each other in other ways without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0046] Two or more shells 33 can also be stacked and connected to each other, such as Figure 3 and Figure 6 As shown. For example, the second hole alignment structure 67 of the bottom two holes 59 on the outer surface 57 of the bottom housing member 41 of the first housing 33 can mate with the corresponding first hole alignment structure 61 of the top two holes 59 on the outer surface 57 of the top housing member 41 of the second housing 33 to stack the first housing on top of the second housing. Specifically, the annular protrusion 69 of the second hole alignment structure 67 will be received in the countersunk hole 59 of the first hole alignment structure 61, such that the annular protrusion is positioned on the flat-bottom hole portion 65, and the annular protrusion 63 of the first hole alignment structure will be received in the annular recess 71 of the second hole alignment structure, thereby holding the housings 33 in place at least temporarily. Fasteners can then be inserted through at least one hole in the holes 59 to secure the housings 33 to the package 22, thereby securing the housings to each other. This will also cause the first housing and the second housing 33 to be slightly interleaved or offset, so that the second housing extends below the first housing and the first housing extends above the second housing. Therefore, the branch member 36 associated with the first housing 33 will be deviated from the branch member 36 associated with the second housing 33, which allows the use of multiple phases in the conductor assembly 26. This process can be repeated to stack any desired number of housings 33 on top of each other. Without departing from the scope of this disclosure, the housings 33 may also be stacked on top of each other in other ways.

[0047] The ability to connect multiple housings 33 together in a linear configuration and to stack multiple housings on top of each other configures the power distribution assembly 20 for delivering electricity to multiple phases. Specifically, multiple conductors 30 may be mounted in the package 22 and separated by insulating housings 33 for delivering electricity to multiple phases. Thus, a first conductor 30 may be configured to distribute electricity of a first phase to a first set of switching devices 32 in the package 22, a second conductor 30 may be configured to distribute electricity of a second phase to a second set of switching devices 32 in the package, and a third conductor 30 may be configured to distribute electricity of a third phase to a third set of switching devices 32 in the package. The housings 33 and insulating covers 40 insulate each conductor from the other conductors of the conductor assembly 26, thereby allowing the conductors 30 to be stacked on top of each other without any interference between phases. Thus, when the conductors 30 are stacked on top of each other, the housings 33 prevent short circuits between phases. It is conceivable that, without departing from the scope of this disclosure, the conductor assembly 26 may have different numbers of conductors 30 for distributing electricity to different numbers of phases.

[0048] The invention has been described in detail, and it will be apparent that modifications and variations may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

[0049] Since various changes can be made to the above-described construction and methods without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all content contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings should be interpreted as illustrative rather than restrictive.

Claims

1. An electrical conductor assembly for use in a power distribution assembly, comprising: Electrical conductor; The electrical conductor includes a main body portion and at least one branch member, the at least one branch member extending laterally from the main body portion, and A housing that covers at least a portion of the electrical conductor, the housing insulates the at least a portion of the electrical conductor, the housing including a first passage for receiving the main body portion and a second passage for receiving the at least one branch member; as well as A clamp disposed in the second passage and configured to engage with the at least one branch member.

2. The conductor assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing is rigid.

3. The conductor assembly of claim 1, wherein the electrical conductor comprises a flexible electrical conductor, the flexible electrical conductor comprising: The main body portion includes a conductive material; and at least one branch member, the at least one branch member comprising a conductive material, the at least one branch member extending laterally from the main body portion, the branch member being selectively bendable and configured for electrical connection to an electrical switching device.

4. The conductor assembly of claim 3, wherein the conductive material of the at least one branch member comprises a plurality of laminated conductive material layers.

5. The conductor assembly of claim 3, further comprising an insulating element disposed around the at least one branch member.

6. The conductor assembly of claim 5, wherein the insulating element is disposed only around a portion of the at least one branch member, such that the free end of the at least one branch member is exposed and without insulating element.

7. The conductor assembly of claim 6, wherein the free end of the at least one branch member is configured to fold back into the second passage to shield the free end within the housing.

8. The conductor assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a first housing member and a second housing member attached to each other.

9. The conductor assembly of claim 8, wherein the first housing member and the second housing member each have a mating alignment structure to properly position the housing members relative to each other for attaching the housing members to each other.

10. The conductor assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing defines at least one aperture for receiving a fastener to mount the conductor assembly in the package.

11. The conductor assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing has an alignment structure for linearly attaching the housing to another housing, such that an extension of a housing member of the housing is received in the top of the other housing, between the two housing members forming the other housing, to connect the housing to the top of the other housing.

12. A power distribution component, comprising: Package components; A flexible electrical conductor disposed within the package, the flexible electrical conductor comprising: a single dominant body portion comprising a conductive material; and a plurality of branch members comprising conductive material, the plurality of branch members extending laterally from the dominant body portion, each branch member being selectively bendable and configured for electrical connection to an electrical switching device; and Multiple housings cover portions of the flexible electrical conductor, each housing insulates a portion of the flexible electrical conductor, and each housing includes a first passage for receiving the main body portion and a second passage for receiving one of the branch members.

13. The component of claim 12, wherein each housing is rigid.

14. The component of claim 12, wherein the component is configured to distribute electricity in a plurality of phases.

15. A housing for use with an electrical conductor, the housing comprising: A first housing member, the first housing member being configured to cover at least a first portion of the electrical conductor; and A second housing member, which can be attached to the first housing member and is configured to cover at least a second portion of the electrical conductor, wherein the first housing member and the second housing member insulate the at least first portion and the at least second portion of the electrical conductor, each of the first housing member and the second housing member includes a first passage for receiving a main conductor portion of the electrical conductor and a second passage for receiving a branch member extending from the main conductor portion, and a clamp disposed in the second passage and configured to engage with the branch member.

16. The housing according to claim 15, wherein the first housing member and the second housing member are rigid.

17. The housing of claim 15, wherein the first housing member and the second housing member each have a mating alignment structure to properly position the housing members relative to each other for attaching the housing members to each other.

18. The housing of claim 15, wherein the first housing member and the second housing member each define at least one hole for receiving a fastener to mount the housing in an encapsulation.

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