Manual operating multiway switch for electrical street cabinets

Abstract

This invention relates to a manually operated multiplexer for a terminal block installed in an electrical junction box. Preferably, the electrical junction box is installed in a low-voltage power distribution network.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to a manually operated multiplexer for electrical terminal blocks. Such terminal blocks are suitable for installation in electrical junction boxes in low-voltage power distribution networks.

[0002] The terminal block includes a fixed frame structure in which multiple electrode terminals are inserted in an orderly manner.

[0003] Each electrode terminal includes an electrical input port for connecting a cable.

[0004] The electrical input port is then electrically connected to the input connector.

[0005] The electrode terminal also includes an output connector. A physical gap exists between the input connector and the output connector, which defines the electrical disconnect between the two connectors.

[0006] In addition, each electrode terminal includes a slider that is slidably connected to the fixed frame structure of the terminal block. The slider can move between two positions: one position in which the slider is in physical contact with both the input connector and the output connector, defining a bridge between them that functionally bridges the gap; and the other position in which the slider is in physical contact only with the output connector; in this position, it goes without saying that the input connector and the output connector remain spaced apart.

[0007] When the slider contacts both connectors simultaneously, the electrode terminals are electrically closed, allowing power conducted by the cable to pass through to the downstream electrical equipment on the terminal block. When the slider contacts only the input connector, the gap between the two connectors is maintained, thus the electrode terminals are electrically open, preventing power conducted by the cable from passing through to the downstream electrical equipment on the terminal block.

[0008] Regarding the terminal blocks themselves, currently, the electrical closing and / or opening of each individual electrode terminal is performed manually.

[0009] It should be noted that the terms “electrode terminal disconnected” or “electrode terminal closed” will be used below, or the terms “electrode terminal disconnected” or “electrode terminal connected” may be used.

[0010] Now, to be more specific, in order to close or disconnect each electrode terminal of the terminal block, the operator must first open the electrical box and completely remove all safety protections.

[0011] Taking the case where the operator must close the electrode terminals as an example, the operator should move the slider to the electrically closed position, that is, the position where the slider is in contact with both the input connector and the output connector while the terminal block is exposed.

[0012] In order to move the slider, the operator must manually move it until it reaches the desired position, bridging the two connectors, and then securely lock it in this position.

[0013] For example, in order to lock the slider, the operator must tighten one or more screws, which force the slider against the connector by pressing their heads against the slider itself, thereby preventing further and / or unwanted sliding.

[0014] Alternatively, to disconnect the electrode terminals, the operator must loosen one or more screws locking the slider and move the slider to break the electrical connection bridge between the two input and output connectors.

[0015] Clearly, depending on the electrical configuration required, these operations must be repeated for each electrode terminal of the terminal block.

[0016] Because they involve multiple steps that are manually repeated for each individual electrode terminal, these operations are obviously lengthy and laborious.

[0017] Furthermore, such operations are inherently risky because they pose obvious dangers to operators; even worse, because safety protection has been removed, operators are at risk of electric shock or other injuries.

[0018] Furthermore, since each electrode terminal must be operated individually, it may be necessary to disconnect all electrode terminals on the terminal block to achieve a complete electrical disconnection from downstream equipment. This requires a significant amount of intervention time, which could pose problems if rapid disconnection of equipment is required. Clearly, the same problem will arise in the reverse case when the terminal block is connected as a whole.

[0019] The purpose of this invention is to find solutions to these problems and accelerate the closing / opening operation of individual electrode terminals and terminal blocks as a whole.

[0020] Another objective is to provide a terminal block that allows for the disconnection / closing of electrode terminals under operator-safe conditions.

[0021] The features and advantages of the terminal blocks according to the invention will become more apparent from the following description of embodiments thereof, which is illustrative and not restrictive, and refers to the accompanying drawings, wherein: - Figure 1 A four-pole terminal block is shown; - Figure 2 The protective elements have been removed to allow for a clearer view of the four-pole terminal block, where the electrode terminals of the terminal block are visible. - Figure 3The electrode terminals of the terminal block are shown in detail, including the terminal block base which has been removed for clarity; Figure 3 In the middle, the electrode terminal is electrically disconnected, and the slider of the electrode terminal is placed in the first position; - Figure 4 It shows Figure 3 The electrode terminals are in an electrically closed state, with the slider in the second position; - Figure 5 It shows from another perspective Figure 4 Terminal blocks in the middle; - Figure 6 A view of a terminal block with a protective cover installed is shown; and - Figure 7 An overall view of the terminal block with its protective housing installed is shown.

[0022] Referring to these figures, the terminal block according to the present invention includes a fixed frame structure 1, or base 1, in which a plurality of electrode terminals 2, or simply electrode terminals or circuits, are inserted in an orderly manner.

[0023] Referring to the accompanying drawings, ordered insertion means that the electrode terminals are arranged in an ordered array, one after another, separated by non-conductive partitions 10 belonging to the fixed frame structure. Furthermore, the fixed frame structure defines circuits or channels between pairs of consecutive partitions 10, which define a longitudinal axis X, within which each electrode terminal is accommodated.

[0024] Obviously, other configurations and settings can be arranged, so the architecture just described and shown in the diagram should not be considered restrictive.

[0025] Each electrode terminal 2 includes an electrical input port 20 for connecting cable C.

[0026] The electrical input port 20 is then electrically connected to the input connector 21.

[0027] The electrode terminal also includes an output connector 22.

[0028] The input connector 21 and the output connector 22 are made of conductive material.

[0029] Output connector 22 is then connected to an electrical output port (not shown), which is connected to the electrical equipment downstream of the terminal block.

[0030] A gap 23 exists between the input connector and the output connector. The gap 23 prevents physical contact between the connectors, thereby preventing their electrical connection.

[0031] In addition, each electrode terminal 2 includes a bridge element 24 that is movable between: - a first electrically disconnected position of the electrode terminal, wherein the bridge element is in physical contact with only one connector or not in contact with any connector; and - a second electrically closed position of the electrode terminal, wherein the bridge element is in physical contact with both the input connector 21 and the output connector 22, thereby functionally bridging the gap 23.

[0032] In the first position, electrode terminal 2 is electrically disconnected, that is, it prevents the power conducted by cable C from being transmitted to downstream electrical equipment.

[0033] In the second position, the electrode terminals are electrically closed, allowing the power conducted by the cable to be transmitted to downstream electrical equipment.

[0034] The bridge element 24 is made of conductive material.

[0035] In this embodiment, the bridge element is a slider 24. The slider 24 is slidably connected to the fixed frame structure 1 of the terminal block. Specifically, each slider 24 is slidably engaged on a continuous pair of partitions.

[0036] The slider 24 can slide between a first position and a second position. In the second position, the slider is in physical contact with both the input connector 21 and the output connector 22.

[0037] When the slider 24 simultaneously contacts the two connectors 21 and 22 in the second position, the electrode terminals are electrically closed, allowing the power conducted by the cable to flow to the outlet.

[0038] In the first position, the gap 23 between the two connectors 21 and 22 is maintained, so the electrode terminal 2 is electrically disconnected, that is, power is prevented from being conducted through the cable C.

[0039] In the first position, as shown in the example, the slider 24 is in physical contact only with the input connector 21. Obviously, other solutions can be considered where the slider 24 may not contact any connector or may only contact the output connector.

[0040] Each slider 24 also has a through-hole receiving portion 240 for the passage of the rod 40 of at least one screw 4. In the described solution, the through-hole receiving portion 240 can accommodate the rods of two screws 4.

[0041] The through-hole receiving portion 240 is arranged according to the transverse axis Y, that is, perpendicular to the extension direction of the electrode terminal channel.

[0042] The screw is threaded into the input connector 21 or the output connector 22.

[0043] When at least one screw 4 is tightened, one of its heads 41 abuts against the slider 24, forcing the slider against the connector itself. Thus, by means of this tightening action, the slider is locked in the desired position.

[0044] In the solution shown in the image, each slider accommodates two screws, with the first screw 40a engaging with the input connector 21 and the second screw 40b engaging with the output connector 22.

[0045] The first screw 40a also serves as a stop for the sliding member. When the sliding member reaches the second position (or the electrically closed position of the electrode terminal), the first screw abuts against the bottom portion 240a of the through hole receiving portion 240.

[0046] In the example shown in the image, the slider has a substantially parallel hexahedral shape; therefore, it has at least two mutually perpendicular faces, a longitudinally arranged face 241 and a transversely arranged face 242.

[0047] The longitudinal arrangement surface (or upper surface 241) is the surface where one or more screw heads abut.

[0048] The lateral arrangement surface (or bottom surface 242) is arranged at least substantially perpendicular to the input connector.

[0049] According to an aspect of the invention, the terminal block includes a manually operated multiplexer 3, which allows control of the opening and / or closing of a functional group comprising at least two of the electrode terminals.

[0050] For this purpose, the multiplexer 3 is manually operated to control the sliding movement of two or more bridge elements 24 associated with two or more electrode terminals of the functional group.

[0051] The movement of the manual operation of the multiplexer 3 simultaneously drives the synchronous and uniform movement of the 24 groups of bridge elements, thereby simultaneously acting on each electrode terminal 2 associated with each element in the group.

[0052] In the preferred embodiment, the four bridge elements 24 are operated by manually operating the multiplexer, thus simultaneously opening / closing the four electrode terminals.

[0053] In the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, the manually operated multiplexer 3 includes a body 30 connected to each of the sliders 24. The body 30 then has a handle 31 made of a non-conductive material.

[0054] In the example shown in the accompanying drawings, the body 30 also includes a guide rail 30a for sliding engagement with the partition 10. Therefore, the switch is slidably engaged with the base 1.

[0055] The main body 30 is L-shaped, meaning it has two parts: a longitudinal part 300 and a transverse part 301, which are respectively arranged on the longitudinal surface and the bottom surface of the slider. The manual operation of the multiplexer activates the sliding movement of two or more sliders by applying a pushing action to each bottom surface 242.

[0056] Typically, the body 30 can be directly connected to the slider 24 as an integral part. For example, this connection can be achieved through a joint or threaded engagement.

[0057] To allow access to the head of each screw 40 with a suitable tool (e.g., a screwdriver), a through hole 302 is provided on the longitudinal portion 300 of the body.

[0058] Based on the above, the method for connecting terminal blocks includes the following steps: - Move the manually operated multiplexer of the terminal block to simultaneously close and / or open all electrode terminals of the functional group; - Lock the manual operation multiplexer in place.

[0059] The step of locking the switch in place is achieved by simultaneously tightening the screw acting on the slider 24 in one step.

[0060] Similarly, if it is necessary to move the switch to the disconnected position of the terminal block, the operator can loosen all the screws acting on the slider 24 in one step, so that the slider assembly can slide freely, thereby allowing the switch to be properly positioned to interrupt the electrical connection, i.e., by moving the handle 31 by translational movement.

[0061] The terminal block may also include one or more manually operated multiplexers, depending on the number of connected electrode terminals and downstream electrical equipment. Figure 1 or Figure 7 In the example, the terminal block has three manually operated multiplexers.

[0062] Based on the terminal block solution described herein, electrical protection devices can also be installed for operators, which represent an improvement over existing technologies. Specifically, Figure 6 A protective cover 5 covering the terminal block is shown. This cover is fixed and has at least one notch 50 to accommodate the sliding of a manually operated multiplexer 3, which protrudes from the outside of the cover only via a handle 31. The cover 5 also has holes 51 to allow access to the heads of screws (or single screws) with appropriate tools. A protective housing 6 can be mounted on the cover to completely cover the switch handle, thus achieving complete isolation of the terminal block. This protective housing is removable when the operator needs to operate the switch while opening / closing the terminal block. The housing 6 can also be made of a transparent material to allow observation of one or more switches and their location.

[0063] The protective cover 5 is also detachably installed to allow operators (e.g., in special maintenance situations) to access conductive parts, including input and output connectors, sliders, etc.

[0064] The terminal block described in this invention has several advantages.

[0065] By acting simultaneously on all relevant electrode terminals, it ensures that the operator can safely and quickly disconnect / connect the function group without having to operate on individual electrode terminals as in existing technologies. This ensures higher operating speed, greater operator safety, and better control over the accuracy of the operation.

[0066] The protective cover and protective shell 6 significantly enhance operator safety. In particular, the protective cover prevents all exposed parts (here, the handle) from conducting electricity, while conductive parts remain shielded by the cover, thus reducing, for example, the risk of accidental electric sparks to the operator.

[0067] Up to this point, the present invention has been described with reference to its preferred embodiments. It should be understood that other embodiments belonging to the same inventive core may exist, all of which fall within the protection scope of the claims described below.

Claims

1. An electrical terminal block comprising a fixed frame structure (1) and a plurality of electrode terminals (2) inserted in an ordered manner into the frame structure (1), each electrode terminal comprising: - Input port (20) for connecting cable (C) to the electrode terminals, - Input connector (21), electrically connected to the input port (20); - Output connector (22); - A gap (23) is defined between the input connector (21) and the output connector (22); - A bridge element (24) movable between: a first electrically disconnected position of the electrode terminals (2), wherein the bridge element (24) physically contacts only one connector (21, 22) or does not contact any connector; and a second electrically closed position of the electrode terminals (2), wherein the bridge element physically contacts both the input connector (21) and the output connector (22), thereby functionally bridging the gap (23). The terminal block is characterized in that it further includes at least one manually operated multiplexer (3) connecting two or more of the bridge elements (24) so ​​as to move them uniformly and simultaneously between the open position and the electrically closed position of the electrode terminals.

2. The electrical terminal array of claim 1, wherein, The manually operated multiplexer operates on four electrode terminals.

3. The electrical terminal array of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The bridge element is a slider (24) that is slidably engaged with the fixed frame structure between the first position and the second position.

4. The electrical terminal array of claim 3, wherein, In the first position, the slider (24) is in contact with the input connector (21).

5. The electrical terminal array of claim 3 or 4, wherein, The slider (24) includes a through-hole receiving portion (240) through which a rod (40) for at least one screw (4) passes.

6. The electrical terminal array of claim 5, wherein, Each slider includes two screws: a first screw (40a) that engages the input connector (21) and a second screw (40b) that engages the output connector (22).

7. The electrical terminal array of claim 6, wherein, The first screw (40a) is a sliding limit stop for the slider. When the slider is in the second position, the slider abuts against the bottom portion (240a) of the through hole receiving portion (240).

8. The electrical terminal array of any one of claims 5-7, wherein, The manually operated multiplexer includes a body (30) connected to each of the two or more sliders (24).

9. The electrical terminal array of claim 8, wherein, The main body also includes a guide rail (30a) for sliding engagement with the fixed frame structure.

10. The electrical terminal array of claim 8 or 9, wherein, The portion of the body disposed at the through-hole receiving portion has a through-hole (302) to allow a tool to access the head of the at least one screw.

11. The electrical terminal block according to any one of the preceding claims further includes a protective cover (5) covering the terminal block, the one or more manually operated multiple switches protruding outward from the protective cover (5) by their respective non-conductive grips (31), the protective cover (5) including at least one notch (50) to allow the at least one manually operated multiple switch to slide.

12. The electrical terminal array of claim 11, wherein, A housing (6) made of transparent material for completely isolating the terminal block is detachably mounted above the protective cover (5).

13. An electrical street box comprising an electrical terminal block according to any one of the preceding claims.

14. The electrical street box according to the preceding claim is suitable for low-voltage power distribution networks.

15. A method for electrically operating an electrical terminal block, the electrical terminal block comprising a plurality of electrode terminals and a manually operated multiplexer, the manually operated multiplexer controlling the opening and / or closing of functional groups comprising at least two of the electrode terminals, the method comprising the following steps: The manual operation multiplexer of the terminal block is moved to simultaneously close and / or disconnect all electrode terminals of the functional group of the terminal block; Lock the manually operated multiplexer in place.

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