Conductor junction unit

Abstract

This invention provides a conductor joining unit that allows multiple conductors to be joined in a workspace that is significantly smaller than conventional designs. [Solution] The conductor joining unit according to this embodiment comprises an intervening member having a plurality of ends, and a plurality of conductor joining devices attached to each of the plurality of ends of the intervening member, wherein each of the plurality of conductor joining devices has a holding portion for holding a conductor, and the holding portions of the plurality of conductor joining devices are oriented in different directions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a conductor joining unit for joining a plurality of conductors.

Background Art

[0002] For example, a gas-insulated switchgear joins a plurality of conductors connected to various devices such as a circuit breaker and a disconnector in an airtight container filled with an insulating gas. And, as a configuration for joining a plurality of conductors in such an airtight container, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a clamp receiving fitting and a clamp applying fitting are provided as completely separable components, a conductor is sandwiched between these two fittings, and the two fittings are fastened by a clamping screw in the clamped state.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the conventional configuration as described above, the screwing direction of the clamping screw with respect to the fitting is determined and cannot be freely changed. Therefore, the operator must secure a sufficient working space for screwing the clamping screw with respect to the fitting according to the unchangeable screwing direction of the clamping screw. Further, since the clamping screw needs to fasten two fittings, a screw having a sufficiently long overall length must be used. Therefore, since the operator must screw such a long clamping screw in a fixed direction with respect to the fitting, a larger working space must be secured.

[0005] Therefore, we provide a conductor joining unit that allows multiple conductors to be joined in a workspace that is significantly smaller than conventional units. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The conductor joining unit according to this embodiment comprises an intervening member having a plurality of ends, and a plurality of conductor joining devices attached to each of the plurality of ends of the intervening member, wherein each of the plurality of conductor joining devices has a holding portion for holding a conductor, and the holding portions of the plurality of conductor joining devices are oriented in different directions. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This figure schematically shows an example of the configuration of an airtight container for a gas-insulated switchgear in which the conductor joining device according to this embodiment is used. [Figure 2] A schematic perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a conductor joining device according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This perspective view schematically shows an example of a state in which multiple conductors are held by the conductor joining device according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] A schematic perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the belt-shaped member according to this embodiment. [Figure 5] A schematic perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a conductor joint unit according to a modified example of this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] The following describes one embodiment of a conductor joining device with reference to the drawings. The conductor joining device 10 illustrated in Figure 1 is a device used to join multiple conductors 102 inside an airtight container 101 of a so-called cubicle-type gas-insulated switchgear. The airtight container 101 is filled with insulating gas. The conductors 102 are each connected to various devices not shown, such as circuit breakers, disconnectors, and grounders. The conductors 102 are all long and cylindrical or columnar in shape. The conductors 102 extend in a straight line, bend, or meander inside the airtight container 101. Next, an example of the configuration of the conductor joining device 10 will be described in detail.

[0009] As illustrated in Figure 2, the conductor joining device 10 is a long cylindrical shape overall, and has a long configuration in which multiple, in this case two, holding parts 11 are connected along the axial direction. Each holding part 11 is equipped with a movable part 12 and a support part 13. The conductor joining device 10 is configured such that the cylindrical holding part 11 is divided along the axial direction into a movable part 12 and a support part 13.

[0010] The movable part 12 is formed in a semicircular shape overall, but has notches 12a at both ends in the axial direction of the conductor joining device 10. In this case, the notches 12a are cut out in a rectangular shape along the circumferential direction of the conductor joining device 10. The movable part 12 also has an extended part 12b in the central part in the axial direction of the conductor joining device 10. The extended part 12b extends in an arc shape along the circumferential direction of the conductor joining device 10. The movable part 12 also has a groove 12c in the central part in the axial direction of the conductor joining device 10. In this case, the groove 12c extends in an arc shape along the circumferential direction of the conductor joining device 10 on the outer surface of the extended part 12b. The ends of each part of the movable part 12 have rounded corners to mitigate electric field interference.

[0011] The support portion 13 is formed in a semicircular shape overall, but has a notch 13a in the central part in the axial direction of the conductor joining device 10. In this case, the notch 13a is cut out in a rectangular shape along the circumferential direction of the conductor joining device 10. The support portion 13 also has extended portions 13b at both ends in the axial direction of the conductor joining device 10. The extended portions 13b extend in an arc shape along the circumferential direction of the conductor joining device 10. The outer surface of the extended portions 13b forms a smooth surface without grooves or protrusions. Furthermore, in the central part in the axial direction of the conductor joining device 10, the extended portion 13b of one support portion 13 and the extended portion 13b of the other support portion 13 are integrated. The ends of each part of the support portion 13 have rounded corners to mitigate electric field interference.

[0012] The support portion 13 rotatably supports the movable portion 12 via a pivot shaft portion 14 that extends along the axial direction of the conductor joining device 10. As a result, the movable portion 12 is configured to rotate in an approaching direction R1 toward the support portion 13 and in an awaying direction R2 toward the support portion 13, with the pivot shaft portion 14 as the pivot center. The pivot shaft portion 14 that rotatably supports the movable portion 12 relative to the support portion 13 in this way constitutes a so-called hinge structure.

[0013] As the movable part 12 rotates toward the approach direction R1, the movable part 12 and the support part 13 face each other to form a cylindrical holding part 11. At this time, the extended part 12b on the movable part 12 side enters into the notch 13a on the support part 13 side. In other words, the extended part 13b on the support part 13 side enters into the notch 12a on the movable part 12 side.

[0014] Furthermore, when the movable part 12 rotates toward the R2 direction, the support part 13 is opened, creating an open state. By rotating the movable part 12 toward the R2 direction, the operator can place the tip of the conductor 102 inside the open support part 13.

[0015] In the conductor joining device 10, the multiple, in this case two, movable parts 12 are configured to be rotatable independently. That is, the conductor joining device 10 is configured so that while one of the two movable parts 12 is stationary, only the other movable part 12 can be rotated. On the other hand, in the conductor joining device 10, the multiple, in this case two, support parts 13 are integrally provided along the axial direction of the conductor joining device 10.

[0016] As shown in Figure 3, the conductor joining device 10 configured as described above can hold multiple, in this case two, different conductors 102 in each of the holding parts 11. When the movable part 12 rotates toward the support part 13 in the direction R1, the holding part 11 forms a clamping state in which the tip of the conductor 102 is sandwiched between the movable part 12 and the support part 13. That is, the movable part 12 is configured to move in the direction of approach R1, which is the direction in which the tip of the conductor 102 is sandwiched. Furthermore, the two movable parts 12 are configured to move independently in the direction of approach R1.

[0017] Furthermore, when the movable part 12 rotates in the separation direction R2 relative to the support part 13, the holding part 11 releases the clamping state in which the tip of the conductor 102 is sandwiched between the movable part 12 and the support part 13, creating a detachable state in which the conductor 102 can be attached to and detached from the holding part 11. In other words, the movable part 12 is configured to move in the separation direction R2, which is in a direction that releases the clamping state in which the tip of the conductor 102 is sandwiched between the movable part 12 and the support part 13, and also in a direction that makes the conductor 102 detachable from the holding part 11.

[0018] Furthermore, the conductor joining device 10 is further equipped with a belt-shaped member 15. The belt-shaped member 15 is an example of a restricting part. As illustrated in Figure 4, the belt-shaped member 15 comprises a belt body portion 15a and a tightening amount adjustment bolt 15b. The belt body portion 15a is constructed by rolling a long belt-shaped member into an annular shape. In addition, the belt body portion 15a has a plurality of through holes 15c arranged along its extension direction. In this case, the spacing between these plurality of through holes 15c is equal.

[0019] The tightening amount adjustment bolt 15b is configured to maintain the belt main body portion 15a in an annularly rounded state by engaging with the through hole 15c of the belt main body portion 15a. Further, the tightening amount adjustment bolt 15b is provided with a rotatable adjustment portion, and the through hole 15c that engages with the belt main body portion 15a changes as the rotation amount of the adjustment portion is adjusted. That is, the tightening amount adjustment bolt 15b is configured to be able to adjust the size of the ring formed by the belt main body portion 15a, that is, the size of the diameter dimension, as the rotation amount of the adjustment portion is adjusted. Thereby, the belt-shaped member 15 can widen or narrow the size of the ring formed by the belt main body portion 15a by adjusting the rotation amount of the tightening amount adjustment bolt 15b.

[0020] Also, the belt-shaped member 15 is configured to maintain the size of the ring formed by the belt main body portion 15a unless the rotation amount of the tightening amount adjustment bolt 15b is adjusted. That is, the tightening amount adjustment bolt 15b also has a function as a stopper for maintaining the size of the ring formed by the belt main body portion 15a.

[0021] The belt-shaped member 15 configured in this way is attached in such a manner that the belt main body portion 15a is arranged along the groove portion 12c in the holding portion 11 that forms a holding state in which the tip portion of the conductor 102 is sandwiched between the movable portion 12 and the support portion 13 as illustrated in FIG. Then, as the rotation amount of the tightening amount adjustment bolt 15b is adjusted by an operator, the belt-shaped member 15 tightens the movable portion 12 forming the holding state toward the support portion 13 side by the belt main body portion 15a. Thereby, the belt-shaped member 15 restricts the movement of the movable portion 12, particularly the rotation toward the separation direction R2 side, and maintains a holding state in which the tip portion of the conductor 102 is firmly sandwiched between the movable portion 12 and the support portion 13.

[0022] According to the configuration example of the conductor bonding device 10 illustrated above, it includes a plurality of holding portions 11 that hold the tip portions of different conductors 102 respectively, and movable portions 12 provided on the plurality of holding portions 11 respectively, which are capable of moving in the direction of sandwiching the tip portions of the conductors 102 respectively. Moreover, the plurality of movable portions 12 are configured to be capable of moving independently in the direction of sandwiching the tip portions of the conductors 102. According to this configuration example, an operator can form a state in which the tip portions of the conductors 102 are held by the respective holding portions 11 by rotating the movable portions 12 in the respective holding portions 11. Therefore, compared with the conventional configuration in which metal fittings sandwiching the conductors are fastened by a long clamping screw, a plurality of conductors 102 can be bonded in a working space as small as possible.

[0023] Also, since the working space for bonding a plurality of conductors 102 can be made as small as possible, the airtight container 101 can be miniaturized, and thus the entire gas-insulated switchgear can be miniaturized.

[0024] In addition, an operator does not need to consider the installation of the conventional long clamping screw. Therefore, the orientation of the conductor bonding device 10 with respect to the plurality of conductors 102 can be determined relatively freely. Thus, an operator can bond a plurality of conductors 102 without taking an unreasonable posture. Also, a designer does not need to consider the installation of the conventional long clamping screw, and the orientation of the conductor bonding device 10 with respect to the plurality of conductors 102 can be determined relatively freely. Therefore, the design burden can be reduced.

[0025] Moreover, according to the conductor bonding device 10, since the plurality of movable portions 12 are configured to be rotatable independently, by appropriately adjusting the rotation amount of each movable portion 12, the tip portions of the conductors 102 can be held by the respective holding portions 11 with sufficient strength. That is, it is possible to avoid the holding strength of the tip portions of the conductors 102 in the respective holding portions 11 being insufficient, and a plurality of conductors 102 can be held with appropriate strength.

[0026] Furthermore, the conductor joining device 10 includes a belt-shaped member 15 that restricts the movement of the movable part 12, particularly its rotation toward the separation direction R2. That is, the conductor joining device 10 restricts the movement of the movable part 12 not by a long clamping screw, but by a belt-shaped member. In this configuration, in the holding part 11 that forms a clamped state in which the tip of the conductor 102 is sandwiched between the movable part 12 and the support part 13, the belt-shaped member 15 can be attached along the outer circumferential surface of the holding part 11, thereby firmly fixing the state in which the tip of the conductor 102 is held by the holding part 11. Moreover, when attaching such a belt-shaped member, it is not necessary to secure the large working space required when screwing a long clamping screw into a fitting in a fixed direction. Therefore, with the conductor joining device 10, the belt-shaped member 15 can be attached in the smallest possible working space.

[0027] Furthermore, the conductor joining device 10 allows the belt-shaped member 15 to be housed within the groove 12c. Therefore, the amount of protrusion of the belt-shaped member 15 from the outer surface of the holding portion 11 can be suppressed as much as possible, and it is possible to avoid the belt-shaped member 15 disrupting the electric field coordination around the conductor joining device 10.

[0028] Furthermore, with the conductor joining device 10, by attaching the belt-shaped member 15, a state can be formed in which the tip of the conductor 102 is held by the holding part 11, and there is no need to use special tools to attach such a belt-shaped member 15. That is, the belt-shaped member 15 can be attached using standard or common tools such as needle-nose pliers, and in some cases, it can even be done manually by an operator.

[0029] Furthermore, because the conductor joining device 10 has an overall elongated shape, it can be attached along the extension direction of the conductor 102, thereby stably maintaining a state in which the ends of the conductors 102 are held at both ends in the axial direction. Therefore, a support member for the conductor joining device 10 itself, such as an insulator, can be eliminated. However, this disclosure does not actively exclude the possibility of supporting the conductor joining device 10 itself with a support member, such as an insulator, and therefore, it is permissible to support the conductor joining device 10 itself, which holds multiple conductors 102, with a support member.

[0030] Furthermore, since the conductor joining device 10 has an overall elongated shape, as illustrated in Figure 1, it is possible to realize an arrangement in which the conductor joining device 10 is aligned with the direction of extension of the conductor 102. In other words, it is possible to realize a configuration in which the diameter of the conductor joining device 10 is approximately the same as the diameter of the conductor 102. As a result, the amount of protrusion of the conductor joining device 10 from the outer surface of the conductor 102 can be suppressed as much as possible, and the influence of the conductor joining device 10 inside the airtight container 101, in particular the electrical or electric field influence, can be sufficiently suppressed.

[0031] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiment described above, and may be modified or expanded as appropriate without departing from its essence.

[0032] For example, as illustrated in Figure 5, an operator can use multiple conductor joining devices 10 as a unit via intervening members. In the example configuration shown in Figure 5, an intervening conductor 20, which is an example of an intervening member, has three ends 20a, 20b, and 20c, that is, it is a so-called T-shaped pipe. Conductor joining devices 10 are attached to each of the multiple ends 20a, 20b, and 20c of the intervening conductor 20, thereby forming a conductor joining unit 30.

[0033] In the conductor joining unit 30 configured in this way, the outer holding portion 11 of the conductor joining device 10 attached to end 20a, the outer holding portion 11 of the conductor joining device 10 attached to end 20b, and the outer holding portion 11 of the conductor joining device 10 attached to end 20c are each oriented in different directions. This allows multiple conductors 102 extending from different directions to be joined by the conductor joining unit 30.

[0034] Furthermore, in the example configuration in which the three conductor joining devices 10 are unitized by a so-called T-shaped intervening conductor 20, it is suitable as a configuration for joining the three conductors 102 when two of the three conductors 102 are arranged along the same straight line, and the remaining one is arranged perpendicular to these two conductors 102.

[0035] A single conductor joining device 10 can only join two conductors 102 that are arranged along the same straight line. However, by unitizing three or more conductor joining devices 10 via an intermediary member, it becomes possible to join three or more conductors 102 that extend from different directions.

[0036] Furthermore, by appropriately varying the amount of rotation of the movable part 12 in each conductor joining device 10, it is possible to hold conductors 102 of different diameters. Therefore, the number of types of conductors 102 that can be joined can be greatly increased, thereby improving the versatility of the conductor joining device 10.

[0037] Although detailed illustrations are omitted, the intervening member may have a configuration with four ends, that is, a so-called cross-shaped configuration, or it may have a configuration with five or more ends. The more ends the intervening member has, the more multiple conductors 102 extending from different directions can be joined. The intervening member may also have a configuration with two ends, in which case the intervening member may be straight or bent in the middle, that is, a so-called L-shaped configuration.

[0038] Furthermore, as long as the conductor 102 and the intervening member are made of conductive materials such as metal, the conductor joining device 10 and the belt-shaped member 15 may be made of conductive materials such as metal, or they may be made of non-conductive or low-conductive materials such as resin.

[0039] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, this embodiment is presented merely as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This novel embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. This embodiment and its variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims of the invention and its equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] In the drawing, 10 is a conductor joining device, 11 is a holding part, 12 is a movable part, 13 is a support part, 15 is a belt-shaped member (regulating part), and 30 is a conductor joining unit.

Claims

[Claim 1] An intervening member having multiple ends, A plurality of conductor bonding devices are attached to each of the plurality of ends of the intervening member, Equipped with, Each of the multiple conductor joining devices has a holding portion for holding a conductor, The holding parts of the multiple conductor joining devices are conductor joining units that are each oriented in different directions.

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