Surge protection device

Abstract

The invention presents and describes a surge protection device (1), comprising a device base (2) and at least one plug part (3) mountable on the device base (2), wherein the device base (2) has a base housing (20) with a recess (21) for receiving the plug part (3), plug-in contacts (4) and conductor connection terminals (5) connected to the plug-in contacts (4), wherein the at least one plug part (3) has a plug housing (30), a surge protection element (6) arranged in the plug housing (30) and mating plug-in contacts (7) corresponding to the plug-in contacts (4) and electrically conductively connected to the surge protection element (6), wherein the plug-in contacts (4) and the conductor connection terminals (5) are arranged in the base housing (20), wherein openings (23) through which mating plug-in contacts (7) are insertable into the corresponding plug-in contacts (4) are formed in the top side (22) of the base housing (20), the top side facing the recess (21), and wherein conductor insertion openings (26) via which the conductor connection terminals (5) are accessible are arranged in the front side (24) and the rear side (25) of the base housing (20).

Description

[0001] Surge protection device

[0002] The invention relates to a surge protection device comprising a device base and at least one plug part that can be plugged onto the device base, wherein the device base has a base housing with a recess for receiving the plug part, plug contacts, and conductor connection terminals connected to the plug contacts, and wherein the at least one plug part has a plug housing, an overvoltage protection element arranged in the plug housing, and mating plug contacts corresponding to the plug contacts, which are electrically conductively connected to the overvoltage protection element. The plug contacts and the conductor connection terminals are arranged in the base housing, wherein openings are formed in the upper side of the base housing facing the recess, through which mating plug contacts can be plugged into the corresponding plug contacts.Conductor insertion openings are arranged in the front and rear of the base housing through which the conductor connection terminals are accessible for connecting a corresponding conductor.

[0003] Surge protection devices are used extensively in various designs to protect electrical circuits, systems, machines, and devices. Depending on the application and protection level, the surge protection devices feature different surge protection elements and different designs. Spark gaps, gas-filled surge arresters, and varistors, as well as combinations of these components, are particularly used as surge protection elements.

[0004] In practice, such surge protection devices are often designed as plug-in device combinations with a device base as the lower part and at least one plug-in part as the upper part. Often, a surge protection device contains several surge protection elements, which are interconnected differently depending on the intended use and installation location. This applies in particular to surge protection devices used in three-phase systems, where several plug-in parts are plugged onto a device base.

[0005] In known surge protection devices, the device base, which can be mounted on a mounting rail, for example, is used to connect to the electrical cables. To install such a surge protection device, which is intended to protect, for example, the phase conductors LI, L2, L3 as well as the neutral conductor N and, if necessary, also the earth conductor PE, corresponding conductor connection terminals for the individual conductors are provided on the device base. In known surge protection devices, the device base is roughly U-shaped, with the conductor connection terminals for the phase conductors and the neutral conductor on one of the two legs and the conductor connection terminals for the earth conductor on the other leg. The base housing of the device base has a recess whose dimensions are adapted to the external dimensions of the plug part, so that a plug part can be inserted into the recess and locked into place.Typically, several plugs, each with at least one surge protection element, are plugged into a socket housing next to each other. The width of the device socket is then several times the width of one plug.

[0006] For easy mechanical and electrical contact between the device base and the plug section, in which the actual protective element is located, the device base has plug contacts connected to the conductor connection terminals, for example, plug sockets, and the plug section has corresponding mating contacts, for example, plug pins, so that the plug section can be plugged onto the device base and the mating contacts can be plugged into the plug contacts. The pluggability of the surge protection element located in the plug section makes it possible to replace the plug section in the event of a fault or during inspection or maintenance work without having to disconnect the conductors connected to the conductor connection terminals of the device base.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a surge protection device as described above, which ensures safe use even at higher applied voltages.

[0008] This object is achieved in the surge protection device described above with the features of patent claim 1 in that an air and creepage distance extension is formed on the base housing in the area of ​​the openings for the plug contacts and / or in the area of ​​the conductor insertion openings. The air and creepage distance extensions formed on the base housing extend the corresponding air and creepage distance between two adjacent contacts, i.e. either between two plug contacts or between two conductor connection terminals. Since the base housing is usually made of plastic and is often manufactured using an injection molding process, the individual air and creepage distance extensions can be implemented directly during the manufacture of the base housing, thus eliminating the need for an additional manufacturing step.

[0009] Preferably, an air and creepage distance extension is formed both in the area of ​​the openings for the plug contacts and in the area of ​​the conductor insertion openings. As a rule, corresponding air and creepage distance extensions are formed in the area of ​​all openings for the plug contacts and also in the area of ​​all conductor insertion openings. However, variants are also possible in which an air and creepage distance extension is formed only in the area of ​​the openings for the plug contacts or only in the area of ​​the conductor insertion openings, or in which air and creepage distance extensions are not formed in the area of ​​all openings for the plug contacts or not in the area of ​​all conductor insertion openings.

[0010] According to a preferred embodiment, the air gap and creepage distance extensions formed in the region of the openings for the plug contacts are each designed as circumferential collars. A collar surrounds the associated opening in the top side of the base housing and projects into the recess. Once the plug part is plugged onto the base part, a mating plug contact penetrates through the collar and the opening in the top side of the base housing into the corresponding plug contact, so that the mating plug contact is also surrounded by the circumferential collar. The collar thus extends from the associated opening in the opposite direction to the insertion direction of the plug part into the recess in the base housing. The formation of the individual collars extends both the air gap and the creepage distance between two adjacent plug contacts, which are each formed by the collars orthe openings surrounded by the collars are accessible without increasing the dimensions of the device base and thus also of the surge protection device as a whole.

[0011] The plug contacts can each be designed as a type of contact tulip, in which the individual contact arms can have a curved shape. More than two contact arms can also be designed, which together form a plug contact or a contact tulip. Likewise, the individual contact arms of a plug contact can be slotted, forming individual contact fingers that together form a plug contact. The mating plug contacts can then be designed, for example, as contact pins or as contact blades. Preferably, the plug contacts and / or the mating plug contacts are spring-loaded to enable a sufficiently high contact force when the plug contact and mating plug contact are plugged in.

[0012] The clearance and creepage distance extensions formed in the area of ​​the conductor entry openings to the conductor connection terminals are preferably realized by arranging the conductor connection terminals set back from the corresponding front or rear side in the base housing. This allows the length of the channel formed by the conductor entry opening from the outside of the base housing to the conductor connection terminal to be extended without increasing the corresponding external dimensions of the base housing. This is advantageous because surge devices often have certain, predetermined external dimensions. These cannot usually be easily increased because surge devices are usually mounted on a mounting rail together with other protective devices and installed in a control cabinet, where the available space is generally limited.

[0013] As previously explained, the surge protection devices in question typically have multiple plug-in connectors plugged into a device base. In such surge protection devices, the device base has a width that corresponds to the sum of the widths of the individual plug-in connectors. For a surge protection device with, for example, four plug-in connectors, each of which has the same width, the width of the device base is thus four times the width of one plug-in connector.

[0014] In a surge protection device having multiple plug parts, according to a preferred embodiment, additional connection elements are arranged in the base housing, each of which is assigned to a conductor connection terminal and is electrically connected to it. A connection element provided in addition to a conductor connection terminal enables the electrical connection of a second conductor to the conductor connection terminal or to the conductor connected to it. For this purpose, openings are formed in the front and rear of the base housing, respectively, through which the connection elements are accessible. The additional connection elements can in particular be designed such that a conductor having a fork lug at its stripped end can be connected to them. The connection elements are preferably each formed integrally with the conductor connection terminal or are part of the same.

[0015] To ensure that the clearance and creepage distances between two adjacently arranged additional connection elements in such a surge protection device are extended, ribs are formed on the front and rear of the base housing, each of which is located laterally next to an opening for the connection element. The ribs run parallel to the insertion direction of the plug part into the recess in the base housing and thus perpendicular to the width direction of the base housing and also perpendicular to the insertion direction of a conductor to be connected to the additional connection element.

[0016] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the surge protection device according to the invention, which enables an additional extension of the air and creepage distances, at least one frame part is provided which can be fastened to the front and / or the rear of the base housing. The frame part has a plurality of wall elements which surround at least the individual conductor insertion openings. The frame part can, for example, have four wall elements and be rectangular in shape, with such a circumferential frame part surrounding a conductor insertion opening when assembled. A frame part arranged on the front or rear of the base housing thus results in an additional extension of the channel from the outside of the frame part to the conductor connection terminal and thus an additional extension of the air and creepage distance between two adjacent conductor connection terminals.Preferably, in addition to the outer wall elements, a frame part also has inner sections which at least partially protrude into an associated conductor insertion opening.

[0017] If the surge protection device has the additional connection elements described above, the frame part is preferably designed such that the wall elements of the frame part not only enclose a conductor insertion opening, but also at least partially enclose the opening associated with the additional connection element. Since the additional connection element is electrically connected to the conductor connection element, no wall element needs to be arranged between the conductor insertion opening and the opening for the additional connection element.

[0018] The frame part described above is preferably designed as a housing part separate from the base housing and fastened to the base housing. For this purpose, at least one holding element is formed on the frame part and at least one corresponding holding element is formed on the front and / or rear of the base housing. For example, webs or ribs can be provided as holding elements, which can be inserted into corresponding recesses or grooves. The holding elements can also be designed to lock together, so that a frame part can be locked to the front or rear of the base housing. For example, locking lugs or locking pins can be provided as holding elements, which can be inserted into corresponding locking recesses or locking openings.

[0019] The individual conductor terminals can be designed, for example, as screw connections or spring-loaded terminals, so that a conductor to be connected to a conductor terminal is clamped against a busbar section by means of a screw or a clamping spring. The busbar section is connected to an associated plug contact, so that a connected conductor is electrically connected to a surge protection element in the corresponding plug part when the plug part is plugged onto the base part.

[0020] If the individual conductor connection terminals are designed as screw connections, a screw shaft is formed in the base housing for each individual screw connection, through which the respective screw of a screw connection can be operated. With such a design of the surge protection device or the base part, at least one cover is preferably arranged on the base housing, which can be moved, in particular pivoted, from a first position in which the screw shafts are accessible, to a second position in which the screw shafts are not accessible. In the second, closed position of the cover, this also extends the air and creepage distances between two adjacent screws of two screw connections. In addition, a closed cover reduces the risk of moisture or dirt penetrating the individual screw shafts.In detail, there are several possibilities for designing and developing the surge protection device according to the invention. Reference is made to the individual patent claims as well as to the following description of preferred embodiments in conjunction with the drawings. The drawings show:

[0021] Fig. 1 shows a representation of a first embodiment of a surge protection device, consisting of a device base and several plug parts,

[0022] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a base part of the surge protection device according to Fig. 1,

[0023] Fig. 3 the base part according to Fig. 2 in an exploded view,

[0024] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a base part of a surge protection device,

[0025] Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a frame part of the base part according to Fig. 4,

[0026] Fig. 6 two perspective views of a third embodiment of a base part of a surge protection device, and

[0027] Fig. 7 two perspective views of another embodiment of a surge protection device, consisting of a device base and several plug parts.

[0028] Fig. 1 shows a surge protection device 1 which is constructed in several parts, namely a device base 2 and four plug parts 3. The plug parts 3 can each be easily plugged onto the U-shaped device base 2 and, for example, to replace a defective plug part 3, can also be easily removed from the device base 2 again without having to disconnect the cables connected to the device base 2. The plug parts 3 each have a plug housing 30 and the device base 2 has a base housing 20, which lock together when the plug parts 3 are plugged onto the device base 2. Four plug parts 3 can be plugged onto the device base 2, which is shown separately in Fig. 2. For this purpose, the base housing 20 has a recess 21, the dimensions of which are adapted to the dimensions of the plug housing 30. As can be seen from the exploded view of the device base 2 according to Fig.3, the device base 2 has a plurality of plug contacts 4 and a plurality of conductor connection terminals 5 which are electrically connected to the plug contacts 4. The conductor connection terminals 5, which in the illustrated embodiment are designed as screw connections, are used to connect the electrical lines of a network to be protected to the device base 2 and thus also to the surge protection device 1. To protect the electrical circuits from overvoltages, a surge protection element 6, indicated by dashed lines in Fig. 1, is arranged in each of the individual plug parts 3. The surge protection elements 6 each have mating plug contacts 7 corresponding to the plug contacts 4, which are also indicated by dashed lines in Fig. 1. If the individual plug parts 3 are plugged onto the device base 2, the individual mating plug contacts 7 are plugged into the corresponding plug contacts 4 in the base housing 20.For this purpose, corresponding openings 23 are formed in the upper side 22 of the base housing 20 facing the recess 21, through which the mating plug contacts 7 can be inserted into the corresponding plug contacts 4.

[0029] In order to enable the cables to be connected to the surge protection device 1 to be connected to the conductor connection terminals 5 arranged in the base housing 20, corresponding conductor insertion openings 26 are arranged in the front 24 and the rear 25 of the base housing 20. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the phase-carrying conductors LI, L2, L3 and the neutral conductor N can be connected to the corresponding conductor connection terminals 5 through the conductor insertion openings 26 in the front 24 of the base housing 20. In contrast, only two conductor insertion openings 26 are arranged in the rear 25 of the base housing 20, which lead to two conductor connection terminals 5 for the earth conductor PE.

[0030] In the surge protection device 1 according to the invention shown in the figures, circumferential collars 27 are formed on the base housing 20 in the area of ​​the openings 23 leading to the plug contacts 4. These collars serve as air and creepage distance extensions. As can be seen, for example, from Figures 2 and 3, the collars 27 protrude from the top side 22 of the base housing 20 into the recess 21. The individual collars 27 thus extend from the associated opening 23 opposite to the insertion direction E of the plug parts 3 into the device base 2.Due to the box-shaped, circumferential collars 27, the air and creepage distances are extended both between the two plug contacts 4 arranged in the longitudinal direction L of the device base 2 and assigned to a plug part 3 and between the plug contacts 4 arranged next to one another perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L, which serve to contact a mating plug contact 7 of two plug parts 3 plugged next to one another onto the device base 2.

[0031] In the illustrated base housing 20, an extension of the clearance and creepage distances is also implemented in the area of ​​the conductor insertion openings 26 leading to the conductor connection terminals 5. For this purpose, the conductor connection terminals 5 are arranged offset from the corresponding front side 24 or the corresponding rear side 25 in the base housing 20, thereby extending the length of the channels formed by the individual conductor insertion openings 26 from the outside of the base housing 20 to the respective conductor connection terminals 5. This increases the clearance and creepage distances between adjacent conductor connection terminals 5.

[0032] In the device bases 2 shown in the figures, additional connection elements 8 are arranged in the base housing 20, each of which is assigned to a conductor connection terminal 5 and is electrically connected to the latter. Correspondingly, openings 28 are formed in the base housing 20, through which the additional connection elements 8 are accessible. As can be seen from Fig. 2, ribs 29 are formed on the front side 24 of the base housing 20 laterally next to the openings 28 for the connection elements 8, which extend parallel to the insertion direction E of a plug part 3. These ribs 29 also extend the respective air and creepage distances between two additional connection elements 8 arranged next to one another. As can be seen from Fig.As can be seen in Figure 2, the ribs 29 are arranged laterally next to the openings 28 in such a way that two parallel ribs 29 are arranged between two adjacent openings 28. This results in a further extension of the creepage distances between adjacent connection elements 8.

[0033] From the exploded view of the device base 2 according to Fig. 3, it is clear that the base housing 20 is constructed in two parts. It is also clear that the individual plug contacts 4 are formed on a common busbar arrangement 9. The respective connection diagram of the surge protection device 1 is implemented via the design of the busbar arrangement 9. The busbar arrangement 9 shown implements a 3+1 circuit, in which the conductor connection terminals 5 for the PE conductor are arranged on the side of the busbar arrangement 9 facing the rear side 25 of the base housing 20, and the conductor connection terminals 5 for the neutral conductor N and the outer conductors LI, L2, L3 are arranged on the side of the busbar arrangement 9 facing the front side 24 of the base housing 20.

[0034] The device base 2 shown in Fig. 4 differs from the device base 2 according to Fig. 2 in that an additional frame part 40 is fastened to the front side 24 of the base housing 20. The frame part 40 shown separately in Fig. 5 has a plurality of wall elements 41, 42 which, in the illustrated embodiment, are connected to one another and surround a conductor insertion opening 26 and the associated opening 28, which is associated with a connection element 8, in such a way that a wall element 41 is arranged between each two adjacent conductor insertion openings 26, which extends in the insertion direction E of a plug part 3. The individual arc-shaped wall elements 42 each extend above an opening 28, whereby the air and creepage distances between additional connection elements 8 arranged next to one another are further increased.Three straight wall elements 41 and one curved wall element 42 together form a closed sub-frame that encloses a conductor insertion opening 26 and the associated opening 28. In addition to the previously described outer wall elements 41, 42, the frame part 40 also has inner sections 43, which partially protrude into the individual conductor insertion openings 26.

[0035] For fastening a frame part 40 to the front side 24 of the base housing 20, the frame part 40 has a plurality of retaining elements 44, to which corresponding retaining elements 45 are formed on the front side 24 of the base housing 20. In the illustrated embodiment, the retaining elements 44 are designed as ribs and webs that engage in corresponding grooves and recesses in the front side 24 of the base housing 20.

[0036] In the illustrated embodiments of the surge protection device 1 according to the invention or the device base 2, the conductor connection terminals 5 are designed as screw connections. Therefore, a screw slot 46 is formed in the base housing 20 for each screw connection, through which the screw of a screw connection can be operated.

[0037] In the embodiment of the device base 2 shown in Fig. 6, a cover 47 is additionally arranged on the base housing 20 in the transition area from the front side 24 to the top side 22. This cover can be pivoted from a first, open position shown in Fig. 6a to a second, closed position shown in Fig. 6b. In the open position, the screw slots 46 are accessible, so that the screws arranged underneath can be tightened using a screwdriver. In the second, closed position, however, the screw slots 46 are covered and therefore not accessible.

[0038] Once the corresponding conductors are connected to the individual conductor terminals 5, so that the screw connections no longer need to be actuated, the cover 47 is pivoted into the second position, which extends the clearance and creepage distances between two adjacent screws of two screw connections. When the cover 47 is in its closed position, the risk of dirt or moisture penetrating the individual screw shafts 46 is also reduced.

[0039] Finally, Fig. 7 shows that a remote signaling plug 48 can be connected to the rear side 25 of the base housing 20. A corresponding remote signaling contact is then arranged in the base housing 20, corresponding to the remote signaling plug 48, via which contact, in particular, the status of the individual surge protection elements 6 can be output. If the device base 2 does not have a remote signaling contact or if no remote signaling plug 48 is connected to the device base 2, the corresponding openings are closed by blanking plugs 49 so that no dirt or residue from stripped conductors can penetrate through the corresponding openings. The blanking plugs 49 are preferably designed such that they lock onto the base housing 20 when mounted, so that they cannot accidentally fall out. Reference numerals

[0040] 1. Surge protection device

[0041] 2. Device base

[0042] 3. Plug part

[0043] 4. Plug contacts

[0044] 5. Conductor connection terminals

[0045] 6. Surge protection element

[0046] 7. Mating contact

[0047] 8. Connection elements

[0048] 9. Busbar arrangement

[0049] 20. Base housing

[0050] 21. Recess

[0051] 22. Top

[0052] 23. Opening

[0053] 24. Front

[0054] 25. Back

[0055] 26. Conductor insertion openings

[0056] 27. Collar

[0057] 28. Opening (connecting elements)

[0058] 29. Ribs

[0059] 30. Connector housing

[0060] 40. Frame part

[0061] 41. Wall elements

[0062] 42. Wall element

[0063] 43. Sections

[0064] 44. Holding element

[0065] 45. Holding element

[0066] 46. ​​Screw shaft

[0067] 47. Cover

[0068] 48. Female connector

[0069] 49. Blind plug

[0070] E Insertion direction

[0071] L longitudinal direction

Claims

Patent claims 1. Surge protection device (1), with a device base (2) and at least one plug part (3) which can be plugged onto the device base (2), wherein the device base (2) has a base housing (20) with a recess (21) for receiving the plug part (3), plug contacts (4) and conductor connection terminals (5) connected to the plug contacts (4), wherein the at least one plug part (3) has a plug housing (30), an overvoltage protection element (6) arranged in the plug housing (30) and mating plug contacts (7) corresponding to the plug contacts (4) and electrically conductively connected to the overvoltage protection element (6), wherein the plug contacts (4) and the conductor connection terminals (5) are arranged in the base housing (20), wherein openings (23) are formed in the upper side (22) of the base housing (20) facing the recess (21), through which mating plug contacts (7) can be inserted into the corresponding plug contacts (4),and wherein conductor insertion openings (26) are arranged in the front (24) and the rear (25) of the base housing (20), through which the conductor connection terminals (5) are accessible, characterized in that an air and creepage distance extension is formed in the region of the openings (23) and / or in the region of the conductor insertion openings (26).

2. Surge protection device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the air and creepage distance extensions formed in the region of the openings (23) are each designed as circumferential collars (27) which each project into the recess (21).

3. Surge protection device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the air and creepage distance extensions formed in the region of the conductor insertion openings (26) are realized in that the conductor connection terminals (5) are arranged in the base housing (20) set back from the corresponding front side (24) or rear side (25) of the base housing (20).

4. Surge protection device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, with at least two plug parts (3) which can be plugged onto the device base (2), characterized in that additional connection elements (8) are arranged in the base housing (20), which are each assigned to a conductor connection terminal (5) and are electrically conductively connected to this, that the connection elements (8) are each accessible via an opening (28) which is arranged in the front (24) or rear (25) of the base housing (20), and that ribs (29) are formed on the front (24) and / or the rear (25) of the base housing (20), which ribs are each arranged laterally next to an opening (28) for a connection element (8) and run parallel to the insertion direction (E) of the plug part (3) into the recess (21) in the base housing (20).

5. Surge protection device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that at least one frame part (40) is provided which can be fastened to the front (24) and / or to the rear (25) of the base housing (20), and in that the frame part (40) has wall elements (41) which surround at least the individual conductor insertion openings (26).

6. Surge protection device (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the at least one frame part (40) has sections (42) which project at least partially into the individual conductor insertion openings (26).

7. Surge protection device (1) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the at least one frame part (40) can be fastened to the front side (24) and / or to the rear side (25) of the base housing (20), for which purpose at least one holding element (44) is formed on the frame part (40) and at least one corresponding holding element (45) is formed on the front side (24) and / or on the rear side (25) of the base housing (20).

8. Surge protection device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the individual conductor connection terminals (5) are designed as screw connections and wherein a screw shaft (46) is formed in the base housing (20) for each individual screw connection, characterized in that at least one cover (47) is arranged on the base housing (20) which can be brought, in particular pivoted, from a first position in which the screw shafts (46) are accessible into a second position in which the screw shafts (46) are not accessible.

9. Surge protection device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that a connection contact for remote signaling is arranged in the device base (2), and that the base housing (20) has an opening into which a remote signaling plug (48) can be inserted.

10. Surge protection device (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that the opening for the remote signaling plug (48) is closed with a dummy plug (49) when no remote signaling plug (48) is inserted into the opening.

Images