Front-Accessible Bus Bar Splice Assembly With Captive Isolation Bolt
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bus section splice connections are often front inaccessible, with hardware not being totally captive, leading to accidental dropping and difficulty in accessing certain splices, especially those on the right-hand side.
Innovation Solution
A splice joint assembly that includes a carriage bolt for aligning and securing bus bar structures, along with a spacer structure for electrical isolation, and an anti-rotation retainer assembly to maintain the carriage bolt's position, allowing for easy front access and captive engagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional splice connections are used, then the splice can be made, but the splice connection is not front accessible and access is very restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple splice connections (up to four phase splice connections) into a single integrated assembly that is front accessible. The carriage bolt assembly integrates the bolt, spacers, and locking mechanism into one unit that can be installed and accessed from the front, eliminating the need for separate hard-to-reach splice connections.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having splice connections located at the back or sides of bus bar sections where they are difficult to access, the patent inverts the design to provide front access. The carriage bolt assembly is positioned and configured to be accessible from the front of the bus bar section, allowing technicians to service splice connections without reaching into confined spaces.
2Reliability
If traditional splice hardware is used, then the splice can be made, but the hardware is not totally captive and can be accidentally dropped
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs nesting by placing the carriage bolt inside a retaining structure that holds it captive. The bolt is nested within the assembly such that it cannot be accidentally dropped, yet remains functional. The retainer structure contains the bolt while allowing it to perform its splicing function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary retaining structure that acts as a mediator between the carriage bolt and the external environment. This retainer prevents the bolt from escaping while still allowing the bolt to perform its function of securing bus bar sections together.
3Ease of operation
If four physically separated phase splice connections are used, then each phase can be connected, but eight torque connections are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate splice connections into a single integrated carriage bolt assembly. Instead of requiring four separate phase splice connections each needing torque application, the design combines these functions into one assembly that can be secured with fewer torque operations from the front.
Solution Approach 2:
The carriage bolt assembly serves multiple functions simultaneously - it acts as a fastener, provides electrical isolation through integrated spacers, enables front access, and secures multiple bus bar sections. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components and torque connections needed.
4Ease of operation
If right hand side splice connections are made, then the splice can be completed, but they are very difficult to access from the front
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional positioning of splice connections by designing the carriage bolt assembly to be accessible from the front rather than from the side or back. This positional inversion allows right hand side splice connections to be accessed easily from the front, eliminating the need for difficult side access.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 2C~3
AI summary
A splice joint assembly for joining bus bar structure ends to allow a splice connection at each bus bar structure of a plurality of bus bar structures can include a carriage bolt configured to pass through an opening in the plurality of bus bar structures to fix a position of the plurality of bus bar structures relative to each other and to align the plurality of bus bar structures. The carriage bolt can be electrically insulated or made of an electrically insulating material, for example. The splice joint assembly can include a spacer structure disposed between each bus bar structure and around the carriage bolt, the spacer structure configured to electrically isolate each bus bar structure from adjacent bus bar structures. The spacer structure can define an axial gap distance between bus bar structures. The spacer structure can define an elongated over-surface path to elongate an over-surface distance to maintain electrical isolation of adjacent bus bar structures.