Connection Strip Movable Housing Element Touch Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connection strips for electricity meters lack enhanced touch protection, particularly for IP 2X standards, which is crucial for preventing direct or indirect contact with live parts during meter replacement without interrupting the power supply.
Innovation Solution
A connection strip with a movable housing element that is spring-loaded, designed as a hood, which moves from a first position when the meter is attached to a second position when the meter is removed, utilizing energy storage devices like springs to ensure protection against contact with live parts, and optionally includes a safety storage plug for conductors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fixed housing structure is used, then the device structure is simple, but touch protection against live parts is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The housing element is designed to be movable rather than fixed, transitioning between a closed position that provides touch protection and an open position that allows meter installation/removal. The spring mechanism automatically moves the housing element to the closed position when the meter is removed, ensuring live parts are always protected when not in use.
2Ease of operation
If the housing element remains in the open position, then meter installation is easy, but direct contact with live parts is possible
Solution Approach 1:
The spring mechanism is pre-loaded to automatically move the housing element to the closed protective position as soon as the meter is removed. This preliminary action ensures that protection is restored immediately after installation operations, preventing any accidental contact with live parts.
3Reliability
If a movable housing element is added, then protection against indirect contact is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spring mechanism is self-acting and requires no external power source or control system. It automatically responds to the presence or absence of the meter, moving the housing element to the appropriate position based solely on mechanical interaction, thereby providing enhanced protection without adding complex control systems.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides enhanced protection against contact with live parts, ensuring safety during meter replacement by moving the housing element away from the pin contacts, thus meeting increased security requirements, including IP 2X standards, while allowing for uninterrupted power supply.
Implementation Method 1
the movable housing element is subjected to force by an energy storage device which is designed and arranged to move the movable housing element from the first position to the second position when the meter is removed from the connection strip
Implementation Method 2
the energy accumulator can be formed by one or more springs, preferably coil springs
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a connection strip (10) for a counter (20), wherein the connection strip (10) has either at least one movable housing element (104), which is in a first position when the counter (20) is connected to the connection strip (10) and in a second position when the counter (20) is not attached, and/or wherein the connection strip (10) has at least one spring contact (110) which is released from a contact position when a bridging plug (30) is inserted, in which it is conductively connected directly or via a bus bar or the like to a connecting device (102) for connecting a contact element, in particular a contact pin (201), of the counter (20).