Modular Contact Protection for Power Bus Bars
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional busbar systems lack protection against accidental contact and require complete power shutdown for device assembly or disassembly, disrupting continuous electricity supply, especially in critical applications like hospitals, and necessitate opening switch cabinets for assembly, which poses safety risks.
Innovation Solution
A contact protection system with modular, lockable flat contact protection modules that have holding feet and locking elements, providing terminal receiving areas for connection terminals, and featuring parallel contact slots for secure electrical contact, ensuring protection against accidental contact and allowing device replacement under voltage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional busbar systems are used without contact protection modules, then the structure is simple and assembly is easy, but there is no protection against accidental contact and devices must be completely switched off for assembly or disassembly
Solution Approach 1:
The contact protection system is divided into multiple individual contact protection modules, each covering a specific busbar. This segmentation allows the system to provide comprehensive protection while maintaining simplicity through modular design, where each module is an independent unit that can be easily installed and removed.
Solution Approach 2:
Contact protection modules serve as intermediary components between the busbars and the external environment. These modules provide the necessary protection against accidental contact while including integrated terminal receiving areas that facilitate device connection without requiring complete system shutdown.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the busbar system is completely switched off for device assembly or disassembly, then safety is improved, but continuous power supply to connected devices is interrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The contact protection modules are pre-equipped with terminal receiving areas that allow devices to be connected or disconnected before the busbar system is switched off. This preliminary preparation of connection interfaces enables hot-swapping operations, maintaining continuous power supply while ensuring safety through the protective modules.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static state requiring complete shutdown for any assembly operation to a dynamic state where devices can be hot-swapped. The contact protection modules enable this dynamic operation by providing protected interfaces that allow connection changes without interrupting power to other devices.
3Ease of operation
If switch cabinets are opened for device assembly, then access is enabled, but protection against accidental contact is lost and special tools are required
Solution Approach 1:
The contact protection modules extract the essential functions of protection and device connection from the traditional switch cabinet structure. By providing integrated terminal receiving areas and protection against accidental contact directly at the busbar level, the system eliminates the need to open switch cabinets and use special tools for device assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact protection modules enable users to perform device assembly and disassembly operations themselves without requiring specialized knowledge or tools. The modules provide intuitive interfaces with terminal receiving areas that guide proper connection, making the system self-explanatory and easy to operate while maintaining protection against accidental contact.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention provides a touch protection system (1) for several horizontally arranged parallel busbars (9) with planar touch protection modules (2), each of which has retaining feet (18) for engaging behind the busbars (9) and locking elements for mutual locking with adjacent touch protection modules (2), wherein the touch protection modules (2) each have a terminal receiving area (6) with contact slots (3) for each of the busbars (9), wherein the contact slots (3) of the touch protection modules (2) are designed such that they provide a uniform spacing of all mutually locked touch protection modules (2), and wherein the touch protection modules (2) can be slid onto the busbars (9) such that the retaining feet (18) of the touch protection modules (2) engage behind the busbars (9).