Vertical Bus Protective Cover Assembly for Modular Insulation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vertical bus supporting systems in control centers face challenges with the need for custom-sized protective covers and poor workability in connecting these covers, leading to inefficiencies in insulation and assembly accuracy.

Innovation Solution

A vertical bus supporting device with modular, easily mountable protective covers that adapt to different bus lengths, using insulating materials and screwless engagement mechanisms to ensure secure and efficient insulation without requiring extensive machining or precise alignment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If protective covers are made to cover the entireties of vertical buses, then insulation reliability is improved, but manufacturing complexity and assembly difficulty increase due to custom sizing and connection requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinsulation reliabilityVSAvoidprotective cover complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The protective cover is divided into a body portion and a connection portion as separate functional elements. The body portion covers the vertical bus, while the connection portion interfaces with the support. This segmentation allows the main protective function to be standardized while the connection interface adapts to different configurations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The protective cover body is designed with a standardized structure that can accommodate different vertical bus lengths and configurations. The connection portion provides adaptive interfacing with the support, making the overall assembly universal rather than requiring custom-made covers for each specific application.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Manufacturing precision

If protective covers are customized for different vertical bus lengths, then insulation precision is improved, but productivity decreases due to additional machining and assembly steps

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinsulation precisionVSAvoidassembly productivity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The connection portion is designed to adapt to different positions and configurations of the vertical bus support. This dynamic adaptability allows a single standardized protective cover body to achieve precise insulation coverage regardless of the specific bus length or support position, eliminating the need for custom machining.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The design allows the effective coverage parameters of the protective cover to change based on the configuration of the vertical bus and support. The standardized body portion maintains consistent insulation precision while the connection portion adjusts to different dimensional parameters, achieving both precision and productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Strength

If connection portions are formed at distal ends of partition walls, then structural integrity is improved, but ease of manufacture deteriorates due to poor workability in connecting facing surfaces

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidconnection workability
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The connection function is extracted from the main protective cover body and implemented through a separate connection portion. This allows the main body to focus on providing structural integrity and insulation, while the connection portion handles the interfacing function with simplified geometry that is easier to manufacture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The connection portion acts as an intermediary element between the protective cover body and the support. It provides a dedicated interface that simplifies the connection process while maintaining the structural integrity of the overall assembly, resolving the conflict between strength and manufacturability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3748791B1Vertical bus line support device
Publication Date: 2024.08.28 MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP
  • EP3748791B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3748791B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3748791B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided is a vertical bus supporting device including vertical bus protective covers capable of being easily mounted to vertical bus supports and easily mounted also to vertical buses having different lengths. In a switchboard that includes, in a housing 2 thereof, a plurality of vertical buses 4, a plurality of horizontal buses 3, and a plurality of functional units 5 obtained by unitizing control devices, the vertical bus supporting device includes: vertical bus supporting tools 9 each including two vertical bus supports 14 and 15 disposed so as to hold therebetween the plurality of vertical buses 4 from a front-surface side and a rear-surface side, respectively, and vertical bus supporting metal members 16 and 17 disposed so as to couple the two vertical bus supports 14 and 15 from rear surfaces of the two respective vertical bus supports 14 and 15; and vertical bus protective covers 10 made of an insulating material and mounted to the vertical bus supporting tools 9, each vertical bus protective cover 10 including partition walls which surround and insulate the plurality of vertical buses 4. The plurality of the vertical bus supporting tools 9 are located so as not to interfere with contactors 7, of the functional unit 5, which are connected to the plurality of vertical buses 4, the vertical bus supporting tools 9 being arranged such that intervals are kept therebetween in a longitudinal direction of the plurality of vertical buses 4. The vertical bus protective covers 10 are arranged between the respective vertical bus supporting tools 9.