Touch safe panel board system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10141147-B2
Application number	US-201315024932-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2013
Priority date	Sep 30, 2013
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

A touch safe electrical panel (100) includes a bus (110) having a branch connector (130) with a vertical stab (132) and a touch safe connection assembly (150). The assembly includes a dielectric housing (152) for the stab. The housing (152) includes a slot (180) through which to receive the stab, and an opening (190), arranged away from the slot, through which to receive a terminal of a plug-on circuit breaker configured to engage the stab. A dielectric barrier (170A, 170B) is arranged in the housing between the slot and the opening. The barrier partially blocks a passage way between the opening and the slot to prevent direct user contact of the stab while enabling the terminal to pass through the partially blocked passage way and engage the stab.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A touch safe connection assembly for a conductive vertical stab of an electrical panel, comprising:
a dielectric housing for covering the stab, the housing including:
a slot through which to receive the stab in a vertical direction,
a top wall arranged over the slot,
an opening arranged at an end of the housing and away from the slot through which to receive a terminal of a plug-on circuit breaker in a horizontal direction, and
a passage way extending within and along a length of the dielectric housing from the opening to the slot, and

a dielectric barrier arranged in the housing between the slot and the opening, the barrier partially blocking the passage way between the opening and the slot,
wherein, when the stab is received in the housing through the slot, the housing and the dielectric barrier together prevent direct user contact of the stab while enabling the terminal to pass through the partially blocked passage way around the barrier and to engage the stab.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing further comprises:
two opposing side walls;
a bottom wall including the slot and the dielectric barrier;
the top wall having a rib arranged over the slot, the rib in combination with a top portion of the stab being configured to restrain a top portion of the terminal of the circuit breaker from moving toward the top wall when the terminal is engaged to the stab.

3. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the dielectric barrier comprises a post that extends upwards from an interior side of the bottom wall of the housing, and blocks a direct line to the stab from the opening along the passage way.

4. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the rib is on an interior side of the top wall of the housing and has a downward angled profile, the profile being configured to guide a top portion of the terminal of the circuit breaker towards a gap between the rib and the top portion of the stab, when inserting the terminal into the housing via the opening.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes:
two of the openings comprising a first opening on one end and a second opening at an opposite end, and
two of the dielectric barriers comprising:
a first barrier arranged in the housing between the first opening and one end of the slot to partially block a first passage way therebetween to prevent direct user contact of the stab while enabling a terminal of a first circuit breaker to pass through the partially blocked passage way and engage a portion of the stab, and
a second barrier arranged in the housing between the second opening and an other end of the slot to partially block a second passage way therebetween to prevent direct user contact of the stab while enabling a terminal of a second circuit breaker to pass through the partially blocked passage way and engage an other portion of the stab.

6. The assembly of claim 5 , wherein the first barrier is arranged adjacent to one end of the slot and the second barrier is arranged adjacent to the other end of the slot.

7. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the electrical panel comprises a plurality of stabs and the touch safe connection assembly comprises a plurality of the dielectric housings, each of which is configured to house a corresponding vertical stab of the electrical panel.

8. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein a width of the barrier tapers as it extends towards the opening.

9. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the opening has a diameter of less than or equal to 0.75 inches.

10. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the partially blocked passageway is configured to block a finger having a diameter of 12.5 mm or greater from passing therethrough.

11. A touch safe electrical panel comprising:
a bus having a branch connector with a vertical stab; and
a touch safe connection assembly comprising:
a dielectric housing for covering the stab, the housing including:
a slot through which to receive the stab in a vertical direction,
a top wall arranged over the slot, and
an opening, arranged away from the slot, through which to receive a terminal of a plug-on circuit breaker configured to engage the stab in a horizontal direction, and
a passage way extending within and along a length of the dielectric housing from the opening to the slot; and

a dielectric barrier arranged in the housing between the slot and the opening, the barrier partially blocking the passage way between the opening and the slot,

wherein, when the stab is received in the housing through the slot, the housing and the dielectric barrier together prevent direct user contact of the stab while enabling the terminal to pass through the partially blocked passage way and to engage the stab.

12. The panel of claim 11 , further comprising a plurality of the touch safe connection assemblies, wherein the bus includes a plurality of the branch connectors, the stabs of the branch connectors being spaced apart and arranged along a column, each stab being housed in one of the touch safe connection assemblies.

13. The panel of claim 12 , wherein the housings of each of the touch safe connection assemblies comprises:
two of the openings including a first opening on one end of the housing and a second opening at an opposite end of the housing, and
two of the dielectric barriers including:
a first barrier arranged in the housing between the first opening and one end of the slot to partially block a first passage way therebetween to prevent direct user contact of the stab while enabling a terminal of a first circuit breaker to pass through the partially blocked passage way and engage a portion of the stab, and
a second barrier arranged in the housing between the second opening and an other end of the slot to partially block a second passage way therebetween to prevent direct user contact of the stab while enabling a terminal of a second circuit breaker to pass through the partially blocked passage way and engage an other portion of the stab.

14. The panel of claim 11 , further comprising: the plug-on circuit breaker.

15. The panel of claim 14 , wherein the plug-on circuit breaker comprises:
a circuit breaker having a bolt-on terminal; and
a conductive terminal extension having a first end and a second end, the first end connectable to the bolt-on terminal of the circuit breaker, the second end having two resilient extending arms configured to pass through the partially blocked passage way in the housing of the touch safe connection assembly and to clamp onto opposing sides of the vertical stab.

16. The panel of claim 15 , wherein the plug-on circuit breaker further comprises:
a spring clip that clamps a portion of both extending arms.

17. The panel of claim 14 , further comprising a rail,
wherein the circuit breaker further includes a clip on a bottom of a body of the circuit breaker, the clip being configured to engage the rail when the terminal is engaged to the stab in the housing.

18. The panel of claim 11 , wherein the partially blocked passageway is configured to block a finger having a diameter of 12.5 mm or greater from passing therethrough.

Assignees

• Schneider Electric Usa Inc

Inventors

• O'Brien Daniel

Classifications

• H01H71/08

  Terminals; Connections · CPC title

• H01H19/04 Primary

  Cases; Covers · CPC title

• H01R13/44

  Means for preventing access to live contacts {(making use of a switch actuated by engagement of counterpart H01R13/7036)} · CPC title

• H01H9/0264

  Protective covers for terminals · CPC title

• H01H71/0214 Primary

  Housing or casing lateral walls containing guiding grooves or special mounting facilities (H01H71/0221 takes precedence) · CPC title