Busway systems and related assemblies and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10164388-B2
Application number	US-201715626900-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2017
Priority date	Apr 16, 2015
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

A busway assembly includes first and second busway sections and a joint assembly connecting the first and second sections. Each busway section includes a housing including first and second opposing side portions. Each busway section includes a first insulator held in the first side portion and a second insulator held in the second side portion. The first and second insulators each hold one or more bus bar conductors. The joint assembly includes first and second connected joint housings and plurality of joint conductors held in the first and second housings. A first exposed portion of each joint conductor extends out of the first housing and is electrically connected with one of the bus bar conductors of the first busway section. A second exposed portion of each joint conductor extends out of the second housing and is electrically connected with one of the bus bar conductors of the second busway section.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A busway assembly comprising:
first and second busway sections, each busway section comprising:
a busway section housing having first and second opposing side portions;
a first insulator held in the first side portion of the housing, the first insulator holding at least one bus bar conductor; and
a second insulator held in the second side portion of the housing, the second insulator holding at least one bus bar conductor; and

a joint assembly configured to be positioned between and to couple the first and second busway sections;
wherein:
the first insulator comprises at least one lengthwise channel defined therein with the at least one channel holding the at least one bus bar conductor;
the second insulator comprises at least one lengthwise channel defined therein with the at least one channel holding the at least one bus bar conductor; and
a respective bus bar conductor has a length that is shorter than a length of the channel in which the bus bar conductor is held such that a gap is defined in the channel between an end of the bus bar conductor and an end of the channel.

2. The busway assembly of claim 1 wherein:
the first insulator has a length that is substantially the same as a length of the busway section housing; and/or
the second insulator has a length that is substantially the same as a length of the busway section housing.

3. The busway assembly of claim 1 wherein the joint assembly comprises:
a joint housing; and
a plurality of joint conductors held in the joint housing;
wherein a first end portion of each joint conductor extends out of the joint housing at a first end thereof and is configured to be electrically connected with one of the bus bar conductors of the first busway section, and wherein a second end portion of each joint conductor extends out of the joint housing at a second end thereof and is configured to be electrically connected with one of the bus bar conductors of the second busway section.

4. The busway assembly of claim 3 wherein:
the joint housing comprises first and second joint housing portions connected to one another;
the first end portion of each joint conductor comprises a first exposed portion of the joint conductor that extends out of the first joint housing; and
the second end portion of each joint conductor comprises a second exposed portion of the joint conductor that extends out of the second joint housing.

5. The busway assembly of claim 4 wherein the first and second joint housing portions each comprise:
a base; and
a plurality of elongated conductor holding members extending away from the base, each conductor holding member defining a channel;
wherein the first and second joint housing portions are connected at their respective bases with the channels of the first joint housing portion aligned with the channels of the second joint housing portion and with each joint conductor held in a respective pair of aligned channels of the first and second joint housing portions.

6. The busway assembly of claim 5 wherein each conductor holding member comprises a slot at a distal end portion thereof, and wherein the exposed portions of the joint conductors extend through the slots.

7. The busway assembly of claim 1 further comprising a joint cover configured to be positioned over the joint assembly when the first and second busway sections are coupled thereby, the joint cover being slidable axially along the first and second busway section housings.

8. The busway assembly of claim 7 wherein the busway section housings comprise channels at first and second side portions thereof, and wherein the joint cover comprises rail members that are slidably received in the channels.

9. A busway section comprising:
a housing comprising first and second opposing side portions;
a first insulator configured to be slidingly received in first side portion of the housing, the first insulator having at least one lengthwise channel defined therein with each channel configured to receive a bus bar conductor; and
a second insulator configured to be slidingly received in the second side portion of the housing, the second insulator having at least one lengthwise channel defined therein with each channel configured to receive a bus bar conductor;
wherein:
a first phase bus bar conductor is received in the at least one channel of the first insulator; and
the first phase bus bar conductor has a length that is shorter than a length of the channel in which the first phase bus bar conductor is held such that a gap is defined in the channel between an end of the first phase bus bar conductor and an end of the channel.

10. The busway section of claim 9 wherein:
the at least one channel defined in the first insulator comprises a plurality of spaced apart lengthwise channels;
the first phase bus bar conductor is received in one of the plurality of channels of the first insulator and a second phase bus bar conductor is received in another one of the plurality of channels of the first insulator; and
a third phase bus bar conductor is received in the at least one channel of the second insulator.

11. The busway section of claim 10 wherein:
the second phase bus bar conductor has a length that is shorter than a length of the channel in which the second phase bus bar conductor is held such that a gap is defined in the channel between an end of the second phase bus bar conductor and an end of the channel; and
the third phase bus bar conductor has a length that is shorter than a length of the channel in which the third phase bus bar conductor is held such that a gap is defined in the channel between an end of the third phase bus bar conductor and an end of the channel.

12. The busway section of claim 10 wherein the at least one channel defined in the second insulator comprises a plurality of spaced apart lengthwise channels.

13. The busway section of claim 12 further comprising a ground bus bar conductor held in one of the plurality of channels of the first insulator or one of the plurality of channels of the second insulator.

14. The busway section of claim 12 further comprising a neutral bus bar conductor held in one of the plurality of channels of the first insulator or one of the plurality of channels of the second insulator.

15. A joint assembly for use with a busway system, the joint assembly comprising:
a joint housing; and
a plurality of continuous joint conductors held in the joint housing;
wherein a first end portion of each joint conductor extends out of the joint housing at a first end thereof and a second end portion of each joint conductor extends out of the joint housing at a second end thereof;
wherein:
the joint housing comprises first and second joint housing portions connected to one another;
the first end portion of each joint conductor comprises a first exposed portion of the joint conductor that extends out of the first joint housing portion; and
the second end portion of each joint conductor comprises a second exposed portion of the joint conductor that extends out of the second joint housing portion.

16. The joint assembly of claim 15 wherein the first and second joint housing portions each comprise:
a base; and
a plurality of elongated conductor holding members extending away from the base, each conductor holding member defining a channel;
wherein the first and second joint housing portions are connected at their respective bases with the channels of the first joint housing portion aligned with the channels of the second joint housing portion and with each joint conductor held in

Assignees

• Eaton Corp
• Eaton Intelligent Power Ltd

Inventors

• Kokenda John Michael
• Kelley David Ladd

Classifications

• H02G5/007

  Butt joining of bus-bars by means of a common bolt, e.g. splice joint (electrically conductive connections characterised by contacting members H01R4/58) · CPC title

• H02G5/04

  Partially-enclosed installations, e.g. in ducts and adapted for sliding or rolling current collection · CPC title

• H02G5/00

  Installations of bus-bars · CPC title

• H01R25/162 Primary

  Electrical connections between or with rails or bus-bars (rails having primarily a non electrical function H01R4/64) · CPC title

• H02G5/002

  Joints between bus-bars for compensating thermal expansion · CPC title