Compact auxiliary connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11804686-B2
Application number	US-202117558745-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2021
Priority date	Dec 29, 2020
Publication date	Oct 31, 2023
Grant date	Oct 31, 2023

Abstract

A compact auxiliary connector can include two bushings each with an electrical connector(s), and a tubing connected between the two bushings to insulate an electrical cable, which is connected between electrical connectors of the two bushings. The electrical connector of each of the two bushings can be connected to an electrical device, a line or load bus or a combination thereof, according to the desired connection configuration. Each bushing may also include a flexible joint cover, such as a boot, to cover the connection of the bushing connectors to a bus, such as a primary bus. The compact auxiliary connector can manage live connections between auxiliary or other device(s) and line/load buses in a switchgear cabinet of a switchgear assembly. The bushings, tubing and flexible joint cover can be formed of insulating materials having desired dielectric strength according to the voltage applications.

First claim

We claim:

1. A connector assembly for connecting a bus to one or more auxiliary devices in a switchgear assembly, the connector assembly comprising:
first and second bushing assemblies, each of the first and second bushing assemblies including:
a bushing having opposing first and second open ends with a cavity extending therethrough, the cavity being separated by a wall into first and second cavities which open to first and second open ends respectively, the wall having an opening extending between the first and second cavities, the bushing formed of an insulating material,
a connector formed of a conductive material and arranged in the cavity, the connector having a portion extending through the opening of the interior wall, the connector having a first end with a first terminal in the first cavity of the bushing and an opposing second end in the second cavity, and
a flexible joint cover connectable over a portion of the bushing to enclose the second cavity with the second end of the connector, the flexible joint cover having a first slot through which to receive a conductor from a line or load bus for connection to the second end; and

a tubing, connected between the flexible joint covers of the first and second bushing assemblies, for housing a conductive cable which is connected between the second ends of the connectors of the first and second bushing assemblies.

2. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second end of the connector includes at least two second terminals separated from each other, the conductive cable being connected between one of the two second terminals of the first bushing assembly and one of the two second terminals of the second bushing assembly.

3. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first terminal of the connector for each of the first and second bushing assemblies is configured to connect to a terminal of a device in a compartment of a switchgear cabinet of a switchgear assembly.

4. The connector assembly of claim 3 , wherein the first device is a control power transformer or a voltage transformer.

5. The connector assembly of claim 3 , wherein the first and second bushing assemblies along with the tubing utilize 5.5 or fewer inches in depth of a primary compartment of the switchgear cabinet to electrically connect a line or load bus to the first device.

6. The connector assembly of claim 3 , wherein the first and second bushing assemblies together with the tubing are configured to operate in a voltage class of 15 kV, 95 kV Basic Insulation Level (BIL).

7. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the flexible joint cover comprises a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) boot which is detachably connectable over the portion of the bushing to enclose the second cavity with the second end.

8. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the tubing comprises a phenolic tube.

9. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein each connector of the first and second bushing assemblies has a Z-shape.

10. A switchgear assembly comprising:
a switchgear cabinet including an auxiliary compartment, a cable compartment and a bus bar compartment;
a multi-phase power bus system including line and load buses for distributing multi-phase power;
a first device in the auxiliary compartment of the switchgear cabinet; and
a plurality of the connector assemblies of claim 1 each for a respective power phase, each of the connector assemblies having the first terminal of the connector of one of the first or second bushing assembly connected to the first device for a respective power phase and the second end of the connector of the first or second bushing assembly connected to a respective power phase of the line or load bus of the multi-phase power bus system.

11. The switchgear assembly of claim 10 , further comprising:
a second device in the auxiliary compartment of the switchgear cabinet, the first and second devices being mounted vertically next to one another in the auxiliary compartment,
wherein each of the connector assemblies has the first terminal of the other one of the first or second bushing assembly connected to the second device for a respective power phase.

12. The switchgear assembly of claim 11 , wherein the first device is a control power transformer and the second device is a voltage transformer.

13. The switchgear assembly of claim 10 , wherein the first and second bushing assemblies along with the tubing utilize 5.5 or fewer inches in depth of the switchgear cabinet to electrically connect a line or load bus to the first device.

14. The switchgear assembly of claim 10 , wherein each of the connector assemblies is configured to operate in a voltage class of 15 kV, 95 kV Basic Insulation Level (BIL).

15. A connector assembly for connecting a bus to one or more auxiliary devices in a switchgear assembly, the connector assembly comprising:
first and second bushing assemblies, each of the first and second bushing assemblies comprising:
a bushing having opposing first and second open ends with a cavity extending therethrough, the cavity being separated by a wall into first and second cavities which open to first and second open ends respectively, the wall having an opening extending between the first and second cavities,
a connector formed of a conductive material and arranged in the cavity, the connector having a portion extending through the opening of the interior wall, and
a flexible joint cover connectable over a portion of the bushing to enclose the second cavity with the second end of the connector, the flexible joint cover having a first slot through which to receive a conductor for connection to the second end; and

a tubing, connected between the flexible joint covers of the first and second bushing assemblies, for housing a conductive cable which is connected between the second ends of the connectors of the first and second bushing assemblies.

16. The connector assembly of claim 15 , wherein the connector further comprises a second end that includes at least two second terminals separated from each other, the conductive cable being connected between one of the two second terminals of the first bushing assembly and one of the two second terminals of the second bushing assembly.

17. The connector assembly of claim 15 , wherein the connector further comprises a first terminal for each of the first and second bushing assemblies, wherein the first terminal is configured to connect to a terminal of a device in a compartment of a switchgear cabinet of a switchgear assembly.

18. The connector assembly of claim 17 , wherein the first device is a control power transformer or a voltage transformer, wherein the first and second bushing assemblies along with the tubing utilize 5.5 or fewer inches in depth of a primary compartment of the switchgear cabinet to electrically connect a line or load bus to the first device, and wherein the first and second bushing assemblies together with the tubing are configured to operate in a voltage class of 15 kV, 95 kV Basic Insulation Level (BIL).

19. The connector assembly of claim 15 , wherein the flexible joint cover comprises a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) boot which is detachably connectable over the portion of the bushing to enclose the second cavity with the second end.

20. The connector assembly of claim 15 , wherein the tubing comprises a phenolic tube, and wherein each connector of the first and second bushing assemblies has a Z-shape.

Assignees

• Schneider Electric Usa Inc

Inventors

• Flores Sergio
• Williford Matthew Alan
• Kumbalwar Bhushan
• Motley Gregory O
• Byron Eldridge R

Classifications

• H01R43/26 Primary

  for engaging or disengaging the two parts of a coupling device (structural association with two-part coupling device H01R13/629) · CPC title

• H01R13/53

  Bases or cases for heavy duty; Bases or cases {for high voltage} with means for preventing corona or arcing · CPC title

• H02B13/0358

  Connections to in or out conductors (connectors in general H01R) · CPC title

• H01R13/02 Primary

  Contact members · CPC title

• H02B11/04 Primary

  Isolating-contacts, e.g. mountings or shieldings · CPC title