Method for producing electric switchgear and electric switchgear with enhanced seal-tightness

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016284485-A1
Application number	US-201615077176-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 22, 2016
Priority date	Mar 27, 2015
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for producing low- or medium-voltage electrical switchgear including an electrical component, at least one electrical connector connected electrically to the component and an enclosure delimiting a volume in which the component is received, in which the connector includes a body which passes through the enclosure, the method including a step of fitting a seal in a peripheral groove formed in the wall of the body and a step of injecting a plastic material around the body of the connector and around the seal, wherein the injection step consists in injecting the plastic material at a pressure causing an elastic crushing of the seal in the groove.

First claim

1 . A method for producing low- or medium-voltage electrical switchgear comprising an electrical component, at least one electrical connector connected electrically to the component and an enclosure delimiting a volume in which the component is received, in which the connector comprises a body which passes through the enclosure,
the method comprising a step of fitting a seal in a peripheral groove formed in the wall of the body and a step of injecting a plastic material around the body of the connector and around the seal, wherein the injection step consists in injecting the plastic material at a pressure causing an elastic crushing of the seal in the groove.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein, on completion of the step of fitting the seal and before the implementation of the injection step, a part of the seal is situated outside of the groove.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein, on completion of the step of fitting the seal and before the implementation of the injection step, a free volume is present between the seal and the groove.

4 . A low or medium-voltage electrical switchgear comprising:
an electrical component; at least one connector of main axis A, which is electrically connected to the component, and which comprises a body in the outer face of which a peripheral groove is formed; an outer enclosure produced by plastic material injection which delimits a volume in which the component is received, the body of the connector passing through the enclosure; a seal which is arranged in the peripheral groove formed in the connector and which is covered by the outer enclosure, in which the enclosure comprises a sleeve-forming part comprising an inner face which is facing and in contact with the outer wall of the body of the connector and which is in contact with the seal, wherein the sleeve-forming part exerts on the seal a force compressing the seal in the annular groove.

5 . An electrical switchgear according to claim 4 , wherein the groove comprises a part of which the dimension measured along the main axis of the connector is less than the greatest axial dimension of the seal.

6 . The electrical switchgear according to claim 5 , wherein the groove comprises an opening where the groove emerges in the outer wall of the body of which the length of the opening, measured along the main axis A of the connector, is less than the greatest axial length of the section of the groove.

7 . The electrical switchgear according to claim 5 , wherein the connector comprises a lip situated at one and/or the other of the two sides of the opening of the groove.

8 . The electrical switchgear, wherein the section of the peripheral groove along an axial plane passing through the main axis A of the connector has a form chosen from a rectangular quadrilateral, a portion of a circle, an oval, a trapezoid, or a hexagon.

9 . The electrical switchgear according to claim 4 , wherein the connector comprises an end face situated outside the enclosure and the body of the connector consists of two parts situated axially on either side of the groove, of which the diameter of the part which is situated axially closest to the end face of the body is of a diameter greater than the diameter of the other part.

10 . The electrical switchgear according to claim 4 , wherein the section of the seal is of circular, annular or quadrilobal form.

11 . The electrical switchgear according to claim 4 , wherein the peripheral groove comprises a bottom face and two lateral walls which are convex, dished towards the interior of the groove and the annular seal is a seal of the four-lobe type.

Assignees

• Schneider Electric Ind Sas

Inventors

• Berardengo Florent
• Tortorici Jean-Francois

Classifications

• H01H2033/6623

  Details relating to the encasing or the outside layers of the vacuum switch housings · CPC title

• H01H11/00

  Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture of electric switches (processes specially adapted for manufacture of rectilinearly movable switches having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboards, H01H13/88) · CPC title

• H01H33/66207 Primary

  Specific housing details, e.g. sealing, soldering or brazing · CPC title

• B29C45/1418 Primary

  the inserts being deformed or preformed, e.g. by the injection pressure · CPC title

• H01H9/04 Primary

  Dustproof, splashproof, drip-proof, waterproof, or flameproof casings · CPC title