One axis shutter with a pin-based bus system for miniature circuit breaker load centers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9564741-B1
Application number	US-201514802483-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jul 17, 2015
Priority date	Jul 17, 2015
Publication date	Feb 7, 2017
Grant date	Feb 7, 2017

Abstract

Apparatus for substantially eliminating exposure to live parts in a load center includes a bus assembly with male-terminal stabs which are capped with nonconductive material. A nonconductive structure covers the bus assembly and allows only the stabs to pass into the interior of circuit breaker compartments. A shutter assembly in each circuit breaker compartment has a nonconductive shutter plate that moves only in the Z axis to provide access to the stabs when a circuit breaker is inserted with a Z axis motion. Inserting the circuit breaker in the load center causes a shutter plate latch to open and depress the shutter. When the circuit breaker is removed from the load center, the shutter plate is biased upward and latched in a position over the stabs. No live touch points are available in the load center.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A panel board assembly, including a power bus in a first plane with vertical stabs extending 90-degrees from the power bus in a first axis; a neutral bus in the first plane with vertical stabs extending 90-degrees from the neutral bus in the first axis; the stabs of each of the power bus and the neutral bus being arranged in a respective line; the stabs having a free end being distal from the busses, the free ends having caps of nonconductive material; circuit breaker compartments for receiving circuit breakers inserted along the first axis; the circuit breaker compartments having the stabs protruding therein; a shutter plate in each of the circuit breaker compartments, each shutter plate being nonconductive and having a throughhole for receiving a stab of the power bus and a throughhole for receiving a stab of the neutral bus; and the shutter plate having a raised position such that a to surface of the shutter plate is above the tops of all stabs in its circuit breaker compartment and having a lowered position allowing the stabs to protrude through the shutter plate.

2. The panel board assembly of claim 1 , wherein the stabs are pin-shaped.

3. The panel board assembly of claim 1 , further comprising: a layer of nonconductive material covering the busses and allowing the stabs to protrude therethrough.

4. The panel board assembly of claim 3 , wherein the layer of nonconductive material is a nonconductive plate with throughholes for the stabs.

5. The panel board assembly of claim 4 , wherein the nonconductive plate is a wall of a one-piece unitary assembly of nonconductive material having the circuit breaker compartments formed therein.

6. The panel board assembly of claim 1 , further comprising: the shutter plate being part of a shutter assembly having a biasing spring for urging the shutter plate to the raised position.

7. The panel board assembly of claim 6 further having a latch for retaining the shutter plate in the raised position.

8. The panel board assembly of claim 7 , wherein the latch includes a U-shaped flat spring with tabs on the arms of the U to engage the shutter plate.

9. The panel board assembly of claim 8 , wherein the arms of the U have a first position extending the tabs into contact with the shutter plate and a second position upon contact with a complementary-shaped circuit breaker wherein the tabs are forced towards side walls of circuit breaker compartment, thereby releasing the latch.

10. The panel board assembly of claim 1 , further comprising: the circuit breaker compartments each being a well whose sides extend in the Z axis to substantially cover the depth of a respective circuit breaker when inserted into a respective circuit breaker compartment.

11. The panel board assembly of claim 5 , further comprising: a wiring gutter in the one-piece unitary assembly.

12. The panel board assembly of claim 11 , further comprising: a slot in the circuit breaker compartment on that side of the circuit breaker compartment leading to the wiring gutter.

13. The panel board assembly of claim 1 , wherein the panel board is a load center.

14. The panel board assembly of claim 13 , wherein the circuit breaker compartments are sized for miniature circuit breakers.

Assignees

• Schneider Electric Usa Inc

Inventors

• Mittelstadt Chad R

Classifications

• H02B1/14 Primary

  Shutters or guards for preventing access to contacts (shielding of isolating-contacts in withdrawable switchgear H02B11/24) · CPC title

• H01R13/447

  Shutter or cover plate · CPC title

• H01H9/22

  for interlocking between casing, cover, or protective shutter and mechanism for operating contacts {(explosion-proof cases H01H9/045; built-in fuses and interlocking mechanisms H01H9/104; by automatic release of circuit breakers H01H71/126)} · CPC title

• H02B1/06

  having associated enclosures, e.g. for preventing access to live parts · CPC title

• H02B1/20

  Bus-bar or other wiring layouts, e.g. in cubicles, in switchyards (installations of bus-bars H02G5/00) · CPC title