Snap on fingersafe system for panelboards

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9742161-B2
Application number	US-201514837230-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2015
Priority date	Aug 27, 2015
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

A touch safe system is provided for an electrical panel, such as a panel board or residential load center. The system includes a phase barrier to isolate branch connectors along a center portion of the electrical panel, a top central cover that snaps onto the phase barrier and two side bus covers. The side bus covers are arranged along opposite sides of the phase barrier over opposite side portions of the electrical panel. The system further includes snap-in filler plates to cover any exposed portion of a branch connector which is unoccupied by a circuit breaker. Each of the snap-in filler plates is secured between the top center bus cover and one of the side bus covers. A snap-in lug cover can also be provided for each circuit breaker on the panel, and secured between one of the side bus covers and a recessed portion of the circuit breaker.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A touch safe system for an electrical panel with a bus system including a plurality of buses with branch connectors to distribute power to a plurality of branch circuits, the system comprising:
a phase barrier arranged over and along a center portion of the electrical panel, the phase barrier having a plurality of spaced-apart projections to isolate the branch connectors from each other along the center portion of the electrical panel, each pair of adjacent projections with one of the branch connectors therebetween defining a row along which to connect a terminal of a circuit breaker to the one of the branch connectors;
a side bus cover arranged adjacent to one side of the phase barrier and over and along a side portion of the electrical panel to prevent access by an object having a diameter greater than 12 mm to any energized component of the buses located thereunder on the side portion of the electrical panel, the side bus cover including:
a plurality of spaced-apart first slots, each first slot being associated with a pair of adjacent projections with one of the branch circuits therebetween;

a top center cover arranged over the phase barrier along the center portion of the electrical panel, the top center cover being connectable to the phase barrier; and
a plurality of snap-in filler plates, each of the snap-in filler plates to cover an exposed portion of any one of the branch connectors between a pair of adjacent projections which is unoccupied by a circuit breaker, each of the snap-in filler plates having a first end and an opposite second end, the first end having a tab to interlock with the top center cover and a second end having a first snap-fit to engage one of the first slots of the side bus cover.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the top center cover includes an access opening for each pair of adjacent projections, the access opening being coverable by one of the snap-in filler plates when an associated branch connector is unoccupied by a circuit breaker, the access opening being uncovered and having a size and shape to prevent access therethrough by an object having a diameter greater than 12 mm when the associated branch connector is occupied by the circuit breaker, the access opening being arranged over a bolt-on terminal of the occupying circuit breaker.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the access openings are spaced-apart notches along an edge of one side of the top center cover in proximity to the side bus cover, the top center cover further including a tab recess associated with each access opening, the tab recess to receive a tab of one of the snap-in filler plates.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the top center cover includes a downward extending second snap-fit to connect the top center cover to the phase barrier, the second snap-fit to snap into a recessed area on one of the projections or recessed areas on adjacent ones of the projections of the phase barrier.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the top center cover includes a plurality of the downward extending second snap-fits, the top center cover being formed of a plurality of top center cover sections, each of the top center cover sections having spaced-apart access openings and one of the downward extending second snap-fits to snap into a recessed area of one of the projections or recessed areas on adjacent projections of the phase barrier.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a center bus cover including the phase barrier, the center bus cover arranged over and along a center portion of the electrical panel.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the side bus cover has a side with an edge arranged below a portion of one of the projections of the phase barrier.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the side bus cover further includes a second slot for each pair of adjacent projections with one of the branch connectors therebetween, the system further including a lug cover for a circuit breaker with a terminal electrically connectable to one of the branch connectors, the lug cover including a first end and an opposite second end, the first end of the lug cover to engage one of the second slots of the side bus cover, the second end of the lug cover to engage a portion of the circuit breaker.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the first end of the lug cover includes a downward extending protrusion to engage and extend through one of the second slots of the side bus cover, and the second end of the lug cover includes a transverse protrusion to engage a recessed portion of the circuit breaker.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first end of the lug cover includes a base from which extends the downward protrusion, the base being seated in a recessed support on the side bus cover when the downward extending protrusion is engaged through one of the second slots of the side bus cover.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the lug cover includes an opening for a wire terminal of a circuit breaker, the opening having a size and shape to prevent access by an object having a diameter greater than 12 mm.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the side bus cover includes a raised support rim extending around a portion of each of the second slots.

13. The system of claim 1 , comprising two of the side bus covers, the first of the two side bus covers to cover a first side portion on the electrical panel, the second of the two side bus covers to cover a second side portion of the electrical panel, the first and second side portions situated on opposite sides of the center portion of the electrical panel,
wherein the pair of adjacent projections defines a row for two circuit breakers to be connected to one or more of the branch connectors therebetween, one of the two circuit breakers to be engaged from the first side portion of the electrical panel and the other of the two circuit breakers to be engaged from the second side portion of the electrical panel.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein each of the two side bus covers have a side with an edge arranged below a portion of one of the projections of the phase barrier.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein each of two side bus covers includes a second slot for each pair of adjacent projections with one of the branch connectors therebetween, the system further including a lug cover for a circuit breaker with a terminal electrically connectable to one of the branch connectors, the lug cover including a first end and an opposite second end, the first end of the lug cover to engage one of the second slots of the two side bus cover, the second end of the lug cover to engage a recessed portion of the circuit breaker.

Assignees

• Schneider Electric Usa Inc

Inventors

• Sharp Jeffrey Owen

Classifications

• H02B1/14 Primary

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

• H02B1/04

  Mounting thereon of switches or of other devices in general, the switch or device having, or being without, casing · CPC title

• H02B1/20

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