Disconnect splice block and modular surge device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9825459-B2
Application number	US-201514621615-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2015
Priority date	Feb 13, 2014
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

An electrical coupling device, such as a surge protector for a rail or other conductive structure, includes a pair of terminals, and a jumper for selectively electrically coupling and decoupling the terminals. Movement of the jumper may expose part of the jumper or one or both of the terminals, such as for use as a test point. A surge module with one or more surge protection features may fit into a base that includes the terminal and the jumper. The module may have an interface feature, such as a protruding post, that prevents engagement with the base if the base is not properly engaged with the rail or other structure. In one embodiment, a threaded rod may serve as the jumper and in one position electrically couples the terminals and in another position electrically decouples the terminals and one end of the threaded rod becomes exposed for use as a test point.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical coupling device comprising:
a base housing;
a pair of electrical terminals; and
a jumper;
wherein the terminals and the jumper are located within the base housing;
wherein the jumper is part of a movable member that rotates around a rotations axis passing through a center of the movable member to selectively electrically couple and decouple the terminals together via the jumper; and
wherein rotating the movable member about the rotational axis selectively uncovers one or more portions of the terminals and/or the jumper as a test point, to allow electrical access to one or both of the terminals, such as for testing.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein rotation of the movable member moves the jumper axially.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the jumper includes a threaded rod that engages a threaded hole in a member that is fixed with respect to at least one of the base housing or the terminals.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the test point is an exposable end of the jumper that is exposed when terminals are electrically decoupled.

5. The device of claim 2 , wherein the jumper passes through respective concentric holes in the terminals.

6. The device of claim 5 ,
further comprising an insulator that the jumper passes through;
wherein the insulator is between parts of the terminals, and maintains separation between the terminals.

7. The device of claim 5 , wherein the jumper includes an annular member that presses against and electrically couples to one of the terminals, around as the hole in the one of the terminals.

8. The device of claim 1 , further comprising respective binding posts electrically coupled to the terminals.

9. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a mounting for mounting and electrically coupling the device to a rail.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the mounting includes one or more of clamps, mounting bolts, or snap clips.

11. The device of claim 1 ,
in combination with a surge module mechanically coupled to the base housing and engaging the electrical terminals;
wherein the surge module includes:
a surge module housing;
one or more surge protection components within the surge module housing; and
metallic electrodes protruding from a bottom face of the surge module housing, for electrically coupling the one or more surge protection components to the electrical terminals.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the surge module includes an interface feature that engages a corresponding feature on the base housing, to prevent mechanical coupling of the surge module with the base housing at an improper orientation, and/or if the base housing is not properly installed on a structural member.

13. An electrical coupling device comprising:
a base that includes:
a base housing;
a jumper, the jumper coupled to a rotating member;
a pair of electrical terminals;

wherein the rotating member defines a rotational axis passing through a center of the rotating member;
wherein rotating the rotating member about the rotational axis selectively electrically couples and decouples the electrical terminals together via the jumper; and
a surge module mechanically coupled to the base housing and engaging the electrical terminals;
wherein the terminals are located within the base housing; and
wherein the surge module includes:
a surge module housing;
one or more surge protection components within the surge module housing; and
metallic electrodes protruding from a bottom face of the surge module housing, for electrically coupling the one or more surge protection components to the electrical terminals.

14. A surge module for coupling to a base to be mounted on a structural member, the module comprising:
a surge module housing;
one or more surge protection components within the housing;
a fastener, the fastener positioned on the base; and
an interface feature that engages the fastener on the base, to prevent mechanical coupling of the surge module with, the base at an improper orientation, and/or if the base is incompletely coupled to the structural member.

15. A method of providing surge protection, the method comprising:
installing a base on a structural member, with a grounding member of the base electrically coupling to the structural member, wherein the installing the base includes using a fastener to couple the base to the structural member; and
after the installing, mechanically and electrically coupling a surge module to the base, wherein an interface feature of the structural member engages the fastener to prevent mechanical coupling of the surge module with the base at an improper orientation or if the base is not properly installed on the structural member.

16. The method of claim 15 ,
wherein the structural member is a rail;
wherein the fastener is a threaded fastener; and
wherein the installing include threading the fastener into the rail.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the coupling the surge module to the base include coupling metallic electrodes protruding from a bottom face of the surge module, to electrodes of the base that are electrically coupled to the structural member during the installing of the base.

18. The device of claim 1 , wherein the rotational axis is vertical.

19. The device of claim 13 , wherein the rotational axis is vertical.

Assignees

• Erico Int Corp

Inventors

• Buehman Ernest Richard-Dean
• Ambrogio Nicholas J
• Watson Daniel
• Pfaff Daniel A
• Bockstoce Thomas R

Classifications

• H01R13/70

  with built-in switch · CPC title

• H01R9/2441

  with built-in overvoltage protection · CPC title

• Y10T29/49117

  Conductor or circuit manufacturing · CPC title

• H02H9/04 Primary

  responsive to excess voltage (lightning arrestors H01C7/12, H01C8/04, H01G9/18, H01T) · CPC title

• H01R25/142

  Their counterparts · CPC title