Adapter system for plug-on neutral load center

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9843114-B2
Application number	US-201314767343-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2013
Priority date	Feb 28, 2013
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

An adapter bracket, which screws onto an existing neutral bar in a load center, having legs inserted through the holes in the neutral bar or screwed into the top of the neutral bar. The adapter bracket is configured to accept downward-facing or sideways-facing plug-on neutral mounting clips of a plug-on neutral circuit breaker. The bracket has a support portion extending along a Z-axis perpendicular to a rear wall of the load center. The downward-facing clips can be plugged onto the support portion. Sideways-facing clips are received onto tabs that are bent away from the support portion of the bracket and feature chamfered ends and a relatively small aspect ratio relative to the length of the mounting clip. The other holes in the existing neutral bar remain unobstructed so that a conventional neutral conductor can be inserted through the free holes while the adapter bracket accommodates plug-on neutral mounting clips.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A unitary adapter bracket that attaches to a neutral bar of an electrical distribution apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of legs positioned parallel to a plane corresponding to a major flat surface of the electrical distribution apparatus having the neutral bar, wherein the neutral bar has a plurality of holes, and wherein each of the plurality of legs is inserted through a corresponding one of the holes;
a support portion extending along a Z-axis that is perpendicular to the plane;
a plurality of neutral connection sites each located a distance above the neutral bar along the Z-axis when the adapter bracket is secured thereto by a plurality of fasteners, each of the neutral connection sites being configured to receive a corresponding plug-on neutral mounting clip of a plug-on neutral circuit breaker.

2. The adapter bracket of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of holes of the neutral bar are for receiving therein a neutral pigtail conductor of a circuit breaker, and wherein each of the plurality of legs is inserted through a corresponding one of the holes such that others of the holes remain unobstructed when the adapter bracket is attached to the neutral bar for receiving in those of the unobstructed holes the neutral pigtail conductor.

3. The adapter bracket of claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of neutral connection sites is a tab extending parallel to the plane, each of the tabs having a chamfered end.

4. The adapter bracket of claim 2 , wherein the support portion is generally orthogonal to the plane such that the holes of the neutral bar run through the neutral bar parallel with the plane.

5. The adapter bracket of claim 1 , wherein an aspect ratio between an overall width of each of the connection sites and an overall length of the neutral mounting clip does not exceed 1:4.

6. The adapter bracket of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of holes of the neutral bar are for receiving therein a neutral pigtail conductor of a circuit breaker, and wherein each of the plurality of legs is inserted through a corresponding one of the holes such that the adapter bracket does not block any of the holes except for those that receive corresponding ones of the plurality of legs.

7. The adapter bracket of claim 1 , wherein the bracket is attached to the neutral bar by a plurality of wire binding screws each of which secures a corresponding one of the legs to the neutral bar, the wire binding screws being received in corresponding ones of a plurality of fastener-receiving holes that extend along the Z-axis through the neutral bar.

8. The adapter bracket of claim 1 , wherein a length of the adapter bracket is shorter than a length of the neutral bar.

9. The adapter bracket of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of neutral connection sites are located along the support portion such that the plug-on neutral mounting clip of the plug-on neutral circuit breaker plugs onto a corresponding one of the neutral connection sites along the Z-axis direction.

10. The adapter of claim 9 , wherein the neutral bar has a plurality of holes for receiving therein a neutral pigtail conductor of a circuit breaker, and wherein the support portion is generally orthogonal to the plane such that the holes of the neutral bar run through the neutral bar parallel with the plane.

11. The adapter bracket of claim 1 , wherein the neutral bar includes a plurality of fastener-receiving holes that extend along the Z-axis through the neutral bar and each of the plurality of neutral connection sites is a tab extending parallel to the plane, each of the tabs having a slot for receiving therethrough a wire binding screw that is also received in a corresponding one of the fastener receiving holes to thereby secure the unitary adapter to the neutral bar.

12. The adapter bracket of claim 11 , wherein the slot is dimensioned to provide two degrees of freedom of movement of the adapter bracket relative to the neutral bar along the plane.

13. An electrical distribution apparatus, comprising:
a housing having a rear wall corresponding to a plane that lies orthogonal to a Z-axis;
a neutral bar positioned in the housing in a fixed relationship thereto, the neutral bar having a plurality of holes running therethrough parallel with the plane and a plurality of fastener-receiving holes extending along the Z-axis through the neutral bar and coinciding with corresponding ones of the plurality of holes inside the neutral bar; and
an adapter bracket, including:
a plurality of legs configured to be received through corresponding ones of the plurality of holes of the neutral bar,
a support portion extending along the Z-axis and having an exposed end that includes a plurality of neutral connection sites each located a distance above the neutral bar along the Z-axis when the adapter bracket is mechanically secured and electrically coupled to the neutral bar, each of the neutral connection sites being configured to receive thereon a corresponding plug-on neutral mounting clip of a plug-on neutral circuit breaker installed into the electrical distribution apparatus.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein each of the neutral connection sites is a tab extending parallel to the plane such that the plug-on neutral mounting clip is plugged onto the adapter bracket along a direction that includes a direction parallel to the plane, and wherein each of the legs is configured to be inserted through a corresponding one of the holes such that the adapter bracket does not block any of the holes except for those that receive corresponding ones of the plurality of legs, and wherein the adapter bracket is attached to the neutral bar by a plurality of fasteners each of which secures a corresponding one of the legs to the neutral bar through the corresponding one of the holes, and wherein those of the holes that do not receive one of the legs therethrough are configured to receive therein a neutral pigtail conductor of a circuit breaker installed into the electrical distribution apparatus.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the adapter bracket when mechanically attached to the neutral bar is configured to conduct neutral current from the circuit breakers electrically coupled to the neutral bar in the electrical distribution apparatus to the neutral bar through the legs, and wherein the plurality of neutral connection sites are located along the support portion and correspondingly along the Z-axis such that the plug-on neutral mounting clip of the plug-on neutral circuit breaker plugs onto a corresponding one of the neutral connection sites along a direction that follows the Z-axis direction.

Assignees

• Schneider Electric Usa Inc

Inventors

• Pearson Dave

Classifications

• H01R25/00

  Coupling parts adapted for simultaneous co-operation with two or more identical counterparts, e.g. for distributing energy to two or more circuits (supported only by co-operation with a counterpart H01R31/00; with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/88) · CPC title

• H02B1/48

  Mounting of devices therein · CPC title

• H01R31/08

  Short-circuiting members for bridging contacts in a counterpart · CPC title

• H01R9/2491 Primary

  Terminal blocks structurally associated with plugs or sockets · CPC title

• H02B1/056 Primary

  Mounting on plugboards · CPC title