DESC:TECHNICAL FIELD

[001] The present subject matter described herein, in general, relates to supporting of conductors used for distribution of electrical energy and more particularly to an efficient and flexible arrangement for supporting the conductors during normal condition as well during abnormal conditions.

BACKGROUND

[002] Busbar support is an assembly which supports the busbar conductors from the electromagnetic forces developed during short circuit condition. It includes a grip support components for supporting busbar and a pultruded support component, within an assembly of a switchboard.

[003] Conventionally, busbar supports are stick to the pultruded support component with the help of adhesive so that the pultruded support component does not fall down during assembly. However, such a method is time consuming and clumsy which thereby increases the operation time for assembly of the switchboard. Also, in case oflarge number production switchboards, the sticking operation becomes painful. The final busbar support assembly also appears cluttered because of the flowing of the glue out of the surface of the support assembly.

[004] In existing assemblies, since the sticking operation was required for the busbar support on the pultruded support, the operation time for assembly of the switchboard increases. In production of switchboards in large number, the sticking operation becomes painful. The final support looks shabby because of the flowing of the glue out of the surface of the support. Moreover, in the other method of fixing the steel grip support with the pultruded support, screw and nut is used for fixing. In this case, there is screw projection on the other side of the pultruded support. Thus, for maintaining the clearance between screw and the current carrying conductor, more space has to be provided.

[005] Some other conventional techniques for fixing the busbar support component with the pultruded support component include the use of a screw and a nut. However in such techniques there is screw projection on the other side of the pultruded support component. This causes problem of meeting clearance between the projected bolts to the conducting link of the other phases. Eventually, the space required to accommodate the conducting links in the switchboard after maintaining the clearance also increases which ultimately leads to the increase of the cost of the switchboard.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[006] The following presents a simplified summary of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the present invention. It is not intended to identify the key/critical components of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some concept of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to a more detailed description of the invention presented later.

[007] The mainobject of the present invention is to provide animproved assembly for clamping a busbar support with a pultruded support component that obviates the drawbacks of the conventional support assembly as indicated above.

[008] Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved assembly of the busbar support with the pultruded support thus avoiding the need to stick the busbar support on the pultruded support.

[009] In one implementation, the present invention provides an improved assembly for clamping busbar support with pultruded support wherein the improved assembly comprises a steel grip support component which is also a bus bar support component, a holder component and a pultruded support component.

[0010] In one implementation, the present invention provides a neat way to assemble the busbar support or the steel grip support component with the pultruded supportcomponent by means of a holder component. The holder component is assembled inside a hole provided on the pultruded support component.A flaring is provided on the steel grip component which enables placing of steel grip component on the pultruded support.

[0011] In one implementation, the present invention provides an improved assembly for bus bar support wherein the holder component is first inserted in a hole provided on the pultruded support and thereby the steel grip component is assembled. The holder further comprises at least four legs whichget compressed while inserting the holder in the pultruded support. Thus the holder cannot be taken out of the pultruded support.Once the holder is assembled in the pultruded support, the steel grip is placed on the pultruded support with the help of the flaring provided on it. A screw is used to hold steel grip to the holder placed inside the pultruded support. The screw is ensures that the insertion of conducting bars inside the pultruded support is not hindered.

[0012] In one implementation, the present invention provides an improved bus bar support assembly wherein amoulded part is provided within the pultruded support component. Thus, the screw which is holding the steel grip to the pultruded support is inserted in the moulded part and gets fixed in that moulded part which prevents the screw to project out from the other side of the pultruded support component. Thus, the problem of clearance of the screw projection with the conducting link is overcome.

[0013] As compared to the existing assemblies, the present invention makes the assembly of busbar supports clean and fast. Also, the present invention provides a moulded part inserted inside the hole provided on the pultruded support. Thus, the screw which is holding the steel grip to the pultruded support has to be inserted in the moulded part and gets fixed in that moulded part. Thus, the screw does not project out from the other side of the pultruded support. Thus, the problem of clearance of the screw projection with the conducting link is avoided in this case.

[0014] Also, as compared to the convention techniques where fixing the steel grip is either to stick it on the pultruded support or to fix it on the pultruded support with the help of screw and nut, the present invention provides an additional component is designed which has to be inserted in the pultruded support. The additional component serves two purpose:
i. Providing the material for screw fixing in such a way that the screw projection is not required at the other end for nut fixing, and
ii. Holding the assembly of steel grip and screw in the pultruded support so that the steel grip does not fall down.

[0015] Other aspects, advantages, and salient features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses exemplary embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

[0016] Figure 1 illustratesa steel grip support, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.

[0017] Figure 2 illustrates a pultruded support, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.

[0018] Figure 3 illustrates a holder,in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.

[0019] Figure 4 illustrates a direction for insertion of the holder into the pultruded support, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.

[0020] Figure 5 illustrates the holder assembled inside the pultruded support, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.

[0021] Figure 6 illustrates an assembly of the steel grip support, the holder and the pultruded support, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.

[0022] Figure 7 illustrates a sectional view of the assembly of pultruded support, the steel grip and the holder, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.

[0023] Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that components in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and may have not been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the components in the figure may be exaggerated relative to other components to help to improve understanding of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.Throughout the drawings, it should be noted that like reference numbers are used to depict the same or similar components, features, and structures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

[0024] The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings is provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of exemplary embodiments of the invention. It includes various specific details to assist in that understanding but these are to be regarded as merely exemplary.

[0025] Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of the embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions are omitted for clarity and conciseness.

[0026] The terms and words used in the following description and claims are not limited to the bibliographical meanings, but, are merely used by the inventor to enable a clear and consistent understanding of the invention. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention are provided for illustration purpose only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0027] It is to be understood that the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0028] By the term “substantially” it is meant that the recited characteristic, parameter, or value need not be achieved exactly, but that deviations or variations, including for example, tolerances, measurement error, measurement accuracy limitations and other factors known to those of skill in the art, may occur in amounts that do not preclude the effect the characteristic was intended to provide.

[0029] Features that are described and/or illustrated with respect to one embodiment may be used in the same way or in a similar way in one or more other embodiments and/or in combination with or instead of the features of the other embodiments.

[0030] It should be emphasized that the term “comprises/comprising” when used in this specification is taken to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof.

[0031] Referring now to figure 1, a steel grip support component for supporting busbar conductors is illustrated. In one implementation, the steel grip support component is provided with slots for supporting the busbar conductors wherein the slots are based on the thickness of the conducting busbar. A flaring is provided at the centre of the steel grip component wherein the flaring is further used for placing the steel grip support on a pultruded support component.

[0032] Referring now to figure 2, the pultruded support component is illustrated. In one implementation, a hole is provided on the pultruded support component wherein a holder component is inserted.

[0033] Referring now to figure 3, the holder component is illustrated. In one implementation, the holder component is used to hold steel grip support component with the pultruded support component. The holder component has four legs provided on the bottom side which get compressed when it is inserted in the pultruded support component.

[0034] Referring now to figure 4, a direction for insertion of the holder component into the pultruded supportcomponent is illustrated.In one implementation the holder component is inserted in the hole provided on the pultruded support where steel grip component has to be assembled.

[0035] Referring now to figure 5, an assembly of the holder component within the pultruded support component is illustrated.

[0036] Referring now to figure 6, an assembly of the steel grip support component, the holder component and the pultruded support component is illustrated.

[0037] Referring now to figure 7, a sectional view of the assembly of pultruded support component, the steel grip component and the holder component is illustrated.

[0038] In one implementation, the assembly of clamping the steel grip support component with a pultruded support component includes insertion of the holder component as shown in figure 3 in the hole provided on the pultruded support component as shown in figure 4. While inserting the holder component in the pultruded support component, the four legs provided on the holder component gets compressed and thereby retains their original position because of its flexibility, once holder is fully inserted. Thus the holder component may not be taken out of the pultruded support.

[0039] In one implementation, once the holder component is assembled in the pultruded support as shown in figure 5, the steel grip component is thereby placed on the pultruded support component by means of flaring provided on the steel grip component. A countersunk screw is used to hold steel grip to the holder placed inside the pultruded support component. A countersunk screw is used to ensure that the insertion of conducting bars inside the pultruded support is not hindered as shown in figure 6.

[0040] In one implementation, amoulded part is provided within the pultruded support component as shown in figure 7. Thus, the countersunk screw which is holding the steel grip component to the pultruded support component, is inserted in the moulded part and gets fixed in that moulded part which may prevent the countersunk screw to project out from the other side of the pultruded support component. Thus, the problem of clearance of the screw projection with the conducting link is overcome.

[0041] Accordingly, in one implementation, the present invention provides a detachable support member assembly for a busbar used in electrical conductors, the detachable support member assembly comprisingat least one steel grip coupled to at least one pultruded support by means of at least one holder with at least four leg means provided on at least one side of the holder. The holder is adapted to fit in the hole of the pultruded support such that the four legs of the holder are adapted to get compressed while insertion in the pultruded support and decompress on complete insertion in the pultruded support, andthe steel grip comprises at least one slot and at least one flaring at the centre, the flaring is adapted for placing the steel grip on the pultruded support having at least one hole, such that the slot of the steel grip and the hole of the pultruded support are overlapping.

[0042] In one implementation, the steel grip and the pultruded support are detachably coupled by inserting at least one countersunk screw in the holder thereby forming the detachable support member assembly.

[0043] In one implementation, the countersunk screw is adapted to avoid hindrance during the insertion of the conducting bars inside the pultruded support.

[0044] In one implementation, the countersunk screw is assembled on the steel grip, holding the steel grip and the holder forming a detachable assembly of the steel grip and the pultruded support.

[0045] In one implementation, the complete insertion of the holder in the hole of the pultruded support makes the holder non-detachable from the pultruded support.

[0046] In one implementation, the slot on the steel grip is preferably based on a thickness of the conducting bar.

[0047] Some of the important features of the present invention, considered to be noteworthy are mentioned below:
1. The present invention provides an improved clamping arrangement of the busbar support that can be used for different cross section and the number of busbars.
2. The clamping assembly enables the pultruded support and the holder to remain same for different cases besides changing the steel grip without breaking the assembly.
3. The present invention provides a faster and a cleaner technique for bus bar support assembly.
4. The clamping assembly used to hold the steel grip and holder is arranged in such a manner that the assembly will not project out from the opposite surface of the pultruded support. Thus, the maintaining the clearance of the hardware with the other conducting bars of other phases is not required and thereby the space saving is achieved in the switchboard assembly.
5. The clamping assembly provides the material for screw fixing in such a way that the screw projection is not required at the other end for nut fixing.
6. The clamping assembly enables holding of steel grip component and screw in the pultruded support in such way that the steel grip does not fall down.
,CLAIMS:1. A detachable support member assembly for a busbar used in electrical conductors, the detachable support member assembly comprising:
at least one steel grip coupled to at least one pultruded support by means of at least one holder with at least four leg means provided on at least one side of the holder, WHEREIN
the holder is adapted to fit in the hole of the pultruded support such that the four legs of the holder are adapted to get compressed while insertion in the pultruded support and decompress on complete insertion in the pultruded support; and
the steel grip comprises at least one slot and at least one flaring at the centre, the flaring is adapted for placing the steel grip on the pultruded support having at least one hole, such that the slot of the steel grip and the hole of the pultruded support are overlapping.

2. The detachable support member assembly as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe steel grip and the pultruded support are detachably coupled by inserting at least one countersunk screw in the holder thereby forming the detachable support member assembly.

3. The detachable support member assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the countersunk screw is adapted to avoid hindrance during the insertion of the conducting bars inside the pultruded support.

4. The detachable support member assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the countersunk screw is assembled on the steel grip, holding the steel grip and the holder forming a detachable assembly of the steel grip and the pultruded support.

5. The detachable support member assembly as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe completeinsertion of the holder in the hole of the pultruded supportmakes the holder non-detachable from the pultruded support.

6. The detachable support member assembly as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe slot on the steel grip is preferably based on a thickness of the conducting bar.