Patent ID: 7744386
Filing Date: 2010-06-29
Classification: H01R

Abstract:
1. In a high capacity busway system of the type having an elongated metal housing of extruded metal construction which is substantially closed on top and sides thereof by top and side walls and partially closed on a bottom thereof by bottom flanges defining a longitudinally extending opening for receiving accessories, spaced apart, elongated insulators of extruded plastic construction positioned in said housing on opposite sides thereof and defining recesses for the reception of elongated, electrically conductive busbars elements, the improvement which comprises, (a) said housing being formed with upper and lower vertically extending retaining flanges extending a short distance vertically from said top wall and said bottom flanges and spaced a short distance inward from said side walls to form vertically opening retention slots, (b) said insulators being formed of relatively rigid plastic material and each having upper and lower stand-off flanges extending upward and downward from a body portion of said insulators and having end portions received in said retention slots to secure said insulators in position in said housing spaced vertically from said top wall and said bottom flanges, (c) a plurality of lateral stand-off flanges extending laterally outward from said body portions of said insulator and serving to space said body portions inwardly from the side walls of said housing, (d) each of said insulators having recess-forming flanges forming a plurality of inwardly opening busbar-retaining recesses therein for the reception and retention of said conductive busbar elements, said busbar-retaining recesses having inwardly directed openings of smaller width dimension than the width dimension of the busbar elements retained in said recesses, (e) laterally exposed outer surfaces of said recess-forming flanges being positioned generally above said housing flanges and defining in part an internal cavity within the housing for the reception of an accessory device, (f) said vertical and lateral stand-offs being so dimensioned, in relation to the positions of the busbar elements within said busbar-retaining recesses and in relation to the internal surfaces of said metal housing, that the shortest straight line distance from any point on any surface of any busbar element to any point on any internal surface of said housing is greater than a minimum, code-permitted distance for the designed electrical characteristics of the system.