Abstract:
The invention relates to a multiphase line fuse module. According to the invention, said multiphase line fuse module comprises a busbar pack ( 32 ), interposed between two supporting plates ( 16, 42 ), at least one line fuse ( 52, 66 ) with an associated AC contactor ( 54 ) per phase, said phase assemblies being arranged one on top of the other in front on a small face of the busbar pack ( 32 ) having connections ( 56, 58 ) on the small face and being electrically connected to the small face connections ( 56, 68 ), and a cover closing the phase assemblies on the front side. The invention thus provides a space-saving system for line fuses ( 52, 66 ), AC contactors ( 54 ) and busbars in one housing, thereby allowing an easy replacement of the wearing parts.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is the U.S. National Stage of International Application No. PCT/EP2007/061188, filed Oct. 19, 2007, which designated the United States and has been published as International Publication No. WO 2008/071492 and which claims the priority of German Patent Application, Serial No. 10 2006 058 328.0, filed Dec. 11, 2006, pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d). 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a polyphase line protection module. 
       FIG. 1  shows a circuit diagram for the polyphase connection of line protection devices  2  with associated AC contactors  4 , in relatively great detail. In order to allow these series circuits, in each case comprising a line protection device  2  and an AC contactor  4 , to be connected to other electrical units, an AC supply line  6  and an AC output line  8  are provided per phase. Each line protection device  2  is electrically conductively connected by means of a connecting line  10  to an AC supply line  6  and by means of a further connecting line  12  to the associated AC contactor  4 . Each AC contactor  4  is also electrically conductively connected by means of a further connecting line  14  to an AC output line  8 . 
     When a circuit diagram such as this is implemented, the line protection devices  2 , the AC contactors  4  and the AC supply and output lines  6  and  8  have until now been accommodated in a housing or switchgear cabinet, with holders being provided for the attachment of the components. In order to maintain the air gaps and creepage distances, these components are arranged at appropriate distances from one another within this housing. This arrangement of these components results in the demand for space within a housing or switchgear cabinet being very high. Furthermore, the assembly effort is quite high since these components are wired up individually. During this process, wiring errors can occur which are discovered only as a result of a short circuit during the commissioning of an electrical unit connected to these contactors  4 . 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is now based on the object of the components being connected such that the disadvantages mentioned above no longer occur. 
     According to the invention, this object is achieved by providing a polyphase line protection module. According to the invention, this line protection module has the known components from the circuit diagram shown in  FIG. 1 , although they are accommodated in a module housing of simple design. For this purpose, the AC supply and output lines  6  and  8 , which are each in the form of busbars, are stacked to form a busbar pack with connections on the end and narrow faces. The components of one phase are arranged one above the other to form a phase assembly, with these phase assemblies on the one hand being arranged one above the other in front of a narrow face of the busbar pack, where the narrow-face connections are located. In order to allow components of each phase to be arranged in the stated physical arrangement with respect to the busbar pack, two mounting panels are provided, which are detachably connected to the busbar pack. In order to prevent anybody from being able to touch parts of this line protection module according to the invention, this module has a plurality of covers on the front face. 
     This line protection module according to the invention has a width which corresponds to the width of the busbar pack. Furthermore, the line protection devices and the AC contactors are accommodated in a space-saving manner in a housing. This line protection module can be produced separately and can be tested for wiring errors separately. This line protection module is therefore used as a tested unit in an electrical unit. A further advantage of this line protection module is that failed components in one phase of this line protection module can be replaced by serviceable components with little effort. 
     Advantageous refinements of this polyphase line protection module are specified in the dependent claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       The invention will be explained further with reference to the drawing, which schematically illustrates one embodiment of a polyphase line protection module according to the invention, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a circuit diagram for the multipole connection of line protection devices with associated AC contactors, 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of a mounting panel, from the left, of a polyphase line protection module according to the invention, 
         FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of two mutually associated mounting panels of a polyphase line protection module according to the invention, 
         FIG. 4  shows a side view of a populated polyphase line protection module according to the invention, without a second mounting panel, 
         FIG. 5  shows this populated polyphase line protection module as shown in  FIG. 4  in perspective, with covers and reinforcing means additionally being provided on the front face, and 
         FIG. 6  shows a perspective view of a populated polyphyase line protection module according to the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     This is one of two applications both filed on the same day. Both applications deal with related inventions. They are commonly owned and have the same inventive entity. Accordingly, reference is made to the U.S. patent application, entitled “BUSBAR PACK”. 
       FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of a mounting panel  16  of a polyphase line protection module according to the invention. This mounting panel  16  is the left-hand mounting panel of the module according to the invention. This mounting panel  16  has a plurality of attachment tabs  18  and  20  which are created from the plane of the mounting panel  16  by bends. In addition, this mounting panel  16  has a rearward attachment tab  22  and a front-face attachment tab  24 . These attachment tabs  22  and  24  are likewise created from the mounting panel  16  by bends. Furthermore, this mounting panel  16  also has apertures  26  and holes  28 . The apertures  26  are used for ventilation of the busbar pack  32 , with the holes  28  being used for the wiring. In order to allow this polyphase line protection module to be attached to a motherboard of an electrical unit, the rearward attachment tab  22  has at least two holes  30 . In order to fix a busbar pack  32  of the polyphase line protection module, this mounting panel has a part  34  and a part  36  at the top and bottom of an upper and lower transverse strut  38  and  40  of the polyphase line protection module. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates only the two mounting panels  16  and  42 , in perspective form, of the polyphase line protection module according to the invention. The right-hand mounting panel  42  is designed to be identical to the mounting panel  16 . This illustration also shows the upper and lower rearward transverse struts  38  and  40 . These upper and lower transverse struts  38  and  40 , respectively, comprise two parts  34  and  44  as well as  36  and  46 , respectively, which are designed such that they engage in one another in an interlocking manner when the polyphase line protection module is in the assembled state. As can be seen from this perspective view, the mounting panel  42  has reinforcing means  48 , in the same way as the mounting panel  16 . These reinforcing means  48  are arranged one above the other on a flat face  50  of the mounting panel  42 . A U-profile, whose limb has a multiplicity of apertures, is provided as the reinforcing means  48 . 
       FIG. 4  shows a side view of a populated polyphase line protection module according to the invention, with the right-hand mounting panel  42  having been removed. This side view shows a busbar pack  32  and a line protection device  52  with an associated AC contactor  54  of each phase assembly. In this polyphase line protection module, three phase assemblies are arranged one above the other in front of a narrow face of the busbar pack  32 . This narrow face of the busbar pack  32  has a plurality of narrow-face connections  56  and  58 . One connection of a protection device  52  is in each case connected to the connections  56  while, in contrast, one connection of an AC contactor  54  is connected to the connection  58 . In order to electrically conductively connect one protection device  52  in each case to one narrow face connection  56 , connecting lines  10  are provided as shown in  FIG. 1 . Busbar pieces  60  are used as connecting lines  10 . According to  FIG. 1 , a line protection device  2  and an associated AC contactor  4  are electrically connected to one another in series by means of a further connecting line  12 . This further connecting line  12  is provided by a busbar piece  62  in the polyphase line protection module. The electrical connection of an AC contactor  4  to an AC output line  8  is produced in a corresponding manner to the circuit diagram shown in  FIG. 1  by means of a further connecting line  14 . This connecting line  14  is likewise provided by a busbar piece  64  in  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 5  shows a perspective illustration of the populated polyphase line protection module as shown in  FIG. 4 . As can be seen from this illustration, two protection devices  52  and  66  are provided as the line protection device  2 , corresponding to the circuit diagram shown in  FIG. 1 , and are electrically connected in parallel. This means that the protection devices  66  are mechanically attached to the attachment tabs  18  of the mounting panel  16  while, in contrast, the protection devices  52  are mechanically attached to the attachment tabs  18  of the mounting panel  42 . The attachment tabs  20  on both mounting panels  16  and  42  are required for mechanical attachment of the AC contactors  54 . 
     Since the busbar pack  32  has been described in detail in the above-mentioned parallel co-filed U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/518,567 (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2010/0025105), this busbar pack  32  will not be described at this point. In this illustration, this busbar pack  32  has three two-part apparatuses  68 , which each comprise two U-shaped fastening brackets which engage in one another. Each of the two mounting panels  16  and  42  is detachably connected to this two-part apparatus  68 . 
     In order to ensure that the upper and lower free ends of the bars of the busbar pack  32  cannot be moved by current forces, an upper and a lower space  70  are provided. Furthermore, an upper and a lower coupling element  72  are provided. These coupling elements  72  have a plurality of grooves which are located alongside one another and are designed such that the insulating bars in the busbar pack  32  can be plugged into them. The two coupling elements  72  are therefore each supported on the busbars of the busbar pack  32 , by which means they are fixed in their position. It is therefore impossible for the busbars to slide within the busbar pack  32 . Each coupling element  72  has a groove opposite these grooves in each coupling element  72 . In the assembled state, the rearward respective transverse strut  38  or  40  of the two mounting panels  16  and  42  runs in this groove. 
     In order to make it possible to comply with the required air gaps and creepage distances, this polyphase line protection module has a plurality of devices  74  which are arranged between live parts at different potentials. 
     A plurality of covers  76 , between each of which a reinforcing means  78  is arranged, are provided in order to ensure that the polyphase line protection module is a closed unit. These covers  76  are detachably connected to the front-face attachment tabs  24  of the mounting panels  16  and  42 . These covers  76  each have an area with perforations in order to allow the components of the polyphase line protection module between the two mounting panels  16  and  42  to be cooled by means of environmental air (convection cooling). 
       FIG. 6  shows a perspective illustration of an assembled polyphase line protection module. As can be seen from this illustration, the reinforcements  48  are arranged at the level of the two-part apparatus  68  of the busbar pack  32  on a flat face of the respective mounting panel  16  or  42 . The connections of the AC supply line  6  are located in the upper and lower end surface of the polyphase line protection module. The connections of the AC output lines  8  are located on a plane which is parallel to the lower end surface of the polyphase line protection module and is above this end surface. This allows an electrical unit to be placed and wired up directly on the right hand side alongside this polyphase line protection module. The design according to the invention results in the polyphase line protection module being particularly narrow. The line protection module illustrated in  FIG. 6  has a width, for example, of 200 mm and a height, for example, of 1754 mm. 
     The advantages of this polyphase line protection module according to the invention are the highly space-saving arrangement of protection devices  2  and  52 ,  66 , contactors  4  and  54  and busbars for relatively high currents in one housing, in which case this module can be separately assembled and tested. Furthermore, parts that are subject to wear (protection devices, contactors) can be replaced with little effort.