Set of assembly elements intended to facilitate concurrent electrical connection of a plurality of modular automatic circuit breakers

A set of assembly elements for facilitating concurrent electrical connection of a plurality of modular automatic circuit breakers. The circuit breakers are installed as a package on a rail in a supply and protection station for an electric system. The set of elements includes a bar of an electrically conductive material, and mating means of the quick-coupling plug-and-socket type, the socket means being associated with each breaker, and the plug means being associated with the bar.

DESCRIPTION 
This invention relates to a set of assembly elements intended to facilitate 
concurrent electrical connection of a plurality of modular automatic 
circuit breakers installed into a package on a rail in a supply and 
protection station for an electric system and being each provided with at 
least one input and output terminal for connection to electric cables of 
said electric system. 
As is known, electric supply systems are led to circuit breakers and 
stations of the above-mentioned kind both in civil and industrial 
environments. 
Such stations, which are usually flush-mounted, comprise a box-type case 
with a lid or cover, wherein the circuit breakers fit by snap action on a 
rail, e.g. a DIN sectional member. 
Each breaker is provided, of course, with at least one input terminal, and 
corresponding output terminal, for connection to respective ends of 
electric system cables. 
Modular breakers of this kind enable supply stations to be assembled in an 
orderly and compact fashion. However, where space is at a premium inside 
the station, the installer invariably encounters considerable difficulties 
in connecting the breakers together as well as in connecting the various 
electric cable ends to their respective breakers. 
In fact, many electric cables are usually led to such a station which crowd 
in the limited space available, thus making for difficult identification, 
as well as completion, of the connections involved. 
To obviate this problem, the use of a bus bar has been proposed, basically 
configured comb-like with teeth inserted and clamped in corresponding 
terminals of the various breakers. 
This approach, while making the concurrent connection of plural breakers 
easier, has a serious drawback. Any connection servicing operation becomes 
especially laborious, to the point that a breaker cannot be replaced 
without releasing each of the "teeth" from their corresponding terminals. 
The technical problem that underlies this invention is to provide a set of 
assembly elements having such structural and functional characteristics as 
to facilitate concurrent electrical connection of a plurality of modular 
circuit breakers, as pre-installed into a package on a rail of an electric 
power supply station, as well as to enable each breaker to be readily 
removed individually. 
This problem is solved by a set of elements as specified above being 
characterized in that they comprise a bar made of an electrically 
conductive material, and quick-coupling means and mating means of the 
plug-and-socket type, said means being carried on each breaker and said 
mating means being integral with said bar. 
The features and advantages of the set of assembly elements according to 
the invention will be appreciated from the following detailed description 
of an embodiment thereof, given by way of illustration and not of 
limitation with reference to the accompanying drawings.

With reference to the drawing views, generally and schematically shown at 1 
are a set of interfit assembled elements for facilitating concurrent 
electrical connection of a number of automatic circuit breakers 3. 
The breakers 3 are each enclosed within a respective box-type case 4 of 
modular design having standard shape and size universally referred to as 
DIN module. 
The breakers 3 are modularly installed package-fashion in an electric 
system supply and protection station 2. 
The station 2 is of a flush-mounted type and comprises a box-type case 6, 
shown in section in FIG. 2. This case 6 has a back wall 8 whereto a rail 
5, such as of the kind referred to as DIN sectional member, is attached to 
lie longitudinally at a near-central location. 
The breakers 3 are a snap fit on the rail 5, one beside another under the 
case 6. 
Each breaker has at least one input terminal 10 with a respective clamp 
screw 18, and a corresponding output terminal electric connection to the 
free ends of electric system cables. 
Advantageously, according to the invention, the set 1 includes a plate-like 
bar 7 made of an electrically conductive material and having a plurality 
of reed contacts 13 formed integrally therewith and jutting out 
perpendicularly from the bar into a substantially rake-like configuration. 
Provided on each breaker 3, that is on each module 4, is instead at least 
one fork contact 15 being received at a location close to the input 
terminal 10 and connected electrically thereto. 
Each of the fork contacts 15 and each of the reed contact 13 form 
respective means 11 and mating means 12 of the quick-coupling 
plug-and-socket type, thereby enabling plural breakers 3 to be 
concurrently connected electrically via the bar 7, which is covered and 
protected by a sleeve 9 of an electrically insulative material. 
Shown in FIG. 1 are some modified embodiments of the fork contact 15 
mounted on each breaker 3. 
In one of these variants, the contact 15 may consist of a slot 16 defined 
by a gap between a pair of flat portions 17 bent toward each other. 
Understandably, where the breakers 3 to be installed in the station 2 are 
of the two-pole type, they would be each provided with a pair of fork 
contacts 15. 
In that case, each contact 15 would be coupleable with a corresponding reed 
contact 13 from a respective bar 7. To this aim, shown in FIG. 3 is an 
example of a pair of bars 7 laid parallel to each other with their 
respective contacts 13 aligned and alternating with one another such that 
each bar allows the corresponding poles of all the breakers to be 
connected at the same time. 
A major advantage of the set of elements according to the invention resides 
in the greatly simplified wiring layout they afford to the design of 
control stations and panels. 
It may be appreciated that by connecting the electric power supply cables 
to a single breaker, through the input terminals 10, the power can be 
supplied to the other breakers in the station through the plug-and-socket 
quick-coupling provided for the contacts 15 and 13. 
Thus, it is unnecessary for the bus bar 7 to be equipped, in turn, with 
terminals, since by concurrent input of the fork contact 15 and the 
terminal 10 to each breaker, the ability to connect one or more ends of 
electric cables from the electric system to each breaker is retained. 
In addition, each breaker will be removable independently of the others by 
just uncoupling the fork contacts from their mating means of connection to 
the bar 7, on removing the breaker from the rail 5, of course.