GB2282702A - Adaptor for an electrical consumer unit - Google Patents

Abstract

An adaptor is locatable in an electrical consumer unit comprising a base and a cover together defining a generally box-shaped enclosure, the base having a plurality of mounting locations for modular subcircuit protection devices, bounded at one side by a generally comb-shaped bus bar and at the other side by means for retaining such devices in the locations, and the cover having an aperture providing user access to such devices. The adaptor comprises a carrier member (10) arranged and dimensioned (11, 12) to locate on at least one tooth of the comb-shaped bus bar and to be secured by part of the retaining means in position across at least one of the locations. Mounting means (15) are provided on the carrier member (10) for mounting alternative types of electrical devices of smaller size than the subcircuit protection devices. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO ADAPTORS FOR USE WITH ELECTRICAL CONSUMER UNITS The invention relates to adaptors for electrical consumer units and is principally, but not exclusively, concerned with adaptors for consumer units for domestic use.

A consumer unit comprises an enclosure containing a switch or circuit breaker (usually double-pole) for the incoming supply, a number of outgoing subcircuits each having its live side protected by a fuse or circuit breaker, and means interconnecting the live supply with the fuses or circuit breakers and interconnecting with neutrals and grounds.

It is known to provide the live interconnection by means of a busbar engaged by resilient clips on the incoming switch or circuit breaker and on miniature circuit breakers (mcb's) which provide the subcircuit protection.

Plug-on busbar units of the type described above are suitable for receiving only mcb's. An alternative conventional approach is to mount fuse carriers and/or mcb's on a mounting rail which does not carry current, the interconnections being made via cables or busbars.

The DIN rail system is commonly used for this purpose.

In recent years there has been a trend to use the DIN rail to additionally mount accessories such as timers and sensor controllers.

Our European Patent No. 0325370 discloses a consumer unit of a particular form which is moulded of plastics material and also discloses an adaptor for such a particular consumer unit to allow the use both of DIN-mounting accessories and plug-on mcb's in such unit. Our United Kingdom Patent No. 2,214,714 also relates to such adaptor.

However, such adaptor as disclosed in the above patents is not suitable for use with converting conventional metal consumer units to allow use of DINmounting accessories and plug-on mcb's.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate the above disadvantage.

According to the invention there is provided an adaptor for use with an electrical consumer unit comprising a base and a cover together defining a generally box-shaped enclosure, the base having a plurality of locations for modular subcircuit protection devices, bounded at one side by a generally comb-shaped bus bar and at the other side by means for retaining such devices in said locations, and the cover having an aperture providing user access to such devices; the adaptor comprising a carrier member arranged and dimensioned to locate on at least one tooth of the comb-shaped busbar and to be secured by part of said retaining means in position across at least one of said locations, and mounting means on the carrier member for mounting predetermined alternative types of electrical devices of smaller size than said subcircuit protection devices.

The adaptor may be such that the carrier member is formed as an integral plastics moulding and comprises a longitudinally extending planar member formed at one end with a tubular portion for engaging a tooth of the comb-shaped busbar, formed on its lower surface adjacent to the other end with a resilient formation for engaging a cylindrical boss of said retaining means and formed on its upper surface with said mounting means.

The adaptor may comprise a plurality of said carrier members integrally moulded in juxtaposed relationship with weakened interconnecting portion(s) to facilitate ease of separation, if required, in use.

The mounting means may be formed to have the shape of a portion of a DIN mounting rail.

The adaptor may be so dimensioned that the alternative small devices when mounted on the mounting means have faces positioned in the cover aperture, in use, and a filler piece may be provided for location on the edge of the cover aperture adjacent at least one end of an alternative small device, in use.

The foregoing and further features of the invention may be more readily understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig 1 is a top plan view of an adaptor; Fig 2 is a bottom plan view of the adaptor of Fig 1; Fig 3 is a side elevational view of the adaptor of Figs 1 and 2; Fig 4 is a perspective view of the adaptor of Figs 1 to 3, and Figs 5 and 6 are perspective views of alternative filler pieces for use with the adaptor of Figs 1 to 4.

The adaptor and filler pieces to be described hereinafter are capable of being used with both consumer units as disclosed in the specification of our above referred to European Patent No. 0325370 and conventional metal consumer units. The consumer unit of our European Patent is shown most clearly in Fig 40 thereof, having a latrally extending comb-shaped busbar 24 and a laterally extending electrically insulating member 222 formed with retaining means in the form of a cylindrical boss 228 at each location for receiving a modular subcircuit protection device.

Conventional metal consumer units also are provided with similar comb-shaped busbars and cylindrical boss retaining means.

Referring now to Figs 1 to 4 of the drawings there is shown a pair of adaptors each comprising a carrier member 10 formed as a longitudinally extending planar member formed at one end with a tubular portion 11 enclosing a rectangular cross-section aperture 12 for locating around a tooth of a busbar, in use.

The lower surface of member 10 is formed with a resilient formation 13 adjacent the other end thereof for engaging a cylindrical boss of a consumer unit retaining means, in use. The lower surface of member 10 is also formed with downwardly depending legs 14 for engaging the base of a consumer unit, in use.

The upper surface of member 10 is formed with a pair of upwardly depending mounting arms 15 which are shaped to form a portion of a DIN mounting rail to accommodate DIN-type devices thereon, in use.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Figs 1 to 4 shows a pair of adaptors, integrally moulded of a synthetic plastics material, which are interconnected by weakened portions 16 to facilitate separation, if required, in use.

However, such adaptor could be formed as a single device or be formed integrally with more than two devices, for example to span all said locations of a consumer unit.

When DIN-type devices are located on adaptors in a consumer unit, the outer faces are located in the aperture in the cover thereof. However, such devices do not span the whole width of such aperture and therefore filler pieces can be provided for this purpose. Fig 5 shows a perspective view of such a filler piece 17 suitable for use with a plastics consumer unit as shown in our aforementioned European patent and Fig 6 shows a similar filler piece 18 for use with conventional metal consumer units. Each of filler pieces 17 and 18 may be moulded of synthetic plastic material and are each formed with a ribbed slot 19 for attaching at the edge of a consumer unit cover aperture adjacent at least one end of a DIN type device.

Claims (8)

1. An adaptor for use with an electrical consumer unit comprising a base and a cover together defining a generally box-shaped enclosure, the base having a plurality of locations for modular subcircuit protection devices, bounded at one side by a generally comb-shaped bus bar and at the other side by means for retaining such devices in said locations, and the cover having an aperture providing user access to such devices; the adaptor comprising a carrier member arranged and dimensioned to locate on at least one tooth of the comb-shaped busbar and to be secured by part of said retaining means in position across at least one of said locations, and mounting means on the carrier member for mounting predetermined alternative types of electrical devices of smaller size than said subcircuit protection devices.

2. An adaptor as claimed in claim 1 wherein the carrier member is formed as an integral plastics moulding and comprises a longitudinally extending planar member formed at one end with a tubular portion for engaging a tooth of the comb-shaped busbar, formed on its lower surface adjacent to the other end with a resilient formation for engaging a cylindrical boss of said retaining means and formed on its upper surface with said mounting means.

3. An adaptor as claimed in claim 2 comprising a plurality of said carrier members integrally moulded in juxtaposed relationship with weakened interconnecting portion(s) to facilitate ease of separation, if required, in use.

4. An adaptor as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said mounting means comprises a portion of a DIN mounting rail.

5. An adaptor as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the adaptor is so dimensioned that said alternative small devices when mounted on the mounting means have faces positioned in said cover aperture, in use.

6. An adaptor as lamed in any preceding claim in combination with a filler piece for location on the edge of the cover aperture adjacent at least one end of an alternative small device, in use.

7. An adaptor for use with an electrical consumer unit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

8. An adaptor as claimed in claim 7 in combination with a filler piece as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.