Search

US-12620784-B2 - Kit for automated assembling or disassembling of laminated electric circuits

US12620784B2US 12620784 B2US12620784 B2US 12620784B2US-12620784-B2

Abstract

A kit or system, which can be used for automated assembling and/or disassembling of laminated electric circuits can be comprised of insulating sheets, line conductors between insulating layers, which may have insulated spacers for structural straightening. Dedicated electric elements can be connected to the structure via the kit elements. The kit or system can comprise: jumpers, insert nuts, step bushings, bushings, threaded head screws or cylinder head screws, screw plugs, connecting screws, and sockets for integration 3 rd party elements to the laminated electric circuit.

Inventors

  • Zeljko RENDULIC

Assignees

  • DUPLICO D.O.O.

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20230404

Claims (9)

  1. 1 . A kit for automated assembling and/or disassembling of one or more laminated electric circuits each, upon assembly, being configured to have a corresponding one or more electric elements and/or a corresponding one or more third party electric elements respectively connected thereto, wherein each of the one or more laminated electric circuits is formed by two or more insulating sheets and a plurality of line conductors sandwiched between each of two adjacent insulating sheets of the two or more insulating sheets, wherein each of the one or more laminated electric circuits is to be mechanically tightly fastened once being formed, wherein each of the plurality of line conductors has at least one line equipped with a line connector having a contact bore, wherein the kit includes a plurality of kit elements, the plurality of kit elements including: jumpers each having a jumper line, equipped with two or more jumper connectors, each of the two or more jumper connectors having a contact bore; insert nuts each having a contact surface dimensioned to receive a line connector of a corresponding one of the plurality of line conductors or a corresponding one of the two or more jumper connectors of a corresponding one of the jumpers; step bushings each dimensioned to receive the line connector of the corresponding one of the plurality of line conductors or the corresponding one of the two or more jumper connectors of the corresponding one of the jumpers, and having a contact surface and a bore; bushings each having a bore, wherein each of the insert nuts, each of the step bushings, and each of the bushings has one or more rotation stoppers formed on an outer surface thereof for nesting and to prevent each of the insert nuts, each of the step bushings, and each of the bushings from rotating; a plurality of connecting screws; threaded head screws each having a thread formed in a head thereof configured to receive a connecting screw of the plurality of connecting screws; cylinder head screws each having a cylindrical head with a fastening groove; wherein each threaded head screw shank of the threaded head screws and each cylinder head screw shank of the cylinder head screws has a thread configured to fasten a corresponding one of the threaded head screws or a corresponding one of the cylinder head screws, respectively, into a corresponding one of the insert nuts, and with a length of each of the threaded head screw shanks and each of the cylinder head screw shanks dimensioned to receive one or more of the bushings and/or one or more of the step bushings between the corresponding one of the insert nuts and a head stopper of the corresponding one of the threaded head screws or of the corresponding one of the cylinder head screws; screw plugs each having at least a partially threaded screw plug shank configured to fasten into the corresponding one of the insert nuts, and the at least the partially threaded screw plug shank is dimensioned to receive the one or more of the bushings or the one or more of the step bushings between the corresponding one of the insert nuts and a flat head of a corresponding one of the screw plugs; and the plurality of connecting screws each having at least a partially threaded connecting plug shank for screwing into the corresponding one of the threaded head screws; and one or more of sockets each with an electro-mechanical mechanism for insertion and/or ejection of the corresponding one of the one or more third party electric elements, wherein each of the one or more sockets is adapted to enable the corresponding one of the one or more third party electric elements to be in a locked mechanical position and in an electric contact with a corresponding one of the one or more laminated electric circuits via the threaded head screws configured to hold a corresponding one of the one or more sockets.
  2. 2 . The kit according to claim 1 , wherein each of the insert nuts is configured to form an electric contact with the line connector of the corresponding one of the plurality of line conductors or the corresponding one of the two or more jumper connectors of the corresponding one of the jumpers, and wherein a distance from the contact surface of each of the insert nuts to a top of a same one of the insert nuts is dimensioned according to a thickness of the line connector of the corresponding one of the plurality of line conductors or the corresponding one of the two or more jumper connectors of the corresponding one of the jumpers.
  3. 3 . The kit according to claim 1 , wherein each of the step bushings is configured to form an electric contact with the line connector of the corresponding one of the plurality of line conductors or the corresponding one of the two or more jumper connectors of the corresponding one of the jumpers, and wherein a distance from the contact surface of each of the step bushings to a top of a same one of step bushings is dimensioned according to a thickness of the line connector of the corresponding one of the plurality of line conductors or the corresponding one of the two or more jumper connectors of the corresponding one of the jumpers.
  4. 4 . The kit according to claim 1 , wherein the kit further comprises at least the plurality of line conductors.
  5. 5 . The kit according claim 1 , wherein each of the threaded head screws is equipped with a drive formed on a top of the head thereof to enable screwing and unscrewing into the corresponding one of the insert nuts.
  6. 6 . The kit according to claim 1 , wherein each of the cylinder head screws is equipped with a drive formed on a top of the cylindrical head thereof to enable screwing and unscrewing into the corresponding one of the insert nuts.
  7. 7 . The kit according to claim 1 , wherein each of the screw plugs is equipped with a drive formed in the flat head thereof to enable screwing and unscrewing into the corresponding one of the insert nuts.
  8. 8 . A use of a system including the kit according to claim 1 , wherein the system further includes: at least the plurality of line conductors; and at least the two or more insulating sheets, and wherein the use of the system that includes the kit comprises automated or semi-automated assembling and/or disassembling of the one or more laminated electric circuits.
  9. 9 . The use of the kit according to claim 8 , wherein the automated assembling and/or disassembling of the one or more laminated electric circuits is performed via industrial robots.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) The present application is a continuation of International App. No. PCT/EP2021/065738 filed Jun. 11, 2021, wherein the entire content and disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a kit or system and methods thereof that may be implemented for automated assembling and/or disassembling of laminated electric circuits. Technical Problem Distribution boards, used in electric cabinets, are known in the art. Such boards, with corresponding wirings, may be installed for electrical power distribution and electric circuit protection, equipped with circuit breakers, fault current circuit breakers and similar electric elements. A technical problem observed in producing such distribution boards can be that the assembly process can still require substantial manpower which may be difficult to be automatised. In practice, such distribution boards may contain top-up profile mounting rails on the back of the housing, onto which the switching devices can be snapped. The switching devices can be connected one to another phase-by-phase via suitable electrical conductors, i.e., busbars, where one busbar can be used for each single-phase device. So-called busbar blocks can be being used for polyphase applications. The housing of the electric cabinets therefore can comprise a number of cable ducts and a plurality of conductors inserted into the cable ducts, with connecting lugs being provided on the mentioned conductors. The conductors can be inserted into connecting terminals on the switching devices and can be clamped firmly with it. A relatively large number of conductors and the corresponding contacts can produce a complex mesh which can be tracked, assembled, and disassembled by using substantial manpower and due care of the personnel included in the wiring process. STATE OF THE ART The European patent published as EP 2724596 B1 for BUS APPARATUS FOR USE WITH CIRCUIT INTERRUPTERS OR OTHER DEVICES and filed in the name of Labinal LLC [US], describes laminated electric circuits formation, the way insulating layers and plate-like line conductors are formed and interconnected, and the way the number of circuit interrupters and other electric elements are connected thereto. The system as presented in '596 document may be regarded as not being versatile, as any changes may be difficult if not impossible to be performed. The '596 solution seems to be silent regarding the non-standard elements usage, i.e., 3rd party elements used with it. The European patent application published as EP 1296431 A2 for BUS BAR ASSEMBLY and filed in the name of ABB Patent GmbH [DE], describes connection of outer elements, such as input lines, to already prepared laminated electric circuits—busbars. This patent application describes a way the desired contact point is achieved at depth of the laminated busbar, via the conductor equipped with elastic member that fits the desired hole around the contact point. In addition, the plug which connects two conductive layers of the said laminated busbar is also disclosed. The Japanese patent application published as JP 2012095472 A for POWER CONVERSION DEVICE and filed in the name of Mitsubishi Electric Corporation [JP] and Toshiba Mitsubishi Elec. Inc. [JP], describes a screw connection used to electrically connect the electric elements of the power converter with the laminated electric circuit. The Japanese patent published as JP 3550970 B2 for POWER CONVERTER, AND MULTILAYER CONDUCTOR AND ELECTRIC COMPONENT CONNECTOR and filed in the name of Hitachi Ltd. [JP], describes a screw connection used to electrically connect the electric elements of the power converter with the laminated electric circuit. Both JP '472 and JP '970, describe a permanent screw connection of the elements to the laminated board, which does not address problems of interconnections among the laminated electric circuits layers and automated assembly/disassembly issues. The U.S. patent published as U.S. Pat. No. 6,002,580 for CIRCUIT BREAKER POWER DISTRIBUTION PANEL and filed in the name of Power Distribution Products Inc. [US], describes circuit breakers or similar elements removable connection with the laminated electric circuit situated within the power distribution panel. The solution cited in '580 remains silent regarding the problems of interconnections among the laminated electric circuits layers and automated assembly/disassembly issues. The U.S. patent published as U.S. Pat. No. 8,366,457 for WIRING STRUCTURE AND JOINT BOX INCLUDING THE SAME and filed in the name Mitsubishi Cable Industry Ltd. [JP], describes specific pin geometry used for establishing electrical connections with the desired conductive parts and within the laminated structure which forms a circuit board. The Chinese patent application published as CN101237102A for CASCADED POWER BUS BAR USED FOR MAGNETIC SUSPENDING TRAIN and filed in the name of U