Electrical busway connector assemblies and methods of manufacturing same
An electrical busway system including one or more busbar assemblies and one or more connector assemblies. Each busbar assembly includes a plurality of busbars. Each connector assembly includes a plurality of connector subassemblies fitted together within a clamp assembly. Each connector subassembly includes a conducting portion, an insulating portion surrounding an exterior of the conducting portion, and a channel proximate an interior of the conducting portion, the channel being configured to receive one of the plurality of busbars.
1 . An electrical busway system, the electrical busway system comprising:
one or more busbar assemblies, each busbar assembly comprising a plurality of busbars; and
one or more connector assemblies, each connector assembly comprising a plurality of connector subassemblies fitted together within a clamp assembly,
wherein each connector subassembly comprises a conducting portion, and an insulating portion encapsulating the conducting portion,
wherein the conducting portion and the insulating portion of each connector subassembly define an interior channel, and
wherein the interior channel is configured to receive one of the plurality of busbars.
2 . The electrical busway system of claim 1 , wherein the interior channel forms a hairpin shape.
3 . The electrical busway system of claim 1 , wherein the insulating portion of each connector subassembly comprises a nesting member and a nesting groove, the nesting member positioned to fit into the nesting groove of an insulating portion of an adjacent connector subassembly.
4 . The electrical busway system of claim 1 , wherein the clamp assembly comprises a pair of longitudinal body members connected by a lateral body member at an end of the longitudinal body members to form a c-shaped profile with an open end opposite the end of the longitudinal body members, the open end being oriented to receive the connector assembly between the longitudinal body members.
5 . The electrical busway system of claim 4 , wherein the clamp assembly further comprises a clamping member extending between the longitudinal body members substantially parallel to the lateral body member within the c-shaped profile and one or more fastening members proximate one or more ends of the clamping member for tightening the longitudinal body members together.
6 . The electrical busway system of claim 5 , wherein the clamp assembly is configured to maintain a substantially constant compression force of 5500 lbf.
7 . The electrical busway system of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the longitudinal body members and the lateral body member of the clamp assembly comprise one of a thermoset resin or a thermoplastic resin.
8 . The electrical busway system of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the longitudinal body members and the lateral body member of the clamp assembly is formed via one of injection molding, compression molding, transfer molding, extrusion, or potting.
9 . The electrical busway system of claim 8 , wherein the compression molding comprises a customizable mold assembly with one or more exchangeable mold inserts to form a desired geometry of the clamp assembly.
10 . The electrical busway system of claim 1 , wherein the insulating portion of each connector subassembly comprises a thermoset insulation material configured for use within an indoor environment and an outdoor environment.
11 . The electrical busway system of claim 10 , wherein the thermoset insulation material comprises one of a phenolic thermoset material, an EPDM material, a rubber material, or an epoxy.
12 . A method of manufacturing an electrical busway system, the method comprising:
providing one or more busbar assemblies, each busbar assembly comprising a plurality of busbars;
molding one or more connector assemblies, each connector assembly comprising a plurality of connector subassemblies fitted together within a clamp assembly, wherein:
each connector subassembly comprises a conducting portion, and an insulating portion encapsulating the conducting portion,
the conducting portion and the insulating portion of each connector subassembly define an interior channel, and
the interior channel is configured to receive one of the plurality of busbars; and
fitting together the one or more busbar assemblies and the one or more connector assemblies by positioning the one of the plurality of busbars within the interior channel of each connector subassembly.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the interior channel forms a hairpin shape.
14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein fitting together the plurality of connector subassemblies comprises fitting a nesting member of the insulating portion of each connector subassembly into a nesting groove of an insulating portion of an adjacent connector subassembly.
15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein molding the one or more connector assemblies comprises forming the clamp assembly by connecting a lateral body member at an end of a pair of longitudinal body members to form a c-shaped profile with an open end opposite the end of the longitudinal body members.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein fitting together the one or more busbar assemblies and the one or more connector assemblies comprises orienting the open end of the c- shaped profile of the clamp assembly to receive the connector assembly between the longitudinal body members.
17 . The method of claim 12 , wherein molding the one or more connector assemblies comprises forming the clamp assembly via one of injection molding, compression molding, transfer molding, extrusion, or potting.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the compression molding comprises using a customizable mold assembly with one or more exchangeable mold inserts to form a desired geometry of the clamp assembly.
19 . The method of claim 12 , wherein providing the one or more connector assemblies comprises providing the insulating portion of each connector subassembly comprising a thermoset insulation material configured for use within an indoor environment and an outdoor environment.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein providing the insulating portion of each connector subassembly comprising the thermoset insulation material comprises one of a phenolic thermoset material, an EPDM material, a rubber material, or an epoxy.