Schneider Electric Usa, Inc.

Bhushan Kumbalwar

Eldridge R Byron

Matthew A Williford

Gregory O Motley

Sergio Flores

Edgar Avalos Ortiz

Amol Shrirang Bagaitkar

Matthew Alan Williford

A connector assembly is provided for facilitating live connection of equipment in a switchgear. The assembly includes two circular plates, and conductive fingers which are arranged and spaced apart around the two plates to form a finger cluster with first open-end on a first cluster end and second open-end on an opposite second cluster end. Each open-end can receive a conductor therein. Each finger can include a first finger end and an opposite second finger end which form respective first and second cluster ends; two first interior grooves which are spaced-apart on an interior surface to receive a portion of respective plates; and first and second exterior grooves on an exterior surface around the first and second finger ends respectively. The assembly also includes first and second garter springs which are arranged around the fingers in respective first and second exterior grooves to apply a force against the fingers.

Enclosure and optimizations

A compact auxiliary connector can include two bushings each with an electrical connector(s), and a tubing connected between the two bushings to insulate an electrical cable, which is connected between electrical connectors of the two bushings. The electrical connector of each of the two bushings can be connected to an electrical device, a line or load bus or a combination thereof, according to the desired connection configuration. Each bushing may also include a flexible joint cover, such as a boot, to cover the connection of the bushing connectors to a bus, such as a primary bus. The compact auxiliary connector can manage live connections between auxiliary or other device(s) and line/load buses in a switchgear cabinet of a switchgear assembly. The bushings, tubing and flexible joint cover can be formed of insulating materials having desired dielectric strength according to the voltage applications.

Compact auxiliary connector

Growing community of inventors

Smyrna, TN, United States of America

Bhushan Kumbalwar