Schneider Electric Usa, Inc.

Kim D Wheeler

Jason D Potratz

Jeffrey Owen Sharp

William J Broghammer

David R Pearson

A method of assembling a load center featuring a dielectric barrier that securely retains a plug-on neutral rail without requiring any fasteners. The dielectric barrier and the rail are installed in the same Z-axis direction, which is orthogonal to a rear wall of an enclosure into which the load center is installed. Retention features in the dielectric barrier can create a snap-fit connection between the rail and the barrier, or the barrier can feature a support feature onto which the rail snaps as the rail is installed relative to the dielectric barrier in the Z-axis direction. The snap fit connections eliminate the need for any fasteners, and together with the Z-axis assembly, the assembly process is simplified and accelerated and the possibility of assembly error is reduced or eliminated.

Methods of assembling a neutral rail to a plug-on neutral load center

A load center featuring a two-piece dielectric barrier that securely retains a plug-on neutral rail and methods of assembling the same. The barrier includes a shield and a base having a protrusion that cooperates with fingers of the shield to securely retain the conductor in the load center. The shield is installed over the base and rests on hooks protruding from the base. This creates a distance between the protrusion and the fingers to allow the conductor to be inserted through a gap between the fingers along the conductor's skinny edge. The conductor rotates 90 degrees until it rests on the protrusion. The base and shield are snapped together, causing the hooks of the base to attach to the shield. At the same time, the fingers of the base move downward to rest against the conductor so that it is sandwiched securely between the protrusion and the fingers.

Growing community of inventors

Murfreesboro, TN, United States of America

Kim D Wheeler