WO2015007563A1

WO2015007563A1 - Electricity meter comprising a multi-part measurement line

Info

Publication number: WO2015007563A1
Application number: PCT/EP2014/064524
Authority: WO
Inventors: Udo Hoppe; Volker Schulze; Artur OLDENBURGER
Original assignee: Phoenix Contact Gmbh & Co. Kg
Priority date: 2013-07-16
Filing date: 2014-07-08
Publication date: 2015-01-22
Also published as: DE102013107518A1; EP3022566A1

Abstract

A measurement line for an electricity meter comprises two electrical connection contacts for feeding a current to be measured. An instrument transformer for measuring a current passed through the measurement line needs to arranged on the measurement line. In this case, provision is made for the measurement line (3) to be a multi-part measurement line and to have at least one contact blade (30, 31), which forms a connection contact (301, 311), and a line section (32) on which the instrument transformer (2, 2A, 2B, 2C) is to be arranged and which is connected to the at least one contact blade (30, 31). In this way, a measurement line for an electricity meter device is provided which can be produced in a simple and inexpensive manner and which enables a more flexible arrangement of one or more instrument transformers in an enclosure of an electricity meter.

Description

ELECTRICITY METER WITH A MULTIPLE MEASUREMENT CIRCUIT

description

The invention relates to a measuring line for an electricity meter device according to the preamble of claim 1. Such a measuring line comprises (at least) two electrical connection contacts for feeding a current to be measured, wherein a measuring transducer for measuring a current conducted in the measuring line is to be arranged on the measuring line.

Today, an electricity meter device is used, for example, as a digital electricity meter (also referred to as household meter) in households in order to detect an electrical current supplied, for example, via an electrical supply network. The term "electricity meter" is usually used here for measuring devices with which the active electrical power is summed in an integrating manner over time, that is to say the electrical energy is measured, and such electricity meters are therefore also referred to as "energy meters".

Electricity meters, as known for example from DE 10 2006 008 393 A1, DE 10 2006 009 767 A1 or EP 1 659 41 1 B1, conventionally use a bent metal strip as a measuring line, which is guided through a measuring transducer. The transducer comprises, for example, a toroidal core on which secondary windings are arranged, in which current flow through the measuring line, a secondary current is generated, which is proportional to the (primary) current through the measuring line and thus can be detected by which thus Measuring line flows. In conventional electricity meters, one or more transducers are arranged in an electricity meter housing. Due to the comparatively small space available in the electricity meter housing, the possibilities for arranging the transducers in the electricity meter housing are limited. Because the test lead is intended to provide a low-impedance connection to an electrical utility grid to minimize losses due to current measurement, conventional electricity meters have massive bent metal strips used, which are formed in a comparatively complex manner, on the one hand to provide the necessary connection contacts for connection to an electrical supply network and on the other hand to extend through an associated transducer through. Because guiding the measuring line through the transducer may make it necessary to bend the measuring line around the transducer at least in sections, it may be necessary first to place the transducer on the measuring tube and then to bring the measuring lead into its required shape by a suitable bending process , A disadvantage of known current meter assemblies may be in particular that it may come to a comparatively large material consumption and a considerable waste due to the complex bending process for producing the strips made of a bent metal measuring line. The comparatively complicated bending process and the material consumption can lead to considerable costs. In addition, conventionally used test leads additionally limit the possibilities for arranging transducers in an electricity meter housing.

The object of the present invention is to provide a measuring line for an electricity meter device, which can be produced in a simple, cost-effective manner and enables a more flexible arrangement of one or more measuring transducers in a housing of an electricity meter.

This object is achieved by an article having the features of claim 1.

Accordingly, the measuring line is designed in several parts and has at least one contact blade, which forms a connection contact, and a line section, on which the transducer is to be arranged and which is connected to the at least one contact blade on.

The measuring line is thus no longer, as previously customary, made in one piece from a solid, curved metal strip, but is designed in several parts and has correspondingly one, preferably two contact blades, each carrying a terminal contact. With the contact blades, a line section is connected, which extends for example through an opening of a transducer ring of the transducer and which is thus passed through the transducer. Due to the multi-part design of the measuring line, the production of the measuring line can be simplified. In particular, bending processes can be completely or partially omitted, and the transducer can be in different positions depending on the available space in a housing of the electricity meter device

to be built in.

Due to the multi-part design of the measuring line is possible to first arrange the line section to the transducer and then connect to the contact blades or first connect the line section with the contact blades for the preparation of the measuring line, only then raise the transducer on the line section.

The measuring line preferably has two contact blades, wherein the line section is connected at one end to the one contact blade and at another end to the other contact blade. The line section here is advantageously flexible such that it can be adapted in shape depending on the position of the transducer and the available space and can be laid through the transducer in a simple manner. For example, the line section may be formed by a stranded wire. As a strand of a thin individual wires existing and therefore easy to bend electrical conductor is referred to. Stranded wires are also referred to in technical terms as fine-stranded or super-stranded conductors, in contrast to inflexible, single-stranded or stranded cores.

The line section can be connected, for example via a welded connection, for example by means of ultrasonic or resistance welding, with the associated contact blades. It is also possible that the line section with the associated contact blades via electrical plug contacts, for example in the form of so-called tulip contacts, is connected. When tulip contacts are plug contacts, the plurality of a plug opening defining resiliently, for example via a spring ring biased against each other contact portions

exhibit. Such tulip contacts can be arranged, for example, at both ends of the line section and plugged onto assigned plug-in sections on the contact blades, so that a detachable, over the tulip contacts a detachable, low-impedance connection of the line section is provided with the contact blades.

An electricity meter device with a measuring line according to the previously described type preferably comprises (at least) a measuring transducer arranged on the measuring line for measuring a current conducted in the measuring line. In this case, the measuring transducer is arranged on the line section of the measuring line and can, for example, have a transducer ring with an opening through which the line section extends.

The electricity meter device advantageously has a housing which, for example, has plug-in openings on a bottom plate, into each of which a contact blade is inserted. About the insertion openings, for example, two contact blades are held on the bottom plate, being arranged on the bottom plate outwardly projecting ends of the contact blades, the connection contacts for connection to an electrical supply network and the contact blades are connected on the inside via the line section. The conduit section extends through an associated transducer so that the transducer can sense a current passing through the contact blades and the conduit section.

At least one of the contact blades assigned to a transducer has, in another embodiment, a lug which serves to connect the contact blade to an electronic evaluation device, for example in the form of a printed circuit board equipped with electrical and electronic components. For example, the voltage across the measuring line can be tapped off via the lug to enable the detection of the electrical energy at the measuring line.

The flag advantageously extends at an end remote from the terminal contact of the contact blade. The flag may for example have a plug-in portion with which the flag can be inserted into an associated opening of a printed circuit board for making electrical contact with a conductor track on the circuit board.

The idea underlying the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the figures. Show it: 1 is a perspective view of an electricity meter with arranged in a housing transducers.

FIG. 2 shows a view of the arrangement according to FIG. 1 from above; FIG.

Fig. 3 is a separate view of a transducer with a through the

Transducer extending therethrough;

4 shows a view of a plug contact in the form of a tulip contact; and

Fig. 5 is a schematic view of a measuring line with a line section which is connected via plug contacts with contact blades.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show an electricity meter 1 having a housing 10 with transducers 2A, 2B, 2C disposed therein. The transducers 2A, 2B, 2C are enclosed together with an electronic evaluation device 1 1 in the form of a stocked with electrical and electronic components circuit board in the housing 10, which is closed by a (not shown in FIG. 1) cover and thus a closed Unit represents.

For example, a display device for displaying a meter reading and an input device for inputting control commands can also be arranged on the cover. In the housing 10, three transducers 2A, 2B, 2C are arranged and held in a fixed position on holding devices 103A, 103B, 103C. The holding devices 103A, 103B, 103C provide, for example, recordings into which the measuring transducers 2A, 2B, 2C can be plugged or onto which the measuring transducers 2A, 2B, 2C can be plugged, so that the measuring transducers 2A, 2B, 2C in the housing 10 (positive fit) are held.

Each measuring transducer 2A, 2B, 2C is assigned a measuring line 3A, 3B, 3C, which extends in sections through the respective associated measuring transducer 2A, 2B, 2C and leads to a current to be measured.

An embodiment of such a measuring line 3 in cooperation with an associated transducer 2 is shown in Fig. 3. The measuring line 3 is multi-part formed and has two contact blades 30, 31, which are interconnected via a line section 32 in the form of a flexible strand. The line section 32 is in this case connected to ends 320, 321 at connection points 33, 34 to the contact blades 30, 31, for example by means of ultrasonic welding or resistance welding, so that a low-impedance measuring line 3 results for guiding a current to be measured.

The line section 32 in the form of the flexible strand is laid through an opening 200 of a transducer ring 20 of the transducer 2 through. By means of the line section 32, a current to be measured is passed through the opening 200 of the transducer 2, so that the current to be measured can be measured for example by means of secondary windings on a toroidal core of the transducer 2.

In a conventional manner, the transducer 2 has a toroidal core on which secondary windings are arranged. At a current flow through the

Conduit portion 32, a current is generated in the secondary windings, which is proportional to the guided in the line section 32 current, so that based on the current generated in the secondary windings of the current in the line section 32nd

can be measured.

Characterized in that the line section 32 is formed flexible, the transducer 2 can be arranged in a relatively free manner in the housing 10. The arrangement of the transducer 2 in the housing 10 of the electricity meter 1 can thus be made dependent on the space requirements, without the measuring line 3, the possibilities for the arrangement of the transducer 2 in the housing 10 is limited beyond the measures.

The multi-part design of the measuring line 3 also results in easy manufacture of the measuring line 3 and a simple arrangement of the measuring line 3 on the transducer 2. Thus, in particular complex bending processes, the material waste is reduced, and the manufacturing process is simplified as a whole.

For example, the flexible configuration of the line section 32 makes it possible to arrange the measuring transducer 2 on the measuring line 3 in a simple manner after connection of the line section 32 with the contact blades 30, 31. Or it is possible, first to move the line section 32 through the associated transducer 2 to only then to connect the line section 32 with the contact blades 30, 31.

The contact blades 30, 31 of each measuring line 3A, 3B, 3C in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 are inserted through plug-in openings 101A, 102A, 101B, 102B, 101C, 102C on a bottom plate 100 of the housing 10 of the electricity meter 1 therethrough and are thus held on the bottom plate 100 of the housing 10. The contact blades 30, 31 protrude outward beyond the bottom plate with connection contacts 301, 31 1, so that the contact blades 30, 31 of each measuring line 3A, 3B, 3C are connected to a phase line of an electrical supply network to which the current supplied ( or the energy fed in) should be measured, can be connected.

As can be seen from FIG. 3 in conjunction with FIGS. 1 and 2, a first of the contact blades 30, 31 has a lug 300, which, in the inserted state of the measuring line 3, 3A, 3B, 3C, of the bottom plate 100 of the housing 10 projects into the housing 10 inside. At the flag 300, a plug-in portion 303 is arranged, with which the flag 300 can be inserted into an associated plug-in opening 1 10 on the electronic evaluation device 1 1 in the form of the assembled printed circuit board. Via the plug-in section 303, the contact blade 30 can be connected to the electronic evaluation device 11, so that the voltage potential on the measuring line 3, 3A, 3B, 3C can be tapped off via the contact blade 303.

Another contact blade 12 is on the bottom plate 100 of the housing 10th

arranged, via which the electronic evaluation device 1 1 can be connected to a neutral conductor of an electrical supply network to be tested (see FIG.

1 and 2).

In the embodiment according to FIG. 3, the line section 32 is connected to the associated contact blades 30, 31 by means of welding and thus by material engagement. In an alternative embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, however, a connection between the line section 32 and the

associated contact blades 31, 32 made via plug contacts 4 in the form of tulip contacts. The tulip contacts 4 in this case have, as shown in FIG. 4, contact portions 40, which are arranged in a ring and define an insertion opening 400 between them. The contact portions 40 are biased radially to each other via two spring rings 41 so that a plugged into the opening 400 Plug portion 302, 312 (see Fig. 5) under bias in contact with the contact portions 40 is.

As can be seen from FIG. 5, each contact blade 30, 31 has a plug-in section 302, 312, which can be plugged into an associated plug contact 4 on the line section 32. Thus, a (detachable) plug-in connection between the contact blades 30, 31 and the line section 32 can be produced via the plug contacts 4 and the plug sections 302, 312, which results in a particularly simple arrangement of the line section 32 on an associated transducer 2 in subsequent plug-in connection with the associated contact blades 30, 31 allows.

Also in the embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5, the line section 32 may be flexibly configured, for example, as a stranded wire. It is conceivable and possible, however - as in the embodiment of FIG. 3 also - to form the line section 32 by another conductor, such as a metal strip.

The idea underlying the invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

In particular, the electricity meter may also have more or less than three transducers. In principle, the transducers can also have a different design and do not necessarily have to comprise a closed toroidal core.

The electricity meter is advantageously designed as a digital electricity meter for digital detection of an injected current. The electricity meter can also work analogously. Finally, in principle, other types of connection for connecting the contact blades with the line section are conceivable and possible, beyond connecting by means of welding or by means of tulip contacts. For example, other plug contacts can be used. Or, in principle, clamping contacts can also be used. LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 electricity meter

10 housing

100 base plate

101A, 101 B, 101 C plug-in opening

102A, 102B, 102C insertion opening

103A, 103B, 103C holding device

1 1 Electronic evaluation device 1 10 Opening

2, 2A, 2B, 2C transducers

20 transducer ring

200 opening

3, 3A, 3B, 3C measuring line

30, 31 contact blades

300 flag

301, 31 1 connection contact

302, 312 plug-in section

303 plug-in section

32 line section

320, 321 end

33, 34 junction

4 plug contact

40 contact sections

400 plug-in opening

41 spring washer

Claims

claims

1. measuring line for a power meter device, with two electrical connection contacts for feeding a current to be measured, wherein on the measuring line a transducer for measuring a guided in the measuring line current is to be arranged, characterized in that the measuring line (3) is formed in several parts and at least one Contact blade (30, 31), which forms a connection contact (301, 31 1), and a line section (32) on which the transducer (2, 2A, 2B, 2C) is to be arranged and which is connected to the at least one contact blade (30, 31) is connected.

2. Measuring line according to claim 1, characterized in that the measuring line (3, 3A, 3B, 3C) has two contact blades (30, 31), wherein the line section (32) having one end (320) with the one contact blade (30). and connected to the other contact blade (31) at another end (321).

3. measuring line according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the line section (32) is flexible.

4. measuring line according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the line section (32) is designed as a stranded wire.

5. measuring line according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the line section (32) with the at least one contact blade (30, 31) is connected via a welded connection.

6. measuring line according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the line section (32) with the at least one contact blade (30, 31) via an electrical plug contact (4) is connected.

7. measuring line according to claim 6, characterized in that the electrical plug contact (4) as a tulip contact with a plurality of a plug-in opening (400) defining, resiliently biased against each other contact portions (40) is formed.

8. Electricity meter device, with

a measuring line according to one of the preceding claims and

a arranged on the measuring line transducer for measuring a in the

Measuring line guided current, characterized in that the transducer (2, 2A, 2B, 2C) on the line section (32) of the measuring line (3) is arranged.

9. Electricity meter device according to claim 8, characterized in that the transducer (2, 2A, 2B, 2C) has a transducer ring (20) having an opening (200) through which the line section (32) extends therethrough.

10. Power meter device according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the electricity meter device (1) has a housing (10) and the at least one contact blade (30, 31) in a plug-in opening (101A-101 C, 102A-102C) of the housing ( 10) is inserted.

1 1. Power meter device according to one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that the at least one contact blade (30) has a flag (300) for connecting the at least one contact blade (30) to an electronic evaluation device (1 1) of the electricity meter device (1) having.