JP7516453B2 - Insulating cover and method for protecting the connection between electric wires/cables and extension bars - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an insulating cover and a method for protecting the connection points between an electric wire/cable and an expansion bar.

For example, as described in Patent Document 1, when the shuttlecock portion of the terminal of an electric wire or cable (hereinafter, electric wire or cable will be simply referred to as cable) to be connected to the terminal mounting plate of the terminal mounting part of a breaker, terminal block, etc. is too large to be directly connected to, one end of an extension bar (also called a connection bar, joint bar, etc.) is connected to the terminal mounting plate, and the terminal of the cable is connected to the other end of the extension bar, and the cable terminal is connected to the terminal mounting plate via the extension bar.

Patent document 1 describes a case where each terminal of multiple cables (three in this document) is connected to multiple terminal mounting plates (three in this document) of the terminal mounting section via an extension bar, but for example, when connecting the terminal of one cable to one terminal mounting plate of the terminal mounting section, it is also possible to configure them to be connected via an extension bar in a similar manner.

Patent No. 7000534

However, when connecting the cable terminal to the terminal mounting plate of the terminal mounting part via the extension bar, if there is a conductor such as a metallic structure or wall near the connection, there is a possibility that a short circuit may occur between the connection, the cable conductor, or the terminal and the conductor.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide an insulating cover that can prevent a short circuit from occurring between a conductor and an extension bar when a cable terminal is connected to the terminal mounting plate of a terminal mounting part via an extension bar, even if a conductor is present in the vicinity, and a method for protecting the connection point between an electric wire/cable and an extension bar.

In order to solve the above problem, the invention described in claim 1 comprises:
An insulating cover is attached so as to cover the outer periphery of a sheath of an electric wire/cable, a conductor of the electric wire/cable exposed from an end of the sheath, a connection tube part of a terminal connected to the conductor, a shuttlecock part of the terminal, and a connection part where the shuttlecock part and an expansion bar overlap ,
the extension bar has an end portion connected to a terminal mounting plate of a terminal mounting portion, and the width of the end portion is formed smaller than the width of the extension bar at the connection point;
The insulating cover is configured to be attached to each of the plurality of electric wires/cables that are connected to the plurality of terminal mounting plates provided in the terminal mounting portion via the extension bar and the terminals.

The invention described in claim 2 is an insulating cover described in claim 1, which is composed of a plurality of cylindrical partial covers, and is configured by attaching the plurality of partial covers in a line in the axial direction of the wire/cable, with or without overlapping.

The invention described in claim 3 is an insulating cover described in claim 1, in which a slit is provided extending in the axial direction of the wire/cable, and the slit is expanded and attached so as to cover from the outside the portion of the wire/cable from the sheath to the connection point.

The invention described in claim 4 is an insulating cover described in claim 3 , in which a protrusion is provided on one side of the slit and a hole is formed on the other side, and the insulating cover is fixed by engaging the protrusion with the hole while covering the portion of the wire/cable from the outside from the sheath to the connection point.

The invention described in claim 5 is an insulating cover described in claim 1, which is composed of a first part and a second part, each of which has an opening that is continuous in the axial direction, and is configured by attaching the first part and the second part so as to sandwich the portion of the wire/cable from the sheath to the connection point, with or without overlapping.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the insulating cover according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, an opening is provided on a side facing a wall to which a device having the terminal mounting portion is attached.

The invention described in claim 7 is an insulating cover described in any one of claims 1 to 5 , which is partially or entirely transparent, and the connection point between the extension bar and the shuttlecock portion can be seen through the transparent part.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the insulating cover according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, a lug is formed on the end portion on the connection portion side.

The invention described in claim 9 is an insulating cover described in any one of claims 1 to 5 , in which a slit is provided to form a lid portion, and the lid portion is configured to be able to be flipped up.

The invention described in claim 10 is
A method for protecting a connection point between an electric wire / cable and an extension bar , the method comprising the steps of:
the extension bar has a portion corresponding to the connection portion and an end portion connected to the terminal mounting plate of the terminal mounting portion, the width of the end portion being smaller than the width of the extension bar at the connection portion,
The insulating cover is used to cover the outer periphery of the sheath of the electric wire/cable, the conductor of the electric wire/cable exposed from the end of the sheath, the connection tube part of the terminal connected to the conductor, the shuttlecock part of the terminal, and the part corresponding to the connection part where the expansion bar and the shuttlecock part overlap ,
The insulating cover is configured to be attached to each of the plurality of electric wires/cables that are connected to the plurality of terminal mounting plates provided in the terminal mounting portion via the extension bar and the terminals.

The invention described in claim 11 is a method for protecting the connection point between an electric wire/cable and an expansion bar described in claim 10 , in which an insulating cover covers the outer periphery so that the portion of the expansion bar that is connected to the terminal mounting plate protrudes from the insulating cover.

According to the present invention, when connecting a cable terminal to the terminal mounting plate of the terminal mounting section via an expansion bar, even if a conductor is present near the connection, it is possible to prevent a short circuit from occurring between the conductor and the connection.

FIG. 2A is a diagram showing the configuration of a cable and terminals attached thereto, and FIG. 2B is a diagram showing the state in which terminals are attached to an extension bar attached to a terminal mounting plate. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a state in which an insulating cover according to a first practical embodiment is attached; FIG. 1A is a diagram showing the terminal mounting portion of a breaker to which an outwardly curved extension bar is connected, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the state in which an insulating cover is attached to each cable connected to each extension bar. FIG. 1A is a diagram showing the terminal mounting portion of a breaker to which an extension bar bent upward and downward is connected, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the state in which an insulating cover is attached to each cable connected to each extension bar. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an insulating barrier provided between each expansion bar. 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating a first method for attaching an insulating cover. 11A to 11C are diagrams illustrating a second method for attaching an insulating cover. FIG. 1A is a diagram illustrating a third method for attaching an insulating cover, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 13A is a diagram for explaining a fourth method for attaching an insulating cover, and FIG. 13B is a diagram showing the state in which the insulating cover is attached so as to sandwich the cable between the upper and lower parts. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration 1 in which an insulating cover has an opening. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration 2 in which the insulating cover has an opening. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration 3 in which the insulating cover has an opening. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a configuration 4 in which the insulating cover has an opening. FIG. 1A is a diagram showing a state in which an X is marked at a connection point, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing a state in which the line written on the shuttlecock portion of the terminal is misaligned with the line written on the tightening bolt. 1A shows a portion of an insulating cover facing a connection portion, FIG. 1B shows a portion surrounding the connection portion, and FIG. 1C shows the entire insulating cover made transparent. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the upper portion shown in FIG. 9(b) is made transparent. 1A is a diagram showing a configuration A that allows the tightening bolts to be retightened, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the insulating cover in a folded-back state. 13A is a diagram showing a configuration B that allows the tightening bolt to be retightened, and FIG. 13B is a diagram showing the state in which the lid portion is turned up. 1A is a diagram showing an insulating cover with horizontal slits formed therein, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an insulating cover with vertical slits formed therein. 1A is a diagram showing a state in which the slit is formed in a V-shape, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing a state in which the slit is formed in a stepped shape. 13 is a diagram showing a protrusion provided on a lid portion of an insulating cover and a hole provided on an edge portion of a slit. FIG.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, several embodiments of the insulating cover according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
However, although various limitations that are technically preferable for carrying out the present invention are applied to each embodiment described below, the scope of the present invention is not limited to each embodiment or illustrated example described below. Also, hereinafter, electric wires and cables will be simply referred to as cables.

Before describing the insulating cover according to the present invention, a cable, a terminal attached thereto, a terminal mounting plate of the terminal mounting portion, an extension bar connecting the terminal of the cable and the terminal mounting plate, etc. will be described.
FIG. 1A is a diagram showing the configuration of a cable and terminals attached thereto.

The cable 10 is composed of a conductor 11 made of a thin wire of copper, a copper alloy, aluminum, or an aluminum alloy, a sheath 12 that covers the conductor 11, and the like.
The conductor 11 is formed by twisting together a plurality of wires. The conductor 11 is covered with an insulating layer (not shown), and the insulating layer is covered with a sheath 12. The insulating layer can be made of cross-linked polyethylene, for example. The insulating layer and the sheath 12 may be made of a plurality of layers.

A terminal 20 having a connecting tube portion 21 and a shuttlecock portion 22 integrally formed therewith is attached to the conductor 11 of the cable 10 exposed from the end of the sheath 12 .
In this embodiment, the conductor 11 of the cable 10 is inserted into the connection tube portion 21 of the terminal 20, and the connection tube portion 21 is compressed or crimped together with the inserted conductor 11, thereby connecting the terminal 20 to the conductor 11 of the cable 10.

As shown in FIG. 1B, a metal extension bar 30 is attached to a terminal mounting plate 42 of a breaker or terminal block (terminal block 40A in the figure).
Then, by connecting the extension bar 30 and the shuttlecock portion 22 of the terminal 20 , the terminal 20 and the terminal mounting plate 42 are connected via the extension bar 30 .

In this manner, the cable 10 is connected to the terminal mounting plate 42 of the terminal mounting portion 41 via the terminal 20 and the expansion bar 30.
The extension bar 30 is thus a member for electrically connecting the terminals 20 attached to the conductors 11 of the cable 10 to the terminal mounting plate 42 of the terminal mounting portion 41 .

Next, the insulating cover according to the present invention will be described.
The insulating cover is configured to be attached so as to cover the outer periphery of the sheath 12 of the cable 10, the conductor 11 of the cable 10 exposed from the end of the sheath 12, the connection tube portion 21 of the terminal 20 connected to the conductor 11, the shuttlecock portion 22 of the terminal 20, and the connection point α between the expansion bar 30 and the shuttlecock portion 22.

As shown in FIG. 1( b ), the extension bar 30 and the shuttlecock portion 22 are connected by being fastened with a fastening bolt B.
In addition, hereinafter, the connection point α between the extension bar 30 and the shuttlecock portion 22 may be simply referred to as the connection point α with the extension bar 30.

Furthermore, when covering the outer periphery of the connection point α etc. in this invention, it may mean covering the entire outer periphery of the connection point α and the sheath 12, conductor 11, connection tube portion 21 and shuttlecock portion 22 of the cable 10, as well as the case where the entire outer periphery of the connection point α is covered, as shown in Figures 10 to 13 etc. described later, it also includes the case where the part other than the opening 5 provided on the side facing the wall W (see Figure 4(a) described later) on which the device 40 such as the terminal block 40A and the breaker 40B is attached is covered, as shown in Figures 10 to 13 etc. described later.
Several embodiments will be specifically described below.

[First embodiment]
2(a) and (b) are diagrams showing a state in which an insulating cover according to a first practical embodiment is attached.
In this embodiment, the insulating cover 1 is a tubular member made of an insulating material such as resin.
As shown in Figures 2(a) and (b), the insulating cover 1 is attached so as to cover the entire outer circumference from the sheath 12 of the cable 10 to the conductor 11, the connection tube portion 21 of the terminal 10 and the shuttlecock portion 22, and the connection point α between the expansion bar 30.

With this configuration, the conductor 11 of the cable 10, the connection tube portion 21 of the terminal 20, the shuttlecock portion 22, and the connection point α between the extension bar 30 are covered by the insulating cover 1 and are not exposed to the outside.
2(a) and 2(b), the entire portion other than the connection portion between the extension bar 30 and the terminal mounting plate 42 is covered with the insulating cover 1.

In other words, even if a conductor (not shown) is present near the conductor 11 or terminal 20 of the cable 10 connected to the terminal mounting plate 42 via the expansion bar 30, the insulating cover 1 will be interposed between the conductor and the conductor 11 or terminal 20 of the cable 10, the connection point α with the expansion bar 30, etc.
Therefore, according to this embodiment, when the terminal 20 of the cable 10 is connected to the terminal mounting plate 42 of the terminal mounting portion 41 via the extension bar 30, even if a conductor is present in the vicinity of the connection portion, it is possible to prevent a short circuit from occurring between the conductor 11 of the cable 10, the terminal 20, or the connection point α with the extension bar 30 and the conductor.

[Second embodiment]
In addition, Figures 2 (a) and (b) show the case where the insulating cover 1 is attached to one cable 10 that is connected to one terminal mounting plate 42 provided on the terminal mounting portion 41 via an extension bar 30 and a terminal 20.
However, it is also possible to attach the insulating cover 1 to each of a plurality of cables 10 that are connected to a plurality of terminal mounting plates 42 provided in the terminal mounting portion 41 via the extension bar 30 and the terminals 20 .

For example, as shown in Figure 3 (a), multiple (three in this figure) terminal mounting plates 42 may be provided on the terminal mounting portion 41 of a breaker 40B, and an extension bar 30 may be attached to each terminal mounting plate 42.
That is, the central extension bar 30a may not be curved, but the left and right extension bars 30b, 30c may be configured to be curved outward.

With this configuration, when the terminals 20 and the cables 10 are connected to the extension bars 30a to 30c, respectively, there is a space between each of the terminals 20 and each of the cables 10, making it difficult for a short circuit to occur between them.
In this case, as shown in FIG. 3( b ), it is possible to attach an insulating cover 1 to each cable 10 from the sheath 12 to the connection point α with the expansion bar 30 .

With this configuration, as in the first embodiment, when the terminals 20 of each cable 10 are connected to each terminal mounting plate 42 of the terminal mounting portion 41 via each extension bar 30, even if a conductor is present near the connection portion, it is possible to prevent a short circuit from occurring between the conductor 11 of the cable 10, the terminal 20, or the connection point α with the extension bar 30 and the conductor.
Furthermore, since the insulating cover 1 is attached to each cable 10, it is possible to prevent short circuits from occurring between each cable 10, each terminal 20, each extension bar 30, etc.

[Third embodiment]
Also, for example, as shown in Figure 4 (a), multiple (three in the figure) terminal mounting plates 42 may be provided on the terminal mounting portion 41 of the breaker 40B, and an extension bar 30 bent in the vertical direction may be attached to each terminal mounting plate 42.
In this case, for example, the central extension bar 30d may be configured to bend upward, and the left and right extension bars 30e, 30f may be configured to bend downward.

4A shows a case where the breaker 40B is attached to the wall W via a base P. Instead of the base P, the breaker 40B may be attached to the wall W via, for example, a rail. When the extension bars 30d to 30f are configured as described above, when the terminals 20 and the cables 10 are connected to the extension bars 30d to 30f, respectively, a gap is created between the terminals 20 and the cables 10, making it difficult for a short circuit to occur between them.
In addition, when the tightening bolt B (see FIG. 1(b)) is close to the wall W, a rubber sheet S may be placed between each cable 10 and the wall for insulation, as shown in FIG. 4(b).

In the above case, as shown in FIG. 4( b ), it is possible to attach an insulating cover 1 to each cable 10 from the sheath 12 to the connection point α with the expansion bar 30 .
Although the cable 10 and the insulating cover 1 are omitted in FIG. 4(a), the same applies to the case of FIG.

When configured in this manner, as in the first embodiment, when the terminals 20 of each cable 10 are connected to the terminal mounting plates 42 of the terminal mounting section 41 via the extension bars 30, even if a conductor is present near the connection, it is possible to prevent a short circuit from occurring between the conductor 11 of the cable 10, the terminal 20, or the connection point α with the extension bar 30 and the conductor.

For example, even if an attempt is made to ensure a separation between adjacent phases by bending the extension bars vertically as shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(b), there is a limit to the depth (height) of the housing that houses the breaker B, and it may not be possible to ensure a sufficient separation. In such a case, as in the second embodiment, by attaching an insulating cover 1 to each cable 10, it is possible to prevent short circuits from occurring between each cable 10, each terminal 20, each extension bar 30, etc.
In addition, when the expansion bar 30 is bent downward, the distance between the tightening bolt B and the wall W becomes closer, making it necessary to ensure insulation by laying a rubber sheet S, as described above. However, when the insulating cover 1 is placed on the cable 10 as in this embodiment, the entire connection point α, including the tightening bolt B, is covered by the insulating cover 1, which has the effect of eliminating the need to lay a rubber sheet S.

Furthermore, for example, when multiple breakers 40B are arranged side by side, if each extension bar 30 is configured so that the left and right extension bars 30b, 30c are each curved outward as shown in Figure 3(a), the extension bars 30 of adjacent breakers 40B will collide with each other, so each extension bar 30d, 30e, 30f may be bent in the vertical direction as shown in Figure 4(a).
Even in such a case, by attaching the insulating cover 1 as shown in FIG. 4(b), it is possible to prevent short circuits from occurring between the cables 10 and the like.

In this case, in order to more reliably prevent short circuits from occurring between the expansion bars 30, etc., it is also possible to provide a plate-shaped insulating barrier 43 between each of the expansion bars 30, as shown in FIG. 5.

[How to protect the connection between the wires/cables and the extension bar]
Next, a method for protecting the connection between an electric wire/cable and an expansion bar according to the present invention will be described.
In the method of protecting the connection point between an electric wire/cable and an expansion bar according to the present invention, when protecting the connection point α between the cable 10 and the expansion bar 30 of the terminal mounting plate 42 of the terminal mounting portion 41, as described above, the insulating cover 1 covers the outer periphery of the sheath 12 of the cable 10, the conductor 11 of the cable 1 exposed from the end of the sheath 12, the connection tube portion 21 of the terminal 20 connected to the conductor 11, the shuttlecock portion 22 of the terminal 20, and the connection point α between the expansion bar 30 and the shuttlecock portion 22.

With this configuration, when the terminal 20 of the cable 10 is connected to the terminal mounting plate 42 of the terminal mounting portion 41 via the extension bar 30, even if a conductor is present near the connection portion, it is possible to prevent a short circuit from occurring between the conductor 11 of the cable 10, the terminal 20, or the connection point α with the extension bar 30 and the conductor.
In addition, even when multiple cables 10 are connected to multiple terminal mounting plates 42 of the terminal mounting portion 41, an insulating cover 1 is attached to the connection portion between each extension bar 30 attached to each terminal mounting plate 42 and each cable 10, so it is possible to prevent short circuits from occurring between each cable 10, each terminal 20, each extension bar 30, etc.

In addition, at that time, it is desirable to cover the outer periphery of the connection point α etc. so that the portion of the extension bar 30 connected to the terminal mounting plate 42 protrudes from the insulating cover 30.
With this configuration, it is possible to reliably connect the extension bar 30 to the terminal mounting plate 42 while the connection point α between the cable 10 and the extension bar 30 and the like are covered with the insulating cover 30 .

[How to attach the insulation cover]
Here, several examples of how to attach the insulating cover 1 in each of the above-mentioned embodiments will be described. Note that the method of attaching the insulating cover 1 is not limited to the following examples.

[Wearing method 1]
For example, as shown in FIG. 6, a cable 10 is inserted into an insulating cover 1, and the insulating cover 1 is temporarily placed above the cable 10.
The terminals 20 are then compressed or crimped to be attached to the conductors 11 exposed from the end of the cable 10. The terminals 20 are then connected to the expansion bar 30 which is connected to the terminal mounting plate 42 of the terminal mounting portion 41, and the insulating cover 1 can then be attached by shifting the insulating cover 1 to the outer periphery of the terminals 20, the expansion bar 30, etc., as shown in Figures 2(a) and 2(b), etc.

[Wearing method 2]
Also, as shown in FIG. 7, the insulating cover 1 can be configured with a plurality of partial covers 1A, 1B, each of which is cylindrical.
Figure 7 shows a case in which the insulating cover 1 is composed of two partial covers: a partial cover 1A that covers the outer periphery of the connection tube portion 21 of the terminal 20 and the connection point α between the shuttlecock portion 22 and the expansion bar 30, and a partial cover 1B that covers the outer periphery of the sheath 12 of the cable 10, the conductor 11, and the connection tube portion 21 of the terminal 20.

7, partial cover 1A is placed on partial cover 1B, but partial cover 1B may be placed on partial cover 1A. Also, partial cover 1A and partial cover 1B are overlapped at the outer periphery of connection tube portion 21 of terminal 20, but partial cover 1A and partial cover 1B may be simply arranged side by side in the axial direction of cable 10 without being overlapped.
Moreover, the insulating cover 1 may be configured with three or more partial covers.

Then, for example, the cable 10 is inserted into the partial cover 1A, and the partial cover 1A is temporarily placed above the cable 10. Similarly, the cable 10 is inserted into the partial cover 1B, and the partial cover 1B is temporarily placed above the cable 10.
Then, the terminal 20 is attached to the conductor 11 exposed from the end of the cable 10 by compressing or crimping, and the terminal 20 is connected to the expansion bar 30, and then the partial cover 1B is shifted to a position on the outer periphery of the portion from the sheath 12 of the cable 10 to the connecting tube portion 21 of the terminal 20 and attached.

Next, the insulating cover 1 (in this case, partial covers 1A, 1B) can be attached by shifting the partial cover 1A to a position on the outer periphery of the portion from the connection tube portion 21 of the terminal 20 to the connection point α with the expansion bar 30 and attaching the partial cover 1A.
In this way, the insulating cover 1 can be constructed by constructing the insulating cover 1 from multiple cylindrical partial covers 1A, 1B, and attaching the multiple partial covers 1A, 1B in a line in the axial direction of the cable 10, with or without overlapping them.

[Wearing method 3]
On the other hand, in the above-mentioned installation methods 1 and 2, the case where the cable 10 is inserted into the insulating cover 1 or the partial covers 1A and 1B in advance before compressing or crimping the terminal 20 to the conductor 11 of the cable 10 or connecting the terminal 20 to the expansion bar 30 has been described.
However, there are cases where the user forgets to insert the cable 10 into the insulating cover 1 or the partial covers 1A and 1B in advance.

Therefore, it is also possible to attach the terminal 20 to the conductor 11 of the cable 10 by compressing or crimping, or to connect the terminal 20 to the expansion bar 30 and then attach the insulating cover 1 .
In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 8( a ), it is possible to form an insulating cover 1 with a slit 2 extending in the axial direction of the cable 10 .

Then, for example, the terminal 20 is attached to the conductor 11 of the cable 10 by compression or crimping, and the terminal 20 is connected to the expansion bar 30 .
Then, the slit 2 of the insulating cover 1 is widened, and the insulating cover 1 is attached from the outside to cover the portion from the sheath 12 of the cable 10 to the connection point α with the expansion bar 30.

In this manner, the insulating cover 1 can be attached.
In other words, a slit 2 extending in the axial direction of the cable 10 is provided in the insulating cover 1, and the slit 2 can be widened so that the insulating cover 1 is attached by covering from the outside the portion from the sheath 12 of the cable 10 to the connection point α with the expansion bar 30.

In this case, simply covering the above-mentioned portion with insulating cover 1 as described above may result in problems such as the slit 2 opening up for some reason and insulating cover 1 falling off.
Therefore, for example, as shown in FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b), a protrusion 3 is provided on one side of a slit 2 of an insulating cover 1, and a hole 4 is formed on the other side.

Then, after the insulating cover 1 is placed as described above, the projections 3 are engaged with the holes 4 and fixed in place.
By configuring it in this manner, it is possible to prevent the slit 2 in the insulating cover 1 from opening, and it is possible to prevent problems such as the insulating cover 1 falling off.

[Wearing method 4]
Also, for example, as shown in FIG. 9(a), the insulating cover 1 can be configured with an upper portion 1C having an axially continuous opening on the lower side, and a lower portion 1D having an axially continuous opening on the upper side.
In this case, first, the terminal 20 is attached to the conductor 11 of the cable 10 by compression or crimping, and then the terminal 20 is connected to the expansion bar 30 .

9(a), the lower opening of the upper portion 1C is expanded and the portion from the sheath 12 of the cable 10 to the connection point α with the expansion bar 30 is covered from above. The upper opening of the lower portion 1C is also expanded and the portion from the sheath 12 of the cable 10 to the connection point α with the expansion bar 30 and the upper portion 1C are covered from below.
In this case, the upper part 1C and the lower part 1D may be covered so as to overlap each other as described above, or the upper part 1C and the lower part 1D may be configured to not overlap each other but simply sandwich the portion from the sheath 12 of the cable 10 to the connection point α with the expansion bar 30.

In this way, as shown in Figure 9 (b), it is possible to configure the insulating cover 1 (in this case, the upper part 1C and the lower part 1D) to be attached by sandwiching the portion from the sheath 12 of the cable 10 to the connection point α with the expansion bar 30 between the upper part 1C and the lower part 1D with or without overlapping.
In this case, too, the upper portion 1C and the lower portion 1D of the insulating cover 1 may be provided with projections and holes, and the projections may be hooked into the holes to fix them in place.

[About providing openings in the insulating cover]
On the other hand, if the wall W on which the device 40 having the terminal mounting portion 41 (i.e., the terminal block 40A or breaker 40B described above) is mounted does not have any conductors other than the wall W, the gap between the wall W and the extension bar 30 or the like is wide, or an insulating sheet is attached to the wall W, thereby providing sufficient insulation from the wall W, then it may not be necessary to provide an insulating cover 1 on the side of the extension bar 30, terminal 20, etc. facing the wall W.

In such a case, it is possible to configure the insulating cover 1 so that an opening is provided on the side facing the wall W on which the device 40 having the terminal mounting portion 41 is to be mounted.
The device 40 may be attached directly to the wall W, or may be attached to the wall W via a base P or the like as shown in Fig. 4(a). Also, a rubber sheet S may be laid under the cable 10 as shown in Fig. 4(b).

[Configuration 1]
As a configuration for providing an opening on the side facing the wall W of the insulating cover 1, for example, as shown in Figure 10, it is possible to configure the insulating cover 1 so that an opening 5 is provided in a portion below the connection point α between the extension bar 30 and the shuttlecock portion 22.
In this case, the insulating cover 1 having the opening 5 can be attached in the same manner as the above-mentioned attachment method 1 (see FIG. 6), for example.

[Configuration 2]
Also, for example, as shown in FIG. 11, the insulating cover 1 can be configured with a cylindrical partial cover 1E and a partial cover 1F having an opening 5 continuous with the axial direction on the lower side.
In this case, for example, the cable 10 is inserted into the partial cover 1E, and the partial cover 1E is temporarily placed above the cable 10. Then, the terminals 20 are attached to the conductors 11 of the cable 10 by compression or crimping, and the terminals 20 are connected to the extension bar 30.

Then, the partial cover 1E is attached by shifting it to, for example, a position on the outer periphery of the portion from the sheath 12 of the cable 10 to the connection tube portion 21 of the terminal 20. Also, the lower opening of the partial cover 1F is expanded and it is placed from above over, for example, the portion from the connection tube portion 21 of the terminal 20 to the connection point α with the extension bar 30.
In this way, it is possible to attach the insulating cover 1 so that an opening 5 is provided below the connection point α between the extension bar 30 and the shuttlecock portion 22, etc.

[Configuration 3]
Furthermore, for example, in the case where the insulating cover 1 is configured so that the entire side facing the wall W has openings 5 as shown in FIG. 12, the insulating cover 1 can be configured in the same manner as the upper portion 1C having a continuous opening in the axial direction on the lower side as described in the above-mentioned mounting method 4.
Then, the opening 5 on the lower side of the insulating cover 1 is expanded, and the insulating cover 1 is placed from above over the portion of the cable 10 from the sheath 12 to the connection point α with the expansion bar 30, as shown in Fig. 12. In this manner, the insulating cover 1 having the opening 5 can be attached.

[Configuration 4]
In addition, for the insulating cover 1G having the opening 5 attached in the state shown in Figure 12, a partial cover 1H having an axially continuous opening on the upper side is placed over the portion from the sheath 12 of the cable 10 to the connecting tube portion 21 of the terminal 20, as shown in Figure 13, for example.
By doing this, as shown in configuration 1 and configuration 2, it is possible to configure the insulating cover 1 so that an opening 5 is provided in the portion below the connection point α between the extension bar 30 and the shuttlecock portion 22.

[Configuration that enables connection confirmation]
In normal connection work, when a worker connects the terminal 20 of the cable 10 to the terminal mounting plate 42 of the terminal mounting portion 41 of the device 40 or to the expansion bar 30, the worker tightens the tightening bolt with the appropriate torque and then draws a line through the connection point, i.e., the shuttlecock portion 22 of the terminal 20 or the tightening bolt.
Furthermore, another worker may check the tightening of the tightening bolts at the connection points and draw a line that intersects with that line.

In this way, when the terminal 20 is connected to the terminal mounting plate 42 and the extension bar 30 as specified, an X will be marked at their connection points (including the connection point α between the extension bar 30 and the shuttlecock portion 22), as shown in Figure 14 (a).
By looking at the x mark, it is possible to confirm that the terminal 20 is connected to the terminal mounting plate 42 and the extension bar 30 as specified.

Furthermore, for example, if the line drawn on the shuttlecock portion 22 of the terminal 20 is misaligned with the line drawn on the tightening bolt B, as shown at connection point α in the lower left of Figure 14 (b), it is clear that the tightening bolt B has become loose.
However, in the above-described embodiments, since the connection point α between the extension bar 30 and the shuttlecock portion 22 is covered by the insulating cover 1, it may be impossible to confirm the x mark at the connection point α. In other words, it may be impossible to confirm the connection.

Therefore, it is possible to make a part of the insulating cover 1 transparent so that the connection point α between the extension bar 30 and the shuttlecock portion 22 can be seen through the transparent part.
This is true for any of the configurations described above and below, but specifically, for example, in the configuration shown in Fig. 8, it is possible to make the portion above the connection point α of the insulating cover 1, i.e., the portion 1a facing the connection point α, transparent as shown in Fig. 15(a). Note that in Fig. 15(a) and the subsequent figures, the mark x written on the connection point α has been omitted.

It is also possible to make the portion around the connection point α of the insulating cover 1 transparent, as shown in FIG. 15(b), or to make the entire insulating cover 1 transparent, as shown in FIG. 15(c).
In addition, when providing the insulating cover 1 with the slits 2, protrusions 3, and holes 4, if the slits 2, protrusions 3, and holes 4 are provided above the connection point α as shown in Figure 8, they will get in the way and make it difficult to see the connection point α. Therefore, it is desirable to provide them in a position where they do not get in the way, such as to the side of the connection point α, as shown in Figures 15(a) to (c).

In addition, at least the partial cover 1A arranged around the connection point α in the insulating cover 1 shown in Fig. 7 may be made transparent. In addition, if at least the upper portion 1C in the insulating cover 1 shown in Fig. 9(b) is made transparent, the portion of the insulating cover 1 above the connection point α can be made transparent as shown in Fig. 16.
Therefore, even with this configuration, it is possible to make part or all of the insulating cover 1 transparent, making the connection point α between the extension bar 30 and the shuttlecock portion 22 visible through the transparent part.

Needless to say, in configurations other than those described above, the insulating cover 1 can be configured to be partially or entirely transparent.
Furthermore, the configuration in which the insulating cover 1 is partially or entirely transparent can also be applied to a configuration that allows the tightening bolt B to be retightened, as described below.

[Configuration enabling retightening of tightening bolts]
On the other hand, when retightening the fastening bolt B at the connection point α between the extension bar 30 and the shuttlecock portion 22, the insulating cover 1 may get in the way.
In that case, for example, the following configuration makes it possible to retighten the tightening bolt B at the connection point α.

[Configuration A]
For example, if the portion surrounding the connection point α of the insulating cover 1 is folded back to expose the connection point α, the tightening bolt B at the connection point α can be retightened.
In this case, for example, if an ear-shaped piece 6 is formed at the end of the insulating cover 1 on the connection point α side as shown in Figure 17(a), the worker can easily hold the ear-shaped piece 6 and fold the insulating cover 1 back as shown in Figure 17(b).

With this configuration, it is possible to fold back the insulating cover 1 to expose the connection point α and retighten the fastening bolt B at the connection point α.
Incidentally, even when the insulating cover 1 is configured to have an opening 5 as shown in FIG. 10 and the like, it is possible to configure the insulating cover 1 so that it can be folded back.

[Configuration B]
It is also possible to provide a slit 7 in the insulating cover 1 to form a lid portion 8 as shown in FIG. 18(a), and configure the lid portion 8 so that it can be lifted up as shown in FIG. 18(b).
With this configuration, it is possible to expose the connection point α by lifting up the lid portion 8 of the insulating cover 1, and retighten the fastening bolt B at the connection point α.
Incidentally, in the case where the insulating cover 1 is configured to have an opening 5 as shown in FIG. 10 etc., it is also possible to configure the insulating cover 1 so that it can be turned up.

In addition, when forming the cover portion 8 by providing a slit 7 in the insulating cover 1 as described above, if the slit 7 is formed horizontally in the insulating cover 1 as shown in Figure 19 (a), for example, there is a possibility that a short circuit may occur through the slit 7 between the insulating cover 1 and another cable 10 (not shown) adjacent in the horizontal direction.
In such a case, it is possible to form a slit 7 vertically in the insulating cover 1 as shown in Fig. 19(b) . With this configuration, even if another cable 10 or the like is adjacent in the horizontal direction, it is possible to prevent a short circuit from occurring between the cable and the slit 7.

Furthermore, if the lid portion 8 is turned up as shown in FIG. 18(b), it may become impossible to return the lid portion 8 to its original position.
Therefore, if the slit 7 is formed, for example, in a V-shape as shown in Figure 20(a) or in a stepped shape as shown in Figure 20(b), the edge of the slit 7 can hold down the lid portion 8 when the flipped-up lid portion 8 is returned to its original position, thereby making it possible to prevent the lid portion 8 from flipping up again after being returned to its original position.

Also, for example, as shown in FIG. 21, it is possible to provide a projection 9A on the lid portion 8 of the insulating cover 1 and to provide a hole 9B on the edge portion of the slit 7.
With this configuration, by engaging and fixing the projection 9A in the hole 9B, it is possible to prevent the lid portion 8, which has been returned to its original position, from being turned up again.

It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

1 Insulating cover 1A, 1B Partial cover 1C Upper part (first part)
1D lower part (second part)
2 Slit 3 Protrusion 4 Hole 5 Opening 6 Ear 7 Slit 8 Lid 10 Cable (electric wire/cable)
11 Conductor 12 Sheath 20 Terminal 21 Connection tube portion 22 Shuttlecock portion 30, 30a to 30c Extension bar 40 Device 40A Terminal block (device)
40B Breaker (appliance)
41 Terminal mounting portion 42 Terminal mounting plate W Wall α Connection point

Claims (11)

An insulating cover is attached so as to cover the outer periphery of a sheath of an electric wire/cable, a conductor of the electric wire/cable exposed from an end of the sheath, a connection tube part of a terminal connected to the conductor, a shuttlecock part of the terminal, and a connection part where the shuttlecock part and an expansion bar overlap ,
the extension bar has an end portion connected to a terminal mounting plate of a terminal mounting portion, and the width of the end portion is formed smaller than the width of the extension bar at the connection point;
The insulating cover is configured to be attached to each of a plurality of terminal mounting plates provided in the terminal mounting portion, and to each of a plurality of electric wires/cables that are connected via the extension bar and the terminals . The insulating cover according to claim 1, which is composed of multiple cylindrical partial covers, and which is configured by attaching the multiple partial covers in a line in the axial direction of the electric wire/cable, with or without overlapping. The insulating cover according to claim 1, which has a slit extending in the axial direction of the electric wire/cable, and is attached by widening the slit and covering from the outside the portion of the electric wire/cable from the sheath to the connection point. The insulating cover according to claim 3, which has a protrusion on one side of the slit and a hole on the other side, and is fixed by engaging the protrusion with the hole while covering the portion of the wire/cable from the sheath to the connection point from the outside. The insulating cover according to claim 1, which is composed of a first part and a second part each having an opening that is continuous in the axial direction, and is configured by sandwiching the part of the electric wire/cable from the sheath to the connection point between the first part and the second part with or without overlapping. An insulating cover according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which an opening is provided on the side facing the wall on which the device having the terminal mounting portion is mounted. An insulating cover according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which is partially or entirely transparent, and the connection between the extension bar and the shuttlecock is visible through the transparent portion. An insulating cover according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which an ear-shaped piece is formed at the end on the connection side. An insulating cover according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which a slit is provided to form a lid portion, and the lid portion is configured so as to be able to be flipped up. A method for protecting a connection point between an electric wire / cable and an extension bar , the method comprising the steps of:
the extension bar has a portion corresponding to the connection portion and an end portion connected to the terminal mounting plate of the terminal mounting portion, the width of the end portion being smaller than the width of the extension bar at the connection portion,
The insulating cover is used to cover the outer periphery of the sheath of the electric wire/cable, the conductor of the electric wire/cable exposed from the end of the sheath, the connection tube part of the terminal connected to the conductor, the shuttlecock part of the terminal, and the part corresponding to the connection part where the expansion bar and the shuttlecock part overlap ,
A method for protecting the connection points between electric wires/cables and an extension bar , which is configured to attach the insulating cover to each of a plurality of electric wires/cables that are connected to a plurality of terminal mounting plates provided in the terminal mounting portion via the extension bar and the terminals. 11. The method for protecting a connection between an electric wire/cable and an extension bar according to claim 10, further comprising covering the outer periphery with an insulating cover such that a portion of the extension bar connected to the terminal mounting plate protrudes from the insulating cover.

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