| 摘要 |
Busbars are used for distributing electrical power in switch boards and other electrical apparatus. Known busbars comprise a length of highly conductive metal covered by an insulating material to protect against accidental electrocution, short circuits and internal arcing faults. These busbars must be shaped prior to installation in order to fit a particular switch board, electrical apparatus or connection. The shaping process must be performed before the busbar is covered by insulating material because the insulating material will fracture, split or crack when the busbar is shaped and worked on. To install the busbar, it must, therefore, be shaped and inserted into the switch board for checking, then removed and covered by insulating material before being re-inserted back into the switch board for final installation. This requires multiple steps and is time consuming. To solve these problems, the present invention provides a pre-insulated busbar having a substantially ductile electrically insulating barrier overlaying at least a primary portion of its external surface. The insulating barrier comprises a surface coating of an epoxy thermoset material and has sufficient ductibility to conform to the shape of the pre-insulated busbar before, during and after shaping of the pre-insulated busbar and provides that a structural integrity and insulating function of the insulating barrier is maintained during a substantial deformation of the underlying primary portion. |
