Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-29
2001-01-09
Gandhi, Jayprakash N. (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S728000, C361S740000, C361S753000, C361S797000, C361S801000, C439S076100, C439S082000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06172877
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electrical or electronic device with a housing, at least one circuit board and electrical contacts for placement on a support rail for data and/or power bus connection to adjacent electronic devices which have the corresponding contacts.
2. Description of Related Art
An electrical or electronic device of the initially mentioned type is already known from published German Patent Application DE 44 02 001 A1. In the known electronic device, the device can be locked onto a commercial support rail, and during locking, is automatically electrically connected with adjacent electronic devices. In this way, a bus connection arises via the connected electronic devices.
Problems arise in the known construction in the case in which the circuit board in the electrical or electronic device is defective and the electrical or electronic device must be removed from the unit for repair or replacement purposes. This automatically leads to interruption of the data and/or power bus connection.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is therefore to make available an electrical or electronic device of the initially mentioned type in which replacement of the circuit board is possible without interrupting the data and/or power bus connection.
This aforementioned object is achieved in electrical or electronic device of the initially mentioned type in accordance with the invention essentially in that the housing is made in at least two parts and there is a top part which holds the circuit board and there is a base part which has the contacts. The configuration of the electrical or electronic device according to the invention, because the housing can be divided, makes it possible to remove the circuit board together with the top part of the housing which holds the circuit board without interrupting the bus connection. The data and/or the power bus connection is established in the invention solely via contacts provided in the base parts, the base parts remaining on the support rail after removing the top part with the circuit board. The configuration of the invention, moreover, offers a certain modularity, since the top parts can have different widths, specifically n-times the width of the base part.
To prevent unintentional detachment of the top part from the base part, there is a first locking device between these two components. It is preferably made as a catch connection. In one advantageous embodiment, on the top part, there is a spring-loaded catch arm, while on the base part there are catch hooks which correspond to the catch arm.
It is furthermore provided in accordance with the invention that the top part can be swivelled onto the base part, the first locking device having a handle or engagement section, which can be manually activated from the outside of the housing, on the catch arm for detachment of the top part from the base part. The top part can be detached from the base part in this embodiment extremely easily by releasing only one catch connection. Via the handle or engagement section, the catch arm can be opened manually by hand or using a tool, for example, a screwdriver.
So that the base part is not detached at the same time when detaching or unlocking the top part from the base part, in the worst case, this would mean interruption of the data and/or power bus connection, there is a second, especially latchable locking device for detachable connection of the base part to the support rail. Here, it is important that the second locking device is completely independent of the first locking device so that release of the first locking device cannot unintentionally lead to release of the second locking device as well.
In order, on the one hand, to be able to easily connect the base part to the support rail, and on the other hand to prevent unintentional detachment of the base part from the support rail, it is furthermore provided that the base part can be swivelled onto the support rail and the second locking device has a spring-loaded latch on the base part for unilateral locking to the support rail.
Preferably, the latch is located in the area of the bottom of the base part, and thus, is not accessible from the outside. To open the second locking device, there is an actuation opening on the latch and there is an insertion opening for a tool, for example a screwdriver, on the top of the base part, the actuation opening being arranged offset to the insertion opening such that, when the tool is inserted into actuation and insertion opening, the latch is moved against the spring load and the base part is released. Here, it is especially expedient if the insertion opening on the base part is accessible only with the top part removed. The aforementioned configuration ensures that the second locking device cannot be released before the first locking device in any case, since first the top part must be removed to reach the top of the base part and thus the insertion opening.
So that the circuit board is properly arranged in the housing, i.e., in any case, contact is made correctly with the contacts provided in a circuit board receiver provided on the base part and thus, moreover, it is ensured that the circuit board is withdrawn at the same time as the top part is removed from the base part, according to the invention it is provided that, in the circuit board and in the top part, there are corresponding openings for insertion of at least one fixing means from the outside of the housing. To achieve a good connection, it is enough to simply insert the fixing means into the circuit board. Therefore, fixation is done solely by insertion of the fixing means from the outside into the openings in the top part and the circuit board. This insertion is only possible when the respective openings are aligned in the top part and the circuit board. When the openings are aligned, the circuit board is then located in the desired installation and contact-making position.
In order to achieve a reliable connection of the circuit board to the housing, the fixing means has at least one, but preferably two insertion legs, there being at least one thickened area on the insertion leg via which good frictional engagement with the corresponding opening in the circuit board can be achieved.
In addition to the fixing finction, the fixing means can, however, also perform another function, i.e., it can be used for electrical connection. Often feed contacts must be attached to the circuit board. This can easily be done with a corresponding design via the fixing means. For this reason, the fixing means should have at least one terminal element in the form of a lug. In this case, the insertion leg makes contact with a printed conductor on the circuit board. The electrical or electronic device then also has the function of an add-on terminal.
So that the fixing means does not laterally project over the electrical or electronic device, it is provided, in one advantageous embodiment, that the fixing means is held in a corresponding receiver in the top part. If in this embodiment the fixing means has at least one terminal element, therefore is used for connection of feed contacts, in the top part there is at least one connection opening for insertion of the feed contact into the terminal element and at least one actuation opening for actuating the terminal element.
So that the fixing means, during use of the terminal element, is not subjected to mechanical stresses which could be transferred to the circuit board, the fixing means has a leg which projects out of the terminal element and from which the insertion leg projects. On the leg there is at this point a step, while in the receiver there is a corresponding step-shaped slot in which the step of the leg adjoins the housing. Any tensile or compressive load is thus accommodated by the housing and is not transferred to the circuit board.
So that the fixing means cannot fall out of the electrical or electronic device, finally, there is a cover for the receiver which can be detachably joine
Feye-Hohmann J{umlaut over (u)}rgen
Follmann Hartmut
Reibke Heinz
Gandhi Jayprakash N.
Nixon & Peabody LLP
Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co.
Safran David S.
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