Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-29
2001-01-30
Gandhi, Jayprakash N. (Department: 2841)
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
06181566
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electrical or electronic device for placement on a support rail, with a housing and with a circuit board located in the housing.
2. Description of Related Art
An electrical or electronic device of the initially mentioned type has long been known in practice. To install the circuit board it is generally pushed via a corresponding guide in the housing into the latter. As it is being pushed in, the circuit board generally makes contact with the corresponding contacts which are provided in the housing for connection of the circuit board. After inserting the circuit board the housing is generally sealed. If the circuit board is not properly inserted in the housing, it can happen that there is no contact or there is poor contact with the corresponding contacts in the housing. The circuit board can also shift when using or handling the electrical or electronic device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to make available an electrical or electronic device of the initially mentioned type in which sufficient contact of the circuit board in the installed state is ensured in any case.
This object is achieved as claimed in the invention essentially in that there is at least one fixing means which is inserted from the outside of the housing into the corresponding openings in the circuit board and in the housing. The use of the fixing means as claimed in the invention offers not only the advantage that shifting of the circuit board within the housing is prevented in any case when the electrical or electronic device is being handled or used. Use of the fixing means also ensures that in any case proper contact between the circuit board and the contacts located in the housing is ensured. Ultimately this is done by the fact that insertion of the fixing means into the openings in the housing and the circuit board is possible only when these openings are aligned. This means that the circuit board in this position is located in the desired installation and contact-making position.
The invention is especially suitable in electrical or electronic devices with a housing made in at least two parts and on the one hand having a top part which holds the circuit board and on the other at least one base part which has a circuit board receiver for making contact in the circuit board. Because the housing can be divided, there is the possibility of removing the circuit board together with the top part of the housing without interrupting the bus connection which is formed via the base part. Since in this embodiment the circuit board in the installed state is held in the circuit board receiver, therefore it can be ensured by at least one fixing means that the circuit board is removed from the circuit board receiver when the top part is removed and does not remain on the base part.
As has already been indicated, the invention is especially well suited in electrical or electronic devices which are designed for a data and/or power bus connection for making contact with adjacent electrical or electronic devices placed on the support rail. In this case on the base part there are contacts which point in the lengthwise direction of the support rail for the data and/or power bus connection for making contact with adjacent electrical or electronic devices which have the corresponding contacts and which are placed on the support rail.
In order on the one hand to facilitate insertion of the circuit board into the housing and on the other insertion of the fixing means into the openings, there is a guide for the circuit board in the housing.
The circuit board can be fixed in the housing especially easily by the fixing means being inserted simply into the circuit board without being further connected to the latter. In particular soldering to the circuit board is unnecessary. In order to achieve a reliable connection between the circuit board and the fixing means, the fixing means has at least one, but preferably two insertion legs which extend in the lengthwise direction of the support rail, on the insertion leg there being at least one thickened area via which good frictional engagement with the corresponding opening in the circuit board can be achieved.
In addition to the fixing function, 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 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 when the terminal element is being used the fixing means 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 is located and adjoins the housing. Any tensile or compressive load on the terminal element 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 joined to the housing, preferably which can catch.
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patent: 5490044 (1996-02-01), Kobayashi et al.
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patent: 6008985 (1999-12-01), Lake et al.
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Gandhi Jayprakash N.
Nixon & Peabody LLP
Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co.
Safran David S.
LandOfFree
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