Joints and connections – Bridged by diverse connector
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-14
2003-04-08
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3629)
Joints and connections
Bridged by diverse connector
C439S121000, C439S532000, C403S363000, C403S375000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06543957
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a holder for attaching a housing to a rail and a housing comprising at least one such holder.
Particularly in the field of electrical installation, it is frequently necessary to attach various electrical devices to rails, e. g. holding rails with a hat-like cross-sectional configuration. A typical application can be seen in power supplies comprising housings, which need to be secured to a holding rail. In this context, any portions of the housing which are intended to securely attach the housing to the rail need to meet various requirements. Firstly, the housing should be mounted to the rail in a detachable manner. Secondly, the housing must be attached to the rail in a manner preventing any unintentional loosening or detachment of the housing. Finally, in some cases the housing has to be mounted on the rail in such a manner that an electrical contact between these members is ensured so that current can flow to the rail.
BACKGROUND ART
DE 196 46 696 C1 discloses a holder and a housing comprising a holder, wherein the holder is made of a section of a metal profile. The holder comprises projections, which are insertable into recesses of the housing's back wall in such a manner that the holder is secured to the housing. The holder further comprises a recess which is engageable with a projection, preferably an edge of the rail to which the housing is to be mounted. Finally, the holder comprises a comparably small projection, which is associated with the recess, in which the edge of the rail can be accommodated. When the housing is mounted to the rail, the holder is brought into engagement with the edge of the rail by “hooking” it onto the rail, so that the edge of the rail is located in the recess of the holder. Subsequently, the housing is pivoted somewhat in order to bring the housing towards the rail such that a separate locking member, comprising a biased locking element, can be engaged with the second edge of the rail, which lies opposite to the edge which is accommodated in the recess of the holder. During this pivoting motion, the above-mentioned small projection engages with the rail so that the housing is prevented from sliding or shifting in the longitudinal direction of the rail. However, this effect of the projection can only be guaranteed when the housing is attached to special types of rails having similar cross-sectional configurations. With differing types of rails, this cannot be ensured.
FL 2 694 846 discloses a mounting element for securing electrical devices to rails, wherein the mounting element comprises a flexible element of an approximately circular cross-section, which is used to snap the mounting element to the rail. In other words, the flexible element is somewhat deformed when the mounting element is attached to the rail, and returns to its original shape when the mounting element is in its final attached state. When the mounting element is to be detached, the flexible element again needs to be deformed in order to allow the edge of the rail to pass over the flexible element. However, in the attachment state, the flexible element is in its normal condition so that there is no clamping force applied which would prevent the mounting element from moving in the longitudinal direction of the rail.
Finally, EP 0 703 640 A1 discloses a screwless clamp comprising a flexible element with a first leg and second leg, one of which is moveable, and between which a clamping force is transmitted. The mobility of the flexible element both in the cross-section plane as well as perpendicular thereto is limited, in order to increase the clamping force when the limits of mobility are reached.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention was made in order to provide a holder for attaching a housing to a rail as well as a housing provided with such a holder, which is of simple construction and securely prevents a housing from moving in the longitudinal direction of the rail with modifications of standardized rails.
This objective is solved by means of a holder that is securable to a housing and which comprises a recess engageable with a projection of the rail, to which the housing is to be attached, and a flexible member. The flexible member comprises a closed cross-section and is freely deformable in the cross-sectional plane, i.e. in a direction approximately perpendicular to a direction in which the holder is moved towards the rail. In other words, in order to effect attachment, the holder is brought into engagement with or “hooked onto” a projection (preferably an edge of the rail) and is pivoted about this point of engagement so that the remainder of the holder is moved towards the rail. During this movement, the flexible member will come into contact with a suitable portion of the rail and will be deformed. Due to the fact that the flexible element is freely deformable in the mentioned direction, the flexible member will deform and thus apply a clamping force acting between the rail and the holder. In particular, the flexible member will remain in its deformed state as long as the housing is attached to the rail so that the clamping force is active in order to prevent the housing from moving or shifting in the longitudinal direction of the rail. Furthermore, free deformability of the flexible member ensures a gradually increasing clamping force without limitations or sudden increases of the clamping force. Finally, the holder according to the invention is configured very simply in that a section of a metal profile can be used and formed with an appropriate recess in order to accommodate the flexible member. Due to the closed cross-section, the flexible member itself is of a simple structure and can be manufactured, handled and mounted to the holder very easily.
Preferably, the flexible member comprises an approximately circular cross-section in order to give the flexible member an especially simple structure.
With regard to the material of the flexible member, plastic material is preferred. In particular, a special type of polyamide has been found to provide the flexible member with the required characteristics and simultaneously permits inexpensive mass production of this member as well as the inventive holder. In order to render the polyamide, which is preferably used for the flexible member, stable in an extended range of temperatures, certain additives are added to the basic polyamide. In this manner, the flexible member of polyamide can be made temperature-stable and flexible at the same time in a temperature range, which extends above 75° C.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned objective, the invention further provides a holder for attaching a housing to a rail, the holder being securable to the housing and comprising a recess engageable with a projection of a rail and also a flexible member with a tube-like structure. The tube-shaped flexible member is freely deformable while the holder is moved towards the rail and is brought into contact with the rail. Thus a clamping force is applied by means of the tube-shaped flexible member when a housing is secured to a rail by means of one or more of the described holders. The tube-like structure particularly permits an appropriate combination with a holder made from a section of a metal profile. Furthermore, the tube-shaped flexible member, preferably comprising an approximately circular cross-section, will easily deform from its circular state to an oval state when a gradually increasing clamping force is applied between the holder and the rail. Both with regard to the above described embodiment comprising a flexible member with a tube-like structure, and the embodiment, in which the flexible member comprises an essentially circular cross-section, it should be mentioned that these embodiments are particularly advantageous in that the flexible member with the described structure can be combined with the holder body in a manner to facilitate mounting of the holder to the rail by inserting the projection of the rail into the recess formed in the holder body. Firstly, the
Browne Lynne H.
Dilworth & Barrese LLP
Ferguson Michael P.
PULS Elecktronische Stromversorgungen GmbH
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