Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Patent
1996-12-16
1999-03-16
Picard, Leo P.
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
361679, 361735, 361736, 361784, 361790, 361803, 439 761, 439717, 137884, F16K 3102, H05K 114
Patent
active
058837850
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a modular electric part for the central power-supply and/or signal-control of valves assigned to a valve block.
2. Description of the Related Art
Modular configured valve blocks are already known. These, however, have in particular the disadvantage that a plurality of differing components needs to be made available for various applications, valve sizes and valve arrangements. Thus, for instance, each such valve block always needs to be conceived for a highly specific valve size, resulting in cost-intensive production and stockage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to define a modular electric part of the aforementioned kind which can be composed of a few elementary components and thus adapted with no problem to differing requirements such as in particular to a changing number of valves to be connected and/or connecting valves of different kinds.
This object is achieved according to the invention in that the modular electric part includes at least one base module having a housing open at its two opposing ends, into which a circuit board having one or more terminal contacts is inserted, one housing sidewall being provided with at least one knockout, through which a corresponding valve or some other actor is connectable to at least one assigned terminal contact, and containing at least one connecting module serving the central power-supply and/or signal-control as well as at least one termination module, and in that the modules are identical cross-sectionally and able to be connected and released to/from each other in-line, where necessary, by producing respective electrical interconnections or an end closure.
As a result of this configuration the electrical part can be composed by simple means on the basis of a minimum number of standard modules to create a system optimally adapted to the respective application. The number of differing modules is restricted to an electrical base module, an electrical connecting module and to a termination module in each case for the one and other end of each row of modules. Where necessary, several base modules may be mounted in-line, the number of base modules mounted in-line being restricted at the most by the signal-control arrangement.
Depending on the application each of the base modules may be provided with a differing number of terminal contacts and assigned knockouts from one another and/or knockouts differing in number and/or size. These knockouts may be knocked out of corresponding base modules by simple means.
The base module may to advantage also feature free electrical outputs which in turn are powered and/or signal-controlled via a connecting module. These free outputs may be made use of for optional applications such as e.g. connecting an audible alarm or the like.
In accordance with a particularly advantageous embodiment the modular electric part comprises at least one feedback module mountable, where necessary, on a corresponding base module, releasably connectable thereto which furnishes the feedback signals regarding the valves. Thus, since the base module and the feedback module are no longer configured as a unit but separately the feedback modules may be inserted or omitted as necessary, in the second case the space requirements being additionally reduced. For closed circuit controls necessitating a feedback signal of the actual status by sensors, the valve block may be expanded by feedback modules, dedicated to the valves, which contain the sensoric arrangement.
Regarding its type the electrical connecting module may be selected according to the application and, for instance, configured by means of a connecting module featuring neutral and around terminals, as a multipin connector or also as a connecting module assigned to a field bus module. In the case of the connection of a multipin module having a multipin connector a 1:1 wiring arrangement may be provided, whereas in the case of higher requirements on signal-control a field bus module may be con
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patent: 5128830 (1992-07-01), Deluca et al.
patent: 5180318 (1993-01-01), Moller et al.
patent: 5619013 (1997-04-01), Jorgensen
Ottliczky Martin
Rohrbeck Heribert
Brackett Jr. Tim L.
Burkert Werke GmbH & Co.
Ferguson Jr. Gerald J.
Picard Leo P.
Vigushin John B.
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