Patent Application
20200373716
This disclosure relates to a bulkhead mounted housing and a method for fastening a bulkhead mounted housing to a wall aperture.
Bulkhead mounted housings are known per se. Bulkhead mounted housings are, for example, mounted on wall apertures of control cabinet or machine walls to provide an option for a plug connection there.
DE 20 2007 004 350 U1 discloses a bulkhead mounted housing, which can be assembled on an aperture of a device wall. The bulkhead mounted housing has a frame-like base form. Fastening openings, via which the bulkhead mounted housing can be screwed to the device wall, are integrally formed externally on the frame-like base form. To ensure leak-tightness of the bulkhead mounted housing with respect to environmental influences, the bulkhead mounted housing has a groove on the device side, into which a sealing ring is placed. To further ensure the leak-tightness of the bulkhead mounted housing, the fastening openings are also each equipped with a sealing ring.
During the assembly of the bulkhead mounted housing of DE 20 2007 004 350 U1, care must be taken to ensure the absolutely correct seating of a plurality of seals. The assembly of such a bulkhead mounted housing is therefore very time consuming. The bulkhead mounted housing moreover requires a lot of space on the device wall as a result of the externally integrally formed fastening openings.
The German Patent and Trademark Office has searched the following prior art in the priority application relating to the present application: DE 20 2007 004 350 U1; EP 0 860 906 B1; WO 2011/069522 A1; WO 2017/220736 A1 and JP 2015-60681 A.
Embodiments of the invention provide a compact bulkhead mounted housing which is easy to assemble.
The bulkhead mounted housing according to embodiments of the invention is intended to provide a plug connection in the region of an aperture of a control cabinet or a device wall. However, the invention is not restricted to this use.
The bulkhead mounted housing according to an embodiment of the invention has a frame-like base form, wherein the aperture opening of the control cabinet or the device wall is arranged within the frame-like base form. Within the frame-like base form, the bulkhead mounted housing has fastening devices or means for fastening the bulkhead mounted housing to the wall aperture. The fastening devices or means are generally arranged in the vicinity of the edge region of the aperture opening.
The bulkhead mounted housing is preferably equipped with a seal, which is arranged between the bulkhead mounted housing and the device wall. Since the fastening devices or means are located within the frame-like base form, additional sealing means do not have to be provided here to protect the bulkhead mounted housing from environmental influences.
The bulkhead mounted housing has at least one clamping element, which can be captively clamped within the frame-like base form. The clamping element is held or secured within the frame-like base form by a clamping action. A tool is not required for this. The technical clamping structures required for this are contained on the clamping element and will be described in more detail further below.
A holding frame or a contact insert can be secured on the at least one clamping element. The holding frame can be fitted with different plug connector modules in a known modular manner. The plug connection for the control cabinet or for the device is provided via the holding frame with plug connector modules or the plug insert.
The plug connector modules generally each have a substantially cuboidal insulating body. These insulating bodies can serve as contact carriers, for example, and can receive and secure a wide range of different contacts. The operation of a plug connector or bulkhead mounted housing formed in this way is also very flexible. For example, pneumatic modules, optical modules, modules for the transmission of electrical energy and/or electrical analog and/or digital signals can be accommodated in the respective insulating body and can therefore be used in the plug connector modular system. Plug connector modules increasingly also assume measurement- and data-related tasks.
The fastening devices or means of the bulkhead mounted housing are advantageously openings via which the bulkhead mounted housing can be secured to the wall aperture. For example, the bulkhead mounted housing can be screwed or riveted to the wall aperture via the openings. A fastening of this type is particularly stable and especially advantageous in environments subject to vibration loads, for example in the rail sector.
The clamping element of the attachment housing preferably has openings via which the holding frame or the contact insert can be secured on the clamping element. The holding frame or the contact insert can be screwed to the clamping element, and therefore connected to the bulkhead mounted housing, by way of these openings.
In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the openings of the bulkhead mounted housing and the openings of the clamping element are each flush or aligned with one another. A particularly space-saving design of the bulkhead mounted housing can thus be achieved.
In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the bulkhead mounted housing has at least two clamping elements. The clamping elements are each arranged, parallel to one another, on the narrow sides of the frame-like base form of the bulkhead mounted housing. By using two clamping elements, these can be used for different structural sizes of the bulkhead mounted housing. The bulkhead mounted housing can thus be produced essentially more economically because the same components, here the clamping elements, can sometimes be used for different structural sizes.
The clamping element preferably consists of or includes at least two parts, a first part and a second part. The two parts are coupled to one another via a hinged connection. The hinged connection is positioned between the ends of the clamping element.
It is advantageous to additionally couple to the two parts to one another via a spring element. The spring element can be arranged, for example, at an end of the clamping element.
The two parts of the clamping element which are connected to one another in a hinged manner form peg-like clamping jaws at one end, the end remote from the hinged connection. The other end forms lever arms, by which the clamping jaws can be brought into an open position in opposition to the force of the spring element. Without the force effect, the spring element presses the clamping jaws into a closed position.
The spring element is preferably a spiral spring or a leaf spring. Components of this type are commercially available at little cost.
The bulkhead mounted housing preferably has at least one web within the frame-like base form. The clamping element has a corresponding grip hook acting on the web with form fit. The grip hook is integrally formed on part of the clamping element and positioned on the end of the clamping element which is remote from the hinged connection. The grip hook promotes the clamping jaw function described above. The grip hook is pressed against the web by the clamping jaws. The clamping element can thus be fastened to the bulkhead mounted housing without tools.
If two clamping elements are used, they may be constructed identically to one another. In this case, a web, on which a respective clamping element can act, is integrally formed internally on both narrow sides.
At least one fastening element for a hood is preferably integrally formed externally on the frame-like base form. As a result of the externally mounted fastening element(s), the interior can be used for the components relevant to the plug connection.
It has been shown that at least two fastening elements arranged diagonally to one another represent an adequate option for securing a hood.
Exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings and will be explained in more detail below.
The figures contain partially simplified schematic illustrations. Identical reference signs are sometimes used for elements which are similar, but possibly not identical. Different views of similar elements could be drawn to different scales.
In
The two parts 8, 9 of the clamping elements 7 which are connected to one another in a hinged manner form peg-like clamping jaws 12 at one end, the end remote from the hinged connection 11. The other end forms lever arms 13, by way of which the clamping jaws 12 can be brought into an open position in opposition to the force of the spring element 10. Without the force effect, the spring element 10 presses the clamping jaws 12 into a closed position, as illustrated in
It can be seen in
The clamping element 7 has openings 16, which are integrally formed within the second part 9. By way of example, a holding frame 3 can be fastened via a screw connection 4 to the clamping element 7 or to the two clamping elements 7 via the openings 16, as illustrated in
The clamping elements 7 are preferably manufactured from an electrically conductive metal material. The bulkhead mounted housing 1 also preferably comprises or consists of an electrically conductive material. By securing the clamping connection of the clamping elements 7 with the aid of the screw connection 4 of the preferably metal holding frame 3 or the plug insert, a reliable PE contact between the holding frame 3 or between the plug insert and the frame-like base form 2 of the bulkhead mounted housing 1 via the clamping elements 7 is ensured. To this end, likewise suitable metal components are contained in the plug insert.
Openings 17 are integrally formed within the frame-like base form 2 of the bulkhead mounted housing 1. The bulkhead mounted housing 1 can be fastened to an aperture (not shown) of a control cabinet (not shown) or a device wall (not shown) via the openings 17. A screw connection is generally selected for this purpose. The openings 17 of the frame-like base form 2 and the openings 16 of the respective clamping elements 7 are flush with one another. This is illustrated by way of an axis 18 in
The bulkhead mounted housing 1 is mounted on a wall aperture as follows:
The bulkhead mounted housing 1 described above is constructed in a particularly space-saving manner. The clamping elements 7 are universally usable for different structural sizes. The bulkhead mounted housing 1 is particularly leak-tight as a result of internal fastening devices or means and can be easily fastened to the wall aperture without a special tool.
Even when combinations of different aspects or features of the invention are shown in each case in the figures, it is clear to the person skilled in the art—unless indicated otherwise—that the combinations illustrated and discussed are not the only options. In particular, mutually corresponding units or feature complexes from different exemplary embodiments can be interchanged with one another.
In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2017 129 742.1 | Dec 2017 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/DE2018/100962 | 11/28/2018 | WO | 00 |
