Installation box, installation box assembly and use of such an installation box

Abstract

Installation box for electrical / electronic applications comprising a base part (2) having a base wall (4) and a cover part (3) having a cover wall (6) that closes the base part (2), which together enclose an installation cavity when the cover part (3) is closed, the installation box (1) having a longitudinal extent and a transverse extent, wherein the longitudinal extent is greater than the transverse extent, characterized in that the wall of one of the two parts - base part (2) or cover part (3) - has a concave shape and the wall (6) of the other part (3) opposite this wall (4) with respect to the installation cavity has a convex shape in the direction of the longitudinal extent of the installation box (1).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an installation box for electrical / electronic applications comprising a base part having a base wall and a cover part having a lid wall that closes the base part, together enclosing an installation cavity when the cover part is closed. The installation box has a longitudinal dimension and a transverse dimension, wherein the longitudinal dimension is greater than the transverse dimension. The invention further relates to an assembly of installation boxes including such an installation box and to the use of such an installation box.

[0002] Enclosures used for electrical installations include, for example, junction boxes such as flush-mounted boxes, cavity wall boxes, etc., but also switch boxes, control cabinets, and the like. Such enclosures are typically made of a dimensionally stable, rigid plastic. These enclosures are designed to allow long items, such as cables or conduits, to be inserted through a wall of the enclosure for connection to electrical and / or electronic devices or units contained within. For this purpose, these enclosures have pre-cut cable entries in predetermined sections of the enclosure wall, through which the corresponding long items can be passed.

[0003] When such installation boxes are designed as junction boxes, they are typically cuboid in shape. This means they have a longitudinal and a transverse dimension, with the longitudinal dimension being greater than the transverse dimension. In addition to these dimensions, the installation volume is determined by the height of the installation box. Such installation boxes consist of a base and a cover. Both the base and the cover each have a wall, which, when the installation box is closed, are positioned opposite each other with respect to the installation cavity. A surrounding side wall is formed against the wall of the base. The cover, with its cover wall, may also have a surrounding side wall or at least a surrounding structure to close the base by overlapping its side wall.

[0004] There are applications where such a junction box needs to be installed in the cavity of a suspended ceiling or cavity wall after the outer wall or ceiling panel has already been installed. To position such a junction box in the cavity, a mounting opening is created in the outer wall or ceiling panel, typically using a core drill to provide the required diameter. A typical diameter for such a core drill is 58 mm. Depending on the thickness of the outer wall or ceiling panel and the clear width of the cavity, standard junction boxes made of hard materials, such as rigid plastic, can only be installed in the cavity if they are quite small.In many cases, the installation space provided by such a junction box is not large enough to accommodate the necessary electrical / electronic components. In such cases, multiple junction boxes must be used, which increases the installation effort. Often, cable connections are then made without the protection of a junction box.

[0005] To remedy this, German patent application DE 20 2017 107 064 U1 proposes designing such an installation box as a flexible tube, closed only at its ends by rigid caps. Due to the flexible tube section, such an installation box can be successively deformed along its length by bending until it is inserted into the cavity. While this allows the installation box to have a larger installation volume, a disadvantage is that bending the tube section exerts a tensile load on the cables inside, and especially on the contacts or cable connections, which can impair these connections.Such installation boxes are not suitable for accommodating circuit boards, as in such a case there is a risk that, during the assembly process for inserting the installation box into the cavity, the required deformation of the hose section will damage or even break them.

[0006] Based on this discussed state of the art, the invention therefore aims to propose an installation box, particularly intended for use as an intermediate box, which not only has a larger installation volume compared to conventional hard plastic installation boxes, but also does not have the disadvantages mentioned above for flexible installation boxes.

[0007] This problem is solved according to the invention by an installation box of the generic type mentioned above, in which the wall of one of the two parts - base part or cover part - has a concave shape and the wall of the other part opposite this wall with respect to the installation cavity has a convex shape in the direction of the longitudinal extent of the installation box.

[0008] This junction box is distinguished not only by its construction from a hard material, typically plastic, but also by its unique shape. At least one section of the box, running lengthwise, features a curved structure. This curvature is achieved through a concave base or lid section and a convex surface on the other side. The junction box may also consist entirely of such a single section. These structures need not necessarily be curved in the strict sense or have a radius. Such structures can also be created by a series of straight sections running lengthwise, arranged at different angles to each other to produce the concave or convex shape.It is also quite possible for a design in which one of the two parts - base part or lid part - has its concave or convex structuring by means of a series of straight sections and the other part has a structure achieved by means of a radius of curvature.

[0009] The advantage of such an installation box lies primarily in its unique design, which allows it to be fitted through a narrow mounting opening into a cavity with limited width, despite its greater potential length and height, thus accommodating a larger installation volume, compared to a conventional hard-material installation box. The design of this hard-material installation box, made of materials such as plastic or aluminum, also permits the installation of electronic components, such as one or more circuit boards, without the risk of damage to these components that would occur with a flexible installation box. The same applies to cable connections and other contacts.The unique design of this junction box allows for an increase in the possible installation volume of 10% or more, depending on the specific installation conditions, such as the thickness of the outer wall or ceiling and the clear dimensions of the space between the panels. The concave and convex wall structures of the base and cover can be designed differently, with the concave structure having a smaller radius of curvature than the convex structure. When the junction box is designed with wall structures featuring a radius of curvature, the radius of curvature of the convex wall is smaller than that of the concave wall.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, the base wall is the wall of the installation box that has the concave structure, while the cover wall has the convex structure.

[0011] To further increase the installation volume, a preferred embodiment provides that the wall with the convexly curved structure has a pronounced groove as a bulge on the outside. In such a design, the convex structure of the cover wall is structured in this way not only longitudinally but also transversely. Then, the radius of curvature of the convex structure provided by such a groove or bulge is typically smaller longitudinally than transversely. Such a design of the installation box not only offers the advantage of increased installation space.Due to the apex of the cover wall formed by such a bulge, the contact area between the installation box and the outside of an inner shell, as well as the contact area between the base wall and the inside of an outer shell, is reduced compared to conventional intermediate shell boxes. Therefore, due to the smaller contact area between the installation box and the adjacent shells, the installation box can be easily positioned in the space between the shells because of the reduced friction.

[0012] The base and / or the cover each have a surrounding side wall molded onto the wall with the curved structure. To further enlarge the installation cavity, a further development of this design provides for a rounded transition from the curved wall to the molded side wall. Given the circular geometry of the mounting opening, this allows for an increase in both the lateral extent and the height of the installation box compared to a design where the transition from the curved wall to a surrounding side wall would have a corner.

[0013] In one embodiment of such an installation box, both the base and the cover each have a circumferential side wall molded onto the curved, structured wall. Typically, the side wall of the cover is designed to overlap the side wall of the base on the outside. This allows the cover and base to be connected by complementary, interlocking snap-fit ​​connectors. Besides this type of connection, other types of connection are also possible. For example, the cover can be hinged to the base on one side by means of a hinge, such as a film hinge, while the other side can be connected by snap-fit ​​connectors. A screw connection or other type of connection using fasteners is also possible.

[0014] The long-item entry points of the junction box are typically located in its transverse side walls. Depending on the design of the junction box, long-item entry points can, of course, also be arranged in one or both longitudinal side walls. In a preferred embodiment, the long-item entry points are arranged perpendicular to the base surface of the junction box, so that a long-item entry, i.e., the insertion of a conduit and / or cable, is possible at a right angle to the wall of the junction box.

[0015] With this junction box, the installation volume can be increased in a special way by forming a box extension at at least one end of the curved box section. This extension thus extends in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the junction box. In order to design such a box extension with a larger installation volume, the continuation of the structured walls of the box section into the adjacent walls of the box extension is structured, at least in sections, in the opposite direction to the structuring (curvature) in the box section containing the structured walls. This means that between the curved structured wall of the base and cover parts and the wall formed therein in the box extension, there is a turning point or an unstructured turning section with respect to the direction of curvature.In this way, such a can extension can be made to a considerable length, which in turn significantly increases the installation cavity. In a particularly preferred embodiment, such a can extension is formed at each end of the curved, structured can section.

[0016] Depending on the requirements for such an installation box, a seal can be positioned between the cover and the base. If both the base and the cover are injection-molded plastic parts, one of the two parts – base or cover – can be designed as a two-component (2K) part, with the seal then being implemented as a soft plastic component. With this design, it is advantageous to also implement the long-item entry points using a soft plastic component.

[0017] When such a junction box is used as a suspended ceiling or wall box, which is a preferred application, one embodiment provides that, to accommodate varying clear openings in the cavity, one of the two parts of the junction box – the base or the cover – is a single, universal part for boxes of different heights, while the other part – the cover or base – is available in different heights to accommodate varying clear openings. This allows the same part, for example, the same base, to be fitted with a cover that utilizes the full clear opening of the cavity.

[0018] The invention is described below with reference to exemplary embodiments and the accompanying figures. These show: Fig. 1: A perspective view of an installation box according to the invention, Fig. 2: A longitudinal side view of the installation box of the Fig. 1, Fig. 3: A cross-sectional view of the installation box of the Fig. 1, Fig. 4a - 4d: a sequence of assembly steps for inserting the installation box of the preceding figures into a suspended ceiling cavity, in a first step in which the installation box is passed through an installation opening ( Fig. 4a, Fig. 4b), when pushing them further through the mounting opening into the cavity between the ceilings ( Fig. 4c) and in their final position in the space between the ceilings ( Fig. 4d), Fig. 5: the longitudinal side view of the installation box of the preceding figures in comparison with the outline geometry of a conventional installation box of the same length used as a suspended ceiling box and Fig. 6: a perspective view of another installation box according to the invention.

[0019] An installation box 1 is used to house electrical / electronic components, such as cable connectors or electronic components. The installation box 1 is designed as a junction box for use as a suspended ceiling or wall box. The installation box 1 comprises a base 2 and a cover 3. The base 2 includes a lower base wall 4 (see also Fig. 2 and Fig. 3) A side wall 5, projecting upwards towards the cover part 3, is formed around the outside of this. The base surface of the base part 2 is rectangular. The transition from the base wall 4 to the surrounding side wall 5 is rounded. The cover part 3 comprises a cover wall 6 and, also formed on its outside, a surrounding side wall 7, projecting downwards towards the base part 2. The edge design is the same as the transition from the side wall 5 to the base wall 4 of the base part 2. The base part 2 and the cover part 3 each provide a receiving volume, which, when the installation box 1 is composed of the base part 2 and the cover part 3, encloses an installation volume. In the illustrated embodiment, the longitudinal side wall sections 7 of the cover part 3 have projections 8, 8.1 pointing towards the base part 2, each with an elongated slot-like opening 9, 9.1 as snap-fit ​​connecting elements. The in Fig. One non-recognizable rear longitudinal side wall section is also equipped with such locking connecting elements.

[0020] In a position complementary to the locking openings 9, 9.1, the side wall 5 of the base part 2 has a locking lug, one of which engages in a locking opening 9, 9.1 in the cover part 3 that closes the base part 2.

[0021] The mutually facing ends of the side walls 5, 7 of base part 2 and lid part 3 are designed so that the side wall 7 on the lid part side overlaps the side wall 5 on the base part side on the outside.

[0022] A special feature of the junction box is its shape. The junction box 1 has a curved section 10. In the illustrated embodiment, this section 10 is the central section with respect to the overall longitudinal extent of the junction box 1. This section 10 is characterized by a concave curvature of the base wall 4 and a convex curvature of the cover wall 6. Both curvatures are continuous in the illustrated embodiment. In addition to the Fig. In the curvature of the cover wall 6, indicated by reference numeral 11, an outwardly projecting groove 12 is provided as a bulge to increase the installation cavity. This increases the effective height of the installation box 1 by the depth of the groove 12. Thus, the convex curvature of the groove 12 superimposes on the fundamental convex curvature 11 of the cover wall 6. The curvature of the base wall 4 and that of the cover wall 6 follow the longitudinal extent of the installation box 1. The longitudinal extent of the installation box 1 is greater than its transverse extent.

[0023] The groove 12 is, as seen from Fig. As can be seen in Figure 3, the junction box 1 is not only convexly curved in the direction of its longitudinal extent, but also in the transverse direction. The radius of curvature of the groove 12 in the transverse direction is significantly larger than that of the curvature in the direction of the longitudinal extent of the junction box 1.

[0024] In the illustrated embodiment, the central, curved section 10 of the junction box 1 is joined at each of its two ends, which point in the direction of its longitudinal extent. These extensions lengthen the junction box 1 and thus increase the installation volume enclosed by the junction box 1. The base wall 4 continues into the lower wall of the respective extension 13, 13.1. In the extensions 13, 13.1, the curvature of the base wall 4 is opposite to that in the central section 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the inflection point with respect to the curvature of the base wall 4 is located at the interface between the curved section 10 and the respective extension 13 or 13.1. The cover wall 6 extends into the upper wall of the respective extension 13, 13.1.1 also continues, with these wall sections of the lid wall 6 also being curved in the opposite direction to the curvature in the middle can section 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the convex curvature 11 of the lid wall 6 of the middle can section 10 does not transition at an inflection point into the opposite curvature of this wall in the can extension 13, 13.1, but rather via an intervening short section 14, 14.1 that is not curved in the direction of its longitudinal extension.

[0025] The transitions of the base wall into the surrounding side wall 5 and of the lid wall 6 into the surrounding side wall 7 are, as can be seen from the figures, rounded.

[0026] In the illustrated embodiment, the base part 2 and the cover part 3 are made of a hard plastic commonly used for junction boxes. In the illustrated embodiment, the installation box 1 has long-item entry points 15 on its transverse side walls (see also Fig. 3) equipped. The long-item guides 15 are made of a soft plastic component that can be easily opened by piercing them with, for example, a cable. Thus, the base part 2 of the illustrated embodiment is a two-component injection-molded part. In addition to the long-item guides 15 located on both transverse side walls, the upper edge of the side wall 5 is also equipped with a seal made of the same soft plastic component, thereby providing a seal with the cover part 3.

[0027] The installation box 1 is particularly suitable for use as a suspended ceiling or wall box. This is explained below with reference to the sequence of figures 4a to 4d. Figure 4a schematically shows a ceiling structure with a load-bearing ceiling 16 as the inner layer and an outer ceiling layer 17 suspended from it. The ceiling layer 17 is attached to the ceiling 16 at a distance from it in a manner not shown in detail. The space between the layers is indicated in the sequence of figures by the reference symbol 18.

[0028] A mounting opening 19 is provided in the ceiling shell 17 by means of a crown bore. This opening has a circular outline geometry (see Fig. 4b). The mounting opening 19 serves to insert an installation box 1 into the cavity between the trays. In the illustrated embodiment, the installation box 1 serves as a junction box. For the sake of simplicity, the electrical supply and return lines are not shown. The installation box 1 is inserted into the mounting opening 19 with one of its transverse ends and successively pushed through it, as indicated by the block arrows. The special shape of the installation box 1 makes it possible to insert it into the cavity 18 with a relatively large installation volume, despite the relatively small clear width of the mounting opening 19 and the cavity between the trays. Fig. 4b shows the insertion situation of Fig. Figure 4a, which shows the installation box 1 in a longitudinal side view, is shown in a transverse side view. This illustration shows that the cross-sectional area of ​​the installation box 1 fills the mounting opening 19 with a relatively large cross-sectional area, to which the rounded edges at the transition from the cover plate 6 to the side wall 7 and from the base plate 4 to the side walls 5 also contribute. Once the installation box 1 has been inserted through the mounting opening 19, it is positioned at the designated location in the cavity 18 (see Figure 4a). Fig. 4d).

[0029] The installation volume provided by the described special shape of the junction box is, compared to a junction box of the same longitudinal extent in a prior art design (straight, uncurved design) that could be inserted through the mounting opening 19 into the cavity 18, approximately 10% larger in the illustrated embodiment. With other geometries, particularly with regard to the installation environment, the installation volume provided by such a junction box can be even higher compared to a prior art junction box of the same longitudinal extent. A comparison of the junction box 1 with a conventional rigid plastic junction box of the same length is shown in Fig. Figure 5 shows the conventional junction box. The conventional junction box is indicated by a dashed line and identified with the reference numeral 20. The significantly larger installation volume of the junction box 1 according to the invention is clearly visible.

[0030] Fig. Figure 6 shows another installation box 1.1 which is constructed in essentially the same way as installation box 1. The only difference is that its cover wall 6.1 does not have a bulge or groove. Otherwise, the descriptions of installation box 1 apply equally to installation box 1.1.

[0031] The invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments. Without departing from the scope of protection described by the applicable claims, numerous further embodiments of the inventive concept would be apparent to a person skilled in the art, without these needing to be explained in more detail within the scope of these explanations. Reference symbol list 1, 1.1 Installation box 2 Basic part 3 lid part 4 Base wall 5 side wall 6, 6.1 Cover wall 7 side wall 8, 8.1 continuation 9, 9.1 Rest break 10 can sections 11 Concave Curve 12 groove 13, 13.1 Can extension 14, 14.1 Uncurved section 15 Long goods insertion 16 lids 17 Ceiling shell 18 shell gap 19 Mounting opening 20 Installation boxes according to the state of the art QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] DE 20 2017 107 064 U1

[0005]

Claims

[1] Installation box for electrical / electronic applications comprising a base part (2) having a base wall (4) and a cover part (3) having a cover wall (6) that closes the base part (2), which together enclose an installation cavity when the cover part (3) is closed, the installation box (1) having a longitudinal extent and a transverse extent, wherein the longitudinal extent is greater than the transverse extent, characterized by , that the wall of one of the two parts - base part (2) or cover part (3) - has a concave shape and the wall (6) of the other part (3) opposite this wall (4) with respect to the installation cavity has a convex shape in the direction of the longitudinal extension of the installation box (1). [2] Installation box according to claim 1, characterized by , that the concave and convex wall structuring of base part (2) and lid part (3) is executed with a continuous curvature. [3] Installation box according to claim 2, characterized by , that the radius of curvature of the convexly curved wall (4) in the longitudinal extension of the installation box (1) is smaller than the radius of curvature of the concavely curved wall (6). [4] Installation box according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by , that the wall (6) which is convex in the longitudinal extension of the installation box (1) has a bulge designed in the manner of a groove (12) and thus this wall (6) is also convex in the transverse extension of the installation box (1). [5] Installation box according to claim 4, characterized by , that the radius of curvature of the convex structure of the groove (12) in longitudinal extension is smaller than that in transverse extension. [6] Installation box according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by , that the base part (2) and the lid part (3) each have a circumferential side wall (5, 7) formed on the concave or convex structured wall (4, 6). [7] Installation box according to claim 6, characterized by , that the transition of the respective structured wall (4, 6) into the side wall (5, 7) formed on it is rounded. [8] Installation box according to claim 6 or 7, characterized by , that the lid part (3) and the base part (2) carry mutually complementary locking connecting elements (8, 9; 8.1, 9.1) which can be engaged with each other to close the base part (2) with the lid part (3). [9] Installation box according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized by , that long goods inlets (15) are arranged in the transverse side walls of the installation box (1). [10] Installation box according to claim 9, characterized by , that the plane of the long goods insertions (15) is aligned perpendicular to the base surface of the installation box (1). [11] Installation box according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized by, that at least at one end of the box section (10) comprising the structured wall sections (10) a box extension (13, 13.1) is formed to enlarge the installation cavity in the direction of the longitudinal extension of the installation box (1). [12] Installation box according to claim 11, characterized by , that the continuation of the structured wall (4, 6) of base part (2) and lid part (3) in the can extension (13, 13.1) in the respective adjacent wall is at least sectionally opposite to the structuring of the structured wall section in the adjacent can section (10). [13] Installation box according to claim 12, characterized by , that between the wall (6) which is convexly structured in the longitudinal direction of the installation box (1) and the box extension (13, 13.1) with its section of opposite structuring a wall section (14, 14.1) which is not curved in the direction of the longitudinal direction of the installation box (1) is arranged. [14] Installation box according to one of claims 11 to 13, characterized by , that a can extension (13, 13.1) is formed at each end of the can section (10) encompassing the structured walls (4, 6). [15] Installation box according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized by , that one of the two parts - base part (2) or lid part (3) - has long goods inlets (15) and that these as well as a circumferential seal between the base part (2) and the lid part (3) are made of a soft plastic component. [16] Installation box assembly comprising an installation box (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 15 and at least one additional base or cover part, wherein the additional base or cover part has a different height compared to the other base or cover part of the installation box. [17] Use of an installation box according to one of claims 1 to 15 as a suspended ceiling or wall box, arranged between an outer ceiling or wall shell (17) and an inner shell (16) arranged adjacent to and at a distance from it, wherein the installation box (1) has been inserted into the space between the shells (18) through a mounting opening (19) of the outer wall or ceiling shell (17).

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