Holding device and the apparatus formed therewith

Abstract

Holding device (1) for fastening an electrical connection device (7) in or near an opening (3) of a wall section (2), comprising at least two retaining tabs (5) bent from the material of the wall section (2) at inner edges (4) of the opening (3), between which a receiving space (12) for receiving the electrical connection device (7) to be fastened is formed, wherein the retaining tabs (5) each have at least one fastening contour (6) which are provided for coupling with at least one fastening element (8) of the electrical connection device (7), wherein the retaining tabs (5) are provided to receive the electrical connection device (7) in the receiving space (12) and to fix it by means of their fastening contours (6).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a holding device for securing an electrical connection device in or near an opening in a wall section. The invention also relates to a device comprising such a holding device and an electrical connection device attached thereto. The electrical connection device can be, for example, a plug connector and / or a conductor terminal.

[0002] Electrical and electronic devices often have electrical connection devices extending from a housing wall, which facilitate the connection of electrical cables to the device. The connection device can then be inserted into an opening in a wall section and secured there to the surrounding housing wall, e.g., by screwing. It is also known to secure such a connection device in an opening in a wall section using spring-loaded fastening locking arms, e.g., in a snap-in manner, as described, for example, in DE 10 2010 045 913 B4.

[0003] The invention is based on the object of providing an advantageous alternative for fastening an electrical connection device in or near an opening in a wall section.

[0004] This object is achieved by a holding device for fastening an electrical connection device in or near an opening in a wall section, comprising at least two holding tabs bent from the material of the wall section at inner edges of the opening, between which a receiving space is formed for receiving the electrical connection device to be fastened, wherein the holding tabs each have at least one fastening contour which is configured for coupling to at least one fastening element of the electrical connection device, wherein the holding tabs are configured to receive the electrical connection device in the receiving space and to fix it by means of their fastening contours. The holding tabs can be formed in one piece from the material of the wall section.The material removed to create the opening in the wall section can advantageously be used directly to provide the retaining tabs. This way, material waste can be reduced.

[0005] Another advantage is that the electrical connection device can be mounted in the opening of the wall section with a reduced installation space. The mounting device can be implemented without separate mounting components such as screws or similar. Installation can be carried out very easily in just one or a few steps. This reduces the installation effort and the associated costs. This type of installation allows the required installation space for the connector to be reduced.

[0006] The wall section may be part of a housing wall of a housing of an electrical or electronic device.

[0007] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the retaining tabs are bent from at least two opposing inner edges of the opening. This allows the electrical connection device to be received particularly reliably between the retaining tabs and secured to them.

[0008] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the retaining tabs are bent away from the wall section in substantially the same direction. For example, the retaining tabs can each point toward the interior of a housing of a device that includes the wall section. For example, the retaining tabs can be aligned substantially parallel to one another.

[0009] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the wall section with the retaining tabs bent therefrom is formed from a metal sheet. This allows for reliable fixation of the electrical connection device to the wall section. Furthermore, the retaining device can be manufactured in a simple manner, for example, using a punching and bending process.

[0010] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, one, several, or all of the retaining tabs have an inner opening as a fastening contour, into which a fastening element of the electrical connection device, designed as a projection, can be inserted with a positive fit. In this way, the electrical connection device can be easily and quickly fixed to the retaining tabs and will not accidentally detach from them. For example, the electrical connection device can be snapped into the inner openings of the retaining tabs. The inner openings can be completely or partially enclosed on the circumference by the material of the retaining tab.

[0011] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the retaining tabs are resiliently deflectable, ie they spring back when deflected in the direction of a relaxed position.

[0012] In addition, the electrical connection device can also be easily removed from the holding device, e.g. by pushing the holding tabs away from each other.

[0013] The aforementioned object is also achieved by a device comprising a holding device of the type described above and an electrical connection device secured to the fastening contours in the receiving space between the holding tabs. This also realizes the advantages described above.

[0014] The coupling between a fastening contour of a retaining tab and an associated fastening element of the electrical connection device can be achieved by force locking and / or form locking.

[0015] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the retaining tabs rest against the electrical connection device in a spring-elastic manner with a preload. In this way, the fastening tabs can exert a certain spring-elastic holding force on the housing of the electrical connection device.

[0016] The electrical connection device can be attached either directly to the retaining tabs or using a connection adapter. If a connection adapter is used, it is considered part of the electrical connection device for the purposes of this application.

[0017] In a further aspect, the invention comprises a method for fastening an electrical connection device in or near an opening of a wall section, comprising the following steps: a) bending at least two retaining tabs on the inner edges of an opening in the wall section and creating at least one fastening contour on each retaining tab, b) Fastening an electrical connection device in a receiving space formed between the retaining tabs by means of the fastening contours of the retaining tabs.

[0018] This also allows the previously discussed advantages to be realized. The retaining tabs and / or their fastening contours can be produced, for example, using a punching and bending process. Advantageously, the retaining tabs can be formed in one piece from the material of the wall section, thus minimizing material waste.

[0019] In an advantageous embodiment, the fastening contour can be created before the retaining tabs are bent. This can simplify the punching process.

[0020] In an advantageous embodiment, the electrical connection device can be attached to the retaining tabs from only one side, e.g., from the outside of a housing having the wall section, or from the inside of the housing. In an advantageous embodiment, the electrical connection device can be attached to the retaining tabs selectively, ie, at the user's discretion, from the inside or the outside.

[0021] For the purposes of the present invention, the indefinite term "a" is not to be understood as a numerical term. Therefore, if, for example, a component is mentioned, this is to be interpreted as "at least one component." Angles expressed in degrees refer to a circle of 360 degrees (360°).

[0022] The invention is explained in more detail below using exemplary embodiments and drawings.

[0023] It shows Fig. 1 a holding device and an electrical connection device in a first embodiment, Fig. 2 the holding device with the electrical connection device attached to it according to Fig. 1, Fig. 3 a holding device and an electrical connection device in a second embodiment, Fig. 4 the holding device with the attached electrical connection device according to Fig. 3, Fig. 5 the fastening of the electrical connection device to the holding device in a first direction of movement, Fig. 6 the fastening of the electrical connection device to the holding device in a second direction of movement.

[0024] The Fig. 1 shows a holding device 1 for fastening an electrical connection device 7. The holding device 1 comprises a wall section 2, e.g. a housing wall of a device, which has an opening 3. On two opposite inner edges 4 of the opening 3, a holding tab 5 made of the material of the wall section 2 is bent over, for example towards the inside or outside of the device. The holding tabs 5 are bent over essentially in the same direction from the wall section 2, so that they extend essentially parallel to one another, at least towards their free end. A receiving space 12 for receiving the electrical connection device 7 is formed between the holding tabs 5.

[0025] It can also be seen that each retaining tab 5 has a fastening contour 6 for securing a fastening element 8 of the electrical connection device 7. In the illustrated embodiment, the fastening contours 6 are designed as end sections of the retaining tabs 5 with a reduced width. The fastening contours 6 can, for example, have edges that run parallel to one another or edges that run diagonally to one another.

[0026] The electrical connection device 7 can be designed, for example, as an electrical plug-in connector with a mating face 9 and / or as a conductor connection terminal, which can have conductor insertion openings 10 and actuating elements 11 for actuating spring-loaded terminal connections. The electrical connection device 7 has fastening elements 8 on the outside of its housing, which are assigned to a fastening contour 6 in terms of their shape. In the illustrated embodiment, the fastening elements 8 are designed as angled receiving rails running in the longitudinal direction, between each of which a fastening contour 6 can be received. The fastening contour 6 can be fastened to the fastening elements 8, for example, by frictional engagement.

[0027] The Fig. 2 shows how the electrical connection device 7 is received in the receiving space 12 and is fixed to the wall section 2 by fastening the fastening elements 8 to the fastening contours 6 of the retaining tabs 5, so that at least part of the electrical connection device 7 is arranged in the opening 3 of the wall section 2.

[0028] The Fig. 3 shows an arrangement comparable to the one in the Fig. 1, ie again with a holding device 1 and an electrical connection device 7. In the embodiment of the Fig. 3, the retaining tabs 5 have differently shaped fastening contours 6, which have an inner opening into which a fastening element 8, designed as a projection, of the electrical connection device 7 can be snapped. During the snapping process, the retaining tabs 5 can spring out slightly until the fastening element 8 is arranged congruently in the respective inner opening of the retaining tab 5. The Fig. 4 shows a corresponding fastening of an electrical connection device 7 to the holding device 1.

[0029] In all variants, the electrical connection device 7 can be attached to the retaining tabs 5 by means of positive and / or non-positive locking.

[0030] As the Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 show, it is possible, at least in certain embodiments of the invention, for the electrical connection device 7 to be fastened to the holding device 1 selectively from one side in a direction A, or alternatively, as the Fig. 6 shows, from the other side in a direction B opposite to direction A.

[0031] In the Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, the fastening contours 6 of the retaining tabs 5, which are designed as openings, are adapted to the corresponding orientation of the fastening elements 8 of the connecting device 7 or the different plug-in directions A and B. For example, the fastening contours 6 in the embodiment of the Fig. 6 rotated by 180° or mirror-symmetrical to the fastening contours 6 of the embodiment of the Fig. 5. List of reference symbols: 1 holding device 2 wall section 3 Opening 4 Inner edge of the opening 5 retaining tab 6 Mounting contour 7 Connection device 8 Fastening element 9 Mating face 10 Conductor entry opening 11 Actuating element 12 Recording room QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

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

[0000] DE 10 2010 045 913 B4

[0002]

Claims

[1] Holding device (1) for fastening an electrical connection device (7) in or near an opening (3) of a wall section (2), comprising at least two holding tabs (5) bent from the material of the wall section (2) at inner edges (4) of the opening (3), between which a receiving space (12) is formed for receiving the electrical connection device (7) to be fastened, wherein the holding tabs (5) each have at least one fastening contour (6) which is designed for coupling to at least one fastening element (8) of the electrical connection device (7), wherein the holding tabs (5) are designed to receive the electrical connection device (7) in the receiving space (12) and to fix it by means of their fastening contours (6). [2] Holding device according to claim 1, characterized by that the retaining tabs (5) are bent at least from two opposite inner edges (4) of the opening (3). [3] Holding device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the retaining tabs (5) are bent from the wall section (2) substantially in the same direction. [4] Holding device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the wall section (2) with the retaining tabs (5) bent therefrom is formed from a metallic sheet. [5] Holding device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that one, several or all of the retaining tabs (5) have an inner opening as a fastening contour (6) into which a fastening element (8) of the electrical connection device (7) designed as a projection can be inserted in a form-fitting manner. [6] Device with a holding device (1) according to one of the preceding claims and an electrical connection device (7) fastened to the fastening contours (6) in the receiving space (12) between the holding tabs (5). [7] Device according to claim 6, characterized by that the retaining tabs (5) rest on the electrical connection device (7) with a spring-elastic pre-tension.

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