DISPLAY BOX FOR AT LEAST ONE DATA CABLE

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a junction box, in particular a flush-mounted or hollow-wall junction box for at least one data cable, preferably a data cable for a data or communication network, having the features of patent claim 1.

[0002] Junction boxes are known in various designs from the state of the art. Junction boxes, particularly flush-mounted or hollow-wall junction boxes with one or two RJ-45 connectors for Cat. 6 or Cat. 7 networks, are common.

[0003] For example, DE 10 2004 025 188 A1 discloses a junction box for a data or communications network, comprising a housing with an upper housing part and a lower housing part, wherein a clamping device for one or two data cables is provided on a bottom surface of the lower housing part. To clamp the data cable between two support surfaces on the junction box, the clamping device comprises a flap that can be tightened against the bottom surface by means of a clamping screw.

[0004] DE 20 2007 005463 U1 provides a wall junction box for communication cables, into which cables laid in the wall can be inserted from any direction. The junction box has an end plate that is attached to the wall and contains a connection opening with connectors to which information cables can be plugged. The end plate is equipped with a terminal block to which the wires of the wall-laid cables can be connected. The lower base section has a centrally upwardly projecting nozzle, and the wall-laid cables can be inserted through an upper cover cap that has a hole in the top center through which a screw can be screwed into the nozzle. The cover cap can be attached to the lower base section in any orientation to allow the insertion of wall-laid cables.

[0005] EP22189696 discloses a connection box for a data or communication network, wherein the upper housing part can be placed onto the lower housing part and can be fixed to the lower housing part in a plurality of positions rotated relative to one another about an imaginary housing central axis, is characterized in that a first support surface for the at least one cable and a second support surface for the at least one cable are arranged on the lower housing part, wherein the at least one cable can be clamped selectively to the first support surface or the second support surface by the clamping device, and wherein the first support surface and the second support surface are arranged at an angle to one another.

[0006] DE 10 2011 011 535 B3 teaches a connection box for a data or communications network, wherein the clamping device is designed with a spring-loaded wing that can be actuated from the front using a cap screw to secure the data cable. However, it has been shown that inserting the data cable is difficult because the space available for inserting the data cable is very limited.

[0007] Such junction boxes have proven themselves in the past, but it has been shown that the installation of the data cable is complex.

[0008] The present invention is therefore dedicated to the task of proposing an improved junction box that is advantageously improved over the junction boxes known from the prior art. In particular, the junction box should offer improved handling when connecting the data cable.

[0009] This object is achieved by a junction box having the features of patent claim 1.

[0010] Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

[0011] The junction box according to the invention, in particular a flush-mounted or hollow-wall box for at least one data cable of a data or communications network, having the features of patent claim 1, comprises a housing with an inner side, an outer side, a lower housing part, and a housing upper part. The upper housing part can be placed onto the lower housing part along a housing center axis. A lower housing part opening and a clamping device with a clamping means are provided on the lower housing part at a lower housing part base. The clamping device is arranged on the outer side of the lower housing part base and is configured by the clamping means to clamp the at least one data cable between two support surfaces. The at least one data cable can protrude into the housing through a bottom surface of the lower housing part through the lower housing part opening.Furthermore, a printed circuit board is arranged in the housing, on which at least one socket for receiving a connector, in particular a connector of a data cable, is arranged. According to the invention, the clamping device is displaceable along the housing's central axis by at least one rail guide.

[0012] The rail guide holds the clamping device displaceably mounted along the housing center axis, whereby the clamping means can be moved without tilting in the housing center axis to clamp the at least one data cable.

[0013] The clamping device usually provides strain relief for the connected data cable. Furthermore, the housing and / or the contact surfaces can be made of an electrically conductive material, whereby the clamping device can not only act as strain relief but can also provide the shield transition between the shielding of the data cable and the housing.

[0014] A preferred development of the present invention provides that the clamping means connects the housing base to the clamping device, preferably permanently, and preferably the clamping means can be actuated from the inside of the housing. The essential advantage of this development can be seen in the fact that the assembly and in particular the clamping of the data cable on the rear of the housing can be carried out entirely from the front, and it is no longer necessary to hold the clamping device against the housing base from behind with one's fingers and simultaneously tighten the clamping means. Due to the approximately linear mobility of the clamping device as a whole by at least one rail guide along the housing center axis, more space is available for inserting the data cable - in contrast to the junction boxes known from the prior art.This also results in a significant improvement in the handling of the junction boxes, especially when installed as flush-mounted or cavity-wall boxes. In these cases, the available space is very limited, and pressing the clamping device onto the housing base from behind is very laborious due to limited accessibility.

[0015] A further development of the present invention provides that the clamping means comprises a clamping screw, which is preferably arranged parallel, even more preferably coaxially, to the housing central axis. The clamping screw preferably has a screw head and a threaded portion, wherein the threaded portion is connected to the screw head and protrudes from the latter. The clamping screw or the clamping means is preferably connected to the clamping device from the inside of the housing through a corresponding opening in the lower housing part or lower housing part base, wherein the clamping device preferably has a thread corresponding to the clamping screw and the screw head can come into contact with the lower housing part base on the inside of the housing. By means of a clamping means configured in this way, the clamping device can be tightened in a simple manner from the front of the housing to clamp the at least one data cable.To open the clamping device, the clamping device is moved into a position by turning the clamping screw in which at least one data cable can be inserted into the connection sockets.

[0016] A further advantageous embodiment of the present invention provides that the clamping means is captively coupled to the clamping device. For example, in the simplest case, when the clamping means comprises a clamping screw, the screw connection between the housing or housing base can be secured against unwanted loosening by caulking or by applying material, which is preferably arranged in the region of the threaded section. This securing mechanism ensures that a maximum opening width is specified when the clamping device is opened, preventing the clamping device from accidentally detaching from the junction box during opening.

[0017] According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the clamping device is held approximately parallel to the housing base by the at least one rail guide and is displaceable along the housing center axis. Due to the parallel alignment to the housing base, the clamping means, in particular, can be actuated without tilting, thereby simplifying the handling of such a junction box.

[0018] A further development of the present invention provides that the at least one rail guide is U-shaped and provides a guide groove for the clamping device along the housing center axis between two legs.

[0019] According to a preferred development of the present invention, the at least one rail guide forms a positive connection with the clamping device in a plane perpendicular to the housing center axis, thereby determining the position of the clamping device in the plane relative to the at least one rail guide. Thus, either the rail guide can encompass the clamping device or the clamping device can encompass the rail guide. For example, according to a preferred embodiment, the rail guide can have at least one undercut region into which the clamping device engages.

[0020] A further development of the present invention provides that the rail guide holds the clamping device along the housing center axis above the housing base opening, wherein even more preferably the clamping device is dimensioned such that it covers the housing base opening or, in a projection in the housing center axis, corresponds at least to the size of the housing base opening or is preferably larger than the housing base opening and completely projects beyond the housing base opening.

[0021] A further embodiment of the present invention provides that the clamping device is movably mounted along the housing center axis by two rail guides. Preferably, the two rail guides are arranged on opposite sides of the housing base opening, with the clamping device being movably held between the two rail guides. The two rail guides on the opposite sides of the housing base opening hold the clamping device precisely positioned above the housing base opening.

[0022] A further development of the present invention provides that the at least one rail guide includes a captive device. The captive device ensures that the clamping device cannot fall out of the rail guide and is thus securely attached to the housing of the junction box. The captive device can be implemented in a variety of ways, with one possibility providing the rail guide with one or more caulkings at one free end.

[0023] A further development of the present invention provides for a spring means that can counteract the clamping means. The spring means is thus designed to press the clamping device away from the housing base, thereby ensuring that the clamping device is always in the maximum position defined by the clamping means along the housing center axis. This is intended to ensure that there is no play in the system and that the clamping device remains in the fully open position when the data cable is inserted into the junction box through the housing base opening. This is intended, in particular, to prevent the data cable from becoming caught in the clamping device during assembly.

[0024] Preferably, the spring means is formed by a compression spring, in particular a spiral spring, wherein even more preferably, the spring means partially surrounds the clamping means along the housing center axis. The spring means and the clamping means are preferably arranged coaxially to one another and even more preferably parallel to the housing center axis.

[0025] A further development of the present invention provides that a first support surface for the at least one data cable and a second support surface for the at least one cable are arranged on the housing lower part, wherein the at least one data cable can be clamped selectively to the first support surface or the second support surface by the clamping device, and wherein the first support surface and the second support surface are arranged at an angle to one another.

[0026] The two contact surfaces allow cable exit at two different angles relative to the base of the housing, and thus specifically the housing itself. This allows the junction box to be used in a variety of installation situations. Before installation, the user can select the angle relative to the base and the direction relative to an imaginary housing center axis at which the data cable should be connected.

[0027] Preferably, the first support surface is arranged parallel to the bottom surface of the housing base. This allows for a cable outlet at an angle of 90° relative to the housing center axis.

[0028] Particularly preferably, the second support surface is arranged at an angle between 20° and 70°, preferably between 40° and 50°, and particularly preferably at an angle of approximately 45°, relative to the bottom surface of the housing base. Such an arrangement is particularly advantageous in cavity wall boxes, since the cable requires less bending at the cable outlet.

[0029] An advantageous development of the invention provides that the first support surface and / or the second support surface have a contact contour and / or a contact structure. A contact contour, for example in the form of a groove for inserting the data cable, can facilitate positioning of the data cable on the corresponding support surface. A contact structure, for example in the form of knobs, teeth, or ribs running transversely to the longitudinal direction of the data cable, can improve the cable's fixation.

[0030] Preferably, the clamping device also has such a previously described contact contour and / or contact structure. A contact contour, for example, in the form of a groove for inserting the data cable, can facilitate positioning of the data cable. A contact structure, for example, in the form of knobs, teeth, or ribs running transversely to the longitudinal direction of the data cable, can improve the fixation of the data cable.

[0031] According to a further development of the invention, the clamping device has a first support surface and a second support surface, which correspond to the first support surface and the second support surface on the housing base, respectively. Consequently, the at least one data cable can be glued between the first support surface of the clamping device and the first support surface on the housing base, and / or the at least one data cable can be clamped between the second support surface of the clamping device and the second support surface on the housing base.

[0032] The first support surface is arranged in a first section of the clamping device, and the second support surface is arranged in a second section of the clamping device. Preferably, the first section and the second section are arranged at an angle to one another, which corresponds in particular to the angle between the first support surface and the second support surface on the housing base. In this embodiment, the clamping device can be used to fix the cable to both support surfaces without requiring a change in the position of the clamping device.

[0033] According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first support surface and the second support surface are arranged on the housing lower part on opposite sides of the housing lower part opening on the outside of the housing. Preferably, the first support surface and the second support surface are arranged on opposite sides of the housing lower part opening along an imaginary connecting line that intersects a second imaginary connecting line, preferably at a right angle, that connects the at least one rail guide and the housing center axis and / or connects the two rail guides.

[0034] Particularly preferably, the upper housing part can be placed on the lower housing part and can be fixed to the lower housing part in at least four, preferably at least six, particularly preferably in eight, positions rotated relative to one another about an imaginary housing center axis in order to enable a cable outlet in a large number of different directions.

[0035] An exemplary embodiment of a junction box according to the invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying figures. They show: Figure 1: a plan view of a front side of a junction box with an inside, an outside, a housing top and a housing bottom, Figure 2: a side view of the junction box according to Figure 1with a clamping device actuatable by a clamping means on a housing bottom part of the housing bottom part, Figure 3 a perspective view of a housing bottom part of a connection box according to the invention, wherein the clamping device on the housing bottom part is in an open position so that at least one data cable can be inserted into the housing, Figure 4 a sectional view of the housing bottom part according to Figure 3 , Figure 5 a perspective view of the housing base according to Figure 3 , wherein the clamping device is in a closed position in which the at least one data cable can be held clamped between two support surfaces, Figure 6 a sectional view of the housing base according to Figure 5 , and Figure 7 a plan view of an inside of the housing base.

[0036] Identical or functionally equivalent parts or features are identified by the same reference numerals in the following detailed description of the figures. Furthermore, not all identical or functionally equivalent parts or features are provided with a reference numeral in the figures.

[0037] Figure 1 shows a plan view of an embodiment of a junction box 1 comprising a housing 10 with an upper housing part 50 and a lower housing part 20. The housing 10 has a front side 14 and a rear side 15 and can be made of a metallic material.

[0038] The upper housing part 50 and the lower housing part 20 have a Figures 1 and 2 by the housing 10 - and thus not shown - an inner side 11 and an outer side 12. The upper housing part 50 can be placed on the lower housing part 20 for assembling the housing 10 along a housing center axis.

[0039] The upper housing part 50 comprises the front side 14 and the lower housing part 20 comprises the rear side 15 of the housing 10.

[0040] The upper housing part 50 can preferably be plugged onto the lower housing part 20 in at least four, preferably at least six, particularly preferably in eight, positions rotated relative to one another about the housing center axis A. As can be seen from Figure 2 As can be seen, for simplified assembly, the lower housing part 20 and / or upper housing part 50 can have teeth 26, 56 which can engage with one another to specify the positions in which the upper housing part 50 and the lower housing part 20 can be plugged together.

[0041] In the housing 10, a printed circuit board (not shown) is arranged, on which at least one socket 54 - here in the exemplary embodiment two sockets 54 for receiving a plug connector (not shown) on the front side 14 - is arranged.

[0042] The connector can be, for example, an RJ45 connector.

[0043] The housing base 20 is shown in detail in the Figures 3 to 7 and has a housing base 24 which forms the rear side 15 of the housing 10.

[0044] Furthermore, the housing base 20 has a housing base opening 23, designated as a whole, through which at least one data cable (not shown) can protrude through the housing base 24 into the housing 10. The housing base opening 23 thus penetrates the housing base 20 and connects the inner side 11 of the housing 10 with the outer side 12 of the housing 10.

[0045] The housing lower part opening 23 can - as can be seen in particular from Figure 7 - be designed in two parts and comprise a first section 23a and a second section 23b, which are arranged spaced from one another in the housing lower part base 24 by a web 24a.

[0046] In addition, a clamping device 30 and a clamping means are provided on the housing lower part 20, wherein the clamping device 30 is arranged on an outer side 12 or the rear side 15 of the housing 10 and is used by the clamping means to clamp the at least one data cable between an open position according to the Figures 3 and 4 and a closed position according to the Figures 5 and 6 can be moved.

[0047] In the closed position according to the Figures 5 and 6 At least one data cable - not shown for simplification reasons - can be clamped.

[0048] The clamping device 30 generally provides strain relief for the connected data cable and can also form a shield transition between the connection box 1 and a shield of the data cable.

[0049] The clamping device 30 is held movably mounted by at least one rail guide 25 along the housing center axis A, wherein the rail guide 25 is arranged on the rear side 15 of the housing 10 adjacent to the housing base opening 23 and protrudes from the rear side 15 parallel to the housing center axis A of the housing 10.

[0050] In the illustrated embodiment according to the Figures 3-6 The junction box 1 has two rail guides 25 arranged on opposite sides of the housing base opening 23. The clamping device 30 is held between the two rail guides 25.

[0051] The respective rail guide 25 protrudes, preferably directly, from the rear side 15 of the housing 10 adjacent to the housing base opening 23.

[0052] In the illustrated and exemplary embodiment, the respective rail guide 25 is designed in the manner of a U-shaped profile with two legs, between which a guide groove 27 for the clamping device 30 is formed.

[0053] The rail guide 25 has an undercut region 28 on each of the legs, which is configured to form a positive connection with the clamping device 30 in a plane perpendicular to the housing center axis A. A correspondingly designed guide 36 engages in the guide groove 27 and / or in the undercut region 28. The guide 36 can be T-shaped, as shown.

[0054] The clamping device 30 can be U-shaped, with the guides 36 projecting like skids. The clamping device 30 preferably corresponds to the length of the rail guide 25 along the housing center axis A, resulting in a small installation depth of the junction box 1.

[0055] At the free end of the rail guide 25, a loss prevention device 29 can be provided, by means of which the clamping device 30 can be held captively in the rail guide 25.

[0056] In the embodiment according to the Figures 2 to 6 It can be seen that the rail guide 25 has a plurality of extensions at a free end facing away from the rear side 15 of the housing 10, which can be brought into position, for example by caulking, over the guide groove 27 and / or the undercut area 28 of the rail guide 25 in order to form the loss prevention device 29.

[0057] The rail guide 25 positions the clamping device 30 above the housing base opening 23, wherein the clamping device 30 is preferably dimensioned such that it completely covers the housing base opening 23.

[0058] Furthermore, with reference to the Figures 4 and 6It can be seen that the clamping means is designed as a clamping screw 40, which connects the housing lower part 20 to the clamping device 30. The clamping screw 40 is arranged parallel to the housing center axis A and preferably coaxial to the housing center axis A.

[0059] Furthermore, it is preferred that the clamping screw 40 is arranged on an imaginary connecting line between the two rail guides 25 - preferably centrally - wherein the imaginary connecting line preferably intersects the respective rail guide 25 centrally.

[0060] The clamping screw 40 is preferably a cap screw and comprises a screw head 42 and a threaded portion 44, wherein the threaded portion 44 is connected to the screw head 42 and protrudes therefrom. The screw head 42 is arranged in the housing 10 and can bear against the inner side 11 of the housing 10 or the housing base 20. The threaded portion 44 protrudes from the housing 10.

[0061] The clamping screw 40 is - as in Figure 7 in the plan view of the inner side 11 of the housing base 20 is shown - from the inner side 11 of the housing 10 through a corresponding opening 24b in the web 24a in the housing base 24 with the clamping device 30, wherein preferably the clamping device 30 has a thread 34 corresponding to the clamping screw 40

[0062] The clamping screw 40 can be captively coupled to the clamping device 30. For example, in the simplest case, the clamping screw can be caulked or coated with material to prevent unwanted loosening or detachment from the clamping device 30. This safeguard can ensure that a maximum opening width is specified when the clamping device 30 is opened, preventing the clamping device from accidentally detaching from the junction box 1 during opening.

[0063] Furthermore, according to the illustrated embodiment, a spring means 48 can be provided that counteracts the clamping means or the clamping screw 40. The spring means 48 pushes the clamping device 30 outward, thereby ensuring that the clamping device 30 is always in the maximum position defined by the clamping screw 40. This is intended to ensure that there is no play in the system and that the clamping device 30 remains in the fully open position for the data cable insertion. This is intended to prevent the data cable from "catching" on the clamping device 30 during assembly.

[0064] The spring means 48 can be arranged according to the Figures 4 and 6by a compression spring arranged coaxially with the clamping screw 40. For better mounting of the compression spring, a mandrel-shaped spring mounting can be provided on the housing base 24 or its outer side 12 and / or on the side of the clamping device 30 facing the housing base 24. The housing base 20 has a first support surface 21 for the at least one data cable and a second support surface 22 for the at least one data cable, see Figure 4 .

[0065] The first support surface 21 and the second support surface 22 are arranged on opposite sides of the housing base opening 23. Preferably, the first support surface 21 and the second support surface 22 are arranged on opposite sides of the housing base opening 23, with an imaginary connecting line between the two support surfaces 21, 22 intersecting a second imaginary connecting line between the two rail guides 25—preferably approximately—at a right angle.

[0066] The at least one data cable can be clamped to the first support surface 21 or to the second support surface 22 by the clamping device 30, wherein the first support surface 21 and the second support surface 22 are arranged at an angle other than 0° to each other, see Figures 3 and 6Depending on whether the at least one data cable is fixed to the first support surface 21 or the second support surface 22, two different cable exit directions result. The angle α can be in particular between 110° and 150°, preferably between 130° and 140°, particularly preferably approximately 140°, measured between the two support surfaces 21, 22.

[0067] The first support surface 21 can be arranged parallel to the housing base 24 of the housing base 20 or the rear side 15 of the housing 10.

[0068] The second support surface 22 is arranged at an angle β relative to the housing base 24 of the housing base 20 or the rear side 15 of the housing 10, wherein the angle β is in particular between 20° and 70°, preferably between 40° and 50°, particularly preferably approximately 45°, wherein the acute angle β between the second support surface 22 and the housing base 24 is regarded as the inclination of the second support surface 22 relative to the housing base 24. The support surface 22 can, for example, be formed on a correspondingly shaped projection arranged on the outer side 12 of the housing base 24.

[0069] The clamping device 30 can also have a first and a second support surface 31, 32, which are arranged approximately parallel to the corresponding support surface 21, 22. Accordingly, the support surfaces 21 and 31, as well as the support surfaces 22 and 32, correspond and are configured to cooperate when clamping the data cable. The at least one data cable can thus be clamped between the support surfaces 31, 32 of the clamping device 30 and the corresponding support surface 21, 22.

[0070] The respective support surface 21 and / or 22 and / or 31 and / or 32 can have a contact contour, for example in the form of a groove for the at least one data cable or also in the form of two grooves, in particular approximately parallel, for the two data cables. On the one hand, the contact contour can facilitate the positioning of the data cable(s). On the other hand, the contact contour can define the direction in which the data cable(s) are routed away from the housing 10 on the rear side 15, i.e., the direction of the cable exit.

[0071] Preferably, the contact contour is designed such that when the data cable rests on the first contact surfaces 21, 31, the groove of the clamping device 30 and the groove of the first contact surfaces 21, 31 almost completely enclose the data cable to be fixed and correspondingly when the data cable rests on the second contact surface 22, the groove of the clamping device 30 and the groove of the second contact surface 22, 32 also almost completely enclose the cable to be fixed. List of reference symbols

[0072] 1 Junction box 10 Housing 11 Inside 12 Outside 14 Front 15 Rear 20 Housing base 21 First contact surface 22 Second contact surface 23 Housing base opening 23a First section 23b Second section 24 Housing base 24a Web 24b Cut-out 25 Rail guide 27 Guide groove 28 Undercut area 29 Loss protection 30 Clamping device 31 First contact surface 32 Second contact surface 34 Thread 36 Guide 40 Clamping screw 42 Screw head 44 Threaded section 48 Spring means 50 Housing top 52 Printed circuit board 54 Socket Housing center axis

Claims

1. Connection box (1), in particular, a flush mounted or a cavity wall connection box, for at least one data cable of a data and / or communication network, comprising - a housing (10), having an inner side (11), an outer side (12), a lower housing part (20) and an upper housing part (50), wherein the upper housing part (50) can be placed, in housing middle axis (A), onto the lower housing part (20) - wherein, on the lower housing part (20), on a lower housing part base (24), a lower housing part opening (23) and a clamping device (30) and clamping means are provided, - wherein the clamping device (30) is arranged on an outer side (12) of the lower housing part base (24) and is provided in order to firmly clamp the at least one data cable between two contact surfaces (21, 31, 22, 32) using the clamping means, - wherein, by means of the lower housing part opening (23), the at least one data cable can extend into the housing (10) through the lower housing part base (24), characterized in that - in the housing (10), a circuit board (52) is arranged on which at least one plug socket (54) is arranged for receiving a plug connector, - wherein the clamping device (30) can be moved along the housing middle axis (A) by means of at least one rail guide (25).

2. Connection box (1) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the clamping means connect the clamping device (30) and the lower housing part (20) and the clamping means is operative from an inner side (11) of the housing (10).

3. Connection box (1) in accordance with either of the preceding claims, wherein the clamping means are captively coupled to the clamping device (30).

4. Connection box (1) in accordance with any of the preceding claims, wherein the clamping means comprise a clamping screw (40).

5. Connection box (1) in accordance with any of the preceding claims, wherein the clamping device (30) is moveable along the housing middle axis (A) by means of at least one rail guide (25) held parallel to the housing base.

6. Connection box (1) in accordance with any of the preceding claims, wherein the rail guide (25) includes a, preferably U-shaped, guide rail.

7. Connection box (1) in accordance with any of the preceding claims, wherein, in a plane extending vertically to the housing middle axis (A), the at least one rail guide (25) and the clamping device (20) are connected by a positive form fit.

8. Connection box (1) in accordance with any of the preceding claims, wherein the rail guide (25) holds the clamping device (30) above the lower housing part opening (23) along the housing middle axis (A).

9. Connection box (1) in accordance with any of the preceding claims, wherein the clamping device (30) is dimensioned is such a way that it protrudes completely over the lower housing part opening (23).

10. Connection box (1) in accordance with any of the preceding claims, wherein the clamping device (30) is moveable along the housing middle axis (A) by means of two rail guides.

11. Connection box (1) in accordance with any of the preceding claims, wherein the two rail guides (25) are arranged on opposite sides of the lower housing part opening (23) and the clamping device (30) is moveably held between the two rail guides (25).

12. Connection box (1) in accordance with any of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one rail guide (25) includes captive retaining means (29).

13. Connection box (1) in accordance with any of the preceding claims, wherein the captive retaining means (29) are formed by means of caulking or flanging.

14. Connection box (1) in accordance with any of the preceding claims, wherein spring means (48) are provided which can counteract the clamping means.

15. Connection box (1) in accordance with any of the preceding claims, wherein the spring means (48) partially encompasses the clamping means along the housing middle axis (A).

16. Connection box (1) in accordance with any of the preceding claims, wherein a first contact surface (21, 31) for the at least one cable and a second contact surface (22, 32) for the at least one cable are provided on the lower housing part (20) and / or on the clamping device (30), wherein the at least one cable can be secured by clamping optionally on either the first contact surface (21, 31) or the second contact surface (22, 32) by means of the clamping device (30), and wherein the first contact surface (21, 31) and the second contact surface (22, 32) are arranged at an angle (α) to each other.

17. Connection box (1) in accordance with any of the preceding claims, wherein the first contact surface (21, 31) is arranged parallel to the lower housing part base (24) of the lower housing part (20).

18. Connection box (1) in accordance with any of the preceding claims, wherein the second contact surface (22, 32) is arranged slanted towards the lower housing part base (24) of the lower housing part (20) at an angle (β) of between 20° and 70°, preferably at an angle (β) of between 40° and 50°, particularly preferably at an angle (β) of approximately 45°.

19. Connection box (1) in accordance with any of the preceding claims, wherein the first contact surface (21) and the second contact surface (22) are arranged on opposite sides of the lower housing part opening (23).

20. Connection box (1) in accordance with any of the preceding claims, wherein the upper housing part (50) can be placed onto the lower housing part (20) and can be secured in at least four, preferably in at least six, particularly preferably in eight positions rotated in relation to each other around the imaginary housing middle axis (A).