Modular multi-pole rail-mounted device

Abstract

The modular multi-pole rail-mounted device (1) according to the invention has a first device module (10) for connection to a first phase conductor, a second device module (20) for connection to a second phase conductor, and an insulating-material housing (2) formed from a first housing module (11) and a second housing module (12) through connection by means of a first connecting means (9), wherein the first housing module (11) is assigned to the first device module (10) and the second housing module (21) is assigned to the second device module (20). Furthermore, the multi-pole rail-mounted device (1) has a first printed circuit board (12) which is accommodated and held in the first housing module (11) and a second printed circuit board (22) which is accommodated and held in the second housing module (21). The first printed circuit board (12) and the second printed circuit board (22) are in this case electrically conductively connected by way of a mechanical plug connection (50) which has at least one contact element (51) and at least one contact receptacle (52) associated therewith, wherein the first printed circuit board (12) in the first housing module (11) is mounted in a floating manner in a first direction (x) and in a second direction (y) oriented orthogonally to the first direction (x). The fact that the first printed circuit board is mounted in a floating manner means that mechanical overdetermination of the joining partners, that is to say the plug connection (50) and the associated printed circuit boards (10, 20), is effectively prevented.

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] Modular, multi-pole DIN rail mounted device

[0003] The invention relates to a modular, multi-pole, series-mounted device with a first device module for connection to a first phase conductor, a second device module for connection to a second phase conductor and an insulating housing formed from a first housing module and a second housing module, wherein the first housing module is assigned to the first device module and the second housing module is assigned to the second device module.

[0004] Electromechanical protective switching devices - for example circuit breakers, miniature circuit breakers, residual current circuit breakers, arc fault or fire protection switches - are used to monitor and protect an electrical circuit and are used in particular as switching and safety elements in electrical power supply and distribution networks. To monitor and protect the electrical circuit, the protective switching device is electrically connected to an electrical line of the circuit to be monitored via two or more connection terminals in order to interrupt the electrical current in the respective monitored line if necessary. For this purpose, the protective switching device has at least one switching contact which can be opened when a predefined condition occurs - for example when a short circuit or fault current is detected - in order to disconnect the monitored circuit from the electrical network.Such protective switching devices are also known as modular devices in the field of low-voltage technology.

[0005] Circuit breakers are specially designed for high currents. A miniature circuit breaker (MCB), also known as a miniature circuit breaker, is a type of overcurrent protection device in electrical installations and is used particularly in low-voltage networks. Circuit breakers and miniature circuit breakers guarantee safe shutdown in the event of a short circuit and protect consumers and systems from overload, for example from damage to electrical cables caused by excessive heating as a result of excessive electrical current. They are designed to automatically switch off a monitored circuit in the event of a short circuit or overload, thus isolating it from the rest of the network.Circuit breakers and miniature circuit breakers are therefore used primarily as switching and safety elements for monitoring and protecting electrical circuits in electrical power supply networks. Miniature circuit breakers are already known in principle from the publications DE 10 2015 217 704 A1, EP 2 980 822 A1, DE 10 2015 213 375 A1, DE 10 2013 211 539 A1, and EP 2 685 482 B1.

[0006] To interrupt a single phase cable, a single-pole circuit breaker is usually used, which usually has a width of one modular spacing (equivalent to approx. 18mm). For three-phase connections, three-pole circuit breakers are used (as an alternative to three single-pole switching devices), which accordingly have a width of three modular spacing (equivalent to approx. 54mm). Each of the three phase conductors is assigned a pole, i.e. a switching point. If the neutral conductor is to be interrupted in addition to the three phase conductors, the devices are referred to as four-pole devices, which have four switching points: three for the three phase conductors and one for the common neutral conductor.

[0007] A residual current device is a protective device for ensuring protection against a dangerous fault current in an electrical installation. A residual current of this type - also known as a differential current - occurs when a live part of a wire makes electrical contact with earth. This is the case, for example, when a person touches a live part of an electrical installation: in this case, the current flows as a residual current through the body of the person concerned and towards earth. To protect against such body currents, the residual current device must quickly and safely disconnect all poles of the electrical installation from the power supply system when such a fault current occurs.In general usage, the terms FI-protection switch (short: Fl-switch), differential current protection switch (short: Dl-switch) or RCD (for "Residual Current Protective Device") are used interchangeably instead of the term "residual current circuit breaker".

[0008] Arc fault switches or fire protection switches are used to detect arc faults that can occur at a defective point in an electrical cable - for example a loose cable clamp or due to a broken cable. If the arc fault occurs electrically in series with an electrical consumer, the normal operating current is generally not exceeded because it is limited by the consumer. For this reason, the arc fault is not detected by a conventional overcurrent protection device, such as a fuse or a circuit breaker. To determine whether an arc fault is present, the fire protection switch measures both the voltage curve and the current curve over time and analyses and evaluates them with regard to the curves characteristic of an arc fault.In the (English-language) technical literature, such protective devices for detecting arc faults are referred to as "Arc Fault Detection Devices" (abbreviated: AFDD). In North America, the term "Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters" (abbreviated: AFCI) is common.

[0009] There are also device designs that combine the functionality of a residual current device with the functionality of a miniature circuit breaker. Such combined protective switching devices are known in German as FI / LS or in English-speaking countries as RCBO (residual current operated circuit-breaker with overcurrent protection). Compared to separate residual current devices and miniature circuit breakers, these combination devices have the advantage that each circuit has its own residual current device. Normally, a single residual current device is used for several circuits. If a fault current occurs, all of the protected circuits are switched off. By using RCBOs, only the affected circuit is switched off.

[0010] There is a trend towards integrating more and more functions into the devices, i.e. combined protective switching devices are being developed which cover the functional range of several individual devices: in addition to the FI / LS protective switching devices described above, which combine the functional range of a conventional residual current device (FI) with that of a miniature circuit breaker (LS), there are other designs in which, for example, the functionality of a fire protection device is integrated into existing devices such as MCBs, RCDs or RCBOs / FILS. This upgrading of electromechanical protective switching devices with additional digital functions requires optimal use of space, while the electronic components are often difficult to install. Individual circuit boards and electronic components are often distributed over widely dispersed installation spaces and must be electrically connected to one another.

[0011] In order to limit or reduce the resulting large number of DIN rail mounted devices for a wide variety of applications - and thus the manufacturing costs of the individual devices - attempts are being made to construct the devices modularly according to the building block principle: In a modular design, systems are assembled from components along defined interfaces. The protective switching devices to be formed from the kit are divided into different assemblies or components, which are referred to as modules, and the interfaces between the individual modules are precisely defined. With a suitable shape and function, different protective switching devices can then be formed from the various modules, with the selected modules interacting with one another via the predefined interfaces.

[0012] It is the object of the present invention to provide a modular, multi-pole DIN rail mounted device which is characterized by a simplified modular design and at the same time good assembly properties.

[0013] This object is achieved according to the invention by the modular, multi-pole DIN rail-mounted device according to claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0014] The modular, multi-pole DIN rail mounted device according to the invention has a first device module for connection to a first phase conductor, a second device module for connection to a second phase conductor and an insulating housing formed from a first housing module and a second housing module by connecting them by means of a first connecting means, the first housing module being assigned to the first device module and the second housing module being assigned to the second device module. Furthermore, the multi-pole DIN rail mounted device has a first printed circuit board which is received and held in the first housing module and a second printed circuit board which is received and held in the second housing module.The first circuit board and the second circuit board are electrically connected by a mechanical plug connection which has at least one contact element and at least one contact receptacle associated therewith, wherein the first circuit board is mounted in the first housing module in a floating manner in a first direction (x) and in a second direction (y) oriented orthogonally to the first direction (x).

[0015] Both the first and second housing modules, and thus the insulating housing, as well as the first and second device modules, and thus the modular, multi-pole DIN rail-mounted device, have a front side, a fastening side opposite the front side, and first and second narrow and wide sides connecting the front and the fastening side. The term "housing module" refers to a modular part of the insulating housing. If the device module in question is equipped with the required components, the correspondingly equipped housing module is referred to as a "device module," with each device module assigned to a pole. Several device modules then form the modular, multi-pole DIN rail-mounted device.

[0016] Both the first device module and the second device module are designed as single-pole circuit breakers and have their own housing module, which is clearly assigned to the respective device module and in which a short-circuit release device for interrupting the electrical current flowing via the respective, i.e. the first or second, phase conductor in the event of an electrical short circuit and an overload release device for interrupting the electrical current flowing via the respectively assigned, i.e. the first or second, phase conductor in the event of an electrical overload are arranged, i.e. accommodated and held. By combining the first device module with the second device module, ieBy connecting the first housing module to the second housing module to form the insulating material housing using the first connecting means, for example rivets or screws, a two-pole circuit breaker is formed, to which a first phase conductor (on the first device module) and a second phase conductor (on the second device module) can be connected. In each of the two housing modules, i.e. in the first housing module and in the second housing module, there is a circuit board, the first circuit board and the second circuit board, which are electrically connected to one another using the mechanical plug-in connection. For this purpose, at least one contact receptacle is fastened to one of the circuit boards, and at least one contact element is fastened to the other circuit board.The at least one contact element can be formed by one or more contact pins, so-called PINs, which are inserted into socket-like openings of the contact receptacle when connecting the two housing modules. If both circuit boards are mounted in a specific manner in their respective housing modules, the use of a rigid mechanical plug-in connection leads to an over-determination of the mounting and thus to mechanical stress on the circuit boards. Furthermore, unfavorable tolerance chains can also lead to assembly problems, especially in automated production.

[0017] In order to avoid such mechanical over-determination of the joining partners - i.e. the contact elements and the contact receptacle, and thus the first and second circuit boards - when creating the mechanical plug-in connection, i.e. when inserting the contact pins into the contact receptacle, the first circuit board is mounted in the first housing module in a floating manner in the first and second directions, i.e. so as to be transversely displaceable or indeterminate, i.e. with play in the first and second directions. The second circuit board is mounted in the second housing module 12 in a defined manner in the first and second directions, i.e. without play. In this way, manufacturing tolerances can be compensated for and mechanical over-determination during the storage of the two circuit boards, which can lead to bending and shearing forces on the components of the mechanical plug-in connection and the circuit boards - and thus to their damage - can be effectively avoided.In an advantageous development of the modular, multi-pole DIN rail mounted device, the contact receptacle of the plug connection is arranged on the first circuit board, and the contact element of the plug connection is arranged on the second circuit board.

[0018] By arranging the contact receptacle on the first circuit board, the contact receptacle is also mounted in the first housing module so that it floats in both the first and second directions. Accordingly, the contact element, which can comprise a plurality of contact pins, is mounted together with the second circuit board in the second housing module without any play. This significantly simplifies the production of the mechanical plug-in connection when joining the first and second housing modules to form the insulating housing, and thus the first and second device modules to form the modular, multi-pole DIN rail-mounted device.

[0019] In a further advantageous development of the modular, multi-pole DIN rail mounted device, the plug connection has a centering aid which aligns the first printed circuit board relative to the first housing module.

[0020] By using the centering aid, the insertion of at least one contact element into the contact receptacle can be made significantly easier. The centering aid is advantageously arranged around the contact receptacle to effectively prevent incorrect insertion of the contact elements next to the contact receptacle.

[0021] In a further advantageous development of the modular, multi-pole DIN-rail device, the centering aid is mechanically connected to the first housing module via at least one spring element. This ensures the floating mounting of the first printed circuit board, so that manufacturing-related tolerances can be compensated and the insertion of at least one contact element into the contact receptacle can be facilitated.

[0022] In a further advantageous development of the modular, multi-pole DIN rail mounted device, the centering aid has run-in slopes.

[0023] In this way, the insertion of the at least one contact element into the contact receptacle can be further simplified. Incorrect insertion and the resulting damage, such as bending or breaking of the at least one contact element, are effectively prevented.

[0024] In a further advantageous development of the modular, multi-pole DIN rail mounted device, the first housing module has a fixing element which fixes the first printed circuit board in the third direction by attaching the first connecting means acting in a third direction orthogonal to the first and second directions.

[0025] When the first and second device modules are joined together along the third direction, the mechanical plug-in connection which electrically connects the first to the second circuit board is first formed. The floating mounting of the first circuit board is crucial here in order to avoid mechanical stresses due to over-determined mounting of the two circuit boards. At the end of the joining process along the third direction, i.e. towards the end of the path, after the at least one contact element has been plugged into the associated contact receptacle, the first circuit board is pressed by the fixing element in the third direction against an inner contour of the first housing module and is thus positively fixed in the third direction. Depending on the pressure force, this can also achieve frictional fixing of the first circuit board, which is now mounted largely free of stress, in the first or second direction.In this way, the first circuit board is securely held and supported in the first housing module.

[0026] In a further advantageous development of the modular, multi-pole DIN rail mounted device, the first housing module has a wall opening for receiving the contact receptacle arranged on the first printed circuit board.

[0027] The wall of the housing module reliably protects the components of the first device module from external environmental influences and from the adjacent second device module. The opening formed in the wall serves exclusively to create the mechanical plug-in connection between the first circuit board located in the first housing module and the second circuit board located in the second housing module.

[0028] In a further advantageous development, the modular, multi-pole DIN rail mounted device has a third device module for connection to a third phase conductor, wherein the third device module has a third housing module which is arranged between the first housing module and the second housing module.

[0029] The third device module arranged between the first and the second device module is also designed as a single-pole circuit breaker and has its own, clearly assigned housing module, in which a short-circuit tripping device and an overload tripping device for interrupting the electrical current flowing via the third phase conductor in the event of an electrical short circuit or an electrical overload are arranged, i.e. accommodated and held. The third housing module can be connected using the first connecting means, for example rivets or screws, thereby creating a three-pole insulating housing for a modular, three-pole DIN rail mounted device.To create a four-pole FI / LS or RCBO protective switching device, an additional RCD module, which is equipped with the components of a residual current device, can be attached to the outer broad side of the second device module, so that three phase conductors and a neutral conductor can be connected to the four-pole protective switching device and monitored for short circuits, electrical overloads and earth fault currents.

[0030] In a further advantageous development of the modular, multi-pole DIN rail mounted device, the third device module has a third printed circuit board arranged in the third housing module, which is mounted floating in the first direction and the second direction and has a further contact receptacle, which correlates with the position of the contact receptacle arranged on the first printed circuit board in terms of its position in the first and the second direction, so that the at least one contact element arranged on the second printed circuit board can be guided through the further contact receptacle in order to be electrically conductively connected to the contact receptacle arranged on the first printed circuit board.

[0031] In this way, over-determined mounting of the third circuit board is effectively avoided. When the at least one contact element is passed through the additional contact receptacle, electrical contact with the third circuit board can also be achieved, for example, to supply it with the required electrical power.

[0032] In a further advantageous development of the modular, multi-pole DIN rail-mounted device, each of the housing modules has a width of one module. This ensures that the width of the modular, multi-pole DIN rail-mounted device corresponds to the standard grid dimension for the width of such DIN rail-mounted devices. Various embodiments of the modular, multi-pole DIN rail-mounted device are explained in more detail below with reference to the attached figures. The figures show:

[0033] Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a multi-pole DIN rail mounted device according to the invention, formed from several device modules, in a perspective view;

[0034] Figure 2 is a schematic representation of the opened first device module in perspective view;

[0035] Figure 3 is a schematic representation of the pre-assembled first and second device module in perspective view;

[0036] Figure 4 is a schematic representation of a further assembly step of the pre-assembled first and second device module in a perspective view;

[0037] Figure 5 is a schematic representation of a further embodiment of the multi-pole DIN rail mounted device formed from several housing modules.

[0038] In the various figures of the drawing, identical parts are always provided with the same reference symbol. This description applies to all drawing figures in which the corresponding part can also be seen.

[0039] Figure 1 schematically shows the basic structure of a modular, multi-pole DIN rail mounted device 1 according to the invention. The multi-pole DIN rail mounted device 1 has a front side 3, a fastening side 4 arranged opposite the front side, and narrow sides 5 and wide sides 6 connecting the front and the fastening sides 3, 4, and is designed as a four-pole FI / LS or RCBO, which, however, is only intended to serve as an example of a possible device structure: two- and three-pole (modularly formed) DIN rail mounted devices, regardless of their range of functions, can also be the subject of the invention.

[0040] The DIN rail mounted device 1 shown in Figure 1 is formed from a first device module 10 for connecting a first phase conductor, a second device module 20 for connecting a second phase conductor, a third device module 30 for connecting a third phase conductor and a fourth device module 40 for connecting a neutral conductor, which are arranged side by side.

[0041] Each of the device modules 10, 20, 30, 40 has its own housing module: a first housing module 11 is assigned to the first device module 10, a second housing module 21 to the second device module 20, a third housing module 31 to the third device module 30 and a fourth housing module 41 to the fourth device module 40, whereby all device modules 10, 20, 30, 40 and all housing modules 11, 21, 31, 41 also have a front side 3, a fastening side 4 arranged opposite this front side and narrow sides 5 and wide sides 6 connecting the front and the fastening side 3, 4.

[0042] Furthermore, all housing modules 11, 21, 31, 41—and thus all device modules 10, 20, 30, 40—have a width B of only one pitch unit (TE), corresponding to approximately 18 mm or 0.75 inches. The four housing modules 11, 21, 31, 41, which are arranged side by side and held together by means of first connecting means, illustrated here by way of example as rivets 9, form an insulating housing 2 of the modular, four-pole DIN rail-mounted device 1.

[0043] In principle, narrow-profile enclosures, i.e., enclosures with a width of just one pitch unit, comprise two half-shells which, towards the end of the assembly process, are joined together using suitable fasteners, such as rivets, screws, or snap-in connections, to form a circumferential joining line. Each half-shell includes one of the broad sides 6 as well as parts (in whole or in full) of the front, fastening, and narrow sides 3, 4, 5. The enclosure modules 11, 21, 31, and 41 shown in Figure 1 are also narrow-profile enclosures which are first populated during assembly before the individual enclosure modules 11, 12, 13, and 14 are joined together to form the structurally stable insulating material enclosure 2 of the modular, multi-pole DIN rail-mounted device 1.

[0044] In the area of ​​each of the narrow sides 5, each of the device modules 10, 20, 30, 40 has a screw terminal 7 for contacting the mains-side or load-side connecting conductors - phase conductors or neutral conductors (not shown) - which are accommodated and held in the housing module 11, 21, 31, 41 assigned to the respective device module 10, 20, 30, 40. For manual operation, each of the device modules 10, 20, 30, 40 has an actuating element arranged in the area of ​​the front side 3, wherein the individual actuating elements are connected for joint operation by means of a handle element 8 connecting the individual actuating elements.

[0045] Since the modular DIN rail mounted device 1 shown in Figure 1 is a four-pole FI / LS or RCBO, the first three device modules 10, 20 and 30 are designed as MCB modules, i.e. as miniature circuit breakers, and are accordingly equipped with the components typical of a miniature circuit breaker - e.g. switching mechanism, overload and short-circuit tripping device, arc quenching chamber, connection terminals, etc. - and are intended for contacting the respectively assigned phase conductor (not shown) of a three-phase power distribution system. The fourth device module 40, on the other hand, is designed as an RCD module (shown on the right in Figure 1), i.e. it is equipped with the components typical of a residual current device and is intended for contacting the neutral conductor (not shown). Figure 2 shows a schematic perspective view of the interior of the first device module 10 (MCB module) designed as a miniature circuit breaker.The first housing module 11 comprises a first housing half-shell 11-1 and a second housing half-shell 11-2, which are joined together to form a circumferential joining line. In the area of ​​the front side 3, the first device module 10 has an actuating element 14 for manually actuating a switching contact (not shown) arranged in the first housing half-shell 11-1.

[0046] While the assemblies and components typical for a circuit breaker are accommodated in the area of ​​the first housing half-shell 11-1, a first printed circuit board 12 is arranged in the first housing module 11 in the second housing half-shell 11-2 - separated from the first housing half-shell 11-1 by a partition wall. The first printed circuit board 12 is mounted in the first housing module 11 in a floating manner, i.e. indeterminately or transversely displaceable, in a first direction x and in a second direction y oriented orthogonally thereto, so that its mounting has a certain amount of play in the first and second directions x, y. In a third direction z oriented orthogonally to the first and second directions x, y, the first printed circuit board 12 is first fixed in place by the second device module 20 adjoining in this direction z (see Figure 3) with the aid of a fixing element (not shown) arranged on the second housing module 21.As a fixing element, for example, a housing contour formed on the second housing module 21 can be considered, which presses the first printed circuit board after the two housing modules 11 and 21 have been assembled in the third direction z against a bearing contour formed on the first housing module 11.

[0047] Below the actuating element 14, i.e., in the direction of the fastening side 4, a contact receptacle 52 is arranged on the first printed circuit board 12. The contact receptacle 52 is part of a mechanical plug-in connection 50 and is formed by a block with several socket-like openings into which contact pins 51 (see Figure 4) can be inserted in order to electrically connect them to the first printed circuit board 12.

[0048] Figure 3 shows a schematic perspective view of the preassembled first and second device modules 10, 20. To allow a view of the interior of the housing, part of the front narrow side 5 has been omitted. The second housing module 21 is also formed in a shell construction from a first housing half-shell 21-1 and a second housing half-shell 21-2. In the area of ​​the front side 3, the second device module 20 has an actuating element 24 for its manual actuation.

[0049] The first housing module 11 and the second housing module 21 are separated by a partition wall 19 arranged between the two housing modules 11, 21 in order to protect the first printed circuit board 12 arranged inside the second housing half-shell 11-2 of the first housing module 11 from the components of the second device module 20 arranged inside the first housing half-shell 21-1 of the second housing module 21. In the area of ​​the contact receptacle 52, the partition wall 19 has a wall opening 13 through which the contact receptacle 52 fastened to the first printed circuit board 12 is partially led in order to enable the contact pins 51 (see Figure 4) to be inserted - and thus contact to be made with the first printed circuit board 12 from the second housing module 21. Since the first printed circuit board 12 is floating in the first housing module 11, i.e.with play in the first and second directions, x, y, the contact receptacle 52 in the wall opening 13 also has a corresponding play in order to avoid a mechanically over-determined storage - and thus a possible damage to the first circuit board.

[0050] Figure 4 schematically shows a further assembly step of the pre-assembled first and second device modules 10, 20—again in a perspective view. A second printed circuit board 22 is arranged in the second housing half-shell 21-2 of the second housing module 21, to which a further contact receptacle 52 is fastened in the third direction z in order to electrically connect a further, third printed circuit board to the second printed circuit board 22.

[0051] In the direction opposite to the third direction z, the second circuit board 22 has a plurality of contact elements 51, which in the illustration in Figure 4 are designed as contact pins and are plugged into the socket-shaped openings of the contact receptacle 52 arranged on the first circuit board 12, in order to thereby realize an electrically conductive connection between the first circuit board 12 and the second circuit board 22. The contact elements 51 thus form, together with the contact receptacle 52, an electromechanical plug connection 50.

[0052] If the arrangement is to be supplemented by a third housing module, and if a further, third printed circuit board is arranged in this third housing module, this third printed circuit board could be electrically conductively connected to the first and / or the second printed circuit board 12, 22. This can be achieved in that the third printed circuit board has one or more contact elements 51 which are arranged on the third printed circuit board in the direction opposite to the third direction z and are inserted into the socket-like openings of the further contact receptacle 52 when the third device module is mounted on the second device module.Alternatively, longer contact elements 51 arranged on the third circuit board can be passed through the socket-like openings of the further contact receptacle 52 and plugged into the contact receptacle 52 arranged on the first circuit board 12, it being possible in this way to contact the third circuit board with the first circuit board 12 as well as with the second circuit board 22. The last circuit board which is contacted with the previous circuit boards in this way should be mounted without play, i.e. in a fixed manner, in the housing module 21, 31, 41 assigned to it, since this last circuit board determines the mounting of the entire circuit board arrangement, i.e. of all the circuit boards 12, 22, etc. connected to one another in this way, which are accommodated in the various housing modules 11, 21, 31, 41.In the case of a two-pole DIN rail device, this would be the second printed circuit board 22 arranged in the second housing module 21. In this way, it is possible to avoid mechanically over-determined mounting of one or more of the printed circuit boards 12, 22, which could lead to mechanical stresses and, as a result, possible damage to the individual printed circuit boards or the mechanical plug connections 50—and thus possibly to the failure of certain functions of the DIN rail device 1.

[0053] Figure 5 shows a schematic representation of a further embodiment of the multi-pole DIN rail mounted device 1 formed from a plurality of device modules. Analogous to Figure 2, Figure 5 also shows a perspective view of the interior of the first device module 10 (MCB module) designed as a circuit breaker. In contrast to the representation in Figure 2, the embodiment shown in Figure 5 has a centering aid 53 which is arranged around the contact receptacle 52 arranged on the first printed circuit board 12. The centering aid 53 has an essentially cuboid-shaped base body with a through opening in which the contact receptacle 52 is received without play.

[0054] The centering aid 53 serves to facilitate the insertion of the contact elements 51 into the contact receptacle 52. For this purpose, the centering aid 53 has run-in bevels 55 which, on the side of the cuboid-shaped base body facing the contact elements 51, slope down towards the through openings and thus facilitate the insertion of the contact elements 51 into the socket-like openings of the contact receptacle 52 by sliding off the run-in bevels 55 during insertion and engaging the socket-like openings assigned to them.

[0055] With the help of the centering aid 53, the first printed circuit board 12 is aligned relative to the first housing module 11. For this purpose, the centering aid 53 has two elongated, elastic elements 54 which are formed on the cuboid-shaped base body and are fastened at their distal end to the first housing module 11. Due to the flexibility of the two elastic elements 54, stresses acting on the first printed circuit board 12 or the mechanical plug connections 50 can be compensated - the two elastic elements 54 thus act as flexible spring arms. The use of the centering aid 53 also effectively prevents one or more of the contact elements 51 from being incorrectly inserted into a space formed by the wall opening and the contact receptacle 52.

[0056] However, the two elastic elements 54 of the centering aid 53 are not absolutely necessary within the meaning of the invention. It would also be possible to dispense with the two elastic elements 54. This would result in the first printed circuit board 12 being mounted somewhat more freely in the first housing module 11, which would reliably prevent over-determined mounting of the first printed circuit board 12, particularly in the case of large manufacturing tolerances.

[0057] Reference symbol list

[0058] 1 DIN rail mounted device

[0059] 2 I insulating material housing

[0060] 3 Front

[0061] 4 Mounting side

[0062] 5 Narrow side

[0063] 6 Broadside

[0064] 7 screw terminal

[0065] 8 grip elements

[0066] 9 rivet

[0067] 10 first device module

[0068] 11 first housing module

[0069] 11- 1 first housing half shell

[0070] 11-2 second housing half shell

[0071] 12 first circuit board

[0072] 13 Wall opening

[0073] 14 Actuating element

[0074] 19 Partition wall

[0075] 20 second device module

[0076] 21 second housing module

[0077] 21- 1 first housing half shell

[0078] 21-2 second housing half shell

[0079] 22 second circuit board

[0080] 30 third device module

[0081] 31 third housing module

[0082] 40 fourth device module

[0083] 41 fourth housing module

[0084] 50 plug connection

[0085] 51 Contact element

[0086] 52 Contact

[0087] 53 Centering aid

[0088] 54 elastic element

[0089] 55 Inlet slopes x first direction y second direction z third direction B Width

[0090] TE pitch unit

Claims

Patent claims 1. Modular, multi-pole DIN rail mounted device (1) comprising: - a first device module (10) for connection to a first phase conductor and a second device module (20) for connection to a second phase conductor, - an insulating housing (2) formed from a first housing module (11) and a second housing module (21) by connecting them by means of a first connecting means (9), wherein the first housing module (11) is assigned to the first device module (10) and the second housing module (21) is assigned to the second device module (20), - a first circuit board (12) which is received and held in the first housing module (11) and a second circuit board (22) which is received and held in the second housing module (21), wherein the first circuit board (12) and the second circuit board (13) are electrically conductively connected by a mechanical plug-in connection (50) having at least one contact element (51) and at least one contact receptacle (52) assigned thereto, wherein the first circuit board (12) is floatingly mounted in the first housing module (11) in a first direction (x) and in a second direction (y) oriented orthogonally to the first direction (x).

2. Modular, multi-pole DIN rail mounted device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the contact receptacle (52) of the plug connection (50) is arranged on the first circuit board (12), and the contact element (51) of the plug connection (50) is arranged on the second circuit board (22).

3. Modular, multi-pole DIN rail mounted device (1) according to claim 2, wherein the plug connection (50) has a centering aid (53) which aligns the first printed circuit board (12) relative to the first housing module (11). Modular, multi-pole DIN rail mounted device (1) according to claim 3, wherein the centering aid (53) is mechanically connected to the first housing module (11) via at least one elastic element (54). Modular, multi-pole DIN rail mounted device (1) according to one of claims 3 or 4, wherein the centering aid (53) has run-in bevels (55). Modular, multi-pole DIN rail mounted device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first housing module (11) has a fixing element which fixes the first printed circuit board (12) in the third direction (z) by attaching the first connecting means (9) acting in a third direction (z) orthogonal to the first (x) and second direction (y).A modular, multi-pole, DIN-rail mounted device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first housing module (11) has a wall opening (13) for receiving the contact receptacle (52) arranged on the first circuit board (12). A modular, multi-pole, DIN-rail mounted device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising: a third device module for connection to a third phase conductor, wherein the third device module has a third housing module arranged between the first housing module (11) and the second housing module (21). A modular, multi-pole, DIN-rail mounted device (1) according to claim 8, dependent on claim 2, wherein the third device module has a third printed circuit board arranged in the third housing module, which is mounted floatingly in the first direction (x) and the second direction (y) and has a further contact receptacle, the position of which in the first and second directions (x, y) correlates with the position of the contact receptacle (52) arranged on the first printed circuit board (12), such that the at least one contact element (51) arranged on the second printed circuit board (22) can be passed through the further contact receptacle in order to be electrically conductively connected to the contact receptacle (52) arranged on the first printed circuit board (12). A modular, multi-pole, DIN-rail mounted device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein each of the housing modules (11, 12) has a width (B) of one pitch unit (TE).

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