Connection device

Abstract

The invention relates to a connection device, consisting at least of a function carrier (10) with a receiving housing (12) and with a plurality of module slots arranged one behind the other in a row for receiving individual function modules, characterised in that the receiving housing (12) is provided for receiving busbars (28) running parallel to one another which extend, starting from a central supply point (34), over a predefinable length within the receiving housing (12) such that all function modules intended herefor can be connected for their power supply.

Description

[0001] Connecting device

[0002] The invention relates to a connecting device comprising at least one functional carrier with a receiving housing and with several module locations arranged one behind the other in a row for receiving individual functional modules. EP 2 912 931 B1 discloses a device with a housing that can be attached to a support rail for receiving electrical and electronic functional modules, in particular in the form of a series electronics housing, wherein the housing has a first housing part, by means of which the device can be attached to the support rail, wherein the first housing part has at least two receiving devices for securing one coupling module each to the first housing part, and wherein at least two,Either a coupling module for coupling power supply lines between two devices arranged adjacent to one another on the support rail can be secured in receiving devices arranged preferably at a distance from one another in the first housing part, wherein the housing has a second housing part that is releasably connectable to the first housing part by means of an elastically deflectable locking means, wherein the deflection of the locking means can be blocked by a blocking element movably mounted on the second housing part, thereby securing the state of the second housing part connected to the first housing part, and wherein the blocking element is displaceably mounted in the second housing part. In this way, a type of modular housing system is created that is versatile in use and easy to handle and assemble.

[0003] Based on this state of the art, the invention is based on the object of further improving the known solution.

[0004] A connecting device having the features of patent claim 1 in its entirety solves this problem.Because, according to the characterising part of patent claim 1, the housing is provided for accommodating parallel busbars which, starting from a central feed point, extend over a predeterminable length within the housing in such a way that all of the functional modules provided for their power supply can be connected, there are no longer any power losses because individual housing modules no longer have to be connected to one another in blocks via current-conducting connecting clips, with the result that the power supply is impaired at these coupling points; rather, a continuously uninterrupted busbar design in the form of individual conductor tracks is possible, which can therefore also be operated with high current values, for example in the range of 100A (amperes) and more, in order to achieve improved power electronics.Accordingly, the electrical hardware requirement for the Powerboost device is a current-carrying capacity of at least 100A. In this respect, a total feed-in current of 100A can be provided, for example, at 24V DC (active) and 230V AC / DC (passive).

[0005] In a preferred embodiment of the connecting device according to the invention, the respective busbar, extending from a flat track, has laterally raised contact parts that form electrical connection points for the individual functional modules at discrete intervals along the flat track. In this way, the respective functional module can be coupled to an assignable busbar in a particularly space-saving manner. The functional modules in question are designed in a standardized or normed manner and, as electrical devices, can perform a wide variety of tasks. These can be power supplies, fuses, controllers, input / output modules, interface units, temperature converters, analog / digital converters, and the like. In addition, the respective device can also have non-electrical components, for example, optical or pneumatic components.

[0006] In a preferred embodiment of the connecting device according to the invention, at least some of the busbars have raised contact parts on both longitudinal sides of the flat track, which are arranged opposite one another in pairs and have a common polarity, and at least one further busbar has the respective other polarity. Furthermore, it is preferably provided that a further busbar, designed as a neutral conductor, has a flat track in which the contact parts are raised and spaced apart from one another on only one longitudinal side. This ensures reliable current conduction while simultaneously ensuring effective contacting of coupled function modules.

[0007] In a further preferred embodiment of the connecting device according to the invention, in addition to the busbars, individual block-like coupling modules are provided in the receiving housing, each of which can be coupled, and which are connected via signal lines and form part of a data bus. Parallel to the power supply via electrical tracks, at least one signal line is also provided, which, separated from the flat-track busbars, allows the connection of the respective function module to an associated information interface in groups. The signal lines can thus be data bus lines, for example in the form of a fieldbus, which can be Ethernet-based.In this way, a combination of a data bus for signal transfer with a power bus for energy transfer in a common housing is achieved and the specified functional modules can be coupled to the respective bus easily and simultaneously.

[0008] In a further preferred embodiment of the connecting device according to the invention, the individual coupling modules are designed as identical parts, with their contacts being attachable to a type of printed circuit board and connectable to it. They each have contact sockets on the opposite free end face for the engagement of corresponding plug components of the functional modules. Thanks to the connection technology using contact sockets and plug components, the respective functional modules can be promptly replaced with a new module, especially in the event of a failure, and even previously installed systems can be reconfigured in this way if necessary.

[0009] In another particularly preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, the housing housing with the busbars and signal lines is at least partially covered or shielded by a cover plate, with access openings serving as connection points for contacting the contact parts of the respective flat track and the contact sockets of the printed circuit board. In this way, the respective busbar, which can carry very high currents (100 A and more), is always shielded from the outside by the cover plate, preventing free access for an operator. This significantly increases safety during operation or assembly and, in particular, prevents safety-relevant operating errors from the outset.Preferably, it is provided that unoccupied connection points can be covered by a blanking plate which is connected to the cover plate for the receiving housing, so that accessibility to otherwise exposed busbars is also prevented.

[0010] Preferably, the respective functional module is provided with detents that allow releasable locking with the receiving housing. Likewise, the respective functional module has individual terminals on its underside facing the receiving housing, which penetrate the cover plate via the assigned access openings for contacting the contact parts of the respective busbar, as well as the plug parts for engagement with the assigned contact sockets of the signal lines. So that in any case, even with removed functional modules, the receiving housing with the respective cover plate and / or blanking plate forms a self-contained system in which the busbars or flat tracks and the signal lines are integrated and shielded from the outside.

[0011] In the following, the connecting device according to the invention is explained in more detail using an exemplary embodiment according to the drawing. The drawing shows, in principle and not to scale, the

[0012] Figure 1 shows, in the form of an exploded view, the essential components of the connecting device, without any functional modules attached;

[0013] Figure 2 shows the solution according to Figure 1 in the assembled state; Figure 3 shows, in the form of a perspective front view, the connecting device according to Figure 2 with functional modules arranged one behind the other in a row, of which the functional module at the front in the row is already coupled to the connecting device;

[0014] Figure 4 shows busbars designed as flat tracks together with PE conductors; Figure 5 shows a partial view of individual flat tracks in a front area of ​​the housing; and

[0015] Figure 6 shows a contacting of a functional module with current-carrying contact parts raised along the long sides of each flat track.

[0016] The connecting device comprises a functional carrier, designated as a whole by 10, which has a rectangular, plate-shaped receiving housing 12 which, as shown in Figure 1, is closed at the bottom and open on the opposite head side or is freely accessible from above. The receiving housing 12 is further provided with four upwardly projecting wall parts 14, 16, 18 and 20. The receiving housing 12 is preferably made of a conventional plastic material and is manufactured, for example, by means of an injection molding process. Furthermore, the receiving housing 12 has an interior, designated as a whole by 22, which divides the receiving housing 12 into individual segments 24, 26, which, in a largely standardized form, provide fastening options for accommodating further components of the connecting device.

[0017] Thus, the housing 12, with its front segment 24 (as viewed in Figure 1), is designed to accommodate parallel busbars 28, whose respective installation lengths are adapted to the internal dimensions of the housing 12 along its longitudinal orientation. Inserted alongside the busbars 28 is a type of printed circuit board 30 with block-like coupling modules 32, which establish a connection point to one or more signal lines (not shown) that are part of a data bus system. The printed circuit board 30 thus equipped also extends in the longitudinal direction of the housing 12 and is inserted into the adjacent segment 26 of the housing 12, parallel to the busbars 28.As Figure 4 in particular shows, the busbars 28 are designed like flat tracks, extending from a central feed point 34 towards their free ends, which are provided with further connection points 36 and enable an electrical connection (not shown) to other components. The feed point 34 for electrical current is part of a so-called power bus. In any case, the power bus, designated as a whole by 38, has a current carrying capacity of at least 100A for each busbar. The feed is made via the feed point 34 with a five-pin terminal (+, +, -, -, PE). This terminal is designed as a so-called push-in, and the 2x plus and 2x minus feeds are to be made on the respective busbar 28.

[0018] Furthermore, a green LED as a "power" indicator 40 is provided, which is shown in Figure 1 as part of the circuit board 30. Additionally or alternatively, a DC 24 V connection can also be provided at this point. The respective busbar 28 is designed as a flat track 35 and has raised contact parts 42 of the same type on the edge, which are arranged in pairs for a flat track 35 and face each other and are formed in a bow-shaped manner with individual contact webs 44 projecting on the inside. The voltage assignment is shown in Figure 4 with the usual "+" and symbols. The connection point located at the rear when viewed in the direction of Figure 4 is labeled PE (Protective Earth) and thus forms the protective conductor for the connecting device, which is also referred to in technical terms as protective earthing.The associated flat track 35 has a row of protruding contact parts 42 for the protective conductor PE on one side only, wherein all contact parts 42 are preferably designed as bent sheet metal parts and are essentially of the same design.

[0019] As can be further seen from Figure 1, the individual coupling modules 32 are designed as cuboid-shaped identical parts and can be placed onto the circuit board 30 with their contacts (not shown) and connected to it along signal lines (not shown). On the opposite free end face 46, the coupling modules 32 each have a total of ten input openings arranged in two parallel rows as contact sockets 48, which is particularly evident from the illustration in Figure 2. These contact sockets 48 serve to engage corresponding plug parts (not shown) of individual functional modules 50, as shown in a row in Figure 3, shortly before connection to the connecting device along module locations 52 of the connecting device provided for this purpose.

[0020] The possible installation and removal directions for the functional modules 50 are indicated in Figure 3 by fictitious points 54. However, the functional module 50, which is arranged at the front as viewed in Figure 3, is already latched to the connecting device; this latching is known and explained in more detail by way of example in EP 2 912 931 B1. The data bus, particularly shown in Figure 1 with the circuit board 30, is provided, as viewed in the direction of Figure 1, only in the rear area with the coupling modules 32 arranged one behind the other in a longitudinal row, which are adjacent and equally spaced from one another. The area in front of it, with corresponding connection points, serves in this case as an unused mounting option for additional coupling modules. The relevant data bus 54 is equipped on the input side with a feed-in module 56 for data forwarding with two ports 58 and 60 for "In" and "Out," respectively.

[0021] As can be further seen from Figures 1 to 3, the receiving housing 12 with the busbars 28 and the signal lines (not shown) is at least partially covered by a cover plate 62, wherein in the present case, two identical cover plates 62 are used as module components with regard to the catches of the receiving housing 12. The cover plates 62 cover all current-carrying components of the connecting device to the outside and leave space only on the front end face or on the front wall part 18 of the receiving housing 12 for the passage of the feed-in point 34 for energy and the feed-in module 56 for information.

[0022] As further shown in Figure 2, the respective cover plate 62 has access openings 64 and 66 as possible connection points for contacting the respective functional module 50, with the upper side of the block-like coupling modules 32 essentially flush with the upper side of the respective cover plate 62. In this respect, the access openings 64 are adapted to the frontal external dimensions of the coupling modules 32. This design is sufficiently safe, since the signal lines of the data bus 54 are regularly operated in the low-energy range. Otherwise, slot-like access openings 66 are provided in the respective cover plate 62, which are of identical design and extend completely through the respective cover plate 62.Below, as viewed in Figure 2, the high-current busbars 28 extend down to the PE conductor, and the respective cover plate 62 reliably ensures that the current-carrying busbars 28 in the form of flat strips 35 with their protruding contact parts 42 cannot be accessed by hand, which would otherwise be life-threatening. In particular, the slot-like access openings 66 are so narrow that access by hand or with a conventional tool into the interior of the receiving housing 12 with the busbars 28 is prevented. Unoccupied connection points (not shown) can also be covered by a blanking plate (not shown) that adjoins a cover plate 62 downstream in the receiving housing 12.

[0023] Each cover plate 62 runs parallel to the bottom of the receiving housing 12 with approximately the same wall thickness. The cover plate 62 is made of electrically insulating plastic material. It sits slightly recessed below the free edge of the receiving housing 12 on associated webs and is releasably latched to the receiving housing 12 at predeterminable locations (not shown). Each cover plate 62 has the same rectangular outer dimensions and is standardized. The cover plate 62 can also have bulges on the edges (not shown in detail) that precisely fit into the spaces between the webs of the receiving housing 12. Starting from the power feed point 34 and the information feed module 56, a receiving housing, even of different sizes, with the associated cover plates 62 can extend on both sides of these components (not shown).

[0024] As can be seen in particular from Figure 5, the flat tracks 70 are provided, in the direction of their end face facing the front wall part 18, with a contact surface 68 which is wider than the track width of a flat track 35 and serves for the current-carrying connection to the feed point 34 from above. Furthermore, Figure 5 shows the protruding bow-shaped contact parts 42, which are partially provided with only one contact web 44 in the front area and otherwise with two webs at the opposite end of a bow-shaped contact part 42.

[0025] As further shown in Figure 6, the respective functional module 50 has individual terminals 72 on its underside 70 facing the receiving housing 12, which extend through the associated cover plate 62 via the access openings 66 for contacting the contact parts 42 or the contact webs 44 of the respective busbar 28. A slot-shaped access opening 66 is just large enough for an associated spring-elastic terminal 72 to pass through the slot in both directions. These terminals 72 each have pairs of spring-elastic clips that establish contact from above with the contact clip or contact part 42 located below.For the sake of simplicity of illustration, the respective cover plate 62 has been omitted in Figures 5 and 6, and in any case, the functional module 50, in the connected state, rests flush with its underside 70 on the top side of the adjacent cover plate 62, which is shown in a cutaway manner in Figure 6 for clarity. In any case, both when the functional module 50 is mounted and when it is unmounted, manual access in the direction of the respective busbar 28 is prevented by means of the cover plate 62 or a blank plate (not shown) which does not have access openings 64, 66. When a functional module 50 is mounted in this state as shown in Figure 6, the plug parts (not shown) also engage in the associated contact sockets 58 of the signal lines of the data bus in the usual way.

[0026] Overall, the connecting device, with the respective cover plate 62 placed on the receiving housing 12, forms a self-contained, box-shaped receiving system for connecting individual functional modules 50. The internal components 22 of the connecting device are inaccessible from the outside to any body parts of an operator, such as a technician or maintenance worker. This prevents these persons from being exposed to risks that could otherwise be fatal, despite an operating current of 100A and more. This safety approach has no equivalent in the prior art and, for the first time, allows such connecting devices to be used for such high currents, significantly increasing the application possibilities for such connecting devices.

Claims

Patent claims 1 . Connecting device, consisting of at least one function carrier (10) with a receiving housing (12) and with several module locations (52) arranged one behind the other in series for receiving individual function modules (50), characterized in that the receiving housing (12) is provided for receiving parallel busbars (28) which, starting from a central feed point (34), extend over a predeterminable length within the receiving housing (12) in such a way that all function modules (50) provided for this purpose can be connected for their power supply.

2. Connecting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the respective busbar (28) has, starting from a flat track (35), laterally raised contact parts (42) which form electrical connection points for the individual functional modules (50) at discrete distances from one another along the flat track (35).

3. Connecting device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least some of the busbars (28) have raised contact parts (42) on both longitudinal sides of the Elachbahn (35), which are provided in pairs opposite one another with a common polarity (+ or -) and that at least one further busbar (28) has the other polarity (+ or -).

4. Connecting device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a further busbar (28) designed as a neutral conductor (PE) has an Elachbahn (35) in which only one long side has the contact parts (42) raised at a distance from each other.

5. Connecting device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the receiving housing (12) in addition to the busbars (28) and each connectable functional module (50) there are individual block-like coupling modules (32) which are connected to signal lines and are part of a data bus (54).

6. Connecting device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the individual coupling modules (32) are designed as identical parts with their contacts which can be placed on a printed circuit board (30) and connected thereto and which each have contact sockets (48) on the opposite free end face (46) for the engagement of corresponding plug parts of the functional modules (50).

7. Connecting device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the receiving housing (12) with the busbars (28) and the signal lines is at least partially covered by at least one cover plate (62) with access openings (64, 66) as connection points for contacting the contact parts (42) of the respective flat track (35) and the contact sockets (48) of the conductor plate (30).

8. Connecting device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that unoccupied connection points (64, 66) can each be covered by a blind plate which adjoins the cover plate (62) for the receiving housing (12).

9. Connecting device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the respective functional module (50) is provided with catches which enable a releasable locking to the receiving housing (12).

10. Connecting device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the respective functional module (50) has, on its underside (70) facing the receiving housing (12), individual terminals (72) which, for contacting the contact parts (42) of the respective busbar (28), pass through the cover plate (62) via the assignable access openings (66), as well as the plug parts for engagement with the assignable contact sockets (48) of the signal lines.

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