Device for connecting multiple equipment housings

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (100) for connecting multiple equipment housings (200, 202) which, in a connected state, have predeterminable external dimensions (570) for receiving in an equipment carrier (500), wherein the device (100) has screw holes (120) which are designed to receive screws for screwing the device (100) to a first side face (210) of a first (200) of the multiple (200, 202) equipment housings, at least one connecting element (110) for cooperation by connection with a second side face (220) of a second (202) of the multiple (200, 202) equipment housings, wherein the at least one connecting element (110) is in each case in the form of a hook (110) which is designed to engage (390) in a recess (222) in the second side face (220), and comprises a fixing element (130) for fixing the cooperation by connection with the second side face (220). Also proposed is an equipment arrangement having an equipment carrier and at least two equipment housings that are connected by means of such a device (100) and are received in the equipment carrier.

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] title

[0003] Device for connecting several device housings

[0004] The present invention relates to a device for connecting a plurality of device housings for accommodation in a device carrier and to a device arrangement with at least two device housings connected by means of such a device, which are accommodated in a device carrier.

[0005] State of the art

[0006] From DE 10 2014 218 533 A1 a device arrangement comprising a 19-inch rack with at least one stacking device is known.

[0007] Disclosure of the invention

[0008] The invention is based on electrical and electronic devices installed in shelf-like device carriers, so-called racks. Such racks are frames into which the devices can be inserted and secured, for example, using screws. For example, the racks provide a pair of support rails for each device, onto which the device can be placed and inserted into the rack. Preferably, the device is subsequently attached to the rack, for example, by screwing.

[0009] In particular, such racks or equipment carriers are standardized, so that the external dimensions of the device housings to be accommodated in the equipment carrier are specified. In particular, equipment carriers can have a standard width of 19 inches and are then referred to as 19-inch racks. The 19-inch rack can, for example, be composed of metal profiles, particularly steel profiles, and can have, for example, four vertically extending corner profiles and a plurality of horizontally extending support profiles.

[0010] The 19-inch rack is specifically dimensioned to accommodate a front panel with a width of exactly 48.26 centimeters, or 19 inches. In particular, the 19-inch rack can be designed to accommodate devices or device enclosures with a standardized width of 19 inches. The standardization is based on the EIA 310-D, IEC 60297, and / or DIN 41494 SC 48D standards.

[0011] According to the invention, a device for connecting multiple device housings and a device arrangement comprising a device carrier and at least two device housings connected to one another by means of such a device are proposed, having the features of the independent patent claims. Advantageous embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims and the following description.

[0012] A device according to the invention for connecting a plurality of device housings which, in a connected state, have predeterminable external dimensions for accommodation in a device carrier, is designed for attachment to a first side surface of a first of the plurality of device housings, has at least one connecting element for connecting interaction with a second side surface of a second of the plurality of device housings, and comprises a fixing element for fixing the connecting interaction with the second side surface. By connecting the device housings via the respective side surfaces, installation space is saved compared to connecting the device housings via their respective undersides, since no recess is required in the respective underside of the device housing. As a result, the installation height available within the respective device housing within the predeterminable external dimensions can be fully utilized.In addition, attaching the device to the respective device housing requires less consideration of the components installed in the housing, in particular circuit boards, which are usually mounted on the underside of the housing. The at least one connecting element is designed in the form of a hook, which is configured to engage in a recess in the second side surface. This enables particularly simple installation, in particular through a sliding movement for hooking, and requires virtually no installation space within the second device housing.

[0013] The device has screw holes configured to receive screws for screwing the device to the first side surface of the first of the plurality of device housings.

[0014] In at least one embodiment, the at least one connecting element comprises at least two, three, or four connecting elements. This ensures a particularly stable, in particular torsion-resistant, connection. In at least one embodiment, all connecting elements can be identical in shape, which facilitates both manufacture and use.

[0015] In at least one embodiment, the fixing element is designed to connect the device to a surface of the second device housing that is not in a plane with the second side surface. Such a design facilitates assembly and keeps the external shape of the interconnected device housings compact.

[0016] In at least one embodiment, the fixing element is provided in the form of a tab designed to be screwed to the second device housing. This represents a cost-effective, easy-to-implement, and secure solution. Preferably, the tab is designed at right angles to the remaining flat metal sheet of the device. In particular, the tab has a bore for screwing the tab to the second device housing. Preferably, the tab is designed to be arranged in a recess in the underside of the second device housing and to be screwed to the underside of the second device housing by means of a fixing screw. In at least one embodiment, the device consists predominantly of a metal sheet with a thickness of less than 10 mm, 5 mm, 3 mm, 2 mm, 1 mm, or 0.5 mm. This makes it possible to provide a particularly cost-effective, stable, and at the same time space-saving solution.For example, punching processes or water jet or laser cutting can be used to produce such a design.

[0017] In at least one embodiment, the device is dimensioned such that, when attached to the first side of the first device housing, it does not protrude beyond any edge of the first side surface. This allows device housings connected by means of the device to be installed particularly easily in a corresponding device carrier.

[0018] In at least one embodiment, the screw holes for attachment to the first side surface correspond to screw holes provided in the first side surface, so that the device can be attached to the first side surface by removing screws from the screw holes provided in the first side surface and attaching or screwing the device to the first side surface using the removed screws. Typically, components of the device housing (e.g. underside, front and back, top side and both side surfaces) are fixed by means of screws anyway. In this embodiment, in particular a screw connection of the side surface, which serves in particular to fix the side surface, can thus simultaneously be used for attaching the device, so that no additional screws (and also no additional counter threads) are required for this.

[0019] In at least one embodiment, the device has at least one recess which, in the assembled state, is configured to coincide with one or more ventilation openings in the first and / or second side surface of the respective device housing. This enables air movement between the interconnected device housings, which can be beneficial for the temperature management of devices installed in the housings. Furthermore, the invention encompasses a device housing arrangement comprising at least two device housings, preferably precisely two device housings, which are interconnected by means of at least the device described above.

[0020] A device arrangement according to the invention comprises a device carrier configured to receive device housings with predeterminable external dimensions, and at least two device housings connected to one another by means of at least one device as described above, wherein the device housings connected by means of the at least one device jointly have the predeterminable external dimensions and are accommodated in the device carrier. The device arrangement therefore benefits from the advantages of the device accordingly. In particular, the device makes it possible to use smaller device housings in a corresponding device carrier designed for larger device housings without additional adaptation.

[0021] Further advantages and embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the description and the accompanying drawings.

[0022] The invention is illustrated schematically in the drawing using an embodiment and is described below with reference to the drawing.

[0023] Short description of the drawings

[0024] Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a device according to the invention in a side view.

[0025] Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the assembly of the device shown in Figure 1 to a first device housing. Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the connection of a second device housing to the first device housing provided with the device according to Figure 2.

[0026] Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the underside of the device housings connected according to Fig. 3, showing the fixing of the device housings connected to one another.

[0027] Figure 5 shows schematically an arrangement with a device carrier in which device housings which are connected to one another with a device according to the invention are accommodated, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Embodiment(s) of the invention

[0029] Figure 1 shows a side view of an embodiment of a device according to the invention, designated overall by 100. Figure 2 shows the assembly of the device to a first device housing, designated overall by 200.

[0030] In the example shown here, the device 100 is manufactured in one piece from a steel sheet (e.g. by punching, water jet cutting, laser cutting, machining processes or combinations thereof) and comprises four connecting elements 110, which here are designed in the form of hooks shaped identically to one another (here, for example, formed by bending out).

[0031] The device 100 also has screw holes 120 (four here), a fixing element 130 (here in the form of a tab that protrudes essentially perpendicularly from the plane of the drawing in Figure 1), and a recess 140. The screw holes 120 are countersunk in the example shown here, so that when corresponding countersunk screws 122 are used to attach the device 100 to the first device housing 200, the screw heads are essentially flush with a surface of the device 100. The recess 140 is arranged such that, during assembly, it coincides with ventilation openings 240 in a first side surface 210 of the first device housing 200, so that these ventilation openings 240 remain at least partially accessible even after assembly of the device.

[0032] As can be seen in Figure 2, a length 160 and a width 150 of the device 100 are dimensioned such that the device 100 does not protrude beyond any edge of the first side surface 210 of the first device housing 200. In other words, the length 160 of the device 100 is less than (or at most equal to) a depth of the first device housing 200, and the width 150 of the device 100 is less than (or at most equal to) a height of the first device housing 200.

[0033] The screw holes 120 of the device 100 are arranged to align with screw holes present in the first side surface 210 of the first device housing, so that for mounting the device 100 to the first side surface 210, the screws 122 can be removed from the screw holes present in the first side surface 210 and used to mount the device 100. It is understood that if the first device housing 200 is being assembled for the first time, the screws 122 do not need to be removed first, since in such a case they were not yet installed.

[0034] In Figure 2 it can be seen that the device 100 is mounted such that the hooks 110 and the tab 130 point away from the first device housing 200, wherein the tab 130 is arranged substantially in a plane with a bottom or bottom surface 230 of the first device housing.

[0035] Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the connection of a second device housing 202 to the first device housing 200 provided with the device 100 according to Figure 2.

[0036] The second device housing 202, which in the example shown has an external shape identical to the first device housing 200, is placed against the device 100 with a second side surface 220 opposite the first side surface 210 such that each hook 110 protrudes through a corresponding recess 222 in the second side surface. This state is designated 380 in Figure 3.

[0037] By parallel displacement of the first 200 and second 202 device housings relative to each other (indicated by an arrow 385), the hooks 110 engage with the respective recess 222, so that the two device housings 200, 202 can no longer move away from each other. This situation, in which the hook 110 engages with the respective recess 222, is designated 390 in Figure 3.

[0038] In such a connected state, the interconnected first 200 and second 202 device housings have a common width 370, which corresponds to a standard width of a device carrier, for example, a standardized slot width of a 19-inch rack. For example, the common width 370 can be 450 mm (17.72 inches), which corresponds to the standardized slot width of a 19-inch rack.

[0039] Figure 4 shows the fixing of the device housings 200, 202 connected to one another in a perspective view of an underside 230 of the device housings 200, 202 connected according to Figure 3.

[0040] As can be seen in Figure 4, the tab 130 (fixing element) protrudes into a recess 232 in the underside 230 of the second device housing 202 and can be screwed there using a fixing screw 132. This immobilizes the second device housing 202 relative to the device 100 and thus also relative to the first device housing 200, particularly in the direction of the parallel displacement 385 shown in Figure 3.

[0041] In summary, only a single additional screw is required to securely connect the two device housings 200, 202, which only minimally restricts the installation space inside the device housings 200, 202. It is understood that the invention can also be used to connect more than two device housings. However, it is particularly advantageous to combine device housings that, when connected, together have the aforementioned standard width of 370 mm. It is not necessary for the connected device housings to be the same width.

[0042] Figure 5 schematically shows an arrangement with a device carrier according to an embodiment of the present invention, the device carrier being designated overall by 500.

[0043] In the example shown, the device carrier 500 has vertically extending corner profiles 510 and horizontally extending support profiles 520. In the example shown here, the device carrier 500 contains three device housings 205, the width of which corresponds to a receiving width 570 of the device carrier, for example, 19 inches. Furthermore, the device carrier 500 accommodates a combination of a first 200 and a second 202 device housing, which are connected to one another by means of the device 100, wherein the width of the combination also corresponds to the receiving width 570 of the device carrier 500.

[0044] It is understood that devices can be installed in the device housings 200, 202, 205. For example, the device housings can be used to accommodate electronic devices such as computers, in particular server modules or servers, amplifiers, e.g., power amplifiers, or the like. The device 100 is advantageously mounted after the respective device has been mounted in the device housings 200, 202. Preferably, the device installed in the device housings 200, 202, 205 is an audio device, in particular an audio amplifier and / or an audio mixer.

Claims

Claims 1. Device (100) for connecting a plurality of device housings (200, 202), which preferably have predeterminable external dimensions (570) in a connected state for receiving in a device carrier (500), wherein the device (100) Screw holes (120) which are designed to receive screws for screwing the device (100) to a first side surface (210) of a first (200) of the plurality (200, 202) device housings, at least one connecting element (110) for connectingly interacting with a second side surface (220) of a second (202) of the plurality (200, 202) device housings, wherein the at least one connecting element (110) is in each case designed in the form of a hook (110) which is designed to engage (390) in a recess (222) in the second side surface (220), and comprises a fixing element (130) for fixing the connecting interaction with the second side surface (220).

2. Device (100) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one connecting element (110) comprises at least two, three or four connecting elements (110).

3. Device (100) according to claim 2, wherein all connecting elements (110) are identical in shape.

4. Device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the fixing element (130) is designed to connect the device (100) to a surface (230) of the second device housing (202) that is not in a plane with the second side surface (220).

5. Device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the fixing element (130) is provided in the form of a tab (130) which is designed for screwing (132) to the second device housing (202).

6. Device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, which consists predominantly of a metal sheet with a thickness of less than 10 mm, 5 mm, 3 mm, 2 mm, 1 mm or 0.5 mm.

7. Device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the device (100) is dimensioned (150, 160) such that, when attached to the first side (210) of the first device housing (200), it does not protrude beyond any edge of the first side surface (210).

8. Device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the screw holes (120) correspond to screw holes provided in the first side surface (210), so that the attachment of the device (100) to the first side surface (210) can be carried out by removing screws (122) from the screw holes provided in the first side surface (210) and attaching the device (100) to the first side surface (210) using the removed screws (122).

9. Device (100) according to one of the preceding claims with at least one recess (140) which is designed to coincide in the mounted state with one or more ventilation opening(s) (240) in the first (210) and / or second (220) side surface of the respective device housing (200, 202).

10. Device housing arrangement comprising at least two device housings (200, 202) which are connected to one another by means of at least one device (100) according to one of the preceding claims.

11. Device arrangement comprising a device carrier (500) which is designed to receive device housings (205) with predeterminable external dimensions (570), and at least two device housings (200, 202) which are connected to one another by means of at least one device (100) according to one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the device housings (200, 202) connected by means of the at least one device (100) together have the predeterminable external dimensions (570) and are accommodated in the device carrier (500).

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