DIN rail mounting device

Abstract

To provide a mounting device which allows easy mounting and removal of equipment on a DIN rail, does not pinch surrounding wiring cables, and does not rattle when mounted. [Solution] An opening is provided in the mounting surface of the DIN rail 1 of the equipment, and a mounting plate 21 is provided that corresponds to the opening and is fixed to the equipment, and the equipment comprises a fixed engagement member 22 fixed to the mounting plate 21 on the outside of the equipment, and a movable engagement member 24 that is displaceable along the mounting plate 21 in a direction toward and away from the fixed engagement member 22, and a pair of engagement members 22, 24 that releasably engage with a pair of engagement pieces 1a, 1b of the DIN rail 1. The equipment is positioned inside the equipment, and one end side is supported by the mounting plate 21, and the other end side is provided with a spring member 25 connected to the movable engagement member 24 by a connecting mechanism 24a, 33a that is movably inserted through a long hole 32a of the mounting plate 21 in the direction of separating the fixed engagement member 22, so as to urge the movable engagement member 24 in a direction toward the fixed engagement member 22 when the equipment is mounted on the DIN rail.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a mounting device for mounting a device such as a power supply device to a DIN rail. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, various configurations of this type of mounting device have been known. For example, there is a rail engaging means having first and second engaging claws that can be engaged with first and second engaging pieces of the DIN rail on the DIN rail mounting surface of the device, and the device is mounted on the DIN rail by the rail engaging means. The rail engaging means has an engaging recess formed in the plate body along the lateral direction, a first engaging claw formed on the upper side of the engaging recess, and a slider lock groove formed on the lower side of the plate body so as to be perpendicular to the engaging recess, and a slide lock member is biased upward by a spring member and slidably provided in the slider lock groove while being guided by both side walls of the slider lock groove, and a second engaging claw provided at the tip of the slide lock member projects into the engaging recess. The DIN rail mounting surface is provided with a vibration absorbing portion that interferes with the DIN rail to absorb vibration when vibration is applied to the device (Patent Document 1).

[0003] To attach the device to the DIN rail, an operator holds the device by hand, hooks the first engagement claw on the first engagement piece of the DIN rail, moves the device toward the DIN rail, and presses the second engagement claw of the slide lock member against the second engagement piece of the DIN rail, so that a component of the pressing force generated at the inclined surface of the second engagement claw moves the slide lock member downward against the spring force of the spring member, engaging the DIN rail with the engagement recess, and then moves the slide lock member upward with the spring force of the spring member, engaging the second engagement claw with the second engagement piece of the DIN rail. In this engaged state, the second engagement piece of the DIN rail is joined to the upper ends of both side walls of the slider lock groove on both sides of the second engagement claw, and the vertical movement of the rail engagement means relative to the DIN rail is restricted.

[0004] On the other hand, to remove the equipment from the DIN rail, an operator holds the slide lock member by hand and pulls it downward against the spring force to disengage the second engagement claw portion from the second engagement piece portion of the DIN rail, and then moves the equipment away from the DIN rail while maintaining the disengaged state, thereby disengaging the connection between the upper ends of both side walls of the slider lock groove portion and the second engagement piece portion of the DIN rail and the engagement between the first engagement claw portion and the first engagement piece portion of the DIN rail, and then removing the equipment. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4151511 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the DIN rail mounting device of Patent Document 1, when equipment is mounted on the DIN rail, the second engagement piece of the DIN rail engages with the second engagement piece, and both sides of the second engagement claw are joined to the upper ends of both side walls of the slider lock groove, restricting the vertical movement of the rail engagement means relative to the DIN rail. Therefore, by providing this restriction and a vibration absorbing part, rattling when equipment is mounted on the DIN rail and the vibrations and abnormal noise caused by rattling can be almost completely eliminated.

[0007] However, because the vertical movement of the rail engagement means relative to the DIN rail is restricted, in order to remove the device from the DIN rail, an operator must hold the slide lock member by hand and pull it downward against the spring force to release the engagement between the second engagement claw and the second engagement piece of the DIN rail, and then move the device away from the DIN rail while maintaining the disengaged state in which the operator is pulling the slide lock member downward, which is a problem of poor workability.In addition, because the spring member is exposed, there is a problem that when attaching or removing the device to or from the DIN rail, it may come into contact with surrounding wiring cables, etc., and the wiring cables may be pinched, or in the worst case, the pinched wiring cables may be cut.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of these problems, and has as its object to provide a DIN rail mounting device that not only prevents rattling when equipment is attached to the DIN rail, and the resulting vibrations and abnormal noise, but also allows equipment to be easily attached and detached from the DIN rail and prevents surrounding wiring cables from being pinched by the spring members. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, one aspect of the DIN rail mounting device of the present invention is a device for detachably mounting a device to a DIN rail, comprising: a mounting plate provided with an opening in a DIN rail mounting surface of the device and fixed to the device in correspondence with the opening; a fixed engaging member located on the outside of the device and fixed to the mounting plate; a movable engaging member which is displaceable along the mounting plate in a direction toward or away from the fixed engaging member, the pair of engaging members detachably engaging with a pair of engaging pieces provided at ends of the DIN rail in a width direction; and a spring member located on the inside of the device and connected to the movable engaging member by a connecting mechanism having one end supported by the mounting plate and the other end movably inserted through an elongated hole provided in the mounting plate so as to urge the movable engaging member in a direction toward the fixed engaging member when the device is mounted to the DIN rail.

[0010] According to this embodiment, since the spring member is located inside the device, when the device is attached to or removed from the DIN rail, it does not come into contact with surrounding wiring cables, etc., and there is no risk of the wiring cables being pinched. The device can be easily attached to the DIN rail by an operator holding the device with one hand. In addition, since the movable engaging member can be displaced within the range of the long hole relative to the mounting plate when the device is attached to the DIN rail, when the device is removed from the DIN rail, the operator only needs to move the device upward with one hand. As a result, the mounting plate is displaced upward, so that the fixed engaging member is first released from the engaged state, and then the movable engaging member is released from the engaged state, and the removal operation can be easily performed. This removal operation can be performed while the interface connector provided on the device remains connected to an external connector.

[0011] In another aspect, in the above aspect, the surfaces of the pair of engaging members that engage with the engaging pieces of the DIN rail in the width direction of the DIN rail are formed in a rounded shape. According to this aspect, the engaging pieces and the rounded surfaces are engaged in a tight fit without any gaps, so that there is no rattling when the device is attached, and no vibrations or abnormal noises due to rattling are generated.

[0012] In yet another aspect, in each of the above aspects, the spring member comprises two coil springs spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the biasing direction of the movable engagement member, and both ends of each coil spring are supported by a pair of support plates, one of which is a fixed support plate fixed to the mounting plate, and the other support plate is a movable support plate connected to the movable engagement member by a connecting mechanism that passes through an elongated hole in the mounting plate. According to this aspect, the spring action on the movable engagement member is stabilized by the two coil springs supported by the pair of support plates. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, the installation and removal of equipment on a DIN rail can be performed easily and reliably even if the installation space is narrow, and in particular, the removal operation is easy, and no rattling, vibration, or abnormal noise occurs when the equipment is installed. Furthermore, surrounding wiring cables are not pinched when installing and removing the equipment. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a device provided with a mounting device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] The rear view shows the device mounted on the DIN rail. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is an end view showing the state in which a pair of engaging members provided on the mounting plate are engaged with the DIN rail. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged end view showing an engagement surface of the fixed engagement member. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged end view showing an engagement surface of the movable engagement member. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a rear view of the mounting plate showing the supporting state of the coil spring. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 and 2, the device 11 to be attached to the DIN rail 1 has an opening 11b on the back surface 11a, which is the DIN rail attachment surface, and this opening 11b extends to the top surface 11c. A mounting plate 21 having an L-shaped side surface is fixed to the device 11 at a position corresponding to the opening 11b.

[0016] 1 and 3, a fixed engaging member 22 is fixed to a portion of the rear surface 11a of the mounting plate 21 corresponding to the opening 11b by screwing fixing screws 23a, 23b (threads not shown) into boss-shaped female threads 21a, 21b (threads not shown). A movable engaging member 24 is disposed outside the device 11 so as to be displaceable in the approaching and separating directions along the mounting plate 21 relative to the fixed engaging member 22. The fixed engaging member 22 and the movable engaging member 24 constitute a pair of engaging members that are releasably engaged with a pair of engaging pieces 1a, 1b provided at the width direction ends of the DIN rail 1.

[0017] 3, 4 and 7, the fixed engaging member 22 has through holes 22a, 22b through which the fixing screws 23a, 23b are inserted, and an engaging claw 22c that engages with the engaging piece 1a of the DIN rail 1. This engaging claw 22c has an inclined surface formed so that the horizontal distance between it and the fixed engaging member main body 22d in FIG. 3 gradually narrows, and an engaging surface 22e with the engaging piece 1a of the DIN rail 1, which is the innermost end of this inclined surface, is formed in a rounded shape.

[0018] As shown in Figures 3, 5 and 8, the movable engagement member 24 has boss-shaped female threaded portions 24a, 24b (threads are not shown) into which the connecting screws 33a, 33b (threads are not shown) are screwed, and an engagement claw 24c that engages with the engagement piece 1b of the DIN rail 1. This engagement claw 24c has an inclined surface formed so that the horizontal distance between the movable engagement member main body 24d and the movable engagement member main body 24d gradually narrows in Figure 3, and an engagement surface 24e with the engagement piece 1b of the DIN rail 1, which is the innermost end of this inclined surface, is formed in an arc shape. In addition, the outer surface of the tip of the engagement claw 24c is an inclined surface 24f that guides the engagement with the engagement piece 1b.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 6, two coil springs 25, 26, which are spring members, are disposed between horizontal parts 27a, 27b and horizontal parts 28a, 28b provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction of a pair of support plates 27, 28 so as to be located inside the device 11, and both ends are supported by supporting screws 29a, 29b, 30a, 30b (threads are not shown) screwed into the horizontal parts 27a, 27b, 28a, 28b, restricting horizontal movement. Washers are interposed between the horizontal parts 27a, 27b, 28a, 28b and the heads of the supporting screws 29a, 29b, 30a, 30b.

[0020] The fixed support plate 28, which is one of the support plates, is fixed to the mounting plate 21 by fixing screws 31a, 31b (threads are not shown) (see FIG. 1). The movable support plate 27, which is the other support plate, is connected to the movable engagement member 24 by connecting screws 33a, 33b that screw into female threads 24a, 24b (see FIG. 8) that are inserted through long holes 32a, 32b provided in the mounting plate 21 so as to extend in the longitudinal direction. As a result, the coil springs 25, 26 bias the movable engagement member 24 in a direction approaching the fixed engagement member 22, and are spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the biasing direction. The connecting screws 33a, 33b and the female threads 24a, 24b form a connection mechanism.

[0021] Next, the installation operation will be described. The worker holds the device 11 with one hand and hooks the engagement claw 22c of the fixed engagement member 22 onto the upper engagement piece 1a of the DIN rail 1. Next, the worker rotates the device 11 around the engagement piece 1a as a fulcrum, and presses the inclined surface 24f of the engagement claw 24c of the movable engagement member 24 against the lower engagement piece 1b of the DIN rail 1 to rotate it further. Then, the movable engagement member 24 contracts the coil springs 25 and 26 and moves down within the long holes 32a and 32b to which the female threaded parts 24a and 24b correspond, thereby displacing downward together with the movable support plate 27. Then, when the inclined surface 24f overcomes the tip of the engagement piece 1b, the movable engagement member 24 is displaced upward by the resilient force of the coil springs 25 and 26, and the tip of the engagement piece 1b engages with the arc-shaped engagement surface 24e. In this state, it is preferable that the female threaded portions 24a, 24b are positioned at or near the upper end edges of the corresponding long holes 32a, 32b.

[0022] At this time, as shown in FIG. 3, the base end of the engagement piece 1b engages with the main body 24d of the movable engagement member 24. The tip of the engagement piece 1a engages with the arc-shaped engagement surface 22e of the engagement claw 22c, and the base end engages with the main body 22d of the fixed engagement member 22. As a result, the engagement members 22, 24 clamp the engagement pieces 1a, 1b of the DIN rail 1 from above and below (the width direction of the DIN rail 1) with the engagement claws 22c, 24c by the resilient biasing force of the coil springs 25, 26. This clamping state is reliably maintained by the component forces acting on the engagement surfaces 22e, 24e and the reaction forces acting on the engagement member main bodies 22d, 24d. In this way, the device 11 can be easily and reliably attached to the DIN rail 1.

[0023] In this mounting operation, even if the mounting space for the device 11 is narrow, the worker can easily perform the mounting operation with one hand by grasping the upper and lower surfaces of the device 11. In addition, since the coil springs 25, 26 are provided inside the device 11, they do not entangle the surrounding wiring cables. In the mounted state, there is no gap between the contact surfaces of the arc-shaped engaging surfaces 22e, 24e and the engaging member bodies 22d, 24d of the engaging members 22, 24 and the engaging pieces 1a, 1b of the DIN rail 1, so no rattling occurs. In addition, if a spring with strong elasticity is used for the coil springs 25, 26, even if the device 11 itself is mounted on the DIN rail 1 upside down, the engaging pieces 1a, 1b of the DIN rail 1 can be securely clamped by the engaging members 22, 24 from the width direction of the DIN rail 1, so no rattling occurs. Therefore, if it is desired to have the interface connector outlet on the top surface 11c of the device 11 facing downward, the desired position can be easily achieved by inverting the device 11 upside down and attaching it to the DIN rail 1.

[0024] Next, the operation of releasing the attached state will be described. The worker simply holds the device 11 with one hand and displaces it upward. Then, the fixed engagement member 22 displaces upward together with the mounting plate 21, while the movable engagement member 24 cannot displace upward because the engagement claw 24c is engaged with the engagement piece portion 1b, and maintains its current position. The mounting plate 21 displaces upward while contracting the coil springs 25, 26, and stops at a position where the lower end edges of the long holes 32a, 32b are restricted by the female thread portions 24a, 24b of the movable engagement member 24. At this time, the upward displacement of the fixed engagement member 22 releases the engagement between the engagement claw 22c and the engagement piece portion 1a of the DIN rail 1, and the fixed engagement member 22 can be removed from the engagement piece portion 1a. As a result, the elastic force of each of the coil springs 25, 26 can release the engagement between the movable engagement member 24 and the engagement piece portion 1b of the DIN rail 1, and the operator can remove the device 11 from the DIN rail 1.

[0025] The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. For example, the opening 11b of the device 11 may be provided only on the rear surface 11a, which is the mounting surface. In this case, the mounting plate 21 does not need to be L-shaped, and may be a normal flat plate. The spring member is not limited to a coil spring, but may be a leaf spring, and the mounting structure may be changed in various ways. Furthermore, the connecting mechanism is not limited to the configuration of the connecting screws 33a, 33b and the female threads 24a, 24b. [Explanation of symbols]

[0026] 1 DIN rail 1a,1b Engagement piece 11 Equipment 11a Back 11b opening 11c Top side 21 Mounting plate 21a, 21b Female thread 22 Fixed engagement member 22a,22b through hole 22c Engagement claw 22d Fixed engagement member body 22e Engagement surface 23a, 23b Fixing screws 24 Movable engagement member 24a, 24b Female thread 24c Engagement claw 24d Movable engagement member body 24e Engagement surface 27 Movable support plate 28 Fixed support plate 27a,27b,28a,28b Horizontal part 29a, 29b, 30a, 30b Support screws 31a, 31b Fixing screws 32a,32b long hole 33a, 33b Connecting screw

Claims

1. A device for removably mounting a device to a DIN rail, comprising: an opening is provided on a DIN rail mounting surface of the device, and a mounting plate is fixed to the device in a position corresponding to the opening; a pair of engaging members, each of which is located outside the device and fixed to the mounting plate, and a movable engaging member that is displaceable along the mounting plate in a direction toward or away from the fixed engaging member, the pair of engaging pieces being provided at the widthwise ends of the DIN rail in an engaging manner; a spring member located inside the device, the spring member having one end supported by the mounting plate and the other end connected to the movable engaging member by a connecting mechanism that movably passes through a long hole provided in the mounting plate in a separation direction of the fixed engaging member so as to urge the movable engaging member in a direction approaching the fixed engaging member when the device is mounted on the DIN rail; A DIN rail mounting device comprising:

2. The pair of engaging members have surfaces that engage with the corresponding engaging pieces of the DIN rail in the width direction of the DIN rail, the surfaces being formed in a radiused shape.

2. The DIN rail mounting device according to claim 1 .

3. The spring member is composed of two coil springs arranged at an interval in a direction perpendicular to the biasing direction of the movable engagement member, and both ends of each coil spring are supported by a pair of support plates, one of which is a fixed support plate fixed to the mounting plate, and the other support plate is a movable support plate connected to the movable engagement member by the connecting mechanism that passes through the long hole of the mounting plate.

3. The DIN rail mounting device according to claim 1 or 2.

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