Enclosed casing having a cable feedthrough, and method for producing same

Abstract

The present invention relates to an enclosed casing (10) for receiving an electrical component in an interior (44) of the casing (10), the enclosed casing (10) having a cable feedthrough (24) for feeding electrical cables (20, 22) through from an exterior into the interior (44). According to the invention, the enclosed casing (10) has a casing opening (34) that opens into a chamber (32) of the cable feedthrough (24). The chamber (32) has a chamber opening (36) at an end remote from the casing opening (34), through which chamber opening the cables (20, 22) are guided from the exterior into the cable feedthrough (24), through the chamber (32), and then through the casing opening (34) into the interior (44) of the casing (10). The chamber (32) is at least partially filled with a potting compound (30).

Description

[0001] P2024,1077 WO N1 / P23-1594WO02 August 25, 2025

[0002] - 1 -

[0003] Encapsulated housing with a cable entry and manufacturing method

[0004] The present invention relates to an encapsulated housing with a cable entry and to a method for manufacturing such a housing.

[0005] For various applications, housings, such as those for electric motor drives, must be encapsulated. When operating in an environment where explosive gases or gas mixtures may be present, encapsulation prevents such gases from entering the housing. In the event that an explosive gas or gas mixture does accumulate inside the encapsulated housing, the encapsulation must ensure that, if the gas is ignited by a spark, the encapsulation and all seals and penetrations will withstand the resulting explosion. This prevents the explosion from spreading to the surrounding gas or gas mixture.

[0006] A critical aspect of encapsulated housings is the design of cable glands, which are necessary when electrical components, such as electric motors, are to be installed within such a housing. These electrical cable glands, which serve to supply electrical voltage or power within the encapsulated housing, must, on the one hand, prevent the ingress of gases into the housing and, on the other hand, withstand an explosion.

[0007] Common cable glands that meet these requirements are complex in design and require significant installation effort. Incorrect installation can result in the housing no longer being fully sealed, which can pose a risk of malfunction or even a safety hazard.

[0008] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an encapsulated housing with a cable entry point, in which these problems are solved. P2024,1077 WO N1 / P23-1594WO02 August 25, 2025

[0009] - 2 -

[0010] Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing such an encapsulated housing.

[0011] These problems are solved by the subject matter of independent patent claims.

[0012] An encapsulated housing according to the invention has a housing opening that leads into a chamber of the cable entry. The chamber has a chamber opening at one end facing away from the housing opening, through which the cables are guided from the outside into the cable entry, through the chamber, and then through the housing opening into the interior of the housing. The chamber is at least partially filled with a potting compound.

[0013] An encapsulated housing according to the invention offers the advantage that the requirement for appropriate encapsulation of the housing can be met simply and reliably by filling the chamber with a potting compound. Providing a potting compound in the cable entry chamber prevents the ingress of explosive gases into the interior of the housing in an explosion-proof encapsulated housing. When used in a liquid, for example, water, the potting compound prevents the liquid from penetrating the encapsulated housing. Suitable potting compounds are electrically insulating materials. The potting compound is designed so that it can be poured into the chamber in a liquid state and then hardens.

[0014] Preferred embodiments of the present invention are set forth in the dependent claims.

[0015] Preferably, the housing is explosion-proof or waterproof. This ensures that not only the cable entry point, but also other areas, openings, or gaps in the housing have appropriate explosion protection. P2024,1077 WO N1 / P23-1594WO02 25 August 2025

[0016] - 3 -

[0017] A particularly preferred embodiment of a housing according to the invention is one in which the chamber is integrally formed with a side or rear wall of the housing. This offers the particular advantage that the housing and chamber can be formed in one piece, for example in an injection molding process, which reduces manufacturing costs and simplifies assembly. Furthermore, no additional gaps are created between the chamber and the housing that require flameproof construction.

[0018] In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cables each have an insulating sheath, and this insulating sheath is removed in the area of ​​the potting compound at a stripped section. The insulating sheaths of the cables generally serve to electrically insulate the cables from each other and from other components. When using an electrically insulating potting compound, the insulating sheath can now be partially removed. This offers the advantage that any gases that might penetrate from the outside along the inside of the insulating sheath can escape from the cables in the stripped area and are prevented from spreading further into the interior of the housing by the potting compound. This prevents explosive gases (or liquids) from spreading into the interior of the cables and reaching the interior of the housing.Furthermore, the stripped areas form a positive connection with the potting compound, which can absorb tensile forces acting on the cables.

[0019] Preferably, the cables in the cable gland are arranged so that they run essentially parallel to each other.

[0020] In such an embodiment of the invention, the stripped sections of adjacent cables are preferably arranged offset from one another along the cables. This offers the advantage that stripped sections of adjacent cables do not lie next to each other, thus preventing short circuits or leakage currents. For example, if the potting compound is introduced into the chamber with the cables already inserted, the cables may shift relative to each other. P2024,1077 WO N1 / P23-1594WO02 25 August 2025

[0021] - 4 - which could lead to short circuits or leakage currents if stripped sections of adjacent cables are placed directly next to each other.

[0022] In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, a plate is arranged in the chamber which delimits an area filled with the potting compound towards the housing opening. This offers the advantage that when the potting compound is poured into the chamber, the potting compound cannot penetrate into the interior of the housing.

[0023] The plate preferably has openings for the cables to pass through it. The diameter of these openings can essentially correspond to the outer diameter of the cables, so that the potting compound cannot penetrate through them during filling and before it hardens.

[0024] In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, an area of ​​the chamber between the plate and the housing opening is not filled with the potting compound.

[0025] Preferably, the electrical cables in the chamber are initially arranged parallel to a side wall of the housing and then deflected towards the housing opening, the deflection preferably involving an angle of 70 to 110 degrees, particularly preferably 85 to 95 degrees.

[0026] In a method according to the invention for manufacturing an encapsulated housing as described in claim 11, the potting compound is poured into the chamber in liquid form through the chamber opening, while the housing is suspended from the cables with the chamber opening facing upwards. This provides a particularly simple embodiment of a method for manufacturing an encapsulated housing according to the invention.

[0027] The invention is explained in more detail below using the attached figures as examples.

[0028] This shows: P2024,1077 WO N1 / P23-1594WO02 August 25, 2025

[0029] - 5 -

[0030] Fig. 1 : a schematic view of an encapsulated housing according to the invention with a cable entry;

[0031] Fig. 2: a cross-section through the cable entry of Fig. 1; and

[0032] Fig. 3: another cross-section through the cable entry of Fig. 1.

[0033] Figures 1 to 3 show an encapsulated housing 10 according to the invention with a cable gland 24. The cable gland 24 is integrally formed on a side wall 16 of the housing 10. This means that the side wall 16 of the housing 10, together with the cable gland 24, is manufactured as a single piece from a metal or plastic using an injection molding process. This naturally simplifies the integration of the cable gland 24 into the housing 10. An electrical component, which could be, for example, an electric motor, is shown in an interior space 44 of the housing 10 (not shown in detail). The electric motor can be a standard industrial electric motor, which does not require special encapsulation since it is housed within the encapsulated housing 10.

[0034] Only a shaft coupling 13 with a pulley 12 is shown of the drive. The pulley 12 can be used to move a drive belt. The pulley 12 is mounted on the shaft coupling 13, which passes through a through-hole 14 in the housing 10.

[0035] Cables 20 and 22 are provided to supply power to an electrical component in the interior 44 of the housing 10. These cables pass through the cable guide 24 into the interior 44 of the housing 10. As can be seen in the cross-sections of Figures 2 and 3, the electrical cables 20 and 22 initially run parallel to the side wall 16 of the housing 10 in a chamber 32 of the cable guide 24 and are then deflected towards a housing opening 34. After being deflected by approximately 90 degrees, they pass through the housing opening 34 and into the interior 44 of the housing 10. P2024,1077 WO N1 / P23-1594WO02 August 25, 2025

[0036] - 6 -

[0037] The chamber 32 of the cable gland 24 is partially filled with a potting compound 30. This potting compound 30 serves to encapsulate the housing 10. Since the housing 10 has the housing opening 34 and the chamber 32 of the cable gland 24 has a chamber opening 36, without the provision of the potting compound 30, the housing 10 would have an opening to the outside, i.e., it would not be encapsulated. The cables 20 and 22 enter the chamber 32 and thus the cable gland 24 through the chamber opening 36. The potting compound 30 is confined on one side by the side wall 16 of the housing 10 and on the other side by the inner wall of the chamber 32. A plate 38 is also arranged in the chamber 32, which further delimits an area 46 filled with the potting compound 30 towards the housing opening 34.The area on the side of the plate 38 facing away from the potting compound 30 is not filled with potting compound 30, but forms a cavity within the cable entry 24 between the housing opening 34 and the plate 38. For the passage of cables 20 and 22 through the plate 38, this plate 38 has openings 40 through which the cables 20 and 22 pass when they leave the filled area 46 of the cable entry 24.

[0038] Cables 20 and 22 have electrically insulating sheaths 48. In the area 46 of the cable gland 24, which is filled with potting compound 30, cables 20 and 22 have stripped sections 42 and 50. Here, the sheaths 48 have been removed. These stripped sections 42 and 50 serve, firstly, to allow the potting compound 30 to penetrate them, thus securing cables 20 and 22 more securely against detachment from the potting compound 30, for example, due to a tensile force acting on them. Secondly, the stripped sections 42 and 50 prevent any explosive gases that may have penetrated the cables from escaping along the cables 20 and 22 into the interior 44 of the encapsulated housing 10.

[0039] The housing 10, together with the cable gland 24, in particular with the housing section forming the chamber 32, is formed in one piece, for example by injection molding. At one end opposite the pulley 12, however, the encapsulated housing 10 is connected to a separate base plate 26 P2024,1077 WO N1 / P23-1594WO02 25 August 2025

[0040] - 7 - closed. This base plate 26 allows electrical components, such as the aforementioned electric motor, to be inserted into the housing 10. After the electrical components have been mounted in the housing 10, the housing 10 is completed by mounting the base plate 26, thus forming the complete encapsulated housing 10. A gap 28 is formed between the side wall 16 of the encapsulated housing 10 and the base plate 26. This gap 28 is designed as a flameproof ignition gap, which ensures explosion protection. Such an ignition gap is defined as having a width and height dimensioned such that, in the event of an explosion inside the housing, an explosion front can only propagate through the ignition gap in such a way that the explosion front is extinguished before exiting the ignition gap into the surrounding environment.This prevents explosive gases from igniting in the vicinity of the housing 10.

[0041] The housing 10 has mounting points 18 for fastening it. These mounting points 18 may have threaded inserts for fastening with screws.

[0042] P2024.1077 WO N1 / P23-1594WO02 August 25, 2025

[0043] - 8 -

[0044] Reference symbol list

[0045] 10 cases

[0046] 12 Pulley

[0047] 13 Shaft coupling

[0048] 14 Implementation

[0049] 16 side wall

[0050] 18 mounting points

[0051] 20 cables

[0052] 22 more cables

[0053] 24 cable gland

[0054] 26 Base plate

[0055] 28 gaps

[0056] 30 potting compound

[0057] 32nd Chamber

[0058] 34 Housing opening

[0059] 36 Chamber opening

[0060] 38 plate

[0061] 40 openings in 38

[0062] 42 stripped sections

[0063] 44 interior of 10

[0064] 46 filled area

[0065] 48 cases

[0066] 50 stripped area

Claims

P2024,1077 WO N1 / P23-1594WO02 August 25, 2025 - 9 - Claims:

1. Encapsulated housing (10) for receiving an electrical component in an interior (44) of the housing (10), wherein the encapsulated housing (10) has a cable entry (24) for passing electrical cables (20, 22) from an exterior into the interior (44), wherein the encapsulated housing (10) has a housing opening (34) which opens into a chamber (32) of the cable entry (24), the chamber (32) having a chamber opening (36) at one end opposite the housing opening (34) through which the cables (20, 22) are led from the exterior into the cable entry (24), through the chamber (32) and then through the housing opening (34) into the interior (44) of the housing (10), and the chamber (32) is at least partially filled with a potting compound (30).

2. Encapsulated housing (10) according to claim 1, wherein the housing (10) is designed to be explosion-proof or waterproof.

3. Encapsulated housing (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the chamber (32) is integrally formed on a side wall (16) or base plate (26) of the housing (10).

4. Encapsulated housing (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cables (20, 22) each have an insulating sheath (48) and the insulating sheath (48) is removed in the area of ​​the potting compound (30) on a stripped section (42, 50).

5. Encapsulated housing (10) according to claim 4, wherein the cables (20, 22) are arranged in the cable entry (24) running substantially parallel to each other. P2024,1077 WO N1 / P23-1594WO02 August 25, 2025 - 10 - 6. Encapsulated housing (10) according to claim 5, wherein the stripped sections (42, 50) of adjacent cables (20, 22) are arranged offset from each other along the cables.

7. Encapsulated housing (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a plate (38) is arranged in the chamber (32) which delimits a region (46) filled with the potting compound (30) towards the housing opening (34).

8. Encapsulated housing (10) according to claim 7, wherein openings (40) are arranged in the plate (38) for passing the cables (20, 22) through the plate (38).

9. Encapsulated housing (10) according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the chamber (32) between the plate (38) and the housing opening (34) is not filled with the potting compound (30).

10. Encapsulated housing (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the electrical cables (20, 22) in the chamber (32) are initially arranged parallel to a side wall (16) of the housing (10) and are then deflected to the housing opening (34), wherein the deflection preferably includes an angle of 70° to 110°, particularly preferably of 85° to 95°.

11. Method for manufacturing an encapsulated housing (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the potting compound (30) is poured into the chamber (32) in the liquid state through the chamber opening (34), while the housing is arranged to hang from the cables (20, 22) with the chamber opening (34) facing upwards.

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