AU727880B2

AU727880B2 - Assembly unit with an assembly rail

Info

Publication number: AU727880B2
Application number: AU54792/98A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Rolf Benner; Martina Kohler; Udo Munch; Wolfgang Reuter
Original assignee: Rittal Werk Rudolf Loh GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Rittal Werk Rudolf Loh GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 1996-11-19
Filing date: 1997-11-06
Publication date: 2001-01-04
Anticipated expiration: 2017-11-06
Also published as: CN1238069A; WO1998023011A1; AU5479298A; BR9712961A; DE29623555U1; JP2000509561A; JP3285883B2; DE19647781C2; BR9712961B1; CN1147975C; EP0939990A1; EP0939990B1; DE19647781A1

Description

1A ASSEMBLY UNIT WITH AN ASSEMBLY RAIL The invention relates to an assembly unit with an assembly rail provided with assembly retainers, which can be fastened on profiled frame sections of a switchgear cabinet, wherein one or several fastening elements for holding assembly rails can be affixed to at least a portion of the profiled frame sections.

Such assembly units are known from the company prospectus "Rittal Handbuch 27" [Rittal Manual 27], pp.

178, 179. Assembly units of this type utilize assembly rails, which can be attached on the profiled frame sections of a rack for a switchgear cabinet.

The assembly rails are embodied as open, multiply beveled hollow profiled sections. The assembly rails have plug retainers on their front ends. Plug-in shoulders of connectors can be inserted into these plug retainers. The connectors are fixedly connected with the assembly rails.

The connectors can be bolted to the profiled frame sections by means of fastening screws. To this end, rows evenly divided fastening retainers have been cut in.

Such assembly rails are preferably installed between two vertical profiled frame sections of the rack. Builtin 25 electronic components or the like can be fastened on the assembly retainers of the assembly rails.

It is an intention of at least an embodiment of the ee invention to provide an assembly unit of the type c:o mentioned at the outset, wherein the assembly unit can be attached simply and with little outlay to the profiled 0. frame sections.

According to the present invention there is provided an assembly unit with an assembly rail provided with o assembly retainers, which can be fastened on profiled frame sections of a switchgear cabinet, wherein one or several fastening elements for holding assembly rails can be affixed to at least a portion of the profiled frame 2 sections, characterized in that the assembly rail has at least one profiled leg, with at least one plug retainer, by means of which it can be plugged into the fastening element, and fastening element is adjustable in respect to the vertical profiled frame section for fixing the assembly rail in place.

In order to attach an embodiment of such an assembly rail to a profiled frame section it is initially necessary to provide the latter with one or several fastening elements in the appropriate positions. Thereafter, the assembly rail with its easily accessible plug retainer on the profiled leg can be pushed onto the fastening element.

For final fixation in place it is only necessary at the end to displace the fastening element, so that the assembly rail is braced. In connection with this assembly unit it has been particularly worthwhile that the fastening elements can be assembled independently of the assembly rails. By means of this a simple manipulation becomes possible, so that the expenditure of time for assembly is considerably reduced.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention it is provided that the assembly rail is embodied as an open hollow profiled section, that the profiled leg maintains the plug retainer in the area of .25 the open profile side, and that the plug retainer is open *in the direction toward the open profile side.

The plug retainer is easily accessible at the open :profile side, so that fastening on the fastening element :is easily possible. Furthermore, the assembly rail can be ooo 30 simply produced. For example, it can be designed as a stamped and bent element. In this case the plug retainer is hollowed out of the profiled leg.

In order to be able to assemble the assembly rail simply in different positions even in hard-to-reach places it is provided that it has two profiled legs, which are at an angle in respect to each other and extend in the A longitudinal direction of the 3 assembly unit, that the two profiled legs each have at least one plug retainer, and that the profiled legs can be placed against longitudinally extending interior walls of the profiled frame sections of the rack.

The interior walls of the profiled frame section can be equipped with fastening elements. Depending on the accessibility of the profiled frame section, the fastening elements can be attached to one or the other interior wall. With the profiled legs placed at an angle, it is also possible to perform an alignment and positioning of the assembly rail on the profiled frame section.

A possible variation of an embodiment of the invention is distinguished in that the profiled leg(s) of the assembly rail has, besides the plug retainers, fastening holes which can be aligned flush in respect to threaded retainers of the profiled frame sections, and that fastening elements can be screwed into the fastening holes.

First, the assembly unit is positioned on the profiled frame section and fixed in place by means of the fastening elements which come into engagement with the plug retainers. For example, if heavy built-in components are to be attached to the assembly rail, additional fastening elements can be fixed in the fastening holes.

An advantageous embodiment of an assembly unit in *...accordance with the invention is distinguished in that the assembly rail is made essentially square or rectangular in cross section from two assembly sections.placed at right angles in respect to each other and the profiled legs S 30 connected therewith, that the assembly sections are provided with assembly retainers go 4 embodied as openings, and that the assembly retainers provide access to the fastening elements.

The assembly rail can be plugged onto the fastening elements by means of its plug retainers. In order to now achieve a solid connection to the profiles frame section, the fastening elements are accessible through the assembly retainers. It is then possible to actuate the fastening element by means of a tool, which is inserted into the assembly retainer. A space-saving construction of the assembly rail has been achieved in this way. The fastening elements do not project interferingly from the profiled frame section or the assembly rail, where they would limit the installation space.

In this case it is particularly advantageous if it is additionally provided that fastening elements are passed through the assembly retainers and can be inserted into the fastening holes, and that the screws are accessible to a tool through the assembly retainers. Here, the additional fastening of the assembly rail in the fastening holes can be performed in a simple manner.

In connection with an assembly unit in accordance with an embodiment of the invention it can be provided that the fastening element for the plug retainer is embodied as a screw, on whose bolt section the plug retainer is plugged transversely in relation to the center axis of the screw, and that the screw head can be braced against the associated profiled leg. As the simplest component, the screws can be cost-effectively employed.

obeThey moreover have the-advantage that they hardly limit 3lee the installation space with their screw head.

oboe WO 98/23011 PCT/EP97/06143 If it is provided that the assembly rail can be attached, vertically aligned, to the vertical profiled frame sections of the switchgear cabinet, wherein the profiled legs rest against interior walls of the profiled frame sections, which constitute an interior receptacle, additional fastening option can be rigged on a vertical profiled frame section.

The invention will be explained in greater detail in what follows by means of an exemplary embodiment represented in the drawings. Shown are in: Fig. 1, a perspective lateral representation of a rack for a switchgear cabinet, composed of profiled frame sections, and Fig. 2, in an exploded perspective representation a vertical frame leg of the profiled frame section in accordance with Fig. 1 and an assembly rail.

A rack for a switchgear cabinet is represented in Fig. 1.

The rack is essentially composed of a bottom frame 10, a cover frame 20 and four vertical profiled frame sections 40. The vertical profiled frame sections 40 connect the bottom frame with the cover frame 20. The bottom and cover frames 10 and are embodied alike, so that they can be interchanged.

The bottom and cover frames 10 and 20 respectively have two depth and width struts 21, 22. On their profiled sides facing the interior of the rack, the depth and width struts 21, 22 have been provided with rows of fastening retainers 23, 24. The vertical profiled frame sections 40 are also provided with fastening retainers 44 facing the interior of the rack. Assembly rails for example, can be attached to the fastening retainers 23, 24, 44.

WO 98/23011 PCT/EP97/06143 The vertical profiled frame sections 40 are connected via connectors 30 with the bottom, or respectively the cover frame The connectors 30 are arranged in the area of corner retainers 25 of the bottom, or respectively the cover frame Fastening of the vertical profiled frame sections 40 on the connector 30 is provided by a screw connection, for example. To this end the vertical profiled frame sections 40 can be provided with screw retainers 41 at their ends.

How an assembly rail 50 can be attached to one of the vertical profiled frame sections 40 is shown in greater detail in Fig. 2. Only a portion of the vertical profiled frame section is shown in the drawing in accordance with Fig. 2. The assembly rail 50 is of a length corresponding to this portion. By means of this representation it is made clear that the assembly rails can be attached in sections at any arbitrary location along the vertical profiled frame section 40. The assembly rails being used can of course vary in their length. For example, they can also extend over the entire axial length of thevertical profiled frame sections The vertical profiled frame section 40 has two interior walls 43, which are at right angles to each other. They constitute an interior receptacle 45, which is oriented toward the interior of the rack. Respectively one profiled side 42 adjoins the two interior walls 43 at right angles. The profiled sides 42 extend vertically in respect to the associated exteriors of the rack. The profiled sides 42 and the interior walls 43 are provided with rows of fastening retainers 44.1 to 44.4, which have been cut in evenly-divided. Slit-shaped openings and bores have been alternatingly used as fastening retainers. Fastening WO 98/23011 PCT/EP97/06143 elements 46, in the present case screws have been used, can be turned into the bores. The fastening elements 46 permit the positioning and fixing in place of the assembly rail The assembly rail 50 is constructed with a square cross section. This cross section is constituted by two assembly sections 52, 53, attached at right angles to each other, and two profiled sections 51, 54. The profiled sections 51, 54 are respectively beveled on the free ends of the assembly sections 52, 53. A hollow profiled section is formed in this way, which is open in the area between the profiled sections 51, 54. Assembly retainers 56, 57 have been cut into the assembly sections 52, 53.

Fastening holes 55, 58 have been stamped out of the profiled sides 51, 54. The assembly retainers 51, 54 and the fastening holes 58 are arranged evenly divided in respect to each other. In this case, the fastening holes 55, 58 are arranged in such a way, that they are flush with an assembly retainer 56, 57 of the assembly section which extends parallel with the respective profiled section. Thus, the fastening holes 55, 58 are accessible through the assembly retainers 56, 57.

Plug retainers 59 have been dut into the profiled sides 51, 54 for fastening the assembly rail 50 on the vertical profiled frame section 40. The plug retainers 59 are designed slit-shaped and open in the direction toward the free vertical end of the profiled sections 51, 54. In this case, one plug retainer 59 has been used per profiled section 51, 54. For fixing the assembly rail 50 in place, first a fastening element 46 is screwed into a fastening retainer 44.3 of the vertical profiled frame section Into which one of the interior walls 43 of the profiled frame section 40 the fastening element 46 (called screw hereinafter) is -7- WO 98/23011 PCT/EP97/06143 screwed, is freely selectable and is essentially determined by accessibility. The assembly rail 50 is placed with its plug retainer 59 of the profiled section 54 on the bolt section of the screw. This plugging movement is symbolized by the representation of the arrow in Fig. 2. After the assembly rail 50 has been attached to the profiled frame section 40 in this way, it is prepositioned. The screw head of the screw is accessible for a tool through an assembly retainer 56 of the assembly section 52, which has been arranged flush with the plug retainer 59. When the screw is turned further into the fastening hole 44.3, the screw head is braced on the profiled section 54 in such a way that the assembly rail 50 is drawn into the interior receptacle 45 of the profiled frame section 40. The assembly rail 50 is exactly aligned on the profiled frame section For additional fastening, screws can be passed through individual assembly retainers 56, 57, inserted into the fastening holes 55, 58 and screwed into the respectively associated fastening retainer 44.3 in the interior wall 43. Depending on the type and size of the load exerted on the assembly rail 50, one or several additional fastening elements 46 can be used.

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Claims

1. An assembly unit with an assembly rail provided with assembly retainers, which can be fastened on profiled frame sections of a switchgear cabinet, wherein one or several fastening elements for holding assembly rails can be affixed to at least a portion of the profiled frame sections, characterized in that the assembly rail has at least one profiled leg, with at least one plug retainer, by means of which it can be plugged into the fastening element, and fastening element is adjustable in respect to the vertical profiled frame section for fixing the assembly rail in place.

2. The assembly unit in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the assembly rail is embodied as an open hollow profiled section, the profiled leg maintains the plug retainer in the area of the open profile side, and the plug retainer is open in the direction toward the S"open profile side. 25

3. The assembly unit in accordance with claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the assembly rail has two profiled legs, which are at an angle in respect to each other and extend in the longitudinal direction of the assembly unit, 30 the two profiled legs each have at least one plug retainer, and can be placed against longitudinally extending interior walls of the profiled frame sections of the rack.

4. The assembly unit in accordance with one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that Athe profiled leg(s) of the assembly rail has, besides 10 the plug retainers, fastening holes which can be aligned flush in respect to threaded retainers of the profiled frame sections, and fastening elements can be screwed into the fastening holes.

The assembly unit in accordance with one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the assembly rail is made essentially square or rectangular in cross section from two assembly sections placed at right angles in respect to each other and the profiled legs connected therewith, the assembly sections are provided with assembly retainers embodied as openings, and the assembly retainers provide access to the fastening elements.

6. The assembly unit in accordance with claim characterized in that fastening elements are passed through the assembly retainers and can be inserted into the fastening holes, and i the screws are accessible to a tool through the assembly retainers.

7. The assembly unit in accordance with one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that eoe the fastening element for the plug retainer is embodied as a screw, on whose bolt section the plug retainer is plugged transversely in relation to the center axis of the screw, and aoo. the screw head can be braced against the associated S"profiled leg.

8. The assembly unit in accordance with one of claims 1 to characterized in that -"the assembly rail can be attached, vertically 11 aligned, to the vertical profiled frame sections of the switchgear cabinet, wherein the profiled legs rest against interior walls of the profiled frame sections, which constitute an interior receptacle.

9. An assembly unit substantially as herein described with reference to the accompany drawings. Dated this 18th day of October 2000 RITTAL-WERK RUDOLF LOH GMBH CO. KG By their Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK So 0.55 0* 0*00 o..6 o*o*