CA1195416A - Front construction unit for electrical monitoring panel - Google Patents

Front construction unit for electrical monitoring panel

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Publication number
CA1195416A
CA1195416A CA000424332A CA424332A CA1195416A CA 1195416 A CA1195416 A CA 1195416A CA 000424332 A CA000424332 A CA 000424332A CA 424332 A CA424332 A CA 424332A CA 1195416 A CA1195416 A CA 1195416A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
chamber
monitoring panel
electrical monitoring
side walls
panel according
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA000424332A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Ewald Neumann
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Christof Subklew Firma
Original Assignee
Christof Subklew Firma
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Christof Subklew Firma filed Critical Christof Subklew Firma
Priority to CA000424332A priority Critical patent/CA1195416A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1195416A publication Critical patent/CA1195416A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Abstract

ABSTRACT

In a electrical monitoring panel comprising a grid frame (10) having front elements (26,27) disposed at its front side and instrument insets (16) at its rear side, elements of the electric circuitry are arranged inside the front elements (26,27).
The front elements (26,27) may be removed from the grid frame (10) whereby the connection with the electric lines and components of the instrument inset (16) is interrupted.
The front elements (26,27) are interconnected by contact elements (39,40) to permit electric connections in the plane ahead of the grid frame.

Description

FRONT CONSTRUCl'ION UNIT FOR ELECTRICAL MONITORING PANEL

The invention relates to a front construction unit for electrical monitoring panels having a mosaic design9 to cover the front sides of instrument insets secured to a grid frame, compxising a front wall, circumjacent side walls and rearwardly projecting clamping legs, the front wall and the side walls confining a chamber to receive electric slements.
In a known electrical monitoring panel (German Patent 28 29 721), there are secured to the fields of a grid frame instrument insets projecting to the rear from the grid frame.
The front ends of said instrument insets which contain electric circuits, carry indicators such as lighting devices, instruments, etc. or actuating means such as switches, push buttons or the like. Said indicators or actuating means extend t.hrough the grid frame into the front construction units whose ~ront sides are composed to form a mosaic picture. The front sides o:E the front construction units are partly translucent, partly opaque.
In addition, they may be printed by means of lines or switch symbols. The known front construction units have side walls which, together with -the front wall confine a chamber. The rear edges of the side walls are supported by the struts of the grid frame. The front construction units are mounted at the grid frame by means of clamping legs projecting to the rear from the side walls and extending through the corresponding g~id frame field to be supported in resilient divergence at the rear side of the grid frame.
~ ,~

An electric monitoring panel of thi.s type is unfavorable in that one instrument inset only contains the circuits and electric components which are coacting with the indicator and adjusting elements of the corresponding front construction unit.
~s a result, an involved wiring is required between the instrument insets at the rear side of the grid frame. To this effect, there are mounted behind the grid frame cross connection distributors by which the line connection is realised between the individual instrument insets. The cross connection distributor by itself is connected to a switch cabinet which contains the control elements properly speaking. As a result of such a construction of the electric monitoring panels, the lines between the instrument insets beyond the cross connection distributor and between the instrument insets or the cross connection distributors and the switch cabinet are very long. The electric construction of such an equipment is very complicated accordingly and requires extensive assemblies at the place of erection.
While the instrument inset comprises a switching board extending into the chamber of the front construction unit and to which a lighting device or the like can be connected by a plug- and socket connection, the problem of the expensive line wiring is not solved.
It is the object of the invention to considerably facilitate wiring of an electrical monitoring panel so as to greatly reduce the required wiring arrangement during the assembly as well as the space requirement and e~tent of the installation.
To solve the mentioned problem, it is provided according to the invention in connection with a front construction unit of the above mentioned type that in the chamber, a circuitry support is mounted whose lines can be connected via at least one 'plug-in' or press connection to a line of the instrument inset or to the circuitry support of a leterally adjacent front construction unit.
It is possible by means of such a front construction unity to house a substantial portion of the electric wiring ahead of the grid frame. In case of electrical monitoring panels which have a plurality of front construction units, a substantial part of the circuitry can be arranged inside the front construction units so that the front construction unit by itself forms the housing for part of the electric circuitry. As a result, part of the wiring can be mounted ahead of the grid frame in the housing formed by the front construction unit, which does not only serve as a cap or cover for the signalling or adjusting elements secured to the instrument inset, but which contains a wiring part that with the removal of the clamping unit from the grid frame or from the instrument case, is also taken off. This type of construction permits to house substantial elements of the circuitry in the front construction unit which assumes additional functions of the instrument inset accordingly.
As another advantage of the invention, the circuit elements in different fron construction units can be interconnected the connection not being established through the grid frames and the appertaining instrument insets, but directly in the plane of the front construction units ahead of the grid frame. Thus, a substantial part of the wiring operations can be realised directly between the front construction units designed as instrument or circuitry casings. To this effect, use can be also made of front construction units whose circuitry supports only contain connection lines to establish cross connections - 3a -between adjacent or remote front construction units which include active or passive components. It is important that line connection can be established in the plane of the front construction units thus dolng away with the need of conducting corresponding lines through the grid frame and through the instrument insets, because said lines will extend direc~ly in the plane of the front construction units ahead of the grid frames.
While a unit construction system for the assembly of electric and/or electronic switch arrangements comprising square units or plastics has been known (DE-AS 22 64 205~, wherein the individual units are inserted by means of correspondingly shaped bases into the fields of a grid frame, the upper portions of the units being provided with lateral contacts coming into direct contact ahead of the grid frame thus establishing electric connections ahead of the grid frame. The mentioned unit construction system concerns electric construction kits for instruction in which the connection of the units is performed exclusivel~ in the plane ahead of the grid frame while no lines are conducted through the grid frame to the rear. The front construction units constitute at the same time the instrument insets which are electrically interconnected exclusively ahead of the plane of the grid frame. The region behind the grid frame plane is free of constructional elements and of wirings, the wiring plane thus being restricted to the region ahead of the grid frame - and to establish a mass connection, to the region within the grid frame at most -.
In contradistinction thereto, it is provided according to the invention, in connection with an electrical monitoring panel, to dispose part of the wiring connections ahead of, and part of the wiring connections behind the plane of the grid Erame.
Pre~erably, the circuitry support is a switching board closing substantially the open rear side of the chamber, and on which, in a manner known per se, the lines are fitted as conducting paths~ Said switching board is also the carrier for electric components such as integrated circuits, transistors, rheostats, signal lamps, switches etc. ~hich are protectively housed in the front construction unit. If the latter is removed from the grid framel all of the plug or press connectlons to the adjacent front construction units and to the instrument inset arranged behind the grid frame are disconnected at the same time. The front construction unit with the circuitry support secured thereto and the electric components contained in it forms an independent mechanical assembly which can be plugged mechanically and electrically and which, as a component of the circuitry contained in the electric monitoring panel takes part in the total operation as an "active kit".
The chamber also may contain an electric clrcuitry with actlve members such as electronic switches and logic elemen-ts which, via plug-in or press connection are connected to a power supply.
In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the Gircuitry support comprises a contact element projecting la-terally ~eyond a side wall of the front construction unit for its connection with a contact element of an adjacent Eront construc~ion unit. The contact elements may ei-ther consist of plug-in connec-tors or of press-connectors. Such press connectors are resilient rolls having axially spaced, peripheral rings of electrically conductive material. The rings are interconnecting always two mutually aligned conducting paths of different switching boards.

Preferably, the front construction units are made of plastics. Therefore, they are flexible to some extent, i.e.
they can be deformed under pressure. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, two opposite side walls of the chamber contain perforations for the insertion of attachments of the switching board which will be mounted in the chamber in that the front construction unit is slightly deformed by manual pressure thus allowing a locking of the attachments in the perforations.
To ensure that the switching board will take a defined position within the front construction unit, the side walls of the chamber may have a step to support the switching board towards the front slde. Said support serve.s as an abutment face for the switching board if pressure is exerted on it from the rear side of the front construction unit, as for instO during the assembly of the front construction unit with the instrument inset.

An embodiment of the invention will be explained hereunder in detail with reference to the enclosed drawings.
Fig. 1 is a cross section of an electrical monitoring panel, Fig. 2 i5 a front view of the front construction units of electrical monitoring panels of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of part of the grid frame, at which a spring clip is provided to secure thereto an instrument inset, together with a front construction unit, Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the electric connection of two adjacent front construction units, Fig. 5 is a rear view of a double front construction unit covering two fields of the grid frame, and Fig. 6 is a section along line VI'VI of Fig. 5.
The basic element to which the substantial components of the electrical monitoring panels are secured, is a grid frame 10 consisting of rectangularly intersecting horizontal struts 11 and vertical structs 12. At their points of intersection, said struts are interconnected by means of cylindrical knot elements 13 which protrude laterally beyond struts 11, 12 and which form abutment faces 13, 15 for the elements to be mounted at the grid frame.
At the rear side of the grid frame 10, there are mounted instrument insets 16 of which one is illustrated in Fig. 1.

Said instrument inset 16 is made of plastics. A spring clip 17 attached to it, encloses the front end of the instrument inset 16 and projects beyond it in forward direction. Said spring clip 17 includes clamping legs 18 extending through the respective field of the grid frame and engaging witn outwardly directed projections behind two oppositely situated struts 12 of the grid frame. The front side of the instrument inset 16 contacts with four corner points the abutment faces 15 of the grid frame.
The grid inset 16 ma~ contain several modul units 19 of which one is ~hown in Fig. 1 and which includes a switching board 20 extending rom the instrument inset 16 into the grid fr~me 10 and carrying plug-socket holders at its front end which are connected via wires 22 to (non-illustrated) conducting paths of the switching board 20. It is possible to dispose of the switching board 20 (non-illustrated) electrical elements. Contact pins 23 are projecting to the rear from the backward end of the modul unit l9.
A cap 24, mounted at the bac~ward end of the instrument inset 16, contains a passage limited by resilient tongues and serving for cables which are connected to the contac-t pins 23.
Thè front elements 26, 27 are secured by plugging at the front side of the grid frame 10. The front construction unit 26 having a square front face is meant to cover one field of the grid frame. In contradistinction thereto, the front construction units 27 have front faces in the form of elongated rectangles. They cover three fields each of the grid frame.
The fxont elements are placed side b~ sicle like a mosaic in a surface to from the frorlt side of the electrical monitoring p~nel. Their front sides 28 may be provided with lines, switch s~mbols or the like, with transparent windows 29 or also with openings to actuate switches. The rectangular or s~uare front elements 26, 27 have side walls 30 extending at right angles to the front sides 28 and confining a chamber 30 together with the front sides~ The rear ends of the side walls 30 butt against the front abutment faces 14 of the grid frame 10.

Fach front element comprises clamping legs 32 projecting rearwardly from ~ppositely disposed side walls 30 and having at their ends outwardly directed noses 33. The clamping legs 32 extend through a field of the grid frame 10 to engage behind the respective struts 11 and 12 respO Between two corresponding clamping legs 32, a resilient tongue 33 of the spring clip 17 can be inserted.
The rear side of the chamber 30 is closed by means of a switching board 34 carrying electric elements e.g. integrated circuits 35, 36 which are situated inside the chamber 30 and which, by means of conductor legs 36 are connected to the (non-illustrated) conducting paths of the switching board 34.
Conducting paths may be provided at both sides of the switching board 34, which, moreovex, may carry light fittings 37 e.g. light emitting diodes, or switches or other elements. The light fittings 37 are arranged behind the windows 29.
The switching board 34 of the front element 26 illustrated in the centre of Fig. 1 also comprises outwardly directed plug pins 38 which extend into the region of the grid frame 10 and which, when the front element 2~ is plugged on the gxid frame 10, penetrate a respective plug-socket holder 21 of the corresponding instrument inset 16. By this means the switching board 34 acting as a circuitry support is connec-ted to the power supply and to the outgoing and incoming signal linesO
The electric circuits contained in the switching boards 34 are directly interconnected in the embodiment of Fig. 1.
This is achieved by contact elements 39, 40 which are embedded in the side walls 30 of the front element and which project from the side walls 30 according to Fig. 4. The contac-t elemen-ts 39 and 40 are made of a solid body of a relatively soft i.nsulating plastic material. The surface of the solid body contains plurality of mutually insulated e].ectric conducting paths 42 extending in parallel relative to each other. The body presses against the upper side of the switching board 34 thus causing its conducting paths 42 to come into contact with the conducting paths of the surface of the switchi.ng board 34.
Two corresponding conducting paths 42 of the two laterally counterpressed contact elements 39, 40 coming into contact, there is formed beyond the contact elements 39, 40 a conductive connection between mutually aligned conducting paths of the switching boards 34 in one common planeO This conductive connection does not require any soldered joints, it is achieved exclusively by elastic contact pressure. If one of the front elements is removed from the grid frame 10, the corresponding contact element is also separated from the contact element of the adjacent front element. Thus, supply voltages and signal voltages are transferred between conducting paths of switching boards 34 of ad~acent front elements. The contact elements 40, 41 which are arranged in corresponding recesses of the side walls 30 are firmly seated in the latter to project from them laterally and to bri.ng about a firm pressure contact between their conducting paths 42 and those of the switching board 3~.
In the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2, the electric members 36 housed in the front elements 27 are light emitting diode arrangements are subdivided into a plurality of fields located along a line. The windows 29 of the front element ~6 are made in the ~orm of arrows pointing to one of the ad~acen~ front elements (Fig.2). The arrow which lights up is marking the associated front element 27 in which one o~ the fields lights up in window 5~

29. Enabling of the associated light emitting diode within the light emitting diode group 36 and enabling of the light emitting diode 37 of the respective window 29 is performed via the circuitry in the instrument inset 16.
Figs. 5 and 6 show a front element 43 covering two fields of the grid frame 10, but being made up in conformity with front elements 26 and 27. The clamping legs 32 mounted alongside of the ~ront element 40, are so spaced that the resilient tongue 33 of a spring clip 17 can be inserted between them.
The clamping legs 32 extend along the side walls 30 to the front wall. Therefore, at the positions of the clamping legs 32, the switching board 34 is provided with recesses 44.
According to Fig. 6, some places of the side walls 30 are provided with perforations 45 into which extend the attachments 46 of the switching board 34. Thus, the switching board 34 is undetachably secured to the front element 43. The switching board 34 additionally rests against a step 47 e~tending inside the chamber along the side walls 30 thus ensuring that the switching board cannot be pressed into the chamber.
At the side walls oE the front element and inside -the chamber, there are grooves 48 arranged oppositely in pairs.
Said grooves 48 are meant for the insertion of partition walls preventing light, emitted from a lighting unit arranged in one chamber region, from getting into-another chamber region.

Claims (17)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property of privilege is claimed, are defined as follows:
1. An electrical monitoring panel of a mosaic design comprising a plurality of adjacent front structural units including at least one first front structural unit for covering the front sides of an instrument inset secured to a grid frame, said first front structural unit comprising a front wall, circumjacent side walls and clamping legs projecting rearwardly, the front wall and the side walls confining a chamber to receive electric elements, wherein a circuitry support having conducting lines is mounted in said chamber, said conducting lines being connected via at least one plug- or press connection to a line of an instrument inset and to the circuitry support of an adjacent front structural unit.
2. An electrical monitoring panel according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry support is a switching board substantially closing the open rear side of said chamber.
3. An electrical monitoring panel according to claim 1, wherein the chamber contains an electric circuit having active elements which are connected to a power supply via plug- or press connections.
4. An electrical monitoring panel according to claim 1, wherein a contact element projecting laterally beyond a side wall of said circuitry support provides conductive connection with an adjacent front construction unit by means of a corresponding suitable contact element.
5. An electrical monitoring panel according to claim 2, wherein two opposite side walls of said chamber contain perforations into which are inserted attachments for the switching board.
6. An electrical monitoring panel according to claim 2, wherein the side walls of the chamber contain a step which supports the switching board towards the front side.
7. An electrical monitoring panel according to claim 1. wherein two opposite side walls of the chamber are provided with parallel grooves for the insertion of partition walls.
8. An electrical monitoring panel of a mosaic design comprising a plurality of adjacent front structural units including at least one first front structural unit for covering the front sides of an instrument inset secured to a grid frame, said first front structural unit comprising a front wall, circumjacent side walls and clamping legs projecting rearwardly, the front wall and the side walls confining a chamber to receive electric elements, wherein a circuitry support having conducting lines is mounted in said chamber, said conducting lines being conductively connected to a line of an instrument inset of an adjacent front structural unit.
9. An electrical monitoring panel according to claim 8 wherein said circuitry support is a switching board substantially closing the rear side of said chamber and said chamber contains an electric circuit in conductive contact with a power supply.
10. An electrical monitoring panel according to claim 9, wherein a contact element projecting laterally beyond a side wall of said circuitry support provides conductive connection with an adjacent front construction unit by means of a corresponding suitable contact element.
11. An electrical monitoring panel according to claim 9, wherein the side walls of the chamber include a step means which supports the switching board.
12. An electrical monitoring panel according to claim 8, wherein two opposite side walls of said chamber are provided with parallel grooves for the insertion of partition walls.
13. An electrical monitoring panel of a mosaic design comprising a plurality of adjacent front structural units including at least one first front structural unit for covering the sides of an instrument inset secured to a grid frame, said first front structural unit comprising a front wall, circumjacent side walls and clamping legs projecting rearwardly, the front wall and the side walls confining a chamber to receive electric elements, wherein a circuitry support having conducting lines is mounted in said chamber, said conducting lines being conductively connected to the circuitry support of an adjacent front structural unit.
14. An electrical monitoring panel according to claim 13, wherein said circuitry support is a switching board substantially closing the rear side of said chamber and said chamber contains an electric circuit in conductive contact with a power supply.
15. An electrical monitoring panel according to claim 14, wherein a contact element projecting laterally beyond a side wall of said circuitry support provides conductive connection with an adjacent front construction unit by means of a corresponding suitable contact element.
16. An electrical monitoring panel according to claim 14, wherein the side walls of the chamber include a step means which supports the switching board.
17. An electrical monitoring panel according to claim 13, wherein two opposite side walls of said chamber are provided with parallel grooves for the insertion of partition walls.
CA000424332A 1983-03-24 1983-03-24 Front construction unit for electrical monitoring panel Expired CA1195416A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA000424332A CA1195416A (en) 1983-03-24 1983-03-24 Front construction unit for electrical monitoring panel

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA000424332A CA1195416A (en) 1983-03-24 1983-03-24 Front construction unit for electrical monitoring panel

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1195416A true CA1195416A (en) 1985-10-15

Family

ID=4124856

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA000424332A Expired CA1195416A (en) 1983-03-24 1983-03-24 Front construction unit for electrical monitoring panel

Country Status (1)

Country Link
CA (1) CA1195416A (en)

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