DE212020000703U1 - Arrangement of a thin sheet metal part and a substrate part to which the thin sheet metal part is connected - Google Patents

Abstract

Housing for accommodating devices, such as electrical, electronic and optical devices, comprising at least one arrangement of a sheet metal part with a wall thickness of at most 2.1 mm and a substrate part, to which the sheet metal part is mechanically and/or electrically connected by a screw with a countersunk head from the extending from a threaded shank received and tightened in a cavity of the substrate part, connected such that a top surface of the countersunk head remote from the shank is flush with or underlies an outer surface of the sheet metal part;
wherein the substrate part comprises a frame part of the housing and the cavity of the substrate part comprises a groove extending in a longitudinal direction of the frame part,
the sheet metal part having a penetrable opening through which the shank of the screw is provided, the penetrable opening comprising deformed wall parts with lips extending from an outer diameter of the penetrable opening to an inner diameter of the penetrable opening, the outer diameter of the opening being slightly larger than the diameter of the head, the inside diameter of the opening is slightly larger than the diameter of the shank and the diameter of the head of the screw is larger than the inside diameter of the penetrable opening,
wherein the lips are each received in a receiving space of the substrate part, which is the groove of the frame member, by bending the wall parts around the outer diameter by the countersunk head when tightening the screw.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a housing for accommodating devices such as electrical, electronic and optical devices. The housing comprises an assembly of a thin sheet metal part and a substrate part to which the sheet metal part is mechanically and/or electrically connected, the connection being made by a countersunk screw having a threaded shank extending therefrom which is disposed in a cavity of the substrate part is picked up and attracted.

The invention relates to such a housing for accommodating devices that include electrical, electronic and optical devices, the housing including at least one arrangement according to the invention.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Housings for accommodating devices such as electrical, electronic and optical equipment, in particular computer devices, have been known for a long time. Non-limiting examples of suitable electronic devices include servers, network hardware, and audio equipment. Enclosures used in business applications, for example, may include racks, which are typically open-walled except for a roof, and cabinets, which also typically have side walls. Such housings comprise a supporting frame of interconnected frame members including floor frame members, vertically oriented side frame members and roof frame members. Vertically aligned mounting rails for hanging equipment can be provided on and/or between the lateral frame parts. Each mounting rail can be connected to a floor and a roof frame part. An example of such a housing is a so-called 19 inch housing, which comprises a series of vertically oriented mounting rails extending parallel to one another at a standardized spacing of typically 17.7 inches. Each mounting rail is provided with a plurality of openings or other receptacles extending along a longitudinal direction of each mounting rail and provided at the same level between the mounting rails. Standard optional modular equipment may typically be 17.7 inches wide and may also be provided with mounting lips that connect to the openings or receptacles, such as with screws. In this way, several equipment units can be hung one above the other in one housing.

It should be noted that a housing with the arrangement according to the invention is not limited to the 19-inch housing described above and the invention is also limited to other housings, preferably with standardized dimensions, such as 23-inch housings, used for example in telecommunications become applicable.

DE 3241067A1 discloses a housing for housing devices such as electrical, electronic and optical devices. The housing includes frame members and panels attached thereto. A panel is connected to a frame member by providing a funnel shaped bulge in the panel which is positioned in an opening in the frame member. A countersunk screw is then provided in a bore provided for this purpose in the frame part at predefined positions.

WO 2015/043924A1 discloses a housing for an electrical household appliance. Two housing plates are connected to each other to establish an electrically conductive connection between them. A first panel has a first cutout and a second panel has a second cutout that overlaps the first cutout and at least one protrusion that engages the first cutout. A screw passes through both cutouts into a hole in a reinforcement member to fasten the panels together.

US2012/0062084A1 discloses a housing for housing devices such as electrical, electronic and optical devices. A panel is attached to a frame member by providing saddle chambers and countersunk openings in the frame members at predefined positions, into which countersunk screws are screwed.

The rest of the prior art does not relate to housings for housing devices such as electrical, electronic and optical devices. So reveals the US2003/0183730A1 a mounting rail system for attaching shelves for avionics components and the like in an aircraft cockpit instrument panel, while the EP3450775A1 shows a connecting element for the friction-enhanced connection of a first and second component in power generation, in particular in wind turbines. The fasteners are coated with hard particles and have openings with an outer contour and an inner hole, and extensions directed towards the inner hole of each opening.

There is a continuing effort in the art to improve housings in terms of strength, rigidity, cooling, rattle prevention, and other noise, weight and cost reduction. In this context, increasingly thin sheet metal wall parts with a wall thickness of at most 2.1 mm are used. Such thin sheet metal wall parts can be mechanically connected to a frame member of the housing to form roof parts or side walls of the housing or walls for any other purpose. For connection, the thin sheet metal wall parts may be provided with a number of openings and the connection may be made by a headed screw from which extends a threaded shank which passes through the openings of the thin sheet metal part and into a cavity of the frame part is picked up and tightened, which serves as a substrate part for the thin sheet metal part.

In order to avoid collisions with protruding screws, screws with countersunk heads are preferably used. These screws allow a countersunk connection between the thin sheet metal part and the substrate part. However, the provision of openings in a thin sheet metal part, which allow such a countersunk connection, is problematic since the connection is usually not sufficiently strong and the connection is not reliable. A second problem is to make an electrical connection between the countersunk screw and the sheet metal part for grounding purposes. Sheet metal parts can in fact be provided with a protective electrically insulating layer on a side facing the countersunk head of the screw, and this electrically insulating layer prevents the establishment of an electrical connection between the sheet metal part and a substrate part to which it is connected.

It is an object of the present invention to avoid or at least partially eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These and other objects are achieved by providing a housing according to claim 1. The housing comprises, inter alia, an arrangement of a sheet metal part with a wall thickness of at most 2.1 mm and a substrate part to which the sheet metal part is mechanically and/or electrically connected, the connection is made by a countersunk screw from which extends a threaded shank which is received and tightened in a cavity of the substrate part, the sheet metal part having a penetrable opening through which the shank of the screw is provided, an outer diameter of the opening is slightly larger than the diameter of the head, an inner diameter of the opening is slightly larger than the diameter of the shank and wall parts of the sheet metal part extend from the outer diameter to the inner diameter, with those wall parts being deformed by the countersunk head when tightening the screw and each in a receiving space of the substrate part be taken.

An outer diameter of the penetrable opening is slightly larger than the diameter of the countersunk head of the screw, which means that the countersunk head of the screw can enter the penetrable opening in such a way that an upper side of the countersunk head facing away from the shank is flush with an outer surface of the sheet metal part or even may be below when connected. An inner diameter of the penetrable opening is slightly larger than the diameter of the shank of the screw, which means that the shank of the screw can be inserted freely into the part of the opening covered by the inner diameter.

The threaded shank of the countersunk screw is received in a cavity of the substrate part and tightened. For this purpose the cavity of the substrate part may also be at least partially threaded and the threads of the substrate part cooperate with the threads of the countersunk screw to make the connection. In another possibility, the cavity of the substrate part is not threaded, but the threading is created in the cavity of the substrate part when the shank of the countersunk screw is received in the cavity of the substrate part and tightened. The screw is then referred to as "self-tapping". It should be noted that the invention does not require a substrate having a countersink or tapered hole into which the countersunk fits snugly. Rather, the receiving space of the substrate part can be larger than the countersunk head in order to be able to receive the deformable wall parts.

The substrate part can be made of metal, but also of any other suitable material that can conduct electricity. A suitable non-metal material may be a polymer provided with electrically conductive fibres, such as carbon fibres.

A further embodiment of the invention provides an arrangement in which the sheet metal part has a protective, electrically insulating layer on a side facing the countersunk head and the countersunk head is provided on its shank side with a cutting edge which cuts through the electrically insulating layer when the screw is tightened, whereby an electrical connection between between the screw and the sheet metal part for grounding purposes. The optional electrical connection between the countersunk screw, the sheet metal part and the substrate part is important for establishing a ground connection. In an electrical installation, a grounding system or ground connects certain parts of the installation to the conductive surface of the earth for safety and functional reasons.

According to the invention, wall parts of the sheet metal part extend from the outer diameter to the inner diameter and are deformed by the countersunk head when the screw is tightened, and the deformed wall parts are received in a receiving space of the substrate part. The countersunk head touches the wall parts on the shank side and, as the screw with countersunk head is tightened further in the cavity of the substrate part, deforms the wall parts in the direction of the cavity of the substrate part in such a way that they are received in a receiving space of the substrate part in the deformed state. The deformed wall parts accommodated in the receiving space of the substrate part provide a strong and reliable connection between the thin sheet metal part and the substrate part and also enable a sinking connection to be made between the substrate part and a thin sheet metal part.

The deformation of the wall parts when tightening the countersunk screw into the cavity of the substrate part can be arbitrary. In one embodiment, the wall parts are elastically deformed by the countersunk head when the screw is tightened. In this embodiment, loosening the screw and loosening the connection between the thin sheet metal part and the substrate part can result in the deformation of the wall parts being restored to their original state. In another embodiment, the wall parts are plastically deformed by the countersunk head when the screw is tightened. In this embodiment, the wall parts are left in their deformed state when the screw is loosened. In other words, in this embodiment, the deformation of the wall parts of the penetrable openings in the thin sheet metal part is permanent once they are deformed.

The thin sheet metal part can have any shape. For example, it can be in the form of strips or plates or have a profiled cross-section. The thin sheet metal part can preferably be used as part of an enclosure or housing for accommodating devices such as electrical, electronic and optical devices, in particular computer devices. An expedient embodiment of the invention then provides an arrangement in which the sheet metal part has a multiplicity of the openings according to the invention, which are arranged along a side edge of the sheet metal part. Preferably, the side edge of the sheet metal part is linear and the openings are aligned along a line parallel to the linear side edge of the sheet metal part. The orifices said refer to the penetrable orifices through which the shank of the screw is provided, an outer diameter of the orifices being slightly larger than the diameter of the head, an inner diameter of the orifices being slightly larger than the diameter of the shank, and themselves Wall parts of the sheet metal part extend from the outer diameter to the inner diameter, with those wall parts being deformed by the countersunk head when the screw is tightened and each being accommodated in a receiving space of the substrate part. It goes without saying that the sheet metal part can also have a large number of further openings, which are optionally arranged along a side edge of the sheet metal part. The other openings cannot be penetrated and are provided with deformable wall parts.

The substrate part includes a cavity for receiving the threaded shank of the countersunk screw and a receiving space for receiving the deformable wall portions of the thin sheet metal part in the deformed state (also referred to as "the deformed wall portions").

According to the invention, the substrate part comprises a frame part of the housing, preferably an extruded frame part, and the cavity of the substrate part comprises a groove which extends in the longitudinal direction of the frame part and is optionally provided with a thread, the groove also providing the receiving space for the deformable wall parts. The receiving space can also be provided with a thread or can do without a thread. In the latter case the groove is only threaded on part of its surface. A frame member is preferably a linear structure extending longitudinally.

The invention provides a solution to the problem of making a strong and reliable sinking connection between a thin sheet metal part and a substrate part in the form of a frame member provided with a groove extending in a longitudinal direction of the frame member. The thin sheet metal part has a maximum wall thickness of 2.1 mm. In further preferred embodiments, the wall thickness of the sheet metal part does not exceed 1.8 mm, more preferably not more than 1.6 mm, more preferably not more than 1.4 mm, more preferably not more than 1.1 mm and very particularly preferably not more than 0.9 mm. The advantages of the invention become clearer with a smaller wall thickness of the sheet metal part. In the In most embodiments, the thin sheet metal part will have a constant wall thickness. If this is not the case, the wall thickness of the sheet metal part corresponds to its wall thickness at the location of the penetrable opening(s). In other words, the sheet metal part can be thicker at locations other than the penetrable opening(s), for example between the penetrable openings.

According to the invention, an upper side of the countersunk head facing away from the shank is flush with an outer surface of the sheet metal part or is below it. The countersunk screw in this embodiment is driven sufficiently far into the cavity of the substrate part, i. H. screwed into the groove of the frame member to achieve the countersink effect. The person skilled in the art can choose the dimensions of the screw and the cavity and/or the receiving space of the substrate part in such a way that this is achieved.

According to the invention, wall parts of the penetrable opening of the thin sheet metal part are deformed by the countersunk head when the screw is tightened and are each received in a receiving space of the substrate part. As explained above, the deformation can be elastic (recoverable) or plastic (permanent). In order to facilitate the deformation of the deformable wall parts, an embodiment is provided in which the wall of the sheet metal part has one or more weakened areas in the vicinity of the deformable wall parts to facilitate their deformation by the countersunk head when tightening the screw. The provision of the weakened areas not only facilitates the deformation of the penetrable wall parts, but may also initiate some deformation mechanism, such as bending of the wall parts about a line formed in the weakened area(s).

The weakening of the sheet metal part in a weakened area can be achieved in various ways. In one embodiment, a weakened area is formed by reducing the wall thickness of the sheet metal part in the weakened area. In another embodiment, the sheet metal part can be weakened in a weakened area by (additionally) removing parts of the sheet metal part, e.g. B. by drilling through holes in the sheet metal part. A weakened area can thus be defined as an area of the thin sheet metal part that has reduced mechanical properties, such as stiffness and/or strength.

According to the invention, the deformable wall portions include lips extending between the inner and outer diameters. These lips may have a free edge on the inside diameter side to form an opening defined by the inside diameter. The lips are deformed by bending around the outside diameter under the action of a penetrating countersink.

The number of deformable wall parts or lips in some embodiments can be chosen at will and can be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and more depending on practical considerations. The wall parts can be separated before the head of the screw is inserted into the cavity of the substrate part, or they can be separated when the head of the screw is inserted into the cavity of the substrate part.

Preferred is an embodiment of the assembly wherein the deformable wall portions comprise a plurality of lips arranged in a geometric configuration. For example, the lips may be configured to be positioned around the perimeter formed by the penetrable opening. When an even number of wall parts or lips are used, in one embodiment the wall parts or lips may be diametrically opposed.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the sheet metal part has a protective, electrically insulating layer on a side facing the countersunk head, and the countersunk head is provided with a cutting edge on its shank side, which cuts through the electrically insulating layer when the screw is tightened, thereby creating an electrical connection between between the screw and the sheet metal part for earthing purposes. The cutting edge can be designed in different ways. In one embodiment, the cutting edge of the countersunk head of the screw extends along substantially the entire circumference of the countersunk head of the screw. However, the cutting edge may extend over only part of the circumference of the countersunk head of the screw or be embodied as a number of cutting pins arranged along the circumference of the countersunk screw. It is also possible to provide an embodiment in which more than one cutting edge is provided at different radial distances from a center line of the countersunk head of the screw.

The arrangement according to the invention is preferably used in a housing for accommodating devices such as electrical, electronic and optical devices, in particular computer devices. A further aspect of the invention therefore relates to a housing for accommodating devices, such as electrical, electronic and optical devices, comprising at least one arrangement according to the present disclosure. For example, the sheet metal part may comprise a wall of the housing selected from an airtight wall, an air blocking wall, a bottom wall or a roof wall of the housing. According to the invention, the substrate part comprises a frame member of the housing selected from an upright frame member, a floor frame member or a roof frame member of the housing. Other substrate parts may be strips or a mounting rail, preferably an extruded mounting rail, provided with a series of cavities or holes. These examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not to be construed as limiting the invention.

A screw for use in an assembly according to the present disclosure includes a countersunk head from which extends a threaded shank for receipt and tightening in a cavity of a substrate part, i. H. into the groove of a frame element, the countersunk head being provided on its shank side with a cutting edge suitable for cutting through an electrically insulating layer of a sheet metal part for earthing purposes when tightening the screw.

A preferred embodiment of the housing uses a screw in which a cross-section of the cutting edge is triangular, with a first leg of the triangle extending at an angle between 30 and 60° with respect to a longitudinal direction of the shank and a second leg of the triangle at an Extends angle between 0 and 30 ° with respect to the longitudinal direction of the shaft. This embodiment is particularly successful in establishing an electrical connection between the screw, the thin sheet metal part and the substrate part.

A further improved embodiment of the housing uses a screw in which the first leg extends on a side facing the shank and the second leg extends on a side remote from the shank.

A sheet metal part for use in an assembly according to the present disclosure includes an opening through which a shank of a screw can be provided, wherein an outside diameter of the opening is slightly larger than the diameter of a countersunk head of the screw, an inside diameter of the opening slightly larger than the diameter of the shank and wall parts of the sheet metal part extend from the outer diameter to the inner diameter, the wall parts being deformed by the countersunk head of the screw when the screw is tightened. The housing of the present invention enables a strong and reliable mechanical and/or electrical connection to be made to a substrate member, the connection being buried and preferably electrically conductive for grounding purposes.

The embodiments of the invention described in the present disclosure may be combined in any possible combination of these embodiments, and each embodiment may individually form the subject of a divisional patent application.

character list

• 1 zeigt eine perspektivische Ansicht eines Gehäuses oder Racks gemäß einer Ausführungsform der Erfindung;
• 2 zeigt ein Detail des in 1 dargestellten Racks mit einer Anordnung gemäß einer Ausführungsform der Erfindung;
• 3A zeigt eine Draufsicht auf eine Anordnung mit einem Blechsubstrat gemäß einer Ausführungsform der Erfindung;
• 3B zeigt eine Querschnittsansicht der in 3A dargestellten Anordnung;
• 3C zeigt eine Querschnittsansicht einer Anordnung mit einer Mutter als Substrat gemäß einer Ausführungsform der Erfindung;
• 3D zeigt eine Querschnittsansicht einer Anordnung mit einem Blechsubstrat, dessen verformbare Wandteile eine reduzierte Wandstärke aufweisen, gemäß einer Ausführungsform der Erfindung;
• 4A zeigt eine Draufsicht auf ein dünnes Blechteil mit einer Öffnung gemäß einer Ausführungsform der Erfindung;
• 4B zeigt eine Querschnittsansicht einer Anordnung mit einem genuteten Rahmenteil als Substrat gemäß einer Ausführungsform der Erfindung;
• 4C zeigt eine Querschnittsansicht der in 4B dargestellten Anordnung mit einer Schraube gemäß einer Ausführungsform der Erfindung;
• 4D zeigt eine Querschnittsansicht der in 4C dargestellten Anordnung, nachdem eine Schraube gemäß einer Ausführungsform der Erfindung entfernt wurde;
• 5 zeigt eine detaillierte Querschnittsansicht einer Anordnung, bei der die Schraube mit einer Schneidkante versehen ist, gemäß einer Ausführungsform der Erfindung;
• 6 zeigt eine Draufsicht auf ein dünnes Blechteil mit Öffnungen gemäß mehreren Ausführungsformen der Erfindung;
• 7 zeigt eine perspektivische Ansicht einer Anordnung gemäß einer Ausführungsform der Erfindung in einem verbundenen Zustand;
• 8 zeigt eine perspektivische Ansicht einer Anordnung gemäß einer Ausführungsform der Erfindung in einem unverbundenen Zustand; und
• 9A und 9B zeigen schließlich eine perspektivische Ansicht von unten und von oben auf eine Ausführungsform einer Schraube zur Verwendung in der erfindungsgemäßen Anordnung.

The invention will now be explained in more detail on the basis of several non-exhaustive embodiments which are illustrated in the attached schematic drawings. In the drawings:

• 1 12 shows a perspective view of a housing or rack according to an embodiment of the invention;
• 2 shows a detail of the in 1 illustrated racks with an arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention;
• 3A shows a plan view of an arrangement with a sheet metal substrate according to an embodiment of the invention;
• 3B shows a cross-sectional view of FIG 3A arrangement shown;
• 3C Fig. 12 shows a cross-sectional view of an assembly with a nut as a substrate according to an embodiment of the invention;
• 3D shows a cross-sectional view of an arrangement with a sheet metal substrate whose deformable wall parts have a reduced wall thickness, according to an embodiment of the invention;
• 4A Fig. 12 shows a plan view of a thin sheet metal part with an opening according to an embodiment of the invention;
• 4B Fig. 12 shows a cross-sectional view of an arrangement with a notched frame member as a substrate according to an embodiment of the invention;
• 4C shows a cross-sectional view of FIG 4B shown arrangement with a screw according to an embodiment of the invention;
• 4D shows a cross-sectional view of FIG 4C arrangement shown after a screw has been removed according to an embodiment of the invention;
• 5 shows a detailed cross-sectional view of an arrangement in which the screw with a cutting edge, according to an embodiment of the invention;
• 6 12 shows a plan view of a thin sheet metal part with openings according to several embodiments of the invention;
• 7 shows a perspective view of an arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention in a connected state;
• 8th Figure 12 shows a perspective view of an assembly according to an embodiment of the invention in an unconnected state; and
• 9A and 9B finally show a perspective view from below and from above of an embodiment of a screw for use in the arrangement according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

In 1 a rack 1 according to an embodiment of the invention is shown. The rack 1 can be used to accommodate devices such as electrical, electronic and optical devices (not shown). The rack includes a rectangular floor 10 having four interconnected floor frame members 10a extending between four floor corner members 10b. Also provided is a rectangular roof 11 consisting of four interconnected roof frame members 11a extending between four roof corner members 11b. The floor 10 and roof 11 are held at a vertical distance 13 from each other by vertically extending side frame members 12, each side frame member 12 being provided between a floor corner member 10b and a roof corner member 11b. The frame parts 10a, 11a and 12 and the corner elements (10b, 11b) together form a supporting structure for accommodating devices.

In the embodiment shown, the roof 11 is provided with three adjacent roof panels 11c made of thin sheet metal, preferably steel. The thin sheet metal plates 11c have a thickness of 1.0 mm, but can also have another thickness of at most 2.1 mm. in the in 1 In the embodiment shown, two vertically aligned mounting rails 14 are provided between each pair of lateral frame parts 12 at least in two side planes 15 of the rack 1 . Each mounting rail 14 is connected at one of its ends to a floor frame part 10a and a roof frame part 11a, as is usual in practice. The 19 inch mounting rails 14 extend parallel to one another at a standardized spacing 16 of typically 17.7 inches. Each mounting rail 14 is further provided with a plurality of square openings 14a extending along a longitudinal direction 14b of each mounting rail 14 and provided between the mounting rails 14 at the same level. Standardized suitable devices can be provided with attachment lips to be connected to the openings 14a, e.g. B. by screws. In this way, several pieces of equipment (not shown) can be hung in rack 1 one above the other. The mounting rails 14 can be provided with further openings 14c for the same purpose or for connection to ancillary parts of the rack 1, such as stiffening brackets, side walls (not shown) and the like. Apart from the roof panels 11c, which together form a roof wall part, the rack 1 can be provided with other wall parts, such as side wall parts or bottom wall parts, in order to form a substantially closed cabinet. The surfaces of the roof panels 11c can be provided with a protective, electrically insulating layer, for example with a powder coating 111, as in FIG 5 shown. Such a layer 111 protects the roof panels 11c, but otherwise electrically isolates the roof panels 11c, which may not be desirable for grounding purposes.

In the 2 a detail of a roof corner of the rack 1 is shown schematically. Each thin-walled roof panel 11c is provided with a plurality of openings 3 arranged along a side edge 110 of the roof panel 11c. Some of the openings are penetrable openings 5 having a shape according to the embodiments of the invention. Possible shapes of these penetrable openings 5 are explained below, for example with reference to FIG 6 . A horizontal roof frame part 11a forms a substrate for the thin-walled roof panel 11c, to which it is mechanically and electrically connected via a screw 4.

As in the 9A and 9B Illustrated in more detail, a suitable screw 4 comprises a countersunk head 40 from which a threaded shank 41 extends. The head 40 may be provided with a recess 42 for receiving a screwdriver. The countersunk head 40 is provided on one side of the shank 41 with a cutting edge 43 which, when the screw 4 is tightened, cuts through an electrically insulating layer 111 of the thin-walled roof panel 11c, as for example in FIG 5 shown. This establishes an electrical connection between the screw 4 and the thin-walled roof plate 11c for grounding purposes. In the embodiment shown, the cutting edge 43 of the countersunk head 40 of the screw 4 extends substantially along the entire circumference of the countersunk head 40 of the screw 4. In FIG In other embodiments (not shown), the cutting edge 43 may extend along only part of the circumference of the countersunk head 40 or be embodied as one or more cutting pins. Two or more cutting edges 43 or cutting pins can also be provided on different radii. As in 5 1, a cross section of the cutting edge 43 is triangular, with a first leg of the triangle extending at an angle between 30 and 60° (about 45°) with respect to a longitudinal direction of the shank 41 and a second leg of the triangle at an angle between 0 and 30° (about 15°) with respect to the longitudinal direction of the shank 41 . The first leg extends on a side facing the shank 41 , while the second leg extends on a side facing away from the shank 41 .

As in 7 Best illustrated, the thin-walled roof panel 11c or other vertically extending wall panel 11d of the shelf 1 may be connected to a roof frame member 11a or other frame member (10a, 12) by providing the threaded shank 41 in a cavity of the substrate member , which in the embodiment shown is an optionally threaded groove 120 extending in a longitudinal direction 12b of the side frame member 12 . The shank 43 is received in the groove 120 and tightened to connect the vertical wall panel 11d and the frame member 12. As shown in FIG. The frame part 12 can also be provided with other grooves 121 extending in the longitudinal direction 12b in order to attach a mounting rail 14 thereto, for example.

In 6 1 is now plan views of thin sheet metal parts such as the thin walled roof panel 11c, each thin walled roof panel 11c having a penetrable opening 5 according to a further embodiment of the invention. As in 6X Schematically shown at top right, each penetrable opening 5 is defined by an outer diameter 50 of opening 5 that is slightly larger than diameter 44 (see Fig 9A ) of the head of the screw 40, and an inner diameter 51 of the opening 5 slightly larger than a diameter 45 (see 9A ) of the shank of the screw 41 is defined. The outside and inside diameters (50, 51) can easily be chosen if the diameter 44 of the head of the screw 40 and the diameter 45 of the shank of the screw 41 are known. In the in the 6(A) until 6(M) In the illustrated embodiments, the inner and outer diameters (50, 51) are shown without numbering for reasons of clarity. The shank 41 of the screw 4 is guided through the opening formed by the inner diameter 51 . As in the 6(A) until 6(M) shown for all embodiments, wall portions 52 of the thin-walled roof panel 11c extend from the outer diameter 50 to the inner diameter 51. Because these wall portions 52 occupy part of the area between the outer diameter 50 and the inner diameter 51, these wall portions come into contact with the countersunk head of the screw 40 and are deformed by the countersunk head of the screw 40 when tightening the screw 4 in the groove 120 or another cavity of the substrate. This deformation is in the 3 , 4 and 5 shown in more detail and explained in more detail below.

The deformable wall portions 52 may be lips that extend between the outer diameter 50 and the inner diameter 51 . In the embodiment of 6(D) the deformable wall part 52 consists of a lip on the left side of the opening 5. The 6(A) , 6(B) , 6(C) , 6(E) , 6(H) , 6(I) , 6(J) and 6(K) show deformable wall portions 52 in the form of lips located diametrically opposite each other. The embodiments of 6(F) and 6(L) have three deformable wall parts 52 regularly arranged along the perimeter of the penetrable opening 5. 6(G) shows four deformable wall parts 52 regularly arranged along the periphery of the penetrable opening 5, while 6(M) Figure 12 shows a total of eight deformable wall parts 52 regularly arranged along the perimeter of the penetrable opening 5.

In some embodiments, such as in the 6(H) and 6(I) , the wall of the sheet metal part, such as the thin-walled sheet metal 11c, includes weakened areas 54 in the form of removed wall parts, such as through holes. The weakened areas 54 facilitate deformation of the adjacent deformable wall portions 52.

3A 12 shows a plan view of an arrangement comprising a sheet metal part such as the thin-walled plate 11c, which is connected with a screw 4 to a substrate 6, which in the present embodiment is also a thin-walled sheet metal part 6. FIG. As in the cross-sectional view of 3B As shown, the wall portions 52 have been deformed upon tightening of the screw 4 in a cavity 60, optionally threaded, provided in the sheet substrate 6. It should be noted that the thin-walled plate substrate 6 is formed to have an accommodation space 61 in which the deformed wall parts 52 can be accommodated when the screw 4 is tightened in the hole 60 .

3B shows a further embodiment in which the substrate part comprises a nut 7 whose central cavity 70 may be threaded to receive shank 41 of screw 4. A conically shaped upper part 71 of the cavity 70 offers a receiving space for the deformable wall parts 52.

In the 3D The embodiment shown is similar to the embodiment of FIG 3B , but differs therefrom in that the wall of the sheet metal part, like the thin-walled plate 11c, has weakened areas 53 in the vicinity of the deformable wall parts 52, the weakened areas 53 comprising a reduced wall thickness of the thin-walled plate 11c. The reduced wall thickness facilitates the deformation of the adjacent deformable wall parts 52 by the countersunk head 40 when tightening the screw 4.

4A 12 shows a plan view of the thin-walled plate 11c with a penetrable opening 5 according to an embodiment of the invention. As in 4B shown, this embodiment comprises an arrangement which comprises a grooved frame part 12 as a substrate part, as is also shown in FIG 7 is shown. It should be noted that the groove 120 (see 7 ) in the side view of the 4B until 4D is not visible because it extends in the longitudinal direction 12b of the frame part 12. In 4A 1, the thin-walled plate 11c is shown positioned on or against the grooved frame member 12. FIG. The deformable wall parts 52 are not yet deformed and extend in a plane of the thin-walled plate 11c. in the in 4C In the situation shown, a screw 4 has been screwed into the groove 120, as a result of which the deformable wall parts 52 have actually been deformed under the action of the head of the screw 40. The deformation approximately follows the shape of a shank-side surface of the head of the screw 40, which can be conical, for example. The deformed wall portions 52 are received in the groove 120, which is in the 4B until 4D extends from left to right.

5 12 shows a situation in which the screw 4 has been removed from the groove 120 in order to detach the thin-walled plate 11c from the grooved frame part 12, for example. As illustrated, the deformed wall portions 52 have been plastically (or permanently) deformed by the countersunk head 40 as the screw 4 in the groove 120 was tightened. This deformation can be described as a bending of the deformable wall parts 52 about the outer diameter 50 of the penetrable opening 5 .

It is clear that many variations of the embodiments described above can be envisaged by a person skilled in the art within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

QUOTES INCLUDED IN DESCRIPTION

This list of documents cited by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Patent Literature Cited

• DE 3241067 A1 [0005]
• WO 2015/043924 A1 [0006]
• US 2012/0062084 A1 [0007]
• US 2003/0183730 A1 [0008]
• EP 3450775 A1 [0008]

Claims (16)

Housing for accommodating devices, such as electrical, electronic and optical devices, comprising at least one arrangement of a sheet metal part with a wall thickness of at most 2.1 mm and a substrate part, to which the sheet metal part is mechanically and/or electrically connected by a screw with a countersunk head from the extending from a threaded shank received and tightened in a cavity of the substrate part, connected such that a top surface of the countersunk head remote from the shank is flush with or underlies an outer surface of the sheet metal part; wherein the substrate part comprises a frame part of the housing and the cavity of the substrate part comprises a groove extending in a longitudinal direction of the frame part, the sheet metal part having a penetrable opening through which the shank of the screw is provided, the penetrable opening comprising deformed wall parts with lips extending from an outer diameter of the penetrable opening to an inner diameter of the penetrable opening, the outer diameter of the opening being slightly larger than the diameter of the head, the inside diameter of the opening is slightly larger than the diameter of the shank and the diameter of the head of the screw is larger than the inside diameter of the penetrable opening, wherein the lips are each received in a receiving space of the substrate part, which is the groove of the frame member, by bending the wall parts around the outer diameter by the countersunk head when tightening the screw. housing after claim 1 , wherein the sheet metal part has a protective electrically insulating layer on a side facing the countersunk head and the countersunk head is provided on its shank side with a cutting edge which cuts through the electrically insulating layer when the screw is tightened, thereby creating an electrical connection between the screw and the sheet metal part grounding purposes. housing after claim 1 or 2 , whereby the wall parts are plastically deformed by the countersunk head when tightening the screw. The housing of any preceding claim, wherein said sheet metal member has a plurality of said openings disposed along a side edge of said sheet metal member. housing after claim 4 , wherein the side edge of the sheet metal part is linear and the openings are aligned along a line parallel to the linear side edge of the sheet metal part. A housing according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the substrate part comprises a nut or socket screw, a central cavity of which is threaded and also provides the receiving space for the deformable wall parts. A housing according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the substrate part comprises an extruded frame part and the cavity of the substrate part comprises a threaded groove. housing after claim 7 , wherein the frame member is a linear structure extending in the longitudinal direction. Housing according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the wall thickness of the sheet metal part does not exceed 1.6 mm, preferably 1.1 mm and particularly preferably 0.9 mm. Housing according to one of the preceding claims, wherein an upper side of the countersunk head facing away from the shaft is flush with an outer surface of the sheet metal part or lies below it. An enclosure according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wall of the sheet metal part has weakened areas in the vicinity of the wall parts to facilitate their deformation by the countersunk head when tightening the screw. housing after claim 11 wherein the weakened areas comprise a reduced wall thickness of the sheet metal part and/or removed wall parts of the sheet metal part, such as through holes. A housing according to any one of the preceding claims including a plurality of lips arranged in a geometric configuration. A housing according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the lips are diametrically opposed to each other. Housing after one of claims 2 until 14 wherein the cutting edge of the countersunk head of the screw extends over a substantially complete circumference of the countersunk head of the screw. Housing according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the substrate part comprises a frame part of the housing, which consists of an upright Frame part, a floor frame part or a roof frame part of the housing is selected.

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