EP0993014B1 - Mounting of a switching device housing - Google Patents

Abstract

The housing is attached to the edge (17) of a receptacle (16). The edge has an opening (23) into which the housing at least partially engages.. The opening has two side boundaries (24) and is open towards the outer edge (18). When assembled, the housing is a mechanical connection between the side boundaries, and closes the force transmission train along the edge.

Description

The invention relates to the installation of a housing of a switching device with the features of the preamble of claim 1, in particular a temperature controller, to the edge of a receptacle for a heating device, the edge having a recess into which the housing engages at least partially, the recess with is provided with two side boundaries and is open towards the outer edge.

DE 41 38 817 describes how a housing of a temperature controller is fastened to a shell jacket of a support shell for a ring heating element by means of a two-leg angled holder. In addition, designs are described according to which the housing engages by means of fastening members which protrude from the shell casing and which are introduced into through-openings in the housing, and the end of which is then rotated for fastening. An upper web can be left as a frame in the recess in the shell casing, into which the housing partially protrudes.

TASK AND SOLUTION

The invention has for its object to eliminate disadvantages of the prior art with regard to mounting options and to improve the stability of the edge of the receptacle for a heating device.

This object is achieved by the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims. According to the invention, the fastening of the housing to the receptacle can go beyond mere fastening and additionally fulfill a second function, namely to use the housing in the installed state as a reinforcement of the edge weakened by the recess. In particular, tensile loads that could result in a widening of the recess by pressing on the edge can be absorbed in this way.

It is provided according to the invention to insert the housing from the outer edge towards the edge into the recess, that is to say preferably parallel to the surface of the recess. At least a portion of the edge engages in a corresponding recess in the housing when inserted. At least one further section engages after inserting the housing by bending into a corresponding recess or opening in the housing. Not all sections have to be bent after insertion, which simplifies assembly. The sections can advantageously be connected to the housing in different surfaces running parallel to the edge in order to fasten the housing sufficiently and to stabilize the edge.

The sections are preferably at least partially designed as bending tabs, as a result of which complex connection methods such as screwing, riveting or welding can be avoided. The bending tabs are integrally connected to the edge or machined therefrom, preferably from the area that is removed by forming the recess. In this way, unnecessary weakening of the edge can be avoided. At least one bending tab is advantageously bent before the housing is inserted, in particular along one of the side boundaries. This is particularly advantageous in the case of bending tabs which are used to produce the edge-housing-edge force transmission. Further bending tabs can be bent further, or only at all, during or preferably after insertion.

At least one section can have a material weakening in its course, for example as a slot which engages on one or both sides, the end section separated thereby being an additional twisting tab for fixing the housing on the edge.

At least one connection between a section and the housing can be offset from the surface in which the recess runs. In the case of a cylinder jacket or the like as an edge, it makes sense to move the connection radially outward. In this way, tilting moments of the housing can be adequately absorbed in relation to a tilting line running approximately along the surface of the recess.

In the area of both side boundaries, at least one section preferably extends from the edge, preferably directly from the side boundaries, these sections extending through at least part of the housing and having rotatable end sections for fixing the housing to the edge. At least one, preferably two, sections bent after the insertion of the housing, which can extend from the side boundaries, preferably clamp the edge with the housing in the direction of the edge. According to a preferred embodiment, the clamping force can increase with increasing bending. This bracing in the manner of a radial constriction stabilizes the edge and, above all, prevents it from expanding. It is possible to form stops by means of projections or the like of the housing resting against the side boundaries, against which the edge and thus the side boundaries can be braced by bending. In this way, a precisely definable size of the recess or an exact final shape of the edge can be produced.

It can be provided to press the housing into the recess after being inserted, in particular in the direction of use, by bending at least one section. The compressive force can preferably increase with increasing bending. In this way, not only is it possible to secure the housing in the recess, but moreover a firm connection of the housing to the edge. The housing is advantageously secured along all boundaries of the recess in at least one, preferably in two directions of movement.

The recess is preferably essentially rectangular with two side boundaries and a longitudinal boundary connecting them, the longitudinal boundary preferably being longer than the side boundaries, in particular at least twice as long.

The housing can overlap the recess on at least one side boundary in the direction of the edge. It is advantageous with a contact surface on the outside of the edge outside, in particular laterally next to, the recess. In this way, the housing can cover and / or frame the recess.

With at least one system nose, the housing can extend into the recess in the region of the side boundaries or rest against it. If the system nose overlaps a section of the side boundary, the housing is fixed both in the direction of the edge and in the transverse direction.

The edge is preferably a cylinder jacket, in particular rounded or circular cylindrical. The edge preferably forms the jacket of a flat, pot-shaped shell, such as is used, for example, to accommodate radiant heaters.

The housing can have a projection which extends into the recess and has a receiving slot which preferably runs approximately in the direction of the edge and / or approximately parallel to the surface of the recess. When inserting the housing, an edge region lying between the side boundaries can be inserted into this receiving slot, this edge region preferably being a protruding section. This protruding section can be bent later, possibly with the help of the housing, in order to change the position of the housing and to be able to fix it after the bending. Alternatively or additionally, the receiving slot can still overlap the edge over the edge region of the recess.

The edge advantageously consists of one piece, the sections being able to be worked out by punching. The receptacle is preferably made of sheet metal, and it can easily be produced by stamping.

The housing preferably consists of an electrically insulating and stable material, for example plastic or ceramic. It is preferably in one piece.

These and further features emerge from the claims and also from the description and the drawings, the individual features being implemented individually or in groups in the form of sub-combinations in one embodiment of the invention and in other fields, and being advantageous and protectable per se Can represent designs for which protection is claimed here. The division of the application into individual sections and subheadings does not limit the general validity of the statements made under these.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1

eine Schrägansicht eines Gehäuses einer Schalteinrichtung, das in eine Ausnehmung in einem Blechtellerrand eingesetzt werden kann,

Fig. 2

eine Abwandlung der Ausführung aus Fig. 1 mit alternativ ausgeführten Befestigungsabschnitten und

Fig. 3

ein in den Blechtellerrand eingesetztes und befestigtes Gehäuse.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings and are explained in more detail below. The drawings show:

Fig. 1

2 shows an oblique view of a housing of a switching device which can be inserted into a recess in a sheet metal rim,

Fig. 2

a modification of the embodiment of FIG. 1 with alternatively designed fastening sections and

Fig. 3

a housing inserted and fastened in the sheet metal rim.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

1 shows a housing 11 of a temperature controller 12, which is provided as a so-called rod regulator with a rod-shaped temperature sensor 13. The switching device is hidden under the cover 14.

The temperature controller is a temperature switching device which is provided in particular for electric radiant heaters. Your temperature sensor 13 protrudes beyond the electrical resistance heating elements and lies below a glass ceramic plate serving as a hotplate. The temperature controller is intended to limit the temperature that this glass ceramic plate can reach to a value that is harmless to the glass ceramic material.

The temperature sensor consists of a tube and a rod located therein, each with different coefficients of thermal expansion, preferably a tube made of stainless steel with a ceramic rod located therein. This temperature sensor 13 acts on a snap switch in the housing 11, which switches the heating of the radiant heater on and off. Possibly. a switch for a hot display of the glass ceramic plate is also included.

The temperature controller 12 is to be attached to a sheet metal plate 16 serving as a receptacle for a radiator (not shown), in particular on its sheet metal plate rim 17. The temperature sensor 13 should at least partially protrude approximately parallel to the sheet metal plate 16.

The housing 11 has two contact shoes 19, by means of which it rests against the sheet metal rim 17 and is connected to it. The contact shoes have a continuous, downwardly open fastening slot 20 on their underside and an engaging recess 21 on their upper side. The engaging recesses 21 extend outside the plane of the fastening slots 20, preferably connecting directly to the plane of the respective fastening slot 20 to the outside , The contact shoes 19 have contact surfaces 34 in the area of the fastening slots 20, by means of which they rest on the outside 35 of the sheet metal rim 17 in the inserted state.

The sheet metal rim 17 has an approximately rectangular recess 23 with side boundaries 24 and a longitudinal boundary 26. Elongated fastening tabs 25 project from the side boundaries 24 parallel to the outside.

These mounting tabs 25 engage in the mounting slots 20 when the housing 11 is inserted into the recess 23. At the end, the fastening tabs 25 have a twist tab 38 which can be rotated through a slot and which is essentially exactly aligned with the rear of the contact shoe 19 and pulls this contact shoe or the housing 11 against the sheet metal rim 17 when it is rotated.

In the area of the outer edge 18 of the sheet metal rim 17, short clamping tabs 27 are formed adjacent to the side boundaries 24, in FIG. 1 separated from the sheet metal sheet rim 17 by a short incision 28 along one side. 3, after inserting the housing 11 into the recess 23, the clamping tabs 27 are bent outward into the engagement recesses 21 approximately at a right angle.

Between the contact shoes 19, the housing 11 has a projection 30 with a receiving slot 31 which is open at the bottom. When the housing 11 is inserted into the recess 23, the projection 30 engages with the receiving slot 31 via a holding section 32 which protrudes from the longitudinal boundary 26.

FIG. 2 shows a housing 11 and a metal plate 16, which essentially correspond to FIG. 1. However, here the clamping tabs 27 are not bent across the plane of the sheet metal plate 16 engaging in the engagement recesses 21, but the bend runs in this plane. Except for the engagement recess, the housing 11 is designed as in FIG. 1.

The right clamping tab 27 is left in the original course of the sheet metal rim 17. When inserting the housing 11, it can engage by bending outwards into the correspondingly shaped engagement recess 21 in the right-hand contact shoe 19 and can be placed around a bending corner 39. When the tensioning tab 27 is bent over, the sheet metal rim 17 is clamped essentially in the region of the outer edge 18 in the circumferential direction onto the recess 23 and thus stabilized. In this way, the clamping tab 27 presses both the housing 11 into the recess 23 and at the same time braces the sheet metal rim 17 for stabilization.

In a slight modification, the left clamping tab 27 together with the associated engagement recess 21 is formed. Here, at least the fastening tab 25 and the clamping tab 27 must be inserted into the fastening slot 20 or the engagement recess 21 by placing the housing 11 in the radial direction. Alternatively, the clamping tab 27 for inserting the housing 11 can be bent upwards out of the way. Furthermore, it is possible to form the fastening slot 20 continuously along the length of the tensioning tab 27 and reaching into the engagement recess 21, so that the tensioning tab can remain in the position shown when the housing is inserted.

The clamping tab 27 rests essentially on two surfaces when it is bent over in the engagement recess 21. The surface on which the clamping tab 27 grinds during bending, that is to say the outer sides of the engagement recess 21 in FIG. 1 and the bottom surface in FIG. 2, is advantageously designed to rise slightly in the bending direction. In this way, the holding force is increased in this direction with increasing bending.

From the side of the housing 11 facing the sheet metal plate 16, two connecting lugs 40 extend to both sides of the temperature sensor 13, to which a heating device (not shown) can be connected. On the right of the housing 11, a plug-in tab 41 projects for connection to a power supply.

Fig. 3 shows a mounted on the plate plate 16 temperature controller 12, which rests with the two contact shoes 19 of the housing 11 on the plate edge 17 and is fixed. The different course of the bent clamping tabs 27, on the left according to FIG. 1 and on the right according to FIG. 2, can be clearly seen. Likewise, the course of the fastening tabs 25 through the contact shoes 19 is shown in dashed lines, the temperature controller 12 being fastened against the outside of the sheet metal rim 17 by turning the twisting tabs 38. The housing is held on the longitudinal boundary 26 of the recess 23 by the projection 30 or the receiving slot 31 which extends over the holding section 32.

The special fastening scheme according to one aspect of the invention enables the temperature controller 12 to be attached to the metal plate 16 in a stable and positionally secure manner. This is advantageous both for accurate temperature detection and for avoiding transport damage to glass ceramic cooktops. By bending the section 32 radially inwards or outwards, the angle between the temperature sensor 13 and the plate plate 16 can be adjusted. Characterized in that the tabs 25 are bent from the sheet metal plate about a bending line running transversely to the sheet metal plate 16, their stability with regard to bending transversely to the sheet metal plate 16 is very great.

The combination of the metal plate edge 17 bracing or tightening clamping tabs 27 as sections and the mounting tabs 25 running in fastening slots 20 of the housing 11 as further sections, which fix the position of the plate plate edge 17 relative to the housing 11 at one point, has the advantage that that the plate edge 17 is not only subjected to a clamping force. Rather, it is possible to clamp the sheet metal rim 17 together, but at the same time, as it were, to clamp it against the fixed point of the housing 11 via the fastening tabs 25, possibly also via projections of the housing. The sheet metal rim 17 is largely stabilized by the housing 11. The temperature controller 12 cannot be moved or pivoted by a clamping force inherent in the sheet metal rim 17.

Furthermore, it is possible to tighten the sheet plate edge 17 in the area of its outer edge 18 at the ends of the side boundaries 24 more strongly than in the area at the transition to the sheet plate 16 by the fastening tabs 25 and tensioning tabs 27 shown in the figures Stability of the plate rim 17 can be increased.

In Fig. 3 it can be seen that the contact shoes 19 with the contact surfaces 34 substantially on both sides of the fastening tabs 25 and / or the clamping tabs 27 from the outside against the sheet metal rim 17.

Claims (10)

1. Fitting of a casing (11) of a switching device, particularly a thermostat (12), on the rim (17) of a reception container (16) for a heating device, said rim (17) having a recess (23) in which the casing (11) at least partly engages, the recess (23) being provided with two lateral boundaries (24) and being open to the outer edge (18), where, in the fitted state, the casing (11) is a mechanical connection between the lateral boundaries (24) and closes the transmission of forces in the path of the rim (17), characterized in that the casing (11) is inserted in the recess (23) from the outer edge (18) towards the rim (17) and at least one portion (25, 32) of the rim (17) on insertion in a corresponding recess (20, 31) engages in the casing (11) and at least one further portion (27), by bending round in the inserted state, engages in a corresponding recess (21) in the casing (11).
2. Fitting according to claim 1, characterized in that the portions (25, 27) are at least partly constructed as bending tongues, whose bending edge runs substantially along the lateral boundaries (24) and in particular at least one bending tongue (25, 27) is bent down prior to the insertion of the casing (11).
3. Fitting according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one portion (25) over its configuration has a material weakening, preferably in the form of a cross-sectional reduction, which is in particular a slot and where an end portion separated by the material weakening is an additional twisting tongue (38) for fixing the casing (11) to the rim (17).
4. Fitting according to one of the claims 1 to 3, characterized in that at least one connection between a portion (25) and the casing (11) is radially displaced to the surface in which the recess (23) is located and particularly in the case of a cylinder jacket as rim (17) is radially outwardly displaced.
5. Fitting according to one of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that in the vicinity of the two lateral boundaries (24), in each case at least one portion (25) leads off from the rim (17), preferably directly from the lateral boundaries (24) and fixes the casing (11) to the rim (17) by twisting an end portion (38).
6. Fitting according to one of the claims 1 to 5, characterized in that at least one portion (27) bent over following the insertion of the casing (11) at the lateral boundaries (24) braces the rim (17) with the casing (11) in the passage direction of the rim (17) and in particular the tensioning force increases with increasing bending round of the portion (27).
7. Fitting according to one of the claims 1 to 6, characterized in that at least one portion (27) bent round following the insertion of the casing (11) presses the latter into the recess (23), particularly in the insertion direction and preferably the compressive force rises with increasing bending round of the portion (27).
8. Fitting according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the casing (11) has a projection (30) with a reception slot (31) extending into the recess (23) and which runs in the direction of the rim (17), the reception slot (31) receiving a marginal area located between the lateral boundaries (24) and in particular the marginal area received by the reception slot (31) is a projecting portion (32).
9. Fitting according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the recess (23) is substantially rectangular with two lateral boundaries (24) and a longitudinal boundary (26) between them and preferably the longitudinal boundary (26) is longer than the lateral boundaries (24).
10. Fitting according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the casing (11), in the direction of the rim (17), projects over the recess (23) at at least one lateral boundary (24) and in particular bears with a bearing surface (34) on the outside (35) of the rim (17) outside the recess (23).