EP1182734B1 - Electromechanical control device for an electrical heater - Google Patents

Abstract

The control device comprises a casing (23), and at least one control unit (24) with connections at a side of the casing for connecting to a line supply, and flat plug connections (20) at an output side of the casing for connecting to at least one electric load of the apparatus. The flat plug connections are arranged in a predetermined raster parallel to each other with a predetermined distance or a multiple of it, and are secured against manual touch. The flat plug connections are preferably surrounded by a casing.

Description

The invention relates to an electromechanical control device for a Electrical heating appliance.

Electromechanical control devices are used in almost every household appliance, For example, in electric heaters, such as electric stoves or the like., For power control or the like. Used. Preferred are they are designed as switches or controllers and serve as a link between the network and the electrical consumers, such. B. the Hotplates of an electric cooker. It has, above all, a modular Construction of such electromechanical control devices prevailed. These controllers have connection terminals for Connection to the mains and outgoing connections for connection to the electrical consumers.

From DE 197 06 252 A1 an electrical control unit is known become, in which the outsides of the control unit housing as Serve connection or outlet side. The case points prefabricated plug or switch chambers, in which the respective Connections of the connection or outlet side can be inserted. On the Consumers have connections in the form of flat connectors enforced, on the complementary trained Flat plug connections of the electrical consumers are plugged. The blade connectors are in a given grid arranged parallel to each other.

From EP 0860 846 A2 the closest as the state of Technology is considered is a control unit with a control unit housing protruding flat tabs become known. These are in a given grid parallel to each other in certain areas arranged and can by connector in connector sockets be contacted electrically. There is the problem that the flat tabs during the electrical connection of a Electrical appliance, in which the control unit is arranged, already live can be and are free, so the danger of a Short is big. Especially while approaching a connector There is an increased danger of one's hands electric shock.

Although the connection of electrical appliances such as electric stoves Thing of an electrician is, it can happen again and again that These works are performed by laymen. That's the way it is, for example when installing a kitchen awkward to call an electrician, so that the connection of the electric stove often from the kitchen fitter, for example a joiner, is performed. It may happen that the electromechanical controller already hangs on the grid while the electrical consumers, such as the hobs of the electric cooker not yet connected. As a result, the Flat plug connections on the outgoing side of the control unit at Electricity. Of course this is very dangerous for the kitchen fitter and he can already, for example, by accidentally passing by get an electric shock on the control unit.

Task and solution

The object of the invention is to provide an electromechanical control unit create, which represents no danger in the live state.

This task is accomplished by an electromechanical control unit with the Characteristics of claim 1 solved. Preferred embodiments of the invention are set forth in the further claims and will be discussed below described in more detail. The claims are made by express Reference made to the content of the description.

The invention is characterized in that the flat plug connections, on the outgoing side of the control unit in a predetermined Grid with a given distance or a multiple thereof arranged parallel to one another and in a row next to one another are secured against manual contact. The invention suggests, therefore, that touch-safe tabs in a certain pitch are provided on the control unit. In the Installation of electrical appliances in the kitchen area, may occur when improper Act a control unit in one position stand. The flat plug connections However, the control unit according to the invention are against improper Touch protected, so that also a fiddling with current-carrying control units is no danger.

As control devices in the sense of the application are electromechanical or electrical switching and control devices, such as tact switches, oven selection switches or energy regulator understood. The controller has at least a control unit. The control units can be mechanical or be operated electrically. For example, it can be one in the control unit mounted control shaft for actuating functional elements, such as Cam switches or the like. Be used. It is also possible electric Sensors, such as touch switches, as a control unit use. The connections on the connection side, ie on the network side, of the control unit can be of any kind. It can, for example Plug connections in the form of flat or round plugs be used. However, it is also possible to have a power cord in the Solder control unit. Preferably, the ports are on the port side of the control unit, as on the outgoing side, tabs.

The outgoing connections are, as already mentioned, group plugs, their individual plug-in elements in a certain grid parallel and are arranged in series next to each other. Common grid dimensions 2.5 are; 5, 7.5, etc. millimeters. Preferably Group plug with a pitch of about 5 millimeters used. The plug-in elements of the flat or group plug can be used as flat latches be educated. Preferably, however, at the control unit Group plug with flat sockets used. The flat sockets can be clamping pin, in which preferably at least two opposing brackets an elastically expandable Admission for inserting a flat tongue of the respective Form mating contact. Due to the very narrow design of the group plug It is possible to have several outgoing flat plug connections to be attached to a control unit and thus several electrical consumers, in particular several hotplates to control with a control unit.

In the invention, the outgoing side tabs of surrounded by a housing to this against manual contact to back up. The housing may be a kind of flat plug-in chamber, which as Recess is preformed in the control unit housing and with a Slots offset cover for the introduction of the mating contacts of having electrical consumers. Preferably, however, the housing is a projecting from the controller housing component, the Plug-in connectors of the flat plug connectors with the exception of access openings completely encased at the top. The access openings are adapted to the shape of the mating contacts to be inserted, and although as rectangular slots. The dimensions of the access openings lie in the range of the dimensions of the mating contacts, so that These can be introduced essentially free of play. This will be a twisting of the individual plug-in elements in the access openings prevents and exact insertion of the mating contacts in the elastic expandable recording of the contacts on the control unit allows.

It is possible to fit the housing through slots in different numbers, Dimensions or positions are provided so encode that only the complementary trained flat connector on the electrical Consumers of the electric heater fits. The codes are preferably from the outside of the fuse box protruding coding ribs, which formed on a complementary thereto coded socket of the consumption-side tab plugged are.

In a further development of the invention, the housing is designed in such a way that that it is integrally connected to the controller housing. The Housing can be made of any electrically insulating material be. Preferably, a plastic, for example a thermoplastic, used. The housing may, for example, together with the control unit be produced by plastic injection molding. In In another development, the housing may be a separate part, which can be releasably attached to the control unit housing.

These and other features go beyond the claims as well from the description and the drawings, the individual Features alone or to several forms of sub-combinations in one embodiment of the invention and on others Be realized and beneficial and protectable areas Represent embodiments for which claims protection here becomes. The subdivision of the application into individual sections, as well as intermediate headings limited under these statements not in its generality.

Brief description of the drawings

Fig. 1

eine schematische Darstellung eines Kochfeldes sowie elektromechanische Steuergeräte;

Fig. 2

eine vergrößerte Darstellung der Flachsteckverbindung zwischen dem Elektrowärmegerät und dem Steuergerät als Einzelheit X von Figur 1;

Fig. 3

eine perspektivische Ansicht auf einen berührungssicheren Flachstecker, der über eine Kontaktbrücke mit einem nicht berührungssicheren Flachstecker verbunden ist und

Fig. 4

eine teilweise geschnittene perspektivische Ansicht auf Teile eines berührungssicheren Flachsteckers am Steuergerät.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawings and will be explained in more detail below. In the drawings show:

Fig. 1

a schematic representation of a hob and electromechanical control devices;

Fig. 2

an enlarged view of the tab connection between the electric heater and the control unit as a detail X of Figure 1;

Fig. 3

a perspective view of a finger-safe tab, which is connected via a contact bridge with a non-touch-safe tab and

Fig. 4

a partially cutaway perspective view of parts of a finger-safe tab on the control unit.

Fig. 1 shows a hob 11 of an electric cooker with four hotplates 12 and a control unit 13 for controlling the performance of the individual Hotplates 12. The hob 11 may be a glass ceramic cooktop or a hob 11 with several cast iron cooking plates 12. Im described embodiment is representative of a wiring a cooking plate 12 shown with the controller 13. The remaining three hotplates 12 are in the same way with the controller 13th wired. The wiring was a prefabricated, four-pole Wiring harness 14 selected. The wiring harness 14 is the hob field side with the Heating element (not shown) connected to a cooking plate 12. The other end of the wire harness 14 is provided with a tab 15 soldered, which sits in a coded socket 16. It is every pole 17 of the wiring harness 14 with a flat tongue 18 of the tab 15 soldered. The socket 16 is a Kunststoffspritzgießgehäuse on whose inside ribs are attached as coding (not shown), the coding ribs 19 formed on complementary thereto of the flat connector terminal 20 on the control unit 13 can be plugged. The four tabs 18 of the tab 15 on the harness 14th are in a grid spacing of about 5 millimeters parallel next to each other arranged. The flat tabs 18 shown in Figure 3 have the same type. It can be seen that the flat tabs 18 circular Have cooling holes 21. The tips 22 of the tabs 18 are formed wedge-shaped to the insertion of the flat tabs 18 in the complementary tabs 20 on the control unit 13 to facilitate.

The control unit 13 has the shape of a quad cam switch with one consisting of a thermosetting or thermosetting plastic Controller housing 23. The controller housing 23 provides four Control units 24, with four mounted therein, parallel to each other Control shafts 25 with switching cam 26 (see Fig. 4) Place. each Control unit 24 has a network connection 38. The outgoing side of the Control unit 13 for connection to the electrical load, ie the hotplates 12, from an outside of the control unit 13th educated. It is each control unit 24 of the control unit 13 a Blade connector 20 assigned in the form of a Flachstekers. As in Fig. 4 can be seen, the female part of the connector, the so-called blade receptacle, from a carrier 26 of the control unit 24 forth. The tabs are metal clips 27th educated. The metal brackets 27 are integral with a Connecting bridge 28 connected and stand by this from 90 °. The Connecting bridge 28 has at its bottom contact points 29, the interact with contacts of a contact bridge 30. The contact bridge 30 is operated via the control shaft 25 and the Schaltnoken 26 and provides in contact position an electrical connection from the network to Cooking plate 12 ago. The metal brackets 27 are resilient and can be bent back. There are two offset from each other opposite metal brackets 27 an elastically expandable Receptacle 31 for insertion of a flat tongue 18 of the consumption-side tab 15. This is the flat tongue 18 contacted by the metal brackets 27 from both sides.

The controller-side tabs, so the metal brackets 27, are secured against manual contact. They are in the Rast 5 distance arranged parallel to each other and in a row next to each other. you are with a housing 32 having a rectangular cross-section almost completely enclosed. The only exception is the access openings 33 at the top of the housing 32, for insertion of the Cooking field-side flat tabs 18 are used (see Fig. 3). The Housing 32 may be integral with the housing 26 of the control unit 24th be formed, as shown in Fig. 4 can be seen. But it is also possible that the fuse housing 32 is a housing part 35, which on the Carrier 26 of the control unit 24 can be plugged (see Fig. 3). In the clip-on embodiment are at the bottom of the housing 32 snap tabs 37 integrally formed with the housing part 35. The snap tabs 37 are used for plugging into the corresponding formed snap slots (not shown) on the carrier 26 of the Control unit 24. The access openings 33 of the housing 32 and des Housing part 35 are rectangular slots. The access openings 33 are complementary to the wedge-shaped tips 22 of the tabs 18 extended funnel-shaped. On the longitudinal sides of the housing 32nd or housing part 35 are coding ribs 19 from which with the Complementarily formed coding grooves on the socket 16 the cooktop-side tab 15 cooperate and a Prevent incorrect wiring.

function Description

To cabling the hotplates 12 of the hob 11 are first the prefabricated harnesses 14 with the heating elements the hot plates 12 connected. On the four poles 17 of the wiring harness 14th in each case a flat tongue 18 of a tab is soldered, welded or pressed, that of a coded sump 16 is sheathed. The cooktop-side tab 15 is connected to the Fuse housing 32 or housing part 35 of the control unit side Flat connector 20 introduced. Is one of the carrier 26 of the Control unit 24 used separate housing part 35, this is previously attached to the carrier 26 of the control unit 24. It will the housing part 35 via the metal brackets 27 of the tab 20th guided and with the four snap tongues, which at the upper and at the lower end of the housing part 35 integral with the underside thereof are connected, in the corresponding snap slots (not shown) on the base 34 inserted. The coded socket 16 is pushed over the housing 32 or housing part 35. It will be from the outside of the fuse housing 32 or housing part 35 protruding Kodierrippen 19 to the corresponding thereto trained counterparts on the coded socket 16 pushed. At the same time, the tips 22 of the flat tabs 18 extended on the hob field-side tab 15 in the funnel-shaped Access openings 33 on the housing 32 and housing part 35 out. The dimensions of the access openings 33 are dimensioned such that that a substantially backlash-free insertion of Flat tabs 18 is made possible. This prevents tilting or twisting the flat tabs 18. The wedge-shaped Tips 22 of the tabs 18 then come with the Metal clamps 27 of the controller side tab 20 in contact. The each of two obliquely opposite metal brackets 27 formed receptacle 31 is widened by the flat tabs 18 and the tabs 18 can be inserted.

To turn on the hotplates 12, a shift knob (not shown), which sits on the control shaft 25, actuated. The control shaft 25 cooperates with a switching cam 26, which is the contact bridge 30th actuated. The contact bridge 30 contacts the contact point 29 at the Connecting bridge 28, with the metal brackets of the control unit side Flat connector 20 is integrally connected. Thus, electricity can the heating elements of the respective cooking plate 12 are supplied and the hotplate heats up.

Claims (5)

1. Electromechanical control device for an electric heater with a control device casing (23) and at least one control unit (24) with terminals on a connection side of the control device casing (23) for connection to the mains and flat plug-in terminals (20) on an outgoing side of the control device casing (23) for connection to at least one electrical load of the electric heater, the flat plug-in terminals (20) being juxtaposed in a row and in parallel in a predetermined grid with a predetermined spacing or a multiple thereof and are protected against manual contact, characterized in that the flat plug-in terminals (20) are surrounded by a casing (32) having access openings (33) into which can be inserted opposite contacts of the flat plug-in terminals (20) located on the electrical load of the electric heater, the access openings (33) being in the form of rectangular slots with dimensions of the same magnitude as the opposite contacts.
2. Control device according to claim 1, characterized in that on the casing (32), particularly on its outside, is provided a mechanical coding, the coding preferably being constituted by coding ribs (19) projecting from the outside of the casing (32) and on which can be engaged a complimentary constructed, coded plug-in trough (16) with the opposite contacts.
3. Control device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the casing (32) is integrally connected to the control device casing (23).
4. Control device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the casing (32) is made from plastic, particularly a thermoplastic.
5. Control device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the flat plug-in terminals (20) are plug sockets, particularly clamp plugs and preferably at least two facing clips (27) form an elastically expandable receptacle (31) for the insertion of a flat plug-in tongue (18) of the opposite contact.

Images