EP3891849B1 - Adapter housing for a contact insert for fixing on a top-hat rail - Google Patents

Description

The invention is based on an adapter housing for receiving a contact insert according to the preamble of independent claim 1. The invention further relates to a system consisting of a first adapter housing according to claim 1 with a first contact carrier accommodated therein, a second adapter housing according to claim 1 with a second contact carrier accommodated therein and a top-hat rail.

Such adapter housings expand the area of application of contact carriers already available on the market, which are otherwise designed specifically for connectors.

State of the art

The DE 10 2017 105 408 A1 shows terminal blocks that are used, for example, for the electrical wiring of a system. Such terminal blocks are usually attached to a mounting rail, such as a top-hat rail, and lined up next to each other in order to be mounted to save space. The width of the control cabinet is well utilized, but the depth of the existing installation space remains unused.

The DE 29 920 253 U1 shows a first holding device in which a first module plug can be snapped in and a second holder for receiving a second module plug, the plug contacts of the two module plugs being connected to one another when the holding devices are plugged together.

The US 4,469,393 A shows an electrical connector that consists of several individually replaceable modules. This can be used to connect a plug Assemble any size or pin assignment from individual modules.

The DE 10 2016 119 061 A1 shows a marshalling honeycomb with several honeycomb building blocks with plug-in elements, the side surfaces of the honeycomb building blocks each having at least one connecting element for connecting to another honeycomb building block.

In an electrical system installation, terminal blocks are used for various applications, e.g. as circuit breakers, electronic circuit breakers, programmable logic controllers, etc. The individual terminal blocks must be functionally different, and the housing shape must be essentially identical for mounting on the top-hat rail. Individual terminal blocks are manufactured in very small quantities and therefore incur high production costs.

Task

The object of the invention is to provide an adapter housing for an already known contact carrier of a plug connector and thereby expand the area of application of such contact carriers.

The task is solved by the subject matter of independent claim 1 and by a system according to claim 11.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

The adapter housing according to the invention is intended to accommodate a contact insert that is generally already known. Such a contact insert is, for example, in the EP 1 742 299 B1 to see. Also the connector modules known from the modular industrial connector sector, for example known from DE 20 2018 101 278 U1 , can be understood as contact carriers in the sense of this invention.

The adapter housing is preferably designed essentially as a hollow cuboid with a rectangular cross section. Such shapes can be easily and inexpensively manufactured from plastic in an injection molding process.

Two adapter housings, each equipped with a contact carrier, can be brought together, whereby the contact carriers are plugged together. In the following we will also talk about adapter housings plugged together, without the contact carriers being explicitly mentioned. The direction in which the adapter housings are moved is also referred to below as the plug-in direction. The Ends of the adapter housing that are brought together during the plugging process are also referred to as the plugging side.

The adapter housing has two connecting means formed opposite one another on its outer wall. The connecting means are designed to complement each other. This means that the contour of the locking means on one side would fit into the contour of the locking means on the other side. Using the connecting means, two similar adapter housings can be reversibly connected to one another.

Preferably, a first connecting means consists of two hook-shaped connecting contours and a connecting tab arranged between them. A second connecting means consists of two connecting grooves that match the hook-shaped connecting contours and a connecting pin arranged between them and matching the connecting tab. This design of the connecting means allows a user-friendly and at the same time stable connection of two adapter housings. This means that any number of similar adapter housings can be strung together.

At least one locking means for reversibly locking the adapter housing with another adapter housing is formed on the plug-in side of the adapter housing. The locking means primarily serves to ensure that a plug connection between the contact carriers cannot be accidentally released.

The adapter housing advantageously has two locking means formed opposite one another for reversibly locking the adapter housing with a second adapter housing plugged into it. As a result, a particularly reliable locking of two adapter housings can be achieved with one another.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the locking means are each designed as frame-shaped receptacles or as tabs pointing in the insertion direction. With two locked adapter housings plugged together, one adapter housing is equipped with the frame-shaped receptacles and the other adapter housing is equipped with the matching tabs pointing in the direction of insertion. Such a lock can easily be molded onto the adapter housing using an injection molding process. In addition, such a lock is easy to use.

According to the invention, the adapter housing has a fastening means for reversibly fastening the contact carrier in the adapter housing. The fastening means is designed as a separate component and can be reversibly attached to the outside of the adapter housing or snapped onto it. The contact carrier can be inserted into the adapter housing. The contact carrier is then attached or fixed in the adapter housing by snapping the fastening means on.

The adapter housing has an opening and the fastening means has a matching mandrel, the mandrel of the fastening means reaching through the opening of the adapter housing. The mandrel enters an opening in the contact carrier and fixes it in the adapter housing. This solution is particularly advantageous because the opening in the contact carrier already exists in some known contact carriers. This is, for example, a screw thread, which is otherwise used to fix and make electrical contact (PE) of the contact carrier with a metal connector housing.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the adapter housing has a top-hat rail fixing element for fixing the

Adapter housing on a top hat rail. This means that the adapter housings with the integrated contact carriers can be lined up on a top-hat rail. The top-hat rail fixing element is attached to a connecting means of the adapter housing. On the other side of the adapter housing, a further adapter housing and contact carrier can be attached to the second connecting means. In addition to the top-hat rail level, a level aligned perpendicular to it can also be equipped with an adapter housing. This makes it possible, for example, to open up previously unused installation space in the control cabinet.

The top-hat rail fixing element has two connecting means, each for reversible connection to an adapter element. The connecting means each consist of two connecting grooves and a connecting pin arranged between them. The connecting means of the top-hat rail fixing element are therefore designed to be at least largely identical to the second connecting means of the adapter housing.

The two connecting means of the top-hat rail fixing element are arranged one behind the other, viewed in the plugging direction. Two adapter housings plugged together can therefore be attached to a top-hat rail fixing element and then fixed on a top-hat rail.

The top-hat rail fixing element preferably has at least one opening, but preferably three openings, via which the top-hat rail fixing element can be fixed to a device wall. This means that the adapter housings can be fixed not only on a top-hat rail, but also in other locations, for example on a device wall. The adapter housing can be used in a variety of ways thanks to the top-hat rail fixing element.

The top-hat rail fixing element is designed as a separate component and can be reversibly attached to the outside of the adapter housing. Since the number of DIN rail fixing elements required is generally smaller than the number of adapter housings required, good storage can be achieved.

Example embodiment

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Darstellung eines ersten erfindungsgemäßen Adaptergehäuses,

Fig. 2

eine weitere perspektivische Darstellung des ersten erfindungsgemäßen Adaptergehäuses,

Fig. 3

eine perspektivische Darstellung eines zweiten erfindungsgemäßen Adaptergehäuses,

Fig. 4

eine weitere perspektivische Darstellung des zweiten erfindungsgemäßen Adaptergehäuses,

Fig. 5

eine perspektivische Darstellung eines Kontaktträgers mit Stiftkontaktelementen,

Fig. 6

eine perspektivische Darstellung eines Kontaktträgers mit Buchsenkontaktelementen,

Fig. 7

eine Explosionszeichnung eines Systems bestehend aus einer Hutschiene, einem Hutschienenfixierelement, einem ersten und einem zweiten Adaptergehäuse und einem weiteren Ausführungsbeispiel eines ersten und eines zweiten Adaptergehäuses,

Fig. 8

eine perspektivische Darstellung des ersten und zweiten Adaptergehäuses mit jeweils darin integriertem ersten und zweiten Kontaktträger,

Fig. 9

eine perspektivische Darstellung des ersten und zweiten Adaptergehäuses welche über das Hutschienenfixierelement auf einer Hutschiene befestigt sind und

Fig. 10

ein System bestehend aus mehreren erfindungsgemäßen Adaptergehäusen, die in einem Array an einer Hutschiene befestigt sind.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings and is explained in more detail below. Show it:

Fig. 1

a perspective view of a first adapter housing according to the invention,

Fig. 2

a further perspective view of the first adapter housing according to the invention,

Fig. 3

a perspective view of a second adapter housing according to the invention,

Fig. 4

a further perspective view of the second adapter housing according to the invention,

Fig. 5

a perspective view of a contact carrier with pin contact elements,

Fig. 6

a perspective view of a contact carrier with socket contact elements,

Fig. 7

an exploded drawing of a system consisting of a top-hat rail, a top-hat rail fixing element, a first and a second adapter housing and a further exemplary embodiment of a first and a second adapter housing,

Fig. 8

a perspective view of the first and second adapter housings, each with the first and second contact carriers integrated therein,

Fig. 9

a perspective view of the first and second adapter housings, which are attached to a top-hat rail via the top-hat rail fixing element and

Fig. 10

a system consisting of several adapter housings according to the invention, which are attached in an array to a top-hat rail.

The figures contain partly simplified, schematic representations. In some cases, identical reference numbers are used for identical but possibly not identical elements. Different views of the same elements could be scaled differently.

The Figures 1 and 2 show a first exemplary embodiment of a first adapter housing 1. The adapter housing 1 shown here is intended to accommodate a contact carrier 2. The contact carrier 2 is equipped with pin contact elements 3. In the professional world, such a contact carrier 2 is therefore also referred to as a pin contact carrier 2 or male contact carrier 2. Since the contact carrier 2 is already known from the prior art, it will not be described in more detail below.

The Figures 3 and 4 show a first exemplary embodiment of a second adapter housing 1 '. The adapter housing 1' shown here is intended to accommodate a contact carrier 2'. The contact carrier 2' is equipped with socket contact elements (not visible). In the professional world, such a contact carrier is therefore also referred to as a socket contact carrier 2 'or female contact carrier 2'. Since the contact carrier 2' is already known from the prior art, it will not be described in more detail below.

The contact carriers 2, 2 'are in the Figures 5 and 6 to see. The contact carriers 2, 2' have a hole with an internal thread approximately in the middle in which a screw 16 is screwed in. This screw 16 is used to fix the contact carrier 2, 2 'in a connector housing (not shown).

In the Figures 7 and 10 a further exemplary embodiment of a first and second adapter housing 1", 1‴ can be seen in each case. This further exemplary embodiment of the adapter housing 1", 1‴ is intended to accommodate connector modules 9, which are used primarily in heavy industrial connectors and from the prior art Technology is already sufficiently known.

The adapter housings 1, 1', 1", 1" are essentially designed as hollow cuboids with a rectangular cross section. The inner geometry is adapted to the outer contour of the respective contact carrier 2, 2'. On its outer wall, the adapter housing 1, 1', 1", 1‴ two oppositely formed and complementary connecting means, for reversible connection with a similar adapter housing 1, 1 ', 1", 1‴ and / or with a top-hat rail fixing element 4.

A first connecting means of the adapter housing 1, 1', 1", 1‴ consists of two hook-shaped connecting contours 5 and a connecting tab 6 arranged between them. A second connecting means consists of two connecting grooves 7 that match the hook-shaped connecting contours and one arranged between them for the connecting tab 6 matching connecting pins 8.

In Figure 10 It can be seen how several adapter housings 1, 1', 1", 1" are connected to one another and fastened on a top-hat rail 11. When connecting two adapter housings 1, 1', 1", 1", the hook-shaped connecting contours 5 of one adapter housing 1, 1', 1", 1‴ into the matching connecting grooves 7 of the other

Adapter housing 1, 1', 1", 1‴. The recess 10 of the connecting tab 6 of one adapter housing 1, 1', 1", 1‴ then snaps over the respective connecting pin 8 of the other (adjacent) adapter housing 1, 1', 1", 1‴, whereby a secure connection between the adapter housings 1, 1', 1", 1‴ is realized. To release this connection, the connecting tab 6 can be conveniently levered over the connecting pin 8, for example using a screwdriver. However, it is also possible to lever it over by hand without a screwdriver. The adapter housings 1, 1', 1", 1" can then simply be pulled apart in the opposite direction. Connecting and disconnecting an adapter housing 1, 1', 1", 1" with a top-hat rail fixing element 4 is carried out in the same way. For this purpose, the top-hat rail fixing element 4 is equipped with two pairs of connecting grooves 7, which are arranged one behind the other.

The adapter housing 1, 1', 1", 1" has at least one locking means on the plug-in side for reversibly locking the adapter housing 1, 1', 1", 1" with a further adapter housing 1, 1', 1", 1". The locking means are each designed as frame-shaped receptacles 12 in the first adapter housing 1, 1". In the second adapter housing 1 ', 1', the locking means are designed as locking tabs 13 pointing in the plugging direction SR ', each with locking hooks 14 at the end. When the adapter housings 1, 1', 1", 1" are brought together, each in the plugging direction SR, SR', the locking tabs 13 of the second adapter housing 1', 1" engage in the frame-shaped receptacles 12 of the first adapter housing 1, 1". The locking tabs 13 are initially bent back slightly and then snap back, whereby the locking hooks 14 engage an undercut of the frame-shaped receptacle 12. Two Interlocked adapter housings 1, 1 'are, for example, in Figure 9 to see.

The locking tabs 13 can then be levered out of the frame-shaped receptacle 12, for example with the help of a screwdriver. This allows the locking of the adapter housings 1, 1', 1", 1‴ to be released again. The adapter housings 1, 1', 1", 1‴ can be pulled apart again against their respective plug-in direction SR, SR`, which also causes the plug connection of the Contact carrier 2, 2 'is released again.

In the Figure 8 Two adapter housings 1, 1' can be seen with a fastening means 15 for reversibly fastening the contact carrier 2, 2' in the respective adapter housing 1, 1'. The fastening means 15 is designed as a separate component and is located at the top right for illustrative reasons Figure 8 shown again separately. The fastening means 15 can be reversibly attached to the outside of the adapter housing 1, 1'. For this purpose, the fastening means 15 has two outer locking arms with locking hooks 17, which engage an undercut 18 provided for this purpose in the respective adapter housing 1, 1 '. The fastening means 18 has a mandrel 19. The adapter housing 1, 1' has an opening 20 provided for the mandrel 19. When inserted, the opening 20 of the adapter housing 1, 1' correlates with the screw opening of the contact carrier 2, 2'. The mandrel 19 of the fastening means 15 protrudes through the opening 20 of the adapter housing 1, 1 'and engages in an opening (screw opening) of the contact carrier 2, 2', whereby the contact carrier 2, 2' is reversibly fastened in the adapter housing. The fastening means 15 can be released from the adapter housing 1, 1' using a suitable tool, for example a screwdriver, and the contact carrier 2, 2' can be removed again. It is also possible to use the fastening means 15 without tools. To attach the Contact carrier 2, 2 'in the adapter housing 1, 1', features already present on the contact carrier 2, 2', here the screw opening, are used. This means that identical contact carriers 2, 2' can be used classically in the connector housing but also simultaneously in the adapter housing 1, 1'.

The housing of an adapter housing 1 can be extended on the cable connection side and form a semicircular trough 21. Conductors (not shown) connected to the contact carrier 2 can be fastened to this trough 21, for example using a cable tie. This provides strain relief for the conductors or cables connected to the contact carrier 2.

The top-hat rail fixing element 4 has openings 22. The top-hat rail fixing element 4 can be mounted, for example, on a device wall via these openings 22. This further enlarges the area of application of the adapter housing 1, 1', 1", 1". The top-hat rail fixing element 4 has locking contours 23 with which the top-hat rail fixing element 4 can be fixed on a top-hat rail 11. The contours 23 are designed for commercially available top-hat rails 11.

In Figure 10 an application of the adapter housing 1, 1', 1", 1" according to the invention is shown. Several pairs of adapter housings 1, 1', together with integrated contact carriers 2, 2' plugged together, can be lined up along the x-axis via the top-hat rail fixing element . At the same time, on the other side of the respective adapter housings 1, 1', 1", 1‴, further adapter housings 1, 1', 1", 1‴ can be connected, which extend along the y-axis. Such an arrangement of adapter housings 1 , 1 `, 1 ", 1‴ is also called an array. With the adapter housing 1, 1', 1", 1" according to the invention, any constructed array can be created. The installation space, for example in a control cabinet, is optimally utilized.

Reference symbol list

1

Adapter housing

2

Contact carrier

3

Pin contact element

4

DIN rail fixing element

5

Connection contour

6

Connecting tab

7

connecting groove

8th

connecting pin

9

Connector module

10

recess

11

DIN rail

12

Frame-shaped recording

13

Locking tab

14

Locking hook

15

Fasteners

16

screw

17

Locking arm with locking hook

18

Undercut

19

mandrel

20

opening

21

trough

22

opening

23

contour

SK

Plugging direction

X

axis

Y

axis

Claims (11)

1. Adaptor housing (1, 1', 1", 1‴) for accommodating a contact insert (2, 2'),

   - wherein, on its outer wall, the adaptor housing (1, 1' , 1" , 1‴) has two connecting means, integrally formed opposite one another, of mutually complementary design for reversible connection to an adaptor housing (1, 1', 1", 1‴) of the same type and/or to a top-hat rail-fixing element (4),

   - and wherein, on the plugging side, the adaptor housing (1, 1', 1", 1‴) has at least one locking means for reversible locking of the adaptor housing (1, 1' , 1", 1‴) to a further adaptor housing (1, 1', 1", 1‴),

   characterized

   - in that the adaptor housing (1, 1', 1" , 1‴) has a fastening means (15) for reversibly fastening the contact carrier (2, 2') in the adaptor housing (1, 1', 1'', 1'''),

   - in that the fastening means (15) is formed as a separate component and is reversibly latchable on the outside of the adaptor housing (1, 1', 1", 1‴) and

   - in that the adaptor housing (1, 1', 1", 1‴) has an opening (20), and in that the fastening means (15) has a pin (19), wherein the pin (19) of the fastening means (15) engages through the opening of the adaptor housing (1, 1', 1" , 1‴).
2. Adaptor housing according to Claim 1,
   characterized in that

   - a first connecting means consists of two hook-like connecting contours (5) and a connecting tab (6), which is arranged therebetween, and

   - a second connecting means consists of two connecting grooves (7), which match the hook-like connecting contours, and a connecting peg (8), which is arranged therebetween and matches the connecting tab (6).
3. Adaptor housing according to either of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   the adaptor housing (1, 1' , 1", 1‴) has two locking means, integrally formed opposite one another, for reversible locking of the adaptor housing (1, 1', 1" , 1‴) to a second adaptor housing (1, 1', 1'', 1‴).
4. Adaptor housing according to the preceding claim,
   characterized in that
   the locking means are respectively formed as frame-like receiving parts (12) or as locking tabs (13) which point in the plugging direction.
5. Adaptor housing according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   the adaptor housing (1, 1', 1", 1‴) is formed substantially as a hollow cuboid with a rectangular cross section.
6. Adaptor housing according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   the adaptor housing (1, 1', 1", 1‴) has a top-hat rail-fixing element (4) for fixing the adaptor housing (1, 1', 1'', 1‴) to a top-hat rail (11).
7. Adaptor housing according to the preceding claim,
   characterized in that

   - the top-hat rail-fixing element (4) has two connecting means, in each case for reversible connection to an adaptor element, and

   - in that the connecting means consist in each case of two connecting grooves (7) and at least one connecting peg (8), which is arranged therebetween.
8. Adaptor housing according to the preceding claim,
   characterized in that

   - the two connecting means of the top-hat rail-fixing element (4), as seen in the plugging direction (SR, SR'), are arranged one behind the other.
9. Adaptor housing according to one of preceding Claims 6-8,
   characterized in that

   - the top-hat rail-fixing element (4) has at least one opening (22), but preferably three openings (22), via which the top-hat rail-fixing element (4) is fixable to a device wall.
10. Adaptor housing according to one of preceding Claims 6-9,
    characterized in that

    - the top-hat rail-fixing element (4) is formed as a separate component and is reversibly fastenable to the outside of the adaptor housing (1, 1', 1", 1‴).
11. System consisting of a first adaptor housing (1, 1") according to Claim 1 with a first contact carrier (2, 9) accommodated therein, a second adaptor housing (1', 1‴) according to Claim 1 with a second contact carrier (2', 9') accommodated therein, and a top-hat rail (11).

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