GB2026790A

GB2026790A - Plug-in unit for printed circuit boards

Info

Publication number: GB2026790A
Application number: GB7926473A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: CA Weidmueller GmbH and Co
Current assignee: Weidmueller Interface GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 1978-03-08
Filing date: 1979-07-30
Publication date: 1980-02-06
Also published as: GB2026790B; NL7901885A

Abstract

An electrical socket assembly, to be mounted on a printed circuit board 7 or similar support to form a plug-in unit, has a front plate 1 with openings 3 for plugs, a socket holder 4 integral with the rear of the front plate 1, and electrical sockets in the holder, accessible through the openings 3 in the front plate 1. The rear of the holder 4 is open so that different socket arrangements can be inserted. It is closed in use by a snap-on cover 6 with openings through which connection pins 5 of the sockets extend. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Plug-in unit for printed circuit boards This invention relates to a plug-in unit for printed circuit boards.

Known plug-in units consist of a system of plates and supports to which the front end of a printed circuit board is fixed, a strip plug being fixed to the rear end of the printed circuit board.

The edges of the printed circuit board-themselves act as slide guides, and this plug-in unit is slidably disposed in an appliance provided with guides, for example in front of the appliance switchgear cabinet. In such a case, it is known to provide such plug-in units with test connections in order to be able to carry out measurements in the rear region of the switchgear cabinet. For this purpose, individual test sockets are disposed as required on the printed circuit board, for which individual insertion openings, plug sockets and the like are provided on the plates and supports in the front region of the plug-in unit, and a perforated front plate is used. The disadvantage of this is that when fitting a plug-in unit with test connections, the parts have to be constructed in accordance with the requirements of the particular case, i.e.

individual construction of the parts is necessary in practice, and assembly is difficult, because several different parts have to be exactly adapted to each other.

The object of the present invention is to provide a plug-in unit of the said type, which is particularly simple to construct and assemble.

According to the invention a holder is moulded onto the rear of the front plate and in one piece therewith, into which holder plug socket sets are inserted, the holder being closed by a cover provided with through openings for the connection pins of the plug sockets.

By means of this arrangement, a plug-in unit serving purely for test purposes is provided, the component parts of which can be mass-produced.

Assembly is simple, as the perforated front plate is constructed at the outset in one piece with the holder for the plug socket sets. Required connection modifications of any type can then be obtained in a simple manner by using the various plug socket sets which are commercially available.

Thus the various plug socket sets are inserted into the holder in the required manner, and the holder is then closed simply by means of the cover.

Particularly simple assembly is attained if the cover is made so that it can be snapped on.

The present invention also provides an electrical socket assembly, comprising an elongate housing and a purality of electrical sockets in the housing, which housing comprises a front plate, a socket holder integral with the front plate at the rear of the latter, the front plate having openings aligned with the sockets for insertion of plugs, the holder being open at the rear for insertion of the sockets in the housing, and a cover closing the holder and provided with openings through which extend connection pins electrically connected to the sockets.

The invention further provides an electrical plug-in assembly comprising a support member with a pair of parallel edges for sliding insertion into receiving guides, and an electrical socket assembly extending along a further edge region of the support member between the said parallel edges, which socket assembly includes a front plate provided with holes for receiving connector plugs, a socket holder formed integrally with the front plate at the rear of the latter, a plurality of connector sockets in the holder and aligned with respective holes in the front plate, the holder being open at its rearfor insertion of the sockets, and a cover closing the rear of the holder and provided with through openings through which extend connection pins electrically connected to the sockets.

Embodiments of the invention are described in greater detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-- Fiy. 1 is an exploded view of a first plug-in unit according to the invention, Fig. 2 shows a detail of Fig. 1 in section, Fig. 3 shows a second arrangement embodying the invention, and Fig. 4 shows a third arrangement embodying the invention.

The plug-in unit shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises an insulating plastics housing 10 with a front plate 1 with a handle 2 and provided with a plurality of bores 3 through which the plugs 9 of test and measurement equipment to be connected can be plugged.

On the rear of the front plate 1 there is integrally moulded in one piece a holder 4 in which commercially available plug sockets or socket sets 11 can be inserted in any desired number and combination, in such a manner that the socket sets lie behind respective pairs of bores 3. Only one socket set is shown in Fig. 2. The sockets of the plug socket sets are provided with relatively short connection pins 5 in the illustrated embodiment. Each set my comprise two (or more) sockets made from one piece of sheet metal.

After inserting the socket sets 11 into the holder 4 the latter is closed by a cover 6 which is preferably snapped onto the holder 4. The cover 6 is provided with through openings 12 for the connection pins 5.

In the illustrated embodiment, the front end 1 3 of a printed circuit board 7 is screwed to the front plate 1, whereas to the rear end of the printed circuit board 7 there is screwed a strip plug 8 which acts as the connector to the rear part of an appliance, and in particular to the switchgear cabinet of the appliance.

In the illustrated embodiment, the connection pins 5 of the sockets are bent at right angles and are plugged into the printed circuit board 7, thus.

becoming electrically connected thereto. The plug strip 8 is electrically connected to the printed circuit board 7 in a corresponding manner.

The socket sets are located in alignment with the openings 3 by locating partitions 14 moulded as part of the holder 4, and by the cover 6.

In use, the upper and lower edges 15, 16 of the printed circuit board 7 are slid into guides in an appliance, and the plug strip 8 makes contact with a fixed socket strip connected to the circuitry of the appliance.

As an alternative to the aforesaid embodiment, it is possible to make the connection pins 5 of the sockets of the socket sets so long that they can be directly connected to the plugs of the plug strip as shown in Fig. 3. In such a case, it is not necessary to use a printed circuit board. Instead of the printed circuit board, it is sufficient to use a correspondingly sized plastics plate 1 7 or a plastics frame of corresponding outer dimensions, and to join this plate or frame to the front plate 1 and plug strip 8, this component then taking over the guide function of the printed circuit board during the sliding movements of the plug-in unit.

Fig. 4 shows a further arrangement in which the plug strip 8 is omitted, and a plastics frame or plate 27 comprises a portion 1 8 for direct reception of the connection pins 5 coming from the front, which are snapped or moulded in place, e.g. into slots therein and have projecting ends 1 9 for connection to appliance circuitry. However, in this case the plug-in unit can only be pulled out after removing the wiring from the pins, but it is a very inexpensive construction.

Claims

1 ..An electrical socket assembly, comprising an elongate housing and a plurality of electrical sockets in the housing, which housing comprises a front plate, a socket holder integral with the front plate at the rear of the latter, the front plate having openings aligned with the sockets for insertion of plugs, the holder being open at the rear for insertion of the sockets in the housing, and a cover closing the holder and provided with openings through which extend connection pins electrically connected to the sockets.

2. An electrical plug-in assembly comprising a support member with a pair of parallel edges for sliding insertion into receiving guides, and an electrical socket assembly extending along a further edge region of the support member between the said parallel edges, which socket assembly includes a front plate provided with holes for receiving connector plugs, a socket holder formed integrally with the front plate at the rear of the latter, a plurality of connector sockets in the holder and aligned with respective holes in the front plate, the holder being open at its rear for insertion of the sockets, and a cover closing the rear of the holder and provided with through openings through which extend connection pins electrically connected to the sockets.

3. A plug-in assembly as claimed in claim 2 in which the support member is a printed circuit board to which the connection pins are connected.

4. A plug-in assembly as claimed in claim 2 having a plug strip parallel to the socket assembly, plugs of the plug strip being connected to said connection pins.

5. A piug-in unit for printed circuit boards, comprising test connections, a perforated front plate, a holder moulded integrally onto the rear of the front plate, plug socket sets inserted in the holder, and a cover which closed the holder and is provided with through openings for connection pins of the plug sockets.

6. A plug-in unit as claimed in claim 5 in which the cover is a snap-on fit on the holder.

7. A plug-in unit as claimed in claim 5 or 6 in which the connection pins of the plug sockets are bent and plugged into a printed circuit board which is attached to the front plate, and a plug strip is attached to the printed circuit board.

8. A plug-in unit as claimed in claim 5 or 6 in which the front plate and a plug strip are joined together by an intermediate guide piece, and the plug socket connection pins extend directly into the plug strip.

9. A plug-in unit as claimed inclaim 5 or 6 in which the front plate is joined to a guide piece which comprises in its rear region a reception portion for the plug socket connections pins.