GB2310550A - Panel-mounted connectors for relays - Google Patents

Abstract

A panel 1 supports several relay bases 10 into which respective relays 40 (fig. 6, not shown) can be plugged. The panel 1 has elongate apertures 2 with slots 3 and 4 down each side. Each relay base 10 is retained, on the rear side of the panel 1, by means of two resilient beams 30, 31 having outwardly-projecting catches 32 that project through the apertures 2 and overlap the front surface. Lugs 22, 23 and 25 on opposite sides of each base engage in the slots 3 and 4 to prevent movement of the bases along the apertures 2. The relays 40 have contact pins 41 that are inserted in sockets 12 in the bases 10. The relays 40 are secured on the bases 10 by screws 42 that engage screw holes 20, 21 and 24 in the bases aligned with the slots. When mounted, a part of each relay 40 lies between the catches 32, thereby preventing them being displaced inwardly sufficiently to clear the edges of the aperture 2.

Description

ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS AND ASSEMBLIES This invention relates to electrical components and assemblies.

The invention is more particularly, but not exclusively, concerned with bases for electrical relays and assemblies of such bases in a panel.

Aircraft power management systems require a large number of electrical relays, which must be readily replaceable. It is usual practice for such relays to have contacts that are a push fit into sockets provided in corresponding relay bases. The bases are mounted on the rear face of a panel, with the sockets being exposed on the front through an aperture in the panel. The bases are secured at different locations along the panel by means of bolts extending through cut-out slots along the edges of the aperture. Where a large number of relay bases are to be assembled in a panel, it can be very time consuming for each of these to be bolted into position. The problem can also exist with other electrical components that need to be secured in an aperture in a panel.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved electrical component and assembly.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided an electrical component for mounting on the rear of a panel, said component being accessible from the front of the panel through an aperture in the panel, said component having a surface formation adapted in use to extend over a part of the front face of the panel to restrain rearward displacement of the component, and lug means for engaging a recess in said panel to restrain displacement of the component along the aperture The surface formation is preferably a catch on a resilient member and the component may have two surface formations in the form of two catches on respective resilient members.

The or each resilient member preferably has an aligning key adapted to align in said recess during assembly of the component on the panel. The component preferably has a flange adapted to lie against the rear surface of the panel and extend across the region of the recess.

The flange may have a screw hole accessible from the front of the panel through the recess.

The component preferably includes a plurality of sockets arranged to receive contacts on a second component mounted with the first component from the front of the panel.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided an assembly including a panel and an electrical component according to the above one aspect of the invention.

The assembly preferably includes a plurality of components and may include a second component mounted with the or each first component on the front of the panel.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided an electrical assembly including a panel having an elongate aperture and a plurality of recesses extending outwardly along opposite edges of the aperture, a plurality of electrical components having a first surface in abutment with the rear surface of the panel in the region of the recesses, said first surface having a lug engaging a said recess to prevent movement of the component along the aperture, two resilient beams projecting forwardly through the aperture, each said beam having an outwardly-facing catch that projects over the edge of the aperture to prevent rearward movement of the component.

The assembly preferably includes a plurality of second components mounted on the front surface of the panel by engagement with the respective ones of the first components, the first and second components having a plurality of mating sockets and contacts that establish electrical interconnection between them, each second component having a portion lying between the two resilient beams of a respective first component to prevent the beams being deflected inwardly sufficiently to pass rearwardly through the aperture, and the first and second components having a plurality of fixing members extending between the components through respective ones of said recesses to hold the second component on the first component.

The or each second component is preferably an electrical relay.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a first electrical component for use in an assembly according to the above other or further aspect of the present invention.

An electrical relay assembly for an aircraft power management system, will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a panel for retaining several relays; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a relay base showing its front face; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the relay base showing its rear face; Figure 4 is a front elevation view of the relay base installed in the panel; Figure 5 is a partly sectional side elevation view of the relay base installed in the panel; and Figure 6 is a side elevation view of a relay for use in the assembly.

With reference to Figure 1, there is shown a conventional panel 1 for mounting ten relays. The panel 1 is of a rigid metal and is attached to a housing (not shown) by any conventional means. The panel 1 shown has two vertical, rectangular apertures 2, although any other number of apertures could be used. Each aperture 2 has five pairs of cut-out recesses or slots 3 equally spaced along its left-hand side and five single slots 4 on its righthand side located midway between the pairs of slots on the left-hand side. Each of the slots 3 and 4 extends outwardly from the edge of the aperture 2 horizontally a short distance and is rounded at its outer end. The panel 1 is of a conventional form and both apertures 2 would normally hold ten relay bases, each secured in position by three bolts passing through the slots 3 and 4.A relay would then be fastened to each base from the front of the panel.

With reference now to Figures 2 to 5, the relay base 10 of the present invention has a body 11 moulded from an electrically-insulative plastics and contains eleven electrical sockets 12, which open on the front surface 13 of the base and are connected to wires 14 (Figure 3) extending from the rear surface of the base. The rear part 15 of the body 11 is of substantially square section. The front part 16 of the body has a square central portion 17, the sockets 12 opening on the front surface of this portion. Two ledges 18 and 19 extend along opposite sides of the front part 16. One ledge 18 has two screw holes 20 and 21 adapted to receive screws on the relays, each screw hole being aligned with a rectangular lug 22 and 23 projecting from the front surface of the ledge close to its inner edge. Similarly, the other ledge 19 has a single, central screw hole 24 aligned with a lug 25 close to the inner edge of the ledge.

The two ledges 18 and 19 are each separated from the central portion 17 by respective gaps 26 and 27 extending along the body 11 and extending into the body from its front face 13 to a depth of about a third the total depth of the body. Midway across each gap 26 and 27 there is a spring beam 30 and 31 of rectangular section, which extends vertically from the floor of the gap and projects a short distance above the front face 13 of the central portion 17.

The beams 30 and 31 can be resiliently flexed towards or away from another by a small distance limited by the width of the gaps 26 and 27. The distance between the outer surface of the main part of the beams 30 and 31 is equal to the width of the apertures 2 in the panel 1.

Each beam 30 and 31 has an outwardly-projecting barb or catch 32 at its upper end. The catches 32 are of triangular section along most of their length but are interrupted by outwardly-projecting keys 33, 34 and 35. The beam 30 has two keys 33 and 34 located directly above the lugs 22 and 23; the beam 31 has a single key 35 located directly above the lug 25. The spacing between the upper surface of the ledges 18 and 19 and the underside of the catches 32 is equal to the thickness of the panel 1.

The relay bases 10 are easily installed in the panel 1 from its rear side. The keys 33, 34 and 35 are aligned with the respective ones of the slots 3 and 4 in an aperture 2. The base 10 is then pushed forwardly so that the spring beams 30 and 31 are initially urged inwardly towards one another and then snap outwardly with the underside of the catches 32 locating on the front face of the panel 1. In this position, the lugs 23, 24 and 25 locate in the slots 3 and 4, preventing the base 10 sliding along the length of the aperture 2; the screw holes 20, 21 and 24 align with the outer ends of the slots. The catches 32 on the spring beams 30 and 31 restrain rearward movement of the base 10. In this way, the relay bases 10 can be initially installed in the panel without the need for any fixing screws or bolts.

A relay 40 of the kind shown in Figure 6 is connected to the base 10 simply by aligning contact pins 41 on the lower side of the relay with the sockets 12 in the base. Three captive screws 42 on the relay are located to align with the screw holes 20, 21 and 24 below the slots 3 and 4. The screws 42 are tightened in the holes 20, 21 and 24 to draw the relay rearwardly onto the front face of the panel 1 and complete full electrical engagement of the pins 41 in the sockets 12. The screws 42 also serve to form a secure mounting of the base 10 and the relay 40 on the panel 1 by sandwiching the panel between the two parts. When a relay 40 is inserted in the base 10, the sides of the relay prevent the beams 30 and 31 being deflected inwardly towards one another. This prevents the catches 32 being deflected sufficiently to clear the edges of the aperture 2, thereby preventing removal of the base 10 from the panel 1 until after removal of the relay 40.

It will be appreciated that the relay bases may be of various different shapes and sizes and that they may have more or fewer lugs and keys. The present invention is not confined to relay bases but could be used with other electrical components for mounting in an aperture in a panel.

Claims (16)

1. An electrical component for mounting on the rear of a panel, said component being accessible from the front of the panel through an aperture in the panel, wherein said component has a surface formation adapted in use to extend over a part of the front face of the panel to restrain rearward displacement of the component, and lug means for engaging a recess in said panel to restrain displacement of the component along the aperture.

2. An electrical component according to Claim 1, wherein the surface formation is a catch on a resilient member.

3. An electrical component according to Claim 2 including two surface formations in the form of two catches on respective resilient members.

4. An electrical component according to Claim 2 or 3, wherein the or each resilient member has an aligning key adapted to align in said recess during assembly of the component on the panel.

5. An electrical component according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the component has a flange adapted to lie against the rear surface of the panel and extend across the region of said recess.

6. An electrical component according to Claim 5, wherein the flange has a screw hole accessible from the front of the panel through said recess.

7. An electrical component according to any one of the preceding claims including a plurality of sockets arranged to receive contacts on a second component mounted with the first component from the front of the panel.

8. An electrical component substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. An electrical assembly including a panel and an electrical component according to any one of the preceding claims.

10. An electrical assembly according to Claim 9 including a plurality of components.

11. An electrical assembly according to Claim 9 or 10 including a second component mounted with the or each first component on the front of the panel.

12. An electrical assembly including a panel having an elongate aperture and a plurality of recesses extending outwardly along opposite edges of the aperture, a plurality of electrical components having a first surface in abutment with the rear surface of the panel in the region of the recesses, said first surface having a lug engaging a said recess to prevent movement of the component along the aperture, two resilient beams projecting forwardly through the aperture, each said beam having an outwardly-facing catch that projects over the edge of the aperture to prevent rearward movement of the component.

13. An electrical assembly according to Claim 12 including a plurality of second components mounted on the front surface of the panel by engagement with the respective ones of the first components, wherein the first and second components have a plurality of mating sockets and contacts that establish electrical interconnection between them, wherein each second component has a portion lying between the two resilient beams of a respective first component to prevent the beams being deflected inwardly sufficiently to pass rearwardly through the aperture, and wherein the first and second components have a plurality of fixing members extending between the components through respective ones of said recesses to hold the second component on the first component.

14. An electrical assembly according to Claim 11 or 13, wherein the or each said second component is an electrical relay.

15. A first component for an electrical assembly according to any one of Claim 12 to 14.

16. An electrical assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.