NL2020934B1

NL2020934B1 - Housing enclosing a printed circuit board

Info

Publication number: NL2020934B1
Application number: NL2020934A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Johannes Buijsman Petrus
Original assignee: Squarell B V
Priority date: 2018-05-15
Filing date: 2018-05-15
Publication date: 2019-11-21

Abstract

The invention. relates to a housing' enclosing' a printed circuit board, comprising a housing body having a bottom, a left sidewall and a right sidewall that bound an internal chamber for the printed circuit board, an inner cover inside the housing body with an inner cover wall that covers the printed circuit board at least partially, and at least one outer cover with an outer cover wall that closes the housing body above the inner cover at least partially, wherein the inner cover wall and the outer cover wall bound a cable channel that extends above the printed circuit board, wherein the printed circuit board carries a connector that projects from the printed circuit board and that is accessible from the cable channel.

Description

BACKGROUND

The invention relates to a housing that encloses a printed circuit board. Such housings are known and are used to protect the enclosed printed circuit board and to mount it locally in in a machine for example.

The known housings basically comprise a housing body in which the printed circuit board is mounted, and a cover that closes off the housing body above the printed circuit board. Electric cables that are connected with the printed circuit board can pass through spouts or through holes in the walls of the housing body or the cover.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A disadvantage of the known housings as described above is that inside the housing the electric cables extends freely between the spout and the connection with the printed circuit board. When the housing is locally installed in the neighborhood of pre-installed electric cables that will be connected with the printed circuit board, this free span might not be a fixed length. The free span might thereby come in contact with the vulnerable electronic components on the printed circuit board.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a housing that encloses a printed circuit board, which can be orderly installed in the neighborhood of pre installed electric cables to be connected with the enclosed printed circuit board.

The invention provides a housing enclosing a printed circuit board, wherein the housing comprises a housing body having a bottom, a left sidewall and a right sidewall that bound an internal chamber for the printed circuit board, wherein the housing comprises an inner cover inside the housing body, wherein the inner cover comprises an inner cover wall that covers the printed circuit board at least partially, wherein the housing comprises at least one outer cover, wherein the outer cover comprises an outer cover wall that closes the housing body above the inner cover at least partially, wherein the inner cover wall and the outer cover wall bound a cable channel that extends above the printed circuit board, wherein the printed circuit board carries a connector that projects from the printed circuit board and that is accessible from the cable channel.

The housing according to the invention comprises an inner cover that at one side at least partly covers the printed circuit board, and that at the other side bounds a cable channel together with the outer cover that extends above the printed circuit board. An electric cable that is connected to the connector has access to the cable channel where it can be stowed over a practical overlength while kept spaced apart from the printed circuit board. The stowed cable can be covered by the outer cover whereby the stowed length is protected and out of sight.

In an embodiment the connector is located aside the inner cover wall, whereby the electric cable can be deflected from the cable channel directly towards the connector .

In an embodiment the inner cover is a separate insert piece for the housing body. The printed circuit board can then be inserted first, followed by covering the printed circuit board by placing the separate inner cover.

In an embodiment the housing comprises a cable reel that protrudes from the inner cover wall into the cable channel. The cable reel can be used to store the practical overlength of the electric cable by winding it around the cable reel inside the housing.

In an embodiment thereof the cable reel comprises a base that is rotatable supported by the inner cover wall, and an arm that project from the base, wherein the arm is rotatable between an open position in which the arm is spaced apart from the inner cover whereby a cable can pass the arm to be wound around the base, and a closed position in engagement with the inner cover in which the wound cable is enclosed. The cable reel allows the overlength of electric cable to be stowed while it is confined by the cable reel in its closed position. This allows the electric cable to be stowed in an orderly manner before the outer cover is finally placed.

In a further embodiment thereof the inner cover comprises a first closure and the cable reel comprises a second closure at the end of the arm for closing cooperation with the first closure in the closed position of the arm.

In an embodiment the left sidewall and the right sidewall each have a top edge facing the outer cover, wherein at least one of the side walls comprises a recess that extends from the top edge into the side wall, wherein the outer cover wall and the recess define an entrance opening to the cable channel. The connected electric cable is fed into the housing via the entrance opening, which is open at its upper side for easy configuration when the outer cover is open or taken off during installation of the housing .

In an embodiment thereof the recess is located in the center of the sidewall.

In an embodiment both sidewalls comprise the recess, wherein the cable channel extends between both recesses. In this embodiment the electric cable can be inserted from two sides of the housing, which is in particular practical when multiple electric cables has to be connected to the printed circuit board.

In an embodiment the outer cover is hingeable connected with the housing body aside the cable channel, wherein the outer cover is hingable with respect to the housing body between an open position in which the cable channel is accessible, and a closed position in which the cable channel is at least partially covered by the outer cover. The hinge connection ensures that the housing body and the cover form one unity during installation, wherein the housing body with the inner cover can be easily closed by hinging the outer cover from its open position and its closed position.

In an embodiment the housing comprises two outer covers that together close the housing body above the inner cover .

In an embodiment thereof the outer covers meet each other above the cable channel in the closed position. This is at the position where the overlength of electric cable has been stowed before the housing is closed. This facilitates the installation of the housing

In an embodiment the housing body comprises supports around the circumference of the printed circuit board that support the printed circuit board above and spaced apart from the bottom of the housing body. The supports can provide a distributed support of the printed circuit board around its circumference, whereby the printed circuit board is fixated even when some forces are exerted to it during connecting of the electric cable with the connector .

In an embodiment the inner cover wall extends parallel to the printed circuit board, wherein the inner cover comprises multiple legs that project from the inner cover wall towards the bottom. The legs may ensure that the inner cover remains in place inside the housing body.

In an embodiment thereof the legs abut the printed circuit board at their distal ends, whereby the legs can keep the printed circuit board confined inside the housing body.

In an embodiment the inner cover comprises a first coupling, wherein the housing body comprises a second coupling for coupling cooperation with the first coupling to couple the inner cover with the housing body.

In an embodiment thereof the first coupling and the second coupling comprise mutual engaging hooks to provide a snap-in coupling between the inner cover and the housing body.

In an embodiment the bottom of the housing body comprises a rail gutter to receive a mounting rail. The rail gutter enables the housing to be mounted against a mounting rail. This mounting rail can for example receive a series of the housing according to this embodiment of the invention .

In an embodiment the printed circuit board carries connectors on both opposite sides of the cable channel that project from the printed circuit board and that are located aside the inner cover and that are accessible from the cable channel. The connectors at the opposite sides may be different types, such as plug-in sockets to receive cable plugs at one side, and screw terminals for individual cables at the other side.

The various aspects and features described and shown in the specification can be applied, individually, wherever possible. These individual aspects, in particular the aspects and features described in the attached dependent claims, can be made subject of divisional patent applications .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be elucidated on the basis of an exemplary embodiment shown in the attached drawings, in which:

Figures 1A and IB are an isometric top view and an isometric bottom view of a housing that encloses a printed circuit board according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figures 2A and 2B are isometric top views of the housing of figure 1A, having one outer cover removed and one outer cover in its open position to show an internal cable reel in its closed and in its opened position, respectively;

Figure 3 is an isometric top view of the housing of figure 2, wherein both outer covers have been removed and an internal cover has been taken out to show the printed circuit board; and

Figure 4 is the isometric front view of the housing of figure 3, wherein the printed circuit board has been removed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Figures 1A and IB are an isometric top view and an isometric bottom view of a plastic housing 1 according to the invention. As best shown in figure 3, the housing 1 tightly encloses a rectangular, straight and flat printed circuit board (PCB) 100. The printed circuit board 100 carries at its opposite extremities first connectors 102 that are in this example embodied as plug-in sockets to receive cable plugs, and second connectors 103 that are in this example embodied as screw terminals for individual cables. The printed circuit board 100 carries surface mounted electronic components (SMD components) 101 between the first connectors 102 and the second connectors 103, wherein the connectors 102, 103 project higher from the printed circuit board 100 than the electronic components 101.

The housing 1 comprises a housing body 2 having a bottom 3 with a rectangular outline, and a left sidewall 4, a right sidewall 5, and a lower front sidewall 6 and a lower back sidewall 7 that all extend upright from the bottom 3 and that merge into each other at their sides to define an internal chamber 10 for the printed circuit board 100.

As best shown in figure IB, the bottom 3 comprises a front bottom wall 11 and a back bottom wall 12 that merge into a central rail gutter 13. The bottom 3 comprises adjacent to the back bottom wall 12 two fixed hooks 14 that project into the rail gutter 13, and behind the front bottom wall 11 a translation guidance 17 in which a lock 18 is slidable in a sliding direction A parallel to the main plane of the bottom 3 and transverse to the rail gutter 13. The lock 18 comprises a hook 19 that projects into the rail gutter 13, and an eye 20 that projects through the front wall 6. The lock 18 is spring-biased towards the rail gutter 13. The housing 1 can be installed onto a mounting rail, such as a DIN-rail, by bringing it into the rail gutter 13, wherein the fixed hooks 14 engage first, followed by pushing down the housing 1 whereby the biased hook 19 of the lock 18 snaps behind the opposite side of the mounting rail. The housing 1 can be released from the mounting rail by pulling at the eye 20 with a screw driver for example.

As best shown in figure 4, the housing body 2 comprises multiple first supports 20 against the inter sides of the front sidewall 6 and the back sidewall 7. The housing body 2 comprises multiple columns 22 against the inner sides of the left sidewall 4 and the right sidewall 5 that raise from the inner sides of the front bottom wall 11 and the back bottom wall 12. The columns 22 comprise second supports 23 at the same height with respect to the bottom 3 as the first supports 20 for distributed support of the flat printed circuit board 100 around its circumference.

The left sidewall 4 and the right sidewall 5 each comprise opposite, slightly upwardly curved straight top edges 30 that merge via parallel extending, downwardly directed inner side edges 31 into an inner central edge 32 that together define a recess 33. The inner central edge 32 extends practically parallel to the top edges 30. The inner central edges 32 extend above the bottom 3 at a height that

is above	the	sidewalls 6, 7	and	below	the top edges 30.
	As	best shown	in	figure 3, the	housing 1
comprises an	inner cover	40	that	internally	covers the
housing	body	2. The inner	cover 40	comprises	a straight

inner cover wall 41 that extends parallel to the bottom 3 and along the inner central edges 32, and multiple legs 42 that project downwards therefrom into the housing body 2. The legs 42 comprise distal ends 44 that abut the printed circuit board 100 to hold it down against the first supports 20 and second supports 23, and outwardly projecting hooks 43 that engage mating hooks 25 against the inner sides of the left sidewall 4 and the right sidewall 5 for distributed snap-in fixation of the inner cover 40 inside the housing body 2. The columns 22 comprise third supports 24 above the second supports 23 for distributed support the inner cover 40 around the inner cover wall 41. The connectors 102, 103 extend aside the inner cover wall 40. At least at one side, the inner cover wall 41 merges into an upwardly projecting side wall 46. The inner cover wall 41 and the side wall 41 follow the contour of inner central edges 32 and the inner side edges 31 of the left sidewall 4 and the right sidewall 5. The inner cover 40 comprises a hollow bushing 45 projecting upwards from the inner cover wall 41 at the notional common center of the inner central edges 32. With respect to the cover wall 41 at about the same height as the bushing 45, the side wall 46 merges at its center into a first closure 47 that is described hereafter.

As best shown in figures 2A, 2B and 4, the housing 1 comprises a cable reel 60 for storage of electric cables that are connected with the first connectors 102 or the second connectors 103. For illustrative purposes only one electric wire or electric cable 110 is shown in figure 2A that is wound over only one revolution. The cable reel comprises a hollow bushing 61 that is rotatable around the bushing 45 of the inner cover 40, and two arms 62 projecting radially outwards therefrom in opposite directions. The housing body 2 comprises a pin 65 that extends from the bottom 3 through a hole in the printed circuit board 100 and through the hollow bushing 45 of the inner cover 40, wherein a wider head 66 is connected to the pin 63 that engages the hollow bushing 61 of the cable reel 60. One of the arms 62 of the cable reel 60 merges into a second closure 64 for cooperation with the first closure 47, and the other one of the arms 62 merges into a downwardly projecting holding lip 63. The cable reel 60 is rotatable in a rotation direction B between an open position as shown in figure 2B in which the electric cable 110 can be wound around the bushing 61, and a closed position as shown in figure 2A wherein the second closure 64 is releasably engaged by the first closure 47 to confine the wound electric cable 110. The cooperating first closure 47 and second closure 64 may engage as a snap connection.

As best shown in figure 2A, the housing 1 comprises two outer covers 80 that cover the entire top side of the housing body 2 along the top edges 30. The outer covers 80 each comprise an outer cover wall 81 with an undulating or curved distal edge 87, and at the opposite side the outer cover wall 81 merges into a side wall 82 that extends between the left sidewall 4 and the right sidewall 5 and that are complementary to the front sidewall 6 and the back sidewall 7. The outer covers 80 comprise a recessed left sidewall 83 and a right sidewall 84 that merges into the side wall 82 and the adjacent part of the outer cover wall 81. The outer covers 80 fit within and abut the sidewalls 4, 5 of the housing body 2, and the outer cover wall 81 follows the curvature of the top edges 30 thereof. The outer covers 80 comprise hinge pins 86 that protrude from the side walls 83, 84 and that extend into hinge holes 8 in the sidewalls 4, 5 of the housing body 2. The outer covers 80 are thereby hingeable with respect to the housing body 2 in a hinging direction C around parallel hinging axes D between a closed position as shown in figure 1A, and an open position as shown in figure 2A.

The outer covers 80 comprise locking pins 86 that protrude from the side walls 83, 84 and that enter not shown blind holes in the side walls 4, 5 of the housing body 2 to snap lock the closed position of the outer covers 80. The side walls 83, 84 are provided with curved slots 85 having their notional center point at the hinge pins 86. The front sidewall 6 and the back sidewall 7 enter these slots 85 in the open position of the outer covers 80, whereby the outer covers 80 can be opened wide enough to position the top walls 81 in the hinging direction C fully outside the projection of the printed circuit board 100. The pin 63 of the cable reel 60 may be light conducting itself or it may be provided with a light conductor to conduct light from a light source, such as a LED, on the printed circuit board 100 to the top of the pin 63, whereby the light is visible through the slit between the meeting complementary distal edges 87. The distal edges 87 may also be provided with a recess at the position of the top of the pin 63.

The inner side edges 31 and the inner central edge 32 of the housing body 2 define together with the side edges of the closed outer covers 80 two entrance openings 90. The inner cover 40 and the closed outer covers 80 define a cable channel 91, which also may be called a cable gutter, in which the cable reel 60 extends and that is accessible via the entrance openings 90. The connectors 102, 103 extend aside this cable channel 91 and are directly accessible from there for connecting cables. The cable channel 91 extends between the entrance openings 90 parallel to the hinging axes D of the outer covers 80.

The housing 1 may be used for local installation of cable-connected electronics that is implemented on a printed circuit board, such as the printed circuit board 100 having the connectors 102, 103 as shown in the drawings. The housing 1 may be installed in buildings, machines or vehicles. The housing 1 may be free mounted, or mounted on a mounting rail. As a first example, the housing 1 with the printed circuit board 100 may form part of a retrofit monitoring system for a vehicle, such as a truck, wherein the printed circuit board 100 is connected with the electric cable 110 that forms part of the bus system of the truck. The retrofit monitoring system may for example monitor the speed of the truck, the position of the gas valves of the engine, or the global position of the truck as provided by the on board navigation system to optimize the performance of the truck and the human driver. The housing 1 may be installed behind the dashboard and behind shields inside the engine department. As a second example, the housing 1 with the printed circuit board 100 may be installed onto a mounting rail of a machine to form part of the electronic machine control system, wherein the electric cable 110 connects with a sensor or switch for example.

In such applications, the connectors 102, 103 are accessible by opening the outer covers 80 in direction C, whereby the electric cable 110 can be connected to one of the connectors 102, 103 and the superfluous length of the electric cable 110 can be stowed inside the housing 1 by winding it around the opened cable reel 60. The electric cable 110 is placed in one of the entrance openings 90. The wound electric cable 110 is fixated inside the cable channel 91 and held downwards with respect to the outer covers 80 by snap-closing the cable reel 60 in rotation direction B. Finally the outer covers 80 can be closed in direction C without hamper of the wound and fixated electric cable 110.

It is to be understood that in above description of the housing 1 according to the invention the terms front, back, left, right, top and bottom are relative terms not limiting the scope of protection for the invention .

It is to be understood that the above description is included to illustrate the operation of the preferred embodiments and is not meant to limit the scope of the invention. From the above discussion, many variations will be apparent to one skilled in the art that would yet be 5 encompassed by the scope of the present invention.

Claims

CONCLUSIONS

A housing enclosing a printed circuit board, the housing comprising a housing body having a bottom, a left-hand side wall and a right-hand side wall delimiting an internal chamber for the printed circuit board, the housing being provided with an inner cover in the housing body, the housing inner cover is provided with an inner cover wall which at least partially covers the printed circuit board, the housing being provided with at least one outer cover, the outer cover being provided with an outer cover wall that at least partially closes the housing body above the inner cover, the inner cover wall and the outer cover wall define a cable channel that extends above the printed circuit board, the printed circuit board carrying a connector protruding from the printed circuit board and accessible from the cable duct.

Housing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connector is located next to the inner cover wall.

3. Housing as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the inner cover is a separate insert for the housing body.

Housing as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the housing is provided with a cable spool that protrudes into the cable channel from the inner cover wall.

Housing as claimed in claim 4, wherein the cable spool is provided with a base that is rotatably supported by the inner cover wall, and an arm that protrudes from the base, wherein the arm is rotatable between an open position in which the arm is remote from the base. inner cover so that a cable can pass the arm to be wound around the coil, and a closed position in engagement with the inner cover in which the wound cable is trapped.

Housing as claimed in claim 5, wherein the inner cover is provided with a first closure and wherein the cable spool is provided with a second closure at the end of the arm for close cooperation with the first closure in the closed position of the arm.

Housing as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the left-hand side wall and the right-hand side wall both have an upper edge that faces the outer cover, at least one of the side walls being provided with a recess which extends into the side wall from the upper edge, wherein the outer cover wall and the recess define an access opening to the cable channel.

Housing as claimed in claim 7, wherein the recess is in the middle of the side wall.

9. Housing as claimed in claim 7 or 8, wherein both side walls are provided with the recess and wherein the cable channel extends between the two recesses.

10. Housing as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the outer cover is pivotally connected to the housing body next to the cable channel, the outer cover being pivotable relative to the housing body between an open position in which the cable channel is accessible, and a closed position in which the cable channel is at least partially covered by the outer cover.

11. Housing as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, comprising two outer covers which together close the housing body above the inner cover.

12. Housing as claimed in claims 10 and 11, wherein the outer covers meet in the closed position above the cable channel.

A housing according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing body is provided with supports around the circumference of the printed circuit board which support the printed circuit board above and at a distance from the bottom of the housing body.

14. Housing as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the inner cover wall extends parallel to the printed circuit board, and wherein the inner cover is provided with several legs which protrude from the inner cover wall to the bottom.

The housing of claim 14, wherein the legs abut against the printed circuit board at their distal ends.

16. Housing as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the inner cover is provided with a first coupling and wherein the housing body is provided with a second coupling for cooperation with the first coupling for coupling the inner cover to the housing body.

17. Housing as claimed in claim 16, wherein the first coupling and the second coupling comprise mutually engaging hooks.

18. Housing as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the bottom of the housing body is provided with a rail gutter for receiving a mounting rail.

19. Housing as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the printed circuit board carries connectors on both opposite sides of the cable channel which protrude from the printed circuit board and which are located next to the inner cover and which are accessible from the cable channel.

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