Measuring device, transmitter housing and method for producing a measuring device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10873790-B2
Application number	US-201816027720-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 5, 2018
Priority date	Jul 7, 2017
Publication date	Dec 22, 2020
Grant date	Dec 22, 2020

Abstract

A measuring device with at least one sensor and at least one transmitter housing, the transmitter housing having at least one terminal space and an electronics space adjacent to the terminal space and connected via a partition wall, wherein at least a first electronic device for connecting supply and/or I/O lines is arranged in the terminal space and at least a second electronic device is arranged in the electronics space with electronics for controlling the sensor. The first and second electronic devices are electrically conductively connected to one another via a contacting unit. The second electronic device has a terminal unit which is connected to the contacting unit via a plug connection hat has a joining direction. The terminal unit is fixedly arranged in the joining direction and to float perpendicular to the joining direction such that it adapts to the position of the contacting unit when connecting to the contacting unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. Measuring device, comprising:
at least one sensor,
at least one first electronic device for the connection of supply and/or I/O lines,
at least one second electronic device, and
at least one transmitter housing, the transmitter housing having at least one terminal space and an electronics space adjacent to the terminal space and connected via a partition wall,
wherein the at least one first electronic device is arranged in the terminal space,
wherein the at least one second electronic device is arranged in the electronics space with electronics for controlling the at least one sensor,
wherein the first electronic device and the second electronic device are electrically conductively connected to one another via a contacting unit,
wherein the second electronic device has a terminal unit which is connected to the contacting unit via a plug connection that has a joining direction,
wherein the terminal unit is fixedly arranged in the joining direction and is arranged to float, being movable in directions perpendicular to the joining direction such that the position of the terminal unit is able to move to adapt to the position of the contacting unit when connecting the terminal unit to the contacting unit,
wherein the terminal unit has connecting elements in the form of at least one of the network connecting elements or signal connecting elements for transmitting electrical signals,
wherein the connecting elements are at least partially formed as funnel-shaped sockets, and
wherein the second electronic device is an at least partially bendable printed circuit board.

2. Measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the terminal unit has means for increasing the distance between the network connecting elements and the signal connecting elements or between the signal or network connecting elements relative to one another.

3. Measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the signal connecting elements are arranged in a circular manner around at least one network connecting element.

4. Measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the signal connection elements are arranged around the at least one network connection element in such a manner that the distance between the at least one network connecting element and the signal connecting elements corresponds at least to a standardized minimum distance for maintaining air and creep resistance.

5. Measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the signal connecting elements are combined to form at least one circuit group, and wherein the at least one circuit group has at least two signal connecting elements.

6. Measuring device according to claim 5 , wherein within at least one circuit group or between at least two circuit groups, at least one distance between two signal connecting elements falls below a standardized minimum distance to maintain air and creep resistance.

7. Measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the terminal unit is covered with an insulating material.

8. Measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least partially bendable printed circuit board has at least two rigid printed circuit board parts and at least one bendable part, wherein the bendable part connects the at least two rigid parts together, wherein at least one rigid part is a terminal unit and wherein at least one rigid part is a receiving unit for the electronics arranged in the electronics space and wherein the terminal unit and the receiving unit are arranged at an angle relative to each other.

9. Measuring device according to claim 8 , wherein the at least partially—bendable printed circuit board is a multilayer printed circuit board with internal conductor tracks.

10. Transmitter housing, comprising:
at least one terminal space,
an electronics space adjacent to the terminal space and connected via a partition wall,
at least one first electronic device arranged in the terminal space for connection of at least one of supply lines or I/O lines,
at least one second electronic device with electronics for controlling the sensor arranged in the electronics space,
a contacting unit electrically conductively connected connecting the first electronic device and the second electronic device to one another,
wherein the second electronic device has a terminal unit which is connected to the contacting unit via a plug connection that has a joining direction,
wherein the terminal unit is fixedly arranged in the joining direction and able to float, being movable in directions perpendicular to the joining direction such that the position of the terminal unit is able to move to adapt to the position of the contacting unit when connecting to the contacting unit,
wherein the transmitter housing is adapted for use in a measuring device having at least one sensor,
wherein the terminal unit has connecting elements in the form of at least one of the network connecting elements or signal connecting elements for transmitting electrical signals,
wherein the connecting elements are at least partially formed as funnel-shaped sockets, and
wherein the second electronic device is an at least partially bendable printed circuit board.

11. Method for producing a measuring device having at least one sensor and at least one transmitter housing, wherein the transmitter housing has at least one terminal space and an electronics space adjacent to the terminal space and connected via a partition wall, wherein at least a first electronic for the connection of supply and/or I/O lines is arranged in the terminal space and wherein at least a second electronic device is arranged in the electronics space with electronics for controlling the sensor, wherein the second electronic device arranged in the electronics space has a terminal unit with connecting elements in the form of network connecting elements and/or signal connecting elements, and a contacting unit which is fixedly connected to the first electronic device, has contact elements in the form of network contact elements and/or signal contact elements for transmitting electrical signals, wherein the connecting elements are at least partially formed as funnel-shaped sockets,
the method comprises the following steps:
installing the second electronic device in the electronics space, wherein the terminal unit is arranged to float due to use of an at least partially bendable printed circuit board as the second electronic device,
installing the first electronic device in the terminal space, the contacting unit being removably inserted into the partition wall,
connecting the contacting unit to the terminal unit by installing the first electronic device,
adapting the terminal unit to the position of the contacting unit by a self-centering movement in a direction perpendicular to an insertion direction of the contacting unit into the terminal unit as the contact elements are inserted into the funnel-shaped sockets.

Assignees

• Krohne Messtechnik Gmbh
• Krohne Messtechnikgmbh

Inventors

• Brockhaus Helmut
• Matt Achim

Classifications

• G01D11/245 Primary

  Housings for sensors · CPC title

• H04Q9/00 Primary

  Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom · CPC title

• G01K1/08

  Protective devices, e.g. casings · CPC title

• H01R13/52

  Dustproof, splashproof, drip-proof, waterproof, or flameproof cases · CPC title

• G01R1/04

  Housings; Supporting members; Arrangements of terminals · CPC title