Support rail and housing assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11670916-B2
Application number	US-201816755923-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2018
Priority date	Nov 3, 2017
Publication date	Jun 6, 2023
Grant date	Jun 6, 2023

Abstract

A support rail and housing assembly is mountable on a housing base. The housings are equipped with electrical contact and/or functional elements which can be strung together. The support rail is mountable on the mounting base even when the housings have already been arranged on the support rail before the support rail is mounted. The support rail is secured to the mounting base by two or more mounting pins which have been placed before the support rail is mounted to the mounting base. The mounting pins and the support rail are designed to correspond to each other such that the support rail can be placed on the mounting pins and locked thereto without using a tool.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An assembly, comprising
a mounting base;
at least two mounting pins threadably connected with said mounting base, each mounting pin including a locking device comprising a dowel for locking each mounting pin on said mounting base, wherein each dowel engages a shaft of said mounting pin and axially shortens and radially widens when said mounting pin is threadably connected with said mounting base; and
a support rail on which a plurality of housings equipped with electrical contact and/or functional elements can be arranged mounted on said mounting base, said mounting pins and said support rail being configured to lock said support rail on said mounting base, whereby said support rail may be mounted on said mounting base without using a tool.

2. The assembly as defined in claim 1 , wherein each mounting pin is designed to dissipate a PE current of said support rail.

3. The assembly as defined in claim 1 , wherein said support rail contains through bores arranged in a defined pattern.

4. The assembly as defined in claim 3 , wherein said through bores have at least one of a polygonal, circular, oval, elongated, and keyhole cross-section.

5. The assembly as defined in claim 4 , wherein each through bore has a portion having a first diameter and a second portion having a second diameter greater than said first diameter.

6. The assembly as defined in claim 5 , wherein each mounting pin includes a head and a shaft having a smaller diameter than said head.

7. The assembly as defined in claim 6 , wherein said first diameter of each through bore first portion is larger than a diameter of said mounting pin shaft and said second diameter of each through bore second portion is larger than a diameter of said mounting pin head.

8. The assembly as defined in claim 6 , wherein each mounting pin head includes at least one locking device.

9. An assembly, comprising
a mounting base;
at least two mounting pins connected with said mounting base, each said mounting pin including a head having at least one locking device and a shaft, wherein said locking device contains a plurality of spaced recesses to define a plurality of locking bars; and
a support rail on which a plurality of housings equipped with electrical contact and/or functional elements can be arranged mounted on said mounting base, said support rail contains through bores having at least one of a polygonal, circular, oval, elongated, and keyhole cross-section arranged in a defined pattern, said mounting pins and said support rail being configured to lock said support rail on said mounting base, whereby said support rail may be mounted on said mounting base without using a tool.

10. The assembly as defined in claim 9 , wherein said locking device of each head cooperates with a respective one of said through bores in a locked state to define an annular snap-fit connection.

11. The assembly as defined in claim 9 , wherein locking device has a C-shaped or an L-shaped cross-section.

12. The assembly as defined in claim 9 , wherein a free end of each locking bar is directed radially inwardly direction relative to each mounting pin.

13. The assembly as defined in claim 9 , wherein each locking device is solid and contains a radial gap.

14. The assembly as defined in claim 9 , wherein each locking device is hollow and has a C-shaped configuration which opens radially inwardly.

15. The assembly as defined in claim 9 , wherein each locking device lock with a respective through bore.

16. The assembly as defined in claim 9 , wherein each locking means is formed of a metallic material having a spring-like character.

17. The assembly as defined in claim 9 , wherein each locking device includes a resilient pressure member.

18. The assembly as defined in claim 9 , wherein said mounting pin head contains an annular groove.

19. The assembly as defined in claim 18 , wherein said locking device is arranged in said annular groove.

20. An assembly, comprising
a mounting base;
at least two mounting pins connected with said mounting base, each said mounting pin including a head having at least one locking device and a shaft having a smaller diameter than said head, said locking device including a resilient pressure member being screwed into the mounting base, a resilient stud portion of the resilient pressure member protruding from said mounting base in an unstressed state to define a stop for said support rail when said support rail is mounted on said mounting base; and
a support rail on which a plurality of housings equipped with electrical contact and/or functional elements can be arranged mounted on said mounting base, said support rail contains through bores having at least one of a polygonal, circular, oval, elongated, and keyhole cross-section arranged in a defined pattern, said mounting pins and said support rail being configured to lock said support rail on said mounting base, whereby said support rail may be mounted on said mounting base without using a tool.

21. The assembly as defined in claim 20 , wherein a head of each mounting pin covers respective through bore like a mushroom cap or semi-circular rivet head when said support rail is mounted on said mounting base.

22. The assembly as defined in claim 20 , wherein said mounting base contains a threaded bore corresponding to each respective through bore.

23. The assembly as defined in claim 22 , wherein each mounting pin shaft is threaded for connection with said mounting base threaded bore.

24. The assembly as defined in claim 20 , wherein each mounting pin shaft is threaded and passes through a through bore of the mounting base, and further comprising a nut connected with said mounting pin shaft to connect said mounting pin with said mounting base.

25. The assembly as defined in claim 20 , wherein each mounting pin head includes a collar.

26. The assembly as defined in claim 25 , wherein each locking device is arranged on said collar.

27. The assembly as defined in claim 25 , wherein said collar fills a respective through bore, a height of said collar corresponding to a thickness of said support rail in a region of said respective through bore.

28. An assembly, comprising
a mounting base;
at least two mounting pins connected with said mounting base, each said mounting pin including a head having a collar and a shaft having a smaller diameter than said head, wherein one of said mounting pin head and collar has a driving configuration for the transmission of torque to said mounting pin; and
a support rail on which a plurality of housings equipped with electrical contact and/or functional elements can be arranged mounted on said mounting base, said support rail contains through bores having at least one of a polygonal, circular, oval, elongated, and keyhole cross-section arranged in a defined pattern, said mounting pins and said support rail being configured to lock said support rail on said mounting base, whereby said support rail may be mounted on said mounting base without using a tool.

29. The assembly as defined in claim 28 , wherein said driving configuration comprises at least one of an internal polygon, an external polygon, an internal configuration with multiple rounded portions or an external configuration with multiple rounded portions.

Assignees

• Weidmueller Interface Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Avenhaus Eike
• Giesbrecht Peter
• Diekmann Jörg
• Meyer Peter
• Neumann Genadij
• Remke Andre

Classifications

• H02B1/042 Primary

  Mounting on perforated supports by means of screws or locking members · CPC title

• H02B1/32 Primary

  Mounting of devices therein · CPC title

• F16B21/08

  in which the stud, pin, or spigot has a resilient part ({F16B21/065, F16B21/125, F16B21/165, F16B37/043 take precedence}; wall-dowels F16B13/00) · CPC title

• H01R4/305

  having means for facilitating engagement of conductive member or for holding it in position · CPC title

• H01R4/64

  Connections between or with conductive parts having primarily a non-electric function, e.g. frame, casing, rail · CPC title