Control-cabinet system having a base module and a functional module, base module and functional module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12245398-B2
Application number	US-202318150348-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 5, 2023
Priority date	Aug 7, 2020
Publication date	Mar 4, 2025
Grant date	Mar 4, 2025

Abstract

A control-cabinet system has a base module and at least one functional module. The base module has a base housing with a first housing face and a second housing face. The functional module has a functional housing with a housing underside, where a circulation channel is arranged. Air flow may be circulated in the circulation channel, where each base connection element comprises circulation openings which are fluidically connected to the circulation channel. The functional connection element comprises coupling openings fluidically connected to an interior of the functional housing. The coupling openings are coupleable to the circulation openings, in which a fluidic connection exists between the circulation channel and the interior of the functional housing. A fluidically closed circulation circuit comprising the circulation channel and the interior of the functional housing is formed, in which air flow may be circulated.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control-cabinet system having:
a base module, and
at least a functional module,
the base module comprising:
a base housing with a first housing face and a second housing face;
a plurality of base connection elements with base voltage connections and base data connections are arranged on the first housing face,
at least one data line configured as a data bus, the at least one data line having a plurality of switch-on units configured as a subscribers of the data bus, which is connected to the base data connections of the base connection elements via the at least one data line, is arranged in the base housing and at least one voltage line is arranged in the base housing which is connected to the base voltage connections of the base connection elements,

the functional module comprises:
a functional housing with a housing underside, wherein a functional connection element with voltage connections and data connections is arranged on the housing underside,
at least one electronic functional circuit, which is connected to the voltage connections and the data connections of the functional connection element, is arranged in the functional housing,
wherein the functional module is connectable to the base module via a coupling of the functional connection element to one of the base connection elements to achieve a connection of the voltage connections and the data connections of the functional connection element to the base voltage connections and the base data connections of the base connection elements,
wherein a circulation channel is arranged in the base housing for circulating a flow of air in the circulation channel,
wherein each of the base connection elements comprises circulation openings which are fluidically connected to the circulation channel,
wherein the functional connection element has coupling openings fluidically connected to an interior of the functional housing, wherein the coupling openings are coupleable to the circulation openings, and wherein the coupling openings comprises a first coupling opening and a second coupling opening, and
wherein, in a coupling of the coupling openings with the circulation openings, a fluidic connection exists between the circulation channel and the interior of the functional housing and a fluidically closed circulation circuit comprising the circulation channel and the interior of the functional housing is formed, in which the flow of the air is circulated by the air entering into the interior of the functional housing from the circulation channel via the first coupling opening and flowing back into the circulation channel from the interior of the functional housing via the second coupling opening.

2. The control-cabinet system according to claim 1 , further comprising a fan element, wherein the fan element is integrated into the fluidically closed circulation circuit, and wherein the fan element is configured to accelerate the circulating of the flow of the air within the fluidically closed circulation circuit.

3. The control-cabinet system according to claim 2 , wherein the fan element is arranged in the functional housing of the functional module and/or within the circulation channel of the base module.

4. The control-cabinet system according to claim 1 , wherein regulating devices are arranged at the circulation openings, wherein the regulating devices are configured to regulate a volume of the flow of the air passing through the circulation openings.

5. The control-cabinet system according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the coupling openings comprises a respective coupling collar,
wherein the respective coupling collar surrounds each of the coupling openings and protrudes from the functional connection element,
wherein the respective coupling collar is insertable into a corresponding one of the circulation openings and allows for coupling between each of the coupling openings and the corresponding one of the circulation openings, and
wherein a fluid-tight connection between the functional module and the base module is achieved by the coupling between the coupling openings and corresponding ones of the circulation openings.

6. The control-cabinet system according to claim 1 ,
wherein sealing devices are arranged at the circulation openings, and
wherein the sealing devices are configured to fluidically seal off the circulation openings of the base connection elements to which no functional modules are connected.

7. The control-cabinet system according to claim 1 ,
wherein guiding devices are arranged inside of the functional housing of the functional module, and
wherein the guiding devices are configured to guide the flow of the air flowing through the coupling openings into the interior of the functional housing into a predetermined area inside the functional housing, in which at least one component of the electronic functional circuit is arranged.

8. The control-cabinet system according to claim 7 , wherein the guiding devices comprise guiding nozzles arranged at the coupling openings and suitable to guide the flow of the air into the predetermined area within the functional housing, and/or
wherein the guiding devices comprise a guiding fan element arranged inside of the functional housing.

9. The control-cabinet system according to claim 7 ,
wherein the guiding devices comprise a guiding channel,
wherein the guiding channel has a fluidic connection to at least one of the coupling openings, and
wherein the guiding channel is configured to guide the flow of the air into a predetermined region within the interior of the functional housing.

10. The control-cabinet system according to claim 1 , wherein the circulation channel is in a thermal contact with at least one inner housing wall of the base housing of the base module.

11. The control-cabinet system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the circulation channel comprises a first partial channel, a second partial channel, a third partial channel and a fourth partial channel,
wherein the first partial channel and the second partial channel are arranged in parallel to each other,
wherein the third partial channel and the fourth partial channel are arranged in parallel to each other,
wherein the circulation openings of each of the base connection elements comprises a first circulation opening and a second circulation opening,
wherein the first circulation opening is fluidically connected to the first partial channel and the second circulation opening is fluidically connected to the second partial channel,
wherein the first coupling opening is coupleable to the first circulation opening and the second coupling opening is coupleable to the second circulation opening, and
wherein a pressure difference is achieved by the circulating of the flow of the air between the first partial channel and the second partial channel generated due to a temperature difference within the functional housing or within the circulation channel or by a fan element.

12. The control-cabinet system according to claim 11 ,
wherein the first coupling opening and the second coupling opening are arranged at two opposite outermost ends of the functional connection element, and
wherein the data connections and the voltage connections are arranged at the functional connection element between the first coupling opening and the second coupling opening.

13. The control-cabinet system according to claim 1 , further comprising a heating element,
wherein the heating element is integrated into the fluidically closed circulation circuit, wherein the heating element is configured to heat a volume of the air comprised by the fluidically c

Assignees

• Beckhoff Automation Gmbh

Inventors

• Beckhoff Hans
• Wittenborg Peter
• Siegenbrink Daniel

Classifications

• H05K7/20209 Primary

  Thermal management, e.g. fan control · CPC title

• H05K7/20145

  Means for directing air flow, e.g. ducts, deflectors, plenum or guides · CPC title

• H05K7/20409

  Outer radiating structures on heat dissipating housings, e.g. fins integrated with the housing · CPC title

• H05K7/1465 Primary

  Modular PLC assemblies with separable functional units · CPC title

• H05K7/202 Primary

  Air circulating in closed loop within enclosure wherein heat is removed through heat-exchangers · CPC title