SWITCH ASSEMBLY FOR MOUNTING ON A MOUNTING RAIL

Abstract

A switch assembly for mounting on a mounting rail, having a power supply unit and having a switchgear. The power supply unit has a housing and a power supply, arranged therein, which comprises a first connection and a second connection. A contact region having a first contact, which is in electrical contact with the first connection, and having a second contact, which is in electrical contact with the second connection, is introduced into the housing. The housing has a fastening apparatus for direct placement on the mounting rail, and the switchgear comprises an additional housing having an additional fastening apparatus for direct placement on the mounting rail. The switchgear has a lever which is pivotably mounted on the additional housing and which has a first counterpart contact and a second counterpart contact.

Claims

1. A switch assembly for mounting on a mounting rail, the switch assembly comprising: a power supply unit having a housing and a power supply arranged therein, which comprises a first connection and a second connection; a switchgear; a contact region having a first contact, which is in electrical contact with the first connection; and a second contact, which is in electrical contact with the second connection is introduced into the housing, wherein the housing has a fastening apparatus for direct placement on the mounting rail, wherein the switchgear comprises an additional housing having an additional fastening apparatus for direct placement on the mounting rail, wherein the switchgear has a lever which is pivotably mounted on the additional housing and which has a first counterpart contact and a second counterpart contact, and wherein by pivoting the lever, the first counterpart contact is adapted to be brought into electrical contact with the first contact and the second counterpart contact is adapted to be brought into electrical contact with the second contact.

2. The switch assembly according to claim 1, wherein the contact region is located on the side of the housing facing the switchgear.

3. The switch assembly according to claim 1, wherein an additional contact region having an additional first contact and having an additional second contact is introduced into the additional housing, wherein the first counterpart contact is adapted to be brought into electrical contact with the additional first contact and the second counterpart contact is adapted to be brought into electrical contact with the additional second contact by means of pivoting the lever.

4. The switch assembly according to claim 1, wherein a control unit is arranged in the housing and is signal-connected to a third contact of the contact region, and wherein the lever has a corresponding third counterpart contact.

5. The switch assembly according to claim 1, wherein the contact region has a web which is gripped by the lever when each contact is contacted by the respective associated counterpart contact.

6. The switch assembly according to claim 5, wherein each contact is formed by a sheet metal strip which abuts against the web.

7. The switch assembly according to claim 6, wherein each contact is at least partially gripped by a respective retaining lug of the web.

8. The switch assembly according to claim 1, wherein the contact region is latched to the housing.

9. A power supply unit according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:

[0037] FIG. 1 shows schematically simplified a circuit diagram of a switch assembly having a power supply unit and a plurality of switchgears;

[0038] FIG. 2 shows the switch assembly perspectively;

[0039] FIG. 3 shows the switchgears perspectively;

[0040] FIG. 4 shows perspectively the power supply unit having a contact region; and

[0041] FIGS. 5-7 show the contact region in different views.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] FIG. 1 shows a schematic circuit diagram of a switch assembly 2 attached to a mounting rail 4. Mounting rail 4 is a top-hat rail and is arranged in a switchgear cabinet not shown in more detail. Switch assembly 2 is used for the supplying, overcurrent protection, and power distribution and is a component of an industrial installation not shown in more detail. Switch assembly 2 has a power supply unit 6 and two switchgears 8, which are structurally identical to one another. Power supply unit 6 and switchgears 8 are attached to mounting rail 4 and are designed as devices mountable side-by-side.

[0043] Power supply unit 6 has a housing 10 at least partially made of a metal, in particular a sheet metal, with a fastening apparatus 12. Fastening apparatus 12 is placed directly on mounting rail 4. Fastening apparatus 12 has a corresponding section that is adapted to the external dimensions of mounting rail 4, so that fastening apparatus 12 and therefore housing 10 as well can be hooked into mounting rail 4. A connector 14, which is provided and designed to be connected to a main power line, is inserted into housing 10. Connector 14 is electrically connected to a power supply 16, so that power supply 16 is powered by means of connector 14 during operation. Power supply 16 is a switched-mode power supply and has a first connection 18 and a second connection 20 between which an electrical voltage is applied during operation. Here, power supply 16 is an adjustable switched-mode power supply, which is why the electrical voltage applied to connections 18, 20 can be adjusted. The electrical voltage applied to the two connections 18, 20 is a direct voltage, which is 12 V or 24 V.

[0044] The adjustment is made by means of a control unit 22 also located in housing 10. Power supply 16 is also monitored for its functionality by means of control unit 22. Control unit 22 is further configured as a master of a bus system 23 and is signal-connected to a third and fourth contact 24, 26 of a contact region 28. Contact region 28 further has a first contact 30 and a second contact 32, wherein first contact 30 is in electrical contact with first connection 18 and second contact 32 is in electrical contact with second connection 20. Thus, during operation, the same electrical voltage is present between first contact 30 and second contact 32 as is present between first connection 18 and second connection 20.

[0045] Directly adjacent to housing 10 of power supply unit 6 is an additional housing 34 of one of the structurally similar switchgears 8, so that additional housing 34 abuts housing 10. This additional housing 34 also has an additional fastening apparatus 36, which is placed directly on mounting rail 4. Thus, additional housing 34 is stabilized with respect to mounting rail 4 by means of additional fastening apparatus 36.

[0046] Arranged within additional housing 34 is a switching element 38, which is electrically connected between an additional first contact 40 and an additional first connection 42 of an additional connector 44. Switching element 38 is designed as a mechanical switch such as a contactor, a semiconductor switch such as a MOSFET, or a combination thereof. Additional connector 44 has an additional second connection 46, which is electrically routed directly to an additional second contact 48. In the mounted state, a secondary circuit, which is not shown in more detail, is connected to additional connector 44 and is supplied and monitored by means of said switchgear 8.

[0047] Additional first contact 40 and additional second contact 48 are components of an additional contact region 50, which moreover has an additional third contact 52 and an additional fourth contact 54. Additional third contact and additional fourth contact 54 are signal-connected to an additional control unit 56, by means of which switching element 38 is actuated. Here, additional control unit 56 is configured as a slave of bus system 23. Additional control unit 56 is also signal-connected to sensors, not shown in more detail, by means of which the electrical voltage applied to additional connector 44 and the electrical current carried thereby are monitored. If this value or the change in the respective variables exceeds a certain assigned limit value, switching element 38 is actuated so that an electric current flow via additional connector 44 is interrupted.

[0048] Contact region 28 as well as additional contact region 50 are aligned with one another and inserted into the abutting sides of housing 6 and additional housing 34. In other words, contact region 28 is located on the side of housing 10 facing switchgear 8. In addition, contact region 28 and additional contact region 50 are mechanically as well as electrically connected to one another by means of a lever 58, which is pivotably mounted on additional housing 34.

[0049] Lever 58 has a first counterpart contact 60, a second counterpart contact 62, a third counterpart contact 64, and a fourth counterpart contact 66 made of an electrically conductive sheet and attached to a support 68 made of a plastic and pivotably mounted on additional housing 34. First contact 30 is electrically connected to additional first contact 40 by means of first counterpart contact 60. Second contact 32 is electrically connected to additional second contact 48 by means of second counterpart contact 62. Third contact 24 is signal-connected and also electrically connected to additional third contact 52 by means of third counterpart contact 64. Fourth contact 26 is electrically connected and therefore also signal-connected to additional fourth contact 54 by means of fourth counterpart contact 66. For this purpose, counterpart contacts 60, 62, 64, 66 are in direct mechanical contact with the corresponding contacts 24, 26, 30, 32 and additional contacts 40, 48, 52, 54. In summary, contact region 28 and additional contact region 54 are bridged by means of lever 58. By pivoting carrier 68, counterpart contacts 60, 62, 64, 66 are released from the respective associated contacts 24, 26, 30, 32 and additional contacts 40, 48, 52, 54, and thus the electrical connection between contacts 24, 26, 30, 32 with the respective additional contacts 40, 48, 52, 54 is interrupted. In summary, by pivoting lever 58, first counterpart contact 60 can be brought into electrical contact with first contact 30 and second counterpart contact 62 can be brought into electrical contact with second contact 32, as well as third counterpart contact 64 can be brought into electrical contact with third contact 24, and fourth counterpart contact 66 can be brought into electrical contact with fourth contact 26, wherein the contacting is broken by a corresponding counter-movement.

[0050] On the side opposite additional contact region 50, an additional contact region 70 is introduced into additional housing 34, which region is constructed in the same way as contact region 28 and which thus also has the first, second, third, and fourth contacts 30, 32, 24, 26. Contacts 24, 26, 30, 32 of additional contact region 70 are hereby electrically routed directly to the corresponding additional contacts 40, 48, 52, 54 of additional contact region 50. Additional contact region 50 is connected to additional contact region 70 of the remaining switchgear 8 by means of lever 58 of the remaining switchgear 8. This switchgear 8 is used here for the protection of an additional secondary circuit, wherein this switchgear 8 is also supplied with current by means of power supply unit 6.

[0051] FIG. 2 shows switch assembly 2 perspectively, wherein in this variant there are a total of five switchgears 8 which are structurally identical to one another. Also, levers 58 are pivoted away from additional housings 34, so that switchgears 8 as well as power supply unit 6 are disconnected from one another electrically and in terms of signaling.

[0052] FIG. 3 shows perspectively a part of switchgears 8, each of which has a lever 58 pivotably mounted to housing 34 about a pivot axis 72. Here, when counterpart contacts 60, 62, 64, 66 are contacted at the corresponding contacts 24, 26, 30, 32, carrier 68 abuts the particular additional housing 34 and has an overhang so that manual operation is made possible. Counterpart contacts 60, 62, 64, 66 are made of a spring plate and formed by means of U-shaped clips so that they are elastically bent when contacting contacts 24, 26, 30, 32 as well as additional contacts 40, 48, 52, 54, which improves electrical contacting. Further, an operating unit 74 in the form of a push button is introduced into each additional housing 34. Operating unit 74 is monitored by means of additional control unit 56. When operating unit 74 is manually actuated, switching element 38 is placed in the electrically conductive or electrically non-conductive state.

[0053] FIG. 4 shows power supply unit 6 perspectively. Housing 10 is made substantially cuboid in shape, and one side is formed by means of a grille 76 so that air exchange is enabled. One part of the cuboid is cut out to provide contact region 28, which is shown perspectively in a view from within housing 10 in FIG. 5. Contact region 28 is shown in a top view in FIG. 6. Contact region 28 has a base body 78 which is made of a plastic. Base body 78 has a latching hook 80 which, in the mounted state, latches with the corresponding counterparts of housing 10. Thus, replacement of contact region 28 is facilitated. It is also possible to design power supply unit 6 for different applications, wherein, if power supply unit 6 is not to become a component of such a switch assembly 2, a corresponding cover without contacts is used instead of contact region 28.

[0054] As also shown in FIG. 7 in a perspective top view from outside housing 10, base body 78 has a web 82 in which four chambers 84 are provided. Each of chambers 84 opens into a slot 86 through which counterpart contacts 60, 62, 64, 66 are inserted for electrical contacting with respective contacts 24, 26, 30, 32. The first, second, third, and fourth contacts 24, 26, 30, 32 are arranged within the chambers; these contacts are formed as sheet metal strips which at least partially abut web 82 and are held in place by means of two retaining lugs 88 in each case. Thus, each contact 24, 26, 30, 32 is partially gripped by at least two retaining lugs 88 of web 82 in each case. Consequently, contacts 24, 26, 30, 32 are stabilized by means of web 82, and counterpart contacts 60, 62, 64, 66 abut against them in the contacted state over a relatively large area with one of the legs of the clip, parallel to one another. Thus, web 82 is gripped by counterpart contacts 60, 62, 64, 66 and therefore also by lever 58, so that additional housing 34 is held on housing 10. Thus, switchgear 8 is stabilized relative to power supply unit 6.

[0055] Contacts 24, 26, 30, 32 also abut web 82. Contacts 24, 26, 30, 32 are formed L-shaped, wherein the end that is opposite slot 86 is placed on an edge 90 of base body 78, so that the spacing apart of contacts 24, 26, 30, 32 from the respective slot 86 is prevented. These legs have a pin-like configuration at the ends and are electrically contacted with connections 18, 20 and control unit 22 when base body 78 is latched to housing 10.

[0056] In summary, a simplified mounting/removal takes place by means of switch assembly 2, wherein no additional parts are required. Expandability and interchangeability are also improved and the space requirement is reduced. Switchgears 8 are a rail-mounted device and perform the functions required for the respective application. For example, these are the function of a circuit breaker, a relay, a protective element, and/or a potential distributor. Power supply unit 6 has contact region 28, wherein a corresponding through-contacting of power supply 16, arranged in housing 10, as well as of additional components arranged there, such as control unit 22, takes place by means of lever 58 of switchgear 8 adjacent thereto. In the open state of lever 56, all connections, therefore, the electrical contacting, are released and the configuration of switch assembly 2 can be changed by arranging the individual components, therefore, switchgears 8 as well as power supply unit 6, accordingly on mounting rail 4. All connections are made in the closed state of lever 58, wherein a corresponding bridging occurs by means of counterpart contacts 60, 62, 64, 66. The individual components, therefore, switchgears 8 and power supply unit 6, are also mechanically fixed hereby. Contacts 24, 26, 30, 32, additional contacts 40, 48, 52, 54, as well as counterpart contacts 60, 62, 64, 66 are electrically insulated from the environment of switch assembly 2 by means of carrier 68, which increases safety.

[0057] The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiment described above. Rather, other variants of the invention can also be derived herefrom by the skilled artisan, without going beyond the subject of the invention. Particularly, further all individual features described in relation to the exemplary embodiment can also be combined with one another in a different manner, without going beyond the subject matter of the invention.

[0058] The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.