Abstract
A contacting device is provided for an impedance limit switch, the contacting device including: a printed circuit board having an electrically conductive contact surface; a radially disposed annular spring configured to establish electrical contact between the electrically conductive contact surface of the printed circuit board and at least one electrode of the impedance limit switch; and a non-conductive housing element. An impedance limit switch is also provided, including the contacting device; an electronic cup; and a measuring head configured to carry out a conductive and/or capacitive measurement and to record measurement data, the contacting device being configured to transmit the measurement data from the measuring head to the electronic cup via the contacting unit.
Claims
1.-16. (canceled)
17. A contacting unit for an impedance limit switch, the contacting unit comprising: a printed circuit board having an electrically conductive contact surface; a radially disposed annular spring configured to establish electrical contact between the electrically conductive contact surface of the printed circuit board and at least one electrode of the impedance limit switch; and a non-conductive housing element.
18. The contacting unit according to claim 17, wherein the printed circuit board comprises two notches, and wherein the electrically conductive contact surface of the printed circuit board is disposed on one of two notches of the printed circuit board.
19. The contacting unit according to claim 18, wherein the notches are arranged opposite each other in a radial direction of the printed circuit board and have a notch radius corresponding to a cylinder radius of the radially disposed annular spring.
20. The contacting unit according to claim 18, wherein the non-conductive housing element is configured to clamp the radially disposed annular spring to the printed circuit board via the notches.
21. The contacting unit according to claim 17, wherein the contacting unit is configured to be plugged into an electronic cup of the impedance limit switch.
22. The contacting unit according to claim 17, wherein the at least one electrode is a measuring probe, a shield electrode, and/or a process connection.
23. The contacting unit according to claim 22, wherein the shield electrode surrounds, covers, and/or encases one or more annular springs.
24. The contacting unit according to claim 17, wherein the non-conductive housing element is configured in two parts and comprises a holder and an insert, and wherein the holder and the insert are geometrically matched so that the insert is engageable with the holder to receive and retain the radially disposed annular spring.
25. The contacting unit according to claim 17, wherein the non-conductive housing element is rotationally symmetrical.
26. The contacting unit according to claim 17, wherein the electrically conductive contact surface of the printed circuit board is coated with an electrically conductive material, and/or wherein the radially disposed annular spring is coated with an electrically conductive material.
27. The contacting unit according to claim 17, wherein the non-conductive housing element is made of an injection molded plastic.
28. The contacting unit according to claim 17, further comprising two or three concentrically arranged annular springs.
29. The contacting unit according to claim 28, wherein the printed circuit board comprises two notches for each concentrically arranged annular spring, and wherein the two notches are configured to provide electrical contact between the corresponding concentrically arranged annular spring and the printed circuit board.
30. The contacting unit according to claim 28, wherein the two or three concentrically arranged annular springs have different or identical cylinder radii and/or different annular diameters.
31. An impedance limit switch, comprising: a contacting unit according to claim 17; an electronic cup; and a measuring head configured to carry out a conductive and/or capacitive measurement and to record measurement data, wherein the contacting unit is configured to transmit the measurement data from the measuring head to the electronic cup via the contacting unit.
32. The contacting unit according to claim 17, wherein the contacting unit is configured to transmit measurement data from a measuring head via the contacting unit to an electronic cup of a measuring device.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0027] FIG. 1 shows a contacting unit according to an embodiment.
[0028] FIG. 2 shows a contacting unit according to a further embodiment.
[0029] FIGS. 3a and 3b show an impedance limit switch according to one embodiment.
[0030] FIG. 4 shows a contacting unit according to a further embodiment.
[0031] FIGS. 5a to 5e show a contacting unit according to a further embodiment.
[0032] FIG. 6 shows an impedance limit switch according to a further embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0033] FIG. 1 shows a contacting unit 100 according to an embodiment. In particular, FIG. 1 shows a sectional view of a contacting unit. The contacting unit of FIG. 1 comprises a printed circuit board 102 with an electrically conductive contact surface 103, an electrically non-conductive housing element 110 and a ring spring 108. The annular spring 108 is arranged and designed in such a way that it serves to make electrical contact between the printed circuit board and an electrode 202 of an impedance limit switch (not shown in FIG. 1). For this purpose, the annular spring 108 may be coated with an electrically conductive material or may even be made of an electrically conductive material. For example, the annular spring 108 is gold-plated. The contact surface 103 of the printed circuit board 102 may likewise be coated with an electrically conductive material. Thus, electrical contacting takes place between the annular spring 108 and the contact surface 103 and between the annular spring 108 and the electrode 202. The annular spring 108 may be arranged in the contacting unit such that it surrounds the electrode 202. The housing element 110 may be made of plastic, for example, using an injection molding process. The housing element 110 is further configured to hold or clamp the annular spring 108 against the contact surface 103 of the circuit board 102. The contacting unit of FIG. 1 allows a compact installation space, with simultaneous radial and axial tolerance compensation and electrical shielding.
[0034] FIG. 2 shows a contacting unit 100 according to a further embodiment. Unless otherwise described, the contacting unit 100 of FIG. 2 has the same elements and/or components as the contacting unit 100 of FIG. 1. The contacting unit 100 of FIG. 2 has three annular springs 108, 108, 108, each having a different cylinder radius and annular radius. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the housing element 110 is made in two parts and comprises a holder 104 and an insert 106. A two-part housing element 110 can, for example, simplify the attachment of the annular springs 108, 108, 108 during assembly of the contacting unit 100. Each annular spring 108, 108, 108 is in electrically conductive contact or in contact with a contact surface of the printed circuit board 102 (not visible here). As soon as the respective annular spring 108, 108, 108 is likewise in contact with an electrode 202 or with a process connection, an electric circuit can thus be formed. Three circuits can thus be formed with three annular springs.
[0035] FIGS. 3a and 3b show an impedance limit switch 200 according to one embodiment. In particular, FIGS. 3a and 3b show two different sectional views of a part of an impedance limit switch 200. It should be noted that the electronic cup as well as the measuring head of the impedance limit switch 200 are not shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b. Unless otherwise described, the contacting unit 100 of the impedance limit switch of FIGS. 3a and 3b has the same elements and/or components as the contacting unit 100 of FIGS. 1 and 2. The impedance limit switch 200 comprises a contacting unit 100 as described above and below. In addition, the impedance limit switch 200 may include a process connection 202, a shield electrode 202, and a measurement probe 202. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3b, the circuit board 102 has a plurality of contact pads 103, 103, 103. The insert 106 of the housing element 110 is configured to secure, clamp or hold the two annular springs 108, 108. The annular springs 108, 108, 108 are secured, clamped or retained such that a secure electrical contact is made and maintained between the respective contact surface 103, 103, 103 and the electrode 202, 202, 202.
[0036] FIG. 4 shows a contacting unit according to one embodiment. In particular, FIG. 4 shows a sectional view of a contacting unit. Unless otherwise described, the contacting unit 100 of FIG. 4 has the same elements and/or components as the contacting unit 100 of FIGS. 1 to 3. The printed circuit board 102 of the contacting unit 100 of FIG. 4 further comprises a plurality of notches 402, 402. Such notches 402, 402 may serve for a better clamping of the annular springs 108, 108, 108 to the printed circuit board 102, in particular to its contact surface 103, 103, 103. The notches 402, 402 are arranged opposite each other in the radial direction of the printed circuit board 102. The notches 402, 402 may also have a notch radius corresponding to the cylinder radius of the corresponding annular spring 108, 108, 108. In other words, the notches may have an outer contour that more or less corresponds to the outer geometry of the cylinder of the annular spring 108, so that the area of the contact surface 103, 103, 103 that is in contact with the annular spring may be increased.
[0037] FIGS. 5a to 5e show a contacting unit 100 according to one embodiment. In particular, FIG. 5a shows an exploded 3D view of the contacting unit 100. Unless otherwise described, the contacting unit 100 of FIG. 5 comprises the same elements and/or components as the contacting unit 100 of FIGS. 1 to 4. The printed circuit board 102 may further comprise a socket unit 502, which may be set to make one or more electrical contacts between the contacting unit 100 and an electronics cup of an impedance limit switch 200. The three annular springs 108, 108,108, which are donut-shaped, have different cylindrical radii and different annular radii. The housing member 110 may include a void or recess such that one or more annular springs 108, 108, 108 may be received in such void or recess. The housing element 110 may further include a connection means 506, which may be configured to unplug the contacting unit 100 with an electronics cup of an impedance limit switch 200. Further, the housing element 110, in particular the insert 106, may include an opening 504 that may be configured to receive a probe 202 or an electrode 202.
[0038] FIG. 6 shows an impedance limit switch 200 according to one embodiment. In particular, FIG. 6 shows a 3D sectional view of an impedance limit switch 200 with a contacting unit 100. Unless otherwise described, the contacting unit 100 of the impedance limit switch of FIG. 6 has the same elements and/or components as the contacting unit 100 of FIGS. 1 to 5. Unless otherwise described, the impedance limit switch 200 of FIG. 6 has the same elements and/or components as the impedance limit switch 200 of FIG. 4. The shield electrode 202, or electrode, also has an opening 504, as does the insert 106, configured to receive the sensing probe 202 in the contacting unit.
[0039] Supplementally, it should be noted that comprising and having do not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite articles a or an do not exclude a plurality. It should further be noted that features or steps that have been described with reference to any of the above embodiments may also be used in combination with other features or steps of other embodiments described above. Reference signs in the claims are not to be regarded as limitations.
