Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DESCRIPTION
ADAPTER, PARTICULARLY A POWER BUS ADAPTER
The present invention relates to an adapter for a
connection to a ribbon cable. Adapters of this type are
known, in the form of junction boxes, from EP-A-0697751,
also by this Applicant.
In this connection,, it is known from the state of the
technology to wire systems with the aid of ribbon cables.
In these instances, the ribbon cable extends over the
entire length of the system, or the entire wall length of
the system space. In this way, it is possible to tap
potential from any arbitrary location on the cable, so a
junction box can be mounted anywhere on the ribbon cable.
The position of the junction box can be flexibly adapted to
the respective system or individual machines of the system.
In terms of a space or room that is wired with a ribbon
cable, it is possible to select completely arbitrary
machine locations, and contact the ribbon cable at optimum
points, as dictated by the respective machine locations.
In this connection,, is it emphasized that the adapter
of the invention can be used to contact any type of ribbon
cable, particularly power-supply lines, information-supply
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lines or hybrids, that is, combination power and
information lines, embodied as ribbon cables.
The invention is especially well-suited for the
adaptation of a power bus to a power-supply line, or an
information bus to an information-supply line. An adapter
can also be used to adapt both a power bus and an
information bus on a lime embodied as a ribbon cable.
It is the object of the invention to embody an adapter
such that one basic adapter type can cover the widest-
possible range of applications. I:n accordance with the
invention, this object is accomplished by the combination
of features of claim 1. The dependent claims disclose
inventive modifications of the subject of claim 1.
In accordance with the invention, the adapter
comprises a base plate having insulation-displacement
contacts. The insulation-displacement contacts produce a
conducting contact between the base plate and the ribbon
cable. A container can .be positioned on the base plate and
connected to the base plate by way of one or more plug
connections. This container is preferably sealed against
dust and moisture in order to meet the stringent
requirements of the IP 67 Standard. An advantage of the
invention is that it only requires the insulation-
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displacement contacts to engage the ribbon cable.
Moreover, no additional cable or wiring procedures are
necessary. Rather, the adapter is further constructed
solely with plug connections. These plug connections are
preferably mounted in tree region of the floor of the
container positioned on the base plate, so the container
covers the interfaces between the base plate and the
container like a protective shield. Because the container
can also be mechanically secured to the base plate, for
example with fastening screws, the only possible unsealed
location between the base plate and the container is the
separating seam created by the two contact surfaces. This
separating seam can be sealed by two intermediate sealing
elements. It is also possible to provide cooperating
labyrinth seals in the region of the container floor, on
the one hand, and the top of the base plate, which faces
the container, on the other hand, the seals covering the
separating seam so as to meet the requirements of the IP 67
Standard in the region of the separating seam as well.
Thanks to the two-part embodiment of the adapter, the
container can be removed easily from the base plate in the
event of a failure of the components disposed in the
container, without necessitating the breaking of the
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effective contact between the base plate and the
insulation-displacement contact. For exchange or repair
purposes, it suffices simply to remove the upper container
from the base plate and plug a new replacement container
into the base plate.
In this way, it is possible to replace the upper
container without shutting down the corresponding system.
Should a shutdown be unavoidable, however, it is brief. It
is also possible to assemble the adapter outside of the
safety areas of the system, and therefore perform repair or
service work on the adapter outside of the safety areas.
In accordance with claim 2, a receiving conduit having
insulation-displacement contacts is provided in the base
plate. The ribbon cables is simply guided through the base
plate in the region of the receiving conduit. The
receiving conduit is embodied in two parts to surround the
ribbon cable that is already laid in the system. In the
region of the insulation.-displacement contact, the ribbon
cable is advantageously secured in a form fit in addition
to the non-positive lockup created by the insulation-
displacement contact. This additionally fixes the cable in
the contact region in th.e manner of a strain relief, which
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significantly reduces the danger of damage to the
insulation-displacement contacts.
According to claim ~, an additional receiving space is
provided next to the receiving conduit. This receiving
space is suited for receiving, for example, prefabricated
cabling or other electromechanical components, as proposed
in claim 4. It is also possible to arrange a printed
circuit, i.e., a circuit: board, in the receiving space. Of
course, the receiving space is also sealed against the
environment so as to meet the requirements of the IP 67
Standard.
In a particularly preferred embodiment according to
claim 6, the container that can be positioned on the base
plate provided with a receiving space serves to receive the
adapter electronics. In this embodiment, the floor of the
container rests on the t.op of the receiving space provided
on the base plate. The separating seam between the
container floor and the top of the receiving space is,
again, sealed in the above~described manner. With this
embodiment, it is possible to concentrate all of the
electromechanical elements in the receiving space on the
base plate, while the container accommodates all of the
electronics. Thus, it is possible to produce a plurality
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of control variations from a base electromechanical setup.
For example, an outdated electronics variation can be
replaced with a so-called update in a timesaving manner.
According to claim '1, further plug connections can be
provided in addition to the plug connections between the
base plate and the container, or the receiving space and
the container on the base plate. These connections can be
signal outputs or signal. inputs for actuators and sensors.
It is also possible to provide outputs for plug connectors
for further conducting Electrical energy, such as a plug
connection for conducting driving energy to a motor.
Finally, it is possible to provide a plug connection for a
bus module on the base plate or the top of the receiving
space. In the adapter of the invention, the plugged-in bus
module is a power bus preferred by the Applicant.
The invention is described in detail below by way of
an embodiment that is illustrated in the drawing figures.
Shown are in:
Fig. 1 a three-dimensional view of the power bus adapter
according to the invention; and
Fig. 2 a front view of the power bus adapter according
to the view arrow I:T in Fig. 1.
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At its rear end 2, the base plate 1 supports the
receiving conduit 3 for the ribbon cable, not shown in the
illustrated embodiment. The receiving conduit 3 comprises
a stepped conduit floor ~ and a U-shaped conduit lid 5 that
is placed on the head. The conduit lid 5 is placed on the
conduit floor 4 such that the U legs form the support feet
of the conduit lid 5, with the end faces of the U legs
resting against the conduit floor 4.
The insulation-displacement contacts provided for
contacting the ribbon cable are likewise formed onto the
conduit lid 5, but are not visible in the drawings. It is
also possible to mount t:he insulation-displacement contacts
on the conduit floor 4.
In Fig. 1, the receiving space 7 is disposed next to
the receiving conduit 3 in the direction of the front end
6. The top 8 of the receiving space, which extends over
the entire surface of the base plate, and the side surfaces
9 and underside 10 of the receiving space define the
receiving space 7.
The container 11 is positioned on the top 8 of the
receiving space. The container 11 surrounds and receives
the electronics of the power bus adapter, while the
receiving space 7 accommodates the mechanical elements of
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the power bus adapter, namely its electromechanical
components. Plug connecaors produce the connection between
the electronic and the electromechanical elements. These
plug connectors are disposed in the overlapping region of
the underside of the container 11 and the top 8 of the
receiving space. The sealed separating seam 12 is visible
between the top 8 of the' receiving space and the underside
of the container 11.
The plug connector 13 is particularly clearly visible
in the illustrated view of the front end 6 of the base
plate 1, with the receiving space 7 and the container 11 on
it, the view being oriented in the direction of the view
arrow II. In the illustrated embodiment, the driving
energy is transmitted from the ribbon cable to the drive
motor by way of the plug connector 13. The bus plug
connector 14 is disposed on the top of the receiving space.
The bus plug connector 1.4 serves to connect a power bus to
the adapter. The connecaion of the power bus by way of the
bus plug connector 14 constitutes the power bus adapter of
the invention.
Finally, a display field 16 and an operating console
17 are integrated into t:he top 15 of the container. The
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operating console 17 is provided with a keypad, which is
not shown in Fig. 1.
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LIST OF REFERENCE CHARAC:TERS
1 Base plate
2 Rear end
3 Receiving conduit
4 Conduit floor
5 Conduit lid
6 Front end
7 Receiving space
8 Top of receiving space
9 Side surface of receiving space
10 Underside of receiving space
11 Container
12 Separating seam
13 Plug connector
14 Bus plug connector
15 Container top
16 Display .field
17 Operating console
