DE20305734U1 - Adaptor to connect cables of different types to standard base for control unit of pneumatic valve set - Google Patents

Abstract

On first housing side (21) of adaptor (10) are fitted first connectors (22,23) e.g. SUB-D connectors, for electric and/or optical linking to base connections. Second connectors (26,22), e.g. M12 connectors of higher protection class, are provided for linking to forwarding electric or optical conductors. There is at least one connection between the first and second connectors. The second connectors are fitted on housing side (24), at an angle to the first housing side. Independent claims are included for valve set control and valve set.

Description

G 22459 - rbs 25 March 2003

FESTO AG & Co, Ruiter Strasse 82, 73734 Esslingen Adapters and fluid power equipment equipped with them

Valve battery

The invention relates to an adapter, in particular for a control device of a fluid power valve battery, with first connection means arranged on a first housing side of the adapter for electrical and/or optical connection to base connection means of a base and with second connection means in a second design that differs from the design of the first connection means for connecting further electrical or optical conductors, with at least one connection between the first and second connection means. The invention further relates to a control device for a fluid power, in particular pneumatic, valve battery and a valve battery with such an adapter.

Such an adapter is known, for example, from the German patent application DE 19959476 Al. The adapter makes it possible to connect further electrical conductors, such as cables, with different connection technology, such as plugs of different designs, to a standard

standardized base. The base is, for example, a control unit of a pneumatic valve battery. The same connection technology can always be used on the valve battery itself. The adapter is used to adapt to the different connecting conductors that are to be connected.

The problem, however, is that there is not enough space in every environment to install the adapter. In the valve battery according to DE 19959476 A1, there is a recess on the base for plugging in the adapter. However, such a recess is usually not present, particularly in control units where the further electrical or optical connection means can in principle be connected to the base without an adapter. The connected further conductors then often protrude far in front of the base. However, the required space for protruding further conductors is not available at the installation location of the base, for example a control cabinet, a machine tool or the like.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to further develop an adapter of the type mentioned at the beginning in such a way that a space-saving connection technology is possible.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a fluid power control device or a fluid power valve battery to which, if necessary, further conductors can be connected in a space-saving manner.

This object is achieved in that, in the adapter or in the fluid power devices equipped with the adapter, the second connection means are arranged on a second housing side of the adapter that is angled to the first housing side.

The adapter enables a particularly space-saving connection technology. The additional conductors to be connected can be connected to the base, for example the valve battery, from a side where the required installation space is available. In addition, the adapter enables the application of numerous advantageous features, which are explained below in connection with the dependent claims and the description.

The second connection means preferably have a different protection class or type, for example a higher-quality protection class or type, than the first connection means. The first connection means can, for example, be designed relatively simply, for example as a SUB-D connector, whereas the second connection means can be designed to be more robust in electrical and/or mechanical terms.

Protection types or protection classes indicate the protection of electrical equipment by a housing. They describe protection against contact, protection against foreign bodies and protection against water. For example, IPOO means no protection and IP65 means protection against contact with a wire, dustproof, protection against water jets.

The adapter is conveniently designed to electromagnetically shield the base connection means. The adapter thus increases the electromagnetic compatibility of the base.

The housing is expediently at least partially electrically conductive for electromagnetic shielding. For example, an electrically conductive coating is provided.

The housing is advantageously electrically connected to an electromagnetic shield of the first and/or the second connection means.

From a mechanical point of view, the adapter is designed to protect the base connection means against environmental influences, for example dirt, moisture or the like. In this context in particular, it is advantageous that a sealing arrangement, for example a circumferential ring seal, is arranged on the first housing side, which, when the adapter is mounted, seals the connection between the

first connection elements and the base connection elements from environmental influences. This means that no moisture can penetrate into the area of the base connection elements or the first connection elements of the adapter.

In the area of the second connection means, a guide device, for example a drip edge, is expediently provided for draining away ambient moisture. When the adapter or base is mounted, the guide device drains water, oil or the like away from the second connection means. The drip edge drains away a liquid downwards that would otherwise flow into the area of the second connection means.

The second connection means are expediently more compact than the first connection means. For example, the second connection means contain narrower, flatter or otherwise smaller plug connection means than the first connection means.

The connection means of the adapter are expediently designed to establish one or more bus connections with the base. Expediently, the first and second connection means each have first and second contact means, which are assigned to a first and a second bus connection between the first and the second connection means. Between the two first contacts

Connections are provided between the first contact means and the two second contact means. Preferably, the first and second contact means each have electromagnetic shields which are galvanically separated from one another. The first and second bus connections are thus galvanically shielded independently of one another.

In the assembled state, the adapter expediently essentially covers the base, in particular in a connection area or a connection surface on which the base connection means are arranged. Complete coverage is also expedient. However, display means and/or contact means that are not intended to be connected to the adapter can be present on the base. In particular in such a case, it is preferred that the adapter does not cover the display means or the contact means of the base in the assembled state.

The housing of the adapter can be constructed in various ways. For example, it can be a metal and/or plastic housing. A plastic housing is preferably at least partially ultrasonically welded. This makes it particularly easy to install the adapter.

The first and/or the second connection means expediently have plug contacts. In principle, however, spring-loaded or non-spring-loaded contact surfaces could also be present.

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which rest on cooperating contact surfaces in the assembled state.

Advantageously, the first and/or the second connection means contain a plug housing which is integrally connected to the housing of the adapter. The plug housings are, for example, screwed into the adapter, glued to it or preferably cast with the housing of the adapter.

The plug contacts are conveniently arranged on an electrical circuit board inside the adapter housing. The circuit board can be installed particularly easily by pushing it forward from the inside towards the wall on which the plug housing is arranged, so that after reaching the end position the plug contacts penetrate the respective plug housing from the inside of the housing. Plug contacts and plug housing are therefore separate units that are only connected to one another when the adapter is installed. This enables a particularly simple electrical connection of the plug contacts, for example by simply soldering on connecting cables or the like.

In the following, an embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail with reference to the drawing.

Figure 1 is an exploded view of an adapter according to the invention in a view obliquely from below,

Figure 2 shows the adapter according to Figure 1 in a state mounted on a base in a perspective view obliquely from above and

Figure 3 shows the adapter according to Figures 1 and 2 in a view obliquely from below, approximately corresponding to the view according to Figure 1.

An adapter 10 shown in the figures is used to connect further electrical conductors 11, 12 to a control unit 13 of a fluid power valve battery 14, which is essentially not shown. The valve battery 14 contains, for example, electrical input/output modules (not shown) and/or pneumatic valve modules and/or electrical actuators, which are connected to the control unit 13. The modules (not shown) are electrically connected to the control unit 13 via a multiple plug 16, whereby, for example, a bus connection is established between the modules and the control unit. The control unit 13 is, for example, a bus node and can contain control elements, for example a processor and memory, for controlling and/or monitoring the modules (not shown) of the valve battery 14.

In principle, further conductors could be connected directly to connectors 19, 20 on the top 18 of the base 17. The conductors not shown would then have to

for example, have plug connection means cooperating with the plug connectors 19, 2 0, in the exemplary embodiment SUB-D plugs/sockets, in order to be able to make contact with the plug connectors 19, 2 0. The connected conductors would protrude upwards far in front of the base 17. A relatively large amount of installation space would be required. In a preferred installation position of the control unit 13 in a control cabinet, in which the top 18 is vertical, such conductors would protrude forwards from the control unit 13, in which case, for example, a door of the control cabinet would no longer be lockable. The adapter 10 helps to remedy this problematic situation.

The adapter 10 enables a lateral connection of the conductors 11, 12 to the control unit 13 or the valve battery. In the installation position of the valve battery 14 explained above, the conductors 11, 12 would be connected to the adapter 10 from below, for example. The adapter 10 thus has a kind of angle plug function. In addition, the adapter 10 has other advantageous effects which will be explained later.

On a bottom side 21 of the adapter, connectors 22, 23 are arranged as the first connection means for connecting the adapter 10 to the connectors 19, 20. The housing design of the connectors 22, 23 ensures that the adapter can be connected to the control unit 13 without reverse polarity.

The connectors 22, 23 are, for example, SUB-D plugs/sockets.
The connectors 22, 23 require relatively
a lot of installation space. In terms of their protection class/type, they are also not advantageous. For example, their protection against foreign bodies or water is limited. The adapter 10 provides a solution to this problem.
an improved connection technology on its front side 24 for connecting the conductors 11, 12.

The front side 24 is angled to the underside 21 of the housing 25 of the adapter 10, for example by 90°. Connectors 26, 27 for connecting the conductors 11, 12 are arranged on the front side 24. The connectors 26, 27 form
second connection means of the adapter 10. The connector is connected to the connector plug 26 via preferably twisted-together connecting cables 2 8, the connector 23 is connected to the connector plug 27 via connecting cables 2 9. When the conductors 11, 12 and the adapter 10 are mounted, bus connections 30, 31 can be made via the conductors 11,

12 to the control unit connectors 19, 2 0. The control unit is connected via the bus connection 3 0

13 is connected, for example, to a higher-level control that controls the modules of the valve battery 14. The bus connection 31 leads, for example, to another valve battery connected in a cascade. A connection can exist between the bus connections 30, 31 by means of the control unit 13 and/or with the aid of the adapter 10.

a protocol analysis and/or conversion is possible by the adapter 10 or the control unit 13.

The bus connections 30, 31 are, for example, Interbus connections,
CAN bus connections, Profibus connections or the like.

The connection plugs 26, 27 preferably have a higher protection class, for example IP 67, than the connectors 22, 23, which for example only have protection class IP 20.

The connector plugs 26, 2 7 are preferably coded. For example, the connector plugs 26 are so-called M12 connectors. So-called α-coded M12 connectors/sockets are usually used to connect sensor technology.
In contrast, the connector plugs/sockets 26 intended for establishing bus connections are so-called B-coded connectors, which are specifically designed for connecting bus connections. This means that confusion between sensor cables and bus cables is impossible. Furthermore, the connector plugs 26, 27 enable bus connections that lead into the adapter 10 or the control unit 13 and bus connections that lead out of the adapter 10 to be connected without confusion. For this purpose, the connector plug 27 is designed as a female connector, i.e. a
Socket, designed.

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A substantially cubic base body 32 of the housing 25, for example made of plastic, has a substantially flat shape. The adapter 10 is therefore flat and only protrudes slightly in front of the control unit 13 when installed. The flat design is made possible, among other things, by the fact that the connector plugs 26, 27 are much more compact than the plug connectors 22, 23. The connector plugs 26, 27 require relatively small mounting surfaces, so that the front side 24 is narrow and ultimately the height of a unit consisting of the adapter 10 and the control unit 13 is only slightly increased by the adapter 10.

The adapter 10 is mechanically robust and electrically optimized, so that the overall connection technology of a unit consisting of adapter 10 and control unit 13 is improved.

The housings 33, 34 of the connector plugs 26, 27 are integrally connected to the housing 25. The connector housings 33, 34 consist essentially of metal, for example, so that electromagnetic shielding is possible via them. The housings 33, 34 are cast with an end wall 35, which consists for example of plastic. When the adapter 10 is mounted, the end wall 35 closes a mounting opening 36 on the base body 32 of the housing 25. The end wall 35 is connected to the base body 32, for example, by means of ultra-

sonic welding, for which purpose so-called energy directors can be present on the front wall 35 and/or in the area of the assembly opening 36. In principle, it is also possible to glue, screw, snap or mechanically connect the front wall 35 to the base body 32. In any case, the plug housings 33, 34 are firmly connected to the adapter housing 25, which enables a high mechanical load capacity of connections to the valve battery 14 made via the connector plugs 26, 27.

Plug inserts 37, 38, which penetrate the plug housings 33, 34 from the inside of the adapter 10, are used to make electrical contact with the external conductors 11, 12. The plug inserts 37, 38 are arranged on a circuit board 39 on which the front wall 35 sits. The connecting lines 28, 29 are electrically connected to the circuit board 39, for example by means of solder connections. Conductor tracks on the circuit board 39 establish connections to the plug inserts 37, 38. The plug inserts 37, 38 are thus electrically connected to the plug connectors 22, 23. The connecting lines 28, 29 between the first and second connection means 22, 23; 26, 27 are preferably connected to these connection means by means of crimping technology, soldering or the like.

The outer contour of the board 3 9 corresponds to the inner cross section of the base body 32, which leads to a firm fit of the

Circuit board 39 and thus also the plug inserts 37, 38 in the adapter 10. Furthermore, the circuit board 39 is located between the front wall 35 and screw domes 42 so that it is held in the plugging and unplugging direction of the connector plugs 26, 27. In addition, the circuit board 39 is screwed to the front wall 35 with a screw 43. In any case, the connector plugs 26, 27 are connected to the housing 25 in a mechanically very resilient manner.

The plug connectors 22, 23 for connecting the adapter 10 to the control unit 13 are connected to the housing 25 with screws 44 that are screwed into screw domes 45 on the base body 32. The screw domes 45 are located inside the base body 32, which are, for example, integral with it, and protrude in the direction of a mounting opening 46 on the underside 21 of the adapter 10. The screw domes 42 that are arranged on the edge area of the mounting opening 46 have the same orientation.

The adapter 10 is screwed to the control unit 13 with screws 47 that penetrate the screw domes 42. A snap-in connection with the control unit 13 or a plug connection would also be possible, which in the simplest case could be realized, for example, with the help of the plug connectors 22, 23.

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In the present case, however, a mechanically resilient and reliable connection to the control unit 13 is of primary importance. In addition, the base-side connection technology, i.e. the plug connectors 19, 20, are protected from environmental influences by the adapter 10. One factor contributing to this is that the adapter 10 can be firmly connected to the control unit 13 using the screws 47. In addition, there is a sealing arrangement 48 on the underside 21. The sealing arrangement 48 consists, for example, of silicone, rubber or another elastic material. A sealing ring 49 of the sealing arrangement 48 runs along the edge of the mounting opening 46 and, when the adapter 10 is mounted, comes to lie between the underside 21 of the adapter 10 and the top side 18 of the base 17, so that the mounting opening 46 and thus the plug connectors 19, 20, 22, 23 are protected from environmental influences, for example moisture, dirt or the like. In addition, sealing ring sections 50 are arranged on the underside of the screw domes 42 so that no harmful environmental influences from the screw domes 42 have an effect on the connection technology between the adapter 10 and the control unit 13. The sealing arrangement 48 is inserted, for example, into a groove arrangement 51 on the underside 21.

The adapter 10 has an optimized shielding technology. The two bus connections 30, 31 are shielded separately, with shielding of the external conductors 11, 12 being connected to the adapter-side shielding technology via the connector housings 33, 34.

can be connected. The plug housings 33, 34 are galvanically separated from one another. Contacts 52, for example spring contacts, establish electrical shielding connections between the shielding housings 33, 34 and the circuit board 3 9. Protective conductors 40, 41 are connected to the contacts 52. The protective conductor 40 leads to the housing of the plug connector 22, the protective conductor 41 to the housing of the plug connector 23, so that the two housings are electrically connected to the plug housings 33, 34 for the onward conductors 11, 12. These two electromagnetic shields are galvanically separated from one another, so that each bus connection 30, 31 is assigned a separate shield. A partition wall 55 inside the housing 25 also contributes to the electrical separation of the two bus connections 30, 31. The partition wall 55 is arranged between the plug connectors 22, 23 and the connection plugs 26, 27, thus separating the contact means assigned to the bus connections 30, 31 from one another.

The housing 25 is designed as an electromagnetic shield for the base connection means 19, 20. It is provided, for example, on the inside and/or outside with an electrically conductive layer, which is applied galvanically, for example. A shield for the further conductors 11 and/or 12 is expediently connected to this shield, which is not shown in the figure. For example, a connection is provided by means of a spring contact 56 on the circuit board 3 9. The spring contact 5 6 is connected to the protective conductor

40 and, in the assembled state of the circuit board 39, rests against the inside of the base body 32, which may be coated with an electrically conductive material.

A shielding plate 57 arranged on the underside protects the underside 21 of the adapter 10 from unwanted electromagnetic radiation. The shielding plate 57 closes the mounting opening 46. It has, for example, recesses in the area of the screw domes 42. Furthermore, recesses 58, 59 are provided for the plug connectors 22, 23. The inner circumference of the recess 58 is larger than the outer circumference of the housing of the plug connector 22, so that the plug 22 is electrically insulated from the shielding plate 57.

In contrast, the shielding plate 57 is electrically connected to the connector 23. The screws 44 for fastening the connector 23 to the base body 32 penetrate the shielding plate 57, so that the shielding plate 57 is mechanically and electrically connected to the housing of the connector 23, which is made of metal, for example. To electrically connect the shielding plate 57 to a shield of the base body 32, the screw domes 45 into which the screws 44 are screwed can be designed to be electrically conductive, for example with the aid of a corresponding electrically conductive coating.

It goes without saying that an adapter according to the invention, for example the adapter 10, can be used in a variety of ways. For example, it can also serve as an adapter plug for a programmable logic controller (PLC). Such a controller could be implemented, for example, by the control unit 13.

The adapter 10 does cover the top of the base 18 to a large extent, at least to such an extent that the base-side connectors 19, 20 are optimally protected mechanically and electrically. However, the adapter 10 leaves areas of the top of the base 17 required for operation and/or contacting free, so that, for example, a display device 60 for displaying function messages from the control unit 13 remains visible.

Claims (20)

1. Adapter, in particular for a control device ( 13 ) of a fluid power valve battery ( 14 ), with first connection means ( 22 , 23 ) arranged on a first housing side ( 21 ) of the adapter ( 10 ) for electrical and/or optical connection to base connection means ( 19 , 20 ) of a base and with second connection means ( 26 , 27 ) in a second design that differs from the design of the first connection means ( 22 , 23 ) for connecting further electrical or optical conductors ( 11 , 12 ), with at least one connection between the first and second connection means, characterized in that the second connection means ( 26 , 27 ) are arranged on a second housing side ( 24 ) of the adapter ( 10 ) that is angled towards the first housing side ( 21 ). 2. Adapter according to claim 1, characterized in that the second connection means ( 26 , 27 ) have a different, in particular higher-quality protection class or type of protection than the first connection means ( 22 , 23 ). 3. Adapter according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is designed for electromagnetic shielding of the base connection means ( 19 , 20 ). 4. Adapter according to claim 3, characterized in that the housing is at least partially electrically conductive for electromagnetic shielding. 5. Adapter according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the housing is electrically connected to an electromagnetic shield of the first and/or the second connection means ( 22 , 23 ; 26 , 27 ). 6. Adapter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the adapter ( 10 ) is designed to protect the base connection means ( 19 , 20 ) against environmental influences, in particular dirt and/or moisture. 7. Adapter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a sealing arrangement ( 48 ) is arranged on the first housing side ( 21 ), which protects the connection between the first connection means ( 22 , 23 ) and the base connection means ( 19 , 20 ) from environmental influences in the assembled state of the adapter ( 10 ). 8. Adapter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has a guide device, in particular a drip edge, for draining off ambient moisture in the region of the second connection means ( 26 , 27 ). 9. Adapter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second connection means ( 26 , 27 ) are more compact than the first connection means ( 22 , 23 ). 10. Adapter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first and the second connection means ( 22 , 23 ; 26 , 27 ) are designed to establish at least one bus connection ( 30 , 31 ) with the base. 11. Adapter according to claim 10, characterized in that the first and the second connection means ( 22 , 23 ; 26 , 27 ) each contain first and second contact means ( 22 , 26 ; 23 , 27 ) which are assigned to a first and a second bus connection ( 30 , 31 ) between the first and the second connection means ( 22 , 23 ; 26 , 27 ). 12. Adapter according to claim 11, characterized in that electromagnetic shields ( 33 , 34 ) of the first and second contact means ( 22 , 26 ; 23 , 27 ) are galvanically separated from one another. 13. Adapter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it essentially covers the base, in particular in a connection area surrounding the base connection means ( 19 , 20 ), in the assembled state. 14. Adapter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it does not cover display means ( 60 ) and/or contact means of the base in the mounted state. 15. Adapter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that its housing is at least partially ultrasonically welded. 16. Adapter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first and/or the second connection means ( 22 , 23 ; 26 , 27 ) have plug contacts. 17. Adapter according to claim 16, characterized in that the first and/or the second connection means ( 22 , 23 ; 26 , 27 ) contain a plug housing which is integrally connected to the housing of the adapter ( 10 ). 18. Adapter according to claim 17, characterized in that the plug contacts are arranged on an electrical circuit board in the interior of the adapter ( 10 ) housing, and that the plug contacts penetrate the respective plug housing from the interior of the housing. 19. Control device ( 13 ) for a fluid power, in particular pneumatic, valve battery ( 14 ) with at least one adapter ( 10 ) according to one of the preceding claims. 20. Fluid power valve battery ( 14 ) with at least one adapter ( 10 ) according to one of the claims according to one of claims 1 to 18.