Abstract:
A control box arrangement including at least one control box which has a frame constructed from vertical and horizontal frame pieces and which is fitted with, or can be fitted with, mounting parts including mounting rails, for the variable design of the inside of the control box for the division thereof. The frame pieces have rows of mounting holes in a defined pattern. The division of the inside of the control box can be varied by single-component connection pieces for connecting the mounting rails to the frame pieces. The connection pieces include a coupling section which protrudes at a right angle from the connection plane of the associated frame piece when applied. The coupling section has a quadratic or rectangular cross-section and has at least one transversally extending threaded borehole. The four planes of the coupling section are parallel to the vertical plane and the horizontal plane of the control box.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    This invention relates to a control box arrangement having at least one control box, which has a frame constructed from vertical and horizontal frame legs and an interior with or that can be equipped with mounting parts, including mounting rails to permit a variable subdivision of its interior and having frame legs provided with rows of fastening holes in a defined pattern. 
         [0003]    2. Discussion of Related Art 
         [0004]    German Patent Reference DE 40 13 379 C1 discloses a control box arrangement with a control box, in which an interior can be subdivided in various ways to produce a plurality of horizontal compartments arranged one above the other, and mounting rails extending in a depth direction are attached to the vertical frame legs. 
         [0005]    German Patent Reference DE 10 2004 054 173 A1 discloses another control box arrangement with a control box having an interior subdivided into a plurality of compartments. In this known control box, vertical dividing walls separate a device compartment, which is accessible from the front for the installation of electrical devices, from a laterally adjacent cable connection compartment and from a bus bar compartment situated behind it in the rear region of the control box interior. A support structure for the dividing walls is not described in further detail. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    One object of this invention is to provide a control box arrangement of the type mentioned above but which permits variable embodiments of the interior with the lowest possible assembly complexity. 
         [0007]    This object is accomplished with characteristics discussed in this specification and in the claims. According to this invention, one-piece connecting pieces for connecting the mounting rails to the frame legs have a coupling section that protrudes at right angles from the attachment plane of the associated frame leg when the connecting piece is mounted in position. The coupling section has a square or rectangular cross section and contains at least one transversally extending threaded bore. The four planes of the coupling section are oriented parallel to the vertical plane and the horizontal plane of the control box. 
         [0008]    These features permit a variable embodiment of the control box interior with a simple, stable construction. 
         [0009]    In this case, assembly is facilitated by each plane of the coupling section containing at least one threaded bore, with a distance from the attachment plane of the associated frame leg that corresponds to an integral multiple of the pattern spacing. 
         [0010]    Other features that advantageously facilitate a stable, uniquely defined assembly include that for attachment to the associated frame leg, the connecting piece has an attaching section with an attachment plane that extends parallel to the attachment plane of the frame leg and that has a hook-like securing projection protruding from it that can be hooked into a fastening hole of the frame leg. 
         [0011]    A simple, stable attachment is facilitated by a through bore being in the attaching section of the connecting piece, to allow a fastening screw to be inserted through it. 
         [0012]    An increased stability and the possibility of mounting in various spatial directions are also advantageously facilitated if the mounting rail has a plurality of profile legs oriented at right angles to one another, with a width that is matched to a cross section of the coupling section of the connecting piece. 
         [0013]    In some embodiments, the cross section of the mounting rail is in a right-angled fashion, as two-legged, U-shaped, C-shaped, or in the form of a closed hollow profile and is matched to the cross section of the coupling section. In addition, all of the profile legs of the mounting rail have the same rows of fastening holes as the frame legs. 
         [0014]    A uniquely defined connection is helped if the coupling section transitions via a shoulder on all sides into the adjacent widened section of the connecting piece and the height of the shoulder corresponds approximately to the wall thickness of the mounting rail. 
         [0015]    Advantageous features for the spatial subdivision include the connecting horizontally and vertically arranged mounting rails, corner connectors, cross connectors, and/or T-pieces having connecting sections that are square or rectangular in cross section and with cross-sectional dimensions are matched to the widths the profile legs of the mounting rails and that have transversely extending threaded bores in their support surfaces, matched to the pattern spacing of the rows of fastening holes. With solid angles and three-dimensionally intersecting connectors, it is possible to produce connections in all three spatial directions. 
         [0016]    Advantageous mounting options are also possible with rows of fastening holes having an alternating pattern of round holes and slot-shaped holes extending in the longitudinal direction of the frame legs or mounting rails. 
         [0017]    Other advantageous mounting options include the frame legs having mounting planes that are offset from each other in the width direction and/or in the depth direction and connecting pieces for attachment in both mounting planes. 
         [0018]    A spatial subdivision that is advantageous for low-voltage equipment, for example, is achieved by the vertical mounting rails being attached to frame legs and/or horizontal mounting rails offset in the depth direction toward the inside of the control box arrangement and in the depth direction in front of the vertical mounting rails, functional compartments are formed, which are situated one above the other, divided from one another by horizontal compartment-dividing floors, and closed at the rear by mounting plates attached to the vertical mounting rails. Distributing rails, which extend vertically through a plurality of functional compartments are for supplying power to device components accommodated in the functional compartments, and are mounted to the inside surface of the mounting plates. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0019]    This invention is explained in greater detail in view of exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings, wherein: 
           [0020]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a control box arrangement, with the doors removed and with some of the wall elements removed, which has a plurality of functional compartments; 
           [0021]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  show a control box arrangement with a control box, in a top view of a plurality of compartments formed by vertical dividing walls and a front view of a plurality of horizontally divided compartments with compartment doors; 
           [0022]      FIG. 3  is a perspective, transparent depiction of a control box with horizontally divided compartments and a distributing rail system to which device components are connected; 
           [0023]      FIG. 4  is a front view of the embodiment according to  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0024]      FIG. 5  is a top view of the embodiment according to  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0025]      FIG. 6  is a perspective front view of a detail of a control box that has a plurality of horizontally divided functional compartments and that has a distributing rail system; 
           [0026]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a detail of a control box in a corner region of a compartment embodied in the form of a functional compartment; 
           [0027]      FIG. 8  is a view from an inside of a side wall region of a control box, with lateral wall sections; 
           [0028]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a side wall region of a control box, with a detached side wall section; 
           [0029]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of two side wall sections of different heights and an enlarged detail of a corner region of a side wall section; 
           [0030]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a component-mounting plate; 
           [0031]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a compartment door; 
           [0032]      FIG. 13  is a perspective view of a mounting angle; 
           [0033]      FIG. 14  is a perspective view of a compartment-dividing floor; 
           [0034]      FIG. 15  is a perspective view of a section of a divider strip; 
           [0035]      FIG. 16  is a perspective detail view of an embodiment for a bus bar arrangement of a main rail arrangement and/or of a distributing rail arrangement; 
           [0036]      FIG. 17  is a perspective, exploded detail view of a bus bar support and a bus bar cover; 
           [0037]      FIG. 18  shows a support plate for a bus bar arrangement according to  FIG. 16 ; 
           [0038]      FIG. 19  shows an individual support of a bus bar with an individual cover; 
           [0039]      FIG. 20  shows a horizontal cross section taken through a control box arrangement in a plane of a functional compartment; 
           [0040]      FIG. 21  is a perspective detail view of mounting rails attached to a frame leg of the control box arrangement; 
           [0041]      FIG. 22  shows two mounting rails attached in different mounting planes of frame legs of the control box arrangement; 
           [0042]      FIG. 23  is a perspective view of a corner connector for mounting rails; 
           [0043]      FIG. 24  and  FIG. 25  are perspective views of two different exemplary embodiments of connecting pieces for attaching mounting rails to frame legs of the control box arrangement; and 
           [0044]      FIG. 26  shows perspective views of an enlarged detail of and a whole mounting rail. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0045]      FIG. 1  shows a control box arrangement  1  with a plurality of control boxes  2 ,  3 ,  4  situated in a row, with their respective frames next to one another. The right control box has a narrower width than the other two control boxes  2 ,  3  and has only one continuous inner compartment, extending from the top to the bottom, whereas the two other control boxes  2 ,  3  have a plurality of horizontal compartments  5  situated one above the other, in the form of functional compartments of different heights. In the rear region of or near the control box arrangement  1 , there is a main rail system with a plurality of horizontally extending conductor rails, while in the middle control box  3 , there are vertical distributing rails connected to the main rails by electrically conductive connecting elements with adapted current-carrying properties. The distributing rails extend vertically through a plurality of functional compartments and are mounted by corresponding bus bar holders to the front surface of back wall sections in the form of mounting plates  40  associated with the functional compartments and are accessible from the interior of the functional compartments. Appropriate device adapters for connecting device components are mounted on the distributing rails in a conductive fashion. Spaces between the device adapters are sealed by insulating covers so that they cannot be touched from the interior of the functional compartments. The distributing rails extend through a plurality of functional compartments situated one above the other and corresponding cutouts  32 , which are adapted to the dimensions of the distributing rails with the covers, are in the rear region of horizontal compartment-dividing floors  30 , such as shown in  FIGS. 6 and 14 . 
         [0046]      FIG. 1  also shows that the control boxes  2 ,  3 ,  4  have frames  10  with four vertical frame legs  11  situated in the corner regions and have top frames with frame legs  12 . 1  and  12 . 2  extending in the width direction and the depth direction, respectively. The control boxes  2 ,  3 ,  4  each has a respective base  13 . Divider strips  15 , which are U-shaped in cross section and whose open sides are oriented toward the front, are situated in the region of the front edge of the compartment-dividing floors  30 . The free ends of the side legs  15 . 1 ,  15 . 3  are flush with the front edges of the vertical frame legs  11  and the front plane of the frame  10 . An upper front panel  14  is attached to the front surface of the top frame  12 . In order to close the front side of the control boxes, either a front door that extends all the way from top to bottom is provided or compartment doors  16  that are associated with the respective functional compartments and is adapted to them in height, such as shown in  FIG. 12 , are provided, which are supported on respective hinge parts  16 . 1  mounted on the vertical frame legs  11  in articulating fashion by complementary hinge parts and can each be separately closed by respective associated closing parts  16 . 2  situated on the opposite vertical frame legs  11 . 
         [0047]    The horizontal compartments  5  situated one above the other and in the form of functional compartments are delimited laterally by side wall sections  20  adapted to the height of the functional compartments and the front vertical edge regions of the side wall sections  20  are each mounted onto the associated vertical frame leg  11  while their rear vertical edge regions are each mounted either to the respective rear vertical frame legs  11  or to respective vertical mounting legs that are situated in the plane of the rear wall sections of the functional compartments. In addition to the side wall sections  20  laterally delimiting the functional compartments, the associated control boxes  2  and  4  are closed by continuous outer side walls, and are also closed at the back and top of the control box arrangement  1 . 
         [0048]    In their upper edge region, the side walls  20  are first bent inward and upward at an obtuse angle with respect to the functional compartment and are then bent diagonally outward and upward again, parallel to the upper edge, as is also shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 . A bent hook element  22  protruding outward from the plane of the side wall section  20  is situated in the upper corner region. This hook element  22  is adapted to the length of vertically oriented oblong holes in the associated vertical frame leg  11  or mounting leg and can be hooked into it with a downward-protruding securing protrusion. Preferably, the vertical frame legs  11  have an inner lateral mounting plane bordering the front frame region of the frame  10  and, on the side oriented away from the front surface and offset laterally toward the outside, have an outer lateral mounting plane likewise oriented toward the inner side of the frame leg  11 . Both the inner and outer mounting planes of the vertical frame legs  11  have rows of fastening holes. By the hook elements, the side wall sections  20  are hooked preferably into the outer, laterally recessed mounting plane. The vertical mounting leg also has a corresponding row of fastening holes in the corresponding plane. In addition to the hook elements  22 , the lower, front and rear corner regions of the side wall sections  20  have fastening holes that coincide with fastening openings in the vertical frame legs  11  and the related vertical mounting legs and permit a screw connection for securing purposes. In addition, the side wall sections  20  have a horizontally extending arrangement of holes  24  in their lower edge region  23  and possibly also in their upper edge region  21  or upper section. To assure correct orientation, with the upper edge, which is bent in the above-described way, pointing toward the top, the side wall sections  20  each has orientation marks  25  in the form of arrows pointing upward. In addition, they have an opening, which is either covered by a removable plate or can be broken open along a perforation, to provide access from the side, such as into a cable space situated next to it. The heights of the side wall sections  20  are preferably adapted to the height of a functional compartment, preferably in a certain spacing dimension, in particular in accordance with integral multiples of height units HE. In this connection, side wall sections  20  of different heights can be provided to form functional compartments of different heights. 
         [0049]    Accordingly, the heights of the component-mounting plates  40  and the compartment doors  16  are also adapted to the height of functional compartments in a particular spacing pattern, in accordance with integral multiples of height units, thus yielding a type of building block system for constructing desired functional compartments that can be also arranged at different heights of the control box interior in accordance with the rows of holes and their spacing patterns in the vertical frame legs  11  and vertical mounting legs. 
         [0050]    Mounting angles  70 , which can be attached laterally to the side wall sections  20  and/or to the vertical frame legs  11  or the vertical mounting rails, are provided for arranging the compartment-dividing floors  30 . The mounting angles  70  extend with a vertical leg  72  along the associated side wall section  20  and protrude with their horizontal leg  71  toward the interior of the control box. The top surfaces of two opposing horizontal legs  71  accommodate a compartment-dividing floor  30 , which can be connected to them by elements, in particular screws, which engage in openings in a row of holes  73  or an arrangement of holes  31 , such as shown in  FIGS. 13 and 14 . The horizontal legs  71  protrude beyond the inner mounting plane of the vertical frame legs  11  into the interior and the dimension of the compartment-dividing floor  30  in the width direction is at most as wide as the distance between two opposing inner mounting planes so that the compartment-dividing floor  30  can be easily inserted into the control box interior and fastened to the mounting angles  70 , with the cutout  32  also properly positioned with respect to the distributing rails. 
         [0051]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  show possible ways to divide the space inside a control box, first horizontally by vertical dividing walls and then vertically by the horizontal compartment-dividing floors  30 . 
         [0052]      FIGS. 3 ,  4 , and  5  show the distributing rail arrangement  50  with the bus bar cover  51  and device adapters  52  mounted on the distributing rail arrangement  50 , as well as switching equipment components  60  connected to them.  FIG. 6  also shows the arrangement of distributing rails  50  extending through a plurality of functional compartments and their routing through the cutouts  32  in the rear region of the compartment-dividing floors  30 . As shown in  FIG. 14 , a perforation  33  can be provided in the rear edge region of the compartment-dividing floor  30 , thus permitting the cutout  32  to be simply broken open when needed. The cutout  32  is open to the rear edge of the compartment-dividing floor  30  so that the compartment-dividing floor  30  can also easily be subsequently placed at any height in the control box interior and can also be removed again, without requiring removal of the arrangement of distributing rails  50 . 
         [0053]    As shown in  FIG. 13 , the mounting angle  70  can be hooked onto or attached to the arrangement of holes  24  in the associated side wall section by fastening holes  74 ,  75  and possibly by hook-shaped tabs that are bent sideways on the rear surface oriented away from the interior. 
         [0054]    As shown in  FIG. 15 , the main strip piece  15 . 2  of each U-shaped divider strip  15  has lateral fastening sections  15 . 4  extending from it, at both ends, which engage behind shoulders on the rear surface of the vertical frame legs  11  in the installed position and are fastened by screws inserted through fastening openings from the rear. In addition, open regions and bent-back securing elements  15 . 41  can be provided in the corner region of the fastening sections  15 . 4 . 
         [0055]      FIG. 16  shows a bus bar arrangement, for example the distributing rail arrangement  50 , such as shown in  FIG. 20 , and the layout can also be used in a similar fashion for a main rail arrangement  80 , such as shown in  FIG. 1 . The bus bars, such as the distributing rails  55  in the current instance, are accommodated in a trough-shaped, cross-sectionally U-shaped bus bar support  54  with a base part that is relatively wide in accordance with the arrangement of bus bars and has edges that are relatively low in comparison to its width. The edges are in the form of securing pieces  54 . 1  equipped with securing structures provided to allow the cover  51 , which extends over the entire width of the bus bar support  54 , to be snapped on and locked in detent fashion by corresponding counterpart structures. The distributing rails  55  are covered by a covering part  51 . 2  and the counterpart structures are formed onto side pieces  51 . 1  that protrude laterally from the cover piece. 
         [0056]    This produces an insulating, shockproof covering of the bus bars or distributing rails  55  that can be adapted, for example, to free regions between adapters placed onto the bus bars. In order to provide a seal at the front, also in the region between or near a covering part  51 . 2  of the cover  51  and the bus bars and base part of the bus bar support and also to provide a support in the end region of the cover  51 , a support plate  57  is provided, which is matched to the cross section of the space between the cover and the bus bar support and has recesses  57 . 1  for the bus bars, as shown in  FIGS. 16 and 18 . The support plate  57  has securing grooves in its edge region oriented toward the underside of the cover  51 , which cooperate in a fixing fashion with projections on the underside of the cover  51 . 
         [0057]    The bus bars are attached in the trough-like bus bar support  54  by bus bar holders  53  that are inserted into it and fixed in position. The bus bar holders  53  have a lower part with recesses for the bus bars  55  and an upper part that can be placed onto it and affixed by screws. In order to achieve a shockproof closure at the end, an end cover  56  is provided, whose upper region also overlaps a bus bar holder  53  positioned at the side. 
         [0058]    In the distributing rail arrangement  50 , the bus bar support, together with the bus bars  55  situated inside it, the cover, and the device adapters, are attached to the mounting plates  40  so that it extends through a plurality of functional compartments, as described above. Correspondingly, for the main rail arrangement  80 , the bus bar support  54  with the bus bars can be mounted horizontally in the rear region of or near the interior. The connection between the main rails and the distributing rails  55  is produced by laminated copper rails and connecting clamps or bolts or also by flexible conductors and connecting elements. In order to produce the connection, in addition to fully closed mounting plates, there are also mounting plates with recesses to function as feed-throughs. The feed-throughs are closed with cable bushings and/or insulating material. 
         [0059]      FIG. 19  shows an individual bus bar  55  mounted on an insulating individual mount  58  and covered in a shockproof way by an individual cover  51 ′. The individual cover is likewise mounted in detent fashion on lateral holding structures of the individual mount  58  by counterpart structures situated on the inner surface of side sections, and has supporting means on the inside that permit the bus bar  55  to be affixed to stepped mounting elements. 
         [0060]      FIG. 20  shows a depiction similar to  FIG. 5 , but with an additional compartment situated to the side of the functional compartments  5 , for example a cable routing compartment, as well as the vertical frame legs  11  with the inner and outer mounting plane. The drawing also shows a connection  52 . 1  between the device component  60  and the device adapter  52 . In addition, the bus bar support  54  mounted to the mounting plate  40  is shown in the drawing, with the bus bar holders  53  attached to it, as in  FIG. 16 . A subsystem of the distributing rails is also mounted on the mounting plate, with two distributing rails  55 . 
         [0061]      FIG. 21  gives a more detailed depiction of the attachment of mounting rails  17 , as is shown in  FIG. 1 . For example, horizontal mounting rails  17 , such as extending in the depth direction, are attached to rear vertical frame legs  11  of the frame  10 , either in the front or rear mounting plane of the associated vertical frame leg  11 , see  FIG. 22 , by associated connecting pieces  18 . The horizontal mounting rails  17  can be connected to other mounting rails, such as the depicted mounting rail  17  extending vertically upward, by a respective corner connector  19 , T-connector, or cross connector. The mounting rails  17  and frame legs  11  each has rows of fastening holes or a hole system  17 . 1  that has the same spacing pattern, in which slot-shaped holes extending in the longitudinal direction alternate with round holes  17 . 1  situated between them. As clear from  FIG. 22 , the connecting pieces  18  are affixed to the associated attachment planes of the frame legs by attaching sections  18 . 4  and secured by screws that are each inserted through a respective holding bore  18 . 5 , as shown in greater detail in  FIGS. 24 and 25 . 
         [0062]    The attaching section  18 . 4 , as shown in  FIGS. 24 and 25 , has a hook-like securing projection that protrudes from the attachment plane and with an insertion cross section that approximately corresponds to the rectangular slot of the hole system  17 . 1  or rows of fastening holes in the frame legs to permit the connecting piece  18  to be pre-positioned in the slot-like holes and then affixed by the screw inserted through the through bore  18 . 5 . The connecting body  18 . 1  of the connecting piece  18  has a cross-sectionally rectangular or preferably square coupling section  18 . 2  formed onto it, which extends at right angles to the attachment plane of the attaching section  18 . 4  and has four support surfaces  18 . 8 ,  18 . 9  whose planes extend parallel to the vertical and horizontal control box planes when the connecting piece  18  is in the installed position. The support surfaces  18 . 8 ,  18 . 9  have threaded bores  18 . 3  into which screws, which are guided through the associated holes of the hole system  17 . 1  of the mounting rail  17 , can be screwed. For a uniquely defined, stable attachment of the mounting rail  17 , the coupling section  18 . 2  transitions into the expanded section of the connecting body  18 . 1  via a shoulder extending all the way around it, producing a collar-like contact, with the height of the shoulder approximately corresponding to the wall thickness of the mounting rail  17 . The mounting rail  17  is in the form of a profile with a plurality of profile legs oriented at right angles to one another, in the current instance in the form of a U-shaped profile, with the same hole system  17 . 1  provided in all of the profile legs. In lieu of a U-shaped profile, is also possible, for example, to use a square hollow profile, but this can make the mounting require more labor because the U-shaped profile can be simply slid onto mounted connecting pieces from the side. The cross section of the coupling section  18 . 2  is matched to the internal cross section and leg width of the mounting rail  17 . As shown in  FIGS. 24 and 25 , the securing projection  18 . 6  has hook-like extensions at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the slot so that the connecting pieces  18  can be hooked with their attaching sections  18 . 4  oriented upward or downward. In the exemplary embodiment according to  FIG. 25 , the coupling section  18 . 2  is elongated in comparison to the exemplary embodiment according to  FIG. 24  and two threaded bores  18 . 3  that are offset from each other in the axial direction are provided in the support surfaces  18 . 9 . The threaded bores  18 . 3  are advantageously spaced apart from the attachment plane of the attaching piece  18 . 4  by an integral multiple of the pattern spacing so that when they are attached to the frame legs  11 ,  12 . 1 ,  12 . 2  and possibly additional mounting rails, this always produces uniquely defined horizontal and vertical arrangements in which they are oriented at right angles. 
         [0063]    In a manner corresponding to that of the connecting piece  18 , but on both legs, the corner connector  19  has insertable coupling sections and attaching sections  19 . 2 , whose cross sections are matched to the cross section of the mounting rail  17  and on the respective support surfaces, have threaded bores  19 . 3  oriented perpendicular to the support surfaces, as shown in  FIG. 23 . Correspondingly, T-connectors or cross connectors can also be provided with connecting legs oriented three-dimensionally with respect to each other. 
         [0064]    The above-described functional compartments and other compartments can be constructed in a stable, simple fashion by mounting rails attached in the above-described way. In this connection, it is possible for a vertical mounting rail  17 , starting from a certain height inside the control box, to be guided so that it is offset by a desired depth from the front surface or rear surface of the control box in order for component-mounting plates  40  to be attached to it. The side wall sections  20  can be attached with their rear, vertical edges against the mounting rails  17  or can extend all the way to the rear vertical frame leg  11 . It is also possible to partition off cable routing compartments of any width using mounting rails  17  extending laterally in the width direction. 
         [0065]    The above-described modular design for the compartments inside the control box permits variable arrangements to be produced with a simple assembly, while also satisfying the high functional reliability standards of the type required for low-voltage equipment.