Abstract:
A plug-connector body for latching-in in a switch cabinet or the like includes pin-shaped fastening elements mounted on the plug connector body for sliding into latching slits on a carrier body.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention relates to an arrangement for fastening plug connectors in a carrier body, in particular an arrangement for fastening a plug-connector body to a U-shaped carrier body by means of angle elements in which said plug-connector body is held by means of a holding arrangement, pin-shaped fastening elements being disposed in said holding arrangement. 
   A holding device of this kind is needed in order to connect plug-connector contact inserts, which are held in a holding frame, to a carrier housing. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   DE 299 08 490 U1 indicates a holding system for various types of plug connectors, in which holding system lateral parts, which can be latched onto a base plate with a fixed holder and a displaceable holder, can be fastened to a first insulating body which can have different lengths. Holding systems for plug connectors are also known, in which a base plate holding the plug connector is held on a contact-insert holding arrangement by means of screws, although in these systems a tool is always needed for fastening purposes. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The object underlying the invention is therefore to develop a fastening device of the initially mentioned type to the effect that, for the mounting of cable connections by means of plug-in connections in a switch cabinet, the simplest and quickest possible fixing of a plug-connector body in a carrier housing is to take place by means of a tool-less fastening facility which is easy to mount and demount and cost-effective to manufacture. 
   This object is achieved through the fact that slits, into which the mounting arrangement can be introduced, are provided in the corner regions of the angle elements; that posts are provided underneath the slits, axially in relation to the fastening elements of the holding arrangement, said posts being disposed so as to be spaced apart from the lower edge of the slits; that the posts have a continuous opening in the longitudinal direction; that a gripping element can be pushed into the opening, said gripping element having a longitudinal bore and the ends of the pin-shaped fastening elements engaging in said longitudinal bore when the gripping element is pushed in the direction of the plug-connector body; and that the gripping element is provided with latching means which permit a pre-mounting position and a final position of the gripping elements. 
   The advantages achieved with the aid of the invention consist, in particular, in the fact that a plug-connector body, which is to be later plugged together with a counterplug, can first of all be inserted in a tool-less manner in a carrier body which is mounted on a so-called “hat rail”, for example in a switch cabinet. 
   It is also of particular advantage that all the mounting parts are held in a captive manner in this system. 
   Attached to both fastening sides of the plug-connector body are metal holding arrangements which are provided with screws and which are each pushed into an angle element, a locking system being provided which brings about a fixed connection. 
   For that purpose, the metal holding arrangement is first of all pushed into a slit, which is formed by two moulded-on portions, in the corner regions of the angle elements, the ends of the screws at the same time projecting into a continuous opening in a post which is disposed underneath the slit. A gripping element which is displaceable in the post is thereupon displaced in the direction of the ends of the screws and latched in, so that the angle elements are fixedly connected to the plug-connector body. 
   The gripping element is advantageously held in the post with the aid of latching means, so that two latching positions are provided:
         a) a pre-mounting position, in which the gripping element, which is of elongated construction, is pre-latched in the post in a lower position and, under these circumstances, still projects underneath the angle element with part of the gripping-element body; and   b) a final position, in which the gripping element is pushed over the end of a screw and latched in, and terminates with the lower part of the angle element.       

   It is also possible, in advantageous manner, for fastening elements that can be manufactured in a more cost-effective manner, for instance pins or studs, to be inserted in the metal holding arrangements instead of the screws, in which case a captive mounting system is provided. 
   So that it is possible to use a certain range of tolerance of differing thicknesses of sheet-metal in the metal holding arrangements, a gripping tongue, which continuously presses the metal holding arrangement against the moulded-on portion opposite said gripping tongue, is advantageously provided in the slit between the two moulded-on portions. 
   The plug-connector body provided with the angle elements is then inserted in the carrier body, it being advantageously possible to push into corresponding clearances in the lateral parts of the carrier body, and latch in, laterally protruding pegs moulded onto the angle element. 
   One of said clearances is of horizontal design and allows the plug-connector body to be held and tilted after being pushed in, so that said body may advantageously be rotated into a favourable position for fitting the electrical conductor which is to be connected; whereas the other clearance, into which the second angle element is inserted with the aid of the lateral pegs when the plug-connector body is lowered into the horizontal, is designed with a slight inclination towards the plug-connector body in relation to the perpendicular. The plug-connector body and carrier body are held together in a detachable manner with a simple latching mechanism by means of a pawl-type nose on one of the angle elements, which nose latches onto a latching nose on a pawl mechanism on the carrier body. 
   An exemplified embodiment of the invention is represented in the drawings and will be explained in greater detail below. In said drawings: 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  shows an exploded perspective representation of a plug-connector body with a fastening arrangement on a carrier body; 
       FIG. 2  shows a perspective view, in partial cross-section, of a corner region of an angle element, taken along lines II—II of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  shows a side elevational view, in partial cross-section, of the corner region of the angle element of  FIG. 2 , with a pre-mounted gripping element; 
       FIG. 4  shows a view similar to  FIG. 3 , with a gripping element in the final position; and 
       FIG. 5  shows a detailed perspective view of the corner region, with a gripping element in the final position. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1  shows, in an exploded representation, a plug-connector body  10  with two angle elements  20  and a carrier body  50 . Disposed on the outer sides of the plug-connector body are angular, electrically conductive holding arrangements  12  on which at least one screw connection for a protective earth connection  16  is provided. 
   Also provided in the corner regions of the holding arrangement  12  are fastening elements  14  which may be constructed as captive gripping screws, pins or studs. 
   The gripping screws for which provision is made in this example are held loosely, but in a captive manner, in the holding arrangements  12 . 
   Provided on either side of the plug-connector body are angle elements  20  which can be pushed onto the holding arrangements  12  in each case. 
   Said angle elements are, in turn, provided with outwardly pointing pegs  26  which can be inserted in latching clearances  56 ,  58  in lateral parts  54  of the carrier body  50 . 
   Said carrier body  50  is provided, for the purpose of holding it in a switch cabinet or the like, with a latching holding arrangement  52  for use on so-called “hat rails”. 
   From this representation, it is also possible to see a further advantage of this design, namely the fact that a plug-connector body, which has been initially introduced with the aid of the pegs  26  into the latching clearances  56 , can be tilted to an extent such that it is possible to carry out convenient wiring-up of the individual electrical contacts held in said plug-connector body. The plug-connector body is then tilted into the horizontal between the other two lateral parts  54  and introduced into the latching clearances  58 . 
   The combination of the plug-connector body and the angle elements is then latched, by means of a pawl-type nose  28  on one of the angle elements  20 , onto a latching nose  51  which is moulded onto a pawl mechanism on the carrier body  50 . 
     FIG. 2  shows, in a detail drawing, one of the corner regions of the angle element  20 , a gripping element  40  being disposed in a post  30  with a continuous axial opening  32 . The position shown here corresponds to that of a pre-mounted angle element. 
   The elongated gripping element  40 , which is square-shaped in cross-section, has an internally extending longitudinal bore  42  and, on two opposing outer sides, semicircular grooves  48  in which a semicircularly shaped elevation  38  on the inner wall of the post  30  engages, in each case, for the purpose of latching-in the gripping element. 
   Furthermore, that end of the gripping element  40  which points in the direction of pushing is provided with a moulded-on corner portion  44  which is carried on beyond a corner enclosing two side walls and in a manner which is prolonged in relation to the rest of the gripping element which is square in cross-section. 
   Since the longitudinal bore  42  extends through the gripping element  40 , the inner side of the moulded-on corner portion  44  has a cylindrical wall surface that encompasses, in total, slightly more than a quarter cylinder. 
   Disposed above the gripping element, in the corner region of the angle element  20 , is a first moulded-on portion  21  which reaches across the two sides of the corner and whose side that points towards said gripping element has an overhang  25  in relation to the wall of the post  30 . 
   The wall surface  21 ′ of the first moulded-on portion  21  is of inclined or conical design, pointing, with the larger diameter of the cone, towards the gripping element  40 . 
   As can also be seen in this representation, there is provided, above the first moulded-on portion, a further, second moulded-on portion  22  which is separated by a slit  23  and approximately encompasses a quarter circle and whose wall surface  22 ′ is likewise of conical design, although the larger diameter points towards the outside (in this case, upwards). 
   Disposed in the slit  23  is a gripping tongue  24  which points out of the first moulded-on portion  21 , along the inner wall of the angle element and towards the second moulded-on portion  22 , but without touching the latter. The gripping tongue  24  is provided in order to hold fast holding arrangements  12  with different thicknesses of material when they are inserted in the angle element  20  and, above all, to prevent slipping or vibration of the plug-connector body when in the finally mounted condition. 
     FIG. 3  shows, in another detailed representation of the corner region, how the holding arrangement  12  for the plug-connector body is pushed into the slit  23  between the two moulded-on portions  21 ,  22 . 
   For a simple operation for the insertion of the holding arrangement, or of the fastening elements  14  held therein, a longitudinal clearance  34  (see  FIG. 5 ) is provided in the wall of the post  30 , so that that end  15  of the fastening element which projects underneath the holding arrangement can be, first of all, introduced laterally into the post until said holding arrangement  12  is immersed in the respective slit  23 . 
   The longitudinal bore  42  of the gripping element  40  is positioned immediately underneath the end of the fastening element  14 . 
     FIG. 4  shows, as a sequel to  FIG. 3 , how the gripping element  40  is already displaced in the direction of the holding arrangement  12 , the fastening element  14  engaging in the longitudinal bore  42  and the plug-connector body being finally secured in the angle element  20  with the latching of the elevations  38  into the grooves  48  of the gripping element  40 . 
   The pushing-in of the gripping elements  40  which, in the mounting position, protrude out of the angle element, may take place either by hand or through the fact that the plug-connector body  10  is pressed, with the angle elements  20 , onto a flat support, so that the gripping elements  40  which are provided in the corner regions and are still projecting out are displaced out of the lower, pre-mounting position, as shown in  FIG. 3 , and into the upper, final position. 
   In said final position, the gripping element  40  strikes, with the face of the shoulder  46 , against the overhanging part  25  of the first moulded-on portion  21 , the pressed-in end of the gripping element terminating flush with the angle element. 
   However, the gripping elements  40  must be fixed, by means of the moulded-on portions  55  (see also  FIG. 1 ) disposed on the inner sides of the lateral parts  54 , in their final position in the posts  30 , at the latest when the plug-connector body, or rather the pegs  26  of the angle elements  20 , are latched into the latching clearances  56 ; whereas, when the angle element  20  is pivoted into the latching clearances  58 , the gripping elements are, of necessity, pressed in against the moulded-on portions  55  and latched in. 
     FIG. 5  shows, in a perspective representation, the corner region of the angle element  20  with a holding arrangement  12  belonging to a plug-connector body, which holding arrangement has already been introduced and latched in. 
   Projecting out of the holding arrangement is the screw head of a fastening element  14  which is provided in the form of a gripping screw and whose lower end  15 , which is no longer visible here but which is provided with a threaded portion, is already immersed in the longitudinal bore  42  of the gripping element  40 , and thus fixed. 
   It can be clearly seen that the mounting arrangement  12  rests, by means of the gripping tongue  24  which remains only partially visible, against the lower edge of the (upper) second moulded-on portion  22 . 
   Also visible is the functionality of the longitudinal clearance  34  in the post  30 , so that a plug-connector body that is to be introduced into the angle element does not have to be inserted from above, as in the case of a screw connection, but can simply be inserted laterally in the corner regions of the angle element in the slit  23  between the first and second moulded-on portions  21 ,  22  and, in the process, is held fast by the gripping tongues  24  until the gripping element  40  is pushed into its final position in the post  30  and latched in at that point.