Patent Document

[0001]    This nonprovisional application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/EP2014/002133, which was filed on Aug. 1, 2014, and which claims priority to German Patent Application No. 20 2013 010 294.2, which was filed in Germany on Nov. 13, 2013, and which are both herein incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The invention relates to an electromotive drive system having an electronics housing arranged on a motor side, in particular for accommodating converter components. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Background Art 
         [0005]    For example, in the area of energy-, and/or data- or signal-networked drive systems, in particular in the area of industrial engineering, it is frequently desirable to provide an electromotive drive system which has a preferably compact design. In addition, a decentralized drive is to be provided, on the one hand, and a supply-, signal- and/or communication-based interaction with other (decentralized) drives is to be facilitated, on the other hand. The communication should be able to preferably take place via bus systems, for example via EtherCAT. Moreover, a drive electronic system and software components as well as preferably a drive mechanism should be largely combined within the drive system. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    It is therefore an object of the invention to provide in an embodiment, an electromotive drive system, which has an electronics housing disposed on the motor side and a connection housing detachably plug-contacted thereto, is provided for this purpose. The connection housing is used to connect connecting wires of at least two connecting cables, which guide the connecting wires. The connection housing is also preferably provided and configured to through-connect at least one power supply of the drive system from one of the connecting cables to the other connecting cable and thus from or to another drive system. For this purpose, the connection housing is preferably provided internally with connectors for through-contacting at least certain connecting wires of the connecting cables. 
         [0007]    The plug connection between the connection housing and the electronics housing takes place with the aid of plug and mating plug connections which are provided on facing plug contact sides of the connection housing, on the one hand, and of the electronics housing, on the other hand. The connection housing furthermore has a front or connection side opposite the plug contact side for the purpose of feeding the connecting cables and, in particular the connecting wires guided thereby, into the housing interior of the connecting housing and in order to perform the contacting of the wire ends of the individual connecting wires within the housing. 
         [0008]    After contacting the individual connecting wires within the connection housing, the latter effectively forms a shared plug connector for the two connecting cables in the manner of a tee connector, so that the two connecting cables are plug-contacted with the electronics housing together and simultaneously by means of the connection housing. It is particularly advantageous that, due to the through-contacting and thus the through-connection, in particular of the power supply or the corresponding connecting wires, another drive assigned to the corresponding connecting cable, or another electromotive drive system, continues to be supplied with energy even if the plug connection between the connection housing and the electronics housing is detached. 
         [0009]    Due to the corresponding contacting within the connection housing, the connection or the link between the connecting wires guided by the two connecting cables (signal and/or data wires) may likewise be maintained even if the plug connection between the connection housing and the electronics housing of the corresponding electromotive drive system is detached. 
         [0010]    The connecting wires guided by the connecting cables are, in particular, supply wires for a link DC voltage in the range of, for example, 60 V(DC) to 800 V(DC) for supplying energy to the electric motor, in particular, from a DC link, as well as for a supply DC voltage of, for example, 24 V(DC) for supplying energy to electronic components for the purpose of controlling or regulating the electric motor. 
         [0011]    For the terminal contacting of the connecting wires guided by the connecting cables within the connection housing, the connection housing has at least one cable opening on the front side for the purpose of feeding the connecting wires guided by these connecting cables into the housing interior of the connection housing. A p.c. board supporting the plug connections or their contact points is preferably provided internally therein. The connecting cables do not require any male and/or female plug connectors shared by the connecting wires at the ends of the cables, since these connectors are formed by the shared connection housing for both connecting cables, including the through-contacting. 
         [0012]    Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes, combinations and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein: 
           [0014]      FIGS. 1 a  and 1 b    show a side view and a housing-side front view, respectively, of an electromotive drive system, which has an (integral) electronics housing on the motor side, including a mounted connection housing; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  shows a perspective representation of the drive system with a detached plug connection between the electronics housing and the connection housing, with a view of plug and mating plug connections of the corresponding housing sides of the electronics housing and the connection housing; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  shows a schematic view of the connection of terminal or connecting wires of two connecting cables in the connection housing. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]    Electromotive drive system  1  according to  FIGS. 1 and 2  comprises an electric motor in a motor housing  2 , on which an electronics housing  3  and a connection housing  4  are arranged, the latter being detachably plug-contacted to electronics housing  3  and mechanically connected thereto, for example, with the aid of a screw connection  5 . In the exemplary embodiment, electronics housing  3  is L-shaped and extends partially along the longitudinal side as well as over a narrow side or end face of motor housing  2 . On the end face of the electric motor facing away from electronics housing  3 , motor or gear shaft  7  is led out from motor housing  2  of the electric motor, for example via a gear set  6 . 
         [0018]    While  FIG. 1 b    shows connection housing  4  from its connection or front side  8 ,  FIG. 2  shows, in the right half of the figure, connection housing  4  with a view of its plug contact side  9 , where plug connections  11   a  through  16   a  are arranged. These plug connections  11   a  through  16   a  correspond to mating plug connections  11   b  through  16   b  on housing or plug contact side  10  of electronics housing  3  facing connection housing  4  or its plug contact side  9 . 
         [0019]    Specifically, a single plug connection  11   a ,  11   b  is provided for a link DC voltage, for example greater than 50 V DC  and less than 800 V DC . Another individual plug connection  12   a ,  12   b  is provided for a supply DC voltage of 50V, in particular 24V DC . Another plug connection  14   a ,  14   b  is provided for a field bus input, while a plug connection  16   a ,  16   b  is furthermore provided for a field bus output. Another plug connection  15   a ,  15   b  is used as a digital input and digital output. A plug connection  13   a ,  13   b  furthermore acts as a safety connection (STO technology). 
         [0020]    Connecting wires of two connecting cables K n  are contacted within connection housing  4 , and thus internally in the housing, in a manner which is not illustrated in greater detail. The connecting cables are fed into connection housing  4  on front side  18  thereof via cable openings  17  ( FIG. 1 b   ). The terminal contacting of the line ends of connecting cables K n  with contact points of particular plug connections  11  through  16  thus takes place internally within connection housing  4 . 
         [0021]    According to the exemplary embodiment in  FIG. 1 b   , cable openings  17  may be provided in a front plate  19 , which is detachably connected to a corresponding housing part  20  of connection housing  4 . In this specific embodiment, front plate  19  is first detached from remaining housing part  20  of connection housing  4  for the purpose of assembly and contacting, and connecting cables K n  are fed through cable openings  17 . In this state of assembly, the wire ends of connecting wires L n  guided by connecting cables K n  at the particular contact points of corresponding plug connections  11   a  through  16   a  may be established with the aid of screw, clamp or plug connections. 
         [0022]    In the case of connecting wires L n  contacted within connection housing  4  according to  FIG. 3 , through-contacting areas between at least supply lines L 11  through L 1n  and L 21  through L 2n , respectively, which are contacted with plug connections  11   a ,  12   a  and guided by connecting cables K 1  and K 2 , are established in the form of contact bridges  22  or the like by means of p.c. board  21  inside the housing. In this manner, a through-connection of the power supply from one of connecting cables K 1  to the other connecting cable K 2  is established within connection housing  4 . A through-connection of the power supply, in particular between two energy- and data-networked drive systems, is maintained even if plug connections  11  through  16 , in particular plug connections  11  and  12 , for supplying power to a converter electronic system of the electric motor and/or to a control, regulation, sensor, actuator and/or communication electronic system, is detached between electronics housing  3  and connection housing  4 , as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0023]    Connection housing  4  thus takes on the function of a tee connector with the aid of only one single plug connection  11  through  16  for corresponding connecting wires L n  of both connecting cables K n , while simultaneously always maintaining the through-connection of at least the supply voltage and thus maintaining the power supply of an upstream or downstream drive system. 
         [0024]    The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.

Technology Category: 5