GB2301144A

GB2301144A - Wall mounting device

Info

Publication number: GB2301144A
Application number: GB9610244A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hermann-Josef Doeinghaus; Ralf-Peter Fietz
Original assignee: Wincor Nixdorf International GmbH
Current assignee: Wincor Nixdorf International GmbH
Priority date: 1995-05-24
Filing date: 1996-05-16
Publication date: 1996-11-27
Anticipated expiration: 2016-05-16
Also published as: GB9610244D0; DE29508688U1; GB2301144B

Abstract

The invention relates to a wall mounting device for cable distributor boxes which can be joined together electrically and mechanically, which carry plug connectors on the side walls, and whose rear walls have apertures for the wall mounting. A mounting plate (20) is provided with latching hooks (22) whose mutual spacing is selected so that optionally a single cable distributor box (10), or two cable distributor boxes (10, 10') laterally pushed together with their plug connectors, can be secured on it by latching to the apertures (18, 18'). Arranged on the mounting plate (20) is a locking device (26) which prevents release of the latching, and a holding means (36, 40) providing stress relief for at least one cable securing apertures (28) engage wall-mounted headed pins.

Description

Wall mounting device for cable distributors The invention relates to a wall mounting device for cable distributor boxes and more particularly to wall mounting devices for cable distributor boxes which can be joined electrically and mechanically, and to this end carry plug connectors on the side walls, and have rear wall apertures for wall mounting.

A known cable distributor of the above type is equipped on its front end with a number of plug sockets for data transmission cables. Adjacent cable distributor boxes can be joined together electrically by means of their lateral plug connectors and mechanically by means of selectable connecting bars on the back. Since selectable connections have considerable lateral clearance, the plug connections between adjacent cable distributor boxes can come loose in the course of time.

The more data transmission cables connected to the cable distributors the greater this danger, as the weight of the cables directly strains the plug sockets let into the front walls of the housing. If a composite of several cable distributor boxes, together with the attached data transmission cables, is taken from the mounting wall, e.g for maintenance or installation purposes, then a crack may be formed along the contact plane between adjacent cable distributor boxes, and the connecting bars and plug connections will be exposed to heavy loads leading to damage.

Embodiments of the invention may provide a wall mounting device for cable distributors, which keeps mechanical loads away from the cable distributor boxes and their interchangeable electrical connecting elements.

According to the invention there is thus provided a wall mounting device for cable distributor boxes which can be joined together electrically and mechanically, which carry plug connectors on the side walls, and whose rear walls have apertures for the wall mounting, the wall mounting device comprising: a mounting plate which is provided with latching hooks, the mutual spacings of which are selected to allow the securing of either a single cable distributor box, or two cable distributor boxes laterally pushed together with their plug connectors, by latching to the apertures; a locking device arranged on the mounting plate and preventing the release of the latching; a holding means arranged on the mounting plate to provide stress relief for at least one cable; and securing apertures, for example keyhole-shaped, penetrating the mounting plate.

The invention proceeds from the idea that a wall mounting device for cable distributor boxes has to be designed in such a way that it can be fitted, without tools and without alterations, to the cable distributors. As before, it must also remain possible to use individual cable distributors or any number of cable distributors joined together without having to prepare a special wall mounting device for every conceivable construction.

The above considerations are borne in mind by designing the wall mounting device as a mounting plate with latching hooks, the mutual spacing of which is adapted to the spacing of the openings in the rear wall of both an individual and of two adjacently-arranged cable distributor boxes.

The width of the mounting plate corresponds approximately to the width of an individual housing so that with two adjacently-arranged cable distributor boxes half the respective housing width is supported by the mounting plate. At the same time it is possible to secure two mounting plates on one cable distributor box so that a further cable distributor box can be placed on each side of the first housing. Any number of cable distributors can therefore be joined together.

Handling of the cable distributors - e.g. opening them for maintenance purposes - must not be hindered by the wall mounting device. This is ensured by passages being constructed in the mounting plate which allow the release of the housing screws so that each cable distributor box can be screwed on without it having to be taken from the mounting plate.

The unintentional release of a cable distributor box from a mounting plate is prevented by a locking device which, in the simplest case, is formed by a sheet metal flap which can be bent by hand into the displacement path of a cable distributor box on a latching hook.

The mounting plate also has a holding means for the relief of cable strain. Data transmission cables which are inserted into the plug sockets on the front of the cable distributor boxes can be directly supported in the housing so that their weight does not strain the plug sockets.

In combination the steps claimed lead to a composite cable distributor box which is bend-resistant per se, and the plug connections of which have good reliability since all mechanical stresses are kept away from them.

Such a composite can be secured as a whole to a wall and also be removed from it again since the mounting plates have keyhole-shaped apertures with which they, and hence the whole unit, can be placed onto screws.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, purely by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective rear view of two adjacentlyarranged cable distributor boxes together with mounting plate, Fig. 2 is a perspective rear view of a cable distributor box with mounting plate, Fig. 3 is a side view of a cable distributor box set onto a mounting plate, Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of the securing means of a cable distributor box on a mounting plate.

Fig. 1 shows the rear view of two adjacently-arranged cable distributor boxes 10 and 10'. Oval projections 14 are moulded onto the rear walls 12 (see also Fig. 4), each of which is closed by a plate 16. An opening 18 is hollowed out in it.

Fig. 1 shows a mounting plate 20 made of sheet metal and produced in a stamping/bending process, shown separately with continuous lines, and in a position set onto the cable distributor box 10, 10' with outer contours shown in dashed lines. Two latching hooks 22, spacers 24 and sheet metal flaps 26 are stamped out in the upper region and four in the lower region. The latching hooks 22 and the spacers 24 are bent out of the mounting plate 20 at right angles in the direction of the rear walls 12. The individual groups comprising latching hooks 22, spacers 24 and sheet metal flaps 26 are referenced with the letters A to F. In Fig. 1 the cable distributor box 10 is locked with the latching hooks 22 of groups A and D, and the cable distributor box 10' with the latching hooks 22 of groups B and E.

Near the upper and lower edge, keyhole-shaped moulded apertures 28 are introduced into the mounting plate 20 on its centre line M such that its tapered part faces upwards. The moulded apertures 28 are dimensioned in such a way that the mounting plate 20 can be placed onto screws (not shown) in a wall and locked, with this arrangement, by moving it downwards.

Transversely-lying slots 30 are stamped out of the mounting plate 20 on its centre line M to make way for housing screws 32 arranged in the rear walls 12 of the cable distributor boxes 10, 10'.

The mounting plate is narrowed in its upper region symmetrically to the centre line M. The notches 42 leave applied marker panels 44 on the rear wall 12, 12' of the cable distributor boxes 10, 10' free, and on these panels the electrical parameters of the data transmission terminals located on the front 38 are described. This is particularly important for units comprising several cable distributors: if such a one is removed from the wall and is placed upside down before a technician then the latter can allocate the individual terminals without having to remove the mounting plates 20.

As shown in Fig. 3, the lower end of the mounting plate 20 protrudes over the lower edges 34, 34' of the cable distributor box 10, 10' and is bent forwards in a U-shape in such a way that the free U-shaped arm 36 ends below the cable distributor box 10, 10' and forms a substantially continuous surface with its fronts 38.

Securing bars 40 are stamped out of the surface of the free U-shaped arm 36 and pressed forwards out of the surface. Data transmission cables (not shown) with cable binders can be secured in a known manner on the securing bars 40.

Fig. 2 shows the rear view of a single cable distributor box 10. The mounting plate 20 is again illustrated on its own by continuous lines, and with its outer contours in dashed line when it is in position on the cable distributor box 10. It can be seen that the cable distributor box 10 is only locked directly on the mounting plate 20 with the lower apertures 18, that is with the latching hooks 22 of groups C and F. An adapter plate 46 is placed onto the latching hooks 22 of groups A and B with the aid of slots 48. This in turn is provided with latching hooks 50 which engage into the upper apertures 18' in the rear wall 12. Of course, in the region of the apertures 18' the mounting plate could also have widened portions on which the latching hooks 50 could be constructed.

Notches 52 are cut out of the mounting plate 20 in the vicinity of the lower housing screws 32 so that the housing can be opened even when an individual cable distributor box is mounted on a mounting plate.

As can be seen from Fig. 4, the metal flaps 26 are bent in the direction of the rear wall 12 after a cable distributor box 10 has been latched onto a mounting plate 20. They thus block the movement path of the projections 14 so that the cable distributor box cannot come loose from the mounting plate.

Claims

1. Wall mounting device for cable distributor boxes (10, 10') which can be joined together electrically and mechanically, which carry plug connectors on the side walls, and whose rear walls have apertures (18, 18') for the wall mounting, the wall mounting device comprising: a mounting plate (20) which is provided with latching hooks (22), the mutual spacings of which are selected to allow the securing of either a single cable distributor box (10), or two cable distributor boxes (10, 10') laterally pushed together with their plug connectors, by latching to the apertures (18, 18'); a locking device (26) arranged on the mounting plate (20) and preventing the release of the latching; a holding means (36, 40) arranged on the mounting plate (20) to provide stress relief for at least one cable; and securing apertures (28), for example keyhole-shaped, penetrating the mounting plate (20).

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the mounting plate (20) has notches (42) which, when cable distributor boxes (10, 10') are mounted next to each other, leave marker panels (44) on their rear wall (12, 12') uncovered.

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein open areas are formed into the mounting plate (20), through which housing screws (32) are accessible on the rear side of the one or more cable distributor boxes (10, 10').

4. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the locking device is constructed as sheet metal flaps (26) and can be bent into the movement path of a cable distributor box (10, 10') on the mounting plate (20).

5. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the mounting plate (20) is made of a single piece of sheet metal in a stamping/bending operation.

6. Device according to claim 5, wherein the holding means, which provides stress relief for the cable (36, 40), is formed by U-shaped bending of the lower end of the mounting plate (20) in such a way that the free Ushaped arm (36) comes to lie below the one or more cable distributor boxes (10, 10'), wherein securing rods (40) for cable binders are stamped out of it and pressed out in a curve, and wherein the spacing of the U-shaped arm is adapted to the thickness of the one or more cable distributor boxes (10, 10').

7. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the mounting plate (20) is at the most as wide as a cable distributor box (10).

8. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein mounting of an individual cable distributor box (10) on the mounting plate (20) is carried out with the interposition of an adapter plate (46).

9. A wall mounting device for cable distributor boxes substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the attached drawings.

10. A wall mounting device with one cable distributor box attached or with two cable distributor boxes attached, the whole being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the attached drawings.