Controller unit

Description

Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates generally to a mounting device for removably coupling a system to a sub-system.

Background of the Invention

[0002] AU 645 008 B2 relates to a storage container for storage of articles (perishable or otherwise) having a base member, a top member and an intermediate member. The members are connected to each other using a connecting member provided with a bead like arrangement. In controller systems, it is typical to require a system to be mechanically coupled to a sub-system in the form of an adapter for mechanical actuation or to establish electrical connectivity. In many instances, the adapter may be operated within a vibratory environment and would necessitate firm and secured coupling. However, as the adapter is required to be changed and /or serviced from time to time, permanent means of coupling is not desirable.

[0003] Presently, there are various means in which detachable coupling may be achieved. One of such is through surface adhesion means. The reliability of surface adhesion however, is greatly reduced when coupled components are operated within a vibratory environment. Other mechanical fastening means such as spring clips, sliding fit connectors or screws have also been commonly used. However, these methods are cumbersome particularly within a space constraint controller unit and would also necessitate the use of specialized tools during mounting or dismounting.

[0004] As evidenced from the above discussion, it is desirable to provide an alternative to ameliorate one or more of the abovementioned problems.

Summary of Invention

[0005] In accordance to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a controller unit according to claim 1.

[0006] In a preferred embodiment, the elongated bar is instantly snapped within the channel once the bar traverses beyond the ledge's corner.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment, the handles are disposed substantially at opposite corners of the base bracket.

[0008] In accordance to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for removably coupling a sub-system to a system according to claim 11.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, the step of exerting the handles inward further includes the step of traversing the elongated bar along the ledge and past the ledge's threshold corner to instantly snap the bar into the channel.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010] 

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of the invention;

Fig. 2 shows an exploded view of the invention including a pair of handles;

Fig. 3a shows a cross sectional view of the invention with an elongated bar of the handles contacting surface of a ledge;

Figs. 3b-3c show cross sectional views of the invention with the elongated bar of the handles being pushed past the ledge toward a channel; and

Fig. 3d shows a cross sectional view of the invention with the elongated bar of the handles disposed within the channel.

Preferred Embodiments of the Invention

[0011] The present invention provides an apparatus 100 for mounting and retaining a sub-system 120 onto system 135 as shown in Fig. 1. The sub-system 120 may be removably coupled to system 135 in the form of an adapter and once coupled, sub-system 120 is secured within apparatus 100 in a firm retaining relationship with system 135.

[0012] The present invention advantageously facilitates the quick mounting and demounting of sub-system 120 and system 135 without requiring additional or specialized tools. The system 135 comprises a circuit breaker and sub-system 120 comprises a circuit breaker adapter.

[0013] The apparatus 100 comprises a base bracket 212, a first handle 215 and a second handle 218 as shown in Fig. 2. The base bracket 212 further comprises two parallel sidewalls 223 and 225 in which mounting holes 228-231 are formed near the four corners of the sidewalls. Preferably, the base bracket 212 is made of a metal, however it may also be made of hard plastic or any other material suitable for mounting support.

[0014] Each of the handles 215 and 218 comprises a first arm 233 and a second arm 236 that are coupled at each proximal end by an elongated bar 240. Projections 244-247, preferably in the form of tubular or cylindrical projections are formed at the distal end of the arms 233 and 236 for insertion into the mounting holes 228-231 to form a pivoting. The pivoting allows rotational movement of the handles 215 and 218 relative to the base bracket 212.

[0015] The sub-system 120 comprises a channel 312 with a ledge 315 formed along each top 142 and bottom 143 lateral extensions of sub-system 120 as shown in Fig. 3a. The ledge 315 further includes a corner 322 formed between the meeting of the ledge 315 and the channel 312. The channel 312 serves to maintain a mounted structure, in this case, the elongated bar 240 in position, whereby the elongated bar 240 is disposed within the channel 312 and is abutted against the corner 322 of the ledge 315 by a tension acting from the handles 215 and 218 relative to the base bracket 212.

[0016] Preferably, the first arm 233, second arm 236 and elongated bar 240 are made of a resilient material which would resiliently provide a clamping engagement for retaining sub-system 120 with system 135 once the elongated bar 240 is abutted against the corner 322 of the ledge 315.

[0017] In one embodiment of the invention, the width of the elongated bar 240 is formed to match the width of the channel 312 so that the bar 240 may be disposed firmly within the channel 312.

[0018] In another embodiment of the invention, the width of the elongated bar 240 may be made slightly wider than the width of the channel 312 so that when the bar 240 is disposed within the channel 312, the entire surface length of the resilient bar 240 is constricted by an inward tension from the contacting walls of the channel 312. The constriction advantageously allows an elastic deformation of the elongated bar 240 and resulting an outward tension from the surface length of the elongated bar 240 against the contacting walls of the channel 312, thereby providing a firm embedding of the elongated bar 240 within the channel 312.

[0019] Preferably, the elongated bar 240 is made of a rectangular shape although other shapes such as circular, triangular or hexagonal may also be used.

[0020] When the elongated bar 240 is abutted against the corner 322 of the ledge 315, the resilient handles 215 and 218 are put in tension relative to the base bracket 212. The handles 215 and 218 now operate as a clamper that clamps sub-system 120 and system 135 in a firm clamping engagement.

[0021] When in used, the system 135 is coupled to the base bracket 212 through a securing device, such as screws. The base bracket 212 may in turn be mounted onto the wall of a controller box. The sub-system 120 is coupled to system 135 and the handles 215 and 218 are turned into contacting the top 142 and bottom 143 lateral extensions of sub-system 120.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the elongated bar 240 is disposed within the channel 312 through a snapping-action means. The means includes biasing the handles 215 and 218 by traversing the handles 215 and 218 inward relative to sub-system 120 along and against surface traction of the ledge 315 towards the channel 312. Once the elongated bar 240 traverses past the threshold corner 322 of the ledge 315, the bar 240 instantly snaps into channel 312 and retained therein by abutting against the corner 322 of the ledge 315.

[0023] The abutment of the elongated bar 240 against the corner 322 of the ledge 315 sets the handles 215 and 218 in a biased state. The resilient handles 215 and 218 are thereby set in tension relative to the base bracket 212. This allows the handles 215 and 218 to now operate as a clamper that clamps sub-system 120 and system 135 in a firm clamping engagement.

[0024] When required, the clamping may be disengaged by pushing the handles 215 and 218 out from the channel 312. Removably engaging the handles 215 and 218 from sub-system 120 advantageously facilitates the quick mounting and dismounting of sub-system 120 from system 135 and without requiring any specialized tools.

[0025] While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to various embodiments, it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that modifications and changes may be made to the present invention without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the invention should therefore be determined not with reference to the above description but with reference to the appended claims.

Claims

1. Controller unit, comprising
a sub-system (120) comprising a circuit breaker adapter,
a system (135) comprising a circuit breaker, and
a mounting device for removably coupling a sub-system (120) to a system (135), the mounting device comprising:

a base bracket (212) for housing the system (135) and sub-system (120), said base bracket includes at least two resilient handles (215, 218), each handle includes an elongated bar (240); and

a channel (312) and a ledge (315) formed along each top (142) and bottom (143) lateral extensions of said sub-system, said ledge includes a corner (322) formed between the ledge and channel;

wherein each handle is resiliently extendible inward relative to the sub-system to dispose the elongated bar within the channel, thereby abutting the elongated bar against the corner of said ledge to provide biasing for clamping engagement between the system and sub-system.

2. The controller unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elongated bar is disposed within the channel by means of a snapping-action mechanism.

3. The controller unit as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the handles (215, 218) are pivoted substantially at opposite corners of the base bracket (212).

4. The controller unit as claimed in any precedent claim, wherein the handles are pivoted to the base bracket (212).

5. The controller unit as claimed in any precedent claim, wherein the handles (215, 218) are turned relative to the base bracket (212) to contact the sub-system (120).

6. The controller unit as claimed in any precedent claim, wherein each of the handles (215, 218) comprises a first arm (233) and a second arm (236) that are coupled at the proximal end by the elongated bar (240).

7. The controller unit as claimed in any precedent claim, wherein the width of the elongated bar (240) is formed to match the width of the channel (112).

8. The controller unit as claimed in any one of the claims 1 to 6, wherein the width of the elongated bar (240) is slightly wider than the width of the channel (312).

9. The controller unit as claimed in any precedent claim, wherein the elongated bar has a rectangular shape.

10. The controller unit as claimed in any precedent claim, wherein the system (135) is coupled to the base bracket (212) through a securing device, such as screws.

11. A method for removably coupling a sub-system (120) to a system (135) of a controller unit, the sub-system (120) comprising a circuit breaker adapter and the system (135) comprising a circuit breaker, the method comprising the steps of:

housing the system and sub-system within a base bracket (212) comprising at least two resilient handles (215, 218), each handle includes an elongated bar (240);

providing a sub-system with a channel (312) and a ledge (315) formed along each top and bottom lateral extensions (142, 143) of said sub-system; and

exerting each handle inward relative to the sub-system to dispose the elongated bar within the channel (312), thereby abutting the bar against the ledge's corner (322) by tension acting from the handles relative to the base bracket to provide clamping engagement between the system and sub-system.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the step of exerting the handles inward further includes the step of traversing the elongated bar (240) along the ledge (315) and past the ledge's threshold corner to instantly snap the bar into the channel.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11 or 12, wherein the step of housing the system and sub-system within a base bracket further includes the step of:

mounting the system onto the wall of the base bracket (212); and

coupling the sub-system (120) and the system (135).

14. The method as claimed in any of claims 11 to 13, wherein the handles are disposed substantially at opposite corners of the base bracket (212).

15. The method as claimed in any of claims 11 to 14, wherein the elongated bar (240) comprises a rectangular bar.

Ansprüche

1. Steuereinheit mit
einem Sub-System (120), das einen Stromkreisunterbrecher-Adapter aufweist,
einem System (135), das einen Stromkreisunterbrecher aufweist, und
einer Montageeinrichtung zum lösbaren Kuppeln eines Sub-Systems (120) mit einem System (135), wobei die Montageeinrichtung aufweist:

einen Basishalter (212) zum Aufnehmen des Systems (135) und des Sub-Systems (120), wobei der Basishalter zumindest zwei federnde Henkel (215, 218) aufweist, wobei jeder Henkel eine langgestreckte Stange (240) aufweist, und

einen Kanal (312) und eine Leiste (315), die entlang jedem von einem oberen (142) und einem unteren (143) Seitenfortsatz des Sub-Systems ausgebildet sind, wobei die Leiste eine Ecke (322) hat, die zwischen der Leiste und dem Kanal ausgebildet ist,

wobei jeder Henkel federnd nach innen hin dehnbar ist relativ zu dem Sub-System, um die langgestreckte Stange in dem Kanal anzuordnen, wodurch die langgestreckte Stange gegen die Ecke der besagten Leiste anstößt, um eine Vorspannung für einen Klemmeingriff zwischen dem System und dem Sub-System bereitzustellen.

2. Steuereinheit wie in Anspruch 1 beansprucht, wobei die langgestreckte Stange in dem Kanal angeordnet ist mittels eines Schnappverschluss-Mechanismus.

3. Steuereinheit wie in Anspruch 1 oder 2 beansprucht, wobei die Henkel (215, 218) schwenkbar sind im Wesentlichen an gegenüberliegenden Ecken des Basishalters (212).

4. Steuereinheit wie in irgendeinem vorhergehenden Anspruch beansprucht, wobei die Henkel an dem Basishalter (212) schwenkbar gelagert sind.

5. Steuereinheit wie in irgendeinem vorhergehenden Anspruch beansprucht, wobei die Henkel (215, 218) relativ zu dem Basishalter (212) drehbar sind, um das Sub-System (120) zu berühren.

6. Steuereinheit wie in irgendeinem vorhergehenden Anspruch beansprucht, wobei jeder der Henkel (215, 218) einen ersten Arm (233) und einen zweiten Arm (236) aufweist, die am proximalen Ende durch die langgestreckte Stange (240) gekuppelt sind.

7. Steuereinheit wie in irgendeinem vorhergehenden Anspruch beansprucht, wobei die Breite der langgestreckten Stange (240) ausgebildet ist, um mit der Breite des Kanals (112) übereinzustimmen.

8. Steuereinheit wie in irgendeinem der Ansprüche 1 bis 6 beansprucht, wobei die Breite der langgestreckten Stange (240) geringfügig größer ist als die Breite des Kanals (312).

9. Steuereinheit wie in irgendeinem vorhergehenden Anspruch beansprucht, wobei die langgestreckte Stange eine rechteckige Gestalt hat.

10. Steuereinheit wie in irgendeinem vorhergehenden Anspruch beansprucht, wobei das System (135) mit dem Basishalter (212) gekuppelt ist mittels einer Sicherungsvorrichtung, wie z.B. Schrauben.

11. Verfahren zum lösbaren Kuppeln eines Sub-Systems (120) mit einem System (135) einer Steuereinheit, wobei das Sub-System (120) einen Stromkreisunterbrecher-Adapter aufweist und wobei das System (135) einen Stromkreisunterbrecher aufweist, wobei das Verfahren die Schritte aufweist:

Aufnehmen des Systems und des Sub-Systems in einem Basishalter (212), welcher wenigstens zwei federnde Henkel (215, 218) aufweist, wobei jeder Henkel eine langgestreckte Stange (240) aufweist,

Bereitstellen eines Sub-Systems mit einem Kanal (312) und einer Leiste (315), die entlang jedem von einem oberen und einem unteren Seitenfortsatz (142, 143) des Sub-Systems ausgebildet sind, und

Spannen jedes Henkels nach innen hin relativ zu dem Sub-System, um die langgestreckte Stange in dem Kanal (312) anzuordnen, wodurch die Stange gegen die Leisten-Ecke (322) anstößt durch Spannung, die von den Henkeln aufgebracht wird relativ zu dem Basishalter, um einen Klemmeingriff zwischen dem System und dem Sub-System bereitzustellen.

12. Verfahren wie in Anspruch 11 beansprucht, wobei der Schritt des Spannens der Henkel nach innen hin ferner aufweist den Schritt des Überführens der langgestreckten Stange (240) entlang der Leiste (315) und über die Leisten-Widerstandsecke hinweg, um die Stange unmittelbar in den Kanal einzuschnappen.

13. Verfahren wie in Anspruch 11 oder 12 beansprucht, wobei der Schritt des Unterbringens des Systems und des Sub-Systems in einem Basishalter ferner den Schritt aufweist:

Montieren des Systems an die Wand des Basishalters (212) und Kuppeln des Sub-Systems (120) und des Systems (135).

14. Verfahren wie in irgendeinem der Ansprüche 11 bis 13 beansprucht, wobei die Henkel im Wesentlichen an gegenüberliegenden Ecken das Basishalters (212) angeordnet sind.

15. Verfahren gemäß irgendeinem der Ansprüche 11 bis 14, wobei die langgestreckte Stange (240) eine rechteckige Stange aufweist.

Revendications

1. Unité de contrôleur, qui comprend
un sous-système (120) qui comprend un adaptateur de coupe-circuit,
un système (135) qui comprend un coupe-circuit, et
un dispositif de montage destiné à relier de manière amovible un sous-système (120) à un système (135), le dispositif de montage comprenant :

un support de base (212) destiné à contenir le système (135) et le sous-système (120), ledit support de base comprenant au moins deux poignées souples (215, 218), chaque poignée comprenant une barre allongée (240) ; et

un canal (312) et un rebord (315) formés le long de chaque extension latérale supérieure (142) et inférieure (143) dudit sous-système, ledit rebord comprenant un angle (322) formé entre le rebord et le canal ;

dans laquelle chaque poignée est extensible de manière élastique vers l'intérieur par rapport au sous-système afin de disposer la barre allongée dans le canal, en faisant buter la barre allongée contre l'angle dudit rebord de façon à assurer une inclinaison en vue d'un engagement par blocage entre le système et le sous-système.

2. Unité de contrôleur selon la revendication 1, dans laquelle la barre allongée est disposée dans le canal à l'aide d'un mécanisme à enclenchement.

3. Unité de contrôleur selon la revendication 1 ou 2, dans laquelle les poignées (215, 218) sont pivotées sensiblement au niveau des angles opposés du support de base (212).

4. Unité de contrôleur selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans laquelle les poignées sont pivotées par rapport au support de base (212).

5. Unité de contrôleur selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans laquelle les poignées (215, 218) sont tournées par rapport au support de base (212) afin de toucher le sous-système (120).

6. Unité de contrôleur selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans laquelle chacune des poignées (215, 218) comprend un premier bras (233) et un second bras (236) qui sont reliés au niveau de l'extrémité proximale par la barre allongée (240).

7. Unité de contrôleur selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans laquelle la largeur de la barre allongée (240) est formée afin de correspondre à la largeur du canal (112).

8. Unité de contrôleur selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 6, dans laquelle la largeur de la barre allongée (240) est légèrement supérieure à la largeur du canal (312).

9. Unité de contrôleur selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans laquelle la barre allongée possède une forme rectangulaire.

10. Unité de contrôleur selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans laquelle le système (135) est relié au support de base (212) par un dispositif de fixation, comme des vis.

11. Procédé destiné à relier de manière amovible un sous-système (120) à un système (135) d'une unité de contrôleur, le sous-système (120) comprenant un adaptateur de coupe-circuit et le système (135) comprenant un coupe-circuit, le procédé comprenant les étapes qui consistent à :

placer le système et le sous-système dans un support de base (212) qui comprend au moins deux poignées souples (215, 218), chaque poignée comprenant une barre allongée (240) ;

le fait de prévoir un sous-système avec un canal (312) et un rebord (315) formés le long de chaque extension latérale supérieure et inférieure (142, 143) dudit sous-système ; et

le fait d'appuyer chaque poignée vers l'intérieur par rapport au sous-système afin de disposer la barre allongée dans le canal (312), en faisant buter la barre contre l'angle du rebord (322) à l'aide d'une tension exercée par les poignées par rapport au support de base de façon à assurer un engagement par blocage entre le système et le sous-système.

12. Procédé selon la revendication 11, dans lequel l'étape qui consiste à appuyer les poignées vers l'intérieur comprend en outre l'étape qui consiste à faire traverser la barre allongée (240) le long du rebord (315) et au-delà de l'angle du seuil du rebord afin d'enclipser instantanément la barre dans le canal.

13. Procédé selon la revendication 11 ou 12, dans lequel l'étape qui consiste à disposer le système et le sous-système dans un support de base comprend en outre l'étape qui consiste à :

monter le système sur la paroi du support de base (212) ; et

relier le sous-système (120) et le système (135).

14. Procédé selon l'une quelconque des revendications 11 à 13, dans lequel les poignées sont disposées sensiblement au niveau des angles opposés du support de base (212).

15. Procédé selon l'une quelconque des revendications 11 à 14, dans lequel la barre allongée (240) comprend une barre rectangulaire.

Drawing