US-20260129781-A1 - SYSTEM FOR CONNECTING TWO CONTROLLER SYSTEM MODULES

US20260129781A1US 20260129781 A1US20260129781 A1US 20260129781A1US-20260129781-A1

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a system for electrically connecting two controller system modules ( 1 ) that are mounted side by side on a rail for holding controller system modules. The objective of the disclosure is to provide a system for connecting controller system modules ( 1 ) that is cost-effective, space-saving, and allows easy installation. This objective is solved by a system including a connector ( 3 ) including a connector housing, which is connectable to mounting portions ( 8,12 ) of the two controller system modules ( 1 ), thereby connecting the controller system modules electrically and mechanically.

Inventors

Charles A. Hahs, Jr.
Rossano De Bona

Assignees

DANFOSS A/S

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20231006
Priority Date: 20221010

Claims (15)

1 . A system for electrically connecting two controller system modules that are mounted side by side on a rail for holding controller system modules, wherein the system includes a connector having a connector housing, a first mounting portion for receiving a first portion of the connector housing, and a second mounting portion for receiving a second portion of the connector housing, wherein the first mounting portion is formed on a first module of the two controller system modules, at an end portion of the first module facing a second module of the two controller system modules, wherein the second mounting portion is formed on an end portion of the second module facing the first module, wherein the system comprises an engagement mechanism for releasably mechanically fixing the connector to the first module and to the second module when the first portion is received in the first mounting portion and the second portion is received in the second mounting portion, and wherein the system includes electrical connection mechanism for electrically connecting the first module with the second module via the connector when the connector is inserted in the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion.
2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the engagement mechanism includes a snap connection.
3 . The system according to claim 2 , wherein the snap connection comprises a resilient snap-in member on the connector housing.
4 . The system according to claim 3 , wherein the first module and the second module include catch features for catching the snap-in member when the first portion is received in the first mounting portion and the second portion is received in the second mounting portion.
5 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion are mirror-symmetric to each other, wherein the connector exhibits a corresponding mirror-symmetry with regard to a central plane.
6 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to exhibit a mechanical poka-yoke functionality ensuring that the connector can be installed to the first module and second module only in one single predetermined final position and spatial orientation.
7 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical connection mechanism comprises a first female head pin socket at the first module and a second female head pin socket at the second module, wherein the connector comprises a U-shaped pin assembly for connecting the first female head pin socket with the second female head pin socket.
8 . The system according to claim 7 , wherein the connector is configured to allow limited movement of the U-shaped pin assembly relative to the connector housing.
9 . A method for using a system according to claim 1 , wherein the connector is inserted into the first mounting portion of the first module and into the second mounting portion of the second module.
10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the connector is inserted into the first and second mounting portion of the first and second module substantially simultaneous.
11 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the connector is installed single handed.
12 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the connector is inserted in an insertion direction, which is in a direction perpendicular to the rail, from a top side of the controller system module towards the rail, wherein the top side is facing away from the rail.
13 . A controller system module for a system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller system module comprises at least one of the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion and a corresponding electrical interconnection terminal for connection with an electrically conducting assembly of the connector when the connector is mounted to the controller system module.
14 . A connector for a system according to claim 1 with a first electrical interconnection terminal formed at the first module and a second electrical interconnection terminal formed at the second module, wherein the connector comprises an electrically conducting assembly for connecting the first electrical interconnection terminal with the second electrical interconnection terminal when the connector is mounted to the first module and the second module.
15 . An end connector for a system according to claim 1 any wherein, at least at one of the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion, an electrical interconnection terminal is formed on the corresponding controller system module, wherein the end connector is adapted to be releasably mounted to the one of the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion, wherein the end connector comprises a cable connector assembly configured to connect at least one cable thereto and wherein the end connector comprises an electrically conducting assembly configured to connect to the electrical interconnection terminal at the one of the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion with the cable connector assembly when the end connector is mounted to the one of the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a National Stage application of International Patent Application No. PCT/EP 2023/077697, filed on Oct. 6, 2023, which claims priority to European Patent Application No. 22200612.4, filed on Oct. 10, 2022, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a system for electrically connecting two controller system modules, e.g. automation controller system modules, that are mounted side by side on a rail for holding controller system modules. Further, the present invention relates to a corresponding method. BACKGROUND U.S. Pat. No. 10,186,821 B2 describes a modular bus system comprising individual in-put/output functional modules that are arranged side by side in a direction along a support rail. Automation controller systems often include several individual controller system modules that are mounted together on a rail, e.g. on a wall or in a controller cabinet. The rail is, for example, a standardized equipment rail. Typically, the rail is attached to extend in a horizontal manner and several controller system modules are arranged next to each other on the rail. As an example, such rails are defined in DIN EN 60715. Usually, each controller system module comprises a mounting fixture for mounting the individual controller system module on the rail. Furthermore, multiple rails can be arranged in rows vertically distanced to each other. According to one aspect, the rail may have a flat shape. The rail may be profiled strip, for example. The rail may have a (longitudinal) direction, that typically ex-tends horizontally if the rail is installed. If the rail has a flat shape, one might also refer to a plane of the rail, which is a plane along which the flat shape extends. If referring to the (longitudinal) direction or the plane of the rails, this may be considered for the case that the modules are mounted to the rails as intended. The modules can comprise cable terminals e.g. for connecting ethernet cables, bus cables, other data cables, power cables, and/or alike. Typically, components like actuators and/or sensors can be connected to the at least some of the con-troller system modules. Typically, the controller system modules have to be connected for allowing data exchange between them, e.g. via network cables or bus cables. This allows the different controller system modules to work together as part of the automation controller system. Further, it is possible that at least some of the controller system modules have to be connected by power cables for providing electrical power between them. With increasing complexity of the automation controller system, this becomes more difficult. Firstly, the cables for connecting different controller system modules require space but the room in the control cabinets is often limited. Secondly, some control cabinets are ventilated, and additional cables can impair the circulation. Thirdly, properly assignment and connection of individual cables to the specific controller system modules gets more difficult and prone to mistakes with increasing complexity of the automation controller system. The correct installation and wiring becomes complex and time intensive. Furthermore, cables are cost intensive. Finally, all cable terminals of the controller system modules are typically located at upper surfaces and bottom surfaces of the controller system modules only in order to allow a small depth of installation (e.g. within the cabinet). As a consequence, the space on the individual controller system module that is available for cable terminals is very limited. Nevertheless, the cable terminals needed for allowing data transfer between the controller system modules re-quires a part of this limited space. Connecting controller system modules via cables with each other hence reduces the available space for other cable connections, e.g. input/output ports (I/O ports) for sensors, actuators, and the like. SUMMARY Therefore, the underlying problem of the invention is to provide a system for connecting controller system modules that is cost-effective, space-saving, and allows easy installation. This problem is solved by a system for connecting two controller system modules according to claim 1. Preferred embodiments are described in the dependent claims. The system includes a connector having a connector housing, wherein a first module of the two controller system modules comprises, at an end portion of the first module facing a second module of the two controller system modules, a first mounting portion for receiving a first portion of the connector housing, wherein the second module comprises, on an end portion of the second module facing the first module, a second mounting portion for receiving a second portion of the connector housing, wherein the system comprises an engagement mechanism for releasably mechanically fixing the connector to the first module and to