Housing assembly of modular construction for solid state relays with plural external terminals

Claim 2

A modular housing assembly for an electrical device comprising: a. a first housing member consisting of a pair of side walls, a top and a bottom wall, a closed end wall, and an open end wall; b. each of said pair of side walls of said first housing member including terminal receiving means; c. said bottom wall of said first housing member having at least two compartment-like openings formed therein, each of said two compartment-like openings including terminal receiving means; d. said closed end wall of said first housing member including fastener receiving means; e. a second housing member consisting of a pair of side walls, a top and a bottom wall, a closed end wall, and an open end wall; f. each of said pair of side walls of said second housing member including terminal receiving means; g. said bottom wall of said second housing member having at least two compartment-like openings formed therein, each of said two compartment-like openings including terminal receiving means; h. said closed end wall of said second housing member including fastener receiving means; i. first terminal means for making an external electrical connection to said modular housing assembly; j. second terminal means for making an external electrical connection from said modular housing assembly; k. circuit means connected in circuit relationship with said first terminal means and with said second terminal means; and l. fastener means received in said fastener receiving means of said closed end wall of said first housing member and in said fastener receiving means of said closed end wall of said second housing member to join said first housing member and said second housing member with said open wall of said first housing member facing toward said open end wall of said second housing member to provide said housing assembly with a hollow interior in which said circuit means is enclosed, and with said first terminal means mounted in said terminal receiving means of said pair of side walls of said first housing member and in said terminal receiving means of said pair of side walls of said second housing member, and with said second terminal means mounted in said at least two compartment-like openings in said bottom wall of said first housing member and in said at least two compartment-like openings in said bottom wall of said second housing member.

Claim 3

A modular housing assembly for an electrical device comprising: a. a first housing member consisting of a pair of side walls, a top and a bottom wall, a closed end wall, and an open end wall; b. each of said pair of side walls of said first housing member including terminal receiving means; c. said bottom wall of said first housing member having at least two compartment-like openings formed therein, each of said two compartment-like openings including terminal receiving means; d. said closed end wall of said first housing member including fastener receiving means; e. a second housing member consisting of a pair of side walls, a top and a bottom wall, a closed end wall, and an open end wall; f. each of said pair of side walls of said second housing member including terminal receiving means; g. said bottom wall of said second housing member having at least two compartment-like openings formed therein, each of said two compartment-like openings including terminal receiving means; h. said closed end wall of said second housing member including fastener receiving means; i. first terminal means for making an external electrical connection to said modular housing assembly; j. second terminal means for making an external electrical connection from said modular housing assembly; k. circuit means connected in circuit relationship with said first terminal means and with said second terminal means; and l. fastener means received in said fastener receiving means of said closed end wall of said first housing member and in said fastener receiving means of said closed end wall of said second housing member to join said first housing member and said second housing member with said open wall of said first housing member facing toward said open end wall of said second housing member to provide said housing assembly with a hollow interior in which said circuit means is enclosed, and with said first terminal means mounted in said terminal receiving means of said pair of side walls of said first housing member and in said terminal receiving means of said pair of side walls of said second housing member, and with said second terminal means mounted in said at least two compartment-like openings in said bottom wall of said first housing member and in said at least two compartment-like openings in said bottom wall of said second housing member.

Claim 4

A modular housing assembly for an electrical device comprising: a. a first housing member consisting of a pair of side walls, a top and a bottom wall, a closed end wall, and an open end wall; b. each of said pair of side walls of said first housing member including terminal receiving means; c. said bottom wall of said first housing member having at least two compartment-like openings formed therein, each of said two compartment-like openings including terminal receiving means; d. said closed end wall of said first housing member including fastener receiving means; e. a second housing member consisting of a pair of side walls, a top and a bottom wall, a closed end wall, and an open end wall; f. each of said pair of side walls of said second housing member including terminal receiving means; g. said bottom wall of said second housing member having at least two compartment-like openings formed therein, each of said two compartment-like openings including terminal receiving means; h. said closed end wall of said second housing member including fastener receiving means; i. first terminal means for making an external electrical connection to said modular housing assembly; j. second terminal means for making an external electrical connection from said modular housing assembly; k. circuit means connected in circuit relationship with said first terminal means and with said second terminal means; and l. fastener means received in said fastener receiving means of said closed end wall of said first housing member and in said fastener receiving means of said closed end wall of said second housing member to join said first housing member and said second housing member with said open wall of said first housing member facing toward said open end wall of said second housing member to provide said housing assembly with a hollow interior in which said circuit means is enclosed, and with said first terminal means mounted in said terminal receiving means of said pair of side walls of said first housing member and in said terminal receiving means of said pair of side walls of said second housing member, and with said second terminal means mounted in said at least two compartment-like openings in said bottom wall of said first housing member and in said at least two compartment-like openings in said bottom wall of said second housing member.

Claim 5

A modular housing assembly as set forth in claim 1 further comprising: a. heat sink means including a plurality of heat fins and a base portion extending at right angles to said plurality of heat fins; b. said top wall of said first housing member including a recessed portion; C. said top wall of said second housing member including a recess portion; d. said heat sink means being supported in said top wall of said first housing member and in said top wall of said second housing member with said plurality of heat fins extending outwardly from said top wall of said first housing member and from said top wall of said second housing member, and with said base portion of said heat sink means mounted in said recessed portion of said top wall of said first housing member and in said recessed portion of said top wall of said second housing member.

Claim 6

A modular housing assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein: a. said first housing member is joined to said second housing member with said open end wall of said first housing member in abutting engagement with said open end wall of said second housing member; b. said first terminal means comprises a pair of screw type terminals; c. said second terminal means comprises a pair of pin type terminals; and d. said fastener means comprising a plurality of rivets.

Claim 7

A modular housing assembly as set forth in claim 1 further comprising: a. a center section having a pair of side walls, a top and a bottom wall, and a pair of end walls; b. each of said pair of side walls of said center section including a pair of terminal receiving means; c. said bottom wall of said center section having three compartment-like openings formed therein, each of said three compartment-like openings including terminal receiving means; d. each of said bottom walls of said first and second housing members having three compartment-like openings, each of said three compartment-like openings including terminal receiving means; e. said fastener means joining said first housing member to said center section with said open end wall of said first housing member in abutting engagement with one of said pair of end walls of said center section, and said fastener means further joining said second housing member to said center section with said open end wall of said second housing member in abutting engagement with the other of said pair of end walls of said center section.

Claim 8

A modular housing assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein: a. said top wall of said center section has an opening therein; b. a cover member is retained in said opening in said top wall of said center section; and c. said cover member includes a pair of lenses to permit a visual indication of the mode of operation of said circuit means.

Claim 9

A modular housing assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein: a. said first terminal means includes a first pair and a second pair of screw type terminals; b. said first pair of screw type terminals is received in said terminal receiving means of said pair of side walls of said first housing member and in one of said pair of terminal receiving means in said pair of side walls of said center section; c. said second pair of screw type terminals is received in said terminal receiving means of said pair of side walls of said second housing member and in the other of said pair of terminal receiving means in said pair of side walls of said center section; d. said second terminal means includes three pin type terminals retained in said compartment-like openings in said bottom wall of said first housing member, and said center section; and e. said fastener means comprises a plurality of rivets.

Claim 10

In a multi-pole solid state relay including a control relay module, at least one controlled relay module, a mounting rail including mounting means for mounting said control relay module and said at least one controlled relay module to said mounting rail and said mounting rail further including bus means for electrically interconnecting said control relay module and said at least one controlled relay module such that said control relay module electrically controls said at least one controlled relay module, the improvement comprising: a. a control modular housinG assembly for said control relay module including a first housing member, a second housing member, a center section, a first terminal means for making an external electrical connection to said control modular housing assembly, a second terminal means for making an external electrical connection from said control modular housing assembly to said bus means, and circuit means connected in circuit relationship with said first terminal means and said second terminal means; b. said first housing member and said second housing member of said control modular housing assembly each including a pair of side walls, a top and a bottom wall, a closed end wall, and an open end wall; c. said center section of said control modular housing assembly including a pair of side walls, a top and a bottom wall, and a pair of end walls; d. said control modular housing assembly further including fastener means joining said first housing member to said center section with said open end wall of said first housing member in abutting engagement with one of said pair of end walls of said center section and joining said second housing member to said center section with said open end wall of said second housing member in abutting engagement with the other of said pair of end walls of said center section, and with said first terminal means mounted between said pair of said walls of said first housing member, said center section, and said second housing member, and with said second terminal means mounted in said bottom wall of said first housing member, said center section, and said second housing member; e. a controlled modular housing assembly for said at least one controlled relay module being in electrical cooperation with said control modular housing assembly and including a first housing member, a second housing member, heat sink means, a first terminal means for making an external electrical connection to said controlled modular housing assembly, a second terminal means for making an external electrical assembly from said controlled modular housing assembly to said bus means, and circuit means connected in circuit relationship with said first terminal and said second terminal means; f. said first and second housing members of said controlled modular housing assembly each including a pair of side walls, a top and bottom wall, a closed end wall, and an open end wall; and g. said controlled modular housing assembly further including fastener means joining said first housing member to said second housing member with said open end wall of said first housing member in abutting engagement with said open end wall of said second housing member, and with said first terminal means mounted in said side walls of said first and second housing members, and with said second terminal means mounted in said bottom wall of said first and second housing members, and with said heat sink means supported on an extending outwardly from said top wall of said first and second housing members.

Claim 11

In a multi-pole solid state relay including a control relay module, at least one controlled relay module, a mounting rail including mounting means for mounting said control relay module and said at least one controlled relay module to said mounting rail and said mounting rail further including bus means for electrically interconnecting said control relay module and said at least one controlled relay module such that said control relay module electrically controls said at least one controlled relay module, the improvement comprising: a. a control modular housinG assembly for said control relay module including a first housing member, a second housing member, a center section, a first terminal means for making an external electrical connection to said control modular housing assembly, a second terminal means for making an external electrical connection from said control modular housing assembly to said bus means, and circuit means connected in circuit relationship with said first terminal means and said second terminal means; b. said first housing member and said second housing member of said control modular housing assembly each including a pair of side walls, a top and a bottom wall, a closed end wall, and an open end wall; c. said center section of said control modular housing assembly including a pair of side walls, a top and a bottom wall, and a pair of end walls; d. said control modular housing assembly further including fastener means joining said first housing member to said center section with said open end wall of said first housing member in abutting engagement with one of said pair of end walls of said center section and joining said second housing member to said center section with said open end wall of said second housing member in abutting engagement with the other of said pair of end walls of said center section, and with said first terminal means mounted between said pair of said walls of said first housing member, said center section, and said second housing member, and with said second terminal means mounted in said bottom wall of said first housing member, said center section, and said second housing member; e. a controlled modular housing assembly for said at least one controlled relay module being in electrical cooperation with said control modular housing assembly and including a first housing member, a second housing member, heat sink means, a first terminal means for making an external electrical connection to said controlled modular housing assembly, a second terminal means for making an external electrical assembly from said controlled modular housing assembly to said bus means, and circuit means connected in circuit relationship with said first terminal and said second terminal means; f. said first and second housing members of said controlled modular housing assembly each including a pair of side walls, a top and bottom wall, a closed end wall, and an open end wall; and g. said controlled modular housing assembly further including fastener means joining said first housing member to said second housing member with said open end wall of said first housing member in abutting engagement with said open end wall of said second housing member, and with said first terminal means mounted in said side walls of said first and second housing members, and with said second terminal means mounted in said bottom wall of said first and second housing members, and with said heat sink means supported on an extending outwardly from said top wall of said first and second housing members.