JP4295538B2 - Portable data recording device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a portable data recording device for recording multi-channel data input from a plurality of sensors, and more particularly to the structure of a housing or the like for housing a substrate on which an electronic circuit is mounted. The multi-channel portable data recording apparatus according to the present invention is particularly useful for data recording of temperature, humidity, and voltage in food processing, greenhouses, greenhouses, equipment, plants, power rooms, and the like.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A portable data recording device (data logger) that records data input from an external sensor is known. This portable data recording device takes in input values from temperature sensors such as thermocouples and resistance temperature detectors, voltage and current values from voltmeters and ammeters as data, and temporarily stores them in internal memory. Later, the stored data is sent to a personal computer or the like, so that the recorded data can be analyzed.
[0003]
Many conventional portable data loggers have 1 to 2 channels, and those with multiple channels (for example, 4 channels or more) are not common. Such a conventional portable data logger generally has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped casing, and this casing includes two cases, an upper case (upper case) and a lower case (lower case). It is said that the two can be divided. A main board is mounted in the upper case, and a display element and keys are mounted on the main board so that the main board can be viewed or operated from the front side of the upper case. In addition, the lower case has a battery storage section that is integrated with the lower case. The battery storage section is open on the lower surface side of the lower case and is closed by a removable battery lid. ing.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the conventional portable data recording device having the above-described housing structure, a part of the internal space of the lower case is partitioned as the battery storage part by the wall of the case, so that the interior other than the battery storage part The space is considerably smaller than the outer shape of the lower case. For this reason, the main components such as the main board, the display element, and the keys cannot be arranged in the lower case, and are all installed in the upper case as described above. As described above, although the battery housing portion occupies only a part of the inner volume of the lower case, the remaining space in the lower case cannot be effectively used for applications such as arrangement of main parts.
[0005]
In particular, in the case of a multi-channel portable data logger (for example, 4 channels or more), the main board to be stored in the upper case is larger than that in the case of 1 to 2 channels, and the number of display items increases. Since the display element also has a large screen for improving the visibility, the outer shape of the upper case for storing these elements is also enlarged.
[0006]
As a result, the conventional multi-channel portable data logger inevitably tends to increase the size of the entire casing. Instead of simply increasing the size of the upper case to match the number of channels to avoid increasing the size of the entire housing, for example, only the portion of the upper case that houses the main board that mounts the display element is the display element. If the outer shape has a stepped shape that protrudes toward the display according to the dimensions, the split surface (joint surface) of the upper and lower cases will not fit within a single plane due to the need for design or molding, which is inconvenient for watertightness and drip-proofing A problem arises.
[0007]
The present invention has been made in view of the above situation, and in a multi-channel portable data logger, by improving both the battery storage structure and the arrangement of main components such as a board arranged in the enclosure, The purpose of this is to make the space more efficient by effectively using the space for component placement, and to make the entire shape compact and easy to use.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The portable data recording device according to claim 1 is a portable data recording device that records data of a plurality of channels input from an external sensor.
The split surface consists of an upper case and a lower case that can be split in a single plane. A connection part for connecting the sensor is formed on one end side, and a battery insertion / removal part is formed on the other end side. And a housing
A main board provided in the housing and provided with a control circuit for recording the data;
A key board provided with a plurality of keys attached to the other end of the upper case so as to face the other end of the main board and operated from the front side of the upper case;
A terminal board attached to one end of the main board in a direction intersecting with the main board so as to be close to the connection part, and the sensor is detachably connected;
Locked to the upper case in contact with the key substrate inside the other end of the casing, pressed by a pressing portion provided on the inner surface of the lower case, and fixed in the casing, A battery box with an opening facing the entry / exit,
A battery lid detachably provided in the loading / unloading section;
It is characterized by having.
[0009]
The portable data recording device according to claim 2 is the portable data recording device according to claim 1, wherein the connection portion of the casing is covered with a detachable drip-proof packing. It is said.
[0010]
The portable data recording device according to claim 3 is the portable data recording device according to claim 1, wherein the battery box has a plurality of abutting portions having flat contact surfaces provided on the front surface side. And in contact with the back surface of the key substrate.
[0011]
The portable data recording device described in claim 4 is the portable data recording device according to claim 1, wherein the portable data recording device is attached to one end portion of the upper case so as to face one end portion side of the main board. It is characterized by having a display portion that is visible from the front side of the case.
[0012]
The portable data recording device according to claim 5 is the portable data recording device according to claim 1, wherein a support pillar projects from an inner surface of the upper case, and a receiving portion is formed on the other inner surface of the lower case. And the upper case and the lower case are integrated with each other, and the main board is fixed between the front end portion of the support column and the receiving portion. It is characterized by that.
[0013]
The portable data recording device described in claim 6 is the portable data recording device according to claim 1, wherein the pressing portion holds the battery box through the hole formed in the main substrate. It is characterized by being.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
1 is a plan view of the portable multi-channel data recording apparatus 1 (data recording apparatus 1) (viewed from the front side), FIG. 2 is a right side view, and FIG. 3 is a front view. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. 1, FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line VV in FIG. 1, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line VI-VI in FIG. This data recording device 1 has a function of recording data of a plurality of channels input from an external sensor, and serves as a base for housing an electronic mechanism that achieves such a function as shown in FIGS. The housing 2 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape (substantially rectangular in plan view).
[0015]
This case is composed of an upper case 3 and a lower case 4 that are joined together as shown in FIG. 2. For convenience in the following description, the upper side in FIG. The lower side in FIG. 1 is referred to as the other end (side) of the apparatus 1, the casing 2, the upper and lower cases 4, and the like. Further, the surface shown in FIG. 1, that is, the left surface (side) in FIG. 2 is referred to as the front surface (side) of the device 1 or the housing 2, and the opposite surface (side) is the bottom surface of the device 1 or the housing 2. (Side).
[0016]
The external appearance of this apparatus 1 is demonstrated with reference to FIGS. On the front surface of the housing 2 of the data recording device 1, a display unit 5 made of a liquid crystal display device is provided in a half portion on one end side. In addition, a key operation unit 6 having a plurality of keys is provided at the other end side half. A connection portion 7 having a plurality of channels (in this example, 4 channels) is formed on the end surface of the housing 2 on one end portion side in order to connect an external sensor (not shown). The connecting portion 7 is partitioned independently for each channel. The connection portion 7 for each channel is covered with a drip-proof removable packing 8, and the connection portion 7 of a channel that is not used is left attached with the packing 8 being used. The sensor can be inserted into the connecting portion 7 with the packing 8 removed. A loading / unloading portion 9 serving as a battery loading / unloading portion is formed on an end surface on the other end side of the housing 2, and a battery lid 10 is detachably provided on the loading / unloading portion 9. The battery lid 10 is provided with a lock 11 for attaching the battery lid 10 to the insertion / removal portion 9. A communication port 12 and an external power supply port 13 are provided on one side surface of the upper case 3 of the housing 2.
[0017]
As shown in FIG. 2, the divided surfaces of the upper and lower cases 3 and 4 constituting the casing 2 of the data recording apparatus 1 of this example are within one plane, and therefore a rectangular annular packing between the cases 3 and 4 is used. No. 14 receives uniform pressure and compression and uniformly adheres to the end faces of both cases, thus exhibiting excellent water tightness and drip-proof properties. Thus, the reason why the divided surfaces of the upper and lower cases 3 and 4 can be arranged in one plane is due to the case structure and the arrangement of components in the case 2 described later with reference to FIGS. is there.
[0018]
As shown in FIG. 4 which is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. 1, the thickness of the lower case 4 is smaller than the upper case 3 but is constant. In the plane. A recess 26 for receiving the packing 14 is formed on the circumferential dividing surface (end surface) of the upper case 3. A circumferential packing 14 is sandwiched between the divided surfaces of the upper case 3 and the lower case 4, and a drip-proof structure is formed between the cases 3 and 4. As described above, since the split surfaces of the cases 3 and 4 are in one plane, the sandwiched state of the packing 14 is stable, the drip-proof function is high, and the electronic device in the housing 2 is affected by moisture in the usage environment. It is hard to receive. Since the circumferential packing 14 is connected to the packing 8 that covers the connecting portion 7 via the connecting portion 14a, the packing 8 is not easily lost even when it is removed from the connecting portion 7.
[0019]
As shown in FIG. 4, a support column 15 protrudes from the center of the inner surface of the upper case 3, and a receiving portion 16 is formed on the inner surface of the lower case 4 correspondingly. Further, a support pillar 17 is formed to project from one end of the inner surface of the lower case 4, and a receiving portion 18 is formed on the inner surface of the upper case 3 correspondingly. Further, a hook-like locking piece 19 is provided at one end and the other end of the lower case 4 so as to project toward the upper case 3 side. Correspondingly, a locking recess 27 is provided at one end and the other end of the upper case 3. When the upper case 3 and the lower case 4 are coupled, the locking piece 19 of the lower case 4 engages with the locking recess 27 of the upper case 3. Further, the support column 15 of the upper case 3 is coupled to the receiving portion 16 of the lower case 4, and the support column 19 of the lower case 4 is coupled to the receiving portion 18 of the upper case 3. Here, the upper case 3 and the lower case 4 are fixed to each other by being screwed into the receiving portions 16 and 18 through fixing bolts through the bolt holes provided in the support columns 15 and 17.
[0020]
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a main board 20 is attached in the housing 2. The main board 20 is a substantially rectangular board, and is mounted with an electronic circuit that realizes the function of the data recording apparatus 1 of this example. The main board 20 is inserted into the support pillar 17 of the lower case 4 in the first hole 20a, and is placed on the receiving part 16 in the second hole 20b. When the upper case 3 and the lower case 4 are coupled, the support column 15 of the upper case 3 is inserted through the hole 20b of the main substrate 20 and coupled to the receiving portion 16 of the lower case 4, and the main substrate 20 is received by the support column 15. It is pressed onto the part 16 and fixed. The main board 20 is reliably positioned and fixed by the support pillars 15 and 17 or the receiving part 16 described above in at least two holes 20a and 20b.
[0021]
A key substrate 21 provided with a plurality of keys is attached in the other end portion of the upper case 3 so as to face the other end portion side of the main substrate 20. The key substrate 21 is directly attached to the inner surface of the upper case 3, and is configured to be operated via the key operation unit 6 having a sheet-like operation surface on the surface side of the upper case 3.
[0022]
A terminal substrate 22 is provided in the vicinity of the connecting portion 7 at one end of the housing 2. The terminal board 22 is a board to which a connector to which an external sensor is detachably connected is connected, and is attached to one end of the main board 20 in a direction intersecting with the main board 20 (orthogonal in this example). . Although not shown, the connector is provided through one end of the upper case 3 constituting the connection portion 7.
[0023]
A display unit 5 is attached to the inner surface of one end of the upper case 3 so as to face one end of the main substrate 20. One end of the display unit 5 is fixed at a predetermined position by the support column 17 of the lower case 4 and the receiving unit 18 of the upper case 3, and the other end side is a boss portion 23 provided at a predetermined position of the upper case 3. It is fixed by fixing means such as a set screw. The display unit 5 of this example is a liquid crystal display element. A window portion 25 having translucency is provided in a half portion on one end portion side of the upper case 3, and the display portion 5 can be visually recognized from the surface side of the upper case 3 through the window portion 25. .
[0024]
The battery storage unit of the data recording device 1 of this example does not constitute a part of the casing 2 as a battery storage chamber as described in the prior art, but the casing 2 (both cases 3 and 4) and Uses a completely separate battery box 30. Since the battery box 30 does not require strength unlike the housing 2, the battery box 30 can be configured to be thinner and lighter than the housing 2. The battery box 30 is a circumferential box body that can accommodate four AA batteries and that has both sides along the outer shape of the battery. An electrode 31 is provided on one end side of the battery box 30, and this electrode 31 is connected to the main board 20 in the assembled state of the housing 2. The other end side of the battery box 30 is open, and the battery 32 shown by an imaginary line in FIG.
[0025]
The battery box 30 is separate from the housing 2 but is securely and easily attached and fixed at a predetermined position in the housing 2 with a fixing structure as described below. First, the battery box 30 is disposed inside the other end portion of the housing 2 by effectively using the space between the key board 21 and the main board 20. Here, as shown in FIG. 5, a flat protruding contact portion 33 is formed on the front side of the battery box 30, and the contact portion 33 stably contacts the surface of the key substrate 21. ing. Further, claw portions 34 as locking portions are formed on both circumferential sides of the battery box 30, and the claw portions 34 are attached to hooks 35 as locked portions formed on the inner surface of the upper case 3. The position in the direction of arrow A shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the upper case 3 has a protrusion 36, and the battery box 30 has one end abutted against the protrusion 36 to determine the position from the one end to the other end. ing. In this state, a bar-shaped pressing portion 37 provided so as to protrude from the inner surface of the lower case 4 presses the bottom surface side of the battery box 30.
[0026]
The pressing portion 37 is inserted through a hole 20 c provided in the main substrate 20 and functions as a positioning member for the main substrate 20.
[0027]
As described above, the battery box 30 attached in the housing 2 is in a state in which the opening 30 a coincides with the insertion / removal portion of the housing 2. A battery cover 10 is detachably attached to the insertion / removal portion of the housing 2. As shown in FIG. 6, the battery lid 10 is provided with a contact spring 40 that contacts the battery 32 in the battery box 30, and the contact spring 40, together with the electrode 31 on one end side of the battery box 30, connects the battery 32. It is connected to the main board 20. The battery lid 10 is provided with a lock 11 for fixing the battery lid 10 to a state where the battery lid 10 is attached to the insertion / extraction portion. When the lock 11 is rotated and locked to the housing 2 side, the battery lid 10 is fixed to the housing 2 to close the loading / unloading portion 9 and connect the battery in the battery box 30 to the main board 20.
[0028]
According to the above configuration, in the 4-channel portable data logger that requires a larger main board and a larger display unit than the case of one or two channels, the display unit 5 and keys are arranged in the lower case 4. Provided in the upper case 3 separately from the main board 20, the battery is housed in a battery box 30 separate from the housing 2, and is positioned and attached between the upper and lower cases 3, 4 with a locking structure. Therefore, the space efficiency in the housing 2 is good, and a compact configuration with good usability can be achieved.
[0029]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the display unit and the key substrate are separated from the main substrate of the lower case and provided in the upper case, and the battery is a separate battery box from the case, and this is the case inside the case. Because it is positioned and attached to the space between the key board and the main board with a locking structure, the main board is larger than the case of one or two channels, and the multi-channel portable type that requires a larger display portion Even in the data logger, the space in the housing can be effectively used for component placement, etc., and the space efficiency can be improved, and the overall shape and structure can be simplified to provide a compact configuration that is easy to use. .
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of a portable data recording apparatus of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a right side view showing an embodiment of a portable data recording device of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a front view showing an embodiment of a portable data recording device of the present invention.
4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG.
5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VV in FIG.
6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI in FIG. 4;
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Portable multichannel data recording device, 2 ... Housing, 3 ... Upper case,
4 ... Lower case, 5 ... Display part, 7 ... Connection part, 8 ... Drip-proof packing,
9 ... taking in / out part, 10 ... battery cover, 15 ... supporting pillar, 16 ... receiving part,
20 ... main board, 21 ... key board, 22 ... terminal board, 30 ... battery box,
32 ... abutting part, 34 ... claw part as locking part, 35 ... hook as locked part,
37 ... Presser part.

Claims (6)

In a portable data recording device that records data of multiple channels input from an external sensor,
The split surface consists of an upper case and a lower case that can be split in a single plane. A connection part for connecting the sensor is formed on one end side, and a battery insertion / removal part is formed on the other end side. And a housing
A main board provided in the housing and provided with a control circuit for recording the data;
A key board provided with a plurality of keys attached to the other end of the upper case so as to face the other end of the main board and operated from the front side of the upper case;
A terminal board attached to one end of the main board in a direction intersecting with the main board so as to be close to the connection part, and the sensor is detachably connected;
Locked to the upper case in contact with the key substrate inside the other end of the casing, pressed by a pressing portion provided on the inner surface of the lower case, and fixed in the casing, A battery box with an opening facing the entry / exit,
A battery lid detachably provided in the loading / unloading section;
A portable data recording device comprising: 2. The portable data recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the connection portion of the casing is covered with a detachable drip-proof packing. The portable data recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the battery box is in contact with the back surface of the key substrate through a plurality of contact portions having a flat contact surface provided on the front surface side. The portable data recording device according to claim 1, further comprising: a display unit that is attached to one end portion of the upper case so as to face one end portion side of the main board and is visible from the front side of the upper case. A support column protrudes from the inner surface of the upper case, a receiving portion is formed on the other inner surface of the lower case, and the upper case and the lower case are integrated by engaging the support column with the receiving portion. The portable data recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the main board is fixed between a front end portion of the support pillar and the receiving portion. 2. The portable data recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressing part is inserted through a hole formed in the main substrate to hold the battery box.

Images