JP2021179855A - Programmable controller - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a programmable controller that eliminates the need to rotate a module when the module is attached, and facilitates an operation of attaching the module.SOLUTION: A programmable controller 1 includes: a CPU module 2; a case member 10 housing the CPU module 2; and an I/O module 3 attachable to/detachable from the case member 10. The case member 10 has: a guide portion 114 formed along an attaching/detaching direction of the I/O module 3; and a locking portion 123. The I/O module 3 has: a printed circuit board 31 guided by the guide portion 114; a cover member 4 covering an opening 120 of the case member 10; and a fixing member 5 fixing the cover member 4 to the case member 10. The fixing member 5 is pushed into the case member 10 side along the attaching/detaching direction of the I/O module 3, and a to-be-locked portion 53 is consequently locked to the locking portion 123 of the case member 10, thereby fixing the lid member 4 to the case member 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a programmable controller.

Conventionally, a programmable controller that controls various equipment such as a machine tool includes a CPU module that executes a sequence program in which the operation order of the equipment to be controlled and various interlocks are described, and various I / O modules. Consists of a combination. The I / O module includes an input module such as a proximity switch and a limit switch that inputs a plurality of input signals, an output module that outputs a plurality of output signals for operating an actuator and lighting an indicator lamp, and an input module. There are input / output modules that have both the functions of and the functions of the output module.

The programmable controller described in Patent Document 1 is configured such that a module can be attached to and detached from a mount base. A plurality of bus connectors are arranged on the mount base, and when the module is mounted on the mount base, the connector on the module side is fitted to the bus connector. When mounting the module on the mount base, the support pin provided at the upper end of the module is engaged with the hook portion of the mount base, and the module is rotated around the support pin. Then, the module is fixed to the mount base by screwing the mounting screw provided at the lower end of the module into the boss portion provided on the mount base.

In the programmable controller of Patent Document 2, a plurality of PLC units (CPU unit, input unit, output unit, etc.) can be attached to and detached from the base unit. A connector is arranged in each of the base unit and the PLC unit. The base unit is provided with a locking hole at the lower part of the portion where the PLC unit is mounted, and a fitting claw is provided at the upper part of the portion where the PLC unit is mounted. On the other hand, the PLC unit has a protrusion formed on the lower surface thereof to be inserted into the locking hole of the base unit. Further, a fitting claw that fits into the fitting claw of the base unit is formed on the upper portion of the PLC unit. When mounting the PLC unit on the base unit, after inserting the protrusion of the PLC unit into the locking hole of the base unit, the PLC unit is rotated around this protrusion, and the fitting claw of the PLC unit is used as the base unit. It is fitted to the fitting claw and the connector of the PLC unit is fitted to the connector of the base unit.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-3142 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-256125

The programmable controller configured as described above requires a space in the peripheral portion for rotating the module when mounting the module (also referred to as a unit). However, a large number of various control devices, wiring ducts, and the like are arranged inside the control panel in which the programmable controller is housed, and it may be difficult to secure this space. Further, for example, if the module is screwed at the upper end and the lower end, it may be possible to fix the module without rotating it, but in this case, it takes time and effort to fix the module. In particular, when fixing a plurality of modules, the work load on the operator becomes large.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a programmable controller that does not need to rotate the module when the module is mounted and can easily perform the work of mounting the module.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises a back board on which a board-side connector is mounted, a case member to which the back-side board is attached, and a module having a module-side connector that fits into the board-side connector. The module is a programmable controller that can be attached to and detached from the back board and the case member, and the case member has a guide portion formed along the attachment / detachment direction of the module and is in the attachment / detachment direction. The module has an opening at an end opposite to the back board side, and the module has a substrate guided by the guide portion and at least a part of the opening of the case member when mounted on the case member. The module-side connector is fitted to the board-side connector by having a lid member for covering the lid member and a fixing member for fixing the lid member to the case member, and mounting the substrate together with the lid member on the case member. The fixing member is pushed toward the case member along the attachment / detachment direction of the module in a state where the module-side connector is fitted to the board-side connector, thereby fixing the lid member to the case member. , Provides a programmable controller.

According to the programmable controller according to the present invention, it is not necessary to rotate the module when the module is mounted, and the work of mounting the module can be easily performed.

(A) is a front view of the programmable controller, (b) is a side view of the programmable controller, and (c) is a front view of the programmable controller with the I / O module removed. It is a perspective view which shows the state at the time of attaching and detaching an I / O module. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which the printed circuit board of an I / O module is housed in a case member. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which the fixing member was pushed toward the case member side. It is an external view which shows a part of a case cover and a lid member by removing a fixing member. It is an external view which shows the back surface of a fixing member. (A) to (c) are explanatory views showing the movement of the fixing member when the lid member is fixed to the case member by the fixing member.

[Embodiment]
Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. It should be noted that the embodiments described below are shown as suitable specific examples for carrying out the present invention, and there are some parts that specifically exemplify various technically preferable technical matters. , The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to this specific aspect.

1 and 2 show a programmable controller 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Here, the case where the programmable controller 1 has the minimum configuration including the CPU module 2 and one I / O module 3 will be described, but other modules can be further combined. In the following description, for convenience, the vertical directions of the drawings of FIGS. 1 and 2 may be referred to as "upper" and "lower", but the "upper" and "lower" are not necessarily attached to the control panel or the like by the programmable controller 1. It does not mean up and down in the vertical direction in the raised state.

1 (a) is a front view of the programmable controller 1, and FIG. 1 (b) is a side view of the programmable controller 1. FIG. 1C is a front view of the programmable controller 1 with the I / O module 3 removed. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the programmable controller 1 when the I / O module 3 is attached / detached.

The programmable controller 1 is attached to and detached from the case member 10 including the case body 11 and the case cover 12, the back board 13 attached to the case body 11, the CPU module 2 housed in the case member 10, and the case member 10. It has a possible I / O module 3. The I / O module 3 is housed in a storage space 100 provided in the case member 10 adjacent to the CPU module 2.

In the CPU module 2, a power connector 21, LAN cable connectors 22, 23, a coaxial cable connector 24, and a card connector 25 to which a memory card is mounted are mounted on a board (not shown). Further, the CPU module 2 has light emitting elements 261 to 265 indicating an operating state, and these light emitting elements 261 to 265 are visible from the front surface of the case cover 12.

The case body 11 and the case cover 12 are made of resin. The case cover 12 is formed with a window portion 121 at a portion corresponding to the power supply connector 21, the LAN cable connectors 22, 23, the card connector 25, and the light emitting elements 261 to 265, respectively. The coaxial cable connector 24 is arranged so as to project upward from the window portion 111 of the case body 11. Further, the case body 11 and the case cover 12 are formed with a large number of ventilation holes 112 and 122 for ensuring ventilation and releasing heat generated inside the case member 10. An opening 120 into which the I / O module 3 is introduced is formed on the front surface of the case cover 12.

The CPU module 2 can communicate with a personal computer by, for example, a LAN cable connected to the LAN cable connector 22, and controls the equipment to be controlled by executing a sequence program transmitted from the personal computer. The CPU module 2 can communicate with the I / O module 3 by the rear board 13.

The rear board 13 has a printed circuit board 131 on which a wiring pattern (not shown) is formed, and a board-side connector 132 for connecting to the I / O module 3 and an additional module are connected to the printed circuit board 131. The optional module connector 133 for this is installed. A window portion 113 for receiving the connector of the module to be added is formed on the side surface of the case body 11.

The I / O module 3 has a printed circuit board 31, a plurality of electronic components 32 mounted on the printed circuit board 31, a module-side connector 33 fitted to the board-side connector 132, and input signals and output signals of the equipment to be controlled. An input / output connector 34 for input / output, a lid member 4 that covers the opening 120 of the case cover 12, a pair of fixing members 5 that fix the lid member 4 to the case cover 12, and a printed circuit board 31 for the lid member 4. It has a support member 6 for supporting the above. The printed circuit board 31 is a solid substrate in which a wiring pattern is formed on the surface of a plate-shaped substrate made of a dielectric such as glass epoxy. The lid member 4, the fixing member 5, and the support member 6 are made of, for example, injection-molded resin.

A guide portion 114 for guiding the printed circuit board 31 of the I / O module 3 is formed on the case body 11 along the attachment / detachment direction of the I / O module 3. The opening 120 of the case cover 12 is provided at the end of the I / O module 3 on the opposite side of the back board 13 in the attachment / detachment direction. In the present embodiment, the entire opening 120 is covered with the lid member 4, but for example, when the opening width of the opening 120 is increased so that a plurality of modules can be mounted on the case member 10, the opening 120 A part is covered with the lid member 4. That is, the lid member 4 may be configured to cover at least a part of the opening 120 when the I / O module 3 is mounted on the case member 10.

The guide portion 114 is provided at the upper end portion and the lower end portion of the accommodation space 100 that accommodates the I / O module 3. Each guide portion 114 is composed of a pair of protrusions 114a and 114b extending in the attachment / detachment direction of the I / O module 3. The printed circuit board 31 has an end portion in the vertical direction sandwiched between the pair of protrusions 114a and 114b, and is guided in the attachment / detachment direction of the I / O module 3.

The electronic component 32 is, for example, various ICs, capacitors, resistors, or the like. The module-side connector 33 fits into the board-side connector 132 by mounting the printed circuit board 31 on the case member 10 together with the lid member 4. By fitting the module-side connector 33 to the board-side connector 132, power is supplied to the I / O module 3 and signals can be transmitted and received between the CPU module 2 and the I / O module 3. The input / output connector 34 has a plurality of terminals 342 attached to a resin housing 341.

Multiple input terminals to which input signal lines for transmitting signals such as proximity switches and limit switches of the controlled equipment are connected to the plurality of terminals 342, and signals to output targets such as actuators and indicator lamps of the controlled equipment. Includes multiple output terminals to which the output signal lines to be transmitted are connected, multiple power terminals to which power lines for signal output from multiple output terminals are connected, and multiple ground terminals that are electrically grounded. .. Further, the I / O module 3 has a plurality of input signal lamps 301 indicating signal input states to the plurality of input terminals, and a plurality of output signal lamps 302 indicating signal output states from the output terminals. The lighting state of the input signal lamp 301 and the output signal lamp 302 can be visually recognized from the outside of the lid member 4.

The pair of fixing members 5 are arranged at both ends in the vertical direction of the lid member 4, and can slide with respect to the lid member 4 along the attachment / detachment direction of the I / O module 3. Each fixing member 5 covers the lid member 4 by being pushed toward the case member 10 side along the attachment / detachment direction of the I / O module 3 in a state where the module side connector 33 is fitted to the board side connector 132. It is fixed to 12.

These fixing members 5 are sufficient against the weight of a plurality of input signal lines and output signal lines connected to the input / output connector 34 and the load when the input signal line or the output signal line is pulled out from the input / output connector 34. It is required to fix the lid member 4 to the case member 10 with sufficient strength. Next, the fixing structure of the lid member 4 by the fixing member 5 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 7.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the printed circuit board 31 of the I / O module 3 is housed in the case member 10 together with the lid member 4, and the module-side connector 33 is fitted to the board-side connector 132. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the fixing member 5 is pushed toward the case main body 11. FIG. 5 is an external view showing a part of the case cover 12 and the lid member 4 with the fixing member 5 removed. FIG. 6 is an external view showing the back surface of the fixing member 5. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the movement of the fixing member 5 when the lid member 4 is fixed to the case member 10 by the fixing member 5.

The fixing member 5 includes a pair of guided portions 51 guided to the lid member 4 along the attachment / detachment direction of the I / O module 3, and a flat plate-shaped plate portion 52 provided between the pair of guided portions 51. , A pair of locked portions 53 protruding from the end of the plate portion 52 in the direction perpendicular to the attachment / detachment direction and the vertical direction of the I / O module 3, and the lid member 4 in contact with the lid member 4. The wall portion 54 that restricts the movement of the case cover 12 in a direction away from the case cover 12, the release operation portion 55 for releasing the locked state of the locked portion 53, and the fixing member 5 are separated from the lid member 4. It is integrally provided with a retaining protrusion 56 that prevents it from being damaged.

Hereinafter, the case member 10 side of the fixing member 5 in the attachment / detachment direction of the I / O module 3 is referred to as a back side, and the opposite side thereof is referred to as a front side. Further, the direction perpendicular to the attachment / detachment direction and the vertical direction of the I / O module 3 is referred to as a width direction. The plate portion 52 has a rectangular shape when viewed from the vertical direction, and a plurality of ridge portions 521 extending in the width direction are provided on the outer surface 52a (the surface opposite to the lid member 4 side). .. The retaining protrusion 56 is provided so as to project from the central portion of the inner side surface 52b facing the lid member 4 toward the lid member 4.

The pair of guided portions 51 are provided at both ends of the plate portion 52 in the width direction. In the present embodiment, each guided portion 51 has a rectangular flat plate shape in which the attachment / detachment direction of the I / O module 3 is the longitudinal direction. The pair of locked portions 53 project from the inner end of the plate portion 52 in the opposite directions along the width direction. The wall portion 54 projects from the front end portion of the plate portion 52 toward the inner side surface 52b side. The release operation portion 55 projects from the inner end portion of the plate portion 52 toward the outer surface 52a side.

The case cover 12 has a plurality of locking portions 123 that each lock the locked portions 53 of the fixing member 5. In the present embodiment, four locking portions 123 are provided on the case cover 12 corresponding to each pair of locked portions 53 of the pair of fixing members 5. The case cover 12 has an upper plate portion 124 and a lower plate portion 125 (see FIG. 1 (c)) that vertically sandwich the printed circuit board 31 of the I / O module 3, and is out of four locking portions 123. Two locking portions 123 are provided at the tip of the upper plate portion 124 on the lid member 4 side, and the other two locking portions 123 are provided at the tip portion of the lower plate portion 125 on the lid member 4 side.

As shown in FIG. 7, the locking portion 123 has an inclined surface 123a inclined with respect to the attachment / detachment direction of the I / O module 3 and an end surface opposite to the inclined surface 123a in the attachment / detachment direction of the I / O module 3. It has a certain regulatory surface 123b. The inclined surface 123a abuts on the locked portion 53 when the fixing member 5 is pushed toward the case member 10, and elastically deforms the fixing member 5 so that the locked portion 53 is separated from the lid member 4 in the vertical direction. Let me. The regulation surface 123b is a plane perpendicular to the attachment / detachment direction of the I / O module 3, and restricts the movement of the fixing member 5 in the direction away from the case member 10 by abutting on the locked portion 53. The locked state in which the locked portion 53 is locked to the locking portion 123 is released by the operator operating the releasing operation portion 55 in the direction of separating it from the lid member 4 and elastically deforming the fixing member 5. Will be done.

The lid member 4 has a guide portion 41 that guides the guided portion 51 of the fixing member 5 along the attachment / detachment direction of the I / O module 3. The lid member 4 is provided with four guide portions 41 corresponding to each pair of guided portions 51 of the pair of fixing members 5. In the present embodiment, each guide portion 41 is formed as a groove extending in the attachment / detachment direction of the I / O module 3 and opening in the width direction, and the guided portion 51 is housed in this groove.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the lid member 4 has a recess 42 for accommodating the retaining protrusion 56 of the fixing member 5, and a contact portion 43 with which the retaining protrusion 56 abuts. The contact portion 43 is provided at an end portion of the recess 42 opposite to the case member 10. The recess 42 extends along the attachment / detachment direction of the I / O module 3, and the fixing member 5 moves in a direction away from the case member 10 when the retaining protrusion 56 abuts on the contact portion 43. Be regulated.

FIG. 7 shows the movement when the fixing member 5 is pushed toward the case member 10 with respect to the lid member 4, together with a cross section of a part of the case cover 12 including the locking portion 123, and FIG. 7A is a diagram. The state shown in 3 and (c) represent the state shown in FIG. 4, respectively. (B) represents a state in the middle of transition from the state shown in FIG. 3 to the state shown in FIG.

When mounting the I / O module 3 on the case member 10, the operator arranges the upper end portion and the lower end portion of the printed circuit board 31 between the pair of protrusions 114a and 114b in the guide portion 114, and the lid member 4 is placed on the case member 10. It is pressed against the 10 side to fit the module side connector 33 to the board side connector 132. The movement of the printed circuit board 31 at this time becomes a dead end because the module-side connector 33 fits into the board-side connector 132. In other words, at the final stage of the work process of pressing the lid member 4 against the case member 10, all the pressing force by the operator acts to fit the module-side connector 33 to the board-side connector 132. As a result, both connectors 33 and 132 can be reliably fitted.

When the module-side connector 33 is fitted to the board-side connector 132, the locked portion 53 of the fixing member 5 faces the inclined surface 123a of the locking portion 123, as shown in FIG. 7A. When the fixing member 5 is pushed toward the case member 10 from this state, the fixing member 5 abuts on the inclined surface 123a of the locking portion 123 and is elastically deformed, and as shown in FIG. 7B, the locked portion is locked. 53 gets over the locking portion 123. Then, as shown in FIG. 7C, the locked portion 53 faces the regulation surface 123b of the locking portion 123 and is locked to the locking portion 123. As a result, the lid member 4 is fixed to the case member 10 by the fixing member 5.

(Effect of embodiment)
According to the embodiment described above, when the I / O module 3 is mounted, it is not necessary to rotate the I / O module 3 with respect to the case member 10, and the I / O module 3 can be rotated. It is not necessary to secure space above and below the case member 10. Therefore, for example, the programmable controller 1 can be arranged in a narrow space inside the control panel, which can contribute to the miniaturization of the control panel.

(Additional note)
Although the present invention has been described above based on the embodiments, the embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. It should also be noted that not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the means for solving the problems of the invention.

Further, the present invention can be appropriately modified and implemented by omitting a part of the configuration or adding or replacing the configuration within a range not deviating from the gist thereof.

1 ... Programmable controller 10 ... Case member 114 ... Guide part 120 ... Opening 123 ... Locking part 13 ... Back board 132 ... Board side connector 3 ... I / O module (module)
33 ... Module side connector 4 ... Cover member 5 ... Fixing member 51 ... Guided part 52 ... Plate part 53 ... Locked part 55 ... Release operation part

Claims (5)

It includes a back board on which a board-side connector is mounted, a case member to which the back board is attached, and a module having a module-side connector that fits into the board-side connector, and the module is the back board and the case member. It is a programmable controller that can be attached and detached.
The case member has a guide portion formed along the attachment / detachment direction of the module, and has an opening at an end portion opposite to the back board side in the attachment / detachment direction.
The module has a substrate guided by the guide portion, a lid member that covers at least a part of the opening of the case member when mounted on the case member, and a fixing that fixes the lid member to the case member. Has a member and
By mounting the board together with the lid member on the case member, the module-side connector is fitted to the board-side connector.
The fixing member fixes the lid member to the case member by being pushed toward the case member side along the attachment / detachment direction of the module in a state where the module-side connector is fitted to the board-side connector.
Programmable controller. The case member has a locking portion for locking the fixing member.
The fixing member has a locked portion that is locked to the locking portion.
When the fixing member is pushed toward the case member side, the fixing member is elastically deformed, and the elastic deformation causes the locked portion to get over the locking portion and be locked to the locking portion.
The programmable controller according to claim 1. The locking portion has an inclined surface inclined with respect to the attachment / detachment direction.
When the locked portion comes into contact with the inclined surface, the fixing member is elastically deformed so that the locked portion gets over the locked portion.
The programmable controller according to claim 2. The fixing member has a pair of guided portions guided by the lid member along the attachment / detachment direction, and a plate portion provided between the pair of guided portions.
The pair of locked portions are provided so as to project from the end portions of the plate portions in a direction perpendicular to the attachment / detachment direction.
The programmable controller according to claim 2 or 3. The locking portion has a regulation surface that regulates the movement of the fixing member in a direction away from the case member by abutting on the locked portion, and an end surface opposite to the inclined surface in the attachment / detachment direction. Have in
The fixing member has a release operation portion for elastically deforming the plate portion to release the movement restriction of the locked portion by the regulation surface.
The programmable controller according to claim 4.

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