WO2000008902A1

WO2000008902A1 - Front panel for an electronic instrument

Info

Publication number: WO2000008902A1
Application number: PCT/IB1999/001368
Authority: WO
Inventors: Frank Monaco
Original assignee: Invensys Climate Controls Spa
Priority date: 1998-08-07
Filing date: 1999-08-02
Publication date: 2000-02-17
Also published as: ITUD980147A1; AU4795399A

Abstract

Front module for electronic instruments of measurement, refrigeration, conditioning and regulation, the front piece comprising display means and setting and command means, the front piece comprising a support consisting of a printed circuit, or card, of extremely compact size, on one face of which is assembled at least the intelligent unit, or microprocessor, and the logical components of the instrument suitable for the functioning and control at least of the display unit and the setting and command means.

Description

FRONT PANEL FOR AN ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENT

* * * * *

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention concerns a front piece for electronic instruments of measurement, refrigeration, conditioning and regulation as set forth in the main claim.

The invention is applied in the field of production of electronic instruments suitable for use as regulators and/or measurers in general, and particularly in the field of refrigeration, and the regulation and conditioning of temperature, pressure and/or humidity.

Said instruments are generally panel mounted in holes or apertures of a standardised size arranged for this purpose on the walls of the appliances on which they are assembled, such as display stands, refrigerated cabinets, conditioners, etc.

Such instruments essentially comprise a front part equipped with a display unit and setting and command means, means to interface and connect with the outside and a box- type container housing the components needed to make the instrument work.

The front module according to the invention offers an economical, rational and versatile solution to those problems relating to the production of a range of instruments which are different in size and performance, extremely compact and suitable to carry out functions which can be personalised and modified according to the specific requirements of the user or the producer. BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

The state of the art includes electronic instruments of the type employed to measure and condition the parameters of a room, for example the temperature and humidity, or of a cooling unit, a heating system or similar.

These instruments are usually applied on a panel, in a suitable hole or aperture of a generally standardised size, leaving visible the front face of the front part in which the interface means with the user are available; the interface means consist, for example, of a display unit and the setting and command organs, for example buttons, levers or similar.

The containing body is positioned inside the hole or aperture; the box-type body contains some of the components, electronic and otherwise, needed to make the instrument work, to feed it, to connect it to the external organs which it manages and commands, and possibly to interface with data acquisition means and remote control means. Instruments known to the art are usually diversified according to the type of application and the services they have to supply, within a range which goes from the simplest instrument, which performs only minimum or basic functions, to the most complex and evolved instrument, suitable to provide a plurality of services and functions, and possibly suitable to interface with outside instruments of data acquisition and remote control .

Traditional instruments of this type usually consist of the following main components: - a first printed circuit made on a card placed orthogonal to the front piece, which supports the intelligent part of the instrument, that is, the microprocessor, and the components suitable to perform the logical processing operations and possible operations to transform the signal; - a second printed circuit, arranged parallel to the front piece and/or applied thereto, which supports the display components, for example a display with leds or other type; - a possible third printed circuit, also arranged orthogonal to the front piece and adjacent /parallel to the first printed circuit, on which the feed and power components of the instrument are arranged, for example consisting of relays to command the external organs . There are many disadvantages to traditional instruments of this type: first of all, their relatively low level of integration which entails relatively large sizes which are often inadequate and over-sized for particular applications. It should be considered that the size limit defined by the size of the seating accommodating the instruments is extremely restrictive, and obliges producers to make considerable efforts in the design stage to be able to assemble instruments which on the one hand have to perform increasingly complex and diverse functions, and on the other hand have to be smaller and smaller in size.

A second disadvantage is the absence of flexibility and modularity of the instruments known to the state of the art.

In fact, they are often equipped in their various versions with a microprocessor of a single type which is generally oversized with respect to the functions which the simplest versions of the range have to perform, consequently with high costs even for these simplest versions.

Since in the state of the art the display part, the setting and command part, and the "intelligent" part, that is to say, the microprocessor, generally constitute distinct entities arranged on different supports, it is impossible for the front part of the instrument to constitute a replaceable and interchangeable base module suitable to diversify the categories of instruments and to be shared by a plurality of instruments of different type and with different performances.

Moreover, in conventional instruments the microprocessor unit is not "open towards the outside environment", that is, it is not generally able to communicate with other, outside intelligent entities or even ones assembled on the same instrument .

Therefore, as a general rule, the state of the art does not allow to produce a range of instruments constituting a family, wherein each version of the family is specifically designed according to the functions which it has to perform, for example, low cost and small bulk for the lowest band of the range, and with the possibility of interfacing with other entities in order to increase, at low cost, the range of functions they can achieve and their operating flexibility.

GB-A-2126016 describes an electric control unit for central heating systems, comprising a front mask on which there is a liquid crystal display unit electrically connected to connectors made on a printed circuit arranged behind the mask.

The control unit shown in GB'016 is not disposed to constitute an interchangeable base module, substantially finished in itself to achieve a diversified range of instruments; nor does it have incorporated the intelligent unit which manages the functioning thereof and which connects with the outside environment to interface with other components of the same instrument or other instruments.

Moreover, the control unit shown in GB'016 does not have to satisfy requirements of dimensional constraints, either from the point of view of the limited space or of the standardisation of the sizes of the seatings, such as those required for instruments of measurement, regulation and refrigeration .

Therefore, this unit does not have to satisfy the need to obtain, in extremely limited spaces, an extreme variability and flexibility of functioning intended to achieve instruments disposed to carry out all the functions required of a display element such as a front piece for instruments of measurement and regulation. The present Applicant has designed and embodied this invention to overcome these shortcomings and obtain other advantages as shown hereafter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is set forth and characterised in the main claim; the dependent claims describe other characteristics of the main embodiment .

The purpose of the invention is to provide a front module for measuring, regulating, refrigeration and conditioning instruments, suitable to allow a great reduction in production costs and in the overall bulk.

Another purpose is to provide a front piece suitable to constitute a base module complete in itself with all the parts necessary to fulfil its specific function, and also replaceable and interchangeable for a wide range of instruments which are different in size, capacity and performance .

A further purpose is to provide a front piece for measuring and regulating instruments which will allow interfacing with modular entities, intelligent or not, assembled on the same instrument or outside, in such a manner as to increase the flexibility and versatility of the instrument at low cost.

According to the invention, the front piece of the instrument substantially constitutes a finished instrument in itself, defining a base module which integrates substantially all the workings connected with the function of user-interface (for example display unit, command and setting means, etc.) and the smart core of the instrument itself (for example the microprocessor unit to manage the function of user-interface, to manage the local inlets and outlets, etc. ) .

The front piece according to the invention also integrates at least some of the components needed for the microprocessor unit to function and most of the logical components needed to process and transform the signals.

The front piece according to the invention is substantially a complete instrument which, together with its feed means and its containment, assembly and protection elements, can be identified as the smallest in a range, but which is able to fulfil autonomous operating functions at least sufficient for a determined and defined type of apparatus . At the same time, the front piece defines the base module for the entire range of instruments which share the front piece as a common, unified element.

It is possible to obtain the front piece as a finished instrument in itself because the components are highly compact and integrated, and thanks to a rational, reciprocal arrangement which makes possible to accommodate, in a very small space and with very little bulk, all the elements needed to ensure the functionality and operativity of the front piece. The front piece according to the invention comprises a support consisting of a printed circuit, or card, compact in size, which supports components on at least one face, advantageously on both faces, so as to exploit the available space to the maximum. According to the invention, the printed circuit, at least for some of the components, is achieved and/or associated with high integration technologies, such as DIE (for example for the microprocessor and/or the leds) , multi-layer technology or similar, which make possible to achieve on the front piece the majority of the functions which are generally performed, in the state of the art, by at least two different printed circuits. The microprocessor assembled on the display card which functions as a support is of the type which is "open towards the outside", that is to say, suitable to interface with other entities, either assembled on the instrument or outside it, in order to achieve specific functions such as remote communication, control, data unload, remote setting of parameters, etc.

According to a variant, the microprocessor is suitable to interface with other intelligent units, which may even be implemented at a later time, in order to increase the capacity and functions of the instrument to which the front piece is applied.

The front piece with its relative microprocessor can be standardised according to classes of functions, assembling simple, low cost and low bulk microprocessors on instruments of the lowest band of the range, and higher capacity microprocessors for the highest bands of the range.

This variation in the functions can be achieved simply by replacing the front piece, meaning the base module, and by quickly re-configuring the components associated with the said module.

In this way, the costs of producing a range of instruments are considerably reduced inasmuch as the microprocessor is never oversized with respect to the functions it has to perform. The front piece, in a preferential embodiment of the invention, is associated with a card for feed and for outside connection, particularly in the versions in the lower band of the range . In a preferential embodiment of the invention, the feed card is located parallel to the front module in the inner space defined by the container in which the front piece itself is housed. According to a variant, the feed card is placed orthogonal to the front module in the container.

According to another variant, the feed card also supports devices to command organs outside the instrument. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other advantages and characteristics of the invention will become clear from the description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, with reference to the attached Figures wherein:

Fig. 1 is a three-dimensional view of one form of embodiment of a measuring and/or regulating instrument using a front module according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a view from above of the front piece according to the invention integrated into a relative instrument; Fig. 3 shows the front face of the front module according to the invention comprising display, setting and command elements and the intelligent unit assembled on the front piece; Fig. 4 shows the rear face of the front module according to the invention also provided with components. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

An instrument 10 of measurement and regulation, shown as an example in Fig. 1, comprises a container generally made of plastic material and consisting in this case of two parts, respectively the front part 11 and the rear part 12. The container functions as a housing seating for a front module 13 and, in this case, for a card 24 comprising feed elements and connections with the outside, for example with the organs controlled by the instrument 10, temperature probes , etc .

The front module 13 substantially consists of a support, normally a printed circuit or card 21; on at least one face of this a significant number of the components necessary for the functioning and control of the instrument 10 are assembled, and also all the components for the display and setting function of the instrument 10.

The feed card 24 is arranged, in this case, substantially parallel to the card 21 and in a position close to it, defining an extremely compact configuration with a very limited bulk.

The front part 11 of the container comprises a protective and containing front mask 17, defining the visor 14; the outside keys 16 are made on the mask 17 and are actuated on the front module 13 behind them, in correspondence with the corresponding areas 26, to command, to set parameters and to select the functions and the values to be displayed.

The front part 11 and the rear part 12 also comprise respective lateral containing walls 18 defining the inner space 15 to house the front module 13 and the feed card 24.

Inside the inner space 15 there is also a diffuser 19, which constitutes an integrated part of the front module 13 , and is attached in front thereof; it is suitable to convey the light produced by the leds distributed on the printed circuit 21 to the rear.

This configuration, with the leds arranged on the printed circuit 21 and the diffuser 19 applied directly above the circuit 21, allows to achieve a numerical display 20 in an extremely compact manner, allowing to display through the visor 14 the parameters which regulate the functioning of the instrument 10 itself.

The card, or printed circuit, 21 acts also as a support on its front side for the microprocessor, indicated by a line of dashes with the number 22 since it is hidden by the diffuser 19; the card 21 also supports the majority of the logical components employed to process and transform the various signals sent and received while the instrument 10 is functioning.

The logical components for processing and transforming the signals are generally speaking already known in the state of the art, and therefore are not described or shown here in any great detail . Advantageously, to reduce as much as possible the space occupied and to optimise the integration of the components, these components are provided on both sides of the card 21.

The microprocessor 22 and the components mentioned above are connected, by means of paths which are not shown here, both to each other and also to bump contacts 25 which allow the connection and communication, for example by means of suitable communication protocols, of the front module 13 with other entities assembled on the same instrument 10 or outside the instrument. It is therefore possible to make the microprocessor 22 communicate with other intelligent entities in order to increase the functions and services obtainable, or with control systems and remote data exchange systems, if for example the instrument 10 is inserted in a series of similar instruments 10, for example in an environment of master/slave management.

Fig. 4 shows the rear of the front module 13, provided with components assembled on the card 21.

The functioning of these components is managed by the microprocessor 22 by means of communication from one side of the card 21 to the other through the bump contacts 25.

These components can be personalised and replaced according to the individual requirements of the producer and - li ¬

the user .

The front module 13 is of the type which can be replaced so that it is possible to assemble the type of microprocessor 22, and the relative associated components, according to the capacities and the functions required from the specific instrument 10.

Claims

1 - Front module for electronic instruments of measurement, refrigeration, conditioning and regulation, the front piece comprising display means and setting and command means, characterised in that it comprises a support consisting of a printed circuit, or card, (21) of extremely compact size, on which is assembled at least the intelligent unit, or microprocessor (22), and the logical components of the instrument (10) suitable for the functioning and control of the display unit (20) and the setting and command means (26) .

2 - Front module as in Claim 1, characterised in that the display unit comprises at least an element to diffuse the light (19) attached at the front part of the printed circuit (21) .

3 - Front module as in Claim 1 or 2 , characterised in that the printed circuit or card (21) supports logical components on its rear side to process and transform the signals.

4 - Front module as in any claim hereinbefore, characterised in that the microprocessor (22) and the logical components are assembled on the printed circuit or card (21) with high integration technology, such as the DIE technology or multilayer technology.

5 - Front module as in any claim hereinbefore, characterised in that at least some of the outlets (23) of the microprocessor (22) are associated or may be associated with one or more interfaces to communicate with components inside and/or outside the instrument (10) to control and/or exchange data . 6 - Front module as in Claim 1, characterised in that the light diffuser element (19) is arranged on the front part in co-operation with leds assembled on the printed circuit or card (21), the leds being configured in such a manner as to form a numerical display (20) .

7 - Front module as in Claim 6, characterised in that the numerical display (20) is suitable to co-operate with a visor element (14), arranged at the front part of and outside the instrument (10) to display the parameters which regulate the functioning of the instrument (10) .

8 - Front module as in any claim hereinbefore, characterised in that it is suitable to constitute a module substantially finished in itself, suitable to integrate all the functions concerning user-interface and suitable to be replaced by identical modules with capacities and/or services which are different according to the type of instrument (10) .

9 - Front module as in any claim hereinbefore, characterised in that it is suitable to be associated with at least a card (24) to feed the instrument (10) and interface with the outside environment by means of connectors .

10 - Front module as in Claim 9, characterised in that the feed card (24) is suitable to be housed in the same container which contains the front module (13).