Control panel

Abstract

To provide a control panel capable of further suppressing introduction costs for controlling the operation of each electric apparatus in cooperation with other electric apparatuses.SOLUTION: The control panel 1 enables interlock control for controlling a plurality of shutter devices 40 in, for example, the factory 2 and the warehouse 3. In the factory 2, the warehouse 3, and the like, the number of shutter devices 40 actually installed and the contents of the interlock control are different between the factory 2, the warehouse 3, and the like. Therefore, the control panel 1 can be set according to the number of shutter devices 40 and the content of the interlock control. By enabling such setting, high versatility of the control panel 1 is realized. Therefore, the control panel 1 can be widely applied to the factory 2, the warehouse 3, and the like, and can be widely sold.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a control panel. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in a factory, it may be necessary to prevent outside air from entering the manufacturing space where products are manufactured. To prevent this inflow of outside air, shutter devices, which are electrical devices installed at each entrance and exit, may be targeted, and the operation of one shutter device may be controlled depending on the state of the other shutter devices. A typical example of this control is interlock control, which limits the number of shutter devices that can have their opening and closing mechanisms in an open state, i.e., a state in which outside air can enter. When this interlock control is adopted, the inflow of outside air by opening the shutter device's opening and closing mechanism is prevented. By preventing the inflow of outside air, temperature changes within the manufacturing space and the inflow of insects, dust, etc. are also prevented. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-54411 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Interlock control for multiple shutter devices can be achieved by equipping the shutter devices with the necessary functionality and transmitting and receiving signals between the multiple shutter devices equipped with that functionality (see, for example, Patent Document 1). However, when using such shutter devices, the greater the number of shutter devices that are the subject of interlock control, the more complicated the wiring for transmitting and receiving signals between each shutter device becomes. For this reason, a control panel compatible with interlock control is provided, and the operation of each shutter device is controlled by the control panel. With interlock control using a control panel, signals only need to be transmitted and received between each shutter device and the control panel, so the wiring is simpler than when signals can be transmitted and received between each shutter device.

[0005] The number of shutter devices subject to interlock control and the control content of those devices, i.e., the interlock control specifications, usually differ from factory to factory. For this reason, control panels have traditionally been individually manufactured and installed according to the interlock control specifications.

[0006] However, creating a control panel requires tedious work. The created control panel must be checked to see if it operates properly, and if it is found not to operate properly, the cause must be identified and work must be done to eliminate it. For this reason, interlock control using a control panel requires a large burden to create the control panel, which is a factor that increases the cost of introducing interlock control. This also applies to electrical equipment other than the shutter device, such as a door, window, or gate, when the operation of each electrical equipment is controlled in conjunction with other electrical equipment.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a control panel that can further reduce the introduction cost for controlling the operation of each electrical device in cooperation with other electrical devices. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A control panel according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes an information input means for inputting status information representing the status of each of a plurality of electrical devices to be controlled, and a signal generation means that can be set according to the content of the coordination between the plurality of electrical devices, and that uses the status information input for each electrical device by the information input means to generate a management signal for managing the operation of each electrical device in accordance with the setting. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] In the present invention, it is possible to further reduce the introduction cost for controlling the operation of each electrical device in cooperation with other electrical devices. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating an application example of a control panel according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 3A to 3C are diagrams illustrating an example of a method in which a control panel according to the first embodiment of the present invention controls each shutter device. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the internal layout of a control panel according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 4] 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating an example of interlock control that can be performed by the control panel according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a circuit formed in a control panel according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a circuit formed in a control panel according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a circuit formed in a control panel according to the second embodiment of the present invention (continued). FIG. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating examples of interlock control for 2:5 and modified 2:5. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a circuit formed on a control panel according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10]10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of the contents of interlock control that is further enabled by a control panel according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating an example of the configuration of a relay switch and an example of a mechanism for short-circuiting the relay switch. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a generation circuit group according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the back side of a door of a control panel according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the contents of interlock control assumed for five shutter devices. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a generation circuit group according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the back side of a door of a control panel according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the contents of interlock control assumed for nine shutter devices. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiment described below is merely an example, including modifications, and the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to this. Various modifications are also included within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0012] (First embodiment) FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an application example of a control panel according to a first embodiment of the present invention. This control panel 1 is produced primarily for sale. In FIG. 1, the intended buyer is assumed to be a business owner or the like who owns a factory 2 or a warehouse 3. The electrical equipment controlled by the control panel 1 is assumed to be a shutter device 40 installed in the factory 2 or the warehouse 3. For convenience, only the shutter device 40 that is controlled by the control panel 1 is shown. This shutter device 40 is an opening and closing device that is the controlled object in this embodiment.

[0013] The interior of one factory 2 is divided into a loading / unloading space 21 and a manufacturing space 22. One shutter device 40 is placed between the loading / unloading space 21 and the outside, and three shutter devices 40 are placed between the loading / unloading space 21 and the manufacturing space 22. The operation of these four shutter devices 40 is controlled by a control panel 1.

[0014] The loading / unloading space 21 is a space for temporarily storing items that are mainly being shipped in and out. The manufacturing space 22 is a space for manufacturing products, and in many cases, multiple pieces of manufacturing equipment are installed there.

[0015] Meanwhile, the interior of one warehouse 3 is divided into a loading / unloading space 31 and a chilled zone space 32. Two shutter devices 40 are installed between the loading / unloading space 31 and the outside, and three between the loading / unloading space 31 and the chilled zone space 32. The operation of these five shutter devices 40 is controlled by a control panel 1. The chilled zone space 32 is a space provided for cooling items (mainly food) that have been brought in.

[0016] For ease of understanding, the following explanation will be given assuming that the control panel 1 performs a typical interlock control. In order to distinguish the shutter devices 40 depending on the installation location, such as in the factory 2 shown in a plan cross-sectional view, the single shutter device 40 installed between the loading / unloading space 21 and the outside will also be referred to as the "front shutter device 40" as necessary. The three shutter devices 40 arranged between the loading / unloading space 21 and the manufacturing space 22 will also be referred to as the "rear shutter device 40" as necessary.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, the internal structures of both the factory 2 and the warehouse 3 are different for each factory 2 and warehouse 3. Not only do the locations and numbers of shutter devices differ depending on the internal structure, but the content of the interlock control, i.e., the operation of linking the shutter devices 40, also differs. In the factory 2 shown in a plan cross-sectional view, for example, a 1:3 interlock control is performed in which none of the three rear shutter devices 40 can be opened unless one front shutter device 40 is closed. In the warehouse 3, for example, a 2:3 interlock control is performed in which none of the three rear shutter devices 40 can be opened unless both front shutter devices 40 are closed.

[0018] As such, the specifications required for interlock control usually differ for each factory 2 and each warehouse 3. For this reason, the control panel 1 is made compatible with multiple interlock control specifications, making it highly versatile and applicable to a wide range of factories 2 and warehouses 3. This makes it possible to widely sell a manufactured control panel 1 for use in interlock control in factories 2 and warehouses 3 that have different specifications required for interlock control.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method in which the control panel according to the first embodiment of the present invention controls each shutter device. The shutter device 40 controlled by the control panel 1 is of a type that opens and closes using, for example, a sheet 401 as an opening and closing body. Although not shown, a case 402 provided at the top houses a shaft for winding and feeding the sheet 401, a motor as a power source for rotating the shaft, and the like.

[0020] To ensure that the sheet 401 can be opened and closed appropriately, the shutter device 40 is provided with a pair of rails 403 that guide the sheet 401 as it opens and closes. One of the rails 403 is provided with an operation panel 404 that can instruct the opening and closing operation of the sheet 401. The case 402 is provided with a sensor 405 that can detect people, vehicles, stationary objects, and the like as detection targets. This sensor 405 makes it possible to automatically roll up the sheet 401 to the open state by detecting the detection target.

[0021] The opening and closing operation of the seat 401 in response to the operation of the operation panel 404 and the detection result of the sensor 405 is performed by the controller 400. To open and close the seat 401, the controller 400 controls the driving of a motor in the case 402. This controller 400 is compatible with interlock control. For this reason, Fig. 2 shows that an open / close state signal and an interlock signal are transmitted and received between the control panel 1 and the controller 400. In this embodiment, the open / close state signal corresponds to state information and a state signal, and the interlock signal corresponds to a management signal.

[0022] The open / closed state signal is a signal that indicates whether the seat 401 is in an open state. If the seat 401 is even slightly open, the controller 400 activates the open / closed state signal, for example. Therefore, unless otherwise specified, the closed state of the shutter device 40 refers to a state in which the seat 401 is completely lowered. All other states are referred to as an open state. The controller 400 determines the open / closed state of the seat 401 using the position detection result obtained by a position sensor (e.g., a Hall element) for detecting the rotational position provided in the motor, for example. The open / closed state determination may also be performed using another sensor, or in combination with another sensor.

[0023] Each shutter device 40 that is the subject of interlock control is normally in a closed state. The interlock signal is a signal for interlock control. In interlock control, it is necessary to limit the shutter devices 40 that can be operated. For this reason, the interlock signal is made inactive for shutter devices 40 that can be operated, and made active for shutter devices 40 that cannot be operated. The control panel 1 realizes interlock control for multiple shutter devices 40 by generating an interlock signal to be sent to each shutter device 40 using the open / closed state signal sent from each shutter device 40.

[0024] The configuration of the shutter device 40 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 2 . Furthermore, the electrical device subject to interlock control is not limited to a shutter device. The electrical device may be a door, a window, a gate, or the like, or may be manufacturing equipment installed in the factory 2. There may be multiple types of electrical device. For example, multiple shutter devices may be combined with manufacturing equipment. For example, interlock control may be performed to disable multiple shutter devices and prevent any of the shutter devices from opening while the manufacturing equipment is operating. For this reason, the types of electrical device, the combination of electrical devices, and the content of interlock control are not particularly limited. Interlock control is not the only way to link one electrical device with another, and other types of control may also be used. Therefore, the link control referred to here refers to control that restricts the operation of one electrical device depending on the state of one or more other electrical devices.

[0025] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the internal layout of a control panel according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, a power supply (PS) 12, a relay group 13, a first terminal block group 14, and a second terminal block group 15 are arranged in a housing 11 of the control panel 1.

[0026] As will be described in detail later, each relay 131 included in the relay group 13, each terminal block 100 included in the first terminal block group 14, and each terminal block 100 included in the second terminal block group 15 are components of a circuit formed in the control panel 1. Each relay 131 is, for example, an electromagnetic relay having a relay coil and multiple contacts. In each relay 131, the contacts are used as switches for turning current on and off. For this reason, hereinafter, the contacts will also be referred to as switches.

[0027] Each terminal block 100 has terminals 101 on both ends, and the two terminals 101 are electrically connected. Each terminal block 100 has a portion that can be used to represent a character string, such as the numerical values ​​shown on each terminal block 100 that make up the second terminal block group 15. The terminal block 100 is employed in this embodiment to utilize this portion so that workers can more easily make appropriate connections.

[0028] In the second terminal block group 15, as shown in Fig. 3, the same numerical values ​​are shown for the two terminal blocks 100. This is because two terminal blocks 100 are used to form one terminal pair T. Details of this terminal pair T will be described later. In the first terminal block group 14, too, most of the terminal blocks 100 are used as a terminal block pair D, which is a combination of two terminal blocks 100.

[0029] Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating examples of interlock control possible with the control panel according to the first embodiment of the present invention. All of the examples of interlock control shown in Fig. 4(a) to Fig. 4(h) are based on the assumption that the control panel 1 has the layout example shown in Fig. 3. This makes it possible for the control panel 1 to perform a total of eight types of interlock control for up to five shutter devices 40.

[0030] In FIG. 4 , each of the circled numbers 1 through 5 represents one shutter device 40. A line drawn between the circled numbers 1 through 5 represents two interlocking shutter devices 40. Furthermore, notations such as "1 to 2" and "2 to 3" represent the number of front shutter devices 40 and the number of rear shutter devices 40. For example, "2 to 3" indicates that there are two front shutter devices 40 and three rear shutter devices 40. Furthermore, the lines drawn from each front shutter device 40 to all rear shutter devices 40 indicate that when any front shutter device 40 is in the open state, none of the rear shutter devices 40 can be operated from the closed state and remain closed. Furthermore, when any rear shutter device 40 is in the open state, none of the front shutter devices 40 can be operated from the closed state. Hereinafter, interlock control that classifies shutter devices 40 into either front shutter devices 40 or rear shutter devices 40 will be collectively referred to as "classified interlock control." In both the factory 2 and warehouse 3, the cross-sectional plan view of which is shown in Figure 1, classification-type interlock control is implemented.

[0031] Additionally, the notations "3 units," "4 units," and "5 units" indicate that interlock control is performed that allows only one of the three to five shutter devices 40 to be in the open state. The lines drawn between each shutter device 40 indicate that the state of one shutter device 40 affects the operation of all the other shutter devices 40. Interlock control that treats all shutter devices 40 in the same way is hereinafter collectively referred to as "non-classified interlock control."

[0032] 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a circuit formed in the control panel according to the first embodiment of the present invention. This circuit example also assumes the control panel 1 of the layout example shown in FIG. The numbers "R1" to "R5" shown in FIG. 5 all indicate a correspondence with the shutter devices 40 represented by circled numbers 1 to 5 in FIG. 4. As a result, for example, "R1" is a relay coil that constitutes the relay 131 that corresponds to the shutter device 40 represented by the circled number 1. To clarify this correspondence, the symbol "R1c" is added. To clarify this correspondence, for example, the relay 131 having the relay coil R1c is also referred to as relay R1.

[0033] An open / closed state signal from the shutter device 40, represented by a circled number 1, is supplied to the relay coil R1c via the terminal block 100. Similarly, an open / closed state signal from the shutter device 40, represented by a circled number 2, is supplied to the relay coil R2c via the terminal block 100. Since this correspondence is assumed, in this embodiment, terminal blocks 100 are used for connecting signal lines that output open / closed state signals, and information indicating the signal lines to be connected is displayed on each terminal block 100. Note that when there is no need to specify, the symbol "Rc" is used for the relay coil.

[0034] As described above, the relay 131 includes, in addition to the relay coil Rc, a relay switch that is turned on or off when a current flows through the relay coil Rc. For the same reason as the relay coil Rc, these switches are given symbols such as "R1s" and "R2s." This makes it clear that the relay switch R1s and relay coil R1c are components included in the same relay R1. Unless otherwise specified, the symbol "Rs" is used for the relay switch. Note that when the relay switch Rs is on, it means that a current flows through the relay switch Rs. When the relay switch Rs is off, it means that no current flows through the relay switch Rs.

[0035] The terminal pair T allows one or more associated relay switches Rs to be disabled. Symbols such as "T1," "T2," and "T3" in FIG. 5 represent a specific terminal pair T. Therefore, "T" is a symbol that does not represent a specific terminal pair. As shown in Fig. 3, the same number is used for the terminal pair T that constitutes the second terminal block group 15, i.e., the two terminal blocks 100. The number following "T" is the same as the number shown on the two terminal blocks 100. This clarifies the correspondence between the symbol and the terminal pair T to which it is attached. Hereinafter, "T" will be used as a generic symbol for terminal pairs, or as a symbol for an unspecified terminal pair.

[0036] The power supply unit 12 converts AC power into DC power. One terminal block pair D in the first terminal block group 14 is used to input AC power. A circuit protector (CP) 18 is disposed between the one terminal block pair D and the power supply unit 12. As a result, AC power input from the one terminal block pair D is supplied to the power supply unit 12 via the circuit protector 18. The circuit protector 18, like the circuit protector 19, is a circuit breaker for overcurrent protection. Note that the two circuit protectors 18 and 19 are omitted from FIG. 3. The first terminal block group 14 also includes a total of five terminal block pairs D for individually inputting open / closed state signals from the shutter device 40, and a terminal block 100 for grounding the power supply unit 12.

[0037] One terminal of each of the relay coils R1c to R7c and the LED (Light Emitting Diode) 17 is connected to the negative terminal of the power supply unit 12, and the positive terminal is connected to one terminal block 100 of each terminal block pair D, which is used to input an open / closed state signal, via a circuit protector 19. The other terminal block 100 of each terminal block pair D is connected to the other terminal of each of the relay coils R1c to R7c. This allows each shutter device 40 to receive DC power from the power supply unit 12 of the control panel 1. Therefore, each shutter device 40 (its controller) manages, for example, the conduction of the supplied DC power and switches the open / closed state signal between active and inactive. Here, it is assumed that when the seat 401 is in the open state, each shutter device 40 activates the open / closed state signal, setting its signal level to H (High). When the seat 401 is in the closed state, the open / closed state signal is inactive, setting its signal level to L (Low).

[0038] The other terminals of the relay coils R6c, R7c and the LED 17 are connected to the positive terminal of the power supply unit 12 via the select switch 16. When the relay coils R6c and R7c are connected to the positive terminal, the select switch 16 disconnects the LED 17 from the positive terminal, and conversely, when the LED 17 is connected to the positive terminal, the select switch 16 disconnects the relay coils R6c and R7c from the positive terminal.

[0039] In this way, the first terminal block group 14 is mainly used for inputting open / close state signals, inputting AC power, etc. As a result, the first terminal block group 14 is used to set the positioning of each shutter device 40 in interlock control. This setting corresponds to setting each shutter device 40 to one of the circled numbers 1 to 5 when the shutter devices 40 are represented by circled numbers 1 to 5, as shown in FIG. 4. Therefore, when performing classification-type interlock control, this setting also corresponds to classifying the shutter devices 40 as either front shutter devices 40 or rear shutter devices 40. The first terminal block group 14 corresponds to the information input means in this embodiment.

[0040] The control panel 1 also includes a group of generating circuits 110 for generating interlock signals. This group of generating circuits 110 includes the same number of generating circuits as the number of shutter devices 40 that enable interlock control. These generating circuits are assigned the reference numerals 111 to 115. Here, unless there is a particular need to specify them, the reference numerals will not be used. In other words, the reference numerals 111 to 115 will be used only when it is necessary to specify a generating circuit.

[0041] The generating circuits 111 to 115 are used to generate interlock signals to be transmitted to the shutter devices 40 designated by circled numbers 1 to 5 in FIG. 4. That is, the generating circuits 111 to 115 correspond to the shutter devices 40 designated by circled numbers 1 to 5, with the generating circuit 111 corresponding to the shutter device 40 designated by circled number 1, and the generating circuit 112 corresponding to the shutter device 40 designated by circled number 2. The generating circuits 111 to 115 themselves are connected to different terminal block pairs D in the first terminal block group 14. For this reason, each shutter device 40, like the open / closed state signal, needs to be connected to the terminal block pair D corresponding to the shutter device 40. For example, the shutter device 40 designated by circled number 1 needs to be connected to two terminal block pairs: the terminal block pair D connected to the relay coil R1c for outputting the open / closed state signal, and the terminal block pair D connected to the generating circuit 111 for inputting the interlock signal. For this reason, when the shutter devices 40 are represented by the circled numbers 1 to 5 shown in FIG. 4, the first terminal block group 14 is used for setting each shutter device 40 to correspond to one of the circled numbers 1 to 5.

[0042] In the generation circuit 111, the terminal pair T5 is connected in parallel to the relay switch R2s, the terminal pair T12 is connected to the relay switch R4s, and the terminal pair T10 is connected to the relay switch R5s. In addition, the relay switch R6s is connected between the terminal block pair D to which the generation circuit 111 is connected.

[0043] In the generation circuit 112, the relay switch R1s is connected in parallel to the terminal pair T6, the relay switches R3s to R5s to the terminal pair T1, the relay switch R4s to the terminal pair T13, and the relay switch R5s to the terminal pair T11. In addition, the relay switch R6s is connected between the terminal block pair D to which the generation circuit 112 is connected.

[0044] In the generation circuit 113, the relay switches R2s, R4s, and R5s are connected in parallel to the terminal pair T2, the relay switches R4s and R5s are connected in parallel to the terminal pair T7, and the relay switch R5s is connected in parallel to the terminal pair T14. In addition, the relay switch R6s is connected between the terminal block pair D to which the generation circuit 113 is connected.

[0045] In the generation circuit 114, the relay switches R2s, R3s, and R5s are connected in parallel to the terminal pair T3, the relay switches R3s and R5s are connected in parallel to the terminal pair T8, and the relay switch R5s is connected in parallel to the terminal pair T15. In addition, the relay switch R6s is connected between the terminal block pair D to which the generation circuit 114 is connected.

[0046] In the generation circuit 115, the relay switches R2s to R4s are connected in parallel to the terminal pair T4, and the relay switches R3s and R4s are connected in parallel to the terminal pair T9. In addition, a relay switch R7s is connected between the terminal block pair D to which the generation circuit 115 is connected.

[0047] The number of terminals connected to the relay switch Rs is finite. The reason why the relay switch R7s is connected to the generation circuit 115 is because the terminals connected to the relay switch R6s are insufficient. For this reason, if the relay R6 equipped with the relay switch R6s having a larger number of terminals is adopted, the relay R7 can be omitted.

[0048] All of the generating circuits 111 to 115 activate the interlock signal only when there is conduction between the terminal block pairs D to which they are connected. As a result, each of the generating circuits 111 to 115 switches between active and inactive states of the interlock signal by blocking or conducting the signal from the shutter device 40 connected via the terminal block pair D.

[0049] Therefore, the generation circuit group 110 corresponds to the signal generation means in this embodiment. In reality, the relay group 13 and the first terminal block group 14 are also required to generate the interlock signal. Therefore, it is possible to interpret that the relay group 13 and the first terminal block group 14 are also included in the signal generation means in this embodiment.

[0050] The relay switches R6s and R7s are components of the relays R6 and R7, and are closed and conductive when current flows through the relay coils R6c and R7c. The relay coils R6c and R7c can be connected or disconnected from the positive terminal of the power supply unit 12 by the selector switch 16. When the relay coils R6c and R7c are connected to the positive terminal of the power supply unit 12 by the selector switch 16, current flows through the relay coils R6c and R7c, and terminal block pairs D are short-circuited in all of the generation circuits 111 to 115. Therefore, all of the generation circuits 111 to 115 activate their interlock signals while current flows through the relay coils R6c and R7c.

[0051] Note that the relay switches R1s to R5s, other than the relay switches R6s and R7s, are of a type that closes and conducts when no current flows through the relay coils R1c to R5c. As a result, the relay switches R1s to R5s are configured to cut off electrical connection when the open / close state signal is active. If the shutter device 40 is not connected to the terminal block pair D for the open / close state signal, the relay switches will always maintain the closed state.

[0052] When the relay coils R6c and R7c are connected to the positive terminal of the power supply unit 12, the select switch 16 cuts off the electrical connection between the LED 17 and the positive terminal of the power supply unit 12. Therefore, in this state, the LED 17 is turned off. Conversely, when the relay coils R6c and R7c are not connected to the positive terminal of the power supply unit 12, the LED 17 is connected to the positive terminal of the power supply unit 12, and the LED 17 is turned on.

[0053] For this reason, the LED 17 serves as an indicator light that indicates whether the interlock control is enabled or disabled depending on whether it is lit or not. The select switch 16 is a switch for switching whether the interlock control is enabled or disabled. The LED 17 is provided, for example, on the outer surface of the lid of the housing 11 so that it can be easily confirmed whether the interlock control is enabled or disabled.

[0054] Next, a method for setting up the control panel 1 on which the circuit shown in FIG. 5 is formed will be described in more detail. As described above, the first terminal block group 14 is for connection to the shutter devices 40 that are the subject of interlock control. The worker positions each shutter device 40 that is the subject of interlock control among the shutter devices 40 represented by circled numbers 1 to 5 in FIG. 4 so that there is no overlap. This positioning determines which terminal block pairs D in the first terminal block group 14 should be connected for inputting and outputting the open / closed state signal and the interlock signal for each shutter device 40. Therefore, the worker simply connects each shutter device 40 to the two terminal block pairs D determined by the positioning.

[0055] The second terminal block group 15 is a target for setting to generate an appropriate interlock signal to each shutter device 40. This setting is performed by connecting the terminal pairs T to be connected according to the number of shutter devices 40 to be subject to interlock control and the specifications of the interlock control.

[0056] Specifically, the number of shutter devices 40 to be subject to interlock control and the second terminal block group 15 according to the specifications of the interlock control may be set as follows. Here, the cases of Fig. 4(a) to Fig. 4(h) will be explained separately.

[0057] In the case shown in FIG. 4(a), that is, in the case of one-to-two classification type interlock control, it is sufficient to set the terminal pairs T1, T2, T10, and T12 to be connected. With this setting, if either of the shutter devices 40 associated with the circled number 1 or the circled number 2 or the circled number 3 is in the open state, the interlock signal for the shutter device 40 associated with the circled number 1 becomes active, preventing it from operating from the closed state. If the shutter device 40 associated with the circled number 1 is in the open state, the interlock signal for both the shutter devices 40 associated with the circled number 2 or the circled number 3 becomes active, preventing it from operating from the closed state. If the shutter device 40 associated with the circled number 1 is in the closed state, the shutter devices 40 associated with the circled number 2 and the circled number 3 can be operated regardless of the state of the other rear shutter devices 40. Hereinafter, the shutter device 40 associated with the circled number 1 will be referred to as "shutter device 40 No. 1," etc. The same applies to the shutter device 40 associated with any of the circled numbers 2 to 5.

[0058] In the case shown in FIG. 4(b), that is, in the case of one-to-three classification type interlock control, it is sufficient to set the terminal pairs T1, T2, T3, and T10 to be connected. With this setting, shutter device 40 No. 1 cannot be operated from the closed state if any of shutter devices 40 No. 2 to 4 is in the open state. None of shutter devices 40 No. 2 to 4 can be operated from the closed state if shutter device 40 No. 1 is in the open state. If shutter device 40 No. 1 is in the closed state, shutter devices 40 No. 2 to 4 can be operated regardless of the state of the other rear shutter devices 40.

[0059] In the case shown in FIG. 4(c), that is, in the case of 1:4 classification type interlock control, it is sufficient to set the terminal pairs T1, T2, T3, and T4 to be connected. With this setting, shutter device 40 No. 1 cannot be operated from the closed state if any of shutter devices 40 No. 2 to 5 are in the open state. None of shutter devices 40 No. 2 to 5 can be operated from the closed state if shutter device 40 No. 1 is in the open state. Shutter devices 40 No. 2 to 5 can be operated if shutter device 40 No. 1 is in the closed state, regardless of the state of the other rear shutter devices 40.

[0060] In the case shown in FIG. 4(d), that is, in the case of 2-to-2 classification type interlock control, it is sufficient to set the terminal pairs T5, T6, T7, and T8 to be connected. With this setting, the first and second shutter devices 40 cannot be operated from the closed state if either the third or fourth shutter device 40 is in the open state. If the third and fourth shutter devices 40 are all in the closed state, the first and second shutter devices 40 can be operated regardless of the state of the other front shutter devices 40. On the other hand, the third and fourth shutter devices 40 cannot be operated from the closed state if either the first or second shutter device 40 is in the open state. If both the first and second shutter devices 40 are in the closed state, the first and second shutter devices 40 can be operated regardless of the state of the other rear shutter devices 40.

[0061] In the case shown in FIG. 4(e), that is, in the case of 2-to-3 classification type interlock control, it is sufficient to set the terminal pairs T5, T6, T7, T8, and T9 to be connected. With this setting, shutter devices 40 No. 1 and No. 2 cannot be operated from the closed state if any of shutter devices 40 No. 3 to No. 5 are in the open state. If shutter devices 40 No. 3 to No. 5 are all in the closed state, shutter devices 40 No. 1 and No. 2 can be operated regardless of the state of the other front shutter devices 40. On the other hand, shutter devices 40 No. 3 to No. 5 cannot be operated from the closed state if any of shutter devices 40 No. 1 and No. 2 are in the open state. If shutter devices 40 No. 1 and No. 2 are both in the closed state, shutter devices 40 can be operated regardless of the state of the other rear shutter devices 40.

[0062] In the cases shown in Figures 4(f) to 4(h), that is, in all cases of non-classification type interlock control of 3 to 5 units, the setting for connecting terminal pair T is not required. This is because all of the generation circuits 111 to 115 are connected in series with relay switches Rs that are turned on / off by open / closed state signals from shutter devices 40 other than the intended shutter device 40. For this reason, when any of the other shutter devices 40 that are linked to each other is in the open state, the interlock signals become active for the shutter devices 40 other than the open shutter device 40, and the shutter devices 40 cannot be operated from the closed state.

[0063] In this way, the control panel 1, the circuit example of which is shown in FIG. 5, can be used in any of the cases shown in FIGS. 4(a) to 4(h). Because of this high versatility, the control panel 1 can be sold widely for interlock control in factories 2, warehouses 3, etc., as shown in FIG. 1. Because it can be sold widely, mass production is also possible, and manufacturing costs can be reduced compared to when it is produced individually. Furthermore, the control panel 1 can be provided to businesses that need it in a timely manner. Due to these advantages, it is expected that there will be a high demand for the control panel 1.

[0064] In this embodiment, the setting according to the interlock control specifications is performed by connecting the terminal pair T to be connected. When performing such setting, the setting itself can be performed more easily compared to when setting is performed by software control. This is because there is no need to remember the operations required for setting on the control panel 1. Higher reliability can also be achieved. This is because the absence of electronic components makes it less likely for failures to occur due to heat, dust, dirt, etc. The use of configurable generation circuits 111-115 to generate interlock signals has these advantages.

[0065] In this embodiment, the control panel 1 is compatible with both classification type interlock control and non-classification type interlock control, but it may be compatible with only one of them. In other words, separate control panels 1 may be prepared for classification type interlock control and non-classification type interlock control. The maximum number of shutter devices 40 that can be interlock controlled is five, but it may be compatible with six or more shutter devices 40.

[0066] The above explanation is based on the premise that the shutter devices 40 are arranged at positions indicated by circled numbers 1 to 5, as shown in Fig. 4. However, in interlock control, the arrangement of the positions indicated by circled numbers 1 to 5 may be changed depending on the specifications (control content). By changing the arrangement, it is possible to accommodate cases other than those described above.

[0067] For example, in a 2-to-1 classification interlock control, the circled numbers 2 and 3 may be used to position the front shutter device 40, and the circled number 1 may be used to position the rear shutter device 40. When each shutter device 40 is connected to terminal block pair D in accordance with such a positioning, the terminal pairs T5 and T6 may be set to be connected. As a result, neither of the two front shutter devices 40 can be operated from the closed state if one rear shutter device 40 is in the open state. Furthermore, the rear shutter device 40 cannot be operated from the closed state unless both front shutter devices 40 are in the closed state. This is an example other than the case shown in Figure 4. There are other interlock control specifications that can be supported.

[0068] Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is assumed that interlock control is possible for up to five shutter devices 40, but the configuration of the control panel 1 may be changed depending on the number of shutter devices 40 that are the subject of interlock control. For example, the number of relays 131 may be increased or decreased depending on the number of shutter devices 40 that are the subject of interlock control. For this reason, for example, the relays 131 attached to the control panel 1 may be sold separately, that is, the control panel 1 itself and the relays 131 may be sold separately. This means that the signal generation means (generation circuit) provided in the control panel 1 may be incomplete. The same applies to the information input means (corresponding to the first terminal block group 14 in this case).

[0069] If such changes are made as needed, the fewer the number of shutter devices 40 that are subject to interlock control, the lower the manufacturing costs (and sales price) of the control panel 1. This is particularly advantageous for retailers. However, it is necessary to set the terminal pair T to connect according to the relay 131 to be removed. For example, if there are four shutter devices 40, the relay 131 associated with shutter device number 5 will be removed, so it is necessary to set the terminal pairs T10, T11, T14, and T15 to connect.

[0070] (Second embodiment) 6 and 7 are diagrams illustrating an example of a circuit formed in a control panel according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 7 shows only the generating circuit group 110 and the first terminal block group 14 related to this generating circuit group 110, while Fig. 6 shows the rest. Here, the same reference numerals are used to designate components that are the same or basically the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0071] The control panel 1, the circuit examples of which are shown in Figures 6 and 7, is compatible with 6 to 9 shutter devices 40. More specifically, in the case of classification-type interlock control, it is compatible with 1:5, 1:6, 1:7, 1:8, 2:4, 2:5, 2:5 variant, 2:6, 2:7, 3:3, 3:4, 3:5, and 3:6, etc. In the case of non-classification-type interlock control, it is compatible with 2 to 9 devices.

[0072] To accommodate a larger number of shutter devices 40, in other words to ensure a larger number of terminals, there are two relays 131 to which open / closed state signals are supplied from each shutter device 40. In Fig. 6, for example, the relay coil Rc provided in the relay coil R1c connected in parallel to the relay coil R1c is distinguished by being written as "R1" and "R1-1". However, because the function and method of use are the same, both are referred to as "R1c".

[0073] The reason why there are two relays 131 is that a single relay 131 would not be enough to secure the terminals required for connecting the relay switch Rs. For the same reason, three relays R10 to R12 are provided for short-circuiting the generation circuits 111 to 119 that make up the generation circuit group 110. As relays R1 to R12 exist as the relay 131, relay coils R1c to R12c exist as the relay coil Rc, and relay switches R1s to R12s exist as the relay switch Rs.

[0074] As in the first embodiment, a relay switch Rs that is turned on / off in response to an open / close state signal from a shutter device 40 other than the shutter device 40 that is expected to output the interlock signal is connected in series to the generation circuits 111 to 119. For this reason, in the case of non-classification type interlock control, it is basically not necessary to set up the connection of the terminal pairs T present in the second terminal block group 15. In the case of classification type internet control, it is necessary to set up the connection of the terminal pairs T that should be connected.

[0075] The more compatible shutter devices 40 are, and the wider the range of the number is, the greater the number of terminal pairs T required for setting. To be able to support 6 to 9 shutter devices 40, terminal pairs T1 to T47 are provided as terminal pairs T.

[0076] The greater the number of terminal pairs T, the more complicated the settings become, making them difficult to perform. Interlock control for up to five shutter devices 40 is possible in the first embodiment described above. For this reason, preparing control panels 1 so that the number of corresponding shutter devices 40 does not overlap is useful for making settings easier. This also helps reduce the number of required terminal pairs T and the amount of wiring connecting the terminal pairs T, making it useful for reducing manufacturing costs.

[0077] 8A and 8B are diagrams illustrating examples of interlock control for 2 to 5 and a modified 2 to 5. Fig. 8A shows an example of interlock control for 2 to 5, and Fig. 8B shows an example of interlock control for a modified 2 to 5.

[0078] The 2:5 interlock control shown in FIG. 8(a) assumes a total of seven shutter devices 40, consisting of two front shutter devices 40 and five rear shutter devices 40. Both shutter devices 40 No. 1 and No. 2 cannot be operated from the closed state if any of shutter devices 40 No. 3 to No. 7 are in the open state. If shutter devices 40 No. 3 to No. 7 are all in the closed state, shutter devices 40 No. 1 and No. 2 can be operated regardless of the state of the other front shutter devices 40. On the other hand, shutter devices 40 No. 3 to No. 7 cannot be operated from the closed state if any of shutter devices 40 No. 1 and No. 2 are in the open state. If shutter devices 40 No. 1 and No. 2 are both in the closed state, shutter devices 40 can be operated regardless of the state of the other rear shutter devices 40.

[0079] In the 2:5 modified interlock control shown in Figure 8(b), the shutter devices 40 are placed in three locations and a total of seven shutter devices 40 are controlled. Here, shutter devices 40 Nos. 3 and 4 are referred to as front shutter devices 40, shutter devices 40 Nos. 1 and 2 are referred to as middle shutter devices 40, and shutter devices 40 Nos. 5 to 7 are referred to as rear shutter devices 40.

[0080] In the 2:5 modified interlock control, the number 3 and number 4 shutter devices cannot be operated from the closed state if either the number 1 or number 2 shutter device 40 is in the open state. If the number 1 and number 2 shutter devices 40 are all in the closed state, the number 3 and number 4 shutter devices 40 can be operated regardless of the state of the other front shutter devices 40.

[0081] If any of shutter devices 40 from 3 to 7 is in the open state, shutter devices 1 and 2 cannot be operated from the closed state. If shutter devices 40 from 3 to 7 are all in the closed state, shutter devices 40 from 1 and 2 can be operated regardless of the state of the other middle shutter devices 40.

[0082] Shutter devices 40 Nos. 5 to 7 cannot be operated from the closed state if either shutter device 40 Nos. 1 or 2 is in the open state. If shutter devices 40 Nos. 1 and 2 are both in the closed state, they can be operated regardless of the state of the other rear shutter devices 40.

[0083] When nine relays 131 are attached to the control panel 1, the 2:5 modified interlock control shown in Fig. 8(b) is realized by setting the terminal pairs T12 to T18 to be connected. Here, the setting methods for interlock control in other cases will be omitted. Note that, as in the first embodiment, only the relays 131 corresponding to the number of shutter devices 40 to be subject to interlock control may be attached to the control panel 1.

[0084] (Third embodiment) 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a circuit formed in a control panel according to a third embodiment of the present invention. As in the second embodiment, the same or essentially the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0085] This embodiment, like the first embodiment, is capable of handling interlock control for up to five shutter devices 40. In the first embodiment, by assuming in advance the specifications of the interlock control that can be accommodated, a plurality of terminal pairs T that can short-circuit two or more relay switches Rs are provided, as shown in Fig. 5. Furthermore, among the relay switches Rs, there are some that cannot be short-circuited by the terminal pairs T and therefore cannot be disabled.

[0086] In contrast to this, in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 9, terminal pairs T are individually connected in parallel to all relay switches Rs. This makes it possible to short-circuit one relay switch Rs via one terminal pair T. By adopting such a circuit configuration, this embodiment can accommodate a wider range of interlock control specifications than the first embodiment.

[0087] 10A to 10F are diagrams illustrating examples of interlock control that are further enabled by a control panel according to a third embodiment of the present invention. As examples, 1:3 variation, 1:4 variation, 2:2 variation, 2:3 variation, 4-unit variation, and 5-unit variation are shown in Fig. 10A to 10F, respectively.

[0088] These variations are examples of variations based on the 1:3, 1:4, 2:2, 2:3, 4, and 5 shutter devices shown in Figures 4(b)-(e), 4(g), and 4(h), respectively. A base has one more or one less line connecting two shutter devices 40. Each base can add two or more lines or remove two or more lines. Therefore, each variation can have one or more other variations. Therefore, Figure 10 shows an example of interlock control that cannot be implemented in the first embodiment.

[0089] In this embodiment, for example, the 1:3 interlock control shown in Fig. 4(b) can be realized by connecting the terminal pairs T7 to T9 and T12 to T14. Here, it is assumed that all the relays 131 are installed. The 1:3 modified interlock control shown in 10(a) can be realized by disconnecting the terminal pairs T13 and T14 from the settings. By disconnecting these connections, shutter device 40 No. 3 cannot be operated from the closed state even if shutter device 40 No. 1 as well as shutter device 40 No. 4 are open. Similarly, shutter device 40 No. 4 cannot be operated from the closed state even if shutter device 40 No. 3 is open.

[0090] There are at least three other possible variations of the 1:3 variation other than that shown in FIG. 10(a). This embodiment can accommodate any of these variations. Although detailed explanations are omitted, this also applies to the variations shown in FIGS. 10(b) to 10(f), variations within those variations, and interlock control with other specifications. For these reasons, this embodiment has greater versatility than the first embodiment described above, which can accommodate the same five shutter devices 40.

[0091] In the first to third embodiments, the generation circuit uses the relay switch Rs of the relay 131, but a switch other than the relay switch Rs may be used. Since the relay 131 is a contact relay, a contactless relay, i.e., a solid-state relay or a MOSFET (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor) relay may be adopted as the relay 131. As a result, the switch may be provided in the contactless relay. In this regard, the switch may be a switching element such as a transistor. As a result, the switch may be directly turned on / off by an open / closed state signal output from each shutter device 40. For this reason, the configuration of the circuit formed in the control panel 1 including the generation circuit is not particularly limited and various modifications are possible.

[0092] Such a switch may be used in place of the terminal pair T. The type of terminal block 100 that constitutes the terminal pair T is not particularly limited. For example, a push-in terminal block may be used as the terminal block 100. When a push-in terminal block is used, not only can the connection be made more easily, but the area occupied by the first terminal block group 14 and the second terminal block group 15 can also be made smaller.

[0093] Each shutter device 40 is directly connected for sending and receiving the open / closed state signal and the interlock signal, but the open / closed state signal and the interlock signal may be sent and received via another device. In this way, each shutter device 40 does not need to be directly connected to the control panel 1. There are no particular limitations on the method of generating the open / closed state signal and the interlock signal, or the way the signal levels are handled. At least one of the active / inactive handling and the assumed signal levels may be reversed.

[0094] (Fourth embodiment) The relay switch Rs of the relay 131 normally has multiple contacts as a switch. The multiple contacts include, for example, an a-contact (make contact) that is open when no current flows through the relay coil Rc, a b-contact (break contact) that is closed when no current flows through the relay coil Rc, and a c-contact (transfer contact) that includes both the a-contact and the b-contact. The a-contact and the b-contact are contacts that open and close in opposite phases. The c-contact is a contact that connects to the b-contact when no current flows through the relay coil Rc, and connects to the a-contact when current flows through the relay coil Rc.

[0095] In the first to third embodiments, the a-contact or the b-contact is used as the relay switch Rs in each relay 131. In each relay 131 for generating an interlock signal, the b-contact is used as the relay switch Rs. The open / close state signal output by each shutter device 40 is active when the sheet 401 is in the open state, that is, the signal level is H. When the signal level of the open / close state signal is H, a current flows. For this reason, in the first to third embodiments, a b-contact is used as the relay switch Rs for generating the interlock signal. The reason why specifications using a b-contact are adopted for each shutter device 40 is that the period in which the shutter is in the closed state usually accounts for a higher proportion of the total period. This specification (hereinafter referred to as the "normal specification") can reduce power consumption more than a specification (hereinafter referred to as the "non-normal specification") in which the open / close state signal is active when the shutter is in the closed state.

[0096] However, there are cases where non-standard specifications are adopted even for the shutter device 40. As a result, three cases are possible for the entire shutter device 40: a case where all shutter devices 40 adopt only standard specifications (first case), a case where only non-standard specifications are adopted (second case), and a case where standard and non-standard specifications are mixed (third case). The fourth embodiment is able to accommodate all three cases.

[0097] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a relay switch and an example of a mechanism for short-circuiting the relay switch. In Figure 11, only the a-contact Rsa and the b-contact Rsb are shown as the relay switch Rs. This is because the relay switch Rs used to generate the interlock signal uses only one of the a-contact Rsa and the b-contact Rsb. In a shutter device 40 with standard specifications, the b-contact Rsb is used, as shown in Figure 11(a). In a shutter device 40 with non-standard specifications, the a-contact Rsa is used, as shown in Figure 11(b). Rsg in Figure 11 is a relay switch group that is a plurality of relay switches Rs including the a-contact Rsa and the b-contact Rsb.

[0098] In this embodiment, the selector switch KS is used to select which of the a-contact Rsa and the b-contact Rsb is to be enabled. This selector switch KS makes it possible to appropriately generate an interlock signal regardless of the specifications of the associated shutter device 40. In Figures 11(a) and 11(b), this selector switch KS is shown provided before and after the relay switch group Rsg, but in reality, only one switch KS may be provided.

[0099] TS is a setting switch provided for short-circuiting the relay switch group Rsg. In this embodiment, a setting switch TS is provided instead of the terminal pair T, which is two terminal blocks 100. This setting switch TS is provided for each relay switch group Rsg, as in the third embodiment. Since the changeover switch KS is connected to the relay switch group Rsg, the setting switch TS is provided so as to be able to short-circuit the relay switch group Rsg and the changeover switch KS. The types of the setting switch TS and the changeover switch KS are not limited, but they are both, for example, toggle switches. The terminal pair T and the setting switch TS both correspond to the connection short-circuiting means in this embodiment. Furthermore, the changeover switch KS corresponds to the selection means in this embodiment.

[0100] Such setting switches TS and changeover switches KS eliminate the need to connect signal lines between the terminal blocks 100. For example, with a toggle switch, all that is required is to operate the toggle. This makes it easier and faster to set up each of the generating circuits that make up the generating circuit group 110.

[0101] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a generation circuit group according to the fourth embodiment. In FIG. 12, as in the other embodiments, the setting switches TS are designated by adding a number after "TS" to make them individually identifiable. As in the other embodiments, the relay switch group Rsg also clarifies the relationship between the relay 131 and the relay coil Rc by adding a number after "R." For the changeover switch KS, the two-digit number following "KS" indicates the corresponding relay 131 and the provided generating circuit. The number in the tens digit indicates the corresponding relay 131, and the number in the ones digit indicates the corresponding generating circuit. The parts other than the generating circuit group 110 are the same as those in the first embodiment. Therefore, Fig. 12 shows only the generating circuit group 110 and parts of the first terminal block group 14 that are related to the generating circuit group 110.

[0102] The contacts selected by the changeover switches KS associated with the same relay 131 may be the same for all generating circuits. This is true even when the shutter devices 40 that the generating circuits are compatible with are a mixture of normal and non-normal specifications. However, it is necessary to determine the contacts to be selected by each changeover switch KS taking into consideration the specifications adopted by the associated shutter devices 40.

[0103] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the back side of a door of a control panel according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. As described above, the power supply unit 12, the relay group 13, the first terminal block group 14, etc. are arranged inside the control panel 1. The interior is covered with a door. Figure 13 shows an example of what is arranged behind the door, that is, on the back side that cannot be seen from the outside when the door is closed, and an example of the arrangement of the components.

[0104] As shown in Fig. 13, an LED 17, a changeover switch group KSG, and a setting switch group TSG are arranged on the back of the door. In both the changeover switch group KSG and the setting switch group TSG, all of the changeover switches KS and all of the setting switches TS present in the generation circuit group 110 are arranged in a matrix. As described above, the LED 17 is an indicator light that indicates whether or not the interlock control is enabled by whether or not it is lit. Note that the LED 17 shown in Fig. 13 is a part to which wiring is connected, and the lit part (not shown) can be seen from the front side of the door, for example, through a hole provided in the door.

[0105] The relay switch group Rsg of the same relay 131 is used in four of the five generation circuits. Therefore, the changeover switch group KSG has changeover switches KS arranged in a matrix of five vertically and four horizontally. On the other hand, the setting switch group TSG has setting switches TS arranged in a 5x5 matrix of five vertically and horizontally.

[0106] In the changeover switch group KSG, all symbols with two numbers connected by a hyphen, such as "1-1" and "1-2," represent one changeover switch KS. Similarly, in the setting switch group TSG, each number from "1" to "20" represents one setting switch TS.

[0107] Specifically, in the changeover switch group KSG, the first number represents the corresponding relay 131, and the number following the hyphen represents the corresponding generating circuit. Thus, for example, "1-1" represents the changeover switch KS11 provided for switching the contacts of the relay switch group R1sg provided in the relay R1 that constitutes the generating circuit 112. "1-2" represents the changeover switch KS12 provided for switching the contacts of the relay switch group R1sg that constitutes the generating circuit 113. In FIG. 13, the first number, i.e., the number representing the relay 131, is referred to as the input number.

[0108] In Fig. 13, "lower limit position signal" is written as a term meaning an open / close state signal when the seat 401 is in the closed state, i.e., when the seat 401 is in the lower limit position. "Input changeover switch" is written as the name of the changeover switch KS. The interlock setting switch is written as the name of the setting switch TS.

[0109] When the control panel 1 is installed, all of the changeover switches KS are set to select, for example, the b-contact Rsb. This means that the worker only needs to toggle the changeover switches KS that should basically select the a-contact Rsa. To avoid confusion, the operation of each changeover switch KS will be described assuming the state at the time of installation (hereinafter referred to as the "initial state"). In other words, the operation of each changeover switch KS will only assume switching from the b-contact Rsb to the a-contact Rsa.

[0110] In the setting switch group TSG, "1" corresponds to setting switch TS1, "2" corresponds to setting switch TS2, and so on. Each number from "1" to "20" corresponds to a number following "TS." Thus, each number from "1" to "20" represents the corresponding setting switch TS.

[0111] In the setting switch group TSG, the vertical axis represents the input number and the horizontal axis represents the partner number. These input numbers and partner numbers are based on the assumption that up to five shutter devices 40 are assigned numbers ranging from 1 to 5 without overlapping, and that the interlock control linkage relationships are set by operating the setting switches TS. In this assumption, the input number corresponds to the number assigned to a shutter device 40 of interest among the shutter devices 40, and the partner number corresponds to the number assigned to a shutter device 40 that establishes a linkage relationship with the shutter device 40 of interest. The linkage relationship is focused on only between two shutter devices 40. For this reason, the setting switch group TSG has the setting switches TS arranged in a matrix, and there is no number, i.e., no setting switch TS, where the input number and partner number match. Therefore, even though the setting switches TS are arranged in a 5x5 matrix, the actual number of setting switches TS is four both vertically and horizontally.

[0112] The numbers here represent the relays 131 to which the shutter devices 40 should be associated. Therefore, in the shutter device 40 assigned the number 1, the open / closed state signal must be supplied to the relay coil R1c of the relay R1. Similarly, in the shutter device 40 assigned the number 2, the open / closed state signal must be supplied to the relay coil R2c of the relay R2.

[0113] It is assumed that the setting switches TS that make up the setting switch group TSG are all initially in the closed state, just like the changeover switch group KSG. As a result, it is assumed that only the setting switches TS that need to be changed from the closed state to the open state are operated. The closed state of a setting switch TS disables the linkage relationship for interlock control, and its open state enables the linkage relationship. The initial states of both the changeover switch KS and the setting switch TS are not particularly limited.

[0114] Figure 14 is a diagram explaining an example of the interlock control assumed for five shutter devices. Here, assuming the case where interlock control as shown in Figure 14 is performed, the operations to be performed on the setting switch group TSG will be explained in detail. It is assumed that no operation is required on each selector switch KS, that is, the b contact Rsb is selected in each relay switch group Rsg.

[0115] In the example shown in FIG. 14 , the shutter devices 40 numbered 1 and 2 only need to be linked with the shutter device 40 numbered 3. The shutter device 40 numbered 3 needs to be linked with the shutter devices 40 numbered 4 and 5 in addition to the shutter devices 40 numbered 1 and 2. The shutter device 40 numbered 4 only needs to be linked with the shutter device 40 numbered 3 as well as the shutter device 40 numbered 5. The shutter device 40 numbered 5 only needs to be linked with the shutter devices 40 numbered 3 and 4.

[0116] As a result, it is sufficient to operate a total of ten setting switches TS, namely, setting switches TS2, TS6, TS9 to TS12, TS15, TS16, TS19, and TS20, to switch them to the open state. By operating them in this manner, the interlock control shown in FIG. 14 can be performed for five shutter devices 40. In the case of other interlock control, if there are up to five shutter devices 40, the setting switches TS that need to be operated can be identified and operated in the same manner.

[0117] As described above, in this embodiment, the setting switches TS are arranged in a matrix with the setting switch group TSG, enabling operation of the setting switch TS with a focus on the area between the two shutter devices 40. This allows the worker to visually and easily identify the setting switch TS to be operated. This eliminates the need to understand the relay switch group Rsg associated with each setting switch TS, the configuration of the generation circuit, and the like. Therefore, even a worker without special skills can quickly and reliably operate the setting switch TS that should be operated among the setting switches TS.

[0118] In this embodiment, the second terminal block group 15 is omitted. However, it is difficult to arrange the changeover switch group KSG and the setting switch group TSG in the location where the second terminal block group 15 was arranged. For this reason, in this embodiment, the changeover switch group KSG and the setting switch group TSG are arranged on the back of the door. By using the back of the door, it becomes easy to arrange both the changeover switch group KSG and the setting switch group TSG in a matrix.

[0119] (Fifth embodiment) The fourth embodiment described above allows for interlock control of up to five shutter devices 40. The fifth embodiment, like the second embodiment, allows for interlock control of up to nine shutter devices 40. The major difference from the second embodiment is that the fifth embodiment also employs a selector switch KS and a setting switch TS.

[0120] FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a generation circuit group according to the fifth embodiment. This generation circuit group 110 has nine generation circuits so that it can accommodate up to nine shutter devices 40. Therefore, there are eight changeover switches KS associated with each shutter device 40 (relays 131). There are also a total of 72 setting switches TS, namely setting switches TS1 to TS72. As in the fourth embodiment, each setting switch TS is connected in parallel to one relay switch group Rsg.

[0121] FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of the back side of a door of a control panel according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. As in the fourth embodiment, an LED 17, a selector switch group KSG, and a setting switch group TSG are arranged on the back of the door of the control panel 1. In the selector switch group KSG, the selector switches KS are arranged in a matrix of nine switches vertically and eight switches horizontally. In the setting switch group TSG, no setting switch TS exists where the input number and the remote number match. For this reason, nine setting switches TS are arranged vertically and horizontally, that is, eight setting switches TS are arranged vertically and horizontally in a 9x9 matrix. As in the fourth embodiment, the symbols "1-1", "1-2", etc. shown in the changeover switch group KSG represent one changeover switch KS. The numbers "1" to "72" shown in the setting switch group TSG also represent one setting switch TS.

[0122] Fig. 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of the contents of interlock control assumed for nine shutter devices. Here, as in the fourth embodiment, assuming a case where interlock control as shown in Fig. 17 is performed, the operations to be performed on the setting switch group TSG will be specifically explained. It is assumed that no operation is required on each selector switch KS, that is, that the b contact Rsb is selected in each relay switch group Rsg.

[0123] In the example shown in FIG. 17 , the shutter devices 40 numbered 1 and 2 only need to be linked with the shutter device 40 numbered 3. The shutter device 40 numbered 3 needs to be linked with the shutter device 40 numbered 4 in addition to the shutter devices 40 numbered 1 and 2. The shutter device 40 numbered 4 needs to be linked with the shutter devices 40 numbered 5 and 8 in addition to the shutter device 40 numbered 3. The shutter device 40 numbered 5 needs to be linked with the shutter device 40 numbered 6 in addition to the shutter device 40 numbered 4. The shutter device 40 numbered 6 needs to be linked with the shutter device 40 numbered 7 in addition to the shutter device 40 numbered 5. The shutter device 40 numbered 7 only needs to be linked with the shutter device 40 numbered 6. The shutter device 40 numbered 8 needs to be linked with the shutter device 40 numbered 9 in addition to the shutter device 40 numbered 4. The shutter device 40 numbered 9 only needs to be linked to the shutter device 40 numbered 8.

[0124] As a result, all that is required is to operate and switch to the open state 16 setting switches TS, namely, setting switches TS2, TS10, TS17 to TS19, TS27, TS28, TS31, TS36, TS37, TS45, TS46, TS54, TS60, TS64, and TS72. By operating in this manner, the interlock control shown in FIG. 17 can be performed for nine shutter devices 40. In the case of other interlock control, if the number of shutter devices 40 is up to nine, the setting switch TS that needs to be operated can be identified and operated in the same manner.

[0125] In this way, even if the number of shutter devices 40 that are subject to interlock control increases from five to nine, the worker can easily visually identify and operate the setting switch TS that should be operated. Therefore, even if the number of shutter devices 40 increases to six or more, a worker without special skills can quickly and reliably operate the setting switch TS that should be operated among the setting switches TS.

[0126] Incidentally, even in the fourth and fifth embodiments, only the relays 131 corresponding to the actual number of shutter devices 40 to be subject to interlock control may be installed on the control panel 1. By closing the setting switches TS corresponding to the relays 131 that are not installed, it is possible to avoid the influence of not installing the relays 131.

[0127] Although the group of selector switches KSG and the group of setting switches TSG are both arranged behind a door, they may be arranged inside the control panel 1, that is, in a location covered by a door. Also, although the group of selector switches KSG and the group of setting switches TSG are all arranged in a matrix, they may be divided into multiple switches, each of which may be arranged in a matrix. The various modified examples described above are also applicable to the first to third embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0128] 1 control panel, 2 factory, 3 warehouse, 12 power supply unit, 13 relay group, 14 first terminal block group, 15 second terminal block group, 16 select switch, 40 shutter device (electrical equipment) 100 terminal block, 101 terminal, D terminal block pair, KS, KS11 to KS188 changeover switch, KSG changeover switch group, R1c to R12c relay coil, R1s to R12s relay switch, Rsg, R1sg to R9sg relay switch group, T, T1 to T47 terminal pair, TS, TS1 to TS72 setting switch, TSG setting switch group.

Claims

1. an information input means for inputting status information representing the status of each of a plurality of electrical devices to be controlled; a signal generating means for generating a control signal for controlling the operation of each of the plurality of electrical devices in accordance with the setting, using the status information input for each of the electrical devices by the information input means, and capable of setting the control signal in accordance with the setting according to the content of cooperation between the plurality of electrical devices; A control panel comprising:

2. the signal generating means includes a plurality of generating circuits each including a plurality of switches that are opened or closed in accordance with the contents of the plurality of pieces of status information input for each of the electric devices, and a plurality of connection short-circuiting means that are each capable of short-circuiting one or more of the switches, thereby causing the corresponding generating circuit to generate the management signal for each of the electric devices; the setting of the signal generating means is performed by shorting out, for each of the generating circuits, the short-circuit target switches to be shorted among the switches provided in the generating circuits by the connection short-circuiting means corresponding to the short-circuit target switches; The control panel of claim 1 .

3. the signal generating means includes a plurality of generating circuits each including a plurality of switch groups each including at least two switches that are opened or closed in accordance with the contents of the plurality of state information input for each of the electrical devices and that are opened or closed in opposite phases, a plurality of connection short-circuiting means each capable of short-circuiting one or more of the switch groups, and a plurality of selection means each capable of selecting a switch to be enabled from the switch groups, thereby causing the corresponding generating circuit to generate the management signal for each of the electrical devices; The setting for the signal generating means is performed by selecting the switches to be enabled for each of the switch groups provided in the generating circuit by the plurality of selection means for each of the generating circuits, and shorting out a group of short-circuit target switches to be short-circuited among the switch groups provided in the generating circuit by the connection short-circuit means corresponding to the group of short-circuit target switches. The control panel of claim 1 .

4. each of the plurality of selection means provided for each of the generation circuits is a changeover switch that individually switches a switch to be enabled among the corresponding group of switches; The changeover switches are grouped into corresponding switch groups and arranged in a matrix. The control panel according to claim 3.

5. the plurality of connection short-circuiting means provided for each of the generation circuits are setting switches provided for the corresponding switch groups, and enable short-circuiting of the switch groups; The setting switches are arranged in a matrix, assuming a linkage relationship between the two electrical devices. The control panel according to claim 3.

6. When the electrical device is a switching device that operates a switching body, the status information is a status signal indicating whether the switching body is in a closed state or not, The plurality of generation circuits included in the signal generation means can be set for interlock control that restricts the opening / closing device that allows the opening / closing body to be in an open state, depending on each state of the plurality of opening / closing devices. A control panel according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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