Electrical equipment and method for connecting circuit boards of electrical equipment

Abstract

To provide an electric device with which a user can easily change a board when a user wants to change the board.SOLUTION: A connection unit 100 (electric device) includes a housing body 11, and a bottom portion 12 displaceable between a fixed position P1 arranged to be connected to the housing body 11 and a displacement position P2 at least partially separated from the housing body 11. The bottom portion 12 includes a substrate holding portion 121 that holds a first substrate 20. In the connection unit 100, the first substrate 20 held by the substrate holding portion 121 is electrically connected to a second substrate 30 arranged in the housing body 11 when the bottom portion 12 is displaced from the displacement position P2 to the fixed position P1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric device and a method for connecting boards of the electric device, and more particularly to an electric device having a housing and a method for connecting boards of the electric device. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Electrical devices equipped with a housing are known in the art (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The above-mentioned Patent Document 1 discloses a gas alarm device (electrical equipment) including an outer casing (outer housing), a front cover lid connected to the outer casing in an openable and closable manner, and a gas sensor housed in the outer casing. A main board is disposed inside the outer casing. A display unit and an operation unit are provided on the front cover lid. A display / operation circuit board is also disposed inside the front cover lid. The main board of the outer casing and the display / operation circuit board of the front cover lid are electrically connected to each other by a flat cable. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5227728 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the gas alarm device described in Patent Document 1, the circuit boards are connected to each other by a flat cable, so if a user wants to change (replace) the circuit boards, they must perform wiring work using the flat cable, which makes it difficult for the user to easily change (replace) the circuit boards.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and one object of the present invention is to provide an electrical device and a method for connecting the board of an electrical device that allows the user to easily change the board when they want to change it. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, an electrical device according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises a housing main body, a fixed position connected to and arranged on the housing main body, and a displacement portion that is displaceable between a fixed position in which the displacement portion is at least partially separated from the housing main body, the displacement portion having a board holding portion that holds a first board, and configured so that when the displacement portion is displaced from the displacement position to the fixed position, the first board held by the board holding portion is electrically connected to a second board arranged on the housing main body.

[0008] In the electrical device according to the first aspect of the present invention, as described above, the displacement section has a board holding section that holds the first board, and is configured so that when the displacement section is displaced from the displacement position to the fixed position, the first board held by the board holding section is electrically connected to the second board arranged in the housing main body. This allows the first board to be electrically connected to the second board simply by moving the displacement section from the displacement position to the fixed position, eliminating the need for wiring using a flat cable or other wiring to electrically connect the first board and the second board. As a result, when a user wishes to change (replace) the first board, the first board can be easily changed (replaced).

[0009] In the electrical device according to the first aspect, the displacement portion is preferably a bottom portion connected to the housing main body at a fixed position, and the bottom portion is configured to be displaced to the fixed position by rotating upward around a rotation axis located on the rear side of the housing main body as a rotation center and to be displaced to the displacement position by rotating downward. With this configuration, the bottom portion also serves as the displacement portion, so that the displacement portion can be provided while suppressing structural complexity. Furthermore, the bottom portion can be displaced to the fixed position or the displacement position with a simple configuration in which it is simply rotated around a rotation axis located on the rear side of the housing main body as a rotation center. As a result, the user can more easily replace the first board.

[0010] In this case, preferably, the board holding portion is configured to hold the first board in a substantially vertical position, the second board is arranged in a substantially horizontal position on the housing main body, and when the bottom portion rotates upward from the displacement position to the fixed position, the first board held in a substantially vertical position by the board holding portion is electrically connected to the second board arranged in a substantially horizontal position on the housing main body. With this configuration, the first board held in a substantially vertical position by the board holding portion is electrically connected to the second board arranged in a substantially horizontal position on the housing main body, so that even when the second board is arranged in a relatively high position on the housing main body, the first board and the second board can be easily electrically connected.

[0011] In the electrical device according to the first aspect, the electrical connection between the first and second substrates is preferably maintained when the displacement section is displaced from the fixed position to the displacement position while the first substrate is electrically connected to the second substrate. With this configuration, unlike a case where the holding force of the substrate holding section maintains the holding state of the first substrate when the displacement section is displaced from the fixed position to the displacement position, it is not necessary for the substrate holding section to have a strong holding force. As a result, the structure of the substrate holding section can be prevented from becoming complicated compared to a case where the holding force of the substrate holding section releases the electrical connection between the first and second substrates when the displacement section is displaced from the fixed position to the displacement position.

[0012] In the electric device according to the first aspect, the housing body preferably further includes a detachable front cover, and the first board held by the board holding unit can be accessed with the front cover removed. With this configuration, the first board held by the board holding unit can be accessed by removing the front cover, making it easy for a user to change the first board held by the board holding unit.

[0013] In the electrical device according to the first aspect, preferably, a plurality of board holding portions are provided, and the plurality of board holding portions are capable of holding a plurality of types of first boards. With this configuration, since a plurality of board holding portions are provided, a first board can be added later to a board holding portion of the plurality of board holding portions that does not hold a first board. Furthermore, even when a first board is added later, the first board can be easily electrically connected to the second board by simply moving the displacement portion from the displacement position to the fixed position. Furthermore, since the plurality of board holding portions can hold a plurality of types of first boards, a user can have the board holding portion hold a desired type of first board from the plurality of types of first boards. As a result, a desired function corresponding to the first board can be achieved. Furthermore, being able to easily electrically connect the first board to the second board is particularly effective in electrical devices in which the first board may be changed (replaced) or added in order to achieve a desired function corresponding to the first board.

[0014] In order to achieve the above object, a method for connecting a board of an electrical device according to a second aspect of the present invention includes the steps of: displacing a displacement section that is displaceable between a fixed position connected to and arranged on a housing main body and a displacement position in which at least a portion of the displacement section is separated from the housing main body, to a displacement position; holding a first board on a board holding section that the displacement section has at the displacement position; and electrically connecting the first board held on the board holding section to a second board arranged on the housing main body by displacing the displacement section that has held the first board on the board holding section from the displacement position to the fixed position.

[0015] A method for connecting boards of an electric device according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a step of electrically connecting the first board held by the board holding part to the second board arranged in the housing main body by displacing the displacement part, which has the first board held by the board holding part, from a displacement position to a fixed position, as described above. This makes it possible to provide a method for connecting boards of an electric device that allows a user to easily change (replace) the first board when they want to change (replace) it, similar to the electric device according to the first aspect. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, as described above, when a user wants to change the substrate, the substrate can be easily changed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a gas detection system according to one embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a connection unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a connection unit according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B illustrate a state in which the bottom of the connection unit is displaced to a fixed position according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a state in which the bottom of the connection unit is displaced to a displaced position according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the bottom of a connection unit according to one embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a perspective view (1) showing a housing main body of a connection unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view (2) showing the housing body of the connection unit according to one embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a front cover of a connection unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the bottom of the connection unit according to the modified example is displaced to a displaced position. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0019] The configuration of a gas detection system 200 including a connection unit 100 according to one embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Note that the connection unit 100 is an example of the "electrical device" in the claims.

[0020] (Gas detection system configuration) Gas detection system 200 shown in Fig. 1 is a system that takes in the atmosphere of a monitored environment and detects a target gas contained in the atmosphere. Gas detection system 200 has a function of reporting that a high concentration of target gas has been detected when the concentration of the target gas in the sampled gas is a high concentration equal to or higher than a predetermined value. The target gas may be, but is not limited to, a gas that requires monitoring, such as a gas that is toxic to the human body or a flammable gas.

[0021] Gas detection system 200 is installed, for example, in a factory that uses a gas to be detected. As an example, gas detection system 200 is installed in a semiconductor manufacturing factory to detect leaks of flammable gases such as semiconductor material gases and hydrogen gas. In this case, the monitored environment from which gas is sampled is, for example, the installation location of a gas supply device, an exhaust duct, or a worker's work area.

[0022] 1, gas detection system 200 includes a main unit 210, multiple (three) gas detection units 220, and a connection unit 100. Gas detection units 220 and connection unit 100 are units having a different configuration from main unit 210, and are units for expanding the functionality of main unit 210.

[0023] Main unit 210, the plurality of gas detection units 220, and connection unit 100 are arranged side by side, coupled, and connected to enable communication. In the example of FIG. 1, main unit 210, the plurality of gas detection units 220, and connection unit 100 have similar external shapes. Specifically, main unit 210, the plurality of gas detection units 220, and connection unit 100 all have a rectangular parallelepiped housing and a vertically long (vertically) rectangular front surface. Main unit 210, the plurality of gas detection units 220, and connection unit 100 are arranged linearly in the width direction (left and right direction). The rear surfaces of main unit 210, the plurality of gas detection units 220, and connection unit 100 are fixed to a wall or the like at the installation location via mounting members.

[0024] The main unit 210 has a control unit 211, a gas detection unit 212, and a display unit 213. The gas detection unit 212 detects a detection target gas contained in the sampled gas. The control unit 211 acquires the gas detection result (detected gas concentration) by the gas detection unit 212. The main unit 210 is configured to cause the control unit 211 to perform gas detection determination processing by the gas detection unit 212 and display the gas detection result on the display unit 213.

[0025] The gas detection unit 220 has a control unit 221 and a gas detection unit 222. The gas detection unit 222 detects a target gas contained in the sampled gas. The target gas of the gas detection unit 222 may be the same as or different from the target gas of the gas detection unit 212. The control unit 221 communicates with the control unit 211 of the main unit 210. The control unit 221 transmits an output signal of the gas detection unit 222 to the control unit 211 of the main unit 210. The control unit 211 of the main unit 210 is configured to acquire the output signal of the gas detection unit 222 and perform gas detection determination processing of the gas detection unit 220.

[0026] Gas detection unit 220 that detects the same gas as the target gas of gas detection section 212 has an expansion function that increases the number of gas detection sections compared to main unit 210. Gas detection unit 220 that detects a gas different from the target gas of gas detection section 212 has an expansion function that increases the number of gas species that can be simultaneously detected compared to main unit 210.

[0027] The connection unit 100 has a connection section for inputting and / or outputting signals. The connection section is a signal input terminal or output terminal for connecting to an external device. The connection unit 100 has an expansion function for increasing the maximum number of signal input connections, the maximum number of signal output connections, or the number of types of interfaces that can be connected to the main unit 210.

[0028] The main unit 210 is configured to perform signal input processing or signal output processing between the main unit 210 and an external device connected to the connection unit 100. The connection unit 100 is connected to, for example, a plurality of alarms as external devices, and the main unit 210 outputs signals to each of the alarms via the connection unit 100. The connection unit 100 is connected to, for example, a plurality of gas detectors as external devices, and the main unit 210 receives signal inputs from each of the gas detectors via the connection unit 100.

[0029] (Connection unit configuration) Next, the detailed configuration of the connection unit 100 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0030] 2 and 3, the connection unit 100 includes a housing 10. The housing 10 houses a first board 20, a second board 30, and a third board 40.

[0031] The first board 20 is a board for expanding the functionality of the main unit 210. The first board 20 can be any of a number of types of boards.

[0032] One of the multiple types of first substrates 20 is an analog input substrate. The analog input substrate has multiple input connection sections for analog output signals (4-20 mA analog signals). For example, gas detectors are connected to the analog input substrate as external devices, and analog output signals, which are gas detection signals from the respective gas detectors, are input. The control section 211 of the main unit 210 performs gas detection determination processing on the signals from the respective gas detectors acquired via the analog input substrate.

[0033] One of the multiple types of first boards 20 is a contact output board. The contact output board has multiple connection parts for outputting contact signals. To the contact output board, for example, alarms (such as an alarm buzzer or an alarm light) are connected as external devices. The control unit 211 of the main unit 210 can operate each alarm by outputting a contact signal to the control devices via the contact output board.

[0034] One of the multiple types of first boards 20 is an analog output board. The analog output board has multiple output connection sections for analog signals. For example, an analog input compatible host system or a signal processing device is connected to the analog output board as external equipment. The control section 211 of the main unit 210 performs processing to output the detected gas concentration signal as a 4-20 mA analog signal to these devices via the analog output board.

[0035] One of the multiple types of first boards 20 is a digital communication board. The digital communication board has a digital communication connection section. The digital communication connection section of the digital communication board is an interface different from the communication interface provided in the main unit 210. For example, the main unit 210 has an interface using an RJ-45 connector and performs communication compliant with Ethernet (registered trademark) or Modbus (registered trademark) / TCP, while the digital communication board has a digital communication connection section using an RS-485 connector and performs communication compliant with Modbus (registered trademark) / RTU. This allows the control unit 211 of the main unit 210 to perform digital communication with a higher-level system that employs an interface not provided in the main unit 210, via the digital communication board.

[0036] The second substrate 30 is a base substrate for power supply and communication. The second substrate 30 supplies power from the main unit 210 to the first substrate 20 and the third substrate 40. The second substrate 30 connects the main unit 210 and the first substrate 20 so that they can communicate with each other.

[0037] The third substrate 40 is an LED substrate on which an LED (light emitting diode) is mounted. The third substrate 40 is configured to light up an indicator 133, which will be described later, using the LED.

[0038] <Case configuration> The housing 10 includes a housing main body 11, a bottom 12, and a front cover 13. The bottom 12 is attached to the housing main body 11. The front cover 13 is configured to be detachable from the housing main body 11. The bottom 12 is an example of a "displacement portion" in the claims.

[0039] The housing body 11 constitutes a rear cover of the housing 10. The housing body 11 is configured so that the rear surface 111 can be attached to a mounting surface such as a wall via an attachment member. The housing body 11 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The housing body 11 has an opening 11a (see FIG. 7) that opens downward (toward the Z2 direction) at its lower part, and an opening 11b (see FIG. 7) that opens forward (toward the Y1 direction) at its front part. The front cover 13 also has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The front cover 13 has an opening 13a (see FIG. 9) that opens downward (toward the Z2 direction) at its lower part, and an opening 13b (see FIG. 9) that opens rearward (toward the Y2 direction) at its rear part. The front cover 13 is attached to the housing body 11 so that the opening 11b of the housing body 11 and its own opening 13b are connected in the front-to-rear direction (the Y direction).

[0040] Bottom portion 12 constitutes the bottom surface of housing 10. Bottom portion 12 is disposed across housing main body 11 and front cover 13. Bottom portion 12 is disposed so as to close opening 11a (see FIG. 7) of housing main body 11 and opening 13a (see FIG. 9) of front cover 13 from below.

[0041] 4 and 5, in this embodiment, the bottom 12 is configured to be displaceable between a fixed position P1 where the bottom 12 is connected to the housing body 11 and a displaced position P2 where at least a portion of the bottom 12 is separated from the housing body 11. The bottom 12 also has a board holding portion 121 that holds the first board 20. The connection unit 100 is configured so that when the bottom 12 is displaced from the displaced position P2 to the fixed position P1, the first board 20 held by the board holding portion 121 is electrically connected to the second board 30 arranged in the housing body 11. Note that, "electrically connecting the first board 20 to the second board 30" means that the connector 21 of the first board 20 is electrically connected to the connector 31 of the second board 30. When the bottom 12 is displaced from the displaced position P2 to the fixed position P1, the connector 21 of the first board 20 can be directly connected to the connector 31 of the second board 30. The fixed position P1 is a position where the bottom 12 is connected to the opening 11a of the housing body 11 and closes the opening 11a. The displaced position P2 is a position where at least a portion of the bottom 12 is separated from the opening 11a of the housing body 11 and does not close at least a portion of the opening 11a.

[0042] As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the bottom 12 has a board holding portion 121, a shaft engaging portion 122, a fixed position engaging portion 123, an operating lever 124, a displacement position engaging portion 125, a wire insertion portion 126, and a guide portion 127.

[0043] The board holding portion 121 is configured as a slot-shaped groove extending in the front-rear direction (Y direction). The board holding portion 121 is formed to be recessed downward (Z2 direction side). The lower end portion of the first board 20 is inserted into the groove, so that the board holding portion 121 holds the lower end portion of the first board 20 from the left-right direction (X direction side) and supports it from below (Z1 direction side). The board holding portion 121 is configured to hold the first board 20 in a substantially vertical position along the up-down direction (Z direction) by holding it together with a rear side positioning portion 115 (described later). The board holding portion 121 is formed on the rear side (Y2 direction side) so that the first board 20 can be accommodated in the housing main body 11.

[0044] In this embodiment, a plurality of (two) substrate holding portions 121 are provided. As described above, the plurality of substrate holding portions 121 are capable of holding a plurality of types of first substrates 20. The plurality of substrate holding portions 121 are arranged spaced apart in the left-right direction (X direction). Note that FIGS. 3 to 5 show an example in which the first substrate 20 is held by one of the plurality of substrate holding portions 121.

[0045] The shaft engaging portion 122 is configured to rotatably engage with a rotation shaft 112 that is formed at the bottom of the rear side (Y2 direction side) of the housing main body 11 and extends in the left-right direction (X direction). The shaft engaging portion 122 is formed in a notch shape so as to rotatably engage with the rotation shaft 112. The shaft engaging portions 122 are provided on both sides in the left-right direction and are configured to engage with the rotation shafts 112 that are provided on both sides in the left-right direction.

[0046] In addition, in this embodiment, the bottom 12 is configured to be displaced to a fixed position P1 by rotating upward (toward the Z1 direction) around a rotation axis 112 located at a position on the back side of the housing main body 11, and to be displaced to a displaced position P2 by rotating downward (toward the Z2 direction).

[0047] In this embodiment, the second board 30 is disposed in a substantially horizontal position on the housing main body 11. The connection unit 100 is configured so that, when the bottom 12 rotates upward (toward the Z1 direction) from the displacement position P2 to the fixed position P1, the first board 20 held by the board holding portion 121 in a substantially vertical position along the up-down direction (Z direction) is electrically connected to the second board 30 disposed in a substantially horizontal position on the housing main body 11. Specifically, the connection unit 100 is configured so that, when the bottom 12 rotates upward (toward the Z1 direction) from the displacement position P2 to the fixed position P1, the connector 21 attached facing upward to the first board 20 held by the board holding portion 121 in a substantially vertical position along the up-down direction is electrically connected to the connector 31 attached facing downward to the second board 30 disposed in a substantially horizontal position on the housing main body 11. When the bottom 12 rotates upward from the displacement position P2 to the fixed position P1, the connector 21 of the first board 20 is electrically connected to the connector 31 of the second board 30 while being moved in the vertical direction.

[0048] Connectors 21 and 31 are connected with a floating structure that can absorb positional deviations in the vertical and horizontal directions (X and Y directions) that are approximately perpendicular to the connection direction (Z direction), and are configured so that connectors 21 and 31 can be connected without any problems even if the position of connector 21 relative to connector 31 shifts slightly when bottom 12 rotates. Connector 31 is a male connector, and connector 21 is a female connector that has a floating portion (movable portion) that makes the contact portion with connector 31 movable.

[0049] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the connection unit 100 is configured such that, when the bottom 12 is displaced from the fixed position P1 to the displaced position P2 while the first substrate 20 is electrically connected to the second substrate 30, the electrical connection between the first substrate 20 and the second substrate 30 is maintained. That is, after the first substrate 20 is electrically connected to the second substrate 30, even if the bottom 12 is rotated downward (in the Z2 direction) from the fixed position P1 to the displaced position P2, at least a portion of the first substrate 20 does not come off the substrate holding portion 121, and the electrical connection between the first substrate 20 and the second substrate 30 is not released. The holding force between the connector 21 of the first substrate 20 and the connector 31 of the second substrate 30 is greater than the holding force between the first substrate 20 and the substrate holding portion 121. Note that FIG. 5 shows a state before the first substrate 20 is electrically connected to the second substrate 30.

[0050] The fixed position engaging portion 123 is provided to stop the bottom portion 12 at the fixed position P1. The fixed position engaging portion 123 is configured to stop the bottom portion 12 at the fixed position P1 by engaging with an engaged portion 113 (see FIG. 7) formed at the bottom inside the housing main body 11. The fixed position engaging portion 123 is configured as a claw portion that protrudes outward in the left-right direction (X direction). The engaged portion 113 is configured as a claw portion that protrudes inward in the left-right direction. The fixed position engaging portion 123 is configured to engage with the engaged portion 113 by being caught on the engaged portion 113 from above (Z1 direction side). The fixed position engaging portion 123 is provided on both left-right sides and configured to engage with the engaged portions 113 provided on both left-right sides. The fixed position engaging portion 123 is connected to an operating lever 124.

[0051] The operating lever 124 is a lever operated by the user. The operating lever 124 is supported in a cantilevered manner on the main body of the bottom part 12 so as to be elastically deformed (flexed) inward in the left-right direction (X direction). When the operating lever 124 is elastically deformed inward in the left-right direction by the user's operation, the fixed position engaging part 123 connected to the operating lever 124 is moved inward in the left-right direction. Then, the engagement between the fixed position engaging part 123 and the engaged part 113 is released, and the bottom part 12 becomes displaceable from the fixed position P1 to the displaced position P2. The operating levers 124 are provided on both sides in the left-right direction.

[0052] The displacement position engaging portion 125 is provided to stop the bottom 12 at the displacement position P2. The displacement position engaging portion 125 is configured to stop the bottom 12 at the displacement position P2 by engaging with an engaged portion 114 (see FIG. 7) formed at the bottom inside the housing main body 11. This makes it possible to prevent excessive load from being applied to the wiring 50, which will be described later (see FIG. 3), even when the bottom 12 is displaced to the displacement position P2 with the wiring 50 (see FIG. 3) inserted through the wiring insertion portion 126.

[0053] The displacement position engaging portion 125 is configured as a claw portion that protrudes outward in the left-right direction (X direction). The engaged portion 114 is configured as a stepped portion that protrudes inward in the left-right direction. The displacement position engaging portion 125 is configured to engage with the engaged portion 114 by being caught on the engaged portion 114 from above (Z1 direction side). The displacement position engaging portion 125 is formed at a position (position on the Z1 direction side) slightly higher than the fixed position engaging portion 123. As a result, when the bottom portion 12 is displaced to the fixed position P1, the displacement position engaging portion 125 does not engage with the engaged portion 114, but when the bottom portion 12 is displaced to the displacement position P2, the displacement position engaging portion 125 engages with the engaged portion 114. The displacement position engaging portion 125 is positioned closer to the rotation shaft 112 (Y2 direction side) than the fixed position engaging portion 123. The displacement position engaging portions 125 are provided on both sides in the left-right direction and are configured to engage with the engaged portions 114 provided on both sides in the left-right direction.

[0054] The wiring insertion portion 126 is configured so that the wiring 50 (see FIG. 3) connected to the wiring connection portion 22 of the first substrate 20 is inserted therethrough. The wiring insertion portion 126 is configured as a through-hole that penetrates the bottom portion 12 in the vertical direction (Z direction). The wiring insertion portion 126 also has a wiring protection portion 126a disposed therein for protecting the wiring 50. The wiring protection portion 126a is a rubber grommet. The connection unit 100 is configured so that the wiring 50 is drawn from inside the housing 10 to outside the housing 10 via the wiring protection portion 126a of the wiring insertion portion 126.

[0055] The guide portion 127 is configured to guide movement of the front cover 13 in the front-rear direction (Y direction) when attaching or detaching the front cover 13 to or from the housing body 11. The guide portion 127 is formed in a plate shape that protrudes outward in the left-right direction (X direction) and extends in the front-rear direction. The guide portion 127 is configured to guide a rib 131 (see FIG. 9 ) formed at a lower part inside the front cover 13. The rib 131 is formed to protrude inward in the left-right direction and extend in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, when the front cover 13 is attached to the housing body 11, the guide portion 127 is disposed above the rib 131 (Z1 direction side) so as to face the rib 131 in the up-down direction (Z direction). That is, when the front cover 13 is attached to the housing body 11, if the bottom portion 12 attempts to rotate downward (Z2 direction side), the guide portion 127 is hooked from above on the rib 131, thereby restricting the downward rotation of the bottom portion 12. The guide portion 127 also serves as a restricting portion.

[0056] 7 and 8, the housing body 11 is formed with a rear-side positioning portion 115 and a front-side positioning portion 116 for positioning the first substrate 20 connected to the second substrate 30. The rear-side positioning portion 115 is formed in the rear portion of the housing body 11 and is configured as a notched groove recessed toward the rear side (Y2 direction side). The rear end portion of the first substrate 20 is inserted into the groove, thereby positioning the rear end portion of the first substrate 20 in the rear direction (Y2 direction) and the left-right direction (X direction). A plurality of rear-side positioning portions 115 are arranged spaced apart in the up-down direction (Z direction). A plurality (two) of the rear-side positioning portions 115 are provided spaced apart in the left-right direction to correspond to the plurality (two) of first substrates 20 and substrate holding portions 121. In addition, the rear side positioning portion 115 holds the first substrate 20 together with the substrate holding portion 121 when displacing the bottom 12 from the displacement position P2 to the fixed position P1 to electrically connect the first substrate 20 to the second substrate 30.

[0057] The front side positioning portion 116 is formed on the upper side of the housing main body 11 and is configured as a notched groove recessed on the front side (Y1 direction side). The front side positioning portion 116 is configured to position the position of the upper part of the front end portion of the first substrate 20 in the forward direction (Y1 direction) and the left-right direction (X direction) by inserting the upper part of the front end portion of the first substrate 20 into the groove. Furthermore, a plurality (two) of the front side positioning portions 116 are provided to correspond to the plurality (two) of first substrates 20 and substrate holding portions 121.

[0058] Furthermore, the connection unit 100 is configured so that, when the bottom 12 is displaced from the displacement position P2 to the fixed position P1, the first board 20 held by the board holding portion 121 and the rear-side positioning portion 115 is disposed in the front-side positioning portion 116. That is, the connection unit 100 is configured so that, when the bottom 12 is displaced from the displacement position P2 to the fixed position P1, the lower end of the first board 20 is inserted into the groove of the board holding portion 121, and the rear end of the first board 20 is inserted into the groove of the rear-side positioning portion 115, and then the upper part of the front end of the first board 20 is inserted into the groove of the front-side positioning portion 116. As a result, after electrically connecting the first board 20 to the second board 30, when a user connects wiring 50 to the wiring connection portion 22 of the first board 20, the first board 20 is positioned by the rear-side positioning portion 115 and the front-side positioning portion 116, and therefore the wiring 50 can be connected with the position of the first board 20 stabilized.

[0059] The housing body 11 is also formed with a board holding portion 117 that holds the second board 30. The board holding portion 117 is composed of a groove portion 117a and a rib 117b formed in an upper portion inside the housing body 11. The board holding portion 117 is configured to support the lower surface of the second board 30 from below and to position the second board 30 in a substantially horizontal position in the housing body 11. The lower surface of the second board 30 is also provided with a plurality (two) of connectors 31 corresponding to the plurality (two) of first boards 20 and the board holding portion 121. The front portion of the upper surface of the second board 30 is also provided with a connector 32 that is electrically connected to the connector 41 (see FIG. 9) of the third board 40.

[0060] 3, the front cover 13 is configured to be attached to and detached from the housing main body 11 with the bottom 12 displaced to a fixed position P1. The front cover 13 is configured to be slid forward (Y1 direction) to be removed from the housing main body 11. The front cover 13 is configured to be slid backward (Y2 direction) to be attached to the housing main body 11.

[0061] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the connection unit 100 is configured so that the first board 20 held by the board holding portion 121 can be accessed with the front cover 13 removed. That is, the connection unit 100 is configured so that by removing the front cover 13 from the housing body 11, the first board 20 is exposed to the outside, and the first board 20 held by the board holding portion 121 can be accessed.

[0062] Furthermore, the connection unit 100 is configured so that, when the front cover 13 is attached to the housing body 11, the third board 40 arranged on the front cover 13 is electrically connected to the second board 30 arranged on the housing body 11. Here, the third board 40 being electrically connected to the second board 30 means that the connector 41 of the third board 40 is electrically connected to the connector 32 of the second board 30. When the front cover 13 is attached to the housing body 11, the connector 41 of the third board 40 can be directly connected to the connector 32 of the second board 30. The connection unit 100 is configured so that, when the front cover 13 slides rearward (in the Y2 direction), the third board 40 held in a substantially horizontal position by the front cover 13 is electrically connected to the second board 30 arranged in a substantially horizontal position on the housing body 11. Specifically, the connection unit 100 is configured so that when the front cover 13 slides rearward (Y2 direction), a connector 41 attached rearward to a third board 40 held in an approximately horizontal position on the front cover 13 is electrically connected to a connector 32 attached forward to a second board 30 arranged in an approximately horizontal position on the housing main body 11.

[0063] As shown in Fig. 9, the front cover 13 is formed with a board holding portion 132 that holds the third board 40. The board holding portion 132 is composed of a groove portion 132a and a rib formed in the upper part inside the front cover 13. The board holding portion 132 is configured to support the lower surface of the third board 40 from below and to position the third board 40 in a substantially horizontal position on the front cover 13. In addition, a connector 41 that is electrically connected to the connector 32 (see Fig. 7) of the second board 30 is provided at the rear of the upper surface of the third board 40.

[0064] 2 and 3, a plurality of (three) indicators 133 that are illuminated by LEDs on the third board 40 are formed on the front surface of the front cover 13. The plurality of indicators 133 are configured to indicate different states. For example, the plurality of indicators 133 indicate the state of power supply from the main unit 210 to the first board 20 and the communication state of the first board 20 by lighting up.

[0065] (Work to change the first board) Next, the operation of the user to change (replace) the first substrate 20 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0066] As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, first, the front cover 13 is removed from the housing body 11. Then, the bottom 12 is displaced from the fixed position P1 to the displaced position P2. At this time, the first board 20 remains connected to the second board 30. Then, the first board 20 is removed through the opening 11a. Then, at the displaced position P2, a new first board 20 is held by the board holder 121 through the opening 11a. Then, the bottom 12 with the new first board 20 held by the board holder 121 is displaced from the displaced position P2 to the fixed position P1. As a result, the new first board 20 held by the board holder 121 is electrically connected to the second board 30 arranged in the housing body 11. Then, the front cover 13 is attached to the housing body 11. As a result, the third board 40 arranged on the front cover 13 is electrically connected to the second board 30 arranged in the housing body 11. After that, the user completes the operation of changing (replacing) the first board 20. If there is a board holding portion 121 that is not holding a first board 20, the user can add the first board 20. The work of adding the first board 20 by the user is similar to the work of changing the first board 20, except that there is no step of removing the first board. Furthermore, the work of changing and adding the first board 20 by the user can be performed with the rear surface 111 of the housing main body 11 attached to the mounting surface.

[0067] (Effects of this embodiment) In this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0068] In this embodiment, as described above, the connection unit 100 comprises a housing main body 11, a fixed position P1 connected to and arranged on the housing main body 11, and a bottom 12 that is displaceable between a displacement position P2 in which at least a portion of the bottom 12 is separated from the housing main body 11, and the bottom 12 has a board holding portion 121 that holds a first board 20, and is configured so that when the bottom 12 is displaced from the displacement position P2 to the fixed position P1, the first board 20 held by the board holding portion 121 is electrically connected to the second board 30 arranged on the housing main body 11.

[0069] In addition, the method for connecting the substrates of the connection unit 100 includes the steps of displacing the bottom 12, which is displaceable between a fixed position P1 connected to and positioned on the housing main body 11, and a displacement position P2 in which at least a portion of the bottom 12 is separated from the housing main body 11, to a displacement position P2; holding a first substrate 20 on a substrate holding portion 121 of the bottom 12 at the displacement position P2; and electrically connecting the first substrate 20 held by the substrate holding portion 121 to a second substrate 30 arranged on the housing main body 11 by displacing the bottom 12, with the first substrate 20 held on the substrate holding portion 121, from the displacement position P2 to the fixed position P1.

[0070] With the above configuration, the first substrate 20 can be electrically connected to the second substrate 30 simply by moving the bottom 12 from the displacement position P2 to the fixed position P1, eliminating the need for wiring using a flat cable or other such wiring to electrically connect the first substrate 20 and the second substrate 30. As a result, when a user wishes to change (replace) the first substrate 20, the first substrate 20 can be easily changed (replaced).

[0071] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the bottom 12 is configured to be displaced to the fixed position P1 by rotating upward about the rotation shaft 112 located at the rear side of the housing main body 11 as a rotation center, and to be displaced to the displacement position P2 by rotating downward. As a result, the bottom 12 also serves as a displacement portion, so that the displacement portion can be provided while suppressing structural complexity. Furthermore, the bottom 12 can be displaced to the fixed position P1 or the displacement position P2 with a simple configuration in which the bottom 12 is rotated about the rotation shaft 112 located at the rear side of the housing main body 11 as a rotation center. As a result, the user can more easily perform the task of changing the first board 20.

[0072] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the board holding portion 121 is configured to hold the first board 20 in a substantially vertical position. The second board 30 is disposed in a substantially horizontal position on the housing main body 11. The connection unit 100 is configured so that, when the bottom portion 12 rotates upward from the displacement position P2 to the fixed position P1, the first board 20 held in a substantially vertical position by the board holding portion 121 is electrically connected to the second board 30 disposed in a substantially horizontal position on the housing main body 11. As a result, the first board 20 held in a substantially vertical position by the board holding portion 121 is electrically connected to the second board 30 disposed in a substantially horizontal position on the housing main body 11. Therefore, even when the second board 30 is disposed at a relatively high position on the housing main body 11, the first board 20 and the second board 30 can be easily electrically connected.

[0073] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, as described above, the connection unit 100 is configured such that, when the bottom 12 is displaced from the fixed position P1 to the displaced position P2 while the first substrate 20 is electrically connected to the second substrate 30, the electrical connection between the first substrate 20 and the second substrate 30 is maintained. This eliminates the need for the substrate holding portion 121 to have a strong holding force, unlike when the holding force of the substrate holding portion 121 maintains the holding state of the first substrate 20 when the bottom 12 is displaced from the fixed position P1 to the displaced position P2. As a result, the structure of the substrate holding portion 121 can be prevented from becoming more complex than when the holding force of the substrate holding portion 121 releases the electrical connection between the first substrate 20 and the second substrate 30 when the bottom 12 is displaced from the fixed position P1 to the displaced position P2.

[0074] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the connection unit 100 is provided with the front cover 13 that is detachable from the housing main body 11, and is configured so that the first board 20 held by the board holding portion 121 can be accessed with the front cover 13 removed. This allows access to the first board 20 held by the board holding portion 121 by removing the front cover 13, so that the user can easily change the first board 20 held by the board holding portion 121.

[0075] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, a plurality of substrate holding portions 121 are provided. The plurality of substrate holding portions 121 can hold a plurality of types of first substrates 20. As a result, since a plurality of substrate holding portions 121 are provided, a first substrate 20 can be added later to a substrate holding portion 121 among the plurality of substrate holding portions 121 that does not hold a first substrate 20. Furthermore, even when a first substrate 20 is added later, the first substrate 20 can be easily electrically connected to the second substrate 30 simply by moving the bottom portion 12 from the displacement position P2 to the fixed position P1. Furthermore, since the plurality of substrate holding portions 121 can hold a plurality of types of first substrates 20, the user can cause the substrate holding portion 121 to hold a desired type of first substrate 20 from the plurality of types of first substrates 20. As a result, a desired function corresponding to the first substrate 20 can be exhibited. Furthermore, in a connection unit 100 in which the first substrate 20 may be changed (replaced) or added in order to perform the desired function according to the first substrate 20, it is particularly effective to be able to easily electrically connect the first substrate 20 to the second substrate 30.

[0076] [Variations] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims rather than the description of the above embodiments, and further includes all modifications (variations) within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0077] For example, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the present invention is applied to the connection unit of a gas detection system, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be applied to electrical equipment other than the connection unit of a gas detection system.

[0078] In the above embodiment, the displacement portion is formed by the bottom portion, but the present invention is not limited to this. The displacement portion may be formed by a top portion or a side portion other than the bottom portion.

[0079] In the above embodiment, the bottom portion (displaceable portion) is displaced between the fixed position and the displaceable position by rotating around the rotation axis, but the present invention is not limited to this. The displaceable portion may be displaced between the fixed position and the displaceable position by a sliding movement other than rotation.

[0080] In the above embodiment, the pivot shaft is formed on the housing body, but the present invention is not limited to this. The pivot shaft may be formed on the bottom. In this case, it is sufficient that the pivot engaging portion is formed on the housing body.

[0081] In addition, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which two substrate holders were provided to hold the first substrate, but the present invention is not limited to this. One substrate holder, or three or more substrate holders may be provided to hold the first substrate.

[0082] In addition, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the substrate holder that holds the first substrate is capable of holding multiple types of first substrates, but the present invention is not limited to this. The substrate holder that holds the first substrate may be capable of holding only one type of first substrate.

[0083] In addition, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which a first substrate held in a substantially vertical position by the substrate holding portion was electrically connected to a second substrate arranged in a substantially horizontal position on the housing main body, but the present invention is not limited to this. As long as the first substrate and the second substrate can be electrically connected, the orientation of the first substrate and the orientation of the second substrate may be any orientation. For example, a first substrate held in a substantially vertical position by the substrate holding portion may be electrically connected to a second substrate arranged in a substantially vertical position on the housing main body, or a first substrate held in a substantially horizontal position by the substrate holding portion may be electrically connected to a second substrate arranged in a substantially horizontal position on the housing main body.

[0084] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the electrical connection between the first substrate and the second substrate is maintained when the displacement section is displaced from the fixed position to the displacement position while the first substrate is electrically connected to the second substrate, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the electrical connection between the first substrate and the second substrate may be released when the displacement section is displaced from the fixed position to the displacement position while the first substrate is electrically connected to the second substrate.

[0085] In the above embodiment, the first substrate is a substrate for function expansion, and the second substrate is a base substrate for power supply and communication, but the present invention is not limited to this. The first substrate and the second substrate may be any substrate. In the above embodiment, the third substrate is an LED substrate, but the third substrate may also be any substrate.

[0086] In the above embodiment, the connection unit is configured such that, when the bottom portion 12 rotates upward from the displacement position to the fixed position, the first board held by the board holder 121 in a substantially vertical position along the up-down direction is electrically connected to the second board 30 arranged in a substantially horizontal position on the housing main body 11. However, the present invention is not limited to this. As shown in a modified example in FIG. 10 , the connection unit 100 may be configured such that, when the bottom portion 12 rotates upward (toward the Z1 direction) from the displacement position P2 to the fixed position P1, the first board 20 held by the board holder 121 in a substantially vertical position while slightly tilted with respect to the up-down direction is electrically connected to the second board 30 arranged in a substantially horizontal position on the housing main body 11. In this case, when the bottom portion 12 rotates upward from the displacement position P2 to the fixed position P1, the connector 21 of the first board 20 is electrically connected to the connector 31 of the second board 30 while being rotated about the rotation axis 112. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 11. Main body 12 Bottom (displacement part) 13 Front cover 20 First board 21 Connector 30 Second board 31 Connector 100 Connection unit (electrical equipment) 112 Rotating shaft 121 Board holding part P1 fixed position P2 displacement position

Claims

1. A housing body, a displacement portion that is displaceable between a fixed position that is connected to the housing body and a displacement position in which at least a portion of the displacement portion is separated from the housing body, the displacement unit has a substrate holding unit that holds a first substrate, An electrical device configured so that when the displacement portion is displaced from the displacement position to the fixed position, the first substrate held by the substrate holding portion is electrically connected to a second substrate arranged in the housing main body.

2. the displacement portion is a bottom portion that is connected to the housing main body at the fixed position, 2. The electrical device according to claim 1, wherein the bottom portion is configured to be displaced to the fixed position by rotating upward around a rotation axis located at a position on the rear side of the housing main body as a rotation center, and to be displaced to the displaced position by rotating downward.

3. the substrate holder is configured to hold the first substrate in a substantially vertical position, The second substrate is disposed in a substantially horizontal position in the housing body, 3. The electrical device of claim 2, wherein when the bottom portion rotates upward from the displacement position to the fixed position, the first substrate held in a substantially vertical position by the substrate holding portion is electrically connected to the second substrate arranged in a substantially horizontal position on the housing main body.

4. The electrical device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein when the displacement portion is displaced from the fixed position to the displacement position while the first substrate is electrically connected to the second substrate, the electrical connection state between the first substrate and the second substrate is maintained.

5. a front cover that is detachable from the housing body; 5. The electrical device according to claim 1, wherein the first board held by the board holding portion is accessible with the front cover removed.

6. The substrate holder is provided in plurality, The electrical device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the plurality of substrate holders are capable of holding a plurality of types of the first substrates.

7. a step of displacing a displacement unit displaceable between a fixed position connected to a housing body and a displacement position where at least a portion of the displacement unit is separated from the housing body, to the displacement position; a step of holding a first substrate on a substrate holding portion of the displacement portion at the displacement position; a step of electrically connecting the first board held by the board holding portion to a second board arranged on the housing main body by displacing the displacement portion that holds the first board on the board holding portion from the displacement position to the fixed position.

Images