Fire alarm equipment and method for attaching circuit boards to fire alarm equipment

Abstract

To obtain a fire alarm system device and a method for mounting a circuit board onto a fire alarm system device, which can reduce the amount of work required for screwing when mounting the circuit board compared to conventional methods.SOLUTION: A fire alarm system device includes: a housing; a circuit board attached to a mounting surface provided on the housing; first locking portions that hold a first edge of the circuit board between themselves and the mounting surface; and second locking portions that hold a second edge of the circuit board intersecting the first edge between themselves and the mounting surface. An upper surface of the second locking portion has an inclined surface that allows the circuit board to slide and drop to the mounting surface when the circuit board is placed on it with the first edge inserted between the first locking portion and the mounting surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fire alarm facility device with a circuit board attached thereto, and a method for attaching a circuit board to a fire alarm facility device. [Background Art]

[0002] A circuit board with circuit components mounted thereon is installed in a housing of a fire alarm facility device such as a fire receiver and an indicator. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that one side of the circuit board is inserted between a screw stud provided on the main body frame and an L-shaped locking piece, and the locking claw of another locking piece is locked onto the upper surface of the circuit board. Furthermore, in Patent Document 1, a screw insertion hole provided in the circuit board is arranged on a screw stud provided in the main body frame, and a screw is inserted into the screw insertion hole and the screw stud for screwing. [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-326389 [Summary of the Invention] [Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] Each of the methods for fixing a circuit board using locking pieces and screws disclosed in Patent Document 1 has advantages, but the problem is the large number of work steps involved in screwing. That is, the screwing work involves multiple steps including positioning the circuit board, inserting the screw into the screw insertion hole, and screwing the screw, which results in a relatively large number of work steps. For this reason, there has been a demand for a technology that can reduce the number of work steps involved in screwing.

[0005] The present invention has been made against the background of the above problems, and provides a fire alarm facility device and a method for attaching a circuit board to a fire alarm facility device, which can reduce the number of work steps involved in screwing during attachment of the circuit board compared with the conventional art. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The fire alarm system device according to the present invention comprises a housing, a circuit board attached to a mounting surface provided on the housing, a first locking portion that holds the first edge of the circuit board between itself and the mounting surface, and a second locking portion that holds the second edge of the circuit board that intersects the first edge between itself and the mounting surface, wherein the upper surface of the second locking portion has an inclined surface that, when the circuit board is placed on it with its first edge inserted between the first locking portion and the mounting surface, slides the circuit board and drops it onto the mounting surface.

[0007] The present invention relates to a method for attaching a circuit board to a fire alarm system device, wherein the fire alarm system device is provided with a first locking portion having a first claw portion extending in a first direction, which holds the first edge of the circuit board between the first claw portion and the mounting surface of the circuit board, and a second locking portion having an inclined surface on its upper surface that approaches the mounting surface along a second direction intersecting the first direction, which holds the second edge of the circuit board intersecting the first edge between itself and the mounting surface, and the attachment method involves tilting the circuit board so that the first edge is down and the other edge parallel to the first edge is up, The method comprises the steps of: moving the circuit board in the opposite direction to the first direction to insert the first edge between the first claw and the mounting surface; bringing the other edge of the circuit board, with the first edge inserted between the first claw and the mounting surface, closer to the mounting surface to place the circuit board on the inclined surface of the second locking portion; and moving the circuit board, which is placed on the inclined surface and has fallen onto the mounting surface along the inclined surface, in the opposite direction to the second direction to insert the second edge of the circuit board between the second locking portion and the mounting surface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, when the circuit board is placed on an inclined surface provided on the upper surface of the second locking part with its first edge inserted between the mounting surface and the first locking part, the circuit board falls along the inclined surface onto the mounting surface. Then, by sliding the fallen circuit board, the second edge of the circuit board that intersects with the first edge is held between the second locking part and the mounting surface. In this way, the two intersecting edges of the circuit board are held by the first locking part and the second locking part, which reduces the number of screw fastening points even when screw fastening of the circuit board is required. Furthermore, since the two intersecting edges of the circuit board are fixed, the circuit board is positioned horizontally with respect to the mounting surface, so even when screw fastening of the circuit board is required, the alignment of the screw holes is achieved simultaneously, reducing the man-hours required for screw fastening. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the fire alarm receiver according to the embodiment, with the door open. [Figure 2] This is a front view of a circuit board according to an embodiment and a circuit board mounted on a mounting surface. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view illustrating the first locking portion according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view illustrating the second locking portion according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] This figure illustrates a method for mounting a circuit board to a mounting surface according to an embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and illustrated forms, and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the present invention includes all possible combinations of the configurations shown in the following embodiments. Also, in each figure, parts denoted by the same reference numerals are the same or equivalent, and this is common throughout the entire specification.

[0011] Embodiment. Figure 1 is a perspective view of the fire alarm receiver 1 according to an embodiment with the door 3 open. The fire alarm receiver 1 is connected to a detector line and an alarm transmission line (not shown). When it receives an alarm signal from a fire detector connected to the detector line, it makes an alarm and also synchronizes smoke control equipment, etc., connected to the alarm transmission line. The fire alarm receiver 1 has a housing made of metal plates. The housing has a box-shaped main body 2 with one side open, and a door 3 that opens and closes the opening of the main body 2. The inner surface of the door 3 is provided with a mounting surface 4 and a circuit board 5 attached to the mounting surface 4. The circuit board 5 is attached to the mounting surface 4 by a first locking part 6, a second locking part 7, and screws 8.

[0012] Figure 2 is a front view of the circuit board 5 according to the embodiment and the circuit board 5 mounted on the mounting surface 4. Figure 2(A) is a front view of the circuit board 5, and Figure 2(B) is a front view of the circuit board 5 mounted on the mounting surface 4.

[0013] In the following explanation, terms indicating direction will be used as appropriate to facilitate understanding. Directions will be explained based on the state of the circuit board 5 placed on a horizontal surface, as viewed from the front as shown in Figure 2. In Figure 2, the XY plane is the horizontal plane. The X direction is also called the first direction, and the -X direction is also called the opposite of the first direction. The Y direction is perpendicular to the X direction and is also called the second direction. The -Y direction is also called the opposite of the second direction. The ZZ direction shown in Figures 2 to 5, which will be described later, is the up and down direction, and the Z direction is also called the upward direction, and the -Z direction is also called the downward direction.

[0014] As shown in Figure 2(A), the circuit board 5 has a first side 51 extending along the Y direction, a second side 52 extending along the X direction intersecting or perpendicular to the first side 51, and a third side 53 parallel to the first side 51. In the example in Figure 2, the circuit board 5 has a shape in which the lower right region of the paper is cut out, but the external shape of the circuit board 5 is not limited to the illustrated example, and it is sufficient to have sides corresponding to the first side 51, the second side 52, and the third side 53. The circuit board 5 is provided with one or more screw holes 54 into which screws 8 are inserted. Although not shown, circuit components such as electrical circuits, terminals to which signal lines are connected, light-emitting elements such as LEDs, liquid crystal screens, or operating switches are mounted on the mounting surface of the circuit board 5, and a circuit pattern is formed on the mounting surface of the circuit board 5 using a conductor such as copper foil.

[0015] As shown in Figure 2(B), the circuit board 5 is mounted on the mounting surface 4. In this embodiment, the mounting surface 4 is a synthetic resin component provided on the inner surface of the door 3 (see Figure 1). The mounting surface 4 may also be the inner or outer surface of the door 3, the inner or outer surface of the wall constituting the main body 2, or the surface of a plate-shaped component installed inside the main body 2.

[0016] The mounting surface 4 is provided with one or more first locking parts 6 and one or more second locking parts 7, and the circuit board 5 is held between these and the mounting surface 4. The screw 8 is inserted into the screw hole 54 shown in Figure 2(A) and screwed into a screw fixing part (not shown) provided on the mounting surface 4.

[0017] Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating the first locking portion 6 according to an embodiment. The first locking portion 6 has a plate-shaped or rod-shaped first base portion 61 that protrudes in the Z direction from the mounting surface 4, and a plate-shaped or rod-shaped first claw portion 62 that extends in the X direction from the upper tip of the first base portion 61. The first locking portion 6 is an L-shaped member when viewed in the Y direction. In the Z direction, there is a space between the first claw portion 62 and the mounting surface 4, and the first side 51 of the circuit board 5 is held in this space. The lower surface of the first claw portion 62 may be in contact with the upper surface of the circuit board 5, or there may be a gap between the lower surface of the first claw portion 62 and the upper surface of the circuit board 5 to facilitate the movement of the circuit board 5.

[0018] FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the second locking portion 7 according to the embodiment. The second locking portion 7 includes a plate-shaped or rod-shaped second base portion 71 protruding in the Z-direction from the mounting surface 4, and a plate-shaped or rod-shaped second claw portion 72 extending in the Y-direction from the upper tip end of the second base portion 71. An inclined surface 73 is provided on the upper surface of the second locking portion 7, that is, the upper surface of the second claw portion 72 in the present embodiment. The inclined surface 73 descends along the Y-direction and approaches the mounting surface 4. There is a space between the second claw portion 72 and the mounting surface 4 in the Z-direction, and the second side 52 of the circuit board 5 is held in this space. The lower surface of the second claw portion 72 may be in contact with the upper surface of the circuit board 5, or a gap for facilitating movement of the circuit board 5 may be provided between the lower surface of the second claw portion 72 and the upper surface of the circuit board 5.

[0019] The first locking portion 6 and the second locking portion 7 may be configured integrally with the mounting surface 4, or may be formed as separate members from the mounting surface 4 and attached to the mounting surface 4. For example, in the present embodiment, the mounting surface 4, the first locking portion 6 and the second locking portion 7 are integrally molded of synthetic resin, and the integrally molded member is fixed to the door 3 (see FIG. 1).

[0020] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a method of attaching the circuit board 5 to the mounting surface 4 according to the embodiment. The circuit board 5 is attached to the mounting surface 4 in the order of FIGS. 5(A) to 5(E). In FIG. 5, the outline arrows indicate the moving direction of the circuit board 5. During the attaching work, it is assumed that the mounting surface 4 is placed on a workbench or the like so as to be substantially horizontal.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 5(A), the circuit board 5 is in a state of being inclined such that the first side 51 faces downward (deep into the paper surface of FIG. 5) and the third side 53 faces upward (toward the front of the paper surface of FIG. 5). At this time, the third side 53 is inclined so as to be positioned above the upper surface of the second locking portion 7. The circuit board 5 in such an inclined state is moved in the -X direction, and the first side 51 is inserted between the first locking portion 6 and the mounting surface 4. FIG. 5(B) shows a state where the first side 51 is sandwiched between the first claw portion 62 of the first locking portion 6 and the mounting surface 4.

[0022] As shown in Figure 5(B), the tilted circuit board 5 is brought closer to horizontal by lowering its third side 53. As shown in Figure 5(C), as the third side 53 of the circuit board 5, which was in a high position, descends, the vicinity of the second side 52 of the circuit board 5 rests on the inclined surface 73 of the second locking part 7. In this state, the hand or tool that was supporting the circuit board 5 is removed from the circuit board 5.

[0023] As a result, as shown in Figure 5(D), the circuit board 5 on the inclined surface 73 slides along the inclined surface 73 which slopes downward in the Y direction, and falls onto the mounting surface 4 due to its own weight. In this state, the circuit board 5 is moved in the -Y direction. When this is done, as shown in Figure 5(E), the second side 52 of the circuit board 5 is inserted between the second claw portion 72 of the second locking portion 7 and the mounting surface 4.

[0024] In the state shown in Figure 5(E), the position of the circuit board 5 in the XX direction is positioned by the first locking part 6, and the position of the circuit board 5 in the YY direction is positioned by the second locking part 7. This positions the circuit board 5 horizontally with respect to the mounting surface 4. By positioning the circuit board 5 horizontally, the alignment of the screw holes 54 of the circuit board 5 with the screw fixing parts (not shown) provided on the mounting surface 4 is also achieved. Subsequently, the mounting of the circuit board 5 to the mounting surface 4 is completed by inserting the screws 8 into the screw holes 54 and tightening them, as shown in Figure 2(B). Note that if the circuit board 5 is sufficiently fixed by the first locking part 6 and the second locking part 7, fixing with screws 8 is not necessary.

[0025] As described above, according to this embodiment, when the circuit board 5 is placed on the inclined surface 73 provided on the upper surface of the second locking part 7 with the first side 51 of the circuit board 5 inserted between the mounting surface 4 and the first locking part 6, the circuit board 5 falls along the inclined surface 73 onto the mounting surface 4. Then, by sliding the fallen circuit board 5 in the -Y direction, the second side 52 that intersects with the first side 51 of the circuit board 5 is held between the second locking part 7 and the mounting surface 4. In this way, the two intersecting sides of the circuit board 5 are held by the first locking part 6 and the second locking part 7, eliminating the need for screw fastening in places where screw fastening would conventionally be required. Therefore, even when screw fastening of the circuit board 5 is necessary, the number of screw fastening locations can be reduced. Furthermore, by fixing the intersecting first side 51 and second side 52 of the circuit board 5, the circuit board 5 is positioned horizontally with respect to the mounting surface 4. As a result, even when screw fastening of the circuit board 5 is required, the alignment of the screw holes 54 and the screw fixing portion (not shown in the diagram) of the mounting surface 4 is achieved simultaneously, thereby reducing the amount of work required for screw fastening.

[0026] In this embodiment, a fire alarm receiver 1 is described as an example of fire alarm equipment. However, the structure and method for mounting the circuit board 5 of this embodiment may also be applied to a display unit that shows the signal from a detected detector, or to a relay unit that relays communication between the fire alarm receiver 1 and a fire detector. This structure and method can also be applied to devices other than fire alarm equipment in which a circuit board is mounted on a housing. Furthermore, in this embodiment, an example is shown in which the right-hand side (first side 51) of the circuit board 5 in Figure 2 is fixed by the first locking part 6. However, the left-hand side (third side 53) of the circuit board 5 may be fixed by the first locking part 6. Also, instead of the lower side (second side 52) of the circuit board 5 being fixed by the second locking part 7, the upper side may be fixed by the second locking part 7. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a fire alarm receiver 1 is shown as an example of fire alarm equipment. However, fire alarm equipment is not limited to a fire alarm receiver 1. Fire alarm equipment may also include fire indicators that display a fire based on a signal from a fire alarm receiver. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0027] 1 Fire alarm receiver, 2 Main unit, 3 Door, 4 Mounting surface, 5 Circuit board, 6 First locking part, 7 Second locking part, 8 Screw, 51 First side, 52 Second side, 53 Third side, 54 Screw hole, 61 First base, 62 First claw, 71 Second base, 72 Second claw, 73 Inclined surface.

Claims

1. The casing and A circuit board is mounted on a mounting surface provided on the housing, A first locking portion is provided between the mounting surface and the first edge of the circuit board, The circuit board is provided with a second locking portion that holds the second side intersecting the first side between itself and the mounting surface, The upper surface of the second locking portion has an inclined surface that, when the circuit board is placed on it with its first edge inserted between the first locking portion and the mounting surface, slides the circuit board and drops it onto the mounting surface. Equipment for fire alarm systems.

2. The first locking part is, A first base portion protruding from the mounting surface, It has a first claw portion extending in a first direction from the tip of the first base portion, The first edge of the circuit board is held between the first claw portion and the mounting surface. The fire alarm system device according to claim 1.

3. The second locking part is, A second base portion protruding from the aforementioned mounting surface, It has a second claw portion extending from the tip of the second base portion in a second direction which intersects the first direction, The inclined surface is provided on the upper surface of the second claw portion and is inclined to approach the mounting surface along the second direction. The fire alarm system equipment according to claim 2.

4. A method for attaching a circuit board to equipment for fire alarm systems, The aforementioned fire alarm system equipment includes: It has a first claw portion extending in a first direction, and a first locking portion that holds the first edge of the circuit board between the first claw portion and the mounting surface of the circuit board, The upper surface has an inclined surface that approaches the mounting surface along a second direction intersecting the first direction, and a second locking portion is provided between it and the mounting surface to hold the second side of the circuit board that intersects the first side. The aforementioned mounting method is The circuit board, which is tilted so that the first side is at the bottom and the other side parallel to the first side is at the top, is moved in the opposite direction to the first direction, thereby inserting the first side between the first claw portion and the mounting surface. The process of placing the circuit board on the inclined surface of the second locking portion by bringing the other side of the circuit board, with the first side inserted between the first claw portion and the mounting surface, closer to the mounting surface, The circuit board, which is placed on the inclined surface and has fallen along the inclined surface onto the mounting surface, is moved in the opposite direction to the second direction, and the second side of the circuit board is inserted between the second locking portion and the mounting surface. Method for installing circuit boards into fire alarm equipment.

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