Controller

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a controller that is easy to maintain. [Solution] A controller according to the present embodiment comprises: a base member that has a mounting surface; a plurality of functional modules that are provided on the mounting surface of the base member so as to correspond to a first direction; and at least one power supply unit that is provided on the mounting surface of the base member so as to correspond to a second direction parallel to the first direction, and that supplies power to the plurality of functional modules. A first attachment implement fixed to the base member is provided on one side, in the second direction, of a housing of the at least one power supply unit, and a second attachment implement fixed to the base member is provided on the other side, in the second direction, of the housing of the at least one power supply unit. The first attachment implement and the second attachment implement are provided in different positions in a third direction that is orthogonal to the second direction and parallel to the mounting surface.

Description

controller

[0001] The present embodiment relates to a controller.

[0002] Controllers (industrial controllers) are used in systems such as process automation and factory automation to monitor the status of equipment and perform automatic control. Controllers are equipped with multiple functional modules that realize various functions, a power supply unit that supplies power to each functional module, and a blower unit that sends out airflow to cool the functional modules and power supply unit. It is desirable for controllers to be easy to maintain, such as by installing a controller according to the type of functional module and replacing or repairing the controller in the event of a malfunction.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-047179

[0004] The present embodiment aims to provide a controller that is easy to maintain.

[0005] In order to solve the above problem, a controller according to this embodiment includes a base member having a mounting surface, a plurality of functional modules arranged on the mounting surface of the base member in a first direction, and at least one power supply unit arranged on the mounting surface of the base member in a second direction parallel to the first direction and supplying power to the plurality of functional modules. A first attachment fixed to the base member is provided on one side of a housing of the at least one power supply unit in the second direction, and a second attachment fixed to the base member is provided on the other side of the housing of the at least one power supply unit in the second direction. The first attachment and the second attachment are provided at different positions in a third direction that is perpendicular to the second direction and parallel to the mounting surface.

[0006] Fig. 1 is a front view showing the configuration of a controller according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along II-II in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along III-III and IV-IV in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along V-V and VI-VI in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along VII-VII and VIII-VIII in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a modified example of an embodiment.

[0007] Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a front view showing the configuration of a controller 1 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along II-II in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along III-III and IV-IV in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along V-V and VI-VI in FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along VII-VII and VIII-VIII in FIG. 2. In FIGS. 1 to 5, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis indicate directions in three-dimensional space. Gravity acts in the -Z direction.

[0009] 1 and 2, the controller 1 includes a flat base member 2. The base member 2 has a mounting surface 2S. A plurality of functional modules 10A-10H are provided on the mounting surface 2S of the base member 2, corresponding to the X direction (first direction). Also, three fixing members 3A-3C for fixing power supply units 4A and 4B to the base member 2 are provided on the mounting surface 2S of the base member 2, corresponding to the X direction (second direction parallel to the first direction). The base member 2 includes a power line 21 (see FIGS. 3 to 5) capable of transmitting power, a signal line (not shown) capable of transmitting signals, and the like. The housings of the power supply units 4A and 4B are, by way of example, the same size, but are not limited to this.

[0010] The functional modules 10A to 10H are modules that realize predetermined functions. For example, the functional modules 10A to 10H include a CPU module equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an I / O module that inputs and outputs signals, and a transmission module that serves as an interface with a network that includes the system to be controlled. The functional modules 10A to 10H are individually detachable from the base member 2, and the arrangement order is changeable. When attached to the base member 2, the functional modules 10A to 10H are connected to the power line 21 of the base member 2.

[0011] A power supply unit 4A that supplies power to the functional modules 10A to 10D is disposed between the fixing members 3A and 3B. The power supply unit 4A supplies power to the functional modules 10A to 10D via the power lines 21 of the base member 2. Meanwhile, a power supply unit 4B that supplies power to the functional modules 10E to 10H is disposed between the fixing members 3B and 3C. The power supply unit 4B supplies power to the functional modules 10E to 10H via the power lines 21 of the base member 2. The power supply units 4A and 4B have the same structure at least in terms of the housing and mounting brackets. In this embodiment, the power supply units 4A and 4B have the same structure within the housing, but the internal structure may differ depending on the group of functional modules to which power is to be supplied.

[0012] Two mounting brackets 42a are provided as mounting fixtures on one side of the housing 41a of the power supply unit 4A in the X-axis direction, i.e., the side adjacent to the fixed member 3A. The two mounting brackets 42a correspond to multiple mounting portions of the mounting fixture. Screw holes are formed in the mounting brackets 42a and in corresponding positions on the fixed member 3A, and the mounting brackets 42a are fixed to the fixed member 3A using predetermined screws (fixing fixtures) (not shown) (see the left diagrams of FIGS. 2 and 4).

[0013] Meanwhile, two mounting brackets 43a (mounting portions) are provided as mounting fixtures on the other side of the housing 41a of the power supply unit 4A, i.e., the side adjacent to the fixed member 3B. The two mounting brackets 43a correspond to the multiple mounting portions of the mounting fixture. Screw holes are formed in the mounting brackets 43a and in corresponding positions on the fixed member 3B, and the mounting brackets 43a are fixed to the fixed member 3B using predetermined screws (see the right diagrams of FIGS. 2 and 4).

[0014] In the power supply unit 4A, the mounting bracket 42a and the mounting bracket 43a are provided at different positions in the Z direction (third direction). Specifically, the mounting bracket 43a is provided at a position shifted in the -Z direction from the mounting bracket 42a. In other words, the mounting brackets 42a and 43a are asymmetric with respect to a line that passes through the center of the housing of the power supply unit 4A in the X-axis direction and is parallel to the Z axis. The power supply unit 4A is disposed at a predetermined position between the fixing members 3A and 3B by fixing the mounting brackets 42a and 43a, which are provided on the housing 41a, to the fixing members 3A and 3B, respectively, using predetermined screws.

[0015] Similarly, two mounting brackets 42b are provided as mounting fixtures on one side of the housing 41b of the power supply unit 4B, i.e., the side adjacent to the fixing member 3B. The two mounting brackets 42b correspond to the multiple mounting portions of the mounting fixture. Screw holes are formed in the mounting brackets 42b and in corresponding positions on the fixing member 3B, and the mounting brackets 42b are fixed to the fixing member 3B using predetermined screws (see the left diagrams of FIGS. 2 and 5).

[0016] Meanwhile, two mounting brackets 43b are provided as mounting fixtures on the other side of the housing 41b of the power supply unit 4B, i.e., the side adjacent to the fixing member 3C. The two mounting brackets 43b correspond to the multiple mounting portions of the mounting fixture. Screw holes are formed in the mounting brackets 43b and in corresponding positions on the fixing member 3C, and the mounting brackets 43b are fixed to the fixing member 3C using predetermined screws (see the right diagrams of FIGS. 2 and 5).

[0017] In the power supply unit 4B, the mounting bracket 42b and the mounting bracket 43b are provided at different positions in the Z direction. Specifically, the mounting bracket 43b is provided at a position shifted in the -Z direction from the mounting bracket 42b. In other words, the mounting brackets 42b and 43b are asymmetric with respect to a line that passes through the center of the housing of the power supply unit 4B in the X-axis direction and is parallel to the Z axis. The power supply unit 4B is disposed at a predetermined position between the fixing members 3B and 3C by fixing the mounting brackets 42b and 43b, which are provided on the housing 41b, to the fixing members 3B and 3C, respectively, using predetermined screws.

[0018] The mounting surface of the base member 2 is provided with electrical connectors 6A and 6B for connection to an external AC power supply (not shown). An electrical connector 7a that can be coupled to the electrical connector 6A is provided on the surface (third surface) of the housing 41a of the power supply unit 4A that faces the mounting surface (see FIGS. 2 and 3). The electrical connector 7a is connected to a power supply unit 51a of the power supply unit 4A, which will be described next. Similarly, an electrical connector 7b that can be coupled to the electrical connector 6B is provided on the surface (third surface) of the housing 41b of the power supply unit 4B that faces the mounting surface (see FIG. 2). The electrical connector 7b is connected to a power supply unit 51b of the power supply unit 4B, which will be described next.

[0019] The housing 41a of the power supply unit 4A houses a power supply unit 51a, a power distribution unit 52a, and a blower unit 53a. The power supply unit 51a converts AC power supplied from an external AC power source via the electrical connectors 6A and 7a into DC power. The power distribution unit 52a distributes the DC power converted by the power supply unit 51a to the functional modules 10A-10D and the blower unit 53a. The blower unit 53a is composed of, for example, a fan driven by an electric motor, a filter, etc., and takes in air through an intake port 44a provided on the surface (first surface) of the housing 41a facing in the -Z direction and sends the taken-in air in the +Z direction. In FIG. 1, the air flow is indicated by outline arrows.

[0020] The power supply unit 51a and the power distribution unit 52a are cooled by the airflow sent out from the air blower 53a. Typically, the power supply unit 51a generates more heat than the power distribution unit 52a. Therefore, the air blower 53a is positioned so that the airflow sent out from the air blower 53a hits the power supply unit 51a more than the power distribution unit 52a. In addition, a plurality of slits 45a are formed on the +Z direction side surface (second surface) of the housing 41a of the power supply unit 4A, i.e., the surface adjacent to the functional modules 10A to 10D. The airflow sent out from the air blower 53a passes through the slits 45a and cools the functional modules 10A to 10D.

[0021] Similarly, the housing 41b of the power supply unit 4B houses a power supply section 51b, a power distribution section 52b, and a blower section 53b. The power supply section 51b converts AC power supplied from an external AC power source via the electrical connectors 6B and 7b into DC power. The power distribution section 52b distributes the DC power to the functional modules 10E-10H and the blower section 53b. The blower section 53b is composed of, for example, a fan driven by an electric motor, a filter, etc., and takes in air through an intake port 44b provided on the surface (first surface) of the housing 41b facing in the -Z direction and sends the airflow in the +Z direction. In FIG. 1, the air flow is indicated by outline arrows.

[0022] The power supply unit 51b and the power distribution unit 52b are cooled by the airflow sent out from the air blower 53b. Typically, the power supply unit 51b generates more heat than the power distribution unit 52b. Therefore, the air blower 53b is positioned so that the airflow sent out from the air blower 53b hits the power supply unit 51b more than the power distribution unit 52b. In addition, a plurality of slits 45b are formed on the +Z direction side surface (second surface) of the housing 41b of the power supply unit 4B, i.e., the surface adjacent to the functional modules 10A to 10D. The airflow sent out from the air blower 53b passes through the slits 45b and cools the functional modules 10E to 10H.

[0023] Next, advantageous effects of the controller 1 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0024] In the controller 1 according to this embodiment, power supply units 4A and 4B are each disposed between fixing members 3A to 3B provided on the base member 2. In detail, each power supply unit is disposed in a predetermined position by screwing a mounting bracket (42a or 42b) provided on one side of the housing to the fixing member (3A or 3B) and by screwing a mounting bracket (43a or 43b) provided on the other side of the housing to the fixing member (3B, 3C).

[0025] Due to the above features, if either the power supply unit 4A or 4B fails, only the failed power supply unit can be removed and replaced with a spare power supply unit. In this case, replacing the power supply unit can be easily accomplished by simply loosening and tightening the screws. Furthermore, as mentioned above, the power supply units 4A and 4B have the same structure, at least in terms of the housing and mounting hardware. Therefore, simply having one spare power supply unit on hand can be used to deal with a failure of either the power supply unit 4A or 4B. Therefore, the controller 1 according to this embodiment is easy to maintain.

[0026] Furthermore, in the controller 1 according to this embodiment, the mounting brackets on both sides of each power supply unit are arranged asymmetrically with respect to a center line that passes through the center of the housing and is parallel to the Z direction. Focusing on the fixing member 3B in FIG. 1 , the mounting brackets 43a of the power supply unit 4A and the mounting brackets 42b of the power supply unit 4B are arranged alternately in a row (or straight line) corresponding to the Z direction of the fixing member 3B. This arrangement is achieved by the mounting brackets on both sides of the power supply units being arranged asymmetrically with respect to the center line. With this arrangement, the width of the fixing member 3B in the X direction only needs to be one diameter of the screw hole.

[0027] On the other hand, if the mounting brackets on both sides of each power supply unit were arranged "symmetrically" with respect to the center line, it would be impossible to line them up alternately in a line in the Z direction. In this case, the width of the fixing member 3B in the X direction would be greater than twice the diameter of the screw hole.

[0028] In the controller 1 according to this embodiment, the mounting brackets on both sides of each power supply unit are arranged asymmetrically in the Z direction, which allows the width of the fixing member 3B to be kept small. This allows the power supply units 4A and 4B to be placed close to each other. Therefore, the controller 1 according to this embodiment requires less space.

[0029] Furthermore, in terms of the cooling performance of the functional modules 10A to 10H, the width of the fixing member 3B can be kept small, thereby widening the airflow area of ​​the power supply units 4A and 4B (see the white lines with long arrows in FIG. 1). Therefore, a larger amount of airflow can be sent to the functional modules 10A to 10H, and the controller 1 according to this embodiment also has excellent cooling performance.

[0030] Furthermore, in the controller 1 according to this embodiment, the air blower (53a or 53b) of each power supply unit is positioned so that the airflow sent out from the air blower (53a or 53b) hits the power supply unit (51a or 51b) more than the power distribution unit (52a or 52b). This makes it possible to efficiently cool the power supply unit (51a or 51b), which generates more heat than the power distribution unit (52a or 52b). In this respect, too, the controller 1 according to this embodiment has excellent cooling performance.

[0031] Furthermore, in the controller 1 according to this embodiment, each power supply unit is connected to an external AC power supply by mating an electrical connector (7a or 7b) provided on the housing of the power supply unit with an electrical connector (6a or 6b) provided on the base member 2. This allows the electrical connectors to be mated simply by applying force in the +Y direction to push in when attaching the power supply unit. In this respect, the controller 1 according to this embodiment is also easy to maintain.

[0032] (Modifications) In the above-described embodiment, in each power supply unit, the mounting bracket (42a or 42b) and the mounting bracket (43a or 43b) are asymmetrically positioned, so that the mounting bracket (43a or 43b) is positioned offset in the -Z direction from the mounting bracket (42a or 42b). Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6(a), the mounting bracket 42 may be positioned offset in the -Z direction from the mounting bracket 43. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6(b), three mounting brackets 42 may be evenly spaced apart at a predetermined interval, and two mounting brackets 43 may be positioned corresponding to those intervals. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 6(c), three mounting brackets 43 may be evenly spaced apart at a predetermined interval, and two mounting brackets 42 may be positioned corresponding to those intervals. The mounting brackets 42 and 43 shown in Figures 6(a) to 6(c) correspond to mounting brackets 42a and 43a when the power supply unit is power supply unit 4A, and correspond to mounting brackets 42b and 43b when the power supply unit is power supply unit 4B.

[0033] Although several embodiments have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, modifications, combinations, etc. can be made without departing from the spirit of the embodiments. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope of the claims and their equivalents, as well as the scope and spirit of the embodiments.

[0034] Note that this embodiment can also be configured as follows: [Item 1] A controller comprising: a base member having a mounting surface, a plurality of functional modules provided on the mounting surface of the base member in a first direction, and at least one power supply unit provided on the mounting surface of the base member in a second direction parallel to the first direction and supplying power to the plurality of functional modules, wherein a first attachment fixed to the base member is provided on one side of a housing of the at least one power supply unit in the second direction, and a second attachment fixed to the base member is provided on the other side of the housing of the at least one power supply unit in the second direction, and the first attachment and the second attachment are provided at different positions in a third direction orthogonal to the second direction and parallel to the mounting surface. [Item 2] The controller according to item 1, wherein the at least one power supply unit includes a first power supply unit and a second power supply unit, and wherein, when the first power supply unit and the second power supply unit are fixed to the base member, the second mounting fixture of the first power supply unit and the first mounting fixture of the second power supply unit are aligned in a line corresponding to the third direction. [Item 3] The controller according to item 2, wherein the first mounting fixture includes a plurality of mounting portions spaced apart corresponding to the third direction, and the second mounting fixture includes a plurality of mounting portions spaced apart corresponding to the third direction, and when the first power supply unit and the second power supply unit are fixed to the base member, the plurality of mounting portions of the second mounting fixture of the first power supply unit and the plurality of mounting portions of the first mounting fixture of the second power supply unit are aligned alternately in the third direction.[Item 4] The controller according to any one of items 1 to 3, wherein a first surface of the housing of the at least one power supply unit faces the plurality of functional modules, an air inlet is provided on a second surface of the housing of the at least one power supply unit facing the first surface, a blower unit is housed inside the housing of the at least one power supply unit and blows air taken in by the inlet towards the first surface, and a slit is formed on the first surface through which the air blown out by the blower unit is output. [Item 5] The controller according to item 4, wherein the housing of the at least one power supply unit further houses a power supply unit that converts AC power to DC power and a power distribution unit that distributes the DC power to the plurality of functional modules and the blower unit, in correspondence with the second direction, and the blower unit is positioned so that more of the airflow blown out from the blower unit hits the power supply unit than the power distribution unit. [Item 6] The controller described in Item 5, wherein the mounting surface of the base member is provided with a first electrical connector connected to an external AC power supply, the housing of the at least one power supply unit has a third surface facing the mounting surface of the base member, and the third surface is provided with a second electrical connector that is connectable to and detachable from the first electrical connector and is connected to the power supply unit, and operating power for the power supply unit is supplied from the external AC power supply via the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector.

[0035] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Controller 2 Base member 21 Power line 3A Fixing member 3B Fixing member 3C Fixing member 4A Power supply unit (first power supply unit) 4B Power supply unit (second power supply unit) 41a Housing 41b Housing 42a Mounting fixture (first mounting fixture) 42b Mounting fixture (first mounting fixture) 43a Mounting fixture (second mounting fixture) 43b Mounting fixture (second mounting fixture) 44a Intake port 44b Intake port 45a Slit 45b Slit 51a Power supply unit 51b Power supply unit 52a Power distribution unit 52b Power distribution unit 53a Air blower unit 53b Air blower unit 6A Electrical connector (first electrical connector) 6B Electrical connector (first electrical connector) 7a Electrical connector (second electrical connector) 7b Electrical connector (second electrical connector)

Claims

1. A controller comprising: a base member having a mounting surface; a plurality of functional modules arranged on the mounting surface of the base member in a first direction; and at least one power supply unit arranged on the mounting surface of the base member in a second direction parallel to the first direction, for supplying power to the plurality of functional modules; wherein a first attachment fixed to the base member is provided on one side of a housing of the at least one power supply unit in the second direction, and a second attachment fixed to the base member is provided on the other side of the housing of the at least one power supply unit in the second direction; and the first attachment and second attachment are provided at different positions in a third direction perpendicular to the second direction and parallel to the mounting surface.

2. The controller according to claim 1, wherein the at least one power supply unit includes a first power supply unit and a second power supply unit, and when the first power supply unit and the second power supply unit are fixed to the base member, the second mounting fixture of the first power supply unit and the first mounting fixture of the second power supply unit are aligned in a row corresponding to the third direction.

3. The controller of claim 2, wherein the first mounting fixture includes a plurality of mounting portions spaced apart in correspondence with the third direction, and the second mounting fixture includes a plurality of mounting portions spaced apart in correspondence with the third direction, and when the first power supply unit and the second power supply unit are fixed to the base member, the plurality of mounting portions of the second mounting fixture of the first power supply unit and the plurality of mounting portions of the first mounting fixture of the second power supply unit are arranged alternately in correspondence with the third direction.

4. The controller of claim 1, wherein a first surface of the housing of the at least one power supply unit faces the plurality of functional modules, an air intake port is provided on a second surface of the housing of the at least one power supply unit facing the first surface, a blower unit is housed within the housing of the at least one power supply unit and blows air taken in by the intake port towards the first surface, and a slit is formed on the first surface to output the air blown out by the blower unit.

5. The controller according to claim 4, wherein the housing of the at least one power supply unit further accommodates a power supply section that converts AC power into DC power, and a power distribution section that distributes the DC power to the plurality of functional modules and the blower section, in correspondence with the second direction, and the blower section is positioned so that the airflow sent out from the blower section hits the power supply section more than the power distribution section.

6. A controller as described in claim 5, wherein the mounting surface of the base member is provided with a first electrical connector connected to an external AC power supply, the housing of the at least one power supply unit has a third surface facing the mounting surface of the base member, the third surface is provided with a second electrical connector that can be coupled to and separated from the first electrical connector and is connected to the power supply unit, and operating power for the power supply unit is supplied from the external AC power supply via the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector.

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