Control device

Abstract

This control device (10) comprises: a box-shaped case (20) having a bottom surface (22) disposed horizontally, and an opening (26) provided in one of a plurality of side surfaces (23) rising from the peripheral edge of the bottom surface (22); a support member (50) disposed on the bottom surface (22) at a position separated from the opening (26) by a predetermined distance in the depth direction, and having a downward support surface facing the bottom surface (22) from above with a parallel spacing therebetween; and a mounting member (40) accommodated in the case (20) and fixed to the bottom surface (22). The mounting member (40) includes flange-shaped leg parts (47b, 48b) that are plate-shaped leg parts brought into contact with the bottom surface (22) and extend outward in the depth direction on both sides in the depth direction. The leg part (47b) on one side in the depth direction is inserted with a clearance fit between the bottom surface (22) and the downward support, and the leg part (48b) on the other side is fixed to the bottom surface (22) on the opening (26) side.

Description

Control device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control device.

[0002] An attachment mechanism for attaching a valve unit is disclosed inside a box-shaped box device (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In order to easily attach the valve unit inside the box device, this attachment mechanism presses the back side of the support plate member on which the valve unit is mounted against the inclined surface inside the box device, and only screws the front side to the box device.

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2022-127160

[0004] In the case of the above attachment mechanism, if a large impact or the like acts on the box device and the support plate member is slightly displaced in the forward direction, the support plate member and the inclined surface inside the box device that were abutting against each other will separate. Therefore, even if the amount of displacement of the support plate member is small, the rattling on the back side of the support plate member will increase, and the attachment state of the valve unit inside the box device will become unstable.

[0005] Therefore, it is desired that components can be easily attached inside a box-shaped case, and that a stable attachment state can be maintained even if the position of the attached components is slightly displaced.

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure includes a box-shaped case having a horizontally disposed bottom surface and an opening provided in one of a plurality of side surfaces rising from the periphery of the bottom surface, and a support member disposed on the bottom surface at a position separated by a predetermined distance in the depth direction from the opening and having a downward support surface facing upward in parallel with a gap above the bottom surface, and an attachment member housed in the case and fixed to the bottom surface, the attachment member being a flat plate-shaped leg portion that is brought into contact with the bottom surface and having flange-shaped leg portions extending outward in the depth direction on both sides in the depth direction, and the leg portion on one side in the depth direction is inserted by clearance fitting between the bottom surface and the downward support surface, and the leg portion on the other side is fixed to the bottom surface on the opening side, which is a control device.

[0007] This is a perspective view showing the configuration of a control device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. This is a perspective view showing the transformer included in the control device shown in Figure 1. This is a perspective view showing the state in which the transformer has been removed from the control device shown in Figure 1. This is a perspective view showing the support member included in the control device shown in Figure 1. This is a partial cross-sectional view showing the mounting state of the transformer in the control device shown in Figure 1. This is a partial cross-sectional view showing the state in which the transformer has been shifted in the state shown in Figure 5. This is a partial cross-sectional view showing a first modified example of the support member included in the control device shown in Figure 1. This is a perspective view showing a second modified example of the support member included in the control device shown in Figure 1.

[0008] A control device 10 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The control device 10 is a control device for controlling industrial machinery such as a robot (not shown). The control device 10 includes, for example, a case 20 as shown in Figure 1, a transformer (mounting member) 40 housed inside the case 20 and converting power supplied from the outside into a predetermined voltage, and a support member 50 that supports the transformer 40.

[0009] First, the transformer 40 in this embodiment is a three-phase transformer, for example, as shown in Figure 2. The transformer 40 comprises a core 43 formed by laminating multiple electromagnetic steel sheets to create three core portions (not shown) and a pair of yoke portions 41 and 42 that connect the upper and lower ends of the three core portions, and coils 44 wound around each of the three core portions. The transformer 40 also comprises a pair of side plates 45 and 46 attached to both outer sides of the yoke portion 41 in the lamination direction, and a pair of side plates 47 and 48 attached to both outer sides of the yoke portion 42 in the lamination direction.

[0010] The side plates 45 to 48 are each made by bending a strip-shaped metal plate of a constant thickness by 90° at an intermediate position in the width direction to form an L-shape. Specifically, the side plates 45 to 48 each have clamping portions 45a to 48a that are in close contact with the outer surface of the corresponding yoke portions 41 and 42, and mounting portions 45b to 48b that extend outward from each clamping portion 45a to 48a. The clamping portions 45a and 46a are connected to each other by screws 49, thereby clamping and fixing the yoke portion 41 from both outer sides in the stacking direction. Similarly, the clamping portions 47a and 48a are connected to each other by screws 49, thereby clamping and fixing the yoke portion 42 from both outer sides in the stacking direction.

[0011] The mounting portions (leg portions) 47b and 48b function as the bottom surface when the transformer 40 is placed on a flat surface. In addition, the mounting portion 48b is provided with two notches 48c that extend outward in the depth direction of the case 20 and have a width dimension that allows fasteners such as bolts to be inserted. In other words, the mounting portion 48b also functions as a fixing portion when fixing the transformer 40 to a predetermined mounting position.

[0012] Next, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, the case 20 comprises a main body 21 formed in a roughly rectangular box shape by combining flat plates made of metal such as steel, and a door portion 30 attached to the front of the main body 21.

[0013] The inside of the main body 21 is provided with a bottom surface 22 that extends horizontally when the case 20 is placed on the floor or the like, four side surfaces 23 that rise vertically from the periphery of the bottom surface 22, and a top surface that faces the bottom surface 22. In other words, the main body 21 has an internal space that is roughly rectangular, defined by the bottom surface 22, the top surface, and the four side surfaces 23. In the examples shown in Figures 1 and 3, this internal space is divided into two in the front-to-back direction by a partition plate 24.

[0014] Of the four sides 23, the front side 23 is provided with an opening 25 that opens up a large portion of the inner area excluding the peripheral edge. As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the opening 25 is closed by a door portion 30 that can be opened and closed. In addition, of the four sides 23, the rear side, that is, the side 23 opposite to the opening 25 closed by the door portion 30, is also provided with an opening 26 that opens up a large portion of the inner area excluding the peripheral edge. The opening 26 is closed by a removable flat panel member (not shown). Figures 1 and 3 show the state in which the opening 26 is open.

[0015] As shown in Figure 3, two screw holes 27 are formed near the edge of the bottom surface 22 on the side of the opening 26, corresponding to the notches 48c provided in the mounting portion 48b when the transformer 40 is positioned in a predetermined mounting position. In addition, a support member 50 is attached to the area of ​​the bottom surface 22 in front of the two screw holes 27, for example by welding.

[0016] The support member 50 is, for example, a rod-shaped member made of a metal material such as steel or an aluminum alloy, as shown in Figure 4. The support member 50 comprises a base portion 51 fixed to the bottom surface 22 and a canopy portion 52 that extends outward from the base portion 51. The canopy portion 52 has a downward-facing support surface 53 that is positioned parallel to and spaced above the bottom surface 22 when the base portion 51 is fixed to the bottom surface 22. Specifically, by fixing the base portion 51 to the bottom surface 22, the gap S formed between the bottom surface 22 and the downward-facing support surface 53 is set to a height dimension that is slightly larger than the plate thickness of the mounting portion 47b, as shown in Figure 5. In other words, the mounting portion 47b inserted into the gap S has no room to move in the height direction except by the amount of the small gap formed in the gap S, so the mounting portion 47b is stably supported.

[0017] Furthermore, the support member 50 is provided with a stopper surface 54 against which the tip of the mounting portion 47b inserted into the gap S abuts. The stopper surface 54 is positioned such that, when the tip of the mounting portion 47b abuts against the stopper surface 54, the notch 48c of the mounting portion 48b aligns with the screw hole 27 of the bottom surface 22.

[0018] The operation of the control device 10 configured in this embodiment will be described below. In the following description, the case in which the transformer 40 is installed in the rear space of the internal space of the case 20 of the control device 10 will be used as an example.

[0019] First, as shown in Figure 3, the case 20 is placed on a horizontal floor or the like with the door portion 30 facing horizontally, and the panel member attached to the rear side 23 is removed to open the opening 26. Next, the transformer 40 is lifted up so that the bottom surface of the mounting portion 47b is facing downwards and the mounting portion 47b is at the front, and it is brought into the case 20 from the rear through the opening 26. Then, without changing its orientation, the transformed 40 is lowered into the area between the support member 50 on the bottom surface 22 and the opening 26.

[0020] Subsequently, the transformer 40 is pushed forward by sliding it along the bottom surface 22, allowing the mounting portion 47b to enter the gap S, and is pushed in until the tip of the mounting portion 47b abuts against the stopper surface 54, as shown in Figure 5. This causes the notch 48c provided in the mounting portion 48b to align with the screw hole 27 provided in the bottom surface 22. In this state, the transformer 40 can be fixed in the rear space of the internal space of the case 20 by tightening a bolt B, which has been inserted through the notch 48c from above the mounting portion 48b, into the screw hole 27.

[0021] Thus, according to this embodiment, only the mounting portion 48b on the front side of the transformer 40, that is, the side closer to the opening 26, is screwed to the bottom surface 22, and the mounting portion 47b located on the rear side does not need to be screwed in. Therefore, when inserting and fixing the transformer 40 into the case 20 from the rear opening 26, the worker performing the work does not need to access the narrow space at the back of the case 20, making the installation work easier.

[0022] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the gap S formed by the bottom surface 22 and the downward support surface 53 of the support member 50 is set to a height slightly greater than the plate thickness of the mounting portion 47b. Therefore, it is possible to avoid worsening the ease with which the mounting portion 47b can be inserted into the gap S, and the rattling of the mounting portion 47b inserted into the gap S can be minimized.

[0023] Furthermore, since the downward support surface 53 of the support member 50 is positioned parallel to the bottom surface 22, the minute gap formed in the gap S into which the mounting portion 47b is inserted is of a constant size in the direction of insertion of the mounting portion 47b. Therefore, even if a large impact is applied to the case 20 and the transformer 40 is displaced backward by the amount of play between the bolt B and the notch 48c as shown in Figure 6, the state in which the mounting portion 47b is inserted into the gap S is maintained. In addition, the size of the minute gap formed in the gap S between the mounting portion 47b and the downward support surface 53 can be maintained at a constant size. As a result, even if the transformer 40 mounted inside the case 20 is slightly displaced, the stable support state of the transformer 40 can be maintained.

[0024] Furthermore, in the transformer 40 illustrated in this embodiment, a bolt B for fixing the transformer 40 is inserted through a notch 48c formed in the mounting portion 48b. That is, a relatively large amount of play is provided between the bolt B and the notch 48c, along the depth direction of the internal space of the case 20. Therefore, even if the position of the transformer 40 is unstable when the mounting portion 47b abuts against the stopper surface 54 due to variations in the mounting position of the support member 50, the mounting portion 48b can be easily aligned with the screw hole 27. Thus, the transformer 40 can be reliably mounted.

[0025] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7, the tip of the canopy portion 52 may be provided with an inclined surface 55 such that the gap S widens outward. In this case, the inclined surface 55 can be used as a guide when inserting the mounting portion 47b into the gap S. Therefore, the installation work of the transformer 40 can be made easier.

[0026] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 8, the support member 50 may be provided with wall portions 56 positioned on the outside of both widthwise sides of the mounting portion 47b inserted into the gap S, leaving a small gap between them. This allows the mounting portion 47b inserted into the gap S to be surrounded by the downward-facing support surface 53 and the pair of wall portions 56, while forming a small gap. Therefore, the mounting portion 47b can be supported more reliably.

[0027] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the mounting portion 48b of the transformer 40 was provided with a notch 48c for inserting a bolt B to fix the transformer 40. Alternatively, the mounting portion 48b may be provided with a round hole (through hole) slightly larger than the outer diameter of the bolt B, or an elongated hole (through hole) extending away from the clamping portion 48a. In this case, the play in the bolt B can be reduced compared to the above embodiment, thereby reducing the amount of displacement of the transformer 40 when a large impact is applied to the case 20.

[0028] In this embodiment, the transformer 40 is fixed to the case 20 using the mounting portions 47b and 48b of a pair of side plates 47 and 48 attached to the lower end of the transformer 40. Alternatively, for example, the transformer 40 can be mounted on a single roughly rectangular flat support plate, and the portions on both sides of the support plate that sandwich the transformer 40 can be used as mounting portions 47b and 48b, respectively.

[0029] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the support member 50 is integrally fixed to the bottom surface 22 by welding, but instead, the support member 50 may be detachably attached to the bottom surface 22 by fasteners such as bolts. This improves the manufacturability of the case 20 compared to the case in which the support member 50 is welded to the bottom surface 22.

[0030] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the internal space of the case 20 is divided into two sections in the front-to-back direction by a partition plate 24, and the transformer 40 is housed in the rear space. However, the location where the transformer 40 is housed is not limited to this. For example, this can also be applied when the transformer 40 is housed in a case 20 that has no partition plate 24 and has one large internal space.

[0031] Furthermore, although the above explanation described the case in which the transformer 40 is inserted through the opening 26 at the rear of the case 20, the position in which the transformer 40 is inserted is not limited to this. For example, it can also be applied when the transformer 40 is inserted through an opening 25 that is opened by opening the door 30. In this case, the support member 50 should be positioned on the back side away from the opening 25, and the screw hole 27 should be positioned on the side of the opening 25.

[0032] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a transformer 40 is given as an example of a component fixed to the bottom surface 22 of the case 20, but the components that can be attached are not limited to this.

[0033] Although embodiments of this disclosure have been described in detail above, this disclosure is not limited to the individual embodiments described above. These embodiments can be added, replaced, modified, partially deleted, etc., in any way that does not depart from the gist of the invention or from the spirit and intent of the invention derived from the claims and their equivalents. For example, the order of operations and processes in the embodiments described above are shown as examples only and are not limited thereto.

[0034] With respect to the above embodiments and modifications, the following additional notes are disclosed. (Note 1) A control device comprising: a box-shaped case having a horizontally positioned bottom surface and an opening provided on one of a plurality of sides rising from the periphery of the bottom surface; a support member positioned on the bottom surface at a predetermined distance in the depth direction from the opening and having a downward-facing support surface facing the bottom surface at a parallel spacing above the bottom surface; and a mounting member housed in the case and fixed to the bottom surface, wherein the mounting member has a flat plate-shaped leg portion that contacts the bottom surface, and has flange-shaped leg portions extending outward in the depth direction on both sides in the depth direction, the leg portion on one side in the depth direction being inserted between the bottom surface and the downward-facing support surface by gap fitting, and the leg portion on the other side being fixed to the bottom surface on the opening side. (Note 2) The control device according to Note 1, wherein the support member has a stopper surface against which the edge of the leg portion on one side abuts. (Note 3) The control device according to Note 1 or Note 2, wherein a screw hole is provided on the bottom surface on the opening side, and the leg on the other side has a through hole through which a fastener to be fastened to the screw hole is inserted, and the through hole is an elongated hole extending in the depth direction. (Note 4) The control device according to Note 1 or Note 2, wherein a screw hole is provided on the bottom surface on the opening side, and the leg on the other side has a notch through which a fastener to be fastened to the screw hole is inserted, and the notch has a width dimension larger than the fastener and a length dimension larger than the width dimension.

[0035] 10 Control device 20 Case 22 Bottom 23 Side 26 Opening 27 Screw hole 47b Mounting part (leg) 48b Mounting part (leg) 48c Notch (through hole) 50 Support member 53 Downward support surface 54 Stopper surface B Bolt (fastener)

Claims

1. A control device comprising: a box-shaped case having a horizontally positioned bottom surface and an opening provided in one of a plurality of sides rising from the periphery of the bottom surface; a support member positioned on the bottom surface at a predetermined distance in the depth direction from the opening and having a downward-facing support surface facing the bottom surface at a parallel spacing above the bottom surface; and a mounting member housed within the case and fixed to the bottom surface, wherein the mounting member has a flat plate-shaped leg portion that contacts the bottom surface, and has flange-shaped leg portions extending outward in the depth direction on both sides in the depth direction, the leg portion on one side in the depth direction being inserted between the bottom surface and the downward-facing support surface by gap fitting, and the leg portion on the other side being fixed to the bottom surface on the opening side.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the support member is provided with a stopper surface that abuts against the edge of the leg portion on one side.

3. The control device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a screw hole is provided on the bottom surface on the opening side, and the leg portion on the other side has a through hole through which a fastener to be fastened to the screw hole is inserted, and the through hole is an elongated hole extending in the depth direction.

4. The control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a screw hole is provided on the bottom surface on the opening side, and the other leg portion is provided with a notch for inserting a fastener that is fastened to the screw hole, and the notch has a width dimension greater than the fastener and a length dimension greater than the width dimension.

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