CN112799342B - Base plate for programmable controller and programmable controller system - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a base plate for a programmable controller and a programmable controller system. The combination of the PLC module relative to the base plate is reliable, and the incomplete locking state is prevented. The base plate for a PLC is provided with: a base substrate having a connection portion to which the connector portion of the PLC module is connected; a base-side hinge part provided at one end side of the base substrate and rotatably supporting one end side of the PLC module; and the locking mechanism is arranged at the other end side of the base substrate and is used for fixing the other end side of the PLC module. The locking mechanism has: a hooking portion capable of reciprocating in a direction between one end side and the other end side of the base substrate; a guide part for guiding the movement of the hooking and locking part; and a biasing member for biasing the latch portion toward the other end of the base substrate with respect to the guide portion. The hooking and locking part is provided with an engaging claw part which can be engaged with an engaged part arranged at the other end side of the PLC module. The engaging claw portion is engageable with the engaged portion at an engaging position where the hooking portion moves in a predetermined direction against the urging force of the urging member.

Description

Base plate for programmable controller and programmable controller system

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a base plate for a programmable controller and a programmable controller system.

Background Art

A programmable logic controller (PLC) controls the operation of a control target device such as a motor or a sensor by executing a sequence program called a ladder program. A system using such a programmable controller (hereinafter referred to as a programmable controller system) is used, for example, in factory equipment to perform input and output control for external devices (see Patent Document 1).

Such a programmable controller system is generally composed of a plurality of units (modules) such as a CPU unit, a power supply unit, and an I/O unit, and the plurality of units (modules) are connected via a bus. As an example, in recent years, an I/O module (hereinafter referred to as a PLC module) and a terminal block module are separately constructed, and they are combined to form a detachable unit. The I/O module is configured to have a control circuit, an input/output circuit, etc., and the terminal block module has a terminal block for electrical connection with external devices (for example, loads such as motors, belt conveyors, solenoid valves, display devices, lamps, switches, sensors, etc., input devices).

Prior art literature

Patent Literature

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-113444

Summary of the invention

Problem that the invention aims to solve

In addition, in the structure combining the PLC module and the base plate (a module equipped with a printed circuit board having a bus), a snap-fit method or a screw fixing method such as the above-mentioned patent document 1 is adopted. In the screw fixing method, the more the number of PLC modules increases, the more complicated the fixing operation becomes. On the other hand, the snap-fit method has the advantage of being able to easily detach and detach the module compared to the screw fixing method.

However, in the conventional buckle method, the following situation is assumed: even if the buckle (clamping part) is not completely locked, the connector between the PLC module and the base plate remains electrically connected and the system can operate. Therefore, if the system is operated in a state where the buckle is not completely locked, if the buckle is disengaged for some reason, the PLC module may fall off the base plate and the system may stop.

The present invention is made in view of this point, and one of its purposes is to provide a base plate and a programmable controller system for a programmable controller that can ensure reliable connection of a PLC module to a base plate and prevent an incomplete locking state.

Solutions for solving problems

A base plate for a programmable controller according to a technical solution of the present invention is characterized in that the base plate for the programmable controller comprises: a base substrate having a connection portion for connecting a connector portion of a programmable controller module; a base-side hinge portion, which is arranged on one end side of the base substrate and supports the one end side of the programmable controller module so as to be rotatable; and a locking mechanism, which is arranged on the other end side of the base substrate and fixes the other end side of the programmable controller module, the locking mechanism comprising: a hook lock portion, which can reciprocate in one direction between one end side and the other end side of the base substrate; a guide portion, which guides the movement of the hook lock portion; and a force applying member, which applies force to the hook lock portion toward the other end side of the base substrate relative to the guide portion, the hook lock portion having an engaging claw portion that can engage with an engaged portion arranged on the other end side of the programmable controller module, the engaging claw portion being able to engage with the engaged portion at an engaging position after the hook lock portion overcomes the force applied by the force applying member and moves in a predetermined direction.

Effects of the Invention

According to the present invention, the PLC module can be reliably coupled to the base plate, and an incomplete locking state can be prevented.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of a base plate according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the installation operation of the PLC module.

FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view showing an example of the installation operation of the PLC module.

FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view showing an example of the installation operation of the PLC module.

FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view showing an example of the installation operation of the PLC module.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the disassembly operation of the PLC module.

Description of Reference Numerals

1. PLC system (programmable controller system); 2. base plate; 3. PLC module (programmable controller module); 4. module holder; 5. locking mechanism; 6. hook lock portion; 7. guide portion; 20. metal plate; 21. base substrate; 22. connection portion; 23. track portion (first track portion); 24. track portion (second track portion); 25. base side hinge portion; 26. arc surface; 30. connector portion; 31. module side hinge portion; 32. Engaging protrusion (engaged portion); 33, arc surface; 34, inclined surface; 35, notch portion; 36, inclined surface (second inclined surface); 37, through hole; 40, engaging piece; 41, pressure wall; 50, force-applying member; 60, engaging claw portion; 61, top plate portion; 62, connecting portion; 63, inclined surface (first inclined surface); 64, engaging piece; 70, bottom wall portion; 71, rear wall portion; 72, side wall portion; 73, engaging portion; 74, guide hole; C, fulcrum.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, a programmable controller system (hereinafter referred to as a PLC system) to which the present invention can be applied will be described. Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of a base plate of the present embodiment. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a mounting operation of a PLC module.

In addition, the PLC system (base plate and PLC module) shown below is basically just an example, and is not limited to this, and can be changed appropriately.

In addition, in the following figures, the direction in which multiple rectangular PLC modules are arranged (the short side direction of the PLC module) is defined as the X direction, the length direction of the PLC module is defined as the Y direction, and the plug-in direction of the connector (PLC module) is defined as the Z direction. In addition, depending on the situation, the X direction is sometimes referred to as the left-right direction, the Y direction is referred to as the up-down direction, and the Z direction is referred to as the front-back direction. These directions (front-back, left-right, up-down, and left-right directions) are terms used for the convenience of explanation, and the corresponding relationship with the XYZ directions is sometimes changed depending on the installation posture of the PLC system.

As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the PLC system 1 of the present embodiment is composed of a plurality of PLC modules 3 mounted on a base plate 2. The PLC module 3 is composed of a circuit substrate mounted in, for example, a box, and has a generally rectangular shape as a whole. The PLC module 3 has a rectangular shape that is long in the Y direction when viewed from the Z direction, and a connector portion 30 is arranged on the rear surface as a connection portion for electrical connection with the base plate 2.

A module-side hinge portion 31 supported by a base-side hinge portion 25 of the base plate 2 to be discussed later is formed at the lower end (one end) of the rear surface of the PLC module 3. In addition, an engaging protrusion 32 fixed to the locking mechanism 5 of the base plate 2 is formed at the upper end (the other end) of the rear surface of the PLC module 3. The engaging protrusion 32 constitutes a portion to be engaged with the locking mechanism 5. The engaging protrusion 32 is provided on the opposite side of the module-side hinge portion 31 across the connector portion 30 when viewed from the X direction.

The module-side hinge part 31 is formed by a plate-like body protruding from the lower end of the rear surface of the PLC module 3 toward the rear. The upper surface of the module-side hinge part 31 has an arc surface 33 and an inclined surface 34 connected to the arc surface 33. The inclined surface 34 is inclined downward as it moves toward the rear. In addition, a circular arc-shaped notch part 35 is formed at the lower end of the module-side hinge part 31. The notch part 35 constitutes a portion to be engaged with the base-side hinge part 25 discussed later.

The engaging protrusion 32 protrudes backward from the upper end of the rear surface of the PLC module 3 and has a roughly triangular shape when viewed from the side in the X direction. The engaging protrusion 32 is formed in such a way that the top end becomes thinner as it moves toward the rear. In addition, the lower surface of the engaging protrusion 32 is an inclined surface 36 that tilts upward as it moves toward the rear. In addition, a through hole 37 that penetrates in the up-down direction (Y direction) is formed in the engaging protrusion 32. The through hole 37 penetrates the above-mentioned inclined surface 36. The through hole 37 constitutes a portion to be engaged with respect to the locking mechanism 5 discussed later.

The base plate 2 is formed by arranging a base substrate 21 on the front surface of a metal plate 20 arranged on an XY plane. The metal plate 20 has a rectangular shape that is longer in the X direction when viewed from the Z direction, and is formed of a metal material such as aluminum. The base substrate 21 is arranged in the center of the metal plate 20 in the Y direction, and has a rectangular shape that is longer in the X direction. A plurality of connection parts 22 corresponding to the connector part 30 of the installed PLC module 3 are provided on the front surface of the base substrate 21. The connector part 30 of the above-mentioned PLC module 3 is connected to the connection part 22. A plurality of connection parts 22 are arranged in an array in the X direction. In addition, the number of the connection parts 22 can be appropriately changed according to the number of the installed PLC modules 3.

A pair of rail portions 23 and 24 are formed on the metal plate 20 at the lower side (one end side) and the upper side (the other end side) of the base substrate 21. The pair of rail portions 23 and 24 are formed in a manner extending in the X direction. In addition, the pair of rail portions 23 and 24 are arranged in a manner of sandwiching the base substrate 21 from top to bottom. The module holder 4 is arranged on the rail portion 23 (first rail portion) on the lower side (one end side of the base substrate 21), and the locking mechanism 5 is arranged on the rail portion 24 (second rail portion) on the upper side (the other end side of the base substrate 21). One module holder 4 and one locking mechanism 5 are each arranged for one PLC module 3. That is, in the present embodiment, a plurality of module holders 4 and locking mechanisms 5 are arranged in a manner corresponding to a plurality of PLC modules 3. In addition, the number of PLC modules 3, module holders 4, and locking mechanisms 5 can be appropriately changed.

A base-side hinge portion 25 that can engage with the module-side hinge portion 31 is formed at the lower end of the rail portion 23. The base-side hinge portion 25 protrudes upward from the lower end of the rail portion 23 and extends in the X direction along the rail portion 23. An arc surface 26 that can be accommodated in the notch portion 35 of the module-side hinge portion 31 is formed at the top end of the base-side hinge portion 25. The details will be discussed later, but the base-side hinge portion 25 supports one end side (lower end side) of the PLC module 3 so that it can rotate.

The module holder 4 is a block body engaged with the rail portion 23 and is formed of, for example, a synthetic resin. The module holder 4 has an engagement piece 40 engaged with the rail portion 23 and a pressure wall 41 covering the upper portion of the module-side hinge portion 31. The engagement piece 40 is provided on the rear surface side of the module holder 4. The pressure wall 41 protrudes forward from the front upper end of the module holder 4. The details will be discussed later, but the pressure wall 41 functions as a stopper that restricts the upward movement of the module-side hinge portion 31.

The engaging piece 40 is engaged with an engaged portion (not shown) of the rail portion 23 , and the module holder 4 is slid in the X direction along the rail portion 23 , so that the module holder 4 is arranged at a predetermined position of the rail portion 23 in the X direction.

The locking mechanism 5 is used to fix the upper end side (the other end side) of the PLC module 3. Specifically, the locking mechanism 5 includes: a hook lock portion 6, which can reciprocate in one direction (up and down direction) between one end side and the other end side of the base substrate 21; a guide portion 7, which guides the movement of the hook lock portion 6; and a force applying member 50, which applies force to the hook lock portion 6 toward the other end side of the base substrate 21 relative to the guide portion 7.

The hook lock portion 6 has a substantially Japanese letter C or letter U shape with an open front when viewed from the side in the X direction, and is formed of, for example, synthetic resin. Specifically, the hook lock portion 6 includes: an L-shaped engagement claw portion 60 located at the bottom; a top plate portion 61 located at the top; and a connecting portion 62 connecting the engagement claw portion 60 and the top plate portion 61.

The engaging claw portion 60 extends forward from the lower end of the connecting portion 62 and has a shape in which the top end is bent upward. The top upper surface of the bent engaging claw portion 60 forms an inclined surface 63 that tilts downward as it moves forward. The details will be discussed later, but the top end of the engaging claw portion 60 can engage with the engaging protrusion 32 (through hole 37) of the PLC module 3.

The top plate portion 61 is formed of a plate-like body extending forward from the upper end of the connecting portion 62. The top plate portion 61 functions as a pressing portion that can be pressed with a finger by an operator installing the PLC module 3. The connecting portion 62 connects the rear end of the engaging claw portion 60 and the rear end of the top plate portion 61, and is formed of a plate-like body extending up and down.

A pair of engaging pieces 64 are provided at the left and right ends of the top plate 61 and the connecting portion 62 for the guide portion 7. The pair of engaging pieces 64 have a shape that protrudes outward in the X direction from the upper portions of the left and right ends of the top plate 61 and the connecting portion 62, bends downward, and then further protrudes outward in the X direction. The top end of the engaging piece 64 engages with the guide hole 74 of the guide portion 7 to be discussed later. In addition, an engaging portion (not shown) for engaging the upper end of the biasing member 50 to be discussed later is formed on the lower surface of the engaging claw portion 60.

The guide portion 7 is a block that supports the hook lock portion 6 so that it can move up and down, and is formed of, for example, synthetic resin. Specifically, the guide portion 7 is configured to include: a bottom wall portion 70; a rear wall portion 71 that rises upward from the rear end of the bottom wall portion 70; and a pair of side walls 72 that rise upward from the left and right ends of the bottom wall portion 70. Both ends of the rear wall portion 71 are connected to the side walls 72. The space surrounded by the bottom wall portion 70, the rear wall portion 71, and the pair of side walls 72 forms a space for storing a part (lower half) of the hook lock portion 6.

An engaging portion 73 for engaging the lower end of the urging member 50 is formed substantially at the center of the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 70. A guide hole 74 is formed in each side wall portion 72 to penetrate in the left-right direction. The guide hole 74 has a long hole shape that is long in the vertical direction when viewed from the X direction. In addition, the front-to-back width of the guide hole 74 is formed to a size corresponding to the width of the top end of the engaging piece 64. The urging member 50 is composed of a compression coil spring that can be extended and retracted in the vertical direction. In addition, the urging member 50 is not limited to a coil spring, and can also be composed of, for example, a leaf spring.

The lock mechanism 5 is integrated by interposing the urging member 50 between the hook portion 6 and the guide portion 7 and engaging the engagement piece 64 of the hook portion 6 with the corresponding guide hole 74. Then, the integrated lock mechanism 5 is fitted into the rail portion 24 for installation.

The rear surface of the guide portion 7 is engaged with the engaged portion (not shown) of the rail portion 24, and the locking mechanism 5 is slid in the X direction along the rail portion 24, so that the locking mechanism 5 is arranged at a predetermined position in the X direction of the rail portion 24. More specifically, the module holder 4 and the locking mechanism 5 are arranged in a row with the connector portion 30 on the base substrate 21 in the Y direction.

However, in the conventional PLC system, in order to ensure a reliable connection between the PLC module and the base plate, a fastening member such as a screw is used. However, when multiple PLC modules are installed on the base plate, the number of hours required to fasten the screws increases, which results in a burden on the operator. Therefore, a snap-fit method is also adopted, which can facilitate the installation of the PLC module compared to the screw fixing method.

However, in the case of the snap-fit connection structure, even when the snap (engagement portion) is not completely engaged, the connector between the PLC module and the base plate sometimes remains electrically connected. The system can be operated when the PLC module is not completely fixed to the base plate.

If the system is operated in such a state, for example, a problem may occur in which the communication line or input/output line of the PLC module is pulled at some point, causing the PLC module to fall off the base plate and the system to stop.

Therefore, the inventor of this case came up with the present invention for the purpose of making the connection of the PLC module to the base plate reliable and preventing an incomplete locking state. Specifically, the inventor of this case focused on the position and angle of the electrical connection between the connector part 30 of the PLC module 3 and the connecting part 22 of the base plate 2, and derived a structure in which the PLC module 3 is rotated with one end side of the PLC module 3 as a fulcrum and the other end side is locked by the locking mechanism 5 on the base plate side. At this time, by setting a structure in which the locking mechanism 5 slides linearly in the radial direction relative to the rotation direction of the PLC module 3, the connector part 30 is prevented from being maintained in a state of being connected halfway relative to the connecting part 22. That is, the main purpose of the present invention is that when the PLC module 3 is installed on the base plate 2, as the PLC module 3 is rotated with one end side of the PLC module 3 as a fulcrum, the locking mechanism 5 slides linearly at the other end side of the PLC module 3, so that it can be locked.

Specifically, in the present embodiment, the base plate 2 is provided with: a base-side hinge portion 25 that supports one end side (lower end side) of the PLC module 3 so as to be rotatable; and a locking mechanism 5 that fixes the other end side (upper end side) of the PLC module 3. The locking mechanism 5 includes: a hook lock portion 6 that can reciprocate in one direction (upper and lower directions) between one end side and the other end side of the base substrate 21; a guide portion 7 that guides the up and down movement of the hook lock portion 6; and a force member 50 that applies force to the hook lock portion 6 toward the other end side (lower side) of the base substrate 21 relative to the guide portion 7. In addition, the hook lock portion 6 includes an engaging claw portion 60 that can engage with the engaged portion (engaging protrusion 32) provided on the other end side of the PLC module 3. The engaging claw portion 60 can engage with the engaging protrusion 32 at an engaging position after the hook lock portion 6 overcomes the force of the force member 50 and moves in a predetermined direction (downward).

According to this structure, the other end of the PLC module 3 can be locked by linear movement of the hook lock 6 (radial movement centered on the base side hinge 25) in response to the rotational movement of the PLC module 3 with the base side hinge 25 as a fulcrum. As a result, the PLC module 3 is reliably coupled to the base plate 2, and an incomplete locking state can be prevented. In addition, by concentrating these fixing structures on the base plate 2, there is no need to change the design of the existing PLC module 3, and the versatility can also be improved.

Next, referring to Fig. 2 to Fig. 6, the disassembly and assembly action of the PLC module relative to the base plate is described in detail. Fig. 3 to Fig. 5 are partial enlarged views showing an example of the installation action of the PLC module. Specifically, Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 are partial enlarged views of the periphery of the locking mechanism, and Fig. 5 is a partial enlarged view of the periphery of the module holder. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the disassembly action of the PLC module.

First, the installation action is described. As shown in FIG2 , first, at the lower end side of the base plate 2, the module-side hinge portion 31 is inserted into the gap formed between the front surface of the module holder 4 and the rail portion 23. Then, the top end (arc surface 26) of the base-side hinge portion 25 is engaged with the notch portion 35. Thus, the PLC module 3 as a whole can be rotated with the base-side hinge portion 25 as the fulcrum C (refer to FIG5 ). In addition, the gap formed between the front surface of the module holder 4 and the rail portion 23 is formed to a size that can completely accommodate the module-side hinge portion 31.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG2 , if the PLC module 3 is rotated as a whole with the base-side hinge 25 as a fulcrum, the engaging protrusion 32 located at the upper end side of the PLC module 3 approaches the locking mechanism 5. If the PLC module 3 is further rotated as a whole, the inclined surface 36 of the engaging protrusion 32 abuts against the inclined surface 63 of the hook lock 6 (engaging claw 60) (see FIG3 ). At this time, although the top end of the connector part 30 slightly enters the connection part 22 (not shown), the connector part 30 and the connection part 22 are not yet electrically connected.

If the top end of the engaging protrusion 32 is further pressed toward the negative side in the Z direction, a force downward (negative side in the Y direction) acts on the hooking portion 6 due to the inclined surfaces 36 and 63. As a result, the hooking portion 6 overcomes the force applied by the biasing member 50 on the positive side in the Y direction and is pressed downward as a whole and moves slightly. At this time, the relative contact position between the inclined surface 36 of the engaging protrusion 32 and the inclined surface 63 of the engaging claw 60 gradually moves toward the through hole 37 below. In addition, the movement of the hooking portion 6 is guided along the length direction (Y direction) of the guide hole 74 by the engagement of the engaging piece 64 with the guide hole 74.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4 , when the top end of the engagement claw 60 reaches directly below the through hole 37, the contact between the inclined surfaces 36 and 63 is released, and due to the force applied by the force applying member 50, the top end of the engagement claw 60 moves slightly and is received inside the through hole 37. Thus, the engagement claw 60 is engaged with the through hole 37, and the upper end of the PLC module 3 is locked by the locking mechanism 5. That is, the position where the engagement claw 60 is received in the through hole 37 is the engagement position. At this time, the connector portion 30 and the connection portion 22 are completely engaged and electrically connected for the first time.

Thus, the connector part 30 and the connection part 22 are electrically connected for the first time when the engaging claw part 60 is received in the through hole 37, so the connector part 30 and the connection part 22 are not electrically connected when the locking mechanism 5 is halfway in effect. In other words, as long as the connector part 30 and the connection part 22 are not electrically connected, the PLC module 3 is not completely locked.

In addition, in the series of actions in Figures 3 to 4, while the inclined surfaces 36 and 63 are in contact with each other, due to the force applied by the force-applying member 50, it is possible that the PLC module 3 as a whole deviates upward (to the positive side in the Y direction) and the engagement between the base side hinge portion 25 and the notch portion 35 is disengaged.

However, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG5 , a module holder 4 is provided at one end side of the base substrate 21. The module holder 4 has a pressure wall 41, which allows the PLC module to rotate with the base side hinge part 25 as a fulcrum C, and restricts the movement of the PLC module 3 in the moving direction (upward direction) of the hook lock part 6. The pressure wall 41 is provided on the positive side of the module side hinge part 31 in the Y direction in a manner covering the arc surface 33 and the inclined surface 34 of the module side hinge part 31.

According to this structure, the movement of the PLC module 3 toward the positive side in the Y direction is restricted by the pressure wall 41. Therefore, during the period when the inclined surfaces 36 and 63 are in contact with each other, it is possible to prevent the PLC module 3 from deviating upward (to the positive side in the Y direction) as a whole and disengaging the engagement between the base side hinge portion 25 and the notch portion 35 due to the force applied by the force applying member 50.

In addition, when the PLC module 3 is removed from the base plate 2, as shown in FIG6, the top plate portion 61 is pressed downward against the force of the force applying member 50, thereby releasing the engagement between the engaging claw portion 60 and the through hole 37. Thus, the lock is released, and the connection between the connector portion 30 and the connecting portion 22 can be released and the PLC module 3 can be removed from the base plate 2 by pulling the upper end side of the PLC module 3 toward the positive side in the Z direction.

In addition, in the present embodiment, a pair of rail portions 23 and 24 are arranged opposite to each other with the base substrate 21 interposed therebetween. A module holder 4 is mounted on the rail portion 23 (first rail portion) provided on one end side of the base substrate 21. A locking mechanism 5 is mounted on the rail portion 24 (second rail portion) provided on the other end side of the base substrate 21. In addition, the connection portion 22, the locking mechanism 5, and the module holder 4 on the base substrate 21 are arranged in a row in the Y direction. Moreover, the connection portion 22, the locking mechanism 5, and the module holder 4 are arranged in a plurality along the extension direction (X direction) of the pair of rail portions 23 and 24, respectively.

According to these structures, by setting the locking mechanism 5 and the module holder 4 to be installed on a pair of rail parts 23, 24, it is possible to increase the number of PLC modules 3 according to the position and number of PLC modules, thereby improving the overall expandability of the PLC system 1. In addition, a plurality of PLC modules 3 can be installed along the pair of rail parts 23, 24, thereby improving the above-mentioned expandability, and the installation man-hours of the operators will not be increased.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the PLC module 3 can be reliably coupled to the base plate 2 and an incomplete locking state can be prevented.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the module holder 4 is arranged on the lower end side of the base substrate 21, and the locking mechanism 5 is arranged on the upper end side of the base substrate 21, but it is not limited to this structure. Their arrangement may also be reversed upside down. The arrangement relationship between the engaging protrusion 32 of the PLC module 3 and the module-side hinge part 31 may also be reversed upside down.

In the above embodiment, the hook lock portion 6 is provided with the engaging piece 64 and the guide portion 7 is provided with the guide hole 74 for engaging the engaging piece 64, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The hook lock portion 6 may be provided with the guide hole 74 and the guide portion 7 may be provided with the engaging piece 64.

In the above embodiment, the module holder 4 is mounted on the rail portion 23 and the locking mechanism 5 is mounted on the rail portion 24, but the present invention is not limited to this structure. The module holder 4 may be formed integrally with the rail portion 23, and the locking mechanism 5 may be formed integrally with the rail portion 24.

In addition, although the present embodiment and the modified examples have been described, another embodiment may be an embodiment in which the above-described embodiment and the modified examples are combined in whole or in part.

In addition, the present embodiment is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment and variation, and various changes, substitutions, and variations can be made within the scope of the main purpose of the technical idea. Moreover, as long as the technical idea can be realized by other methods using technological progress or other derived technologies, the method can also be used for implementation. Therefore, the claims cover all embodiments that can be included in the scope of the technical idea.

The characteristic points of the above-mentioned embodiment are summarized below.

The base plate for a programmable controller described in the above embodiment is characterized in that the base plate for a programmable controller comprises: a base substrate having a connection portion for connecting a connector portion of a programmable controller module; a base-side hinge portion, which is arranged on one end side of the base substrate and supports the one end side of the programmable controller module so that it can rotate; and a locking mechanism, which is arranged on the other end side of the base substrate and fixes the other end side of the programmable controller module, the locking mechanism comprising: a hook lock portion, which can reciprocate in one direction between one end side and the other end side of the base substrate; a guide portion, which guides the movement of the hook lock portion; and a force applying member, which applies force to the hook lock portion toward the other end side of the base substrate relative to the guide portion, the hook lock portion having an engaging claw portion that can engage with an engaged portion arranged on the other end side of the programmable controller module, the engaging claw portion being able to engage with the engaged portion at an engaging position after the hook lock portion overcomes the force applied by the force applying member and moves in a predetermined direction.

In addition, in the base plate for the programmable controller described in the above embodiment, it is characterized in that the hook locking portion has a pair of locking pieces that can be engaged with the guide portion, and the guide portion has a guide hole for the pair of locking pieces to be engaged and is longer in the moving direction of the hook locking portion, and the hook locking portion can move along the length direction of the guide hole.

Furthermore, in the base plate for a programmable controller described in the above embodiment, the connector portion and the connection portion are electrically connected at the engagement position.

In addition, the base plate for the programmable controller described in the above embodiment is characterized in that the base plate for the programmable controller also has a module retainer arranged on one end side of the base substrate, and the module retainer has a pressure wall, which allows the programmable controller module to rotate with the base side hinge part as a fulcrum, and on the other hand limits the movement of the programmable controller module in the moving direction of the hook lock part.

In addition, the base plate for the programmable controller described in the above embodiment is characterized in that the base plate for the programmable controller also has a pair of rail portions arranged relative to each other across the base substrate, the pair of rail portions comprising: a first rail portion, which is arranged on one end side of the base substrate for mounting the module retainer; and a second rail portion, which is arranged on the other end side of the base substrate for mounting the locking mechanism, and the connecting portion, the locking mechanism, and the module retainer are arranged in a row.

Furthermore, in the base plate for a programmable controller described in the above embodiment, a plurality of the connection portions, the lock mechanism, and the module holder are arranged side by side along the extending direction of the pair of rail portions.

In addition, the programmable controller system described in the above embodiment is characterized in that the programmable controller system comprises: a base plate for the above-mentioned programmable controller; and a rectangular programmable controller module, which is installed on the base plate, and the programmable controller module has: a module side hinge portion, which is arranged at one end side of the length direction of the programmable controller module and can be engaged with the base side hinge portion; and an engaging protrusion portion, which is arranged at the other end side of the length direction of the programmable controller module and can be engaged with the locking mechanism.

In addition, in the programmable controller system described in the above embodiment, it is characterized in that the engaging claw portion has a first inclined surface that can abut against the engaging protrusion portion, and the engaging protrusion portion has: a second inclined surface that can abut against the first inclined surface; and a through hole that penetrates the second inclined surface, and the top end of the engaging claw portion can be engaged with the through hole. During the rotational movement of the programmable controller module with the base side hinge portion as a fulcrum, when the second inclined surface abuts against the first inclined surface, the engaging protrusion portion overcomes the force of the force applying member and presses down the hook lock portion, and the top end of the engaging claw portion engages with the through hole, so that the locking mechanism locks the programmable controller module.

Industrial Applicability

As described above, the present invention has the effect of making the connection between the PLC module and the base plate reliable and preventing an incomplete locking state, and is particularly useful for a base plate for a PLC module and a PLC system.

Claims (6)

1. A base plate for a programmable controller, characterized in that: The base plate for the programmable controller has: A base substrate having a connection portion to which a connector portion of a programmable controller module is connected; a base-side hinge portion provided on one end side of the base substrate and rotatably supporting one end side of the programmable controller module; and A locking mechanism is provided on the other end side of the base substrate to fix the other end side of the programmable controller module. The locking mechanism has: a hook lock portion capable of reciprocating in one direction between one end side and the other end side of the base substrate; a guide portion that guides movement of the hook lock portion; and a biasing member that biases the hooking portion toward the other end side of the base substrate relative to the guide portion, The hook lock portion includes an engaging claw portion that can engage with an engaged portion provided on the other end side of the programmable controller module. The engaging claw portion can engage with the engaged portion at an engaging position after the hook lock portion overcomes the biasing force of the biasing member and moves in a predetermined direction. The base plate for the programmable controller further comprises a module holder provided on one end side of the base substrate. The module holder has a pressure wall that allows the programmable controller module to rotate with the base-side hinge as a fulcrum, while limiting the movement of the programmable controller module in the moving direction of the hook lock. The base plate for the programmable controller further comprises a pair of rail portions arranged opposite to each other with the base substrate interposed therebetween. The pair of rail portions comprises: a first rail portion provided at one end of the base substrate and for mounting the module holder; and a second rail portion, which is provided at the other end side of the base substrate and is used for mounting the locking mechanism; The connection portion, the locking mechanism, and the module holder are arranged in a row. 2. The base plate for a programmable controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hook lock portion has a pair of engaging pieces that can engage with the guide portion. The guide portion has a guide hole for the pair of engagement pieces to engage with. The hooking portion is movable along a length direction of the guide hole. 3. The base plate for a programmable controller according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The connector portion and the connection portion are electrically connected at the engagement position. 4. The base plate for a programmable controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connection portion, the locking mechanism, and the module holder are respectively arranged in a plurality along the extending direction of the pair of rail portions. 5. A programmable controller system, characterized in that: The programmable controller system has: A base plate for a programmable controller according to any one of claims 1 to 4; and The rectangular parallelepiped programmable controller module is mounted on the base plate. The programmable controller module has: a module-side hinge portion, which is provided at one end side in the length direction of the programmable controller module and can be engaged with the base-side hinge portion; and An engaging protrusion is provided on the other end side in the longitudinal direction of the programmable controller module and can be engaged with the locking mechanism. 6. The programmable controller system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The engaging claw portion has a first inclined surface capable of abutting against the engaging protrusion portion, The engaging protrusion has: a second inclined surface capable of abutting against the first inclined surface; and a through hole that penetrates the second inclined surface, and the top end of the engaging claw portion can be engaged with the through hole, During the rotational movement of the programmable controller module with the base side hinge as a fulcrum, when the second inclined surface is in contact with the first inclined surface, the engaging protrusion overcomes the force of the force-applying member and presses down the hook lock portion, and the top end of the engaging claw portion engages with the through hole, thereby the locking mechanism locks the programmable controller module.