JP7829990B2 - Additional modules and connecting units - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to an additional module connected between modules of a modular unit, and to a modular unit incorporating the additional module.

A linked unit, consisting of multiple modules comprising electronic devices and cases housing those devices, has been known for some time, as shown in, for example, Patent Document 1. Such linked units allow for the addition of modules and are used as measurement units capable of measuring multiple phenomena by measuring different phenomena with each module.

On the other hand, the ability to measure multiple phenomena meant that noise generated by signals measured by one module could superimpose on signals measured by other modules, potentially leading to inaccurate measurement results. For example, noise generated from event data (particularly DC current and voltage data) obtained from sensors and measuring instruments installed in the solar power generation system could superimpose on event data (particularly AC current and voltage data) obtained from other sensors and measuring instruments. Furthermore, because each module is connected in series, there was a risk of electrical accidents such as insulation failures occurring between adjacent modules.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-154078

Therefore, the objective of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems and to provide an additional module and a connected unit that can prevent noise superposition and electrical accidents such as insulation failures from occurring between modules of a connected unit.

The present invention, which was made to solve the above problems, is an additional module connected between modules of a linked unit formed by linking together multiple modules, each module consisting of an electronic device and a case for housing the electronic device. The additional module is equipped with a conversion unit inside its case that converts the method of power supply or communication within the linked unit . Power supply or communication between the additional module and an adjacent module is performed by bringing the terminals of the electronic devices housed in each other's cases into contact. The terminals and the conversion unit are electrically connected, and power supply or communication in the conversion unit is performed by a non-contact method .

Preferably, the conversion unit converts the power supply method from an electrical method to a magnetic method, and the communication method from an electrical method to an optical method.

Furthermore, the linked unit of the present invention is a linked unit formed by linking together a plurality of modules, each module consisting of an electronic device and a case for housing the electronic device, and is characterized in that some modules are additional modules that perform power supply or communication between adjacent modules by bringing the terminals of the electronic devices housed in each other's cases into contact, and are equipped with a conversion unit that converts this into a non-contact power supply or communication method inside the case .

According to the present invention, in a conversion unit housed inside the case of an additional module connected between modules of a linked unit, the method of energization is converted from an electrical method to a magnetic method, and the communication method is converted from an electrical method to a non-contact method using light. In this way, the current and communication conversion unit is located at least one place between modules, so the entire module is not electrically connected, and electrical accidents such as insulation failures can be prevented. Furthermore, noise superimposed on the communication signal is also absorbed by the conversion unit, so it is possible to suppress inaccuracies in measurement data due to noise.

This is an external perspective view showing the basic configuration of the modular unit. This is a disassembled perspective view of a functional module. This is a perspective view showing the state with the additional module installed. This is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment incorporating an additional module. This is a wiring diagram of an embodiment incorporating additional modules.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below, but first, the basic configuration of a linked unit that does not include additional modules will be explained.
(Basic configuration of a modular unit)
Figure 1 is an external perspective view of a modular unit without additional modules. Base modules 11, functional modules 12, end modules 13, etc., are mounted in series on a rail member 10, in close contact with each other by mounting members 14. As shown in the figure, the base modules 11 and end modules 13 are positioned at both ends, and the functionality of the modular unit can be expanded by inserting the required number of functional modules 12 between them. The modular unit of this embodiment is intended for use in connection with sensors and measuring instruments.

The base module 11 has at least one of the following functions: a function to communicate with external devices, a function to receive power from external devices and supply power to other modules, a function to communicate with other modules (a function to send signals to the function module 12 and a function to receive data from the function module 12), and a function to calculate, store, and analyze data acquired from connected sensors and measuring instruments, as well as data received from the function module 12.

The end module 13 is equipped with a termination resistor and is intended to efficiently conduct power and communicate between modules constituting the linked unit. In addition, it may also have functions similar to those of the functional module 12.

The functional module 12 is connected to sensors and measuring instruments and has at least one of the following functions: a function to acquire and store data related to events detected or measured by the sensors and measuring instruments; a function to perform calculations; a function to analyze data; and a function to communicate with other modules (a function to transmit acquired data or calculated/analyzed data to the base module 11, or to receive signals from the base module 11).

To perform the various functions described above, each module consists of electronic components and a case that houses them. The structure of the case will be described later. The electronic components acquire data related to events detected or measured by connected sensors and measuring instruments, and perform calculations, judgments, storage, analysis, and communication. These components include electronic circuit boards with mounted electronic components and devices equipped with such circuit boards.

Here, "event" refers to (1) natural phenomena such as earthquakes, lightning, rain, wind, and snow that affect electrical and electronic equipment enclosures such as distribution boards, switchboards, and high-voltage receiving equipment, as well as their associated equipment and buildings such as houses and factories; and (2) the internal environment of electrical and electronic equipment enclosures, the condition of the electrical and electronic equipment contained within them, and disasters that occur within electrical and electronic equipment enclosures. However, as shown below, it is not limited to these.

Examples of sensors and measuring instruments include, in case (1), boxes for housing electrical and electronic equipment and their accessories, earthquake sensors and seismic sensors for detecting earthquakes affecting buildings, lightning sensors for measuring lightning, rain sensors for detecting rain, rain gauges for measuring rainfall, anemometers for measuring wind speed, snowfall sensors for measuring snow, and snow depth sensors for measuring snow depth. In case (2), examples include thermometers, hygrometers, illuminance sensors and barometric pressure sensors for understanding the internal environment of the electrical and electronic equipment housing box. Furthermore, examples of sensors for understanding the state of electrical and electronic equipment housed in the electrical and electronic equipment housing box include current sensors, voltage sensors, and power sensors for measuring current, voltage, and power supplied to the electrical and electronic equipment, temperature sensors and infrared sensors for measuring heat generation inside the electrical and electronic equipment and terminals, discharge event detection sensors for detecting spark discharges occurring in the terminals and electrical wiring of electrical and electronic equipment, vibration sensors for detecting abnormal vibrations of electrical and electronic equipment, and fire detectors, smoke sensors, odor sensors, and heat sensors for detecting electrical accidents and electrical fires occurring inside the electrical and electronic equipment housing box. In addition, these may be human presence sensors or motion sensors that detect the movement of people inside buildings or the movement of small animals that have entered boxes containing electrical and electronic equipment.

As described above, the events detected by the electronic equipment housed in the linked unit of this embodiment may be any events related to the electrical and electronic equipment housing box, its accessories, or the building, and the measuring unit may be any unit capable of measuring data related to those events.

Electrical and electronic equipment refers to items that are housed inside or mounted externally in an electrical and electronic equipment enclosure, such as circuit breakers, terminal blocks, wires, disconnectors, circuit breakers, switches, transformers, reactors, capacitors, measuring instruments, sensors, communication equipment, display equipment, lighting equipment, heating and cooling equipment, and ventilation systems. Of course, the sensor module of this invention is also included. Attached equipment includes not only electrical and electronic equipment but also items outside the scope of electrical and electronic equipment, such as handles, hinges, gaskets, and grommets. In short, attached equipment includes all equipment attached to the electrical and electronic equipment enclosure, whether inside or outside.

The various functions described above are performed by electronic devices housed within each module. These electronic devices are basically mounted on an electronic circuit board, and power supply and communication between modules are achieved by making contact between terminals mounted on the circuit board. As explained below, each module is directly or indirectly connected to form a linked unit, but the structure ensures that both physical and electrical connections—that is, connections for power supply and communication—are achieved simultaneously through the contact of the terminals of each module.

The structure of the case is described below. The case houses electronic equipment. The case in this embodiment has an opening that fully opens on the surfaces in the connecting direction. However, since the base module 11 and end module 13 are located at the ends, their cases are end cases with openings on only one surface in the connecting direction. In contrast, the case of the functional module 12 is a central case with openings on both surfaces in the connecting direction. As shown in Figure 2, the central case 21 has a frame shape enclosed by a top surface 22, a bottom surface 23, and left and right side surfaces 24.

To construct the interconnected unit of the present invention, the cases must be arranged in close contact with each other on the rail member 10, and for this to be possible, the cases must be connected to one another. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, a sliding engagement part 25 is provided on the outside of the side surface 24 of the central case 21, employing a structure that connects adjacent cases in a close contact state. However, the means of connecting the cases is arbitrary and not limited to this.

The cases can be directly connected to each other, further increasing the flexibility of the internal space size. However, as shown in Figure 2, the cases can also be connected with a covering member 31 placed over the opening of the central case 21, covering the opening. By covering the opening of the case with the covering member 31, the internal space of the case is partitioned, forming a single module.

As shown in Figure 2, an electronic circuit board 30, which is an electronic device, is housed inside the case. The electronic circuit board 30 includes a wire connection section 33 and a terminal section 34. An opening for wire connection is formed in the top plate 22 of the case, allowing wires connected to the aforementioned sensors and measuring instruments to be connected to the wire connection section 33 through this opening. The terminal section 34 is made by bending and shaping an elastic leaf spring and is used for connecting to adjacent modules, enabling power supply and/or communication. Therefore, a hole 36 is formed in the covering member 31 to expose the terminal section 34. To minimize a decrease in waterproof and dustproof performance, it is preferable that the shape of the hole 36 conforms to the shape of the terminal section 34, ensuring there are no gaps.

(Additional module)
As described above, the basic configuration of the linked unit is one in which a functional module 12 is placed between a base module 11 and an end module 13. However, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the linked unit of the present invention has some modules as additional modules 40. In this embodiment, the additional modules 40 are inserted between the functional modules 12, 12, but the additional modules 40 may also be inserted between the functional modules 12 and the base module 11 or the end module 13.

As shown in the wiring diagram in Figure 5, the additional module 40 includes conversion units 41 and 42 inside the case that convert the method of energizing or communicating between adjacent modules. The energizing circuit 43 between modules is separated by conversion unit 41, and the communication path 44 between modules is separated by conversion unit 42. Conversion units 41 and 42 convert the energizing method and communication method from contact-based to non-contact-based. Preferably, conversion unit 41 converts electrical energizing to a magnetic method, and conversion unit 42 converts electrical communication to an optical method.

Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the conversion unit 41 of the power supply circuit 43 is composed of a first conversion unit 45 and a second conversion unit 46, and the conversion unit 42 of the communication path 44 is composed of a third conversion unit 47 and a fourth conversion unit 48. The first conversion unit 45 and the second conversion unit 46 are insulated from each other, and the third conversion unit 47 and the fourth conversion unit 48 are also insulated from each other. The first conversion unit 45 of the power supply circuit 43 converts electricity to magnetism, and the second conversion unit 46 converts magnetism to electricity. Furthermore, the third conversion unit 47 of the communication path 44 converts electricity to light, and the fourth conversion unit 48 converts light to electricity. In this way, the conversion units 41 and 42 convert the power supply method and communication method from a contact method to a non-contact method, enabling power supply and communication between modules while maintaining insulation.

The structure of the case 49 of the additional module 40 is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, it is preferable to have a structure with openings on both sides in the connecting direction, similar to the central case 21 of the functional module 12. That is, by covering the openings of the case 49 with the covering member 51, the conversion units 41 and 42 are housed in the partitioned internal space of the case 49. Of course, for the purpose of part sharing, the case 49 and covering member 51 of the additional module 40 may have the same structure as the central case 21 and covering member 31 of the functional module 12.

The additional module 40 is equipped with terminals 52, and by contacting the terminals 34 of the electronic circuit board 30 of the adjacent module, it enables power supply and/or communication between the additional module 40 and the adjacent module. Therefore, the covering member 51 of the additional module 40 has holes 53 formed to expose the terminals 52. In other words, power supply and/or communication between the additional module 40 and the adjacent module is performed by a contact method where the terminals touch each other, while power supply and/or communication are performed internally within the additional module by conversion units 41 and 42 using a non-contact method.

Furthermore, the case 49 of the additional module 40 is connected to adjacent modules by appropriate connecting means, similar to the central case 21 of the functional module 12. Since the case 49 of the additional module 40 has a different function from the other functional modules 12, it is preferable to make its case shape and color different to facilitate identification.

The additional module 40 may include at least one of a conversion unit 41 for converting the power supply method or a conversion unit 42 for converting the communication method, or the conversion unit 41 and the conversion unit 42 may be integrally formed.

As explained above, according to the present invention, the entire module is no longer electrically connected, thus preventing electrical accidents such as insulation failures. Furthermore, since noise superimposed on the communication signal is absorbed by the conversion unit, there is the advantage of suppressing inaccuracies in measurement data due to noise.

10 Rail member 11 Base module 12 Functional module 13 End module 14 Mounting member 21 Central case 22 Top surface 23 Bottom surface 24 Side surface 25 Engaging part 30 Electronic circuit board 31 Covering member 33 Wire connection part 34 Terminal part 36 Hole 40 Additional module 41 Conversion part 42 Conversion part 43 Power supply circuit 44 Communication path 45 First conversion part 46 Second conversion part 47 Third conversion part 48 Fourth conversion part 49 Additional module case 51 Covering member 52 Terminal part 53 Hole

Claims (3)

An additional module connected between modules of a linked unit, which is formed by linking together multiple modules consisting of electronic devices and cases for housing the electronic devices,
The additional module's case is equipped with a conversion unit that converts the power supply method or communication method within the linked unit .
Power supply or communication between an additional module and an adjacent module is achieved by making contact between the terminals of the electronic devices housed in each other's cases.
The terminal section and the conversion section are electrically connected.
An additional module characterized in that the power supply or communication in the conversion unit is performed by a non-contact method . The additional module according to claim 1, characterized in that the conversion unit converts the method of energization from an electrical method to a magnetic method, and the communication method from an electrical method to an optical method . A linked unit formed by connecting multiple modules, each consisting of an electronic device and a case for housing the electronic device,
Some modules achieve power supply or communication between adjacent modules by making contact between the terminals of the electronic devices housed in each other's cases.
A modular unit characterized by being an additional module equipped with a conversion unit inside the case that converts to a non-contact method of power supply or communication.