Patent Application
20200013276
This application claims the priority of Japan patent application serial no. 2018-127654, filed on Jul. 4, 2018. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification.
The present disclosure relates to a communication unit and a safety system.
Safety systems to which a plurality of safety input devices (for example, a safety sensor, an emergency stop switch, and the like) are connected through a common bus line and which enable data communication or transmission of information between the safety input devices through the bus line have been proposed. For example, a safety system disclosed in European Patent Application, Publication No. 2720414 (Patent Document 1) is configured such that communication units serving as hubs to which safety input devices are connected through cables are connected to each other in series (cascade connection) through a common bus line.
However, in the related art described above, there are the following problems when actually installing and constructing a safety system.
That is, in a case where the safety system disclosed in Patent Document 1 is constructed, the common bus line connecting the communication units to each other is constructed, and thus a dedicated connection cable is required. For this reason, there is a problem that initial cost increases due to purchase of the dedicated connection cable, and an increase in man-hours such as for connection between the communication units through the connection cable.
According to an embodiment, there is provided a communication unit including a unit main body, a connection portion which is provided in the unit main body and connected to a safety input device through a cable, a first input and output portion which is provided at a first end on a connection portion side in the unit main body, and a second input and output portion which is provided at a second end on a side opposite to the first end in the unit main body, in which the first and second input and output portions are configured to be directly connected to each other when a plurality of the unit main bodies are connected to each other in series, and a notched portion forming a disposition space for a terminal on the connection portion side of at least the cable is provided at the second end of the unit main body.
According to another embodiment, there is also provided a safety system including a plurality of the communication units according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which are connected to each other in series, the safety input device which is connected to each of the communication units, and an input unit which relays transmission of information, which is input from the communication unit, to a controller, in which the communication units are directly connected to each other.
The disclosure provides a communication unit and a safety system in which an increase in initial cost when constructing the safety system is able to be minimized.
According to the above-described configuration, the first and second input and output portions are configured to be directly connected to each other when a plurality of the unit main bodies are connected to each other in series, and thus a dedicated connection cable is not required to connect the communication units to each other. In addition, since a notched portion forming a disposition space for a terminal on the connection portion side of at least the cable is provided at the second end of the unit main body, the terminal on the connection portion side of the cable does not interfere with another adjacent unit main body when connecting the communication units to each other in series. For this reason, according to the above-described configuration, a terminal on the connection portion side of the cable does not protrude from the unit main body, and thus it is possible to prevent breakage of the communication unit due to contact with a user.
Therefore, according to the above-described configuration, it is possible to minimize increase in initial cost when constructing a safety system.
Further, in the communication unit according to the embodiment, the safety input device may be disposed to be shifted from the serial direction of the unit main bodies, the cable may be disposed to be bent on the connection portion side, and the notched portion may have a surface forming an installation space for a bent portion of the cable.
According to the above-described configuration, the bent portion of the cable connected to the unit main body does not interfere with another adjacent unit main body when connecting the communication units to each other in series.
Further, in the communication unit according to the embodiment, the terminal on at least the connection portion side in the cable may have a linear shape extending in a connection direction of the unit main bodies.
According to the above-described configuration, it is possible to reliably prevent the terminal on the connection portion side of the cable from protruding from the unit main body.
According to the above-described configuration, it is possible to realize a safety system in which an increase in initial cost when constructing the safety system is able to be minimized.
According to an aspect of the disclosure, it is possible to minimize the increase in initial cost when constructing the safety system.
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the disclosure will be described in detail.
First, as shown in
Firstly, the controller 20 acquires information from the plurality of communication units 10 through the input unit 30 as input data. Secondly, the controller 20 executes arithmetic processing using the acquired input data in accordance with a preinstalled user program. The controller 20 executes the arithmetic processing to determine control contents with respect to the plurality of communication units 10.
The input unit 30 is a relay device for performing transmission and reception of data between the communication units 10 and the controller 20. The input unit 30 is a device communication management unit for the controller 20 to capture information relating to the state of the communication unit 10 which is an input source, and the like (input information and additional information). One or more communication units 10 are connected to the input unit 30 through a device communication cable. The input unit 30 includes a device communication port to which the device communication cable for communicating with one or more communication units 10 connected to each other in series is connected.
In the safety system 100, the controller 20 receives information and the like (input information) detected by the communication unit 10 through the input unit 30. It is noted that a human machine interface (HMI) may be connected to the controller 20 through, for example, a universal serial bus (USB) cable. The HMI is a means for exchanging information between a human and a machine, and specifically, is a means for causing a human to operate a machine (gives an instruction to a machine) or causing a machine to inform a human of the present state and result. Regarding the HMI, the means by which a human gives instructions to a machine includes, for example, a switch, a button, a handle, a dial, a pedal, a remote control, a microphone, a keyboard, a mouse, and the like. In addition, the means by which a machine informs a human of information regarding the present state, result, and the like includes, for example, a liquid crystal screen, a meter, a lamp, a speaker, and the like.
As shown in
The unit main body 1 includes a cable connection portion 2 (connection portion) connected to the cable 8, an input and output portion 3 (first input and output portion), an input and output portion 4 (second input and output portion), a notched portion 5, a status display unit 6, and a mounting hole 9.
The input and output portion 3 is provided at an end 1a (first end) on the cable connection portion 2 side in the unit main body 1. In addition, the input and output portion 4 is provided at an end 1b (second end) on a side opposite to the end 1a in the unit main body 1. The input and output portions 3 and 4 are configured to be directly connected to each other when the plurality of unit main bodies 1 are connected to each other in series. The input and output portions 3 and 4 are not connected through a cable.
The status display unit 6 displays communication conditions between the communication units 10 within the safety system 100. In a case where an abnormality occurs in the communication conditions between the communication units 10 within the safety system 100, the status display unit 6 of the communication unit 10 having an abnormality is configured to display a communication abnormality. It is noted that the number of status display units 6 is not limited to that in the configurations shown in
The mounting hole 9 is a portion for mounting the unit main body 1 on an aluminum frame 11. The unit main body 1 is fixed to the aluminum frame 11 by a fastening member 9a through the mounting hole 9.
As shown in
When such a safety system in which the communication units are connected to each other in series is constructed, a dedicated connection cable is required in the related art to connect the plurality of communication units 10 to each other in series. However, in the safety system 100 according to the present embodiment, the plurality of communication units 10 are directly connected to each other through the input and output portions 3 and 4. Therefore, a dedicated connection cable is not required to connect the communication units 10 to each other.
Further, in a case where the communication units 10 are connected to each other in series, a connection portion-side terminal 8a of the cable 8 interferes in the unit main body 1 of another adjacent communication unit 10, and it is difficult to mount the cable 8 on the cable connection portion 2. In order to prevent interference of the cable 8 with the unit main body 1, it is conceivable that the connection portion-side terminal 8a of the cable 8 is formed to have an L-shape. However, in this case, there is a concern that the connection portion-side terminal 8a may protrude from the aluminum frame 11. In addition, when a user comes into contact with the protruding connection portion-side terminal 8a, there is a concern that a production line may stop due to breakage of the communication unit 10.
Consequently, in the communication unit 10 according to the present embodiment, the notched portion 5 is provided at the end 1b in the unit main body 1. The notched portion 5 has a plane 5a. The plane 5a forms an installation space of at least the connection portion-side terminal 8a in the cable connection portion 2 of the adjacent communication unit 10. Therefore, the dimensions of the plane 5a in the notched portion 5 are larger than the dimensions of the connection portion-side terminal 8a. According to the communication unit 10 of the present embodiment, the notched portion 5 constituting the installation space of at least the connection portion-side terminal 8a is provided at the end 1b in the unit main body 1. Accordingly, when the unit main bodies 1 are directly connected to each other, the connection portion-side terminal 8a connected to the unit main body 1 is accommodated in the notched portion 5 formed in another adjacent unit main body 1. For this reason, the connection portion-side terminal 8a connected to the unit main body 1 does not interfere with another adjacent unit main body 1 when connecting the communication units 10 to each other in series. For this reason, the connection portion-side terminal 8a does not protrude from the aluminum frame 11, and thus it is possible to prevent breakage of the communication unit 10 due to a contact with a user.
Therefore, according to the communication unit 10 of the present embodiment, it is possible to minimize an increase in initial cost in constructing the safety system 100.
In addition, as shown in
The notched portion 5 has an inclined surface 5b forming the installation space of the bent portion 8b of the cable 8. Thereby, the bent portion 8b of the cable 8 connected to the unit main body 1 does not interfere with another adjacent unit main body 1 when connecting the communication units 10 to each other in series.
It is noted that the notched portion 5 may be configured to form the installation space of at least the connection portion-side terminal 8a. For example, in a case where the cable 8 has an extremely high flexibility, it is conceivable that the bent portion 8b of the cable 8 be formed to be not too large. Therefore, it is conceivable that the degree of interference of the bent portion 8b with respect to the unit main body 1 is low. In such a case, in the notched portion 5, the inclined surface 5b along the bent portion 8b of the cable 8 may not be formed.
The safety system 100 according to the present embodiment is configured to include a power supply unit that supplies a voltage for the supply of a current to at least one communication unit 10. The power supply unit may be connected to the cable connection portion 2 in the communication unit 10 and the input and output portions 3 and 4 through a cable. Therefore, the input and output portions 3 and 4 are used not only for direct connection between the unit main bodies 1 but also for connection to the power supply unit.
In addition, the controller 20 connected to the plurality of communication units 10 connected to each other in series may be an industrial control device such as a programmable logic controller (PLC).
In addition, examples of the safety input device 7 include a “detector” such as a temperature sensor or an optical sensor, a “switch (a push button switch, a limit switch, a pressure switch, a non-contact switch, or the like)”, “safety equipment (a safety controller or the like)”, and the like.
Dimensions of the unit main body 1 can be appropriately set in accordance with a location where the unit main body 1 is installed. In addition, a known cable of the related art used for a communication system can be adopted as the cable 8. The cable 8 is, for example, a cable having a diameter of Φ5 mm to 6 mm and having a connector portion of the M8 or M12 standard. In addition, the length of the cable 8 can be appropriately set in accordance with a facility configuration of the safety system 100, or the like. For example, in a case where a non-contact switch is used as the safety input device 7, the length of the cable 8 is 2 m to 5 m.
The input and output portions 3 and 4 in the unit main body 1 are not particularly limited as long as the input and output portions are configured to be able to be directly connected to each other. For example, in a case where the input and output portion 3 is constituted by a male terminal, the input and output portion 4 is constituted by a female terminal capable of being connected to the male terminal.
In addition, the cable connection portion 2 and the connection portion-side terminal 8a of the cable 8 are not particularly limited as long as the cable connection portion and the connection portion-side terminal are configured to be able to be connected to each other. The connection portion-side terminal 8a may be a male terminal or a female terminal. In addition, the shape of the connection portion-side terminal 8a of the cable 8 may be a linear shape extending in the connection direction of the unit main bodies 1 instead of being an L-shape in order not to protrude from the aluminum frame 11. In addition, the connection portion-side terminal 8a may be a terminal formed by overmolding.
For example, in a case where the unit main body 1 has such dimensions as to be installed in the aluminum frame 11 of which the cross-sectional shape is a square shape of 40 mm×40 mm, the connection portion-side terminal 8a may have the following dimensions. In a case where the connection portion-side terminal 8a is a male terminal, a maximum of the diameter thereof is 16 mm, and the length thereof is 55 mm. Further, in a case where the connection portion-side terminal 8a is a female terminal, a maximum of the diameter thereof is 16 mm, and the length thereof is 48 mm. The connection portion-side terminal 8a has dimensions based on the IEC standard 61076-2. With such dimensions, the connection portion-side terminal 8a does not protrude from the aluminum frame 11.
In the configurations shown in
As shown in
In addition, as shown in
In addition, the mounting hole 9 may include an auxiliary member that assists fastening, in addition to the fastening member 9a. Examples of such an auxiliary member include a washer, a washer ring, and the like.
The disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment and can be modified in the scope recited in the claims, and an embodiment obtained by appropriately combining technical means disclosed in the embodiment with each other is also included in the technical scope of the invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-127654 | Jul 2018 | JP | national |
