Devices, systems, and/or methods regarding a programmable logic controller

• US 20080052435A1
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Johnson, Joseph, Norwood, Victor
• Granted Patent: US 7,666,004 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/301
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/15078 Modules, construction of system
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1467 PLC mounted in a cabinet or chassis
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1478 including a segmented bus

Abstract

Certain exemplary embodiments comprise a PLC housing comprising a plurality of board mounts. Each of the plurality of board mounts can be configured to physically position a board of a plurality of boards relative to at least one other system component. In certain exemplary embodiments, one or more of the plurality of board mounts might not be configured to electrically or communicatively couple the board to another system component.

Claims

1. A programmable logic controller (PLC) system comprising:

a PLC housing comprising a plurality of circuit board mounts, each of said plurality of circuit board mounts configured to physically position a first circuit board of a plurality of circuit boards relative to at least one other system component, none of said plurality of circuit board mounts configured to electrically or communicatively couple said first circuit board to any other system component, said PLC housing not comprising a backplane, said PLC housing not coupled to said backplane; and

said first circuit board selected from a group comprising a power supply circuit board, a processor circuit board, and an Input/Output circuit board, said first circuit board one of said plurality of circuit boards, said first circuit board substantially planar and defining a first plane, said first circuit board comprising a surface mount connector, said surface mount connector configured to communicatively couple said first circuit board to a second circuit board of said plurality of circuit boards that comprises a corresponding mating connector, when coupled, said corresponding mating connector of said second circuit board and said surface mount connector of said first circuit board configured to define a first substantially convective heat transfer channel between said second circuit board and said first circuit board, said first channel configured to dissipate heat generated by components of said second circuit board and said first circuit board.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein, when coupled, said surface mount connector of said first circuit board and said corresponding mating connector of said second circuit board are configured to restrain flexure of said second circuit board relative to said first circuit board such that, for any flexure of said first circuit board, at least a portion of said second plane defined by said second circuit board will be substantially parallel to at least a portion of said first plane defined by said first circuit board.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said first circuit board is said Input/Output circuit board.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said first circuit board is said power supply circuit board.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said first circuit board is said processor circuit board.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an expansion Input/Output module configured to be connected via a plug connection to said PLC system, said PLC system comprising a plug component portion communicatively couplable to a corresponding plug component portion of said expansion Input/Output module.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an expansion Input/Output module configured to be connected via a plug connection to said PLC housing, said PLC housing comprising a plug component portion communicatively couplable to a corresponding plug component portion of said expansion Input/Output module, wherein said expansion Input/Output module is configured to mount a plurality of expansion Input/Output circuit boards that are substantially identical to at least one circuit board of said plurality of circuit boards.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein, said PLC housing is configured to mount said plurality of circuit boards.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of circuit boards comprises said processor circuit board and said Input/Output circuit board.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein, said PLC housing is configured to mount said plurality of circuit boards such that said first plane and each plane defined by each of said plurality of circuit boards are substantially parallel.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein, when mounted in said first PLC housing, each of said plurality of circuit boards are configured to conductively transfer heat to said PLC housing

12. The system of claim 1, wherein, said PLC housing configured to substantially surround each of said plurality of circuit boards.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said second circuit board is said processor circuit board.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said second circuit board is said Input/Output circuit board.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of circuit boards comprises a plurality of substantially identical Input/Output circuit boards.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein said PLC housing defines an opening configured to receive a direct current (DC) jack, said DC jack electrically couplable to said power supply circuit board.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein said PLC housing defines an opening configured to receive a direct current (AC) jack, said AC jack electrically couplable to said power supply circuit board.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein said PLC housing defines an opening configured to receive a terminal block, said terminal block configured to be communicatively coupled to said Input/Output circuit board of said plurality of circuit boards.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein said PLC housing comprises a plurality of slots, each of said plurality of slots configured to receive one of said plurality of circuit boards.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein said PLC housing defines an opening configured to receive a memory module.

21. A programmable logic controller (PLC) comprising:

a first circuit board selected from a group comprising a power supply circuit board, a processor circuit board, and an Input/Output circuit board, said first circuit board one of a plurality of circuit boards, said first circuit board substantially planar and defining a first plane, said first circuit board comprising a surface mount connector, said surface mount connector configured to communicatively couple said first circuit board to a second circuit board of said plurality of circuit boards that comprises a corresponding mating connector, when coupled, said corresponding mating connector of said second circuit board and said surface mount connector of said first circuit board configured to define a first substantially convective heat transfer channel between said second circuit board and said first circuit board, said first substantially convective heat transfer channel configured to dissipate heat generated by components of said second circuit board and said first circuit board, when coupled, said corresponding mating connector of said second circuit board and said surface mount connector of said first circuit board configured to restrain flexure of said first circuit board relative to said second circuit board such that, for any flexure of said second circuit board, at least a portion of said first plane defined by said first circuit board will be substantially parallel to at least a portion of a second plane defined by said second circuit board.