Interlocking system for connecting a programmable logic controller and a power supply

• US 9,007,752 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2013
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Asia Pacific Business Center Pte Ltd (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Asia Pacific Business Center Pte Ltd (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chin, Karen, Wong, Chee Lim
• Primary Examiner(s): DUONG, HUNG V
• Application Number:
  US14/099,317
• Publication Number:
  US 20140098477A1
• Time in Patent Office: 494 Days
• Field of Search: 455/552.1, 455/452.1, 455/561, 455/414.1, 455/550.1, 455/566, 455/127.5, 361/679.58, 361/679.47, 361/679.4, 361/679.09, 361/679.55, 361/679.26, 361/679.01, 361/679.33, 361/679.37, 361/679.59, 361/679.57, 361/679.11, 361/679.43, 361/679.41, 312/219, 312/221, 312/215, 312/328, 312/333, 312/404, 312/319.1, 312/223.2, 312/111, 248/220.22, 248/647, 248/646, 248/421, 439/638, 439/359, 439/357, 439/348, 439/350, 439/76.1, 439/427, 439/502
• US Class Current: 361/679.1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/058 Safety, monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1474 Mounting of modules, e.g. on a base or rail or wall
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1482 PLC power supply; PLC accessories, e.g. for safety
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

An interlocking system for connecting a programmable logic controller and a power supply of an industrial control and automation system is provided. The interlocking system includes features configured to facilitate coupling with a panel or rail and a plurality of vertical slots and a latch disposed on a side surface of the power supply. The latch includes a first attachment feature disposed along a flexible tongue cantilevered proximate an opening in a housing of the power supply such that the tongue can flex into the opening. The interlocking system also includes a plurality of hooks and a second attachment feature formed on a side surface of the programmable logic controller. The plurality of hooks are configured to slide along and engage with the plurality of vertical slots such that the programmable logic controller and the power supply are held together horizontally and the second attachment feature is configured to couple with the first attachment feature to resist disengagement of the plurality of hooks and the plurality of vertical slots.

Claims

1. An automation system, comprising:

a plurality of monitoring and/or control modules configured to perform a monitoring and/or control function, wherein a number of adjacent monitoring and/or control modules of the plurality of monitoring and/or control modules are slidably connected using a plurality of hooks and a plurality of slots corresponding to the plurality of hooks on mating surfaces of the adjacent monitoring and/or control modules and wherein at least a set of the plurality of hooks and the plurality of slots of at least a pair of the adjacent plurality of monitoring and/or control modules is maintained in position relative to one another by a latch coupled with a corresponding receiving slot of the mating surfaces of the pair of adjacent monitoring and/or control modules.

2. The automation system of claim 1, comprising an enclosure, wherein the plurality of monitoring and/or control modules are disposed within the enclosure.

3. The automation system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of monitoring and/or control modules comprise a power supply and a programmable logic controller.

4. The automation system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of hooks and the plurality of slots facilitate alignment of the adjacent monitoring and/or control modules and wherein the latch is configured to slidably engage with the corresponding receiving slot in a single assembly action.

5. The automation system of claim 1, wherein the latch comprises plastic.

6. The automation system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of monitoring and/or control modules is independently removable from coupling with the remaining plurality of monitoring and/or control modules by selectively disengaging a corresponding latch from a corresponding receiving slot and vertically sliding each of the plurality of monitoring and/or control modules.

7. The automation system of claim 1, comprising:

a power supply including a pair of the plurality of slots positioned along edges of a face of a housing of the power supply; and

a programmable logic controller including a pair of the plurality of hooks positioned along edges of a side portion of a housing of the programmable logic controller, wherein the pair of the plurality of hooks is slidably engaged with the pair of the plurality of slots.

8. The automation system of claim 7, wherein the latch is disposed along the face of the housing of the power supply.

9. The automation system of claim 7, wherein the pair of the plurality of slots extends along a portion of the full height of the housing of the power supply and the pair of the plurality of hooks extends along a portion of the full height of the housing of the programmable logic controller.

10. The automation system of claim 1, wherein the latch comprises a flexible tongue cantilevered from and adjacent an opening within a corresponding one of the monitoring and/or control modules.

11. An automation system, comprising:

a first automation system module;

a second automation system module, wherein the first and second automation system modules are configured to cooperate to perform at least one monitoring and/or control function;

a first hook extending along a first vertical edge of a face of a housing of the first automation system module;

a second hook extending along a second vertical edge of the face of the housing of the first automation system module;

a first vertical slot extending along a first vertical edge of a face of a housing of the second automation system module, wherein the first vertical slot is configured to receive the first hook;

a second vertical slot extending along a second vertical edge of the face of the housing of the second automation system module, wherein the second vertical slot is configured to receive the second hook;

a latch comprising a tongue cantilevered from the housing of the first or the second automation system module, the tongue extending vertically along the face of the housing of the first or the second automation system module and adjacent a recess in the housing of the first or the second automation system module, wherein the latch comprises a first attachment feature; and

a second attachment feature configured to couple with the first attachment feature to resist slidably decoupling the first hook from the first vertical slot and the second hook from the second vertical slot when the first and second hooks are coupled with the first and second vertical slots, wherein the second attachment feature is disposed on the face of whichever housing of the first or second automation system module that the latch is not cantilevered from.

12. The automation system of claim 11, wherein the first automation system module comprises a power supply.

13. The automation system of claim 12, wherein the second automation system module comprises a programmable controller.

14. The automation system of claim 13, wherein the programmable controller comprises a port configured to receive a programmable module adapted to manage aspects of the programmable controller.

15. The automation system of claim 11, wherein the first attachment feature comprises an extension from a face of the tongue and the second attachment feature comprises a recess configured to receive the extension.

16. The automation system of claim 11, wherein the tongue is configured to flex into the recess when actuated.

17. A method, comprising:

sliding a first mating surface of a first control module housing adjacent a second mating surface of a second control module housing;

receiving engaging features of slots formed along edges of the first mating surface within hooks formed along edges of the second mating surface;

flexing a latch toward a recess in the first mating surface as a result of a first attachment feature extending from the latch abutting the second mating surface;

flexing the latch back out of the recess when the first attachment feature extends into a second attachment feature within the second mating surface to establish a coupling between the first and second attachment features; and

resisting decoupling of the slots and the hooks due to the coupling between the first and second attachment features.

18. The method of claim 17, pressing the latch back toward the recess to initiate decoupling of the slots and hooks.

19. The method of claim 17, comprising sliding a third mating surface of a third control module housing adjacent a fourth mating surface of the second control module housing.

20. The method of claim 17, comprising receiving a programmable module into a port of the second control module housing and initiating communication between the programmable module and the second control module.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the first control module housing comprises a power supply and the second control module housing comprises a programmable controller.