Input/output circuits having status indicators aligned with respective terminals

• US 9,055,688 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2011
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Molnar, Nathan J., Wehrle, David S., Bodmann, Douglas R., Kretschmann, Robert J., Vazach, Joseph G., Sichner, Gregg M., Tenorio, Terence S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yacob, Sisay
• Application Number:
  US13/214,072
• Publication Number:
  US 20120044083A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,390 Days
• Field of Search: 340/686.1, 340/687, 439/76.1, 439/82, 439/153, 439/159, 439/532, 439/660, 439/700, 439/715, 439/716, 439/729, 361/729, 361/759, 235/375, 307/139, 298/25, 710/8, 710/20, 337/241
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 using visible light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6683 with built-in sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/717 with built-in light source
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/00 Details of selecting apparatus or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/142 Terminal blocks for distribution frames
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1462 for programmable logic controllers [PLC] for automation or industrial process control
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1465 Modular PLC assemblies with separable functional units
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1469 Terminal blocks for connecting sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1481 User interface, e.g. status displays; Programming interface, e.g. connector for computer programming; Monitoring

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for aligning status indicators on a terminal block of an I/O device by locating the status indicators directly adjacent to or integrated directly within their respective terminals on the terminal block. The status indicators are illuminated by LEDs or other light emitters disposed within a housing of the I/O device. Light from the LEDs are directed to the status indicators by light pipes disposed within the housing of the I/O device. LED activation circuitry disposed within the housing determines a manner in which to activate the LEDs to illuminate the status indicators based on inputs and outputs between the I/O device and a controlled process. In certain embodiments, the status indicators are disposed on a raised section of the I/O device, which may be part of a removable LED indication assembly including the LEDs, light pipes, and LED activation circuitry.

Claims

1. An input/output (I/O) device, comprising:

a base portion configured to communicatively connect the I/O device with at least one other device;

an I/O module physically and communicatively connected to the base portion and comprising I/O communication circuitry;

a terminal block physically and communicatively connected to the base portion and having a plurality of terminals disposed on a front face of the terminal block, wherein each terminal of the plurality of terminals comprises a terminal opening configured to receive a field wire from a field device, and an attachment activator configured to cause a wiring connection mechanism to tighten around the field wire; and

a raised section extending from the terminal block lengthwise along the terminal block on a first lateral side of the terminal block, wherein each terminal of the plurality of terminals is disposed adjacent the raised section and on a second lateral side of the terminal block opposite the first lateral side of the terminal block, wherein the raised section comprises a plurality of terminal status indicators capable of displaying a status of a respective terminal, each terminal status indicator being aligned with the respective terminal, and each terminal being aligned with a respective terminal status indicator.

2. The I/O device of claim 1, wherein the front face of the terminal block includes a sloped profile having a linear slope that extends lengthwise along the terminal block.

3. The I/O device of claim 1, wherein each terminal is associated with a first terminal status indicator capable of displaying a first status of the terminal, and a second terminal status indicator capable of displaying a second status of the terminal, wherein the first and second statuses are different from each other.

4. The I/O device of claim 3, wherein the first status is indicative of a status of I/O bits being transmitted between the terminal and a field device to which the I/O device is communicatively connected, and the second status is indicative of an operating status of the field device.

5. The I/O device of claim 1, comprising a removable status indication assembly comprising the raised section, wherein the removable status indication assembly is removable from the I/O module.

6. The I/O device of claim 5, wherein the removable status indication assembly comprises a plurality of light emitters configured to emit light for illuminating the plurality of terminal status indicators, light pipes configured to receive light from one of the plurality of light emitters and to direct the light to one of the plurality of terminal status indicators, and activation circuitry for determining a manner in which to activate the plurality of light emitters to illuminate the plurality of terminal status indicators based on signals transmitted through the plurality of terminals.

7. The I/O device of claim 1, wherein the I/O module and the terminal block are integral with each other.

8. The I/O device of claim 1, wherein the raised section extends from a raised face end section disposed at a lengthwise end of the terminal block, wherein the raised face end section comprises a device status indicator capable of displaying an overall status of the I/O device, and wherein the raised section includes a sloped profile having a linear slope that extends lengthwise along the terminal block.

9. An input/output (I/O) module, comprising:

a plurality of terminals disposed on a front face of a terminal block, wherein each terminal of the plurality of terminals comprises a terminal opening configured to receive a field wire from a field device, and an attachment activator configured to cause a wiring connection mechanism to tighten around the field wire; and

a raised section extending from the terminal block lengthwise along the terminal block on a first lateral side of the terminal block, wherein each terminal of the plurality of terminals is disposed adjacent the raised section and on a second lateral side of the terminal block opposite the first lateral side of the terminal block, wherein the raised section comprises a plurality of terminal status indicators capable of displaying a status of a respective terminal, each terminal status indicator being aligned with the respective terminal, and each terminal being aligned with a respective terminal status indicator.

10. The I/O module of claim 9, wherein the front face of the terminal block includes a sloped profile having a linear slope that extends lengthwise along the terminal block.

11. The I/O module of claim 9, wherein each terminal is associated with a first terminal status indicator capable of displaying a first status of the terminal, and a second terminal status indicator capable of displaying a second status of the terminal, wherein the first and second statuses are different from each other.

12. The I/O module of claim 11, wherein the first status is indicative of a status of I/O bits being transmitted between the terminal and a field device to which the terminal block is communicatively connected, and the second status is indicative of an operating status of the field device.

13. The I/O module of claim 9, comprising:

a plurality of light emitters disposed within a housing of the I/O module, wherein the plurality of light emitters are configured to emit light for illuminating the plurality of terminal status indicators; and

a plurality of light pipes disposed within the housing, wherein each of the plurality of light pipes is configured to receive light from one of the plurality of light emitters and to direct the light to one of the plurality of terminal status indicators.

14. The I/O module of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of light pipes is configured to receive light from two or more of the plurality of light emitters and to direct the light to two or more of the plurality of terminal status indicators.

15. The I/O module of claim 13, comprising activation circuitry for determining a manner in which to activate the plurality of light emitters to illuminate the plurality of terminal status indicators based on signals transmitted through the plurality of terminals.

16. The I/O module of claim 15, comprising a removable status indication assembly comprising the raised section, the plurality of light emitters, the plurality of light pipes, and the activation circuitry, wherein the removable status indication assembly is removable from the housing.

17. The I/O module of claim 9, wherein the raised section extends from a raised face end section disposed at a lengthwise end of the terminal block, wherein the raised face end section comprises a module status indicator capable of displaying an overall status of the I/O module, and wherein the raised section includes a sloped profile having a linear slope that extends lengthwise along the terminal block.

18. A removable status indication assembly, comprising:

a body section having a plurality of terminal status indicators disposed thereon, wherein the terminal status indicators are capable of displaying a status of a respective terminal of a terminal block, each terminal status indicator configured to align with the respective terminal when the removable status indication assembly is inserted into the terminal block or an I/O module including the terminal block, wherein each terminal is aligned with a respective terminal status indicator when the removable status indication assembly is inserted into the terminal block or the I/O module including the terminal block;

wherein the body section comprises a raised section extending lengthwise along the terminal block on a first lateral side of the terminal block, wherein each terminal is disposed adjacent the raised section and on a second lateral side of the terminal block opposite the first lateral side of the terminal block; and

wherein each terminal comprises a terminal opening configured to receive a field wire from a field device, and an attachment activator configured to cause a wiring connection mechanism to tighten around the field wire.

19. The removable status indication assembly of claim 18, comprising:

a plurality of light emitters configured to emit light for illuminating the plurality of terminal status indicators; and

a plurality of light pipes configured to receive light from one of the plurality of light emitters and to direct the light to one of the plurality of terminal status indicators.

20. The removable status indication assembly of claim 19, comprising activation circuitry for determining a manner in which to activate the plurality of light emitters to illuminate the plurality of terminal status indicators based on signals transmitted through the terminals of the terminal block.

21. The removable status indication assembly of claim 20, wherein the activation circuitry is configured to communicate with circuitry within the terminal block via wireless data transmission.