Case opening recording apparatus and case opening recording system that record whether or not case is removed from circuit board

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11564323-B2
Application number	US-202016797047-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2020
Priority date	Feb 26, 2019
Publication date	Jan 24, 2023
Grant date	Jan 24, 2023

Abstract

A case opening recording apparatus which, in a mechanical apparatus having a circuit board provided with an electric circuit, and a case capable of housing the circuit board, records whether or not the case is removed from the circuit board, and the case opening recording apparatus includes: a current path provided in the case; an auxiliary power supply provided in either the circuit board or the case and different from a main drive power supply of the mechanical apparatus; a state holding unit in which a state signal to be held is switched when received voltage changes; and a connection unit configured to electrically connect the auxiliary power supply to the state holding unit via the current path when the circuit board is housed in the case, and electrically disconnect the auxiliary power supply from the state holding unit when the circuit board is not housed in the case.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A case opening recording apparatus which, in a mechanical apparatus having a circuit board provided with an electric circuit, and a case capable of housing the circuit board, records whether or not the case is removed from the circuit board, the case opening recording apparatus comprising:
a current path provided in the case;
an auxiliary power supply provided in either the circuit board or the case and different from a main drive power supply of the mechanical apparatus;
a state holding unit in which a state signal to be held is switched when received voltage changes; and
a connection unit configured to electrically connect the auxiliary power supply to the state holding unit via the current path when the circuit board is housed in the case, and electrically disconnect the auxiliary power supply from the state holding unit when the circuit board is not housed in the case, wherein
in a case where the state holding unit holds a state signal different from a state signal held when the auxiliary power supply and the state holding unit are electrically connected to each other by the connection unit via the current path, removal of the case from the circuit board is recorded,
wherein
the current path includes a first sub current path and a second sub current path independent of each other,
the state holding unit includes a first sub state holding unit and a second sub state holding unit, and
the connection unit includes:
a first sub connection unit configured to electrically connect or disconnect the auxiliary power supply to or from the first sub state holding unit via the first sub current path, for switching the state signal held in the state holding unit, and
a second sub connection unit configured to electrically connect or disconnect the auxiliary power supply to or from the second sub state holding unit via the second sub current path, for switching the state signal held in the state holding unit.

2. The case opening recording apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a recording unit configured to record a state signal held by the state holding unit when the main drive power supply is switched from off to on.

3. The case opening recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary power supply is a battery serving as a backup power supply of the electric circuit provided on the circuit board at off-time of the main drive power supply.

4. The case opening recording apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the electric circuit includes a storage device.

5. The case opening recording apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the electric circuit includes a real-time clock.

6. The case opening recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary power supply is a capacitor provided on the circuit board, and
the capacitor is charged by the main drive power supply at on-time of the main drive power supply.

7. The case opening recording apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a clock unit configured to clock time in which the state holding unit holds a state signal different from a state signal held when the auxiliary power supply and the state holding unit are electrically connected to each other by the connection unit via the current path.

8. The case opening recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the mechanical apparatus includes a numerical control apparatus of a machine tool.

9. The case opening recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the mechanical apparatus is an amplifier configured to supply drive power to a motor.

10. A case opening recording apparatus which, in a mechanical apparatus having a circuit board provided with an electric circuit, and a case capable of housing the circuit board, records whether or not the case is removed from the circuit board, the case opening recording apparatus comprising:
a current path provided in the case;
an auxiliary power supply provided in either the circuit board or the case and different from a main drive power supply of the mechanical apparatus;
a state holding unit in which a state signal to be held is switched when received voltage changes; and
a connection unit configured to electrically connect the auxiliary power supply to the state holding unit via the current path when the circuit board is housed in the case, and electrically disconnect the auxiliary power supply from the state holding unit when the circuit board is not housed in the case, wherein
in a case where the state holding unit holds a state signal different from a state signal held when the auxiliary power supply and the state holding unit are electrically connected to each other by the connection unit via the current path, removal of the case from the circuit board is recorded,
wherein
the current path includes a first sub current path and a second sub current path independent of each other,
the auxiliary power supply includes a battery removably provided in the case, and serving as a backup power supply of the electric circuit provided on the circuit board at off-time of the main drive power supply, and a capacitor provided on the circuit board, and charged by the main drive power supply at on-time of the main drive power supply,
the state holding unit includes a first sub state holding unit and a second sub state holding unit in which a state signal to be held is switched when received voltage changes, and
the connection unit includes a first sub connection unit configured to electrically connect the battery to the first sub state holding unit via the first sub current path when the circuit board is housed in the case and the battery is attached to the case, and electrically disconnect the battery from the first sub state holding unit when the circuit board is not housed in the case, and a second sub connection unit configured to electrically connect the capacitor to the second sub state holding unit via the second sub current path when the circuit board is housed in the case, and electrically disconnect the capacitor from the second sub state holding unit when the circuit board is not housed in the case.

11. A case opening recording system comprising:
a plurality of case opening recording apparatuses provided in relation to a plurality of mechanical apparatuses;
a communication network configured to communicably connect the case opening recording apparatuses with each other; and
an upper controller which is communicably connected to the communication network, and configured to control an operation of each of the plurality of mechanical apparatuses,
wherein, for each of the plurality of mechanical apparatuses,
the mechanical apparatus has a circuit board provided with an electric circuit, and a case configured to house the circuit board,
the case opening recording apparatus provided in relation to the mechanical apparatus is configured to record whether or not the case is removed from the circuit board,
the case opening recording apparatus comprises:
a current path provided in the case;
an auxiliary power supply provided in either the circuit board or the case and different from a main drive power supply of the mechanical apparatus;
a state holding unit in which a state signal to be held is switched when received voltage changes; and
a connection unit configured to electrically connect the auxiliary power supply to the state holding unit via the current path when the circuit board is housed in the case, and electrically disconnect the auxiliary power supply from the state holding unit when the circuit board is not housed in the case,

in a case where the state holding unit holds a state signal different from a state signal held when the auxiliary po

Assignees

• Fanuc Corp

Inventors

• Okita Hiroshi

Classifications

• H05K7/1427 Primary

  Housings · CPC title

• H05K5/0208

  Interlock mechanisms; Means for avoiding unauthorised use or function, e.g. tamperproof · CPC title

• H02J9/06

  with automatic change-over {, e.g. UPS systems} · CPC title

• G07C9/38

  with central registration · CPC title

• G07C9/00706

  with conductive components, e.g. pins, wires, metallic strips · CPC title