Rail-mounted control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9872412-B2
Application number	US-201615078582-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2016
Priority date	Sep 26, 2013
Publication date	Jan 16, 2018
Grant date	Jan 16, 2018

Abstract

A control system for mounting to a rail. The control system includes a control assembly and one or more I/O assemblies. The control assembly and each I/O assembly includes a module removably mounted to a base. The base has a body with a channel formed therein that is adapted to receive the rail. A latching assembly is mounted to the body and includes a lever movable between a latched position and an unlatched position, wherein the movement of the lever between the unlatched and latched positions moves latching members into and out of the channel, whereby when the rail is disposed in the channel and the lever is moved to the latched position, the latching members move into the channel, thereby trapping the rail in the channel and securing the base to the rail. When the module is mounted to the base, the module covers the lever of the latching assembly so as to be inaccessible.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control system for mounting to a rail, the control system comprising:
a base including a body formed by a mounting portion and a side portion extending outwardly from a front side of the mounting portion at about a right angle to form an L-shaped base, the side portion including an inner wall and an outer wall that define a pocket therebetween opening opposite the rail with at least one connector housed in the pocket, the mounting portion further including a circuit board connector at the front side of the mounting portion, the body having a channel formed therein that is opposite the front side and adapted to receive the rail, the base further including a latching assembly being mounted to the body that includes a movable lever and at least one latching member, the circuit board connector being located between the lever and the side portion, the lever being movable between a latched position and an unlatched position, wherein the movement of the lever between the unlatched and latched positions moves the at least one latching member into and out of the channel, whereby when the rail is disposed in the channel and the lever is moved to the latched position, the at least one latching member moves into the channel, thereby trapping the rail in the channel and securing the base to the rail; and
a module for removable mounting to the base, the module comprising circuitry for processing control signals, wherein when the module is mounted to the base, the module covers the lever of the latching assembly so as to be inaccessible.

2. The control system of claim 1 , wherein power to the module and communication to and from the module are routed through the base.

3. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the module further comprises a plug and the body of the base further comprises a socket adapted to receive the plug to establish communication between the base and the module.

4. The control system of claim 3 , wherein when the module is mounted to the base, the module extends outwardly from the body and is disposed laterally from the side portion.

5. The control system of claim 4 , wherein the at least one connector of the side portion is for establishing communication between the base and one or more other devices.

6. The control system of claim 5 , wherein the at least one connector is a terminal block for connection to ends of wires that are connected at their other ends to the one or more other devices.

7. The control system of claim 6 , wherein the one or more other devices are field devices and the module is an input/output (I/O) module that processes and conditions field inputs received from the field devices or control outputs received from a controller module.

8. The control system of claim 5 , wherein the module is a controller module and the connector is an Ethernet jack for receiving a plug of an Ethernet cable having another plug connected to another controller module or to an operator workstation.

9. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the latching assembly further comprises a shuttle slidably mounted to a rear side of the body of the base so as to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the channel, the shuttle comprising the at least one latching member and an arm that engages the lever such that movement of the lever between the latched position and the unlatched position moves the shuttle between engaged and disengaged positions, respectively, wherein when the shuttle is in the engaged position, the at least one latching member is disposed in the channel and when the shuttle is in the disengaged position, the at least one latching member is disposed outside the channel.

10. The control system of claim 9 , wherein the latching assembly further comprises a spring biasing the shuttle toward the engaged position.

11. The control system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one latching member comprises a plurality of latching members.

12. The control system of claim 9 , wherein when the lever is in the unlatched position, the lever extends outwardly from a front side of the base, and when the lever is in the latched position, the lever is disposed substantially flush with the front side of the base.

13. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the base is a first base and the module is a first module, and wherein the control system further comprises:
a second base including a body and a latching assembly, the body having a channel formed therein that is adapted to receive the rail, the latching assembly being mounted to the body and including a movable lever and at least one latching member, the lever being movable between a latched position and an unlatched position, wherein the movement of the lever between the unlatched and latched positions moves the at least one latching member into and out of the channel, whereby when the rail is disposed in the channel and the lever is moved to the latched position, the at least one latching member moves into the channel, thereby trapping the rail in the channel and securing the second base to the rail; and
a second module for removable mounting to the second base, the second module containing circuitry for processing control signals, wherein when the second module is mounted to the second base, the second module covers the lever of the latching assembly so as to be inaccessible.

14. The control system of claim 13 , wherein the first and second bases each further comprise plugs disposed on opposing sides of the body, wherein one of the plugs of the first base and one of the plugs of the second base are adapted to connect to each other to help form a power bus and a communication bus extending through the first and second bases.

15. The control system of claim 14 , wherein the first module is a controller module that includes a processor operable to execute control programs, and wherein the second module is an input/output (I/O) module that includes circuitry for processing and conditioning field inputs received from the field devices or control outputs received from the controller module.

Assignees

• Abb Technology Ag
• Abb Schweiz Ag

Inventors

• Mielnik David
• Piunno John
• Gammell Christopher
• Ogorek Richard
• Maczuzak Mike J
• Miedza Krzysztof
• Milliff Brian
• Hillebrecht Luke

Classifications

• H05K7/1474 Primary

  Mounting of modules, e.g. on a base or rail or wall · CPC title

• H05K7/1401

  comprising clamping or extracting means (H05K7/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R24/64

  for high frequency, e.g. RJ 45 · CPC title