AUTOMATION FIELD DEVICE

Abstract

An automation field device comprises a housing that surrounds an inner space; a sensor- and/or actuator element arranged at the housing; an electronic circuit arranged in the housing and having a round, outer contour and a plurality of spring contacts in an edge region. The inner contour of the housing and the edge contour of the first circuit board are adapted to one another so that the first circuit board is introducible into the housing with a main plane orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the housing. The spring contacts are so arranged on the first circuit board and embodied to hold the first circuit board in the inner space and to produce an electrical connection between the first circuit board and the housing to drain away disturbance currents from the first circuit board.

Claims

1-5. (canceled)

6. An automation field device, comprising: a housing surrounding an inner space and having a cross sectionally round, inner contour; a sensor and/or actuator element arranged at the housing and configured to set and/or register a process variable; and an electronic circuit arranged in the housing and configured to operate the sensor and/or actuator element, wherein the electronic circuit has at least one circuit board with a round, outer contour and a plurality of spring contacts in an edge region, wherein the inner contour of the housing and the outer contour of the first circuit board are so adapted to one another that the first circuit board is introducible into the housing with a main plane, in which it is embodied, lying orthogonally to a longitudinal axis, which extends through the inner space of the housing, and the spring contacts are so arranged on the first circuit board and embodied to hold at least the first circuit board in this position in the inner space and to produce an electrical connection between the first circuit board and the housing to drain away disturbance currents from the first circuit board via the spring contacts to the housing.

7. The automation field device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the spring contacts are arranged rotationally symmetrically in the edge region of the first circuit board.

8. The automation field device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the electronic circuit further includes at least one other circuit board that is electrically connected with the first circuit board, and wherein the first circuit board further includes electronic components embodied to implement electromagnet compatibility (EMC) measures.

9. The automation field device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first circuit board has a plurality of plies of which at least one ply is a continuous copper ply such that the first circuit board divides the inner space into an EMC shielded region and a non-EMC shielded region.

10. The automation field device as claimed in claim 6, further comprising: a field device interface mounted in the housing for data communication, wherein the field device interface has an electrical ground contact via which the first circuit board is connected with the field device interface to drain away disturbance currents.

11. The automation field device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the field device interface is an M12 plug connector.

Description

[0016] The invention will now be explained in greater detail based on the appended drawing, the figures of which show as follows:

[0017] FIG. 1a a plan view of a first circuit board for an electronic circuit of a field device,

[0018] FIG. 1b a side view of the first circuit board shown in FIG. 1 for an electronic circuit of a field device, and

[0019] FIG. 2 a cross section of an automation field device of the invention.

[0020] FIG. 1a shows a plan view of the first circuit board 5a, which serves as part of an electronic circuit 5 for a field device 1 of automation technology. The first circuit board 5a is embodied to implement EMC measures, especially EMC filter measures and/or EMC draining measures. For this, the first circuit board 5a can have an EMC filter, which is embodied, for example, in the form of two EMC chokes. The first circuit board 5a has a round outer contour, which is adapted in such a manner to an inner space 3 of a housing 2 of a field device 1 that the first circuit board 5a is introducible transversely into the inner space 3. Furthermore, the first circuit board 5a includes a plurality of rotationally symmetrically arranged spring contacts 5c in an edge region 5b. The spring contacts 5c are embodied, in such case, in such a manner that they have a (right angled) trapezoidal cross section. The spring contacts 5c are arranged in such a manner in the edge region 5b of the first circuit board 5a that such protrude with outwardly bent legs beyond the circuit board edge. In this way, on the one hand, the first circuit board 5a can, after its introduction into the inner space 3 of the housing 2, be positioned in such and, on the other hand, disturbance signals can be drained away via the spring contacts 5c to the housing wall. Because of the rotationally symmetric arrangement of the spring contacts 5c, disturbance currents can be drained away relatively uniformly via the housing wall.

[0021] In order to be able to implement with the first circuit board 5a a separation between an EMC shielded (“Faraday cage”) region and a non-shielded EMC region, the first circuit board 5a can have a plurality of circuit board plies 5f-5i, of which at least one circuit board ply 5g is embodied in the form of a continuous copper conductor plate ply.

[0022] Furthermore, the first circuit board can 5a have vias and/or microvias for electrical contacting between ply surfaces.

[0023] FIG. 2 shows an automation field device 1 of the invention, which includes a housing 2, which encloses an inner space 3, which has a cross sectionally round, inner contour.

[0024] Field device 1 includes, furthermore, a sensor- and/or actuator element 4 arranged at the housing 2 for setting and/or registering a process variable, as well as, located in the inner space 3 an electronic circuit 5, which is embodied to operate the sensor- and/or actuator element 4. According to the invention, the electronic circuit 5 includes a first circuit board 5a, which can be embodied as above described. The first circuit board 5a is introduced into the inner space with a main plane (labeled “E” in FIGS. 1b and 2) lying orthogonally to a longitudinal axis. The longitudinal axis is labeled “L” in FIG. 2. The first circuit board 5a is held in the inner space 3 by the spring contacts 5c arranged in the edge region 5b, especially by the outwardly bent legs of the spring contacts 5c. Furthermore, disturbance currents are drained from the first circuit board 5a to the housing 2 by the spring contacts 5c, especially by the outwardly bent legs of the spring contacts 5c. Furthermore, the orthogonal orientation of the first circuit board 5a relative to the longitudinal axis of the inner space divides the housing 2 into two regions, or chambers, namely a first, non-EMC shielded region and a second, EMC shielded region. The non-EMC shielded region is located, in such case, preferably in the upper part of the field device 1. In this part of the field device 1, the housing 2 includes, furthermore, a lid, in or on which a display 11 is mounted. Display 11 is electrically connected, for example, via a plug-in connection 12, with the electronic circuit 5 via a circuit board 10 for driving the display.

[0025] Field device 1 includes, additionally, a field device interface 9, via which the electronic circuit 5 of the field device 1 is connected, depending on embodiment, either to a two-, three or four-wire line, in order to communicate data, especially measuring- and/or actuating values, between the electrical circuit and a superordinated unit. Field device interface 9 can be embodied, for example, in the form of a plug connector, for example, a M12 plug connector interface. Furthermore, the field device interface 9 can have an electrical ground contact 9a, via which the first circuit board 5a is connected with the field device interface 9, in order to drain off disturbance currents. The ground contact 9a can be embodied as part of the field device interface 9. Alternatively, the grounding can also occur via the housing 2 and a process connector 13, via which the field device 1 is secured, for example, to a tank, or container.

[0026] The electronic circuit 5 can, such as shown in FIG. 2, be formed by a plurality of other circuit boards 5d, wherein the circuit boards 5a, 5d are plugged into one another via plug connections 12 and are, thus, in electrical contact with one another. In order to achieve an as great space saving construction as possible, the circuit boards 5a, 5d can be tilted, or rotated, relative to one another. For example, such as shown in FIG. 2, two other circuit boards 5d can extend orthogonally from the first circuit board 5a, on which, in turn, at an end far from the first circuit board 5a, another circuit board 5d is mounted.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0027] 1 automation field device [0028] 2 housing [0029] 3 inner space [0030] 4 sensor- and/or actuator element [0031] 5 electronic circuit [0032] 5a first circuit board [0033] 5b edge region of the first circuit board [0034] 5c spring contacts [0035] 5d other circuit boards [0036] 5e electronic components for EMC measures [0037] 5f-5i circuit board plies [0038] 5g copper conductor plate ply [0039] 7 EMC shielded region [0040] 8 non-shielded EMC region [0041] 9 field device interface, especially an M12 interface [0042] 9a electrical ground contact of the field device interface [0043] 10 circuit board for display driver [0044] 11 display [0045] 12 electrical plug-in connection [0046] 13 process connector [0047] E plane, in which the first circuit board is embodied [0048] L longitudinal axis extending through the inner space of the housing