Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRONIC APPARATUS
2 This invention relates to the field of electronic
3 apparatus of the kind including a display portion to show for
4 example one or more parameters, resultants, and~or functions,
and a control portion, e.g. a key pad, for manual insertion of,
6 for example, instructions, data, parameters and functions to
7 operate appropriately the internal electronics of the apparatus.
8 A first object of the invention is to provide an
9 improvement whereby a control portion is applicable to and
removable from the apparatus such that the internal electronics
11 of the apparatus cannot be altered or otherwise tampered with
12 when the control portion is not in position.
13 A second object of the invention is to permit a same
14 control portion to be utilisable with a plurality of such
display portions.
16 A third object of the invention is to provide a
17 control portion which includes provision for additional storage
18 and/or processing of information within it.
19 A fourth object of the invention is to provide an
arrangement whereby the control portion may include, or be
21 substituted by, a replacement having additional display
22 facility, particularly of items not normally displayed by the
23 display portion.
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1 A fifth object of the invention is to permit the
2 control portion to be substituted by a replacement which may
3 serve to blank off, and/or serve as a cover to, that part of the
4 display portion to which the control portion is applicable.
Other objects, features and advantages of the
6 invention will be apparent from the following description.
7 Rccording to a first aspect of the present invention,
8 in an item of electronic apparatus o~ the kind having a display
9 portion and a control portion, the control portion is engageable
with and disengageable from the display portion, and the two
11 portions have respective contact means which cooperate when the
12 control portion is engaged with the display portion.
13 In a preferred form, the display portion has an
14 opening, e.g. a slot, to receive a stem of the control portion,
and conveniently the respective contacts are provided within the
16 opening and on the stem.
17 Where a plurality of display portions have such an
18 opening and contacts, a same control portion can be used with
19 each such display portion.
In a further advantageous embodiment, the control
21 portion includes additional data storage and/or data processing
22 means, e.g. a microprocessor connected with the manual input
23 means, e.g. a key pad, and said contacts.
24 In a still further advantageous embodiment, the
control portion includes further display means which may be
26 additional to, or may replace the usual key pad or other manual
27 input means of the control member.
28 As the control portion is engageable with, and
1 disengageable from, the display portion, the control portion may
2 be modified to serve to blank off, i.e. to prevent unauthorised
3 access to, that part of the display portion to which it is
4 applied, e.g. by replacement of the conventional key pad or the
like by a blanking means which may also serve as a dust cover.
6 According to another aspect of the invention, the
7 control portion may be in the form of a card, e.g. a data-
8 logging card, having suitable terminals to coact with the
9 display portion, and serving for example to store, enter or
offer additional controls, functions or indicators as a
11 supplement to the inbuilt capability of the electronic
12 apparatus.
13 By way of example, the electronic apparatus may be a
14 data-logger or data recorder, and the opening in the display
portion thereof may be a slot as described above, or a computer
16 port, or a connector socket. The control portion may include, in
17 addition to its manual insertion means such as a key pad, one or
18 more displays, L.E.D.s, liquid crystals, indicator lights,
l9 alarms, relays, and controls.
An advantage of the structure of the invention is
21 that, for a given size of electronic instrument having a display
22 screen, the conventional key pad is no longer present/ being
23 replaced by, for example, a slot, so that the area of the
24 display screen may be made relatively greater.
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1 In order that the nature of the invention may be
2 readily ascertained, some embodiments of apparatus in accordance
3 therewith are hereinafter particularly described with reference
4 to the accompanying drawings, wherein~
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of ~ typical known
6 temperature controller; ~`
7 Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a temperature
8 controller incorporating the invention;
9 Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a "key card", for
example a data logging storage card which can be used in
11 accordance with the invention;
12 Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a key pad control
13 member including a microprocessor;
14 Fig. S is a perspective view of a key pad control :~
member structure in which the keys have been replaced by an
16 auxiliary L.C.D. number display; :~
17 Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a key pad control
18 mPmber structure in which the keys have been replaced by an
19 emergency "stop" sign;
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a key pad control
21 member structure in which the keys are modified to show
22 different functions, including "alarm" and others;
23 Fig. 8 is a perspecti~e view of a key pad control
24 member structure in which the keys are replaced by a "blank"
dust cover.
26 Fig. 9 is a front elevation of a block of six known
27 temperature controllers, to show limited screen area;
28 Fig. 10 is a front elevation of a block of six
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1 temperature controllers incorporating the invention and having
2 relatively greater available screen area.
3 Referring to fig. 1, there is shown a typical known
4 temperature controller 1 having a screen 2 and incorporating at
its lower part a fixed key pad 3 including movahle keys 4 each
6 serving for the setting of various parameters and functions,
7 such as l'on-off" points, high and low limits, alarms, timing,
8 ramp and soak functions, calibration and the like, including the
9 setting of various programs
Referring to fig. ~, there is shown a temperature
11 controller, by way of example, incorporating the invention and
12 having a body 5 with a screen 6, there being provided in the
13 body 5 a slot 7 for the insertion of a contact bearing portion
14 8 of a key pad 9 having movable keys as necessary. For operation
of the apparatus, the removable key pad 9 is inserted fully into
16 the slot 7, and slide contacts 10 on the key pad engage with
17 corresponding counter-contacts (not shown~ in the interior of
18 the body 5, to permit the keyed functions to be transferred to
19 the temperature controller circuitry. Once the keying operation
has been completed, the key pad 9 is removed as a whole, and the
21 temperature controller cannot then be tampered with or re-
22 adjusted by an unauthorised user not in possession of such a key
23 pad.
1 Referring to fig. 3 there is shown an example of a
2 data logging card 11, having contacts 12, which may be inserted
3 into the slot 7 of the temperature controller of fig. 2 to store
4 recorded parameters, or to enter or to offer additional controls
or indicators to the temperature controller of fig. 2 as a
6 supplement to the inbuilt capability of the controller.
7 Referring to fig.4, there is shown an example of a key
8 pad 13 having a contact bearing portion 14 with contacts 15, and
9 a plurality of operating keys 16 at the front for manual
lo operation. setween the contact bearing portion 14 and the part
11 of the key pad incorporating the keys 16 there is included a
12 micro-processor 17, and the key pad as a whole may be used for
13 purposes similar to those described above for fig. 3. With this
14 arrangement it is possible to pre-program the device when remote
from the temperature controller, and then insert the remotely
16 programmed microprocessor without interfering with the ongoing
17 process while the controller is on-line. Further, once a
18 particular program or sequence has been set, e.g. for a first
19 meter or indicator, the key pad incorporating the microprocessor
can be used to provide other such instruments with the same
21 program or sequence.
22 Referring to fig. 5 there is shown an insertable
23 member 18, having a similar body 19 with contacts (not shown),
24 in which the individual keys of the key pad of fig. 2 have been
replaced by an auxiliary L.E.D. display 20 to show one or more
26 functions as required.
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1 Referring to fig. 6 there is shown an insertable
2 member 21, having a similar body 22 with contacts (not shown),
3 incorporating an "emergency stop" switch which can be used in
4 place of the key pad, e.g. the pad 9 of fig. 2, when the pad is
removed from service.
6 Referring to fig. 7 there is shown an insertable
7 member 23, having a similar body 24 with contacts (not shown),
8 which includes in place of the usual keys a plurality of
9 illuminated presentations 25 of, for example, further important
items of information or alarms which are not normally displayed
11 on the screen of the temperature controller.
12 Referring to fig. 8 there is shown an insertable
13 member 26 which has a similar body 27, devoid of contacts, and
14 which can serve as a dust cover for the slot 7 of fig. 2. -;
Reference is now made to fig. 9 and fig. 10. Fig. 9
16 shows a bank of six of the typical known temperature contro:Llers
17 seen in fig. 1. A considerable portion of the frontal area of
18 each controller is occupied by the key pad 3', and this
19 correspondingly reduces the area available for the viewing ` -
screen 2. Frequently, several controllers are used on a proc~ss,
21 and it is only desired to be able to view the presentation of
22 the controlled parameters. Once a particular set of parameters
23 has been determined for a particular indicator or controller,
24 the setting keys are then somewhat redundant. Fig. 10 shows a
bank of six of the temperature controllers of fig. 2
26 incorporating the invention, each of which can be set up using
27 an insertable and withdrawable key pad 3. It will be seen that
28 the relatively small slot 7 provided in each controller, to
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1 receive the insertable key pad, occupies a relatively much
2 reduced proportion of the total front area of the controller, so
3 that the viewing screen 2A can be made that much larger within
4 a similar total frontal area.
Other features and advantages of the invention are:
6 (i) a single portable control key pad can be used to
7 operature a plurality of controllers in the manner of a "master
8 key" used for opening and closing a plurality of locks;
9 (ii) a removable key pad can be provided with both
additional indicators and further microprocessor power. Such
11 indicators might be, for example, L.E.D. or liquid crystal
12 displays, or indicator lights such as incandescent bulbs or
13 L.E.D. lights, or again additional alarm or relay or control
14 functions.
It will be appreciated that there may be a
16 considerable economy effected by using a portable
17 interchangeable key pad to communicate with a plurality of
18 controls and/or indicating devices, and in a preferred form the
19 portable key pad is standardized to permit it to have a standard
connector pin or key slot configura~ions, for example a BCD port
21 or an IEEE port or a memory card type slot or an RS 232 port
22 type connection.
23 The same key slot or connection portion may be used to
24 add additional processing power or to connect and/or multiplex
a number of controls or recording or data-logging devices. For
26 example, the measurement and control of a process utiliæing a
27 differential temperature as a parameter can, by use of this
28 invention, be accomplished with two control devices connected
1 together to act in unison through the same key slot and key pad
2 arrangement. : :~
3 A further feature is that, with the use of a portable
4 key pad and an associated memory card, it is possible to clone
the parameters or settings from one meter to another, or to ~: .
6 retain the settings from time to time. ;~
