DE102014003243A1 - Component with originality marker and usage indicator, component-containing equipment or machine and method for checking a component - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a component on and / or in which a carrier is substantially inseparably arranged, which contains (i) a tamper-evident marker for detecting the originality of the component and (ii) a usage indicator for detecting the use of the component; and a method for inspecting a corresponding component and a system or machine containing such a component.

Description

The present invention relates to a component with an originality marker and usage indicator, a system or machine containing such a component and a method for checking a component with regard to originality and / or use.

It is well known that technical and other high quality products are often copied illegally. In doing so, the individual companies as well as the entire economy suffer a high level of damage. In addition, the copied products are often of inferior quality.

In particular, in industrial machines and systems, the maintenance and the regular replacement of components, regardless of whether they are components with or without wear, have a high economic importance.

It is increasingly being attempted by product pirates to haggle individual components of such machines and equipment, especially those components that need to be replaced and replaced several times over the life of the machine or system. However, attempts are now being made to falsify entire machines or systems.

Increasingly, even with defective or taken out of use machines and equipment original components are removed, partially refurbished and sold as high-priced and as new replacement parts or installed as part of maintenance in existing machinery and equipment.

Methods are known in the art for marking new original components. For example, this describes DE 10 2012 003 519 A1 a workpiece having on its upper side a recess with an opening width of at least 0.2 mm, in which recess a carrier material substantially inseparably connected to the workpiece is arranged, which contains a characteristic marking material for the workpiece. This prior art thus describes a practical solution, in particular to identify components made of metals with a so-called marker drop, which may contain a complete material marker. Correspondingly marked components or workpieces can be authenticated as original prior to their installation. The detection can also be integrated into the machines and systems by means of suitable measuring technology.

However, it is not known from the prior art how the installation of used original parts can be prevented. Of course, according to the prior art, each component / workpiece can be individually numbered. After removing a component, the controller then waits for a machine until it receives an authentic message indicating which number the new component should / must have. However, such a solution requires secure networked data processing and database.

From the state of the art so-called usage indicators are also known for products that are subject to wear. For example, describes the WO2009 / 058191 A1 a color indicator for cleaning wipes. Here, the fibers of the cleaning cloths have a surface coating whose color is different from the color of the fibers. By using the wipes, surface coating is removed, revealing the color of the fibers and indicating the wear of the surface coating. Here is the usage indication of the actual wear of the product.

It is now an object of the present invention to provide a component which, in addition to an authentication and / or identification of the component, also permits a usage indication independently of a physical or chemical wear of the component. According to this, the sole criterion for a usage indication should be a certain number of uses or a certain useful life. In particular, the component should allow a distinction between new and unused components on the one hand and used original parts on the other.

Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide a corresponding method for checking a component with respect to originality and / or use, as well as a system or machine containing a corresponding component.

• (i) einen Originalitätsmarker zum Erkennen der Originalität des Bauteils und
• (ii) einen Nutzungsindikator zum Erkennen der Nutzung des Bauteils enthält.

The first object is achieved by a component, on and / or in which a carrier is arranged substantially inseparable, the

• (i) a tamper-evident marker for detecting the originality of the component and
• (ii) contains a usage indicator for detecting the use of the component.

In the context of the present application, the term "component" is intended to mean an article which can be used alone or as part of a system or machine. Such a component need not have any predetermined shapes or dimensions and can be used in any field of technology. For example, it can be an automobile replacement part, a part of a complex industrial production facility, a part in an electronic device, etc.

In the context of the present application, a tamper-evident marker is to be understood as a marker with which the originality (authenticity) of the correspondingly marked object can be checked. Corresponding originality markers are well known in the art, for example from the WO2010 / 066237 A1 ,

The use of a component according to the invention is to be understood in the present context to be the use of the component. This use may be a single use, multiple use, continuous or discontinuous. Preferably, the use of the component and the wear, that is the wear, include such a component.

According to the invention, a usage indicator is to be understood as meaning an indicator which can be used to determine the use defined above.

It is preferred that the carrier is arranged on the surface of the component, preferably within a depression on the surface of the component, wherein the depression advantageously has an opening width of at least 0.2 mm, preferably 1.0-5.0 mm.

Preferably, the recess has a depth of at least 0.1 mm, preferably 2.0-5.0 mm.

In particular, it is preferred that the carrier in liquid or pasty form on the component, preferably in the recess, can be introduced and then curable.

The carrier to be used according to the invention, including the originality marker and usage indicator, is preferably chemically inert, mechanically robust and temperature-stable.

The component may preferably be made of metal, glass, wood, plastic and / or ceramic.

It is also preferred that the carrier is selected from the group consisting of glass and polymeric compounds, such as epoxy, polyester, polyether, silicone and / or phenolic resin.

The carrier containing the originality marker and the usage indicator may be disposed on and / or in the component. For example, the carrier may be arranged as a so-called marker drop in a depression on the surface of the component, or be distributed homogeneously in the material of the component. Thus, a punctual (for example marker drops) and / or homogeneous distribution are possible.

An embodiment is characterized in that the originality marker is selected from the group consisting of Stokes and / or anti-Stokes pigments, ceramic markers, preferably with a chemical code, or a material which is one of the carrier and / or the component has distinguishable property.

It is particularly preferred that the usage indicator has a measurable property that changes irreversibly, continuously or discontinuously, preferably by using the component and / or by measuring this property of the usage indicator.

It is also particularly preferred that the usage indicator has a measurable property that changes a measurement for recognizing the originality marker irreversibly, continuously or discontinuously, preferably by using the component and / or by measuring a property of the originality marker itself.

It is also preferably proposed that the property of the utilization indicator is a photochemical and / or photophysical property.

It is also particularly preferred that the component is covered with an optical filter in the region of the originality marker and use indicator-containing carrier, in order to allow the radiation to be transmitted from outside only for reading.

• (i) qualitatives und/oder quantitatives Auslesen des Originalitätsmarkers und
• (ii) Abgleich des in Schritt (i) erhaltenen Ausleseergebnisses mit für das Bauteil hinterlegten Informationen für den Originalitätsmarker,
• (iii) kontinuierliches oder diskontinuierliches Auslesen des Nutzungsindikators und
• (iv) Abgleich des in Schritt (iii) erhaltenen Ausleseergebnisses mit für das Bauteil hinterlegten Informationen für den Nutzungsindikator.

The invention further provides a method for checking a component according to the invention with regard to originality and / or use, which comprises the steps:

• (i) qualitative and / or quantitative reading of the originality marker; and
• (ii) matching the readout result obtained in step (i) with information for the originality marker deposited for the component,
• (iii) continuous or discontinuous readout of the utilization indicator and
• (iv) Matching the readout result obtained in step (iii) with information for the usage indicator stored for the component.

The steps (i) and (ii) or (iii) and (iv) given in the method for checking an advantage according to the invention can be carried out successively or simultaneously.

Finally, according to the invention is a plant or machine containing a component according to the invention, and further comprising a measurement and / or control technique for measuring the tampermarker and / or usage indicator, comparison of the measurement results with stored information and Control of the system or machine based on the calibration results.

Surprisingly, it was found for the component according to the invention that can be determined by the presence of a tamper-evident together with a usage indicator, whether existing original components are already used or new, so that in particular the installation of used original parts can be prevented. The component according to the invention requires no individual numbering and no networked and secure data management, but offers the original component manufacturer a secure control over the use and the use of the components.

One or more measurable characteristics of the originality marker serve to recognize the originality of the component and constitute a so-called security feature.

In addition to this safety feature, a usage indicator is present in the carrier in the component according to the invention, which has one or more measurable properties that depend reliably, continuously or discontinuously, but irreversibly, either by the use of the component and / or by the measurement of the security feature or the Proof of the originality marker and / or the measurement of this property of the utilization indicator itself changes / change.

In addition, it is simultaneously or additionally possible for the usage indicator to have one or more measurable properties which reliably, continuously or discontinuously, but irreversibly, measure the security feature by using the component and / or by measuring the security feature itself and / or or change / measure by measuring this property of the usage indicator. Preferably, the usage indicator over time ensures that the measurement of the security feature becomes impossible.

The more the component is used or measured, the farther away the status of the usage indicator from its original initial value and / or the lower a measurement signal for the measurement of the tampermark. The usage indicator can therefore reflect the use and wear of the component and also prevent the multiple use of a used component.

In this case, the change in the usage indicator and / or its influence on the intensity of a measurement signal can be used flexibly for the measurement of the originality marker.

For example, it is conceivable to set the control of a machine containing such a component in such a way that further use of the component is stopped after a first use or a small change in the usage indicator.

On the other hand, it is also possible to adapt the change in the usage indicator to an actual service life of the component, so that the control of a machine or installation can derive the timely renewal of the component from the measurement of the usage indicator and display it accordingly.

It is particularly advantageous if it is required for the operation of a machine or system containing such a component that at least when the machine or system is switched on and off, but better at regular intervals of routine operation, both the originality marker and the usage indicator are determined and measured ,

The machine or system controller registers the measurements and may refuse to restart and / or continue operating the machine or equipment if the tamper-evident marker is not detected and / or the status of the usage indicator does not match its original status or specified Deviates measure.

In addition, the control of the machine or the system can be designed so that the removal or change of the relevant component is detected by the controller. Then the Wiederbetrieb can be made dependent on that the used or replaced component is replaced by an unused or new original component.

The measurement of the originality marker and the usage indicator can be integrated into the machine or system by means of a suitable measuring and control technology.

• 1. In einem Anti-Stokes-Verbindungen enthaltenden Trägerstoff wird zusätzlich Silberbromid als Nutzungsindikator eingebracht und ein entsprechendes Markersystem wie in der DE 10 2012 003 519 beschrieben hergestellt. Die Partikelgröße des Silberbromids soll mindestens 200 nm betragen, bevorzugt 599–1.000 nm. Neben Silberbromid können auch Goldbromid und andere Silber- und Goldhalogenide eingesetzt werden. Als Trägerstoff dient ein Epoxidharz. Die Konzentration an Silberbromid wird je nach Dauer der Lebenszeit des Bauteils eingestellt und liegt bei mindestens 10 ppm, bevorzugt zwischen 0,1 und 10 Gewichtsprozent, bezogen auf die Masse des Trägerstoffs. Je länger und je öfter der Originalitätsmarker und der Nutzungsindikator gemessen werden sollen, desto niedriger wird die Konzentration des Silberbromids eingestellt. Je stärker die anregende Laserstrahlung, desto niedriger wird die Konzentration des Silberbromids eingestellt.

Other features and advantages of the subject matter of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments.

• 1. In a carrier containing anti-Stokes compounds additionally silver bromide is introduced as a usage indicator and a corresponding marker system as in DE 10 2012 003 519 described prepared. The particle size of the silver bromide should be at least 200 nm, preferably 599-1000 nm. In addition to silver bromide and gold bromide and other silver and gold halides can be used. The carrier is an epoxy resin. The Concentration of silver bromide is adjusted depending on the lifetime of the component and is at least 10 ppm, preferably between 0.1 and 10 weight percent, based on the mass of the carrier. The longer and the more often the originality marker and the usage indicator are to be measured, the lower the concentration of silver bromide is set. The stronger the exciting laser radiation, the lower the concentration of silver bromide is set.

• 2. Das erfindungsgemäße Bauteil kann auch in einer Anlage mit mehreren gleichen Bauteilen, zum Beispiel einer elektrischen Rolltreppe, wie sie in großer Zahl in Gebäuden und Außenanlagen weltweit installiert ist und verbaut wird, eingesetzt werden. Rolltreppen bestehen aus Treppenstufenteilen, die gekoppelt an ein umlaufendes Band in einer wiederkehrenden Bewegung auf- und ablaufen. Ferner besteht eine Rolltreppe aus einem Antrieb und einer Steuerung. Alle neuen originalen Treppenstufenteile werden in diesem Beispiel mit einem entsprechenden, wie oben unter 1. hergestellten Markertropfen, markiert. Der Markertropfen wird auf die jeweiligen Treppenstufenteile so positioniert, dass jede Stufe mit dem Markertropfen sich im Betrieb an einen Detektor vorbei bewegt, der sowohl den Originalitätsmarker als auch den Grad der Abnutzung des Nutzungsindikators messen kann. Im vorliegenden Beispiel misst beispielsweise der Detektor die Abklingkonstante und die Intensität der Fluoreszenz.

A recess is introduced into a component to be marked and the marking agent produced is introduced into the depression, whereupon the carrier can harden. When installed, the marked component is continuously or cyclically irradiated with an IR laser, whereby the detection of the originality as in DE 10 2012 003 519 A1 described. In this case, the stimulation of the anti-Stokes fluorescence requires a certain radiation density of the excitation radiation, which in turn at the same time, with the stimulation of the anti-Stokes marker, also triggers the photochemical reaction leading to a turbidity of the carrier material and thus to a reduction in the intensity of the anti Stokes fluorescence leads. Therefore, with the number of authentications of the originality marker, the turbidity of the carrier material increases, which thus serves as a utilization indicator and can be measured with the detection of the anti-Stokes fluorescence.

• 2. The component according to the invention can also be used in a system with several identical components, for example an electric escalator, as it is installed and installed worldwide in large numbers in buildings and outdoor facilities. Escalators consist of stairstep parts that move up and down coupled to a revolving belt in a recurring motion. Furthermore, an escalator consists of a drive and a controller. All new original staircase parts are marked in this example with a corresponding marker drop as prepared under 1. above. The marker drop is positioned on the respective staircase parts so that each step with the marker drop moves past a detector in use that can measure both the tamper mark and the degree of wear of the usage indicator. For example, in the present example, the detector measures the decay constant and the intensity of the fluorescence.

• a) Nach einem Stillstand der Rolltreppe fordert die Steuerung der Rolltreppe, dass die Markertropfen aller 20 Treppenstufenteile bezüglich ihres Originalitätsmarkers und dem Messwert bzw. Status des Nutzungsindikators überprüft werden.
• b) Der Betrieb der Rolltreppe kann dann davon abhängig gemacht werden, ob alle Treppenstufenteile einen Originalitätsmarker besitzen und/oder der Nutzungsindikator jedes einzelnen Treppenstufenteils entweder unbenutzt oder dem Nutzungsstatus entspricht, den das jeweilige Treppenstufenteil vor dem Stillstand gehabt hat. Hier kann die Steuerung auch die Reihenfolge und Position der Treppenstufenteile sowie den Status ihrer Nutzungsindikatoren stets und insbesondere vor jedem Stillstand protokollieren.
• 3. Wiederum wird ein Nutzungsindikator in ein wie in DE 10 2012 003 519 beschriebenes System integriert. Durch eine photochemische Reaktion kann sich dieses System so verändern, dass:
• a) nach Ablauf der Nutzungsdauer kein Nachweis der Originalität mehr möglich ist.
• b) der Detektor in der Lage ist, rechtzeitig den beiliegenden Ablauf der Nutzungsdauer zu erkennen und eine entsprechende Warnung auszugeben.
• c) ein als defekt erkanntes Bauteil nicht wieder eingebaut werden kann.

For the operation of such an escalator, which should consist of, for example, 20 staircase parts, the following routine could be established:

• a) After the escalator stops, the control of the escalator requires that the marker drops of all 20 staircase parts are checked for their tampering markers and the usage indicator status.
• b) The operation of the escalator can then be made dependent on whether all staircase parts have a tamper-evident marker and / or the usage indicator of each staircase part either unused or corresponds to the usage status that the respective stair tread part had before stoppage. Here, the controller can also log the order and position of the staircase parts as well as the status of their usage indicators always and in particular before each standstill.
• 3. Again, a usage indicator becomes a like in DE 10 2012 003 519 integrated system. Through a photochemical reaction, this system can change so that:
• a) no proof of originality is possible after the end of the useful life.
• b) the detector is able to timely recognize the attached expiration of the useful life and issue a warning.
• c) a recognized as defective component can not be reinstalled.

The photochemical reaction is triggered by radiation, preferably laser radiation, particularly preferably either UV radiation outside of the light occurring on the ground (UV-C) or a wavelength which also excites the fluorescence of the originality marker. According to the embodiment, provision may be made for providing optical filters for controlling the intensity of the irradiation intensity and for protecting against ambient radiation.

Here, the embodiment of the invention provides that in a marker system as in DE 10 2012 003 519 A1 described, a radiation-sensitive substance is integrated. This can change the system so that the signal of the originality marker is no longer recognized. From a defined attenuation of the signal, the detector can still recognize the originality, but gives the warning that the end of the life is approaching. In the event of premature failure of the part, the marker may be so clouded with a strong radiation pulse that the signal from the detector is no longer detected. This excludes incorrect re-use.

The features of the invention disclosed in the foregoing description and claims could be essential both individually and in any combination for the realization of the invention in its various embodiments.

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• DE 102012003519 A1 [0006, 0044, 0047]
• WO 2009/058191 A1 [0008]
• WO 2010/066237 A1 [0013]
• DE 102012003519 [0043, 0045]

Claims (9)

Component, and / or in which a carrier is arranged substantially inseparable, the (i) a tamper-evident marker for detecting the originality of the component and (ii) contains a usage indicator for detecting the use of the component. Component according to claim 1, characterized in that the carrier is arranged on the surface of the component, preferably within a recess on the surface of the component, wherein the recess advantageously has an opening width of at least 0.2 mm. Component according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the carrier is selected from the group consisting of glass and polymeric compounds, such as epoxy, polyester, polyether, silicone and / or phenolic resin. Component according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the originality marker is selected from the group consisting of Stokes and / or anti-Stokes pigments, ceramic markers, preferably with a chemical code, or a material which is one of the carrier and / or the component distinguishable property. Component according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the usage indicator has a measurable property that changes irreversibly, continuously or discontinuously, preferably by using the component and / or by measuring this property of the utilization indicator. Component according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the usage indicator has a measurable property that irreversibly, continuously or discontinuously, preferably by using the component and / or by measuring a property of the tampermark itself changes a measurement for detecting the tampering mark. Component according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the property of the utilization indicator is a photochemical and / or photophysical property. A method of inspecting a component according to any one of the preceding claims for originality and / or use, comprising the steps of: (i) qualitative and / or quantitative reading of the originality marker; and (ii) matching the readout result obtained in step (i) with information for the originality marker deposited for the component, (iii) continuous or discontinuous readout of the utilization indicator and (iv) Matching the readout result obtained in step (iii) with information for the usage indicator stored for the component. Plant or machine containing a component according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 7, and further comprising a measurement and / or control technique for measuring the tampering and / or usage indicator, comparison of the measured results with stored information and control of the plant or machine based on the comparison results ,