EP1059458B1 - Fluid power control device - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a fluidic control device, with a plurality of successively arranged in a row direction and combined into a battery-like unit devices of different types, which are at least partially designed as fluid devices and their device housing, seen in the row direction coinciding viewing direction, over an at least substantially identical outer contour feature.

A fluidic control device of this kind is apparent from US-A-5,184,647. It comprises a plurality of individual devices arranged in succession in a row direction of different types in the form of valve devices and vacuum generator devices, which have an at least substantially identical outer contour when viewed in line with the row direction. Thus, several different fluidic control tasks can be handled simultaneously, for example, the control of both fluid-operated working cylinders and vacuum handling devices.

A fluidic control unit which emerges from DE 44 13 657 C includes a plurality of individual devices combined to form a subassembly, successive in a row direction, which are embodied consistently as valve devices, so that the control device as a whole constitutes a valve arrangement. Each valve device can be electrically activated to control the fluid loading of a connected consumer. When viewed in the row direction coincident viewing direction, the individual devices have the same outer contour.

A comparable arrangement is evident from EP-A-0704647.

In one resulting from the US-A-4,861,232 fluidic control unit also several individual units are combined to form a battery-like unit. The individual devices here are vacuum generator devices that can be used to create vacuum as needed, which can be used in handling devices to transport and handle articles based on negative pressure.

In the control of technical systems usually also purely electrical controls are required, the control units in question are previously installed separately. this has a very high installation costs result and leads to a considerable space requirement for the accommodation of the individual components.

It is the object of the present invention to take measures that reduce the installation effort and space requirements for the components of a fluid power control.

This object is achieved by a fluid control device of the type mentioned, in which the individual devices are at least partially designed as pure electronic and / or electrical devices.

In this way, there is a control unit that has at the same time on individual devices of different types of devices including pure electronic and / or electrical devices, so that various control tasks can be handled with a central unit. The outer contour of the individual devices that is displayed when looking in the direction of the row is listed at least essentially identically, irrespective of the type of device, so that identical fastening measures can be used if required, which allows a very simple installation and also reduces the space requirement to a minimum. There is thus in particular the possibility of valve devices and / or vacuum generator devices in one Summarize control unit and also integrate electronic devices, such as electronic controller that allow a controlled electronic control of electrical components of a machine or system. The combination options are very diverse, due to the matching outer contouring usually the placement order within the battery-like unit can be varied as needed and in particular the possibility exists to equip a fluidic control unit individually with the required for a specific control purpose single device types.

Advantageous developments of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims.

The individual devices can be combined by mechanical connection to form a self-supporting assembly, as can be seen for example from DE 44 13 675 C. However, it would also be possible to mount the individual devices on a common device carrier, as is explained in US Pat. No. 4,861,232. In the latter case, a modular design of the device carrier is conceivable, for example, such that each individual device is seated on a specially adapted device carrier module, wherein the device carrier modules are in turn mechanically connected to one another, in order to finally obtain the device carrier.

The device housing of the individual devices may have a plate-like shape, with their larger side surfaces are expediently oriented in and against the row direction.

Although the width dimensions of the device housings measured in the row direction can vary in particular depending on the respective device type, a structure with identical width dimensions of the individual device types appears particularly advantageous, because here a particularly simple standardization of the interfaces to external devices, cables, fluid lines or the like can be realized ,

Figur 1

ein erstes Ausführungsbeispiel eines fluidtechnischen Steuergerätes in perspektivischer, schematischer Darstellung,

Figur 2

das Steuergerät aus Figur 1 in Seitenansicht mit Blick gemäß Pfeil II, und

Figur 3

ein weiteres Ausführungsbeispiel eines fluidtechnischen Steuergerätes, wiederum in schematischer Darstellung und in Seitenansicht.

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this show:

FIG. 1

A first embodiment of a fluid power control device in a perspective, schematic representation,

FIG. 2

the control unit of Figure 1 in side view with a view according to arrow II, and

FIG. 3

a further embodiment of a fluid power control device, again in a schematic representation and in side view.

The drawing shows various embodiments of a fluid power control unit 1, which is used to control a machine, a system or individual tools, the devices to be controlled at least fluidly, so for example pneumatically and / or hydraulically operated. Preferably, the control devices also allow the control of electrical devices, such as the control of electrically operated valves or electrically operated drives.

All illustrated controllers 1 have in common that they include a plurality of individual devices 2, which are arranged in a row direction indicated by an arrow 3 consecutively and combined to form a battery-like device unit 4.

The device housing 5 of the various individual devices 2 are standardized in terms of their external shape. When viewed in the direction of the row direction 3 results for the device housing 5 of all individual devices 2 at least substantially and preferably a total of identical outer contour. This can be a rectangular outer contour of the individual devices 2 according to the illustrations.

Despite this unified design, the control unit 1 is composed of individual devices 2 different types of devices together. In this case, at least one individual device 2 is formed as a fluid device 6, wherein in the case of the embodiment according to Figures 1 and 2 a total of four fluid devices 6 and in the case of Figure 3 a total of seven fluid devices 6 are present. In addition, in the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 and 2, two individual devices 2 designed as pure electronic and / or electrical devices 7 are present; according to FIG. 3, only one such electronic and / or electrical device 7 is present.

The fluid devices 6 within a respective control device 1 can also be of different types. Thus, according to FIGS. 1 and 2, two fluid devices 6 are designed as valve devices 8 and two further fluid devices 6 as vacuum generator devices 9. The embodiment according to FIG. 3 includes four valve devices 8 and four vacuum generator devices 9.

The valve devices 8 each contain at least one valve member 12 which is indicated only schematically in FIG. 2 and which can be positioned in various positions, electrical drives being provided for positioning, to which the required actuation energy can be supplied via electrical contact means 13. These may be pilot operated or directly actuated valve devices 8. Depending on the switching state of the respective valve device 8, the control of fluidly connected consumers takes place, for example, fluid-operated drives, wherein corresponding fluid lines are indicated in Figure 3 at 14.

The valve devices 8 may be pneumatic and / or hydraulic valve devices.

The vacuum generator devices 9 are designed to generate a negative pressure in outgoing fluid lines 15 if necessary. This negative pressure can be used, for example, to do handling work, for example transporting and / or positioning, articles in the packaging industry or of workpieces in manufacturing and assembly technology. The fluid lines 15 may be associated with suitable suction cups or suction plates for this purpose, which are placed on the product to be handled.

In FIG. 2, dash-dot vacuum generator units 16 are indicated, which are integrated into the vacuum generator devices 9 and which are generally ejector devices which operate on the jet pump principle. The desired operating state can be influenced by at least one control valve 17 integrated into the relevant vacuum generator 9, which is indicated by dash-dotted lines in FIG. 2 and whose operating energy can be supplied to the valve devices 8 via electrical contact means 13 '.

The existing in the embodiment according to Figures 1 and 2 electronic or electrical equipment 7 are for example designed as electronic controller, which have electrical outputs and / or inputs 18, 22 can be output and fed in conjunction with further electrical lines electrical signals. These regulators can be used, for example, to carry out an electronically controlled positioning of fluidic and / or electrical drives.

The electronic and / or electrical devices 7 also have electrical contact means 13 '' for feeding electrical control signals.

All individual bones 2 are in particular via the mentioned electrical contact means 13, 13 ', 13' 'with an electronic control unit 23 in connection, which may be embodied as part of the fluidtechischen control unit 1. In the embodiment of the figure, the control electronics 23 is associated with one of the longitudinal sides of the unit unit 4, wherein on this longitudinal side and the electrical contact means 13, 13 ', 13' 'are present, so that an electrical contact can be made from a single side. In this case, the control electronics 23 may include at least one printed circuit board which extends over the various individual devices 2.

In the case of the design according to Figure 3, the control electronics 23 is provided in a control block 29, from which the individual devices 2 are supplied with electrical actuation signals. As in the case of Figures 1 and 2, the control electronics 23 may include its own control program and / or form a field bus unit, via the communication of a connected field bus 24 with other control devices or with a higher-level external control unit.

In the embodiment according to Figures 1 and 2, the individual devices 2 are equipped with plate-like device housings 5, whose two larger side surfaces are oriented respectively in and against the row direction 3, wherein the device housing. 5 immediately adjacent individual devices 2 abut each other directly. By using suitable connection means 25, for example in the form of all single devices 2 pulling through the tie rods 21, the unit unit 4 is a firmly connected self-supporting assembly.

It is expediently provided that the unit unit 4 in the row direction 3 is penetrated by one or more central channels, wherein according to Figures 1 and 2, a total of three such central channels 25 are present, one of which is indicated in Figure 2. These central channels 25 are composed of individual fluid channels 26 which pass through the individual device housing 5 in the row direction 3 and which are aligned with each other to form the central channels 25. Inserted sealing measures cause a fluid-tight connection between the various individual devices. 2

In the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, a central channel 25 is designed as a central feed channel, via which a pressure medium, in particular compressed air, is fed into the unit unit 4 and from which the fluid devices 6 are fed. In addition, one or more central channels are present, which act as venting or discharge channels and over which the used pressure medium is discharged again. In pneumatic fluid devices 6 according to the embodiment, the venting can be done directly to the environment of the control unit 1, preferably via suitable muffler 27, which are fastened to the control unit 1.

The feeding and / or removal of the pressure medium in or out of the unit 4 is advantageously carried out on an end face by means of a separate, preferably plate-like closure member 28, which is attached to one of the two end-side individual devices 2 of the device unit 4. A comparable end portion 28 'may also be attached to the opposite end side, so that a supply and removal of the pressure medium can be made via either one of the two end faces, wherein unused connection openings can be closed by closure means 32.

In the interior of the fluid devices 6, the distribution of the pressure medium to the internal devices via internal fluid channels, not shown in detail. As far as according to Figures 1 and 2, the pure electronics or electrical appliances 7 are penetrated by one or more of the central channels 25, the corresponding fluid channels are designed as pure through-channels. However, it may be appropriate, for example, for pressure detection to install within one or more of the electronic and / or electrical devices 7, one or more sensors that can detect the fluid pressure to take into account in the control of connected components.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the individual devices 2 are installed independently of each other individually on a plate-shaped or strip-shaped device carrier 32. However, they are arranged as close to each other as possible to obtain a compact arrangement and can even touch each other. The supply of the individual devices 2 with fluidic and / or electrical energy is expediently carried out by means of the device carrier 32, which may be equipped with corresponding internal channels. In this case, the device carrier 32 may be designed as a one-piece component, but would also be a modular design with a subdivision in the row direction 3 sequentially arranged device carrier modules, which are fixed by suitable connecting means to each other, so that a structure comparable to the device unit 4 according to Figures 1 and 2 can result.

In all the illustrated embodiments, the device housings of all individual devices 2 have the same width (measured in the row direction 3). It can also be combined with individual devices 2 different widths.

Due to the uniform external design of the device housing 5 of the various individual devices 2, regardless of the type or type of the respective single device 2, very compact control devices can be constructed, with mechanical and / or electrical and / or fluidic and / or optical interfaces can be realized that are unified. The special design of the individual devices 2 allows in a modular design, the realization of individual control devices with a corresponding requirement for each equipment on individual devices. 2

Particularly advantageous is a fluidic control unit 1, which according to Figures 1 and 2, a cuboid and, if appropriate Number of individual devices 2, also cube-like structure has, with externally independent of the individual placement of individual devices 2 results in a uniform appearance. Since the installation space required for the installation of the control unit, regardless of the type of individual devices 2 used with respect to the perpendicular to the row direction 3 required transverse dimensions always remains the same, the integration of the control devices in the construction of a machine or plant can plan relatively easily.

Claims (12)

1. Fluid power control unit, with a plurality of individual devices (2) of various types arranged consecutively in the direction of a row (3) and combined to form a battery-like unit (4), which are at least partially designed as fluid devices (6) and the housings (5) of which, if viewed in a direction corresponding to the direction of the row (3), have an at least substantially identical external contour, characterised in that the individual devices (2) are at least partially designed as purely electronic and/or electric devices (7).
2. Control unit according to claim 1, characterised in that the fluid devices (6) are at least partially designed as valve devices (8).
3. Control unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the fluid devices (6) are at least partially designed as vacuum generating devices (9).
4. Control unit according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that at least one purely electronic and/or electric device (7) is designed as an electronic controller.
5. Control unit according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that adjacent individual devices (2) are in immediate contact with one another.
6. Control unit according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the individual devices (2) are combined by mechanical connections to form a self-supporting assembly.
7. Control unit according to claim 5 or 6, characterised in that at least one fluid passage (26) passes through all of the individual devices (2) in the direction of the row (3), the fluid passages (26) of adjacent individual devices (2) being so connected to one another that at least one central passage (25) running through all of the individual devices (2) is formed.
8. Control unit according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the individual devices (2) are together installed on a device carrier (32), which is in particular designed in the shape of a plate or rail.
9. Control unit according to any of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the housings (5) of the individual devices (2) have a plate-like shape, the larger side faces being oriented in and against the direction of the row.
10. Control unit according to any of claims 1 to 9, characterised by individual devices (2) of various types with identical or different width dimensions of their housings (5) in the direction of the row (3).
11. Control unit according to any of claims 1 to 10, characterised in that all individual devices (2) have an identical external shape.
12. Control unit according to any of claims 1 to 11, characterised by a rectangular external contour of the individual devices (2).

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