EP1338549B1 - Control device for a lifting device - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a control device according to the preamble of claim 1.

From the DE 42 17 989 A1 Such a control device for a hoist is known, which can be used in the work area of a hoist mobile. The cross-section of the hoist is controllable via two juxtaposed control buttons as controls. If the operator with the control device before the cross run, so the trolley, the hoist is the operation of the right control knob leads from the operator's perspective to a rightward movement of the cross and the operation of the left control knob corresponding to a left movement. In order to ensure the intuitive operation of the cross-section of the hoist even with other orientations of the operator to the hoist, the orientation of the control device is detected to the hoist and used to swap the function of the two control buttons with a changed orientation of the control device to the hoist. For this purpose, two directionally effective receivers are arranged on the control device, which receive a differently coded optical signal from antiparallel directions. The signal sources for the optical signal are fixed to the hoist mounted stationary and arranged in their orientation, ie with respect to the transmission direction of the coded signals emitted by them, parallel to the axis of movement of the cross-section of the hoist. The receivers attached to the control device each receive one of the two coded signals and obtain from the coding of the signals the information as to whether the control device is positioned together with the operator in a first or in a second opposite orientation to the hoist. Depending on this information, a changeover of the control buttons is automatically made in the control device.

In the known control devices has proved to be disadvantageous that must exist for the function of switching each have a line of sight between the receivers and the transmitters. The function of switching and thus the Function of the control device is limited to the area that lies between the two transmitters.

Furthermore, from the patent US 5,043,646 a radio remote control for model cars, which is characterized essentially by the fact that in the radio remote control and the model to be controlled each an electronic compass is arranged with the orientation of the radio remote control to a magnetic field and the orientation of the model car is detected to this magnetic field. Preferably, this magnetic field is the earth's magnetic field. By using the electronic compasses is to be achieved that the radio remote control, in particular their controls can be configured intuitively operable, regardless of whether the model car from the operator of the radio remote control, moves on this to or across to this.

The object of the invention is to propose a control device whose controls are intuitively operated throughout the application of the control device.

The solution according to claim 1 provides that the assignment of the controls to the directions of movement takes place on the basis of the orientation of the operating part to the direction of a directed outer field, with reverse oriented operating part, the direction assignment is reversed. As a result, a line of sight to stationary transmitting or receiving devices is not required. Since the field is a magnetic field and the operating part has an electronic compass for detecting its orientation to the magnetic field, the operating part can be made mechanically robust, lightweight and compact. The operating part also has a vertical grip area, on which the pair of control elements for the lifting and lowering movement of the hoist is arranged vertically spaced apart. The lifting movement is thus clearly controllable.

If the magnetic field is the geomagnetic field, the arrangement of means for generating a magnetic field is unnecessary.

Characterized in that the angle between the magnetic field direction and the orientation of the hoist can be stored on the operating part by a Calibration function is provided and wherein the operating part is pivoted in a defined orientation to the hoist and then a memory function is activated on the operating part, the operating part can be quickly put into operation.

Multiple axes of motion of a crane can be simultaneously controlled by an operator when the operator includes controls for multiple axes of motion and directions of movement.

The number of incorrect operations is reduced by the controls for opposite directions of movement of a movement axis are operated with a common operating element, wherein the operating element is designed in the manner of a rocker and thus allows the intuitive operation of two opposite directions of movement.

If the directions of movement of at least two operating elements, which are associated with two mutually orthogonally aligned axes of movement of the moving object, are also aligned orthogonal to each other, the risk of incorrect operation is reduced when operating multiple axes of motion.

In a position change of the operator, a manual switching of the operating part is unnecessary, if means are provided which make the lateral correct assignment of the controls to the directions of movement automatically.

If a message device and / or a function lock are provided on the operating part, which issue a message and / or lock the keypad, if an assignment of at least one control element to a direction of movement can not or can not be made unambiguously, incorrect operation in an indifferent alignment of Operating part avoided.

The message can be detected even in unfavorable environmental conditions by the message means comprises means for optical and / or acoustic and / or tactile message.

When the operation part includes means for wirelessly controlling the hoist, the mobility of the operator is not restricted by connection cables.

Fig. 1

eine Kranbrücke mit einer Laufkatze und einem Hubwerk mit dem zugehörigen Bedienungsteil,

Fig. 2

in schematischer Darstellung die Ausrichtung des Bedienungsteils der Steuereinrichtung zur Kranbrücke und

Fig. 3

die Unterseite des Bedienungsteils in einer Ansicht von vorne.

An embodiment of a control device according to the invention with an intuitively operable control part will be described below with reference to the drawing. Showing:

Fig. 1

a crane bridge with a trolley and a hoist with the associated operating part,

Fig. 2

in a schematic representation of the orientation of the operating part of the control device to the crane bridge and

Fig. 3

the underside of the operating part in a view from the front.

In Fig. 1 a crane bridge 1 is shown, which is movable in a horizontal direction, the Y direction. On the crane bridge 1, a trolley 11 is secured as a cross-section, which is also horizontally movable on the crane bridge 1 transversely to the Y-direction (longitudinal) in an X-direction. On the trolley 11, the hoist 12 is attached. The hoist 12 consists essentially of a winch assembly, with a load, not shown, in the vertical direction (Z-direction) is raised or lowered. The movements in the X-, Y-, and Z-direction are performed by electric motors, which are controlled by a crane control, not shown here. The crane control is part of the control device which is connected to a radio receiver for the signals of the mobile operating part 2. The operating part 2 has on its upper side on a crosswise operated control button, which operates in the operating part 2 built-in controls 21 - 24. The arrangement of the built-in controls 21-24 is in Fig. 1 shown. With the two paired controls 21 and 22, the reciprocating motion of the trolley is controlled in the X direction. The controls 23 and 24 form the second pair of controls. Upon actuation of the control knob to the control 23 towards the movement of the crane bridge is controlled in positive and in the backward operation to the control 24 in the negative Y direction. The controls 21-24 are infinitely operable, with increasing deflection or increasing operating force of the control knob to the corresponding control 21-24, the crane bridge 1 and the trolley 11 is moved with increasing speed.

The operating part 2 is configured in such a way that the operator guides it with one hand and, as a rule, points to the crane bridge 1 or trolley 11 during operation with the operating part 2. The operating part 2 is intuitively operable by a rightward movement of the control knob to the control element 21 - based on the arrangement in Fig. 1 - leads to a movement of the trolley 11 in the X direction, which also represents a legal movement from the operator's point of view. Accordingly, an operation of the control knob to the other controls 22, 23, 24 respectively to a movement of the trolley 11 and the crane bridge 1 in the direction that has performed the operator with the movement of the control knob.

If the operator now moves with the operating part around the crane bridge - referring to Fig. 1 On the opposite side of the crane bridge, it aligns the operating part in the control of the crane bridge 1 or the trolley 11 again in the direction of the crane bridge 1 or the trolley 11. Thus, the crane bridge 1 and the trolley 11 with the control knob of the operating part 2 can be further controlled intuitively, the control function of the control 21 with that of the control element 22 and the control function of the control 23 with that of the control element 24 is reversed automatically. Thus, for example, the rightward movement of the control knob to the control 21 leads to a movement of the trolley in the negative X direction, which corresponds again from the perspective of the operator from the new position of a rightward movement of the trolley 11. The same applies to the movement of the control button forward to the control 21 out, which now leads to a method of the crane bridge 1 in the negative Y direction, and for the other operating directions of the control knob. The functions of the controls 21 - 24 are thus set depending on the orientation of the operating part 2 to the crane bridge 1. The changeover of the longitudinal run (Y-direction) is thus analogous to the switching of the cross-run (X-direction).

In Fig. 2 the orientation of the operating part 2 to the crane bridge 1 is shown schematically. The symbolized by the arrow 31 direction corresponds to the direction of movement of the trolley 11, so the (positive) X-direction. The arrow 32 symbolizes the orientation of the operating part 2, this orientation corresponds to the direction of actuation of the control knob to the control element 23. In the Fig. 2 Plotted alignments 31 and 32 correspond to those in Fig. 1 illustrated arrangement. In this starting position, the arrow 32 points to the circle segment A of the full circle 3. Moving now the operator with the operating part in a clockwise direction around the crane bridge 1, the arrow 32, which symbolizes the orientation of the operating part 2, also moves in the circular diagram 3 in the clockwise direction, pointing one after the other to the circle segments A, C, B and finally to D. As long as the arrow 32 points to the circle segment A, the orientation of the operating part 2 to the crane bridge 1 substantially corresponds to the starting position, so that a switching of the functions of Controls 21-24, as previously described, is not yet required. If the operator has moved around the crane bridge 1 so far with the operating part 2 that the arrow 32 finally points to the circle segment B, the functions of the control elements 21 - 24 must be reversed in order to obtain the intuitive operability as described above. Between the circle segments A and B are still the areas C and D. In the cases where the arrow 32 is aligned to the areas C and D, the operating part 2 is substantially parallel to the direction of movement of the trolley 11, so the X- Direction, aligned. In order to avoid incorrect operation, the operating part 2 is locked in these cases. This lock is signaled here by means of the warning lamp 26. If, in these situations, the operator nevertheless actuates the operating button, no control function is triggered, but a warning buzzer sounds and a vibration detector additionally draws the operator's attention to the situation. By a simple rotation in the wrist then the orientation of the operating part 2 can be restored.

In the operating part 2, an electronic compass not shown here is installed, which passes on the respective orientation of the operating part 2 to the earth's magnetic field as an angle to an evaluation. In the evaluation the switching angle are stored in which must be switched between the operating states, which are assigned to the circle segments A, C, B and D. These switching angles can either be permanently stored or, as here, set by the user of the operating part 2. At least in the first use of the operating part 2, the evaluation must also be provided with a starting value, because the orientation of the crane bridge 1 in the earth's magnetic field, ie the orientation of the arrow 31, depending on the installation site and Mounting position of the crane bridge 1 may be different. For this purpose, there is a calibration button 25a on the operating part 2, which is operated for basic adjustment of the operating part 2 exactly when the operating part 2 is in a defined orientation to the crane bridge 1. Here's the alignment that's in Fig. 1 is shown. From the starting value thus set, one also speaks of an offset value, and from the angle measured by the electronic compass, the evaluation device calculates the angle between the orientation of the operating part 2 and the orientation of the crane bridge 1, ie between arrow 32 and arrow 31. The relationship between the offset value and the switching angles are fixed in the operating part 2, so that after the programming of the offset value and the switching angle are fixed. On the basis of the measured angle and the switching angle, the evaluation device then switches the operating part 2 accordingly. Of course, other operating procedures for setting the offset value are possible. Also a manual change of the switching angle instead of the use of the fixed switching angle can be made.

Further switches 25c, 25d, 25e on the upper side of the operating part 2 are here occupied with an emergency stop function and other special functions.

In Fig. 3 the bottom of the operating part 2 is shown in a view obliquely from the front. The substantially vertically arranged rocker-shaped operating switch 4 is used to control the hoist 12. An operation of the upper part 4b of the control switch 4 leads to lifting and operation of the lower control part 4a leads to lowering of the load. Thus, the movement in the Z direction is intuitively executable, with a switchover of these controls in a movement of the operator with the operating part 2 to the crane bridge 1 around is not required.

Claims (10)

1. Control means having a control member (2) of the remote-control type which can be operated intuitively and which has a pair of controlling elements (21, 22) arranged on the control member (2) which control the travel of an item of lifting equipment, and in particular of the trolley (11) of a crane, in two opposed directions of movement (X, -X), the two directions of movements (X, -X) automatically each having assigned to them one controlling element (21, 22) of a pair in such a way that layout of the controlling elements (21, 22) in each case maps the directions of movement (X, -X) in a way which is correctly oriented left-to-right, characterised in that the control member (2) has an electronic compass by which the orientation of the control member (2) relative to the magnetic field can be sensed and, if the orientation of the item of lifting equipment relative to the magnetic field is known, the control member (2) assigns each controlling element (21, 22) to that direction of movement (X, -X) which is correctly oriented left-to-right for it from the orientation which is sensed for the compass relative to the magnetic field, and in that the control member (2) has a vertical region for gripping which has, at a vertical spacing, a pair of controlling elements (4a, 4a) for the lifting and lowering movements of the item of lifting equipment.
2. Control means according to claim 1, characterised in that the magnetic field is the earth's magnetic field.
3. Control means according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that, when in a defined orientation relative to the item of lifting equipment, the control member (2) stores the angle between the direction of the magnetic field and the orientation of the item of lifting equipment by a calibrating function.
4. Control means according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the control member (2) comprises controlling elements (21 - 24, 4a, 4b) for a plurality of axes of movement and directions of movement (X, -X, Y, -Y, Z, -Z).
5. Control means according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that, for opposed directions of movement (X, -X, Y, -Y, Z, -Z) on an axis of movement, the controlling elements (21 - 24, 4a, 4b) are actuated with a common actuating member, the actuating member taking a rocker-like form and in this way enabling movements in two opposed directions (X, -X, Y, -Y, Z, -Z) to be controlled intuitively.
6. Control means according to either of claims 4 and 5, characterised in that the directions of movement of at least two actuating members, which actuating members are assigned to axes of movement of the moving item which are oriented orthogonally to one another, are likewise oriented orthogonally to one another.
7. Control means according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the control member (2) automatically assigns via the controlling elements (21 - 24, 4a, 4b) to the directions of movement (X, -X, Y, -Y, Z, -Z) in the correct left-to-right orientation.
8. Control means according to claim 7, characterised in that the control member (2) detects a non-assignment or unclear assignment of at least one controlling element (21 - 24, 4a, 4b) to a direction of movement (X, -X, Y, -Y, Z, -Z), and emits a notification of the non-assignment or unclear assignment via a notifying means and/or blocks a function of the control member (2).
9. Control means according to claim 8, characterised in that the notifying means comprises means for giving a visual and/or audio and/or tactile notification.
10. Control means according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the control member (2) comprises means for the wireless control of the item of lifting equipment (1).

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