ITTO980069U1 - OPTICAL TYPE SIGNAL RECEIVER SYSTEM. - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE PATENT FOR INDUSTRIAL MODEL

OF UTILITY

entitled: “Optical signal transceiver system”.

It is known that the transmission of an electrical signal between a device placed on a rotating structure and a device placed on the ground takes place by means of a slip ring, keyed onto the shaft of the rotating structure, formed by rings of conductive material, such as copper or bronze. , and a pair of carbon brushes for each ring, one of which electrically connected to the device mounted on the rotating structure and the other connected to the device placed on the ground. The conductor ring and the pair of brushes allow the transmission of the signal between the device placed on the rotating unit and the device placed on the ground and vice versa, as they create an electrical connection between the two units.

The slip ring thus ensures a bidirectional signal transmission from the rotating structure to the ground and from the ground to the rotating structure respectively.

The sliding connection, made between ring and brush, does not guarantee good contact over time due to sparking problems, formation of microcraters on the ring, brush wear, incorrect movement of the brush in its brush holder drawer.

To overcome the aforementioned drawbacks, units operating differently have recently been developed, especially for the transmission of low voltage and current signals, in which the signal transmission does not take place with a contact system but of a different type such as optical, capacitive , electromagnetic, radio frequency, etc.

Said alternative systems for signal transmission have the following drawbacks:

- assembly can only take place in certain points of the machine;

- the signal transmission is not always continuous;

- the signal transmission is not always bidirectional.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a signal transceiver system of the optical type, free from the drawbacks listed above.

In view of the purpose, the invention relates to a system substantially characterized by the fact that it allows the transmission of signals without ring collector and without the use of contact brushes but by means of an infrared optical type device; the transmission of said signals is of the bidirectional type, with direction from the rotating structure to the ground and from the ground to the rotating structure.

Another feature of the system derives from the fact that it has a particular transformer unit which, in addition to making it totally independent in the management of the signals placed on the rotating structure, provides a power source for the devices placed on the rotating structure, for example the power supply. of the load cell bridge.

A further feature of the system lies in the fact that it can be applied at any point on the shaft of the rotating structure and that there are no limitations on the rotation speed of the shaft itself.

A further feature of the invention consists in the fact that the system can be implemented, on request, by mounting rings and brushes for the bidirectional transmission of power signals and therefore a ring signal transmission can be realized in the same system. and brushes for power signals and an optical system for the transmission of low value signals.

The invention has the following advantages over the slip ring with contact brushes:

- absence of brushes and contact rings, this condition guarantees no maintenance, no limits in the rotation speed of the machine shaft and operational safety in the transmission of signals;

- input and output connection with a four-conductor cable instead of with as many conductors as there are units to be connected;

- smaller dimensions, particularly in the sense of length.

The invention itself has the following advantages over more recent alternative systems:

- possibility of mounting in any point of the machine;

- operation with bidirectional signals;

- continuous management of signals;

- power supply of the units placed on the rotating structure;

- transmission of analog signals up to a voltage of / - 200V and of signals in frequency and phase, such as coming from "encoders";

- formation of an integrated system with the transmission of power signals for the use of rings and brushes and of the optical type for the transmission of low value signals.

Further and wider characteristics of the system are described below with reference to the attached drawings for demonstration purposes only, in which:

- fig. 1 represents in section the ring structure of the system applied on the shaft of the rotating structure of a machine;

- fig. 2 is a top view of the ring structure of fig. 1;

- fig. 3 is a preferred diagram of the connection and signal transceiver system.

With reference to fig. 3 the signal transceiver system is substantially formed by:

- a ring structure 1;

- a card or more cards 5 placed on the rotating structure 23 of the machine for the connection of the devices arranged on the rotating structure itself whose signals are to be transceived;

- one card or more cards 6 placed on the ground for connecting the devices whose signals you want to transmit.

With reference to figs. 1 and 2, the ring structure 1 consists of a rotating part 2 and a fixed part 4.

The fixed part 4 allows the rotation of the mobile part 2 for the use of two bearings 7 placed at the two ends of the structure.

The moving part 2 is inserted on the rotating shaft 3 of the machine and made integral with it through the use of appropriate devices 8.

Various ring structures are provided for different ranges of shaft diameters, ranging from 40 to 400 mm; it is however possible to make ring structures for lower and higher diameters.

Within the same range compensation devices are provided for a different shaft diameter.

The fixed part 4, concentric to the mobile part 2, is blocked to the ground by means of a special anti-torque device 9 designed to overcome the friction of the two bearings 7.

A transformer unit 10 is mounted in the structure, powered at 24V / 50Hz or at a different network frequency which supplies power to the following users: - rotary cards 24 and 25 of the optical signal transceiver channels;

- transceiver card or cards 5 for connecting the devices located on the rotating structure 23 of the machine;

- any utilities mounted on the rotating structure 23 of the machine;

- any transformer unit of another ring structure.

The power transduction takes place on the transformator principle, that is, exploiting the variation of the concatenated flux between the two windings 12, whose particular arrangement guarantees the independence of the rotation speed of the shaft 3 of the machine.

The two windings 12 are housed on two concentric steel rings 13 and 14, of which the ring 13 is fixed to the fixed part and the ring 14 to the mobile part of the structure.

In the ring structure 1 there are two distinct chambers 15 and 16, respectively the chamber 15 for mounting one or more pairs of cards 24 and 26 including the optical channels for the transceiving of analog and digital signals, serial port and the chamber 16 for the assembly of one or more pairs of boards 25 and 27 including the optical channels for the transmission of the signals in frequency and phase, such as for example signals from "encoders".

The boards of each pair 24 and 25 are integral with the movable part 2 of the ring structure 1 and the boards 26 and 27 are integral with the fixed part 4.

The data transfer modes between the cards forming each pair can be different according to the type of signal as described later on.

The ring structure can be supplied in different solutions according to the type and number of channels to be managed and, according to the needs, it can be protected against different atmospheric agents or be equipped with anti-condensation resistance and structured to operate in environments where explosive products are processed.

The electronic boards 5 and 6, respectively rotating and fixed, are structurally identical and symmetrical and have terminal blocks and connection connectors for the following signals:

- analogue signal input 17;

- analog signal output 18;

- digital signal input 19;

- digital signal output 20;

- serial user 21;

- signals in frequency and phase 22 (signals from "encoders");

- any utilities on board to be powered.

Card 5 is connected to rotary cards 24 and 25 and card 6 is connected to cards 26 and 27.

The connections are made with a four-conductor cable, of which the one relating to the boards 5, 24 and 25 passing through the channels 11 and the one between the boards 6, 26 and 27 by means of a terminal block.

Board 5 is powered by the tarsformator unit 10 of the ring structure.

Between the transceiver card 5 of the rotating structure and the static transceiver card 6 there is a continuous diagnostic "check" regarding the transmission and reception of data to guarantee the correct functioning of the system.

The number and different type of signals to be managed, present on the rotating structure and on the ground one, may determine the use of additional cards connected respectively to the rotating 5 and fixed 6 cards.

The analogue signals 17 and 18 can be in voltage (V) and / or in current (mA), those in voltage can have a transmission input up to ± 200V and a corresponding receive output of ± 10V.

The digital transmission signals 19 can come from voltage-free clean contacts and / or from 5 ÷ 24V voltage signals and can intervene with a maximum frequency of 100 Hz.

The corresponding reception signals 20 are available in the dry contact solution with the use of relays and / or with solid state technology such as "mosfet".

The transceiver serial channel 21 is of the asynchronous "filli duplex" type with selectable transmission speed from 1200 and 19200 baud.

The frequency and phase channels, signals from "encoders", come from devices on the market with a typical transmission frequency up to 100KHz., (It is possible to manage signals with a higher frequency up to 300KHz.); the signals are transmitted in a unidirectional way, from the rotating structure to the ground, or from the structure to the ground to the rotating one, adaption boards are provided according to the characteristics of the signal.

As previously indicated, two different transceiving methods are provided for the optical channels 24, 25, 26 and 27 depending on the type of signals, such as analog, digital, serial or frequency and phase (signals from "encoders").

Analog, digital and serial signals have the following characteristics:

- the transmission is of the "half-duplex" or "full-duplex" asynchronous type;

- the transmission speed is programmed up to 250Kbaud but can be higher for special needs;

- the sampling and transfer rate of analog and digital signals can be programmed according to the number and requirements of the individual channels.

For the frequency and phase channels (“encoders” channels) the transmission is punctual without processing.

The transceiver system object of the invention can be used not only in rotating structures, but also on fixed structures and in any case in all those cases in which it is not possible to make an electrical connection via cable between devices whose signals are to be transceivered and also in cases in which the cable connection can create electromechanical problems of sealing over time and good functioning.

The advantages deriving from the use of the transceiver system described so far can be summarized as follows:

- completely autonomous signal transceiver system, without the use of contact brushes for transceiver and / or power supply;

- system applicable on rotating structures or on fixed structures for which it is not possible to make a cable connection or the cable connection leads to unsafe operation;

- system usable and mountable on any point of the system;

- transmission and reception of signals of any type such as continuous transmission of analog signals up to ± 200V, trans-transmission of digital signals with frequency up to 100 Hz, frequency signals and phase maintenance between two or more signals, such as signals from "encoders" , with a typical frequency of 100KHz and up to 300KHz;

- serial channels with transmission speed up to 19200 baud;

- modularity of the system, with the possibility of supplying with different construction characteristics;

- system that allows the assembly of slip rings and brushes for the transceiving of power signals

together with the transceiving of signals with an optical type system and according to the characteristics described above.

Obviously, the object of the invention is not limited by the written and illustrated provisions but includes any other similar and equivalent solution suitable for achieving the objects set forth.

Claims (4)

CLAIMS 1) Optical signal transceiver system particularly between a rotating structure and a device placed on the ground, characterized in that it consists of a ring structure (1) comprising a rotating structure part of the machine and a mobile part (2) to be insert and make integral with the shaft (3) of the fixed part (4), a transceiver card (5) connecting the devices placed on the rotating structure (23) of the machine and a transceiver card (6) connecting the devices placed on the ground , all devices of which the signals are to be transceivered. 2) Transmitting system according to rev. 1) characterized by the fact that the ring structure (1) is equipped with a transformer unit (10) for the power supply of the various users, whose power transduction occurs through the variation of the concatenated flux between two windings (12) ensuring the independence of the rotation speed of the shaft (3) of the machine. 3) Transceiver system according to rev. 1) characterized by the fact that the ring structure (1) comprises two distinct chambers (15, 16) for containing respectively one or more pairs of cards (24, 26, 25, 27) for the transceiving of analog and digital signals , serial port and frequency and phase signals (signals from "encoders"). 4) Transceiver system according to rev. 1) characterized by the fact of including one or more transceiver cards (5) for connecting the signals coming from the devices mounted on the rotating structure (23) of the machine connected with a four-conductor cable passing through special channels (1 1) to the rotating cards (24, 25) of the ring structure 5) Transmitting system according to rev. 1) characterized in that it comprises one or more transceiver cards (6) for connecting the signals coming from devices placed on the ground and connected with a four-conductor cable by means of a terminal block and / or connectors. 6) Transmitting system according to rev. 1), 4), 5), characterized by the fact that the electronic boards (5, 6), rotating and fixed, are structurally identical and symmetrical and have terminal blocks and connection connectors for: inputs and outputs of analog signals (17, 18), digital signal inputs and outputs (19, 20), serial users (21), frequency and phase signals (22) (signals coming from “encoders”). 7) Transmitting system according to rev. 1), 4), 5), 6), characterized by the fact of including a continuous diagnostic "check" regarding the transmission and reception of data between the cards (5) of the rotating structure (23) of the machine and the cards ( 6) located on the ground. 8) Transceiver system according to the preceding claims characterized by the fact that the ring structure (1) can be mounted and used on any point of the rotating shaft of the machine structure (23). 9) Transceiver system according to the preceding claims, characterized by the fact of allowing the assembly of collector rings and brushes for the transceiving of power signals together with the transceiving of signals with an optical system. 10) Transceiver system according to the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the same can be used not only for rotating structures but also for fixed structures, particularly in cases where it is not possible to make an electrical connection via cable between the devices of which they want to transmit the signals, or in cases where the cable connection can create electromechanical problems of sealing over time and good functioning. 11) Optical type signal transceiver system as described and represented above and for the specified purposes.