Fluid assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11660593-B2
Application number	US-202016950384-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2020
Priority date	Nov 18, 2019
Publication date	May 30, 2023
Grant date	May 30, 2023

Abstract

Fluid assembly for use in a fluid system, having a control module including a processing unit for processing control commands into individual electrical control signals with individually adjustable control signal levels and a control signal level electrically connected to the processing unit, with a power unit, which has a power module for converting the control signals into individual electrical control currents as a function of the control signal levels and an output interface electrically connected to the power module, wherein the processing unit is designed to provide a first group of control signals in a first time interval which can be individually predetermined for each control signal and to provide a second group of control signals in a second time interval which can be individually predetermined for each control signal and follows the respective first time interval, wherein the first control signal and the second control signal are selected in such a way that the control currents in the first time interval are greater than the control currents in the second time interval.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fluid assembly for use in a fluid system, the fluid assembly comprising a control system having a control module and a power unit,
the control module comprising:
an input interface for receiving control commands;
a processing unit electrically connected to the input interface for processing the control commands into individual electrical control signals with individually adjustable control signal levels; and
signal interface electrically connected to the processing unit for outputting the control signals, and

the power unit comprising:
a control interface electrically connected to the signal interface for receiving the control signals; and
a plurality of electrical output stages connected to the control interface for converting the control signals into individual electrical control currents depending on the control signal levels,

wherein the control system further comprises a supply interface electrically connected to the plurality of electrical output stages for feeding electrical energy into the plurality of electrical output stages, and
wherein the power unit further comprises an output interface electrically connected to the plurality of electrical output stages, the output interface providing the control currents to provide an individual electrical supply to a plurality of electrical loads, and
wherein the processing unit provides a first group of control signals from a first level interval in a first time interval which can be individually predetermined for each control signal, and
wherein the processing unit further provides a second group of control signals from a second level interval in a second time interval which can be individually predetermined for each control signal, wherein the respective second time interval follows the first time interval and wherein first interval limit of the first level interval and second interval limit of the second level interval are selected such that the control currents in the first time interval are greater than the control currents in the second time interval.

2. The fluid assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first interval limit of the first level interval and the second interval limit of the second level interval are selected in such a way that the control currents effected by the first group of control signals are at least 200 percent greater than the control currents effected by the second group of control signals.

3. The fluid assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first level interval comprises exactly one level value for the control signal and/or that the second level interval comprises exactly one level value for the control signal.

4. The fluid assembly according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of solenoid valves are connected to the output interface, and wherein the power unit is designed to provide individual electrical control currents for each of the solenoid valves.

5. The fluid assembly according to claim 4 , wherein a solenoid coil is arranged in a current path of the solenoid valve which extends between a first terminal contact and a second terminal contact.

6. The fluid assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the control module has a parameter interface electrically connected to the processing unit for receiving parameterization commands, and wherein the processing unit is designed to adapt the individual electrical control signals as a function of the parameterization commands.

7. The fluid assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the processing unit is designed in such a way that for each of the individual electrical control signals the first time interval and the second time interval can be determined individually on the basis of the parameterization commands.

8. The fluid assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the processing unit is designed in such a way that for each of the individual electrical control signals a first control signal level can be selected from the first level interval and/or a second control signal level can be selected from the second level interval on the basis of the parameterization commands.

9. The fluid assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the input interface is designed to receive control commands coded digitally as bus telegrams and/or to receive analog control commands coded by a current level or a voltage level.

10. The fluid assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the control module and the power unit are arranged on a common printed circuit board, the printed circuit board being arranged in a housing to which a holder is fixed on which a plurality of solenoid valves electrically connected to the output interface are arranged along a row axis.

Assignees

• Festo Se & Co Kg

Inventors

• Schuster Tobias
• Engelhardt Jens
• Flach Maik
• Vu Duc-Thang
• Duroska Gabor
• Bammesberger Stefan

Classifications

• B01L2400/0487

  fluid pressure, pneumatics · CPC title

• F16K31/046

  with electric means, e.g. electric switches, to control the motor or to control a clutch between the valve and the motor (F16K31/041 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16K31/0675

  Electromagnet aspects, e.g. electric supply therefor · CPC title

• F16K31/0603 Primary

  Multiple-way valves · CPC title

• B01L3/0237 Primary

  Details of electronic control, e.g. relating to user interface · CPC title