Method and device for the automated arrangement of tunnel lining segments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11913337-B2
Application number	US-202017788118-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 31, 2020
Priority date	Dec 31, 2019
Publication date	Feb 27, 2024
Grant date	Feb 27, 2024

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for the automated installation of at least one tunnel lining segment of a tunnel lining ring, said device being couplable to a tunnelling machine, • having a manipulator with at least one tool for receiving, holding and placing the at least one tunnel lining segment, and with at least one actuator for moving the at least one tool, the at least one tool being movable • by means of the at least one actuator in the radial, tangential and/or axial direction in relation to the machine axis of the tunnelling machine in the space of the tunnel section created by the tunnelling machine, • having at least one tool position sensor, which is provided on the manipulator and/or tool, for sensing the respective actual position and actual location of the tool in the space of the tunnel section, having at least one tunnel lining segment sensor, which is provided on the manipulator and/or tool, with which an actual position and/or actual location of at least one section of at least one already arranged tunnel lining segment can be sensed, and/or with which an actual position and/or actual location of the tunnel lining segment to be placed can be sensed, • having a controller, which accesses installation data of the tunnel lining segments and which accesses the measurement data of the at least one tool position sensor and the at least one tunnel lining segment sensor, and with which the at least one actuator and the at least one tool can be controlled on the basis of the installation data and measurement data in order to move the tool from the receiving position to the target placing position of the respective tunnel lining segment and to orient same in the actual placing position and to arrange same against the at least one already placed tunnel lining segment of the tunnel lining ring, wherein at least two tunnel lining segment sensors are provided, and wherein the tunnel lining segment sensor is a time-of-flight camera.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for the automated installation of at least one tunnel lining segment of a tunnel lining ring for lining a tunnel section driven by a tunneling machine, which device can be coupled to the tunneling machine,
having a manipulator with at least one tool for picking up, holding and placing the at least one tunnel lining segment, and with at least one actuator for moving the at least one tool, wherein the at least one tool can be moved by means of the at least one actuator in a radial, tangential and/or axial direction with respect to the machine axis of the tunneling machine in the space of the tunnel section created by the tunneling machine,
having at least one tool position sensor, which is provided on the manipulator and/or tool, for sensing the respective actual position and actual location of the tool in the space of the tunnel section,
having at least one tunnel lining segment sensor, which is provided on the manipulator and/or tool, with which an actual position and/or actual location of at least one section of at least one already arranged tunnel lining segment can be sensed, and/or with which an actual position and/or actual location of the tunnel lining segment respectively to be placed can be sensed,
having at least one controller, which accesses installation data of the tunnel lining segments and which accesses the measurement data of the at least one tool position sensor and the at least one tunnel lining segment sensor, and with which the at least one actuator and the at least one tool can be controlled on the basis of the installation data and measurement data in order to move the tool from the picking-up position to the target placing position of the respective tunnel lining segment, to align it in the actual placing position and to arrange the tunnel lining segment against at least one already placed tunnel lining segment of a tunnel lining ring,
wherein at least two tunnel lining segment sensors are provided, and
wherein the tunnel lining segment sensor is a time-of-flight camera.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one tool is a picking-up element.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one tool position sensor is a displacement measuring cylinder, rotary encoder, location sensor, inclinometer and/or displacement transducer.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the data are a laying plan of the tunnel lining segments to be placed, a delivery plan of the tunnel lining segments to be placed, a position of a picking-up location for picking up the tunnel lining segment respectively to be placed, a target placing position of the tunnel lining segment respectively to be placed, and/or information about the type and physical properties, such as for example the weight and dimensions, of the respective tunnel lining segment to be placed.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one additional tunnel lining segment sensor is provided, preferably as a time-of-flight camera or 2D camera.

6. The device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the additional tunnel lining segment sensor is provided in the region of the tunnel lining segment sensors or in the region of the tool.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein advancing presses of the tunneling machine can be activated extendably and retractably by the controller, so that they can be pressed against placed tunnel lining segments.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a feeding unit (segment feeder) for feeding the tunnel lining segment to a picking-up location for being picked up by the tool can be activated by the controller, so that the tunnel lining segment can be made ready by way of the controller.

9. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a sensor of the time-of-flight camera records a 2D image.

10. A method for the automated installation of at least one tunnel lining segment of a tunnel lining ring for lining a tunnel section driven by a tunneling machine with a device on which a manipulator fitted with at least one tool for picking up, holding and placing the at least one tunnel lining segment is provided, and which is provided in a tunneling machine,
wherein the at least one tool is moved by at least one actuator in a radial, tangential and/or axial direction with respect to the machine axis of the tunneling machine in the space of the tunnel section created by the tunneling machine,
wherein an actual position and actual location of the tool in the space of the tunnel section is sensed by at least one tool position sensor, which is provided on the manipulator and/or tool,
wherein an actual position and/or actual location of at least one section of at least one already arranged tunnel lining segment is sensed by at least one tunnel lining segment sensor, which is provided on the manipulator and/or tool, and/or wherein an actual position and/or actual location of the tunnel lining segment respectively to be placed is sensed by the at least one tunnel lining segment sensor,
wherein at least one controller, which accesses installation data of the tunnel lining segments and the measurement data of the at least one tool position sensor and the at least one tunnel lining segment sensor, is provided,
wherein the at least one controller controls the at least one actuator and the at least one tool on the basis of the installation data and measurement data, so that the tool with the tunnel lining segment is moved from its respective picking-up position to its respective target placing position and, on the basis of the measurement data of the tunnel lining segment sensor, the tunnel lining segment is aligned in the actual placing position and arranged against at least one already placed tunnel lining segment of a tunnel lining ring,
wherein at least two tunnel lining segment sensors are provided, and
wherein the tunnel lining segment sensor is a time-of-flight camera.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the at least one tool is a picking-up element.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the at least one tool position sensor is a displacement measuring cylinder, rotary encoder, location sensor, inclinometer and/or displacement transducer.

13. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the data are a laying plan of the tunnel lining segments to be placed, a delivery plan of the tunnel lining segments to be placed, a position of a picking-up location for picking up the tunnel lining segment respectively to be placed, a target placing position of the tunnel lining segment respectively to be placed, and/or information about the type and physical properties, such as for example the weight and dimensions, of the respective tunnel lining segment to be placed.

14. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein at least one additional tunnel lining segment sensor is provided, preferably as a time-of-flight camera or 2D camera.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the additional tunnel lining segment sensor is provided in the region of the tunnel lining segment sensors or in the region of the tool.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the data of the two tunnel lining segment sensors are combined with the data of the additional tunnel lining segment sensor.

17. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein a sensor of the time-of-flight camera records a 2D image.

18. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein a feeding unit (segment feeder) for feeding the tunnel lining segment to a picking-up location for being picked up by the tool is controlled by the controlle

Assignees

• Herrenknecht Ag

Inventors

• Pabst Stefan
• Seng Frederic

Classifications

• E21D11/40 Primary

  Devices or apparatus specially adapted for handling or placing units of linings {or supporting units} for tunnels or galleries {(combined with tunnelling shields E21D9/06)} · CPC title

• B25J9/1679

  characterised by the tasks executed · CPC title

• B25J13/088

  with position, velocity or acceleration sensors · CPC title

• B25J19/023 Primary

  including video camera means · CPC title

• B25J11/00 Primary

  Manipulators not otherwise provided for · CPC title