System for position determination using an energy guide chain

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12174283-B2
Application number	US-202017593471-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2020
Priority date	Mar 20, 2019
Publication date	Dec 24, 2024
Grant date	Dec 24, 2024

Abstract

Systems for position determination using an energy chain for guiding supply lines, which energy chain has a movable run which is fixed at an end to a driver and a stationary run wherein the driver moves back and forth along a track. The system has a sensor device for position determination, which is attached to the driver. In one variant, the system comprises guide components, arranged along the track, for lateral guidance of the energy chain of which components at least one has a reference component acting as a position reference. In another variant of the system, at least each nth chain link of the energy chain has at least one reference component attached thereto. In both variants, the sensor device for position determination interacts with individual reference components, which allows better and more reliable determination of the current position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for position determination with an energy guide chain for guiding supply lines, the energy guide chain comprising a first run, which is fixed at the end to a connection point, and a mobile second run, which is fixed at the end to a moving end, the moving end being displaceable back and forth along a route, comprising:
a guide arrangement with guide components arranged along the route for lateral guidance of the energy guide chain during displacement; and
a sensor device for position determination which is mounted at the moving end and is configured to determine an absolute position of the moving end;
wherein at least some guide components have thereon at least one reference component serving as position reference of a respective absolute position, so that a plurality of position references is distributed along the route, and in that the sensor device interacts with individual reference components to determine the absolute position of the moving end;
wherein the guide arrangement is a guide channel;
wherein the guide components comprise side wall parts;
wherein the side wall parts are arranged stationarily in a longitudinal direction in a continuous succession on both sides along the route, and each side wall part of a succession of several side wall parts on one side of the guide channel comprises a plurality of separate reference components fastened to the side wall part.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor device interacts contactlessly with the individual reference components by radio, optically, and/or acoustically.

3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the reference component takes the form of a radio circuit with transmit capability and the sensor device has a corresponding receiver.

4. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the reference component takes a form of a radio component, namely a passive radio circuit, or an active radio circuit and each sensor device comprises a corresponding antenna arrangement.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the reference components are arranged in a predetermined uniform spacing, and/or each reference component has a unique identifier which is associable with an absolute position, along the route.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one reference component takes the form of encoded optical and/or electromagnetic markings, which are detectable using an optical and/or electromagnetic sensor of the sensor device.

7. The system according to claim 1 , comprising an installation control system for controlling the movement of a mobile machine part which comprises the moving end, wherein the control system is connected for signaling to the sensor device for position determination of the mobile machine part.

8. Use of a system according to claim 1 for continuous measurement of the absolute position of a displaceable machine or installation part supplied by the energy guide chain.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor device interacts with the individual reference components electromagnetically, wherein the reference components are inductively or capacitively readable markings.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor device interacts with the individual reference components by ultrasound.

11. A crane, comprising a linearly displaceable crane trolley and a system according to claim 1 , wherein the crane trolley is connected at the moving end to the energy guide chain and the crane comprises a control system which is connected for signaling to the sensor device.

12. A system for position determination with an energy guide chain for guiding supply lines, the energy guide chain comprising a first run, which is fixed at the end to a connection point, and a mobile second run, which is fixed at the end to a moving end, the moving end being displaceable back and forth along a route, comprising:
a guide arrangement with guide components arranged along the route for lateral guidance of the energy guide chain during displacement; and
a sensor device for position determination which is mounted at the moving end and is configured to determine an absolute position of the moving end;
wherein each of a succession of guide components has attached thereon a plurality of reference components, each reference component serving as position reference of a respective absolute position and each reference component has a unique identifier which is associable with an absolute position, along the route, so that a plurality of position references is distributed along the route, and in that the sensor device interacts with individual reference components to determine the absolute position of the moving end;
wherein the sensor device interacts with the individual reference components, each reference component comprising a radio circuit with transmit capability and the sensor device having a corresponding receiver, wherein the radio circuit transmits the unique identifier to the receiver of the sensor device.

13. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the reference components are RFID transponders.

Assignees

• Igus Gmbh

Inventors

• Habering Richard
• Schmer Konstantin

Classifications

• G01S11/06

  using intensity measurements · CPC title

• G01S1/74

  Details · CPC title

• F16G13/16 Primary

  with arrangements for holding electric cables, hoses, or the like · CPC title

• B66C7/00

  Runways, tracks or trackways for trolleys or cranes · CPC title

• G01S11/02

  using radio waves (G01S19/00 takes precedence) · CPC title