Segment, Linear Drive and Method for Operating a Linear Drive

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017309139-A1
Application number	US-201715480506-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 6, 2017
Priority date	Apr 22, 2016
Publication date	Oct 26, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A sensor with a signal strip, a segment with such a signal strip and a sensor, a linear drive and an installation, wherein the signal strip is assigned in each case to at least one segment, where the signal strip indicates a state of the segment and/or the state of a runner, where the at least one runner is moved by a respective segment, the state is assigned by a sensor assigned to the respective segment and is presented to a user who services the installation, in particular the linear drive of the installation, such the time interval for servicing the installation or the linear drive can be reduced because the operator of the linear drive immediately identifies the state of the respective runner or the respective segment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A segment for a linear drive for moving at least one runner on the segment, comprising:
a sensor assigned to the segment, said sensor at least determining at least one of (i) a position and (ii) speed of the at least one runner on the segment; and a signal strip assigned to the segment, the signal strip comprising a plurality of signaling devices arranged next to one another; wherein the signal strip is configured to display a state of at least one of (i) a runner and (ii) the segment.

2 . The segment as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the signal strip comprises an LED strip.

3 . The segment as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the signal strip is assigned to the sensor.

4 . The segment as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of signaling devices comprise optical signaling devices.

5 . A linear drive comprising the at least one segment as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the linear drive comprises a control device; and
wherein the control device predetermines movement of runners on the at least one segment.

6 . The linear drive as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the sensor provides at least one of the position and (ii) the speed of the at least one runner for the control device and the control device provides a signal for the signal strip based on at least one of the position and the speed of the at least one runner; and
wherein the signal strip specifies a state at the position of a corresponding runner based on the signal provided from the control device.

7 . The linear drive as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the control device provides the signal for the signal strip.

8 . The linear drive as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the control device provides the signal for the signal strip.

9 . The linear drive as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the signal for the signal strip is provided by a network.

10 . The linear drive as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the signal for the signal strip is provided by a network.

11 . The linear drive as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the signal for the signal strip is provided by a network.

12 . The linear drive as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the network is one of (i) an intranet, (ii) the Internet and (iii) a Cloud.

13 . The linear drive as claimed in claim 5 , wherein a state of at least one of (i) the segment and (ii) the runner specifies a degree of dirtying or a functional state of at least one of (i) the runner (L) and (ii) the segment.

14 . The linear drive as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the signal strip indicates the state depending on the state of the runner on the segment at the position.

15 . The linear drive as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the state comprises the position of the runner.

16 . The linear drive as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the linear drive further comprises:
a signal connection between a respective segment and the control device, wherein the signal connection is provided both for transferring at least one of (i) the position and (ii) the speed from the sensor to the control device and for transferring state signals from the control device (SE) to the respective signal strip.

17 . The linear drive as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the state signals comprises the state of the respective runner.

18 . The linear drive as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the signal strip is configured to display an unpredicted state of one of (i) the corresponding segment or (ii) a control unit assigned to the corresponding segment.

19 . The linear drive as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the at least one runner respectively comprises a storage element configured to record a state of the respective runner, the state of the respective runner being indicatable by the signal strip.

20 . A signal strip comprising:
a plurality of signaling devices arranged next to one another; and a sensor which determines at least one of (i) a position and (ii) a speed of at least one runner which is movable along the signal strip; wherein the signal strip is configured to signal at least one of (i) a position and (ii) movement of a respective runner via the plurality of signaling devices; wherein the signal strip is further configured to indicate a state of a segment; and wherein the runner is configured to move along the segment.

21 . The signal strip as claimed in 20 , wherein the plurality of signaling devices comprise optical signaling devices.

22 . An installation comprising the linear drive as claimed in claim 5 .

23 . The installation of claim 19 , wherein the installation comprises one of (i) a production machine, (ii) a machine tool, (iii) a packaging machine and (iv) a filling installation.

24 . A method for operating a linear drive, the method comprising:
ascertaining, by a sensor, at least one of (i) a position and (ii) a speed of a runner on a segment, a signal strip assigned to the segment indicating a state of at least one of a runner and (ii) the segment; and transferring the state of one of (i) the at least one runner and (ii) the segment from at least one of (i) a sensor within the signal strip and (ii) the control device within the linear device to the signal strip.

Assignees

• Siemens Ag
• Festo Ag & Co Kg

Inventors

• Hamik Reinhold
• Albert Fabian
• Hartramph Ralf
• Veit Andreas

Classifications

• G08B21/18

  Status alarms (G08B21/02 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G08B5/36 Primary

  using visible light sources · CPC title

• H02P25/06 Primary

  Linear motors · CPC title

• H02P2203/03

  Determination of the rotor position, e.g. initial rotor position, during standstill or low speed operation · CPC title

• G05B23/0216 Primary

  Human interface functionality, e.g. monitoring system providing help to the user in the selection of tests or in its configuration · CPC title