System for Monitoring Cables in a Line Guide Apparatus; in particular in an Energy Chain

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022014232-A1
Application number	US-201917295410-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 19, 2019
Priority date	Nov 19, 2018
Publication date	Jan 13, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A monitoring system is proposed for monitoring the state of a cable which is routed through a cable routing device or an energy chain. A monitoring apparatus (10; 20; 30) is provided for this purpose and has an evaluation unit which determines information relating to the state of the cable to be monitored. The invention provides for the monitoring apparatus to comprise a first data communication device (11) with a data communication interface and a second data communication device (12; 12′) with a data communication interface. These devices (11,12) are configured for data communication according to a digital data transmission protocol and are connected by means of the interfaces thereof via the cable (13; I3A; I3B) to be monitored. An evaluation unit is also provided and configured to determine information relating to the state of the cable to be monitored on the basis of a quality feature of the data connection, for example the packet loss rate in the case of a packet-based communication protocol, between the first device (11) and the second device (12; 12′).

First claim

1 . A monitoring system for monitoring the condition of a line guided by a line guide apparatus, the monitoring system comprising:
a displaceable line guide apparatus ( 1 ; 41 ) for guiding a line between a stationary connection point and a connection point mobile relative thereto, wherein the line guide apparatus ( 1 ; 41 ) forms at least one mobile run ( 2 ) with a first connection end ( 2 A) and a further run ( 3 ) with a second connection end ( 3 A); at least one line ( 13 ; 13 A; 13 B), which is guided by the line guide apparatus ( 1 ; 41 ); and a monitoring device ( 10 ; 20 ; 30 ) having an evaluation unit which detects information about the condition of the line to be monitored; wherein the monitoring device comprises a first device ( 11 ) with an interface for data communication and a second device ( 12 ; 12 ′) with an interface for data communication, which devices are configured for data communication according to a protocol for digital data transmission; the interfaces of the two devices are connected by way of the at least one line ( 13 ; 13 A; 13 B), which is guided by the line guide apparatus ( 1 ; 41 ); and the evaluation unit is configured to detect information about the condition of the line to be monitored on the basis of an information technological quality feature of the data link between the first device ( 11 ) and the second device ( 12 ; 12 ′).

2 . The monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the protocol is a protocol for packet-based digital data transmission, preferably a data network protocol according to IEEE 802.3 and/or the devices ( 11 ; 12 , 12 A) are configured for data communication with packet switching.

3 . The monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the protocol is a data bus protocol.

4 . The monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein each interface has a unique address for data communication, wherein the quality feature is determinable using information technology (IT) by data transmission addressed to the second device ( 12 , 12 ′).

5 . The monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the evaluation unit ( 11 ) is configured to determine the quality feature continuously at regular intervals.

6 . The monitoring system according to claim 4 , wherein the evaluation unit ( 11 ) is configured to determine the quality feature using or r using software on the basis of availability requests from the first device to the second device;
receipt acknowledgments from the second device to the first device; and/or packet losses or packet loss rates in packet-based data transmission; and/or at least one protocol-inherent function for assessing a quality of service (QoS) parameter.

7 . The monitoring system according to claim 6 , wherein the first device sends availability requests (PING) according to a higher-level protocol to the second device, and the evaluation unit assesses the quality of the data link on the basis of the absence of corresponding responses (PONG) or changes thereto relative to a reference response.

8 . The monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the first device ( 11 ) comprises the evaluation unit.

9 . The monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein an active network device ( 14 ) is connected with the line at the first connection end ( 3 A) to which network device the first device ( 11 ) is connected; and/or an active network device ( 14 ) is connected with the line at the second connection end ( 2 A) which network device the second device ( 12 ) is connected.

10 . The monitoring system according to claim 9 , wherein the monitoring device ( 20 ) uses as the second device ( 12 ) an addressable network device or field device present in the data network or data bus.

11 . The monitoring system according to claim 9 , wherein the a second device ( 12 ) provided expressly for the monitoring system.

12 . The monitoring system according to claims 1 , wherein
the line guide apparatus is an energy guide chain ( 1 ; 41 ) including a deflection arc ( 4 ) between the mobile run ( 2 ) and the stationary run ( 3 ), and/or at least one further line is guided by the line guide apparatus, wherein each further line has a nominal service life which is greater than or equal to the nominal service life of the line ( 13 , 13 A, 13 B), via which the interfaces of the first and second devices are connected.

13 . The monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the interfaces are embodied for POWERLAN, PLC or the IEEE 1901 standard and the interfaces of the first and second devices are connected for signaling via a power supply line guided by the line guide apparatus.

14 . The monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein
the interfaces of the first and second devices ( 11 , 12 ) for data communication are connected via an electrical data line ( 13 ) of the at least one line guided by the line guide apparatus; or the interfaces of the first and second devices ( 11 , 12 ) are connected for data communication via a hybrid servo line.

15 . The monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the first device ( 11 ) is arranged stationarily at the base-side end of the line guide apparatus and the second device ( 12 ; 12 ′) is arranged on a mobile machine part which is supplied with data and/or energy by the line guide apparatus ( 1 ; 41 ).

16 . An industrial robot ( 40 ) comprising the monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the line guide apparatus ( 41 ) is three-dimensionally deflectable, and as second device an addressable network device or field device is used which is provided on an end effector ( 42 ) of the industrial robot.

17 . Use of the monitoring system according to claim 1 for monitoring the condition of a data or power supply cable in an energy guide chain in ongoing operation for the purpose of preventive maintenance.

Assignees

• Igus Gmbh

Inventors

• Habering Richard
• Krista Sebastian

Classifications

• H02G11/00

  Arrangements of electric cables or lines between relatively-movable parts · CPC title

• G01R31/083

  in cables, e.g. underground · CPC title

• G01R31/58 Primary

  Testing of lines, cables or conductors (testing of electric windings G01R31/72) · CPC title

• H04B3/46 Primary

  Monitoring; Testing · CPC title

• G01R31/088 Primary

  Aspects of digital computing · CPC title