Motors: expansible chamber type – With motive fluid valve – Electrically operated
Patent
1994-04-18
1995-10-17
Lopez, F. Daniel
Motors: expansible chamber type
With motive fluid valve
Electrically operated
91521, 137884, 1376242, F15B 13044, E03B 300
Patent
active
054580480
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
DESCRIPTION
The invention relates to an electro-pneumatic control device with a valve station designed as a subassembly,containing a fluid distributor equipped with a plurality of valves,and with a central electronic control unit which supplies the electric actuating signals for the valve drives.
Control devices of this type are contained in the delivery program of applicant. Thus, these subassembly type valve stations are designated as "valve island" or "installation island" and comprise a plate like fluid distributor which is equipped with multiway valves. The actuation of these multiway valves is performed by means of electrically actuable valve drives which are regularly formed by electromagnets or magnet valves. Since the valve station is designed as a unitary manipulatable unit, it can be advantageously mounted in the immediate proximity of the machine to be controlled, so that short pneumatic feed paths are provided between the multiway valves and the devices to be driven, for example, operating cylinders. A central electronic control unit supplies the actuation signals for the valve drives, whereby the control unit is mounted in a control panel which is placed at a location advantageous for the operator. Corresponding cables are provided for the signal transmission which are installed between the central control unit and the given valve station. A similar device is also described in DE 30 42 205 C2.
The installation of the central electronic control unit is hitherto very expensive and required extensive wiring in a control panel. Above all, if only smaller automated tasks have to be carried out, the required installation expense is disproportionally high. Therefore, if only smaller machine units or individual machine stations have to be controlled,one still uses conventional devices without valve stations.
It is an object of subject invention to provide a control unit of the aforementioned type which enables an automation of smaller machine installations or machine stations with a relatively low expense.
For solving the object it is provided that the central control unit is designed as a control block which constitutes a direct component of the of the subassembly type of valve station.
In this manner a central electronic control unit which stands separately is eliminated which would be expensive to connect with the available valve stations. Rather, the central electronic control unit is concentrated in a compact control block which constitutes a component fixedly connected with the valve station and therefor a subassembly part of the valve station. Hence, the installation location of the valve station is also the installation location of the central control unit. Naturally, this reduces the required wirings considerably. The control block may be integrated as a unitary piece into the valve stations, but may also be designed in such a matter that it can be removed from the valve station if desired. The latter enables a rapid exchange in case of operational break-downs. Now, one can associate a compact valve station with smaller installations or machine stations in an inexpensive manner which includes the central electronic control unit.
Advantageous further embodiments of the invention are stated in the subclaims.
The control block of the valve station can contain an electronic fixed program which is coordinated with the number of the equipped valves and the control tasks to be solved. Such a solution is particularly economical. However, a more variable use may be obtained with a programable control block which enables an adaptation of the control program at the site for the control tasks to be solved.
In order to enable the programming an interface may be provided on the control block for connecting a personal computer. The same assures a simple programming, an operating without a problem in the on-line-operation or a documetation of program lists or the like.
Advantageously the control block also has an interface for connecting an indicator and/or operating device which advantageously is identica
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patent: 4553734 (1985-11-01), Oka et al.
patent: 4644848 (1987-02-01), McKendrick
patent: 5018431 (1991-05-01), Gray et al.
patent: 5182908 (1993-02-01), Devier et al.
patent: 5222524 (1993-06-01), Sekler et al.
patent: 5301717 (1994-04-01), Goedecke
Festo KG
Lopez F. Daniel
Nguyen Hoang
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