Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Robot control
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-30
2001-08-28
Cuchlinski, Jr., William A. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Robot control
C700S003000, C700S009000, C700S017000, C700S025000, C700S083000, C701S108000, C116S055000, C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000, C172S002000, C172S007000, C172S009000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06282463
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method of selecting a group of optimum pneumatic devices that satisfy conditions specified by a user to construct a pneumatic system.
To construct a user-specified pneumatic system (i.e. a terminal system including components provided between a selector valve and an air cylinder inclusive), a slide rule for designing a pneumatic system was devised [see Japanese Patent Application Post-Examination Publication No. 53-21320 (1978)]. The slide rule has a fixed piece and a sliding piece on each of the obverse and reverse sides thereof. The fixed and sliding pieces are marked with associated scales so as to satisfy an equation for calculating a stroke time of a double acting cylinder, an equation for calculating an output of the cylinder, an equation for calculating an air consumption in the cylinder and piping, and other equations. The slide rule enables various data necessary for system design to be calculated rapidly by jointly using a cursor operation. To select a group of optimum pneumatic devices, the conventional practice is to perform an approximative simple calculation with the above-described slide rule because it has heretofore been impossible to perform an accurate dynamic characteristic simulation. Therefore, the probability that the results of the device selection will meet the requirements is considerably low. Thus, it has heretofore been impossible to construct a desired system with a group of smallest devices and to realize a minimal energy consumption and a minimal cost.
At present, it is demanded to develop a method of rapidly selecting a group of optimum devices that satisfy user-specified conditions by using a calculating method of high accuracy and high reliability. In the device selection, it is necessary to satisfy the following conditions {circle around (1)} to {circle around (4)}:
{circle around (1)} Load condition [the selected system should satisfy a mechanical condition necessary for the system to be capable of satisfactorily operating in compliance with input conditions for the specified operating unit (pneumatic actuator), e.g. load mass, thrust, use application, and supply air pressure].
{circle around (2)} Speed condition [the selected system should operate so that an output member of the pneumatic actuator (e.g. a cylinder piston) can reach the stroke end within the specified total stroke time].
{circle around (3)} Strength condition [the selected system should satisfy the specified load condition and the pneumatic actuator should not be buckled, deformed or broken].
{circle around (4)} Connecting condition [the devices constituting the selected system should normally be connectable to each other].
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A first object of the present invention is to provide a method of selecting pneumatic devices that satisfy specified load, speed and strength conditions to construct a pneumatic system.
A second object of the present invention is to provide a method of selecting pneumatic devices of the smallest sizes that satisfy a specified speed condition to construct a pneumatic system.
A third object of the present invention is to provide a method of confirming characteristics of a pneumatic system using devices selected appropriately.
The present invention provides a first method of selecting pneumatic devices, wherein data concerning pneumatic actuators, solenoid-controlled selector valves, drive controllers, pipes, pipe joints and exhaust treatment devices is stored in a pneumatic actuator database, a solenoid-controlled selector valve database, a drive controller database, a pipe database, a pipe joint database and an exhaust treatment device database, respectively, for each item number, and conditions required for pneumatic devices constituting a system are calculated, and then pneumatic devices conforming to the calculated conditions are selected from the respective databases. The first method includes the first step of selecting a pneumatic actuator satisfying a load condition, a strength condition and a speed condition from the pneumatic actuator database on the basis of a calculation according to a basic equation, and the second step of selecting a solenoid-controlled selector valve and an exhaust treatment device, each of which satisfies a discriminating formula concerning the speed condition, from the solenoid-controlled selector valve database and the exhaust treatment device database, respectively. The first method further includes the third step of selecting a drive controller, a pipe and a pipe joint, each of which satisfies a discriminating formula concerning the speed condition, from the drive controller database, the pipe database and the pipe joint database, respectively.
A second method of the present invention has the features of the first method and further includes the steps of calculating a desired value for the total effective area of all devices in a fluid passage necessary for a specified response time of the system, distributing the desired value to devices other than the pneumatic actuator by using a formula for serially combining effective areas, assigning weight coefficients to devices other than the pneumatic actuator, and incorporating the coefficients into the discriminating formulas used at the second and third steps.
A third method of the present invention has the features of the first and second methods and further includes the steps of constructing a pneumatic system using the pneumatic actuator, solenoid-controlled selector valve, drive controller, pipe, pipe joint and exhaust treatment device selected at the first, second and third steps, obtaining a response time t of the pneumatic system by a simulation, judging whether or not the response time t is shorter than the specified response time t
st
, and changing the size of each of the solenoid-controlled selector valve, drive controller, pipe, pipe joint and exhaust treatment device according to the response time t such that when the response time t is shorter than the specified response time t
st
, each of the solenoid-controlled selector valve, drive controller, pipe, pipe joint and exhaust treatment device is downsized, and then calculation of the response time t is repeated, whereas when the response time t is longer than the specified response time t
st
, each of the solenoid-controlled selector valve, drive controller, pipe, pipe joint and exhaust treatment device is upsized, and then calculation of the response time t is repeated, thereby selecting a solenoid-controlled selector valve, drive controller, pipe, pipe joint and exhaust treatment device of the smallest sizes that satisfy the condition that the response time t is shorter than and closest to the specified response time t
st
.
A fourth method of the present invention has the features of the first and second methods and further includes the steps of constructing a pneumatic system using the pneumatic actuator, solenoid-controlled selector valve, drive controller, pipe, pipe joint and exhaust treatment device selected at the first, second and third steps, and performing a numerical calculation on parameters of each device and service conditions by a simulation using basic equations of pneumatic actuator, solenoid-controlled selector valve, drive controller, pipe, pipe joint and exhaust treatment device as simultaneous equations, thereby obtaining dynamic characteristics and various characteristic values of the pneumatic system.
In addition, the present invention provides a fifth method including the steps of constructing a pneumatic system using a pneumatic actuator, a solenoid-controlled selector valve, a drive controller, a pipe, a pipe joint and an exhaust treatment device selected by an appropriate method, and performing a numerical calculation on parameters of each device and service conditions by a simulation, which is also used to select pneumatic devices, using basic equations of pneumatic actuator, solenoid-controlled selector valve, drive controller, pipe, pipe joint
Fujitani Hidetsugu
Kurihara Kotaro
Oneyama Naotake
Senoo Mitsuru
Zhang Hu Ping
Baker & Botts L.L.P.
Cuchlinski Jr. William A.
Marc McDieunel
SMC Corporation
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