Pneumatic commandassembly

The invention relates to a pneumatic actuator assembly having a plurality of pneumatic consumers, in particular working cylinders, whose work spaces are connected via pressure lines with electrically actuated Umschaltorganen, which in turn are via supply pressure lines to a common pressure source and via electrical signal lines with a common control unit connected.

Arrangements of the type mentioned are nowadays, for example in production, transport and storage, and the like widely used because they reliably deploy large forces and, if necessary, also large repositioning with small dimensions and relatively simple installation and according to the elasticity of the working medium else several advantages over, for example, hydraulic have or electric drives. For example, although a direct comparison of a hydraulically actuated piston / cylinder arrangement with a corresponding pneumatically actuated means the latter with regard to the required connecting lines for the working medium directly provides the advantage that the Volumsableitung of each depressurized working space usually easy can be done outside and not back a pump or the like to be returned, it nevertheless also for such a pneumatic cylinder in conventional operating arrangements of the type mentioned at a number of ports, which require so relatively little effort with regard to construction, accommodation, maintenance and also represent potential sources of error.

Along with the required nowadays practically exclusively electrically actuated or at least electrically pilot operated Umschaltorganen arise, for example, a pneumatic cylinder, two pressure lines for connecting the two working spaces with the associated switching member, a supply pressure line for connection of the changeover to the pressure source and at least one electrical signal line for driving of the switching off by a control unit. If - which is often the case - at least the two end positions of the working cylinder monitoring or control must be reported, even electrical signal lines between the respective sensors and the control unit are also required. All these cables must be laid and connected at both ends to the appropriate ports, which requires a lot of additional components and installation costs.

Starting from the knowledge of these issues and their negative impact on the use of such operating arrangements appropriate arrangements have become known in which the switching members, are summarized in the overall arrangement of adjacent pneumatic consumers to so-called valve terminals more lately. On a common base plate, the required switching members are mounted to a common air supply and a combined electrical actuation. The electric control can be combined with either a multipole or a bus system, whereby the use of bus systems overall in the least according to the current state of the art installation complexity and operating arrangements of the type mentioned. A disadvantage remains a despite everything relatively high installation effort as too pro pneumatic consumers, such as in particular, for example pneumatic cylinders, still two compressed air hoses (between each of the working chambers and the valve terminal) and, if necessary, two electrical signal lines (between the position sensors and the valve terminal) embarrassed and each directly connect both sides and are fitted with plugs.

Object of the present invention is to improve a pneumatic actuator assembly of the aforementioned type such that while avoiding the aforementioned disadvantages of the known arrangements of the installation and maintenance costs can be further reduced.

This object is achieved with a pneumatic actuator assembly of the aforementioned type in that the switching members, together with the pressure lines to the working spaces to form a load unit are arranged directly to consumers and that the electrical signal lines and the supply pressure lines summarized each consumer unit in a combined cable between the consumer unit on the one hand and a part connected to the pressure source and the control unit supply air / signal distributor on the other hand extend. This has now been achieved immediately, that each individual consumer, ie for example working cylinders, only communicates via a single combination line with the other system or to be brought into connection, which with regard to the installation of this line and the preparation of the compounds and the like has great advantages.

The arrangement of switching valves including associated pressure lines to the working spaces directly on pneumatic cylinders is already known per se - new and advantageous in the present context is the formation of the aforementioned consumer unit, which is connected via a single combination line with the associated supply air / signal distributor.

Particularly preferred is a further embodiment of the invention, according to which have the combination cables on both sides Combined plug for common connection with the associated pressure and electrical connections. For assembly and disassembly of individual consumers or distributors in such a pneumatic actuator assembly is substantially simplified, because you need to be dissolved or removed, for example, prior to the removal of a defective working cylinder or the like, only a single combination plug.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the supply / signal distributor of several consumer units are blocky summarized and provided with common power and signal line connections. From the pressure source on the one hand and the control unit on the other hand thus is only a single line connection to such a supply air / signal distributor block, from which in turn runs in each case only a single combination line of each of the manifold to the associated consumer. The result is an extremely simple overall arrangement with greatly reduced assembly and maintenance costs, which also sources of errors are largely eliminated for example by individual interchanged plug connections or the like.

The connection of the supply air / signal distributor blocks between themselves or to the pressure source and control unit can also be done in a further embodiment of the invention on combination cables and universal plug, which provides further scope for simplification of the overall arrangement.

In a pneumatic actuating arrangement, in which are as already addressed to the consumer units function sensors, in particular to working cylinders, the piston position sensors and are connected via electric signal lines to the control unit, the invention, in an additional preferred embodiment provides that also the signal lines of these sensors in the combination cables and are optionally performed on the combination plug. The compound of as described designed consumer units is therefore still only a single combination line, so full of fans also use the above-described advantages of the invention to fruition.

To the consumer units bus nodes are arranged for the signal lines according to another preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein the intermediate and leading to the control unit signal lines may be formed as bus connections, preferably according to the known ASI standard, formed. improved and simplified installation and maintenance of the actuator assembly according to the invention This measure also.

The invention will be discussed hereafter with reference to the embodiments partially schematically illustrated in the drawing. Fig. 1 shows an example of a pneumatic actuating arrangement with valve islands according to the prior art; Fig. 2 shows in a schematic representation according to an example of an arrangement according to the present invention; 3 shows in a more detailed perspective view of a further arrangement according to the present invention. Figure 4 in a schematic sectional representation of the connection supply / signal distributor with a consumer unit to another inventively embodied actuator assembly. Fig. 5 is similar to a partial section along line VV in the specific embodiment of FIG. 3, FIG. 6 is a FIG. 5 corresponding enlarged section, wherein only the removed combination plug is shown, and Fig. 7 shows a detail VII in FIG. 3 partially cut.

The trained according to the prior art pneumatic actuator assembly of FIG. 1 has four separate pneumatic consumer 1, which are designed as working cylinders for no further interest tasks, for example, in a manufacturing plant or the like. The working spaces located on both sides of the piston, not shown, are each connected via separate pressure lines 2 with here also not shown, electrically operated Umschaltorganen, which are combined together in an only schematically indicated called valve terminal. 3 Furthermore, 1 function sensors 4 are arranged on the consumers, the monitor here, the piston end for example inductively and are also connected via electrical signal lines 5 with the valve terminal. 3

The mostly arranged near a mating group of consumers 1 valve terminals 3 or there combined switching members for consumers 1 are to also not shown here way over supply pressure lines to a common pressure source and via electrical signal lines with a common control unit in conjunction, which also the signals of the function sensors 4 are fed. The electric control can either be combined via a multipole connector or a bus system, which results in the least according to the current state of the art installation costs for such pneumatic actuator assemblies.

A disadvantage remains a despite everything relatively high installation effort because per pneumatic consumer 1 still two pressure lines 2 (between each of the working chambers and the valve terminal 3) as well as two electrical signal lines 5 to transfer (between the function sensors 4 and the valve terminal 3) and each either to join both sides directly or to be provided with plugs.

shown When functionally the known arrangement of FIG. 1 corresponding arrangement according to the present invention as shown in FIG. 2 are now switching members 6 (which according to FIG. 1 in the valve terminal 3) are arranged together with the pressure lines to the working spaces (see the positions 9 are each directly disposed 2 and 7, 8 in Fig. 4) to form a consumer unit to the consumers first Furthermore, the electrical signal lines 10 (see also section view of FIG. 4) and the supply pressure line 11 of each consumer unit 9 assembled in a combined cable 12, which is now the only connection between the consumer unit 9 on the one hand and, again not illustrated here with the common pressure source and the common control unit connected to supply air / signal distributor 13 on the other runs.

The combination cables 12 have - such as in particular also FIGS 3 refer to 7 -... Both sides universal plug 14 for common connection with the accompanying pressure and electrical connections, but could, if necessary, od also separate connectors like feature for these connections. In these combination cables 12 and the signal lines 5 of the function sensors 4 are further out.

As shown in FIG. 2 on the one hand and FIGS. 3 and 7 can be seen on the other hand, it is irrelevant whether a supply air / signal distributor 13 comprises a plurality of separate connections for several consumers 1 or whether (as shown in FIG. 3 and 7), respectively individual supply / signal distributor 13 are provided for each consumer 1, which may be then, for example, also in blocks to supply air / signal distributor blocks combined 15 and provided with common supply pressure and signal line connections. It is essential that now each consumer 1 or each consumer unit 9 is only a single combination line 12 to the other system in conjunction or to be brought in the assembly connected to what with regard to the laying of lines, production of compounds and the like offers large benefits.

According to FIG. 3, three separate, in turn, designed as working cylinder pneumatic consumer 1 and consumer units 9 are again connected via a single combination line 12 with one supply / signal distributor 13. On both ends of the combined line 12, in turn, universal plug 14 are mounted, which allow a common connection of supply pressure and signal lines. The individual supply air / signal distributor 13 are combined to one supply / signal distributor block 15, wherein the representation of the in the upper three separate supply air / signal distributors 13 powered load are not shown.

The supply / signal distributor block 15 of FIG. 3 is 17 (oiler, pressure regulator or the like) connected on one side via a pressure line 16 and an air preparation unit with the common pressure source, not shown. On the other hand, this supply / signal distributor block 15 via a bus 18 to an electrical or electronic control unit 19 in connection, or is connected to this via a plug 20th

Furthermore, from FIG. 3 can be seen yet, that in turn designed as a piston-end position sensors function sensors 4 are also on the signal lines 5 with the consumer units 9 in conjunction. The corresponding signals are passed from there via the universal plug 14 and the Combined lines 12 to the supply / signal distributors 13 and fed from there via the bus 18 to the control unit 19th

In FIG. 4, a functionally the arrangements according to FIGS. 2 and 3 completely corresponding individual consumer unit 9 is shown in connection to the associated supply air / signal distributor 13 in somewhat more detail in section. The lying on both sides of the piston 21 working spaces 7, 8 of the consumer 1 are about arranged directly at the consumer 1 pressure lines 2 with the changeover member 6 in conjunction, which is here as being operated by an electromagnetic pilot valve 22 piston valve 23rd On the side opposite the pilot valve 22 side of the slider 24 a spring 25 is arranged which, when energized magnet, the pressurization of the working chamber 7 ensures, while electrically operated pilot valve 22 of the slider 24 pneumatically moved against the force of the spring 25 in the other end position and working chamber 8 is connected to the supply pressure line eleventh With 28 or 29, the vent ports of the two working spaces 7, 8 are designated, one of which in a corresponding position of the slide 24, the respective working space can be vented directly to the outside.

In a casing of the consumer unit 9 above the switching member 6, a circuit board 26 is indicated by electrical or electronic components 27th This stands above the universal plug 14 with the or the signal line (s) 10 in the combined cable 12 in connection and the other with the signal line 5 to the only individually shown here function sensor 4 or on not shown manner to the electromagnetic pilot valve 22nd in the case of formation of the electrical signal lines 10 as the bus 26 and the components on it is indicated 27 and the respective bus node realizes, be in the receive bus signals and sent respectively encoded and decoded by means of this board.

At the consumer unit 9 opposite side of the combined line 12 a combination connector 14 is also arranged which is mounted and sealed by means of a seal 30 on the z-ugehörigen supply / signal distributor thirteenth For a more detailed description of the relevant details, please refer to the following explanations of FIGS. 5 to 7, which represent at least a functionally identical design combination of supply air / signal distributor 13 and combination connector 14 in detail.

The combi-connector 14 of FIGS. 5 to 7 has a housing 31 made of die-cast light metal or a suitable plastic material or the like which can be fixed by a central screw 32 to a threaded bore 33 of the incoming air / signal distributor 13, wherein the necessary connections are made on the one hand for the compressed air and on the other hand, for the signal lines or buses. The delivered in a bore 34 in the manifold 13 compressed air (see pressure line 16 in FIG. 3) passes through an opening 35 in the housing 31 of the combined connector and from there into the interior of the combined cable 12. The jacket of the supply pressure line 11 of the Combined line 12 is in a boss 36 inserted on the housing 31, held by a longitudinally slotted holding cone 37 and sealed with a seal 38th Furthermore, the above-mentioned seal 30 is inserted, which is compressed when screwed bolt 32 between universal plug 14 and distributors. 13

The runs in the interior of the combined cable 12 or the supply pressure line 11 signal line 10 is separately sealed by a seal 39 at the outlet of the compressed air portion and connected in a manner not shown further with two separate plug-in connections 40 which engage sockets 41 of the distributor. 13 These sockets 41 are contacted in a manner also not shown in detail with the wires 42 of the bus 18, which may be designed, for example, by the known ASI standard. The cable of the bus 18 passes through (such as in particular approximately in FIG. 7 can be seen) all at a supply air / signal distributor block 15 assembled individual distributor 13 in a corresponding recess 43 in which the compound for the receptacles 41 for example by simply cutting the respective cable side can be carried out during assembly.

In Fig. 7 in addition is still apparent that the individual supply / signal distributor 13 is sealed by means of seals 44 against each other and are clamped together by means of the bottom deferred retaining clips 45th At the foremost end in the representation of the entire block is an end piece 46 arranged to be connected to the pressure line 16 or to the completed insertion of the bus 18th A corresponding end piece without a pressure line connection may also be provided on the rear end in the illustration.

The individual supply / signal distributor 13 to one another may also be by means of screw or the like take place - also indicated wäre- as shown in FIG. 2 - a continuous housing for several individual distribution possible. The combination connector 14 could be connected in deviation of the screw 32 by means of other suitable elements securely and tightly with the distributors. Also, the configuration of the combination plug and manifold itself could be varied in terms of design, for different applications. Notwithstanding the illustrated embodiment could further the pressure and signal connecting multiple supply / signal distributor blocks 15 with each other or be done with a common control and pressure supply unit via appropriate combination cables and universal plug.