Pneumatic system and method

Abstract

The invention relates to a pneumatic system comprising a valve assembly having a support section and a plurality of valve modules arranged in or on the support section, each valve module having at least one valve unit, and the support section having a plurality of working interfaces, wherein each working interface can be selectively ventilated or deflated by means of a respective associated valve unit, and wherein the pneumatic system further comprises a hose device and at least one pneumatic load having a compressed air receiving space, the compressed air receiving space is pneumatically connected to at least two of the working interfaces by means of a hose device such that the valve units associated with the working interfaces are pneumatically interconnected thereby, and the compressed air receiving space can be vented and / or vented simultaneously by at least the two interconnected valve units.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a pneumatic system comprising a valve assembly having a support section and a plurality of valve modules arranged in or on the support section, wherein each valve module comprises at least one valve unit, and wherein the support section comprises a plurality of working interfaces, wherein each working interface can be selectively ventilated or exhausted via a correspondingly assigned valve unit, wherein the pneumatic system further comprises a hose arrangement and at least one pneumatic load having a compressed air receiving space. The pneumatic load is, for example, a pneumatic drive cylinder, and the compressed air receiving space is, for example, a pressure chamber. Summary of the Invention

[0002] The object of the present invention is to enable the ventilation or exhaust of a compressed air receiving space with a relatively large compressed air flow in an efficient manner.

[0003] This object is achieved by a pneumatic system according to claim 1. The pneumatic load is pneumatically connected to at least two of the working connections via a hose arrangement, so that the valve units associated with these working connections are pneumatically interconnected and the compressed air receiving space can be ventilated and / or exhausted simultaneously via the at least two interconnected valve units.

[0004] The term "ventilation" refers to the input of compressed air, and the term "exhaust" refers to the discharge of compressed air.

[0005] The maximum compressed air flow rate available at a working interface for ventilation or exhaust is defined, in particular, by the design of the correspondingly assigned valve unit. To achieve a higher compressed air flow rate at a working interface, it is usually necessary to use a larger valve module for that working interface, which has a valve unit designed for a higher compressed air flow rate. The solution according to the present invention pneumatically connects at least two working interfaces to the same compressed air receiving space, making it possible to ventilate or exhaust the compressed air receiving space with a higher compressed air flow rate without having to use a separate or larger valve module for this purpose.

[0006] The expression "pneumatically interconnecting valve units" refers in particular to the pneumatic connection of valve units in parallel. The compressed air flow provided by the compressed air source is divided into a plurality of partial flows, which flow in parallel through the interconnected valve units and through the associated working interfaces. These partial flows are then advantageously brought together in a hose arrangement or in a compressed air receiving space. Interconnected valve units can also be referred to as coupled valve units, and the working interfaces associated with these interconnected valve units can also be referred to as coupled working interfaces.

[0007] The pneumatic interconnection of the valve units allows the compressed air receiving space to be vented or vented, preferably with a compressed air flow rate that is greater than the maximum possible compressed air flow rate of each individual valve unit of the pneumatically interconnected valve units. In other words, according to the invention, a plurality of working connections of a valve assembly (in particular a valve terminal) are physically connected to increase the flow rate.

[0008] Advantageous developments are defined in the dependent claims.

[0009] The invention further relates to a method for operating a pneumatic system, comprising the steps of simultaneously venting or exhausting a compressed air receiving space via interconnected valve units. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Further exemplary details and exemplary embodiments are explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0011] Here:

[0012] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the pneumatic system;

[0013] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing a valve arrangement of a valve module;

[0014] Figure 3 shows a block diagram of the regulator;

[0015] Figure 4 shows a block diagram of the regulation loop;

[0016] Figure 5 A block diagram of two regulation loops is shown;

[0017] Figure 6 shows a control signal diagram according to a first approach for actuating interconnected valve units; and

[0018] Figure 7 A control signal diagram according to a second approach for actuating interconnected valve units is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] Figure 1 A pneumatic system 1 is shown, which includes a valve assembly 2 and at least one pneumatic load 6. By way of example, the pneumatic system 1 includes four pneumatic loads 6, which will also be referred to below as a first load 6a, a second load 6b, a third load 6c, and a fourth load 6d. The terms "first," "second," etc., should be used to conceptually distinguish between loads 6 and are not intended to specify how many loads 6 are present. Each of the loads 6 can also be present without the other loads 6.

[0020] Preferably, the pneumatic system 1 comprises a control device 7 , a compressed air source 8 , a compressed air outlet 9 and / or a user device 10 . The control device is particularly designed as a superior control device, such as an SPS (Storage Programmable Controller). The pneumatic system 1 further comprises at least one hose device 14 .

[0021] The pneumatic system 1 is an exemplary application environment for the valve assembly 2. The valve assembly 2 can also be provided alone, ie in particular without other components of the pneumatic system 1.

[0022] The valve assembly 2 comprises a support section 3 and, for example, a plurality of valve modules 4 arranged on the support section 3. According to an alternative design, the valve modules can be arranged in the support section. The support section 3 is exemplarily designed in the form of a plate and has a mounting side, which is particularly oriented upward, on which the valve modules 4 are mounted. The valve modules 4 are preferably designed in the form of a plate and are advantageously arranged side by side in an arrangement direction 11. The arrangement direction 11 advantageously extends normal to the plate plane of the valve modules 4. Each valve module 4 has at least one valve unit 5. Exemplarily, each valve module 4 has two valve units 5, in particular exactly two valve units 5.

[0023] The load-bearing section 3 has a plurality of working interfaces 12. Exemplarily, the working interfaces 12 are arranged on a connection side 13 of the load-bearing section 3. The connection side 13 is particularly oriented orthogonally to the equipment side. The working interfaces 12 are advantageously designed as openings, particularly round openings, in the connection side 13. Exemplarily, the working interfaces 12 form two rows of working interfaces, which are, for example, stacked one on top of the other. Exemplarily, each valve module 5 is assigned exactly two working interfaces 12. Advantageously, each working interface 12 is assigned exactly one valve unit 5, resulting in an advantageous 1:1 distribution between the working interfaces 12 and the valve units 5.

[0024] Each working port 12 can be selectively ventilated or exhausted via a correspondingly assigned valve unit 5. The expression "a valve unit 5 is assigned to a working port 12" means that (in particular, only) compressed air can be supplied to or discharged from the working port 12 via this valve unit 5. Compressed air can be supplied from the compressed air source 8 to the corresponding working port 12 and / or discharged from the corresponding working port 12 to the compressed air outlet 9 via the correspondingly assigned valve unit 5.

[0025] By way of example, the valve assembly 2, in particular the carrier section 3, has a compressed air inlet 21, to which the compressed air source 8 is pneumatically connected. Advantageously, the valve assembly 2, in particular the carrier section 3, has a compressed air outlet 22, which is pneumatically connected to a compressed air outlet 9. The compressed air outlet 9 can be, for example, the surrounding environment of the valve assembly 2.

[0026] Figure 2An exemplary design of a valve device 20 is shown. By way of example, each valve module 4 has a corresponding valve device 20. The following description of the valve device 20 advantageously applies to each valve device 20 of the valve assembly 2. The valve device 20 advantageously includes two valve units 5, also referred to as a first valve unit 5a and a second valve unit 5b. By way of example, the valve device 20 is configured as a pneumatic full bridge, with each valve unit 5a, 5b being a pneumatic half bridge. Each valve unit 5 has a corresponding valve unit output 23, via which the valve unit 5 is pneumatically connected to a correspondingly assigned working interface 12, for example, via a corresponding pneumatic line extending through the load-bearing section 3. The first valve unit 5 has a first valve unit output 23a, and the second valve unit 5 has a second valve unit output 23b.

[0027] Each valve unit 5 can selectively ventilate or exhaust the working interface 12 assigned to it. Each valve unit 5 has, for example, two corresponding valves 24, which should also be referred to as a first valve 24a (or vent valve 24a) and a second valve 24b (or exhaust valve 24b). The valve 24 is configured as a 2 / 2-way valve, for example. The valve 24 is preferably configured as a piezoelectric valve. The valve 24 is particularly configured as a proportional valve. Advantageously, for each valve 24, the flow cross section between the closed state and the maximum open state can be freely adjusted, in particular by means of a control signal 28 provided to one of the corresponding valve units 5. Each first valve 24a is connected between the compressed air source 8 and the corresponding valve unit output end 23 and is advantageously used to regulate the compressed air flow from the compressed air source 8 to the corresponding working interface 12 connected to the corresponding valve unit output end 23. Each second valve 24 b is connected between the compressed air outlet 9 and the corresponding valve unit output 23 and advantageously serves to regulate the compressed air flow from the corresponding working connection 12 connected to the corresponding valve unit output 23 to the compressed air outlet 9 .

[0028] The valve assembly 2 preferably has a plurality of valve units 5. Each valve unit 5 can advantageously (independently of the other valve units 5) be selectively ventilated or vented.

[0029] The pneumatic system 1 preferably includes a plurality of sensor units 18. By way of example, each valve unit 5 is assigned a corresponding sensor unit 18. For example, each sensor unit 18 is designed as a pressure sensor and serves, in particular, to detect the compressed air pressure present at the corresponding associated working interface 12. The sensor units 18 are preferably arranged in the carrier section 3. Furthermore, the sensor units 18 can be arranged in the valve module 4.

[0030] The pneumatic system 1 comprises at least one hose arrangement 14. By way of example, the pneumatic system 1 comprises three hose arrangements 14, which will be referred to below as a first hose arrangement 14a, a second hose arrangement 14b and a third hose arrangement 14c.

[0031] At least one pneumatic load 6 has a compressed air receiving space 15, which is preferably designed as a pressure chamber. By way of example, each of the pneumatic loads 6a, 6b, 6c, and 6d has at least one corresponding compressed air receiving space 15, which is particularly designed as a pressure chamber. By way of example, at least one pneumatic load 6 is designed as a pneumatically driven cylinder and advantageously has a first compressed air receiving space 15a designed as a first pressure chamber and a second compressed air receiving space 15b designed as a second pressure chamber. In the example shown, the third and fourth pneumatic loads 6c and 6d are each designed as a pneumatically driven cylinder. Alternatively, the first and / or second pneumatic loads 6a and 6b can also be designed as pneumatically driven cylinders.

[0032] At least one pneumatic consumer 6 is pneumatically connected to at least two of the working connections 12 via at least one hose arrangement 14. As a result, the valve units 5 associated with these working connections 12 are advantageously pneumatically interconnected, and the compressed air receiving space 15 of at least one pneumatic consumer 6 can be ventilated and / or exhausted simultaneously via at least two interconnected valve units 5. The interconnected valve units 5 can include valve units 5 from the same valve module 4 and / or valve units 5 from different valve modules 4. Valve units 5 pneumatically connected to the same compressed air receiving space 15 are referred to as interconnected valve units 5. Valve units 5 pneumatically connected to the same compressed air receiving space 15 can also be referred to as a valve unit group. The pneumatically interconnected valve units 5 are advantageously connected in parallel.

[0033] In the example shown, the compressed air receiving space 15 of the first pneumatic consumer 6a is pneumatically connected via a first hose arrangement 14a to two working connections 12, for example, two valve units 5 assigned to the same valve module 4, here, the first valve module 4a. Furthermore, by way of example, the first compressed air receiving space 15a of the third pneumatic consumer 6c is pneumatically connected via a second hose arrangement 14b to three working connections 12, for example, valve units 5 assigned to different valve modules 4, here, the second valve module 4b, the third valve module 4c, and the fourth valve module 4d. Furthermore, by way of example, the second compressed air receiving space 15b of the third pneumatic consumer 6c is pneumatically connected via a third hose arrangement 14c to three working connections 12, for example, valve units 5 assigned to different valve modules 4, here, the second valve module 4b, the third valve module 4c, and the fourth valve module 4d.

[0034] Advantageously, each working port 12 is pneumatically connected to at most a single corresponding compressed air receiving space 15 .

[0035] The first hose arrangement 14a exemplarily includes two first hose sections 38a, each of which is connected to a corresponding working port 12. The first hose arrangement 14 also includes a second hose section 38b, which is connected to the two first hose sections 38a, in particular such that the separate partial flows guided in the first hose sections 38a converge into a compressed air flow flowing in the second hose section 38b. For example, the first hose arrangement has a Y-shape.

[0036] The second hose arrangement 14b comprises, for example, three first hose sections 38a, each of which is connected to a corresponding working port 12. The second hose arrangement 14b further comprises a second hose section 38b, which is connected to the three first hose sections 38a, in particular, such that the separate partial flows guided in the first hose sections 38a converge into a compressed air flow flowing in the second hose section 38b. The third hose arrangement 14c is designed similarly to the second hose arrangement 14b.

[0037] By way of example, the second load 6 b and the fourth load 6 d are connected to the valve assembly 2 in a conventional manner, i.e., without interconnecting multiple valve units 5. By way of example, the compressed air receiving space 15 of the second load 6 b is pneumatically connected to (only) a single working interface 12 via a single hose 39. In a similar manner, the compressed air receiving spaces 15 a and 15 b of the fourth load 6 d are pneumatically connected to (only) a single working interface 12 via respective single hoses 39.

[0038] If the following description refers to valve units 5, in particular interconnected valve units 5, this refers in particular to valve units 5 that are pneumatically connected to the compressed air receiving space 15 of the first consumer 6a. Furthermore, the following description applies accordingly to the case where more than two valve units 5 are interconnected, i.e., for example, three valve units 5 are interconnected, as is the case with the third consumer 6c.

[0039] Preferably, the pneumatic system 1 comprises a control unit 16, which is, for example, part of the valve assembly 2. The control unit 16 is arranged, for example, in a control section 17 of the valve assembly 2. The control section 17 is arranged, for example, on the carrier section 3 or is part of the carrier section 3. According to an alternative design, the control unit 16 can also be provided separately from the valve assembly 2, for example as an external controller. In addition, the control unit 16 can be implemented on the control device 7. The control unit 16 is designed to generate a control signal 28 for actuating the valve unit 5. In particular, the control unit 16 is designed to generate a control signal for actuating the valve unit 5 in such a way that simultaneous ventilation or simultaneous exhaust is achieved by means of at least two (or three) interconnected valve units 5.

[0040] Preferably, the control unit 16 has connection information indicating the interconnection of at least two (or three) valve units 5. For example, the connection information stores which valve units 5 are interconnected to form corresponding valve unit groups. For example, the connection information indicates that the two valve units 5a and 5b of the first valve module 4a are interconnected to form a (first) valve unit group, the second valve units 5b of the second valve module 4b, the third valve module 4c, and the fourth valve module 4d are interconnected to form a (second) valve unit group, and / or the first valve units 5a of the second valve module 4b, the third valve module 4c, and the fourth valve module 4d are interconnected to form a (third) valve unit group.

[0041] The control unit 16 is preferably designed to take into account the switch-on information when generating the control signal 28 , in particular in such a way that ventilation or exhaust is effected via all valve units 5 belonging to the same valve unit group.

[0042] Advantageously, the control unit 16 is designed to execute at least one application and, within the scope of this application, to generate control signals 28 for actuating the interconnected valve units 5. Applications include, for example, pressure regulation functions, throttling functions, mass flow functions, and / or servo positioning functions.

[0043] For example, the control unit 16 executes a pressure regulation application to regulate the pressure in the corresponding compressed air receiving space according to a pressure target value. Exemplarily, the control unit 16 executes the pressure regulation application for the first load 6a and / or the second load 6b. For example, the control unit 16 executes a cylinder application (particularly using servo positioning) to regulate the corresponding piston of the corresponding drive cylinder according to a position target value. Exemplarily, the control unit 16 executes the cylinder application for the third load 6c and / or the fourth load 6d.

[0044] Preferably, the control unit 16 is designed to calculate the control signal 28 for the interconnected valve units 5 assigned to each application according to calculation rules, wherein the calculation rules advantageously include rules for processing the sensor signals 35 of multiple sensor units 18 and / or rules for distributing the compressed air flow to the interconnected valve units 5.

[0045] Figure 3 An exemplary embodiment of a controller 25 is shown. For example, the control unit 16 includes the controller 25. The controller 25 is, for example, a program executed by the control unit 16. For example, the aforementioned calculation rules are implemented by the controller 25. The controller 25 is designed to generate one or more control signals 28 based on a target value signal 26 and an actual value signal 27. The actual value signal 27 can also be referred to as a measured value signal.

[0046] Each control signal 28 is used to actuate a corresponding valve unit 5. Each control signal comprises, for example, a first valve control signal (eg, a first control voltage) for actuating a corresponding first valve 24a and a second valve control signal (eg, a second control voltage) for actuating a corresponding second valve 24b.

[0047] By way of example, the controller 25 has a preprocessing unit 29 which is designed to preprocess the target value signal 26 in order to generate a preprocessed target value signal 30. The preprocessing includes, for example, saturation processing, slope limiting and / or filtering.

[0048] By way of example, the regulator 25 further comprises a regulator unit 31, which is in particular designed as a pressure regulator unit. The regulator unit 31 is designed to generate a regulator signal 32 based on the preprocessed target value signal 30 and the actual value signal 27. For example, the regulator unit 31 performs error calculation, PI control or PID control, and / or anti-windup to generate the regulator signal 32.

[0049] By way of example, the controller 25 further includes an actuator 33, which is designed to generate one, two, or three control signals 28 for one, two, or three valve units 5 based on the controller signal 32. The actuator 33 is particularly used to actuate piezoelectric valves and can also be referred to as a piezoelectric actuator. The actuator 33, for example, performs flow correction and / or piezoelectric compensation to generate the one or two control signals 28. Advantageously, the actuator 33 includes an output distributor for generating the two (or three) control signals 28. Optionally, the actuator 33 can be manually actuated.

[0050] By way of example, the controller 25 further comprises a measured value processing unit 34, which is designed to generate the actual value signal 27 based on one or more sensor signals 35. For example, the measured value processing unit 34 performs signal processing to generate the actual value signal 27 and / or comprises an observer.

[0051] As already explained above, the pneumatic system 1 preferably includes a plurality of sensor units 18. Each sensor unit 18 is advantageously assigned to a corresponding valve unit 5 and / or is used to provide a corresponding sensor signal 35. The control unit 16 is preferably designed to provide an actual value signal 27 based on one or more of the sensor signals 35 and to generate a control signal 28 for the interconnected valve units 5 based on the same actual value signal 27, in particular, based on the same actual value of the actual value signal 27. For example, the control unit 16 is designed to provide the actual value signal 27 by selecting a sensor signal 35 from the sensor signals 35 and generating the actual value signal 27, in particular, an actual value, based on the selected sensor signal 35, or by calculating the actual value signal 27, in particular, an actual value, based on a plurality of sensor signals 35. Figure 4 An example of the latter approach is shown in .

[0052] Figure 4 A block diagram of a control loop advantageously controlled by the pneumatic system 1 is shown. The control loop includes a control algorithm 36, which is designed to generate a plurality of control signals 28 for the interconnected valve units 5 based on a target value signal 26 and an actual value signal 27, for example, a first control signal 28a for one of the interconnected valve units 5 and a second control signal 28b for another of the interconnected valve units 5. Advantageously, the control algorithm 36 generates a corresponding control signal 28 for each of the interconnected valve units 5 in a (valve unit group). The control algorithm 36 is composed, for example, of a preprocessing unit 29, a controller unit 31, and an actuator unit 33. Based on the corresponding received control signal 28, each of the interconnected valve units 5 outputs a corresponding pneumatic signal 37 to the consumer 6, which is used to vent or vent the compressed air receiving space 15 of the consumer 6.

[0053] By way of example, the control loop includes a sensor signal processing unit 40, which is designed in particular to cancel out the sensor signals 35 of a plurality of interconnected sensor units 18 of valve units 5 assigned to the same valve unit group, in particular to combine them, for example by averaging or by weighting them according to the respective flow rates, in order to generate the actual value signal 27 as a result. The sensor signal processing unit 40 is formed, for example, by the measured value preprocessing unit 34.

[0054] Alternatively, the sensor signal processing unit 40 can be designed to select one of the sensor signals 35 of multiple sensor units 18 of interconnected valve units 5 assigned to the same valve unit group, and to use the selected sensor signal 35 as the actual value signal 27 (and advantageously not use the unselected sensor signals 35, in particular not for generating the control signal 28).

[0055] Figure 5 An alternative is shown in which a plurality of control loops are present, more precisely a dedicated control loop for each valve unit 5. A dedicated control algorithm 36 is present for each valve unit 5 of a valve unit group, which generates a corresponding control signal 28 only for this valve unit 5. Furthermore, a corresponding actual value signal 27 is generated for each control algorithm 36 based on the corresponding sensor signal 35 by means of a corresponding sensor signal processing unit 40, for example.

[0056] Different variants of how the compressed air flow can be distributed to the interconnected valve units 5 are described in detail below.

[0057] Preferably, the control unit 16 is designed to control the interconnected valve units 5 in a first working range 41 using the control signal 28 in such a way that the compressed air receiving space 15 is ventilated or exhausted simultaneously by means of two (or three) interconnected valve units 5, and to control the interconnected valve units 5 in a second working range 42 using the control signal 28 in such a way that the compressed air receiving space 15 is ventilated or exhausted by means of only one of the two (or three) interconnected valve units. The working ranges 41, 42 are particularly advantageously compressed air flow-through areas that are related to the compressed air flow of the compressed air flow flowing into or out of the compressed air receiving space 15. The first working range 41 includes a larger flow rate than the second working range 42. By way of example, the first working range 41 adjoins the second working range 42 in the direction of increasing compressed air flow. In particular, the two working ranges 41, 42 do not overlap.

[0058] Figure 6An example of the aforementioned scheme is shown. The flow rate (of the compressed air flow flowing into or out of the compressed air receiving space 15) is plotted on the horizontal axis. For example, the compressed air flow rate plotted on the horizontal axis is the compressed air flow rate required by the control unit 16, particularly the application program running on the control unit 16. The compressed air flow rate plotted on the horizontal axis is also referred to as the required compressed air flow rate. The corresponding control signals 28a, 28b (or the compressed air flow rate provided by the corresponding valve unit 5) are plotted on the vertical axis. The upper diagram relates to one of the interconnected valve units, while the lower diagram relates to another of the interconnected valve units (of the same valve unit group). Starting from a flow rate starting value (e.g., zero), the first control signal 28a (or the compressed air flow rate provided by one valve unit 5) increases in a second operating range 42 as the required compressed air flow rate increases, for example, monotonically, particularly strictly monotonically, and preferably linearly. In the second operating range 42, the second control signal 28b (or the compressed air flow rate provided by the other valve unit 5) remains equal to 0. In the region where the compressed air flow rate (or first control signal 28a) of the one valve unit 5 reaches its maximum value, the second operating range 42 ends and the first operating range 41 begins. The transition from the second operating range 42 to the first operating range 41 can occur precisely at the point at which the compressed air flow rate (or first control signal 28a) of the one valve unit 5 reaches its maximum value, or alternatively, before this point. In the first operating range 41, the first control signal 28a (or the compressed air flow rate provided by the one valve unit 5) remains constant as the requested compressed air flow rate increases, while the second control signal 28b (or the compressed air flow rate provided by the other valve unit 5) increases, starting from a flow rate starting value (e.g., zero), as the requested compressed air flow rate increases, for example, monotonically, in particular strictly monotonically, and preferably linearly.

[0059] Figure 7 An alternative is shown in which the required compressed air flow is distributed equally to both control signals 28a, 28b, so that both control signals 28a, 28b have the same profile and increase in the same way, for example linearly, when the required compressed air flow increases.

[0060] Preferably, the control unit 16 is designed to actuate the interconnected valve units 5 using the control signals 28 in such a way that one of the interconnected valve units 5 provides only a constant portion of the compressed air flow generated during ventilation and / or exhaust of the compressed air receiving space 15, and the other of the interconnected valve units 5 provides a varying portion of the compressed air flow. For example, the one valve unit 5 provides the constant portion, for which a first control signal 28a having a constant signal value is provided, and the other valve unit 5 provides the varying portion of the compressed air flow, for which a second control signal 28b having a varying signal value is provided.

[0061] Preferably, the control unit 16 is designed to perform a detection step and, within the scope of the detection step, to actuate the valve units 5 using control signals 28 in order to perform the corresponding ventilation and / or venting by means of each valve unit 5 and, based on the sensor signals 35 detected by the sensor units 18 assigned to the valve units 5 during each ventilation and / or venting, to determine which valve units 5 are pneumatically connected to the same compressed air receiving space 15 via the hose arrangement 14 and, in particular, to record these valve units 15 as interconnected valve units 5 in the connection information. In this way, the control unit 16 can automatically detect interconnected valve units 5.

[0062] As an alternative or in addition thereto, it is also possible to manually input which valve units 5 are interconnected or which valve units 5 belong to the same valve unit group.

[0063] The pneumatic system 1 includes, for example, a user interface 19, through which a user can enter user input indicating the assignment of target value signals 26 to valve units 5 and / or indicating which valve units 5 are interconnected. The user interface 19 is, for example, part of a user device. The user can, in particular, advantageously connect valve units 5 (or working interfaces 12) in the control unit 16 to one another by assigning the same target value signal 26 to multiple valve units using the user interface 19. Alternatively, the user can directly specify, in particular using the user interface 19, which valve units 5 (or working interfaces 12) are to be connected to one another, and then optionally assign target value signals to the connected valve units 5 (or working interfaces 12).

Claims

1. A pneumatic system (1), comprising a valve assembly (2), the valve assembly having a load-bearing section (3) and a plurality of valve modules (4) arranged in or at the load-bearing section (3), wherein each valve module (4) has at least one valve unit (5), and wherein the load-bearing section (3) has a plurality of working interfaces (12), wherein each working interface (12) can be selectively ventilated or exhausted through a correspondingly assigned valve unit (5), wherein the pneumatic system (1) further comprises a hose device (14) and at least one pneumatic load (6), the pneumatic load having a compressed air receiving space (15), the compressed air receiving space being pneumatically connected to at least two of the working interfaces (12) through the hose device (14), so that the valve units (5) assigned to these working interfaces (12) are thereby pneumatically interconnected, and the compressed air receiving space (15) can be ventilated and / or exhausted simultaneously through at least these two interconnected valve units (5).

2. The pneumatic system (1) according to claim 1, wherein: The pneumatic load (6) is a drive cylinder and the compressed air receiving space (15) is a pressure chamber.

3. According to the pneumatic system (1) in any one of the preceding claims, the pneumatic system further comprises a control unit (16), which is designed to generate a control signal (28) for operating the valve unit (5) so as to simultaneously ventilate or exhaust the compressed air receiving space (15) by means of at least two interconnected valve units (5).

4. The pneumatic system (1) according to claim 3, wherein the control unit (16) has a switch-on information indicating that at least two valve units (5) are interconnected.

5. The pneumatic system (1) according to claim 4, wherein the control unit (16) is designed to take the switch-on information into account when generating the control signal (28).

6. The pneumatic system (1) according to any one of claims 3 to 5, further comprising a plurality of sensor units (18), wherein: Each sensor unit (18) is assigned to a corresponding valve unit (5) and is used to provide a corresponding sensor signal (35), wherein the control unit (16) is designed to provide an actual value signal (27) based on one or more of the sensor signals (35) and to generate a control signal (28) for the interconnected valve units (5) based on the same actual value signal (27).

7. A pneumatic system (1) according to claim 6, wherein the control unit (16) is designed to provide the actual value signal (27) by selecting a sensor signal (35) from the sensor signals (35) and generating the actual value signal (27) based on the selected sensor signal (35), or by calculating the actual value signal (27) based on a plurality of sensor signals (35).

8. The pneumatic system (1) according to any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein: The control unit (16) is designed to control the interconnected valve units (5) in a first working range (41) using a control signal (28) in such a way that the compressed air receiving space (15) is ventilated or exhausted simultaneously by means of two interconnected valve units (5), and to control the interconnected valve units (5) in a second working range (42) using a control signal (28) in such a way that the compressed air receiving space (15) is ventilated or exhausted by means of only one of the two interconnected valve units (5).

9. The pneumatic system (1) according to any one of claims 3 to 8, wherein: The control unit (16) is designed to control the interconnected valve units (5) using a control signal (28) in such a way that one of the interconnected valve units (5) provides only a constant portion of the compressed air flow generated when the compressed air receiving space (15) is ventilated and / or exhausted, and another of the interconnected valve units (5) provides a variable portion of the compressed air flow.

10. The pneumatic system (1) according to any one of claims 3 to 9, wherein: The control unit (16) is designed to perform a detection step and, within the scope of the detection step, to control the valve units (5) using control signals (28) so that each valve unit (5) performs corresponding ventilation and / or exhaust, and based on a sensor signal (35) detected by a sensor unit (18) assigned to the valve unit (5) during each ventilation and / or exhaust, to determine which valve units (5) are pneumatically connected to the same compressed air receiving space (15) via the hose device (14) and to record these valve units (5) as interconnected valve units (5).

11. A pneumatic system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a user interface (19) through which a user can make user inputs, wherein the user inputs indicate the assignment of a target value signal (26) to a valve unit (5) and / or indicate which valve units (5) are interconnected.

12. A method for operating a pneumatic system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising the step of simultaneously ventilating or exhausting a compressed air receiving space (15) by means of interconnected valve units (5).

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