System for position determination using energy chains

Abstract

To propose an improved system for position determination with an energy guide chain, which is robust in operation and can be installed at the place of use with least possible effort.SOLUTION: An energy chain has a movable run that is fixed at an end to a driver, and a stationary run, in which the driver 4 moves back and forth along a track. A system 20 has a sensor device for position determination, which is attached to the driver 4. The system 20 comprises guide components 28A, 28B that are arranged along the track, for lateral guidance of the energy chain 1, at least one of which components has a reference component 23A, 24 acting as a position reference.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention generally relates to a system for position determination using an energy guide chain for dynamically guiding supply lines such as cables, hoses, and the like. [Background technology]

[0002] Energy guide chains are usually constructed of chain links articulated in the longitudinal direction to provide a receiving space for the supply lines. In their displacement, they form a first run, fixed at its end to a connection point, and a movable second run, fixed at its end to a moving end, which is displaceable or movable, in particular linearly displaceable back and forth along the route. Between the runs, the energy guide chain forms deflection arcs that proceed together.

[0003] In particular, the present invention relates to a system for determining a position comprising the above-mentioned general energy guide chain, at the moving end of which a sensor device suitable for determining the position is mounted.Other than this, the design of the energy guide chain or the chain links is in principle irrelevant to the present case.

[0004] Patent document 1 describes an energy guide chain for long displacement paths with a drive device that supports the run and is controlled by a control unit to reduce stress on the energy guide chain, particularly due to tension and shear forces. One exemplary embodiment proposes a displacement sensor connected to the control unit to determine the displacement path in order to control the driving or braking operation of the drive device. The displacement sensor confirms the movement of the movable connection area, but position determination is not proposed here. In principle, such a displacement sensor could be used for position determination. However, as presented as an example in Patent document 1, using a rolling rotary transducer cannot eliminate slippage, which means that reliable position determination is rarely achievable.

[0005] One aspect of the patent document 2 proposes a sensor module arranged in the end region or at the end of the movement of the movable run in order to quantitatively detect kinematic variables. For example, a three-axis acceleration sensor is proposed as the sensor. Such an acceleration sensor makes it possible to determine the path or distance traveled during operation. Furthermore, such a sensor module also makes it possible to determine the instantaneous position, for example by tracking the movement over time by appropriate signal processing, and is in principle less susceptible to faults.

[0006] Further embodiments of US Pat. No. 6,269,999 (see Figures 1A and 2 therein) utilize distributed light barriers or proximity switches, but provide only vague general knowledge of the position or spatial location of the energy guide chains. The same applies to the configurations with light barriers in US Pat. No. 6,269,999 or the complementary published US Pat. No. 6,269,999 (Figure 5A therein).

[0007] Both methods can only achieve a permanently reliable position determination of the moving end or moving connection point of a machine or installation during operation to a limited extent. In particular, they provide only limited position accuracy, since deviations in the relative determined position or relative measurement errors, for example due to slippage, accumulate over time. Furthermore, the above methods do not provide information about the current absolute position in the rest state or during reinitialization. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2014 / 102170 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2018 / 115528 [Patent Document 3] German Utility Model No. 202018101942 [Patent Document 4] International Publication No. 2019 / 197284 Summary of the Invention

[0009] It is therefore a first object of the present invention to propose an improved system for position determination by energy guide chains that is robust in operation and can be installed at the point of use with minimal effort, preferably with the aim of providing a more reliable and / or more accurate absolute position determination in operation, although position determination in this case does not necessarily mean measurement in metrology terms, but rather a quantitative confirmation or detection of the position of the moving end.

[0010] The proposed solution aims to be multifunctional and in particular to be able to be integrated into the control systems of moving parts of machines or installations (hereinafter for the sake of simplicity referred to as machine parts) that are supplied by an energy guide chain. The proposed system also aims in particular to be able to replace existing or known independent systems for position determination.

[0011] The invention particularly relates to one-dimensional, ie 1D, determination or detection of the position of a moving end or a machine part being moved along a straight line route, ie relative to a notional line.

[0012] A first aspect or approach to solving the problem of the present invention relates to an energy guide chain equipped with a guide arrangement having guide elements arranged along a route for lateral guidance of the energy guide chain during displacement. What are known as guide channels with opposing sidewall components are typically used for this purpose, although other designs may be considered. Such guide arrangements are used for long displacement paths of 5 meters or more, typically greater than 10 meters, to prevent unwanted lateral movement.

[0013] A first aspect of the invention proposes that at least some of the guide components of the guide arrangement comprise at least one reference component acting as a position reference for the sensor device, which may thus interact with such respective reference component in order to achieve a relatively reliable and robust position determination.

[0014] Due to the use of reference components, it is possible to limit the influence of the determination of the relative difference or relative position on the individual longitudinal parts of the displacement path, and thus the reference components in the guide arrangement, like buoys, beacons or milestones, can be used for a better and more reliable determination of the current position, in particular the absolute position.

[0015] The reference component may be fastened to the respective guide component as an independent component, optionally removable for maintenance purposes, or may be produced as an integral component of the guide component, in either case being fixedly provided on the respective guide component.

[0016] For example, based on the known positions fixed in space relative to the support structure of the components of the guide configuration of individual side wall parts or floor guide elements, the location and position of the reference components provided therein are also inherently fixedly identified and predetermined or determinable as absolute positions.

[0017] A second aspect or approach to solving the problem can also be used in an energy guide chain without additional guide configurations.

[0018] A second aspect of the invention proposes that, in addition to the sensor device at the moving end, a further second sensor device for position determination is fixedly mounted at a fixed connection point, and that at least every nth chain link has at least one reference element mounted or fastened to the chain link or produced integrally therewith. As a result, depending on the forward position of the moving end or the moved run along the route, either the first or the second sensor device interacts with the individual reference element of the chain link, thereby enabling a relatively reliable or robust determination of the position of the moving end or optionally also of the energy guide chain as a whole. In this case, the energy guide chain itself essentially acts as a tape measure or a kind of measuring tape, and its position can be detected relative to the current location of the energy guide chain.

[0019] Both approaches can be used as solutions for determining or verifying the position or monitoring of moved parts of a plant / machine supplied by an energy chain. Since the reference components are installed together with the intended energy guide chain or its guide arrangement, substantially no additional installation effort is required for either of the two above concepts, especially in comparison with explicitly intended conventional positioning systems.

[0020] Over the operational lifespan and even over very long displacement paths, the first approach allows for overall more accurate determinations, especially as it also directly obtains absolute position.

[0021] The second approach allows first determining the relative position of the chain link, i.e., the length of the chain. Meanwhile, with a known chain length and nominal course, it is also possible to ascertain information about the current relative position or even the absolute position of the moving end. In this approach, an existing component of the chain link, e.g., a crosspiece, may optionally be used as a reference component without any additional design constructs, since its position on the chain link is structurally predetermined.

[0022] Both approaches allow for the interaction of reference components with sensor devices both at rest, i.e., stationary, and during movement of the energy guide chain along the route. Both can be robust and require relatively little effort. Compared to conventional specialized systems for position measurement, both offer significant savings in terms of installation, since the systems can be installed inherently with the energy guide chain or its guide structure. Furthermore, both approaches are particularly advantageous for long displacement paths, e.g., more than 10 m, i.e., for long systems.

[0023] The preferably straight route extends horizontally and may have a total length of at least 5 m, typically significantly more than 10 m, and up to more than 100 m. The longer the route of the machine part to be moved, the greater the savings in installation effort offered by the present invention, especially in comparison with known positioning systems, such as systems for obtaining the absolute position of a crane trolley during its travel, as is standard for example in container gantry cranes.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment, the sensor device interacts with the respective reference components without contact, so that no wear phenomena usually occur or a long service life can be realized. This can be realized, in particular, by an electromagnetic sensor system, preferably wireless, or an optical sensor system. Acoustic sensor systems, preferably using ultrasound, are also conceivable. In principle, any type of wave transmission in free space that allows distance determination or measurement can be used between the sensor device and the respective reference components.

[0025] The reference components may be arranged on the guide arrangement or chain links at predetermined, particularly uniform, intervals relative to the longitudinal direction of the route so that each reference position gives a direct expression for the distance from the start or end point of the route.

[0026] Regardless of the configuration, for reliable determination of absolute position relative to each reference component, it is advantageous to have a unique identifier that can be associated with a position along the route, in particular an absolute position depending on the application, for example during the course of a reference run or during system initialization and learning.

[0027] Radio-based positioning is advantageous for outdoor applications and is least susceptible to weather conditions. The reference component here may be in the form of a radio circuit capable of transmitting, and the sensor device may have a corresponding receiver. The reverse configuration would in principle also be within the scope of the invention, but would involve greater cabling or signal transmission effort.

[0028] Radio signals provide three basic properties that allow distance measurements: signal strength, time of flight and direction of incidence. In a preferred embodiment, since lateration or one-dimensional determination is preferred, the distance measurement method used is preferably based on time of flight (TOF) and / or received signal strength (RSS), i.e. on one of the following properties: i) Time of Flight (TOF): The distance between a transmitter and a receiver corresponds to the electromagnetic time of flight of the transmitted signal. The distance can be determined from measuring the time of arrival (TOA) of the signal at the receiver with a known time of transmission (start time), or from the difference in the time of reception at various locations (time difference of arrival). The phase or phase of arrival (POA) of the received signal can be considered as an expression of the time of flight, and / or ii) Received Signal Strength (RSS): The power density of an electromagnetic wave is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source. If the transmitted power is known or specified, the distance can be estimated from the signal strength measurement.

[0029] For one-dimensional distance determination, a simple lateration can be performed: if the previous position is known, there is no need to accept multiple reference components to determine the position along the route.

[0030] The details of the implementation or measurement technique are not important to the present invention, and any suitable technique known to those skilled in the art can be used. Regarding radio-based distance measurement, reference is made to the teachings of the textbook: Bensky, Alan (2016) "Wireless Positioning Technologies and Applications" (2nd edition; publisher: Artech House Publishers; ISBN-10: 1608079511). A suitable radio-based measurement technique is, for example, sold by BTG Positioning Systems (NL-3261 LB, The Netherlands) under the name "RFM1.2".

[0031] An energy-saving solution with little cable routing effort can be obtained using radio-based reference components, i.e., radio components in the form of passive radio circuits, preferably passive transponders, in particular RFID transponders. Such radio circuits can in particular be powered by the radio power of the polling transmitter of the sensor device and in this case do not require their own power source, i.e. no supply line.

[0032] Alternatively, the reference components may take the form of active radio circuits, particularly wired radio circuits, which facilitate synchronization of all reference components to the system time, for example to transmit time stamps for time-of-flight measurements in the sensor device.

[0033] The sensor device may also take the form of a transceiver for a passive wireless reference, e.g., similar to an RFID reader, or a simple receiver for an active wireless reference, e.g., in the case where the active wireless reference transmits a radio signal spontaneously without polling, e.g., with a transmission timestamp and / or an identifier of the reference component.

[0034] For active or passive wireless components as position references, each sensor device has an antenna configuration appropriate to the wireless technology used, preferably dimensioned so that at least one wireless component is located within the effective reception range of the antenna configuration at each travel position along the route.

[0035] The radio components used preferably operate in the IFM frequency band. Any common radio technology can be used, for example WLAN / WiFi technology from the IEEE 802.11 protocol family, which is particularly suitable for time of arrival (TOA) measurements, or Bluetooth® and ZigBee® from the IEEE 802.15 protocol family, which is in fact particularly suitable for received signal strength (RSS) measurements. Preferably, on the other hand, energy-saving solutions such as RFID or Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE) are used. Even without additional measurements, accuracy in the centimeter range can be achieved simply by using radio reference components.

[0036] Instead of or in addition to wireless technology, the reference may be an optically and / or electromagnetically readable marking, for example, inductively or capacitively readable, in particular a coded or coded marking, for example, with a barcode structure. Such a marking preferably serves as the actual measurement object and can be detected, for example, by contactless scanning, using an optical and / or electromagnetic sensor of the sensor device. Detection based on reading or scanning a marker, for example, a marker track, is very robust and can provide higher accuracy, especially in the case of photoelectric scanning with a photodetector or optical sensor, optical detector, photoelectric sensor, etc. For example, a coded marking that can be considered is a position coding system with a coded rail by optical scanning, available under the name "WCS" from Pepper+Fuchs (DE-68307, Mannheim, Germany). A coded track based on such a coded rail principle may here preferably be incorporated as an integral component by a recess in the sidewall part of the guide channel, for example, by appropriate post-processing. On the other hand, a simple perforated strip or track without coding, for example with a constant hole spacing, also allows for relatively accurate absolute position determination and is easier to produce.

[0037] To achieve even higher accuracy in position determination and simultaneously reduce relative measurement errors by referencing, a complementary additional relative measurement of the distance between the two wireless reference components may be provided by incremental or absolute encoders. The markings are insensitive to electromagnetic interference, and similar wireless solutions may be used in adverse environmental conditions if necessary.

[0038] In a preferred embodiment of the first aspect having a guide arrangement, the guide arrangement takes the form of a guide channel with side wall parts. Such side wall parts are arranged longitudinally and fixedly in a continuous series on both sides along the route. Two opposing side wall parts here form part of the guide channel for each section. Therefore, at least one reference element is preferably provided on at least every nth side wall part of the guide channel on one side, in particular on each side wall part. Therefore, side wall parts fixedly mounted on a support structure depending on the application can be used as supports for the reference elements so that the reference elements are installed internally together with the side wall parts in one step.

[0039] In principle, the reference components are preferably fastened to the guide arrangement at specified regular intervals, distributed along the route.

[0040] When the guide structure is constructed as a guide channel by side wall parts of essentially identical structure, preferably assembled longitudinally, at least one reference component is preferably provided on each side wall part, for example, a marking is incorporated or fastened to the wireless component to be mounted during production of the side wall parts, for example.

[0041] In one embodiment, a further reference component in the form of a wireless component may be provided on the sidewall part in addition to the markings on the sidewall part, and the sensor device may then comprise, in particular, an incremental transducer which interacts with the marking track by scanning, for example optical scanning, and an antenna arrangement which reads out the identifier of the wireless component in order to obtain absolute position information.

[0042] The sidewall parts preferably take the form of metal profiles, in particular aluminum profiles or steel profiles, with a cross-sectional profile having the same basic shape and fastening function. Sidewall parts made of plastic are also conceivable. The marking as a reference element is preferably provided on the upper half of the sidewall part, in particular as an externally detectable marking track, for example as a coding track of the barcode structure type. Such a marking can be provided on or incorporated into the sidewall part, for example by recessing (machining) the profile material, painting, laser printing, etc. The application of an independently produced coding track also falls within the scope of the present invention.

[0043] Therefore, the present invention also relates to a side wall part of a guide channel for an energy guide chain, which side wall part is characterized in that at least one stationary reference component, in particular a wireless component or an optically and / or electromagnetically detectable marking, is provided on the side wall part, which reference component is configured to interact as a position reference with a sensor device for position determination.

[0044] As an alternative to guide channels with sidewall parts, guide configurations are also possible which have floor guide elements as their guide components, distributed at predetermined mutual intervals along the route, i.e. fastened without continuous sidewalls for both runs. Such guides are sold by the applicant (igus GmbH - D-51147, Cologne) under the trade name "Autoglide" or "Guidelite". Even in such distributed guide configurations, at least every nth floor guide element, in particular each floor guide element on one side, can be provided with a reference element, preferably a wireless element.

[0045] In the absence of a guide arrangement, according to a second aspect, each reference component can be attached to a chain link of the energy chain. In one embodiment, the reference component can comprise a cross member of the chain link or be attached to or integrated in the cross member of the chain link. In this case too, the reference component can be embodied as an optically and / or electromagnetically detectable marking, in particular a code marking, or as a wireless component, preferably a passive wireless component.

[0046] The proposed system for position determination can in particular be used by a control system of a machine or installation supplied by an energy chain. Thus, an installation control system is preferably provided for controlling the movement of a movable machine part with a moving end, this control system being connected for signaling with sensor devices of a system for position determination of the movable machine part.

[0047] The present invention is also suitable for application in cranes, particularly gantry cranes or bridge cranes, in which a crane overhead mobile sheave having a relatively long linear displacement path is used, such as, for example, a container gantry crane, in which the crane overhead mobile sheave is typically connected at its moving end to an energy guide chain, for example for power supply and drive control of a container spreader, and the crane has a control system connected for signaling with sensor devices, which determines or monitors the position of the crane overhead mobile sheave based on the position determination according to the present invention and optionally controls its movement based thereon.

[0048] The proposed system for position determination can be particularly preferably used in combination with a force measurement system for position-dependent force measurement in the energy guide chain. Such force measurement systems were described by the applicant in WO 2004 / 090375 and WO 2013 / 156607. For very long displacement paths, for example, more than 100 m, it is necessary to define shear / tension limits for fault recognition or safety shutdown as a function of the instantaneous position of the energy guide chain. This is because the required starting force is significantly higher at the fully advanced end position than at the other end position, due essentially to the entire supported run that needs to be traversed (see WO 2004 / 090375). Thus, the proposed system for position determination in combination with a force measuring system, for example according to WO 2004 / 090375 or WO 2013 / 156607, the teachings of which are incorporated herein in this respect, makes it possible to provide a robust integrated system that does not need to obtain position information from the control system of the supplied plant or machine. Optionally, the system for position determination may be used by the plant or machine control system (e.g. of a crane) as a source of position information regarding moving parts.

[0049] The proposed system, in particular according to the first aspect, can also achieve high position determination accuracy and can therefore be used for continuous absolute position measurement of displaceable machine or installation parts, for example linearly displaceable crane overhead travelling pulleys supplied by energy guide chains.

[0050] Further features and advantages of the invention can be inferred, without limiting the scope of protection, from the following more detailed description of preferred exemplary embodiments, made on the basis of the attached drawings, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0051] [Figure 1]1 shows a schematic diagram in perspective view of a first preferred exemplary embodiment for wireless-based position determination with energy guide chains guided in guide channels for particularly long displacement paths, only a portion of which is shown. [Figure 2] 1 shows a schematic diagram in perspective view, only a portion of which is shown, of a second exemplary embodiment combining radio-based and optical positioning; [Figure 3] 10 shows a schematic diagram in perspective view of a third exemplary embodiment for optical position determination, only a portion of which is shown; FIG. [Figure 4A] 1 shows a schematic side view of an exemplary embodiment for position determination based on energy guide chains, also suitable for applications without guide channels. [Figure 4B] 1 shows a schematic side view of an exemplary embodiment for position determination based on energy guide chains, also suitable for applications without guide channels. [Figure 5A] 1 illustrates a chain link of an exemplary energy guide chain. [Figure 5B] 1 shows a wireless module as a reference component for retrofitting into the crosspiece of a chain link. [Figure 6] 1 to 3 show a (container) gantry crane as an exemplary application of the system according to FIGS. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0052] FIG. 1 shows an energy guide chain 1 (hereinafter referred to as "energy chain" for short) consisting of articulated interconnected chain links 2 for dynamic, protected guidance of a line 3 along a displacement path. One end of the energy chain 1 is fixed to a moving end 4, and the other end is fixed to a fixed connection point 5 (FIG. 4A). At the moving end 4, the lines 3, e.g., power supply and control lines, leave the energy chain 1 and head towards mobile consumers, shown here only diagrammatically in the form of beam elements 6. The energy chain 1 in FIG. 1 is specifically designed for a long displacement path, with an upper run 1A sliding or rolling on a lower run 1B. In operation, the energy chain 1 here travels along a linear longitudinal direction L, e.g., horizontally.

[0053] For this purpose, the energy chain 1 is guided laterally in a guide channel 7, which extends linearly in the longitudinal direction L over the entire length W (FIG. 4A) of the displacement path of the energy chain 1, only a portion of which is shown here. The guide channel 7 is constituted in each section by opposing individual side wall parts 8A, 8B fastened to each other and to a load-bearing structure via installation profiles 9. The side wall parts 8A, 8B that can be considered in FIG. 1 are, in particular, identically constructed profile parts made of aluminum or steel of conventional design and specified length (e.g., 2 m). Identical side wall parts 8A, 8B can be used on both sides of the guide channel 7 in the system 10 according to FIG. 1. The side wall parts 8A, 8B are interconnected continuously without gaps in the longitudinal direction or are fixedly fastened to a load-bearing structure (not shown), for example, by means of installation profiles 9. The individual side wall parts 8A, 8B therefore articulate with one another on either side of the guide channel 7 depending on the linear direction of travel of the energy chain 1 or the moving end 4. The individual side wall parts 8A, 8B have a predetermined installation position, i.e. a fixedly designated position on the plant / machine.

[0054] FIG. 1 further illustrates a system 10 particularly suitable for determining the position of a moving end 4 or a moving part 6 of a plant or machine fixedly connected thereto. The system 10 includes a sensor device 12, which in FIG. 1 essentially consists of an antenna device 12A with a wireless antenna and a computer-assisted evaluation unit 12B. The evaluation unit 12B is connected to the antenna device 12A for signaling purposes and is configured, among other things, to evaluate the wireless signals. The antenna device 12A may be designed to receive and / or transmit wireless signals, primarily for receiving wireless signals in FIG. 1. The system 10 further includes a plurality of individual wireless-based reference elements 14 that interact with the sensor device 12 for position determination. The wireless-capable reference elements 14 are here provided as independent elements at fixedly designated intervals d on one side of the guide channel 7. In FIG. 1, in each section, the plurality of reference elements 14 are fastened as independent elements to the assigned sidewall part 8A. Here, the reference elements 14 are provided in the guide channel 7, distributed at regular intervals d over the entire length W of the displacement path W (FIG. 4A). After installation of the guide channel 7, the positions of the individual reference components 14 are consequently predetermined as well.

[0055] In FIG. 1, the reference elements 14 of the positioning system 10 are wired, i.e., connected via appropriate bus lines for power supply and data exchange. The bus line 15 allows, among other things, for synchronizing the time units held by the individual reference elements 14 with the current system time of the sensor device 12 for all reference elements 14. As FIG. 1 further illustrates, the antenna device 12A is dimensioned so that at least one reference element 14, preferably at least two, are always located within the reception range of the antenna device 12A. For position determination, each reference element 14 transmits a radio signal containing a unique identifier, e.g., an address, of the respective reference element 14 and a timestamp corresponding to the time of transmission of the radio signal. Based on this, the evaluation unit 12B can perform an accurate measurement or calculation of the time of flight (TOF) via the corresponding radio signal received by the antenna device 12A, in particular by comparing the transmission timestamp of the reference element 14 with the reception timestamp of the corresponding radio signal. Based on the corresponding TOF measurements, the one-dimensional position of the sensor device 12 can be accurately determined relative to the considered reference element 14 and, consequently, the known position of the moving end 4 in the longitudinal direction L. The accuracy can be increased computationally by evaluating the time of flight (TOF) of multiple reference elements 14 in the reception range of the antenna device 12A. Alternatively or in addition to TOF measurements, the distance may also be quantitatively determined based on radio signal strength using the RSS measurement principle.

[0056] In FIG. 1, the reference element 14 is implemented as an active radio circuit, e.g., a ZigBee® module, whose predetermined position is learned, for example, by the evaluation unit 12B during initialization or during a reference run via a unique identifier. The proposed positioning system 10 can be installed operably with only minor additional costs compared to a conventional energy chain 1 with a guide channel 7 (without a positioning system). For this purpose, the reference element 14 can be fastened to the individual sidewall elements 8, for example, in specifically prefabricated receptacles on the outer wall of the sidewall element 8A, at the same time ensuring the desired predetermined constant spacing D, before ex-factory installation. Field wiring of the reference element 14 to the bus line 15 can be easily, quickly, and reliably achieved using conventional industrial connectors. The sensor device 12 can likewise be fastened to the moving end 4 in a fixed and prefabricated manner and supplied in an operational state (not shown here). The evaluation unit 12B may further be configured to be connected to one or more force sensors at the moving end 4 for measuring tension and shear forces in the energy chain 1 in order to perform position-dependent force measurements (see WO 2013 / 156607). The evaluation unit 12B may further continuously transmit the acquired position information to a control system (not shown) of the supplied machine / plant so as to obviate the need for a conventional independent positioning system.

[0057] FIG. 2 shows an alternative system 20 for position determination using combined optical and radio-based principles. In FIG. 2, passive radio circuits, i.e., radio components 24, are provided on one side of the guide channel 7 as reference components at a specified distance d from each other. The radio components 24 are installed as independent components in individual sidewall pieces 28A. The radio components 24 act as coarse position references and are wirelessly polled with the aid of an antenna device 22A fixedly fastened to and traveling with the moving end 4. A possible radio component 24 is, for example, a passive COTS-RFID transponder that typically returns a unique identifier and is powered by the radio field of the antenna device 22A configured as an RFID reader or transceiver. The radio signal received by the antenna device 22A is also evaluated in the system 20 by an evaluation unit 22B, but in this case to obtain coarse absolute position information based on the known, learned assignment of the individual identifiers of the radio components 24 along the longitudinal direction L. More precise position information is determined in FIG. 2 by the sensor device 22 in combination with the principle of an electro-optical incremental transducer. For this purpose, for example, an optical scanning head 22C having a light source and a light sensor is connected to the evaluation unit 22B. The scanning head 22C overlaps the upper end of the side wall part 28A during displacement in the longitudinal direction L. In doing so, the scanning head 22C optically interacts with the perforated track 23. The perforated track 23 is included at the upper end of each side wall part 28A of one of the guide channels 7, i.e., these side wall parts 28A are custom-made (while the other side wall 28B is a conventional profile). The perforated track 23 is formed by through-holes 23A in the side wall parts 28A arranged along a line parallel to the longitudinal direction L. For ease of manufacturing, the holes 23A are preferably arranged at a constant pitch from each other here, but absolute position information may also be assigned by variations in spacing or cross-section. The perforated tracks 23 are identically pre-made in each side wall part 28A, for example by stamping a profile part, etc. Of course, the holes 23A may be replaced by slots or other openings.

[0058] In FIG. 2, the scanning head 22C can operate according to the imaging measurement principle, i.e., perform photoelectric scanning of the perforated track 23 during longitudinal movement. According to the incremental transducer principle, the scanning head 22C has, for example, a dual configuration with a light source and opposing photodetectors, preferably two pairs of light sources and photodetectors offset in the longitudinal direction L by half the pitch of the perforations 23A. The sidewall part 28A, and in particular the perforated track 23 prefabricated therein, in this case provides the scanning head 22C with substantial measurement values ​​along the entire route W for length and / or speed measurement purposes. Based on pulses from the scanning head 22C, appropriate signal evaluation in the evaluation unit 22B allows, for example, a relatively accurate determination of the travel speed of the moving end 4 in the longitudinal direction L. Computational signal processing can also be used to achieve a more accurate absolute position determination, especially in conjunction with the relatively coarse position information acquired in parallel based on the wireless component 24 and the antenna device 22A. The combined sensor system of system 20 is particularly advantageous when low data rates do not allow for accurate time-of-flight measurements or practical synchronization, as is often the case with unpowered passive wireless components 24.

[0059] FIG. 3 shows a further positioning system 30 that operates solely in optical mode but still provides relatively accurate absolute position information. Here, the sensor device 32 comprises only one optical or electro-optical scanning head 32A, which is connected to an evaluation unit 32B for signaling. In the system 30, a coding track 33, consisting of individual slots 33A in the sidewall parts 38A, is provided at the top end of each sidewall part 38A for position determination on one side of the guide channel 7, i.e., along the entire length W of the route. The longitudinal dimension L of the slots 33A varies from case to case depending on the given coding system. The coding track 33 can preferably be coded differently in all sidewall parts 38A so that the exact absolute position of the moving end 4 can be continuously determined along the entire route W. Here, the position is determined by decoding the signal supplied by the scanning head 32A to the evaluation unit 32B using any suitable technique known to those skilled in the art, in particular computer-implemented or digital techniques, as known for position coding systems with coded rails.

[0060] For example, learning may proceed by an initialization reference run of the moving end 4 by the sensor device 32 between two end points A and B (FIG. 4A). As in FIG. 3, the coding track is preferably, but not necessarily, implemented as an integral component of the side wall part 38A of the guide channel 7, i.e., not provided as a separate coding rail. In addition to optical scanning, electromagnetic or visual scanning may also be used using image recognition techniques.

[0061] All of the systems 10, 20, 30 according to Figures 1 to 3 are robust against destructive environmental influences and are particularly suitable for outdoor use, for example in heavy industry, i.e. in large crane systems such as container gantry cranes.

[0062] FIG. 6 shows, as an example of an application, a bridge or gantry crane, more specifically a container gantry crane 60 for ISO shipping containers 65, i.e., a ship-to-shore crane. The example container gantry crane 60 has an upper crane bridge 61 with a first crane overhead mobile sheave 62 and a lower crane bridge 63 with a second crane overhead mobile sheave 64, each of which travels linearly over a distance of, for example, more than 10 m. Both crane overhead mobile sheaves 62, 64 are typically supplied by an energy chain 1, for example, for powering and controlling the drive of a container spreader. Systems 10, 20, 30 according to FIGS. 1-3, particularly preferably the system 10 according to FIG. 1, can be provided as a position measurement system for controlling the crane overhead mobile sheaves 62, 64. Here, the installation of a separate position measurement system, as has been conventionally done, is not necessary. The systems 10, 20, 30 according to Figures 1 to 3 are here installed, for example, together with the guide channel 7 and the energy chain 1 on the crane girder, i.e., no additional installation effort is required. Furthermore, a line is usually already routed in any case from the fixed connection point 5 of the energy chain (Figure 4A) to the crane control system. The systems 10, 20, 30 according to Figures 1 to 3 can also be used advantageously in other types of cranes, for example RMG harbor cranes, and in other applications in heavy industry, in particular for position monitoring or control of the feeding machine parts to which the moving end 4 is fastened.

[0063] 4A-4B show a schematic representation of a variant of the detection system 40 of the energy chain 1 that can also be used without the guide channel 7. Here, a reference element 44 in the form of a wireless circuit, e.g., an RFID transponder, is provided on every n-th chain link 2 of the energy chain 1, for example, every second or third, or indeed on every chain link 2. A first antenna 41 is provided at the moving end 4 and is effective over a first subsection of the entire route W from a first end point A to an intermediate point M, i.e., from a fixed connection point 5 of the energy chain, for displacement in the longitudinal direction L. During this subsection, the first antenna 41 can sequentially detect reference elements 44, e.g., RFID identifiers, on the chain links 2 located at the lower stops in order to obtain absolute position information therefrom. A fixed second antenna 42 is provided near the fixed connection point 5, and the second antenna is active over a second subsection of the entire route W, from the middle M to the second end point B, from which it detects a reference element 44 on the moving upper run 1A to obtain absolute position information. The detection system 40 may alternatively be used to determine the position or complement it, to detect whether the energy chain 1 is moving correctly or as intended, or whether the upper run 1A is rising in an undesired manner, for example. Preferably, the reference element 44 is provided for this purpose on a side of the energy chain 1 located inside the deflection arc 1C (see FIG. 4A), for example on a cross member 55 (FIG. 5A). Alternatively, the reference element 44 may be located, for example, on a side plate 53, 54, i.e., a lateral part (see FIG. 4B), of the selected chain link 2.

[0064] The reference component 44 may be mounted, for example, in the form of a retrofit wireless reference module 50 (see FIGS. 5A-5B) that can be inserted into a conventional cross member 55 of a chain link 52A or 52B. The cross member 55 is typically provided on the chain link 2 or 52A, 52B for connecting the side plates 53 or 54 of the chain link 2 or 52A, 52B. Purely by way of example, FIG. 5A shows chain links 52A, 52B with alternating inner and outer plates for a long overall route W, but the present invention can be used with any desired energy chain 1.

[0065] As an alternative to the radio-based principle according to Figures 4-5, a simple optical identification is also possible, for example by counting the cross members 55 using a light barrier. Here, an additional third fixed sensor is optionally provided in the end region near the end point B. This is because at the end positions, the deflection arc 1C is usually raised vertically from the middle M, i.e., the cross members 55 are difficult to detect optically here.

[0066] The application shown in FIG. 6 of the system 10, 20, 30 according to the invention on a crane 60 is merely exemplary, the invention being advantageously usable in many fields, in particular in applications with long displacement paths in which the position of moving parts of the installation / machine supplied by the energy chain 1 must be detected, for example for automation purposes.

[0067] The systems 10, 20, 30, 40 according to the invention can therefore be used particularly advantageously in connection with sliding or rolling energy chains 1 which are particularly suitable for long displacement paths, i.e. energy chains 1 of a construction known per se, in which a movable upper run 1A can slide or roll over a stationary lower run 1B, as can be seen in Figures 1 to 3. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] Figure 1 1 Energy Guide Chain 1A Upper Run 1B Downside Run 2 chain links 3 Lines 4 Moving End 6-digit element (part supplied) 7 Guide Channel 8A, 8B Side wall parts (guide channel) 9 Equipment shapes 10 Positioning System 12 Sensor Devices 12A Antenna Device 12B Evaluation Unit 14 Reference Components (Radio) 15 Bus Line L Longitudinal direction Figure 2 1 Energy Guide Chain 7 Guide Channel 20 Positioning System 22 Sensor Devices 22A Antenna Device 22B Evaluation Unit 22C Scanning Head (Optical) 23 Perforated Track (Optical) 23A hole 24 First Reference Component (Radio) 28A, 28B Side wall parts (guide channel) L Longitudinal direction Figure 3 1 Energy Guide Chain 4 Moving End 7 Guide Channel 30 Positioning System 32 Sensor Devices 32A Scanning Head (Optical) 32B Evaluation Unit 33 coded tracks (optical) 33A Slot 38A, 38B Side wall parts (guide channel) L Longitudinal direction Figures 4A-4B 1 Energy Guide Chain 1A Upper Run 1B Downside Run 1C deflection arc 2 chain links 4 Moving end (movable connection point) 5 Fixed / static connection points 40 Positioning System 41 First Antenna 42 Second Antenna 44 Reference Components (Radio) A First end position B Second end position M middle W All Routes Figures 5A-5B 50 Wireless Reference Module 52A, 52B chain links 53, 54 Side plates 55 Cross member Figure 6 60 (container) gantry crane 61 Upper Bridge 62 Crane Elevated Mobile Pulley 63 Lower Bridge 64 Crane Elevated Mobile Pulley 65 ISO shipping containers

Claims

1. A system (10; 20; 30) for position determination using an energy guide chain (1) for guiding a supply line, said energy guide chain comprising a first run (1B) fixed at its end to a connection point and a movable second run (1A) fixed at its end to a moving end (4), said moving end being displaceable back and forth along the route, said system comprising: a guide arrangement (7) having guide elements (8A, 8B; 28A, 28B; 38A, 38B) arranged along said route for lateral guidance of said energy guide chain during displacement; a sensor device (12; 22; 32) for determining a position mounted on the moving end (4), the sensor device (12; 22; 32) being configured for determining the position of the moving end (4); Equipped with A system characterized in that at least some of the guide components (8A, 8B; 28A, 28B; 38A, 38B) have at least one reference component (14; 23A, 24; 33, 33A) thereon that acts as a position reference, and the sensor device (12; 22; 32) interacts with the respective reference component for position determination.

2. A system (40) for position determination using an energy guide chain (1) for guiding a supply line, said energy guide chain comprising chain links (2), said energy guide chain comprising a first run (1B) fixed at its end to a stationary connection point (5) and a movable second run (1A) fixed at its end to a displaceable moving end (4) displaceable back and forth along a route, forming a deflection arc (1C) therebetween, said system comprising: a first sensor device (41) for determining position mounted on the moving end; a second sensor device (42) for determining the position is fixedly mounted on said stationary connection point (5); 1. A system characterized in that at least every nth chain link (2) has at least one reference element (44) mounted thereon, and depending on the progression position along the route, the first sensor device (41) or the second sensor device (42) interacts with the respective reference element (44) of the chain link (2) for position determination.

3. 3. A system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each sensor device (12; 22; 32; 41, 42) interacts contactlessly with the respective reference component (14; 24; 33, 33A; 44).

4. 4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the sensor devices (12; 22; 32; 41, 42) interact electromagnetically with the respective reference components.

5. 4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the sensor devices (12; 22; 32; 41, 42) interact wirelessly with the respective reference components.

6. 4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the sensor devices (12; 22; 32; 41, 42) interact with the respective reference components by ultrasound.

7. 4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the sensor devices (12; 22; 32; 41, 42) interact optically with the respective reference components.

8. The system of claim 3 , wherein the reference component is an RFID transponder.

9. 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the reference components are inductively or capacitively readable markings.

10. 10. The system of claim 1, including different types of reference components having wireless components that act as a coarse location reference and optical markings that function as reference components for a more precise location reference.

11. 11. The system according to claim 10, characterized in that the sensor device (12; 22; 32; 41, 42) comprises a light source and a light sensor, which interacts with the individual optical markings according to the principle of electro-optical incremental transducers.

12. the guide arrangement is a guide channel (7), the guide component comprising side wall parts (38A, 38B); 2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensor device (32) comprises an optical or electro-optical scanning head (32A), the reference elements being individual openings (33A) in a side wall part (38A) provided on one side of the guide channel (7), the dimensions of the openings (33A) in the longitudinal direction (L) being different in each case according to a predetermined coding system.

13. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the reference elements (14) are wireless elements, the sensor device (12) comprises an antenna device (12A) having a wireless antenna and a computer-aided evaluation unit (12B) configured to evaluate wireless signals, the reference elements (14) transmitting wireless signals including a unique identifier of each reference element (14) and a timestamp corresponding to the time of emission of each wireless signal, and the evaluation unit (12B) determines the time of flight (TOF) of the wireless signals and / or the strength of the wireless signals in order to quantitatively determine the distance of the sensor device (12) relative to each reference element (14).

14. 13. The system according to claim 3, wherein the sensor device interacts with each of the reference components (14; 24; 33, 33A; 44) to quantitatively determine the distance of the sensor device (12) to each of the reference components.

15. 14. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the reference elements (14; 24; 33, 33A; 44) are arranged at predetermined intervals.

16. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein each reference component (14; 24; 44) has a unique identifier that can be associated with a location along the route.

17. 5. A system according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the reference component (14; 24; 44) takes the form of a radio circuit with transmission capabilities and the sensor device has a corresponding receiver (12A, 12B; 22A, 22B; 41, 42).

18. 4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the reference component takes the form of a radio component (14; 24; 44) and the sensor device comprises a corresponding antenna arrangement (12A; 22A; 41, 42).

19. 4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the at least one reference component (23A; 33A) takes the form of an electromagnetic marking, the marking taking the form of a coded marking (33A) detectable by means of an electromagnetic sensor (22C; 32A) of the sensor device.

20. 4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the at least one reference component (23A; 33A) takes the form of an optical marking detectable by means of an optical sensor (22C; 32A) of the sensor device, the marking being a coded marking (33A).

21. said guide arrangement being a guide channel (7), said guide components comprising side wall parts (8A, 8B; 28A, 28B; 38A, 38B); - said side wall parts (8A, 8B; 28A, 28B; 38A, 38B) are arranged fixedly in a continuous succession on both sides along said route in the longitudinal direction (L), in each section at least every n-th side wall part (8A, 8B; 28A, 28B; 38A, 38B) on one side of said guide channel comprises at least one reference element (14; 23A, 24; 33, 33A); and / or - said reference element (14, 24) is fastened to said sidewall part or is an integral element (23A, 33) of said sidewall part; 2. The system of claim 1.

22. 22. The system according to claim 1, further comprising an installation control system for controlling the movement of the movable mechanical part (62, 64) comprising the moving end (4), the control system being connected for signaling to the sensor devices (12; 22; 32; 41, 42) for determining the position of the movable mechanical part (62, 64).

23. A side wall part (8A, 8B; 28A, 28B; 38A, 38B) of a guide channel for an energy guide chain (1), characterized in that at least one stationary reference component (14; 23A, 24; 33, 33A) is provided on said side wall part (8A, 8B; 28A, 28B; 38A, 38B), said reference component being configured to interact as a position reference with a sensor device for position determination, said reference component being an RFID transponder.

24. 23. A crane (60), such as a container gantry crane, comprising a linearly displaceable crane overhead mobile sheave (62, 64) and a system (10; 20; 30; 40) according to any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein the crane overhead mobile sheave (62, 64) is connected to the energy guide chain (1) at the moving end, and the crane comprises a control system connected to signal the sensor device.

25. 23. Use of a system (10; 20; 30; 40) according to any one of claims 1 to 22 for continuous measurement of the absolute position of a displaceable machine or installation part supplied by the energy guide chain (1).

26. 23. Use of a system (10; 20; 30; 40) according to any one of claims 1 to 22 in combination with a force measurement system for position-dependent force measurement in the energy guide chain to provide fault recognition or safety shutdown as a function of the instantaneous position of the energy guide chain.

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