System and method for identifying and marking cables in industrial cabinets

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for identifying and labeling cables and devices in an industrial cabinet, the device comprising a plate on which a two-dimensional code is presented, wherein the number of possible combinations represented by the two-dimensional code is at least equal to 10<supgt;6< / supgt>. The present invention also relates to a system for identifying and labeling cables in an industrial cabinet, the system comprising: a set of devices as defined above; reading means capable of reading the two-dimensional code of the devices; and a processor capable of exchanging data with the reading means, and wherein the electrical scheme of the industrial cabinet is recorded on the processor. The present invention also relates to a method for identifying and labeling cables and devices in an industrial cabinet using the system defined above, the method comprising the steps of: installing a device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 on a cable device to be connected; reading the two-dimensional code presented on the device by using the reading means; and associating the two-dimensional code with an alphanumeric code defined in the electrical scheme.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for identifying and tagging cables for connecting various electrical and electronic devices to an industrial cabinet by means of cables for industrial purposes.

[0002] The present invention also relates to a set of devices (tubes, ferrules, labels) applied to the cable and to the devices to be connected by means of the cable, wherein each device is provided with a two-dimensional code, and the present invention also relates to a system comprising the set of devices, a reading device, and a processor capable of receiving data from the reading device and sending data to the reading device. Background Art

[0003] Traditionally, the wiring of electrical devices to an electrical cabinet is carried out by applying a label to each cable terminal, which reports the identification code present in the electrical scheme of the factory. In Italy, following the "Normativa di Identificazione dei Conduttori e Designazione delle Connessioni", many cabinet manufacturers have developed label and support systems that must be written using different marking systems such as simple pens, plotters, thermal transfer printers, inkjet printers, laser markers.

[0004] Generally, a transparent tube is installed on each cable terminal, and a plastic label pre-printed with the name of a specific terminal is inserted into a special pocket according to the electrical scheme.

[0005] Always in this uniform assembly principle that has remained unchanged for decades, the operator is responsible for personally marking all the labels and supports required by him to identify and tag one or more electrical cabinets; the operator is then responsible for positioning the personalized label in the correct position; this operation requires great care and often results in possible errors; in addition, it requires a large amount of time and affects the total cost of the final product. From the perspective of an electrician, he has to bear both the cost of consumables and technical assets such as, for example, personalized marking systems (plotters, inkjet printers, laser markers, etc.) and related software. Another cost associated with this method is the training for the correct use of these devices.

[0006] EP 3 007 110 discloses a cable connection verification system, which includes: a transmitter configured to send an inspection signal to a first terminal of a cable, the cable being configured to connect a first contact on a first junction box to its first terminal and a second contact on a second junction box to its second terminal; a receiver configured to receive the inspection signal from the second terminal of the cable; and a tag generator configured to generate a tag containing ID information after the receiver receives the inspection signal. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In a first embodiment, the present invention relates to a set of devices applied to an electrical connection to be identified, and the device is characterized by having a board presenting a unique two-dimensional code. The number of possible combinations that the two-dimensional code can represent is very high; thus, it is very unlikely that the set of devices contains two boards presenting the same two-dimensional code.

[0008] In a second embodiment, the present invention also relates to a system for identifying and marking cables and devices in an industrial cabinet, the system including: a set of the previously defined devices; reading means capable of reading the two-dimensional code of the devices; a processor capable of exchanging data with the reading means, and the electrical scheme of the industrial cabinet being recorded on the processor.

[0009] In a further embodiment, the present invention relates to a method for identifying and marking cables and devices in an industrial cabinet, the method including the following steps: installing a device on a terminal to be connected; reading the two-dimensional code presented on the device by using the reading means; associating the two-dimensional code with an alphanumeric code defined in the electrical scheme.

[0010] Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011] Figure 1 Shows various preferred embodiments of a device according to the present invention including a tube and a board with a two-dimensional code.

[0012] Figure 2 Shows a preferred embodiment of an intelligent pen as a reading device.

[0013] Figure 3 Shows two-dimensional codes of various sizes according to the present invention.

[0014] Figure 4 Shows a prior art method for identifying and marking electrical connections in an industrial cabinet.

[0015] Figure 5 Shows the method according to the present invention. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0016] In a first embodiment, the present invention relates to a set of devices to be attached to an electrical connection that needs to be identified. The device is characterized in that it has a board presenting a unique two-dimensional code. The number of possible combinations that the two-dimensional code can represent is very high, such that the probability of having two identical two-dimensional codes in the set of devices is very low. The number of possible combinations is preferably equal to or higher than 10 8 , more preferably equal to or higher than 10 10 , most preferably equal to or higher than 10 12 .

[0017] When comparing the present invention with EP 3 007 110, it is noted that it is relatively important that the prior art method requires printing a label after verifying each cable connection. This means that each label on each terminal contains information that allows the terminal to be identified. In the present invention, the label is installed on each terminal before identifying the position of the terminal in the electrical scheme. The system verifies the position of each terminal, and then the system associates the unique two-dimensional code with the position in the electrical scheme. Therefore, the information in the label is not direct information, but a unique code that is associated by software with the information existing in the electrical scheme.

[0018] The two-dimensional code can be, for example, a binary code. An example of a binary code is represented by a matrix of black or white dots. The black dots can be obtained by printing using well-known printing methods, such as using a laser printer, an inkjet printer, a thermal transfer printer, a printer using a laser head. Due to its durability, precision, and the fact that no consumables are used during the printing process, laser head printing is the preferred printing method.

[0019] The board can be made of a suitable material, preferably a material that can be printed by a laser head printer. Examples of materials suitable for manufacturing the board are polymer materials and metal materials.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment, the binary code is a two-dimensional matrix of i rows and j columns, the two-dimensional matrix having a number of positions n = i×j, where n = i×j is between 20 and 100. Among these positions, 20% to 80% of the positions will be printed, preferably printed in black or gray, while the remaining 80% to 20% of the positions will remain blank. Preferably, the number of printed dots will be between 30% and 70% of the total number. For example, for a matrix consisting of 8 rows and 8 columns (n = 64 dots), where 42 dots are printed (k = 42) and 22 dots are blank, the number of possible combinations C that such a matrix can represent is calculated by the following formula: C = n! / k! × (n - k)! = 64! / 42! × 22! = 8.03×10 16By using conventional software to create random codes, a set of devices (e.g., a set of 1000 devices) can be printed, and the probability that the set of devices does not contain two identical identification codes is greater than 99.999999999999875%. The set of devices can be sold to users (e.g., electricians), and the electricians can identify and label the cables and devices of industrial cabinets by using the set of devices.

[0021] In any case, n and k are selected in such a way that the possible number of combinations that the matrix can represent is equal to or higher than 10 6 , preferably equal to or higher than 10 9 , more preferably equal to or higher than 10 12 . In fact, when using the method according to the present invention, the user will purchase a number of boards that is at least equal to the number of connections to be identified and labeled. Therefore, the probability that a set of about 1000 boards contains two identical marking codes is very low, which is very important. In any case, even in the unlikely case that a set of boards contains two identical marking codes, the problem will be detected by the processor, and thus, the board that contains the same marking code as the marking code associated by the processor to a position in the electrical scheme will be deprecated.

[0022] Therefore, by using a two-dimensional code with a number of points between 20 and 100, each electrical connection to be identified can be marked with a random code, so that the probability that the set of devices does not contain two identical marking codes is very high, preferably higher than 99.999%. In a preferred embodiment, for the above matrix, the number of rows i is between 6 and 12, and the number of columns j is between 5 and 10.

[0023] Figure 1 A preferred embodiment of the device according to the present invention is disclosed, and the device includes a tube and a board with a two-dimensional code. Since the space in the electrical cabinet is quite limited especially when using a junction box with a reduced pitch, the two-dimensional code is preferably of a limited size.

[0024] Figure 3 The two-dimensional code that can be printed in different formats is shown. The figure shows various sizes from 15mm×7mm down to a minimum of 3mm×2.5mm. Even in the smallest size, the two-dimensional code still maintains good readability by optical instruments. The two-dimensional code for identifying cable connections is preferably positioned on a board with a flat surface, and the size of the flat surface is preferably between 2.5mm and 5.0mm, more preferably about 5.0mm. The two-dimensional code for identifying devices is preferably positioned on a board with a flat surface, and the size of the flat surface is preferably between 3.0mm and 7.0mm, more preferably about 5.0mm.

[0025] The device can be attached to a cable or to an electrical / electronic device in various ways. For a cable, the device preferably includes a tube into which the cable is inserted, and a plate on which a QR code is presented. The plate can be connected to the tube in a fixed manner, or the plate is connected to the tube in a removable manner. In the latter case, the connection between the tube and the plate can be carried out in various ways, for example, by means of a clamp. The tube can have a cylindrical shape or other different shapes, provided that the shape allows the cable to be inserted into the tube and fixed to the tube.

[0026] The device for identifying and marking an electrical / electronic device preferably consists of a plate including a QR code, which is inserted into a special groove prepared by the manufacturer of the device. Examples of devices to be identified and marked are contactors, fuse holders, power supplies, transformers, etc.

[0027] The present invention also relates to a system for wiring an electrical cabinet, which system includes a set of devices, where each device includes: the QR code defined above; a reading instrument capable of reading the QR code; a processor, which records the electrical scheme of the cabinet and is capable of exchanging information with the reading instrument, more particularly of sending information to the reading instrument and receiving information from the reading instrument.

[0028] As the reading instrument, it is possible to use an instrument not specifically designed for this purpose but adaptable for this purpose, such as a smartphone; however, it is preferred to use an instrument specifically designed for this application. The reading instrument includes an optical reader capable of reading the QR code, and a screen.

[0029] Figure 2 A preferred embodiment of the reading instrument is shown; the reading pen (smart pen) includes a tip provided with an optical reader capable of reading the QR code of the device, and a small screen. Preferably, the instrument also includes a battery that provides power supply to the instrument, preferably a rechargeable battery or a supercapacitor. Preferably, the battery or supercapacitor is capable of providing power supply for at least 8 hours, more preferably at least 12 hours. In order to reduce the consumption and thus increase the continuous usage time of the battery, the screen is preferably a low-power screen using e-ink technology as disclosed, for example, in US6,120,588 (E Ink Corporation).

[0030] The reading instrument (e.g., smart pen) is connected to a processor, such as a PC (personal computer), a laptop, or a tablet. The connection between the reading instrument and the PC can be carried out in any way known in the art, for example, by wire or wirelessly. Preferably, the connection is completed through the Bluetooth protocol.

[0031] The system defined above is used in a method for wiring one or more electrical cabinets according to the present invention.

[0032] Figure 4Shows the components in the prior art process. On the left, the details of the electrical scheme of the project are shown, where each position is identified by a code that is a mixture of numbers and letters (alphanumeric code). The operator has to print all the codes present in the electrical scheme and then insert the printed codes into specific identification tubes.

[0033] In contrast, Figure 5 Shows the basic steps of the process of the present invention. On the left, a certain number of devices pre-printed with QR codes are shown. In the second picture, the installed devices are shown. The third picture shows the association of the QR codes with the codes in the project by means of a reading pen.

[0034] Therefore, the method comprises the following steps: 1) Installing a device according to the present invention on the cable to be wired; 2) Reading the QR code presented on the device by using a suitable instrument such as a reading pen; 3) Associating the QR code of the device with the alphanumeric code present in the electrical scheme. In step 1), the QR code is randomly selected by picking a device from a group of devices, and the QR code is pre-printed, i.e., it does not contain any information about the location where the device is installed. Thus, when compared with the first step of the conventional process, step 1 is much faster, in which the code to be installed has to be printed out, because the code to be installed already contains information about the cable or device associated with the code to be installed.

[0035] In a preferred embodiment, step 2) consists of the following sub-steps: After installing the device, the operator selects a position in the electrical scheme on the screen of the processor, for example by means of a mouse or a touch screen. This selected position corresponds to the position where the cable is to be wired or to the device to be identified, and there is a code associated with this position in the project or electrical scheme. Then, the operator reads the QR code by using a reading instrument. After reading the QR code, on the screen of the reading instrument, the project code is displayed. The operator verifies the correctness of the code and checks the association between the QR code and the project code. As a result, any future reading operation of the QR code by the reading instrument will cause the associated project code to be displayed by the reading instrument. This fact allows the maintenance operations of the factory (electrical cabinets and devices) to be carried out easily and unambiguously by using the reading instrument and the processor used in the wiring phase.

Claims

1. A method for identifying and marking cables in an industrial cabinet, using a system comprising: a. A set of devices, the devices comprising a board on which a two-dimensional code is presented, wherein the number of combinations that the two-dimensional code can represent is at least equal to 10 6 ; b. A reading device capable of reading the two-dimensional code of the device; and c. A processor capable of exchanging data with the reading device, and wherein the electrical scheme of the industrial cabinet is recorded on the processor, The method includes the following steps: I. Install one of the said devices on the cable to be connected; II. Read the two-dimensional code presented on the device by using the reading device; III. Associate the two-dimensional code with the alphanumeric code defined in the electrical scheme.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein step II includes the following sub-steps: Select, on the screen of the processor, the point of the electrical cabinet corresponding to the cable to be connected to the cabinet, and in the scheme, the point corresponds to an alphanumeric code; Read the two-dimensional code of the device by the reading device.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the two-dimensional code is a two-dimensional matrix comprising i rows and j columns, wherein the product n = i×j is between 20 and 100, and wherein, when the number of marked positions is defined as k, the ratio k / n is between 0.20 and 0.

80.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein i is between 6 and 12, and j is between 5 and 10.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the ratio k / n is between 0.30 and 0.

70.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reading device is a smart pen having a screen and an optical device at one end.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the screen utilizes electronic ink technology.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the processor is selected from a PC, a laptop computer, and a tablet computer.

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