Drive belt

Abstract

The invention relates to a drive belt (1) comprising a first conductive element (4) embedded in a polymer material (2) for transmitting electrical energy, wherein the first conductive element (4) is formed by at least one tension member (4) which extends in the longitudinal direction (X) of the drive belt (1), preferably multiple tension members (4) which extend in the longitudinal direction (X) of the drive belt (1) and are arranged in parallel with one another. The drive belt (1) has at least one contacting element (12) to which an end of the first conductive element (4) is electrically connected.

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] drive belt

[0003] The invention relates to a drive belt according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0004] Drive belts are used in many applications and areas for driving and transmitting power in work machines, means of transport, vehicles, etc., both as circulating drive belts in a traction belt drive and as drive belts of finite length in a linear drive or in an elevator system.

[0005] In particular, with linear drives, parts of the respective device are moved with the help of the drive belts used there, for example in the case of a carriage of a work machine that moves in several directions, such as a milling machine, a storage and retrieval machine or even a driven print head of a 3D printer.

[0006] Typically, such linear drives also incorporate a so-called "cable drag" for energy transmission and / or for the transmission of measurement and control signals. This is essentially located between the moving part of the working machine and the drive or central control device, which also processes the signals from the stationary operating devices connected there. The term "cable drag," originally a company name, is now used as a generally understandable generic term and refers to a cable guide chain used to guide long cables, power supplies, and control lines on supporting, movable, chain-like brackets of a moving machine or mobile device. The cable drag here therefore travels with the moving part of the working machine, may also need to be redirected, and requires corresponding installation space.Alternatively, various sliding contact designs can be used, for example, in the form of current-carrying rails. Sliding contacts are particularly sensitive to contamination, which is why maintaining them to ensure reliable power and / or signal transmission is very complex and expensive.

[0007] Such a cable drag chain is naturally subject to the relevant regulations regarding maintenance and repair and must be inspected regularly, just like the actual drive via drive belts. Compliance with such regulations therefore requires regular inspection and maintenance of the cable drag chain, which entails considerable additional effort.

[0008] EP 3 462 055 B1 discloses an elevator system with a carrying belt as a drive belt with tension members for signal or data transmission. The input or output of signals or data between signal line elements and further lines or signal processing devices is achieved by contacting the respective end connection or fastening points of the signal line elements via a cable clamp. Unfortunately, the process for contacting the tension members is very complex, since each individual tension member must be manually freed from the surrounding elastomeric material before electrical contact with the cable clamp. Such a complex contacting of the tension members leads to correspondingly high manufacturing costs.

[0009] The invention is based on the object of providing a drive belt, wherein the contacting of the tension members can be carried out quickly and / or cost-effectively and / or in an automated manner.

[0010] This problem is solved by a drive belt having the features of independent claim 1. Further advantageous embodiments are disclosed in the dependent claims. Further advantages and features can be found in the general description and the exemplary embodiments.

[0011] The present application relates to a drive belt comprising a first conducting element embedded in a polymeric material for transmitting electrical energy, wherein the first conducting element is formed by at least one tension member extending in the longitudinal direction of the drive belt, preferably a plurality of tension members arranged parallel to one another and extending in the longitudinal direction of the drive belt. The drive belt can be designed, for example, as a toothed belt, flat belt, V-belt, or V-ribbed belt. The drive belt can be a continuous drive belt with a predetermined length and two ends. In a particularly advantageous manner, the drive belt can be provided in any desired length by cutting, without incurring costs for custom tools for the production of a length-specific drive belt.

[0012] In other words, the tension member, which can be made of an electrically conductive material, preferably metal, can carry current in addition to its actual task of power transmission. In this way, current can be conducted from a power source via the drive belt to a consumer, for example an electric motor of an actuator, without the need for additional cables to carry current. The drive belt can preferably be designed as a finite section of a predetermined length with a first end and a second end. The polymeric material of the drive belt is preferably a polyurethane. The drive belt can be designed as a toothed belt, V-belt, or V-ribbed belt.

[0013] The drive belt has at least one contacting element to which the first line element is electrically connected at its end. The drive belt can preferably have the contacting element at both the first end and the second end. It is particularly advantageous that the contacting element can be used to make electrically conductive contact with the tensile member without manually stripping the tensile member from the polymeric material surrounding the tensile member. It is also advantageous that the contacting element can provide an interface with which the first line element or the tensile member can be electrically conductively connected to further devices for supplying and / or withdrawing current.

[0014] According to a further aspect of the present invention, the contacting element comprises at least one pair, preferably a plurality of transversely arranged pairs with vertically extending fork-shaped prongs for receiving at least one tension member extending in the longitudinal direction of the drive belt, preferably a plurality of tension members extending in the longitudinal direction of the drive belt and arranged parallel to one another. The contacting element is inserted in the vertical direction into the polymeric material. Preferably, the

[0015] The contacting element can have pairs of forked prongs equal to the number of tension members present. In other words, the contacting element can be electrically conductively connected to the tension member of the drive belt without the tension member having to be freed from the polymeric material of the drive belt. The distance between two forked prongs of a pair in the transverse direction can correspond at most to the diameter of the tension member. Preferably, the distance between two forked prongs of a pair in the transverse direction corresponds to 80 percent of the diameter of the tension member. In a particularly advantageous manner, a particularly good electrically conductive contact can be established between the tension member and the contacting element when the distance between two forked prongs is smaller than the diameter of the tension member.By possibly deforming the tension member to the distance between the pair of forked prongs between which the tension member can be accommodated, the contact area between the tension member and the pair of forked prongs of the contacting element is advantageously increased. There is no polymer material in the contact area between the tension member and the pair of forked prongs. The pairs of forked prongs can be arranged at the distance from each other as the tension members. This ensures that each pair of forked prongs is assigned a support member and / or that the tension member is not damaged when the contacting element is inserted into the polymeric material of the drive belt and / or that the position of the tension member in the drive belt is not changed. However, a pair of forked prongs can also accommodate or contact several tension members.To enable the contact element to be inserted into the polymer material of the drive belt with as little force as possible, the polymer material and / or the contact element can be heated. The polymer material can soften due to the heat, which can reduce the resistance of the polymer material to the insertion of the forked prongs of the contact element. In addition, the forked prongs of the contact element can have knife-like edges, which further facilitate the penetration of the contact element into the polymer material.

[0016] According to a further aspect of the present invention, the contacting element has at least one cylindrical sleeve for receiving a tensile member. The cylindrical sleeve is inserted longitudinally into the polymeric material and encloses the tensile member over a partial length in the longitudinal direction, wherein the cylindrical sleeve is pressed onto the tensile member. The drive belt particularly preferably has cylindrical sleeves in the number of tensile members present, so that each tensile member has a cylindrical sleeve as a contacting element. In other words, the cylindrical sleeve can be electrically conductively connected to the tensile member of the drive belt without the tensile member having to be freed from the polymeric material of the drive belt. In order to enable the cylindrical sleeve to be inserted into the polymeric material of the drive belt with the least possible force, the polymeric material and / or the cylindrical sleeve can be heated.The polymer material can soften due to the influence of heat, which can reduce the resistance of the polymer material to the insertion of the cylindrical sleeve. By applying a force to the drive belt in a vertical direction, the cylindrical sleeve is pressed onto the tension member. This improves the electrically conductive connection between the cylindrical sleeve and the tension member and ensures its long-term stability under dynamic loading of the drive belt. There is no polymer material in the contact area between the tension member and the cylindrical sleeve.

[0017] According to a further aspect of the present invention, the contacting element has at least one mandrel which is inserted longitudinally into the tension member. In order to enable the mandrel to be inserted into the tension member of the drive belt with the least possible force, the polymeric material of the drive belt and / or the mandrel can be heated. The polymeric material can soften due to the influence of heat, as a result of which the resistance of the polymeric material to an expansion of the diameter of the tension member when the mandrel is inserted into the tension member can be reduced. The mandrel is preferably designed with a tapered outer contour, e.g. conical, so that the force for inserting the mandrel into the tension member can be additionally reduced. The drive belt particularly preferably has mandrels in the number of tension members present, so that each tension member has a mandrel as a contacting element.It has proven particularly advantageous that the contact area between the tension member and the inserted dome is particularly large to form an electrically conductive connection. By inserting the dome into the tension member, all contact between the dome and the electrically insulating polymer material of the drive belt can be avoided. In other words, the contact resistance between the dome and the tension member can be kept as low as possible, which can also minimize electrical losses during current conduction.

[0018] According to a further aspect of the present invention, the contacting element has at least one clamp, in particular one with a U-shape, which is inserted vertically into the polymeric material and surrounds the tensile member in a contacting manner. In other words, the contacting element can be designed as a U-shaped wire. The wire can be designed with a U-shaped radius that corresponds to the outer diameter of the tensile member. The wire can be shaped as a U with a first wire end and a second wire end and inserted vertically into the polymeric material of the drive belt, such that a tensile member is received between the first wire end and the second wire end. The wire can pass through the drive belt in a vertical direction, such that the first wire end and the second wire end protrude from the drive belt on the opposite side.The wire can be heated, for example by applying an electrical voltage, whereby the polymer material of the drive belt can be softened or melted, whereby the U-shaped part of the wire can be moved with little effort through the polymer material to the tension member and an electrically conductive contact can be formed between the wire and the tension member. The penetration point of the wire in the polymer material of the drive belt can be closed again by heating the wire and the polymer material surrounding the wire, as described above. The tension member can be electrically conductively connected via the first wire end and the second wire end to further devices for feeding in and / or withdrawing current. The drive belt particularly preferably has clamps or wires in the same number as the tension members present, so that each tension member has a clamp ora wire is assigned as a contacting element.

[0019] It is expressly pointed out that the above-explained embodiments of the invention can be combined with the subject matter of claim 1, either individually or in any technically reasonable combination.

[0020] With reference to the figures, exemplary embodiments of the invention are schematically illustrated and explained in more detail below.

[0021] Figures 1a and 1b show a schematic representation of a drive belt according to the invention in cross section according to a first exemplary embodiment for contacting a first conducting element. Figures 2a, 2b, and 2c show a schematic representation of a drive belt according to the invention according to a second exemplary embodiment for contacting a first conducting element. Figures 3a and 3b show a schematic representation of a drive belt according to the invention according to a third exemplary embodiment for contacting a first conducting element in a side view.

[0022] Figures 4a and 4b show a schematic representation of a drive belt according to the invention in cross section according to a fourth embodiment for contacting a first line element.

[0023] The description of the above figures is in Cartesian coordinates with a longitudinal direction X, a transverse direction Y perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X and a vertical direction Z perpendicular to both the longitudinal direction X and the transverse direction Y. The longitudinal direction X can also be referred to as depth X, the transverse direction Y as width Y and the vertical direction Z as height Z. The longitudinal direction X and the transverse direction Y together form the horizontal, X, Y, which can also be referred to as the horizontal plane X, Y. The longitudinal direction X, the transverse direction Y and the vertical direction Z can together also be referred to as spatial directions X, Y, Z or as Cartesian spatial directions X, Y, Z.

[0024] Figure 1a shows a first embodiment of the drive belt 1 according to the invention with a contacting element 12 having six pairs of forked prongs 14. The contacting element 12 is designed to be electrically conductively connected to the tension member 4. The forked prongs 14 extend in the vertical direction Z and are arranged in a transverse direction Y in the form of six pairs. In other words, the illustrated embodiment has six pairs or twelve forked prongs 14. The schematically illustrated drive belt 1 has six tension members 4 which are embedded in a polymeric material 2, preferably polyurethane. The tension members 4 form a first conducting element 4 for current transmission and have a metallic material. The tension members 4 extend in the longitudinal direction X of the drive belt 1 and are arranged at a distance from one another in the transverse direction Y.The distance between two forked prongs 14 of a pair in the transverse direction Y corresponds to 80 percent of the diameter of the tension member. The pairs of forked prongs 14 are arranged at the distance of the tension member 4. Thus, each pair of forked prongs 14 is assigned a tension member 4. By aligning the forked prongs 14 with the tension members 4, the tension members 4 are not damaged when the contacting element 12 is inserted into the polymeric material 2 of the drive belt 1. The polymeric material 2 of the drive belt 1 and the contacting element 12 are heated by a heat source 5. The heating causes the polymeric material 2 to soften and offer less resistance to penetration of the contacting element 12 into the polymeric material 2, whereby the insertion of the contacting element 12 into the polymeric material 2 in the vertical direction Z can be carried out with little force.

[0025] Figure 1b shows the drive belt 1 and the contacting element 12 from Fig. 1a, wherein the contacting element 12 has been inserted into the polymeric material 2 of the drive belt 1 and is electrically conductively connected to the tensile member 4. The pairs of forked prongs 14 each accommodate a tensile member 4 between them. The contacting element 12 can be electrically conductively connected to the tensile members 4 of the drive belt 1 without the tensile members 4 having to be freed from the polymeric material 2 of the drive belt 1. Because the distance between the pairs of forked prongs 14 is smaller than the diameter of the tensile members 4, the tensile members 4 are deformed between the pairs of forked prongs 14, whereby the contact area between the tensile member 4 and the pair of forked prongs 14 of the contacting element 12 is increased.

[0026] Figure 2a shows a side view of a further embodiment of the drive belt 1 according to the invention in the form of a toothed belt. The contacting element 12 is designed as a cylindrical sleeve 16 for receiving a tension member 4. The cylindrical sleeve 16 is inserted in the longitudinal direction X into the polymeric material 2 of the drive belt 1 and encloses the tension member 4 over a partial length in the longitudinal direction X. To facilitate the insertion of the cylindrical sleeve 16, the polymeric material 2 of the drive belt 1 and the cylindrical sleeve 16 are heated by the heat source 5. Figure 2b shows the embodiment from Figure 2a in a cross-section. It can be seen that each tension member 4 is assigned a cylindrical sleeve 16 as a contacting element 12.

[0027] Figure 2c shows that the cylindrical sleeves 16 are plastically deformed in the vertical direction Z by the introduction of a force F into the drive belt 1 and are electrically conductively connected to the tension members 4. There is no polymeric material 2 in the contact area between the tension member 4 and the cylindrical sleeve 16.

[0028] Figure 3a shows a further embodiment of the drive belt 1 according to the invention in the form of a toothed belt in a side view, wherein the contacting element 12 is designed as a dome 18. In order to keep the force required for inserting the dome 18 in the longitudinal direction X into the tension member 4 of the drive belt 1 as low as possible, the dome 18 is heated by a heat source 5. The polymeric material 2 can soften due to the influence of heat, whereby the resistance of the polymeric material 2 to an expansion of the diameter of the tension member 4 when the dome 18 is inserted into the tension member 4 is reduced. The diameter of the dome 18 widens conically, so that the force required to insert the dome 18 into the tension member 4 is further reduced. The drive belt 1 has domes 18 in the number of tension members 4 present, so that each tension member 4 has a dome 18 as the contacting element 12.

[0029] Figure 3b shows the drive belt 1 from Figure 3a, with the mandrel 18 inserted into the tension member 4 in the longitudinal direction X. The tension member 4 has expanded in diameter in the area around the mandrel 18. The mandrel 18 is essentially surrounded by the tension member. The contact of the mandrel 18 with the tension member 4 creates an electrically conductive connection between the mandrel 18 and the tension member 4.

[0030] Figure 4a shows a further embodiment of the inventive

[0031] Drive belt 1 in cross section, wherein the contacting element 12 is a

[0032] U-shaped wire 20 is formed. The wire 20 is shaped like a U with a first wire end and a second wire end inserted in the vertical direction Z into the polymer material 2 of the drive belt 1, so that a tension member 4 is received between the first wire end and the second wire end. The wire 20 penetrates the drive belt 1 in the vertical direction Z, so that the first wire end and the second wire end protrude from the drive belt 1 on the opposite side. The wire 20 is heated, for example by applying an electrical voltage to the first wire end and the second wire end, as a result of which the polymer material 2 of the drive belt 1 softens or melts, whereby the U-shaped part of the wire 20 is moved with little effort through the polymer material 2 to the tension strand 4.The drive belt 1 has wires 20 in the number of tension members 4, so that each tension member 4 is assigned a wire 20 as a contacting element 12.

[0033] Figure 4b shows the drive belt 1 from Figure 4a, wherein the wires 4 are inserted in the vertical direction Z into the polymeric material 2 of the drive belt 1 to such an extent that the tension members 4 are surrounded by the wires 20 in a U-shape, forming an electrically conductive contact between the wire 20 and the tension member 4. The U-shaped radius of the wire 20 corresponds to the outer diameter of the tension member 4.

[0034] List of reference symbols (part of the description)

[0035] 1 drive belt

[0036] 2 Polymeric material

[0037] 4 First line element, tension member

[0038] 5 Heat source

[0039] 12 Contacting element

[0040] 14 forked tines

[0041] 16 cylindrical sleeve

[0042] 18 Thorn

[0043] 20 wire

[0044] F Force

[0045] X longitudinal direction; depth Y transverse direction; width

[0046] Z vertical direction; height

[0047] X, Y horizontals; horizontal plane

Claims

Patent claims 1. Drive belt (1), comprising a first conducting element (4) embedded in a polymeric material (2) for transmitting electrical energy, wherein the first conducting element (4) is formed by at least one tension member (4) extending in the longitudinal direction (X) of the drive belt (1), preferably a plurality of tension members (4) extending in the longitudinal direction (X) of the drive belt (1) and arranged parallel to one another, characterized in that the drive belt (1) has at least one contacting element (12) to which the first conducting element (4) is electrically connected at the end.

2. Drive belt (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the contacting element (12) has at least one pair of fork-shaped prongs (14) extending in the vertical direction (Z) for receiving at least one tension member (4) extending in the longitudinal direction (X) of the drive belt (1), wherein the contacting element (12) is introduced into the polymeric material (2) in the vertical direction (Z).

3. Drive belt (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the contacting element (12) has at least one cylindrical sleeve (16) for receiving a tension member (4), wherein the cylindrical sleeve (16) is introduced in the longitudinal direction (X) into the polymeric material (2) and encloses the tension member (4) over a partial length in the longitudinal direction (X), wherein the cylindrical sleeve (16) is pressed onto the tension member (4). Drive belt (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the contacting element (12) has at least one dome (18) that is inserted into the tension member (4) in the longitudinal direction (X). Drive belt (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the contacting element (12) has at least one clamp, in particular U-shaped, that is inserted into the polymer material (2) in the vertical direction (Z) and surrounds the tension member (4) in a contacting manner. Linear drive with a drive belt (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5. Storage and retrieval machine with a linear drive according to claim 6.

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