Adhesive antenna

Abstract

The invention relates to an adhesive antenna for attachment to a removable display module, operating module or radio module of a measuring device for process automation in industrial and private environments, the antenna having a contact surface arrangement for connection to electronics of the display module, operating module or radio module, wherein the adhesive antenna is designed to transmit data of the display module, operating module or radio module and to be adhered to an upper side of the display module, operating module or radio module.

Description

ADHESIVE ANTENNA REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority from German patent application 10 2024 200 339.5, filed on January 15, 2024, which is incorporated in its entirety by reference into this document. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to process automation in industrial and private environments. In particular, the present disclosure relates to an adhesive antenna for attachment to a removable display, control, or radio module, a removable display, control, or radio module, and a use. BACKGROUND

[0003] In process automation in industrial or private environments, measuring instruments are used to record process variables. These measuring instruments include, for example, level measuring devices, point level sensors, flow meters, pressure measuring devices, or temperature measuring devices.

[0004] Wireless communication connections can be used to transmit the recorded measured values to an external location, such as a server, cloud, or mobile phone. This requires an antenna located in the measuring device. SUMMARY

[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide an alternative antenna for a measuring device.

[0006] This object is achieved by the subject matter of the independent patent claims. Further developments of the invention emerge from the subclaims and the following description of embodiments.

[0007] A first aspect of the present disclosure relates to an adhesive antenna for attachment to a removable display, control, or radio module of a measuring device for process automation in industrial and private environments. The adhesive antenna has a contact surface arrangement configured for connection to electronics of the display, control, or radio module, wherein the adhesive antenna is configured for transmitting data, in particular measurement data, of the display, control, or radio module. Furthermore, the adhesive antenna is configured for attachment to a top side of the display, control, or radio module, so that it can be easily attached to its exterior.

[0008] The removable display, control, or radio module is a modular unit that can be placed on and attached to the measuring device. During this placement or attachment process, the electronics of the display, control, or radio module are connected to the measuring device electronics, allowing data to be exchanged between the two electronics and, if necessary, the display, control, or radio module to be supplied with power from the measuring device.

[0009] The display, control, or radio module can have its own power supply in the form of a battery. In this case, power supply from the measuring device is not required.

[0010] For example, the adhesive antenna is designed to be flat and / or foil-like, so that when it is attached to the top of the display, control or radio module it can be adapted to the shape of its surface.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the contact surface arrangement has a first contact and a second contact, which are designed in the form of contact strips, so that they can be passed through corresponding slots in the display, control or radio module from the top side to the bottom side thereof in order to be connected there to the electronics of the display, control or radio module.

[0012] This connection is made, for example, by means of spring contacts arranged in the measuring device.

[0013] According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the first contact strip and the second contact strip are arranged perpendicular to each other. This means that their longitudinal extensions are perpendicular to each other, but the two contact strips are located in the same plane.

[0014] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the adhesive antenna includes an adhesive film for attachment to the removable display, control, or radio module. This enables easy installation.

[0015] A further aspect of the present disclosure relates to a removable display, operating or radio module of a measuring device for process automation in industrial and private environments, which has an adhesive antenna as described above and below, which is glued to the top of the display, operating or radio module.

[0016] According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the removable display, control or radio module has a contact pin arrangement which connects the electronics of the display, control or radio module to the contact surface arrangement of the adhesive antenna.

[0017] According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronics of the display, control or radio module are potted and the adhesive antenna was connected to the electronics only after the potting of the electronics.

[0018] A further aspect of the present disclosure relates to the use of a removable display, operating or radio module described above and below for a measuring device, in particular for a level measuring device, a point level sensor, a pressure measuring device or a flow measuring device.

[0019] The term “process automation in the industrial environment” can be understood as a branch of technology which includes measures for the operation of machines and systems without Involves human involvement. One goal of process automation is to automate the interaction of individual components in a plant in the chemical, food, pharmaceutical, petroleum, paper, cement, shipping, or mining industries. A variety of sensors can be used for this purpose. These sensors are specifically tailored to the specific requirements of the process industry, such as mechanical stability, insensitivity to contamination, extreme temperatures, and extreme pressures. Measured values from these sensors are typically transmitted to a control room, where process parameters such as fill level, limit level, flow, pressure, or density can be monitored, and settings for the entire plant can be changed manually or automatically.

[0020] A sub-area of process automation in the industrial environment concerns the logistics automation of plants and the logistics automation of supply chains. With the help of distance and angle sensors, processes inside or outside a building or within a single logistics facility are automated in the field of logistics automation. Typical applications for logistics automation systems include baggage and freight handling at airports, traffic monitoring (toll systems), retail, parcel distribution, and building security (access control). What the aforementioned examples have in common is that the respective application requires presence detection in combination with precise measurement of the size and location of an object.For this purpose, sensors based on optical measuring methods using lasers, LEDs, 2D cameras or 3D cameras that measure distances according to the time of flight (ToF) principle can be used.

[0021] Another sub-area of process automation in the industrial environment concerns factory / production automation. Applications for this can be found in a wide variety of industries, such as automotive manufacturing, food production, the pharmaceutical industry, and packaging in general. The goal of factory automation is to automate the production of goods using machines, production lines, and / or robots, i.e., to run it without human intervention. The sensors used here and the specific requirements regarding measurement accuracy for detecting the position and size of an object are comparable to those in the previous example of logistics automation.

[0022] The terms used in the claims should be construed to give them the broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the foregoing description. For example, the use of the article "a" or "the" in introducing an element should not be construed to exclude a plurality of elements. Likewise, the mention of "or" should be construed to include a plurality of elements, so that the mention of "A or B" does not exclude "A and B" unless it is clear from the context or the preceding description that only one of A and B is intended.Furthermore, the phrase "at least one of A, B, and C" should be understood as one or more elements from a group of elements consisting of A, B, and C, and should not be interpreted as requiring at least one of each of the listed elements A, B, and C, regardless of whether A, B, and C are related as categories or otherwise. Furthermore, the mention of "A, B, and / or C" or "at least one of A, B, or C" should be interpreted as including each individual element. unit of the listed elements, e.g. A, any subset of the listed elements, e.g. A and B, or the entire list of elements A, B and C.

[0023] Further embodiments of the present disclosure are described below with reference to the figures. The representations in the figures are schematic and not to scale. Where the same reference numerals are used in the following description of the figures, they denote identical or similar elements. SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE CHARACTERS

[0024] Fig. 1 shows an adhesive antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] Fig. 2 shows a removable display, control or radio module with an adhesive antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Fig. 3 shows a removable display, control or radio module with an adhesive antenna according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Fig. 4 shows the back of the cover of a removable display, control or radio module with an adhesive antenna mounted therein according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] Fig. 5 shows the opened housing of a removable display, control or radio module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] Fig. 6 shows a measuring device with a removable display, control or radio module mounted therein according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0030] Fig. 1 shows an adhesive antenna 1 for attachment to a removable display, operating or radio module of a measuring device for process automation in industrial and private environments.

[0031] The adhesive antenna 1 has a contact surface arrangement 2 configured for connection to the electronics of the display, control, or radio module. The adhesive antenna 1 is configured for transmitting data from the display, control, or radio module and for affixing to the top of the display, control, or radio module.

[0032] The adhesive antenna 1 is glued to the top of the housing cover of the display, control or radio module and connected to the electronics of the display, control or radio module by means of two contact surfaces via spring contacts.

[0033] Radio communication with an external unit takes place, for example, via NB-loT, LoRaWAN, etc. This communication can be used, in particular, to send measured values.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 1, the two contact strips of the contact surface arrangement 2 are arranged perpendicular to each other. Both run toward the display of the removable display, control, or radio module, the first toward the lower edge of the display and the second toward the left edge of the display.

[0035] Fig. 2 and 3 show examples of removable display, control or radio modules 3, 4. In order for the removable display, control, or radio module to transmit 3 or 4 measured values wirelessly, a radio modem integrated into the module is required. This radio modem requires a corresponding antenna. This antenna can be integrated into the module to simplify handling for the customer. This requirement is met with the adhesive antenna 1 described above and below.

[0036] Fig. 1 shows the contact surfaces of the contact surface arrangement 2 for contacting the electronics of the display, operating or radio module 3, 4 and the underside of the adhesive antenna 1 designed as an adhesive surface or adhesive film 10.

[0037] Fig. 2 shows, by way of example, how such an adhesive antenna 1 can be glued to the top of the removable display, control, or radio module 3, 4, with the contact surface arrangement 2 guided through slots 8 in the upper housing section. On the underside of the upper housing section, the contact surface arrangement 2 is pressed onto corresponding contact pins 7, shown in Fig. 5, for contacting the electronics of the removable display, control, or radio module 3, 4, which is housed in the lower housing section.

[0038] Fig. 4 shows the underside of the housing top of the removable display, control, or radio module 3, 4 with the contact surfaces of the contact surface arrangement 2 of the adhesive antenna 1. The contact surfaces of the contact surface arrangement 2 are surrounded by a circumferential web to protect them from lateral slippage.

[0039] Fig. 5 shows the lower housing section with the electronics and the spring contacts 7 for contacting the contact surface arrangement 2 of the adhesive antenna 1. One advantage of this design is its simple assembly, without the contacts of the adhesive antenna 1 having to be plugged or soldered. A further advantage is that the optimal adaptation of the antenna geometry to the geometry of the housing of the display, control or radio module 3, 4 and the placement of the adhesive antenna are simplified in order to provide very good transmission and reception properties. Another advantage in this context is the relatively large distance between the adhesive antenna 1 and the electronics of the display, control or radio module 3, 4. In addition, it is possible to integrate the adhesive antenna 1 into the front film of the removable display, control or radio module 3, 4, as shown in Fig. 3.

[0040] Fig. 6 shows a measuring device 5, for example, a level measuring device, a point level sensor, a flow measuring device, or a pressure measuring device. If designed as a level measuring device or point level sensor, the measuring device 5 can have an antenna 11, via which the radar measurement signals can be transmitted toward the product surface.

[0041] The removable display, operating or radio module 3, 4 is placed on top of the housing of the measuring device 5.

[0042] Contacting via the spring contacts 7 also enables easy implementation of explosion protection measures. To ensure that the removable display, control, or radio module 3, 4 can be used in zones with explosive atmospheres, it must be ensured that no ignitable sparks can be generated by the electronics. To achieve this, one possible measure is to encapsulate the entire electronics of the display, control, or radio module 3, 4. However, the encapsulation has a dampening effect on the antenna if it is integrated into the housing. Since the adhesive antenna 1 is mounted outside the encapsulation compound, and even outside the housing (the latter is easily achieved using the spring contacts 7), the shielding effect of the encapsulation compound is less disruptive. This type of contact also allows the adhesive antenna 1 to be mounted / contacted after the electronics have been encapsulated, which is not easily possible with other solutions.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Adhesive antenna (1) for attachment to a removable display, operating, or radio module (3, 4) of a measuring device (5) for process automation in industrial and private environments, comprising: a contact surface arrangement (2) configured for connection to electronics of the display, operating, or radio module (3, 4); wherein the adhesive antenna (1) is configured for transmitting data of the display, operating, or radio module (3, 4); wherein the adhesive antenna (1) is configured for gluing to an upper side of the display, operating, or radio module (3, 4).

2. Adhesive antenna (1) according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive antenna (1) is flat or foil-like.

3. Adhesive antenna (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the contact surface arrangement (2) has a first contact and a second contact which are designed in the form of contact strips so that they can be guided through corresponding slots (8) in the display, operating or radio module (3, 4) to its underside in order to be connected there to the electronics.

4. Adhesive antenna (1) according to claim 3, wherein the first contact strip and the second contact strip are arranged perpendicular to each other.

5. Adhesive antenna (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the adhesive antenna (1) has an adhesive film (10) for attachment to the removable display, control or radio module (3, 4).

6. Removable display, operating or radio module (3, 4) of a measuring device (5) for process automation in industrial and private environments, comprising: an adhesive antenna (1) according to one of the preceding claims, which is glued to an upper side of the display, operating or radio module (3, 4).

7. Removable display, control or radio module (3, 4) according to claim 6, comprising: a contact pin arrangement (7) which connects the electronics of the display, control or radio module (3, 4) to the contact surface arrangement (2) of the adhesive antenna (1).

8. Removable display, operating or radio module (3, 4) according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the electronics of the display, operating or radio module (3, 4) are encapsulated and the adhesive antenna (1) was connected to the electronics only after the encapsulation of the electronics.

9. Use of a removable display, control or radio module (3, 4) according to one of the Claims 6 to 8 for a measuring device (5), in particular for a level measuring device, a limit level sensor, a pressure measuring device or a flow measuring device.

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