Piston-cylinder unit with diagnostic unit

• US 20080015796A1
• Filed: 07/05/2007
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Stabilus GmbH (Stabilus S.A.)
• Original Assignee: Stabilus GmbH (Stabilus S.A.)
• Inventors: Dlugosch, Franz-Josef, Hosan, Hans-Josef, Schilz, Arnold
• Application Number:
  US11/825,287
• Publication Number:
  US 20080015796A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/34
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 15/14 of the straight-cylinder type
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 19/005 Fault detection or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/3264 Arrangements for indicating, e.g. fluid level; Arrangements for checking dampers F16F9/3292 takes precedence; testing of vehicle damping G01M17/04

Abstract

A piston-cylinder unit having a hollow cylinder, with a piston system supported inside the hollow cylinder that is free to move in the axial direction, and a piston rod connected to the piston system. The piston-cylinder unit is also provided with a diagnostic unit for determining diagnostic data associated with the piston-cylinder unit.

Claims

1. A piston-cylinder unit comprising:

a hollow cylinder;

a piston system supported inside the hollow cylinder, said piston system being free to move in an axial direction;

a piston rod connected to the piston system; and

a diagnostic unit disposed within the piston cylinder, said diagnostic unit determining data related to the piston-cylinder unit.

2. The piston-cylinder unit according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic unit includes a memory device for storing the data.

3. The piston-cylinder unit according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic unit includes a transmission device for transmitting the data between the diagnostic unit and an external diagnostic device.

4. The piston-cylinder unit according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic unit includes a measuring device for at least one of measuring and evaluating data.

5. The piston-cylinder unit according to claim 2, wherein the memory device includes at least one of a chip, a memory chip (RAM), flash memory (EEPROM), a ROM and an EPROM.

6. The piston-cylinder unit according to claim 3, wherein the transmission device includes at least one of a radio link, an inductive radio link, a mono-directional or bidirectional radio link, a plug-in connection and a set of contacts.

7. The piston-cylinder unit according to claim 4, wherein the measuring device includes at least one measurement sensor.

8. The piston-cylinder unit according to claim 1, wherein the data comprise a large number of individual data with at least one element selected from a group comprising:

product data of the piston-cylinder unit;

at least one part number;

production-relevant data;

at least one length of the piston-cylinder unit;

at least one diameter piston-cylinder unit;

force set points;

extension speed set points;

construction material data;

information on the grade of installed plastic;

information on a grade of oil present;

information on a type of paint used;

production data;

factory order information;

at least one serial number;

at least one production date;

at least one extension speed test value;

at least one extension force test value;

at least one friction test value;

telemetry data;

at least one current device temperature;

at least one current internal pressure;

information on a history of the piston-cylinder unit;

at least one minimum and one maximum previously reached temperature;

at least one total number of actuated strokes;

at least one number indicating hours of operation in an operating vehicle and at least one record of unusual events.

9. The piston-cylinder unit according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic unit is mounted on at least one of a chip, the piston rod, the hollow cylinder, a connecting element and a sealing and guide package of the piston-cylinder unit.

10. The piston-cylinder unit according to claim 7, wherein the measurement sensor is a piezoelectric pressure sensor.

11. The piston-cylinder unit according to claim 8, wherein the at least one record of unusual events comprises violent impacts on the piston-cylinder unit.

12. A diagnostic procedure for a piston-cylinder unit comprising a hollow cylinder, a piston system supported inside the hollow cylinder, said piston system being free to move in an axial direction, a piston rod connected to the piston system, and a diagnostic unit disposed within the piston cylinder, said procedure comprising:

acquiring data associated with the piston-cylinder unit at the diagnostic unit; and

transmitting the acquired data between the piston-cylinder unit and an external diagnostic device.

13. The diagnostic procedure according to claim 12, further comprising:

connecting the diagnostic unit to the diagnostic device using at least one of a radio link, a mono-directional or bidirectional radio link, a contact-less inductive radio link, a set of contacts and a plug-in connection.

14. The diagnostic procedure according to claim 12, further comprising at least one of:

reading out data from a measuring device connected to the diagnostic unit;

reading out data from a memory device within the diagnostic unit;

writing data to the memory device; and

erasing data from the memory device.

15. The diagnostic procedure according to claim 12, further comprising:

transmitting a plurality of individual data;

wherein the individual data comprise at least one element selected from the group comprising;

product data of the piston-cylinder unit;

at least one part number;

production-relevant data;

at least one length of the piston-cylinder unit;

at least one diameter of the piston-cylinder unit;

force set points;

extension speed set points;

construction material data;

information on a grade of installed plastic;

information on a grade of oil present;

information on a type of paint used;

production data;

factory order information;

at least one serial number;

at least one production date;

at least one extension speed test value;

at least one extension force test value;

at least one friction test value;

telemetry data;

at least one current device temperature;

at least one current internal pressure;

information on history of the piston-cylinder unit;

at least one minimum and one maximum previously reached temperature;

at least one total number of actuated strokes;

at least one number indicating hours of operation in an operating vehicle and at least one record of unusual events.

16. The diagnostic procedure according to claim 13, further comprising:

reading out the data during operation of the piston-cylinder unit.

17. The diagnostic procedure according to claim 16, further comprising:

adapting characteristic values of the piston-cylinder unit to operational conditions of the piston-cylinder unit;

wherein determination of set points of the characteristic values is based on the data which have been read out.

18. The diagnostic procedure according to claim 13, further comprising at least one of:

reading out data from a measuring device connected to the diagnostic unit;

reading out data from a memory device within the diagnostic unit;

writing data to the memory device; and

erasing data from the memory device.

19. The diagnostic procedure according to claim 13 further comprising:

transmitting a plurality of individual data;

wherein the individual data comprise at least one element selected from the group comprising;

product data of the piston-cylinder unit;

at least one part number;

production-relevant data;

at least one length of the piston-cylinder unit;

at least one diameter of the piston-cylinder unit;

force set points;

extension speed set points;

construction material data;

information on a grade of installed plastic;

information on a grade of oil present;

information on a type of paint used;

production data;

factory order information;

at least one serial number;

at least one production date;

at least one extension speed test value;

at least one extension force test value;

at least one friction test value;

telemetry data;

at least one current device temperature;

at least one current internal pressure;

information on history of the piston-cylinder unit;

at least one minimum and one maximum previously reached temperature;

at least one total number of actuated strokes;

at least one number indicating hours of operation in an operating vehicle and at least one record of unusual events.

20. The diagnostic procedure according to claim 14, further comprising:

transmitting a plurality of individual data;

wherein the individual data comprise at least one element selected from the group comprising;

product data of the piston-cylinder unit;

at least one part number;

production-relevant data;

at least one length of the piston-cylinder unit;

at least one diameter of the piston-cylinder unit;

force set points;

extension speed set points;

construction material data;

information on a grade of installed plastic;

information on a grade of oil present;

information on a type of paint used;

production data;

factory order information;

at least one serial number;

at least one production date;

at least one extension speed test value;

at least one extension force test value;

at least one friction test value;

telemetry data;

at least one current device temperature;

at least one current internal pressure;

information on history of the piston-cylinder unit;

at least one minimum and one maximum previously reached temperature;

at least one total number of actuated strokes;

at least one number indicating hours of operation in an operating vehicle and at least one record of unusual events.

21. The diagnostic procedure according to claim 13, further comprising:

reading out the data during operation of the piston-cylinder unit.

22. The diagnostic procedure according to claim 14, further comprising:

reading out the data during operation of the piston-cylinder unit.

23. The diagnostic procedure according to claim 15, further comprising:

reading out the data during operation of the piston-cylinder unit.

24. The diagnostic procedure according to claim 15, wherein the at least one record of unusual events comprises violent impacts on the piston-cylinder unit.

25. The diagnostic procedure according to claim 19, wherein the at least one record of unusual events comprises violent impacts on the piston-cylinder unit.

26. The diagnostic procedure according to claim 20, wherein the at least one record of unusual events comprises violent impacts on the piston-cylinder unit.

27. The diagnostic procedure according to claim 16, wherein the data comprises telemetry data.

28. The diagnostic procedure according to claim 21, wherein the data comprises telemetry data.

29. The diagnostic procedure according to claim 22, wherein the data comprises telemetry data.

30. The diagnostic procedure according to claim 23, wherein the data comprises telemetry data.