SENSOR SYSTEM FOR MACHINE TOOLS

• US 20080030355A1
• Filed: 07/03/2007
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AZ Electronic Materials SA, MARPOSS Monitoring Solutions GmbH (Marposs SpA)
• Original Assignee: ARTIS Gesellschaft für Angewandte Meßtechnik mbH (Marposs SpA)
• Inventors: Lange, Dirk, Redecker, Volker
• Granted Patent: US 7,710,287 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/635
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 1/0009 Energy-transferring means or control lines for movable machine parts; Control panels or boxes; Control parts control handles for driving or feeding mechanisms B23Q5/54
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment

Abstract

The invention relates to a sensor system for a machine tool with at least one sensor (100) with at least one measurement instrument (103), which measures a physical quantity occurring within the machine tool, which is related to a machining process performed by the machine tool; with a first energy supply unit (105) for supply of the at least one measurement instrument (103) of the sensor (100), wherein the first energy supply unit (105) receives electric energy from a surrounding electromagnetic field in a wireless way; and with a second energy supply unit for supplying the at least one measurement instrument (103) of the sensor (100), wherein the second energy supply unit comprises at least one battery (102).

Claims

1. Sensor system for a machine tool with a sensor (100) comprising

a. at least one measurement instrument (103) which measures a physical quantity occurring within the machine tool which is related to a machining process performed by the machine tool.

b. a first energy supply unit (105) for supply of said at least one measurement instrument (103) of said sensor (100) wherein said first energy supply unit (105) receives electric energy from a surrounding electromagnetic field in a wireless way;

and

c. a second energy supply unit for supply of said at least one measuring instrument (103) of said sensor (100), wherein said second energy supply unit comprises at least one battery (102).

2. Sensor system according to claim 1, wherein said battery (102) is provided as a rechargeable accumulator (102) and wherein said first wireless energy supply unit (105) loads the rechargeable accumulator (102).

3. Sensor system according to claim 2, wherein the sensor system further comprises a load electronics (101) which prevents a deep discharge of said accumulator (102).

4. Sensor system according to claim 3, wherein said sensor system additionally comprises a transmitter and/or receiver unit (108) for data transmission.

5. Sensor system according to claim 4, wherein said transmitter and/or receiver unit (108) is used for controlling said load electronics (101).

6. Sensor system according to claim 5, wherein said sensor system is designed in such a way that when a machining process of said machine tool is interrupted and a surrounding electromagnetic field is not present, it switches off said at least one measurement instrument (103) of said sensor system and checks said data transmission periodically with a first time period t1, preferably around every 200 milliseconds.

7. Sensor system according to claim 6, wherein said sensor system is designed in such a way that when a machining process of said machine tool is interrupted and a surrounding electromagnetic field is not present, it switches off said sensor (100) entirely, if no data transmission takes place during a second time period t2, which is larger than first time period t1.

8. Sensor system according to claim 6, wherein said sensor (100) is activated when the surrounding electromagnetic field is present anew.

9. Sensor system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one battery (102) of said sensor (100) is arranged with respect to the rotation axis (190) of said machine tool in such a way that essentially no unbalance is generated during a rotation around said rotation axis (190).

10. Sensor system according to claim 9, wherein said sensor (100) comprises a plurality of batteries (102) which have essentially the same distance d from said rotation axis (190) of said machine tool.

11. Sensor system according to claim 1, further comprising a primary coil (114) which generates said surrounding electromagnetic field in such a way that it covers a magazine (140) which is employed for receiving said sensor (100) when the machining phase is interrupted.

12. Sensor system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one measurement instrument (103) and said first (105) and said second energy supply unit (102) are designed in such a way that they move together with a moving part (80) of said machine tool during the machining process.