SUPPORT APPARATUS

• US 20190329741A1
• Filed: 04/23/2019
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Simol S.p.A.
• Original Assignee: Simol S.p.A.
• Inventors: RIGHETTI, Valter
• Granted Patent: US 10,857,984 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 9/10 by fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 9/12 of telescopic type
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 63/08 Component parts or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 11/10 in which the servomotor position is a function of the pressure also pressure regulators as operating means for such systems, the device itself may be a position indicating system
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 11/16 with two or more servomotors
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 15/065 the motor being of the rack-and-pinion type
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 15/2815 Position sensing, i.e. means for continuous measurement of position, e.g. LVDT
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/7053 Double-acting output members
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/71 Multiple output members, e.g. multiple hydraulic motors or cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/765 Control of position or angle of the output member
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 19/04 comprising a rack

Abstract

The invention describes a support apparatus 10 equipped with a support foot 15,15′ of hydraulic type that comprises: a cylinder 25 equipped with a cavity 40 axially shaped that has a longitudinal axis Z, a piston 45 slidably received in a sealed manner in the cavity 40 so as to divide said cavity into a first chamber 50 and a second chamber 55, a stem 70 provided with a first end fixedly connected to the piston 45 and a second end that protrudes from the cylinder 25, a base 80 fixed to the second end of the stem, and an actuation group 85 of the support foot 80 configured to selectively send a pressurised work fluid to the first chamber 50 or to the second chamber 55 so as to change the relative position of the base 80 with respect to the cylinder 25. Where said support apparatus 10 comprises: a position sensor 130 configured to monitor the value of a parameter indicative of the position of the base 80 with respect to a reference element fixedly connected to the cylinder 25, and an electronic control unit 125, electrically connected to said position sensor 130, which is configured to transmit the value of the indicative parameter monitored by the position sensor 130 to a remote device and to control the activation of the actuation group 85 of the support foot 15,15′ as a function of an activation signal and the value of the indicative parameter.

Claims

1. Support apparatus (10) equipped with:

a support foot (15,15′

) of hydraulic kind that comprises;

a cylinder (25) equipped with a cavity (40) axially shaped that has a longitudinal axis Z,

a piston (45) slidably received in a sealed manner in the cavity (40) so as to divide said cavity into a first chamber (50) and a second chamber (55),

a stem (70) provided with a first end fixedly connected to the piston (45) and a second end that protrudes from the cylinder (25),

a base (80) fixed to the second end of the stem, and

an actuation group (85) of the support foot (80) configured to selectively send a pressurised work fluid to the first chamber (50) or to the second chamber (55) so as to change the relative position of the base (80) with respect to the cylinder (25),

said support apparatus (10) being characterised in that it comprises;

a position sensor (130) configured to monitor the value of a parameter indicative of the position of the base (80) with respect to a reference element fixedly connected to the cylinder (25), and

an electronic control unit (125), electrically connected to said position sensor (130), which is configured to transmit the value of the indicative parameter monitored by the position sensor (130) to a remote device and to control the activation of the actuation group (85) of the support foot (15,15′

) as a function of an activation signal and the value of the indicative parameter.

2. Support apparatus (10) according to claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit (125) is configured to interrupt the activation of the actuation group (85) when the value of the indicative parameter equals a predetermined value.

3. Support apparatus (10) according to claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit (125) is adapted for being connected to a remote electronic control unit (270).

4. Support apparatus (10) according to claim 3, wherein the electronic control unit (125) comprises an interface (260) that uses a can-bus logic for the connection to the remote electronic control unit (270).

5. Support apparatus (10) according to claim 1, wherein the support foot (15) comprises a connection flange (20) adapted for allowing the attachment thereof to an object to be supported, and wherein the cylinder (25) is rotatably associated with said flange (20) according to a rotation axis R.

6. Support apparatus (10) according to claim 5, comprising an orientation system (150) of the support foot, which is configured to rotate the cylinder (25) with respect to the flange (20) about the rotation axis R.

7. Support apparatus (10) according to claim 6, wherein the orientation system comprises:

a cylinder (155), which at one end is fixed to the cylinder (25) of the support foot (15) and at another end is hinged to the flange (20) with respect to the rotation axis R,

a piston (185) slidably received in a sealed manner in a cavity (180) axially shaped of the cylinder (155) of the orientation system (150) so as to divide said axial cavity in a first volume (190) and a second volume (195),

a stem (210) equipped with an end fixedly connected to said piston (185) and an end that protrudes from the cavity (180) of the cylinder (155),

a toothed wheel (220) fixed without degrees of freedom to the flange (20) and coaxial to the rotation axis R,

a rack (225) fixed to the stem (210) and that engages with the toothed wheel (220), and

a selector block (230) configured to selectively send a pressurised work fluid to the first volume (190) or to the second volume (195) so as to make the rack (225) rotate with respect to the toothed wheel (220).

8. Support apparatus (10) according to claim 1, comprising a tilt sensor (245) configured to monitor the value of a parameter indicative of the angle of inclination of the support foot (15,15′

) with respect to a vertical axis and a horizontal axis, and wherein the electronic control unit (125) is configured to transmit the value of the parameter indicative of the angle of inclination to the remote device.

9. Support apparatus (10) according to claim 7, wherein the electronic control unit (125) is configured to control the activation of the selector block (230) of the orientation system (150) as a function of an activation signal and of the value of the parameter indicative of the angle of inclination.

10. Support apparatus (10) according to claim 8, wherein the electronic control unit (125) is configured to send an alarm signal to the remote device when the value of the parameter indicative of the angle of inclination is different from a preset value.

11. Support apparatus (10) according to claim 1, which comprises a system for measuring the weight (135) bearing down on the support foot (15,15′

) configured to monitor the value of a parameter indicative of the weight bearing down on the support foot and electrically connected to the electronic control unit (125), which is configured to transmit the parameter indicative of the weight bearing down on the support foot to the remote device.

12. Support apparatus (10) according to claim 11, wherein the system for measuring the weight (135) comprises a first pressure transducer (140) housed in the first chamber (50) and a second pressure transducer (145) housed in the second chamber (55).

13. Support apparatus (10) according to claim 8, wherein the electronic control unit (125) is configured to control the activation of the selector block (230) of the orientation system (150) as a function of an activation signal and of the value of the parameter indicative of the angle of inclination.