Sensor system for machine tools

• US 7,710,287 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2007
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): BEE, ANDREW W.
• Application Number:
  US11/773,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20080030355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: 340/680, 700/175
• US Class Current: 340/680
• 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

A sensor system for a machine tool with at least one sensor with at least one measurement instrument, 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 for supply of the at least one measurement instrument of the sensor, wherein the first energy supply receives electric energy from a surrounding electromagnetic field in a wireless way; and with a second energy supply for supplying the at least one measurement instrument of the sensor, wherein the second energy supply comprises at least one battery.

Claims

1. Sensor system for a machine tool with a sensor comprising

a. at least one measurement instrument 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 for supply of said at least one measurement instrument of said sensor, wherein said first energy supply produces electric energy from a surrounding electromagnetic field in a wireless way;

c. a second energy supply for supply of said at least one measurement instrument of said sensor, wherein said second energy supply comprises at least one battery;

d. a transmitter or receiver for data transmission; and

electronics configured such that in the absence of a machining process and when a surrounding electromagnetic field is not present, said electronics switches off said at least one measurement instrument of said sensor system and checks for said data transmission periodically with a first time period t1, and then switches off said sensor entirely, if no data transmission takes place during a second time period t2 which is larger than first time period t1.

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

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

4. Sensor system according to claim 3, wherein said transmitter or receiver is used for controlling said load electronics.

5. Sensor system according to claim 4, wherein said sensor is activated when the surrounding electromagnetic field is present anew.

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

7. The combination according to claim 6, wherein said sensor comprises a plurality of batteries which have essentially the same distance d from said rotation axis of said machine tool.

8. Sensor system according to claim 1, further comprising a primary coil which generates said surrounding electromagnetic field to load the second energy supply while it is disposed in a magazine which is employed for receiving said sensor in the absence of the machining process.

9. Sensor system according to claim 1 in combination with a machine tool, wherein said at least one measurement instrument and said first and said second energy supply are carried by a housing, the housing being moved together with a moving part of said machine tool during the machining process.

10. Sensor system according to claim 1, wherein the first time period is around every 200 milliseconds.

11. Sensor system according to claim 1, comprising both the transmitter and receiver for data transmission.

12. Sensor system according to claim 11, wherein the sensor system further comprises a load electronics which prevents a deep discharge of said accumulator.

13. Sensor system according to claim 12, wherein said transmitter and receiver are used for controlling said load electronics.