CABLE ROBOT

Abstract

The invention relates to a cable robot for creating a structure or manipulating a workpiece, comprising a working head which is suspended on a support structure having at least three support columns by a system of cables having at least three control cables, wherein cable winches are provided for adjusting the control cables relative to the support structure and/or relative to the working head, and they can be actuated by an electronic control device for moving the working head, wherein the support columns of the support structure are luffingly and/or telescopically arranged on a revolving stage, which has a ballast weight for absorbing a tilting moment introduced into the respective support column by the system of cables and which is arranged on an undercarriage such that it can rotate about an upright revolving stage axis, said undercarriage having a chassis and being configured such that it can move with the revolving stage and the downwardly luffing and/or retracted support column.

Claims

1. A cable robot for creating a structure or manipulating a workpiece, comprising: a working head suspended on a support structure having at least three support columns by a system of cables having at least three control cables; cable winches for adjusting the control cables relative to the support structure and/or relative to the working head, wherein the cable winches are configured to be actuated by an electronic control device for moving the working head, wherein the support columns of the support structure are luffingly and/or telescopically arranged on a revolving stage which has a ballast weight for absorbing a tilting moment introduced into the respective support column by the system of cables and which is arranged on an undercarriage such that the ballast weight can rotate about an upright revolving stage axis, wherein the undercarriage comprises a chassis and is configured so the undercarriage can move with the revolving stage and the downwardly luffing and/or support column when in a retracted configuration.

2. The robot of claim 1, further comprising a luffing drive, in particular at least one luffing cylinder, on the revolving stage for luffing the support column up into an upright working position from a lying-down transport position, and wherein the luffing drive comprises at least one luffing cylinder.

3. The robot of claim 2, wherein a telescoping and/or folding drive for extending and/or unfolding the column portions into a working position of bigger column length from a transport position of smaller column length is associated in each case with the support columns, each of the support columns comprising a plurality of column portions.

4. The robot of claim 1, wherein the undercarriage comprises having a travel drive for driving at least one chassis axle, and wherein the travel drive comprises an engine and/or an electric motor, and at least one steerable chassis axle.

5. The robot of claim 1, wherein the control ropes (5, 6) are configured as high-strength fibre ropes comprising synthetic fibres.

6. The robot of claim 1, wherein at least one support column comprises a tower of a revolving tower crane, wherein the revolving tower crane supports a crane boom from which a hoist cable with a lifting hook extends, wherein a trolley over which the hoisting rope extends is mounted on the crane boom so as to be movable.

7. The robot of claim 6, wherein said revolving tower crane is configured as a bottom-slewer, wherein a tower of which is mounted with a tower lower end portion on a revolving stage rotatably supported around an upright revolving stage axis.

8. The robot of claim 1, wherein the revolving tower crane is configured as a mobile crane, wherein a tower of which is mounted on an undercarriage having the chassis which can be moved together with the tower.

9. The robot of claim 1, wherein the electronic control device comprises: a sensor device for detecting the positions and/or orientations of the support columns and/or the articulation points provided thereon for the system of cables relative to one another, and an adaptation and/or correction module for adapting and/or correcting the control commands for the adjustment of the cable winches as a function of the detected positions and/or orientations of the support columns and/or the articulation points provided thereon relative to one another.

10. The robot of claim 9, wherein the sensor device comprises distance sensors for detecting a horizontal distance of the support columns relative to one another and/or relative to a predetermined ambient point, and the adjustment and/or correction module of the control device adjusts and/or corrects the control commands for the winch adjustment on the basis of the detected horizontal distances.

11. The robot of claim 10, wherein the sensor device comprises height sensors for determining the height position of the support columns and/or the articulation points for the system of columns relative to one another and/or relative to the level of a predetermined ambient point, and wherein the adaptation and/or correction module of the control device is configured to carry out the control commands for the winch adjustment of the cable winches as a function of the determined height positions of the support columns and/or of the articulation points mounted thereon.

12. The robot of claim 1, wherein the control device comprises a central control unit which communicates with local control units on the respective mobile support column units and configured to control the cable winches on the mobile support column units, wherein the central control unit provides the local control units with desired values for the cable adjustment and/or winch adjustment.

13. The robot of claim 12, wherein the control device comprises a monitoring module for monitoring the stability of the mobile support column units, wherein the monitoring module is configured to monitor a respective tilting moment which is introduced by the system of cables via a respective support column into the respective mobile support column unit and to compare it with a permissible tilting moment.

14. The robot of claim 13, wherein the monitoring module is integrated in a decentralised manner into the respective local control units of the individual mobile support column units.

15. The robot of claim 1, further comprising two articulation points on each support column for articulation of two control cables, wherein the two articulation points are offset in height from one another so the two control cables on the respective support column extend in a common upright plane offset in height from one another relative to the working head.

16. The robot of claim 15, wherein the two articulation points are arranged in upper and lower end portions of the respective support column so that one control cable pulls the working head upwards and the other control cable pulls the working head downwards.

17. The robot of claim 1, wherein the control cables on the support columns are diverted at the articulation points therein by cable pulleys and guided to the cable winches, wherein the cable winches are in the area of the column base and/or on the revolving stage.

18. The robot of claim 1, wherein the support columns are supported exclusively on the revolving stage and/or are configured to be free of ground bracing anchored in the ground.

19. The robot of claim 1, wherein the system of cables is spanned by three support columns and a tower of a revolving tower crane.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of a preferred exemplary embodiment and the corresponding drawings. The drawings show:

[0036] FIG. 1: a top view of a cable robot according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, according to which the support structure for the system of cables of the cable robot has a plurality of vehicle units which can be moved independently, some of which are configured as mobile support column units and at least one of which is configured as a mobile crane, and

[0037] FIG. 2: a side view of the cable robot from FIG. 1, showing a support column and the crane, to each of which the system of cables is hinged with two control cables, which have articulation points on the column or the crane tower that are offset higher or lower from one another and can each be retracted and lowered by a cable winch.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] As shown in the figures, the cable robot 1 comprises a system of cables 2 spanned by a support structure 3 and supporting a working head 4.

[0039] Said working head 4 can be differently configured and/or equipped with different working tools, for example in the form of a material application head such as a concrete spraying head or another manufacturing tool and/or in the form of a workpiece gripper or another handling tool such as a clamshell grabs.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 1, the system of cables 2 can comprise cables extending in four cardinal directions or in four different vertical planes, wherein advantageously two cables 5, 6 can be provided for each cardinal direction or each vertical plane, which can run from articulation points arranged at different heights, in particular can guide the working head 4 once diagonally upwards and once diagonally downwards, cf. FIG. 2.

[0041] In particular, the support structure may comprise four separate support columns 7, 8, 9 and 10, each upright, at least one of which may be formed by the tower 11 of a revolving tower crane 12.

[0042] Advantageously, said support columns 7, 8, 9 and 10 including the tower 11 of the revolving tower crane 12 are each formed part of a mobile unit that can be moved independently, so that the support columns 7, 8, 9 and 10 can be moved and transported independently of one another.

[0043] The support columns 7, 8, 9 and 10 or the tower 11 of the crane 12 can be mounted on a revolving stage 13, which is rotatably arranged on an undercarriage 15 around an upright revolving stage axis 14. A rotary drive that is not particularly shown, for example comprising a sprocket and a drive gear meshing therewith, can rotate the revolving stage 14 relative to the undercarriage 15.

[0044] Said undercarriage 15 comprises a chassis 16 which may have several chassis axles, at least one of which may be configured to be steerable and at least one of which may be drivable. A travel drive for driving the at least one chassis axle can comprise, for example, an engine or an electric motor or a mixed form in the form of a hybrid drive. In particular, the undercarriage 15 may form a truck suitable for road use, supporting said revolving stage 13 and steerable and controllable from a driver's cab. During operation at the construction site, the undercarriage 15 can be supported on the ground by extendable supporting foot 19, wherein, advantageously, an uneven ground can be balanced and/or an exactly horizontal position of the undercarriage 15 can be achieved by extending the supporting foot 19 to different extents.

[0045] The support columns 7, 8, 9 and 10 or the tower 11 of the crane 12 are advantageously hinged to said revolving stage 13 so as to be able to luff about a horizontal luffing axis 17 in the base area of the respective support column or tower in order to be able to be switched from the upright working position shown in FIG. 2 to a horizontal transport position. The luffing up and down can be carried out by means of a luffing drive 18, for example in the form of hydraulic cylinders.

[0046] Depending on the height or length of the support columns 7, 8, 9 and 10 or the tower 11, it may be necessary or helpful to be able to fold and/or retract the support columns for the transport position. For this purpose, the support columns or the tower can be composed of a plurality of column portions that can be folded or retracted relative to one another about a transverse axis, which can be power-operated by means of a folding drive or a telescoping drive.

[0047] As FIG. 2 further shows, the revolving stage 13 of the mobile units can each carry a ballast weight 20 that absorbs or compensates for tilting moments that are introduced from the system of cables 2 via the support columns 7, 8, 9 and 10 or the tower 11. The support columns 7, 8, 9 and 10 or the tower 11 are held in the upright working position by said luffing drive and/or additionally by a guying 21 which tensions the respective support column or tower to the revolving stage 13, cf. FIG. 2. The ballast weight 20 absorbs tilting moments introduced via said guying 21 and/or the luffing drive.

[0048] As FIG. 2 shows, each support column 7, 8, 9 and 10 or the tower 11 of the crane 12 can have an articulation point for an upper control cable 5 in an upper end portion and a lower articulation point 23 for the lower control cable 6 in a lower portion, in particular in a base portion, wherein said upper and lower articulation points 22 and 23 can be formed by pulley blocks which divert the respective control cable 5 or 6 and lead to a respective cable winch 24 or 25, by means of which the control cables 5 and 6 of each mobile unit can be adjusted independently of one another, whilst still being coordinated with one another. As FIG. 2 shows, said articulation points 22 and 23 can be sufficiently offset higher or lower from one another so that the working head 4 is fixed or guided by the control cables 5 and 6 both upwards and downwards. Nevertheless, it would also be possible to introduce both control cables from above.

[0049] Due to the different heights of the control cables 5 and 6 on the working head 4, cf. FIG. 2, the working head 4 can be guided exactly in its alignment.

[0050] For moving and/or positioning the working head 4, an electronic control device 26 is provided which can control the cable winches 24 and 25 on each mobile column unit and thus the retracting or easing of the control cables 5 and 6. Advantageously, a local control unit 27 can be provided on each mobile column or crane unit, which can control the cable winches 24 and 25 on the respective mobile unit, wherein the local control unit 27 can be configured electronically in each case, for example can comprise a microprocessor and a programme memory, in order to process a control routine in the form of a software programme. Advantageously, said local control unit 27 not only controls the winches 24 and 25, but also performs load monitoring. In particular, the local control unit 27 can comprise a load monitoring module which monitors the tilting moment introduced into the mobile column unit and compares it with a maximum tilting moment. For this purpose, said load monitoring unit can, for example, monitor the cable tension of the two control cables 5 and 6 and, if necessary, their extension angle or inclination angle in order to determine from this the current tilting moment introduced into the support column, which can then be compared with the permissible tilting moment. When the permissible tipping moment is reached or exceeded, the control unit can, for example, switch off the winch drives.

[0051] In order to coordinate the winch movements of the various mobile column units with one another, said control device 26 advantageously comprises a superior or central control unit 28 which can communicate with the several local control units 27, as explained at the beginning. In particular, said plurality of local control units 27 can carry out control commands from said central control unit 28 for the winch movements of said winches 24 and 25 and/or report back the detected winch movements to said central control unit 28 in order to coordinate the control cables 5 and 6 of said plurality of mobile support column units so as to move the working head 4 in the required manner.

[0052] Advantageously, said control device 26 comprises a sensor system by means of which the position of the plurality of support columns including the tower relative to one another as well as their orientation and height offset relative to one another can be determined. In particular, a sensor device 29 may comprise distance sensors 30, for example in the form of laser measuring devices, each of which may measure the distance of a support column 7, 8, 9 and 10 or of the tower 11 from the respective adjacent support columns, said distance sensors 30 being able to determine the horizontal distance between the support columns. As FIG. 1 shows, the control device 26 can determine deviations Δ.sub.1, Δ.sub.2, Δ.sub.3 . . . Δ.sub.n from the measured distances, which respectively indicate the deviation of the actual installation location of the respective support column from a predetermined installation location and/or from the predetermined spacing of the support columns from one another. If the required set-up arrangement of the support columns is in itself a rectangle or square with a predetermined edge length, said deviation Δ.sub.1, Δ.sub.2 . . . Δ.sub.n can, for example, indicate the deviation from the respective corner point of the rectangle or square in the direction of a longitudinal edge and/or indicate the deviation of the distance from the predetermined edge length.

[0053] Similarly, the sensor device 29 can also detect the height offset of the support columns or their installation locations. For this purpose, the sensor device 29 can comprise height sensors 31 on the respective mobile units, which can detect the height position of a support column or, for example, of the undercarriage connected thereto or of the revolving stage connected thereto relative to another mobile unit. Alternatively or additionally, the height sensors 31 can also determine the height position of the respective mobile unit relative to a predetermined zero level, which can be, for example, a specific, stationary point of the installation environment, in particular in the area of the working field over which the working head 4 travels. For example, the centre of the working field over which the cable robot 1 travels can be selected as the zero level relative to which said height sensors 31 detect the respective height position of the respective mobile unit. Said height sensors 31 can comprise, for example, laser measuring devices that can operate according to the triangulation principle.

[0054] As FIG. 2 shows, the height sensors 31 can in particular determine the height offset Δ.sub.1, Δ.sub.2 . . . Δ.sub.5, Δ.sub.6 of the respective mobile unit relative to the zero level.

[0055] On the basis of the distance and height offset data determined by the sensor device 29, the control device 26, in particular an adaptation and/or correction module, which can be configured in the form of a software module, can correct the control commands for moving the cable winches 24 and 25 in order to achieve the required positioning and/or the required travel path of the working head 4. The control device 26 can itself start from a predefined set-up matrix, for example an exactly horizontally aligned square of the articulation points of the system of cables, and calculate correction factors on the basis of the sensor-detected distance and/or height offset data, with the aid of which the control commands are then adapted to the actual set-up safety.