Drive unit of an automation component, in particular a gripping, clamping, and changing or pivoting unit

Abstract

Drive unit of an automation component, in particular a gripping, clamping, changing, linear or pivoting unit, whereby the drive unit includes a drive for driving the movable parts of the automation component and a control unit which controls the drive, whereby the control unit includes at least one computing device, and the drive unit together with the drive, control unit and computing device is arranged in or on a base housing of the automation component.

Claims

1. A drive unit of an automation component, comprising a drive for driving the movable parts of the automation component and a control unit which controls the drive, whereby the control unit comprises at least one computing device, and the drive unit together with the drive, control unit and computing device is arranged in or on a base housing of the automation component, wherein the control unit comprises at least one computing device provided with an operating system, by means of which programs that are written in a higher programming language or programs that are translated from a higher programming language are executed on the computing device during the operation of the drive unit, wherein the drive unit is set up for use in human-robot cooperation, and in that the control unit comprises two separate computing devices for redundant data processing, and in that an evaluation logic for mutual monitoring and/or checking the redundancy of the computing device is provided.

2. The drive unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one computing device is designed as single-board computer.

3. The drive unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one computing device is programmed and set up for direct control of the drive without the interposition of a separately designed motor controller.

4. The drive unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one computing device is set up for maintenance, for data transmission, for diagnosis, monitoring, also of sub-functions and/or for programming.

5. The drive unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one computing device has a user interface or can be connected to a user interface.

6. The drive unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the operating system is a common operating system or a special operating system which is based on a common operating system.

7. The drive unit according to claim 1, wherein evaluation logic is set up in such a way that the respective operating state is known with sufficient probability by the mutual monitoring.

8. The drive unit according to claim 1, wherein sensors are provided in or on the automation component, wherein the sensor data generated by the sensors are processed by the at least one computing device.

9. The drive unit according to claim 8, wherein the sensors are formed as displacement sensors, force measuring sensors, rotary encoder sensors, current measuring sensors, proximity sensors, temperature sensor, humidity sensor and/or as a camera module.

10. The drive unit according to claim 1, wherein the two separate computing devices are additionally provided for diverse data processing.

11. An automation component, comprising movable parts and a drive unit having a drive for driving the movable parts of the automation component and a control unit which controls the drive, whereby the control unit comprises at least two computing devices, and the drive unit together with the drive, control unit and computing device is arranged in or on a base housing of the automation component, wherein the control unit comprises at least one computing device provided with an operating system, by means of which programs that are written in a higher programming language or programs that are translated from a higher programming language are executed on the computing device during the operation of the drive unit, wherein the drive unit is set up for use in human-robot cooperation, and in that the at least two computing devices perform redundant data processing, and in that an evaluation logic for mutual monitoring and/or checking the redundancy of the at least two computing devices is provided.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further details and advantageous embodiments of the invention can be found in the following description, on the basis of which one exemplary embodiment of the invention is described and explained in more detail.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of an automation component according to the invention in the form of a gripping unit 10, as can be used in a human-robot cooperation (MRK [HRC]).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(3) FIG. 1 shows a gripping unit 10 according to the invention, said gripping unit having a schematically indicated base housing 12 and a drive unit 14 provided in the base housing 12 comprising a drive 13 in the form of an electric motor. The drive 13 drives a shaft 16 shown schematically, which is movably coupled with two jaws 18 which are arranged to be moved towards and away from each other.

(4) For controlling the drive 13, a control unit 15 with two computing devices in the form of single-board computers 20, 22 are provided in the housing 12. The two single-board computers 20, 22 are followed by an evaluation unit 24, which checks the output signals of the single-board computers 20, 22 for their redundancy. In addition, the two single-board computers 20, 22 are connected to each other via lines 26 for mutual monitoring. The evaluation unit 24 can also be implemented in one of the single-board computers 20, 22. Further, a power line 25 is provided, with which the drive 13 is supplied with motor current.

(5) The single-board computers 20, 22 are equipped with a special operating system, which is based for example on Linux and designed to be tamper-proof. Furthermore, the single-board computers 20, 22 are programmed with programs written in a higher programming language such as C++, according to the respective gripping task.

(6) Unlike the known automation components, it is also provided—as can be seen from FIG. 1—that the single-board computers 20, 22 are programmed and set up for direct control of the drive 13 without the interposition of a motor controller. The single-board computers 20, 22 thus form the power electronics for the drive 13 and control the motor current for the drive 13 directly, i.e. they act directly on the current provided by a current source (not shown in the figure) for energizing the drive 13 and supply the drive 13 with the respective required engine current. Thus, no control signals generated by the single-board computers 20, 22 are forwarded to other power components or higher-level control systems, for example via the control lines or the bus systems 46, for activating and energizing the motor current.

(7) The gripping unit 10 has force measuring sensors 28 on the jaws 18, wherein said force measuring sensors 28 measure the gripping force. The force measuring sensors 28 are connected to the two single-board computers 20, 22 via data lines 30. The measurement signals of the force measuring sensors 28 are consequently evaluated redundantly by both single-board computers 20, 22. On the drive 13, or on the shaft 16, two encoder sensors 32 are provided, the output signals of which are fed via data lines 34 to the single-board computers 20, 22.

(8) In the area between the two jaws 18, a sensor in the form of a camera module 36 is provided. The output signals of the camera module 36 are supplied via data lines 38 to the two single-board computers 20, 22.

(9) In order to measure the motor current provided by the single-board computers 20, 22 and the motor current consumed by the drive 13, a current measuring sensor 40 is provided in the power line 25, the output signals of which are supplied to the two single-board computers 20, 22 via the data lines 42.

(10) For measuring the temperature in the gripping unit 10, a temperature sensor can also be provided (not shown in the figure), which supplies its output signals to both single-board computers 20, 22.

(11) Furthermore, further environmental sensors (also not shown) may be provided, which in particular detect the proximity to the gripping device and supply their output signals also to the two single-board computers 20, 22.

(12) The two single-board computers 20, 22 evaluate the supplied sensor signals independently. Control signals resulting from an appropriate programming are supplied to the evaluation unit 24, which carries out the redundancy check and then correspondingly drives the drive unit 14 or a brake 44 provided on the shaft 16.

(13) The two single-board computers 20, 22 and optionally the evaluation unit 24 communicate with a higher-level controller via a corresponding network 46, which can be set up as Ethernet, WLAN or bus system.

(14) In particular, the two single-board computers 20, 22 can be accessed via the higher-level control or else via an external tablet.

(15) By means of the two single-board computers 20, 22, not only a corresponding energization of the drive 13 and thus activation of the two jaws 18 can take place, but also maintenance functions, diagnoses, analyses, power data transmissions, etc. can be carried out.