Slip ring transmitter for rotary-table machines

Abstract

A slip ring transmitter for electrically connecting assemblies of rotary-table machines is described and comprises a slip ring with a signal unit for transmitting signals and/or data and with a power unit for transmitting electrical power. As the signal unit is formed such that it is modularly detachable can in particular be axially drawn off from the power unit, the signal unit can be inspected and/or replaced separately from the power unit. This improves the reliability of the transmission of signals and/or data and enables individual optimization of the power unit.

Claims

1. A slip ring transmitter for electrically connecting assemblies of rotary-table machines, comprising: a slip ring with a signal unit for transmitting signals and/or data and with a power unit for transmitting electrical power, wherein said signal unit is a first module comprising ring tracks and said power unit is a second module comprising slip tracks, and wherein said first module can be detached from said second module while said second module is installed in the slip ring transmitter.

2. The slip ring transmitter according to claim 1, where said power unit is configured for contact transmission and said signal unit for non-contact transmission.

3. The slip ring transmitter according to claim 2, where said signal unit is configured for optical, inductive and/or capacitive signal transmission.

4. The slip ring transmitter according to claim 1, where said slip ring comprises plug terminals for electrically connecting said signal unit by way of said power unit.

5. The slip ring transmitter according to claim 1, further comprising a housing with at least one inspection opening for passing said power unit through.

6. The slip ring transmitter according to claim 1, further comprising a brush block with brushes for contacting said power unit.

7. The slip ring transmitter according to claim 1, further comprising at least one inspection opening in the housing for exchanging said brushes.

8. The slip ring transmitter according to claim 1, where electrically and/or optically detectable wear indicators are formed on said brushes.

9. The slip ring transmitter according to claim 1, where said power unit comprises slip tracks made of brass.

10. The slip ring transmitter according to claim 1, further comprising a partition wall in a housing for shielding said signal unit from said power unit and retaining graphite dust.

11. The slip ring transmitter of claim 10, wherein the partition wall retains graphite dust via hermetic sealing.

12. The slip ring transmitter according to claim 1, where said power unit comprises modularly stackable insulator segments and slip ring segments with slip tracks.

13. The slip ring transmitter according to claim 1, where said slip ring segments can be stacked with the slip tracks axially contacting each other.

14. The slip ring transmitter of claim 1, wherein the signal unit is modularly detachable from said power unit by being axially drawn off.

15. A slip ring transmitter for electrically connecting assemblies of rotary-table machines, comprising: a slip ring with a signal unit for transmitting signals and/or data; a power unit for transmitting electrical power, wherein said signal unit is modularly detachable from said power unit; and a housing and an extractor for removing dust by suction from a housing section surrounding said power unit.

16. A rotary-table machine for producing, filling, sealing, labeling, printing, cleaning and/or inspecting containers with a slip ring transmitter, the slip ring transmitter comprising: a slip ring with a signal unit transmitting signals or data; a power unit transmitting electrical power, wherein said signal unit and the power unit are separate modules mounted on a support, and the signal unit is modularly detachable from said support and power unit.

17. The rotary-table machine according to claim 16, where said signal unit can be exchanged while said power unit is installed in said rotary-table machine.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

(1) A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawings, where

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic partial view of a rotary-table machine with a slip ring transmitter;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic partial view of slip ring transmitter with a modular design of the power unit; and

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of a brush block with a wear sensor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(5) As is evident from FIG. 1 in a schematic partial view of a rotary-table machine 1, slip ring transmitter 2 according to the invention comprises a slip ring 3 with a signal unit 3a for transmitting signals and/or data 4 and with a power unit 3b for transmitting electrical power 5.

(6) Signal unit 3a and power unit 3b are formed as modules that are detachable from each other. In particular, signal unit 3a can be detached from power unit 3b installed in slip ring transmitter 2, for example, for maintenance measures. For this purpose, signal unit 3a can preferably be drawn off in the axial direction A from power unit 3b.

(7) Power unit 3b comprises slip tracks 6 which have, for example, contact surfaces made of brass, gold alloy or silver alloy. Signal unit 3a comprises ring tracks 7 which are preferably designed for non-contact transmission of signals and/or data 4 by way of a capacitive, optical or inductive coupling. For the sake of simplicity, three slip tracks 6 and three ring tracks 7 are shown schematically in FIG. 1.

(8) As can be seen in particular in FIG. 2 in enlarged scale, slip ring 3 preferably comprises mechanical coupling elements 8 for connecting signal unit 3a to power unit 3b in a rotationally fixed manner.

(9) Furthermore, slip ring 3 preferably comprises electrical plug terminals 9 for electrically connecting ring tracks 7 of signal unit 3a to signal and/or data lines 10, which run, for example, in power unit 3b. Furthermore, electrical power lines 11 extend in power unit 3b up to slip tracks 6, see FIG. 1.

(10) Also electrical power 5 for signal unit 3a is transmitted through power unit 3b. For this purpose, at least one associated slip track 6 is tapped in power unit 3b.

(11) Electrical plug terminals 9 are configured such that the electrical connection between ring tracks 7 and signal and/or data lines 10 is interrupted when signal unit 3a is drawn off from power unit 3b and is established when signal unit 3a is pushed onto power unit 3b.

(12) In the rotary-table machine 1 shown by way of example, slip ring 3 is formed as a static component of slip ring transmitter 2 and for this purpose is attached to a stationary main column 1a of rotary-table machine 1. For reasons of clarity, the following machine components of rotary-table machine 1 rotating about main column 1a are shown with diagonal hatching in FIG. 1: a rotating container table 1b, an upper machine part 1c formed integrally therewith, as well as electrically active machine components 1d rotating thereon.

(13) Slip contacts or brushes 12, respectively, are formed on rotating upper machine part 1c rotating with the latter and establish a transmission of electrical power 5 in contact with the associated slip tracks 6. Brushes 12 are preferably made of graphite, a graphite-metal mixture, a graphite sintered material, or the like. However, brushes 12 with contact surfaces made of a gold alloy or a silver alloy are also conceivable.

(14) Brushes 12 or similar slip contacts are preferably attached to at least one brush block 13. Brushes 12 can preferably be exchanged by disassembling associated brush block 13.

(15) The transmission of signals and/or data 4 in signal unit 3a preferably takes place without contact between ring tracks 7 and transmission device 14, for example, operating in a capacitive or optical manner. The latter is connected to upper machine part 1c in a rotationally fixed manner. Transmission device 14 allows for preferably bidirectional exchange of signals and/or data 4.

(16) Slip ring transmitter 2 further comprises a housing 15 which is preferably divided into an upper housing section 15a for receiving signal unit 3a and a lower housing section 15b for receiving power unit 3b. For this purpose, a partition wall 16 is preferably formed between upper housing section 15a and lower housing section 15b. Housing 15 could also be assembled in a modular manner from upper housing section 15a and lower housing section 15b.

(17) Housing 15 preferably comprises an inspection opening 15c which can be closed with a cover and which enables access to signal unit 3a for maintenance measures. Signal unit 3a can be detached and removed, in particular, through inspection opening 15c, from power unit 3b in the axial direction A.

(18) Housing 15 preferably comprises an inspection opening 15d which can be closed with a cover and which enables access to brushes 12 for maintenance measures.

(19) Partition wall 16 can be formed, for example, to be hermetically sealing in order to prevent gas exchange between upper housing section 15a and lower housing section 15b. Alternatively, a dust filter 17 can be formed in partition wall 16 and allow a gas exchange between upper housing section 15a and lower housing section 15b, but is impermeable to dust, especially to graphite dust. In both cases, fouling of signal unit 3a due to graphite wear debris in power unit 3b is prevented. This makes it possible to prevent, in particular, ring tracks 7 and/or transmission device 14 from being fouled with graphite dust. The transmission of signals and/or data 4 is then particularly reliable.

(20) In the alternative or in addition to the sealing partition wall 16, an extraction 18 by suction can be provided for lower housing section 15b. Such extraction 18 by suction can be operated both continuously as well as intermittently to extract any graphite dust or the like by suction that is caused by wear debris of brushes 12 and keep it away from signal unit 3a.

(21) Sealing the components of slip ring transmitter 2, co-rotating with upper machine part 1c, against slip ring 3 can be effected in a conventional manner with sealing lips or the like against a central support member 3c of slip ring 3, as is indicated schematically in FIG. 1. Possibly existing bearings between slip ring 3 and housing 15 are not shown for reasons of clarity.

(22) Brushes 12 are connected by way of connection lines (symbolized by arrows) and/or wirelessly to active machine components 1d which co-rotate on container table 1b or upper machine part 1c. Active machine components 1d are electrically supplied and controlled and are, for example, rotary plates, lifting drives for centering bells, control units or the like.

(23) Ring tracks 7 are connected to machine components 1d by way of transmission device 14 and connection lines (symbolized by arrows) and/or wirelessly for exchanging signals and/or data 4.

(24) The number of slip tracks 6 and ring tracks 7 and associated connection lines 10, 11 is shown only by way of example and depends on the number of rotating active components 1d and the number of respectively required connections for electrical power 5 and for the exchange of signals and/or data 4.

(25) The number of brushes 12 and their distribution possibly to several brush blocks 13 is also shown only by way of example. For example, two brushes 12 running in pairs each on a slip track 6 can be present in order to improve the transmission of electrical power. Brush blocks 13 and associated inspection openings 15d are also preferably formed on mutually opposite sides of housing 15. If necessary, more slip tracks 6 can then be arranged on slip ring 3.

(26) As evidenced by FIG. 2 in this regard, slip ring 3 can have a modular design. For example, in particular ring-shaped slip track segments 19 with slip tracks 6 and, in particular, ring-shaped insulator segments 20 are present which can preferably be stacked on each other in any order, in particular around central support member 3c.

(27) Slip track segments 19 and insulator segments 20 can then be alternately stacked on each other to form slip tracks 6 insulated from one another. Similarly, slip track segments 19 can be stacked directly on each other to perform slip tracks 6 of different widths for power scaling of slip tracks 6.

(28) For stacking slip track segments 19 and insulator segments 20 in a rotationally fixed manner, they and/or central support member 3c can have elevations 21 and recesses 22 or the like formed thereon corresponding to each other in a positive-fit manner.

(29) If a defect in signal unit 3a is detected and/or a prescribed maintenance interval is to be complied with, then signal unit 3a can be accessed by the operating personnel through inspection opening 15c in a simple manner. Signal unit 3a can be drawn off upwardly from power unit 3b in the axial direction A by releasing a conventional, for example, positive-fit and/or force-fit lock (not shown). Signal unit 3a can then be easily inspected and/or if necessary replaced by an operational signal unit 3a. In particular signal units 3a operating in a non-contact manner can be drawn off power unit 3b without any additional separation of brushes or the like that are attached to housing 15.

(30) However, it would also be conceivable to configure signal unit 3a in analogy to power unit 3b. In this case, material pairs of gold alloys or silver alloys in signal unit 3a are advantageous. For example, ring tracks 7 can have a contact surface made of a gold alloy and the slip contacts can be formed as gold spring wires or gold rivets. Alternatively, ring tracks 7 can have a contact surface made of a silver alloy and the slip contacts can be formed as silver strip brushes.

(31) In any case, the modular design of signal unit 3a enables individual detachment from power unit 3b and thus facilitates maintenance of slip ring transmitter 2.

(32) The selection of the material for brushes 12 depends on the conditions of use, such as the specific temperature range, the specific humidity, required stability, allowed wear or the like. This applies at least to power unit 3b and possibly also to a signal unit 3a in contacting operation.

(33) In addition, an electrically and/or optically detectable wear indicator 23 can be formed on brushes 12. This is shown by way of example and schematically in FIG. 3 as an optically detectable reflective strip. A corresponding sensor 24 then exists in the region of brushes 12, in the example of FIG. 3 in the form of a reflection light barrier. This makes it possible to monitor the degree of wear of brushes 12. As a result, premature wear of slip tracks 6 can be prevented and/or a maintenance interval for replacement of brushes 12 can be maximized by remote diagnosis as needed.

(34) In the embodiment shown, slip ring transmitter 2 is shown with a static slip ring 3 and a housing 15 with brushes 12 and a transmission device 14 rotating relative thereto about slip ring 3. However, slip ring transmitter 2 could also be used with rotating slip ring 3 and brushes 12 that are stationary relative thereto and transmission device 14 that is stationary relative thereto. Slip ring 3 and brushes 12 or transmission device 14, respectively, could also be offset relative to each other in any rotational motion relative to each other.