Method for controlling a device system during the cutting of a workpiece along a cutting line

Abstract

A method for controlling a device system (10) during the cutting of a workpiece (18) along a cutting line (43) up to a first end point (E.sub.1) using a saw head (12) that can be moved on a guide rail (11) along an advancing direction (26), whereby the saw head (12) is arranged on the guide rail (11) in a starting position (X.sub.0), and a first partial length (L.sub.1) extending from the starting position (X.sub.0) to the first end point (E.sub.1) of the cutting line (43) is entered.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a device system during the cutting of a workpiece along a cutting line between a first end point and a second end point using a saw head movable on a guide rail in a positive advancing direction and a negative advancing direction, the cutting line including a total length extending from the first end point to the second end point, the method comprising: arranging the saw head on the guide rail in a starting position between the first end point and the second end point, the starting position separating the total length in a first partial length extending from the starting position to the first end point and in a second partial length extending from the starting position to the second end point; before moving the saw head on the guide rail, entering in a remote control of the device system, a value of a distance of the first partial length and a direction of the first partial length, the direction of the first partial length being the positive advancing direction or the negative advancing direction; before moving the saw head on the guide rail, calculating by a first control unit of the saw head or a second control unit of the remote control, based on the starting position, on the value of the distance of the first partial length and on the direction of the first partial length, the position of the first end point; and moving, by an advancing motor, the saw head on the guide rail alternately in the positive advancing direction and the negative advancing direction between the calculated position of the first end point and the second end point.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising: before moving the saw head on the guide rail, entering in the remote control of the device system, a value of the total length extending from the first end point to the second end point of the cutting line; and before moving the saw head on the guide rail, calculating by the first control unit of the saw head or the second control unit of the remote control, based on the starting position, on the first partial length and on the total length, the position of the second end point.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein the value of the distance of the first partial length, the direction of the first partial length and the value of the total length of the cutting line are entered by the operator via operating means into the remote control of the device system.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising: before moving the saw head on the guide rail, entering in the remote control of the device system, a value of a distance of the second partial length and a direction of the second partial length, the direction of the second partial length being the positive advancing direction or the negative advancing direction: and before moving the saw head on the guide rail, calculating, by the first control unit of the saw head or the second control unit of the remote control, based on the starting position, on the value of the distance of the second partial length and on the direction of the second partial length, the position of the second end point.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 wherein the value of the distance of the first partial length, the direction of the first partial length, the value of the distance of the second partial length and the direction of the second partial length are entered by the operator via operating means into the remote control of the device system.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the value of the distance of the first partial length and the direction of the first partial length, a value of a distance of the second partial length and a direction of the second partial length or a value of the total length of the cutting line are entered by the operator via operating means into the remote control of the device system.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the value of the distance of the first partial length and the direction of the first partial length, a value of a distance of the second partial length and a direction of the second partial length or a value of the total length of the cutting line are entered via a sensor system for a distance measurement into the remote control of the device system.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein the value of the distance of the first partial length and the direction of the first partial length, the value of the distance of the second partial length and the direction of the second partial length or the value of the total length of the cutting line are transmitted by the sensor system to the remote control of the device system via a communication connection.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The following is shown:

(2) FIG. 1: a rail-guided device system consisting of a guide rail, a saw head that is arranged so as to be movable on the guide rail and a motor-driven advancing mechanism to move the saw head along the guide rail;

(3) FIG. 2: the device system shown in FIG. 1, during the creation of a cut between a first and a second end point, without overcuts; and

(4) FIG. 3: the device system of FIG. 1, during the creation of a cut between a first and a second end point, with overcuts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(5) FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a rail-guided device system 10, consisting of a guide rail 11, a power tool 12 that is arranged so as to be movable on the guide rail 11, and a motor-driven advancing mechanism 13 to move the power tool 12 along the guide rail 11.

(6) The power tool is configured as a saw head 12 and it comprises a saw blade 14 that is attached to a saw arm 15 and that is driven around a rotational axis 16. The saw arm 15 is configured so that it can be swiveled around the swivel axis 17. The cutting depth of the saw blade 14 is varied by a swiveling movement of the saw arm 15 around the swivel axis 17. The swivel angle of the saw arm 15, together with the diameter of the saw blade 14, determines how deep the saw blade 14 plunges into the workpiece 18 that is to be processed. As an alternative to the swiveling movement of the saw arm 15 around the swivel axis 17, the saw arm 15 can be adjusted, for instance, by means of a linear drive or another such drive unit. In order to protect the operator, the saw blade 14 can be surrounded by a blade guard that is attached to the saw arm 15 by means of a blade guard holder.

(7) The saw blade 14 is rotated around the rotational axis 16 by a drive motor 21, while the saw arm 15 is swiveled around the swivel axis 17 by a swivel motor 22. The drive motor 21 and the swivel motor 22 are arranged in a device housing 23 of the saw head 12. The motor-driven advancing mechanism 13 comprises a guide carriage 24 and an advancing motor 25 that is arranged in the device housing 23. The saw head 12 is installed on the guide carriage 24 and configured so as to be movable by the advancing motor 25 along the guide rail 11 in an advancing direction 26. The device housing 23 accommodates not only the motors 21, 22, 25, but also a first control unit 27 to control the saw head 12 and the motor-driven advancing mechanism 13.

(8) The device system 10 is operated by means of a control unit 28 which, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, is configured as a remote control unit. The remote control unit 28 comprises a device housing 29, a second control unit 31 accommodated in the device housing 29 as well as an operating means 32 and a display means 33 that are arranged on the top 34 of the device housing 29. The second control unit 31 is connected to the first control unit 27 via a communication connection 35. The communication connection 35 is configured as a hard-wired connection or else as a wireless communication connection, for example, in the form of an infrared, Bluetooth, WLAN or Wi-Fi connection. Aside from the listed wireless connection technologies, all familiar and future wireless connection technologies for data transmission are suitable.

(9) The device system 10 has a sensor system 36 with several sensor elements in order to monitor the device system 10 and the work process. A first sensor element 37 is configured as a swivel-angle sensor, while a second sensor element 38 is configured as a position sensor. The swivel-angle sensor 37 measures the momentary swivel angle of the saw arm 15. The swivel angle of the saw arm 15, together with the diameter of the saw blade 14, determines how deep the saw blade 14 plunges into the workpiece 18. The position sensor 38 measures the momentary position of the saw head 12 on the guide rail 11. The measured quantities are transmitted to the first control unit 27 by the swivel-angle sensor 37 and by the position sensor 38.

(10) FIG. 2 shows the device system 10 of FIG. 1 in a first variant. A cut 41 is made in the workpiece 18 using the device system 10. The cut 41 has a depth T in a depth direction 42 and it runs in the advancing direction 26 along a cutting line 43 between a first end point E.sub.1 and a second end point E.sub.2. The cut 41 is made in several partial cuts until the desired cut depth T is reached. In the case of the cut 41 shown in FIG. 2, no overcut is possible at the end points E.sub.1, E.sub.2, so that the cutting depth 41 at the end points E.sub.1, E.sub.2 is smaller than the cutting depth T.

(11) By means of the guide carriage 24, the saw head 12 is positioned on the guide rail 11 in a starting position X.sub.0. The starting position X.sub.0 of the saw head 12 is between the first and second end points E.sub.1, E.sub.2 of the cutting line 43 and it is determined by the position of the swivel axis 17 of the saw arm 15. The position of the swivel axis 17 in the advancing direction 26 during the swiveling movement of the saw arm 15 around the swivel axis 17 remains unchanged. The starting position X.sub.0 as well as a positive and a negative direction beginning at the starting position X.sub.10 are indicated by the mark 44.

(12) The positions of the first and second end points E.sub.1, E.sub.2 in the advancing direction 26 are prescribed by entering the partial lengths. The distance between the starting position X.sub.0 and the first end point E.sub.1 determines a first partial length L.sub.1, while the distance between the starting position X.sub.0 and the second end point E.sub.2 determines a second partial length L.sub.2. Based on the mark 44, the first partial length L.sub.1 is measured in the positive direction, while the second partial length L.sub.2 is measured in the negative direction. The operator measures the first and second partial lengths L.sub.1, L.sub.2 and then, using the operating means 32, he/she enters the measured partial lengths L.sub.1, L.sub.2 together with the directions of the partial lengths into the remote control unit 28. The operator enters not only the partial lengths L.sub.1, L.sub.2 but also the desired depth T of the cut 41 as well as the device parameters such as, for instance, the diameter of the saw blade 14 and the workpiece that is to be processed into the remote control unit 28. Moreover, the operator indicates whether there should be an overcut at one of the end points E.sub.1, E.sub.2, at both end points E.sub.1, E.sub.2 or at neither of the end points E.sub.1, E.sub.2. The control commands for making the cut 41 are generated in the first or second control unit 27, 31 on the basis of the partial lengths L.sub.1, L.sub.2, on the basis of the device parameters and on the basis of additional information. The cut 41 is made in several consecutive partial cuts in the workpiece 18 until the desired cut depth T is reached.

(13) FIG. 3 shows the device system 10 of FIG. 1 in a second variant. A cut 51 is made in the workpiece 18 using the device system 10. The cut 51 has a depth T in a depth direction 42 and it runs in the advancing direction 26 along a cutting line 52 between a first end point E.sub.11 and a second end point E.sub.12. The end points E.sub.11, E.sub.12 of FIG. 3 differ from the end points E.sub.1, E.sub.2 of FIG. 2 in that overcuts are allowed and the cut 51 reaches the depth T at the end points E.sub.11, E.sub.12.

(14) The saw head 12 is positioned by means of the guide carriage 24 on the guide rail 11 in a starting position X.sub.10. The mark 53 indicates the starting position X.sub.10 of the saw head 12 is between the first and second end points E.sub.11, E.sub.12 and it is determined by a mark 53 on the device housing 23 of the saw head 12. The starting position X.sub.10 as well as a positive and a negative direction beginning at the starting position X.sub.10.

(15) The positions of the end points E.sub.11, E.sub.12 in the advancing direction 26 are specified by entering a partial length (value and direction) as well as a total length. The distance between the starting position X.sub.0 and the first end point E.sub.11 determines a first partial length L.sub.11, while the distance between the first and second end points E.sub.11, E.sub.12 determines the total length L. The positions of the end points E.sub.11, E.sub.12 are calculated on the basis of the first partial length L.sub.11, on the basis of the direction in which the first partial length L.sub.1 is measured, and on the basis of the total length L. Instead of the total length L, the operator can enter a second partial length L.sub.12 (value and direction) between the starting position X.sub.10 and the second end point E.sub.12. The total length L of the cut 51 results from the sum of the values for the first and second partial lengths |L.sub.11|+L.sub.12|. Entering the total length L lends itself whenever the total length L of the cut 51 is prescribed, for instance, in case of a wall opening for a door having a height of 2.30 m. If the total length L is known, only one partial length between the starting position X.sub.10 of the saw head 12 and one of the end points E.sub.11, E.sub.12 needs to be measured.

(16) The operator can manually enter the partial lengths L.sub.11, L.sub.12 or the total length L of the cut 51 by using the operating means 32. As an alternative, the device system 10 can be connected to a sensor system 62 for the distance measurement via a communication connection 61 (see FIG. 1). The operator measures one of the lengths using the sensor system 62 and the measured length is then transmitted to the first or second control unit 27, 31 of the device system 10 via the communication connection 61. In the case of the embodiment of FIG. 1, the sensor system 62 is connected to the second control unit 31 via the communication connection 61.

(17) In order to carry out the laser distance measurement, a reflecting and/or scattering surface for the laser beam has to be present at the end point whose length is to be measured. The laser distance measurement can be assisted by an active or passive target object. In another variant, the sensor system 62 for the distance measurement can be integrated into the device system 10.