DRIVE UNIT

Abstract

A drive unit having a transport element has at least one entrainer engaging into a drive groove of a barrel cam, an electrical drive device, and a base control device that is adapted to receive control signals for the operation of the drive unit from a user interface programmable by an operator and to output a drive signal to the drive device in dependence on a received control signal. The drive device is adapted to drive the barrel cam to make a rotational movement and thus to drive the transport element in response to the drive signal. The base control device is further adapted to selectively operate the drive device in a full operation mode or, if no control signal is received after the output of a drive signal and after the elapse of a cycle time duration of the drive unit, to set it into a standby operation mode in which an electrical supply of the drive device is interrupted.

Claims

1.-13. (canceled)

14. A drive unit having a transport element, in particular a turntable, that has at least one entrainer engaging into a drive groove of a barrel cam, having an electrical drive device, and having a base control device, wherein the base control device is adapted to receive control signals for the operation of the drive unit from a user interface programmable by an operator and to output a drive signal to the drive device in dependence on a received control signal; wherein the drive device is adapted to drive the barrel cam to make a rotational movement and thus to drive the transport element in response to the drive signal; and wherein the base control device is further adapted to selectively operate the drive device in a full operation mode or, if no control signal is received after the output of a drive signal and after the elapse of a cycle time duration of the drive unit, to set it into a standby operation mode in which an electrical supply of the drive device is interrupted.

15. A drive unit in accordance with claim 14, wherein the base control device is further adapted to determine the cycle time duration on the basis of a plurality of received control signals, in particular received directly after one another in time.

16. A drive unit in accordance with claim 15, wherein, the base control device is further adapted to determine the cycle time duration on the basis of a plurality of detected positions of the transport element, in particular detected directly after one another in time.

17. A drive unit in accordance with claim 14, wherein, the base control device is further adapted to determine the cycle time duration on the basis of a plurality of detected positions of the transport element, in particular detected directly after one another in time.

18. A drive unit in accordance with claim 14, wherein the base control device is operable in a permanent operation mode in which the base control device operates the drive device in the full operation mode independently of the cycle time duration.

19. A drive unit in accordance with claim 14, wherein the cycle time duration is settable by the user interface.

20. A drive unit in accordance with claim 14, wherein the drive unit has an output interface that is adapted to output a status signal of the drive device with the status signal comprising information on whether the drive device is in the full operation mode or in the standby operation mode.

21. A drive unit in accordance with claim 14, wherein the base control device is adapted to switch the drive device in the standby operation mode in response to the reception of a control signal from the standby operation mode into the full operation mode.

22. A drive unit in accordance with claim 14, wherein the drive groove of the barrel cam has at least one latching path; and in that the drive device comprises an electric asynchronous motor.

23. A method of operating a drive unit having a transport element, in particular a turntable, that has at least one entrainer engaging into a drive groove of a barrel cam and having an electrical drive device, wherein at least one control signal for the drive unit is received and a drive signal is output to the drive device in dependence on the control signal; wherein the drive device drives the barrel cam to make a rotational movement and thus drives the transport element in response to the drive signal; and wherein the drive device is selectively operated in a full operation mode or, if no control signal is received after the output of a drive signal and after the elapse of a cycle time duration of the drive unit, the drive device is set into a standby operation mode in which an electrical supply of the drive device is interrupted.

24. A method in accordance with claim 23, wherein the cycle time duration is determined on the basis of a plurality of received control signals, in particular received directly after one another, and/or on the basis of a plurality of detected positions of the transport element, in particular detected directly after one another in time.

25. A method in accordance with claim 24, wherein the cycle time duration comprises a safety allowance, in particular with the safety tolerance amounting to one to ten percent, preferably five percent, of the cycle time duration.

26. A method in accordance with claim 23, wherein the cycle time duration comprises a safety allowance, in particular with the safety tolerance amounting to one to ten percent, preferably five percent, of the cycle time duration.

27. A method in accordance with claim 23, wherein the cycle time duration is determined again at regular or irregular time intervals.

28. A method in accordance with claim 23, wherein the drive device is switched over from the standby operation mode into the full operation mode in response to the reception of a control signal.

Description

[0032] The invention will be explained only by way of example in the following with reference to the enclosed drawing.

[0033] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a drive unit in accordance with the invention.

[0034] A drive unit 10here specifically a rotary indexing tablecomprises a transport element that is configured as a turntable 12 and that is rotatable about an axis A extending perpendicular to the plane of the drawing. The turntable 12 has a plurality of entrainers 14 that are distributed in the peripheral direction and that engage into a drive groove of a cam barrel 18 rotatable perpendicular to the axis A in dependence on the rotational position of the turntable 12.

[0035] The drive unit 10 further comprises an electrical drive device 20 having an electric motor 22 that is mechanically coupled to the barrel cam 18. The drive device 20 is electrically connected to a base control device 24.

[0036] The base control device 24 is adapted to receive control signals for the operation of the drive unit 10 from a user interface 26 programmable by an operator and to output a drive signal to the drive device 20 or to apply current to it as required in dependence on a received control signal.

[0037] The drive device 20 is adapted to drive the barrel cam 18 to make a rotational movement and thus to drive the turntable 12 in response to the drive signal.

[0038] An electrical supply source 28 that is electrically connected to the electric motor 22 in dependence on the switch position of a switching device 30 is provided for the operation of the electric motor 22. The switch position of the switching device 30 is controlled by the base control device 24.

[0039] The base control device 24 is adapted selectively to operate the drive device 20 in a full operation mode in which the switch of the switching device 30 is closed or, if no control signal is received after the output of a drive signal and after the elapse of a cycle time duration 10, to set it into a standby operation mode in which the switch of the switching device 30 is open and thus the electrical supply of the electric motor 22 of the drive device 20 is interrupted. The respective current operating mode can be read via the user interface 26 and/or via a separate output interface 34.

[0040] The cycle time duration can be determined by the base control device 24 on the basis of a plurality of received control signals, in particular received via the user interface 26 after one another in time and/or on the basis of a plurality of detected positions of the turntable 12, in particular detected directly after one another in time by means of a position sensor 32. The base control device 24 can for this purpose have computing means, not shown, having a time measurement module and can have a memory for storing the determined cycle time duration. The base control device 24 can generally be a controllable amplifier.

REFERENCE NUMERAL LIST

[0041] 10 drive unit

[0042] 12 turntable

[0043] 14 entrainer

[0044] 16 drive groove

[0045] 18 barrel cam

[0046] 20 drive device

[0047] 22 electric motor

[0048] 24 base control device user interface

[0049] 28 supply source

[0050] 30 switching device

[0051] 32 position sensor

[0052] 34 output interface

[0053] A axis