DETERMINING A FILL LEVEL OF A HYDRODYNAMIC CLUTCH

Abstract

A device for filling a hydrodynamic coupling with operating fluid and a method for filling a constantly filled hydrodynamic coupling during commissioning and/or for checking or setting a fill level with operating fluid. The device and the method provide the use of image recognition, by way of which an inspection window can be recognized and by way of which a position of the inspection window can be set.

Claims

1-13. (canceled)

14. A device for filling a hydrodynamic coupling with operating fluid, the device comprising: a mobile device having a camera for optically acquiring the hydrodynamic coupling and having image recognition for detecting an inspection window of the hydrodynamic coupling and a module for determining a position of the inspection window of the hydrodynamic coupling.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein said mobile device comprises a gravitation sensor.

16. The device according to claim 14, further comprising a data memory for storing desired positions of the inspection window and/or fill quantities as a function of positions of the inspection window for a fill level that is visible in half the inspection window with respect to various coupling types.

17. The device according to claim 14, wherein said mobile device includes a display.

18. The device according to claim 14, wherein said mobile device includes an output device.

19. The device according to claim 18, wherein said output device is at least one device selected from the group consisting of an acoustic signalling device and an optical signalling device.

20. The device according to claim 14, wherein said mobile device comprises a data transmission device for sending and receiving electronic data.

21. The device according to claim 14, wherein the coupling is equipped with a holder for mounting said mobile device.

22. A method of filling a constantly filled hydrodynamic coupling during commissioning and/or for checking or setting a fill level, the method comprising: providing a device according to claim 14; detecting with image recognition a position of an inspection window with fill level visible in half the inspection window and causing the image recognition to recognize an outer contour of a housing of the hydrodynamic coupling, wherein the inspection window is contained in an image section called upon for detecting the outer contour of the housing.

23. The method according to claim 22, which comprises relating the detected outer contour to an effective gravitational force.

24. The method according to claim 22 for determining the fill level, the method comprising: determining a coupling type of the hydrodynamic coupling; optically detecting the inspection window with the half visible fill level; determining the position of the inspection window; determining an actual fill quantity of the hydrodynamic coupling on a basis of the position of the inspection window; comparing the actual fill quantity with a predetermined, desired fill quantity; and outputting a refill quantity or a drainage quantity.

25. The method according to claim 22 for setting a predetermined fill level, the method comprising: determining a coupling type of the hydrodynamic coupling; positioning the inspection window at a predetermined position using image recognition; and refilling operating fluid until a fill level is visible in half of the inspection window.

26. The method according to claim 22, wherein the step of determining the position of the inspection window comprises determining an angular position of an angle between a vertical and a normal to a tangent of an outer contour, wherein the normal intersects the inspection window centrally and intersects the tangent perpendicularly at a touch point of the tangent with the outer contour of the housing.

27. The method according to claim 22, which comprises outputting a trigger signal when it is known that the half fill level has been reached or the desired position of the inspection window has been assumed.

Description

[0024] The solution according to the invention is explained in the following on the basis of a FIGURE. In detail, the following is illustrated therein:

[0025] FIG. 1 schematic illustration of the hydrodynamic coupling

[0026] FIG. 1 schematically shows a hydrodynamic coupling 1. The hydrodynamic coupling has a rotationally symmetrical outer contour 3. In this illustration, the rotational axis runs through the center point of the housing delimited by the outer contour 3. At this center point, a vertical axis 11 (12 o'clock position) intersects with a horizontal axis 13. The hydrodynamic coupling has a filling opening 5 and an inspection window 9. A further opening 7, which can be opened, may be a fusible plug which is provided. This further opening 7 can be opened during filling of the coupling 1, in order to facilitate the filling through the filling opening. The fill level is illustrated with a dashed line 15. The coupling 1 is filled with operating fluid 2 below this dashed fill level line 15. A tangent 17 is drawn in at the outer contour 3, wherein a normal 19 to this tangent 17 centrally intersects the inspection window 9. The normal 19 intersects the tangent 17 at right angles. The housing is provided with a nameplate in the form of an RFID chip, in which the technical data of the coupling are stored. Thus, it is no longer necessary to provide manuals or datasheets in paper form. That is also advantageous in particular if a plurality of such hydrodynamic couplings are arranged in an arrangement or a hall. Locating the correct information is then no longer necessary. The coupling information can also be provided in a data memory, with a transmitting and if appropriate receiving unit in particular, which data memory is cast in the housing.

[0027] A mobile device 20 is shown which has a camera 24. The image section 21 recorded by the camera can be illustrated on a display 22 of the mobile device 20. The inspection window 9 is shown in the display 22. The angle which the inspection window 9 encloses with the vertical 11 is labelled with a. A gravitational sensor 26 is provided in the mobile device 20 and the effective gravitational force is illustrated as an arrow 28. Furthermore, the mobile device 20 comprises a module 25 for determining the position of the inspection window 9. The mobile device comprises an output device 23 in the form of a loudspeaker. The display 22 also constitutes an output device. The mobile device 20 is provided with a data transmission device 34 with a receiving and transmitting device for the wireless transmission of data and trigger signals and for receiving data.

[0028] Using the mobile device 20, a desired fill quantity can be obtained via an NFC function of the mobile device 20 in the case of a data memory provided at the coupling 1 by reading the data memory. In this case, the data memory may be integrated into the nameplate 30 and/or a QR code, which can be read by the camera 24, can be provided as data memory.

[0029] Access to an external data memory 32, such as a cloud or an external server, can also be provided by means of the mobile device 20. The actual filling is effected by using the camera 24 and the gravitational sensor 26 of the mobile device 20. To this end, it may be provided in a first step to determine the coupling size and type by means of optical detection of the coupling 1 by means of the camera 24. Alternatively, coupling size and type can also take place as a dataset by means of NFC or QR code scanning or by means of manual input.

[0030] In a second step, the actual filling with operating fluid is determined. To this end, after coupling alignment has taken place, an image of the coupling 1 is recorded by means of the camera 24, so that the fill level is visible behind the inspection window. By determining the tangent 17 of the coupling outer contour 3 and the associated normal 19 through the inspection window, the angular position of the inspection window 9 is determined in connection with the vertical axis 11 determined by means of the gravitational sensor 26. Alternatively to the use of a gravitational sensor 26, the alignment of the fill level line 15 can also be called upon in order to determine a horizontal and vertical and therefore the angle with respect to the vertical. The fill quantity can be calculated by means of an algorithm, taking account of the angular position and the coupling size or coupling type.

[0031] For couplings in which it is not possible to see into the inspection window 9, e.g. through housings, one functionality of the mobile device 20 may consist in recognizing and signalling the inspection window 9 with half visible operating means when rotating the coupling 1, so that the user of the mobile device 20 is informed that the inspection window 9 then corresponds to a provided positioning. The mobile device 20 can be fastened on the coupling 1 by means of a holder 23 provided on the coupling 1 and record an image of the inspection window 9 by means of the camera 24. The recorded image is transmitted to a display 22 and the user receives the images of the inspection window 9 directly and as a result even recognize a half fill level in the inspection window 9. For an exact positioning to this position, signalling, e.g. by specifying an angle of rotation or an acoustic signal, which accompanies exact positioning to the desired position, can be provided.

REFERENCE LIST

[0032] 1 Hydrodynamic coupling [0033] 2 Operating fluid [0034] 3 Outer contour of the coupling [0035] 5 Filling opening [0036] 7 Further opening, opening for fusible plug [0037] 9 Inspection window [0038] 11 Vertical axis [0039] 13 Horizontal axis [0040] 15 Fill level [0041] 17 Tangent at the outer contour [0042] 19 Normal to the tangent [0043] 20 Mobile device [0044] 21 Image section [0045] 22 Output unit/display [0046] 23 Holder [0047] 24 Camera [0048] 25 Module [0049] 26 Gravitational sensor [0050] 28 Gravitational force [0051] 30 Nameplate [0052] 32 Data memory [0053] 34 Data transmission device