Supply module and module chain

Abstract

A supply module for insertion into a module chain of functional modules mounted side by side along a concatenation axis and electrically connected to one another in a Z-linkage includes a first coupling surface having a plurality of electric input terminals, and a second coupling surface having a plurality of electric output terminals, wherein a specifiable assignment of the input terminals to the output terminals is provided, and wherein at least one input terminal is designed as a supply input for feeding in a supply voltage from an upstream functional module and at least one output terminal is designed as a supply output for transferring the supply voltage to a downstream functional module. An additional input for feeding in an additional supply voltage and an output terminal are provided for transferring the additional supply voltage to at least one functional module arranged downstream along the concatenation axis.

Claims

1. A supply module for insertion into a module chain of functional modules mounted side by side along a concatenation axis and electrically connected to one another in a Z-linkage, the supply module comprising: a first coupling surface, which is designed for fitting to a functional module arranged upstream along the concatenation axis and which has a plurality of electric input terminals; a second coupling surface, which is designed for fitting to a functional module arranged downstream along the concatenation axis and which has a plurality of electric output terminals, wherein a specifiable assignment of the input terminals to the output terminals is provided, and wherein at least one input terminal is designed as a supply input for feeding in a supply voltage from an upstream functional module and at least one output terminal is designed as a supply output for transferring the supply voltage to a downstream functional module; an additional input for feeding in an additional supply voltage from an electric energy source; an additional output for transferring the additional supply voltage to at least one functional module arranged downstream along the concatenation axis; and a change over switch for optionally switching between a first conductor branch which connects the input terminal to the output terminal and a second conductor branch which connects the output terminal to the additional input, the change over switch being looped between at least one input terminal and an associated output terminal.

2. A supply module according to claim 1, further comprising a coupler selected from the group consisting of an optocoupler, a capacitive coupler and an inductive coupler, the coupler being assigned to the second conductor branch for a galvanically isolated transfer of a switching signal provided at the input terminal to the output terminal.

3. A supply module according to claim 2, wherein the coupler comprises a light emitting diode for sending out a coupling signal as a function of the switching signal provided at the input terminal and a light sensitive photo transistor for receiving the coupling signal and for opening an electric path between the output terminal and the additional input.

4. A supply module according to claim 3, wherein the light emitting diode is looped electrically between the supply input and an associated input terminal.

5. A supply module according to claim 1, wherein at least one input terminal is electrically connected to the associated output terminal in a direct, uninterrupted manner.

6. A module chain comprising a supply module and a plurality of functional modules electrically connected to one another in a Z-linkage, the supply module being inserted between two adjacent functional modules, and a number of functional modules being connected downstream of the supply module, wherein the supply module comprises: a first coupling surface, which is designed for fitting to a functional module arranged upstream along the concatenation axis and which has a plurality of electric input terminals; a second coupling surface, which is designed for fitting to a functional module arranged downstream along the concatenation axis and which has a plurality of electric output terminals, wherein a specifiable assignment of the input terminals to the output terminals is provided, and wherein at least one input terminal is designed as a supply input for feeding in a supply voltage from an upstream functional module and at least one output terminal is designed as a supply output for transferring the supply voltage to a downstream functional module; an additional input for feeding in an additional supply voltage from an electric energy source; and an additional output for transferring the additional supply voltage to at least one functional module arranged downstream along the concatenation axis, and wherein the number of functional modules connected downstream of the supply module are preset by opening a corresponding number of electric connections between the additional input and output terminals serving as additional outputs.

7. A module chain according to claim 6, wherein an electric path for the supply voltage extends through the functional modules arranged along the concatenation axis.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) An advantageous embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawing, of which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic circuit diagram of a supply module, and

(3) FIG. 2 shows a module chain with a control module, a plurality of functional modules and a plurality of supply modules.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(4) FIG. 1 diagrammatically illustrates a supply module 1 designed for insertion into a module chain 2 shown in greater detail in FIG. 2. The module chain 2 comprises a plurality of functional modules 5, 6 mounted side by side along a concatenation axis 3 and electrically connected to one another in a Z-linkage 4.

(5) The embodiment of the supply module 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 has a cubic housing 7 on which two coupling surfaces 8, 9 are formed on opposite surfaces. The first coupling surface 8 is designed for fitting to a functional module 5 or 6 located upstream along the axis of concatenation 3. In the illustrated embodiment, the coupling surface 8 is flat and has a plurality of electric input terminals 10. The input terminals 10 are preferably arranged along a straight line 11, in particular equidistant in a presettable reference grid. The input terminals 10 may for example be designed as metallic or metallised contact surfaces and make available electric potentials and/or electric currents to the supply module 1. On the second coupling surface 9, which is oriented opposite the first coupling surface 8 and which is likewise flat in the illustrated embodiment, the supply module 1 further comprises a plurality of electric output terminals 12. The second coupling surface 9 is designed for fitting to a functional module 5 or 6 located downstream along the axis of concatenation 3. The output terminals 12 on the second coupling surface 9 are preferably arranged opposite the input terminals 10, in particular along a straight line 15 in a presettable reference grid. In the illustrated embodiment of the supply module 1, a corresponding output terminal 12 is therefore assigned to each input terminal 10.

(6) In the illustrated embodiment, two of the input terminals are designed as first and second supply inputs 16, 17, which can be used for feeding in a supply voltage from an upstream functional module 5 or 6. As FIG. 2 shows, only one of the two supply terminals 16, 17 is used in each case, while the other supply input 16, 17 remains unassigned. For a selection between the two supply inputs 16, 17, a switching means 18, which in the illustrated embodiment is a mechanical, manually operated change-over switch, is provided in the supply module 1. With this switching means 18, the respective supply module 1 is configured in accordance with the supply voltage to be provided and reliably retains this set configuration if the switching means 18 is designed suitably. The switching means 18 in each case establishes an electric connection between the first or second supply input 16, 17 and an output terminal 12 which is designed as a supply output 19 arranged opposite the first supply input 16. An output terminal 12 arranged to correspond to the second supply input 17 is electrically connected to an additional input 20 and therefore serves as an additional output 21. This additional output 21 is provided for a transfer of an electric additional supply voltage made available at the additional input 20 to the functional module 5 or 6 located downstream along the concatenation axis 3 and possibly to further functional modules 5, 6.

(7) The additional input 20 is preferably provided at a lateral surface of the housing 7 and is electrically connected to an additional electric energy supply source which is not shown in detail and which is preferably independent of a likewise not illustrated electric energy supply source designed for providing the supply voltage for one of the supply inputs 16, 17.

(8) In the illustrated embodiment, switching means 22 designed for optionally switching between a first conductor branch 23, which allows a direct connection between the input terminal 10 and the output terminal 12, and a second conductor branch 24, which connects the output terminal 12 to the additional input 20, are looped in between some of the input terminals 10 and the output terminals 12. The switching means 22 is preferably designed as a mechanical, manually operated change-over switch. If the switching means 22 is in a first switching position, a direct electric coupling between the input terminal 10 and the output terminal 12 is ensured. If the switching means 22 is in a second switching position, the first conductor branch 23 is interrupted and current can only flow between the additional input 20 and the associated output terminal 12. In order to ensure that, even in this switching state of the switching means 20, the current flow depends on a switching signal available at the associated input terminal 10, a transmission means 25 is assigned to the second conductor branch 24. The transmission means 25 is arranged for a galvanic isolation between a switching signal which can be made available at the input terminal 10 and the additional supply voltage which can be made available at the output terminal as a result of the switching signal. In the illustrated embodiment, the transmission means 25 is designed as an optocoupler and comprises a sending means 28, which may be a light-emitting diode, for sending out a coupling signal as a function of the switching signal available at the associated input terminal 10. The transmission means 25 further comprises a receiving means designed as a light-sensitive phototransistor 29 for receiving the coupling signal; this may be designed such that it opens the electric path between the additional input 20 and the output terminal 12 on the arrival of a coupling signal. This electric path runs via the earth connection between the phototransistor 29 and the additional input 20. In this context, it is advantageous if different chassis earths can be applied to the various additional inputs 20 if several supply modules 1 are used, which is why the designations A and B are used in FIG. 2. By closing this electric path, the electric energy can be diverted from an actuator component 30 of a concatenated valve module 6 to the additional input 20, as shown in greater detail in FIG. 2.

(9) In the present case, the sending means 28 is electrically connected to the switching means 18 in such a way that the supply voltage available at the supply inputs 16, 17 is always applied to it, so that the sending out of a coupling signal can be initiated on the arrival of a switching signal at the associated input terminal 10 irrespective of the additional supply voltage applied to the additional input 20.

(10) The embodiment of the module chain 2 shown in FIG. 2 is provided for the control of fluidic actuators not shown in detail, such as pneumatically or hydraulically operated cylinders, rotary actuators, motors or the like, and for this purpose comprises as a first unit a functional module designed as a control unit 5 as well as a plurality of functional modules designed as valve modules 6, which are arranged on the control unit 5 along the concatenation axis 3. Further functional modules not shown in detail, such as input/output modules for the operation of sensors, may also be provided. On a first coupling surface 38, each of the valve modules 6 has a number of input terminals 40, the arrangement of which matches the arrangement of the output terminals 12 on the supply module 1 and the arrangement of output terminals 52 of the control module 5. As a result, a supply voltage can be provided to the downstream valve module 6 by the control module 5, this being optionally provided via a first or a second supply output 53, 54. Via the further output terminals 52 of the control module 5, the associated valve modules 6 can furthermore be controlled individually by means of switching signals, in particular as a function of a bus signal which is fed into the control module 5 via a bus interface not shown in the drawing.

(11) In the illustrated embodiment, it is provided that a actuator component 30 located in the valve module 6, which actuator component may for example be a solenoid coil of a fluidic switching valve, is looped in an electrically conductive manner between a conductor branch 31, to which the supply voltage can be applied, and the respective first input terminal 10, to which the switching signal of the control module 5 can be applied. Accordingly, in the presence of a switching signal a current can flow from the supply terminal 17 through the actuator components 30 to the input terminal 40 and from there to the control module 5. In order to give a second valve module 6 arranged to adjoin the first valve module 6 the same structure as the upstream valve module 6, a Z-linkage between the output terminals 42 and the input terminals 40 is provided in each of the valve modules 6. In the illustrated embodiment, the input terminals 40 and the output terminals 42 are equally spaced in a presettable reference grid along straight lines not shown in the drawing, input and output terminals which are electrically connected to one another being mutually offset by the reference grid. In contrast, no Z-linkages of the input and output terminals 10, 12 are provided in the two supply modules 1, because in this case there is only a galvanically coupled or isolated transfer of switching signals of the control module 5.

(12) In the module chain 2 shown in FIG. 2, the supply module arranged closer to the control module 5 is provided for supplying the two valve modules 6 located downstream along the concatenation axis 3 with an additional supply voltage which can be applied to the additional input 20. Accordingly, the two output terminals 12 which are electrically connected to the actuator components 30 of the two downstream valve modules 6 are galvanically isolated from the associated input terminals 10 owing to the switching position of the respective switching means 22. If an additional supply voltage is provided at the additional input 20 and a switching signal is present at one of these two valve modules 6, the transmission means only transmits a coupling signal on arrival of the switching signal, owing to the galvanic isolation. As a result of this coupling signal, the phototransistor 29 becomes conductive, and a current can flow from one pole of the additional input 20 through the respective actuator component 30 and the phototransistor 29 to the second pole of the additional input 20.

(13) All switching signals looped in a galvanically coupled way through the supply module 1 located closer to the control module 5 pass through the two downstream valve modules 6 without being affected and can, depending on the switching position of the available switching means 22, be transferred while being galvanically either coupled or decoupled. The galvanically decoupled switching signals can be transferred to the associated valve modules 6, of which only one is shown in the drawing, with a second additional supply voltage.