Method for operating a brake and an associated machine, in particular a robot
AssigneeKUKA Deutschland GmbH
InventorsKarsten Monreal, Carsten Angeli
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to a method for operating a brake of a machine that has a machine control unit and at least one moveable link that can be actuated by the machine control unit and that can be adjusted by a drive motor actuated by the machine control unit, which motor drives a shaft and which motor, in an engaged (closed) position of a brake that can be automatically actuated by the machine control unit, can be locked by said brake. The invention also relates to a machine with a machine control unit, in particular a robot with a robot control unit, which is configured and/or equipped for carrying out such a method.
Claims17
A method for operating a brake of a machine, the machine having a control unit and at least one moveable link actuated by the machine control unit, wherein the link is adjustable by a drive motor that is actuated by the machine control unit, the drive motor driving a shaft and being lockable by the brake in an engaged position of a brake that is automatically actuated by the machine control unit, the method comprising:
- providing at least two braking torque values wherein the brake is engaged and that are determined in different rotation angle positions of the shaft distributed over 360 degrees;
- analyzing the at least two braking torque values by comparing one braking torque value with the at least one other braking torque value;
- and
- actuating at least one of the machine, the drive motor, or the brake based on a result from the comparison of the braking torque values.
A method for determining a minimum braking torque value of a brake of a machine having a machine control unit and at least one moveable link actuated by the machine control unit in accordance with a machine program and that is adjustable by a drive motor actuated by the machine control unit, which motor drives a shaft and which motor, in an engaged position of a brake that is automatically actuated by the machine control unit, is lockable by the brake, the method comprising:
- actuating the machine by the machine control unit or robot control unit according to the machine program or the robot program,
- determining driving torques of the drive motor in several positions or poses of the at least one link assumed as a result of execution of the machine program;
- and
- selecting the largest determined driving torque as a predetermined minimum braking torque value.
A machine comprising a machine control unit and at least one moveable link actuated by the machine control unit and that is adjustable by a drive motor actuated by the machine control unit, which motor drives a shaft and which motor, in an engaged position of a brake that is automatically actuated by the machine control unit, is lockable by the brake;
- the machine control unit including program code stored in a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium that, when executed by the machine control unit, causes the machine control unit to:
- provide at least two braking torque values wherein the brake is engaged and that are determined in different rotation angle positions of the shaft distributed over 360 degrees;
- analyze the at least two braking torque values by comparing one braking torque value with the at least one other braking torque value;
- and
- actuate at least one of the machine, the drive motor, or the brake based on a result from the comparison of the braking torque values.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.