US 5,213,201 AGranted

Electronic control assembly for drive roller units

AssigneeBavaria Cargo Technologie GmbH

InventorsThomas Huber, Peter Sutsch

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Abstract

In a control assembly for a freight loading system having a plurality of drive roller units, each drive roller unit has an electronic control arrangement associated therewith for detecting operating parameters which characterize the instantaneous operating condition of the associated drive roller unit. Information signals are derived from the operating parameters and interchanged between the drive roller units to control the sequence of operation thereof.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A control assembly for drive roller units (A, B, C;

R1-R11, L1-L11) which are arranged in a distributed array over a conveyor surface (30) in a freight loading system and each of which is provided with an electric motor (57) for the drive thereof, wherein:
an electronic control arrangement (40) is operatively associated with each drive roller unit (A, B, C;
R1-R11, L1-L11);
each control arrangement (40) has sensor means (43, 52) for detecting at least one operating parameter characterizing an instantaneous operating condition of the associated drive roller unit, said sensor means (43, 52) including a current sensor (43) for detecting the instantaneous current of the motor (57) of the associated drive roller unit (40);
each control arrangement (40) includes means for forming information signals for the control arrangements (40) of other drive roller units from signals outputted by said sensor means (43, 52) and for passing said information signals to said other control arrangements (40), said means for forming information signals comprising means for processing the output signals of the current sensor (43) to provide an information signal for an operating condition "off" when no current is flowing, an information signal for an operating condition "without load" at a current of a predetermined first strength, an information signal for an operating condition "normal load" at a current of a predetermined second strength, and an information signal for an operating condition "enforced stoppage" at a current of a third strength which occurs when the electric motor (57) is braked to a standstill by an excessive loading on the drive roller unit;
each control arrangement (40) further includes means for receiving corresponding information signals about the respective operating conditions of other drive roller units, which signals are transmitted from said other control arrangements (40) of said other drive roller units to the first-mentioned control arrangement (40);
and
each electronic control arrangement (40), on the basis of the information signals passed to it about the respective operating condition of the drive roller units, accepts or suppresses control signals which are fed thereto by external control members (JS, PB).

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

A control assembly for drive roller units (A, B, C;

R1-R11, L1-L11) which are arranged in a distributed array over a conveyor surface (30) in a freight loading system and each of which is provided with an electric motor (57) for the drive thereof, wherein:
an electronic control arrangement (40) is operatively associated with each drive roller unit (A, B, C;
R1-R11, L1-L11);
each control arrangement (40) has sensor means (43, 52) for detecting at least one operating parameter characterizing an instantaneous operating condition of the associated drive roller unit, said sensor means (43, 52) including a current sensor (43) for detecting the instantaneous current of the motor (57) of the associated drive roller unit (40);
each control arrangement (40) includes means for forming information signals for the control arrangements (40) of other drive roller units from signals outputted by said sensor means (43, 52) and for passing said information signals to said other control arrangements (40), said means for forming information signals comprising means for processing the output signals of the current sensor (43) to provide an information signal for an operating condition "off" when no current is flowing, an information signal for an operating condition "without load" at a current of a predetermined first strength, an information signal for an operating condition "normal load" at a current of a predetermined second strength, and an information signal for an operating condition "enforced stoppage" at a current of a third strength which occurs when the electric motor (57) is braked to a standstill by an excessive loading on the drive roller unit;
each control arrangement (40) further includes means for receiving corresponding information signals about the respective operating conditions of other drive roller units, which signals are transmitted from said other control arrangements (40) of said other drive roller units to the first-mentioned control arrangement (40);
and
each electronic control arrangement (40), on the basis of the information signals passed to it about the respective operating condition of the drive roller units, accepts or suppresses control signals which are fed thereto by external control members (JS, PB).

5 more elements