The invention relates to a hydraulic drive and to a method for discrete changing of a position output, particularly of its path output and/or angle output, on a hydraulic drive, in which method at least one displacer cylinder incrementally either supplies to or discharges from the drive its displacer volume, as a function of at least one input signal, by means of relocation of its piston element from a starting position into an end position, in that the piston element of the displacer cylinder is relocated multiple times from the starting position into the end position and from this end position back again, in order to discretely change the position output on the drive in accordance with the displacer volume supplied or discharged, wherein during relocation of the piston element from the starting position into the end position, the displacer cylinder is hydraulically connected with a feed line or return line of a pressure medium source, and in a subsequent step, the changed position output on the drive is reset again.
Digital hydraulic actuating drives, in which a drive cylinder is supplied with displacer volume by multiple parallel and possibly also dual-step displacer cylinders, in order to deliver a path output at the position output of the actuating drive, are known from the state of the art (DE2057639A). It is disadvantageous that a comparatively great number of displacer cylinders is required for such actuating drives, particularly if high resolutions are demanded at the path output, which increases the design effort and thereby the costs for such actuating drives. Furthermore, the likelihood of a failure can increase due to the great number of displacer cylinders, and this in turn impairs the stability of the actuating drives.
A state of the art according to the preamble of the independent claims is known from GB2140963A.
The invention has set itself the task of changing a method for discrete changing of a position output, of the type described initially, in such a manner that a position output can be produced quickly but nevertheless at high resolution. Furthermore, the method is supposed to be possible on a cost-advantageous hydraulic drive.
The invention accomplishes the stated task, with regard to the method, in that when the piston element is relocated from the end position into the starting position, the cylinder chambers of the displacer cylinder are hydraulically short-circuited by way of a short-circuit line that is hydraulically separated from the feed line or return line of the pressure medium source.
A fast method can be obtained if the cylinder chambers of the displacer cylinder are hydraulically short-circuited by way of a short-circuit line that is hydraulically separated from the feed line or return line of the pressure medium source, during relocation of the piston element from the end position into the starting position of the cylinder chambers of the displacer cylinder, in order to thereby ensure direct pressure equalization between the two cylinder chambers. In addition, in contrast to the state of the art, the cylinder chambers have the hydraulic pressure of the working space of the working cylinders applied to them—and are thereby prepared for a faster switching process for supplying or discharging displacer volume; this can be conducive to the reaction time and therefore the quickness of the method. In spite of a high resolution at the position output, a particularly fast method can therefore be made possible. Furthermore, this can also improve the robustness of the method, in that a reduced number of parts need to be activated, in order to be able to relocate the piston element. Furthermore, this can open up the possibility of using a cost-advantageous hydraulic drive to carry out the method according to the invention.
In general, it should be mentioned that a hydraulic drive can be understood to be a pressure sensor, pump, linear drive, actuating drive or the like, which can produce a linear and/or rotational movement at its position output, in order to thereby deliver a path output and/or angle output.
The successive approach to a desired path output can be improved if a first displacer cylinder is used for incrementally supplying displacer volume and a second displacer cylinder is used for incrementally discharging displacer volume. Furthermore, the maximal sampling rate of the hydraulic drive in the conversion of an input signal to a path output can be increased by means of two displacer cylinders that are disposed in parallel and act hydraulically in opposite directions.
The design conditions can be further simplified if one of the displacer cylinders resets the changed position output on the drive by means of incrementally supplying or discharging displacer volume.
Alternatively or also in addition to the above, a shutoff valve can be opened during resetting of the changed position output on the drive, which valve discharges from or supplies to the drive its incrementally supplied or discharged displacer volume. Such a shutoff valve can furthermore also accelerate the resetting of the drive and thereby increase the reaction speed of the method.
The design conditions at the drive can be further simplified if the displacer cylinder is hydraulically connected with the feed line and/or return line of a pressure medium source during relocation of the piston element. This connection can furthermore be used not only for supplying and discharging hydraulic fluid to and from the displacer cylinder, when its piston element is relocated from the starting position into the end position—instead, it is also possible to use it for equalization of the pressure conditions of the piston chambers, in order to allow resetting of the piston element from the end position into the starting position.
If the displacer cylinder is hydraulically connected with the feed line and/or return line of the pressure medium source, by way of a directional control valve, the design effort for controlling the displacer cylinder can be reduced, thereby also reducing the costs of the drive, among other things.
Advantageous method conditions can occur if a directional control valve changes from a first into a second working position as a function of the input signal, in order to hydraulically connect the feed line and/or return line of the pressure medium source connected with the directional control valve with the displacer cylinder.
In order to undertake resetting of the piston element from its end position into the starting position in controlled manner, it can be provided that the piston element of the displacer cylinder is relocated back into the starting position from the end position when the first working position of the directional control valve is assumed.
Short-circuiting of the cylinder chambers can be brought about in reproducible manner if the cylinder chambers of the displacer cylinder are short-circuited by way of the directional control valve in the first working position.
If the piston element is relocated back into its starting position by means of a spring element, not only can the design effort relating to the drive be reduced, but also the energy efficiency of the hydraulic drive can be increased by means of eliminating active elements.
Simple conditions in the handling of the position output can occur if displacer volume is supplied to or discharged from a working cylinder of the drive, in order to discretely change the position output on the drive by way of the movement of its piston element.
If the hydraulic pressure in the drive cylinder is measured and used for error correction with regard to the discretely changed position output on the drive, the precision at the position output can be further increased. Thus, for example, the errors on the basis of compressibility can be determined and evened out by referring to known compressibility laws of the pressure fluid. The central pressure in the piston space of the drive cylinder can particularly be used for this purpose. This is true for this reason, because particularly when relocating the piston element back, almost the same hydraulic pressure prevails at all the hydraulically short-circuited cylinder chambers (drive cylinders and related displacement cylinders).
What has been said above can furthermore be used for a comparatively robust method, if at least one input signal is changed as a function of the measured hydraulic pressure, in order to correct errors between the reference value and the actual value at the discretely changed position output. This can take place, for example, using known control methods or regulation methods.
It is furthermore the task of the invention, proceeding from the state of the art as described, to create a hydraulic drive that is simple in terms of design, and reliable, and furthermore can quickly provide a precise position output.
The invention accomplishes the stated task with regard to the hydraulic drive in that the device for relocating the piston element back has a short-circuit line between the cylinder chambers of the displacer cylinder, which short-circuit line is hydraulically separated from the pressure medium source during relocation back of the piston element.
If the device for relocating the piston element back has a short-circuit line between the cylinder chambers of the displacer cylinder, which short-circuit line is hydraulically separated from the pressure medium source during relocation back of the piston element, simplified design conditions for relocation back of the piston element can occur—and this can be conducive to the stability of the hydraulic drive. Furthermore, the same hydraulic pressure that also prevails in the working cylinder can be ensured in the short-circuited cylinder chambers, and this can reduce the reaction ability of the hydraulic drive, among other things, and thereby allow a fast hydraulic drive.
Particularly robust relocation back of the piston element can be guaranteed if the device for relocating the piston element back has a spring element that engages on the piston element. In this way, increased stability of the hydraulic drive can be ensured, among other things.
The discrete relocation of the position output can be accomplished, with a simple design, if the short-circuit line is hydraulically connected with the displacer cylinder by way of the directional control valve, in its first working position, wherein the displacer cylinder is hydraulically connected with the pressure medium source in a second working position of the directional control valve. A 3/2 directional control valve can be particularly suitable for this purpose.
It is alternatively conceivable that the device for relocating the piston element back has a directional control valve, which, jointly with the directional control valve that is connected with the pressure medium source, is hydraulically connected with the displacer cylinder.
The design conditions can be further simplified if the reset device has a shutoff valve or a displacer cylinder.
Particularly energy-saving operation of the displacer cylinder according to the invention can be made possible, if that the hydraulic drive has a kickback valve that hydraulically blocks the cylinder chamber, which are hydraulically connected with the pressure medium source during relocation of the piston element from the starting position into the end position, toward the return line of the pressure medium source, and is hydraulically open toward the feed line of the pressure medium source. In this way, the pulse of the cylinder piston can be used to reach the end position in this regard, even if the connection with the pressure medium source for relocation of the piston element is prematurely severed.
In order to limit the functionality of the short-circuit line on the relocation back of the piston element, the short-circuit line can have a directional control valve or a kickback valve.
In the figures, the method according to the invention is shown in greater detail, using multiple embodiment variants as examples. The figures show:
According to the hydraulic drive 1 shown in a schematic view according to
The piston elements 10, 11 are structured as pistons, in terms of design. In general, piston rods, for example known from plunger cylinders or the like, are also conceivable as piston elements.
Because the chamber volume 16 of the drive cylinder 2 is increased or reduced as a result, the position output 3 at the drive cylinder 2 is also changed in accordance with the displacer volume 8 or 9 that is supplied or discharged, respectively. In order to nevertheless achieve high resolution at the position output 3 of the drive cylinder 2 with a displacer cylinder 6 or 7, displacer volume 8, 9 is incrementally supplied to or discharged from the drive cylinder 2 with this displacer cylinder 6 or 7. For this purpose, the respective piston element 10 or 11 of the displacer cylinder 6 or 7 is relocated from the starting position into the end position 12, 14 or 13, 15, respectively, and back again multiple times.
In
Control of the displacer cylinder 6, 7 is taken on by a 3/2 directional control valve 18, 19, in each instance, of which the directional control valve 18 is connected with the feed line 20, and the directional control valve 19 is connected with the return line 21 of a pressure medium source 22. In accordance with the input signal 4, the feed line 20 of the pressure medium source 22 is connected with the displacer cylinder 6 by way of the directional control valve 18, and thereby the pump pressure ps is applied to the piston element 10 to relocate it into its end position 14, and pushes its displacer volume 8 into the working cylinder 2. For this purpose, the directional control valve 18 assumes the second working position 26 of the two working positions 24, 26. Accordingly, the tank pressure pt is applied to the displacer cylinder 7 when the directional control valve 19 is switched, and this causes its piston element 11 to also move into the end position 15 and to convey displacer volume 9 to the tank of the pressure medium source 22. With regard to
In the first working position 24 or 25 of the directional control valve 18 or 19, the respective piston element 10 or 11 of the displacer cylinder 6 or 7 is relocated back from the end position 14 or 15 into its starting position 12 or 13. For this purpose, a device 201 or spring element 28, 29 is provided, which moves the respective piston element 10, 11 back.
Furthermore—as shown in
The circuit schematic relating to the displacer cylinder 6 shown according to
The circuit schematic relating to the displacer cylinder 6, shown in
The kickback valve 38 shuts off the cylinder chamber 33 for this purpose; this chamber is hydraulically connected with the pressure medium source 22 when the piston element 10 is relocated from the starting position into the end position 12, 14, hydraulically toward the return line 21 of the pressure medium source 22.
Resetting of the piston element 10 can take place, as is already known from
The displacer cylinder 7, which is complementary to the displacer cylinder 6, for discharging displacer volume 9, is shown according to
For this purpose, the kickback valve 44 is hydraulically open from the cylinder chamber 46, which is hydraulically connected with the pressure medium source 22 when the piston element 11 is relocated from the starting position into the end position 13, 15, toward the feed line 20 of the pressure medium source 22.
Resetting of the piston element 11 can take place—as is already known from
The hydraulic drive 100 shown in a schematic view according to
It should furthermore be mentioned that the embodiments shown in
As shown in
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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13187579.1 | Oct 2013 | EP | regional |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2014/071479 | 10/7/2014 | WO | 00 |