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(11) | EP 2 073 323 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | System and method for interconnection between control means and actuation means, in particular for vehicular components |
| (57) A system for interconnection of two casings containing actuation means 1 and control
means 2, such as to make it possible to associate-separate said casings, electrically
or electronically and reciprocally connecting-disconnecting said means 1 and 2 so
as to allow the separate replacement of one or other when only one is defective.
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[0001] The present invention relates to a system and method for interconnection between control means and actuation means, in particular for vehicular components. In land and other vehicles, a single control unit controlled all processes actuated by the various actuators distributed on board the vehicle. This choice was advantageous due to the fact that the control electronics represented a considerable cost that had to be protected from atmospheric agents and possibly positioned inside a passenger compartment.
[0002] The progressive reduction in the production costs of control electronics has led prior art to provide actuation devices with specific control electronics on board, so as to decentralize control of the devices and so as to significantly reduce the wiring as it is possible to interconnect all the actuation devices with a same shared bus. Therefore, the electronics on board the various actuators are suitable to receive specific commands sent by a principal control unit to a common communication bus, for example a CAN bus.
[0003] A particularly serious problem, especially for final customers, is related to the cost to be sustained for replacement of these actuation devices comprising control electronics. In fact, as the two parts are enclosed in a single casing and consequently are not separable, when one breaks the other also requires to be replaced, with a considerable waste of money, also for the management costs of a spare parts warehouse provided with a same number of elements but of greater cost. In fact, if we hypothesize that a spare parts warehouse has a stock for each component, in the event of simultaneous breakage of an electronic card and of an actuator of the same device, belonging to two distinct vehicles, then only one of the two vehicles would obtain the spare part.
[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide a system and method for interconnection between control means and actuation means, in particular for vehicular components, suitable to solve the problems set forth above.
[0005] Therefore, the purpose of the present invention is to attain the objects discussed above by producing a system and method for interconnection between control means and actuation means, in particular for vehicular components, in conformity with claims 1 and 3.
[0006] According to another aspect of the invention, said device can be applied in an industrial and non-industrial environment, for example, in systems to control pneumatic suspensions, or in systems to control electromechanical actuators.
[0007] The dependent claims describe preferred embodiments of the invention, forming an integral part of the present invention.
[0008] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will be more apparent in the light of the detailed description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment, and of a variant thereof, of a system and method for interconnection between control means and actuation means, in particular for vehicular components, shown by way of non-limiting example, with the aid of the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 represents a block diagram of a first variant of the interconnection system.
Figure 2 represents a block diagram of a second variant of the interconnection system.
[0010] A method for interconnection of an actuator-control unit system according to the present finding, provides for:
- the provision of a casing comprising at least electrical interconnection means 6 and suitable to contain control means 2;
- the provision of a second casing at least partly separate from the previous casing comprising interconnection means 7 complementary to said means 6, and suitable to contain actuation means 1.
[0011] It is preferred that said electrical connection means are also suitable to provide mechanical interconnection of the two casings, making them reciprocally integral.
[0012] A first variant of the actuator-control unit system according to the present finding, shown in figure 1, comprises a mechanical connector 6 produced on a first casing containing said control unit 2 and a complementary connector 7 produced on a second casing containing said actuator 1.
[0014] In particular, it is preferred that said connector performs both a mechanical function, i.e. suitable to constrain said first casing to said second casing, and an electrical function, electrical contacts being provided inside the connector.
[0015] Moreover the male connector is preferably included in the first casing containing the control unit 2, while the female connector is obtained in the second casing containing the actuator. Naturally the opposite solution is also possible.
[0016] Advantageously, it is possible to separate a control unit from a relative actuator, as only the defective part can be replaced. Therefore, more in general, it is possible to mechanically and electrically separate control means 2 from actuation means 1.
[0017] Said first casing containing said control means is preferably provided with a terminal block 3 suitable to allow connection with wiring 4 with a power supply source and/or with a control unit, known per se, suitable to supervise operation of at least said actuation means 1.
[0018] A second variant of the actuator-control unit system according to the present finding is shown in figure 2.
1. Method for interconnection between control means and actuation means, in particular
for vehicular components, comprising the following steps:
- provision of a casing comprising at least electrical interconnection means (6) and suitable to contain control means (2);
- provision of a second casing at least partly separate from the previous one comprising interconnection means (7) complementary to said means (6), and suitable to contain actuation means (1);
- joining said control means with said actuation means directly through said interconnection means (6, 7).
2. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least electrical interconnection means
(6 and 7) are suitable to provide mechanical and electrical interconnection of the
two casings making them reciprocally integral.
3. Interconnection system between control means and actuation means, in particular for
vehicular components, characterized in that it comprises a first casing containing control means (2) mechanically associable
with/separable from a second casing containing actuation means (1), said control means
(2) and actuation means (1) being at least partly separate.
4. System as claimed in claim 3, wherein said association-separation comprises an interlocking
connection.
5. System as claimed in claim 3, wherein said mechanical association comprises an electrical
interconnection between said control means (2) and said actuation means (1).
6. System as claimed in claim 3, wherein said association-separation is obtained through
a male-female connector (6, 7).
7. System as claimed in claim 6, wherein said male connector (6) is constrained to the
first casing containing said processing means (2) or to the second casing containing
said actuation means (1).
8. System as claimed in claim 6, wherein said female connector (7) is constrained to
the second casing containing said actuation means (1) or to the first casing containing
said processing means (2).
9. System as claimed in claim 3, wherein said first casing containing said processing
means (2) comprises electrical connection means (3) with wiring (4).
10. System as claimed in claim 3, wherein said control means (2) comprise an electronic
control unit.
11. System as claimed in claim 3, wherein said control means (2) comprise an interface
for electrical controls.