CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to DE 202018100923.0, filed Feb. 20, 2018, the entire disclosure of which is hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND/SUMMARY

The subject matter of the disclosure is a locking bolt.

For example, DE 10 2012 112 610 A1 discloses a manually actuated locking bolt, which consists of a sleeve and a bolt mounted in the sleeve and which has a locking end and an actuating end, wherein the bolt is mounted to be axially displaced between a first axial end position and a second axial end position within the sleeve.

At least in an axial end position relative to the sleeve, the bolt can be locked with a latching mechanism or magnetically fixed temporarily or permanently with magnetic elements.

Furthermore, the locking bolt can have an automatic reset and thus have a basic position.

Whether the locking bolt is moved for actuation or for locking or unlocking by pressing or pulling the actuating element, for example a knob, depends on the installation location of the resetting element, for example a compression or tension spring.

A disadvantage of this locking bolt is that it is not possible to determine the position of the bolt without manually actuating or inspecting the locking bolt. When the locking bolt is used to fix a component, for example a flap at a machine housing, it is necessary to determine whether the locking bolt is in its axial locking position or whether it is released. This is the only way to ensure that the component is securely locked or unlocked.

However, with the locking bolts according to the prior art, it is only possible to detect the position of the locking bolt by means of haptic or visual perception.

Even if the bolt appears to be in its locking position or the view of the bolt is obscured by another component, it is not possible from a remote position to determine whether the locking bolt is really locked and fixed in its locking position. For example, the locking bolt could be released from its locked or unlocked position by vibration without noticing it.

Especially with safety-relevant queries on large systems, it is necessary to determine the exact position of the locking bolt at any time. It is therefore the objective of the present disclosure to further develop a locking bolt of the known type in such a way that it is possible to sense the position of the locking bolt even from a remote position of a user.

A feature of the present disclosure is that a locking bolt is used with a position sensing device which allows determining whether the locking bolt is engaged and/or disengaged or locked and/or unlocked. A sensor detects the front (locking position) or rear end position (unlocking position) or both positions of the bolt. For this purpose, at least one sensor is attached to the bolt guide, which detects the two axial end positions of the bolt as a measured variable and generates a hydraulic, pneumatic or preferably electrical signal that can be processed further.

For this purpose, a sensor is used, which detects the position of a bolt moving in a bolt guide and converts it into a measuring signal.

Such a sensor reacts either contact-free to approach, i.e. without any direct contact, or tactile by actuating one of the components moving toward each other.

The present disclosure claims the use of the following proximity sensors:Inductive sensors: these react to both ferromagnetic and non-magnetic metallic objects.Capacitive sensors: these react to both metallic and non-metallic materials. When an object approaches, the oscillation frequency of the sensor oscillating circuit changes.Magnetic sensors (for example, reed switches, reed contacts or Hall sensors):

these react to a magnetic field.Pressure sensors: these react to pressure or mechanical stresses (for example, strain gauges or the like).Alternatively, it is also possible to use a mechanical or tactile limit switch, which delivers a signal that can be evaluated pneumatically, hydraulically or electronically.Alternatively, the position can be detected using RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) or NFC (Near Field Connection) technology, whereby the sensor is replaced by a transponder and the corresponding antenna is located in the operating knob of the moving bolt.

Subsequently, the disclosure is described using a magnetic sensor type that reacts to a magnetic field. In a first embodiment, a permanent magnet is attached to the moving part of the locking bolt, which is located at different distances from the respective sensor depending on the position of the locking bolt. A magnetic sensor has the advantage that it can also function under difficult conditions such as heat, dust and vibrations—and even through non-ferromagnetic objects.

In one embodiment, a magnet is integrated in or on the actuating element, which is used at the actuating end of the bolt to displace the bolt in the bolt guide. For example, such an actuating element can be designed in the form of an operating knob. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the design of an operating knob, also a lever or a locking bar or a T-handle or any other actuating element with or without handle forms a part of the present disclosure.

The magnet used can be integrated into the actuating element in a ringed-shaped fashion or even in the form of a segment. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such uses. The use of a semi-circular magnet or a magnet arranged at a specific point forms a part of the present disclosure.

For example, the magnet used can be a neodymium magnet or a ferrite magnet or is made of another magnetic material. In a further embodiment, the actuating element is made of an at least partially magnetic material. For example, the actuating element can be manufactured in a sintering process in which fine-grained ceramic or metallic materials are heated and bonded with magnetic materials under increased pressure. In addition, a magnetic material can also be used in an injection molding production process to manufacture the operating knob from plastic or elastomer.

However, subsequently an embodiment of the disclosure is described in which the locking bolt has an annular magnet in its knob-like actuating element, which acts axially or diametrically magnetized in the direction of the bolt guide. When the operating knob is actuated to move the bolt axially in the bolt guide, the annular magnet is moved in relation to a sensor mounted in the bolt guide area. Such a sensor is mounted in the area of the contact surface on which the underside of the operating knob rests in the locking position of the locking bolt. For this purpose, the sensor is embedded in a sensor holder, which surrounds the bolt guide at least partially in ring-shaped fashion. When the annular magnet field is detected by the sensor, the sensor emits a signal upon reaching a threshold value, which indicates the locking position of the bolt.

The distance or approach of the annular magnet to the sensor can be detected by the sensor.

The sensor used can be programmed during the production of the component requiring, for example, that a threshold value of 2-6 milliteslas is exceeded, above which the sensor emits a signal.

The sensor is fastened in detachable or non-detachable fashion, in form, friction or force-fitting manner on the bolt guide and can be snapped on or clipped on, clamped, plugged on, screwed in or fastened to the component with an additional sensor holder.

In a further embodiment of the disclosure, it has been decided not to use a sensor holder so that the sensor is located directly in the jacket of the bolt guide. For this purpose, a mounting hole or the like is drilled into the bolt guide, into which the sensor can be inserted to determine the position of the bolt.

For example, the mounting for the sensor can also be cast directly into the component.

The inventive apparatus is suitable for bolts with or without locking catch. A locking catch has the purpose of fixing the operating knob in a specific end position. When the bolt is pulled out of the bolt guide, the operating knob can lie with its underside on the end face of a sleeve-shaped locking catch. For this purpose, the operating knob has at least one shoulder on its underside, which interrupts section by section a cylindrical receiving space inside the hollow operating knob. The holding space has the purpose of holding the sleeve-shaped locking catch when the underside of the operating knob is located on the contact surface and the locking bolt is in the locking position.

The position of the operating knob, in which the shoulder rests on the sleeve-shaped locking catch, can only be achieved by turning the head. The shoulder is turned until it reaches an axial notch in the wall of the sleeve-shaped locking catch and is held in this notch.

In this position the locking bolt can remain temporarily or permanently in the achieved end position. It is not possible to change the position in an axial direction.

When the shoulder is turned again until it reaches an axial slot in the wall of the sleeve-shaped locking catch and is accommodated in this slot, the head with the shoulder can be moved again in the direction of the front contact surface of the bolt guide.

In a further embodiment of the disclosure, a sensor is located on the front end area of the sleeve-shaped locking catch and a magnet in the shoulder area to detect whether the shoulder is resting on it in order to determine the end position or locking position of the locking bolt.

In a further embodiment of the disclosure, a position sensor/or rotation sensor in the area of the locking catch is used, which determines the rotary position of the operating knob. For example, a query can only occur during a 90° rotation in order to determine how far the operating knob must be turned until the shoulder reaches the slot.

The reverse operating principle of the inventive locking bolt is also possible, which requires an actuation by pressing instead of pulling. Preferably, a spring element that pushes the bolt into an axial end position is provided.

The subject-matter of the present disclosure results not only from the subject-matter of the individual patent claims, but also from a combination of the individual patent claims.

All the information and characteristics disclosed in the documents, including the abstract, in particular the spatial design depicted in the drawings form a part of the disclosure.

The fact that individual objects are depicted to be “essential” or “important” does not mean that these objects must necessarily form the subject-matter of an independent claim. This is determined solely by the respective valid version of the independent claim to be protected.

