EP1878539A1

EP1878539A1 - Clamping and/or centering device for work pieces, with manually settable operative positions

Info

Publication number: EP1878539A1
Application number: EP07012169A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Luciano Migliori
Original assignee: Univer SpA
Current assignee: Univer SpA
Priority date: 2006-06-26
Filing date: 2007-06-21
Publication date: 2008-01-16
Anticipated expiration: 2027-06-21
Also published as: ITMI20061226A1; DE602007000897D1; ATE428539T1; EP1878539B1

Abstract

A clamping and/or centering device (10) for work pieces, particularly suitable for the automotive manufacturing field. The device (10) comprises a box-shaped body (13A, 13B) for supporting a movable clamping and/or centering member (11); the clamping and/or centering member (11) is operatively connected to an actuator (16) to be moved between a plurality of operative positions along a working stroke. An optical sensing set (22) for scanning and sensing the operative positions of the clamping member (11) is incorporated in the box-shaped body (13A, 13B); the sensing set (22) can be slidingly inserted in the box-shaped body (13A, 13B) from a backward end side facing the actuator (16), according to an axial direction. A manually settable electronic control unit (56) enables optical sensors of the sensing set (22) to be selectively activated.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention refers to clamping and/or centering devices for sheet metal or work pieces, used in the automotive manufacturing field for clamping and/or centering different parts or pieces along an assembly line for assembling the bodywork of a motor vehicle, and for other similar uses.
In particular, the invention concerns a clamping and/or centering device of the aforementioned kind, provided with a set of optical sensors for scanning and sensing the various operative positions of a movable member along a working stroke, which can be selectively activated in a programmable way by an operator, without having to remove or adjust the set of sensors of the clamping device.
A clamping device for work pieces of the aforementioned kind, generally comprises a box-shaped body for supporting an angularly movable clamping member, which is operatively connected to a linearly movable member of an actuator by a toggle-lever mechanism; the actuator is controlled to cause the clamping member to angularly rotate between a work position, in which it clamps the work piece or work pieces, and a rest or disengaged position which is selectively set from among a plurality of operative positions.
Conversely, a centering device likewise comprises a box-shaped body for supporting a linearly movable member, operatively connected to an actuator to be moved between a backward or rest position, in which it disengages the work piece, and a forward or working position, in which the movable member engages in a hole of a work piece which must be maintained in a pre-established position.
Clamping devices of this kind are known for example from DE-U-29719644 , EP-A-1426143 and EP-A-1524081 , while centering devices are known for example from DE-U-20303751 and EP-A-1123779 .
In the aforesaid devices, there is a need to provide a suitable sensor system for sensing the operative positions of the clamping or centering member, capable of allowing both a selective choice from among a plurality of different operative positions, along a pre-established working stroke, and a reliable and fail-safe operation over time, not influenced and not susceptible to being influenced by external factors or by various malfunctioning causes.
There is also the problem of seeking a solution in which the sensors are totally incorporated in the device, in a protected condition against possible tampering and intervention by unauthorised operators, such a solution requiring at the same time simple operations to activate the sensors in pre-established working positions.
The possibility of securing the device to a supporting structure, on any one of its side walls, represents a further complementary requirement.
It is also necessary to take into consideration the possibility for the users to have at their disposal suitably designed clamping and/or centering devices, which after installation do not have to be subjected to maintenance operations and/or repairs to ensure a long useful working life.
None of the currently known clamping and/or centering devices prove to be capable of fully satisfying these requirements, and of adequately solving the aforementioned problems.
In particular DE-U-29718644 describes a conventional clamping device, in which use is made of a set of sensors, comprising a support consisting of a T-shaped section bar having a longitudinal rail onto which the sensors are adjustably secured, in relation to the operative positions to be sensed. The support for the sensors is in the form of cartridge which is freely insertable and removable through a narrow side slit in the box-shaped body, without having to disassemble the device; the slit is closed by the same section bar support and by a flange provided with a connector for connection to an external electric circuit.
A solution of this kind does not fully satisfy the aforementioned requirements. In fact, the support for the sensors does not completely hermetically close the slit for introduction of the cartridge, and therefore there is a risk that dirt, dust, water and/or foreign matter could enter the device, jeopardising the correct functioning of the sensors.
Moreover, whenever there is a need to change the angular open and/or closed position of the clamping member, the cartridge support must be extracted and, after its extraction, an operator must carry out a repositioning of the sensors. In this case, the time required for such an operation is considered to be comparatively long, in that it is necessary to stop the processing line; moreover, a solution of this kind does not offer sufficient protection against tampering or operations by unqualified operators.
EP-A-1 426 143 ed EP-A-1 524 081 , in turn provide two different solutions in which the whole set of sensors with the respective support, or the part for connection to an external electric circuit, can be inserted and removed through a side opening in the box-shaped body of the device.
Furthermore, the airtight seal against the penetration of water and/or foreign matter in the device is by no means guaranteed; moreover, the sensing of the clamping member in intermediate operative positions of its working stroke, is either not possible at all, or is only possible in certain pre-established positions by a complex solution which requires disassembling and opening of the entire device, without any possibility of selection and/or integration of the intermediate positions.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

The main object of this invention is to provide a clamping and/or centering device for work pieces, as mentioned previously, which allows to overcome the drawbacks of the hitherto known devices.
In particular, an object of this invention is to provide a clamping and/or centering device for work pieces, in which use is made of a particular set of sensors for selectively sensing the operative positions of a clamping and/or centering member, and in which the sensors are totally incorporated and protected in the box-shaped body of the device, without any possibility of removing them, except by partially disassembling the device itself.
Another object of the invention is to provide a clamping and/or centering device, as mentioned, which enables a selective actuation and setting of the sensors in the desired operative positions, by simply acting from the outside without having to remove or replace the entire set of sensors, or operate directly on the sensors themselves.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a clamping and/or centering device, as mentioned, which allows to carry out a substantially continuous scanning of the operative positions along an entire working stroke, with different degrees of resolution; in this way it is possible to identify and/or distinguish any errors in the position of the clamping member, caused for example by differences in the work piece thicknesses which could occur due to non-conformity with the predetermined thickness standards.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

These and further objects of the invention can be achieved by a clamping and/or centering device for work pieces, according to claim 1.
In particular, according to the invention, a clamping and/or centering device for work pieces has been provided, comprising:

a box-shaped body having peripheral walls extending according to a longitudinal axis;
a clamping and/or centering member, supported by said box-shaped body to move between a plurality of selectable operative positions along a working stroke;
an actuator connected at a rearward end side of the box-shaped body, said actuator having a drive member linearly movable in the direction of said longitudinal axis, said drive member being operatively connected to the clamping and/or centering member to move the latter between a first and a second position, selectable from among said plurality of operative positions, along said working stroke; and
position sensing means incorporated in the box-shaped body to detect operative positions of the clamping and/or centering member, said sensing means being aligned on an elongated support element which extends from a fastening base portion provided with an electrical connector for connection of the sensing means to an external electric circuit, said sensing means being activatable in relation to the linear movement of the drive member of the actuator,

The device also comprises a manually settable electronic control and sensing unit for selectively activating the sensing means in at least one of the operative positions along the working stroke.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The clamping and/or centering device according to the invention, will be described in greater detail hereunder, with reference to the example of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a clamping device according to the invention;
Fig. 2 shows an enlarged longitudinal cross-sectional view of the device of figure 1;
Fig. 3 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view, along the line 3-3 of figure 2;
Figs. 4 to 6 show several assembling steps for position sensing means;
Fig. 7 shows a perspective view of the position sensing means, with a swivelling electrical connector for connection to an external electric circuit;
Fig. 8 shows an enlarged detail, along the cross-sectional line 8-8 of figure 7;
Figs. 9 to 11 show various steps of orientation of the electric connector;
Fig. 12 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the position sensing means in the form of a set of optical sensors;
Fig. 13 shows a bottom view of figure 12;
Fig. 14 shows a block diagram of the control circuit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the drawings, a description is given hereunder of a clamping device comprising position sensing means and a control circuit according to the invention; however the position sensing means for sensing the operative positions of the clamping member, and the control circuit may likewise be suitable for a similar application also on a conventional centering device.
The various figures show an example of a clamping device for sheet metal and/or work pieces, which is particularly suitable for the automotive manufacturing field.
The device, as a whole indicated by reference number 10, comprises a clamping arm 11 secured to the ends of a shaft 12 rotatably supported by a box-shaped body 13 composed of two half- shells 13A, 13B, having peripheral walls extending according to a longitudinal axis.
As shown in figure 2, the clamping arm 11 is operatively connected to a linearly movable drive member 14 by a toggle-lever connecting mechanism; in this case the linearly movable drive member consists of the rod 14 of the piston 15 of a double-acting pneumatic cylinder 16 which is connected at a rearward end side of the box-shaped body 13.
The toggle-lever mechanism, as shown, comprises an intermediate connecting link 17, articulated in 18 to a crank lever 19 integral with the shaft 12 of the arm 11, as well as articulated in 20 to a fork-shaped element 21 secured to the forward end of the rod 14 of the pneumatic actuator 16.
As known, the clamping arm 11 must be moved and made to rotate along a working stroke, between a first angular clamping position, represented by continuous lines in figure 2, in which it clamps a work piece (not shown) against a shoulder surface, and an angular unclamped position, shown by broken lines, which can be selectively chosen and pre-established within a wide angular range, for example from 0 to 135°, in relation to particular requirements and specific needs.
The control of the arm 11 in the various operative positions in which it engages and disengages a work piece, is achieved by position sensing means preferably comprising a set of optical sensors, indicated as a whole by reference number 22; the set 22 of optical sensors is incorporated in the box-shaped body 13 in such a way that the optical sensors are totally protected, without any possibility of being removed, except by partially or totally removing the actuator 16, as explained further on.
More precisely, as shown in the figures, in particular in figures 7, 12, and 13, the set 22 of optical sensors comprises an elongated box-shaped support element 23, which extends from a fastening base portion 24 for fixing the same support element to the box-shaped body 13 of the device.
Inside the box-shaped support element 23 and on the base 24 is disposed an electronic card 25 constituting part of an electric control circuit for controlling the device; in a position beneath the electronic card 25, that is to say, on the open side of the box-shaped element 23 facing towards the rod 14 of the actuator, a plurality of optical sensors is secured, which are aligned along a scanning area, parallely on one side of the rod 14 of the actuator, as shown in figure 2.
Each optical sensor, as shown in figures 12 and 13, comprises an optical transmitter T and an optical receiver R facing each other in spaced apart positions. More precisely, starting from the base 24, the set of optical sensors comprises a transmitter TS and a receiver RS for selecting and programming the operative positions of the arm 11, and also comprises a plurality of transmitters T1, Tn and a plurality of receivers R1, Rn, disposed close to one another, which extend along the two sides of the box-shaped element 23. On the box-shaped element 23, at the end opposite the base 24, is provided an optical transmitter TL and an optical receiver RL constituting part of the set of optical sensors.
As will be explained in greater detail with reference to the control circuit of figure 14, the optical sensor TS, RS is used for setting the operative position or positions selected for the clamping arm 11; the plurality of optical sensors T1, R1/Tn, Rn serves the purpose of selecting any operative position of the arm 11 in a condition of disengagement of the work piece, which may be defined and selected each time by an operator, while the optical sensor TL, RL defines the final working or clamping position of the arm 11.
The setting sensor TS, RS is activated by a qualified operator, by manually pressing a button 26 subject to the action of a return spring 27; the button 26 has a shank 26A which in the forward position intercepts the ray of light emitted by the optical transmitter TS towards the optical receiver RS, thereby transmitting an operative setting signal to the electric control circuit.
Conversely, the optical sensors T1, R1/Tn, Rn and TL, RL, are activated sequentially by a protrusion or a shutter 28, figures 2 and 3, directly or indirectly connected to the rod 14 of the actuator, or to any other linearly movable drive member.
Figures from 4 to 6 show a further feature of the clamping device 10 and the assembling procedures for the set 22 of optical sensors in the box-shaped body 13.
As shown in figure 4, the box-shaped body 13, on the peripheral side opposite to that on which the clamping arm 11 is pivoted, in correspondence with the actuator 16, is provided with a seat 30 for housing the fastening base 24 of the set 22 of optical sensors. The seat 30 opens out both on the same peripheral side of the box-shaped body 13, and towards the actuator 16 on the rearward end side of the box-shaped body 13; in this way, the set 22 of optical sensors can be simply inserted and removed from the same rearward end side, by axially sliding the box-shaped support element 23 containing and protecting the optical sensors, into and along an internal housing groove 31, see figures 2 and 3, defined inside the box-shaped body 13 by opposite longitudinal edges of the two half- shells 13A, 13B, in correspondence with a peripheral wall 13', figure 3; the groove 31 extends within the box-shaped body 13 from the seat 30, parallel to the rod 14. As shown in figure 9, the box-shaped element 23 containing the optical sensors, at its free end, opposite the base 24, is provided with a slit 32 for the passage of the shutter 28, and two side pins 33 which slidingly engage, in respective guides, not shown, to hold the set 22 of optical sensors in position during the sliding movement along the groove 31.
The base 24 of the set of optical sensors, after the box-shaped element 23 has been inserted as illustrated in figure 5, is tightly locked in its seat 30 by means of a suitable screw. Upon completion of the insertion and assembly of the set 22 of optical sensors, the actuator 16, which previously had been partially disassembled and rotated by 90° as shown in figure 4, with respect to the condition of figure 1, is once again rotated by 90° and realigned with the box-shaped body 13, securing it to the latter by means of the tie rods 34, as shown in figure 6.
In these conditions, the sensors T, R of the set of optical sensors 22 are totally incorporated and protected in the box-shaped body 13 of the device, without any possibility of being removed, except by removing and rotating the actuator 16 again to the position of figure 5; however, this operation, except whenever it becomes necessary due to a breakdown or faulty functioning of the set of optical sensors, once the set 22 of optical sensors has been assembled, is no longer necessary in that the set of sensors and the relevant control circuit are preset to detect any angular position of the arm 11, and for setting the working positions at any time during the useful life of the device, as explained further on.
Consequently, in addition to the advantage of having the set 22 of optical sensors fully protected and incorporated in the box-shaped body 13, thereby preventing the infiltration of dirt and any tampering from the outside, it is also possible to secure the clamping device 10 on any one of its sides provided with holes for the fastening screws.
With reference to the figures from 7 to 11, a description will now be given of a further feature of the set 22 of optical sensors according to this invention.
As mentioned initially, the set 22 of optical sensors and its control circuit shown in figure 14 are connected to an external electric circuit of a central unit which normally controls a plurality of clamping devices belonging to the same processing line; consequently the set 22 of optical sensors comprises an electrical connector 35 of the plug-in type, designed to be connected to the external circuit by means of a suitable wire.
Within the range of these applications, there is a need to have the connector 35 oriented in different directions. Currently, there is no known solution capable of fulfilling this requirement, except by making use of different sets of optical sensors already prepared with the electric connector oriented in different directions.
A further object of the invention is consequently to provide a clamping and/or centering device, as mentioned initially, provided with un set of optical sensors designed to allow a different orientation of the electric connector, either at the time of assembly, or subsequently, without having to replace or remove the set of optical sensors itself.
In this connection, as shown in the figures from 7 to 11, the electric connector 35 is secured in an angularly orientable way to the fastening base 24 of the box-shaped element 23 housing the electronic control circuit 23 and the set of sensors. In particular, the electric connector 35 has a shaped base 36 connected to the base 24 of the set of optical sensors by means of a hollow pin 37, figure 8, whose rotational axis is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the box-shaped element 23, corresponding to the alignment direction of the optical sensors.
By this disposition, the electric connector 35 can be angularly orientated between the position of figures 8 and 9, in which the connector is disposed in an orthogonal direction with respect to the longitudinal axis of the box-shaped body 23, and the position of figure 11, in which the connector is parallel to the aforesaid longitudinal axis.
The base 36 of the connector 35 can be locked in both the angular positions of figure 9 and of figure 11, by a locking element 38 suitably shaped to fit against shoulder surfaces and/or elements provided on the two bases 24 and 36.
More precisely, the locking element 38 has a flat bottom surface 39 which fits against flat shoulder surfaces 40 and 41 on the base 24, respectively on the base 36, in the condition of figure 9 in which the connector 35 is orthogonally directed to the direction of the axis of the box-shaped element 23.
The locking element 38, on the rear side of the flat bottom surface 39 is also provided with a cross slot 42 in which a cross tooth 43 provided on the base 36 of the electric connector 35 engages, in the condition of figure 11 in which the electric connector 35 is parallely oriented to the longitudinal axis of the box-shaped support element 23; the base 36 of the electric connector is also provided on a rear side with an arched surface 44 having a centre of curvature on the axis of the pin 37 of figure 8; the surface 44 corresponds with a similar arched surface 45 on the rear side of the fastening base 24.
The rotation of the base 36 in order to position the electric connector 35, as shown in figure 10 can be achieved by first loosening the screw 46, lifting and slightly rotating the locking element 38, and then by rotating the base 36 with the electric connector 35 oriented in one of the two positions shown in figure 9 and figure 11; the locking element 38 can then be repositioned and the screw 46 tightened again.
With reference to the block diagram of figure 14, a description will now be given of a further feature of the clamping and/or centering device according to the invention, concerning the electric control circuit for controlling the optical sensors and for connection with an external circuit, for example a central control unit of a motor vehicle assembly line, or for other applications.
In figure 14, reference number 50 has been used to schematically indicate the plurality of transmitters T of the set of optical sensors 22, while reference number 51 has been used to indicate the plurality of corresponding receivers R. Figure 14 represents both a two wires self-powered version of the optical sensors T, R, and a three wires version having an auxiliary power supply, as explained further on. The optical sensors may be, indifferently, either of the single-signal type, in which each transmitter T sends an optical signal exclusively towards the only receiver R which is in front of it, or of the double-signal type in which each transmitter T sends signals simultaneously to several receivers R which are in front of it, as shown schematically.
One advantage of the self-powered version consists in the fact that each optical sensor, composed of the transmitter T and the receiver R, makes use of a sensing system with an extremely low consumption, of approximately 3 mW, under standby condition, compared to the version with an auxiliary power supply; conversely, the use of double-signal optical sensors permits selective discrimination at different levels, of the sensed positions.
In the case of the two-wire self-powered solution, the control circuit of the sensors T, R, which are schematically represented by the blocks 50 and 51 in figure 14, comprises an AC/DC rectifier unit, indicated by the block 52, having a first power supply inlet I1, whose outlet is connected to a current generator or current limiting device 53 which limits the maximum current required to charge the capacitor of a power accumulator 54. The power accumulator 54 in turn is connected to the set 50 of optical transmitters, by means of an electronic switch 55 controlled by a CPU 56, which enables the power supply of the optical transmitters 50 by pulse mode (PWM) for the purpose of reducing the consumption of power necessary for sensing the operative positions of the clamping and/or centering device according to the invention.
The signal picked up by the receivers R of the set of optical sensors, is transmitted to a microprocessor control unit 56, which is programmed to manage the control of the entire sensing cycle; in particular, the control unit 56 selectively enables a second electronic switch 57 and a third electronic switch 58; the electronic switch 57 emits at the outlet U1 a signal relating to the working position, while the electronic switch 58 emits at the outlet U2 a signal relating to one of the several operative or rest positions previously selected by manually operating a switch device 59 connected to an inlet of the control unit 56, which in fact represents the optical sensor TS, RS of the set 22 of optical sensors, operated by the right-hand button 26. In figure 14, the broken line has been used to indicate a second power supply I2, for the rectifier unit, and a connection between the latter and the electronic switch 55; in this case, the current generator 53 and the power accumulator 54 are eliminated.
The sensing system along the working stroke of the device can either be of the direct interpolation type, for low resolution systems, or of the crossed interpolation type, depending upon the type of optical sensor used, as explained previously.
The setting of the device and the selection of the rest and/or desired working position or positions, takes place as follows: once the required position for the clamping arm 11, or corresponding member, for which the automatic sensing is required, has been identified and set, it is sufficient to press the button 26 of figure 12, corresponding to the switch 59 in figure 14, to univocally memorise the respective condition in the electronic control unit 56.
The proposed solution, owing to the particular configuration and disposition of the set of optical sensors, allows to achieve the previously mentioned advantages and objects; furthermore, thanks to the high resolution resulting from the digital transduction of the analogue signal relating to the position sensed of the shutter 28, during its movement along the working stroke of the device, when it is positioned on or crosses the scanning area, it allows to identify and/or discriminate position errors, caused for example by thickness differences of the metal sheet or the work pieces not complied with the preset standards programmed each time for the clamping and/or centering device.
It is understood however that what has been described and shown with reference to the accompanying drawings, has been given purely in order to illustrate the general features and a preferential embodiment of the invention.
Therefore, other modifications and/or variations may be made to the device, to the set of optical sensors and/or to the electronic control circuit, without thereby departing from the scope of the claims.

Claims

A clamping and/or centering device (10) for work pieces, comprising:
- a box-shaped body (13A, 13B) having peripheral walls extending according to a longitudinal axis;

- a clamping and/or centering member (11), supported by said box-shaped body (13A, 13B) to move between a plurality of selectable operative positions along a working stroke;

- an actuator (16) connected at a rearward end side of the box-shaped body (13A, 13B), said actuator (16) having a drive member (14) linearly movable in the direction of said longitudinal axis, said drive member (14) being operatively connected to the clamping and/or centering member (11) to move the latter between a first and a second position, selectable from among said plurality of operative positions, along said working stroke; and

- position sensing means (22) incorporated in the box-shaped body (13A, 13B) to detect operative positions of the clamping and/or centering member (11), said sensing means (22) being aligned on an elongated support element (23) which extends from a fastening base portion (24) provided with an electrical connector (35) for connection of the sensing means (22) to an external electric circuit, said sensing means (22) being activatable in relation to the linear movement of the drive member (14) of the actuator (16),
characterised in that the box-shaped body (13A, 13B) is provided with a rearwardly and side open seat (30) for axial insertion and removal of the elongated support element (23) and for housing the fastening base portion (24) for the same support element (23) for the sensing means (22), and
in that the box-shaped body (13A, 13B), in correspondence with a peripheral wall (13'), is provided with an internal groove (31) for housing the elongated support element (23) for the sensing means (22), said internal groove (31) parallely extending to the longitudinal axis of the box-shaped body (13A, 13B), from said open seat (30).
The device (10) according to claim 1, characterised in that said open seat (30) is shaped and arranged on the rearward end side of the box-shaped body (13A, 13B) so as to allow the introduction of said sensing means support element (23) following a partial removal and/or rotation of the actuator (16) with respect to the box-shaped body (13A, 13B) of the device.
The device (10) according to claim 1, characterised by providing a box-shaped support element (23) for said sensing means (22).
The device (10) according to claim 3, characterised in that said position sensing means (22) comprises a set (22) of optical sensors (T, R) aligned on said box-shaped support element (23) parallely to the longitudinal axis of the box-shaped body (13A, 13B).
The device (10) according to claim 4, characterised by comprising an electronic control circuit (25) of the set (22) of optical sensors, said electronic control circuit (25) comprising a microprocessor unit (56) programmable to selectively activate said optical sensors (T, R) in at least one of the operative positions, along said working stroke.
The device (10) according to claim 5, characterised in that said electronic control unit (56) is provided with a manually operated switch device (59) for setting the sensing of at least one operative position of the clamping and/or centering member (11), by means of the set (22) of optical sensors.
The device (10) according to claim 6, characterised in that said switch device (59) comprises an optical sensor (TS, RS) and manually operated means (26) for activating the sensor (TS, RS).
The device (10) according to claim 5, characterised in that the set (22) of optical sensors comprises a plurality of optical transmitters (T1, Tm; TL), and a corresponding plurality of optical receivers (R1, Rn; RL), in which the optical transmitters (T1, Tm; TL) are connected to a power source (II) by a first electronic switch (55) controlled by a microprocessor unit (56), and a rectifier system (52), and in which the plurality of optical receivers (R1, Rn; RL) is operatively connected to said control unit (56); a first outlet of the control unit (56) being connected to a respective electronic switch (57) for emission of a first position sensing signal, a second outlet of the control unit (56) being connected to a respective electronic switch (58) for emission of a second position sensing signal.
The device (10) according to claim 8, characterised in that said plurality of optical transmitters (T1, Tm; TL) and the electric control switch (55) are connected to the rectifier system (52) by a power accumulator (54) and a current generator (53), forming part of a two-wire power supply system for the set (22) of sensors.
The device (10) according to claim 4, characterised in that the set (22) of optical sensors comprises a direct interpolation sensing system.
The device (10) according to claim 4, characterised in that the set (22) of optical sensors comprises a crossed interpolation sensing system.
The device (10) according to claim 11, characterised in that the optical transmitters (T1, Tm; TL) of the set (22) of sensors, are energised by pulse mode.
The device (10) according to claim 4, characterised in that said electric connector (35) is connected in an angularly orientable way to the fastening base (24) for the set (22) of optical sensors, and in that disengageable means are provided for fastening the connector (35) in pre-established angular positions.
The device (10) according to claim 13, characterised in that the electric connector (35) is provided with a support base (36), hinged onto the fastening base (24) for the set (22) of optical sensors, said bases (24, 36) being provided with reciprocal shoulder surfaces (39; 40, 41), and in that a disengageable locking element (38) is provided for the connector base (36), the locking element (38) being shaped in such a way as to come into contact with said shoulder surfaces (39; 40, 41) in pre-established angular positions of the connector supporting base (36), with respect to the fastening base (24) for the set (22) of optical sensors.
The device (10) according to claim 13, characterised in that the electric connector (35) is orientable in an orthogonal direction with respect to the longitudinal axis of the box-shaped body (13A, 13B).
The device (10) according to claim 13, characterised in that the electric connector (35) is orientable in a parallel direction to the longitudinal axis of the box-shaped body (13A, 13B).