Machine tool having function of monitoring sealing of control panel

• US 10,002,514 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2016
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
• Inventors: Sekikawa, Yuuta
• Primary Examiner(s): Garcia, Santiago
• Application Number:
  US15/394,967
• Publication Number:
  US 20170193796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 340602
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 1/0045 Control panels or boxes
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/187 Machine fault alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/20 responsive to moisture

Abstract

A machine tool has the function of monitoring the sealing performance of a control panel. The machine tool measures temperature and humidity inside the control panel, calculates a vapor amount from the measured results, and stores the vapor amount. A vapor amount change ratio is calculated based on a currently calculated vapor amount and a previously calculated and stored vapor amount. An alert is announced when the calculated vapor amount change ratio is greater than or equal to a specific value.

Claims

1. A machine tool, comprising:

a control panel;

a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor that measure temperature and humidity inside the control panel, respectively;

a vapor amount calculation unit that calculates a vapor amount based on the temperature and the humidity;

a vapor amount storage unit that stores the vapor amount;

a vapor amount change ratio calculation unit that calculates a vapor amount change ratio based on the vapor amount calculated by the vapor amount calculation unit and the vapor amount stored in the vapor amount storage unit;

a vapor amount change ratio threshold setting unit that retains a threshold that is set in advance;

a vapor amount change ratio comparison unit that determines whether or not the vapor amount change ratio is greater than or equal to the threshold; and

an alert announcement unit that announces an alert when the vapor amount change ratio is greater than or equal to the threshold,

wherein

the vapor amount change ratio calculation unit calculates the vapor amount change ratio using an average of the vapor amounts per prescribed time instead of the vapor amounts.

5. The machine tool according to claim 1, wherein

the vapor amount calculated based on the temperature and the humidity is the vapor amount inside the control panel.

2. A machine tool, comprising:

a control panel;

a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor that measure temperature and humidity inside the control panel, respectively;

a vapor amount calculation unit that calculates a vapor amount based on the temperature and the humidity;

a vapor amount storage unit that stores the vapor amount;

a vapor amount change ratio calculation unit that calculates a vapor amount change ratio based on the vapor amount calculated by the vapor amount calculation unit and the vapor amount stored in the vapor amount storage unit;

a vapor amount change ratio threshold setting unit that retains a threshold that is set in advance;

a vapor amount change ratio comparison unit that determines whether or not the vapor amount change ratio is greater than or equal to the threshold;

an alert announcement unit that announces an alert when the vapor amount change ratio is greater than or equal to the threshold;

a door opening/closing detection unit that detects whether a door of the control panel is opened; and

a vapor amount resetting unit that temporarily stops the operation of the vapor amount calculation unit to reset a content stored in the vapor amount storage unit when the opening of the door is detected.

3. A machine tool, comprising:

a control panel;

a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor that measure temperature and humidity inside the control panel, respectively;

a vapor amount calculation unit that calculates a vapor amount based on the temperature and the humidity;

a vapor amount storage unit that stores the vapor amount;

a vapor amount change ratio calculation unit that calculates a vapor amount change ratio based on the vapor amount calculated by the vapor amount calculation unit and the vapor amount stored in the vapor amount storage unit;

a vapor amount change ratio threshold setting unit that retains a threshold that is set in advance;

a vapor amount change ratio comparison unit that determines whether or not the vapor amount change ratio is greater than or equal to the threshold;

an alert announcement unit that announces an alert when the vapor amount change ratio is greater than or equal to the threshold; and

a power supply monitoring unit that detects whether a power supply of the machine tool is turned ON/OFF, wherein

the operation of the vapor amount calculation unit is stopped for a prescribed time when the power supply monitoring unit detects that the power supply is turned ON.

4. The machine tool according to claim 3, wherein

the operation of the vapor amount calculation unit is stopped for the prescribed time when the power supply monitoring unit detects that the power supply is turned OFF.