Safety Switch

• US 20190316381A1
• Filed: 02/08/2019
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keyence Corporation (Keyence)
• Original Assignee: Keyence Corporation (Keyence)
• Inventors: Oh, Choryon, Babasaki, Yu, Cheah, Lye Tatt
• Granted Patent: US 11,551,884 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/08 in connection with the locking of doors, covers, guards, or like members giving access to moving machine parts
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2027/005 the key receiving part having multiple openings to allow keys from different directions to operate the switch
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 27/002 wherein one single insertion movement of a key comprises an unlocking stroke and a switch actuating stroke, e.g. security switch for safety guards
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/22 for interlocking between casing, cover, or protective shutter and mechanism for operating contacts explosion-proof cases H01H9/045; built-in fuses and interlocking mechanisms H01H9/104; by automatic release of circuit breakers H01H71/126
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/285 Locking mechanisms incorporated in the switch assembly and operable by a key or a special tool

Abstract

To realize both toughness and size reduction of a safety switch. A safety switch is a safety switch into and from which a bolt of an actuator is inserted and pulled out. The safety switch includes a casing having a shape elongated along a first direction, a metal head having a receiving space for receiving the bolt of the actuator and provided on a first end side of the casing in the first direction, a detector for detecting a first state in which the bolt is received in the receiving space, a lock mechanism, a switching device and a first attachment portion provided in the head and having a first attachment hole into which a first attachment member is inserted.

Claims

1. A safety switch into and from which a bolt of an actuator is inserted and pulled out, comprising:

a casing having a shape elongated along a first direction;

a metal head coupled to a first end side of the casing in the first direction, and having a receiving space for receiving the bolt of the actuator;

a detector for detecting a first state in which the bolt is received in the receiving space;

a lock mechanism, in a lock state, disposed at a lock position and regulating pull-out of the bolt in the first state, and, in an unlock state, disposed at an unlock position and allowing pull-out of the bolt in the first state, the lock mechanism being switchable between the lock position and the unlock position;

a switching device disposed in the casing and outputting a signal indicating a safety state based on the safety state including the first state detected by the detector; and

a first attachment portion disposed in the metal head and having a first attachment hole into which a first attachment member is inserted.

2. The safety switch according to claim 1,

wherein the detector includes a wireless circuit supplying electric power to a wireless tag provided in the actuator and receiving a signal transmitted from the wireless tag.

3. The safety switch according to claim 2,

wherein the lock mechanism includes

a lock pin locking the bolt, and

a driving mechanism housed in the casing and driving the lock pin, and

a lock pin hole into which the lock pin for locking the bolt is inserted is formed on a top surface of the casing to which the metal head is attached.

4. The safety switch according to claim 3, further comprising:

a circuit substrate on which the wireless circuit is mounted,

wherein an output circuit having the switching device that outputs the signal indicating the safety state as the state in which the bolt is locked by the lock pin is mounted on the circuit substrate.

5. The safety switch according to claim 1,

wherein the metal head has a rotation axis parallel to the first direction,

the casing has a neck portion protruding in the first direction and is axially symmetric to the rotation axis, and

the metal head is attached to the neck portion so as to be attached at any of different plural rotation angles with respect to the casing.

6. The safety switch according to claim 1,

wherein the metal head includes three receiving holes for receiving the bolt from at least three directions.

7. The safety switch according to claim 1,

wherein the first attachment hole communicates with the receiving space in the metal head.

8. The safety switch according to claim 1, further comprising:

a metal bottom portion provided on a second end side in the first direction of the casing; and

a second attachment portion provided in the bottom portion and having a second attachment hole into which a second attachment member is inserted.

9. The safety switch according to claim 8,

wherein a first attachment surface abutting on the first attachment member provided in the first attachment portion and a second attachment surface abutting on the second attachment member provided in the second attachment portion are parallel to each other,

a position of the first attachment hole is a central position in a short-side direction of the casing, and

a position of the second attachment hole is a central position in the short-side direction of the casing.

10. The safety switch according to claim 9, further comprising:

a cable transmitting the signal indicating the safety state,

wherein the cable is led out from the second end side of the casing at a position apart from a straight line passing the center of the second attachment hole so that the second attachment member inserted into the second attachment hole does not interfere with the cable.

11. The safety switch according to claim 10,

wherein the bottom portion includes two or more second attachment holes into which the second attachment member is capable of being inserted, and

the cable is led out from the second end side of the casing at a position apart from straight lines passing respective centers of the two or more second attachment holes.