Safety switch assembly

• US 5,254,879 A
• Filed: 12/05/1991
• Issued: 10/19/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation, Inc.
• Original Assignee: E.J.A. Engineering Ltd. (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jackson, George H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey A.
• Application Number:
  US07/768,244
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: 361/142, 361/143, 361/144, 361/147, 361/148, 361/170, 361/177, 361/180, 307/112, 307/116
• US Class Current: 307/116
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/10 in which the operation of locking the door or other member causes the machine to start
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9502 Measures for increasing reliability
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/97 using a magnetic movable element

Abstract

A safety switch having first and second elements intended to be mounted on components of a safety enclosure that are moveable relative to one another. The first and second elements are in a predetermined relative position adjacent each other when the enclosure is in a closed condition and spaced apart when the enclosure is in an open condition. A source of magnetic flux is mounted on one element and a magnetically operable switch is mounted on the other element. The magnetically operable switch is arranged so as to be switched by the magnetic flux generated by the source when the elements are moved adjacent to each other. A pair of tuned circuits are mounted one in each of the elements, and a switching circuit is connected to one of the tuned circuits. The switching circuit is arranged so as to be switched when the elements are moved adjacent to each other. An output circuit indicates that the enclosure is not closed unless both the magnetically operable switch and the switching circuit indicate that the two elements are adjacent to each other.

Claims

1. A safety switch assembly comprising first and second elements intended to be mounted on components of a safety enclosure that are moveable relative to one another, the first and second elements being in a predetermined relative position adjacent each other when the enclosure is in a closed condition and spaced apart when the enclosure is in an open condition, wherein the assembly comprises a source of magnetic flux mounted on one element and a magnetically operable switch 6 mounted on the other element, the magnetically operable switch 6 being arranged so as to be switched by the magnetic flux generated by the source of magnetic flux when the said one element is moved from a position spaced from the said other element to the said predetermined relative position adjacent the said other element, the assembly further comprises a pair of tuned circuits mounted in respective ones of the elements and a switching circuit connected to one of the tuned circuits, the switching circuit being arranged so as to be switched when the said one element is moved from a position spaced from the said other element to the said predetermined relative position adjacent the said other element, and the assembly further comprises an output circuit arranged to indicate that the enclosure is not closed unless both the magnetically operable switch 6 and the switching circuit indicate that the two element are in the predetermined relative position adjacent to each other.

2. A safety switch assembly according to claim 1, wherein one of the first and second elements has mounted thereon the magnetically operable switch, an active tuned circuit, the switching circuit and the output circuit, the other of the first and second elements supports one or more permanent magnets and a passive tuned circuit, the passive tuned circuit being electromagnetically coupled to the active tuned circuit when the two elements are positioned adjacent to each other.

3. A safety switch assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the output circuit is arranged to indicate that the enclosure is open unless, as the elements are moved to the predetermined relative position adjacent to each other, the magnetically operable switch is switched before the switching circuit is switched.

4. A safety switch assembly according to claim 1, wherein the element or elements supporting active circuit components are provided with a power input only so that there are no conductors other than the power input which can pick up spurious electromagnetic signals.