Protection circuit for machine tool control center

• US 9,726,324 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2014
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (WuHan) Co., Ltd. (Foxconn Technology Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (WuHan) Co., Ltd. (Foxconn Technology Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Peng, Yi-Hung, Zhao, Long
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Hoi
• Application Number:
  US14/310,093
• Publication Number:
  US 20140379109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,145 Days
• Field of Search: 3405731, 3406861, 340500, 340540, 3406866, 34053923, 73 179
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/14 the means being photocells or other devices sensitive without mechanical contact
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms

Abstract

A protection circuit is coupled to a switch circuit of a machine tool for protection. The protection circuit comprises a fatigue protection unit and a misoperation protection unit. The fatigue protection unit comprises a first sensor, a first processor, a first controller, and an alarm module. The misoperation protection unit comprises a second sensor, a second processor, and a second controller. The protection circuit senses the degree of fatigue and the misoperation of people through the fatigue protection unit and the misoperation protection unit, then controls the machine tool to work or not to work to avoid accidents.

Claims

1. A protection circuit coupled to a switch circuit of a machine tool, the protection circuit comprising:

a fatigue protection unit comprising;

an alarm module;

a first sensor detected blink of an operator and output a pulse signal in response to a blink;

a first processor coupled to the first sensor for receiving and processing the pulse signals; and

a first controller coupled to the first processor for received the processed pulse signals, and controlled working modes of the alarm module, and controlled the machine tool working or not through the switch circuit, according to the processed pulse signals; and

a misoperation protection unit comprising;

a second sensor sensed a distance between a person and the machine tool, and output a sense signal in response that the distance sensed is less than a preset distance;

a second processor coupled to the second sensor for receiving and processing the sense signal; and

a second controller coupled to the second processor for receiving the processed sense signal, and controlled the machine tool to stop through the switch circuit.

2. The protection circuit of claim 1, wherein the first sensor comprises a blink recognizer.

3. The protection circuit of claim 1, wherein the second sensor is an infrared sensor.

4. The protection circuit of claim 1, wherein the first processor comprises a first comparator, an inductor, a first capacitor, a first resistor, and a second resistors, a non-inverting input terminal of the first comparator is coupled to the first sensor for receiving the pulse signals, an inverting input terminal of the first comparator is coupled to ground through the first resistor, a power terminal of the first comparator is coupled to a first power supply, a ground terminal of the first comparator is coupled to ground, an output terminal of the first comparator is coupled to ground through the inductor and the first capacitor in that order, a node between the inductor and the first capacitor is coupled to a first terminal of the second resistor, a second terminal of the second resistor is coupled to the first controller.

5. The protection circuit of claim 4, wherein the first controller comprises a microcontroller, a second resistor, a second, and a third capacitors, and a crystal oscillator, a power pin of the microcontroller is coupled to a second power supply, a first input/output (I/O) pin of the microcontroller is coupled to the second power supply through the second resistor, the first I/O pin of the microcontroller is coupled to the first processor, a second I/O pin of the microcontroller is coupled to the misoperation protection unit, a third I/O pin of the microcontroller is coupled to the switch circuit, a fourth I/O pin of the microcontroller is coupled to the alarm module, a timer pin of the microcontroller is coupled to a pulse pin of the microcontroller, a first clock pin of the microcontroller is coupled to a second clock pin of the microcontroller through the crystal oscillator, the first and the second clock pins of the microcontroller are coupled to ground through the second and the third capacitors, respectively, a ground pin of the microcontroller is coupled to ground.

6. The protection circuit of claim 5, wherein the alarm module comprises a buzzer and a fourth resistor, a signal pin of the buzzer is coupled to the fourth I/O pin of the microcontroller through the fourth resistor, a ground pin of the buzzer is coupled to ground.

7. The protection circuit of claim 6, wherein the second processor comprises a fifth, a sixth, and a seventh resistors, a second comparator, a fourth, a fifth, and a sixth capacitors, and a trigger, a non-inverting input terminal of the second comparator is coupled to the second power supply through the fifth resistor, the non-inverting input terminal of the second comparator is coupled to the second sensor for receiving the sense signals, an inverting input terminal of the second comparator is coupled to ground through the sixth resistor, a power terminal of the second comparator is coupled to the first power supply, a ground terminal of the second comparator is coupled to ground, an output terminal of the second comparator is coupled to ground through the fourth capacitor, the output terminal of the second comparator is coupled to a first input pin of the trigger, a second input pin of the trigger is coupled to ground, a ground pin of the trigger is coupled to ground, a power pin of the trigger is coupled to the second power supply, the power pin of the trigger is coupled to ground through the fifth capacitor, an output pin of the trigger is coupled to ground through the seventh resistor and the sixth capacitor in that order, a node between the seven resistor and the sixth capacitor is coupled to the second controller.

8. The protection circuit of claim 7, wherein the second controller comprises an electronic switch, an eighth resistor, and a diode, a first terminal of the electronic switch is coupled to the node between the seven resistor and the sixth capacitor, a second terminal of the electronic switch is coupled to the second power supply through the eighth resistor, a third terminal of the electronic switch is coupled to ground, the second terminal of the electronic switch is coupled to the second I/O pin of the microcontroller, the second terminal of the electronic switch is coupled to a cathode of the diode, an anode of the diode is coupled to the third I/O pin of the microcontroller, wherein the second terminal of the electronic switch is connected to the third terminal of the electronic switch, in response to the first terminal of the electronic switch receiving a high-level signal, wherein the second terminal of the electronic switch is disconnected from the third terminal of the electronic switch, in response to the first terminal of the electronic switch receiving a low-level signal.

9. The protection circuit of claim 8, wherein the electronic switch is an npn bipolar junction transistor (BJT), the first, second, and third terminals of the electronic switch are a base, a collector, and an emitter of the BJT, respectively.

10. A protection circuit configured to be coupled to a switch circuit of a machine tool, the protection circuit comprising:

a fatigue protection device comprising;

a first sensor configured to detect a blink rate of an operator and output a pulse signal in response to the detected blink rate;

a first processor coupled to the first sensor and configured to receive and process the pulse signal; and

a first controller coupled to the first processor and configured to;

receive the processed pulse signal,

control a working mode of an alarm device, and

control the machine tool to be operational or non-operation; and

a misoperation protection device coupled to the fatigue protection device, the misoperation protection device comprising;

a second sensor configured to sense a distance between the operator and the machine tool and output a sense signal in response that the distance sensed is less than a predetermined distance;

a second processor coupled to the second sensor and configured to receive and process the sensed signal;

a second controller coupled to the second processor and configured to;

receive the processor sense signal, and

control the machine tool to cease operation through the switch circuit.

11. The protection circuit of claim 10, wherein the first sensor comprises a blink recognizer.

12. The protection circuit of claim 10, wherein the second sensor is an infrared sensor.

13. The protection circuit of claim 10, wherein the first processor comprises a first comparator, an inductor, a first capacitor, a first resistor, and a second resistors, a non-inverting input terminal of the first comparator is coupled to the first sensor for receiving the pulse signals, an inverting input terminal of the first comparator is coupled to ground through the first resistor, a power terminal of the first comparator is coupled to a first power supply, a ground terminal of the first comparator is coupled to ground, an output terminal of the first comparator is coupled to ground through the inductor and the first capacitor in that order, a node between the inductor and the first capacitor is coupled to a first terminal of the second resistor, a second terminal of the second resistor is coupled to the first controller.

14. The protection circuit of claim 13, wherein the first controller comprises a microcontroller, a second resistor, a second, and a third capacitors, and a crystal oscillator, a power pin of the microcontroller is coupled to a second power supply, a first input/output (I/O) pin of the microcontroller is coupled to the second power supply through the second resistor, the first I/O pin of the microcontroller is coupled to the first processor, a second I/O pin of the microcontroller is coupled to the misoperation protection device, a third I/O pin of the microcontroller is coupled to the switch circuit, a fourth I/O pin of the microcontroller is coupled to the alarm module, a timer pin of the microcontroller is coupled to a pulse pin of the microcontroller, a first clock pin of the microcontroller is coupled to a second clock pin of the microcontroller through the crystal oscillator, the first and the second clock pins of the microcontroller are coupled to ground through the second and the third capacitors, respectively, a ground pin of the microcontroller is coupled to ground.

15. The protection circuit of claim 14, wherein the alarm module comprises a buzzer and a fourth resistor, a signal pin of the buzzer is coupled to the fourth I/O pin of the microcontroller through the fourth resistor, a ground pin of the buzzer is coupled to ground.

16. The protection circuit of claim 15, wherein the second processor comprises a fifth, a sixth, and a seventh resistors, a second comparator, a fourth, a fifth, and a sixth capacitors, and a trigger, a non-inverting input terminal of the second comparator is coupled to the second power supply through the fifth resistor, the non-inverting input terminal of the second comparator is coupled to the second sensor for receiving the sense signals, an inverting input terminal of the second comparator is coupled to ground through the sixth resistor, a power terminal of the second comparator is coupled to the first power supply, a ground terminal of the second comparator is coupled to ground, an output terminal of the second comparator is coupled to ground through the fourth capacitor, the output terminal of the second comparator is coupled to a first input pin of the trigger, a second input pin of the trigger is coupled to ground, a ground pin of the trigger is coupled to ground, a power pin of the trigger is coupled to the second power supply, the power pin of the trigger is coupled to ground through the fifth capacitor, an output pin of the trigger is coupled to ground through the seventh resistor and the sixth capacitor in that order, a node between the seven resistor and the sixth capacitor is coupled to the second controller.

17. The protection circuit of claim 16, wherein the second controller comprises an electronic switch, an eighth resistor, and a diode, a first terminal of the electronic switch is coupled to the node between the seven resistor and the sixth capacitor, a second terminal of the electronic switch is coupled to the second power supply through the eighth resistor, a third terminal of the electronic switch is coupled to ground, the second terminal of the electronic switch is coupled to the second I/O pin of the microcontroller, the second terminal of the electronic switch is coupled to a cathode of the diode, an anode of the diode is coupled to the third I/O pin of the microcontroller, wherein the second terminal of the electronic switch is connected to the third terminal of the electronic switch, in response to the first terminal of the electronic switch receiving a high-level signal, wherein the second terminal of the electronic switch is disconnected from the third terminal of the electronic switch, in response to the first terminal of the electronic switch receiving a low-level signal.

18. The protection circuit of claim 17, wherein the electronic switch is an npn bipolar junction transistor (BJT), the first, second, and third terminals of the electronic switch are a base, a collector, and an emitter of the BJT, respectively.