Method for Managing an Active Safety for an Automatically Operating Machine

• US 20090271026A1
• Filed: 12/06/2006
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lectra SA
• Original Assignee: Lectra SA
• Inventors: Sanchez, Alain, Lerisson, Jean-Pierre
• Granted Patent: US 8,078,308 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/177
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/14 the means being photocells or other devices sensitive without mechanical contact

Abstract

This invention relates to a method for managing active safety for an automatically operating machine comprising a work surface and a work tool displaced according to a pre-established work program. The method consists of dividing (100) the work surface into several zones and, during the work program cycle and in response to detection (200) of an operator'"'"'s intrusion into a first zone when the tool is active in a second zone, also consists of carrying out at least one of the following actions: keeping (210) the tool'"'"'s programmed displacement at the normal speed if the tool'"'"'s displacement is programmed in a zone not adjacent to the first one, keeping (220) the tool'"'"'s programmed displacement at reduced speed if the tool'"'"'s displacement is programmed in a zone adjacent to the first one and modifying (230) the work program if the tool'"'"'s displacement is programmed in the first zone so that the tool'"'"'s work can be continued in a zone other than the first one.

Claims

1. Method for managing active safety for an automatically operating machine comprising a work surface and a work tool displaced on the work surface according to a pre-established work program for working on material placed on the work surface, wherein the method comprises:

dividing the work surface into several zones and during the work program cycle and in response to detection of an operator'"'"'s intrusion into a first zone when the tool is active in a second zone, other than the first zone, also comprises carrying out at least one of the following actions;

keeping the tool'"'"'s programmed displacement at a normal speed if the tool displacement is programmed in a zone not adjacent to the first zone,

keeping the tool'"'"'s programmed displacement at a reduced speed if the tool'"'"'s displacement is programmed in a zone adjacent to the first zone, and

modifying the work program if the tool displacement is programmed in the first zone when the operator'"'"'s intrusion continues to be detected there so that the tool'"'"'s work can be continued in a zone other than the first zone.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in the case of modifying the work program, the tool displacement in a zone other than the first zone is carried out at normal speed when the tool displacement is programmed in a zone not adjacent to the first zone and at reduced speed when the tool displacement is programmed in a zone adjacent to the first zone.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, during the work program cycle and in response to detection of an operator'"'"'s intrusion into a first zone when the tool is active in a second zone, other than the first zone, the following action can be carried out:

if the tool displacement is programmed to remain in the second zone, keeping the tool'"'"'s programmed work at the normal speed and indicating to the operator that he can work in a zone other than the second zone.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein, during the work program cycle and in response to detection of an operator'"'"'s intrusion into a first zone when the tool is active in a second zone, other than the first zone, the following action can be carried out:

if the tool displacement is programmed to remain in the second zone, keeping the tool'"'"'s programmed work at the normal speed and indicating to the operator that he can work in a zone other than the second zone.

4. An automatically operating machine comprising a work surface divided into several zones, a work tool displaced on the work surface according to a pre-established work program for working on a material placed on the work surface and means for detecting an operator'"'"'s intrusion into one of the zones of the work surface, wherein said machine also comprises means for carrying out, during the work program cycle and in response to detection of an operator'"'"'s intrusion into a first zone when the tool is active in a second zone, other than the first zone, at least one of the following actions:

keeping the programmed displacement of the tool at the normal speed if the tool displacement is programmed in a zone not adjacent to the first zone,

keeping the programmed displacement of the tool at reduced speed if the tool displacement is programmed in a zone adjacent to the first zone, and

modifying the work program if the displacement of the tool is programmed in the first zone when the operator'"'"'s intrusion continues to be detected there so that the tool'"'"'s work can be continued in a zone other than the first zone.