APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF A MACHINE, LOCKING INSERT FOR SUCH AN APPARATUS, AND ASSOCIATED METHOD OF OPERATION

• US 20140288687A1
• Filed: 11/19/2012
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Euchner GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: Joachim Mailander
• Inventors: Mailnder, Joachim
• Granted Patent: US 9,477,211 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/97
• 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: G05B 9/02 electric

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus (1) for controlling the operation of a machine (3), comprising a device for monitoring the status of a safety device (2) for the machine (3), in particular a safety switch for monitoring the closed status of a safety gate or similar of the safety device (2), wherein when the safety device (2) is in the closed state, the apparatus (1) can provide an enabling signal for operation of the machine (3), characterized in that the apparatus (1) has a detection device (10) for detecting a locking insert (14), which insert can be effectively connected to the detection device (10), is portable, and can be removed from the detection device (10) without the use of a tool, and in that even when the safety device (2) is in the closed state, the apparatus (1) will provide the enabling signal only if the locking insert (14) is effectively connected to the detection device (10). The invention further relates to a locking insert (14) for such an apparatus (1) and to an associated method of operation.

Claims

1. An apparatus (1) for controlling the operation of a machine (3) having a device for monitoring the status of a safety device (2) for the machine (3), in particular a safety switch for monitoring the closed status of the safety gate or the like of the safety device (2), wherein, when the safety device (2) is in a closed state, the apparatus (1) can provide an enabling signal for the operation of the machine (3), characterized in that the apparatus (1) has a detection device (10) for detecting a locking insert (14), which locking insert can be operatively connected to the detection device (10), is portable, and can be removed from the detection device (10) without the use of tools, and that even when the safety device (2) is in a closed state, the apparatus (1) only provides the enabling signal when the locking insert (14) is operatively connected to the detection device (10).

2. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking insert (14) has a unique identifier, and that the apparatus (1) only provides the enabling signal when the detection device (10) is operatively connected to a locking insert (14), which has an identifier expected by the apparatus (1).

3. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking insert (14) has an electronic memory, in which a code is stored, which can be read by the detection device (10) when an operative connection exists.

4. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking insert (14) can be operatively connected to the detection device (10) in an electrically contactless manner.

5. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking insert (14) has a transponder, which exchanges signals with the detection device, without an electrical contact (10).

6. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the detection device (10) has a receiving element (30) for receiving the locking insert (14), and that the locking insert (14) is only operatively connected to the detection device (10) when said locking insert is in a state of having been received in the receiving element (30).

7. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the apparatus (1) has multiple detection devices (10), and that the apparatus (1) only provides the enabling signal when each detection device (10) is operatively connected to a locking insert (14).

8. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the apparatus (1) signals the status of the operative connection between the locking insert (14) and the detection device (10) and/or the status that no such operative connection exists.

9. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the device for monitoring the status of the safety device (2) for the machine (3) comprises a switch head (12) and an actuator (8), which can be brought into interaction with one another, and in that the actuator (8) is an electronically encoded actuator (8), which can be placed in proximity to the switch head (12) of the apparatus (1) in order to interact therewith.

10. The apparatus (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that a reader device of the switch head (12) for interacting with the actuator (8) and the detection device (10) for detecting the locking insert (14) are constructed identically.

11. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the device for monitoring the status of the safety device (2) for the machine (3) also has a retention means for retaining the closed status of the safety device (2), and in that the retention can only be activated when the locking insert (14) is operatively connected to the detection device (10).

12. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the apparatus (1) has blocking means (32), by means of which access to the locking insert (14) in a spatial region that enables an operative connection to the detection device (10) can be blocked.

13. A locking insert (14) for use in an apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking insert (14) is portable, can be operatively connected to a detection device (10) of the apparatus (1) and can be removed from the detection device (10) without the use of tools, and in that, due to coding stored in the locking insert (14), the selection of one or more modes of operation of the machine (3) can be controlled.

14. A method of controlling the operation of a machine (3) having an apparatus (1) comprising a device for monitoring the status of a safety device (2) for the machine (3), in particular a safety switch for monitoring the closed status of the safety gate or the like of the safety device (2), wherein, when the safety device (2) is in a closed state, the apparatus (1) provides an enabling signal for the operation of the machine (3), characterized in that the apparatus (1) has a detection device (10) for detecting a locking insert (14), which locking insert can be operatively connected to the detection device (10), is portable, and can be removed from the detection device (10) without the use of tools, and that even when the safety device (2) is in a closed state, the enabling signal is only provided when the locking insert (14) is operatively connected to the detection device (10).

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, during operation of the machine (3), interrupting the operative connection between the locking insert (14) and the detection device (10) does not interrupt the operation of the machine (3), but that restarting the machine (3) after a standstill or another secure condition is only possible when the locking insert (14) is again operatively connected to the detection device (10).