Safety apparatus determining whether a detected presence is a work piece or a human

• US 5,428,279 A
• Filed: 03/02/1994
• Issued: 06/27/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: L&W Engineering, Nippon Signal Company Limited, Noboru Sugimoto
• Original Assignee: L&W Engineering, Nippon Signal Company Limited, Noboru Sugimoto
• Inventors: Sugimoto, Noboru, Narita, Kazumi, Futsuhara, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoop, Jr., William M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cabeca, John W.
• Application Number:
  US08/170,306
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: 318/445, 318/450, 318/449, 318/456, 318/458, 318/466, 318/467, 318/480, 318/563, 901/46, 901/47, 901/49, 340/573, 340/825.06, 340/825.36, 340/942, 340/507, 340/653, 364/436, 364/474.2, 364/474.22, 364/474.26, 364/474.16, 364/474.19, 364/551.01, 364/551.02, 361/93, 361/78
• US Class Current: 318/563
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/06 Safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/144 using light grids
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/145 using magnetic technology

Abstract

A safety apparatus wherein a sensor (10_n through 15_n, 16) for transmitting object (M) detection information as a reduction in the output signal energy, is used as a human detection sensor, while a sensor (21-26) for transmitting object (M) detection information as an increase in the output signal energy is used as a work piece detection sensor, and drive of a mechanical moving portion is permitted only when the logical OR output of both sensors has a logical value of "1" corresponding to the high energy condition, thereby reliably ensuring excellent operator safety in a fail-safe manner.

Claims

1. A safety apparatus which discriminates whether or not an object passing through an entrance/exit of a work space of a machine for processing work being conveyed, is a human or a work piece, and which generates a signal to stop the drive of a movable portion of said machine when a human passes through said entrance/exit to ensure the safety of said human, wherein said safety apparatus comprises,

a first object detection means for detecting a human, constructed so that output signal energy is decreased when an object is detected passing through said entrance/exit, and to produce a reduced output signal in the case of a malfunction,

a second object detection means for detecting a work piece, constructed so that output signal energy is increased when an object is detected passing through said entrance/exit, and to produce a reduced output signal in the case of a malfunction, and

a logical addition operation means for operating on the logical OR of the output signal of the first object detection means and the output signal of the second object detection means, so that when an output signal energy condition of said logical addition operation means shows a binary variable logical value of "1","0", an output of the logical value "0" corresponding to the low energy condition becomes said signal to stop the drive of the movable portion of said machine.

2. A safety apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first object detection means comprises,

a plurality of light emitting elements vertically arrayed on one of the confronting wall faces of said work space entrance/exit,

a plurality of excitation circuits provided for each of the respective light emitting elements to excite the light emitting elements at frequencies different to each other and to generate light beams from the corresponding light emitting elements,

a plurality of light receiving elements vertically arrayed on the other of the wall faces and confronting said light emitting elements, which receive light beams from the confronting light emitting elements when an object is not present,

a plurality of filter circuits provided for each of the respective light receiving elements, which only allow the passage of a light beam frequency signal generated by the light emitting element confronting the corresponding light receiving element,

a plurality of amplification circuits which each amplify the output signal of a respective filter circuit,

a plurality of rectification circuits which each rectify the output signal of a respective amplification circuit, and

a logical product operation means for operating on the logical AND of the output signals of the plurality of rectification circuits and producing an output, and erring to give a logical value of "0" in the case of a malfunction.

3. A safety apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second object detection means comprises,

a transmitting coil disposed at the entrance/exit of said operating space,

an excitation circuit for exciting said transmitting coil to produce an alternating current signal,

a receiving coil for receiving the alternating current signal from said transmitting coil and producing an output signal,

an amplifying circuit for amplifying the output signal from said receiving coil,

a rectifying circuit for rectifying the amplified output from said amplifying circuit, and

a level detection circuit for producing an output signal of a logical value of "1" corresponding to a high energy condition when the output signal level of said rectifying circuit exceeds a predetermined level, the construction being such that when a work piece to be detected is present, the output signal energy of the receiving coil is increased on the basis of an electromagnetic induction effect, and the output signal level from said amplifying circuit for input to said level detection circuit becomes greater than a predetermined level.

4. A safety apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the work piece to be detected is made from a metal.

5. A safety apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the work piece to be detected is mounted on a pallet and transported thereby, and a metal element is attached to said pallet.

6. A safety apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the work piece to be detected is mounted on a pallet and transported thereby, and said pallet is provided with a resonant circuit which resonates with an alternating current signal in said transmitting coil.

7. A safety apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the work piece to be detected is mounted on a pallet and transported thereby, and said pallet is provided with an information transmitting means which can transmit various types of information related to mechanical work processing operations, to a receiving coil.