Double protection device and double protection method for laser cutting machine

Abstract

The present invention provides a double protection device and a double protection method for a laser cutting machine, belonging to the field of laser cutting machines. On the one hand, the present invention installs a safety laser scanner at the rear end of an exchange platform instead of a safety grating to achieve real-time monitoring with a wider range, higher accuracy and reliability, and reduce the incidence of accidents; on the other hand, the present invention arranges a foot switch with three working states, and realizes the switching of the laser cutting machine among an emergency stop mode, a normal working mode, and a safety protection mode through the foot switch, so that the state of the laser cutting machine can be adjusted to the safety protection mode before personnel perform corresponding operations, that is, adjusted to the state of the laser turning off and the exchange platform turning off, so as to avoid the laser cutting machine continuing to be in a plate processing state and a self-material changing state when personnel perform maintenance, thereby improving the safety protection capability of the entire laser cutting equipment and avoiding the occurrence of safety accidents.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the field of laser cutting machines, and in particular relates to a double protection device and a double protection method for a laser cutting machine. Background Art

[0002] In the field of laser processing, for some laser processing production lines that are not equipped with automatic loading and unloading devices such as robotic arms, workers often need to manually change materials for laser cutting equipment that performs continuous laser cutting operations. In addition, during this process, since the overall size of the laser cutting equipment is large and it is equipped with a closed cover for protection, it is not easy for the front operator to observe the situation at the rear exchange platform when operating the control panel of the equipment, which can easily cause personal injury and safety accidents due to inadequate observation.

[0003] In order to solve the above-mentioned safety hazards, most of the existing laser cutting equipment are equipped with safety gratings, and the safety gratings are used to detect the surrounding environment of the equipment. In this way, once a person or object enters the working area of ​​the laser cutting equipment, the safety grating can immediately sense it and send a shutdown or alarm signal, effectively preventing laser damage to people or objects, and significantly improving the safety of laser cutting equipment.

[0004] However, after long-term application, it was found that although the existing safety measures can achieve certain safety effects, there are still major safety hazards: 1. Since the rearmost area (rear platform area) of the laser cutting machine using the exchange platform is an open area and is not fully enclosed, and the safety grating can only detect emergency situations where the grating is blocked, it cannot respond to internal conditions. Therefore, when maintenance personnel perform maintenance work inside the closed cover of the laser cutting equipment, there are still major safety hazards; 2. Although some existing laser cutting equipment is equipped with a foot switch, the existing foot switch has a relatively single function, with only a normal processing mode and an emergency stop mode, and no other safety modes. Therefore, it can only serve as an emergency protection function after an accident occurs, and cannot serve as a safety protection function before an accident occurs. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to propose and design a double protection device and a double protection method for a laser cutting machine in view of the many potential safety hazards and poor reliability of existing laser cutting equipment when in use, so as to improve the safety protection capability of the entire laser cutting equipment and avoid the occurrence of safety accidents.

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, on the one hand, the present invention provides a double protection device for a laser cutting machine, which includes a safety laser scanner installed at the rear end of the exchange platform of the laser cutting machine, the scanning range of the safety laser scanner covers the entire format of the exchange platform, and the safety laser scanner is communicatively connected to the control system and the alarm system of the laser cutting machine; it also includes a foot switch, the foot switch includes a base and a foot pedal, one end of the foot pedal is rotatably installed on the upper end of the base through a rotating shaft, and a spring is arranged between the lower end of the foot pedal and the upper end of the base, the rotating shaft of the foot pedal is fixedly installed with a guide plate, one end of the guide plate is fixedly installed with a core shaft, the outer surface of the core shaft is provided with a moving contact, the outer coaxial sleeve of the core shaft is provided with a contact sleeve, and the lower part of the inner cylinder wall of the contact sleeve is provided with two normally open static contacts. , a laser cutting machine safety protection control circuit is electrically connected between the two normally open static contacts 1, two normally open static contacts 2 are arranged on the upper part of the inner cylinder wall of the contact sleeve, and a laser cutting machine emergency stop control circuit is electrically connected between the two normally open static contacts 2; when the foot pedal is in a relaxed state, the moving contact of the core shaft is not connected with the normally open static contact 1 and the normally open static contact 2, and the laser cutting machine is in a normal working state. When the foot pedal is pressed down to position 1, the moving contact of the core shaft contacts the two normally open static contacts 1 at the same time, the laser cutting machine safety protection control circuit is connected, the laser of the laser cutting machine is turned off, and the exchange platform is stationary; when the foot pedal is pressed down to position 2 below position 1, the moving contact of the core shaft contacts the two normally open static contacts 2 at the same time, the laser cutting machine emergency stop control circuit is connected, and the laser cutting machine enters an emergency stop state. In this way, on the one hand, the present invention can use a safety laser scanner instead of a safety grating to achieve real-time monitoring with a wider range, higher accuracy and reliability, thereby reducing the incidence of accidents; on the other hand, in addition to achieving an emergency stop by stepping on the foot switch, the present invention can also adjust the state of the laser cutting machine to a safety protection mode by lightly stepping on the foot switch before the personnel perform the corresponding operation, that is, adjust it to a state where the laser is turned off and the exchange platform is turned off, to prevent it from continuing to be in a plate processing state and a self-material changing state when the personnel are performing maintenance, thereby improving the safety protection capability of the entire laser cutting equipment and avoiding the occurrence of safety accidents.

[0007] Furthermore, a safety laser scanner positioning tag is provided in the exchange platform area, and the safety laser scanner positioning tag provides accurate position information to the safety laser scanner during the scanning process, thereby ensuring that the safety laser scanner can perform high-precision spatial positioning and measurement.

[0008] Furthermore, the foot pedal is provided with a locking mechanism, and the position of the foot pedal is fixed by the locking mechanism to ensure that the foot pedal will not jump out of the current state after the staff removes the foot.

[0009] Furthermore, the locking mechanism includes a locking plate rotatably installed on the base, and groove one and groove two are arranged in sequence from top to bottom on the side of the locking plate facing the rotating shaft. When the foot pedal is in position one, the rotating shaft can be located in groove one, and when the foot pedal is in position two, the rotating shaft can be located in groove two. The locking function is achieved through the cooperation between the rotating shaft and the groove wall of groove one or groove two to prevent it from jumping out of the current state under the operation of the spring.

[0010] Furthermore, the contact sleeve is fixedly mounted on the base and is electrically connected to the corresponding circuit.

[0011] Further, the alarm system includes a sound alarm, and the alarm sound of the sound alarm is preferably a buzzer sound.

[0012] Furthermore, the alarm system includes an alarm light, and the alarm color of the alarm light is preferably red, and the safety color is preferably green.

[0013] On the other hand, the present invention also provides a dual protection method for a laser cutting machine, which adopts the dual protection device of the laser cutting machine, wherein the safety laser scanner in the dual protection device of the laser cutting machine continuously emits and receives a laser beam, and the laser beam forms a scanning fan-shaped pattern in the dangerous space of the laser cutting machine, and captures the position changes of all objects in the scanning area. When the safety laser scanner scans the appearance of illegal objects in the dangerous area, the safety laser scanner sends an alarm signal to the control system of the laser cutting machine, and the control system of the laser cutting machine triggers a safety response mechanism. In this way, when a person or other object suddenly enters a dangerous area or violates safety rules, it can be sensed in time by the continuously scanning safety laser scanner, and the corresponding safety response mechanism can be quickly responded and triggered, such as issuing an alarm, stopping the machine from running, starting the emergency stop device, etc., to ensure the safety of personnel and equipment. Moreover, since the safety laser scanner is a continuous scan, it can also update the position image and movement trajectory of the object in real time to ensure that the safety laser scanner can respond quickly to any emergency.

[0014] Furthermore, when the laser beam emitted by the safety laser scanner irradiates the safety laser scanner positioning tag, the safety laser scanner positioning tag reflects the laser signal to the safety laser scanner, and the safety laser scanner receives and analyzes the received laser signal, and determines the position of the safety laser scanner positioning tag, and then determines the position of the corresponding object.

[0015] Furthermore, when the laser cutting machine is working normally, the foot pedal of the foot switch is in a relaxed state, and the moving contact of the mandrel does not contact all the normally open static contacts; when the laser cutting machine needs to be in a safety protection mode, the personnel first press the foot pedal to position one, so that the moving contact at the mandrel position contacts the two normally open static contacts in the contact sleeve, the laser cutting machine safety protection control circuit is connected, the laser of the laser cutting machine is turned off, the exchange platform is stationary, and then the locking plate is turned to lock the foot pedal; when the laser cutting machine needs to be in an emergency stop mode, the personnel first directly press the foot pedal to position two, so that the moving contact of the mandrel contacts the two normally open static contacts in the contact sleeve, the laser cutting machine emergency stop control circuit is connected, the laser cutting machine enters the emergency stop state, and then the locking plate is turned to lock the foot pedal. Conversely, when the position of the foot pedal needs to be restored to the initial state, the foot pedal can be reset by simply moving the locking plate backwards with the foot.

[0016] It can be seen from the above technical solutions that the present invention has the following advantages:

[0017] 1. The present invention not only adopts a safety laser scanner to replace the traditional safety grating for monitoring, but also installs the safety laser scanner at the rear end of the exchange platform, so that it can not only avoid the safety laser scanner from interfering with the left and right loading and unloading positions of the exchange platform, but also ensure that it can scan the entire exchange platform, thereby effectively improving the safety of the operation and reducing the risk of accidents caused by human negligence; at the same time, it can also avoid being blocked by the machine tool itself, vibration or electromagnetic interference, thereby effectively improving the accuracy and reliability of the scan, and quickly responding to any emergency situation, and timely triggering the corresponding safety response mechanism;

[0018] 2. The application of the foot switch in the present invention makes the operation more convenient, and it not only retains the flexibility of two-handed operation, but also improves work efficiency and safety through the additional safety protection mode. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, the accompanying drawings required for use in the description will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other accompanying drawings can be obtained based on these accompanying drawings without paying creative work.

[0020] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the foot switch in the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 The structure of the guide plate, the core shaft and the contact sleeve of the foot switch in the present invention is shown in FIG. Figure 1 (At this time, the moving contact is in contact with the normally open static contact 2);

[0022] Figure 3The structure of the guide plate, the core shaft and the contact sleeve of the foot switch in the present invention is shown in FIG. Figure 2 (At this time, the moving contact is in contact with the normally open static contact).

[0023] In the figure: 1. spring; 2. rotating shaft; 3. locking plate; 4. foot pedal; 5. guide plate; 6. core shaft; 7. fastener; 8. contact sleeve; 9. moving contact; 10. normally open static contact one; 11. normally open static contact two. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0025] Embodiment 1

[0026] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the first embodiment of the present invention provides a dual protection device for a laser cutting machine, which includes a safety laser scanner installed at the rear end of the exchange platform of the laser cutting machine, the scanning range of the safety laser scanner covers the entire width of the exchange platform, and a safety laser scanner positioning tag is provided in the exchange platform area, and the safety laser scanner positioning tag provides accurate position information for the safety laser scanner during the scanning process, thereby ensuring that the safety laser scanner can perform high-precision spatial positioning and measurement. Specifically, the principle of positioning the safety laser scanner through the safety laser scanner positioning tag is as follows: when the safety laser scanner emits a laser beam and irradiates these safety laser scanner positioning tags, the safety laser scanner positioning tags will reflect these laser signals, and the safety laser scanner will then receive these reflected signals and analyze these reflected signals, thereby determining the position of the safety laser scanner positioning tag in space, and then deriving the position of the corresponding object.

[0027] Thus, in practical applications, the first embodiment of the present invention can control the safety laser scanner to continuously emit and receive laser beams at a very high speed at the exchange platform, and make these laser beams form a scanning fan-shaped pattern in space, and then can capture the position change of any object in the scanning area through continuous scanning. Moreover, once a person suddenly enters the dangerous area or violates the safety rules, the safety laser scanner will immediately trigger the corresponding safety response mechanism, that is, when the safety laser scanner scans the illegal objects in the dangerous area, it controls the safety laser scanner to send an alarm signal to the control system of the laser cutting machine, and the control system of the laser cutting machine controls the corresponding alarm system to respond to the corresponding safety response mechanism, which may include sounding an alarm, stopping the machine operation, starting the emergency stop device, etc., to ensure the safety of personnel and equipment.

[0028] It also includes a foot switch, which includes a base and a foot pedal 4, wherein one end of the foot pedal 4 is rotatably mounted on the upper end of the base through a rotating shaft 2, and a spring 1 is arranged between the lower end of the foot pedal 4 and the upper end of the base, a guide plate 5 is fixedly mounted on the outer side of the rotating shaft 2 of the foot pedal 4 through fasteners 7 such as bolts, a core shaft 6 is fixedly mounted on one end of the guide plate 5, a moving contact is arranged on the outer surface of the core shaft 6, a contact sleeve 8 is coaxially sleeved on the outer side of the core shaft 6, the contact sleeve 8 is fixedly mounted on the base, and the core shaft 6 can slide axially in the contact sleeve 8, two normally open static contacts 1 are arranged on the lower part of the inner cylinder wall of the contact sleeve 8, a laser cutting machine safety protection control circuit is electrically connected between the two normally open static contacts 1, and when the laser cutting machine safety protection control circuit is connected, the laser of the laser cutting machine is turned off and the exchange platform is stationary; when the laser cutting machine safety protection control circuit is disconnected, the laser of the laser cutting machine can be turned on and the exchange platform can move. Two normally open static contacts 2 are arranged on the upper part of the inner tube wall of the contact sleeve 8, and a laser cutting machine emergency stop control circuit is electrically connected between the two normally open static contacts 2. When the laser cutting machine emergency stop control circuit is connected, the laser cutting machine stops urgently; when the laser cutting machine emergency stop control circuit is disconnected, the laser cutting machine can work normally.

[0029] At the same time, when the foot pedal 4 is in a relaxed state, the moving contact of the core shaft 6 is not connected to the normally open static contact 1 and the normally open static contact 2, and the laser cutting machine is in a normal state. When the foot pedal 4 is lightly stepped on to press it down to position 1, the moving contact of the core shaft 6 simultaneously contacts the two normally open static contacts 1, the laser cutting machine safety protection control circuit is connected, the laser of the laser cutting machine is turned off, and the exchange platform is stationary to realize the corresponding safety protection function; when the foot pedal 4 is stepped on heavily to press it down to position 2, the moving contact of the core shaft 6 simultaneously contacts the two normally open static contacts 2, the laser cutting machine emergency stop control circuit is connected, and the laser cutting machine enters the emergency stop state to realize the corresponding emergency stop function.

[0030] In addition, the present embodiment 1 is also provided with a locking mechanism on the side of the foot pedal 4, and the locking mechanism includes a locking plate 3 rotatably installed on the base, and the locking plate 3 is provided with groove 1 and groove 2 in sequence from top to bottom on the side facing the rotating shaft 2, and when the foot pedal 4 is in position one, the rotating shaft 2 can be located in groove one, and when the foot pedal 4 is in position two, the rotating shaft 2 can be located in groove two, so that it can realize the locking function through the cooperation between the rotating shaft 2 and the groove wall of groove one or groove two, and prevent it from jumping out of the current state under the operation of the spring 1.

[0031] Based on this, on the one hand, this embodiment can use a safety laser scanner instead of a safety grating to achieve real-time monitoring with a wider range, higher accuracy and reliability, thereby reducing the incidence of accidents; on the other hand, in addition to being able to achieve emergency stop through a foot switch, this embodiment can also adjust the state of the laser cutting machine to a safety protection mode before personnel perform corresponding operations, that is, adjust it to a state where the laser is turned off and the exchange platform is turned off, to prevent it from continuing to be in a plate processing state and a self-material changing state when personnel are performing maintenance, thereby improving the safety protection capability of the entire laser cutting equipment and avoiding the occurrence of safety accidents.

[0032] Embodiment 2

[0033] This embodiment 2 also provides a laser cutting machine dual protection method, which adopts the above-mentioned laser cutting machine dual protection device and includes a safety laser scanner protection part and a foot switch protection part. Among them, for the safety laser scanner protection part, the safety laser scanner in the laser cutting machine dual protection device continuously emits and receives laser beams, and the laser beam forms a scanning fan-shaped pattern in the dangerous space of the laser cutting machine, and captures the position changes of all objects in the scanning area. When the safety laser scanner scans the illegal objects in the dangerous area, the safety laser scanner sends an alarm signal to the control system of the laser cutting machine, and the control system of the laser cutting machine triggers the safety response mechanism. In this way, when people or other objects suddenly enter the dangerous area or violate the safety rules, they can be sensed in time by the continuously scanning safety laser scanner, and quickly respond and trigger the corresponding safety response mechanism, such as issuing an alarm, stopping the machine operation, starting the emergency stop device, etc., to ensure the safety of personnel and equipment. Moreover, since the safety laser scanner is a continuous scan, it can also update the position image and movement trajectory of the object in real time to ensure that the safety laser scanner can respond quickly to any emergency.

[0034] Moreover, when the safety laser scanner scans the position of an object in the scanning area, it is mainly implemented by using the safety laser scanner positioning tag. Specifically, when the laser beam emitted by the safety laser scanner irradiates the safety laser scanner positioning tag, the safety laser scanner positioning tag reflects the laser signal to the safety laser scanner, and the safety laser scanner receives and analyzes the received laser signal, and determines the position of the safety laser scanner positioning tag, and then determines the position of the corresponding object.

[0035] As for the foot switch protection part, when the laser cutting machine is working normally, the foot pedal 4 of the foot switch is in a relaxed state, and the mandrel 6 does not contact all the normally open static contacts; when the laser cutting machine needs to be in a safety protection mode, the personnel first press the foot pedal 4 to position 1, so that the moving contact at the position of the mandrel 6 contacts the two normally open static contacts in the contact sleeve 8, the laser cutting machine safety protection control circuit is connected, the laser of the laser cutting machine is turned off, the exchange platform is stationary, and then the locking plate 3 is rotated to lock the foot pedal 4, thereby realizing the safety protection function; when the laser cutting machine needs to be in an emergency stop mode, the personnel first directly press the foot pedal 4 to position 2, so that the moving contact of the mandrel 6 contacts the two normally open static contacts in the contact sleeve 8, the laser cutting machine emergency stop control circuit is connected, the laser cutting machine enters the emergency stop state, and then the locking plate 3 is rotated to lock the foot pedal 4, thereby realizing the emergency stop protection function. Conversely, when the position of the foot pedal 4 needs to be restored to the initial state, the locking plate 3 can be reset by simply moving the locking plate 3 backward with the foot.

[0036] The terms "first", "second", "third", "fourth", etc. (if any) in the specification and claims of the present invention and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the numbers used in this way can be interchanged where appropriate, so that the embodiments of the present invention described herein can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0037] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables one skilled in the art to implement or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to one skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention will not be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but rather to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A double protection device for a laser cutting machine, characterized in that: It includes a safety laser scanner installed at the rear end of the exchange platform of the laser cutting machine, the scanning range of the safety laser scanner covers the entire format of the exchange platform, and the safety laser scanner is communicatively connected to the control system and alarm system of the laser cutting machine; it also includes a foot switch, the foot switch includes a base and a foot pedal, one end of the foot pedal is rotatably installed on the upper end of the base through a rotating shaft, and a spring is arranged between the lower end of the foot pedal and the upper end of the base, the rotating shaft of the foot pedal is fixedly installed with a guide plate, one end of the guide plate is fixedly installed with a core shaft, the outer surface of the core shaft is provided with a moving contact, the outer coaxial sleeve of the core shaft is provided with a contact sleeve, the lower part of the inner cylinder wall of the contact sleeve is provided with two normally open static contacts one, and the laser cutting The laser cutting machine safety protection control circuit has two normally open static contacts 2 arranged on the upper part of the inner cylinder wall of the contact sleeve, and the laser cutting machine emergency stop control circuit is electrically connected between the two normally open static contacts 2; when the foot pedal is in a relaxed state, the moving contact of the mandrel is not connected with the normally open static contact 1 and the normally open static contact 2, and the laser cutting machine is in a normal working state. When the foot pedal is pressed down to position 1, the moving contact of the mandrel simultaneously contacts the two normally open static contacts 1, and the laser cutting machine safety protection control circuit is connected, the laser of the laser cutting machine is turned off, and the exchange platform is stationary; when the foot pedal is pressed down to position 2 below position 1, the moving contact of the mandrel simultaneously contacts the two normally open static contacts 2, and the laser cutting machine emergency stop control circuit is connected, and the laser cutting machine enters an emergency stop state.

2. The double protection device for laser cutting machine according to claim 1 is characterized in that: Safety laser scanner positioning tags are set up in the exchange platform area.

3. The double protection device for laser cutting machine according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The foot pedal is provided with a locking mechanism.

4. The double protection device for laser cutting machine according to claim 3 is characterized in that: The locking mechanism includes a locking plate rotatably mounted on the base, and groove one and groove two are arranged in sequence from top to bottom on the side of the locking plate facing the rotating shaft. When the foot pedal is in position one, the rotating shaft can be located in groove one, and when the foot pedal is in position two, the rotating shaft can be located in groove two.

5. The double protection device for laser cutting machine according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The contact sleeve is fixedly mounted on the base.

6. The double protection device for laser cutting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The alarm system includes an audible siren.

7. The double protection device for laser cutting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The alarm system includes warning lights.

8. A double protection method for a laser cutting machine, characterized in that: A dual protection device for a laser cutting machine according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is adopted, wherein the safety laser scanner in the dual protection device for a laser cutting machine continuously emits and receives a laser beam, and the laser beam forms a scanning fan-shaped pattern in a hazardous space of the laser cutting machine, and captures the position changes of all objects in the scanning area. When the safety laser scanner scans illegal objects in the hazardous area, the safety laser scanner sends an alarm signal to the control system of the laser cutting machine, and the control system of the laser cutting machine triggers a safety response mechanism.

9. The dual protection method for laser cutting machine according to claim 8, characterized in that: When the laser beam emitted by the safety laser scanner irradiates the safety laser scanner positioning tag, the safety laser scanner positioning tag reflects the laser signal to the safety laser scanner, and the safety laser scanner receives and analyzes the received laser signal and determines the position of the safety laser scanner positioning tag.

10. The dual protection method for laser cutting machine according to claim 8, characterized in that: When the laser cutting machine is working normally, the pedal of the foot switch is in a relaxed state, and the moving contact of the core shaft does not contact all the normally open static contacts; when the laser cutting machine needs to be in safety protection mode, the personnel first presses the foot pedal to position one, so that the moving contact at the core shaft position contacts one of the two normally open static contacts in the contact sleeve, the laser cutting machine safety protection control circuit is connected, the laser of the laser cutting machine is turned off, the exchange platform is stationary, and then the locking plate is turned to lock the foot pedal; when the laser cutting machine needs to be in emergency stop mode, the personnel first directly presses the foot pedal to position two, so that the moving contact of the core shaft contacts two of the two normally open static contacts in the contact sleeve, the laser cutting machine emergency stop control circuit is connected, the laser cutting machine enters the emergency stop state, and then the locking plate is turned to lock the foot pedal.

Images