Actuator unit and safety switch equipped therewith

Abstract

To make it possible to make a lock state in a switch body side to an actuator easy to release only by operation of an operation handle and to reduce the number of components to simplify the structure.SOLUTION: An actuator unit 1 for a safety switch includes a rotatable actuator 2 that can take a first rotational position where the safety switch can be locked and a second rotational position where the lock of the safety switch can be released on a body side of the safety switch, a support unit 3 that rotatably supports the actuator 2 and is provided to be able to slide along the actuator 2, and an inner handle 6 for making the support unit 3 slide along the actuator 2. By making the support unit 3 slide along the actuator 2 by operating the inner handle 6, the actuator 2 is rotated and moved from the first rotational position to the second rotational position via the support unit 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an actuator unit and a safety switch provided with the same, and more particularly to an improvement in its structure.

Background Art

[0002] At the entrance and exit of a danger area where industrial machines such as machine tools and industrial robots are installed, a safety switch that turns on / off according to the open / closed state of a door is provided.

[0003] The device described in European Patent No. 1473427 is a safety interlock for a separable partition device (1) having two operating handles (22, 24), as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, paragraphs

[0014] to

[0034] and claim 1. It includes an actuating unit having an actuator (5) movable by operating the operating handle (24), and an interlock unit that locks the actuator (5) by an interlock engagement surface (6) using a plug-in lock bar (not shown) when the partition device (1) is closed. Further, the device has a lock release slope (9) for the lock bar (which forms a part of the interlock engagement surface (6)), and a lock release device (10) movable with respect to the actuator (5) by operating the operating handle (22) is provided.

[0004] The actuator (5) has a toothed rod portion (11) on its side, which meshes with the toothed portion (12) of the drive wheel (13). The drive wheel (13) has a hole (17) for receiving the crank pin (18a) of the drive lever (18). The crank pin (18a) of the drive lever (18) is fitted into the hole (17) of the drive wheel (13) by passing through the circumferentially elongated hole (40) of the drive wheel (36) which is arranged parallel to the drive wheel (13). One end of the operating handle (24) is connected to the pin (23) of the drive lever (18). A socket (19) is inserted into the central hole of the drive wheel (13). A connecting rod (21), to which one end of the operating handle (22) is connected, is connected to one axial end of the socket (19). The extension (38) at the other axial end of the socket (19) is fitted into the recess (39) of the drive wheel (36). The lock release device (10) is connected to a rack (33), and the rack (33) (incorrectly labeled as reference numeral 39 in the figure) engages with the toothed portion (35) of the drive wheel (36).

[0005] In the above device, when the operating handle (24) is rotated, the drive lever (18) rotates via the pin (23). As a result, the crank pin (18a) of the drive lever (18) moves circumferentially within the elongated hole (40) of the drive wheel (36), causing the drive wheel (13) to rotate. This causes the actuator (5) to move via the toothed rod portion (11) which engages with the toothed portion (12) of the drive wheel (13). On the other hand, when the operating handle (22) is rotated, the socket (19) rotates via the pin (44) and the connecting rod (21). As a result, the drive wheel (36) rotates via the extended portion (38) of the socket (19). As a result, the unlocking device (10) moves via the rack portion (33) which engages with the toothed portion (35) of the drive wheel (36), and consequently the unlocking slope (9) moves, releasing the lock state of the actuator (5) by the lock bar (not shown).

[0006] On the other hand, the apparatus described in U.S. Patent No. 8,082,765, as shown in FIG. 1-5, column 5, line 19-8, line 45, and claims 1 and 16, is an apparatus for maintaining a releasably locked and closed state of a space partition device (2), comprising a latch (18) that is movable between a locked position and an unlocked position for locking the space partition device (2) in a releasably closed state, and a projection at the tip that allows the latch (18) to be locked and blocked in the locked position, and to be in an unlocked position that allows the latch (18) to move from the blocked position to the unlocked position. The device comprises a rotatable holding member (30) whose part (54) releasably engages with a recess (56) of the latch (18), a swingable release member (36) pivotally supported on the latch (18) and disabling the blocked state of the latch (18), a displacement member (66) connected to the release member (36) and movable between the swinging positions of the release member (36), and a first knob (42) connected to the displacement member (66) via a coupling device having hinged first and second levers (82, 86) to actuate the release member (36). The base end of the first lever (82) of the coupling device is fixed to the first knob (42) via a shaft (80), and the tip of the second lever (86) is hinged to the displacement member (66). Furthermore, the latch (18) extends to the locked position by rotating the second knob (48).

[0007] In the above device, when the first knob (42) is rotated, the displacement member (66) and the pin (70) move to the right in the figure, and the pin (70) comes into contact with the inclined surface (72) of the release member (36), causing the release member (36) to swing clockwise around the pivot shaft (68) in the figure. As a result, the tip of the release member (36) comes into contact with the projection (54) of the hold member (30), lifting the hold member (30) and rotating it counterclockwise around the pivot shaft (32) in the figure. As a result, the blocked state of the latch (18) is released (see FIG. 2 → FIG. 3). [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] In the apparatus described in European Patent No. 1473427, the mechanism for releasing the lock state of the actuator (5) by the lock bar consists of a pin (44) and a connecting rod (21) (see FIG. 5) connected to an operating handle (22), a socket (19) connected to the end of the connecting rod (21), a drive wheel (36) connected to the socket (19) via an extension (38), a rack portion (33) that engages with the toothed portion (35) of the drive wheel (36), and a release device (10) connected to the rack portion (33) having a release slope (9) (see FIG. 2). This results in a large number of parts, a very complex structure, and increased manufacturing costs.

[0009] On the other hand, in the device described in U.S. Patent No. 8,082,765, the mechanism for releasing the blocked state of the latch (18) consists of shafts (38) and (80) connected to a first knob (42), a first lever (82) with one end fixed to the shaft (80), a second lever (86) hinged to the other end of the first lever (82), a displacement member (66) and a pin (70) hinged to the tip of the second lever (86), and a swingable release member (36) having an inclined surface (72) at one end that the pin (70) can contact (see FIG. 2, 3, 5). Similarly, the number of parts is large, the structure is very complex, and the manufacturing cost is high.

[0010] This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, and the problem that this invention aims to solve is to provide an actuator unit that not only allows the lock state on the switch body side of the actuator to be easily released by operating the operating handle, but also reduces the number of parts, simplifies the structure, and makes it smaller. Furthermore, this invention aims to provide a safety switch equipped with such an actuator unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The present invention relates to an actuator unit for a safety switch, comprising: a rotatable actuator capable of taking a first rotational position that can be locked and a second rotational position that can be unlocked on the switch body side of the safety switch; a support portion that rotatably supports the actuator and is slidably provided along the actuator; and a first operating handle for sliding the support portion along the actuator. By operating the first operating handle, the support portion is slid along the actuator, causing the actuator to rotate from the first rotational position to the second rotational position via the support portion.

[0012] In this invention, when the support is slid along the actuator by operating the first operating handle, the actuator rotates from a first rotation position to a second rotation position via the support, and as a result, the actuator transitions from a locked state to an unlocked state. Thus, according to this invention, the lock state on the switch body side relative to the actuator can be easily released by operating only the first operating handle.

[0013] Furthermore, according to the present invention, since the operation of the first operating handle acts on the actuator via the support part to release the locked state of the actuator, there is no need for a complex gear mechanism or link mechanism between the first operating handle and the actuator. This reduces the number of parts and simplifies the structure. As a result, the actuator unit can be made smaller.

[0014] In this invention, the actuator has a lockable portion that can be locked by a locking member on the switch body side, and the lockable portion is locked by the locking member at a first rotation position of the actuator, but is not locked by the locking member at a second rotation position of the actuator.

[0015] In this invention, the locked portion is retracted from the position where it can be locked by the locking member at the second rotation position.

[0016] In the present invention, the actuator has a locked portion that can be locked by a locking member on the switch body side at a first rotation position, and an unlocking portion that can release the lock state by the locking member at a second rotation position.

[0017] In this invention, the unlocking part acts on the locking member at the second rotation position, moving the locking member to the unlocked side.

[0018] In the present invention, the support portion is a cylindrical member that fits onto the outer circumference of the actuator, wherein either the actuator or the cylindrical member has an inclined groove extending obliquely with respect to the axial direction, and the other of the actuator or the cylindrical member has a projection that engages with the inclined groove and can move along the inclined groove, and the projection is a pin extending in the radial direction or a ridge extending along the inclined groove.

[0019] According to the present invention, when the cylindrical member slides along the actuator, a projection (i.e., a pin or ridge) engages with the inclined groove and moves along the inclined groove between the cylindrical member and the actuator, causing the actuator to rotate from a first rotation position to a second rotation position, and the actuator to transition from a locked state to an unlocked state.

[0020] The present invention further includes a biasing member that biases the actuator, which has moved to a second rotational position, to return from the second rotational position to the first rotational position.

[0021] The present invention further includes a second operating handle positioned on the opposite side of the actuator from the first operating handle, for moving the actuator in the extension and retraction directions.

[0022] In this invention, the actuator unit is provided on the door side, the switch body is provided on the wall side, the first operating handle is provided on the hazardous area side, and the second operating handle is provided on the safe area side.

[0023] The safety switch according to the present invention includes an actuator unit according to the present invention and a switch body having a locking member for locking the actuator.

Effect of the Invention

[0024] As described above, according to the present invention, not only can the locked state on the switch body side with respect to the actuator be easily released only by operating the first operation handle, but also the number of parts can be reduced, the structure can be simplified, and the size can be reduced.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025] [Figure 1] It is an overall perspective view of the actuator unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention as seen from above on the front-rear side. [Figure 2] It is an overall perspective view of the actuator unit (FIG. 1) as seen from above on the rear-rear side. [Figure 3] In the actuator unit (FIG. 1), it is an overall perspective view as seen from the rear with the rear side arranged on the upper side (thus the front side on the lower side). [Figure 4] In the actuator unit (FIG. 1), it is an overall perspective view as seen from the front with the rear side arranged on the upper side (thus the front side on the lower side). [Figure 5] It is a front view of the actuator unit (FIG. 1). [Figure 6] (a) is a rear view of the actuator unit (FIG. 1), and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIB-VIB of (a). [Figure 7] It is a plan view of the actuator unit (FIG. 1). [Figure 8] (a) is a view showing the actuator unit (FIG. 7) with the support portion (cylindrical member) omitted, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIIIB-VIIIB of (a). [Figure 9] It is a plan view of the cylindrical member (support portion) (FIGS. 7 and 8). [Figure 10](a) is a bottom view of the cylindrical member (Figure 9), and (b) is a rear view. [Figure 11] (a) to (d) are diagrams showing the operation of the actuator unit (Figure 1) and the locking member inside the switch body in chronological order. [Figure 12] This diagram shows the operation of the actuator unit and the locking member inside the switch body in chronological order according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] This diagram shows the operation of the actuator unit and the locking member (Figure 12) in chronological order. [Figure 14] This diagram shows the operation of the actuator unit and the locking member (Figure 12) in chronological order. [Figure 15] This diagram shows the operation of the actuator unit and the locking member (Figure 12) in chronological order. [Figure 16] This diagram shows the operation of the actuator unit and the locking member (Figure 12) in chronological order. [Figure 17] This diagram shows the operation of the actuator unit and the locking member (Figure 12) in chronological order. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0026] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the attached drawings. [First Example] Figures 1 to 11 illustrate an actuator unit and a safety switch equipped therewith according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Figures 1 to 7 show the external appearance and internal structure of the actuator unit, Figure 8(a) shows the actuator unit of Figure 7 with the support part (cylindrical member) omitted, Figures 9 and 10 show the support part (cylindrical member) alone, and Figures 11(a) to 11(d) show the operation of the locking member inside the actuator unit and switch body in chronological order. Furthermore, Figure 6(a) is a front view of the actuator in the first rotation position, Figure 8(a) is a front view of the actuator in the second rotation position, and Figures 6(b) and 8(b) are cross-sectional views showing the locked and unlocked parts at the tip of the actuator.

[0027] For the sake of clarity, in the following explanation, the extension direction of the actuator (right side in Figures 5 and 7, left side in Figure 6) will be referred to as the front, the contraction direction of the actuator (left side in Figures 5 and 7, right side in Figure 6) as the rear, the upper side of the actuator unit (upper side in Figures 5 and 6, front side in Figure 7) as the upper side, and the lower side of the actuator unit (lower side in Figures 5 and 6, back side in Figure 7) as the lower side.

[0028] As shown in Figures 1 to 8, the actuator unit 1 includes an actuator 2 extending in the front-rear direction (Figures 5, 6(a), and 7, left-right direction). The actuator 2 has a roughly hemispherical tip portion 20 that is inserted into the switch body, which will be described later. The actuator unit 1 and the switch body constitute a safety switch.

[0029] A thin-walled portion 21 is integrally attached to the generally flat rear end surface 20c formed on the rear end side (right side in Figure 6) of the tip portion 20 of the actuator 2. This portion is thinner than the tip portion 20 and forms a step with respect to the rear end surface 20c. The tip portion 20 is composed of a hemispherical surface 20a, but in this example, a flat surface 20a' is formed at the tip of the hemispherical surface 20a. As shown in Figure 6(b), in this example, the thin-walled portion 21 has a spindle-shaped (or biconvex lens-shaped / elliptical / oval) cross-sectional shape, and the cross-sectional shape is composed of an upwardly convex curved surface and a downwardly convex curved surface. The length (major axis) D of the thin-walled portion 21 in the longitudinal direction (left-right direction in Figure 6(b)) is equal to the diameter D of the rear end surface, and the length (minor axis) d in the short direction (up-down direction in the same figure) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is shorter than the diameter D of the rear end surface (i.e., d <D)。

[0030] As a result, in the vertical direction of Figure 6(b), the thin-walled portion 21 forms a step between itself and the outer circumferential surface 20e of the tip portion 20, but in the horizontal direction of the same figure, it does not form a step between itself and the outer circumferential surface 20e of the tip portion 20. Therefore, the ends of the thin-walled portion 21 in the horizontal direction of Figure 6(b) (both ends in this example) are flush with the outer circumferential surface 20e of the tip portion 20. In other words, the generally flat rear end surface 20c formed on the rear end side of the tip portion 20 exists in the short-axis direction (vertical direction in Figure 6(b)) of the thin-walled portion 21, but does not exist in the long-axis direction (horizontal direction in Figure 6(b)). The rear end surface 20c is a lockable portion that can be locked by the locking member (described later) on the switch body side. Note that Figure 6(b) shows an example where the thin-walled portion 21 is solid, but the thin-walled portion 21 may also be hollow.

[0031] A cylindrical portion (or columnar portion) 22 is integrally attached to the rear end of the thin-walled portion 21. In this example, the cylindrical portion 22 has approximately the same outer diameter as the tip portion 20. A large-diameter, disc-shaped boss portion 22' is integrally attached to the rear end of the cylindrical portion 22. The front part of the actuator 2 is formed by the aforementioned tip portion 20, thin-walled portion 21, cylindrical portion 22, and boss portion 22'.

[0032] The rear of the actuator 2 is housed within the housing 4. In each figure, a portion of the side wall of the housing 4 is omitted to show the internal structure of the actuator unit 1. The rear of the actuator 2 has a circular cross-section shaft portion 23 that extends in the front-rear direction within the housing 4. The shaft portion 23 is rotatably supported by support blocks 40 and 40', which are positioned at the front and rear ends of the housing 4, respectively. A large-diameter boss portion 23' is integrally attached to the front end of the shaft portion 23. The boss portion 22' of the cylindrical portion 22 and the boss portion 23' of the shaft portion 23 are positioned front to back with the support block 40 in between.

[0033] A pair of small-diameter pins 25 and 25' are embedded in the center of the shaft portion 23, extending radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion 23 (see Figure 8(a)). Each pin 25 and 25' is arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the shaft portion 23. In addition, a cylindrical support portion (cylindrical member) 3 is provided in the center of the shaft portion 23, which fits onto the outer circumference of the shaft portion 23. As shown in Figures 9 and 10(a) and (b), the support portion 3 has a cylindrical cam portion 30 and a rectangular cross-section base portion 31 integrally connected to the rear end of the cylindrical cam portion 30. The cylindrical cam portion 30 and the base portion 31 have through holes 31a through which the shaft portion 23 is inserted. The actuator 2 is rotatably supported by the support portion 3, and the support portion 3 is slidable along the axial direction of the actuator 2.

[0034] As shown in Figures 9 and 10(a) and (b), the cylindrical cam portion 30 has a pair of inclined grooves 30a and 30a' that extend in a direction oblique to the axial direction and penetrate radially. Each of the inclined grooves 30a and 30a' has corresponding portions that are equally spaced in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical cam portion 30. The inclination directions of each of the inclined grooves 30a and 30a' are opposite, and when viewed from the direction shown in Figures 9 and 10(a), the inclined grooves 30a and 30a' are arranged in a roughly X shape. One pin 25 of the shaft portion 23 engages with one inclined groove 30a, and the other pin 25' of the shaft portion 23 engages with the other inclined groove 30a' (see Figures 2 to 4, 6 and 7). In addition, a coil spring (biasing member) 5 is compressed around the shaft portion 23 at the rear end of the actuator 2. One end of the coil spring 5 is pressed against the rear end surface of the base portion 31 of the support portion 3, and the other end is pressed against the front end surface of the support block 40' of the housing 4. The support portion 3 is constantly biased forward by the elastic repulsive force of the coil spring 5.

[0035] In this configuration, when the support portion 3 slides along the shaft portion 23 of the actuator 2 against the elastic repulsive force of the coil spring 5, the pins 25 and 25' of the shaft portion 23 move along the inclined grooves 30a and 30a' of the cylindrical cam portion 30 of the support portion 3, causing the actuator 2 to rotate. Furthermore, the sliding support portion 3 returns to its original position due to the elastic repulsive force of the coil spring 5, which biases it in the opposite direction to the sliding movement.

[0036] In this way, the actuator 2 can take on a first rotational position in which the major axis D of the thin-walled portion 21 is positioned horizontally, as shown in Figure 6(b), and a second rotational position in which the major axis D of the thin-walled portion 21 is positioned vertically, as shown in Figure 8(b), and is rotatably movable between these rotational positions (a rotation angle of 90 degrees or approximately 90 degrees in this example).

[0037] In the first rotation position, as shown in Figure 6(b), the rear end surface (locked portion) 20c of the tip portion 20 of the actuator 2 is positioned above and below (especially below) the thin-walled portion 21 so that the locking member on the switch body side can lock it. On the other hand, in the second rotation position, as shown in Figure 8(b), the rear end surface 20c of the tip portion 20 of the actuator 2 is positioned to the left and right of the thin-walled portion 21, and not above and below (especially below). Therefore, as the actuator 2 rotates from the first rotation position to the second rotation position, the major axis D of the thin-walled portion 21 changes direction from horizontal to vertical, and the locked state that was maintained by the locking member on the switch body side in the first rotation position is released in the second rotation position (details will be described later).

[0038] As shown in Figures 9 and 10(a) and (b), one end of a support shaft portion 31s is connected to the base portion 31 of the support portion 3, which extends in a direction substantially perpendicular (i.e., perpendicular or approximately perpendicular) to the axial direction of the actuator 2. The support shaft portion 31s extends toward the rear side through one side wall (not shown) of the housing 4 (see Figures 2 to 4 and 7). An internal handle (first operating handle) 6 that can be gripped by an operator is attached to the support shaft portion 31s (see Figure 7). The internal handle 6 is used to slide the support portion 3 along the actuator 2 and to move the actuator 2 in the retraction direction (i.e., away from the switch body). On the other hand, as shown in Figure 7, a pair of support shaft portions 41s extending toward the front side are provided on the other side wall 41 of the housing 4 that faces the aforementioned one side wall. An external handle (second operating handle) 7 that can be gripped by an operator is attached to each support shaft portion 41s. The outer handle 7 is positioned on the opposite side of the inner handle 6, with the actuator 2 in between, and is used to move the actuator 2 in the extension direction (i.e., the direction towards the switch body) and the retraction direction.

[0039] As shown in Figure 7, the actuator unit 1 is attached to the movable door D and is positioned to move closer to and further away from the switch body installed on the wall W as the movable door D moves in the opening and closing direction (left and right direction in the figure). The inner spatial area Hz separated by the movable door D and the wall W is a hazardous area where industrial machinery (not shown), such as machine tools and industrial robots, is installed, and the outer spatial area Sf is a safe area. Therefore, the inner handle 6 is for an operator to open the movable door D from the hazardous area Hz side, and the outer handle 7 is for an operator to open and close the movable door D from the safe area Sf side. In Figure 7, for illustrative purposes, the thickness of the movable door D and the wall W is shown as thin. Note that the movable door D is not limited to a sliding door as shown in the example, but may also be a revolving door. Furthermore, the application of the present invention is not limited to such a combination of a movable door D and a wall (or fixed door) W, but may also be a combination of movable doors.

[0040] Next, the effects and advantages of this embodiment will be explained using Figure 11, with reference to Figures 1 to 10. In Figure 11, for the sake of illustration and explanation, actuator unit 1 is shown with actuator 2 rotated 90 degrees relative to the normal rotation position (see Figure 7) (i.e., with the rotation phase shifted by 90 degrees). Therefore, in Figure 11(a), although the inner handle 6 and outer handle 7 are arranged in the same way as in Figure 7, the orientation of the thin-walled portion 21 of actuator 2 is different from that in Figure 7. Figure 11(a) shows actuator 2 in the first rotation position, and Figure 11(c) shows actuator 2 in the second rotation position.

[0041] In Figure 11, reference numeral 10 denotes the switch body, and reference numeral 11 denotes a locking member for locking the actuator 2, which is provided inside the switch body 10. The switch body 10 has an actuator insertion hole 10a into which the tip portion 20 of the actuator 2 can be inserted. The locking member 11 is provided so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction around a pivot point 11c on its base end, and a hook-shaped locking portion 11B is provided on its tip end. On the side of the locking portion 11B facing the rear end surface 20c of the tip portion 20 of the actuator 2, a flat locking surface 11b is formed.

[0042] Figure 11(a) shows the state in which the tip portion 20 of the actuator 2 is inserted into the actuator insertion hole 10a of the switch body 10, and the rear end surface 20c of the tip portion 20 is locked by the locking portion 11B of the locking member 11.

[0043] In this case, the operator grasps the outer handle 7 (Figure 7) and moves the movable door D in the closing direction, causing the actuator 2 to extend and approach the switch body 10, and the tip portion 20 of the actuator 2 is inserted into the actuator insertion hole 10a of the switch body 10. At this time, the hemispherical surface 20a of the tip portion 20 of the actuator 2 comes into contact with the inclined surface 11b' of the lock portion 11B of the locking member 11, and as the actuator 2 is inserted, the tip portion 20 rotates the locking member 11 downward around the pivot point 11c. Then, when the movable door D is closed and the insertion of the actuator 2 is complete, the locking member 11 rotates upward due to the action of a return spring (not shown) and returns to its original position, and as a result the locking surface 11b of the lock portion 11B of the locking member 11 engages with the rear end surface 20c of the tip portion 20 of the actuator 2, and the tip portion 20 is locked (Figure 11(a)).

[0044] At this time, as shown in Figure 6(b), the actuator 2 is positioned in the first rotation position, and the locking surface 11b (dotted line in the same figure) of the locking portion 11B of the locking member 11 engages with the rear end surface 20c located on one side (the lower side in this example) of the actuator 2's tip portion 20, with the thin-walled portion 21 in between, thereby locking it.

[0045] From this state, when a worker who was in the hazard zone Hz (Figure 7) grasps and operates the inner handle 6, applying force in the direction of opening the movable door D, a force is applied to the pivot shaft 31s in the direction of the arrow, as shown in Figure 11(b). As a result, the support part 3, via the base part 31 to which the pivot shaft 31s is connected, slides to the left in the figure along the actuator 2, resisting the elastic repulsive force of the coil spring 5. Then, the pin 25 moves along the inclined groove 30a of the cylindrical cam part 30 of the support part 3 (and at the same time, the pin 25' moves along the inclined groove 30a'), causing the actuator 2 to rotate via the support part 3. Figure 11(b) shows the state of the actuator 2 during rotation. Due to the rotation of the actuator 2, the thin-walled part 21 rotates around the center from the state shown in Figure 6(b), and as a result, the arc-shaped curved surface of the thin-walled part 21 gradually pushes down the lock part 11B of the lock member 11 in the figure. At this time, the tip of the locking portion 11B of the locking member 11 is engaged with the rear end surface 20c of the tip portion 20 of the actuator 2 (see Figure 11(b)).

[0046] As actuator 2 rotates further, it moves to a second rotation position, as shown in Figure 11(c). At this point, actuator 2 has rotated substantially 90 degrees (90 degrees or approximately 90 degrees) from the first rotation position shown in Figure 11(a), and the thin-walled portion 21 of actuator 2 has transitioned from the state shown in Figure 6(a), which is the first rotation position, to the state shown in Figure 8(b). Also at this time, the coil spring 5 is in its most compressed state, and the support portion 3 is subjected to the maximum elastic repulsive force from the coil spring 5.

[0047] In the second rotation position shown in Figure 8(b), the end portion 21u of the thin-walled portion 21 of the actuator 2, with respect to its major axis D, is flush with the outer circumferential surface 20e of the rear end surface 20c of the tip portion 20, and no step is formed between the end portion 21u and the outer circumferential surface 20e. Therefore, as the actuator 2 rotates, the locking surface 11b of the locking portion 11B of the locking member 11 is gradually pushed downward by the convex curved surface of the thin-walled portion 21, disengaging from the rear end surface 20c of the tip portion 20, thereby releasing the lock state by the locking member 11 (i.e., unlocking). Thus, the end portion 21u of the thin-walled portion 21 in the direction of its major axis functions as an unlocking portion that releases the lock state by the locking portion 11B of the locking member 11 to the actuator 2. In other words, the rear end surface 20c of the tip portion 20 of the actuator 2 functions as a lockable portion that can be locked by the locking portion 11B of the locking member 11 when the actuator 2 is in its first rotational position, but is not locked by the locking portion 11B of the locking member 11 when the actuator 2 is in its second rotational position.

[0048] Next, from the unlocked state shown in Figure 11(c), when the operator applies further force to the movable door D in the opening direction via the inner handle 6, the entire actuator unit 1 moves to the left in the diagram, as shown in Figure 11(d), and the actuator 2 separates from the switch body 10. This allows the operator to open the movable door D and move out of the hazardous area Hz to the safe area Sf.

[0049] Furthermore, when the operator releases their hand from the inner handle 6 in the state shown in Figure 11(d), the elastic repulsive force from the coil spring 5, which had been elastically compressed and deformed, acts on the base portion 31 of the support portion 3, causing the support portion 3, including the base portion 31, to slide to the right in the figure. At this time, the pin 25 moves along the inclined groove 30a of the cylindrical cam portion 30 of the support portion 3 (and simultaneously, the pin 25' moves along the inclined groove 30a'), causing the actuator 2 to rotate in the opposite direction to the rotation direction described above via the support portion 3. As a result, the actuator 2 rotates and returns from the second rotation position shown in Figure 8(b) to the first rotation position shown in Figure 6(b) (see only the portion of actuator unit 1 in Figure 11(a)).

[0050] Furthermore, in the actuator locked state shown in Figure 11(a), when a worker in the safety zone Sf operates the outer handle 7 to open the movable door D, the locking member 11 is driven to rotate downwards around the pivot point 11c as shown. This releases the lock state of the actuator 2 by the locking member 11. From this state, the worker can open the movable door D by moving the actuator 2 further to the left as shown via the outer handle 7, allowing the worker to enter the hazard zone Hz.

[0051] In this embodiment, when the support portion 3 is slid along the actuator 2 by operating the inner handle 6, the actuator 2 rotates from a first rotation position to a second rotation position via the support portion 3, and as a result, the actuator 2 transitions from a locked state to an unlocked state. In this way, the lock state on the switch body 10 side relative to the actuator 2 can be easily released by operating the inner handle 6 alone.

[0052] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since the operation of the inner handle 6 acts on the actuator 2 via the support part 3 to release the locked state of the actuator 2, there is no need for a complex gear mechanism or link mechanism between the inner handle 6 and the actuator 2. This reduces the number of parts and simplifies the structure. As a result, the actuator unit 1 can be made smaller.

[0053] [Second Example] Figures 12 to 17 show the actuator unit and the locking member inside the switch body according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and illustrate their operation in chronological order. In these figures, the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment indicate the same or corresponding parts. For the sake of simplicity in the illustration, the housing 4, movable door D, and wall W from the first embodiment are omitted in this second embodiment.

[0054] Figure 12 shows the state of the actuator 2 of the actuator unit 1 before it is inserted into the switch body (not shown), and indicates the first rotational position of the actuator 2. As shown in the figure, in this second embodiment, the inner handle 6 is attached to the partition wall PW on the danger zone Hz side via a spring 60. The outer handle 7 on the safety zone Sf side is attached to the rear of the actuator 2. The cylindrical cam portion 30 of the support portion 3 of the actuator 2 rotatably supports the shaft portion 23 of the actuator 2 and is slidably provided along the shaft portion 23. The cylindrical cam portion 30 has an inclined groove 30 into which a pin 25 on the shaft portion 23 side movably engages. Although not shown, similar to the first embodiment, an inclined groove is also formed on the other side of the cylindrical cam portion 30 (the far side of the paper in the figure) on either side of the shaft portion 23, and another pin engages in this inclined groove. The shaft portion 21' located at the front of the actuator 2 is a member with a circular cross-section (or a square cross-section), unlike the thin-walled portion 21 in the first embodiment. Furthermore, the tip portion 20 is not a hemispherical portion like in the first embodiment, but is a generally rectangular plate-shaped (or semicircular plate-shaped) portion with a rounded portion 20r at the tip corner. The rear end surface (locked portion) 20c of the tip portion 20 protrudes radially outward from the shaft portion 21'.

[0055] From the state shown in Figure 12, when a worker on the safety area Sf side closes the movable door, as shown in Figure 13, the worker operates the outer handle 7 to move the actuator unit 1 in the direction of the arrow shown. As a result, the actuator 2 approaches the switch body, and the tip portion 20 of the actuator 2 is inserted into the switch body. At this time, the rounded portion 20r of the tip portion 20 contacts the inclined surface 11b' of the lock portion 11B of the locking member 11 inside the switch body, causing the locking member 11 to rotate downward as shown. After the actuator 2 has been fully inserted into the switch body, the locking member 11 returns to its original position due to the elastic repulsive force of the return spring, causing the locking surface 11b of the lock portion 11B of the locking member 11 to engage with the rear end surface 20c of the tip portion 20 of the actuator 2, and the actuator 2 is locked. This locked state corresponds to Figure 11(a) of the first embodiment. At this time, the front end surface 30f of the support portion 3 is in contact with the inner handle 6.

[0056] In the state shown in Figure 13, when a worker who was on the hazardous area Hz side opens the movable door, the worker operates the inner handle 6 to move it in the direction of the arrow shown, as shown in Figure 14. This causes the inner handle 6 to apply a pressing force to the front end surface 30f of the support portion 3 of the actuator 2, causing the support portion 3 to slide to the right along the shaft portion 23 of the actuator 2, resisting the elastic repulsive force of the coil spring 5. At this time, the pin 25 of the shaft portion 23 moves along the inclined groove 30a of the cylindrical cam portion 30 of the support portion 3, causing the actuator 2 to rotate substantially 90 degrees (i.e., 90 degrees or approximately 90 degrees) from the first rotation position to the second rotation position. As a result, as shown in Figure 14, the upper and lower surfaces (especially the lower surface) of the tip portion 20 of the actuator 2 become flush with the lower surface of the shaft portion 21', the locking portion 11B of the locking member 11 disengages from the rear end surface 20c of the tip portion 20 of the actuator 2, and the lock state by the locking portion 11B is released.

[0057] This unlocked state corresponds to Figure 11(c) of the first embodiment, but in the first embodiment, the end portion (unlocked portion) 21u of the tip portion 20 acts on the locking portion 11B of the locking member 11 at the second rotation position, moving the locking member 11 to the unlocked side, whereas in this second embodiment, the rear end surface (locked portion) 20c is retracted from the position where it can be locked by the locking portion 11B of the locking member 11 at the second rotation position.

[0058] Next, as shown in Figure 15, when the worker operates the inner handle 6 and moves it further in the direction of the arrow shown, the actuator unit 1 moves to the right via the support part 3. This opens the movable door, allowing the worker who was in the dangerous area Hz to move to the safe area Sf. Also, in the state shown in Figure 15, the spring 60 is elastically compressed and deformed as the inner handle 6 moves, acting as an elastic rebound force on the inner handle 6.

[0059] Next, when the operator releases their hand from the inner handle 6, the elastic rebound force of the spring 60, which had been elastically compressed and deformed, causes the inner handle 6 to separate from the front end surface 30f of the support part 3 and return to its original position, as shown in Figure 16.

[0060] As shown in Figure 17, the support portion 3 moves to the left in the diagram due to the elastic rebound force of the coil spring 5, which has undergone elastic compression deformation. At this time, the pin 25 of the shaft portion 23 moves along the inclined groove 30a of the cylindrical cam portion 30 of the support portion 3, causing the actuator 2 to rotate and return to the first rotation position. The state at this time is the same as the state shown in Figure 12 above.

[0061] In this second embodiment as well, when the support part 3 is slid along the actuator 2 by operating the inner handle 6, the actuator 2 rotates from the first rotation position to the second rotation position via the support part 3, and as a result, the actuator 2 transitions from a locked state to an unlocked state. In this way, the lock state on the switch body side relative to the actuator 2 can be easily released by operating the inner handle 6 alone.

[0062] Furthermore, according to the second embodiment, the operation of the inner handle 6 acts on the actuator 2 via the support part 3 to release the locked state of the actuator 2. Therefore, a complex gear mechanism or link mechanism is not required between the inner handle 6 and the actuator 2, thereby reducing the number of parts and simplifying the structure. As a result, the actuator unit 1 can be made smaller.

[0063] [First variation] In the first and second embodiments described above, the actuator 2 was shown to have a pair of pins 25, 25', and the cylindrical cam portion 30 of the support portion (cylindrical member) 3 had a pair of inclined grooves 30a, 30a', but the application of the present invention is not limited thereto. There may be only one pin and one inclined groove. Alternatively, the support portion (cylindrical member) 3 may have a pin, and the actuator 2 may have an inclined groove that the pin movably engages with. Alternatively, instead of a pin, a projection (protrusion) extending along the inclined groove may be provided, and the projection may be able to move along the inclined groove while engaging with it.

[0064] [Second variation] In the first embodiment described above, the case in which the cross-sectional shape of the thin-walled portion 21 is a figure that is symmetrical with respect to the major axis D was used as an example, but the application of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in Figure 6(b), the rear end surface 20c of the tip portion 20 of the actuator 2 may exist only in the lower region of the thin-walled portion 21 and not in the upper region of the thin-walled portion 21. In this case, the thin-walled portion 21 extends not only to the shaded region in Figure 6(b) but also to the region of the upper rear end surface 20c, and the thin-walled portion 21 has an irregular cross-sectional shape.

[0065] [Third variation] In the first embodiment described above, a thin-walled portion 21 was provided on the rear end surface 20c of the tip portion 20 of the actuator 2, and as the actuator 2 rotates, the lock state of the actuator 2 by the locking member 11 is gradually released. However, the application of the present invention is not limited to this.

[0066] For example, instead of the thin-walled portion 21, a shaft portion with a circular cross-section (or a square cross-section) may be provided, similar to the second embodiment, and a notch of a size that allows the locking portion 11B to pass through in the axial direction may be formed at a position where the rear end surface 20c of the tip portion 20 faces the locking portion 11B of the locking member 11.

[0067] [Fourth variation] In the first and second embodiments described above, examples were shown in which the elastic repulsive force of the coil spring 5 acting on the support portion 3 was used to return the actuator 2 from the second rotation position to the first rotation position, but the application of the present invention is not limited to these examples. The actuator 2 may also be rotated directly using the elastic repulsive force of a torsion coil spring (not shown).

[0068] [Other variations] The embodiments and modifications described above should be considered in all respects merely as examples of the invention and not as limiting. Those skilled in the art to which the invention relates can construct various modifications and other embodiments that employ the principles of the invention, without deviating from the spirit and essential features of the invention, by considering the teachings described above, even if not explicitly stated herein. [Industrial applicability]

[0069] The present invention is suitable for actuator units and safety switches equipped therewith, and is particularly suitable for those in which the actuator is configured to be lockable on the switch body side. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0070] 1: Actuator Unit 2: Actuator 20c: Rear end surface (locked part) 21u: End (unlocking part) 25, 25': Pin (protrusion) 3: Support part (cylindrical member) 30a, 30a': Slanted groove 5: Coil spring (biasing member) 6: Internal handle (first operating handle) 7: External handle (second operating handle) 10: Switch console 11: Locking component D: Door (movable door) W: Wall Hz: Dangerous range SF: safe area [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0071] [Patent Document 1] European Patent No. 1473427 (see FIG. 1-4, paragraphs

[0014] -

[0034] and claim 1) [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent No. 8082765 (see FIG. 1–4, column 5, line 19–8, line 45, and claims 1 and 16)

Claims

1. An actuator unit for a safety switch, A rotatable actuator capable of taking a first rotational position that can be locked and a second rotational position that can be unlocked on the switch body side of the safety switch, The actuator is rotatably supported and a support portion is provided that is slidably along the actuator, The support portion is further provided with a first operating handle for sliding along the actuator, By operating the first operating handle, the support portion is slid along the actuator, causing the actuator to rotate from a first rotation position to a second rotation position via the support portion. An actuator unit characterized by the following features.

2. In claim 1, The actuator has a lockable portion that can be locked by a locking member on the switch body side, wherein the lockable portion is locked by the locking member at the first rotational position of the actuator, and is not locked by the locking member at the second rotational position of the actuator. An actuator unit characterized by the following features.

3. In claim 2, The locked portion is retracted from the position where it can be locked by the locking member at the second rotation position. An actuator unit characterized by the following features.

4. In claim 1, The actuator has a lockable portion that can be locked by a locking member on the switch body side at the first rotation position, and a release portion that can release the lock state by the locking member at the second rotation position. An actuator unit characterized by the following features.

5. In claim 4, The unlocking unit acts on the locking member at the second rotation position, moving the locking member to the unlocked side. An actuator unit characterized by the following features.

6. In claim 1, The support portion is a cylindrical member fitted to the outer circumference of the actuator, wherein either the actuator or the cylindrical member has an inclined groove extending obliquely with respect to the axial direction, and the other of the actuator or the cylindrical member has a projection that engages with the inclined groove and can move along the inclined groove, wherein the projection is a pin extending in the radial direction or a ridge extending along the inclined groove. An actuator unit characterized by the following features.

7. In claim 1, The device further includes a biasing member that biases the actuator, which has moved to the second rotation position, to return from the second rotation position to the first rotation position. An actuator unit characterized by the following features.

8. In claim 1, The actuator is further provided with a second operating handle positioned on the opposite side of the actuator from the first operating handle, for moving the actuator in the extension and retraction directions. An actuator unit characterized by the following features.

9. In claim 8, The actuator unit is provided on the door side, the switch body is provided on the wall side, the first operating handle is provided on the hazardous area side, and the second operating handle is provided on the safe area side. An actuator unit characterized by the following features.

10. An actuator unit according to any one of claims 1 to 9, A switch body having a locking member for locking the actuator, A safety switch equipped with this feature.

Images