Cascaded Contact Safety Module for Automatic Movable Members
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing safety mechanisms for automatic devices, such as collaborative robots, face configuration complications and increased failure risks due to long signal lines and multiple input ports for contact detectors, complicating the overall safety mechanism.
Innovation Solution
A safety apparatus is arranged at the movable member of an automatic device, connected to a controller, with a contact detector and module, allowing cascaded connection of safety apparatuses through signal lines, reducing the need for direct connections to the controller and simplifying the configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple contact detectors are connected to the controller through signal lines, then contact detection capability is improved, but device complexity increases due to multiple input ports and long signal lines
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple contact detectors are merged into a single safety apparatus through OR logic circuitry. The first contact detector and second contact detector both feed into the same safety apparatus, which combines their signals using OR logic to generate a single safety signal. This eliminates the need for multiple separate connections to the controller, reducing configuration complexity while maintaining comprehensive contact detection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety apparatus acts as an intermediary device between multiple contact detectors and the controller. It receives signals from multiple contact detectors, processes them through OR logic, and outputs a single consolidated safety signal to the controller. This intermediary function simplifies the overall system architecture by reducing the number of direct connections required between detectors and the controller.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design decreases signal line length, reduces failure risks, and ensures rapid response times by eliminating complex signal paths, thereby enhancing the reliability and safety of the overall safety mechanism.
Implementation Method 1
a contact detector and a module. The contact detector is for detecting a contact event of the safety apparatus, and outputting a contact signal
Data Source
AI summary
A safety apparatus is used to be arranged at a movable member of automatic device and is communicatively connected to a controller of the automatic device. The safety apparatus includes a contact detector and a module. The contact detector is for detecting a contact event of the safety apparatus, and outputting a contact signal. The module includes a first input terminal, a second input terminal and an output terminal. The first input terminal is communicatively connected to the contact detector, and is for receiving the contact signal. The second input terminal is communicatively connected to the output terminal, and is capable of communicatively connecting to an output terminal of another safety apparatus. The output terminal is communicatively connected to the first input terminal, and is for outputting an output signal when the first input terminal receives the contact signal. Upon receiving the output signal from the output terminal, the controller changes a motion state of the movable member of the automatic device.