Optical Sensor Redundancy for Downtime Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing optical safety sensors often experience prolonged downtimes due to internal component failures, leading to unnecessary machine or system shutdowns, as they lack redundancy and fail-safe mechanisms to continue operation with impaired functionality.
Innovation Solution
The optical sensor design incorporates at least two transmitter-receiver units with evaluation and output stages, allowing the system to continue operating in a non-safety-critical mode with reduced functionality if one unit fails, with fail-safe structures and synchronization to maintain monitoring functions for a specified time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If safety sensors trigger shutdown on any internal error detection, then safety function is ensured, but machine or system downtime increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The safety sensor system is divided into multiple independent transmitter-receiver units, each capable of autonomous operation. This segmentation allows the system to maintain safety monitoring functionality with at least one operational unit even when others fail, thereby reducing unnecessary shutdowns while preserving safety functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements redundant transmitter-receiver units that serve as backup capabilities. When a failure occurs, the redundant units are already in place and can immediately take over, cushioning the impact of the failure and preventing complete system shutdown while maintaining safety monitoring.
2Reliability
If multiple transmitter-receiver units are implemented for redundancy, then system robustness improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into identical, modular transmitter-receiver units that can be independently implemented. Each unit operates autonomously with its own evaluation unit, simplifying the overall system architecture despite having multiple units, as each module is self-contained and follows the same design pattern.
Solution Approach 2:
Each transmitter-receiver unit is designed as a universal module that can perform the complete safety monitoring function independently. This multi-functionality allows any single unit to handle the entire monitoring task, reducing the need for complex inter-unit coordination and simplifying the system design.
3Productivity
If the system operates with reduced functionality after unit failure, then productivity is maintained, but safety level degrades
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts its operational mode based on the number of functional units. When all units operate, full safety monitoring is active. When one unit fails, the system automatically transitions to a degraded mode where the remaining unit(s) continue monitoring, providing dynamic adjustment of safety levels to maintain productivity while acknowledging the reduced safety margin.
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 approach prevents unnecessary failures and downtimes by enabling the optical sensor to continue detecting objects and maintaining a degraded safety level, allowing the system to operate with reduced functionality until a predetermined time, thus avoiding complete shutdown.
Implementation Method 1
each comprising at least one transmitter (5a, 5b) emitting light beams (4a, 4b)
Implementation Method 2
at least one receiver (6a, 6b) receiving light beams (4a, 4b)
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to an optical sensor with at least two transmitter-receiver units, each comprising at least one light-beam emitting transmitter (5a, 5b) and at least one light-beam receiving receiver (6a, 6b). Each transmitter-receiver unit is associated with an evaluation unit (8a, 8b) and an output stage. In an evaluation unit (8a, 8b), output signals are generated depending on signals from the respective transmitter-receiver units and output via the output stage. If one transmitter-receiver unit fails, the other continues to operate without any feedback effect.