Integrated Safety Switch for Robot Emergency Stop and Enabling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing safety switching elements for robots and machines require separate emergency stop switches and enabling buttons, leading to increased space requirements and potential safety hazards due to the need for operators to switch between them during critical situations.
Innovation Solution
A combined safety switching element that integrates an emergency stop switch and an enabling button, allowing for alternate switching states, with the enabling button supported on the emergency stop switch for reduced space usage and enhanced accessibility, featuring a design that prevents unintentional actuation and includes a mechanical locking mechanism for safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate emergency stop switches and enabling buttons are used, then each safety function can be clearly identified and operated independently, but the space requirements increase and operators must switch between controls during critical situations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the emergency stop switch and enabling button into a single integrated safety switching element. The emergency stop switch is positioned on the outer periphery while the enabling button is positioned on the inner side, allowing both safety functions to be accessed from one location without requiring separate control elements distributed across the operating device.
2Ease of operation
If separate emergency stop switches and enabling buttons are used, then each control can be optimized for its specific function, but operators must switch between controls during critical situations which creates safety hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated design allows operators to access both emergency stop and enabling functions from a single control location. The emergency stop switch remains accessible on the outer periphery while the enabling button is positioned on the inner side, eliminating the need to switch between separate controls during critical situations and reducing response time.
3Productivity
If the enabling button is made easily accessible for quick actuation, then operational efficiency improves, but unintentional actuation becomes more likely
Solution Approach 1:
The operating device incorporates a protective structure that selectively covers the enabling button while leaving the emergency stop switch exposed. This local differentiation allows the enabling button to be protected from unintentional activation while remaining accessible for deliberate operation, whereas the emergency stop function remains immediately accessible without protective coverage.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4a~4b
AI summary
The invention relates to a safety switch element (1) for use in combination with programming and/or operating elements (18) of a machine or robot controller for manual control or programming processes on machines (4) or robots (5), to an operating device (3), in particular a hand-held operating device (11) for robots (5) or other machines (4) with programming and/or operating elements (18) for programming and/or controlling movement sequences or operating states using a safety switch element (1), and to a method for converting a machine (4) or a robot (5) into a safe operating state using a safety switch element (1) comprising an emergency stop switching means (19), said emergency stop switching means (19) allowing an alternating engagement of the inactive (I) and active (A) emergency stop switching states, and an approval button (20), said approval button (20) allowing the alternating engagement of at least two approval button switch states, such as rest state (R) and approval state (Z), wherein the approval button (20) is supported on the emergency stop switching means (19) in a load-bearing manner.