Emergency Safety Switch with Quick-Disconnect Interface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current emergency stop switches require significant time and effort to be hardwired into existing safety circuit wiring, often leading to incomplete or insufficient installation in automated production lines due to proprietary wiring configurations, especially for inexperienced technicians.
Innovation Solution
An emergency safety switch with a connection port and interface that allows easy retrofitting to existing safety control systems, featuring a main switch and two control switches in operative communication, along with light elements for indication, and quick-disconnect connectors for efficient attachment to the wiring circuit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If emergency safety switches are hardwired into existing safety circuit wiring, then the safety control system can be integrated, but the installation requires substantial time and effort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a connection interface as an intermediary component that mediates between the emergency safety switch and the existing safety circuit wiring. This interface includes terminal blocks and wiring harnesses that simplify the connection process, allowing technicians to attach the safety switch without needing to understand complex proprietary wiring configurations, thus reducing installation time while maintaining reliable integration
Solution Approach 2:
The emergency safety switch is divided into modular components including the switch housing, connection interfaces, and internal wiring. This segmentation allows the connection interface to be pre-configured and tested separately, then easily attached to the existing safety circuit, reducing on-site installation time and complexity
2Reliability
If emergency safety switches are hardwired into proprietary wiring configurations, then the safety control system can be integrated, but inexperienced technicians require significant time and effort to understand the wiring logic
Solution Approach 1:
The connection interface serves as an intermediary that encapsulates the complex proprietary wiring logic within its internal design. Technicians interact only with the simplified external connection points, while the pre-configured internal wiring handles the proprietary requirements, making installation accessible to inexperienced technicians without compromising system integration reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The connection interface replicates standard connector configurations that are familiar to technicians, creating a simplified interface layer that copies common connection patterns while internally mapping to the proprietary wiring requirements, thus easing the operation without losing the specific safety control system integration capabilities
3Reliability
If traditional hardwired emergency safety switches are used, then the safety control system functions properly, but the installation is not cost-effective
Solution Approach 1:
The connection interface acts as a cost-effective intermediary that can be pre-manufactured and pre-tested, reducing on-site labor costs. By separating the complex wiring logic into the interface component, the overall installation process becomes faster and requires less skilled labor, improving cost-effectiveness while maintaining proper safety control system function
Solution Approach 2:
The connection interface and internal wiring are pre-configured and pre-tested during manufacturing before delivery to the installation site. This preliminary action ensures that the complex wiring logic is already resolved, allowing for quick installation without requiring expensive skilled technicians on-site, thus improving cost-effectiveness while ensuring proper system function
Data Source
AI summary
An emergency safety switch for a safety control system used to terminate the operation of one or more automated machines includes a stop circuit that is electrically connected to a connection port. The connection port includes a pair of interface ports for in-line serial connection to a wiring circuit provided by the safety control system to monitor various emergency safety switch and other detection devices. As such, the connection port provides a quick and easy manner for attaching and detaching the emergency safety switch to the wiring circuit, which facilitates efforts to install a sufficient number of emergency stop switches on an automated production line.