Safety barrier in an independent cart system and method of using the same
A safety barrier for an independent cart system includes a housing with a base and an indicia portion extending from the base. The indicia portion provides a visual indication of a present location for the housing. A magnet is mounted within the base of the housing, and the magnet generates a sensor magnetic field. A sensor is mounted at a fixed location along a track for the independent cart system, and the sensor generates a feedback signal corresponding to the sensor magnetic field. A controller is operative to inhibit travel of a mover at the fixed location along the track when the feedback signal indicates the magnet is proximate the sensor.
1 . A system for restricting travel in an independent cart system, comprising:
a safety barrier, including:
a housing including a base and an indicia portion extending from the base, wherein the indicia portion provides a visual indication of a present location for the housing, and
a magnet mounted within the base of the housing, wherein the magnet generates a safety barrier magnetic field;
a sensor mounted at a fixed location along a track for the independent cart system, wherein the sensor generates a feedback signal corresponding to the safety barrier magnetic field; and
a controller in communication with the sensor to receive the feedback signal and operative to inhibit travel of a mover at the fixed location along the track when the feedback signal indicates the magnet is proximate the sensor, wherein:
the mover includes a drive magnet mounted on the mover for propulsion along the track,
the sensor generates a second feedback signal corresponding to a second magnetic field from the drive magnet when the mover is not inhibited from travelling along the track, and
the second feedback signal is different than the feedback signal corresponding to the safety barrier magnetic field.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the sensor is a position sensor generating the second feedback signal corresponding to a location of the mover as a function of the second magnetic field; and
an amplitude of the second magnetic field is greater than an amplitude of the safety barrier magnetic field.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the housing is removable from the track and wherein the housing is selectively positioned at a plurality of locations along the track.
4 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising an actuator to selectively position the safety barrier at a desired location.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the the safety barrier is a first safety barrier, the system further comprising:
a second safety barrier including:
a second housing including a base and an indicia portion extending from the base, wherein the indicia portion provides a visual indication of a present location for the second housing, and
a second magnet mounted within the base of the second housing, wherein the second magnet generates a second safety barrier magnetic field; and
a second sensor mounted at a second fixed location along the track for the independent cart system, wherein the second sensor generates a third feedback signal corresponding to the second safety barrier magnetic field, wherein the controller is in communication with the second sensor to receive the third feedback signal and is further operative to inhibit travel of the mover along a portion of the track located between the first fixed location and the second fixed location.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the housing is configured to be worn by a technician in proximity to the independent cart system;
the base is a pocket in the housing; and
the magnet is inserted into the pocket.
7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the housing is a glove.
8 . A system for restricting travel in an independent cart system, comprising:
a mover including a drive magnet mounted on the mover, wherein a magnetic field generated by the drive magnet interacts with an electromagnetic field emitted from a track for the independent cart system to propel the mover along the track;
a safety barrier including a safety magnet mounted within the safety barrier, wherein the safety barrier is positioned at a desired location along a length of the track and the safety magnet generates a sensor magnetic field;
a plurality of sensors spaced along the length of the track, wherein each of the plurality of sensors generates a first feedback signal corresponding to a present position of the mover along the length of the track when the mover is proximate a corresponding sensor and each of the plurality of sensors generates a second feedback signal corresponding to the safety barrier being positioned at the desired location when the desired location is proximate the corresponding sensor; and
a controller operative to:
receive the first feedback signal and the second feedback signal from each of the plurality of sensors,
determine the present position of the mover as a function of the first feedback signal, and
determine the desired location as a function of the second feedback signal.
9 . The system of claim 8 wherein the safety barrier further comprises a housing including a base and an indicia portion extending from the base, wherein: the indicia portion provides a visual indication of a present location for the housing, and the safety magnet is mounted within the base of the housing.
10 . The system of claim 8 , wherein an amplitude of the magnetic field generated by the drive magnet is greater than an amplitude of the sensor magnetic field.
11 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the safety barrier is removable from the track and wherein the safety barrier is selectively positioned at a plurality of locations along the track.
12 . The system of claim 8 , further comprising an actuator to selectively position the safety barrier at the desired location.
13 . The system of claim 8 , further comprising:
a second safety barrier including a second safety magnet mounted within the second safety barrier, wherein the second safety barrier is positioned at a second desired location along the length of the track and the second safety magnet generates a second sensor magnetic field, wherein the controller is further operative to:
determine the second desired location as a function of one of the plurality of sensors detecting the second sensor magnetic field, and
inhibit travel of the mover along a portion of the track located between the desired location and the second desired location.
14 . The system of claim 8 , wherein:
the safety barrier includes a housing configured to be worn by a technician in proximity to the independent cart system; and
the safety magnet is inserted into a pocket in the housing.
15 . A method for restricting travel in an independent cart system, comprising the steps of:
positioning a safety barrier at a desired location along a length of a track for the independent cart system, wherein the safety barrier includes a magnet generating a safety barrier magnetic field;
generating a feedback signal corresponding to the safety barrier magnetic field with a sensor mounted at a fixed location along the length of the track;
receiving the feedback signal at a controller for the track; and
inhibiting travel of a mover at the desired location along the track when the feedback signal indicates the magnet is proximate the sensor, wherein:
the mover includes a drive magnet mounted on the mover for propulsion along the track,
the sensor generates a second feedback signal corresponding to a second magnetic field from the drive magnet when the mover is not inhibited from travelling along the track, and
the second feedback signal is different than the feedback signal corresponding to the safety barrier magnetic field.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein:
the sensor is a position sensor generating the second feedback signal corresponding to a location of the mover as a function of the second magnetic field; and
an amplitude of the second magnetic field is greater than an amplitude of the sensor magnetic field.
17 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of selectively positioning the safety barrier at a plurality of locations along the track.
18 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of selectively positioning the safety barrier at the desired location with an actuator.
19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the safety barrier is a first safety barrier, the desired location is a first desired location, the magnet is a first magnet, the safety barrier magnetic field is a first safety barrier magnetic field, the feedback signal is a first feedback signal, the sensor is a first sensor, and the fixed location is a first fixed location, the method further comprising the steps of:
positioning a second safety barrier at a second desired location along the length of the track, wherein the second safety barrier includes a second magnet generating a second safety barrier magnetic field;
generating a third feedback signal corresponding to the second safety barrier magnetic field with a second sensor mounted at a second fixed location along the length of the track;
receiving the third feedback signal at the controller for the track; and
inhibiting travel of the mover along a portion of the track located between the first fixed location and the second fixed location.
20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the safety barrier includes a visual indicia, the method further comprising the step of indicating to a technician the presence of the safety barrier via the visual indicia.