IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,908,654
Granted Patent B2
US 11,908,654 · App. 18/078,257 · Granted Feb 20, 2024

Safety switch

Inventors: Choryon Oh (Osaka, JP); Yu Babasaki (Osaka, JP); Lye Tatt Cheah (Osaka, JP)
Assignee: KEYENCE CORPORATION
H01H9/285F16P3/08H01H9/22H01H2027/005
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,908,654
App. No.
18/078,257
Granted
Feb 20, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

To realize both toughness and size reduction of a safety switch. A safety switch is a safety switch into and from which a bolt of an actuator is inserted and pulled out. The safety switch includes a casing having a shape elongated along a first direction, a metal head having a receiving space for receiving the bolt of the actuator and provided on a first end side of the casing in the first direction, a detector for detecting a first state in which the bolt is received in the receiving space, a lock mechanism, a switching device and a first attachment portion provided in the head and having a first attachment hole into which a first attachment member is inserted.

Claims (34)

1. A safety switch having a lock mechanism for locking a bolt of an actuator including a transponder, comprising:

a casing having a shape elongated along a first direction;

a metal head coupled to a first end side of the casing in the first direction, and having a receiving space for receiving the bolt of the actuator, and a first attachment hole formed along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction;

a wireless circuit disposed in the casing to receive a wireless signal from the transponder;

a lock pin in the lock mechanism, configured to regulate pull-out of the bolt from the receiving space by disposing at a lock position in a lock state, and configured to allow pull-out of the bolt from the receiving space by disposed at an unlock position in an unlock state, the lock pin being switchable between the lock position and the unlock position; and

a switching device disposed in the casing to output a safety signal indicating a safety state based at least on the wireless signal received via the wireless circuit, and

wherein the first attachment hole is provided for fixing the metal head by a first attachment member disposed along the second direction through the first attachment hole.

2. The safety switch according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving space is integrally formed on the metal head, and the first attachment hole is integrally formed on the metal head along the second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

3. The safety switch according to claim 1 , further comprising a driving mechanism housed in the casing and driving the lock pin, and a lock pin hole into which the lock pin for locking the bolt is inserted is formed on a top surface of the casing at the first end side of the casing in the first direction.

4. The safety switch according to claim 3 , further comprising: a circuit substrate on which the wireless circuit is mounted, wherein an output circuit having the switching device that outputs the safety signal indicating the safety state.

5. The safety switch according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving space formed on the metal head configured to receive the bolt from at least three sides, other than an attachment side on which the first attachment member is disposed when the metal head is fixed by the first attachment member, orthogonal to the first direction.

6. The safety switch according to claim 1 , wherein the metal head has a rotation axis parallel to the first direction, the casing has a neck portion protruding in the first direction and is axially symmetric to the rotation axis, and the metal head is attached to the neck portion so as to be attached at any of different plural rotation angles with respect to the casing.

7. The safety switch according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of second attachment holes formed, along each of respective directions orthogonal to the first direction, at a second end side in the first direction of the casing, wherein one of the respective directions coincides the second direction.

8. The safety switch according to claim 7 , wherein a position of the first attachment hole is a central position in a short-side direction of the casing, and a position of one of the second attachment holes is a central position in the short-side direction of the casing.

9. The safety switch according to claim 8 , further comprising: a cable transmitting the signal indicating the safety state, wherein the cable is led out from the second end side of the casing at a position apart from a straight line passing the center of the second attachment hole so that the second attachment member inserted into the second attachment hole does not interfere with the cable.

10. The safety switch according to claim 1 , further comprising: a bottom portion provided on a second end side in the first direction of the casing; and a second attachment portion provided in the bottom portion and having a second attachment hole into which a second attachment member is inserted.

11. The safety switch according to claim 10 , wherein a first attachment surface abutting on the first attachment member provided in the first attachment portion and a second attachment surface abutting on the second attachment member provided in the second attachment portion are parallel to each other, a position of the first attachment hole is a central position in a short-side direction of the casing, and a position of the second attachment hole is a central position in the short-side direction of the casing.

12. The safety switch according to claim 11 , further comprising: a cable transmitting the signal indicating the safety state, wherein the cable is led out from the second end side of the casing at a position apart from a straight line passing the center of the second attachment hole so that the second attachment member inserted into the second attachment hole does not interfere with the cable.

13. The safety switch according to claim 12 , wherein the bottom portion includes two or more second attachment holes into which the second attachment member is capable of being inserted, and the cable is led out from the second end side of the casing at a position apart from straight lines passing respective centers of the two or more second attachment holes.

14. The safety switch according to claim 1 , further comprising: an OSSD display lamp disposed on a first side of the casing, configured to indicate a status of the switching device; and a lock display lamp disposed on the first side of the casing, configured to indicate a status of the lock mechanism.

15. The safety switch according to claim 14 , further comprising: a circuit substrate on which a coil of the wireless circuit and LEDs corresponding to the OSSD display lamp and the lock display lamp are mounted.

16. A safety switch having a lock mechanism for locking a bolt of an actuator including a transponder, comprising:

a casing having a shape elongated along a first direction;

a head coupled to a first end side of the casing in the first direction, and having a receiving space for receiving the bolt of the actuator, and a first attachment hole formed along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction;

a wireless circuit disposed in the casing to receive a wireless signal from the transponder;

a lock pin in the lock mechanism, configured to regulate pull-out of the bolt from the receiving space by disposing at a lock position in a lock state, and configured to allow pull-out of the bolt from the receiving space by disposed at an unlock position in an unlock state, the lock pin being switchable between the lock position and the unlock position; and

a switching device disposed in the casing to output a safety signal indicating a safety state based at least on the wireless signal received via the wireless circuit;

a first OSSD display lamp disposed on a first position in a first side of the casing, configured to indicate a status of the switching device;

a second OSSD display lamp disposed on a second position in the first side of the casing, configured to indicate the status of the switching device; and

a lock display lamp disposed on the first side of the casing, configured to indicate a status of the lock mechanism.

17. The safety switch according to claim 16 , further comprising: a circuit substrate on which a coil of the wireless circuit and LEDs corresponding to the first OSSD display lamp, the second OSSD display lamp and the lock display lamp are mounted.

18. The safety switch according to claim 16 , wherein the receiving space is integrally formed on the head, and the first attachment hole is integrally formed on the head along the second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

19. The safety switch according to claim 16 , further comprising a driving mechanism housed in the casing and driving the lock pin, and a lock pin hole into which the lock pin for locking the bolt is inserted is formed on a top surface of the casing at the first end side of the casing in the first direction.

20. The safety switch according to claim 16 , further comprising a plurality of second attachment holes formed, along each of respective directions orthogonal to the first direction, at a second end side in the first direction of the casing, wherein one of the respective directions coincides the second direction.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 9, 2022
From: OH, CHORYON; BABASAKI, YU; CHEAH, LYE TATT
To: KEYENCE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 062038/0890 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2018-077633 · Apr 13, 2018 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 16270613 · Feb 8, 2019
Related Publication 20230104627A1 · Apr 6, 2023
Cited By (1)
US 12,243,705