IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,243,705
Granted Patent B2
US 12,243,705 · App. 18/407,521 · Granted Mar 4, 2025

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 12,243,705
App. No.
18/407,521
Granted
Mar 4, 2025
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 (27)

1. A safety switch comprising:

a head having a receiving space for receiving a bolt of an actuator;

a first attachment portion disposed in the head and having a first attachment hole so that a first attachment member is inserted through the first attachment hole to an external object;

a wireless detector configured to detect a first state in which the bolt is received in the receiving space by detecting a wireless tag disposed on the actuator;

a switching device configured to output a signal indicating a safety state based on the first state detected by the detector;

a lock pin configured to lock the bolt by regulating pull-out of the bolt in the first state;

a lock driver configured to drive the lock pin to switch, based on an input signal, between a lock state in which the pull-out of the bolt in the first state is regulated and an unlock state in which the pull-out of the bolt in the first state is permitted; and

a casing having an end wall at one end through which the lock pin is inserted when the bolt is locked, and coupled to the head at the end,

wherein the casing houses the wireless detector, the switching device, and the lock driver, and the casing has a resin side wall facing the wireless detector,

wherein the first attachment hole is provided at a center position in a transverse direction of the safety switch.

2. The safety switch according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a second attachment hole through which a second attachment member to be attached to the object to be attached is inserted is provided at the other end of the casing,

wherein the position of the second attachment hole is a center position in a transverse direction of the safety switch.

3. The safety switch according to claim 2 , wherein the safety switch has a plurality of selectable mounting walls, and the second mounting hole is respectively formed on each of the plurality of selectable mounting walls.

4. The safety switch according to claim 2 , further comprising: a cable configured to transmit a signal indicating the safety state,

wherein the cable is drawn out from the other end of the casing at a position offset from a center axis of the second mounting hole.

5. The safety switch according to claim 1 , wherein the head is made of metal.

6. The safety switch according to claim 1 , wherein

the head has a rotation axis parallel to a longitudinal direction of the casing,

the casing includes a neck protruding in the longitudinal direction and axially symmetrical with respect to the rotation axis, and

the head is rotatably coupled to the neck with respect to the rotation axis.

7. The safety switch according to claim 1 , wherein the head has three receiving holes for receiving the bolt from at least three directions.

8. The safety switch according to claim 1 , wherein the first mounting hole continuously connects with the receiving space in the head.

9. The safety switch according to claim 1 , wherein the casing is provided with a display lamp indicating a status classified from three statuses, the three statuses include a first status in which the first state is not detected by the wireless detector, a second statue in which the first state is detected by the detection unit and is also in an unlocked state, and a third status in which the first state is detected by the detection unit and is also in a locked state.

10. The safety switch according to claim 9 , wherein the casing houses a circuit board on which an LED corresponding to the display lamp and an antenna coil included in the wireless detector are mounted.

11. The safety switch according to claim 10 , wherein the casing is further formed with a hole for an unlocking member for forcedly unlocking the locking pin, and

a hole through which the unlocking member is inserted is formed in the circuit board.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 10, 2024
From: OH, CHORYON; BABASAKI, YU; CHEAH, LYE TATT
To: KEYENCE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 066073/0025 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2018-077633 · Apr 13, 2018 · national
Continuity (3)
Continuation 18078257 · Dec 9, 2022
Continuation 16270613 · Feb 8, 2019
Related Publication 20240145187A1 · May 2, 2024
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