IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,658,394
Granted Patent B2
US 12,658,394 · App. 18/229,185 · Granted Jun 16, 2026

Safety switch with an electromagnetic lock mechanism

Inventors: Kenji Kojima (Osaka, JP); Satoru Tomoshi (Osaka, JP); Hiroshi Kashima (Osaka, JP); Choryon Oh (Osaka, JP); Manabu Tsuboyama (Osaka, JP)
Assignee: KEYENCE CORPORATION
H01H50/44H01H47/22H01H50/02H01H50/08H01H50/36
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,658,394
App. No.
18/229,185
Granted
Jun 16, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A worker is prevented from being hindered. A safety switch includes a switch body including an electromagnet and an actuator attracted to the electromagnet. The switch body includes a drive control unit and a safety control unit which control the safety switch, and the drive control unit and the safety control unit are surrounded by a housing. The housing is arranged on a back surface side of the electromagnet of the switch body, and the housing forms an accommodating portion that accommodates the drive control unit and the safety control unit.

Claims (45)

1 . A safety switch in which an actuator is installed to be relatively movable with respect to a switch body, the actuator having a member to be magnetized on which a surface to be attracted is formed, the safety switch comprising:

a detection unit that detects that the actuator is within a predetermined range with respect to the switch body;

an electromagnet in which an attracting surface corresponding to the surface to be attracted of the actuator is formed on a front surface side;

a lock input unit that receives a lock signal for locking the relative movement of the actuator;

a drive control unit that drives the electromagnet in such a manner that the attracting surface and the surface to be attracted are attracted to each other based on the lock signal received by the lock input unit;

a safety control unit that generates a safety signal based on the detection result of the detection unit;

a housing forming an accommodating portion, which accommodates the drive control unit and the safety control unit, on a back surface side of the electromagnet;

a display control unit that generates state information based on a detection result obtained by the detection unit; and

a display unit that is arranged on a side closer to the back surface side than the electromagnet and displays the state information generated by the display control unit.

2 . The safety switch according to claim 1 , further comprising one or a plurality of control boards on which the drive control unit and the safety control unit are mounted.

3 . The safety switch according to claim 1 , wherein the electromagnet is connected to the housing on the back surface side.

4 . The safety switch according to claim 1 , wherein

the attracting surface of the electromagnet is smaller than the surface to be attracted of the actuator,

the detection unit includes an antenna coil that transmits and receives a radio signal to and from an actuator coil provided in the actuator, and

the antenna coil is provided at a position facing the actuator coil in a first state in which the attracting surface of the electromagnet faces the surface to be attracted of the actuator in contact with the attracting surface and the attracting surface and the surface to be attracted come in contact with each other.

5 . The safety switch according to claim 4 , wherein the electromagnet is provided with a protrusion configured to reduce an influence on the antenna coil caused by driving of the electromagnet near a position where the antenna coil is provided.

6 . The safety switch according to claim 5 , wherein in the first state, the protrusion and the surface to be attracted face each other with a gap interposed between the protrusion and the surface to be attracted.

7 . The safety switch according to claim 1 , wherein the drive control unit drives the electromagnet in such a manner that the attracting surface and the surface to be attracted are attracted to each other based on a detection result obtained by the detection unit and the lock signal received by the lock input unit.

8 . The safety switch according to claim 1 , wherein the electromagnet has an attachment portion configured to attach the switch body to an installation location.

9 . The safety switch according to claim 1 , further comprising a metal member connected to the electromagnet,

wherein the metal member has an attachment portion configured to attach the switch body to an installation location.

10 . The safety switch according to claim 1 , wherein the display unit is arranged at a position away from the attracting surface in a direction of a normal of the attracting surface.

11 . The safety switch according to claim 1 , further comprising a housing connected to the electromagnet on a back surface of the electromagnet,

wherein the attracting surface of the electromagnet and at least a part of a side surface of the electromagnet are exposed, and

the electromagnet and the housing form at least one outer shape of a substantially cylindrical outer shape or a substantially prismatic outer shape.

12 . The safety switch according to claim 1 , wherein the display control unit generates the state information based on the detection result and a driving state of the electromagnet.

13 . The safety switch according to claim 1 , further comprising an attachment portion configured to fix the switch body to an installation location,

wherein at least a part of the display unit is provided on an opposite side of the attachment portion on a circumference having a direction of a normal of the attracting surface as an axis.

14 . The safety switch according to claim 1 , further comprising a connector coupling portion provided on a back surface of the switch body.

15 . The safety switch according to claim 1 , wherein the display unit is inclined forward.

16 . A safety switch in which an actuator is installed to be relatively movable with respect to a switch body, the actuator having a member to be magnetized on which a surface to be attracted is formed, the safety switch comprising:

a detection unit that detects that the actuator is within a predetermined range with respect to the switch body;

an electromagnet in which an attracting surface corresponding to the surface to be attracted of the actuator is formed on a front surface side;

a lock input unit that receives a lock signal for locking the relative movement of the actuator;

a drive control unit that drives the electromagnet in such a manner that the attracting surface and the surface to be attracted are attracted to each other based on the lock signal received by the lock input unit;

a safety control unit that generates a safety signal based on the detection result of the detection unit; and

a housing that is connected to the electromagnet via a connection portion provided on a back surface of the electromagnet and forms an accommodating portion which accommodates the drive control unit and the safety control unit,

wherein the attracting surface forms a front surface of the switch body, and

a total length of the member and the safety switch in a direction orthogonal to the attracting surface is larger than a diameter of the attracting surface in a first state in which the attracting surface faces the member of the actuator in contact with the attracting surface and the attracting surface and the surface to be attracted of the member come into contact with each other.

17 . A safety switch comprising: a switch body arranged in a compartment fixed portion of a compartment system that comparts an operation region in which an apparatus operates; and an actuator installed in a movable portion movable relative to the compartment fixed portion,

wherein the switch body includes:

a detection unit that detects that the actuator is within a predetermined range with respect to the switch body;

an electromagnet having an attracting surface that is attracted to a member to be magnetized provided in the actuator; and

a display unit that indicates a detection result obtained by the detection unit and is provided at a position hidden by the actuator as viewed in a normal direction of the attracting surface, and

the display unit is arranged at a position separated from the attracting surface by half of a total length of the switch body or more in the normal direction of the attracting surface.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 2, 2023
From: KOJIMA, KENJI; TOMOSHI, SATORU; KASHIMA, HIROSHI; OH, CHORYON; TSUBOYAMA, MANABU
To: KEYENCE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064460/0679 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2022-127824 · Aug 10, 2022 · national
JP 2022-127826 · Aug 10, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240055208A1 · Feb 15, 2024
References Cited (21)
US 6053546A · Frolov · 2000 [cited by applicant]
US 10948892B2 · Babasaki et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 11008798B2 · Kashima et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 11551884B2 · Oh et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20040222645A1 · Pirone · 2004 [cited by examiner]
US 20050160777A1 · Baechle et al. · 2005 [cited by applicant]
US 20070279160A1 · Schmid · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 20080094158A1 · Schmid · 2008 [cited by applicant]
US 20150275551A1 · Rink · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 20210108760A1 · Phay · 2021 [cited by applicant]
EP 1862624A2 · 2007 [cited by applicant]
EP 3809035A1 · 2021 [cited by applicant]
JP 2005528738A · 2005 [cited by applicant]
JP 2008106600A · 2008 [cited by applicant]
JP 2016510382A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
JP 2019183541A · 2019 [cited by applicant]
Office Action issued in corresponding Japanese Patent Application 2022-127826 dated Aug. 5, 2025 (10 pages). [cited by applicant]
Reason for Submission issued in corresponding Japanese Patent Application 2022-127826 dated Aug. 13, 2025 (10 pages). [cited by applicant]
U.S. Appl. No. 18/229,183, filed Aug. 2, 2023 (82 pages). [cited by applicant]
U.S. Appl. No. 18/229,184, filed Aug. 2, 2023 (54 pages). [cited by applicant]
U.S. Appl. No. 18/229,187, filed Aug. 2, 2023 (79 pages). [cited by applicant]