# US 10,373,776 B2 · Switch device including dual on/off signal generation units, and numerical control system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,373,776 B2 - Document ID: US10373776B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/207,598 - Filed: 2018-12-03 - Published: 2019-06-13 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-08 - Assignees: Fanuc Corporation - Applicants: Fanuc Corporation - Inventors: Yuuki Kurokawa; Yoshiyuki Kubo - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10373776B2 ## CPC - H01H 13/64: wherein the switch has more than two electrically distinguishable positions, e.g. multi-position push-button switches - G05B 9/02: electric - G05B 19/414: Structure of the control system, e.g. common controller or multiprocessor systems, interface to servo, programmable interface controller - H01H 9/16: Indicators for switching condition, e.g. "on" or "off" - H01H 13/14: Operating parts, e.g. push-button - H01H 13/70: having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboard (mounting together a plurality of independent switches H02B) - H01H 2001/0005: {Redundant contact pairs in one switch for safety reasons} - H01H: ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES (contact cables H01B7/10; electrolytic self-interrupters H01G9/18; emergency protective circuit arrangements H02H; switching by electronic means without contact-making H03K17/00) - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) ## Abstract A switch device includes a switch operation unit, two detection units which convert the amount of press of the switch operation unit into detection signals, determination units which determine the pressed state of the switch operation unit, monitoring units which monitor the determination states of the determination units, and output units, each of which outputs an ON signal when the determination unit determines that a full pressed state is maintained, and when, upon determination that a half pressed state is maintained, the detection signal is equal to or larger than an ON threshold and the monitoring result indicates a full pressed state, and outputs an OFF signal when the determination unit determines that a non-pressed state is maintained, and when, upon determination that a half pressed state is maintained, the detection signal is equal to or smaller than an OFF threshold and the monitoring result indicates a non-pressed state. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A switch device comprising: a press operation type switch operation unit; two detection units configured to convert an amount of press of the switch operation unit into electrical detection signals and output the detection signals; and two ON/OFF signal generation units provided in correspondence with the respective detection units, each of the ON/OFF signal generation units comprising a determination unit configured to determine whether the switch operation unit is in a full pressed state, a half pressed state, or a non-pressed state, based on the detection signal output from the detection unit corresponding to the each of the ON/OFF signal generation units, a monitoring unit configured to monitor a pressed state determined by the determination unit in the ON/OFF signal generation unit different from the each of the ON/OFF signal generation units, and an output unit configured to output one of an ON signal and an OFF signal, wherein each of the output units outputs the ON signal in a case where the determination unit in the ON/OFF signal generation unit equipped with the each of the output units determines that the full pressed state is maintained, and in a case where, when the determination unit in the ON/OFF signal generation unit equipped with the each of the output units determines that the half pressed state is maintained, the detection signal output from the detection unit corresponding to the ON/OFF signal generation unit equipped with the each of the output units is not less than an ON threshold and a monitoring result obtained by the monitoring unit indicates the full pressed state, and outputs the OFF signal in a case where the determination unit in the ON/OFF signal generation unit equipped with the each of the output units determines that the non-pressed state is maintained, and in a case where, when the determination unit in the ON/OFF signal generation unit equipped with the each of the output units determines that the half pressed state is maintained, the detection signal output from the detection unit corresponding to the ON/OFF signal generation unit equipped with the each of the output units is not more than an OFF threshold and a monitoring result obtained by the monitoring unit indicates the non-pressed state. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The switch device according to claim 1, wherein each of the determination units determines that the full pressed state is maintained when a magnitude of the detection signal output from the detection unit corresponding to the ON/OFF signal generation unit equipped with the each of the determination units is not less than a certain full press threshold, that the non-pressed state is maintained when the magnitude is not more than a certain non-press threshold, and that the half pressed state is maintained when the magnitude is smaller than the full press threshold and larger than the non-press threshold. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The switch device according to claim 2, wherein the ON threshold is set to a value smaller than the full press threshold, and the OFF threshold is set to a value smaller than the ON threshold and larger than the non-press threshold. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The switch device according to claim 1, wherein each of the ON/OFF signal generation units further comprises an alarm output unit configured to output an alarm when the determination unit in the each of the ON/OFF signal generation units continuously determines that the half pressed state is maintained for not less than a predetermined time. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A numerical control system comprising: the switch device according to claim 1; and a numerical control device configured to receive, as safety input signals for monitoring a safety function of a machine tool, an ON signal and an OFF signal output from the output unit of each of the ON/OFF signal generation units, the numerical control device comprising: a comparison unit configured to compare the two safety input signals input from the respective ON/OFF signal generation units; and a safety monitoring unit configured to determine, as a result of comparison by the comparison unit, that the machine tool is normal when both of the two safety input signals are one of the ON signal and the OFF signal, and that the machine tool is abnormal when one of the two safety input signals is the ON signal and the other of the two safety input signals is the OFF signal.