Protection method and protection device for a handling apparatus
AssigneeBlue Danube Robotics GmbH
InventorMichael Zillich
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The method and a device are for protecting persons and stationary or autonomously moving obstacles in front of stationary or autonomously moving handling apparatuses such as manufacturing, transport, inspection or service robots and their manipulators from collisions within their workspace by pressure sensors in protective covers filled with medium in such a manner that the medium is not supplied to each individual protective element from outside, but the protective elements in their interior, in addition to a pressure sensor, also comprise a pressure-increasing device, which sucks in the medium, preferably ambient air, and generates a pressure in the interior of the protective element, which is adjustable from a control device.
Claims20
A method for protecting persons and stationary or autonomously moving obstacles in front of a stationary or autonomously moving handling apparatus, which comprises a manufacturing, transport, inspection or service robots and a manipulator of the stationary or autonomously moving handling apparatus, from collisions within the workspace by protective element(s) each having an interior and a protective covers, one or several internal pressure sensors, and an internal pressure increasing device, characterized in that in the method comprises supplying a medium for inflating a protective cover to each individual protective element, provided the medium is not supplied under pressure from outside;
- and generating excess pressure within the interior for inflating the protective cover of the respective protective element with the medium using the internal pressure increasing device in addition to the one or several pressure sensor(s).
A device for protecting persons and stationary or autonomously moving obstacles in front of a stationary or autonomously moving handling apparatus that comprises a manufacturing, transport, inspection or service robot and a manipulator of the stationary or autonomously moving handling apparatus from collisions within the their workspace by protective elements that have an interior, the protective elements comprise inflatable protective covers and include at least one internal pressure sensor, and an internal pressure increasing device, characterized in that the medium for inflating a protective cover is not supplied to each individual protective element under pressure from outside, but the excess pressure is generated within the interior of the protective element using the internal pressure increasing device in addition to the at least one pressure sensor.
A method for protecting persons and stationary or autonomously moving obstacles in front of a stationary or autonomously moving handling apparatus and/or a manipulator for the stationary or autonomously moving handling apparatus from collisions within their workspace by protective elements having respective inflatable protective covers, and the protective element(s) having suction channels, wherein the method includes
- providing a medium for inflating to each individual protective element by sucking said medium into the protective element(s) through the suction channels, provided that the medium is not provided under pressure from outside the protective element, each protective element having an interior, one or more internal pressure sensors disposed within the interior, an internal pressure increasing device disposed within the interior, and the inflatable protective cover over the interior, and wherein the medium for inflating comprises ambient air;
- detecting the surface shape of a collision object or a person at risk of collision and generating a pressurized medium in the interior of the protective element(s) with the internal pressure increasing device, which sucks the medium through the suction channels into the interior, to inflate the protective cover(s) with the pressurized medium, wherein the pressure is adjustable by a control device;
- and
- controlling the pressure-increasing device by the control device according to a default pressure profile or in a pulsed manner.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.