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US 2007/0182255 A1Published application
Safety switching module
OwnerMartin Schneiderheinze, Dirk Schneiderheinzeinventors
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OwnerMartin Schneiderheinze, Dirk Schneiderheinzeinventors
Estimating the term…
A safety switching module (10) including at least two switch units connected in series and a switch control unit (20) for each switch unit (18). Each switch control unit (20) has a switch control input (38,40) to receive a shut down to open the respective switch unit (18). A switch monitoring means (46) is provided for each switch unit (18) to monitor whether the respective switch unit (18) is open or closed and is connected to the respective switch control unit (20) such that the switch control unit (20) can determine that a fault condition exists if the respective switch unit (18) has not opened on receiving the shut down signal. An operation control input (60) is provided on at least one of the switch control units (20) connectable to an operation controller (62) for controlling operation of the load. Each of the switch control units (20) is in communication with each other switch control units (20) to determine if fault conditions exist in any of the switch units (18). The switch control unit (20) connected to the operation controller (62) is arranged to open and close the respective switch unit (18) in response to signals received from the operation controller (62) unless any of the switch control units (20) have a fault condition or a have received the shut down
A safety switching module characterised by comprising:
A safety switching module in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the shutdown signal is generated by a shutdown switch having a plurality of contacts, each of the shut down switch contacts being connected to a switch control input of a respective switch control unit.
A safety switching module in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that each of the switch control units comprise a processor, the processors being interconnected by a bus for the transfer of information, said information including whether any of the switch control units have detected a fault condition.
A safety switching module in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that each of the switch control units communicates with the other switch control units to allow control of alternating switch units in response to operation control signals received on said switch control unit.
A safety switching module in accordance with any one of the preceding claims characterised in that an operation controller having multiple outputs is connected to the operation control inputs on multiple switch control units and the switch control units exchange information to determine if a control signal has been received on each of said operation control inputs and only control operation of the respective switch units if operation control inputs have been received on each of said operation control inputs.
A safety switching module in accordance with any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the safety switching module is provided with a bus interface for exchange of information between other safety switching modules.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.