Device and method for sensing the presence or absence of newly formed parts in conjunction with parts forming equipment

A parts sensing device for sensing the presence or absence of newly formed parts, for use in conjunction with parts forming equipment, the parts sensing device comprising:

• (a) a plurality of optoelectronic sensor input sites, each site adapted to receive a signal generated by an optoelectronic sensor;
• (b) a plurality of sensor channels including one master sensor channel and a plurality of slave sensor channels;
• (c) a control means;
• wherein, each optoelectronic sensor input site is connected to its own sensor channel,
• each sensor channel being operatively connected to the control means to transmit signals from the sensor channel to the control means,
• each slave sensor channel further being operatively connected to the master sensor channel so that when no optoelectronic sensor is connected to the sensor input site of a slave sensor channel the slave sensor channel transmits to the control means a signal derived from and functionally identical to the signal transmitted by the master sensor channel, and when a optoelectronic sensor is connected to the sensor input site of a slave sensor channel the slave sensor channel trasmits to the control means a signal derived from the signal generated by the connected optoelectronic sensor,
• said control means functioning to do at least one of the following:
• (1) generate a signal indicating whether or not the signals from each of the sensor channels indicate that the presence of a newly formed part has been sensed, and
• (2) generate a signal indicating whether or not the signals from each of the sensor channels indicate that the absence of a newly formed part has beed sensed;
• said parts sensing device adapted to communicate the signals generated by said control means to at least one of the following:
• (i) apparatus controlling the parts forming equipment, and
• (ii) a control means display, where said signals generated by the control means are displayed.

A method of sensing parts in conjunction with the operation of parts forming equipment, the method utilizing a plurality of optoelectronic sensors, each operably positioned to sense the presence of absence of at least one newly formed part, and a control means, the optoelectronic sensors generating a signal indicating the presence or absence of a part, said method comprising:

• connecting one of the optoelectronic sensors to the control means by way of a master sensor channel and transmitting from said master sensor channel to the control means a signal corresponding to the signal generated by the optoelectronic sensor connected to the master sensor channel,
• connecting to the control means at least one slave sensor channel which optionally can be connected to an optoelectronic sensor with each slave sensor channel so configured that when no optoelectronic sensor is connected to the slave channel the slave channel transmits to the control means a signal derived from and functionally identical to the signal transmitted by the master sensor channel and when an optoelectronic sensor is connected to the slave sensor channel the slave sensor channel transmits to the control means a signal derived from the signal generated by the connected optoelectronic sensor,
• determining in the control means whether or not all sensor channels are transmitting signals indicating the presence of a part and communicating signals corresponding to the results of such determinations to apparatus controlling the parts forming equipment,
• determining in the control means whether or not all sensor channels are transmitting signals indicating the absence of a part and communicating signals corresponding to the results of such determinations to apparatus controlling the parts forming equipment.

A parts sensing device for sensing the presence or absence of newly formed parts, for use in conjunction with an injection molding parts forming machine where newly formed parts are removed from their respective mold dies by being gripped by end effector mechanisms of a robotic extractor means, removed from the mold die and deposited by the robotic extractor means outside the mold dies, the parts sensing device comprising:

• a plurality of optoelectronic sensors each disposed on an end effector of the robotic extractor means and operatively positioned to sense the presence of a newly formed part when the part is gripped by the end effector of the extractor means,
• each optoelectronic sensor adapted to generate a signal indicating the presence or absence of a newly formed part in the grip of the end effector on which the optoelectronic sensor is disposed,
• a plurality of sensor channels, with each optoelectronic sensor connected to a separate sensor channel, each optoelectronic sensor inputting to its respective sensor channel the signal generated by the optoelectronic sensor,
• each sensor channel operatively connected to a control means and adapted to transmit sensor channel signals from the sensor channel to the control means,
• the sensor channels including at least one master sensor channel and a plurality of slave sensor channels, each master sensor channel having an optoelectronic sensor connected to it and transmitting to the control means a sensor channel signal derived from the signal generated by the optoelectronic sensor connected to the master channel,
• each slave sensor channel operatively connected to the master sensor channel so that when no optoelectronic sensor is connected to a slave sensor channel the slave sensor channel transmits to the control means a sensor channel signal derived from and functionally identical to the sensor channel signal of the master sensor channel, and when an optoelectronic sensor is connected to a slave sensor channel the slave sensor channel transmits to the control means a sensor channel signal derived from the signal generated by the optoelectronic sensor connected to the slave sensor channel,
• said control means adapted to analyze the sensor channel signals it recieves to determine whether, and to generate a signal indicating that, all sensor channel signals indicate the presence of a part within the sensing range of the optoelectronic sensor from which the sensor channel receives a signal,
• said control means operatively connected to an apparatus which controls the parts forming machine so that if the control means determines at the point in time when the robotic extractor is to have grapsed the newly formed parts to be removed from the mold die that all sensor channels indicate that a pair has been sensed, the apparatus signals the parts forming machine to continue its operations and if the control means determines that at the point in time when the robotic extractor is to have grapsed the newly formed parts to be removed from the mold die not all sensor channels indicate that a part has been sensed, the apparatus signals the parts forming machine to discontinue its operations.

A parts sensing device for sensing the presence and absence of newly formed parts for use in conjunction with injection molding parts forming equipment which produces parts in a parts molding cycle wherein, after each parts molding cycle, robotic transfer means having a plurality of grippers is used to transfer newly formed parts from the parts molding equipment to a secondary apparatus, and wherein the parts molding equipment is not to proceed with a next parts molding cycle unit the robotic transfer means has removed each newly formed part from the parts molding equipment the newly formed part to be deposited with the secondary apparatus, the parts sensing device comprising:

• a plurality of photoreflective sensors each operably positioned on a gripper of the robotic transfer means to sense the presence or absence of a newly formed part in the grinoer,
• each photoreflective sensor connected to a control means through one of a plurality of sensor channels,
• the sensor channels comprising at least one master sensor channel and a plurality of slave sensor channels with the master channel so configured that it transmits to the control means a signal derived from the photoreflective sensor connected to the master sensor channel and each slave channel so configured that when a photoreflective sensor is conneted to the slave sensor channel it transmits to the control means a signal derived from the photoreflective sensor connected to the slave sensor channel and when no photoreflective sensor is connected to the slave sensor channel it transmits to the control means a signal derived from and functionally identical to the signal of a master sensor channel,
• the control means functioning to analyze the signals received from each sensor channel to determine at the time that the newly formed parts are to be grasped by the grippers of the robotic transfer means whether the signals received from all of the sensor channels indicate that a part has beed sensed by the photoreflective sensors of the sensing device,
• the control means functioning to analyze the signals received from each sensor channel to determine at the time that no parts are to be grasped by the grippers of the robotic transfer means whether the signals received from all of the sensor channels indicate that no part has been sensed by the photoreflective sensor of the sensing device.
• the control means operably connected with the parts forming equipment so that the parts forming equipment does not proceed with its parts molding cycle unless at appropriate times in its cycle it receives signals from the control means that all sensor channels have indicated the presence of a part and that all sensor channels have indicated the absence of a part.

A parts sensing device for sensing the presence or absence of newly formed parts, for use in conjunction with parts forming equipment, the parts sensing device comprising:

• (a) a plurality of sensors;
• (b) a plurality of sensor channels including one master sensor channel and a plurality of slave sensor channels;
• (c) a control means;
• wherein, each sensor is operably positioned to sense the presence or absence of one newly formed part and adapted to generate a signal indicating the presence or absence of the newly formed part, each sensor being connected to its own sensor channel,
• each sensor channel being operatively connected to the control means to transmit signals from the sensor channel to the control means,
• the master sensor channel having a sensor connected to it and functioning to transmit to the control means a signal derived from the signal generated by the sensor connected to the master sensor channel,
• each slave sensor channel further being operatively connected to the master sensor channel so that when no sensor is connected to a slave sensor channel the slave sensor channel transmits to the control means a signal derived from and functionally identical to the signal transmitted by the master sensor channel, and when a sensor is connected to a slave sensor channel the slave sensor channel transmits to the control means a signal derived from the signal generated by the sensor connected to the slave sensor channel,
• said control means functioning to do at least one of the following:
• (i) generate a signal indicating whether or not each of the sensors has sensed the presence of a newly formed part, and
• (ii) generate a signal indicating whether or not each sensor has sensed the absence of a newly formed part,
• said signals generated by said control means being communicated to at least one of the following:
• (i) apparatus controlling the parts forming equipment, and
• (ii) a control means display, where said signals generated by the control means are displayed.

A parts sensing device for sensing the presence or absence of newly formed parts, for use in conjunction with parts forming equipment, the parts sensing device comprising:

• (a) a plurality of sensor input sites, each site adapted to receive a signal generated by a sensor;
• (b) a plurality of sensor channels including one master channel and a plurality of slave sensor channels;
• (c) a control means;
• wherein, each sensor input site is connected to its own sensor channel,
• each sensor channel being operatively connected to the control means to transmit signals from the sensor channel to the control means,
• each slave sensor channel further being operatively connected to the master sensor channel so that when no sensor is connected to the sensor input site of a slave sensor channel the slave sensor channel transmits to the control means a signal derived from and functionally identical to the signal transmitted by the master sensor channel, and when a sensor is connected to the sensor input site of a slave sensor chanel the slave sensor channel transmits to the control means a signal derived from the signal generated by the connected sensor,
• said control means functioning to do at least one of the following:
• (1) generate a signal indicating whether or not the signals from each of the sensor channels indicate that the presence of a newly formed part has been sensed, and
• (2) generate a signal indicating whether or not the signals from each of the sensor channels indicate that the absence of a newly formed part has been sensed;
• said parts sensing device adapted to communicate the signals generated by said control means to at least one of the following:
• (i) apparatus controlling the parts forming equipment, and
• (ii) a control means display, where said signals generated by the control means are displayed.

A method of sensing parts in conjunction with the operation of parts forming equipment, the method utilizing a plurality of sensors, each operably positioned to sense the presence or absence of at least one newly formed part, and a control means, the sensors generating a signal indicating the presence or absence of a part, said method comprising:

• connecting one of the sensors to the control means by way of a master sensor channel and transmitting from said master sensor channel to the control means a signal corresponding to the signal generated by the sensor connected to the master sensor channel,
• connecting to the control means at least one slave sensor channel which optionally can be connected to a sensor with each slave sensor channel so configured that when no sensor is connected to the slave channel the slave channel transmits to the control means a signal derived from and functionally identical to the signal transmitted by the master sensor channel and when a sensor is connected to the slave sensor channel the slave sensor channel transmits to the control means a signal derived from the signal generated by the connected sensor,
• determining in the control means whether or not all sensor channels are transmitting signals indicating the presence of a part and communicating signals corresponding to the results of such determinations to apparatus controlling the parts forming equipment,
• determining in the control means whether or not all sensor channels are transmitting signals indicating the absence of a part and communicating signals corresponding to the results of such determinations to apparatus controlling the parts forming equipment.

A sensing device for sensing the presence or absence of objects, for use in conjunction with apparatus which interacts with the sensed objects, the sensing device comprising:

• (a) a plurality of sensors;
• (b) a plurality of sensor channels including one master sensor channel and a plurality of slave sensor channels;
• (c) a control means;
• wherein, each sensor is operably positioned to sense the presence or absence of one object and adapted to generate a signal indicating the presence or absence of the object, each sensor being connected to its own sensor channel,
• each sensor channel being operatively connected to the control means to transmit signals from the sensor channel to the control means,
• the master sensor channel having a sensor connected to it and functioning to transmit to the control means a signal derived from the signal generated by the sensor connected to the master sensor channel,
• each slave sensor channel further being operatively connected to the master sensor channel so that when no sensor is connected to a slave sensor channel the slave sensor channel transmits to the control means a signal derived from and functionally identical to the signal transmitted by said master sensor channel, and when a sensor is connected to a slave sensor channel the slave sensor channel transmits to the control mans a signal derived from the signal generated by the sensor connected to the slave sensor channel,
• said control means functioning to do at least one of the following:
• (i) generate a signal indicating whether or not each of the sensors has sensed the presence of an object, and
• (ii) generate a signal indicating whether or not each sensor has sensed the absence of an object,
• said signals generated by said control means being communicated to at least one of the following:
• (i) apparatus which interacts with the objects, and
• (ii) a control means display, where said signals generated by the control means are displayed.