Safety system and method utilizing multiple laser beams for an industrial machine
AssigneeLazer Safe PTY Lt.
InventorRobert Appleyard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of operating a safety system for an industrial press having a moveable section and a stationary section, the safety system providing a plurality of continuous planar laser beams having a generally constant lateral width, each laser beam being spaced at varying distances from the moveable section, the method including moving the moveable section towards the stationary section at a relatively high speed; starting deceleration of the moveable section when one said laser beam reaches a speed control point located immediately adjacent the stationary section, moving the moveable section at a final crawl speed when a second said laser beam reaches the speed control point, the moveable section continuing to move at said final crawl speed towards said stationary section.
Claims100
A safety system for an industrial press having a moveable section defining a leading edge and a stationary section, the safety system including:
- a laser device for emitting a plurality of parallel continuous planar beams having a generally constant lateral width;
- wherein the planar beams are located between the moveable and stationary sections of the industrial press and each planar beam is spaced at a different distance to the leading edge of the moveable section such that a first planar beam is spaced further from the leading edge than a second planar beam;
- a light receiver for receiving the planar beams and for detecting when an object intersects at least one of the planar beams;
- and
- a controller for stopping or preventing motion of the moveable section when the light receiver detects that at least one of the planar beams has intersected an object,
- said controller further adapted to decelerate the moveable section from a first speed to a second speed within a deceleration zone, said zone defined between a first point at which the first planar beam passes a speed control point and a second point at which the second planar beam passes the speed control point, wherein the first and second speeds of the moveable section are measured at the first and second points, respectively.
The safety system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein a single light receiver is used to receive the planar beams.
A safety system for an industrial press having a moveable section, the safety system including:
- a laser device for emitting a continuous beam of rectilinear cross-section having a generally constant lateral width and generally constant depth;
- said rectilinear beam having a proximate and distal face relative to a leading edge of the moveable section;
- a light receiver for receiving the rectilinear beam and for detecting when an object intersects at least a portion of the beam;
- and
- a controller for stopping or preventing motion of the moveable section when the light receiver detects that at least a portion of the rectilinear beam has intersected an object,
- said controller further adapted to decelerate the moveable section from a first speed to a second speed within a deceleration zone, said zone defined between a first point at which the proximate face passes a speed control point and a second point at which the distal face passes the speed control point, wherein the first and second speeds of the moveable section are measured at the first and second points, respectively.
A method of operating a safety system for an industrial press having a moveable section and a stationary section, the safety system providing a plurality of continuous planar laser beams having a generally constant lateral width, each laser beam being located between the moveable and stationary sections of the industrial press and spaced at varying distances from the moveable section such that a first laser beam is spaced further from the moveable section than a second laser beam, the first and second laser beams defining a deceleration zone, the method including moving the moveable section towards the stationary section at a relatively high speed;
- starting deceleration of the moveable section to a first speed when the first laser beam reaches a speed control point located immediately adjacent the stationary section;
- moving the moveable section at a final crawl speed when the second said laser beam reaches the speed control point, the moveable section continuing to move at said final crawl speed towards said stationary section;
- measuring the first speed of the moveable section as the first laser beam reaches the speed control point;
- and
- measuring the final crawl speed of the moveable section as the second laser reaches the speed control point.
A method of operating a safety system for an industrial press having a moveable section and a stationary section, the safety system providing a plurality of continuous planar laser beams having a generally constant lateral width, each laser beam being spaced at varying distances from the moveable section, the method including moving the moveable section towards the stationary section at a relatively high speed;
- starting deceleration of the moveable section when one said laser beam reaches a speed control point located immediately adjacent the stationary section;
- moving the moveable section at a final crawl speed when a second said laser beam reaches the speed control point, the moveable section continuing to move at said final crawl speed towards said stationary section;
- and
- muting each laser beam as it passes the speed control point such that intersection of the laser beam by an object will not prevent motion of the moveable section.
A method of operating a safety system for an industrial press having a moveable section and a stationary section, the safety system providing a plurality of rectilinear laser beams having rectilinear cross-sections of generally constant lateral width and generally constant depth, each rectilinear laser beam being spaced at varying distances from the moveable section, the method including moving the moveable section towards the stationary section at a relatively high speed;
- starting deceleration of the moveable section when one said rectilinear laser beam reaches a speed control point located immediately adjacent the stationary section;
- moving the moveable section at a final crawl speed when a second said rectilinear laser beam reaches the speed control point, the moveable section continuing to move at said final crawl speed towards said stationary section;
- and
- measuring the first speed of the moveable section as the first laser beam reaches the speed control point;
- and
- measuring the second speed of the moveable section as the second laser beam reaches the speed control point.
A method of operating a safety system for an industrial press having a moveable section and a stationary section, the safety system providing a plurality of rectilinear laser beams having rectilinear cross-sections of generally constant lateral width and generally constant depth, each rectilinear laser beam being spaced at varying distances from the moveable section, the method including moving the moveable section towards the stationary section at a relatively high speed;
- starting deceleration of the moveable section when one said rectilinear laser beam reaches a speed control point located immediately adjacent the stationary section;
- moving the moveable section at a final crawl speed when a second said rectilinear laser beam reaches the speed control point, the moveable section continuing to move at said final crawl speed towards said stationary section;
- and
- progressively muting each rectilinear laser beam as it progressively passes the speed control point such that intersection of a muted portion of the rectilinear laser beam by an object will not prevent motion of the moveable section.
A safety system for an industrial press having a moveable section, the safety system including:
- a laser device for emitting a plurality of parallel continuous planar laser beams having a generally constant lateral width;
- a light receiver for receiving the planar laser beams and for detecting when an object intersects at least one of the planar laser beams;
- and
- a controller for stopping or preventing motion of the moveable section when the light receiver detects that at least one of the planar laser beams has intersected an object,
- said controller further adapted to decelerate the moveable section from a first speed to a second speed within a deceleration zone, said zone defined between a first point at which a first planar laser beam passes a speed control point and a second point at which a second planar laser beam passes the speed control point;
- wherein as each planar laser beam passes the speed control point, the planar laser beam is muted such that intersection of the planar laser beam by the object will not prevent motion of the moveable section.
A safety system for an industrial press having a moveable section, the safety system including:
- a laser device for emitting a continuous beam of rectilinear cross-section having a generally constant lateral width and generally constant depth;
- said rectilinear beam having a proximate and distal face relative to a leading edge of the moveable section;
- a light receiver for receiving the rectilinear beam and for detecting when an object intersects at least a portion of the beam;
- and
- a controller for stopping or preventing motion of the moveable section when the light receiver detects that at least a portion of the rectilinear beam has intersected an object,
- said controller further adapted to decelerate the moveable section from a first speed to a second speed within a deceleration zone, said zone defined between a first point at which the proximate face passes a speed control point and a second point at which the distal face passes the speed control point;
- wherein as the rectilinear beam progressively passes the speed control point, the rectilinear beam is correspondingly progressively muted such that intersection of the rectilinear beam at a muted portion of the rectilinear beam by the object will not prevent motion of the moveable section.
A safety system for an industrial press having a moveable section, the safety system including:
- a laser device for emitting a continuous beam of rectilinear cross-section having a generally constant lateral width and generally constant depth;
- said rectilinear beam having a proximate and distal face relative to a leading edge of the moveable section;
- a light receiver for receiving the rectilinear beam and for detecting when an object intersects at least a portion of the beam;
- and
- a controller for stopping or preventing motion of the moveable section when the light receiver detects that at least a portion of the rectilinear beam has intersected an object,
- said controller further adapted to decelerate the moveable section from a first speed to a second speed within a deceleration zone, said zone defined between a first point at which the proximate face passes a speed control point and a second point at which the distal face passes the speed control point;
- said rectilinear beam further including a rectilinear portion of depth sufficient to span from the proximate face to a partial intersection with the leading edge of the moveable section, said rectilinear portion having the generally constant lateral width, wherein the light receiver further includes light receiving elements corresponding to the rectilinear portion, such that the light receiving elements corresponding to an area where the moveable section intersects with the rectilinear portion do not function to prevent movement of the moveable section.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.