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US RE50,769 E1Granted
Lockout/tagout system and method including multi-user lockout device with electronic locking and wireless control interface
AssigneeEaton Intelligent Power Limited
InventorsRobert Stephen Douglass, Vinicius M. Petroni, Matthew G. Mohr, John P. Stampfel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Lockout/tagout devices are configured to receive multi-user, electronically generated locking and unlocking commands over wireless interfaces to realize lockout safety chains of a desired length to assure worker safety in an industrial system. Electronically implemented systems and methods are also disclosed providing for enhanced worker safety, increased security, and improved lockout/tagout oversight involving a reduced number of locking devices and with fewer complications compared to conventional lockout/tagout devices, systems and processes.
Claims21
A multi-user lockout/tagout device for a lockout safety chain in an industrial system, the multi-user lockout/tagout device comprising:
- a mechanical locking element;
- a lock actuator acting upon the mechanical locking element;
- and
- a processor-based control element in communication with the lock actuator to selectively control a position of the lock actuator with respect to the mechanical locking element when the mechanical locking element is coupled to a device in the industrial system, wherein the processor-based control element is configured to:
- wirelessly accept an electronic locking command from each of a number n of processor-based worker devices of respective workers responsible to perform a maintenance task in the industrial system;
- store electronic locking command data as each electronic locking command is accepted, and in response to the accepted locking commands operate the lock actuator to lock the mechanical locking element;
- wirelessly accept an electronic unlocking command from each of the same number n of processor-based worker devices of respective workers responsible to perform a maintenance task in the industrial system only when the unlocking commands are received in a particular order from at least some of the number n of processor-based worker devices;
- store electronic unlocking command data as each electronic unlocking command is accepted, and in response to the accepted unlocking commands operate the lock actuator to unlock the mechanical locking element;
- wherein the number n is an integer greater than 1 to realize the lockout safety chain of a desired length;
- and
- wherein locking and unlocking of the lock actuator in the lockout safety chain only occurs when all locking and unlocking commands are received from each number n of processor-based worker devices.
8 more elements
A lockout/tagout system for a lockout safety chain in an industrial system comprising:
- a multi-user mechanical locking device including a locking element, a lock actuator, a processor-based control element, and a communication element configured to establish one of near field communication or short-range communication with a number n of processor-based worker devices configured to communicate with the multi-user mechanical locking device, each processor-based worker device configured to issue an electronic locking command or an electronic unlocking command to the multi-user mechanical locking device by respective workers responsible to perform a maintenance task in the industrial system;
- wherein the processor-based control element of the multi-user mechanical locking device is configured to:
- wirelessly accept an electronic locking command from each of the number n of processor-based worker devices;
- in response to the accepted locking commands operate a lock actuator to lock the mechanical locking element;
- wirelessly accept an electronic unlocking command from each of the same number n of processor-based worker devices only when the unlocking commands are received in a particular order from at least some of the number n of processor-based worker devices;
- and
- in response to the accepted unlocking commands operate the lock actuator to unlock the mechanical locking element;
- wherein the number n is an integer greater than 1 to realize the lockout safety chain of a desired length;
- and
- wherein locking and unlocking of the lock actuator in the lockout safety chain only occurs when all locking and unlocking commands are received from each number n of processor-based worker devices.
7 more elements
A lockout/tagout method for a lockout safety chain in an industrial system to ensure the safety of respective workers responsible to perform a maintenance task in the industrial system, lockout/tagout method comprising;:
- establishing the lockout safety chain of a desired length via a processor-based, multi-user mechanical locking device attached to a device establishing a safe working position in the industrial system by:
- wirelessly accepting an electronic locking command at the multi-user mechanical locking device from each of the a number n of processor-based worker devices;
- in response to the accepted locking commands, operating a lock actuator acting upon a mechanical locking element in the multi-user mechanical locking device to a lock position;
- wirelessly accepting an electronic unlocking command at the multi-user mechanical locking device from each of the same number n of processor-based worker devices only when the unlocking commands are received in a particular order from at least some of the number n of processor-based worker devices;
- and
- in response to the accepted unlocking commands operating the lock actuator to an unlocked position;
- wherein the number n is an integer greater than 1 to realize the lockout safety chain of the desired length;
- and
- wherein locking and unlocking of the lock actuator in the lockout safety chain only occurs when all locking and unlocking commands are received from each number n of processor-based worker devices.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.