Safety module and field-bus system comprising a safety module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11050243-B2
Application number	US-202016876255-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2020
Priority date	Nov 27, 2017
Publication date	Jun 29, 2021
Grant date	Jun 29, 2021

Abstract

A safety module for a field-bus system comprising a switch-on unit, a control unit, a supply input provided to feed supply power, a first supply output provided to relay secured supply power to a consumer, a first switching element to electrically connect or disconnect the supply input and the first supply output, and a supply module to provide an operating power via an operating-power-supply line for operating the control unit. The control unit is connected to the first switching element to secure the supply power being relayed via the first supply output by actuating the first switching element. The supply module is electrically connected to the supply input and to a field-bus-power input. The field-bus-power input is provided to feed a field-bus power into the safety module for operating the switch-on unit. The supply module is provided to generate the operating power either from the supply power or field-bus power.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A safety module for a field-bus system comprising:
a switch-on unit,
a control unit,
a supply input embodied to feed in a supply power into the safety module,
a first supply output embodied to relay the supply power to a consumer as a secured supply power,
a first switching element embodied to electrically connect or to electrically disconnect the supply input and the first supply output, and
a supply module embodied to provide an operating power via an operating-power-supply line for operating the control unit,
wherein the supply module is electrically connected to the supply input by a supply line and a supply-connecting line comprising the supply input and to a field-bus-power input by a field-bus-power line and a field-bus-power-connecting line,
wherein the field-bus-power input is embodied to feed in a field-bus power into the safety module for operating the switch-on unit,
wherein the supply module is embodied to generate the operating power either from the supply power or from the field-bus power,
wherein the switch-on unit is connected to the control unit via a data line and embodied to connect the safety module to a field-bus subscriber via a field bus, as a result of which an exchange of field-bus data is enabled between the control unit and the field-bus subscriber, and
wherein the control unit is connected to the first switching element and embodied to secure relaying the supply power via the first supply output as a secured supply power by actuating the first switching element.

2. The safety module according to claim 1 , wherein the supply module is embodied to generate the operating power from the field-bus power in case that the supply power is in a range outside of a predetermined supply-power-value range.

3. The safety module according to claim 1 , wherein:
the control unit is embodied to monitor a parameter of the supply power and/or a parameter of the secured supply power within a framework of securing of the first supply output by a first detection device connected to the control unit, and
the control unit is embodied to electrically disconnect the supply input and the first supply output by the first switching element within the framework of the securing, as soon as the monitored parameter lies outside of a predetermined value range.

4. The safety module according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is embodied to exchange an information relating to securing of the first supply output with the field-bus subscriber by the exchange of field-bus data via the switch-on unit.

5. The safety module according to claim 4 , wherein:
the control unit is embodied to transmit the information relating to the securing to the field-bus subscriber, and
the information relating to the securing of the first supply output is an electrical voltage detected by the first detection device, a detected electrical current, a detected time-related development of the electrical voltage or of the electrical current, a detected switching state of the first switching element or a time duration monitored by the control unit within which the first switching element limits an electrical current.

6. The safety module according to claim 4 , wherein:
the control unit is embodied to receive the information relating to the securing from the field-bus subscriber, and
the information relating to the securing of the first supply output is a predetermined value range of an electrical voltage, of an electrical current, of a time-related development of the electrical voltage or of the electrical current, or a time duration within which the first switching element limits an electrical current.

7. The safety module according to claim 1 , comprising:
a first isolation device,
wherein the first isolation device is switched in the field-bus-power-connecting line, wherein the field-bus-power-connecting line comprises a first section and a second section, and
wherein the first isolation device is embodied to galvanically disconnect the first section and the second section of the field-bus-power-connecting line.

8. The safety module according to claim 1 , comprising:
a second isolation device,
wherein the second isolation device is switched in the data line, wherein the data line comprises a first section and a second section, and
wherein the second isolation device is embodied to galvanically disconnect the first section and the second section of the data line.

9. The safety module according to claim 1 , comprising: a second supply output embodied to relay the secured supply power to a further consumer, and a second switching element provided to electrically connect or disconnect the supply input and the second supply output, wherein the second switching element is connected to the control unit and the first switching element and the second switching element are actuated independently from each other by the control unit, wherein the control unit is embodied to relay the supply power as a secured supply power via the second supply output by actuating the second switching element, wherein the control unit is embodied to monitor a further parameter of the supply power and/or a further parameter of the secured supply power within a framework of securing of the second supply output by a second detection device connected to the control unit, wherein the control unit is embodied to electrically disconnect the supply input and the second supply output by the second switching element within the framework of the securing, as soon as the further monitored parameter lies outside of a further predetermined value range, and wherein the control unit is embodied to exchange an information relating to the securing of the second supply output with the field-bus subscriber by the exchange of field-bus data via the switch-on unit.

10. The safety module according to claim 1 , wherein the switch-on unit, the control unit, the first switching element and the supply module are arranged in a shared housing.

11. The safety module according to claim 10 , wherein: the housing comprises a side face, the side face is embodied to directly abut on a further side face of a further housing of a signal module embodied for connecting the consumer to the field-bus system, the first supply output is embodied at the side face as a contact structure, and the contact structure is embodied to directly abut on a further supply input of the signal module embodied at the further side face as a further contact structure for relaying the secured supply power and to electrically contact the further contact structure, as a result of which the safety module is directly added to the signal module.

12. The safety module according to claim 10 , wherein: the housing comprises a front side embodied transversely to the side face, and the second supply output for relaying the secured supply power to the further consumer is embodied as a contact element that is accessed from the front side for electrical contacting.

13. A field-bus system comprising:
a field-bus subscriber,
a safety module embodied as a further field-bus subscriber of the field-bus system, and
a signal module embodied as a further field-bus subscriber of the field-bus system for connecting a consumer to the field-bus system,
wherein the field-bus subscriber, the safety module and the signal module are connected with one another via a field bus,
wherein the safety module comprises a switch-on unit, a control unit, a supply input embodied to feed in a supply power into the safety module, a first supply output embodied to relay the supply power to a consumer as a secured supply power, and a first switching element embodied to el

Assignees

• Beckhoff Automation Gmbh

Inventors

• Walther Lars
• Heidenhöfer Jens
• Jost Michael
• Prüssmeier Uwe
• Jürgenhake Christian

Classifications

• H04L12/10

  Current supply arrangements · CPC title

• H02H7/22 Primary

  for distribution gear, e.g. bus-bar systems; for switching devices {(detecting mechanical or electrical defects in gas-insulated switchgears H02B13/065)} · CPC title

• H02H3/00

  Emergency protective circuit arrangements for automatic disconnection directly responsive to an undesired change from normal electric working condition with or without subsequent reconnection (specially adapted for specific types of electric machines or apparatus or for sectionalised protection of cable or line systems H02H7/00; systems for change-over to standby supply H02J9/00 ){; integrated protection (for motors H02H7/0822)} · CPC title

• H02H1/06 Primary

  Arrangements for supplying operative power {(power supply arrangements in general G05F, H02M)} · CPC title

• H04L12/40

  Bus networks · CPC title