Relay safety system and robotic arm controller

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11688573-B2
Application number	US-202117481905-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2021
Priority date	Sep 22, 2021
Publication date	Jun 27, 2023
Grant date	Jun 27, 2023

Abstract

The relay safety system provided by the present invention includes a relay, an emergency stop device, a trigger detection circuit, a sticking detection circuit, and a power-off circuit. The emergency stop device is used to generate an emergency stop signal. The trigger detection circuit connects the relay and the emergency stop device, and is used to convert the emergency stop signal into a trigger signal. The sticking detection circuit is connected to the trigger detection circuit and the relay, and is used to detect the sticking signal generated by the relay, and generate a power-off signal according to the trigger signal and the sticking signal. The power-off circuit is connected to the emergency stop device, the relay and the sticking detection circuit, and receives the power-off signal, and disconnects the power of the relay according to the power-off signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A relay safety system, comprising:
a relay;
an emergency stop device adapted to generate an emergency stop signal;
a trigger detection circuit connecting said relay and said emergency stop device and adapted to convert said emergency stop signal into a trigger signal;
a sticking detection circuit connected to said trigger detection circuit and said relay, and adapted to detect a sticking signal generated by said relay, and generate a power-off signal according to said trigger signal and said sticking signal; and
a power-off circuit connected to said emergency stop device, said relay and said sticking detection circuit, and adapted to receive said power-off signal and disconnect the power of said relay according to said power-off signal.

2. The relay safety system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said power-off circuit comprises a first switch unit and a second switch unit, said first switch unit being electrically connected to said emergency stop device and a first voltage source, said second switch unit being electrically connected to a normally open contact of said relay and a second voltage source, said power-off circuit controlling said first switch unit and said second switch unit to be in a turn off state according to said power-off signal.

3. The relay safety system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said power-off circuit further comprises an optocoupler and a transistor, said optocoupler having a primary side thereof electrically connected to said first voltage source and said transistor of said power-off circuit and a secondary side thereof electrically connected to said second voltage source and said second switch unit, said power-off circuit controlling said transistor of said power-off circuit to be in a turn on state according to said power-off signal.

4. The relay safety system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said sticking detection circuit comprises a transistor, which is connected to a normally closed contact of said relay, said trigger detection circuit and said power-off circuit, and is turned off according to said trigger signal.

5. The relay safety system as claimed in claim 4 , wherein when said sticking detection circuit receives no trigger signal, said transistor of said sticking detection circuit is turned on.

6. The relay safety system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said power-off circuit comprises an output protection unit, which connects said first switch unit and said emergency stop device.

7. The relay safety system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said trigger detection circuit comprises a first operational amplifier and a second operational amplifier, said first operational amplifier having an inverting input terminal thereof electrically connected to said emergency stop device, said first operational amplifier having a positive input terminal thereof electrically connected to said first voltage source, said first operational amplifier having an output terminal thereof electrically connected to an inverting input terminal of said second operational amplifier, said second operational amplifier having a positive input terminal thereof electrically connected to said first voltage source, said second operational amplifier having an output terminal thereof electrically connected to said sticking detection circuit.

8. The relay safety system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said trigger detection circuit further comprises an input protection unit electrically connected to said emergency stop device and said inverting input terminal of said first operational amplifier.

9. A robotic arm controller, comprising a relay safety system as claimed in claim 1 .

Assignees

• Hiwin Tech Corp

Inventors

• Chang Shun-Kai
• Chen Yi-Hung
• Huang Yen-Shun

Classifications

• H01H47/002 Primary

  Monitoring or fail-safe circuits · CPC title

• G01R31/3278

  of relays, solenoids or reed switches (measuring contact resistance G01R27/205; high voltage magnetic switches G01R31/3271, G01R31/333; testing electric windings G01R31/72; monitoring of fail safe circuits H01H47/002) · CPC title

• H01H47/001

  Functional circuits, e.g. logic, sequencing, interlocking circuits · CPC title