Device And Method For Releasing An Operation Of A Machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018071920-A1
Application number	US-201615554155-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 10, 2016
Priority date	Mar 20, 2015
Publication date	Mar 15, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A safety control device for releasing an operation of a machine, in particular a robot, includes an input device for detecting a manual contact, in particular a finger contact. The safety control device has a retaining device for securing the input device to a finger, in particular a fingertip, of an operator, in particular in a frictional manner, and/or a signaling means for outputting a signal, in particular an optical, acoustic, tactile, thermal, and/or electric signal, if a contact force detected by the input device is smaller than a specified upper minimum value and/or for outputting a signal, in particular the same signal or a different signal, in particular an optical, acoustic, tactile, thermal, and/or electric signal, if a contact force detected by the input device is greater than a specified lower maximum value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 - 12 . (canceled)

13 . A safety control device for releasing the operation of a machine, the safety control device comprising:
an input means for detecting a manual contact; and at least one of:
a holding device for fastening the input means to a finger of an operator, or
a signal means for issuing at least one of a first signal when a contact force detected by the input means is below a predetermined upper minimum value, or a second signal when a contact force detected by the input means exceeds a predetermined lower maximum value.

14 . The safety control device of claim 13 , wherein at least one of:
the machine is a robotic manipulator; the input means is configured to detect a finger contact by a user; the holding device is configured for friction-fitting the input means to the finger of the user; the holding device is configured to fasten the input means to the tip of the user's finger; the second signal is the same as the first signal, or different from the first signal; or the signal means issues at least one of an optic signal, an acoustic signal, a tactile signal, a thermal signal, or an electric signal.

15 . The safety control device of claim 13 , further comprising a release means that can be connected to the input means, the release means releasing operation of the machine only if at least one of:
a contact force detected by the input means exceeds a predetermined lower minimum value; or a contact force detected by the input means is below a predetermined upper maximum value.

16 . The safety control device of claim 15 , wherein the release means can be connected to the input means by at least one of one of wired or wireless.

17 . The safety control device of claim 13 , wherein the signal issued by the signal means varies with a distance of the contact force from at least one of the minimum value or a maximum value.

18 . The safety control device of claim 13 , wherein the input means comprises a contact area, and a minimum travel path in the contact area that must be traveled by the manual contact for the input means to detect a predetermined minimal force for releasing operation of the machine is 1 mm or less.

19 . The safety control device of claim 18 , wherein the minimum travel path in the contact area that must be traveled by the manual contact for the input means to detect the predetermined minimal force is less than 0.5 mm.

20 . The safety control device of claim 13 , wherein the input means is at least one of elastic, film-like, or thimble-like.

21 . The safety control device of claim 13 , further comprising detection means for detecting fastening of the input means to a finger of a user.

22 . The safety control device of claim 21 , wherein the detection means is one of optic based, thermal based, electric based, or load based.

23 . A method for releasing an operation of a machine, comprising:
obtaining a safety control device according to claim 13 ; and at least one of: a) fastening the input means to a finger of an operator with the holding device; or b) detecting a contact force with the input means, and at least one of:
issuing a first signal when the contact force detected by the input means is below a predetermined upper minimum value, or
issuing a second signal when the contact force detected by the input means exceeds a predetermined lower maximum value.

24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein at least one of the first or second signal is at least one of an optic, acoustic, tactile, thermal, or electric signal.

25 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the second signal is one of the same or a different signal than the first signal.

26 . The method of claim 23 , wherein at least one of:
the input means is fastened to a finger by the holding device in a friction-fitting manner; or the input means is fastened to a fingertip by the holding device.

27 . The method of claim 23 , further comprising releasing the operation of the machine with the release means in an at least partially automated fashion only if at least one of:
the contact force detected by the input means exceeds a predetermined lower minimum value; or the contact force detected by the input means is below a predetermined upper maximum value.

28 . The method of claim 23 , further comprising:
varying the signal issued by the signal means in an at least partially automatic fashion based on a distance of the contact force from one of the minimum or maximum values.

29 . The method of claim 28 , wherein:
the input means comprises a contact area; and a minimum travel path in the contact area that must be traveled by the manual contact for the input means to detect a predetermined minimal force for releasing operation of the machine is 1 mm or less.

30 . The method of claim 29 , wherein the minimum travel path in the contact area that must be traveled by the manual contact for the input means to detect the predetermined minimal force is less than 0.5 mm.

31 . The method of claim 23 , further comprising:
detecting with the detection means, in an at least partially automatic fashion, a fastening of the input means to a finger.

32 . The method of claim 31 , wherein detection of a fastening of the input means to a finger comprises at least one of optic, thermal, electric, or load-based detection.

33 . A computer program product for use with a safety control device according to claim 13 , the computer program product comprising a program code stored in a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium, the program code, when executed by the safety control device, causing the safety control device to:
detect a contact force with the input means; and at least one of:
issue a first signal when the contact force detected by the input means is below a predetermined upper minimum value, or
issue a second signal when the contact force detected by the input means exceeds a predetermined lower maximum value.

Assignees

• Kuka Roboter Gmbh

Inventors

• Zimmermann Uwe
• Kogan Yevgen

Classifications

• B25J13/085 Primary

  Force or torque sensors (B25J13/082, B25J13/084 take precedence) · CPC title

• G05B2219/40218

  Check conditions before allowing unlocking of joint brake · CPC title

• B25J19/063

  working only upon contact with an outside object · CPC title

• G05B2219/40201

  Detect contact, collision with human · CPC title

• B25J19/06

  Safety devices · CPC title