Rockwell Automation Safety Ag

Cedes Safety & Automation Ag

Cedes Ag

Rockwell Automation Switzerland Gmbh

Eric Lutz

Carl Meinherz

Martin Hardegger

Manfred Stein

The present invention relates to a safety photoelectric barrier for monitoring a protective field and to a corresponding method. A safety photoelectric barrier () comprises a single-sided transceiver bar with a housing (), a plurality of transceiver modules () each having a radiation emitting unit () for emitting radiation towards a reference target (), a radiation detecting unit () for detecting radiation incident on the transceiver module (), and a signal processing unit for evaluating the detected radiation regarding a distance information and an intensity information and for generating a binary output signal indicating the presence or absence of an object within the protective field. A controller module () evaluates the binary output signals and generates a safety signal in response to the evaluated output signals. The radiation detecting unit comprises at least a first and a second photosensitive element () for redundantly evaluating the distance and intensity information.

Time-of-flight safety photoelectric barrier and method of monitoring a protective field

A light curtain system is configured to perform dynamic partial muting of the light curtain's beams to accommodate products of different heights. When a product enters the light curtain's protective field during muting mode, the system identifies the highest interrupted light beam, which is indicative of the product's height. The system then sets the muting height for the light curtain based on this highest interrupted beam. Beams higher than the set muting height are un-muted, while beams up to the set muting height remain muted. Both regions are actively monitored during the partial muting mode to confirm the expected non-interrupted, respectively interrupted conditions. When the product clears the light curtain, the muting height is reset, and a new muting height is set in a similar fashion when the next part enters the light curtain's protective field.

Dynamic light curtain muting system and method

A sensor apparatus for detecting an overhang on a load of a carrier device, having a sensor arrangement with at least one transmitter and a receiver and also an electronic unit for control purposes. According to the invention, the sensor arrangement senses two regions of the carrier device with a load during a movement of the carrier device such that evaluation of the geometrical position of the regions in relation to one another is made possible, wherein the first region relates to the carrier device and the second region relates to the load. Furthermore, the electronic unit is designed for generating a signal for each region and linking the signals such that it is possible to ascertain an overhang from this.

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Vilters, Switzerland

Eric Lutz