Sick Ag

Manfred Haberer

Bernd Rothenberger

Carsten Natzkowski

Georg Plasberg

Christoph Angenendt

Frank Haberstroh

Klaus Pirkl

Andreas Schieber

Ralph Rapp

Jonas Rist

Gerhard Mutter

Christian Klingelhoefer

Ana Maestro

Thomas Staehler

Shane Macnamara

The invention relates to a method of setting a plurality of part regions of a desired protected zone, in which

Method of setting a plurality of part regions of a desired protected zone

The invention relates to an optoelectronic safety sensor comprising an electronic measuring device for generating measured signals which depend on a state of a safety zone observed by the safety sensor and an electronic evaluation unit for evaluating the measured signals. The electronic evaluation unit comprises a programmable logic controller integrated into the optoelectronic safety sensor for the logic evaluation of logic state variables which are derived from the measured signals.

Optoelectronic safety sensor

A system for configuring a monitored zone of an optoelectronic monitoring device has an optical reception device for detecting an optical sequence generated by a sequence generation unit. A first memory device is used to store an association between the optical sequences selectable at the sequence generation unit and shape elements. A second memory device stores a shape of the monitored zone, and an evaluation unit determines the shape of the monitored zone from the detected optical sequences and the shape elements.

System and method for configuring a monitored zone of an optoelectronic monitoring device

A method is described of connecting a hardware module to a fieldbus, wherein a data connection between the hardware module and the fieldbus is established by a network module which is connected to the fieldbus and which has an internal memory, said method comprising the steps that the hardware module is connected to the network module, that the communication software is read out of the memory of the network module by the hardware module, said software being provided for the communication of the hardware module with the fieldbus, that the communication software is stored in the hardware module, and that the hardware module is use to communicate over the fieldbus.

Method of connecting a hardware module to a fieldbus

A distance measuring optoelectronic safety sensor () for monitoring a monitored zone () having at least one protected zone () is provided, wherein the safety sensor () has a light receiver () for generating a received signal on light reception from the monitored zone () as well as an evaluation unit () which is designed to detect objects () in the monitored zone () with the aid of the received signal and to determine their position, including their distance from the safety sensor (), and to output a securing signal on recognition of an unpermitted object intrusion () into a protected zone (). In this respect, the evaluation unit () is designed to determine and output the distance of detected objects () from the protected zone ().

Distance measuring optoelectronic safety sensor and method of monitoring a monitored zone

An apparatus for the recognition an object in space in accordance with the pulsed time-of-flight principle. The apparatus has a pulsed laser and a photoreceiver arrangement which receives the light pulses reflected back from the object present in the space. The apparatus has a first light deflection apparatus which outputs a first angular position signal representative of its instantaneous angular position to the evaluation circuit, wherein the first light deflection apparatus is arranged rotatably or pivotably about a first axis of rotation and is made for the transmission of light pulses following one another at changing angles in a first plane, wherein a second light deflection apparatus is arranged between the first light deflection apparatus. The apparatus outputs a second angular position signal representative of its instantaneous angular position to the evaluation circuit which has a deflection plate which is arranged rotatably or pivotably about a second axis of rotation.

Apparatus for the recognition of the presence of an object in space

A method for detecting an object inside a monitored zone includes monitoring at least a part of a monitored zone. Sensors generate respective single digital images of the total monitored zone, with the single images of all sensors being generated in a uniform coordinate system. Coordinate points of the single images are flagged as 'safe' by each sensor if they are free of the object, with all other coordinate points being flagged as 'unsafe'. The single images are each transmitted to an evaluation unit and are superimposed to form a resulting total image. The coordinate points of the total image, which are flagged as &#x201c;safe&#x201d;, correspond to those flagged as safe in at least one of the single images. All other coordinate points of the total image are flagged as unsafe. The coordinate points flagged as unsafe in the total image are used for the determination of the object coordinates.

Method and apparatus for detecting an object through the use of multiple sensors

An apparatus for the control of at least one safety-relevant function of a machine is described having a machine control for the control of the movements of the machine, having at least one sensor for the sensing of an object inside a monitored zone and having an evaluation unit for the setting of a danger zone and for the triggering of the safety-relevant function on the intrusion of the sensed object into the danger zone. To set the danger zone, the evaluation unit is coupled to the machine control and the evaluation unit is designed for the derivation of the parameters required for the setting of the danger zone starting from the control signals used by the machine control for the movement control of the machine. A corresponding method is furthermore described.

Method and apparatus for the control of a safety-relevant function of a machine

The invention relates to a method for the control of a monitored zone, in particular at transport devices for objects, wherein the monitored zone is scanned by means of at least one spatially resolving sensor, in particular a laser scanner and/or a camera system, the positions of object points in the monitored zone are determined and a contour search is carried out in at least a sub-set of the determined positions in that these positions are mathematically examined as to whether the respective object points lie on at least one model line pre-determined with respect to shape and/or length within a pre-determinable tolerance, said model line corresponding to at least a part of a contour of a permitted object in the monitored zone, with the contour search being carried out independently of the location of the positions relative to the sensor.

Control of monitored zone

A protective device working in a contact-free manner for the securing of a danger zone of a machine or the like comprises an optical evaluation field and a control and evaluation device which allows, in addition to a securing operation, in which a warning or machine stop signal is generated as a result of a respective intrusion into the evaluation field, a cyclical operation in which a release signal is generated as a result of at least one respective intrusion into the evaluation field in order to release a respective machine cycle, with one and the same evaluation field being provided for securing operation and for cyclical operation and with the control and evaluation device being designed such that only a part of the evaluation field is monitored accordingly both for securing operation and cyclical operation.

Protective device working in a contact free manner

A method for monitoring two or more movable objects in a monitoring region. A substantially horizontal light barrier grid having a plurality of parallel light barriers monitors the region. To permit a plurality of objects to simultaneously move in the monitored region without deactivating the monitoring function of the system, the system controls an entry area for the objects, the size of the objects as well as the distance between the objects to ascertain that predetermined criteria therefor are met. If one or more of these criteria is not met, a control signal is generated which can be used, for example, to deactivate the machinery and/or prevent access to the monitored region.

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Riegel, Germany

Manfred Haberer