Keyence Corporation

Motohiro Kudo

Tetsu Inoue

Keisuke Murakami

Masashi Kawanaka

Shinya Kameoka

The present invention provides a mechanism for causing a safety controller to suitably display various pieces of information from a safety input device. A safety controller acquires a compatible port that connects at least one safety input device, and a safety input signal from the at least one safety input device connected via the compatible port and state information on the safety input device. Further, the safety controllerincludes the MCUthat generates, in accordance with the safety program, a safety output signal based on the safety input signal acquired, and the display devicethat displays, based on the state information acquired, a state of the safety input device from which the state information is acquired.

Safety controller

The present invention provides a mechanism for adding a disabling function that satisfies a safety standard to a safety program in a simplified procedure. A program creation assistance device that assists in creation of a safety program to be executed by a safety controller creates a safety program including an input block to which a safety input signal from an input device is assigned, a functional block that implements a safety function, and an output block that outputs a safety output signal, and adds, to the safety program created, a plurality blocks and connections between the plurality of blocks in accordance with an instruction from a user, the plurality of blocks and the connections between the plurality of blocks being configured to implement a disabling function that disables the safety input signal when a predetermined condition is satisfied in the safety program.

Program creation assistance device

A multi-optical-path photoelectric safety apparatus or a light curtain is placed in front of a pressing machine or a folding machine. Optical paths are set as a floating blanking area B (some paths out of a large number of optical paths) in the light curtain. The operation of the pressing machine or folding machine is forcibly stopped when two contiguous optical paths are blocked in the floating blanking area B. On the other hand, the normal protection function serves in areas A and C between which area B is sandwiched. In these areas A and C, if any one optical path enters a light blocked state, the operation of the pressing machine or folding machine is immediately stopped.

Multi-optical-path photoelectric safety apparatus

A multi-optical-path photoelectric safety apparatus is provided that has a light emitting unit, a light receiving unit and a control unit for controlling each optical path. A light block substance sensing function for a multi-optical-path light curtain is also provided to sense an object between the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit. A muting area setting unit is also provided that can be taught how to set an area for exerting a muting function. The muting function can be provided only in a partial area of the light curtain by using the muting area setting unit.

A method of installing a multi-beam photoelectric safeguard system for making a light curtain of closely aligned light beams closely to a pressing machine first positions main light emitting and detecting devices ( ). The method next mounts a projecting portion ( ) to the pressing machine and identifies optical axes interrupted by the projecting portion ( ). Subsequently, after setting a sub light detecting device ( ) adjacent to one side of the projecting portion ( ), the method adjusts optical axes between the sub light detecting device ( ) and the main light emitting device ( ). Finally, after setting a sub light emitting device ( ) adjacent to the other side of the projecting portion ( ), the methods adjusts optical axes between the sub light emitting device ( ) and the main light detecting device ( ).

Method of installing a multi-beam photoelectric safeguard system and method of adjusting its optical axes

The structure is constituted by light-emission control means,and,, a plurality of light emitting devices,which are sequentially operated and controlled in response to light-emission-timing signals supplied from the light-emission control means,and,, a plurality of light receiving devices,forming pairs with the plural light emitting devices,so as to receive light emitted from the corresponding light emitting devices, light-receipt control means,and,for enabling light-receipt signals supplied from the plural light receiving devices,to be received in synchronization with light-emission-timing signals, voltage detection means,for detecting operation voltages which are supplied to the plural light emitting devices,and an abnormal state detection means,for detecting an abnormal operations of the plural light emitting devices in accordance with the operation voltages detected by the voltage detection means

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Osaka, Japan

Motohiro Kudo