Keyence Corporation

Tetsu Inoue

Motohiro Kudo

Shinji Kawabata

Koji Fukumura

Tsuyoshi Tagashira

Akiji Yamaguchi

Masaaki Suhara

Kiyoshi Hama

A photoelectric switch reduces a cost load of a user while ensuring its protection function inherent to safety equipment without impairing its safety function, and an optical scanning type photoelectric switch is provided with a muting function settable by the user, which is a function of temporarily invalidating sensing of part or the whole of a protection area, and is provided with two output systems, with respect to each of which the muting function is settable and on each output of which an inspection signal is superimposed at a different timing in a time-division manner.

Safety photoelectric switch

This invention provides an area monitoring sensor capable of setting a monitor area without connecting a terminal device for area setting. The area monitoring sensor that emits detection light in different emitting directions and senses an intruder within a monitor area based on reflection of the detection light, the monitor area being previously set as a polygonal shaped area defined by three or more sides, the sensor being provided on a first side out of the sides of the monitor area, and includes a side selecting unit that selects a second side other than the first side out of the three or more sides that define the monitor area based on an operation input; a distance specifying unit that specifies a distance between the area monitoring sensor and the second side that is being selected by the side selecting unit based on an operation input.

Area monitoring sensor

The present invention can be used in a multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor indicating an operating status thereof to a non-safety control device. The present invention allows the multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor so as to become a easier operation. The multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor has a control unit to providing a safety control signal representing a result of a distinguish portion in a normal operating status, a safety control signal representing operation non-allowable in an abnormal status and a safety control signal representing operation allowable in a special operating status. The multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor also has an operating status indication portion for determining an operating status of the multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor from the normal operating status, the abnormal status and the special operating status, and providing the operating status to an external device via the same output line regardless of the result of the determination.

Safety multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor

A multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor is describes having a first indicating portion disposed at each of the light emitting and receiving units comprising a plurality of first indicating elements being in the same row of each of the light emitting and receiving elements with no-interference to each of the light emitting and receiving elements, a second indicating portion disposed at one of the light emitting and receiving units and comprising a plurality of second indicating elements being out of the same row of one of the light emitting and receiving elements of the units having the second indicator portion with no-interference to one of the light emitting and receiving elements of the units having the second indicator portion and an indicating control portion for turning on the plurality of the first indicating elements of the first indicating portion to show the first and second rows of the units when the binary signal indicating the first status is outputted by the status output circuit and indicating a result of the diagnosis based on the diagnosis device with a predetermined turn-on pattern of the plurality of the second indicating elements of the second indicating portion when the malfunction is diagnosed by the diagnosis device.

Multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor

A safety relay system includes one or more additional input units each for sending safety input from a safety component, a master unit for receiving the safety input from the additional input unit and providing safety output to operate a safety relay based on the safety input, a safety information line for transferring safety information between the units, a non-safety information line for transferring non-safety information separate from the safety input, the non-safety information being information concerning an operation state of each safety component or each unit, and a non-safety information output section for outputting the non-safety information transferred on the non-safety information line.

Safety relay system

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 display monitor is provided for a multi-optical-path photoelectric safety apparatus including a plurality of multi-optical-path photoelectric sensor units. The user can determine whether a special function such as blanking is set for each optical path in a group which comprises a plurality of indicator lamps placed in a row along a longitudinal direction. The user can check the light incidence/light block status for each optical path on an indicator lamp group. The display monitor includes the plurality of indicator lamps placed in a row in the longitudinal direction. First and second switches allow the user to select the unit and the optical path to be shown on the two indicator lamp groups.

Display monitor for multi-optical-path photoelectric safety apparatus and multi-optical-path photoelectric safety apparatus including a display monitor

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 ( ).

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Tetsu Inoue