Portable Safety Control Device for Industrial Machines in Particular Robots

Abstract

A portable safety control device for use with a portable electronic device to communicate with industrial machine. The control device includes a body having gripping portion for engagement by a human hand and a supporting portion for engagement with the portable electronic device. In one example, separate enabling and emergency stop switches are positioned on the body proximate the gripping portion within reach of the hand engaged with the gripping portion, and is configured for ease of use by left or right-handed users. The supporting portion is configured and oriented to rest on the forearm of an operator. A control circuit is used to communicate with both the portable electronic device and the industrial machine controller.

1 . A portable safety control device for an industrial machine having a control unit, in particular a robot, the safety control device comprising:
 a control circuit connectable in signal communication with the control unit of the industrial machine;   at least one first control member and one second control member, connected in signal communication with the control circuit, the first and the second control members being manually operable to cause transmission of respective safety status information to the control unit of the industrial machine;   an interface arrangement connected to and in signal communication with the control circuit ( 100 ), the interface arrangement operable to removably connect to and electronically communicate with a portable electronic apparatus ( 50 );   wherein the safety control device has a body having a gripping portion, to which the first and second control members are connected and which is configured to be gripped by the hand of an operator, and a supporting portion pre-arranged for supporting the portable electronic apparatus in a removable way;   wherein the body of the safety control device is shaped in such a way that a back of the supporting portion is operable to rest on a forearm of an operator when the gripping portion is gripped by a corresponding hand of the operator; the safety control device being characterized in that:   the first and the second control members are both positioned at a first longitudinal face of the gripping portion, at least one of the first or the second control members being positioned so as to be within the reach of the hand that grips the gripping portion;   the supporting portion has a substantially two-dimensional configuration and extends laterally from a second longitudinal face of the gripping portion that is positioned opposite to the first longitudinal face in such a way that a front of the supporting portion is operable to define a resting surface for a back of the portable electronic apparatus; and   the supporting portion has connected thereto a supporting portion constraint element for locally securing the portable electronic apparatus to the supporting portion.   
     
     
         2 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first or the second control members is positioned in an intermediate position of the first longitudinal face of the gripping portion relative to athe longitudinal length of the gripping portion. 
     
     
         3 . The device according to  claim 2 , wherein the at least one of the first or the second control members comprises an enabling switch further comprising a pushbutton switch. 
     
     
         4 . The device according to  claim 2  wherein the first and the second control members are positioned aligned to each other in a transverse direction of the first longitudinal face. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the constraint element comprises at least one constraint member mounted to the supporting portion in one of an adjustable an elastically deformable, or sliding manner relative to the supporting portion. 
     
     
         6 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the gripping portion further comprises a lower longitudinal face and an upper longitudinal face each extending between the first and the second longitudinal faces, the supporting portion extending from an intermediate position of the second longitudinal face that is positioned closer to the upper longitudinal face than to the lower longitudinal face. 
     
     
         7 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the gripping portion comprises a gripping portion constraint operable to removably secure the portable electronic apparatus to the body. 
     
     
         8 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the supporting portion further comprising at least one of a through opening ( 21 ) or a peripheral recess, the at least one through opening or peripheral recess operable to enable image taking through the at least one through opening or peripheral recess by a corresponding rear image-shooting element of the portable electronic apparatus. 
     
     
         9 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the gripping portion further comprising a position-sensor device operable to detect the presence of the portable electronic apparatus connected to the safety control device, the position-sensor device in signal communication with the control circuit ( 100 ). 
     
     
         10 . The device according to  claim 17 , wherein the microswitch is located mat the second longitudinal face above a resting surface defined by the supporting portion. 
     
     
         11 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the gripping portion is hollow and houses the control circuit and the interface arrangement. 
     
     
         12 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the gripping portion further comprises two opposing longitudinal end walls, at least one of the longitudinal end walls having at least one of a connection port connected in signal communication with the control circuit; and a bushing element operable for passage of a cable for connecting the safety control device to the control unit of the industrial machine. 
     
     
         13 . The device according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 a safety control device wireless communication module operable to communicate with a wireless communication module of the control unit of the industrial machine; 
 a connection port ( 26 ) of the safety control device ( 10 ); 
 a safety token (ST) operable to establish a unique pairing between the control unit of the industrial machine and the control circuit of the safety control device for the purposes of safe communication of information on the safety status of the at least one of the first and the second control members. 
 
     
     
         14 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the supporting portion further comprises an end region, wherein the supporting portion end region and the lower longitudinal face of the gripping portion are operable to position the portable safety control device as an inclined stand on resting the supporting portion end region and the gripping portion lower longitudinal face on a generic plane. 
     
     
         15 . An industrial machine comprising a portable safety control device according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         16 . The device according to  claim 3 , wherein the first and the second control members are positioned aligned to each other in a transverse direction of the first longitudinal face. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 9  wherein the sensor-detecting device comprises a microswitch, and the interface arrangement comprises a wireless transceiver module. 
     
     
         18 . A portable safety control device for use with a portable electronic apparatus to communicate with an industrial machine having a control unit, the portable control unit comprising:
 a gripping portion having an outer wall including a longitudinal length, an inner wall, and a lower wall connected to the outer and the inner wall, the gripping portion operable to be gripped by a portion of a first human hand;   a first control member connected to the outer wall at a center region along the outer wall longitudinal length, the first control member operable to be actuated by at least two fingers of the hand gripping the gripping portion;   a second control member connected to the outer wall at a center region along the outer wall;   a control circuitry in electronic signal communication with the first control member and the second control member;   a first communication interface connected to the gripping portion in electronic signal communication with the control circuitry, the first communication interface operable to electronically communicate with the portable electronic apparatus;   a second communication interface connected to the gripping portion in electronic signal communication with the control circuitry, the second communication interface operable to electronically communicate with the industrial machine control unit;   a supporting portion connected to the inner wall and extending laterally to an end region, the supporting portion having a top surface operable to support a portable electronic apparatus and a bottom surface, the bottom surface operable to be supported by a forearm connected to the first human hand gripping the gripping portion; and   a constraint device connected to one of the gripping portion or the supporting portion, the constraint device operable to removably secure the portable electronic apparatus to the supporting portion.   
     
     
         19 . The portable safety control device of  claim 18  wherein the first control member is an enabling switch, and the second control member is an emergency stop switch, the emergency stop switch positioned vertically above the enabling switch and operable to be actuated by a second human hand. 
     
     
         20 . The portable safety control device of  claim 18  further comprising a portable electronic apparatus sensor connected to the gripping portion, the portable electronic sensor operable to detect the portable electronic apparatus engagement with the supporting portion.